WRN Round Up of 2009
As the year draws to a close, it is time to reflect on the achievements and successes of the previous 12 months. At a time of global economic recession during which many other companies are contracting, WRN has been expanding and 2009 marks a year of milestones for the company.

Radio is and always will be part of our core business and the World Radio Network remains an important part of both our heritage and our future. There have been a multitude of highlights in 2009 and these have included the launch of the new listener website (more info on this below); the addition of programming from Swissinfo, Danger Zone and Deutsche Welle to the WRN English network schedules and the arrival of NHK on WRN Arabic. This is in addition to special features such as the celebration of the anniversary of the People's Republic of China for Radio Guangdong.

WRN would like to thank you, our rebroadcast clients, for your ongoing commitment to WRN. We look forward to continuing to deliver you the global voices and diverse views of our network clients into 2010 and beyond.

WRN Launches new Website
WRN has recently launched its new website at www.wrn.org, providing a much improved and updated listener portal, streaming World Radio Network content live and on demand and featuring more enhanced, personalised and user-friendly functionality for our network listeners.

The listener site allows users the option to register an account, to set up personalised play-lists of on-demand radio shows and leave instant comments next to each programme. A similar feature attached to the WRN in-built player means that listeners can leave tags inside a show. These tags are attached to certain times as the show is played out, and listeners comments might refer to the start of a particular topic or just be a shared thought on a subject raised in the show.

If you have any feedback on the new website we would love to hear from you. Please send your emails to [email protected]

Radio Australia 70th Anniversary
This year marks the 70th anniversary of Radio Australia, the international radio and online service of the Australian national broadcaster, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

This December the septuagenarian broadcaster will celebrate 70 years of being at the forefront of covering news and current affairs, political and social change and key events in Asia and the Pacific. There will be festivities across the airwaves, along with contributions from listeners and partners around the world.

Radio Australia has long been a client of WRN's, sitting on the schedules of the three English language networks.

For further information on Radio Australia's 70th anniversary please visit their website blogs.radioaustralia.net.au/70 or tune in via WRN at www.wrn.org/listeners/#schedules

Network Client Profile: Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale is the leading French world news radio with international news round-the-clock. RFI broadcasts its programmes to 35.6 million listeners 24 hours a day on FM, AM and shortwave, as well as on cable, satellite, the internet and mobile phone. With over 150 transmitters, RFI has one of the largest FM networks in the world. Its news, music and talk shows are also broadcast in partnership with 780 radio stations in different continents.

RFI offers listeners a complete range of the latest international news and features. The team of journalists broadcasting from the Paris studios in French and other languages along with 600 correspondents worldwide gives the global outlook. In French, tune into RFI for news bulletins and flashes every half hour throughout the day, as well as features on health, science, media, culture, the environment and sports.

RFI's programmes are currently placed on all of WRN's English networks - to Europe, Africa and the Asia Pacific and North America.

FM Relays Available in Israel and Palestine
WRN is pleased to announce that RNW's Arabic service has been broadcasting at 2200-2300 local time on weekdays on a joint Palestinian / Israeli station which covers central Israel, the West Bank and the northern part of the Gaza strip, as well as the west of Jordan.

WRN was responsible for securing the broadcast for RNW; it has a long standing relationship with this station, having successfully launched Polish Radio, Voice of Russia and NHK on the station in the past.

Spanning an area of intense cultural, political and media diversity, the station allows broadcasters to inform and entertain the Israeli and Palestinian populations on air - it has two FM transmitters in Ramallah and in northern Israel - as well as being available via the internet.

The station features content from international public service broadcasters, music programmes and talk shows in Arabic and Hebrew that touch upon issues of common interest to Israeli and Palestinian audiences.

For more information on how WRN can place your programmes on this station, please contact the Sales team at [email protected]

WRN Network Voices: Coverage of the Fall of the Berlin Wall
Monday, 9th of November 1989 is a date that resonates with many of our European listeners. The fall of the Berlin Wall was a great victory for many that were segregated by the division of East and West. Built by the German Democratic Republic in 1961, the wall enclosed the city of West Berlin, separating it from East Germany, including East Berlin.

Several of WRN's content clients covered the 20th anniversary of the fall of the wall, including, of course, Deutsche Welle, Voice of Russia, Radio Romania International and Radio France International. Programmes focused on the perspectives of people who were separated by the wall at the time and those who witnessed the fall.

To listen again to these programmes on demand, visit the relevant station at www.wrn.org/listeners/#stations