Residents of Francistown have gone almost a month without accessing Duma FM, Yarona FM and Gabz FM broadcasts due to the damage caused to their satellite transmitter situated at the top of Nyangabgwe Hill.
However, government radio stations - Radio Botswana and RB2 - were not affected by the thunderstorm that left a massive trail of destruction in its wake. Although some listeners have contacted the radio stations to complain about the sudden loss of transmission, many seem to be unaware of what exactly has happened. "Last week I tried tuning in to my favourite radio station, Yarona FM, and discovered that it was not on air. I just assumed that there was a problem with the signals but now I realise that the problem is persisting," said Mmoloki Amos, a resident of Aerodrome Township. Another resident, Boitshepo Santu, said she was not aware that there was an interruption in private radio stations' broadcasts to the city. She said: "I never noticed it since I rarely listen to the radio."Dumi Lopang of Kemonokeng Holdings, a company that was formed to run the transmission of the three private radio stations, said he is well aware of the disruption caused to the broadcasting of the radio stations to Francistown.
