Ed Royce: “Today radio broadcasting in much of Africa, as in other places in the world, is dominated by governments which operate…”

“Today radio broadcasting in much of Africa, as in other places in the world, is dominated by governments which operate national radio stations and all too often frustrate independent radio stations. African governments, those that are repressive, do this because air wave control is real power, the power to control the information that their citizens receive. Radio's power is particularly great in Africa where poverty and logistical difficulties have made radio Africans' primary source of information. Televisions are few and far between in many African countries, and newspapers are largely confined to the cities. Radios, though, in Africa reach everyone. Radio's power is also why African governments often frustrate the licensing of independent radio stations and harass and brutalize and at times even kill independent radio journalists. As long as this situation prevails, as long as some African governments can shape how their citizens think and feel about their country and their lives, many of the achievements we are hoping to see African countries make, like greater democracy, the protection of human rights, economic development, will be frustrated. This resolution brings attention to the importance of radio broadcasting in Africa as a means of realizing these goals, and it lends support to an important administration initiative, Radio Democracy for Africa.”