Karas Community Radio back on air

After two weeks’ silence due to a damaged transmitter, Keetmanshoop-based Karas Community Radio (KRC) on Friday 15 July 2011 returned to the airwaves.

Station manager, Anwar Thomas, told The Namibian newspaper that the transmitter was damaged after a power blackout which was caused by a car crash into an electric pole in the Tseiblaagte residential area where the radio station is located.

Thomas said the radio station, staffed only by volunteers, resumed broadcasting after damaged parts of the transmitter were replaced at the cost of N$3 500 by a Windhoek based company.
Apologizing to listeners and advertisers, who inundated the station with calls, Thomas said the purchase of a back-up transmitter is something the station would look at to deal with similar situations in future.

“Because we had no back up transmitter we’re forced to be off air for the past two weeks.  The radio had been knocked off air for that long because the transmitter could only be repaired in Windhoek,” Thomas explained.

He appealed to listeners to take “full ownership” of the radio station by offering “generous donations” to help with the purchase of back up transmitter.
“The regional and local authorities should be ashamed now, because in the past they had ignored the station’s request to financially assist with the purchase of a back up transmitter,” Thomas fumed.  

Thomas estimated the loss of income generated through advertisement at N$ 20 000. //End//

Reagan Malumo
Programme Specialist: Media Freedom Monitoring and Research
Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Regional Secretariat
21 Johann Albrecht St
Private Bag 13386
Windhoek
Namibia
Phone: +264 61 232 975
Fax: +264 61 248 016
Mobile: +264 81 311 2626
Official Email: reagan(@)misa.org
Private Email: reagan32002(@)yahoo.com

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