Zi-FM hits the airwaves

broadcasting tomorrow.
According to Delani Makalima, who is on the production team at the station: “It must be emphasised that this station is not in competition with any other. Its duty is to complement the efforts of other stations in the country.”
Unlike Star FM which has used the services of known past ZBC DJs such as Tich Matambanadzo, Admire Taderera, Leander Kandiero, Munya Milimo and many more, Zi-FM seems to be focused on the use of well-known musicians who include Sanii Makalima, Delani Makalima, Patience Musa, Lady Thanda, Kudzai Sevenzo, Plaxedes Wenyika and other known personalities such as Tino Katsande and Judgment Yard.. However, seasoned DJs such as Hosiah “The Hitman” Singende, Kimble Rodgers and Tonderai Katsande, have also been recruited to ensure that on the expertise front, the station is not found wanting.  It promises to be exciting!
The first commercial radio station, Star FM , owned by Zimpapers, was awarded a broadcasting licence last year together with Supa Mandiwanzira’s AB Communications which is responsible for the creation of Zi-FM. amid competition from several other applicants.
Supa Collins Mandiwanzira is a journalist and broadcaster in his own right. He is also the past president of the Affirmative Action Group in Zimbabwe.
Having started his career working in financial print media, he subsequently moved to ZBC for five years as a business and financial reporter before enrolling for a masters degree in international journalism with the London’s City University. While in London, he worked as a journalist for the BBC and Reuters before moving to Summit Television, a new business news channel based in South Africa jointly owned by the Financial Times of London and Times Media Limited of South Africa.
Later, Supa became the managing director of African Business Connections until 2002 when he became chief executive officer of Mighty Movies, following the purchase of the company from its original shareholders. He then worked for SABC, South Africa’s state broadcaster, as the Zimbabwe correspondent.
Mandiwanzira afterwards joined Al Jazeera’s English news channel as Zimbabwe correspondent where he sent reports from all over Africa to the rest of the world. He then left the channel to pursue his growing media and other business interests which include civil construction, mining, property development, cinemas, radio and television production, and newspapers. His broadcasts on ZBC included “Talking Business” – a programme on business development within Zimbabwe.
As can be seen Supa is not just a businessman who is after making a quick buck, but someone who is following his childhood interests to their fullest potential.
Zi-FM radio station will begin its operations tomorrow with a coverage of 70 percent of the country. It will start with transmission in Harare and eventually expand the transmission to nine other territories which include Mutorashanga, Mutare, Nyanga, Kadoma, Gweru, Masvingo, Beitbridge,  Victoria Falls and, last but not least, Nyanga.
The station could not afford to leave out Nyanga because this is the place where Supa Mandiwanzira, the director of AB Communications which runs Zi-FM, attended primary and secondary school and he hails from that area. There is definitely  reason for the folks back home in Nyanga to be proud of their son and to recognise his achievements.
Being a past chairman  of the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe, I have learnt that potential applicants for radio and television services should be aware that  while frequencies for radio services are in heavy demand, the amount of available spectrum is limited.
The FM band is constrained from expanding above 107.9 MHz by the presence of aeronautical operations on 108 MHz, and is also prevented from expanding below 88.1 MHz due to television operations. FM radio is therefore limited to these frequencies if its signals are to remain clear. Consequently, when application filing window periods open for new stations, many competing applications are filed and not everyone is issued with a licence. Decisions on who gets the licence and for what reasons, of course remain with  the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe. I am not in a position to comment on how these licences are awarded except to sympathise with those who failed to obtain one.
Star FM were lucky to  get a frequency spectrum which allows them to operate on  89.75 MHz  as the challenges often faced by listeners with ex-Japanese radios in vehicles which cannot access  local radio stations are not experienced here.
With Zi-FM, operating on 106.4 MHz,  the radios in such vehicles will require a bandwith extender if they are to access the station. However, the station is equipped with the Radio Data System (RDS), so that one does not need to tune the frequency on radio when entering a different zone.
One musician who spoke on condition of anonymity commented: “Zi-FM, Our Station, Your Station! This is a welcome development.
Two more radio stations in Zimbabwe! That’s great! Now I know for sure that my music will be played on air and that I will collect royalties for such airplay from Zimura next year in June. I had given up on spliff and rizzla due to hard times but it looks like relief is on its way. Respect!”
The sophisticated equipment at Zi-FM which was imported from Italy is designed to automatically record any song that is played on air. This will enable the station to pay musicians their royalties without leaving it up to broadcasters to log in manually every song they play.
The broadcasting studio equipment which uses sophisticated signal distribution is entirely digitalised and presenters are equipped  with systems which allow them to interact with listeners in real time.
Project Manager for Radio and Television Studios Marco Giovanni of DB Digital Broadcast Company of Italy said the equipment acquired by Mandiwanzira’s company was one of the best in the world and it will offer nothing less to the public.
As the saying goes: “The army marches on its tummy but organisations march on the dollars and cents they have.” Supa seems to have it all and has done a super-duper job by creating Zi-FM stereo radio station.Well done Supa! Big up man!

Fred Zindi is a Professor at the University of Zimbabwe. He is also a musician and an author of several books on music. He can be contacted via e-mail on [email protected]