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"Spreading the word"
The
Star (www.thestar.com.my)
(11/12/05)
WORLD AIDS Day on Dec 1 was once again well covered on many radio channels
in Malaysia and around the world.
The day represents the international effort supported by the United Nations
to bring global attention to the consequences of this disease and to halt
the spread of HIV/AIDS.
I felt that two local FM bands this year stood out because of their extra
features on the deadly disease.
Traxx FM had the topic well integrated into its programming. Rather than
merely mentioning the day like some other stations did in non-committal
fashion, Traxx took every opportunity to speak about marking this day.
The DJs even played music like Michael Jackson’s Heal the World to remind
listeners about the urgent need to find a cure while “caring for people who
are dying”. I was certainly moved during the early morning hours of Dec 1
when I heard the selections on Traxx’s Morning Express show.
However, there was one oversight. The 6am news update, strangely, made no
mention of the special day. The news editor, I feel, should have made it a
point to include at least one item about the occasion as an “agenda setter”
for listeners beginning their day.
Red104.9 FM (which is operated by The Star) wasn’t as effective as Traxx in
getting listeners motivated about battling HIV/AIDS. However, when it came
to picking out special guests to talk about the subject, it was tops!
Beginning on Dec 1, and continuing the day after, the station’s Morning
Affair show featured a representative from the Malaysian AIDS Council, Joe
Selvaretnam, who updated listeners about how people living with HIV/AIDS
were being helped by NGOs.
Another interesting guest was Sona (not her real name), a 44-year old mother
living with HIV/AIDS, who answered listener’s questions about the illness
over the air.
Red’s best offering, however, was a segment during the morning show
dedicated to famous musicians whose lives have been and are affected by
HIV/AIDS. Starting from 7.30am, DJs Tim and Shareena played songs by all the
artistes featured, taking listeners through a riveting full hour of music
that made us reflect on HIV/AIDS as never before. Well, it certainly made me
do so.
Artistes featured included Bobby Debarge (from Motown group Switch), Holly
Johnson (lead singer of British pop group Frankie Goes to Hollywood), and,
perhaps the most notable and celebrated of them all, Freddy Mercury, whose
announcement in 1991 that he had AIDS did much to lessen the stigma the
disease had then.
Looking back at my radio log book, I noted a rather disturbing observation
that might or might not be fact (this is just a personal observation): the
Malay and other non-English language broadcasters did not appear as
motivated about spreading awareness about HIV/AIDS as the English language
stations.
Although I did hear some announcement about the day on stations like
Nasional FM, I didn’t hear many of them going all out in a big way like
Traxx, Red or Light & Easy FM to talk about HIV/AIDS and advise listeners on
how best to avoid the disease.
It’s been proven that HIV/AIDS isn’t gender or class specific, surely it
isn’t language specific? All of Malaysia needs to be made aware of the
dangers of this disease, not just English language speakers. What do readers
think? Should these non-English language stations beef up their World AIDS
Day programming in December 2006?
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