KIGALI, Rwanda — The Rwanda Broadcasting Agency is Rwanda’s public broadcasting organization. It operates three television channels and four national and community radio stations: Radio Rwanda, RBA’s largest and oldest radio station; Magic FM, an urban radio station; Community Radios, a network comprising several local stations including Radio Musanze, Radio Rusizi, Radio Rubavu, Radio Nyagatare and Radio Huye; and Radio Rwanda Inteko, which specializes in parliamentary coverage.
Radio Rwanda broadcasts in four languages: Kinyarwanda (the country’s most widely spoken language), English, French and Swahili. This multilingual approach enables RBA to reach a broad audience both nationally and across the East African region, as well as internationally. To do so requires remarkable technical scalability.
Jean d’Amour Mulindabigwi is Radio Rwanda’s technical manager and oversees a 21-person technical team, including operators and engineers. With 16 years of experience at the station, he is also part of RBA’s general management team, overseeing day-to-day operations. He helped coordinate last year’s studio modernization, which adopted the DHD RX2 console system, installed by Eurocom Broadcast, a DHD Audio distributor. Three of its engineers handled the installation, integration and commissioning of all the new equipment, as well as staff training.
Mulindabigwi says that the station discovered DHD through Jesús Vasquez, sales director at Eurocom Broadcast, and that the system offered several major advantages. “First, significantly improved audio quality thanks to advanced digital processing that ensures clear and stable broadcasting; secondly, the modularity of the consoles makes it easy to adapt the equipment to the specific needs of each studio, whether for live broadcasts or recorded productions.”
He also highlights the system’s reliability and ease of use, which simplifies technicians’ work and reduces the risk of technical failures. Finally, integrating the DHD RX2 system into the station’s existing infrastructure enabled a smooth transition toward more modern technologies, further strengthening the broadcaster’s overall operational performance.
“We use DHD consoles in all Radio Rwanda and Magic FM studios, featuring RX2 control surfaces with 24 faders built around an XC3 IP core,” Mulindabigwi says. “It has enabled us to connect all six radio studios via the Dante protocol.” Radio Rwanda also relies on several additional technologies, including NeoGroupe’s NeoSIP telephony system. Each studio features a NeoSIP Phone, and listener calls are fully managed through the NeoSIP system. “We have also integrated the StudioCast video system, with three StudioCast cameras installed in three studios,” Mulindabigwi says.
Audio distribution
“The entire studio operations are distributed via AoIP through Dante,” adds Mulindabigwi. “For StudioCast, on-air audio processing is handled using Orban Optimod 5950 processors. In two studios, we have dedicated console operators, while the other three studios operate remotely. Three control room technicians manage the daily on-air programming.”
Mulindabigwi emphasizes how the DHD system has simplified production workflow. “The functionality and flexibility of adaptation are the key strengths of these consoles. We have full control. Thanks to the large RX2 touchscreen displays, we can customize every function, integrate them directly into the interface with complete visibility, quickly access all key mixer functions, and connect control room loudspeakers directly to the control surface.” He adds, “There is tremendous scalability within the products and configuration changes can now be deployed without interrupting the audio — something that was impossible in the past.”
Scalability and configuration changes play a key role, given RBA’s output. A large presenter staff based in Kigali hosts diverse programs and podcasts focusing on current affairs, education, health, agriculture, sports, culture and entertainment. Programming is broadcast 24/7, with reruns scheduled overnight.
While Magic FM is dedicated to Rwandan and international music, Radio Rwanda primarily focuses on national news and current affairs. “Of course, we also broadcast sports programs. Most of our content consists of talk shows covering Rwanda’s political and sports news, along with current affairs, health, and society magazines.”
For the five community radio stations, most programs are broadcast in Kinyarwanda. Through 16 transmission sites and 16 FM frequencies, RBA reaches listeners across the country, who, in turn, interact via WhatsApp and social media platforms.
The author has worked in the radio industry for over 30 years. She has held posts as both a producer and presenter for French stations, such as Radio Notre Dame and Radio France’s France Culture. In addition to her involvement in academic research and EU consulting in Brussels, she specializes in print journalism.
This story originally appeared in the July/August 2026 edition of RedTech Magazine. You can read or download that edition for free here.
You can access all past RedTech publications, also for free, here.
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