Deutsche Welle supports rebuilding of a number of Aceh radio stations

Deutsche Welle will support the reconstruction of radio stations in the tsunami-stricken province of Aceh on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. This was announced on 20 January 2005 in Bonn by Erik Bettermann, the Director-General of Germany’s international broadcaster.

Bettermann said that Deutsche Welle has been working as partners with a number of broadcasters, primarily small FM stations, in northern Sumatra for over 40 years. Most of the stations – eight in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh and in the city of Meulaboh – were entirely destroyed by the tsunami and the quake. In the regions most affected by the catastrophe on the western coast of Sumatra, the devastation has left the survivors with no access to information about aid measures and the general situation in their homeland.

Radio 68 H is one of DW’s partner stations in Indonesia, which rebroadcast programming by DW-RADIO in Indonesian. This internationally funded news broadcaster distributes its programmes via satellite to over 400 private radio stations throughout Indonesia. Every day, Radio 68 H broadcasts one hour of the DW-RADIO / Indonesian Service and is planning to rebuild a number of radio stations in Aceh. Director-General Bettermann announced that DW will provide funds for the construction of up to nine new radio transmitters. In addition, with the help of sponsors, Germany’s international broadcaster is planning to purchase roughly 1,000 radios and distribute them in the reception camps of the province. In view of the destruction of the media infrastructure, this measure is aimed to help get information to the people about developments in the region.