Bar-kulan Radio, a new Somali radio station which says it aims at contributing to peace, stability and prosperity for all Somalia, launched test transmissions today. The station director is David Smith, who has previously worked for RNW and Radio Canada International.
In message on the station’s website, David Smith says that “A dedicated team of Somali journalists has been working hard to bring to you credible, independent programming about, for and by Somalis. Bar-Kulan ["Meeting place"] speaks with its own voice. Editorial independence is its bedrock. Bar-Kulan is answerable only to the people who produce its content and the people of Somalia and its Diaspora.”
The shortwave test schedule is 0500-0600 UTC on 15750 kHz and 1600-1700 UTC on 9960/9930 kHz. According to a programme schedule on the website, the station currently broadcasts between 0400 and 1900 UTC, but I can’t find any details of other transmission platforms. The station’s Facebook page says it is broadcasting online, but there doesn’t appear to be a live stream as yet.
Both the shortwave hours are listed as news programmes with “In-depth news coverage including the reports sent by the stringers, short interviews, packages, and business and sports slots.”
According to the station’s senior editor Farah Lamaane, a former BBC producer/correspondent who is now based in Kenya, Bar-Kulan is “a new 24 hour radio station which has just been established. Soon there’ll be radio transmitters throughout Somalia which will bring dramatic change to the entire Somali media structure.”
on Mar 3rd, 2010 at 13:31
Hi Andy, thanks for putting up info on Bar-Kulan radio. You may be interested in knowing that one of Radio Netherland’s best-known voices is also part of this project - Soule Issiaka, former head of the Francophone Africa service and more recently head and founder of the Bureau Afrique de Radio Nederland is the Deputy Director of Bar-Kulan. Together with a team of Somali journalists we are building - one piece at a time - what we hope will be Somalia’s version of Radio Okapi (www.radiookapi.net).
Test transmissions are running at the moment on 15750 kHz (Dhabbaya) from 05h00 to 06h00 UTC and on 9960 kHz (Meyerton) from 16h00 to 17h00 UTC.
A DSTV audio channel should be operational from about March 24th and live streaming should begin once we have the proper bandwidth to allow us to do so. An FM network is also in the works, with a TX ready to start in Mogadishu and hopefully others in Somaliland and Puntland soon.
Bar-Kulan is doing on-the-job training - the programming will increase as capacity grows.
Check the website for updates, including summaries of news about Somalia in English.
Best,
David Smith
Director - Bar-Kulan (Kenya)
Director - Okapi Consulting (South Africa)
on Mar 3rd, 2010 at 13:45
Hi David,
Thanks for the additional information. Glad to know that you have Soulé on board. We miss his regular visits to Hilversum, so glad to know he’s still very much involved in radio. Please give him my warmest regards. I’m sure you have seen this recent story about Soulé, but for those who may have missed it:
http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/knighthood-for-rnw-africa-journalist
Good luck with Bar-Kulan, and of course please keep us informed as the project develops.
Andy
on Mar 16th, 2010 at 14:55
just found this new press release:
http://www.bar-kulan.com/2010/03/14/press-releasethe-birth-of-a-new-radio-station-for-somalia/
on Mar 16th, 2010 at 21:36
The point of this release for anyone axually trying to listen to it is that they give a different frequency for the 16-17 broadcast, 9630, than the initial one, where many of us heard it, 9960. Has it really changed? Please confirm by monitoring. If it did change at some point, how can they claim that it has been on 9630 from the outset? Also DX Mix News said the A-10 frequency was planned to be 9930. This and 9960 are/were via South Africa, while 17750 via UAE.
on Mar 18th, 2010 at 10:57
David Smith replies:
Sorry for the uncertainty over frequencies - 9960 is until March 31 and 9930 is from April 1st. My mistake entirely - we have been pushing this project so quickly that at time of writing the press release, I still didn’t know which frequency was which.
FM (98.0 MHz) went on the air on Sunday 14 March in Mogadishu. TX is 3.5 kW and, at the moment, is operational from 05h00 to 10h00 UTC and 15h00 to 19h00 UTC. Soon we’ll expand to 24hr.
on Apr 12th, 2010 at 11:01
Hi Dear Mr David Smith Director of Radio Bar-Kulan i am named Rashiid and i am one of Somali Journalist specially i was working with Horn Afric Kismayu Branch at Juba regions i was also reporting to horn afric Mogadishu, so as you may know Horn Afric Kismayu was already closed early 2009 by the islamist militants of Al-shabab,so that most of the reporters went to Kenya but me i was remaing here at Jubba regions southern Somalia, So 1th march we have recieved to listen Radio Bar-Kulan at Short wives clearly here at Kismayu and most of the people were very glad to hear this new radio which is mainly focusing on social and traditional programes at the Radio, So let me tell you know the aim of my contact to radio Bar-kulan and the aim is all about to apply to be the repsentative or the reporter of radio Bar-kulan here at juba regions becouse its very important for the Radio to have reporter at jubba regions as these regions are very significant to get the daily news about the social and economic development so i am ready and confident that i can work with you with efficiency and affectivenes.
so i will lookfarward to get your urgent feedback ASAP.
Best wishes
Rashiid Wartsame
Free Lance journalist
Kismayu,Southern Somalia.
Tell. 002521-5855072- or 2521-5565959
on Jul 12th, 2010 at 14:25
Wow, this is exciting. I knew something important and valuable was up with David’s presence around the Horn — and no part of Africa needs this initiative more than Somalia. This CAN transform things, shift attitudes, and open up a new dialogue where there wasn’t that possibility. Courage courage!