Ukhozi FM
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| Broadcast area | South Africa: FM |
|---|---|
| Slogan | "Uyawuzw' Umoya" |
| Frequency | Multiple |
| First air date | 1960 |
| Format | Adult Contemporary |
| Owner | SABC |
Ukhozi FM is a South African national radio station based in Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal that caters to the needs of the Zulu-speaking community. Founded in 1960, it is the largest radio station in South Africa (by listenership). The station has a broadcasting licence from ICASA.
Ukhozi means "eagle" in Zulu.
The station caters to people ranging from young to elderly, however it focuses on the youth.
From its humble beginnings as a one-minute war time report service, to its current status as the second biggest radio station in the world, Ukhozi FM's history is a long and colourful one. Ukhozi FM not just as a radio station that broadcasts in isiZulu, but is an archive of the battle for a state-independent voice in broadcasting, a space for preservation and creation of a Zulu identity – negotiating Old and New World influences As a South African Broadcasting Corporation radio station, each station is obligated to fulfil the mandate of the SABC Limited. Ukhozi FM has a history of delivering on its mandate of entertaining, informing and educating the public. With regards to entertainment the station has promoted local content more so than any other has. This includes the first recording of Ladysmith Black Mambazo in 1960 at its Durban studios, promoting the Soul Brothers, Abafana BaseQhudeni, Mahlathini and MaHotela Queens to name a few. The station has supported many music festivals around the country. Ukhozi FM is a station that has promoted traditional (Maskandi) music through its programming that was championed by Welcome Nzimande who later became the Station Manager since his retirement. Through its broadly based programmes, news and current affairs and talk shows the station has grown its listenership to well over 7.5 million listeners.
Radio, as it developed in South Africa in the 1930s became the space for the propagation of certain ideals and values from a central source. Whilst the space for opposing views existed prior to 1939, the start of the Second World War narrowed the scope for what ideas could and couldn't be transmitted. The economic influence and power of the English speaking sect in South Africa resulted in radio being used as a tool for pro-British Wartime reports. In an attempt to make this propaganda as far reaching as possible led to the Native Affairs Department commissioning Charles Mpanza to the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) to transmit these Wartimes reports in isiZulu over the English medium wave service. He was later joined by H.I.E. Dhlomo and then K.E. Masinga who became the first permanently employed black broadcaster of the SABC on 23 December 1941. Masinga expanded the territory isiZulu broadcasting occupied. Since the material that was broadcast was pre-recorded, Masinga was able to capture pieces of isiZulu culture, mainly music, izibongo (praise poems) and amahubo (isiZulu anthems) at multiple sites and then broadcast the, alongside the Wartime reports, diversifying the use of the airtime given to isiZulu broadcasting. His efforts eventually created a space large enough for the airing of pieces as extensive as izinganekwane (folklore) with the airing of Chief Above and Chief Below, a musical play based on a Zulu legend and co-written with High Tracey), being aired in 1945.
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