VOA Broadcasting to Zimbabwe
Voice of America’s Studio 7 radio program broadcasts to Zimbabwe on Shortwave and AM frequencies in Shona and Ndebele. Since its launch in 2003, Studio 7 has continued to be an important source of independent information in a country where one party has ruled since independence in 1980.
Quick Facts
Established: January 2003
Target Area: Zimbabwe (South Africa, Malawi, Namibia, Mozambique, Botswana, and Zambia also receive Studio 7).
Weekly Audience: 1.9% of the adult population
Broadcast Languages: Shona, Ndebele
Radio Programming: Studio 7 broadcasts live, 7 days per week (7pm– 8pm local time).
TV/Radio: LIVETALK broadcasts daily from 1800 - 1830 UTC (local time 8pm–8:30pm.)
Programs and additional features available at:
Facebook:
voashona, voandebele, VOALiveTalk
X:
YouTube:
Podcasts:
Podcast available on My Yahoo, iTunes, and from voanews.com
Programs and Features
Studio 7 broadcasts seven days a week at 7pm and 6am Zimbabwe time, in Shona and Ndebele. Each language program runs for 30 minutes.
In addition, Studio 7 airs Livetalk, a 30-minute call-in TV (simulcast) talk show, Monday through Friday. Livetalk is a platform of engagement that allows Zimbabweans in country and in the diaspora to air their views on developments taking place in Zimbabwe and elsewhere. The program aims to enlighten citizens on critical issues by engaging experts, non- state actors, politicians and government officials. Livetalk is accessible on the service’s website, YouTube channel and Facebook page. All Studio 7 programs can be heard live or on-demand over the phone (Audio Now) and Soundcloud for listeners in South Africa and the UK.
Studio 7 also offers exclusively digital programs for its audience on Facebook, in Shona (Let’s Talk, Ngatikurukureyi) and Ndebele (Zimbabwe Today, Asixoxeni), both of which have attracted strong following from Zimbabweans all over the world.
Studio 7 aims to provide extensive and comprehensive coverage of political, economic and social developments in Zimbabwe. On both its radio and Radio-on-TV platforms, Studio 7 offers a variety of programs targeted to a diverse group of listeners, including women and youth, the diaspora community and rural population, as well as a variety of topics that include religion, culture, health, and sports.
Studio 7 draws upon a network of stringers inside Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana and the UK, to provide extensive coverage of developments on the ground, from major cities like Harare, Bulawayo, Gaborone and Johannesburg, to smaller towns like Chinhoyi and Gwanda, as well as rural areas.
Studio 7 seeks opinions from a wide range of people, including government officials, opposition parties, as well as members of civil society groups and ordinary citizens.