email: 98.3ctkfm@gmail.com
CHRIST THE KING FM
Introduction
Nebbi Diocese (Anglican) has for long harbored the intention of establishing a radio station to help reach out effectively throughout the diocese. This was mainly inspired by the impact of the local secular radio stations that were felt greatly in the community and the Diocese endeavored to use them to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. However, these are commercial radio stations are it became expensive for the diocese to pursue that line of thought.
This gave rise to the idea of owning a radio station altogether, instead of going to one where limited time is paid for expensively. Attempts were even made in that direction but the desired target was not achieved; though the vision never died.
Korean Missionary Partners
In September 2010, under [late] bishop Alphonse Wathokudi, a [South] Korean Missionary – Rev. Elisha Lee came to the Diocese with a focus on ministering to the youths and children. He started The Voice of Youth (VOY) Ministries in which the youths learn musical instruments, do bible studies, hold bible reading camps, discipleship, etc. The Ministry also published monthly flyers [distributed to mainly schools and parishes] on selected themes based on challenges and needs of the time.
Children are catered for in a program called English Bible School (EBS) headed by Mama Ezra Lee [Rev. Lee’s wife], where children are taught the basic knowledge of God under the theme “Who Created the World?”. This is for children from 10 to 12 years of age. The children learn every Saturday and the course runs for a period of two years. During this period, they’re taught basic reading and writing skills, and English language on top of the bible knowledge.
Both ministries are based in Goli (Diocesan Headquarters) and benefit more of only the population in the vicinity.
The missionary therefore embarked on an outreach ministry dubbed Mobile Mission, still targeting the youth and children; however, this time round, moving to parish headquarters on Saturdays. It’s from this desire to reach every parish with the Good News that Rev. Lee hatched the idea of having a radio station that would reach out to all the parishes at once more timely, effectively and consistently, and then the Mobile Mission would now be a follow up program.
Upon being contacted by Rev. Lee, this vision was bought by a retired university lecturer in South Korea – Professor Yang who is also a board member of PROSYSCOM – a company that manufactures radio equipment. He offered the first exciter of 100Watts (which was used singly as the transmitter too), an antenna and later a band pass filter.
Nebbi diocese under [late] bishop Alphonse Wathokudi also readily offered a block to accommodate the project just within the bishop’s office premises. The block was then modified to make 2 studios (with assistance from Sillah Tents company) and an office space for the radio station was also created. Sillah Tents company also erected the mast
Commissioning and Licensing
Christ the King FM was born and Commissioned on 25th November 2014 by Archbishop Stanley Ntagali, before finally being licensed by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) on 13th April 2015 as Nebbi Diocese Christ the King FM to operate 800Watts on the frequency 98.3MHz with the call sign 98.3 Christ the King FM and Rev. Elisha Lee as the Station Director. The station now operates as a ministry under the Communications Department of the Diocese. We ran on 100Watts power until 2020 when we finally upgraded to a 1KW transmitter but still run below our licensed power of 800W.
We offer a model of broadcast beyond commercial and public service but strive to influence the psychological and spiritual wellbeing of our audience.
We comprehensively cover the districts of Nebbi, Zombo, Pakwach and Madi Okolo [in Uganda], and Mahagi [in the Democratic Republic of Congo]. However, patches of Arua, Adjumani, Terego, Yumbe and Koboko district [in West Nile sub-region]; Amuru, Nwoya and Agago district [in Acholi sub-region], and Masindi, Buliisa and Hoima district [in Bunyoro sub-region] also receive our signals.
Development
Following the devastating impact of Covid19 especially on the church, the radio has been more prioritized than ever as it played a pivotal role in keeping the congregation abreast with what was going on in the diocese, including live Sunday Services. Sanctioned by Bishop Alphonse Wathokudi, the Christians, institutions and the communities of the greater Nebbi fundraised for a 1KW transmitter in 2020.
Through Rev. Lee and the goodwill of the Bishop who provided land, and both moral and spiritual support, the radio has been able to acquire funds to construct a new, more spacious and customized structure to house it more comfortably. Soon it will be operating from the new structure which is just 50meters south of the current one.
With support from friends from South Korea, the building was completed in 2022. The structure caters for 3 studios, a reception room, a board room, space for three offices, machine room, power room and store.
Other Partners
Being a religious non-commercial radio station, the cost of running is entirely borne by Rev. Lee and partners from South Korea. In 2021, with blessing from archbishop emeritus Dr. Henry Luke Orombi, Words of Hope Ministries took the initiative to partner with Christ the King FM and further support both in material and spiritual development.
This materialized in 2022 with the consecration of Bishop Pons Awinjo Ozelle who took the initiative to further engage Words of Hope Ministries hold the diocesan end of the partnership.
Programing
Focusing on “Building up the Body of Christ,” we run a robust and contemporary program, informed by our focus on the future generation and in response to the socio-economic challenges faced by the youths such as drug and alcohol abuse, teenage pregnancies, poverty, high level of immorality, technological advancement [especially the internet], false teachings, illiteracy, social amenities [in the rapidly developing trading centers, towns and municipalities], parental neglect [especially of the girl child], etc.
As we build up the body of Christ, alive to the challenges faced by the youths in our community, we look at the holistic development of the youths, thus programing to empower them spiritually, economically and socially. Our emphasis on the youths is due to the agile and fragile nature of the youths coupled with the dynamics of the fast evolving world flooded with ungodly information crafted to entice the youths; also cognizant of the fact the we need well groomed youths for a sustainable development both of the church and the country at large.
It’s against this background that we ensure our program is able to educate, entertain and inform the youths from the godly perspective, keeping in mind the competition we face from secular media houses to win the same youths. We’ve integrated news briefs, sports analysis, contemporary music, interactive shows, youth magazine, children’s program, gender talk, scripture insights, Scripture Union hour, Education Hour, Government Hour, Farmers’ Time, etc. to suit the taste of the 21st Century Youth and at the same time preach the Good News
Of course we don’t ignore the family and the adult population – we have Mothers’ Union hour, Bishop’s Time (afternoon sermon in Alur), topical discussions, prerecorded sermons (in Both Alur and English language), Flashback Thursday, etc. Our program is boosted further by the Bishop’s initiative to introduce Sunday Service Live on radio from 7:30am to 9:00am.
