The radio is located in the remote Ta-Oi district, Saravane Province, 700 km south of the capital Vientiane. This, according to the District Chief, “is a historical event, as at last the Ta-Oi people have a new means for development and reduction of poverty in their own environment”. The people of the District, comprised of different ethnic groups, welcome the radio team to Ta Oi.

The Provincial Agriculture section contributed a part of its centre to house the radio studio. Five staff persons undertake the tasks of manager, editor, presenter, technician and operator. The station broadcasts from 6:30 to 8:00 in the morning and from 16:00 to 19:30 in the evening.

Initial training was carried out by the staff from the Mass Media Department of the Laos Ministry of Information and Culture and from the Laos National Radio. They provided guidelines on the operation and maintenance of the technical equipment, management, broadcasting and programme production, which focused on education, health and agriculture with special attention to the needs of the Ta-Oi ethnic groups.

Further training of the Ta-Oi radio staff in techniques of community broadcasting is planned under the IPDC project in the near future.