Omaheke community radio expected to be on air soon

GOBABIS – Plans to establish a community radio station in the Omaheke Region are well underway.

Chairperson of the Omaheke Community Radio Initiative Steering Committee, Veronica Mokgaleng, told a press conference here last week that a board of directors had been appointed to spearhead the process. She noted that the Namibia Institute for Democracy (NID) had already bought all the broadcasting equipment that would be needed for the radio station.Mokgaleng added that her steering committee was also looking for an appropriate place from which to broadcast.Mokgaleng said that the National Community Radio Network (NCRN,) through the Media Institute of Southern African (Misa), would train volunteers in community radio broadcasting skills.All aspiring community broadcasters are expected to submit their applications during the first week of February.Apart from the broadcasting equipment bought by the NID, Mokgaleng said that the NCRN and Misa had donated a computer, which could download music, while Microsoft Namibia had expressed willingness to train the station’s employees to use computers.Mokgaleng stressed that the main purpose of community radio stations was to educate, inform and entertain the community, adding that members of the community would be expected to produce their own programmes.Broadcasting will be done in all vernacular languages.The Omaheke Community Radio Station is expected to go on air in June 2004, Mokgaleng said.- NampaShe noted that the Namibia Institute for Democracy (NID) had already bought all the broadcasting equipment that would be needed for the radio station. Mokgaleng added that her steering committee was also looking for an appropriate place from which to broadcast. Mokgaleng said that the National Community Radio Network (NCRN,) through the Media Institute of Southern African (Misa), would train volunteers in community radio broadcasting skills. All aspiring community broadcasters are expected to submit their applications during the first week of February. Apart from the broadcasting equipment bought by the NID, Mokgaleng said that the NCRN and Misa had donated a computer, which could download music, while Microsoft Namibia had expressed willingness to train the station’s employees to use computers. Mokgaleng stressed that the main purpose of community radio stations was to educate, inform and entertain the community, adding that members of the community would be expected to produce their own programmes. Broadcasting will be done in all vernacular languages. The Omaheke Community Radio Station is expected to go on air in June 2004, Mokgaleng said. – Nampa