INDEPENDENT television station, 3Ktv, got off to an excellent start yesterday morning, with many viewers remarking about the quality of its programming and pictures.
Emmanuel Nyamayedenga, 3Ktv’s elated General Manager, said the new station had had “a hassle-free, dream start”.
“We couldn’t have wished for a better, more dramatic start. It was, to be honest, a perfect, hassle-free, dream start.
“Virtually everyone who got in touch with us was impressed by the richness of our programming and images, prompting one of the viewers to joke that our feed did not look like it was from Zimbabwe.
“Our commitment to our viewers is that we will maintain and improve on this solid start, as we showcase the very best of Zimbabwe with content produced by Zimbabweans for Zimbabweans,” Nyamayedenga said.
This comes as Zimbabweans from a wide cross-section of society have warmly welcomed the history-making channel — the first licensed free-to-air private station to operate in the country since television was first introduced in the then Southern Rhodesia in November 1960.
The family-viewing oriented station is also available on MultiChoice’s DStv platform, on Channel 293, to all bouquets offered by Africa’s leading entertainment company — from Premium through to Lite.
Speaking at the weekend, the station’s Head of Programming, Christina Nyirenda-Chimuka, told the Daily News that there was an enormous appetite for “excellent, independent and locally-produced television content in the country and among Zimbabweans in the diaspora”.
“Zimbabweans have been crying for competition and more quality local programming for quite some time, and they now have it in 3Ktv.
“Indeed, and with the tag line ‘The Best of Zimbabwe’, 3Ktv is well set to meet this hunger for riveting, 24/7 television programming from day one.
“I’ve been around around a bit in the media, and I’m convinced that our new baby will be a game-changer in terms of the production, marketing and consumption of local TV products,” Nyirenda-Chimuka said.
Among the many people who have warmly welcomed the arrival of 3Ktv is the chief executive of the Zimbabwe Advertising Research Foundation (ZARF), Pamela Gwanzura, who has said that it will “freshen up” the broadcasting sector.
“The launch of 3Ktv on the Zimbabwe media landscape is incredible because … it is coming with a fresh feel and thrust towards promoting quality local talent.
“3Ktv could be a conduit to our local talent being recognised in the international arena. This is a great development,” she said.
Gwanzura added that 3Ktv’s parent company, Jester Media Services, had put together an incredibly seasoned team to run the station, further expressing confidence that the new station would “fly” just like the other product offerings within the multi-media group.
On her part, the chairperson of the Advertising Standards Authority of Zimbabwe (ASAZIM), Sapi Bachi, said the coming on stream of 3Ktv would give consumers more choices.
“The consumer now has an option in terms of what they can watch. This is because competition … makes us better.
“Our media space is now … more interesting. I think for brands, this development in our media space, in terms of channels and preferences, is going to become very important,” Bhachi said.
3Ktv was licenced in November 2020, having come tops following a credible and keenly-fought bidding and public hearing process.
The station is a sister venture to Zimbabwe’s iconic and number one business newspaper, The Financial Gazette, as well as the inimitable Daily News and the Daily News On Sunday.
