Sending the Right Signals

All the world needs to hear the message Jesus Christ has for us. Shelley Nolan Freesland explains how Adventist World Radio travels where missionaries cannot go.

Adventist World Radio (AWR) is able to reach into places that missionaries are not allowed to go or simply cannot reach due to terrain or time requirements. By sending their broadcasts over shortwave radio, AWR is able to be heard by people who would never be reached by other means. It is also a welcome addition to the spiritual diet of many people throughout the world.

What is AWR 's purpose?

AWR is the mission radio arm of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Their mandate is to enter the hardest-to-reach places on earth, They particularly focus on broadcasting to people groups that are difficult to reach in other ways.
AWR reaches into countries where mission workers cannot be sent because of political, religious or geographic barriers.

On what frequencies does AWR broadcast?

AWR broadcasts on shortwave radio because it is the most widely heard broadcast vehicle in the world. Further, the signals can travel for thousands of kilometres, unlike AM or FM radio waves. This enables these programs to reach into countries that are closed to religious broadcasts in local media.
More than 2.5 billion people around the world, using 1.5 billion shortwave radio receivers, regularly tune in to AWR. Research shows that shortwave listeners are growing globally, with shortwave penetration at its highest level in developing countries. For example, 98 per cent of households in Zimbabwe have shortwave radios. People in Australia and New Zealand don't listen as much to shortwave because of widespread AM and FM stations.
In addition to shortwave, AWR also broadcasts programs via AM and FM stations, direct-to-home satellite, and the internet. For those wishing to listen online you may do so at <www.awr.org>.

Who listens to AWR?

AWR produce programs in more than 60 languages, such as Amharic for Ethiopia, Kirghiz for Kyrgyzstan and Malayalam for India.
AWR non-internet broadcasts cover 70 per cent of the world, through shortwave, AM, FM and satellite. It's a challenge to calculate the exact number of countries AWR is reaching because signals fluctuate and various radio stations access our downlinks throughout the year.

How are gifts to AWR used?

All donations given to AWR go to advance the broadcast ministry. For example, AWR uses gifts to cover the cost of air time and add new languages in areas such as the Middle East, Africa, Russia and China. Operating expenses are covered by church support and donations and other sources of income, such as investments, endowments and estate gifts.