Smile FM, a community radio station in Grand Gedeh County, has resumed broadcasting following a successful two-day mediation effort led by the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) and the Association of Liberia Community Radio Stations (ALICOR).
The mediation, which took place from May 18 to 19, 2025, addressed long-standing governance and leadership disputes that had forced the station off air since May 5, 2025.
The shutdown followed violent confrontations between rival groups of residents over the control of the station’s board of advisors and the station manager position.
These groups reportedly operated under separate constitutions and by-laws, creating a prolonged standoff.
Following the mediation, PUL President, Julius Kanubah, emphasized the critical role of journalists in serving the public, stating, “Journalists are not politicians, but to serve the public.”
Kanubah expressed appreciation to the ALICOR team for their efforts in safeguarding the interests of community radio members.
As part of the resolution, PUL and ALICOR negotiated the dissolution of all contending boards, paving the way for a unified, transparent reconstitution of the station’s board of advisors.
The newly reconstituted board will include representatives from nine recognized institutions, tasked with merging the competing constitutions into a single, credible framework aligned with best practices in community radio management.
Anthony Flahn, has meanwhile, been appointed as the acting station manager for a three-month transitional period, during which, the new board will conduct a transparent recruitment process to select a permanent station manager.
The PUL and ALICOR mediation team included Julius Kanubah, PUL President; Teah Doegmah, ALICOR board of advisors chairman; Lawrence Tokpah, ALICOR Vice President for Operations; and Christina Sonpon, Station Manager of Radio Kakata in Margibi County.
They were joined by Representative Jeremiah Sokan of District #1, where Smile FM is located in a show of solidarity to restore stability and credibility to the station.