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Newham-based Voice of Africa Radio awarded FM licence

Friday 24 February 2006

Voice of Africa Radio (VOAR), a Newham-based Pan-African radio station, has become the first-ever licensed African community radio station in the UK after receiving a 5 year radio licence from Ofcom on Friday 17th February.

Space Clottey, a graduate of the University of East London (UEL) Broadcast Journalism degree, has been running VOAR from the station’s Plaistow office since New Year’s Day 2000.

Space said: “This is the news that everyone at Voice of Africa Radio and in the local African community has been hoping for. It’s been over a year since we made our bid to become one of the first full time community radio stations in the UK and I can’t tell you how happy I am to have been finally awarded this licence.

“I’d like to thank everyone connected with the station and all of our supporters. We’ll be taking a short break now to celebrate our success and plan for the future, but we’re definitely aiming to be back on air by May 26th – African Liberation Day.”

VOAR programmes are broadcast in a range of African and European languages, and the station mixes African music with live phone-in discussions and local, national and international news.

Anyone interested in becoming involved with VOAR is encouraged to visit the station’s website, www.voiceofafricaradio.com.

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For details and pictures contact Patrick Wilson: 020 8223 2061 or 07951 797 975

The University of East London (UEL) is now rated London’s leading modern (post-1992) university, and among the top five modern universities in the UK, according to the Guardian University Guide 2005/06. UEL is a global learning community, with 18,000 students from over 100 countries world-wide.

Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of our diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry. www.uel.ac.uk

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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