Our story
- Mid-1930s · The call-sign ZIZThe sons of Administrator Douglas Roy Stuart and radio enthusiast Kenneth Mallalieu run experimental broadcasts, issued the call-sign ZIZ and heard around Basseterre — until the station falls silent.
- 1955 · The idea takes shapeA national station is championed by C.A. Paul Southwell, Minister of Communications and Works. The Colonial Development & Welfare Fund earmarks £16,000, raised to £23,000 by 1959.
- 1960 · Building the stationKarney Osbourne is named Broadcasting & Public Relations Officer and trains in Canada and with the BBC in London. The studio is built at Springfield.
- 5 March 1961 · ZIZ goes on airThe station is officially opened by Lord Hailes, Governor-General of the West Indies Federation, broadcasting 6–9 p.m. nightly. Early voices include Joseph Archibald, Lorna Sheppard and Zephaniah Joseph.
- 1960s · Voice of the communityLive parliamentary debates, schools programming and favourites like Aunt Lulu and Uncle Goldwyn. BBC links bring London Calling the Caribbean and live Test cricket to village shops across the islands.
- 1973 · Onto FMZIZ begins transmitting on its FM frequency to reach a wider, more discerning audience.
- 1975 · More power, and NevisPower is increased to 10,000 watts and a studio is established in Charlestown, Nevis.
Heritage
For its first years ZIZ worked with limited means to serve the citizens of the Federation — airing parliamentary debates live, reading exam texts for students, and giving even the shut-ins a chance to be heard. Entertainment was never far away: Aunt Lulu (Louvina Maynard) and Uncle Goldwyn (Goldwyn Caines) delighted the children, Rev. Buttolph voiced whole casts of characters, and Karney Osbourne read poetry between the tunes.
Through the BBC came London Calling the Caribbean and, best of all, live commentary of World Cup and Test cricket. From those three evening hours in 1961, ZIZ grew into the National Broadcasting Corporation of St. Kitts & Nevis.