Ethiopia’s First Private Radio Station Goes on Air With Tilahun’s Voice

Sheger 102.1 begins broadcast, while Zami 90.7 plans Saturday debut

The first ever privately-owned commercial radio in Ethiopia is on air. Sheger Radio started its historical transmission on the morning of October 4, 2007, with music legend Tilahun Gessesse. The test transmission, which will continue for a month, played for two hours on Thursday and ran again beginning at noon on Saturday.
Sheger Radio, available on FM 102.1, will continue playing music for the coming 30 days - for two hours each day - from its temporary studio located inside Tadesse Lemu Building, Belay Zeleke Road. During this period, station managers will assess the transmission's range and troubleshoot the equipment.
Once the testing is concluded, the station will transmit for 18 hours a day, beginning 6:00 AM, according to Meaza Birru, a prominent radio personality and general manager of Adey-Tensayie Plc, Sheger Radio's parent company.
Adey-Tensayie is one of the two companies granted FM commercial licenses almost a year ago by the Federal Broadcasting Agency. Owned by Meaza Birru and Teferi Alemu, the company was established with a capital of 2.5 million Br. Both companies granted commercial licenses were bound by a deadline for initiating operations that will come to an end this month.
"How to come up with truly suitable program to attract audiences continued to boggle me and my colleagues until everything was finally made possible to kick start our program just a day before the deadline," Meaza said. Sheger 102.1, with a motto "It's About You!", will feature entertainment, news and talk-shows on social issues, according to Meaza, who also runs a weekly eight-hour entertainment show on the FM 97.1 every Saturday. Yesterday's transmission will be the last of the popular "Chewata" program to be heard over the state-owned radio station, she disclosed.
"I am the happiest person to run a radio station of my own, for it is my lifetime dream that has come true," said Meaza.
Her excitement will soon be shared by another outstanding radio personality, Mimi Sebhatu, who will be running ZAMI FM 90.7 radio station.
ZAMI will launch its test transmission on October 12, 2007, for eight hours a day, beginning 6:00a.m., Zerihun Teshome, CEO of ZAMI Public Connections Plc, told Fortune. Owned by Zerihun and Endalkachew Sibehatu, ZAMI was established in June 2000 with a capital of 1.5 million Br.
Zerihun disclosed that broadcast testing will begin from its temporary studio located inside the building where the Ambassador Theater is found on Taitu Street.
"It's been long and arduous road to here," Mimi, who will be running the station, said. "We're well prepared to meet the challenges of running the first ever 24-hour radio transmission."
Having a motto "The Voice. The Difference," ZAMI FM 90.7 will be a news-based radio station, also incorporating talk shows and radio magazine formats, Mimi said. She too will drop most of her programmes now airing on the state-owned FM station, although she said she is determined to keep her broadcast on the national radio, transmitted daily except Saturdays. (AddisFortune)