Voice of Free Libya

Voice of Free Libya

Broadcast Location 2011
Formation	February–March 2011
Purpose	Anti-Gaddafi Broadcast Media
Location	Benghazi, Bayda, Misrata and Tobruk
Official language	Arabic

Voice of Free Libya (Arabic: صوت ليبيا الحرة Sawt Libya al-Hurra) is the name used by three radio stations aligned to the anti-Gaddafi forces that began broadcasting in February 2011, operating from the cities of Benghazi,Bayda and Misrata. They played an important role in the Libyan Civil War and have continued to broadcast after the fall of Gaddafi.

During the Libyan Civil War, other rebel-controlled radio stations were reported to be operating in Tobruk, Nalut, Jadu, Libya, Derna and Zliten.

In many cases - and certainly for the stations in Benghazi, Bayda and Misrata - they used captured transmitters formerly run by the Libyan state broadcasting organisation.

Output was in Arabic, with the Nalut station also said to have used Berber (Tamazight). The outlets operated independently and with separate programing, although they shared similar aims. They all carried material strongly supportive of the rebels and firmly critical of Gaddafi.

The stations were heard using the name Radio Free Libya (Arabic: Idha'at Libya al-Hurra) in addition to Voice of Free Libya, but the latter identification was the one most commonly used by Benghazi and Bayda.

Reporting of the stations' names was imprecise. Some English-language media reports referred to "Radio Free Libya", "Free Radio Libya", "Free Libya Radio" and other names, sometimes even in the same article. Others referred to "Radio Free Benghazi" and "Radio Free Misrata" as shorthand names, rather than a full citation of the station identifications as announced on-air. Another variant seen in English-language reporting was "Misrata's Radio Freedom Voice".

Following the start of the Libyan uprising on 15–17 February 2011, DX radio enthusiasts outside Libya watched the frequencies of the country's transmitters for any unusual behaviour. The Bayda station was first heard by an enthusiast during the night of 20–21 February. The following night it was heard carrying material in English, including an appeal to US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.