“Seeing as God Sees” with an image of a meandering road, a very sharp bend, up goes the road and it then disappears into the sepia skies – was Good News 93.6 FM’s theme for 2020. This laminated square meter chart has been hung in our studios since the beginning of the year alongside a larger than life size calendar with events of the year for staff to observe. What happened after that ? As read million other news letters globally, the sentence is “staff never set foot for majority of the year.”
2020 has indeed went according to the will of God – we ought to – despite how we now see it – seek The Lord’s hand in all that has occurred and “see the year as God sees it.”
Radio Programs
It doesn’t take a fire brand believer to see the good in the bad at Good News 93.6 FM in light of hard lock downs and the unexpected events that followed. Our radio programs have genuinely improved. The returning of support staff and on air freed some hands and legs for more “productivity in the plant.” Out of the pandemic came relationships forged by the heat of the hard lock downs.
The Bible Society held their 200 years celebration and partnership with GNCR. This relationship continues through programs that will seek to answer questions with a biblical perspective – packaged as Public Service announcements.. Heartlines – a social change organization is a new partner in programming that seeks to impact you positively through story telling has began its talk show slot on Friday evenings at 6pm.
Trans world Radio has also come on board with radio programs targeting men in society and this program will soon be scheduled. KwaZulu Natal Education department Ilembe District, has also come on board in with scheduled radio lessons aligned with the National Senior Certificate Exam Period to help our learners. These constitute the light at the end of the tunnel, our donut instead of a hole it the good despite the prevailing circumstances, its how God saw programs for the year though not even close to listing events in their entirety.
Challenges
As a talk radio station – Content remained crucial – not only for a listener in need also the challenge was sourcing content while adhering to social distancing regulations for staff. Content providers which include preachers who are from KwaMashu, Driefontein, Phoenix, Eshowe had travel restrictions. This saw us apply Mobile journalism methods such as Voice notes for content where feasible, Zoom for meetings and workshops and the best solution was voice recorders that were handed out for field work that would’ve necessitated foot traffic at the studios.
There of course was the commendable attitude of staff that pulled through the prevailing circumstances. Dead air as a result of power surges and an Uninterrupted Power Supply system that was not 3 phase are soon to be a thing of the past. It was during this lock down that The Lord provided us with a generator that would adequately carry the load.
These are but of many more things we are thankful for and continue to ask you remember to thank The Lord with us for in your prayers. We are praying for he Lord to send more laborers, more wisdom and stewardship.
Seeing as God Sees.
We look forward to the final month of the Year – with programming that takes the shape and sound which celebrates the Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though staff and some support staff resumed after working from home, this is an opportunity for rest and reflection.