Press Release

Two Radio Stations in Jordan Tackle Daring Topics…and Thrive

November 5, 2009

Farah Al Nas – Addressing Hard Issues Without Fear

Internews Young producers at Farah Al Nas radio station discuss ideas for programs.

When Internews helped establish a community radio station in the heart of eastern Amman in May of 2008, the main goal was to create a media outlet that tackled important social issues, targeting as many people as possible in that part of the capital. Just three months after its inception, the station, Farah al Nas (Joy of the People), became the fastest growing station in Jordan.

According to Haitham al Otoum, Manager of Farah al Nas, the station enjoys a higher degree of freedom than most other Jordanian radio stations as it tackles almost every topic, including controversial ones related to women and youth. Farah al Nas stories include a ground-breaking interview with the mother and brother of a woman who was murdered in a so-called “honor killing.” Another story focused on the illegal trade in human organs bought from Jordanian youth in Egypt. Both stories were picked up by BBC Radio.

“We dare to address these topics with all clarity and honesty and without fear,” said al Otoum.

Some of the station’s most popular programs include a morning show that covers hot topics such as censorship, Jordanian laws and regulations, the tribal violence that has surfaced in recent months, and violence on campus. Another show tackles issues related to the disabled and is hosted by two blind men.

Al Otoum is proud that most of the radio’s staff are women; these capable and professional staffers work technical jobs, as well as producing and reporting. The studios are also used by youth from the local community to record debates.

The station’s success has prompted many international NGOs to start working with Farah al Nas to address local communities and tackle social issues. For instance, the station has collaborated on a project with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) called Women at Work. One of the most popular programs in this series addresses the status of Iraqi immigrants who fled to Jordan following the U.S.-led invasion, and is funded by Iraqi citizens.

“Everybody is coming,” said al Otoum, referring to all the NGOs that are proposing new shows to be aired on his station.

According to a study financed by IREX, Farah al Nas became the fastest growing station in Jordan just three months after it was launched.

Today, almost a year and a half after the station’s launch, al Otoum aspires to make Farah Al Nas into a national station. The station has received the licenses and frequencies to start broadcasting in the cities of Irbid, Ajloun, Karak and Aqaba and is currently seeking funding to embark on this expansion.

Farah Al was established by Internews Network, the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD) and the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW) through a grant from the US State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.

Yarmouk FM – “Nothing is Off Limits”

Internews At the Yarmouk FM station, students produce and present radio programs about issues important to the local community.

Internews launched Jordan’s first community-based radio station at Yarmouk University in Irbid in 2006. The student-run Yarmouk FM features programs that focus on culture, religion, politics, sports, children and youth, and includes on-air debates that are prepared and presented by young people. The station has tackled sensitive topics such as the wearing of headscarves, the spread of HIV/AIDS, and nonreligious (illegal) marriages between university students.

“Nothing is off limits or banned, all topics are debatable in the station. We even covered the demonstrations and clashes that erupted in the university during the Gaza war,” said Bashar Qablan, the station’s manager.

Qablan prides himself that the station is run by capable students who do everything except for the technical management. More than 150 students work on various programs on Yarmouk FM.

Qablan explained how programs are selected: “We advertise around the university calling on all students to submit ideas for new shows, then we choose the best of them.”

When Yarmouk FM was first established, it only broadcast for two hours a day; now it airs 24 hours a day to the northern city of Irbid and the surrounding region, home to almost one million people.

Unlike Farah al Nas, the station’s main troubles are not financial. “We have managed to get a lot of advertising; money is not an issue. It’s the bureaucracy and interference in our program cycle that are bothering us,” said Qablan. “I can challenge any radio in the world with 100 of the station’s youth who can produce shows, run debates, and choose the topics. There is no need for interference, not even mine.”

Internews founded Yarmouk FM in partnership with Western Kentucky University, under a grant from the US State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.

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