WASHINGTON, D.C. —Voice of America is expanding its coverage in West Africa, with a focus on news and information related to Ebola. Today it began broadcasting a new 24/7 FM radio programming stream, in English, on stations in Monrovia, Liberia (94.1 FM) and Freetown, Sierra Leone (102.4 FM). These capital cities are among the hardest hit by Ebola.
To ensure listeners have the latest news and health information, the new programming stream carries 10-minute Ebola updates several times a day. There are frequent public service announcements about Ebola prepared by VOA Africa using accurate medical information provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, UNICEF, and other agencies involved in combatting the Ebola disease outbreak. The broadcasts also feature messages of support from President Obama, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Sierra Leone’s first lady Sia Nyama Koroma, among others.
The Ebola-related programming is woven throughout the 24/7 FM radio stream, which includes a five-hour news block in the mornings, updated newscasts every hour throughout the day and night, and in-depth VOA reporting in the evenings.
“VOA can reach audiences with potentially life-saving news and information on our FM radio stations in Monrovia and Freetown,” said Sonya Laurence Green, Chief of VOA’s English to Africa Service, “so that’s what we are doing. We take this responsibility very seriously.”
