New Radio Station Hits Airwaves In EES

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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The Agency for Cooperation and Research in Development (ACORD)-South Sudan Area program, has finally installed a community Frequency Modulation (FM) radio station for Magwi County in Eastern Equatoria State (EES).

The Community FM radio station now known as “Voice of Freedom” operates on the frequency 93.0 Megahertz (MHZ). It covers the whole of Magwi County, parts of Torit the capital of Eastern Equatoria State and the towns of Pader, Moyo and Adjumani in Northern Uganda.

The Association of Media Women in South Sudan (AMWISS), who run the radio station has a team of four staff including the Executive Director Mrs. Veronica Lucy on the ground to train the journalists running the radio on basics in journalism such as usage of editing software, news reporting and editing, ethical considerations in journalism, radio talk shows, magazines, and finance management skills through ACORD.

“The radio station will be used to consolidate peace amongst these communities. The community contributed a lot and one of them is offering land and a building for the installation of the radio equipments,” Veronica said.

“We are still looking for NGOs who can fund some of the radio programmes. We have been coaching the staff and all are now well equipped with the necessary skills,” she added.

According to the Area Programme Manager, Stephen Wani, the radio equipments were supplied and installed by Buck Broadcast from South Africa and funded by the Belgium government.

Listeners of Voice of Freedom expressed satisfaction now that they can get informed, entertained and educated by the radio station.
 
In 2006 an initiative for establishing South Sudan Peace Radio got underway after identifying AMWISS, a local NGO which would take the management role of the station once it is installed.

AMWISS is a local NGO working in the areas of media such as research, trainings and empowering women on leadership roles among other governance areas.

ACORD shall be meeting with the community leaders to discuss issues concerning launching of the radio station as soon as the broadcasting toolkit is ready from Nairobi. The Communications Manager from ACORD secretariat in Nairobi is currently developing the broadcasting toolkit which shall be the guiding principle during the operation of the station.

The radio station is now broadcasting live in Magwi County.