Introduction
Launhardt (2004), Evangelicals in Addis Ababa, p. 132:
“In November 1959 Emperor Haile Sellassie granted to the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) the franchise to build and operate a radio station in Addis Ababa called “Radio Voice of the Gospel” (RVOG). It was internally agreed that seventy percent of the programs be on education, health care, development, music and daily news, while thirty percent of the time be used for broadcasting evangelistic and spiritual messages. The daily news was prepared at the RVOG station in Addis Ababa, while the different programs had to be produced in world-wide regional studios, using the language of the area.
For Ethiopia, two studios prepared the program in the Amharic language:
- one was operated under the auspices of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and
- the other one by the Evangelical Yemisrach Dimts Council.”
p. 133:
“The most prominent listener of the YD programs was the Emperor Haile Sellassie. Dr. Emmanuel Gebre Sellassie and Memre Sileshi told the author of several occasions when the Emperor had called them to speak about broadcasts he had listened to [n. 468: (…) Emmanuel Abraham, 1995 [Reminiscenses], 248].”
Lundgren (1983), Proclaiming Christ to His World, p. 109 on broadcasting time:
SHORT-WAVE broadcasting in selected languages
(minutes per day):
| Amharic | Oromo | English | French | Arabic | |
| 1963 | 30 | 0 | 75 | 0 | 180 |
| 1964 | 45 | 0 | 60 | 0 | 180 |
| 1965 | 45 | 0 | 60 | 0 | 180 |
| 1966 | 45 | 0 | 105 | 45 | 180 |
| 1967 | 45 | 0 | 105 | 45 | 180 |
| 1968 | 45 | 0 | 105 | 90 | 180 |
| 1969 | 45 | 0 | 120 | 150 | 180 |
| 1970 | 60 | 0 | 135 | 135 | 180 |
| 1971 | 60 | 0 | 135 | 135 | 180 |
| 1972 | 60 | 0 | 175 | 120 | 180 |
| 1973 | 60 | 0 | 140 | 120 | 180 |
| 1974 | 60 | 0 | 110 | 120 | 180 |
| 1975 | 100 | 0 | 105 | 120 | 180 |
| 1976 | 60 | 45 | 105 | 120 | 180 |
MEDIUM-WAVE broadcasting in selected programs
(minutes per day):
| MUSIC progr. | Amharic progr. | Amharic news | Oromo progr. | Oromo news | |
| 1964 | 65 | 75 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 1965 | 80 | 80 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 1966 | 90 | 115 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 1967 | 90 | 115 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 1968 | 120 | 120 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 1969 | 120 | 120 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970 | 120 | 120 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971 | 120 | 120 | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972 | 120 | 130 | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973 | 75 | 130 | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| 1974 | 75 | 130 | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| 1975 | 75 | 130 | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976 | 75 | 75 | 25 | 30 | 10 |
Q: Amharic program “Bisrate Wongel” on medium-wave?
Video
» Watch videos about RVOG
Pictures
Archives
RVOG Archives in Addis Ababa
(at the Yemisrach Dimts Communication Services building)
Loeb Music Library at Harvard University
(includes recording collection of RVOG)
Lutheran World Federation Archives in Geneva
(many RVOG-related files yet few audio recordings)
For further study
Jahn, Christoph (1973). Frequenzen der guten Nachricht: Rundfunksender ‘Stimme des Evangeliums’ Addis Abeba. Bilanz, Erfahrungen und Vorhaben eines gemeinsamen Projektes der Kirchen (Erlanger Taschenbücher, 24). Erlangen: Verlag der Evangelisch-Lutherischen Mission.
Jørgensen, Knud (1988). The Role and Function of the Media in the Mission of the Church (With Particular Reference to Africa). PhD dissertation in Missiology. Pasadena: Fuller Theological Seminary, School of World Mission. [Preview front matter on ProQuest.com. Chapter XI: Case Study on the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus]
Launhardt, Johannes (2004). Evangelicals in Addis Ababa (1919-1991): With special reference to the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus and the Addis Ababa Synod (Studien zur Orientalischen Kirchengeschichte, 31). Münster: Lit Verlag.
Lundgren, Manfred (1983). Proclaiming Christ to His world: The Experience of Radio Voice of the Gospel, 1957-1977 (Studia missionalia Upsaliensia, 38). Geneva: Lutheran World Federation, Dept. of Communication.
Menkir Esayas (1981). The Local Context as a Source of Evaluative Questions on Mass Communication, Development, Education, and Religion in Africa. PhD dissertation. East Lansing: Michigan State University, Department of Secondary Education and Curriculum. [Read online; p. 63-85 on RVOG]
Palo, Mika (1994). Radio Voice of the Gospel in a Changing Political Scene. MA thesis in General Church History. Helsinki: University of Helsinki, Faculty of Theology.
Ruud, Lee G. (1977). Effectiveness of Radio Voice of the Gospel as a Form of Christian Mission, With Special Attention to Its Mission in Ethiopia. DMin dissertation. Claremont, CA: School of Theology at Claremont. [Preview front matter on ProQuest.com]
Tamrat Tadele (2009). Christian Radio Broadcasting in Ethiopian Changing Political Context: Case Study of Yemisirach Dimts Radio. MA thesis. Addis Ababa: Addis Ababa University, School of Journalism and Communication. [Read online]