Quwaider Amarajea, a playwright, is facing real problems. He is preparing a comedy series for the month of Ramadan for February Radio in Tobruk and he cannot find professional actors for lack of resources and financial support.

Quwaider Amarajea, a playwright, is facing real problems. He is preparing a comedy series for the month of Ramadan for February Radio in Tobruk and he cannot find professional actors for lack of resources and financial support.

Amarajea’s programme is part of Libya’s special Ramadan radio output, which usually contains shows like religious talks, a series on the lives of prophets, educational programmes, as well as game shows with prizes donated by shops, markets and small companies. Ramadan programmes cost more time and money because they require reading sessions, review, and rehearsal – there are a lot of factors, but according to those in the field, the most vital are funding and human resources.

Limited revenue

“The preparation phase for Ramadan is very important,” said Anwar al-Sharif, director of February Radio. “But it is not free of difficulties like time limitation, the lack of professional directors, and the lack of adequate pay for people producing a 30-day programme.” 

Al-Sharif confirmed that his station does not make revenue to fund its programmes. “To make our work continue, we depend on advertisements, which only cover a very small part of our expenses,” he said. “Sometimes, we ask government broadcasters, paid by government radio, to prepare the Ramadan programmes for us.”

Caring despite difficulties

Although Radio February does not have the financial resources it needs, it still serves its audience, who regularly enjoy its Ramadan series. Theatre artist Muhammad al-Mismari has presented a number of comic programmes in past seasons, the latest a series written by Quwaider entitled “Hano Bala Sayat.”

Saleh Masoud, Radio February’s director of programmes, said that time plays a vital role in determining which programmes get presented. Local radio produces a series for Ramadan with very modest financial resources, but “such programmes are very important for the audiences, who appreciate fun and drama during Ramadan.”

Living on donations

Maslata Radio, whose broadcasts reach Qara Bolle in the west and Misrata in the east, was created thanks to the donations from the people of Misrata. Following the liberation of Libya from dictator Muammar Gaddafi, it is financially and administratively under the authority of the Misrata local council. 

Radio director Al-Mabrouk Abdul-Salam points out that many workers also take time off for Ramadan. “We shoulder a big responsibility because there are very few of us,” he said. “So we are going to broadcast programmes from our archives or those we get from exchanging programmes with other stations. We are also going to broadcast the very modest programmes we produce locally and focus on religious programmes and the recital of the Quran.” 

Radio without programmes

Future Radio is located in the Be Fi suburb in eastern Tripoli. It is a private radio station created four months ago with competition from more than 30 radio stations. On its preparations for Ramadan month, director Ahmad Arheem said, “We aren’t broadcasting anything other than national songs because we haven’t got the funding to employ broadcasters and producers.” 

In general, audiences have no idea about the problems faced by local radio stations – they only want to listen to the best programmes. Listener Ibrahim al-Shuwaib told Correspondents that “media is something that would arise even when there are no resources.” He then complained about the mistakes made by broadcasters, even though the lack of financing makes it difficult to find qualified employees. 

Radios are not under our control

Libya’s General National Congress issued an order stipulating that local radio stations be under the control of the local councils. But Tobruk council spokesman Mazen Abdul Rahman told Correspondents denied this was true: “We only supervise and assist their administration through our role in supporting talents, because these radios provide the municipality with a media service.” 

Perhaps if the government realizes the importance of these services, it would provide radio stations with the needed support. This would give Quwaider and many others the opportunity to innovate – and maybe even encourage others to work in radio.