New Zimbabwe-Focused TV Station To Broadcast On WizTech

A new Zimbabwe-focused TV station, 1st TV will start broadcasting via the Wiztech platform from this Friday 19 July.

In a press release the station says:

1stTV will provide impartial, factual news to the people of Zimbabwe as well as broadcasting popular films, soap operas and comedies.
The 1stTV team comprises respected former ZBC producer-presenter, Temba Hove, Short Wave Radio Africa’s hard-hitting interviewer, Violet Gonda and executive producer Andrew Chadwick.
Over the past seven years, hundreds of thousands of Zimbabwean households have installed Wiztech decoders, as they made clear their desire for quality, independent information and entertainment.

Chadwick, who has worked for Sky News and as communications director in the Prime Minister’s office until 2011 added:

This exciting project means that Zimbabweans will now have a station that not only broadcasts to them but also will serve as a platform for all people to express their views and to share information about what is happening in their areas and in their lives.

Alternative options for broadcast platforms are always welcome, we think, as long as they serve the people’s interests first.

Zimbabweans were left without alternative when Sentech blocked the SABC signal to Zimbabwe early July. There has been talk of SABC and ZBC coming up with some sort of station to provide content but we haven’t much more about that idea since it was mooted.