The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation will on 1 May 2010 launch its second television station Channel 2. State owned newspaper, The Herald reported on 13 April 2010 that ZBC public relations manager Sivukile Simango said Channel 2 would be available to viewers within an 80km radius of Harare.
“Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation is pleased to announce that its much-awaited second television channel, Channel 2, will go on air on Saturday, May 1 starting at 0600hours. It will be available on VHF frequency 199.25 MHz. The station will open at midday and close at midnight on weekdays, while on weekends, it opens at 0600hours and closes at midnight. Areas like Chitungwiza, Marondera, Norton, Murehwa, Bindura, Banket, Murombedzi, Beatrice and Furtherstone will be able to receive the channel,” Simango said.
He said ZBC TV had struck a deal with South Africa’s e.tv to screen popular soaps and other programmes. Among the programmes to be screened are Rhythm City, Back Stage, Scandal and The Young and the Restless. There will also be the popular WWE wrestling. Channel 2 will be a commercial channel with a bias towards entertainment and sports.
“In reality, the station is not there but technically the station is already on. If you tune your television set there is a banner which reads ZBC TV 2 wishes you a good 2010,” Simango said earlier.
Source: Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)
