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ISTANBUL — With a farewell song of “Good Vibrations” by the Beach Boys, a Turkish radio station fell silent this week after nearly 30 years of broadcasts.

The final Acik Radyo broadcast on Wednesday came as a court upheld the Turkish media regulator’s order to revoke the Istanbul-based station’s license over the mention of “Armenian genocide” on air.

Following the court ruling on October 8, the Radio and Television Supreme Council, known as RTUK, informed Acik Radyo that it must stop broadcasting within five days.

The order to revoke the license silenced the independent radio station for the first time since it began terrestrial broadcasting in 1995.

“We are finishing now; thank you to all Acik Radyo listeners and supporters. Acik Radyo will remain open to all the sounds, colors and vibrations of the universe,” Omer Madra, the editor-in-chief, said on air before the last song played.

The license revocation is related to comments made on air by journalist Cengiz Aktar on April 24. Aktar said the day was “the 109th anniversary, the anniversary of the massacres of Armenians, that is, the deportations and massacres that took place in the Ottoman lands, the massacres that are termed genocide.”

“This year, the commemoration of the Armenian genocide was also banned, you know,” Aktar said.

In a statement to VOA’s Turkish Service, the RTUK said “the terms ‘genocide’ and ‘massacre’ were used for the 1915 Events, and the program moderator made no attempt to correct this.”

The term “1915 Events” is how Turkish officials usually refer to the killing of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians in the final years of the Ottoman Empire. Turkey denies the deaths constituted genocide, saying that the toll has been inflated and that those killed were victims of civil war and unrest.

April 24 is recognized as a commemoration day of the beginning of what many historians and countries, including the United States, Canada and France, recognize as the Armenian genocide.

Broadcasts cut

Turkey’s media regulator first imposed an administrative fine and five-day suspension on Acik Radyo in May over the guest’s statements.

RTUK said the broadcast violated the law by inciting public hatred and enmity by making distinctions “based on race, language, religion, gender, class, region and religious order.”

On July 3, the regulator moved to revoke the license, saying that Acik Radyo had failed to comply with the suspension.

In a statement, the radio station said that it had intended to comply and had paid the first installment of the administrative fine. It added that the failure to implement the suspension was a result of “technical inconvenience.”

An RTUK official told VOA that according to the law, if a media provider continues to broadcast after a suspension “the Supreme Council shall decide on revoking its broadcasting license.”

“As can be seen, the legislator did not grant the Supreme Board any discretion in this matter and made it mandatory to cancel the license in case the sanction is not applied,” the RTUK official told VOA.

Acik Radyo defended the guest’s statement as being in “the scope of freedom of expression.”

When Acik Radyo appealed the fine and suspension, a court in July ruled in the station’s favor.

But RTUK objected to the court ruling and, on October 8, the court ruled in favor of the regulator.

Umit Altas, Acik Radyo’s lawyer, called RTUK’s move “excessive intervention.”

“RTUK’s decision to revoke the license, which is the most severe penalty, is against all precedents. This has exceeded the proportionality criteria of both Turkey’s Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights. License cancellation is the most severe decision. We think that it is not lawful to make such a decision,” Altas  told VOA Turkish.

The station has appealed the most recent court decision, and its lawyer expects a verdict within a month.

Acik Radyo’s broadcast coordinator, Didem Gencturk, told VOA Turkish that the station is evaluating its options. She said that RTUK also requires internet broadcasters to obtain a license.

“We have the right to apply for different license forms as broadcasters. We hope to continue our broadcasts with one of these, even if not on a terrestrial [land-based] medium,” Gencturk said.

Supporters gather

On Wednesday evening, Acik Radyo’s listeners and supporters gathered in front of the outlet’s studios in Istanbul to show their solidarity.

Madra read a statement and called the license withdrawal “an attempt to silence the public voice.”

Madra added that the station is evaluating its options for continuing its broadcasts.

“There is no way that Acik Radyo will be silenced or be forgotten after the RTUK’s decision. Let me even say that we may be able to take [the license] back,” Madra told VOA Turkish.

Some of those who gathered outside the station had contributed to programming over the years.

“We are not giving in to despair. We will bring our broadcasts to our listeners and supporters as soon as possible,” said Yesim Burul, who produces “Sinefil,” a show on cinema, for Acik Radyo.

Murat Meric, who produces several music shows, called for solidarity and said he is preparing to continue his show.

Turkish actor Tulin Ozen told VOA Turkish she grew up with the station.

“I think the silencing of Acik Radyo is a shame for Turkey. I am here because I am against censorship in general. I am here because I am against being silenced,” Ozen said.

This story originated in VOA’s Turkish Service.
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Buenos Aires, Argentina — The death of Liam Payne, who shot to stardom as a member of British boy band One Direction and grappled with intense global fame while still in his teens, sent shockwaves across the world Thursday as Argentine investigators continued their investigation at the scene.

Fans, music-industry figures and fellow musicians paid tribute to Payne, 31, who died after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.

As fans and media bombarded the Casa Sur Hotel in the trendy Palermo neighborhood of Argentina’s capital, the forensics unit worked inside on Thursday collecting evidence.

The Buenos Aires police said they found Payne’s hotel room “in complete disarray,” with packs of clonazepam, a central nervous system depressant, as well as energy supplements and other over-the-counter drugs strewn about and “various items broken.” They added that a whiskey bottle, lighter and cellphone were retrieved from the internal hotel courtyard where Payne’s body was found.

The day before, police said that Payne “had jumped from the balcony of his room,” without elaborating on how they came to that conclusion. The Associated Press could not confirm details of the incident, as the investigation is ongoing. The medical examiner’s office said it was conducting an autopsy.

Police said they had rushed to the hotel Wednesday in response to an emergency call just after 5 p.m. local time that had warned of an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”

A hotel manager can be heard on a 911 call recording obtained by The Associated Press saying the hotel has “a guest who is overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol … He’s destroying the entire room and, well, we need you to send someone, please.” The manager’s voice becomes more anxious as the call goes on, noting the room has a balcony.

Payne was known as the tousle-headed, sensible one of the quintet that went from a TV talent show to a pop phenomenon with a huge international following of swooning fans. In recent years he had acknowledged struggling with alcoholism, saying in a YouTube video posted in July 2023 that he had been sober for six months after receiving treatment. Representatives for Payne did not immediately return emails and calls.

Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, who performed with One Direction in 2014, said he was “shocked and saddened.”

“God bless Liam, thinking of all his loved ones. He will be dearly missed,” Wood wrote on X.

Paris Hilton also sent condolences on X, saying the news was “so upsetting.” The Backstreet Boys said in a social media post that their hearts go out to “Directioners around the world.”

Dozens of One Direction fans flocked to the Casa Sur Hotel after the news broke, forming lines that spilled into the cordoned-off street outside, where police stood sentinel. Forensic investigators were seen leaving the building, from where Payne’s body was removed around three hours after the fall. Young women filming with their cellphones expressed shock and heartbreak as a makeshift memorial with rows of candles and bouquets quickly grew.

“I didn’t think he was going to die so young,” 21-year-old Isabella Milesi told the AP.

Payne was one of five members of One Direction, which formed after each auditioned for the British singing competition “The X Factor” in 2010, two years after Payne’s first attempt to get on the show. Aged 16 the second time around, Payne sang Michael Bublé’s version of “Cry Me a River,” appearing nervous at the start but warming up with the audience’s cheers and applause.

After each singer failed to make it through the competition as a solo act, Simon Cowell and his fellow judges combined Payne, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson into what would become one of the most successful boy bands ever — even though they lost the competition.

Each member had his own persona, with Payne — who hailed from Wolverhampton in England’s West Midlands region — known as the responsible one. The band became known for their pop sound and romantic hits including “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Night Changes” and “Story of My Life.”

Payne had prominent solos on songs including “Stole My Heart” and “Change Your Ticket,” co-writing several of the band’s hits. One Direction had six Top 10 hits on the Billboard charts by the time they disbanded in 2016 and a highly loyal fan base, known as “Directioners,” many of them teen girls.

“I’ve always loved One Direction since I was little,” said 18-year-old Juana Relh, another fan outside Payne’s hotel. “To see that he died and that there will never be another reunion of the boys is unbelievable, it kills me.”

With his meteoric rise to fame, Payne had said that it took some time to adjust to life in the public eye.

“I don’t think you can ever deal with that. It’s all a bit crazy for us to see that people get in that sort of state of mind about us and what we do,” he said in a 2013 interview with the AP after recounting an experience where a fan was in a state of shock upon meeting him.

One Direction announced an indefinite “hiatus” in 2016, and Payne — like each of his erstwhile bandmates — pursued a solo career, shifting toward EDM and hip-hop.

While Styles became a huge solo star, the others had more modest success. Payne’s 2017 single “Strip That Down,” featuring Quavo, reached the Billboard Top 10, and stayed on the charts for several months. He put out an album “LP1” in 2019, and his last release — a single called “Teardrops” — was released in March.

In 2020, to mark the 10th anniversary of One Direction, Payne shared a screenshot of a text message he sent to his father on the day he joined the group, which read: “I’m in a boyband.”

“What a journey … I had no idea what we were in for when I sent this text to my dad years ago at this exact time the band was formed,” he wrote.

Payne had a 7-year-old son, Bear Grey Payne, with his former girlfriend, the musician Cheryl, who was known as Cheryl Cole when she performed with Girls Aloud. She was an “X Factor” judge during One Direction’s season, although their relationship began years later.

Payne was previously engaged to Maya Henry, from August 2020 to early 2022. Henry released a novel earlier this year that she said was based on their relationship.

In addition to his son, he is survived by his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, and his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.
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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Former One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead after the 31-year-old fell from his third-floor room balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentine police said on Wednesday.

Police said in a statement that they were called to the CasaSur hotel in the capital’s leafy Palermo neighborhood after being notified of an “aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol.”

When they arrived, the hotel manager reported he had heard a loud noise from the inner courtyard and the police found that a man had fallen from the balcony of his room, the statement said.

In audio related to the case obtained from the Buenos Aires security ministry, a worker can be heard asking for police help.

“When he is conscious he is destroying the entire room and we need you to send someone,” the worker said, adding that the guest’s life was at risk because the room had a balcony.

Shooting to global fame as part of one of the best-selling boy bands of all time, Payne – like his band mates Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson – went on to pursue a solo career after they went on an “indefinite hiatus” in 2016. Payne’s last single was “Teardrop,” released in March this year.

While many of the details surrounding the circumstances of his death remain unclear, Payne had spoken publicly about his struggles with mental health and using alcohol to cope with the pressures of fame.

His death led to an outpouring of grief from music industry stars and fans, including those among the crowd who gathered outside the hotel.

Violeta Antier said she had come straight away after being told Payne had died.

“I saw him two weeks ago at a Niall (Horan) concert, another One Direction member. He was there, I saw him,” she said.

“He was ok.”

Payne attended an October 2 concert by Horan in Buenos Aires. The two had posted videos together and with fans.

American singer Charlie Puth was among those expressing their grief.

“I am in shock right now. Liam was always so kind to me,” he said on Instagram. “He was one of the first major artists I got to work with. I cannot believe he is gone.”

Payne auditioned for the British version of X Factor for a second time in 2010 at the age of 16 and was put into a group with his future band mates by music mogul Simon Cowell.

Cowell told Rolling Stone in a 2012 interview that he’d “always backed” Payne at the time of his first audition in 2008 but he didn’t quite make it because he had been too young.

“But I always knew that with confidence he would be a valuable member of this band, so I had no hesitation in bringing him back,” he said.

The band may have finished third in X Factor that year but it went on to have more than 29 hits on Billboard’s Hot 100 with six in the top 10, including “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Story of My Life” and “Live While We’re Young.”

Payne’s co-writing credits include “Story of My Life” and “Night Changes”.

He teamed up with Rita Ora on the 2018 song “For You” and released his first studio album LP1 in 2019.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Payne’s One Direction and solo career helped garner him a net worth of some $70 million.

Payne had a son named Bear with British TV personality and Girls Aloud singer Cheryl.

Last year, he published a video to fans on his YouTube channel in which he spoke about his family, making new art and performing again after having given up alcohol. He thanked supporters for sticking with him through difficult times.

Earlier on Wednesday, Payne had appeared to post on Snapchat about his trip in Argentina, talking about riding horses, playing polo, and looking forward to returning home to see his dog.

“It’s a lovely day here in Argentina,” he said in the video.
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Zimbabwe doesn’t have a thriving standup comedy scene tradition. But when Learnmore Jonasi was exposed to the art form in his native Zimbabwe, he knew that making people laugh was what he wanted to do. VOA reporter Keith Baptist caught up with him in Harare and has this story.
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In South Africa, and elsewhere on the continent, albino people are a target; they face daily discrimination and sometimes even death. But young social media influencers and artists are trying to change the narrative, as Kate Bartlett reports from Johannesburg. Videographer: Zaheer Cassim
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