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Broadcasters Without Borders

The Disaster Response Subsite

So where is the broadcast equivalent of Doctors Without Borders? Well, we're in the process of reworking this not-for-profit wiki into part of the answer, especially since there is clearly a need for information within LOCAL communities immediately after a major disaster. Lack of information kan kill, especially when rumours spread through communities and encourage people to take unnecessary risks.

We have been inspired to do this work following response from broadcasters, manufacturers and NGO's and the fact that this site continues to draw traffic. There have also been recent (May 2006) articles in the press calling for more coordination between broadcasters following the earthquake in Yogyakarta and recent floods in Surinam.

Media tend to focus on the short-term impact of natural disasters. Take one of the latest cases– the Yogyakarta earthquake on May 27th 2006, following closely behind devastating floods in Surinam just a few weeks before. The headlines that screamed out of Java on Friday 27th were of more than 3000 people dead. Much further down the story was the estimate by the Indonesian Red Cross that around 200,000 people had been made homeless or otherwise displaced. In the first week, it was impossible to tell how many of the 200,000 people were also injured, traumatized, displaced or otherwise affected by the disaster. Very many more than the 200,000 were bereaved or knew someone who was.

Eighteen months on from the December 26th Earthquake and Tsunami of 2004 and the subsequent earthquake on Monday March 28th 2005 it is clear many lessons have been learned. But a group of us have been concerned that broadcasters have not been able to play their full role in the immediate aftermath of the 2006, floods in Suriname (also in May 2006) or Hurricane Katrina.

Initially, many of us were afraid that broadcast colleagues would not coordinate efforts, leading to aid going to the wrong areas. In fact, organizations like the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union did a great job coordinating donations – as well as checking what was really needed in the affected countries. However, nearly two years on, there are strong lessons that need to be carried forward to prepare for the aftermath of the next one.

In Singapore on June 20th, around 50 broadcasters and NGOs met at RadioAsia 2006 to discuss the role of radio after disasters. To read the report, please click on the [link http://www.xs4all.nl/~jmarks/RAWorkshop06.pdf]. Note, you will need a PDF reader to be able to read the report. We are working on a solution to put the text into sections on this wiki.

Thanks for your continued interest

Jonathan Marks 5th July 2006

TV and radio stations in San Antonio, TX didn't receive tornado warning

29 April 2007 - A National Weather Service warning about tornadoes never aired on two primary media outlets in San Antonio, TX before a violent storm killed seven people, officials said. Questions linger about why the alert never reached the area's cable television provider or its largest Spanish-language radio station, according to the San Antonio Express-News.

"When we issued that warning, it should have immediately interrupted their broadcast," said Bill Runyan, a data-acquisition manager at the weather service in New Braunfels. "Because it did not, it leads me to believe their equipment was faulty or their reception was interrupted."

Time Warner Cable and radio station KEPS said they never received the warnings. One tornado struck at 7:01 pm on Tuesday 24 April, cutting across nearly 4 square miles and destroying businesses and schools. The tornadoes killed seven people, injured 70 and left hundreds homeless near Eagle Pass. Three other people were killed by a storm in its twin city in Mexico, Piedras Negras.

"The only thing we were aware of was that rain was coming," said Rosa De La Garza, manager at radio station KEPS. Eagle Pass Fire Chief Roy De La Cruz said he has no criticism of the weather agency: "I don't see how the people in [the neighbourhood] Rosita Valley could have had more warning."

The Federal Communications Commission will investigate.

(Source: The Associated Press)

Tonga eyes 24-hour radio for tsunami warning

NUKUALOFA, Tonga (Radio Tonga News, April 24) - The Tsunami Working Group of the Tonga National Emergency Management Office is calling on Radio Tonga to operate 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.The committee met this morning in Nuku'alofa to discuss the draft of Tonga's response procedures and it was pointed out that there are gaps in the warning system.

The committee agreed that the easiest gap to be filled is for the national broadcaster to be on the air 24-hours to give out the early warning. It was also understood that Radio Tonga One is the only radio that covers the whole of Tonga.

The installation of sirens as a warning system is very costly and the easiest and the most viable is to use Radio Tonga. The committee will be recommending the National Office to seek funds to cover these areas.

(Source: Tonga Broadcasting Commission)

India’s first radio on disaster management launched

22 February 2007 - India's first dedicated radio station on disaster management was due to be unveiled today in Nagapattinam, in a significant statement of the coastal region’s commitment to develop its own disaster preparedness. Nagapattinam, the Tamil Nadu district that was one of the worst hit in the tsunami of December 26, 2004, lost over 7500 of its residents. But with active assistance from NGOs such as Caritas India, UN agencies and governmental intervention, the residents of this coastal district have turned a new page in their lives.

Leaving behind the horrors of the killer waves, the residents of this district will begin tuning into Kalanjiyam, the community radio. To be launched from Chennai, the station will operate from Vizhundhamavadi, a village in the district. The radio station was borne out of a United Nations Development Programme financial assistance to the Dhan Foundation, based in Madurai, and with the active assistance of local people.

The foundation has already trained ‘radio volunteers’, from among local youngsters, many of whom bore the brunt of the tsunami. The foundation says the radio station will work as a “warning system”, and it will seek to “inform the local community on coping with disasters.” A studio for the radio station has been set up at Vizhundhamavadi, from where initially the daily broadcast will be for about half-an-hour, and later it will go up to an hour.

When the foundation is granted a licence by the Union government, the broadcast will go up to six hours a day. The radio station will initially be available in a radius of around two kilometers through narrowcasting, and later when it is fully in broadcast mode the station will cover up to 20-kilometre radius.

(Source: Indian Catholic News Service)

NHK commences data broadcasts for earthquakes and tsunamis

(January 22nd, 2007) The Chairman of Japanese public broadcaster NHK, Genichi Hashimoto, announced at his January press conference that NHK would commence data broadcasts from January 17th, marking the 12th anniversary of the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake that ravaged the Kobe area in 1995. The service will provide details about earthquakes and tsunamis via data broadcasts for digital satellite, digital terrestrial and One Seg services.

Mr Hashimoto said: “This service will enable people to obtain earthquake- or tsunami-related details easily and at any time, even when he/she missed emergency news bulletins on TV. We plan to make use of the merits of digital broadcasting in preparing against disasters and mitigating the damage, and provide information that will ensure people’s safety and security and information that will protect their lives and property.”

ABU General Assembly backs emergency warning broadcasting system

9 November 2006, Beijing – The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) General Assembly has adopted a declaration to implement an Emergency Warning Broadcast System (EWBS) in ABU member countries. The declaration called for the development of an EWBS to minimise the damage and impact of disasters in the region, and for ABU members to urge their national regulators to enact provisions to implement such a system.

The declaration, which also called for ABU members to encourage manufacturers to produce receivers with the EWBS feature, was based on a recommendation by the ABU Technical Committee which has studied the feasibility of implementing such a system.

The ABU Technical Committee recommended that the EWBS control signals to be used for analogue broadcasting in the ABU countries should be those developed by ITU-R (International Telecommunication Union – Radiocommunication Sector, an agency of the United Nations).

In order to minimise the damage and impact of disasters, ABU members would support the development of EWBS systems for the Asia-Pacific region in close coordination with national or international organisations identified for issuing disaster forecasts. ABU members would also urge their national regulators to enact provisions to implement EWBS systems in the Asia-Pacific region and encourage manufacturers to produce receivers with the EWBS feature.

“Conveying timely warning to the public before the occurrence of disasters must be a high priority. ABU members will coordinate closely with international organisations to enable the flow of time-critical information through the most appropriate and effective channels,” said David Astley, ABU Secretary-General.

“Even though it is nearly two years after the disasters of the Asian tsunami, we still have a situation where most countries in the region do not have a system whereby they can receive early warnings of potential tsunamis and other natural occurrences which may cause disasters.

“It is therefore timely that we take some action to try and rectify this situation and will actively help countries that do not have these alert systems set up yet,” said Mr Astley.

(Source: Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union)

Radio Netherlands Worldwide strengthens communication with the interior of Surinam

(November 3rd, 2006) Radio Netherlands Worldwide (RNW) has decided to distribute 100 shortwave radios to inhabitants in the interior of Surinam. Last May, these inhabitants were hit by floods, and since then deprived of communication with the capital, Paramaribo, and the rest of the world. In addition, Radio Netherlands Worldwide is making a powerful shortwave frequency available for the radio initiative of the Surinamese aid organisations.

During the flooding, a lot of villages in the interior of Surinam fell under water. “Inhabitants can still receive no FM radio or television signals, so shortwave is their only means of getting information, explains RNW Director-General Jan Hoek. RNW will distribute at least one shortwave receiver per village.

RNW can be heard in Surinam via shortwave, Internet and local partner stations. In the near future, listeners in Surinam will be able to hear special programmes produced by various aid organisations, to better inform them over measures they can take to prevent a repeat of the flooding.

“Radio Netherlands Worldwide often provides transmission facilities for radio initatives that promote pluriformity and press freedom. In this instance, we can improve the supply of information”, says Jan Hoek.

UNHCR distributes 10,000 radio sets in Pakistan quake zone

(September 1st, 2006) The UN refugee agency UNHCR has completed the distribution of 10,000 multi-power radio sets in the areas of Pakistan that were hit by an earthquake last October. The radio sets, a donation by media development NGO Internews, are run on dynamo, solar, battery and direct electric current power. They feature AM, FM and shortwave bands with a flash light, thermometer, siren, storage compartment and a compass.

In a statement, UNHCR’s Senior Emergency Coordinator in Islamabad, Kilian Kleinschmidt said that the multi-power radio set distribution is part of UNHCR and its partners’ endeavours to maximize the information outreach to the earthquake affected population of Pakistan.”We know that timely and factual information in the post-relief phase is a great help to the millions of the earthquake affected people struggling hard to start a new life”, he added.

Out of the 10,000 sets, affectees in camps and non-camp areas of Pakistan-administered Kashmir received 6,500 radios (5,500 in Muzaffarabad areas, 1,000 in Bagh), while 3,500 were distributed among in the North West Frontier Province's earthquake-hit zones.

(Source: Government of Pakistan)

New Zealand Civil Defence Ministry seals new partnership with radio

(August 3rd, 2006) The ability of New Zealanders to receive timely, authoritative messages in an emergency will be enhanced as the result of the agreement signed today between the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management (MCDEM) and the country’s major radio broadcasters, says MCDEM Acting Director Bruce Ferguson.

The Memorandum of Understand (MOU) on the broadcast of emergency messages covers the Classic Hits, More FM, Newstalk ZB, Radio Live, Rhema and Mai Media networks, National Radio and Radio New Zealand International. It also covers Radio Chinese, Chinese Voice Broadcasting, Radio Bay of Plenty, Marlborough Media and Port FM, with the potential for other stations to be added.

“Specifically, the agreement details the process by which regional civil defence authorities and the Ministry notify radio broadcasters of the need for an emergency announcement, and the duties of the broadcaster in getting that message to air,” said Bruce Ferguson. “We’ve been telling people to ‘listen to your radio’ in an emergency for a long time now, but today’s agreement is the first time that the Civil Defence sector and broadcasters have actually spelled out how to get important messages to air as quickly as possible. The negotiations have taken time but it was vitally important that we get this process right and I have been very encouraged by the positive attitude of both Radio New Zealand and the Radio Broadcasters Association in working through the detail.”

“The MOU with Radio is now serving as a template in our negotiations with television broadcasters for a similar arrangement, which will further enhance our ability to communicate quickly and effectively with New Zealanders,” said Bruce Ferguson.

UNHCR, Pakistan government start radio show for quake survivors

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, July 19 (UNHCR) by Vivian Tan

The UN refugee agency and the Pakistan government today launched a radio programme to update people displaced by last year's earthquake in northern Pakistan on issues and policies affecting their return and recovery. The first programme of "Hemat Javan Hai" ("The Will is Strong") – an interview with Lieutenant General Nadeem Ahmed, deputy chairman of the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) – will be broadcast at six in the evening on Pakistan's Power 99 FM radio. It will focus on compensatory issues and can be heard in quake-hit areas and in Islamabad.

"Radio, being one of the most powerful mediums of communication, can not only effectively disseminate timely information, but can also be one of the major sources of behavioural change," said Lt. Gen. Nadeem. He added that the effective and smooth flow of information to people affected by the massive October 8 quake – which killed more than 70,000 people across the Kashmir region – is one of the ERRA's main priorities so that those affected can get maximum benefit from the government's programmes.

The daily half-hour show, coordinated by UNHCR and the media wing of ERRA, will contain interviews with government policy-makers, reports from quake-hit areas and interviews with aid workers, returnees and people still living in relief camps. Every Sunday evening, there will be a 90-minute live programme featuring a panel of government officials or other experts responding to queries or complaints by victims of the quake.

"The low literacy rate in some areas means that radio is the most immediate and accessible medium," said Kilian Kleinschmidt, UNHCR's emergency coordinator for the earthquake operation. "But the programme should not turn into a 'complaint' forum. It will take a balanced approach to legitimate problems and queries, to inform the wider public about the situation on the ground and the enormous task of rebuilding shattered lives."

The radio programme also seeks to counter misinformation and rumours while establishing a dialogue between quake survivors and decision-makers in the process of reconstruction and rehabilitation. Topics of the radio show will include compensation, relocation, livelihood opportunities, and building codes and practices. Land and legal issues, updates on reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts, as well as central- and local-level policies will also be covered.

"The programme is not meant to be a mouthpiece of UNHCR and the government," said Kleinschmidt. "We'll also coordinate messages from other agencies and NGOs. Urgent announcements related to the quake zone can also be made here." To maximise the reach of the radio programme, UNHCR is planning to help a non-governmental organisation, Internews, to distribute 10,000 radio sets to quake survivors. The refugee agency will also support Power 99 FM radio station in their training workshops for local journalists contributing to the show.

More than 125,000 people have left the earthquake relief camps for their home villages since March this year. Over 30,000 displaced survivors are still living in 59 camps in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and North West Frontier Province.