Tororo’s RockCity Radio 98.4FM is gearing up for its inaugural live broadcast on December 11, 2023, just two weeks after receiving approval from the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC). The Jopadhola cultural leader, HRH Kwar Adhola Moses Stephen Owor, will be the first voice on the radio, marking the commencement of commercial broadcasting ahead of the planned official launch next year.
Geresom Okecho-Ochwo, Chairman of the Tororo Broadcasting Network Limited Board, revealed the plans after receiving communication from the UCC. The clearance came on November 24, 2023, enabling the radio to begin commercial broadcast on FM 98.4 MHz.
While live signal tests began earlier this year, certain UCC technicalities and requirements caused delays for the radio, which was licensed to operate a commercial station in Tororo on December 1, 2022. Despite the delay, the radio has been operating online since January 2022.
Okecho-Ochwo emphasized the joint pride in the radio, urging support through personal advertisements, corporate engagement, and utilization of their recording studio to foster its growth.
The Tieng Adhola Cultural Institution (TACI) radio fundraising committee, headed by Okecho-Ochwo, reported raising close to Shs500 million since initiating a Shs600 million fund-drive in 2020 to establish the radio.
Constant Mayende, TACI radio fundraising committee Treasurer, indicated that RockCity is poised to begin with initial operational costs estimated at about Shs100 million, covering staffing, overhead, and top-grade programming to compete in the commercial radio arena in Eastern Uganda.
President Yoweri Museveni contributed Shs200 million earlier this year, supplementing donations from individuals, institutions, and corporations. A house provided by Ambassador Bernadette Olowo-Freers in Tororo’s central business district has been repurposed and wired to host the radio studio on James Ochola Road.
Expressing excitement, NRM Electoral Commissioner Dr. Tanga Odoi highlighted the radio’s significance for mobilizing people for development, underscoring the radio’s pivotal role in fostering community engagement.
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