Published by: World Tibet Network News Thursday - May 15, 1997

On 14 May 1996 Voice of Tibet aired its first Tibetan language radio

programme on short wave to Tibet and Asia. For the first eight months a 15

minutes programme was aired five days a week, Monday through Friday,

containing Tibet related news and information in Tibetan dialects. Three

Norwegian NGOs initiated the project in close collaboration with Tibetan

exile community representatives.In January this year VOT extended the

service, now airing a 30 minutes programme seven days a week on frequency

11.570 mHz (metre band 25). The extention was a response to numerous

letters and reports from the target area stating that the programmes were

highly appreciated. Almost all the letters and feedback received also

signalled that 15 minutes per day was too short.

Project developments - The daily 30 minutes enables VOT to provide a

broadened news and information service, and especially the programme

production taking place in India has already been more than tripled. This

spring VOT will further expand its foundation and activities in India and

Nepal, through improving the facilities there and appointing more staff.

Moving more programme production as close to the sources and the target

area as possible, not only enables VOT to provide a better service but will

also see to that expertise and know-how is developed in centres of the

Tibetan exile communities.

Voice of Tibet main objectives - VOTs main objective is to inform, educate

and entertain its listeners through providing a channel for uncensored

Tibet related news and information to the Tibetans in Tibet. Particularly

attention is put on issues like Human Rights, Culture, News on the

situation inside Tibet, News from the Tibetan exile communities and their

institutions and events and inititatives from Support Groups. The education

part focus on issues like democracy, environment, health etc. All engaged

organisations and individuals throughout the world are therefore encouraged

to provide VOT with Tibet related news and information from events and

initiatives taking place in their region, it be recorded material or

through telephone (for interviews and recorded material/dispatches VOT will

call up), or information sent via fax or by electronic mail to our studio

in Oslo.

Support - Support and grants, especially from organisations and individuals

in Norway, has enabled VOT to materialise. Still VOTs financial situation

is and has been very tight. To secure the future activities, we are

dependent of support from organisations and individuals providing

information and feedback on new organisations to be approached and other

ideas for funding initiatives. VOT representatives plan to visit the US in

September this year, and would be most happy to inform about the project in

greater detail.