BUTEMBO, November 6th, 2019: Radio Okapi officially opens its studio in Butembo, North Kivu province for the production and broadcasting of its programs locally.
The installation of the studio and the recruitment of journalists and technicians were made possible with support from the Office of the UN Coordinator for Emergency Response to the Ebola Epidemic. In addition to broadcasting general information, the radio will be used as an awareness, education and information tool to support the efforts of the response teams to eradicate the scourge.
"Radio Okapi Butembo’s programs will identify and collect all the questions and apprehensions relating to the Ebola disease to enable doctors, experts, community and religious leaders to provide appropriate answers and formulate recommendations", said David Gressly, the UN coordinator for the Emergency Response to the Ebola outbreak in the DRC.
Butembo listeners and their surroundings receive Radio Okapi programs through an FM transmitter relaying national programs from Kinshasa. Radio Okapi broadcasts are received live on 92.9 FM.
The locally broadcasted programs are a novelty, consisting of news broadcasts and other programs in Kinande, Kiswahili and French. "To reach a larger audience, the contents of the programs are rebroadcasted from Tuesday to Saturday from 6.30 to 7 am," said David Gressly.
Radio Okapi Butembo's antenna observes the general editorial line of Radio Okapi, which is based on respect for professional rules and editorial independence. "The editorial line also rests on verification of sources, professional rigor and objectiveness of points of view. The editorial line prioritizes facts as closely as possible, without subjectivity, and by distinguishing between the facts and the commentary, "further said Mr. Gressly.
Although installed for the purposes of responding to the Ebola awareness needs, David Gressly reassures the population of Butembo: "Ebola will end one day, but the radio will stay," he concluded.