What Next For Minivan Radio? By Ajay Makan May 27, 2007 Last week pioneering opposition radio station Minivan Radio failed to secure a frequency to broadcast in the Maldives, leading local media, including ourselves, to question its viability.
Reflecting on the failed frequency bid, the radios editor Shaheeda Fathimath tells MN there are no plans to close the station. She robustly defends the stations independence, distancing it from both Minivan Daily and Minivan News, and controversially calls for the other organisations to change their names. And she admits Minivan Radio would sign the Information Ministrys Agreement to secure broadcasting in the Maldives. Futures Bright Minivan Radios future is very, very bright. We will not stop, Shaheeda says emphatically. There are many options to continue, she argues, pointing out the one hour daily broadcasts are still available to download from the internet. Until now Minivan Radio has been the only alternative to government broadcaster Voice of Maldives. But after last weeks distribution of FM frequencies, a number of competitors will be broadcasting on FM twenty-four hours a day. Even if they have an alternative people will go for Minivan Radio," Shaheeda says. "The people have accepted Minivan Radio. It is the peoples radio. They trust it. Shaheeda lists Short Wave broadcasts and selling content to other stations as possible revenue raising options. But it is clear she still sees FM broadcasting as the way forward. TAM have said they have more reserved frequencies. We can always ask them again. Credibility To begin broadcasting, companies must sign an agreement with the Information Ministry, which will regulate radio. Shaheeda argues the agreement is incompatible with independence. I dont believe in the Agreement. I dont believe in the Content Committee [the body established by the Agreement to regulate content]. I dont believe in the Minister selecting eight members for the Content Committee. If thats the case its not fair. We cannot have an independent media unless we have it on [the governments] terms, and this is not democracy," she says. If someone abides by this Agreement, they cannot be independent." No Choice Last week Shaheeda criticised the distribution of frequencies by blind auction. I have already proved I can run a radio. I have been doing this for three years, she said. But these frequencies are for the rich. They dont care as long as they can get money out of this. It is a commercial venture. But beyond the rhetoric, Shaheeda accepts the commercialisation of radio and agrees, in some ways it is a positive development. Im not criticising commercial broadcasters. I dont have anything against them. I am for them and I am with them. If I had money to compete with them, I would. The problem for Shaheeda is not that frequencies were sold commercially, but that broadcasters will have to sign the Information Ministry Agreement. But she says broadcasters have no choice, and Minivan Radio too would sign the agreement if they had won a frequency. I would sign an agreement. I have no choice. It means I will be more like the state media. I will have to make compromises. This is the hard part," she laments. "There are a lot of people who call me and tell me not to sign an agreement, but it is the only way. And if I sign it, that means I have to abide by it. Independence Minivan Radio has often been accused of being anti-government, a charge which Shaheeda emphatically denies. We give the people the news. We try to get the whole angle on it. This includes the government. We try. Everytime we try. But they dont cooperate and they dont give us information. Although Shaheeda will not reveal the names of Minivan Radios funders as they would get hurt, she says funders have never interfered with editorial. If someone wants to help Minivan Radio, I say there can be no conditions. I tell them even if you call me once and ask me to change something, I will quit. Which Minivan Shaheeda wants to distance Minivan Radio from Minvan Daily and Minivan News. All the time people think that Minivan Radio and Minivan Daily are together. But we dont have the same editorial policy, we dont have the same management, we are independent. But with all three organisations operating from the same premises and sharing the same name, Shaheeda admits it is hard to establish any distance. I have tried many times to change the premises. I have asked many people to give me an apartment but they are quoting so much more than I pay that I cant. And she says the other two organisations should not have taken on the Minivan name. I am the one who started Minivan. First came Minivan Radio three years ago, then Minivan News and then Minivan Daily. I dont know how and I dont know why Minivan Daily got my logo. I have a problem with that. I wish Minivan Daily would change their name. I wish Minivan News would change their name. I am not asking them to, but I wish it would happen. http://zlgr.multiply.com (raidio monitoring site plus audio clips ) http://www.worldisround.com/articles/302315/ (Litohoro) 321199/Tinos http://www.flickr.com/photos/zachgr pictures upload . on my main : www.geocities.com/zliangas -tty-px.html : test of various TTY programs -ethics.htm : greek ethics , days and institutions -frape.htm: the greek way of cofee !!! Zacharias Liangas , Thessaloniki Greece greekdx @ otenet dot gr --- Pesawat penerima: ICOM R75 , Lowe HF150 , Degen 1102,1103,108, Tecsun PL200/550, Chibo c300/c979, Yupi 7000 Antenna: 16m hor, 2x16 m V invert, 1m australian loop ---[Start Commercial]--------------------- Preorder your WRTH 2007: http://www.hard-core-dx.com/redirect2.php?id=wrth2007 ---[End Commercial]----------------------- ________________________________________ Hard-Core-DX mailing list Hard-Core-DX@hard-core-dx.com http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/hard-core-dx http://www.hard-core-dx.com/ _______________________________________________ THE INFORMATION IN THIS ARTICLE IS FREE. It may be copied, distributed and/or modified under the conditions set down in the Design Science License published by Michael Stutz at http://www.gnu.org/licenses/dsl.html
