Radio Sawa to scale back regional broadcasts
To save $9.5 million in 2019, the U.S. government’s Arabic language broadcaster Radio Sawa plans to restrict its FM and AM transmissions to Iraq. This will mean the end of Radio Sawa’s radio service, AM and FM, to the rest of the Middle East.In addition, Radio Sawa’s country-centric feeds for Egypt, the Gulf, Jordan, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco and Sudan will be terminated, both on air and online at www.radiosawa.com. The remaining Radio Sawa Iraq feed will be streamed.
Cuts to Radio Sawa are part of a bigger reduction for the Broadcasting Board of Governors in proposed federal budgets for FY 2018 and 2019. Billing itself as “America’s civilian international media agency,” the BBG oversees the Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Radio Free Asia (RFA), Alhurra TV and Radio Sawa (under Middle East Broadcasting Networks — MBN), and Radio and TV Martí. The BBG budget was proposed at $661.1 million for FY 2019, down from $685.2 million in 2018 and $786.6 million in 2017.
A BBG information page says, “Radio Sawa attracts young audiences by playing contemporary Arabic and Western music with news and information programs. It is one of the most popular radio stations in the countries where it can be heard on FM.” So why is the BBG reducing Radio Sawa from a Middle Eastern regional broadcaster to an Iraq-only station?
“Tough trade-offs are always necessary in austere budget climates,” replied Nasserie Carew, BBG’s director of global communications and public affairs. “But BBG and MBN leadership are committed to and will continue reaching people in media-restrained countries.”
With money being tight, Radio Sawa’s non-Iraq radio broadcasts were a natural target, according to interested observers.
“Eliminating the Radio Sawa network of transmitters in all countries except Iraq will save almost $5 million,” said Kim Andrew Elliott. He’s a retired VOA audience research analyst and broadcaster who now produces Shortwave Radiogram a weekly program of text and images via analog shortwave radio.
“Radio Sawa uses leased FM transmitters in Arab countries, plus mediumwave (AM) relays,” he said, “and these are expensive.”
More of the article here:
https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/radio-sawa-to-scale-back-regional-broadcasts
• Our thanks to Mike Terry for the above information
TNX Southgate
