Following a comprehensive nationwide tour of community radio stations across 14 of Liberia’s 15 counties, a senior U.S. Embassy official has singled out William V. S. Tubman University’s campus station, Phoenix FM, as a premier model for media training and operational excellence.
Raymond Stephens, Public Affairs Officer of the U.S. Embassy in Liberia, praised the station during an official site visit, contrasting its robust training framework against a struggling broader independent broadcasting sector characterized by broken equipment, minimal budgets, and untrained personnel.
Unlike traditional grassroots community stations, Phoenix FM operates uniquely as a university-based training platform. The station bridges the gap between theoretical classroom instruction and professional, hands-on application, allowing students to gain real-world experience in journalism, broadcasting, and media production.
Concurrently, the station serves Harper and its surrounding communities with vital educational and public-interest programming.
“The students here are not simply earning degrees; they are being prepared for the job market,” Stephens remarked, commending the dual-role strategy.
Stephens lauded the university’s leadership, specifically President Prof. Dr. Olu Q. Menjay, for championing an educational model that blends academic standards with practical workforce readiness, effectively preparing young Liberians to enter a competitive media industry.
The U.S. Embassy official’s assessment highlights the stark realities currently facing Liberia’s media infrastructure. Throughout his multi-county tour, Stephens encountered community stations severely crippled by limited funding, aging equipment, and critical shortages of skilled personnel.
By contrast, Tubman University’s structure provides Phoenix FM with the institutional backing necessary to sustain operations, maintain equipment, and continuously upskill its student broadcasters.
Stephens encouraged the administration to maintain its investments in experiential learning and media innovation, emphasizing that such initiatives are essential for producing competent, ethical, and globally competitive graduates capable of driving Liberia’s economic and national development.