2007年VOA标准英语-Senegal Government Closes Private Radio Station

By Phuong Tran
Dakar
01 June 2007

In Senegal, a media owner is preparing to fight the government's shut down of his new private radio station. Officials say he did not follow the right procedures, but he says he is being silenced. For VOA, Phuong Tran has more from Dakar.

Premiere FM ordered to shut down for 45 days

Radio station owner Madiambal Diagne looks over his new studio. Microphones are in place. The station's red, white and silver logo hangs on the wall. 

But the transmitter that sends out broadcasts is missing.  Police took that away on Thursday, when the station's first broadcast was scheduled.  They delivered an order for Diagne to cease operations for 45 days.

Diagne shows the paperwork he filed in 2003 for a broadcasting permit.  

He says that after three years he still had not been assigned a frequency, so he bought another radio station for $140,000, and took over its frequency.

He says for the past six months he did everything the telecommunications agency asked him to do.

He says when the agency said his satellite was too close to the airport, he moved it to another town.

Diagne says he received notice that his file was complete. And then the police arrived.

He says most people in Senegal know his media group, which also includes newspapers, has had a rocky relationship with the government.

In 2004, after Diagne published a confidential¹ government memo² that admitted internal corruption³, the journalist was arrested and held in jail for more than two weeks on charges of endangering the country's security.

His arrest sparked a national media blackout and international condemnation⁴. 

Senegal's Regulatory Agency of Telecommunications says it closed the radio station temporarily, because it lacked proper authorization⁵.

Diagne says the agency is using a law that has never been enforced or publicized.

Diagne says the law requires a presidential decree in order to broadcast.  He says a decree takes years.  The journalist adds that none of the dozens of radio stations in Senegal has received the decree.

Premiere FM studio in Dakar

Representatives from the telecommunications agency did not respond for comment on this report.

In 2005, some people participating in the "African Media Development Initiative" survey conducted by 17 research groups said Senegal's telecommunications agency was not neutral in assigning frequencies. 

But in the same survey, Bacar Dia, Senegal's Minister of Information, said Senegal's government supports a free and independent press, but that many stations fail to submit valid⁶ applications.

1 confidential   

adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的

参考例句：

• He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
• We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。

2 memo   

n.照会，备忘录；便笺；通知书；规章

参考例句：

• Do you want me to send the memo out?您要我把这份备忘录分发出去吗？
• Can you type a memo for me?您能帮我打一份备忘录吗？

3 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

4 condemnation   

n.谴责; 定罪

参考例句：

• There was widespread condemnation of the invasion. 那次侵略遭到了人们普遍的谴责。
• The jury's condemnation was a shock to the suspect. 陪审团宣告有罪使嫌疑犯大为震惊。

5 authorization   

n.授权，委任状

参考例句：

• Anglers are required to obtain prior authorization from the park keeper.垂钓者必须事先得到公园管理者的许可。
• You cannot take a day off without authorization.未经批准你不得休假。

6 valid   

adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的

参考例句：

• His claim to own the house is valid.他主张对此屋的所有权有效。
• Do you have valid reasons for your absence?你的缺席有正当理由吗？