United Methodist Church building new radio station in Liberia
The United Methodist Church says it's close to launching a new radio station in Liberia. The Liberia Annual Conference has been dreaming of a radio station for the last two years. Funding for a community radio station in Liberia will make that dream come true soon. Contributors to the radio station include the Illinois Great Rivers Annual (regional) Conference, Memorial United Methodist Church in White Plains, NY, and Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, said Elizabeth Hunter, executive director of the United Methodist Communications Foundation.
"Communication needs have been hampered by war," said the Rev Konah Parker, communications director for the Liberia Conference. "For a long time, Liberia lost contact with the outside world." Communication infrastructure in Liberia was severely damaged by the 14 year civil war that ended in 2003. The Liberia Broadcasting System, ELWA and all other radio stations were looted and destroyed during the war. He noted however that cell phone companies and radio stations are starting to come back. "Liberia needs nationwide radio coverage," he said. "Most of the stations do not cover Liberia’s 43,000 square miles."
Construction of the station has started. Isaiah Mbuga, a radio expert from Uganda, was invited to assess and advice the conference on establishing their own station. Mbuga emphasized the need to do research on audience needs and trends and decide exactly what the church wants to accomplish with a radio station.
"The transmitter you have is very small, but it can do well," he said. "Use what you have, use high gain antenna, get a receiver and add another transmitter — (signals) will go up to the end of the country."
(Source: United Methodist Church/Radio Netherlands)