Acehnese trace missing relatives via 'Suara Muhammadiyah' radio<\/p>\n
Ruslan Sangadji, Band Aceh<\/p>\n
\"You are listening to Radio Komunitas Suara Muhammadiyah 107,6
\nFM. We are presenting an update on missing persons ...\"<\/p>\n
From a 12-square-meter room on the second floor of a building
\nat Muhammadiyah University here, radio newscaster Rahmadi M. Sani
\nread out on Tuesday a list of missing persons, compiled from
\nreports filed by members of the public.<\/p>\n
With the operation of this Radio Komunitas Suara Muhammadiyah
\n(Voice of Muhammadiyah Community Radio) since Friday, Acehnese
\npeople have a new medium to trace missing relatives.<\/p>\n
Ahmad Husaini, 37, a resident of Lueng Bata, Banda Aceh, said
\nhe found Suara Muhammadiyah by chance. \"When I turned my radio
\non, I could find no station except Radio Suara Muhammadiyah.\"<\/p>\n
\"Now I often listen to it. My favorite program is an Islamic
\nprogram,\" he said.<\/p>\n
But not all Acehnese know about the radio station, such as
\nMuhammad Syarif, 24. \"I rarely listen to the radio. It's good if
\nthe station is on air,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Suara Muhammadiyah is one of the radio stations people can now
\nturn to since the tsunami disaster on Dec. 26.<\/p>\n
Before the tsunami, there were 16 radio stations in Banda
\nAceh, including Radio Nikoya 106 FM, Radio Flamboyan 105.2 FM and
\nRadio Baiturrahman 98.8 FM, but many of them were affected by the
\ndisaster.<\/p>\n
Radio Suara Muhammadiyah went on air after receiving equipment
\nfrom Jakarta-based Kantor Berita Radio 68H, which provides radio
\nwire news services.<\/p>\n
The equipment provided includes one mixer, one computer, one
\ntransmitter, one satellite dish and one generator, as well as 40
\nradios.<\/p>\n
\"We distributed all 40 radios to various refugee camps in
\nBanda Aceh and surrounding areas,\" said Rahmadi.<\/p>\n
According to Radio 68H director Santoso, his radio station
\nprovides technical assistance and equipment for Suara
\nMuhammadiyah, Muhammadiyah -- the country's second largest Muslim
\norganization -- supplies the manpower and the Asia Foundation
\nsupplies the funding.<\/p>\n
Rahmadi said his station focused on humanitarian programs. It
\nhas only five programs per day -- news, information on missing
\npersons, health information, counseling and religious programs.<\/p>\n
The missing persons program has attracted the most attention.
\nEvery day, Rahmadi said, about 10 people go to the studio to
\nrequest that the names of their missing relatives be announced.<\/p>\n
The radio has two time slots for missing persons: at 9 a.m.
\nand 7 p.m. No money exchanges hands for announcements.<\/p>\n
\"We currently only have public service ads and they are all
\nfree. We don't have any commercial ads,\" Rahmadi said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/acehnese-trace-missing-relatives-via-suara-muhammadiyah-radio-1447893297",
"image": ""
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