Hara (alley in Arabic) was the name that activists Adnan Haddad and Toni al-Tayyib chose for their new radio project, which was founded in November, 2013. As alleys and neighborhoods form a diverse community, the name reflects the radio's objective of addressing a broad spectrum of people, from different religious, cultural and political backgrounds.
Founders Haddad and al-Tayyib came up with the idea of Hara, when they were both working in the Aleppo Media Center (AMC). After months of heated debates and hard work, the idea came to life, as they started their broadcast from the city of Aleppo. The town, Syria's most populous city, was favored by the activists "due to the density of its population and the acceleration of its events," as one of the co-founders explained to SyriaUntold.
With the aid of a small radio transmitter, Hara was able to broadcast on the FM frequency 91 MHz, as well as broadcasting online on the radio's official website. The radio attempts to cover the entire city of Aleppo, including areas located under regime control.
The team consists of 15 reporters and activists, working in an office in Gaziantep, Turkey, as well as 3 correspondents working inside Aleppo. Together, the young men and women broadcast local, Arab and international news, with a special focus on political, social and cultural aspects in their programming.
The radio is funded by an international organization that supports non-state media in Syria, under the team's own terms, which aim to preserve their credibility and independence.
