Public radio reaches power-deprived areas in Brazil’s South
A device many believe to be outdated has regained its vital role amid the floods that have wreaked havoc on hundreds of cities in Rio Grande do Sul, South Brazil. Following power outages and the loss of internet signals, a large portion of the state’s population have once again opened their ears to the information transmitted by the old battery-operated radio.Aware of the potential of this crucial tool for communications, Brazil’s public broadcasting company EBC has pointed one of its shortwave transmitters at the region. As has long been the case for North Brazil, EBC has given people a chance to reunite and gain access to basic services in times of dire need since late April.A resident of the city of Canoas, 62-year-old janitor Belmiro Prates is one of the victims of the floods. The ...