Monday, March 01, 2010

New radio station launches broadcast to Somalia

Bar-kulan Radio a new Somali radio station which says it aims at contributing to peace, stability and prosperity for all Somalia, launched test transmissions today. The station is supported by the Hirondelle Foundation, and its director is David Smith, who has previously worked for RNW and Radio Canada International.

In message on the station’s website, David Smith says that “A dedicated team of Somali journalists has been working hard to bring to you credible, independent programming about, for and by Somalis. Bar-Kulan ["Meeting place"] speaks with its own voice. Editorial independence is its bedrock. Bar-Kulan is answerable only to the people who produce its content and the people of Somalia and its Diaspora.”

The shortwave test schedule is 0500-0600 UTC on 15750 kHz and 1600-1700 UTC on 9960/9930 kHz. According to a program schedule on the website, the station currently broadcasts between 0400 and 1900 UTC, but I can’t find any details of other transmission platforms. The station’s Facebook page says it is broadcasting online, but there doesn’t appear to be a live stream as yet.

Both the shortwave hours are listed as news programmes with “In-depth news coverage including the reports sent by the stringers, short interviews, packages, and business and sports slots.”

According to the station’s senior editor Farah Lamaane, a former BBC producer/correspondent who is now based in Kenya, Bar-Kulan is “a new 24 hour radio station which has just been established. Soon there’ll be radio transmitters throughout Somalia which will bring dramatic change to the entire Somali media structure.”
(R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

Bar-kulan Radio www.bar-kulan.com/

Bar-Kulan Radio - Opening annct at 1600 UTC ...
http://tinyurl.com/ykggpvw
(Alokesh Gupta, India)