Several privately owned Rwandan FM radio stations are due to begin operations in February following a cabinet directive to the country’s press council to issue work and broadcasting permits to fully registered stations. An official told IRIN that at least six FM stations, including Radio Contact, Radio Flash, National University of Rwanda-School of Journalism, Radio Tel-10 and Adecco Radio, have received licences to compete with Radio Rwanda. Another FM station owned by the Seventh Day Adventist Church has also been given permission to begin operations. Two other stations that had applied for registration did not meet the standards, the official said.
Radio Rwanda has enjoyed a monopoly of the air waves for nearly 10 years since the 1994 genocide. The newly licensed stations are waiting for the Ministry of Infrastructure to allocate them frequencies, the council official said. Radio Tel-10 has already been allocated its frequency. However, no new television station have been licensed. “We have put a halt on licensing television stations because we wanted to first deal with the radios,” the official said.
So far, Tel-10 is the only company that has applied for television and radio registration. Rwanda only has one state-owned television station. Observers say that the government considers the advent of the private radio stations as a source of employment for unemployed youth. On average, each radio station is expected to employ at least 10 people. The radio stations will also help the government by airing educative programmes designed to enhance efforts to eradicate poverty as well as create awareness against HIV/AIDS, of which 11.5 percent of Rwanda’s 8.2 million are infected.
Rwanda has been very cautious in licensing privately owned stations following the role of Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines in the 1994 genocide.
(Source: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks - IRIN)
on Oct 31st, 2008 at 19:56
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on Jan 25th, 2009 at 00:21
Your programmes are very interesting for us here abroad. I am a student in the netherland University of Twente, MSc programme. I am from Rwanda and i wish you do your best so as to allow us to follow all your programme via internet
on Apr 16th, 2009 at 10:36
Thanks a lot for all your initiatives.
From Mfalme Baptiste
on May 16th, 2009 at 15:18
Danke schon!!
on Dec 16th, 2009 at 09:57
Your programmes are very interesting for us here aboard. am doctor from school of medicine, Makerere University College of Health Science. But l want to join that radio(Radio Netherlands worldwide) because l have very nice health program which l want to presenter on RNW. so it will be great fully to hear from u again. but u contact me via mail mavinjovenna@yahoo.com or monalisamatovu@gmail.com or call me on +256-774454828,+256-756015150. Am from Uganda Kampala and l wish u do Ur best so as to allow us to follow all Ur programmes via internet.
Dr matovu jovenna.
on Jan 26th, 2010 at 10:53
I am very interested in following all your programmes and the way you are organized. It is very fabulous. In fact I appreciated all rendered services.
Stay blessed
JB Mfalme
UNiversity of twente, The Netharlands
on Jan 31st, 2010 at 23:05
Am very delighted. Trust you will always be the first
Regards
Jean baptiste
Mfalme
MSc.Holder
on Oct 9th, 2010 at 07:59
Hello there, my name is Adam King and i come from Kampala Uganda… a month ago i was in Rwanda…but guess what! i was so pleased with all your FM radio programming. please keep up the that good job done and may the almighty God bless you president HIS Excellence PAUL KAGAME.
thank you!