The Zambia Daily Mail Limited has revealed that its shareholders, the Industrial Development Corporation have asked it to take over the running of the Times of Zambia Newspapers.
Zambia Daily Mail Limited Board Chairperson Mr Geoffrey Simukoko made the disclosre when he toured the Zimpapers Group in Harare on Monday.
Mr Simukoko commended the Zimpapers Group for being a fully-fledged integrated media house by incorporating the print, online, radio and television units into one big business unit.
In an interview after touring Zimpapers business entities, Mr. Simukoko said Zambia Daily Mail would work towards implementing a similar business model.
“We came to Zimbabwe after our shareholders asked us to take over the publication which is not doing well. They want us to see, learn and maintain it as a unit. We want to see how Zimpapers operate different units, the structure and how the news content is managed,” he said.
“The visit is to see how you have diversified your operations. We are very impressed of what we have seen here. When we came here, I did not think it was diversified as it is, I thought we will just find a newspaper running unit like we are. You have ventured in a lot of areas in the communication field.”
Zimpapers spokesperson Ms Beatrice Tonhodzayi said it was exciting to see regional players coming to learn.
“We are excited to be hosting a team from the Zambia Daily Mail,” she said.
In business it is all about strategizing to survive. If indeed, these two papers have to make money then they need to respond to the environment. Its time even government agencies that were created to do business to begin to start making money as business entities. If merging the two is one of the solutions, then let be so. For God’s sake let us learn something from Zampost really. Yes Zampost is not yet there, but the corporation has demonstrated that it is doing real business. So, with my permission go ahead. but do the preliminaries first don’t rush. But again let us not take years just for simple transformation when evidences are there.
Exactly what is wrong with us. Just by mere appearances someone is already impressed. Have you seen the financials over a number of years?
Solution is to privatize the Times of Zambia. Reason it collapsed is because of government interference and very soon Daily Mail and ZNBC will suffer same predicament. Edgar got no vision!
Very stupid idea knowing how parastatals work the new entity will surely fail unless the absorption of Times will be a strategic way of killing it off. At no point should the finances mix IDC should pump money into Times and see if the Daily Management style redeems it. This will mean scrapping off Times management and let Daily restructure and remodel the business. We have seem similar approach in international business eg Landrover Jaguar and TATA …Geely and Volvo etc. There is need for seriousness if it is to work but unfortunately both these belong to the same shareholder and worse that Shareholders GRZ …. Worst being run by very selfish leaders always sniffing a deal in all government transactions
@ Obatala ZNBC is not going to suffer the same predicament. Have you forgotten that we’re supporting it by means of that TV levy? They’ll just keep on increasing it and we’ll have no choice but to pay it. I don’t know why they cannot just privatize these entities. Surely these publications are a joke! First try to be relevant to the society that you serve. Just look at those crossword puzzles in the Times. Are they culturally suited to Zambian society? Can any reader tell me that they have solved the Time’s puzzles in their entirety? And those ‘ Features ‘ stories that were copy and paste from European newspaper’s with little relevance to Zambian readers. The paper is outdated that’s why it is unpopular. If only they would give me a chance! I have great ideas to turn that paper…
The most influential newspaper of all time The Post, died almost two years ago after it was “killed by tax -related issues”. So why should we just keep up appearances and pretend all is well at the Government paper Times of Zambia? The great Post has died and people have moved on with their lives, what can be so special at Times to still maintain it at great cost to the tax payer? We can do with Zambia Daily Mail and other newspaper publications which are there now including online social media. The name and history of Times of Zambia should not hold to ransom the Zambian readership. Zambia Airways, United Bus Company of Zambia, Contract Haulage, Dunlop, ROP, Rover Zambia used to be household names in Zambia with powerful workforce. They are not there any more because there was little…
The best solution to the Times of Zambia is to find a buyer who will take the paper forward into the 1990s.