ZTN Prime TV Channel Launches On 19 May
Zimbabwe Newspapers Limited (Zimpapers)-owned television channel, ZTN Prime, was expected to be launched on Thursday, 19 May.
The channel will be available on DStv Channel 294 from 24 May on DStv Premium, Compact Plus, Compact, Access and Lite packages.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa, Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube, and Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando were expected to attend the event.
Other expected guests were Information Ministry Permanent Secretary Ndavaningi Mangwana, foreign ambassadors, socialites such as Madam Boss, musicians and corporate executives.
Speaking ahead of the launch, Zimbabwe Newspapers Group Chief Executive Pikirayi Deketeke has said:
When we started the journey into electronic media from the print business, our vision was to ensure we have our content, and storytelling on radio and we have achieved that by setting up Star FM, NyamiNyami and Capitalk FM.
Next was television which we had been planning for a couple of years.
We tried a lot of things, in fact, we got the license to do the satellite distribution but it was a daunting task.
We even tried negotiating to work with Kwese TV but later settled for DStv.
Now we have the license on linear and today we are celebrating the talent we have both on and off-air.
I would like to thank the people that also made this possible besides Zimpapers staff, thus include the bankers, DStv and the talent.
ZTN general manager Nomsa Nkala said the channel will provide content that includes lifestyle, sport, business, entertainment, news and current affairs among other things. Said Nkala:
ZTN Prime will be a Zimbabwean news and entertainment channel with an international perspective.
Content will include lifestyle, sport, business, entertainment, news and current affairs, children’s programming, drama, and soap operas.
ZTN Prime will be home to up-to-the-minute results from across Zimbabwe’s sports arena – covering live boxing, top-tier rugby matches, big rivalries in school sport, and live Premier Soccer League action on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
The channel will also go wild with top sports personalities on Happy Hour as their lives intertwine with musical artistes live in the studio.
