Radio stations getting back on the air in Port-au-Prince

Gaby Saget with her award from Reporters Without Borders
RSF/IFEX) - "Work is slowly resuming at Radio Métropole," one of its young reporters, Gaby Saget, told RSF. "Most of the staff were not hurt in the earthquake but they have been affected like the rest of the population," said Saget, winner of the 2009 RFI-OIF-Reporters Without Borders Francophone prize. "Our director, Richard Widmaier, got us to go back to work on Monday (18 January 2010) despite the lack of human and financial resources."

One of the leading Port-au-Prince radio stations, Radio Métropole initially resumed broadcasting only online, as did Radio Kiskeya, another of the most popular radio networks in the capital, which had around 50 stations before the earthquake.

Signal FM, Caraïbes FM and the local branch of the French public station RFI were the only three stations that managed to keep going immediately after the earthquake. But thanks to the help of foreign technicians and news media, including Radio France, a total of 20 stations are now operating, a week after the 12 January quake. They include Vision 2000, Radio Lumière, Radio Solidarité, Mélodie FM, Radio One and Radio Boukman, which is based in Cité-Soleil, the capital's biggest slum. The UN mission's station, Radio Minustah, was back on the air on 18 January.

The same is unfortunately not the case with Radio TV Ginen, Radio Soleil, Radio Ibo and Tropic FM, and many other small community radio stations, all totally destroyed. Radio Nationale, the state radio station, is broadcasting via its sister TV station.

The Agence France-Presse office was destroyed but the agency has resumed operating from new rented premises. The premises of the capital's two leading newspapers, "Le Nouvelliste" and "Le Matin", were spared by the quake. But for the time being they are unable to print and the staff are not working. "Le Nouvelliste" has nonetheless been posting some reports on its website.

RSF has been told that the premises of the 12 radio stations based in the southwestern town of Petit-Goâve were not destroyed, but equipment was badly damaged. Some are broadcasting. In Léogâne, a town nearer to the capital, five of the nine stations are able to broadcast although 85 per cent of the buildings were destroyed or badly damaged.

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Voices of Port Au Prince

by Ansel Herz, Inter Press Service via Reclaim the Media Mon, 2010-01-25 14:32
Throughout the earthquake's aftermath, the voices of many Port-Au-Prince radio stations have been loud and clear.

Radio Solidarite 88.5 FM is one of the outlets to survive the tremors. It resumed broadcasts from its small studio, at the top of a two-storey building in the city's centre, once the staff found some gas for their generator just two days after the quake. "We have tried to say to the population to be strong, we appreciate their courage," said Radio Solidarite Director Georges Venel Remarais. "The international press was talking about violence but we didn't see any. The help is very slow at times, and people get angry. Our work is to say, let's be calm."

Gas to generate electricity is still difficult to find, but the Radio Solidarite staff are able to use their undamaged studio. Radio Metropole, one of Haiti's biggest stations, also began broadcasting as soon as the staff found gas. Other than hundreds of records scattered on the floor of its music room, the facility was not affected. Still, the staff don't feel safe broadcasting from inside their one-storey compound. "We put our studio outside," said Jerome Richard, a veteran reporter for the station, "and we let it be free to the population that can come and say anything they want to say and information about their lives they want to provide us. And to let them tell the whole world what's happening in Haiti."

The large staff of Radio Teleginen lost their three-storey building to the earthquake. The roof collapsed and one of its walls crumbled, leaving a gaping hole. Volunteers and journalists acting as rescue workers were unable to retrieve the body of a young cameraman – the station's only casualty. "We're helping radio Teleginen because we love Radio Teleginen, we love all its programming and it also serves us," said Edner Jean as he emerged from the building wearing a hard-hat. "We're doing our best to pull the person out. We're on our own. Since the disaster happened, nobody's come to help us."

A crane belonging to a Haitian construction company sits yards away from the rubble, across from people camped out in hundreds of tents. Jean Borge, the station's owner, says no one there knows how to operate it. But he's confident that they'll begin broadcasting within days. "We got a new generator, we're getting our satellite fixed and will be up and running as soon as possible," he said. "Our reporters already have started working, we'll have a small studio here."

In the heart of Cite Soleil, Radio Boukman is on the air. The station is named after the Voodoo priest who helped ignite Haiti's slave revolt. The remains of a police station are piled next to their building, but the station itself only lost some equipment that fell off the shelves. Authorities say they are concerned with security for aid distributions inside the oceanside shantytown. Edwin Adrien, a producer for the station, said nobody from the U.N. or United States contacted them to coordinate aid.

"I don't know until now why they don't contact any entity and especially Radio Boukman, broadcasting inside Cite Soleil," he said. "I don't know the reason but they didn't contact us yet. I think the information that we broadcasting are helping everybody including MINUSTAH and the population. We have to keep the population informed." A Canadian Union solidarity group holds a press conference at Radio Boukman.

Signal FM is reportedly the only Port-Au-Prince station to remain on the air throughout the earthquake itself. Mario Viau, the station's director, told the Committee to Protect Journalists that the station's 12 staff journalists worked extended shifts to continue broadcasting. Underlining the importance of Haitian radio, the BBC announced Saturday it is making its broadcasts available for free, in Haiti's native Creole, for Haitian radio stations.

Port-Au-Prince suffered a 4.7 magnitude aftershock Sunday evening, but parts of the city are gaining some semblance of normality. The sound of creole songs, hip hop, and the latest news helps to ease the tension in the city's air.

article originally published at Inter Press Service.

Ondas de Esperanza

Ondas de esperanza: la radio sobrevive y mantiene en pie a Haití
Martes 26 Enero 2010 - 10:55

Pequeñas estaciones que resistieron al terremoto o se reinstalaron a la intemperie han sido los pilares de información, ayuda y un poco de alegría para la población devastada por el sismo. Desde el terremoto del 12 de este mes que destruyó la capital de Haití y sus alrededores, las radios que quedaron en pie llevan noticias y esperanza contra todas las adversidades.

Radio Solidarité 88.5 FM es una de las estaciones que sobrevivieron a la catástrofe. Dos días después del sismo, reanudó sus emisiones desde su pequeño estudio, en lo alto de un edificio de dos pisos en el centro de la ciudad, una vez que sus empleados consiguieron gas para hacer funcionar el generador.

"Hemos tratado de decirle a la población que sea fuerte, que apreciamos su valentía", declaró el director de la radio, Georges Venel Remarais. "La prensa internacional habla de violencia, pero nosotros no la hemos visto. La ayuda es lenta a veces y la gente se enoja. Nuestro trabajo es tratar de mantener la calma", dijo el comunicador. Todavía es difícil encontrar gas para generar electricidad, pero el personal de Radio Solidarité logra hacer funcionar su estudio, que no sufrió daños.

Radio Metropole, una de las mayores emisoras de Haití, también comenzó a transmitir en cuanto el personal consiguió gas.

Aparte de los cientos de discos que quedaron tirados en el suelo de su sala de música, el resto del estudio no resultó afectado, pero igualmente el personal no se siente seguro.

"Decidimos llevar el estudio afuera", explicó Jerome Richard, un veterano periodista de la estación, "y permitir que la población venga libremente a decirnos o informarnos lo que quiera, y que le cuente a todo el mundo lo que está ocurriendo en Haití".

El terremoto destruyó el edificio de tres pisos de Radio Teleginen. El techo y una de las paredes se vinieron abajo. Los voluntarios y periodistas que actúan como rescatistas no han podido recuperar el cuerpo de un joven camarógrafo, la única víctima fatal de la radio.

"Ayudamos a Radio Teleginen porque nos encanta, nos gusta toda su programación y también nos sirve", manifestó Edner Jean mientras salía del ruinoso edificio con un casco.

"Hacemos todo lo posible para sacar a esa persona, pero estamos por nuestra cuenta. Nadie ha venido a ayudarnos desde que ocurrió el desastre", se quejó.

A algunos metros de los escombros, frente a un improvisado campamento, hay una grúa perteneciente a una empresa haitiana de construcción. Jean Borge, el propietario de Radio Telenigen, explicó que nadie sabe cómo manejarla, pero que igualmente confía en que su estación comenzará a transmitir de nuevo en los próximos días.

"Tenemos un nuevo generador, estamos arreglando nuestro satélite y quedará en funcionamiento lo antes posible. Nuestros periodistas ya han comenzado a trabajar, tenemos un pequeño estudio aquí", contó.

En el corazón del barrio marginal Cité Soleil, Radio Boukman está en el aire. La estación lleva el nombre del sacerdote vudú que promovió la revuelta de los esclavos de Haití en el siglo XVIII.

Los restos de una estación de policía están apilados al lado del edificio de la emisora, que sólo perdió algunos equipos que se cayeron de los estantes.

“Las autoridades están preocupadas por la seguridad en la distribución de la ayuda en el enorme asentamiento precario” dijo Edwin Adrien, un productor de la radio, quien agregó que nadie de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas ni de Estados Unidos se comunicó con ellos para coordinar la ayuda.

"No sé por qué no se han comunicado hasta ahora con ninguna entidad y especialmente con Radio Boukman, que transmite desde dentro de Cité Soleil. La información que transmitimos ayuda a todos, incluso a MINUSTAH (Misión de Estabilización de las Naciones Unidas en Haití) y a la población en general. Debemos mantener informada a la población", dijo Adrien.

Se dice que Signal FM fue la única estación de Puerto Príncipe que permaneció en el aire durante el terremoto. Mario Viau, su director, contó al Comité para la Protección de los Periodistas que los doce periodistas de esa radio trabajaron en turnos extendidos para no dejar de transmitir.

En reconocimiento de la importancia de la radio en Haití, la cadena británica British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) anunció el sábado que las estaciones haitianas podrían retransmitir sin costo sus emisiones en creole, el idioma más hablado en este país.

Puerto Príncipe sufrió una réplica de 4.7 grados Richter en la noche del domingo, doce días después del terremoto que destruyó la capital y sus alrededores, pero algunas partes de la ciudad están paulatinamente recuperando cierta apariencia de normalidad.

El sonido de las canciones en creole, el hip hop y las últimas noticias ayudan a aliviar la tensión que hay en el aire de la ciudad.
Tatiana Duplat
Directora de Proyectos
Caracola Consultores Ltda

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