Pessimism on Zimbabwe's broadcast media

Commenting on the Marketers Association of Zimbabwe (MAZ) partnership in a TV business reality show, My Own Boss, which ran on ZBC TV, Gillian Rusike, the MAZ secretary general, said MAZ members were very sceptical on spending money on what they perceived to be "an increasingly isolated electronic media".

Broadcast media frowned upon

"The rise in advertising rates had also forced the few courageous advertisers to withdraw from the screens. So any mention of the electronic media as advertising choice was frowned upon," said Rusike.

MAZ had been approached to support the show and had accepted the invitation hesitantly due to the negative perception of Zimbabwe's broadcast media.

Need options and solutions

But the organisation's association with the show, which started in Zambia a few years ago, had shown that there could be a refreshing "breath on an otherwise dull electronic media landscape", said Rusike.

However, he said despite the success of the show, "the gulf between the electronic media and business sector and in particular marketers still seems huge".

"We surely need to talk and come up with options and solutions that advance the cause of the country. Without marketing, business will remain stagnant and so will our broadcast," said Rusike.