A recent survey has shown that listenership for Radio Voice of the People (VOP) is increasing, with 62 percent listenership in rural areas and 40 percent in urban areas. The survey, carried out by Research Bureau International, revealed the exiled station had, since its launch in 2000, achieved 90 percent penetration among both rural and urban areas audiences.
“In a country where the majority of its employable adult population is out of formal employment, the station has found favour with non working Zimbabweans with nearly three quarters of its listeners derived from the group,” said the survey.
The survey was conducted between July and August this year. It sampled 1 500 people randomly in all the country’s 10 provinces. The survey also revealed that a small majority of its listeners were women.
However, both the urban and rural audience enjoyed the political slot, which continued to expose human rights abuses by the State, the country’s health and economic situation as well as the performance of the seven month old inclusive government, among other broadcasts.
Castigated by Zimbabwe’s government officials as a foreign-funded “pirate” radio, the station broadcasts news, views and information in the country’s three national languages Shona, Ndebele and English. However according to the survey, most listeners preferred to receive the broadcasts in the English language compared to the vernacular ones.
The survey further revealed that the rural audience preferred the evening segment more than the morning one while there was an almost equal listenership of both segments by the urbanites.
For a station that still depend heavily on word of mouth as a source of news, the survey revealed that most listenership habits were usually planned as listeners deliberately tuned in at the times of their favourite broadcasts. Because of the country’s repressive media laws, the station broadcasts to Zimbabwe by RNW’s transmitters in Madagascar. The station has continued to enjoy such good following despite a bomb attack, police raids and arrests as well as jamming by the state.
Radio VOP was established in 2000 as an alternative media. In 2006 it won the One World Broadcasting award for outstanding community media that promotes human rights and sustainable development.
“I am pleased of the good following that we are getting in both urban and rural areas,” said Director, John Masuku. “It shows we are making meaningful contribution towards providing alternative broadcasting in the country. We are also pleased the station has established itself more in rural areas where people are generally not exposed to conventional media and that it is cutting literacy barriers, filling in news gaps which have resulted from the ZBC’s monopoly of the airwaves”.
Zimbabwe still has to invite applications for radio and television licences as required by the Global Political Agreement (PGA). However the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ), which will be responsible for issuing licences, still has to be formally re-constituted following recent interviews by a Parliament select group. The names of the successful candidates have since been forwarded to President Robert Mugabe for final approval.
(Source: Radio VOP/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)
“In a country where the majority of its employable adult population is out of formal employment, the station has found favour with non working Zimbabweans with nearly three quarters of its listeners derived from the group,” said the survey.
The survey was conducted between July and August this year. It sampled 1 500 people randomly in all the country’s 10 provinces. The survey also revealed that a small majority of its listeners were women.
However, both the urban and rural audience enjoyed the political slot, which continued to expose human rights abuses by the State, the country’s health and economic situation as well as the performance of the seven month old inclusive government, among other broadcasts.
Castigated by Zimbabwe’s government officials as a foreign-funded “pirate” radio, the station broadcasts news, views and information in the country’s three national languages Shona, Ndebele and English. However according to the survey, most listeners preferred to receive the broadcasts in the English language compared to the vernacular ones.
The survey further revealed that the rural audience preferred the evening segment more than the morning one while there was an almost equal listenership of both segments by the urbanites.
For a station that still depend heavily on word of mouth as a source of news, the survey revealed that most listenership habits were usually planned as listeners deliberately tuned in at the times of their favourite broadcasts. Because of the country’s repressive media laws, the station broadcasts to Zimbabwe by RNW’s transmitters in Madagascar. The station has continued to enjoy such good following despite a bomb attack, police raids and arrests as well as jamming by the state.
Radio VOP was established in 2000 as an alternative media. In 2006 it won the One World Broadcasting award for outstanding community media that promotes human rights and sustainable development.
“I am pleased of the good following that we are getting in both urban and rural areas,” said Director, John Masuku. “It shows we are making meaningful contribution towards providing alternative broadcasting in the country. We are also pleased the station has established itself more in rural areas where people are generally not exposed to conventional media and that it is cutting literacy barriers, filling in news gaps which have resulted from the ZBC’s monopoly of the airwaves”.
Zimbabwe still has to invite applications for radio and television licences as required by the Global Political Agreement (PGA). However the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ), which will be responsible for issuing licences, still has to be formally re-constituted following recent interviews by a Parliament select group. The names of the successful candidates have since been forwarded to President Robert Mugabe for final approval.
(Source: Radio VOP/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)
