Here the press release: Children's news at SOICO TV in Mozambique

The Dutch media NGO Free Voice launches a new children's news program on TV and online with the independent broadcaster SOICO TV (STV) in Mozambique. On May 16th the directors of Free Voice and STV sign the new cooperation in the capital Maputo.

With support from the Dutch Ministry of International Cooperation, Free Voice will develop the next 18 months together with STV a quality and sustainable children's news program and will become a member of the international Kids News Network. Free Voice's Kids News Network and the management of STV were welcomed on May 14th at the Dutch Embassy by Ambassador Bijvoet. Also the Dutch Minister of Development Koenders, who happened to be in Maputo at the same time, personally congratulated STV and Free Voice with its new member.

The new children's news shall start mid-2009. Before the first broadcast, the new team of journalists will be trained for two months by children's news experts from three other youth news programs from South Africa, Zambia and the Netherlands.

The Mozambican children's news is also part of the 'TWENTY TEN' project of Free Voice and World Press Photo, where 150 trained African journalists will report around the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

STV started broadcasting in 2002 and reaches 90% of the country. STV is market leader with an average of 5 million viewers per day. Of the 22 million people of Mozambique, half are younger than 18 years.

The Mozambican children's news is the ninth program launched by the Kids News Network. Other youth journals have started since 2004 in South Africa, Zambia, Surinam, Peru, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Burma and the Dutch Antilles.

We just signed the agreement in Maputo with Soico TV to start a new children's news program here. Check here STV's press release in Portugese.

Check here the item on the STV news about it: