Bethlehem Christian TV Station to Close

Broadcasting from Bethlehem since 1996, Christian TV station The Nativity will stop broadcasting at the end of this month.

This action has been forcedon the station because of reported death threats, trouble with the Palestinian authorities and insurmountable financial debts.

“Christians have never been allowed much space in the public media of the Arab World -- public space is seen as space for Islam,” explained the international director of Arab Vision. “It is very sad that the one clear voice for the gospel on TV in the Palestinian territories is now silenced.”

The station has been broadcasting masses and other Christian services, prayers, a weekly Christian program, news and entertainment. It was particularly popular during the siege of the Church of the Nativity in 2002 as it covered the event 24 hours a day for six weeks.

Samir Qumsieh, director and owner of the station, said that with a reported annual debt of $63,000, the operation is no longer financially viable.

There are also reports that Qumsieh has been receiving death threats and intimidation for more than a year.

The loss of the station has raised serious concerns about the long-term survival of Christianity in the region. These concerns are shared by Arab Vision as it expands its TV production work in the region to help compensate for the closures of local stations.

“The reality is that Christians in the Arab World are evermore dependent on satellite TV where Christian programs are beamed from the outside,” added Arab Vision’s international director. “We are eager to continue giving the Christians of the Arab world opportunity to watch Christian programs throughout the day. But the real loss is that we are pushed out of the public space in our own lands.”

Sources: Arab Vision/HCJB

Web Links

• Al Mahed Nativity TV
• Arab Vision

Community Radio Fund Applications Invited

Ofcom's Community Radio Fund Panel is inviting community radio operators to apply for grants from the 2007/08 Fund.

The Fund has been established to help fund the core costs of running a community radio station.

Closing date for applications is 20 November 2007.

For further details: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radio/ifi/rbl/commun_radio/Communityfund/

UCB proposed for new Gloucestshire DAB system

Ofcom has received two applications for the new Gloucestershire local digital radio multiplex licence.

The applicants are MuxCo Gloucestershire Limited (ownership UKRD Group Ltd 25% Murfin Media Ltd 25% Town & Country Broadcasting Ltd 25%MuxCo Ltd 25%) and Now Digital Limited (owned by GCap Media plc.)

MuxCo Gloucestershire Limited is proposing to provide ten local digital sound programme services, in addition to BBC Radio Gloucestershire, including UCB UK. Now Digital Limited is proposing to provide eleven local digital sound programme services, in addition to BBC Radio Gloucestershire, again including UCB UK.

MuxCo Gloucestershire Limited proposes to commence its service with all ten proposed local digital sound programme services and BBC Radio Gloucestershire in October 2008, using a network of four transmitters which it estimates will provide 'outdoor' coverage of 79% of the adult (aged 15+) population of the licensed area.

Now Digital Limited proposes to commence its service with all eleven local digital sound programme services by December 2008, using a network of three transmitters which it estimates will provide 'outdoor' coverage of 75.4% of the adult (aged 15+) population of the licensed area.

Ofcom is seeking views on these applications by 3 January 2008. Any written representations on the applications can either be emailed to commercialradio@ofcom.org.uk or posted to Neil Stock, Head of Radio, Ofcom, Riverside House, 2a Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1 9HA. Please mark the correspondence 'Gloucestershire licence'.

• Ofcom Media Release

UCB on DAB

At noon on Monday, United Christian Broadcasters officialy launched two of their progrmame channels on five DAB radio systems covering large areas of England and Wales.

Earlier this year UCB launched their UCB UK flagship station on the London DAB multiplex, closely followed by the DAB multiplex covering Staffordshire and South Cheshire.

Last week UCB UK, together with it’s sister station UCB Inspirational, became available on DAB multiplexes covering the North-East of England, the North-West of England, Yorkshire, the West Midlands of England and areas of England and south Wales around the Severn Estuary.

UCB started broadcasting in the UK at 10pm on 5th October 1987, with four hours every evening coming from the transmitters of Manx radio – the first ever independent Christian radio broadcasts in the United Kingdom.

This week's launch on the DAB multiplexes brings the UCB reach to around 30 million people.

UCB believes that its vision for national Christian radio will be realised 'little by little' (Deut 7:33), or region by region. This has been the way of things so far.

They are looking to God to reveal His perfect will and timing for the extension of their DAB broadcasts to Northern Ireland, to Scotland and to outstanding areas in the south and east of England.

Web Links

• UCB

Progress on Benin transmitter

In Benin, West Africa, a Trans World Radio engineering team is making progress in readying their new transmitting facility.

They have the new transmitter and an air conditioning unit already on site and two additional containers with power generators and essential antenna parts are in transit.

The TWR team signed the license agreement for the new facility last year, and have persevered through several subsequent challenges regarding the transmitter project, including significant delays between ordering and receiving equipment.

Construction of this high-power AM station in Benin is making steady progress and programming is scheduled to commence in December, just in time for Christmas.

Day One closes on DAB

And after one year as the pioneer of Christian broadcasting on DAB in the UK, using the community access channel on the local digital radio multiplex covering the Wolverhampton, Shrewsbury and Telford areas, Day One Radio have ceased their broadcasts to concentrate on new developments for Christian radio in this country.

Listeners and supporters of Day One Radio were invited to a lunchtime meeting to learn more abour a new venture for the station which was described as having “unlimited potential for Day One Radio in the extension of God's Kingdom, building on our experience both as a broadcaster and producer of quality Christian programmes.”

Their Special Guest at that meeting was Ian Mackie, CEO of United Christian Broadcasters in the UK.

Programmes produced or distributed by Day One Radio will continue to be heard over the Internet, in the shops of Wesley Owen (with the Day One Album Chart Show) and also broadcast over the DAB transmitters carrying the new regional Christian DAB radio services in the whole of the West Midlands of England as well as other parts of the UK.

Web Links

• Day One Radio

Death of veteran Christian broadcaster

Norah Chambers Freed of Trans World Radio died in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Saturday, September 22nd at the age of 101.

In her 76-year career she served as a nurse, midwife, translator, author and radio broadcaster.

In 1928 she sailed to Morocco as a missionary nurse where she served for 14 years at Tulloch Memorial Hospital. As a midwife, Norah sometimes traveled by bicycle up to 45 miles to minister to North African women.

In March 1960 she married Ralph Freed, general director of Trans World Radio.

When TWR began broadcasting from Monte Carlo, Monaco, seven months later, the Freeds moved there. Norah then became a broadcaster, producing TWR’s international program, “Woman to Woman,” from 1964 to 1995. She produced 1,682 programs in 31 years, personally answering every listener letter that she received.

She retired in her hometown of Belfast in 2003.

Midlands and Lincs Community Radio

Ofcom is now inviting applications for licences to provide community radio services in England within East Midlands, West Midlands and Lincolnshire.

In particular, Ofcom will now be accepting applications for community radio licences on FM in Birmingham.
The closing date for the receipt of completed applications is 5.00 p.m. on Tuesday 15 January 2008.

Further details can be donwloaded at
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radio/ifi/rbl/commun_radio/tlproc/invites/area6.pdf

Bandits kill Christian radio worker

Bandits are accused of killing a Christian radio worker in Jharkhand State, India.

Mr. Ajay Kumar Topno was a church planter visiting listeners in a largely hostile area where people largely do not read but get a lot of information through the radio ministry.

According to reports from Compass Direct and the All-India Christian Council, local police gave assurances that the culprits would be arrested soon.

An AICC statement quoted the regional edition of Hindi language national daily Dainik Jagran as saying that some villagers chased three convert families out of the village on September 11. The report further stated that it was suggested to the villagers that they should target Christian workers rather than chase out the converts.


Web Links

• Trans World Radio

Radio Show for the Blind

A new radio show aimed at Christians with disabilities has been launched by London's Premier Christian Radio in association with Torch Trust.

Hosted by blind presenter Marilyn Baker, the new Insight program was broadcast for the first time last Saturday evening at 9pm whic now becomes it's regular time slot.

Insight is aimed at people who have disabilities or people who are just interested and want to make a difference.

The first programme drew attention to Disability Sunday – which was 7th October – and talked to Paul Dicken, the founder of Through the Roof and Disability Sunday.

In Britain 9.5 million people are disabled -- that's more than 1 in 7.

Insight is to be the first program on Premier Christian Radio aimed specifically at listeners with disabilities, but the station has a long history of connecting with disabled people and often receives letters of support from the disabled community.

With Insight, Premier has designed a program that it is hoped will appeal to a wide range of disabled Christians. Marilyn Baker wants it to be the listeners show, hearing stories of people's faith, their struggles and achievements, and addressing topics that interest them."

Web Links

• Premier Radio
• Torch Trust
• Marilyn Baker
• Insight Radio
  Radio station for the blind available on satellite channel 0188 and on 100FM in the Glasgow area