Accord FM, The voice of SFOR
1st Lt. Pedro Fernández Vicente
First published in
SFOR Informer#131, January 31, 2002
Accord FM is the Multinational Division Southeast (MND
SE) broadcasting station in Mostar Airport. The station has
been transmitting since 1997. It covers an area of more than
6600 square kilometres, which includes Mostar, Nevesinje,
Gacko, Trebinje, Ravno, Metkovic and Ljubuski. The voice of
Accord FM explains the SFOR mission to local people.
Mostar - Accord FM is housed in the MND SE Headquarters,
and belongs to the Information Communica-tion Branch (ICB).
The station broadcasts 20 hours of programs daily that entertain
as well as explain what SFOR is doing in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
It is a powerful tool as all within its range can tune in
to its message.
The Message
"We broadcast non-time dependent information. We transmit
sports information, musical programs, music, multimedia topics,
unusual events, weather broadcasts and SFOR messages. Our
target is men and women, 15 and 40 years old," said 1st
Lt. Théron-Bagnoli, the station chief.
"We don't work alone when transmitting the SFOR messages.
Accord FM collaborates with the Council of Europe (COE) in
Mostar. ICB controls and supports the launching of each SFOR
campaign. We also co-ordinate with Accord FM, Phoenix magazine
and PSYOPS posters in order to provide local people with the
SFOR message.* All the messages, including those from COE,
have to be authorized by the commander of MND SE. This ensures
that Accord FM is the voice of SFOR. "Our focus is on
trying to bring understanding to this country, hence our name,
'Accord'," said the station's chief.
*Accord in French means, among other things,
harmony.
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