Stone FM, a community radio station belonging to Firestone Agriculture Workers’ Union (FAWUL) in Harbel, Margibi County 30 miles east of the capital, which went off air on December 17, 2007, resumed broadcast, three days after the police in Monrovia forcibly shut it down.
Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)’s correspondent reported that no reason was assigned for the ten hours that the station went off air. On December 14, a group of armed policemen from Monrovia besieged the premises of Stone FM and forcibly shut down the station.
At the time of the closure the Station’s manager, James King told the MFWA’s correspondent that the action of the police comes in the midst of on-going labor unrest at the Firestone Rubber Company, which paralyzed activities at the plantation. It is also not clear if the closure is due to the station’s coverage of the unrest.
Stone-FM enjoys listenership among Firestone workers and other community dwellers as its programmes focus on issues that affect the community.
MFWA welcomes this decision.
Prof. Kwame Karikari
Executive Director
MFWA Tel: 233 21 242470
Fax: 233 21 221084
Email : [email protected]
Website : www.mediafound.org