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Copperbelt Gets a Taste of Flava

The idea of creating the station dates back to late 2004 and its incorporation to mid-2005.

"Flava" is local urban slang for "taste" and the station mix is tastefully varied but predominantly features hits from way back, including 1970s and 1980s RnB, rock, house, jazz, soul, gospel, ragga, kwaito, general African and Zambian music.

Economic Hub

"We are trying to develop the youth with emphasis on the promotion of good cultural values," said station engineer Njonjo Sakala.

"The Copperbelt at one time suffered a setback due to the closure of mines but once again is beginning to flourish due to reinvestment in the maiming sector," said Sakala.

It was Sakala who, together with businessman Andrew Kamanga and Chishala Chitoshi, a lawyer and broadcaster, founded FlavaFM. The mission is to play an integral part in the reconstruction of the Copperbelt, once the economic hub of Zambia.

Broadcasting 19 hours a day from 05:00 to midnight to the Copperbelt province, an area with a population of approximately two million people, FlavaFM provides daily information consisting of 75% music and 25% talk predominantly in English.

The inhabitants of the province account for over 16% of the Zambian population, thus presenting excellent opportunities for FlavaFM to be a viable commercial station.

Youth Advisers

"Our must popular program is the "Breakfast Show" running across the week and presented by DJs Teety and Gesh" said Chishala Chitoshi, station chief executive.

Though predominantly a music show, it also carries traffic reports, newspaper headlines, competitions and business news. "It is interactive but not too heavy for a working and schooling audience," said Chitoshi.

"The World Express" follows in popularity especially among students and young adults, offering music and information on the lifestyle and culture of different countries.

"Inline with the ideal of promoting broadcasting skills and appreciation among young people, we have got 'Teen FM' on Saturdays. It focuses on challenges faced by the youth, especially their interaction with parents and peers" said Chitoshi.

Show Participation

The show includes phone-ins and covers topics like alcoholism, absenteeism, HIV/AIDS, the effects of divorce and single parenthood, and also has the participation of parents and youth advisers.

"The beauty of this show is that everything is handled by teenagers starting from presentation, news reading production and research," said Chitoshi.

"We also recognize the importance of including the languages of the Copperbelt, namely Bemba and Lamba, for the sake of our cultural values and Zambia's heritage," said Chitoshi.

"In this regard," said Chitoshi, "FlavaFM will make a provision where possible for its presenters to be multilingrial in order to cater for the indigenous languages. Our local languages come in handy in the area of public announcements and commercials from both public and private sectors."

As a new kid on the block, FlavaFM is making some inroads as regards sponsored programs and spot advertising.

The cellular and Internet service providers as well as colleges and bus companies top the list of businesses who want to publicize their services on the station.

The existence of FlavaFM and other stations is largely the result of the liberalization of the airwaves and deregulation of telecommunications through the enactment of the Zambia National Broadcasting Corp. (ZNBC) (Licensing) Regulations in 1993 and of the 1994 Telecommunications and Radio Communications Acts.

FlavaFM competes for audience with stations from public services broadcaster ZNBC as well as private entities like Radio Phoenix, Radio Christian Voice and Breeze FM. Catholic Church-owned Radio Icengelo and youth-oriented YAR FM are the closest competitors since they too are located in the Copperbelt.

FlavaFM operates from the top of the Mukuba Pension House in Kitwe. A 15-meter stub mast on the rooftop gives a total height of 37 meters, with four dipole antennas providing terrestrial coverage to Kitwe and the surrounding areas.

State-of-the-art equipment in the FlavaFM on-air studio includes a D R mixer and telephone hybrid, Denon monitors, beycrdynamic headphones, Audio-Technica mics, a Denon dual CD player, Tascam MiniDisc and Marantz PMD 501 recorder.

With the Copperbelt returning to its former glory as the pillar of the Zambian economy and one of the biggest copper mining areas in the world, there are hopes that FlavaFM will be an active and viable participant as a provider of information and entertainment.


John Masuku, a media consultant,
reports from Harare, Zimbabwe
Radio World Vol 32, N0 7