Studio Tamani in Mali Partners with AudioNow

May 27, 2014, Washington, D.C. – Hirondelle USA, a U.S. non-profit organization supporting independent media in post-conflict areas and AudioNow, the world’s largest call-to-listen provider, announced today that news and debate programming from the Swiss NGO Fondation Hirondelle’s radio program in Mali, Studio Tamani, can now be heard on any mobile phone in the U.S., France, and UK through AudioNow’s call-to-listen service.

The programs can be accessed through the following numbers:

United States: (712) 432-7105

France: 01.80.14.43.56

UK: 033.00.10.22.11

Listeners can access Studio Tamani content by simply dialing the local access phone number on any landline or mobile device.  The service does not require a smartphone or apps and uses voice minutes rather than data plans.

“Working with AudioNow enables us to reach Mali’s diaspora in central hubs like the U.S., France and England, and extends the dialogue between Mali and its diaspora through easy to use technology,” says Anne Bennett, Executive Director of Hirondelle USA.  “This initiative fits with Tamani’s mission, which is to provide a platform for dialogue and reconciliation for the people of the country.”

In an effort to provide critical and credible news and information in Mali by locally trained journalists, Studio Tamani was established in 2013 as part of a partnership between Fondation Hirondelle and URTEL (Malian Union of Free Radio and Television Stations).  Tamani’s live discussion program debating topics of the day – “The Grand Dialogue” – is one of its most popular shows and is featured “on-demand” through AudioNow.   Studio Tamani’s daily programs are produced at its editorial hub at the Maison de la Presse in Bamako, and news bulletins are broadcast in French, Bambara, Peulh,Tamasheq, and Sonrhaï  on a network of 24 partner radios throughout the country.

“For Malian diaspora living outside of Mali, our platform provides a high-quality connection to on-the-ground news, updates and features,” says Alexandra Moe, Director of Strategic Partnerships at AudioNow.  “This project will help expand the reach of Studio Tamani well beyond Mali, and we’re thrilled about our partnership with Fondation Hirondelle.”

Studio Tamani is the first of the Fondation Hirondelle ‘s projects in Africa to join the AudioNow platform.  Radio Ndeke Luke (Central African Republic); Radio Okapi (in partnership with the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations in DRC); Cotton Trees News (Sierra Leone) will be the next projects available on call-to listen, along with a suite of individual mobile apps.  Combined, the Fondation Hirondelle radio stations reach 30 million people, and are specifically dedicated to delivering impartial information in times of crisis, in some of the world’s most hazardous areas.

For more information about Studio Tamani and Hirondelle USA please contact Anne Bennett at: abennett@hirondelleusa.org.  At AudioNow, please contact Alexandra Moe at: alexandra.moe@audionow.com.

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About Fondation Hirondelle is a Swiss non-profit organization that works to promote the right to information through the creation of or support to independent media in divided societies and countries coming out of conflict.  It currently manages media projects in 7 Africa countries, playing an important role in promoting reconstruction, peace and the emergence of democratic societies.

Hirondelle USA, a US 501c3, supports this work by raising funds, creating opportunities for technical innovation and research, and developing programs that enhance the ability of Hirondelle media to report on issues of important to the populations they serve.

About AudioNow

AudioNow, based in Washington, DC, is the leading call-to-listen platform in the world. With broadcast partners on every continent, AudioNow extends the reach of radio by connecting mobile listeners to their favorite radio stations through a simple telephone call. The AudioNow platform uses proprietary “HD” voice design and patent-pending technology that serves all mobile platforms. AudioNow has more than 1,700 broadcast partners, including global leaders such as the United Nations, BBC, RFI, Voice of America, Entravision, C-SPAN and IMG College. In 2013 AudioNow delivered 2 billion listening minutes to its broadcast partners, in 76 different languages, and connected users 84 million times to its platform.