Jordanian media practitioners and activists have been caught by surprised when the King and his cabinet refused to issue licenses to 13 community radio station, including one run by women last 29 January 2009.

Daoud Kuttab of Ammannet and the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) explained, “The rejection is that it came at a time that the Jordanian government had declared 2009 a farming year in Jordan. It also comes at a time that the King has called for special effort to use media to help empower Jordanian women.” No explanation was given for the rejection.

The Zahrat al Ghor, which means “flower of the valley” has been set up by women media practitioners who were trained locally and internationally. Some of them participated in the AMARC annual conference that was held in Amman in 2006. The women have also managed to raise enough funds not only for the basic operations of the radio but also to ensure its legal compliance.

Marcelo Solivens, head of AMARC, recalled, “AMARC 9 delegates from over 93 different countries were impressed with the beginnings of change in Jordan’s media policy and offered to help train and establish a women’s station. We visited the Jordan valley, conducted a workshop and helped train Jordanian women. AMARC delegates also helped raised the needed funds to start a small radio station.”

The country's Audio Visual Law, said to be King Abdullah II bin al-Hussein's legacy for freedom of expression indeed opened the airwaves for non-State entities. However it charges an additional 50 per cent fee for license applications that involve news and current affairs programmes. Much of the present private media are entertainment-based.

Kuttab noted that the rejection also came just a week since the signing of a cooperation agreement of the Ammanet with the Palestinian radio, Radio al Qamr. The latter agreed to rebroadcast over the internet a programme produced by Jordanian women. “The people of both sides of the Jordan river are able to hear the Jericho station, thus creating a creative alternative to the Jordanian radio station rejection. Hopefully it can send a message to restrictive officials that in today’s world you simply can’t keep people quite using traditional legal means,” he remarked.

Sources:
Kuttab, Daoud. (4 February 2009). “Community radio in government retreat in Jordan but technical alternatives save the day.” URL: http://www.daoudkuttab.com/?p=526
Solivens, Marcelo. (6 February 2009). “AMARC deeply disturbed by refusal to license community radio in Jordan Valley.” URL: http://wiki.amarc.org/?action=shownews&id=1025⟨=EN