Radio Ta7rir: A New Radio Station Launches in Cairo

Theory and conjecture has spoken about the power of social media for years, but it’s only in the last two months that the world has seen it in practice. The relationship between Egypt’s January 25th revolution and Facebook and Twitter is circumstantial at best. So the only way the spirit of the revolution can really continue to exist in a genuinely effective way is for it to have its own platform. Enter Radio Ta7rir.

We’re a rag tag group of musicians, artists, and friends’ said Wael Omar, an American-educated filmmaker, as he introduced the Radio Ta7rir team to an eager assembly of people at Townhouse Gallery of Contemporary Art on Thursday night. Standing side by side and sporting red armbands, they all took their go on the mic. They were all bright and succinct, and they all aimed their separate mini-speeches towards one goal; to carry the spirit of Tahrir Square onwards and upwards.
Like any true free spirited movement, Radio Ta7rir started as a throwaway suggestion and an off-the-cuff response, rooted in the middle of Tahrir Square. No doubt the momentum of the project is owed to word of mouth and Chinese whispers. For the time being, you can only hear them on Radiota7rir.com, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter, but everything about the launch party echoed the protests; the diversity of the attendees, their enthusiasm, and the communality of the whole concept. There was even the same disorganisation that tarnished proceedings in Tahrir Square around their drinks and refreshment table.

In regards to the programming, talk on the floor was exactly what you’d expect. Firstly, organisers spoke about giving a voice to the revolution. But apart from it being a pretty decent slogan, what does that even mean? It’s actually pretty simple. The Radio Ta7rir team are unanimous in their belief that the revolution is far from over. The protests have done their part in taking down the regime, but they can’t determine the future.

One main criticism of those who protested was that they didn’t know what they wanted; only what they didn’t want. There was no one to speak for them nor did they have an avenue for their voices. So you could say that Radio Ta7rir will encourage a real and open political discourse. How they plan to do that is still unclear. Call-in shows? Studio debates? Broadcasting live events like the launch party? When you think about it, the options aren’t as broad as you probably thought after reading the first paragraph. Secondly, organisers spoke of showcasing local musical talent. As one of the founders, rapper Deeb performed at the launch party, and his brand of socially aware music seems to be flavour of the month.

It’s still early days for Radio Ta7rir. For all their efforts and enthusiasm, there’s still a lot that can go wrong. Private backing and fundraisers can only go so far. They can’t be a big player on the Egyptian media plane by existing just on the internet. Acquiring a license is apparently in the works, but it will be by far the most daunting obstacle that they will face.

In the meantime, the sooner a full-working website hits monitors, and fixed sponsorship is secured; the better. The momentum is there, but there’s a fear that this is too much too soon. The launch party and the selection of shows already on offer have and will continue to garner support, but that same support will also expect a level of quality befitting the hype.

One thing that comes across from the team is that they are grounded and realistic in regards to this project. They know that what they are offering isn’t necessarily new or unique, but are convinced that it is necessary. Everyone wants this to work, but there‘s still much ambiguity and hot air around it.

The real innovations of this project are obscured by a load of over-politicised gobbledegook. Speeches at the launch party at times sounded like a rally, and the literature found on their site and on their Facebook page is suited more to a manifesto. This is all fine and good, but there seems to be minimal talk about Radio Ta7rir as actual radio. An idea can’t bread a medium, because it will go on to define it, and ultimately distort it. Radio Ta7rir needs to be media first, rebel second.

Original article on: Cairo360