Taranga FM to Be Back on Air

www.dailynews.gm A temporarily banned community radio station, Taranga FM will soon hit the air wave, Mr Ismaila Sisay, the manager of the radio assured.
Mr Sisay said negotiations with the state authorities to permit the radio to re-open are at an stage advanced and will be completed soon.
Despite looking upbeat about this positive development, Mr Sisay could not however ascertain whether his radio will continue reviewing local independent newspapers, a programme that endeared the radio to the public.
Taranga FM was closed-down on January 13, 2011, following an alleged order by the National Intelligence Agency.
Its closure is widely attributed to the daily review of independent local newspapers in local languages. This programme is more especially beneficial to the country’s majority poor, illiterate and hard-to-reach communities who cannot buy, read or access information except that of the state-owned TV and radio.
Taranga FM’s closure attracted growing condemnation both at local and international fronts. It was seen as another move by Gambian authorities to suppress the expression of divergent views as about four other independent media outlets have been shut-down within the last six years by the state authorities.
“Hopefully, the radio station will come back on air soon,” Mr Sisay told The Daily News during an interview at his residence in Sinchu Alagie.
 He however declined to say when, exactly. “They (the authorities) told me the time it will come back on air and when that time comes, whether it is re-opened or not I will let you know,” he said. ‘’Be rest assured that the radio station is going to re-open, but I don’t know whether I will be allowed to review private news papers anymore.”

Taranga FM Goes Off Air Following Suspected NIA Order

Mr Sisay

In what is highly suspected to be an order from the National Intelligence Agency, Taranga FM, a privately-owned community radio station has temporarily closed-down operations.
Mr Ismaila Sisay, the proprietor of the radio is unavailable for comments at the time of going to press. However, a reliable source said Mr Sisay yesterday spent a couple of hours at NIA headquarters in Banjul for questioning.
In this media-freedom restricted country, Taranga is the only private radio station that broadcast local news – both in English and local languages - to its audience, something the public seemingly appreciate.
The radio’s regular news programme of reading news published in the local newspapers has attracted growing interest from the public as it serve as the alternative source of news to the state-owned radio, especially for The Gambia’s majority conventionally unlettered people.
The Daily News is yet to confirm the reason/s for the alleged NIA closure order, but it is believed to be in connection with the radio’s news programme.
Meanwhile, since Taranga started the news programme couple of months ago, there was mounting speculation about the authorities unhappiness about the programme. Its closure may not come as a surprise to many; for Citizen FM that undertook similar programme has been closed-down.