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IN
THE THICK OF WEB
DEVELOPMENT Sam Peckham, Feba’s new Web Developer,
has been working on a new Feba UK
supporters’ website. Here’s an inside look directly
from Sam: “I think the keyword for the
new site is ‘interaction.’ With the new website
Feba supporters
will see, hear, read and watch what is going on in the Feba world
through video, audio, photos
as well as traditional articles.
Since my appointment at Feba in late
March,
I’ve been fully involved in planning and strategising for the
website, along with
the Feba UK New Media Working Group. To create a visual design of how
the
site will look, I used an art package on the computer and sample
content from the
current website. We critiqued three different designs, before settling
on one
to develop further. Then my real work began--to transform the
‘picture’ of the website into a real working
website. And that is where I’m at
now, right in the thick of it.”
(Fri 18 Jul)
REFRESHING
TIME FOR SPECIALISED ENGLISH Did you know that the Spotlight
programmes in Specialised English (SE) are produced by three teams in
the UK (Feba) and the US (Words of Hope and Back to God Ministries
International)? The SE producers enjoyed their annual meeting together
23-27 June at the Back to God headquarters near Chicago, including time
to hear motivational speakers, review programme strategy, attend a
radio voicing class, as well as enjoy a refreshing time of fellowship
and teambuilding activities.
(Fri 11 Jul)
TEAM MEETING GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IN DELHI
Feba India's Director of Training, Suma Emmanuel, the FIRST Response
manager, Mike Adams and Feba UK's International Ministry Director Jon
Hargreaves, are in Delhi today to meet senior officials of the National
Disaster Management Authority in Delhi, to share the results of the
FIRST Response trial and to promote partnership with the government to
enable emergency radio stations to be set up in the event of future
disasters. In the evening they will also be meeting with non-government
organisations to promote the importance of developing a partnership
which includes radio in their disaster mitigation planning. (Wed 2 Jul)
WHAT HAVE WE LEARNT? AIMS ACCOMPLISHED?
Enduring very hot humid weather and working with little sleep, the team successfully got the disaster response radio on air, distributed leaflets and radios in the community, interviewed listeners over the phone and in person. They broadcast throughout the 3-day trial period over FM and short wave. Jon Hargreaves, Feba’s International Director, says: “The trial has been a great success. The team have accomplished all of the objectives. When we take the station off the air, in probably about an hour’s time, I think they can give themselves a big pat on the back.” (Mon 30 Jun)
• View
a video from Mike Adams: FIRST
Response Lessons Learned
• Hear
audio from Jon Hargreaves, Feba UK: FIRST
Response Accomplishments
WHO’S LISTENING?
The FIRST Response disaster radio field trial team members have been
talking to the local people in Nagapattinam to see who’s been
listening to their broadcasts. They are distributing small radios and a
leaflet with information about the FM station. As the team visit with
people, they have heard some heart-wrenching stories from the 2004
Boxing Day Tsunami disaster and all share the hope that disaster
response preparation will help save lives in the future.
“Four years after the Boxing Day Tsunami, why are
you asking me questions now?,” a tsunami survivor tells
Maggie Yrasuegi, Programme Supervisor for FEBC and member of the FIRST
Response team. She says portions of Nagapattinam still bear the scars
left by the tsunami but life has been slowly getting back to normal and
the rebuilding has come a long way. (Sun 29 Jun)
•
View a slideshow
…FIELD TRIAL IS ON AIR
The FIRST Response field trial participants have endured a
14-hour bumpy bus ride, equipment glitches and power cuts. Upon arrival
in Nagapattinam at 5am today, they quickly set up their equipment
(including attaching the antennae to a drain pipe on the roof). The FM
station was live on air by 6:30am and they received their first
telephone call from a listener about 7:15am, quite surprisingly. (Sat
28 Jun)
View videos
•
FIRST Response set up day one
•
Going on air for the first time
NAGAPATTINAM AND THE BOXING DAY TSUNAMI
Now that the five-day workshop has ended in
Bangalore, today the team will move to Nagapattinam, (over 12 hours by
hired bus), an area devastated by the Boxing Day 2004 Tsunami, to
conduct the FIRST Response Disaster Radio three-day field trial,
putting into practice all they have learnt. A radio station will be set
up and run under realistic conditions and generator power. The
participants will gather critical information for a disaster situation
and put it on air via FM and short wave. The programme content will not
simulate a disaster but will relate to the 2004 Tsunami and involve
participation from the community, government and non-governmental
organisation (NGO) sources.
(Fri 27 Jun)
THE BEAUTY OF PARTNERSHIP
Today is the fourth day of the workshop when
the participants will be practicing the skills they have learnt so far
and familiarising themselves with the equipment.
Instead of waiting for a disaster to happen, relationships are being built between agencies now as they discuss how to work together, with each one using their strengths to help save lives. In the photo, Feba India's training manager, Suma Emmanuel presents a gift to Ashish Sen.
The head of the Asia-Pacific branch of the World Association
of Community Radio Broadcasters
(AMARC),
Ashish Sen, says the FIRST Response training taking place in Bangalore
this week is “the first step in the journey towards
introducing mobile broadcasting in India for disaster
management”. He was speaking to participants of the workshop
which will culminate in a field trial in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu.
Ashish, who is also head of the Community Radio lobby group,
VOICES,
believes that community radio will be a powerful force for the
development of communities in India and that they are on the threshold
of the first station being granted a broadcast licence in the next few
months. (Thurs 26 June)
View videos
•
Vital role of FIRST Response training
•
Community radio in India
EQUIPPING FOR DISASTER RESPONSE
Today is the third day of the workshop when the participants will be
learning about:
• Programming planning
– arranging broadcast material
for 72
hours
• Conducting interviews
• Surviving in the field
– health, stress, etc
Today’s technology enables us to communicate easier,
faster and better with people in need. In disaster response it has
never been more vital that the equipment and technical process work
well and efficiently to make that happen. In recent days the northeast
India floods have submerged thousands of villages as rivers burst their
banks, leaving two million homeless. Feba’s Hindi and Bangla
producers at the FIRST Response trial are developing programmes using
the Chrysolite ‘suitcase studio’ for the affected
regions where we broadcast on short wave. (Wed 25 Jun)
• View a video about the
suitcase studio.
• Hear
an audio interview.
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IN DISASTER RADIO Today is the
second day of the workshop when the participants will be learning
about:
- How to write for radio
- Mics and equipment usage
- Creating Public Service Announcements
THE
DISASTER RADIO WORKSHOP IS UNDERWAY Today is the
first day of the workshop in Bangalore, India, which combines
background knowledge about radio with the unique environment
experienced from disaster relief work. Please pray for the 14
participants, which include 8 members of staff from Feba with the rest
from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other radio
broadcasters. Also pray for the facilitators: Mike, Maria and Maggie.
(Mon 23 Jun)
TRAINING FOR DISASTER – RAPID RADIO RESPONSE
(FEB Immediate Radio
Support Team) Feba UK
is contributing to efforts to reduce the loss of life after a major
disaster. The Chrysolite ‘suitcase studio’ will be
part of the FIRST Response Disaster Radio Field Trial in India, 23
– 30 June. The field trial will train radio
broadcasters and other non-governmental organisation (NGO) staff in
disaster response radio with the aim of setting up a local radio
station within 72 hours of a disaster. To follow the progress of the
FIRST Response Disaster Radio Field Trial, see the daily updates which
will be posted here.
(Fri 20 Jun)
EQUIPPED FOR MINISTRY
There is nothing like feeling totally equipped and confident in doing
the job to which you have been called, taking your skills on a stage
further to be the best you can be in your service of the Gospel. Thanks
to you who provided funding for students to attend the Asian Institute
of Christian Communication (AICC-13) in Thailand for three weeks
beginning 22 June, to help them achieve just that. (Fri 13 Jun)
MALAWI STATION
CONSTRUCTION UPDATE Building work on an FM station in Malawi,
Africa, continues to make decent progress. The roof is on and interior
building is in progress thanks to a volunteer carpenter. Test
transmissions are underway. The station has a deadline of going on-air
in September.
(Fri 6 Jun)
INNOCENT CHILDREN
VICTIMS OF AGGRESSION The United Nations’ has
declared 4 June as International 'Day' of Innocent Children Victims of
Aggression. This Day acknowledges the pain suffered by children
throughout the world who are the victims of physical, mental and
emotional abuse - and affirms a commitment to protect the rights of
children. Spotlight, a 15-minute contemporary radio
programme in Specialised English, has produced a couple of programmes
addressing the suffering of children.
(Mon 2 Jun)
WHY I BELIEVE IN RADIO
As Jon Hargreaves, International Director, travels the world he has
seen strong affirmation of the value of radio in making Jesus known
among the nations. He says: "In this country, radio is looked
down upon as the 'poor relation' of television, and certainly
considered old-fashioned compared to the internet. Yet around the world
today radio has become the one to watch."
At last week's Christian Resources Exhibition (CRE) in Esher,
Feba staff asked people this question, "What important role do you
think radio plays in Christian mission?" (Fri 23 May)
Read and listen to the full story here:
COMMITTED?
A listener to our Marwari programmes in north India wrote: “I
have received blessings and God has changed me through this programme.
Now I know who the true God is. I committed my life into the hands of
the Lord, and now I want to take water baptism.” Being
baptised would have serious consequences, much would be at stake. (Fri
16 May)
UPDATE
ON SUITCASE STUDIO The Feba UK Audio Systems Team recently
deployed their ‘Mark 5’ prototype of the Chrysolite
‘suitcase studio’ — a complete sound
recording studio in a sturdy, easily transportable
suitcase. With its compact size and ability to work from
various available power sources, the suitcase studio is key in radio
ministry in developing countries, closed countries and remote areas
where resources are limited and studios are scarce. (Fri 9 May)
OFF THE AIR IN ZIMBABWE
As the election results in Zimbabwe continue to be contested,
programmes from Feba Zimbabwe have not been allowed to return on air at
the ZBC. Kurai Madzonga says: “We are not yet back on air but
we have had a series of meetings with ZBC management.” Feba
strives to promote peace and reconciliation in their programming. (Fri
2 May)
ESCAPE FROM CHAD
In a recent Casting Hope podcast, Mark Taylor spoke
to Theo Assare of Theovision International about how his team escaped
from Chad when rebels started a short war there. Feba and Theovision
both participate in Africa by Radio, a group who work together to bring
the Gospel to people in Africa. (Fri 25 Apr)
Find out more about their great escape ... ...
GOOD NEWS FOR TIBET
This past month, events in Tibet have again drawn attention to the
plight of Tibetans under communist rule. Going strong for more than 17
years, the Tibetan radio programme Gaweylon (Good News)
reaches out each day to Tibet, India, Nepal and Bhutan where Tibetans
reside. The programme is making a difference in their lives. (Fri 18
Apr)
GIVE
WITH PAYPAL! You can now give to Feba using Paypal! Paypal
is free for you to use and a secure way to give online. You
don’t even need to have a Paypal account – you can
give via paypal using your credit card. We are grateful for
all our donors!
| Feba Radio, registered charity no. 257343. Company no.
940492. Feba UK is a member of the Evangelical Alliance, Global Connections and FEB Radio International. Feba, Ivy Arch Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN14 8BX, UK 
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