Radio One in Lebanon has gone silent after more than three decades, with the the FM station's frequencies silent, and its website down.
The station was founded by Raymond Gaspar in 1983, in the middle of the country's 1975 to 1990 civil war. While no official statement has been released by the station, extensive chatter on social media suggests that the business has been forced to shut down given the current economic crisis in Lebanon.
Also, all posts have gone missing from the station's Facebook page, which has 11 million followers. Shutting down was likely a sudden and forced move, considering the company moved to a brand new studio just last year.
In its mission statement, the station, which focused on playing top-40 English-language pop hits, said its aim was "to keep people happy and entertained wherever they are around the world."
In November last year, the station suffered a shocking blow when its popular morning show host Gavin Ford was murdered in his home in Broumana, aged 53, by two men in their twenties who said they had gone to the British journalist's home "in order to steal".
Olga Habre and Gavin Ford in the station's new studio last year:
Reaction on social media has generally pointed out how a media company that survived the end of a civil war has been forced to shut down now, and how that illustrates just how bad the economic situation in the country is today.
"The state is in total failure," wrote journalist Belinda Ibrahim:
After 37 years of broadcasting, #Radio_One is shutting down due to the economic situation. The station survived the civil war without any problems...
— Bélinda Ibrahim (@belibrahim) February 2, 2020
This is a terrible sign showing how critical is the financial situation in #Lebanon The state is in total #failure pic.twitter.com/7GvKf3q5Rj
Today Radio One FM after 37 years on air and due to the current situation has stopped all of its shows.
— Ghassan Chahine (@Gusc) February 1, 2020
It's a sad moment for a legendary radio station that entertained millions of listeners throughout the years. #Lebanon pic.twitter.com/ADbKrtqyiy
The station was broadcast 24/7 on FM 105.5, 105.3 & 105.1, whether or not it has plans to go back on air eventually is as of yet unknown.
On Tuesday, it was also announced that Beirut-based newspaper The Daily Star was "temporarily suspending" its print edition "due to the financial challenges facing the Lebanese press which have been exacerbated by the deterioration of the economic situation in the country". Its website and social media channels will remain operational.
Here are more reactions on Twitter about the closure of Radio One:
#Radio_One final day is a very #sadnews no one is listening to the #echoes of #sufferings, every day #people are melting in the shadows of #hunger #Women crying for the sake of #dignity, #men lost their #tomorrow ,#kids searching for an unknown #future I want my #Lebanon BACK.
— Mirna Khayat (@mirnakhayat) February 2, 2020
As a radio lover, I’ll miss Radio One Lebanon. As a listener of English music, I’ll miss Radio One. And as someone who was given the opportunity by Radio One to become a humble radio correspondent reporting live from Tokyo back in the days, I’ll really miss them too 🎈
— Marina Chamma - مارينا شمّا (@eyeontheeast) February 2, 2020
