after it was founded amid uncertainty and tough regulations, the network confirmed Wednesday, November 19.
"Yes Radio went on air on the 1st of October 2003. We had to wait three years for this to happen, but finally our dream came through," Network General Director János Szõczi told BosNewsLife.
"It is a big step for us, even though we are on air only 3 hours a week”, he and other officials said, following a long process of legal wrangling with the Hungarian National Radio and Television Authority (ORTT).
Yes Radio’s previous two attempts to obtain a frequency failed after the ORTT awarded it to a far right wing radio network and another one to a station of Budapest’s Gypsies, also known as Roma.
COMMERCIAL RADIO
Finally a commercial radio station, Másik Rádió, "granted us broadcasting opportunities on Wednesday evenings from 9:00 PM to 12:00 AM," on its FM 93,6 MHz frequency, Yes Radio said in a statement.
Although the antenna is based in Gödöllõ, a town 30 kilometres (19 miles) outside Budapest, its signal is said to cover a large area in the region, including parts of Hungary’s capital.
Yes Radio, which is urging Christians around the globe for prayers and support, also began broadcasting via the internet at website http://www.yesradio.hu "since we did not need any license to do that and to reach those living abroad" or who have a bad reception.
GOSPEL WAYS
"Our goal is to reach people with lots of good music, to reach people who would be open to hear the Gospel in different ways." There are "personal testimonies, short life stories and interviews with well-known artists, performers, musicians, etc. who accepted Christ Jesus as their personal savior," Yes Radio said.
Several artists, including the well known known Continental Singers, have already participated in the programs of Yes Radio, which has not given up a dream to receive a FM frequency of its own for Budapest in a later stage.
The station also hopes to reach the foreign community with English language programs, including news, in the future, the station managers said earlier.
NEW PHENOMENA
Evangelical programs focused on a personal relationship with God is a relative new phenomena in Hungary, where Christians are praying for a spiritual revival after decades of Communism when religion was discouraged, BosNewsLife learned.
Multi media American evangelist Billy Graham was one of the first preachers to hold an evangelical meeting in a sport stadium of Hungary in the 1980’s, when the country was still occupied by Soviet soldiers.
Recently politicians began to pray for the country of roughly 10 million people during regular prayer sessions in Parliament, amid a discussion to include Christian values in the constitution of the European Union, which mainly Catholic Hungary will join in 2004.
