Murray Olds reports in from South Sudan - Radioinfo (subscription)

Last year Murray Olds left 2UE. What's he doing now?

Hi, this is Murray Olds reporting in from Eyeradio in Juba South Sudan, the world’s newest nation, where I have just started as the program director.

I am a long way from home.  I am now living in the heart of Africa, in the capital city of a landlocked  Equatorial nation bordered by the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Sudan.

After more than 30 years in Australian radio, I have joined many expats from all round the world in Juba, but can I say as far as radio is concerned, the more things change, the more things stay the same.

• Eyeradio is a news/talk/sport and entertainment station in a pretty crowded market (sound familiar?)
• Our flagship program, The Dawn, occupies the breakfast time slot (ditto)
• The Dawn features two strong on-air personalities (male and female) who are not afraid to voice strong opinions about local and national issues.

I could go on but I’m sure you get my drift.

At its very heart, Eyeradio is no different to radio stations in first world nations like Australia. We provide an important public service, based in good measure on a strong news service, in conjunction with popular programs. Like radio newsrooms everywhere, our young men and women have come to journalism from very diverse backgrounds and experiences. One of our editors is in fact a weekend rapper, who puts out his own political views through his lyrics and performance. They all see their radio job as very important in helping to rebuild their country after years of fighting.

Our news service (and indeed, our on-air programs) are broadcast in both English and Arabic, reflecting the diverse makeup of this nation of 8 million people (according to disputed figures from the last census). English news is featured at the top of the hour, and the same news is repeated in Arabic at the bottom.

Radio is a vital cog in the complex and challenging environment confronting South Sudan. A recent BBC survey found radio is the number one communications tool in a country where infrastructure needs are immense. As many as 6 million people will listen to one or more stations every day, and it is a critical source of information for a population that is struggling to emerge from 20 years of civil war.

In 2011, the people of South Sudan voted overwhelmingly to break away from Sudan and create a new state. South Sudan is largely Christian, and English is the official national language.

Juba is the capital city, and home to more than 2 million people. But just like Australia, and many other countries around the world, it is a magnet for many people in the bush. They are flocking into the big smoke for work, for education, for medical treatment and for a better standard of living. But the challenges for government at all levels are immense. The roads around Juba are unpaved for the most part. One thoroughfare features tarmac on one side, while the other is still a dirt track for want of money. We are heading into the rainy season (it runs through until November) and there are major challenges with issues such as drainage. And those people arriving in the city often leave behind familiar networks and struggle as a result.

Locals tell me the only good thing to come from the civil war was independence. Major challenges are everywhere. For example, before the war the region that became South Sudan had three university medical schools; there is now only one, and locals say this is simply not good enough in a nation where one woman in seven dies giving birth.

South Sudan is reliant on near neighbours like Kenya for a wide range of expertise: nurses, doctors, engineers and teachers have poured across the border in the last couple of years. But assistance is also pouring in from around the world. Eyeradio itself is funded by Internews, an American aid organization that has a long association with this part of the world. The UN is here is very big numbers; other organisations like Medicine Sans Frontiere provide vital services.

But is it not all gloom and doom. I’ve only been in Juba for a short time, but I’m already picking up from my colleagues at Eyeradio an optimism and confidence about the future of South Sudan.

I am delighted to have been headhunted by Steve Ahern’s international consulting company AMT Pty Ltd for this job, being part of a team keeping “our eye on South Sudan.”

_{Disclosure: Steve Ahern is part owner of this website.}