Friday, March 22, 2013

New VOA FM Transmitter Launched in South Sudan

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A new Voice of America FM transmitter officially signed on today in South Sudan, offering a high quality signal to listeners in the capital of the world's newest country.

VOA English to Africa Service Chief Sonya Lawrence Green told dignitaries and fans at the launch ceremony in Juba, "93.5 FM will provide the latest news, talk shows, music and sports, 24-hours a day, seven days a week."

The transmitter will serve an estimated 400,000 residents in Juba and the surrounding areas.

Green thanked those who had helped make the event possible and said the popular VOA program South Sudan in Focus will continue to offer news "for South Sudan, about South Sudan and by South Sudan reporters."

Speakers at the launch included U.S. Ambassador Susan Page, South Sudan's Minister for Telecommunications, and a representative from the country's independent media organization. MC for the event was John Tanza Mabusu, the managing editor of the popular VOA program South Sudan in Focus.

The interactive program, produced in Washington and hosted by John Tanza and Charlton Doki, encourages audience members to share their thoughts and ideas, which are often incorporated into the show. Audience research indicates that 90% of listeners would recommend the program to a friend. 

"Listeners are hungry for breaking news and cultural information that VOA is well-placed to provide because we have a team of South Sudanese reporters around the country, a bureau in Juba, and an editorial staff in Washington D.C., where we also cover U.S. foreign policy and diaspora angles to the South Sudan story,"  says Green.

The Juba FM joins the network of VOA transmitters operated by the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors in Nairobi, Kenya; Accra, Ghana; Abidjan, Côte d'Iviore; Bangui, Central African Republic; and the newly launched FM in Bamako, Mali.

(Press release)

Related :

VOA Adds FM Transmitter in Mali's Capital

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