Radio Netherlands is currently constructing three mobile radio stations which will be shipped to Aceh at the end of the month. These will enable three RN partner stations in Banda Aceh, Meulobah and the island of Nias to resume their broadcasts by late April. These radio stations were completely obliterated by the December tsunami. The mobile radio stations have been named “Queen Beatrix”, “Princess Máxima” and “Princess Catherina-Amalia”.
Radio Netherlands is helping with the long-term reconstruction of these partner stations, but this is a slow process. General Director Jan Hoek says: “It is really important that the radio stations in Aceh are back on the air as soon as possible. Radio is a vitally important means of communication in Aceh and a major source of information for listeners. That’s why we started constructing these mobile radio stations a couple of weeks ago”.
“Once they are back on the air, they will also be broadcasting material from our Indonesian service and letting many people in the region hear independent journalism once again.” Radio Netherlands’ Indonesian programmes can be heard in Indonesia on short wave, satellite, internet and via our partner stations.
Radio Netherlands is also giving a modest degree of financial support to the staff of the partner stations who survived the disaster. In future we would like to provide training courses for new and existing employees of our partner stations, since many of their people did not survive.
The mobile radio station or “Radio Station in a Box” was created in collaboration with BFN and StudioBouw VOF. The mobile radio stations are being lent to our partner stations in Aceh. Once they are able to start using their own facilities again, Radio Netherlands will deploy the mobile stations in other parts of the world and for other purposes – for instance, for training purposes or in connection with other natural disasters.