IN our continued feed from veteran broadcaster Ben Kangwa, we look at News casting this week.

THE English Oxford Dictionary describes “News” as newly received or noteworthy information, especially about recent events.
An example of “News” is the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation’s (ZNBC) radio or any other radio station announcing the winner of a presidential race, the Zambia National Soccer team being tossed out of the Orange African Cup of Nations competition or indeed a disaster at a local market, a dangerous criminal’s arrest and such many other examples that affect the community, the citizens, the country, the continent and the world at large.
The responsibility that the radio station carries in the process of finally making the announcement is one that eventually rests on the newscaster or news presenter. The newscaster communicates the news as accurately and in a simple manner to the listener.
To be successful, a newscaster needs good communication skills including an easily understandable “on-air” delivery.
The news presenter also needs to be professional and most importantly ‘sound trustworthy.’Examples of trustworthy newscasters that come to mind include BBC’s  Jullian Marshall and Ritula Shah, NBC’s Brian Williams, ABC’s  Diane Sawyer and two great late anchors Peter Jennings and Walter Conkrite.
Back in the day, I was fortunate to be coached by a group of professional broadcasters in general broadcasting and in news reading.
My mentors included Charles Mando, Mann Sichalwe, Joseph Kuluneta, Harold Besa, Peter Mweemba, Kenneth Maduma and my evergreen and all weather brothers Matteo Phiri and Mannasseh Phiri.
“On hands” training was all about being in the newsroom as the news was being compiled or prepared one hour or so before broadcast time.
While in the news room at this time, I was required to make sure I got familiar with new words and names – how to pronounce them.
If I could not get any assistance in the newsroom, I was required to seek for assistance outside the broadcast house from friends that were familiar with English and local names or indeed from foreign Embassies based in Lusaka if the words and names were in a foreign language.
Mispronouncing local and foreign names was the worst thing a worthy newscaster could do. As a way to avoid mistakes, I was also encouraged to write “pronouncers” in the news stories to ensure that the words or names are said right.
The caster would ask how the word or name is pronounced and literally write it the way he/she would say it. Call it phonetic sound!
Going on the air and sounding professional was the next step. With the complete news in my hands, I would loudly read the news as I got out of the newsroom all the way into the corridor leading to the news-booth.
Once I got in the news-booth, I would continue reading aloud until a minute or two before “cue” time at 07.00 or 13.15 hours as the case might be.
Meanwhile, as the news was being read to the entire nation and beyond, it was simultaneously being recorded in the control room for future reference during staff weekly production meetings.
Feedback from these meetings would enable me appreciate the positives I would have made in my news reading and also made me aware of how I could better my news reading.
Other newscasters who joined later followed suite and it would be folly of me not to appreciate newscasters such as Maureen Nkandu, Margaret (Zimba) Phiri, Dora Siliya, Margaret Chimanse and Doris Mulenga who during their time made news worth listening to.
There is no magic to good news reading. It is a question of being sober, being in the newsroom well ahead time, being part of the news preparation team, checking on spellings, names and finding out how best to pronounce them, constant rehearsing of the news and most importantly understanding what you are reading.
The writer is a Broadcast Journalist and Media Consultant
(DUE TO OVERWHEALMING RESPONSE WE GOT FROM BEN’S LAST TIP, AND THE FACT THAT WE STILL HAVE A SERIES OF OTHER TIPS COMING AHEAD, WE SHALL PUBLISH THE COMMENTS LATER)
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Having fed from Ben Kangwa’s interviewing tips last week, we look at some points raised in retrospect; “Top on the list is knowing the purpose of the interview and researching on the subject matter no matter how small.” How sad that listeners heard interviewers with slight or no clue of the topic they host.
“Always try to communicate with total enthusiasm and involvement, maintaining constant eye contact and not cutting the interviewee off.” Some of our interviewers are detached from the very interview they conduct.
FAITH RADIO
Those who would recognize Pastor Conrad Mbewe’s voice must have heard his uncompromising preaching on Faith Radio Station transmitting on 106.9 from Riverside in Kitwe.
It would be better to remind listeners that they are listening to Pastor Mbewe.
His sermons are unique from the many sugar-coated, plant-a-seed, and deliverance messages that have flooded the airwaves.
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Bemba broadcasting flows well with local music, yet we hear English songs mixed up on Faith radio during broadcasting in bemba.
ICENGELO
Listeners will have nothing to take away from Peter Chilufya Masongo’s Bemba presentation; the man is up to the task, he flows eloquently and mixes appropriate songs.
It was, however, an interruption of a programme in English that disturbed transmission of bemba programming.
In the middle of a Bemba presentation, Constance Kitungu featured Beatrice Maseko Phiri and Zachaeus Musonda to discuss legal aid matters in English and reverted to Ilyashi mu ci-Bemba later.
RADIO 4
Listening to last Sunday morning’s presentation by Kachana on Radio 4, one notices the enthusiasm she attaches to her interactive morning show.
Entertaining children either on radio or in personal demands that one gets to behave and sound like them and that is what Kachana does best.
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Jack ‘The HOT STEPER’ Mwale took over from Kachana last Sunday, dropping country songs in succession, the music flew with interruption to the liking of most listeners.
RADIO 1
Collins Kasalamuna travelled to Mukambo border to interview our Congolese brothers and sisters living on how they feel over their team’s performance at the on-going Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Those interviewed were happy with their team (The Leopards) performance, they invited Zambians to join them considering that, apart from us being neighbours, and they too, supported us when we won the championship in 2012.
Hear them twist ci-Bemba language, you won’t resist but laugh.
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Apostle Kunda’s sermon on Radio 1 was cut before he wound up, and then came Ilyashi lyapano isonde last Wednesday.
Stay tuned, don’t touch that dial! – jackmwewa@gmail.com   0955115777