Shabelle Media Network (SMN) is a

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transm ...

and

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication Media (communication), medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of Transmission (telecommunications), television tra ...

news organization based in

Mogadishu Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Oc ...

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constitut ...

History

The Shabelle Media Network was founded in 2002 in

Merca Merca ( so, Marka, Maay: ''Marky'', ar, مركة) is a historic port city in the southern Lower Shebelle province of Somalia. It is located approximately to the southwest of the nation's capital Mogadishu. Merca is the traditional home territory ...

, Somalia by a group of young

Somali Somali may refer to: Horn of Africa * Somalis, an inhabitant or ethnicity associated with Greater Somali Region ** Proto-Somali, the ancestors of modern Somalis ** Somali culture ** Somali cuisine ** Somali language, a Cushitic language ** Soma ...

intellectuals. Its mission was to ensure that Somalis around the world remain abreast of developments within the Somali community and in touch with each other. The network's first phase was focused on airing to Africa, Asia and Australia via

Thaicom 3 Thaicom Public Company Limited is a Thai satellite operator and provider of satellite and telecommunication services since 1991. The company operates a fleet of currently four satellites covering Asia, Oceania, and Africa. Thaicom is a subsidiar ...

satellite. In 2005, it expanded to include satellite broadcasts to North America and Europe. SMN's Radio Shabelle slowly grew to become one of Somalia's most respected privately owned radio stations, airing from 6 a.m. to midnight. It later relocated its headquarters to the national capital, Mogadishu. Prior to Mogadishu's

pacification Pacification may refer to: The restoration of peace through a declaration or peace treaty: * Pacification of Ghent, an alliance of several provinces of the Netherlands signed on November 8, 1576 * Treaty of Berwick (1639), or ''Pacification of Ber ...

by the

Somali National Army The Somali National Army ( Somali: ''Xooga Dalka Soomaaliyeed,'' lit. ''"Somali Ground Forces"'') is the ground forces component of the Somali Armed Forces, and is the largest out of the three service branches that make up the majority of the A ...

in mid-2011, the independent Radio Shabelle, among other Somali media outlets, was frequently targeted by Islamist militants. Among the casualties during this most volatile 2007-2011 period was Radio Shabelle's acting manager, Bashir Nur Gedi, who was killed on October 19, 2007. In 2009, the station's director Mukhtar Mohamed Hirabe was also assassinated."Media Executive of Prominent Radio Station Assassinated in Mogadishu"
, Shabelle.net After their ouster, the insurgents resorted to issuing death threats and targeted assassinations in order to discourage reporting on their activities. Due to frustration at the increasing number of expatriate journalists returning to the capital after the relative improvement in security, the militants in 2012 intensified their anti-media campaign, killing four SMN reporters during the year, including director Hassan Osman Abdi. Despite the attempted intimidation, journalists have persisted in covering the war beat. Through membership in the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), reporters are also spearheading a governmental initiative to reform the 2007 Somali media law.

Services

SMN broadcasts news, business, analysis, culture and sports items via its radio and television network. It airs its own programs and documentaries through both terrestrial and satellite transmissions. The organization also reports on domestic peace initiatives and conferences, provides a platform for the discussion of issues of interest to the Somali community, and offers call-in services wherein listeners and/or viewers can interact with program participants. Shabelle Media Network's main target audience is the Somali community, both within the

Horn of Africa The Horn of Africa (HoA), also known as the Somali Peninsula, is a large peninsula and geopolitical region in East Africa.Robert Stock, ''Africa South of the Sahara, Second Edition: A Geographical Interpretation'', (The Guilford Press; 2004), ...

and abroad. Its broadcasts are also geared toward local policy makers and international stakeholders.

Awards

In 2010, Radio Shabelle was awarded the Media of the Year prize by the Paris-based journalism organization,

Reporters Without Borders Reporters Without Borders (RWB; french: Reporters sans frontières; RSF) is an international non-profit and non-governmental organization with the stated aim of safeguarding the right to freedom of information. It describes its advocacy as found ...

(RSF).Press Freedom Prize goes to Somali radio station Radio Shabelle
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References

External links

*{{in lang, en Somal
Shabelle Media Network official site
Mass media companies of Somalia Mass media companies established in 2002 2002 establishments in Somalia Television channels and stations established in 2002 Mass media in Mogadishu

History

Services

Awards

See also

References

External links