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Oscar Pistorius (left) and Vimbai Mutinhiri

Jonathan Mbiriyamveka TV Column
Well, 2015 countdown has begun and in about 48 hours time it will be New Year but we can’t afford to forget the sights and sounds of 2014. What with live coverage of current affairs which dominated our screens in and outside our borders.

We had a fair share of live coverage particularly on our national television ZBCTV on the political developments, the coming in of Dr Amai Grace Mugabe into active politics and the subsequent coverage of the Zanu PF congress. Elsewhere, there was the live coverage of Oscar Pistorius’ murder trial. DStv viewing audiences were treated to a whole channel which followed up on the story. This was without doubt one of the highlights of 2014. We also had the big Brother Hotshots which kept us glued although the 2014 season was a drab we still watched the reality series won by Tanzanian Idris.

MultiChoice Africa also held their first ever Africa Content Showcase Extravaganza in Mauritius and it was worthwhile.

Below are some of the hot topics we touched on this column.

Is there Prime time viewing on ZBCTV?

Of late, ZBCTV has been screening a lot of programmes by independent producers and that is commendable but what worries most is the content.

After watching the channel on a Tuesday last week, I was surprised to see that prime time viewing has become free-for-all. Perhaps, the problem is not about the programmes per se but what ZBCTV calls prime time.

Do they still have prime time viewing slot or not?

For starters, prime time viewing should be catchy and exciting. It’s that slot that comes just before the main news bulletin and is popular with advertisers. Back in the day, advertisers would jostle to get space during this period because that’s when most families would gather in the lounge or the living room to watch local dramas and stuff. We also had a number of television commercials which were popular among viewers.

For instance, the “Ngwerewere” commercial was a favourite of many as it featured fine looking Rusike Brothers.

Sadly, that is no longer the case on ZBCTV, in fact, during prime time viewing that is when most people switch to other channels or revert to DVDs, free-to-air channels and the like.

Vimbai Shines at the AMVCAs

Zimbabwean star presenter and top model Vimbai Mutinhiri turned on her style when she co-hosted the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards, the biggest awards show on the continent in so far as television is concerned.

The AMVCAs which are now in second year running were held at Eko Hotel and Suites at Victoria Island, Lagos. I was there once on a different occasion and it’s not surprising that the venue has become the home of the AMVCAs.

Remember the good old days . . ?

Ever wondered why some people still think television was good back in the old days?

Oh, before I go any further, some few weeks ago Juliet Muzenda, the news anchor on ZBCTV’s main news bulletin was the subject of ridicule on social medium, on Facebook to be exact.

There was so much hullabaloo about her dress code. She appeared on the set dressed in a double breasted suit, a shirt and a matching tie.

So the picture that circulated on Facebook with a caption that read: “Is this the new look on ZBCTV news bulletin?”

For some obscure reason, Juliet didn’t see anything wrong with her attire but the viewers had qualms over why she dressed that way. Since Facebook is a social medium, there were those who hurled insults over a simple issue.

However, what yours truly picked from that debate was that things are no longer the same as in the past when the likes of Alice Chavhunduka, Lydia Mavhengere, Musi Khumalo or Abigail Mvududu used to anchor the main news.

Back then , news anchors were proudly sponsored by trendy boutiques and salons but as ZBCTV suffered viewers flight, so did the sponsors.

Even now on several international news desks, women dress up as if they are shooting a movie. Like seriously, you talk of Hala Garani or Isha Sesay, they don’t appear on the set dressed up like Ajigija the clown.

But you really can’t blame Juliet for showing up on the set shabbily dressed. Truth be told, that is not her style but perhaps she was caught off guard. You know those days when you don’t really know what to wear?

More online television stations as DStv launches Explora

Of late, there has been a number of online television stations by Zimbabweans. Already there is Bos TV, which is a bit different in that it is available on free-to-air decoders as well as Blektoe TV run by Nyasha Madzima and now Hezvo.

Chido Sachikonye who is involved in the latest project Hezvo said accessibility, availability on demand and interaction made Hezvo so appealing.

Wish you a happy New Year and remember it is television and its real.

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