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A New Christian Radio
Station for the City of Trinidad, Bolivia
The Need
Once South America’s richest areas, today Bolivia suffers from the
corrupt, unstable governments of the past. Over 80% of Bolivia’s
children live in extreme poverty, and as many as 100,000 under 14 years of
age live in urban areas where they have to work to exist. Over 80,000 are
known to be addicted to drugs in this country, where about 50% of the
world’s cocaine is grown. Poor roads and distance from markets have made
alternative crops far less viable in this nation. (Data
from Operation World, 21st Century Edition)
One of the centers of commerce in Bolivia is the city of Trinidad,
located approximately 342 miles from Santa Cruz and 370 miles from the
capital city of La Paz. Trinidad, a city of some 120,000 people, is
considered the center of education, especially for high school training
for those living in the country’s outlying areas. The population of the
entire surrounding region has soared to 380,000.
The Country of Bolivia
(Bottom) Location of the city of Trinidad
The Vision
Reaching this vast territory with the Gospel and discipleship resources
has become the burden both of Montrose Broadcasting and Trans World Radio
(TWR), an international Gospel broadcasting organization headquartered in
Cary, North Carolina. TWR-Bolivia, Trans World Radio’s broadcasting
affiliate in Bolivia, has undertaken the project of building a new radio
station in the city of Trinidad in order to reach the hundreds of
thousands of people in this region with TWR’s Gospel programs. The most
important thing about this station lies in the fact that Trinidad is the
gateway to the Beni (the large Amazon plains of Bolivia), and it has the largest concentration of people in the
Bolivian Amazon interior. Trinidad is one of the few places in the Beni
that has electricity 24 hours a day, which is a necessity for a local
radio station.
Currently, TWR-Bolivia broadcasts programs from more than 100 local
stations within the country, but the only religious station in Trinidad is
controlled by the Catholic Church. A new station will make it possible for
not only the inhabitants of the city to hear a clear presentation of the
Gospel, but those living in the outskirts as well.
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Project Budget Breakdown for the Trinidad station |
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Land Site |
$15,000 |
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Antenna Tower |
$21,000 |
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Studio Building |
$5,000 |
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Equipment purchases and Installation |
$32,500 |
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Total |
$73,500 |
"Radio is a constant companion and
accompanies everyone young and old in Trinidad. You can hear it over the
constant chug-chug of the river boats as they ply the rivers. The ‘vaqueros,’
who watch and care for thousands of head of cattle, can also be seen
listening to their radios out in the fields."
– Comments from a citizen of Trinidad
(Bolivia)
How You Can Help
Montrose Broadcasting has committed to raising $32,500 for equipment
and its installation at the new TWR station. Gifts are tax deductible and
checks may be made out to your Montrose station. The station will mail you
a receipt for your gift and forward 100% of the amount you designate for
the Trinidad (Bolivia) station to Trans World Radio. On behalf of Montrose
Broadcasting and TWR, we are deeply grateful for your participation in
this project.
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You
Can Make A Difference in Bolivia.....
In
2004 listeners to WPEL, WPGM and WBGM generously gave more than $21,000 to
equip a brand new Christian FM radio station in San Julian, Bolivia.
In 2006 three engineers (including our chief engineer, one of our board
members and his wife, and a third engineer from the area) traveled to
Bolivia to help install the equipment. The station, operated by the
Bolivian affiliate of Trans World Radio, Radio Trans Mundial (RTM)
Bolivia, is now broadcasting 18
hours a day.
RTM Bolivia has a
vision for a network of 20 Christian FM stations covering various
communities in Eastern Bolivia. The San Julian station is the second station
in the network. The first, the flagship station of the network, is in
Pilon (pictured below). RTM Bolivia has selected the city of Trinidad,
capital of the province of Beni, for the third station in the network.
Trinidad is predominantly an agricultural region in northeastern Bolivia
about 342 miles from Santa Cruz and 370 miles from the capital city of La
Paz.
The area has seen a migration of people from the
highlands of Bolivia as well as an influx of Mennonites. As part of
the migration, many Quechua and Guarani natives have moved into the area.
A city of 120,000 people, Trinidad is considered the center of education,
especially high school training, for those living in the country’s
outlying areas. The population of the surrounding region has soared to
380,000.
Trinidad is the gateway to the large
Amazon plains of Bolivia and has the largest concentration of people in the
Bolivian Amazon interior. Trinidad is one of the few places in the
Beni province that has electricity 24 hours a day, a necessity for a local
radio station.
RTM Bolivia produces programming in several different languages, including a
Quechua program called “Encounters.” The Pilon and San Julian stations
also carry the Spanish versions of many US programs including Turning Point
(David Jeremiah), Grace to You (John MacArthur) and Thru the Bible (J.
Vernon McGee.)
The
total cost of building and equipping the new station is $73,500. We are
inviting WPEL, WPGM and WBGM listeners to help purchase the equipment, which
will cost $32,500. The Bolivians are responsible for the land
($15,000), the antenna tower ($21,000) and the building ($5,000.) Your
gift toward this project may be mailed to the station you hear. We
will send you a tax deductible gift for your receipt and forward 100% of the
amount you designate to Trans World Radio to purchase the equipment for the
Trinidad station.
WPGM or WBGM
P O Box 236
Danville, PA 17821-0236 |
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