US funds new shortwave station broadcasting to southern Sudan

Radio Netherlands “Media Network” web site

August 11, 2003

A new shortwave station identifying as the Sudan Radio Service has started regular transmissions. As first reported in Glenn Hauser’s DX Listening Digest, broadcasts are currently at 1600-1700 UTC on 17630 kHz and 1700-1800 on 17660 kHz via shortwave transmitters in the UK.

The project was developed in the US by the Education Development Centre (EDC) through the dot-EDU initiative, with support from USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI). A recent USAID/OTI assessment team determined that a lack of access to information in southern Sudan, particularly regarding the Machakos peace process, is a significant problem. Given Sudan’s great size, topography and widespread illiteracy, it was determined that the best choice for the dissemination of information in local languages to the people of southern Sudan would be shortwave radio.

The radio service will present a mix of timely and relevant programming broadcast in Sudanese languages by Sudanese presenters. Production of the radio service will be implemented by an EDC field office studio in Nairobi, Kenya, until the political climate allows for relocation to southern Sudan. The goal of the radio service is in part to link the ongoing peace process and peacebuilding efforts with initiatives that engender good governance and deepen the participation of southern Sudanese in affairs that most affect them, as well as to provide information about subjects such as nutrition, civic rights, agriculture and culture. Languages used will include Dinka, Bari, Nuer, Zande, Shiluck, Arabic, Juba-Arabic and English.

Due to unstable conditions in Sudan, EDC is establishing an office in Kenya in the interim. The SIRS will be transferred to Sudanese ownership once sufficient capacity is built and local conditions are favourable. As EDC works to establish its Nairobi offices, broadcasts are initially being produced in Washington DC.

Jeremy Groce, Nairobi-based EDC Radio Programming Adviser explains: “Even though we’re not entirely ready to start programmes in Nairobi, we feel it’s important to stick to our timeline in order to provide some news about the Sudan peace process and other issues of importance to Sudanese people. We also need to begin building our audience, and with shortwave radio it can take time.”