Hazem Saqf El Hait (Radio Haneen): ‘Language is definitely the most essential tool in cultural integration’
25 augustus 2020
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| For the Online Radio Awards, we interview various online radio producers and podcasters. This time: Hazem Saqf El Hait of the Dutch/Arabic online station: Radio Haneen. Tell us about Radio Haneen. |
| Radio Haneen soft launched in October 2019. It aims to cater to the Dutch Arab community in the Netherlands, specifically the Syrian newcomers. The ethos of the design of the radio station is to be a culturally inclusive entertaining station, stimulating and shaping the culture from within, contributing to better integration into the Dutch society. Haneen means nostalgia, a sentimental longing or affection for a period in the past. The general tone of the station is nostalgic, cosy, positive, optimistic, and warm. It would be best described as a “Feel-Good” (gezellig) station. It is a 24hr general entertainment station that is intended to offer cultural and educational content and programming, seamlessly packaged within mostly Arabic and Dutch music and entertainment. Since the launch, we started preparing content in order to market the station by mid-2020. Unfortunately, the circumstances in 2020 held us back from achieving all our goals. |
| If the station aims to be a helping hand in integration, why is it mostly in Arabic? |
| Language is definitely the most essential tool in cultural integration. It helps people communicate, find a job, do groceries, deal with official matters, and possibly make some Dutch friends. Radio Haneen will contain Dutch music and language segments. The live DJs will also be using a mix of Arabic and Dutch in their shows. But what language do you use when you feel? The answer is definitely “your native language”. Radio Haneen aims to stir “Feel-Good” vibes in listeners, because people need to feel good, to do good, integrate, and to be a productive part of the society. |
| “Feel-Good” vibe? Can you elaborate on that? |
| We live in unprecedented times. COVID crisis caused a lot of material and emotional scars even to the most stable societies. It reminded us of how fragile life can be. But, imagine having to go through forced displacement, a very difficult dangerous journey, leaving everything behind you and finding yourself in a completely new place, with completely new people, and a completely new culture, and on top of that, the COVID crisis. Radio Haneen wants to remind people of good feelings. Throughout the programming, the station will have “Feel-Good” segments. These are short narrated real-life stories talking about values, ethics, social solidarity, and empathy. The station is also producing success stories and interviews with Dutch Arabs, giving listeners an idea about what is possible. Other segments will also emphasise the Dutch way of life, social justice, freedom, human rights, equality, and sustainability. Although the station is not fully launched yet and it does not have a significant listener base, we also felt the need to produce Arabic public service messages. We produced several COVID awareness segments such as hand hygiene, social distancing, and healthy habits. These segments were aired on the station and we made short videos from them for publishing on social media platforms. I think everybody needs to “feel good” nowadays, and I hope other stations try this approach as well. |
| Why did you choose online radio? And why in the Netherlands? |
| Well, I chose Radio because it is an easily consumed effective media. The choice of having an online radio station comes from practicality. It is a lot cheaper to setup, it reaches a lot more people without the boundaries of terrestrial broadcast, and it is still completely free and easy to consume for the listener with the abundance of portable devices and Wi-Fi. Recently, online radio is proving to be more vital especially after the whole world moved to online media. It is very flexible and agile. The DJs can broadcast their shows from their homes. 2020 also impacted people’s behaviour. Although online music services are abundant and within reach, they lack the human element a radio station offers. With the social distancing measures, the lack of certainty in everyday life, and the lack of human interaction, people became lonelier than ever. Online radio is more than musical entertainment. It offers companionship to listeners, creating a sense of community, inclusion, and compassion. About the location, my first visit to the Netherlands was in 2007, and it was love at first sight: The social justice, freedom, culture, nature, democracy, and the directness to mention a few attributes. The Netherlands is also in a central location in Europe, and almost everybody speaks English which helped me a lot. Of course, I am learning Dutch as well. I have only lived here for less than 2 years now. Being in Hilversum Media Park was the best decision I made, because I am in the centre of the industry, within reach of all talent or facilities that I might need, and professionals within the same field. Look at it this way, if I was not in Media Park, then I think the chances of me having this interview would have been much less. Hilversum as a city is a beautiful, calm, and quiet; a perfect place to reflect, think, and plan. |
| How do you plan on reaching your listeners? |
| Due to the circumstances in 2020, we still have not marketed the station to listeners as we planned. We do not wish to market a radio station that plays music only, because there are other sources of music. We are currently working on developing more content, and hopefully go on air with live programs in October. As a privately funded radio station with a small budget and resources, we plan on marketing it organically on social media, and hopefully through existing social media friends and influencers that see value in the station. At a later stage, we might consider some outdoor advertising in strategic cities, but that is also currently on hold. |
| So, Radio Haneen is still a small station, how many people work there? |
| So far, I personally funded the station, set it up from the technical infrastructure side, website, and music playlists. In terms of content, I write and voice several of the informative segments, and I was lucky to meet a very talented Syrian writer and poet, Bakr Al Jaber, who writes and voices the Feel-Good segments and presents the podcasts. He is from within the target community and possesses the right mix of talent that makes him a great writer: knowledge of the target audience, emotional intelligence, and perfect eloquence in writing. He is currently finishing his studies in Leiden University. I would like to dedicate more time and resources to the station, and hopefully add permanent team members, but at the same time, since it is not a revenue generator so far, I have to balance my time and resources with my company. |
| Do you think you can achieve what you aim for? |
| I like to think I am an optimistic person, and more importantly I believe in the significance of the station. Yes, I think with a lot of hard work and the right support, the station can become what it should be. |