Another Catholic radio station to hit the airwaves in the north
Preparations to roll out Tuntufye FM Radio for the newly Karonga Diocese of the Roman Catholic are at an advanced stage, the Research and Communications Department at the Episcopal Conference of Malawi can confirmed.
This development was revealed barely after ECM’s Research and Communications Department visited the diocese to appreciate efforts made to enhance communication in all the church angles.
Karonga diocese successfully negotiated for a radio licence with the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) and this was gazetted on 26th July 2013.
“So far a lot has taken place to have the radio station hit the air waves by January next year. Karonga, which is a new diocese, is trying to put things in place many things. As such, the opening of a radio station will be one of its achievements. We are glad that negotiations with MACRA are over, and that the radio license is finally in the possession of the diocese,” said Moses Kamanga who is Deputy Communications Coordinator for the diocese
According to Fr Denis Chitete who is the vicar general for Karonga, the diocese is currently holding sensitisation sessions with Catholic Christians and other relevant stakeholders on different levels.
“This is as a way of initiating and engaging them in the radio project so that they can own and support it,” He said.
Bishop Martin Mtumbuka of Karonga diocese is working hard to have this radio station hit the waves. This is evidenced from a number of proposals that have been submitted to potential donors where they feedback has been positive and many have pledged funding.
The diocese has already received the first consignment of radio equipment with funding through SIGNIS, which is the World Catholic Association for Communication that coordinates Catholic communications and media professionals from across the globe. Plans to renovate a building that will house radio studios are also in place.
The Diocese of Karonga is a new one with only 12 priests to reach out to more than 65,000 Catholic Christians with the Gospel. The Western part of the Diocese is hilly and mountainous making it very difficult for the already few priests to reach the Christians regularly.
The Tuntufye FM Radio will however, be a tool to help in the evangelisation and social development works as it targets the hard-to-reach places and people.
Although the radio will primarily target Catholic Christians by virtue of the identity of its owners, its programming will take an inclusive approach whereby Christians from other denominations will also be given a chance to contribute and use the radio station.
Apart from the pastoral activities, the radio will also focus on education, development, economic, social and cultural issues that concern all groups of people.
Tuntufye FM Radio will add up to the already existing Catholic radio stations like Radio Maria in Mangochi, Radio Alinafe in Lilongwe and Radio Tigabane in Mzuzu.