ZIZ

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title: "ZIZ" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["radio-stations-in-the-caribbean", "television-stations-in-the-caribbean", "communications-in-saint-kitts-and-nevis", "television-in-saint-kitts-and-nevis", "1930s-establishments-in-saint-kitts-and-nevis", "1930s-in-radio", "1961-establishments-in-saint-kitts-and-nevis", "radio-stations-established-in-1961", "television-channels-and-stations-established-in-1972", "state-media", "public-television", "english-language-radio-stations", "english-language-television-stations"] description: "National broadcaster of St. Kitts & Nevis" topic_path: "arts/film" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZIZ" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary National broadcaster of St. Kitts & Nevis ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox broadcasting network|"]

Field	Value
name	ZIZ
image	File:ZIZ-TV.jpg
image_size	150px
caption	TV service logo
type	National broadcaster
airdate
dissolved	ca. 1940 (shortwave)
tvstations	Channel 5
radiostations	95.9, 96.1, 96.3, and 96.9 FM
former_callsigns	VP2LO (shortwave, 1935–1939)
headquarters	Basseterre
country	Saint Kitts and Nevis
owner	Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis
website
::

| name = ZIZ | image = File:ZIZ-TV.jpg | image_size = 150px | caption = TV service logo | type = National broadcaster | airdate = | dissolved = ca. 1940 (shortwave) | tvstations = Channel 5 | radiostations = 95.9, 96.1, 96.3, and 96.9 FM | former_callsigns = VP2LO (shortwave, 1935–1939) | headquarters = Basseterre | country = Saint Kitts and Nevis | owner = Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis | website = ZIZ Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), commonly referred to as ZIZ, is the national broadcasting service of Saint Kitts and Nevis in the West Indies. Originating in 1935 as the shortwave station VP2LO, it adopted its present-day callsign in 1939 but went off the air shortly after; it relaunched on the AM format in 1961, and expanded to television in 1972. A government-owned service and a member of the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC), ZIZ carries its programming across four FM frequencies and one TV channel; the AM outlet remained in operation as late as the 2010s.

History

ZIZ is a government-owned national commercial broadcaster, and is also a member of the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC). Broadcasting in Saint Kitts was introduced with VP2 km, an amateur radio outlet owned by Kenneth Mallalieu, in 1934. VP2 km was succeeded in 1935 by VP2LO, a shortwave station and the territory's first commercial radio service. Airing on 6380 kc. from the town of Basseterre, VP2LO began with 150 watts of transmission power, which was later increased to 500. It was headed by Administrator D.R. Stewart and launched by two sons of his, and was "operated by the ICA Radio Sales & Service Laboratories in conjunction with the Caribbean Broadcasting Service". It adopted the new call sign of ZIZ on 21 January 1939, but sometime after Stewart's death the following month, the original station went off the air.

The service returned to the airwaves as an AM outlet on 5 March 1961, the revived ZIZ transitioned to airing across two separate sessions (6:45–10:00 ECT in the morning, and 6:00–10:00 ECT at night) and in 1964 that the "universally praised" service's programme selection was "imaginative and varied".

Although the revived ZIZ started out as a public service, it would soon switch to a revenue-based commercial format to keep it on air, a move that "was received with very great regret by many people" in early 1963 according to the committee.

ZIZ launched a television division on 3 December 1972; during that decade, it operated one transmitter and four translators across the territory. and ran a separate telex-based information channel on the island country's newly established cable system. Foreign programming accounted for 90% of ZIZ Television's offerings in 1975; with regards to U.S. content, this figure became 60–65% in the 1980s. Around the turn of the 21st century, the local political opposition saw the station as a government mouthpiece and accused it of denying them airtime.

Availability

ZIZ's radio programming is broadcast across the FM frequencies 95.9, 96.1, 96.3, and 96.9. The television service, which airs on channel 5,

Notes

References

References

1. (1966). "St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla: Report for the Years 1959–1962". [[His Majesty's Stationery Office]] (HMSO).
2. (1977). "Third World Mass Media and Their Search for Modernity: The Case of Commonwealth Caribbean, 1717–1976". [[Bucknell University Press]].
3. (1940-05-08). "On the Air Waves: Short-Wave Shorts — May 8". [[The Press Democrat]].
4. (2024-09-27). "Prime Minister Dr. Drew to Address the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, September 27, 2024". The Labour Spokesman.
5. (14 September 2012). "St Kitts and Nevis country profile". [[BBC News]].
6. (2013-10-04). "The Early Shortwave Stations: A Broadcasting History Through 1945". [[McFarland (publisher).
7. (1939-01-21). "The DX Column: Where VP2LO Went". [[The Royal Gazette (Bermuda).
8. (September 1958). "DX Commentary: Calls Heard, Worked and QSL'd: DX Gossip". The Short Wave Magazine.
9. (March 1964). "From Our Mailbag: St Kitts: Government broadcasting station". [[West India Committee]].
10. (1990). "Mass Communications in the Caribbean". [[Iowa State University]] Press.
11. (1984). "TV & Cable Factbook". Television Digest, Inc..
12. (2006-07-12). "St. Kitts Music Festival Brings Talent to Thousands". [[Oakland Post (California)]].
13. (2015). "Politics and Democracy in Microstates". [[Routledge]].
14. (2010-10-23). "DX Worldwide — East: Pan-American DX". International Radio Club of America (IRCA).

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