St Patrick's Day will see the launch of a daily shortwave radio broadcast from RTÉ to the Irish in Africa.
The link with home is in response to requests from Irish people scattered throughout the continent, and working in fields such as aid, peace-keeping, construction projects, and missionary work. According to the Irish government there are many thousands of Irish working in Africa.
Although RTÉ has long been available on satellite and via the internet, those in remote regions of Africa have asked for old fashioned short-wave transmissions which will reach portable radio sets in areas that do not even have electricity supplies let alone easy access to satellites and the web. The main coverage area will be West, Central and East Africa.
And from March 17, every evening they will be able to hear a one hour selection of RTÉ radio programmes from the day on 6220 kilohertz.
The transmission will be provided by WRN, the London headquartered international radio and TV transmission company that has been transmitting RTÉ around the world since 1994.
WRN’s Director of Development Jeff Cohen said “it is a privilege to continue our long association with RTÉ and broadcast this important link with home to Irish people who are doing such valuable work in Africa”.
