A trip back to 1979 – Farm Radio Audio Tape #1
August 13, 2009 | Category: News from the Circle
Posted By: Farm Radio International
George Atkins performs an interview in the field
Let’s take a trip way back to 1979 when Farm Radio International (then called Developing Countries Farm Radio Network) began. Based on the idea that smallholder farmers throughout Africa could benefit greatly by receiving timely and accurate information about farming over the radio, George Atkins (founder and former director of DCFRN) set out to provide an invaluable service to broadcasters across the continent and beyond.
Farm Radio International now provides farming information and training resources for rural radio broadcasters on hard copy scripts, online through Farm Radio Weekly and through online learning courses and competitions. But it wasn’t always this way…
When the organization first began George Atkins himself would sit down in a studio and read radio scripts (many of them written by himself) aloud and record the “broadcast” on a cassette tape. For years DCFRN would archive this information and often send it out across the world as a reference material for rural radio broadcasters. While this is no longer common practice at Farm Radio International, it is great to look back at the history of how our small organization began and get a taste of the extraordinary vision that George had, even in those early days.
For our 30th Anniversary we decided to dig into the archives and digitize some of these old recordings. Please take a listen to a clip from the very first script package recorded by George Atkins in 1979 that was supported then by CIDA, Massey Ferguson and Guelph University.
Tags: 30th, Audio, George Atkins, Radio
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Radio can reach communities at the very end of the development road – people who live in areas with no phones and no electricity. Radio reaches people who can't read or write.
Who are We?
Farm Radio International is a Canadian-based, not-for-profit organization working in direct partnership with approximately 300 radio broadcasters in 39 African countries to fight poverty and food insecurity.
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