ZBC TV, also known as ZTV, is Zimbabwe's public free to air television network that is fully owned and operated by the state-owned Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation.
History In the country, television was introduced on 15 November 1960, making it the second country after Nigeria to launch such services in the Sub Saharan AfricaEBU Review: Programmes, Administration, Law, Volume 71, Administrative Office of the European Broadcasting Union, 1962, page 12 and the first in Southern Africa. It was operated by a private company called Rhodesian Television (RTV) with its major shareholders being South African companies.
RTV was taken over by the government and became part of the then state broadcaster, Rhodesian Broadcasting Corporation (RBC) in 1976.
Television was mainly accessible in major cities of the country and mostly to the white population. At the time of launch on 15 November 1960, television became available in Salisbury (now Harare) and in June 1961 it became available in Bulawayo. Back then, the station was broadcasting in black and white until 1982, when it upgraded to full colour using PAL B system.
After the country's independence on 18 April 1980,'MuckRaker: ZBC has taken over the RBC's mantle', Zimbabwe Independent, 16 February 2012 RTV became ZBC TV and RBC became ZBC. This followed after the country changed its name from Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia, Zimbabwe Rhodesia to Independent Zimbabwe. The station is sometimes called ZTV, an abbreviation for Zimbabwe Television, a name that was officially used in the 2000s.
In the late 90s, the country's main opposition party MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai was launched. This saw the majority of the opposition supporters, local independent media houses, non governmental organisations and international media monitors accusing the state broadcaster for only reporting biased news favouring the ruling ZANU PF.
In February 2001, the station started airing a daily one-hour block from the African Broadcast Network, itself created by James Makawa, a Zimbabwean. This arrangement ended on 9 May upon the introduction of a new law stipulating a minimum of 75% local content."ABN bye bye ZBC, good morning Nigeria", Africa Film & TV Magazine, nº. 29, February 2001 – May 2001
Other TV stations ZBC started broadcasting a second television channel, TV2, available only in Harare,Children and Women in Zimbabwe: A Situation Analysis, Update 1994, Unicef, 1994, page 40 in 1986.Africa Film & TV, Z Promotions, 2001, page 217
ZBC signed an agreement on 13 May 1997 to utilise the frequencies of the second channel, to Flame Lily Broadcasting, a private company, to operate Joy TV, broadcasting from 17:00 to 22:30 daily."ZBC airtime up for hire", Africa Film & TV Magazine, nº. 14, September–October 1997 On 22 July 1997, the channel launched. The channel took over the entirety of TV2's schedule from 1 October 1997, by leasing the frequency. The channel timeshared with LDM in the afternoons and MABC overnight and in the mornings."ZBC hires out TV 2 as battle to survive hots up", Africa Film & TV Magazine, nº. 15, November–December 1997 The station was initially carried in a 100 km radius from a single transmitter in Harare but later extended its signal to Bulawayo in May 1998 with help from a South African company."Joy TV signs deal with South Africa's dTb", Africa Film & TV Magazine, nº. 17, April–June 1998
ZBC shut down Joy TV for the first time on 4 September 1998 due to alleged payment of airtime fees. Following an intervention from Information Minister Chen Chimutengwende, its broadcasts resumed on 7 September 1998."Joy TV turned off by ZBC", Africa Film & TV Magazine, nº. 19, November 1998-January 1999
The channel was later closed down on 31 May 2002Curtain comes down on Joy TV, Pamabazuka, 6 June 2002 when ZBC refused to renew its licence. In December 2018, ZBC announced the return of Joy TV.Joy TV returns, ZBC News, 12 December 2018
In 2004, ZBC announced a new TV channel called National Television or NTV, a brainchild of the then information minister, Jonathan Moyo and was said that it will be broadcasting from Montrose Studios in Bulawayo. The launch of the station was delayed despite the fact that the transmitter was already installed. In 2005, Minister Moyo was fired and the project collapsed. In 2015 when he was reappointed as the information minister, Moyo promised to revive the NTV project but that never happened.
On 1 May 2010, ZBC reported the successful launch of another TV channel called Channel 2.Zimbabwe: ZBC to Launch Channel Two, The Herald, 13 April 2010 The TV channel transmitted on 199.5 MHz within an 80 km (50 mile) radius of Harare. The station was later closed in 2015.ZBC fires hundreds, closes TV station , Daily News, 12 August 2015
On 20 November 2020, The Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) granted free to air commercial television licences to 6 (out of the 14 applicants) private players to broadcast nationally, breaking the 60 year long ZBC TV monopoly. These include the Bulawayo-based FairTalk Communications, trading as Ke Yona TV which owns Bulawayo's Skyz Metro FM and Victoria Falls' Breeze FM. The state owned ZimPapers Limited, trading as ZTN (ZimPapers Television Network), which owns several radio stations and print media in the country was also granted. Other players include Rusununguko Media (Pvt) Ltd trading as NRTV, Jester Media trading as 3K TV, Acacia Media Group trading as Kumba TV and Channel Dzimbahwe trading as Channel D.
Unsuccessful applicants include ZiFM Stereo's parent company AB Communications trading as Flex TV, Alpha Media Holdings' Heart & Soul Broadcasting Services (Pvt) Ltd trading as HStv, Blackbury Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd trading as Blackbury TV, Conduit Investments (Pvt) Ltd trading as Conduit TV Station, Just in Time TV (Pvt) Ltd trading as JIT TV, Medianet Productions (Pvt) Ltd trading as Sunrise TV and Meditation Investments (Pvt) Ltd trading Zim news Channel.
On 27 April 2022, ZBC relaunched its second channel, this time named Jive TV.ZBC Launches New Channel Jive TV The channel was seen as a departure from the monopoly model, but was shifting towards Zanu PF-related licenses. There were also plans made by ZBC to launch five more channels.Jive TV launch – Zimbabwe replaces TV monopoly with sweetheart licenses
Programming
General entertainment and news
75% of the broadcast content is locally produced. International and regional content from the neighbouring South Africa, USA, UK, Australia, and Korea is also available.
The news covered are mainly local and partly regional and international. News Hour is the hour-long news bulletin that is broadcast daily from 8 PM. Nhau / Indaba is another news bulletin that is split between Shona (Nhau) and Ndebele (Indaba) with each receiving 30 minutes time slot. Good Morning Zimbabwe is the daily morning news bulletin then there is also Lunch Time News.
Other popular TV shows include the Ezomgido, a local and regional musical show, Coke on the Beat which is a pop musical show, Studio 263, the country's first soap opera and other various local shows including current affairs and gospel shows.
Iconic locally produced content includes: Mukadota Ezomgido Stitsha Kukhulwa Kokuphela Tiriparwendo Studio 263 Amakorokoza Sinjalo Timmy naBonzo Gringo
Sports
The station also broadcasts various live sports tournaments from around the country and some major tournaments around the world, including the FIFA World Cup, Olympics and the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Due to lack of finances which is believed to be caused by poor management and the corrupt board, the station is struggling to broadcast locally loved sport events like the Premier League, UEFA Champions League and many others.
Many local viewers are complaining about the station's poor broadcasting standard and are ditching it for foreign content distributors like Netflix and DStv.
Programmes Imported Programmes Current Children's programming Dino Dan Raggs
Animated The Adventures of Chuck and Friends Ben 10: Omniverse Biker Mice from Mars Curious George Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood Jake and the Never Land Pirates Legend of Enyo My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures The Penguins of Madagascar Poppy Cat Rocket Monkeys Sid the Science Kid Sofia the First SpongeBob SquarePants Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Transformers: Prime Totally Spies! Ultimate Spider-Man
Comedy All of Us The Big Bang Theory Cosby (2001, ABN relay) Everybody Loves Raymond (2001, ABN relay) Friends Girlfriends Just Shoot Me! Reed Between the Lines Seinfeld That '70s Show
Drama Alias Alphas Angel Heroes Miracles Scandal Smallville Supernatural
Education MythBusters
Documentary Green Planet I Shouldn't Be Alive Mayday
Cooking The Mind of a Chef
Former Children's programming The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin Art Attack Bananas in Pyjamas Barney & Friends Big Blue Marble Brum Button Moon Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future Catch Kandy The Enid Blyton Adventure Series The Fabulous Reggae Dogs The Famous Five The Famous Five Five Children and It Flicks Fun House Ghostwriter Go Go Giggles The Great Space Coaster Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left The Henderson Kids iCarly Incredible Story Studio Jam Jim Henson's Animal Show Jim Henson's Mother Goose Stories Joe 90 Johnson and Friends K.C. Undercover Kids Incorporated The Kids of Degrassi Street Lamb Chop's Play Along Lassie Magic Letters Masters of the Maze Mighty Morphin Power Rangers The Miraculous Mellops Mirror, Mirror Ocean Girl The Odyssey Pigasso's Place Pugwall Pugwall's Summer The Puzzle Place Rainbow Really Wild Animals Richard the Lionheart Rosie and Jim Round the Twist Sam & Cat Saturdee The Secret of Isis Sesame Street Shake It Up Skippy the Bush Kangaroo Square One Television Stars of the Zodiac Stingray Streetwise That's So Raven Teletubbies Thunderbirds The Tribe Tweenies T-Bag Victorious Wail of the Banshee Wild & Crazy Kids Wizadora Wizards Of Waverly Place Worzel Gummidge Xuxa
Animated 3-2-1 Penguins! The Addams Family The Adventures of Blinky Bill The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn The Adventures of Pow Wow The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin The Adventures of Tintin Albert the 5th Musketeer All Dogs Go to Heaven: The Series Around the World in 80 Days Around the World in 80 Dreams Alvin and the Chipmunks Avenger Penguins Babar Baby Bollies The Baby Huey Show Basket Fever Batman: The Animated Series Beast Wars: Transformers Bigfoot and the Muscle Machines Billy the Cat The Black Corsair Blinky Bill's Extraordinary Excursion Bob in a Bottle Bob the Builder Bozo: The World's Most Famous Clown BraveStarr The Bubblies Bucky O'Hare and the Toad Wars! Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny and Friends Capitol Critters Captain America Captain Planet and the Planeteers Captain Pugwash Captain Star Captain Zed and the Zee Zone Care Bears Casper and Friends Casper the Friendly Ghost Cédric Challenge of the GoBots Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers Choppy and the Princess Clutch Cargo Cococinel Code Lyoko Colonel Bleep Conan and the Young Warriors Conan the Adventurer C.O.P.S. Cro Count Duckula C.L.Y.D.E. Danger Mouse Darkwing Duck Defenders of the Earth Dennis the Menace Denver, the Last Dinosaur Detective Bogey Dexter's Laboratory Dick Spanner, P.I. Dinosaucers Dino-Riders Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears DoDo, The Kid from Outer Space Dog City Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds Donald Duck Double Dragon Dragon Ball Z Dragon Flyz Dragon Hunters Dragon Tales The Dreamstone DuckTales Dungeons & Dragons Eckhart Ed, Edd n Eddy Eggzavier the Eggasaurus Enid Blyton's Enchanted Lands Extreme Ghostbusters Fables of the Green Forest Fairy Tale Police Department Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids Felix the Cat Ferdy the Ant The Flintstones Flipper & Lopaka The Flying House Funky Fables Frankenstein Jr. and The Impossibles Freaky Stories The Fruitties The Funny Company