Zimpapers Logo

Kudakwashe Chidziya Manicaland Correspondent
Zimbabwe’s largest diversified media group, Zimbabwe Newspapers (1980) Ltd, has been hailed for making Diamond FM an effective tool for communication in Manicaland that is also contributing to the group’s profitability.

Speaking during a tour of the Manica Post and Diamond FM converged newsroom by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Media, Publicity and Broadcasting Services on Friday, vice chairperson of the committee Mr Settlement Chikwinya said it was a cause for celebration that Diamond FM is making profits and said the committee would share notes on the success story of the station with other broadcasting organisations in the country.

“It is great that Diamond FM as a community radio station is making a profit. It shows that there is an efficient operational and management system,” he said.

Mr Chikwinya and other members of the committee also queried the advantages of a converged media house and its ability to capture community interests such as languages in the radio programming as well as content diversity and plurality.

Zimpapers Radio Division general manager Mr Comfort Mbofana assured the committee that convergence was a new global trend and was working well across newsrooms.

“At an international spectrum, many media houses have been integrated. As Zimpapers Group, The Manica Post and Diamond FM are strategic referrals of how the system is working. Profits are being made, which is a true reflection of efficiency.

“We intend to emulate this in our other branches as we work towards having a converged media house,” he said, adding Diamond FM had several programmes catering for the communities such as “Mutare Yedu”, the recent introduction of Ndau news as well as expansion of broadcasting radius aimed at increased reach to various audiences.