Joy FM radio station based in Monrovia was forced to go off the air after its premises were vandalised.
The premises of Joy FM radio station in Monrovia was attacked by unknown individuals in the early morning hours of Tuesday March 5, 2018.
The attack which left the station’s facilities, including the cables connected to the Transmitter and the broadcast antenna, damaged occurred at exactly 1:52 AM .
Since the attack the station has been off the air.
Joy FM is the broadcast arm of the Excellent Communication Incorporated, based in Liberia’s capital Monrovia.
Emmanuel Dahn, station manager of Joy FM, is quoted in a social media post as saying, “we regret to inform our listeners that we are off the air as result of an attack on our transmitter cables.”
Joy FM is one of few radio stations that is very critical of the George Weah led Government.
The attack is the second in one month with the first target being Roots FM after its transmitter and other broadcast equipment were completely damaged by unknown armed men.
The Center for Media Studies and Peacebuilding (CEMESP) believes the recent wave of attacks on critical media outlets in Liberia is an affront to free speech, press freedom and tolerance.
CEMESP’s Executive Director Malcolm Joseph is therefore calling on the Liberia National Police to speedily investigate the matter and bring to justice the perpetrators of the act.
Mr. Joseph expressed fear that if nothing is done to address the matter, Liberia stands the risk of losing the gains it has made in the press freedom arena by the recent passage and signing into law of the Abdullai Kamara Act of Press freedom which decriminalizes speech.
