IN the jubilee year like we are in as a country, you would expect the media generally to begin the publicity campaign of activities that will culminate into the major celebrations on October 24 when Zambia got her independence from Britain.
I have noticed that ZNBC has started in earnest with the ‘Zambia at 50 Campaign’ which comes every so often, including on prime-time slots just before the main news at 19:00 hours and during commercial breaks.
Although for now it’s just the number 50 coming on the screen and a voice in the background announcing that ZNBC is celebrating Zambia’s Golden Jubilee, I believe a lot more can still be done.
I remember watching a package by Inutu Mwanza earlier this month when Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary George Zulu met members of the diplomatic corps to invite them to participate in the Golden Jubilee celebrations.
Mr Zulu announced that after setting up a committee that will be led, incidentally, by Mulenga Kapwepwe, daughter of former prime minister Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe, the broadcast and print media would be very much part of the celebrations.
The role of the media has not been restricted to providing publicity about the events that will take place on October 24 but also highlighting the rich heritage sites that Zambia boasts of.
In the past week, everybody has been talking about the Zambia Music Awards and how ZNBC has come of age with the broadcast of a live ceremony last Saturday with some saying it was almost flawless.
Truth be told, I only watched the latter part of the Awards night since it coincided with Manchester United’s 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace but from what I saw, the national broadcaster has really come of age.
Every time I tune to ZNBC these days I look out for positives of what the television station is coming up with and I am glad that of late there have been more positives than negatives in the way programmes are being churned out.
I have a problem, however, with the lack of proper identification on the national broadcaster in its current crest. All you see on ZNBC now is a small TV1 or TV2 in the top corner of the screen but there is no identification that this is actually ZNBC.
Muvi TV always has its logo ever present on the screen such that even when browsing through the channels, it is easier to migrate to the ‘channel of choice’.
I also look forward to a day when our local television channels will also become interactive so that using the remote control you are able to check what programme is showing and what to look forward to.
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A couple of months back I discussed the lack of innovation among most advertisers in the way they want to market their products.
I am seeing a minor change in the packaging of the adverts although the dramatising of all products is still the mainstay. The use of comedians in the adverts provides the much-needed light moment on television.
Aggressive advertising is obviously the best tool, especially for advocacy pieces like the one by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) on the dangers of vote-buying and other electoral malpractices.
This seems to be working well in curbing electoral vices although much still needs to be done to completely eradicate the practice, if the resurgence of the scourge as shown in the just-ended Katuba by-election is anything to go by.
I watched on ZNBC Main News on Tuesday how rival camps accused each other of vote-buying but I feel the biggest vice that needs immediate attention is election violence which was prominent in Katuba and other elections before.
The package my Paul Shalala from Katuba was, as usual, a cut above the rest but it troubled me to watch blood-letting campaigns between rival party cadres which should have no place in a young democracy like ours which still needs nurturing.
The broadcast of Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) proceedings on the national broadcaster has continued to win kudos for the station, albeit the glaring financial irregularities being laid bare at the sittings make for an unpleasant viewing.
That is the literal meaning and role of a public broadcaster and it would be nice if in future all our television stations, both private and public, can start airing parliamentary proceedings and PAC sittings permanently.
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Here is from the mailbag:
“Hi Xavier,
Thank you for allowing me to air my views through your column.
While watching Kwacha Good Morning Zambia Kitwe production, I heard Sherrine Masupelo commend her counterpart Andrew Mpandamwike for a good job he displayed during Nkana’s game against Mbabane Swallows.
She described Andrew as a genius who managed to capture all the seven goals with one camera.
As viewers, we tend to ignore people who work behind the scenes and yet they are a vital component to every production.
It was clearly a blue Monday for ZNBC. For whatever reason, the Morning Live current affairs programme was not aired.
Life-style segment presenters later showed up like all was well.
The first item to be introduced was cookery corner. However, what came was fitness.
It is not fair for an esteem viewer to be taken for granted, when something goes wrong. Saying sorry is not asking for too much.
Since I have been robbed of my favourite programme On Air, I can no longer watch it as my schedule cannot allow.
I am slowly adopting another one nonetheless. Chintobentobe, where I saw the Minister of Information Mwansa Kapeya and ZNBC director general Chibamba Kanyama display some dance moves. Combined with the narration, it was a brilliant piece.
Thank you ZNBC for airing the Sochi Olympic Games. I learnt something, that there is what they call skiing cross-country. In this part of the world, when we hear cross-country in sport, we want to think that it’s something to do with running only.
The airing of live proceedings of the Parliamentary Accounts Committee meetings is another plus. Well done!”
For comments manchishi@gmail.com