Phase 1– Affiliation of community radio stations in the region
The stations agreed to abide by the code of practice issued by the Ministry of Communication, and to work as a ‘radio network for development’ in the south. Guidelines for a democratic, non partisan approach in the stations was also validated by the partners and contracts were signed.
October 2003, each station received a CD player as Phase 1 of its affiliation and 14 CDS which contained approximately 14 programmes on each, covering all the themes of development in the sectors of food security, agriculture, natural resource management, conservation, health, HIV awareness, family welfare, culture and education
Each station agreed a certain number of hours of broadcast for these programmes against the value of the equipment given, ensuring that education via radio would reach the Projet Radio/PCID target groups across the region.
Phase 2 – increase of FM signal across the region
Following a technical evaluation of all the radio stations in the region, Projet Radio/PCID partners met to discuss the access to FM radio signal for communities in their target zones of intervention. As a result certain areas were identified as needing a boost of FM signal. 
The eastern side of the province has been relatively well covered by local radio stations – Fort Dauphin to Ambovombe hosting 9 stations alone. However the western side from Tshiombe was less well resourced with a single station in Ampanihy covering only 20 kilometres, and another in Betioky – also with low transmission. Tulear being the largest city in the province already has three stations.
It was agreed to help provide two new stations – one in Tshiombe and one in Ejeda to cover the southern most part of the Androy region, and to meet the needs in the Mahafaly respectively.
Additional funding was sourced to assist the purchase of the materials, increasing what was made available in the EC budget to Projet Radio. Materials were specified and provided by Globecom SA, and materials were sent in March 2004.Following customs clearance and preparation on the ground a two week installation phase took place in June 2004
Two engineers from Globecom , the ALT Projet Radio regional Coordinator and local consultant, set off to install the 2 new stations and upgrade three others (Betioky, Ampanihy and Ambovombe) and to provide a new studio for production for the partners in Tulear.
The work was completed by the end of June and formal openings of the stations took place on the 1st July in the presence of the Ministry of Communications Representative, the OMERT engineer (licencing in Mg) and the Head of Communications for the Committee National de Lutte Contre Le SIDA (CNLS- National Aids Committee)
Tsihombe station with Voron Kodonoho 100FM
This station has been set up in collaboration with and thanks to the financial support of the CNLS (Committee Nationale de Lutte Contre le SIDA)- National Aids Committee of Madagascar – specifically to produce HIV radio programmes in partnership with projet Radio SIDA (see link) and to reinforce the field work of Assoc Voron Kodonoho who are actively teaching villagers about the threat of HIV AIDS in this region.
The station boasts a 500 watt transmitter, a digital production unit and on air studio and with the current mast height can reach up to 80 km in one direction. It is hoped to increase this by raising the height of the antenna – with the possibility of reaching up to 75,000 people.
To assist the listening, Projet Radio has supplied 50 wind up/solar radios for listening groups and 14 CD full of educational radio broadcast from projet Radio /PCID
First reports suggest the villagers are very happy to have the new station – local radio receivers are sold out in the shops, and already listeners are visiting the station and requesting re broadcast of some of Projet Radio/PCID programmes!
95FM station - Lutheran Hospital EjedaThis station has been set up in collaboration with the support of UNICEF – to broadcast HIV AIDS programmes and to develop educational messages for women and children health and welfare. Traditional practices in this region can have negative health impacts for young girls – they given their own small houses as soon as they begin to menstruate and are then visited by local men who will decide if they are ‘viable’ as wives, mothers or girlfriends. The local hospital has to regularly provide caesarian operations for girls of under 16 years of age (50% of operations) and also manage the large numbers of under age girls with ectopic pregnancies (usually resulting from STDs)
The station will help to educate the local people by broadcasting information and will support a field training exercise which increase debate about the local practices, create awareness about rights, and promote ways in which women can help themselves maintain sexual health and wellbeing
.
The hospital provides the building, the station staff and a and reports suggest that the signal is reaching as far as Ampanihy to the east. The stations has a powerful transmitter, digital edit solution and on air studio.
The access to FM signal should provide opportunities for listening to up to 120,000 people. Projet Radio is providing 50 wind up/ solar radios for listening groups to receive the programming.
Additional support for the preparation and materials for this station has been provided by Zurich UK.
Forward
The project is discussing further supports to audit the maintenance of the stations and to ensure that station personnel have access to training – especially on technical issues and development of the station to ensure their durability
The project has also made a request to the National AIDS Committee to provide a further 1000 radios for the south (under their national programme), 500 for the areas of Tshiombe and Ejeda where the new stations create a demand for radios. A further 500 radios to meet the high demand from our PCID partners in Tulear to provide radios for their listening groups.
The new model radio is being distributed through the National AIDS Committee Mg (CNLS) as part of their national communications campaign
ALT Projet Radio gave a week’s training to CNLS regional reps on how to distribute the radio in their regions.
Help ALT to build the Rural Radio Network
Help ALT support this vital communications resource for development. The rural radio network is not yet self financing . This is part of the work of the project for the next two years – but you can help to maintain the resource and the work of ALT in the south to bring education and information by contributing to our work.
£25 will assist production of 14 educational programmes for villagers.
£50 will assist distribution of radios to village listening groups of up to 100 people each.
£100 will help to maintain broadcasting through the network over 2 months.
© The Andrew Lees Trust 1995 - 2008