Radio Netherlands Worldwide is today launching a daily Arabic radio programme called ‘Huna Amsterdam’ (Here’s Amsterdam. This young-sounding news and current affairs programme is aimed at a progressive audience looking for independent information. The radio broadcasts can be heard from now on throughout the Middle East and the Maghreb via shortwave, satellite and www.rnw.nl/hunaamsterdam.The radio broadcasts will be launched officially on 15 November during a special debate that Radio Netherlands Worldwide is organising in Morocco (Rabat). The debate ‘Moroccan brats and disrespectful Dutch’ is about the media and the formation of reciprocal images in the Arabic and the Western world.
Migrant communities
The radio programme is aimed at the entire Middle East and the Maghreb, particularly focusing on Morocco, the Palestinian territories and Iraq. The editors of Huna Amsterdam will be bringing news, analysis and reports from the region and from the Netherlands/Europe as well as reporting from migrant communities. The Arabic desk at Radio Netherlands Worldwide also has a website: www.rnw.nl/hunaamsterdam.
Divide
Radio Netherlands Worldwide hopes the broadcasts will help close the divide between the Arabic and Western worlds. Director General Jan Hoek explains: “More than ever the two worlds seem to be talking simultaneously and at cross purposes, rather than with each other. The Arabic world is clearly in need of an independent moderate (Muslim) sound, one which encourages dialogue.”
Broadcast times and frequencies
Radio Netherlands Worldwide will broadcast the radio programme during the evening hours via shortwave, satellite, podcasts and audio streams on www.rnw.nl/hunaamsterdam. Radio Netherlands Worldwide will soon be adding broadcasts on mediumwave and via FM partners, who will take over parts of the programme. Here are the options for reception:
Iraq and the Gulf states: Mon-Fri 1900-2000 UTC on 11830 kHz
Other Middle East states: Daily 2000-2100 UTC on 7385 kHz
North Africa: Mon-Fri 2200-2300 UTC on 5970 kHz
The Arabic satellite channel Sawt Al Alam on Eutelsat Hotbird, Arabsat BADR4 and Nilesat 101: Daily 1900-2000 and 2200-2300 UTC.
Radio Netherlands used to broadcast in Arabic, but stopped after more than four decades in 1994. “We will build on our past knowledge, contacts and reputation. But our main target group is not our old audience. Today’s listeners are much younger,” says Jan Hoek.
(Source: R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)