10% of your gift will go to reach Arabic-speaking people in North Africa and the Middle East with the love of Jesus through our sister station, Radio Al Mahabba.

HCJB Global Radio Proposal for Blue Ridge Broadcasting

Arabic Broadcasting

• In some areas shortwave remains very effective and cannot be replaced with other sources of media.
• We transmit one hour each day on shortwave to North Africa, reaching areas of North Africa that nobody else is currently reaching.
• We transmit in the various North African dialects, again reaching numerous people groups that can only be reached with shortwave.
• Transmissions one hour each week on shortwave in the Pular language are effectively touching Mauritania. Local Pulari believers are producing these programs under dire circumstances and at great personal risk.
• Portable studios are placed strategically throughout North Africa to allow local programs to be recorded.

ME Broadcasting

In 2007 we started a new broadcast in discipleship and leadership training programs on air in a Middle Eastern language. We have evidences of revival happening in this special country and the local church has requested our help with radio programs. Because the government closely controls the internet and satellite reception we will broadcast these programs via a SW signal. We believe this is an effectual door of ministry to the Body of Christ in this country and we rejoice to be able to come alongside of our brothers and sisters in Christ with this new outreach. We are budgeting for a 30 minute daily program.

Satellite for North Africa

We are thankful to see a steady increase in text messages and emails. People are more and more willing to give their addresses, asking for Bibles and Bible courses. Listeners are also asking a lot of questions. Some of our identified needs and goals for next year are:

• Increase programs from existing production groups
• Identify and train new production groups in other North African countries
• Partnership for summer school training within North Africa in Summer 2007 (around 40 participants) with the purpose of identifying local gifted people for radio training
• Revise the existing Webpage
• Implement an new BSI automation system
• Produce new stationery (business cards, promotion, etc.)
• Continue refining “On Air” sound quality
• Establish cross promotional advertisement (SAT7, etc.)
• Involving new partners (external)
• New and more effective evaluation after the research
• Developing podcasting and other web opportunities
• New live block schedule (live programs for three hours)

Radio Al Mahabba listener statistics:
(source: Intermedia Survey, Morocco, August 2004)

• During the week surveyed, 58,537 households listened via their satellite TV service (NB households average 5 people in this region, so the total of individuals could be as high as 292,685)
• Of special interest is our satellite audience of 72,047 households per week within Saudi Arabia . This is greater in number than our (previously quoted) Moroccan listener base, despite restricted media access in Arabia, and the fact they are 3 hours ahead of GMT.
• Since February 2004, we have averaged a monthly internet audience of 2,000 (who log on for more than 30 seconds); the average listener connection time is 16 minutes, 45 secs.
• Since the peoples of North Africa ( Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya ) are our primary target audience, all programming decisions on content and scheduling are based on their needs. Consideration of our global internet audience, which is also quite large, must take second place – although they will also benefit from planned changes such as full scheduling of our overnights.

Training

Our philosophy of ministry continues to be the effective training of local believers. It is our greatest satisfaction seeing God raise up gifted and committed believers, knowing that one day it will be necessary for them to assume more and more responsibility. We are continually amazed to see how God is raising up many gifted local Christians across the region. Our process involves three training courses followed by more in-depth production training. Our plan for the coming year is for training courses in North Africa and the Middle East. Once certain believers are identified and qualified, we will send them for special leadership training in Egypt in cooperation with other partner organizations.