Rwizikuran Information Service

Rwizikuran Radio Alliance

File:NMRlogo.png
Trading name	NMR
Native name	Nhepfenyuro mubatanidzwa yeRwizikuru (Rwizi)
Type	Radio-television corporation
Industry	Mass Media
Founded	2 December 1948 (1948-12-02) (radio) 2 June 1981 (1981-06-02) (television)
Headquarters	Port Fitzhubert , Rwizikuru
Area served	Rwizikuru
Key people	Munyaradzi Mahachi (general director)
Products	Broadcasting, websites
Services	radio, television, online
Owner	(TBC)
Number of employees	5,200 (2016)
Website	nmr.rz

NMR, or the Nhepfenyuro mubatanidzwa yeRwizikuru is the state-run radio network and television network in Rwizikuru.

History

Following the independence of Rwizikuru from Estmere in 1946, the first President of Rwizikuru, Zophar Bohannon saw a problem: while there were a handful of radio stations in Port Fitzhubert, Port Graham, Crogan, and Saint-Germain (present-day Port Tsalar, Nasana), there was no national radio network.

Thus, in October 1947, he ordered the establishment of a national radio network, known as the Nhepfenyuro mubatanidzwa yeRwizikuru, so-called as it was a pure Rwizi translation of "radio alliance of Rwizikuru," as it was envisioned to be organized as a system where private radio stations would broadcast NMR programming during the day "to bind the nation together."

Over the next several months, the system was changed so it was to be operated entirely by the state. Thus, on 2 December, 1948, on the second anniversary of Rwizikuru's independence, NMR began to broadcast in the Rwizi, Gaullican, Estmerish, Kirobyi, and the Molisa languages.

Throughout the 1950s, NMR became prominent, as it began expanding into rural areas: by 1958, it was said that "90% of the country was covered by NMR radio." NMR was at the time seen as providing high-quality programming, covering both news and broadcasting soap operas and radio dramas over the air.

However, after Izibongo Ngonidzashe having declared himself Mambo in December 1964, NMR became little more than a propaganda outlet: on 7 February, 1965, the Wopoto language service was discontinued, as Izibongo Ngonidzashe felt that the presence of a Wopoto language radio station would undermine Rwizikuran unity. By 1966, NMR was given a monopoly, and all private radio stations were forced off the air.

Thus, there was no option for radio listeners, which caused the NMR to focus into further binding the nation: thus, patriotic music, propaganda songs, and propaganda broadcasts were made from 6 am to 11 pm on all days of the week, excluding Sundays.

By the 1970s, there were discussions on launching a television service, but Izibongo Ngonidzashe vetoed the idea, as he believed that television would "undermine the social order of Rwizikuru."

After the death of Izibongo Ngonidzashe in 1979, his son and successor, Kupakwashe Ngonidzashe supported television broadcasts: thus, test broadcasts began in 1980, and on 2 June, 1981, television broadcasts began in Port Fitzhubert, using the 819-line system via equipment sold to Rwizikuru from Nuxica.

Over the next few decades, offerings started to expand: a second radio channel was launched in 1985, and broadcasts were expanded to seven days a week by 1988. In 1993, a second television channel was launched, to serve education and arts programs.

In 2006, a third channel was launched in Port Fitzhubert, primarily to provide Gaullican language content to tourists and expatriates, which allowed it to compete in Euclovision.

In 2008, Rwizikuru launched a digital simulcast of NMR-TV3 using ISDB, partially due to aging analogue equipment: while replacement parts had been obtained, albeit at a significant cost, it was decided in 2011 to start broadcasting digital simulcasts of NMR-TV1 and NMR-TV2 in the major cities, with the intention to end analogue broadcasts in the Port Fitzhubert metropolitan area by 2020.

Television channels

Name	Channel	Picture frequency (mHz)	Sound frequency (mHz)	Information
NMR-TV1	2	52.40	41.25	General-purpose channel
NMR-TV2	4	65.55	54.40	Channel for artistic and educational content
NMR-TV3	6	164.00	175.15	Gaullican language channel, only provided in Port Fitzhubert

Radio channels

Channel	Frequency (AM)	Information
Nhepfenyuro Motsi	1287 AM	Talk radio station
Nhepfenyuro Piri	1476 AM	Music station