Plans for expansion and upgrade of the Voice of the Good News Radio Station
by
Diamondra Ramboarison (Radio station head) and Ted Watts (Mandritsara project head)
“I will not keep silent, I will not remain quiet,
till her righteousness shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch.” Isaiah 62:1
Diamondra at work
We thank God that for almost 20 years, the Gospel message has been beamed out to the Mandritsara district from the Voice of the Good News radio station which forms an integral part of our mission at the hospital in Mandritsara. The station plays a crucial role in our evangelism and discipleship efforts.
Listening to the Voice of the Good News radio while filling her water containers
There are many listeners, both in Mandritsara and in outlying villages. But we believe that there is plenty of room for improvement. Mandritsara is a very mountainous region, and currently only 50% of the population of the district can receive our programmes.
Listening to the Voice of the Good News radio with his phone
Good News on Air
The board of the hospital has approved an exciting project for the Radio Station. This project aims to:
1. Expand the Broadcast Range by a relay antenna system
2. Construct a new building and studios for the radio station
3. Update and protect the equipment
4. Employ and train a Tsimihety Presenter
We would like to thank God for this project and we ask for your prayers as we tell you all about it.
1. Expand the Broadcast range
The current radio mast with the antenna is next to the radio building on one of the highest points in Mandritsara town (about 300m above sea level). But from here we look across to a hill about 2km away which is about 900m above sea level. On top of this, one of the mobile phone companies has placed a tower with its antenna.
The hill for the new radio mast seen from the existing mast and antenna
The plan is for us to build a radio tower there with an antenna, and a small building for the equipment. Radio programmes will be beamed to this from the studio in town via a dedicated antenna, and they will then be retransmitted to the district from this much higher elevation. Power for this relay system will be provided from solar panels and batteries.
A feasibility study has already been undertaken and it is hoped to set this up around June this year.
The current radio building, solar panels and mast
2. Construct a new building
The radio currently operates from a small building next to the playground at the Good News School. It used to be the garage of the building which houses the Good News School. This is very disruptive to broadcasts as there are extended times of the day when it is too noisy to record programmes. A dedicated building will provide a quiet environment for recording and live broadcasts.
The total floor space will be 225m2 and will include four studios, a reception / meeting room, and an office for the director. The studios are generally small rooms, but one will be larger to allow for recordings of choirs. Very little recorded music exists in the Tsimihety language – it will be a great resource to be able to record and broadcast Christian songs in the heart language of the people. The other three studios will be one live studio and two production studios.
New Building Floor Plan
The plan and estimate for the construction were completed a few months ago, and a building company started the construction of the building in December and it is hoped it will be completed in May.
A LIFT team from Northern Ireland plans to come in June 2025 for the various electrical installations of the new studio as well as that of the relay. We hope that the different stages of construction and installation will be completed around August 2025 so that we can move into the new building shortly afterwards.
3. Update and protect the equipment
Several new computers, new microphones and a new mixing table are envisaged. One of the problems currently is that the town electricity is quite unstable. This has caused damage to equipment, as well as the problem of power cuts.
Mobile phones for sale in Mandritsara
We want to take the radio station completely off-grid by running it entirely with solar power. We have solar panels which do supply the station when the sun is shining, but we need more battery storage so that power can be supplied when it is cloudy or dark. This will protect the sensitive and expensive equipment from the unreliable town power supply.
Portable radios for sale in Mandritsara
4. Employ and train a Tsimihety presenter
All of those who work in the radio station are from Madagascar, and although most are Tsimihety, they are not fluent in the Tsimihety dialect spoken in the villages. We believe that a presenter who is fluent in local Tsimihety would greatly improve our cultural relevance and the receptiveness to the Gospel among the Tsimihety people.
The Radio Team
Prayer points:
Praise the Lord for all that He has done in helping us through the planning stages.
Pray for all involved in the realisation of the project – the project and radio station leaders, the building company, the Lift team.
Pray that all the equipment and supplies will be sourced and safely delivered in time – mostly from Madagascar, but the LIFT team will be sending a container from Northern Ireland.
Pray for the recruitment of a committed Tsimihety Christian presenter, and other personnel who will be needed in due course.
Thank God with us that about three-quarters of the funds have already been given for the project, and pray that the Lord would supply the remainder. If you would like to support this project, please click here to go to the Giving page.
Pray that more people in more places will hear the Good News of Jesus over the radio in the coming days and that the Lord will bring lost and needy souls to Himself.
Hybrid Prayer Day - London
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