Congolese Stations Battle On
Radio stations in DRC, short of funds and equiipment, are determined to stay on air.
Congolese Stations Battle On
Radio stations in DRC, short of funds and equiipment, are determined to stay on air.
Radio, like print, requires little basic equipment, and most radio programmess can be produced fairly cheaply. But even inexpensive digital recorders, computers and mixers can be beyond the means of a radio station in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The pictures above were taken in Bukavu, South Kivu, during a visit to the RTNC Bukavu radio station. Although it is supposed to be supported by the Congolese state, it has to rely on foreignl donors to finance and modernise its equipment. Salaries are rarely paid.
Since the visit in November 2010, RTNC Bukavu has become an IWPR partner and benefits from our development programme. One of the main goals of the IWPR project in DRC is to develop the capacities of local radio stations. We train reporters to give them the necessary skills for the production of balanced reports on human rights issues and also provide the stations with equipment. There is no use producing an interesting report if the sound is inaudible.
Mélanie Gouby is IWPR’s DRC multimedia producer and a freelance writer and photographer. http://melaniegouby.com/
