Written by: FEBA
On 4 June 1948, the clock was ticking for the Far East Broadcasting Company. After two years of relentless work, they had to prove their newly built radio station’s ability to broadcast that day in order to keep their license. With minutes to spare, co-founder John Broger stepped up to the makeshift microphone and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, this is the initial broadcast of KZAS, the new Call of the Orient station, located in Manila, Philippines.”
Eighty years of amazing grace
This year, the Far East Broadcasting Company (known as “FEBA” in South Africa) celebrates 80 years of bringing Christ to the world by media. From a single station in the Philippines, the organisation has grown to more than 260 stations, with listeners in more than 50 countries and 152 languages. Generations of listeners have heard the Good News in places too dangerous for missionaries to reach – Soviet Russia, China, North Korea, Vietnam – and the ministry continues to expand to unreached countries and people groups.
The South African office, known today as FEBA Radio South Africa, was established in 1996. Today, it supports 12 radio stations across six countries in Africa – Malawi, Mozambique, Chad, Niger, Mali, and Sudan.
John Broger’s mission statement in that first broadcast remains true of the ministry to this day: “We, of the Far East Broadcasting Company, pledge ourselves to the highest ideals of culture and dignity. In all phases of broadcasting, we shall endeavour to bring to you that which will lend a very real assistance to the three-fold nature of man – physical, mental, and spiritual. Friends, these are the reasons for the existence of the Far East Broadcasting Company. We are here to serve you!” For more information about FEBA Radio SA and its work, please visit www.febaradio.co.za. You can also watch this video to learn more about FEBC’s history.
Click here to KEEP UPDATED on the latest news by subscribing to our FREE weekly newsletter.
> Please support Christian media and journalism in South Africa. Help us to spread the Word of God and take a stand for the truth by making a donation to our ministry. We appreciate your support. Click here to take hands with JOY! Magazine.
Date published: 26/01/2026
Feature image created by Freepik
DISCLAIMER
JOY! News is a Christian news portal that shares pre-published articles by writers around the world. Each article is sourced and linked to the origin, and each article is credited with the author’s name. Although we do publish many articles that have been written in-house by JOY! journalists, we do not exclusively create our own content. Any views or opinions presented on this website are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company.
