Live VOA Creole Call-in Show Links Haitians

Live VOA Creole Call-in Show Links Haitians With Medical Professionals

Haitians questioned medical professionals today in a live VOA Creole Service program that was anchored from outside the ruined presidential palace
Washington, D.C., January 27, 2010 – Haitians questioned medical professionals today in a live Voice of America (VOA) Creole Service program that was anchored from outside the ruined presidential palace in Port-au-Prince and heard by millions of people.

Jean Robert Philippe, a VOA broadcaster, was surrounded by Haitians in the capital city seeking to pose questions to the medical team after the devastating Jan. 12 earthquake. Callers from across Haiti dialed into the program from cell phones.

Mode Silver, a psychologist based in Miami, Fla., told callers the effects of the earthquake will be felt for generations of Haitians. Also participating was Dr. Marie-Josee Fransoi, a specialist in community and public health from Orlando, Florida.

“Our goal was to give listeners a chance to get answers directly from medical professionals,” said Ronald Cesar, chief of VOA’s Creole Service. “Living through the earthquake has left many of them both physically and emotionally scarred, and we want to try to ease their suffering any way that we can.”

VOA Creole-language broadcasts have expanded to 10.5 hours a day on weekdays, and 9.5 hours on weekends since the Jan. 12 earthquake. VOA’s Creole Service reaches more than 50 percent of adult Haitians on a weekly basis. Up-to-date information is also available around the clock on www.VOANews.com/creole .
(VOA)

More on extended VOA programming to Haiti

The Voice of America Creole service has extended its broadcasts to Haiti following the earthquake there. The RNW Bonaire relay station will be carrying this service tomorrow and Friday (14/15 January) at 1230-1330 UTC on 6135 kHz (beam 341 degrees).

(R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

VOA's Creole service reaches millions in Haiti with special news reports and comments line

Messages from comment line will be broadcast into Haiti

Washington, D.C., January 13, 2010 – Haitians, cut off from the world by a devastating earthquake, tuned in to special shortwave and satellite radio broadcasts from the Voice of America's (VOA) Creole Service to learn the latest news and information.

Hours after Tuesday's earthquake struck near the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, VOA broadcast a 90-minute special program to the people of Haiti. The program included statements of support from President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; updates from the U.S. Geological Survey, the Red Cross, the United Nations and Haitian geologists; and interviews from Haiti. Up-to-date information is also available around the clock on www.VOANews.com/creole.

VOA also set up a special call-in number – 1-202-205-9942, mailbox 42 – for people to leave messages that will be broadcast to Haiti. Facebook and Twitter accounts are also being created.

Today, the service broadcast 30 minutes of news, including an interview with Haitian Ambassador Raymond Joseph. Another show is scheduled for 12:30pm EST/17300 UTC.

"In times of crises, VOA is a lifeline of information," said VOA Director Danforth Austin. "Because of our technologies, we are able to reach people in their own languages when disasters strike. Our hearts go out to the people of Haiti, and we'll continue to give them the latest, accurate news."

Ronald Cesar, chief of VOA's Creole Service, said it was difficult for people to get telephone lines out of Haiti. In addition, damage was severe to one of the VOA's FM affiliates, Radio Guinen. “I talked with the manager and he said his tower was down,” Cesar said.

VOA is the leading international broadcaster in Haiti, with a weekly audience reach of 50%.
(VOA)

VOA expands Creole service to Haiti

VOA's Creole Service Expands Hours, Adds FM frequency to Reach Quake Victims

VOA is providing earthquake victims with news and information in their own language Washington, D.C., January 14, 2010 – The Voice of America’s (VOA) Creole Service, reaching out to Haitian earthquake victims in their language, is ramping up the strength and frequency of emergency broadcasts to Haiti.

With Haiti’s communications infrastructure badly damaged, the VOA, the largest international broadcaster in Haiti, is providing listeners with news and information via a combination of shortwave, AM and satellite broadcasts.

“We’re doing everything we possibly can to reach people in Haiti who have a desperate need for information,” said Alberto Mascaro, chief of VOA’s Latin America Division.

He said Creole Service programming on shortwave and satellite radio has expanded from 1.5 hours daily to 5 hours. Programs now air at 7:30-8:30 am EST (1230-0130 UTC); 12:30-2:30 pm EST (1730-1930 UTC); 5:00-6:00 pm EST (2200-2300 UTC) and 8:00-9:00 pm EST (0100-0200 UTC). The evening programs can also be heard on 1180 AM from a transmitter and tower in Marathon, Florida, pre-empting Radio Marti at those times.

VOA is playing a leading role to help Haitians reach out to one another. A special call-in number – 1-202-205-9942, mailbox 42 – has been established for people to leave messages that will be broadcast to Haiti. Facebook and Twitter accounts have also been created in Creole.

VOA reporters are on the ground in Haiti, covering the international response to the disaster. Basic survival information, statements by President Obama and messages from Haitians living in the United States have been broadcast back to those dealing with the disaster.

Like other native Haitians living in the United States, VOA Creole staffers are still trying to confirm the status of their relatives on the island, according to Ronald Cesar, chief of the Creole Service.

VOA’s Creole Service reaches more than 50 percent of adult Haitians on a weekly basis. Up-to-date information is also available around the clock on www.VOANews.com/creole.
(VOA)