GERMANY: GERMAN AND IRAQI JOURNALISTS PREPARING LAUNCH OF RADIO STATION THAT WILL BROADCAST TO BAGHDAD.

Record ID: 647934

  • Title: GERMANY: GERMAN AND IRAQI JOURNALISTS PREPARING LAUNCH OF RADIO STATION THAT WILL BROADCAST TO BAGHDAD.
  • Date: 29th June 2004
  • Summary: (L!3) BERLIN, GERMANY (JUNE 29, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. PAN ACROSS NEWSROOM OF TELEPHONE FM, JOURNALISTS SEATED AT CONFERENCE TABLE 2. HAND-WRITTEN PLANNING POSTERS ON WALL, WATERPIPE IN FOREGROUND 3. PAN ACROSS CLOCKS SHOWING BAGHDAD, BERLIN AND LONDON TIMES 4. RADIO JOURNALIST HAROUN SWEIS SEATED IN STUDIO 5. CLOSE-UP OF SWEIS 6. SWEIS TAKING NOTES 7. CLOSE-UP OF ARABIC WRITING 8. SWEIS SPEAKING INTO MICROPHONE 9. TELEPHONE FM COMMERCIAL ON LAPTOP COMPUTER 10. CLOSE-UP OF SWEIS ON MICROPHONE 11. SWEIS MOUTH 12. TELEPHONE FM COMMERCIAL ON LAPTOP COMPUTER 13. (SOUNDBITE) (German) HAROUN SWEIS, RADIO JOURNALIST SAYING: "Topics will include culture issues, music, art and discussions with Iraqis who live in Germany as well as discussions with Iraqis in Iraq. As much as possible, politics will not be discussed although we will address certain issues if necessary or if they are relevant to the current situation" 14. TELEPHONE FM COMMERCIAL ON LAPTOP COMPUTER 15. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HAROUN SWEIS, RADIO JOURNALIST SAYING: "The goal is to portray the opinions of Iraqi youths and to deliver information to young Iraqis who come from outside the country, from around the world, and to inform about general developments" 16. TELEPHONE FM COMMERCIAL ON LAPTOP COMPUTER 17. WIDE OF NEWSROOM WITH KLAAS GLENEWINKEL, ONE OF THE ORGANISERS, IN FOREGROUND WORKING ON LAPTOP 18. CLOSE-UP OF GLENEWINKEL 19. (SOUNDBITE) (German) KLAAS GLENEWINKEL, TELEPHONE FM SAYING: "Actually, Telephone FM should be broadcasting from Baghdad. Our goal is to install a community radio station there. We would prefer to broadcast from Baghdad but since the current security situation in the country is a little difficult we are conducting this test project, Telephone FM. For six weeks we will be doing radio from Berlin because it's not just safer for us but also for the Iraqi journalists whom we invited." 20. POSTERS 21. (SOUNDBITE) (English) KLAAS GLENEWINKEL, TELEPHONE FM SAYING: "My feeling was always that the German position obviously there is very positive and we are neutral, we are very neutral so the people in Iraq will be happy that we are doing this project and not for example the Americans. They do similar projects, in fact, but they are not very well received. So we do hope that this project will have a great success." 22. CLOSE-UP OF PLANNING POSTER Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 14th July 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Reuters ID: LVA9ZC03HWPI06JOL6DF6PVVUB3M
  • Story Text: German and Iraqi journalists are preparing the
    launch of a temporary radio station which will broadcast to
    Baghdad from a small studio in Berlin.



    "Telephone FM", sponsored solely by Germany's
    Foreign Ministry with 83,000 euros ($100,600), will start
    broadcasting on July 10 and is aimed at an Iraqi audience
    of 20-35-year-olds. "The goal is to portray the opinions of Iraqi
    youths
    and to deliver information to young Iraqis who come from
    outside the country, from around the world, and to inform
    about general developments", Haroun Sweis told Reuters
    Television in Berlin on Tuesday (June 29).

    The professional radio journalist of
    Palestinian-Jordanian origin, who acts as advisor and
    translator, said topics will include cultural issues but
    stay away as much as possible from politics.

    "As much as possible, politics will not be discussed
    although we will address certain issues if necessary or if
    they are relevant to the current situation", Sweis said.

    Telephone FM got its name from the idea that
    communication between Berlin and Baghdad will be mostly via
    telephone. German guests to the programme will answer and
    ask questions or participate in discussions by telephone.

    "Actually, Telephone FM should be broadcasting from
    Baghdad", Klaas Glenewinkel, one of the organisers, said.

    "We would prefer to broadcast from Baghdad but since
    the current security situation in the country is a little
    difficult we are conducting this test project, Telephone
    FM."
    "For six weeks we will be doing radio from Berlin
    because it's not just safer for us but also for the Iraqi
    journalists whom we invited", Glenewinkel said.

    Three young Iraqis, one woman and two men, have been
    selected from many applicants to co-produce Telephone FM
    from Berlin. Because of security concerns they refused to
    be interviewed or filmed.

    Asked why Telephone FM will be broadcasting from Berlin
    and not Rome or London, Glenewinkel said he believed Iraqis
    perceived Germany as having a "positive position" following
    Chancellor Gerhard Schroeders rejection of the U.S.-led
    invasion of Iraq.

    "We are very neutral so the people in Iraq will be
    happy that we are doing this project and not for example
    the Americans.They do similar projects but they are not
    very well received", Glenewinkel said.



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