Last update - 00:00 29/10/2004
Radio Kol Chai to broadcast news updates in English
Daily news updates in English will be broadcast on the Orthodox radio station Kol Chai starting Sunday, as part of the station's bid to appeal to an increased Anglo audience.
The decision, which was announced earlier this week, comes in the wake of Radio Kol Chai's move two weeks ago to create their own news center, thereby eliminating their dependence on outside news agencies, some of which were deemed inappropriate for the religious sector.
"We were getting broadcasts from Channel 10 that would include items that weren't kosher for our audience," Steve Walz, who will be the English-language anchor for the new program said.
Kol Chai, which is privately owned and broadcasts out of Bnei Brak, operates with frequencies in both Central Israel and Jerusalem and is the only licensed commercial religious station in the country.
"Kol Chai realizes that there are many people living in Jerusalem and certain parts of the greater Dan region, like Ra'anana and Bnei Brak, who speak English and would be interested in listening to English news," Walz explained.
Walz currently hosts the station's only program in English, "Boker Or Yisroel with an American Accent", from 6 am to 7 am, which features a mix of Hasidic pop and "right of center" talk radio.
Starting Sunday, however, he will add daily 60-second news updates which will be broadcast in the late afternoon as well.
Walz, the former editor of the Jewish Press, will also provide both Hebrew and English programs with "Jewish news" from around the world.