Somali Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) is a media group that operates in the Puntland

Puntland

Puntland , officially the Puntland State of Somalia , is a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998....

 region of Somalia

Somalia

Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...

, in particular the three main cities of Bossaso, Gardo and Garowe. SBC's broadcasting area of coverage is estimated at 1000 Km square and this is served by three stations in the above towns.

SBC was established in June 2001. Its first FM Radio services were established in the Puntland region and it was the first FM Radio which could be heard in three cities in Somalia. In November 2001, Somali Broadcasting Corporation established the first television service in Puntland. This is now on air for test and it will go on air completely at the end of November.

Collaborations

In the year 2001 SBC contracted with the BBC Somali Service

BBC Somali Service

The BBC Somali Service is a BBC World Service radio station transmitted in the Somali language and based in Bush House, Strand. Since 1999 the head of the station has been Yusuf Garaad Omar, a Somali journalist, who joined in 1992. Most of the listeners live in the Horn of Africa and nearby regions...

 to broadcast their transmission through FM Radio for better hearing. Then, in 2004, SBC started airing Arabic language

Arabic language

Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...

 and English language

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 programs of the BBC World Service

BBC World Service

The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...

.

SBC Radio has also managed to create collaborations with some international organizations. Already, a number of United Nations

United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

 organizations including UNICEF, UNESCO

UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

, World Health Organization

World Health Organization

The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...

, IRIN, have their programs aired. Others include international organization such as Care International, Save the Children

Save the Children

Save the Children is an internationally active non-governmental organization that enforces children's rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries...

, and other local NGOs. Issues covered in these programs include HIV/Aids, FGM

Female genital cutting

Female genital mutilation , also known as female genital cutting and female circumcision, is defined by the World Health Organization as "all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons."FGM...

, sanitation

Sanitation

Sanitation is the hygienic means of promoting health through prevention of human contact with the hazards of wastes. Hazards can be either physical, microbiological, biological or chemical agents of disease. Wastes that can cause health problems are human and animal feces, solid wastes, domestic...

, education

Education

Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...

, etc.

SBC Mission

In respect of the current situation in Somalia, and the demand for information in the world, SBC's mission can be summarized as:

• Speeding free and fair information to listeners in Puntland, Somalia and neighboring countries
• Raising awareness in the community of all aspects of social sectors including health, education, and peace building
• Giving fair and confident access to the airwaves for all ranks so as to share opinions and ideas
• Promoting both small and large-scale business by advertisements
• Creating interaction among the war-divided people of Somalia
• SBC is neutral, non-political and non-partisan and aims to be one of the most respected media organizations in Puntland and the whole of Somalia

Radio

SBC broadcasts from three main stations:

• Boosaaso FM 89.0 MHZ, 10.4 MHZ,
• Garowe Studio FM 88.7 MHZ
• Gardo Studio FM 88.7 MHZ,