Bridging the information gap in Kyrgyzstan
05-07-2007 (Almaty)
Radiomost journalists
© Radiomost
Radiomost, the first community radio in Central Asia, will go on air next August.
A Talas-based media NGO has started journalism training last April thanks to the funding provided by UNESCO. In workshops, eight students are learning how to write news and conduct interviews. For many of the trainees, becoming a journalist is a childhood dream coming true.
When Radiomost will go on air, these motivated journalists are ready to inform and entertain Talas citizens. The official start of the UNESCO funded community radio station on 100.5 FM is scheduled for the end of August. The mission of the radio station is to fill the information gap in the region. Talas is a secluded region in the Tien Shan mountain ranges, which means that news or other information rarely reach the locals in time. After the break-down of the Soviet Union, the communication infrastructure went down as well. Today, many villages in this rural district do not have telephones and local radio stations and newspapers have been closed.
Radiomost faces a big challenge and there is still a lot to learn, but with each new workshop the vision of a viable community radio becomes more and more reality.
For Bakyt Nurzhanov, Director of Radiomost, the trainees’ progress has become visible already after three months: "The youngsters have grown up. They have already discovered their strengths and weaknesses. They know what stories they can do."
Some of the trainees have already developed ideas for their own programmes. "I want to do my own radio show and will focus on family problems. For instance, bride kidnapping is a big problem here and I want to bring this issue to public attention", says fifth-grade student Salkinai.
In order to better understand the information needs of Talas citizens, the journalism training also includes audience research in order to develop radio programmes according to the specific information needs of Talas people. Each day will be dedicated to a certain group of people: for instance, farmers, women or the young.
When Radiomost will go on air, these motivated journalists are ready to inform and entertain Talas citizens. The official start of the UNESCO funded community radio station on 100.5 FM is scheduled for the end of August. The mission of the radio station is to fill the information gap in the region. Talas is a secluded region in the Tien Shan mountain ranges, which means that news or other information rarely reach the locals in time. After the break-down of the Soviet Union, the communication infrastructure went down as well. Today, many villages in this rural district do not have telephones and local radio stations and newspapers have been closed.
Radiomost faces a big challenge and there is still a lot to learn, but with each new workshop the vision of a viable community radio becomes more and more reality.
For Bakyt Nurzhanov, Director of Radiomost, the trainees’ progress has become visible already after three months: "The youngsters have grown up. They have already discovered their strengths and weaknesses. They know what stories they can do."
Some of the trainees have already developed ideas for their own programmes. "I want to do my own radio show and will focus on family problems. For instance, bride kidnapping is a big problem here and I want to bring this issue to public attention", says fifth-grade student Salkinai.
In order to better understand the information needs of Talas citizens, the journalism training also includes audience research in order to develop radio programmes according to the specific information needs of Talas people. Each day will be dedicated to a certain group of people: for instance, farmers, women or the young.
Radiomost journalists© Radiomost
Related themes/countries
· Kyrgyzstan
· Training of Media Professionals: News Archives 2007
· Community Media: News Archives 2007
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