Radio Happy Isles is a national
radioRadio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
station in the
Solomon IslandsSolomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
, operated by the
Solomon Islands Broadcasting CorporationSolomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation is the official radio broadcaster of the Solomon Islands. SIBC is self-defined as a public service broadcaster....
. It broadcasts from
HoniaraHoniara, population 49,107 , 78,190 , is the capital of the Solomon Islands and of Guadalcanal Province, although it is a separately administered town...
.
Its stated purpose is not only to broadcast news but also to "promote a sense of national unity and Reconciliation", in the aftermath of violent civil conflict, "uphold the cultural values of Solomon Islands and create programs that meet the educational and informational needs of the listener".
In 2001, its weekday programme began at 6 AM with a broadcasting of
the national anthemGod Save Our Solomon Islands is the national anthem of the Solomon Islands. It was adopted in 1978 following the independence of the country. The text was written by Panapasa Balekana and Matila Balekana, the music was written by Panapasa Balekana....
, followed by a ten minute "morning devotion". Daily programmes included music, sports, and weather reports, as well as national and international news. International news was provided mainly through the rebroadcasting of programmes from the British Broadcasting Corporation,
Radio New Zealand InternationalRadio New Zealand International , a division of Radio New Zealand, is the official international broadcasting station of New Zealand. It broadcasts a variety of news, current affairs and sports programmes in English and news in seven Pacific languages...
and the
Australian Broadcasting CorporationThe Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
's
Radio AustraliaRadio Australia is the international broadcasting and online service operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation , Australia's public broadcaster.- History :...
. Some programmes were broadcasting in
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, and others in Pijin. Specific programmes were broadcast on Saturdays and Sundays, including programmes with a religious focus on Sundays.
The station's name was used as the title of a 1999 book by Robert Seward,
Radio Happy Isles: Media and Politics at Play in the Pacific.