We Write About Ourselves: Departure - 4 Years on a Journey with Our Listeners (Part 2)

“This is Long An Radio” – a familiar sound that resonates every morning on the radio waves, becoming a familiar tune to the people of Long An since 1978. Then, “This is Long An Newspaper and Radio & Television” – the MC's announcement set to the music of the Vam Co Dong song, at 5 AM, and “We wish you a good night's sleep” at 9 PM each night, have become indispensable “spiritual nourishment” for a segment of listeners. A carefully researched broadcast schedule, incorporating feedback from listeners, features interwoven programs creating harmony and balance, especially live broadcasts such as: Through the Cultural Region (QMVH), Departure, Kindred Spirits, Melodies of Time, etc., contributing to the brand of FM 96.9Mhz. In this article, we would like to share some of our most representative "creations" from the years we have been involved with radio broadcasting in particular and journalism in Long An in general.

Lesson 2: Departure - 4 Years on the Listener's Journey

"Departure" - a program that has only been around for four years but has made a significant impact not only in Long An province but also across the national radio broadcasting scene. The program is like a breath of fresh air in effectively disseminating traffic laws. One might think the program would be dry, but its implementation has surprised viewers with its gentle, easy-to-understand, and memorable approach to communication, as Associate Professor Dr. Vu Quang Hao commented at the 15th National Radio Broadcasting Festival in 2022.

The first episodes of the "Departure" program were launched during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Launched on April 19, 2021, by Long An Radio and Television Station (now Long An Newspaper and Radio and Television Station ) in collaboration with the Provincial Police, the "Departure" program has been accompanying listeners for over four years. With a duration of 30 minutes per program, broadcast live on FM 96.9Mhz and livestreamed on YouTube and the Long An TV Fanpage from 7:00 AM to 7:30 AM, the program has become a "companion" for drivers in particular and listeners in general every Monday morning.

The program aims to promote and improve the quality and effectiveness of information and communication to raise awareness of compliance with traffic safety laws; gradually build a traffic culture; create consensus and a sense of self-discipline among the people in implementing traffic safety regulations to minimize traffic congestion and reduce traffic accidents in the province.

As of mid-June 2025, the program had broadcast 217 episodes with diverse content, creating a strong shift in people's awareness of voluntarily complying with and consciously promoting and educating the community about traffic safety regulations and traffic culture.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Huu Nghia, one of the first members to develop the program's format, said: "The content included in the program is always timely and useful, including general knowledge about traffic laws. Over the past four years, the program has equipped road users with knowledge of general traffic rules through appropriate and easy-to-understand content, explaining and promptly addressing issues that road users have questions about. When people understand, they will comply well, thereby forming a traffic culture in the future."

The "Departure" program won a Bronze Medal at the 15th National Radio Festival in 2022.

The topics covered in the program are diverse, focusing on disseminating and educating the public about road and inland waterway traffic laws; the Party's guidelines and the State's policies and laws on ensuring traffic safety, including criteria such as updating the province's traffic situation, the current traffic culture throughout the province, and traffic issues of public concern, etc.

To make the information easily memorable and accessible to the public, the program is structured into three diverse and engaging sections: Traffic News, Traffic Stories, and Understanding Traffic Laws. Editor Kim Anh, the creator of the program format, shared: “In the program, we have a special traffic story reflecting common daily traffic situations. Through these situations, the speakers, who are members of the traffic police force, will answer questions to make the program more engaging and appealing to listeners. This is what makes the program more enjoyable for viewers.”

Despite being only 30 minutes long, the "Departure" program provided listeners with a wealth of useful information, particularly showcasing the solutions that the provincial traffic police have implemented to address issues raised by drivers.

With its easy-to-understand, flexible, and practical format, through questions from the program and from listeners via phone and the Long An TV Fanpage, and a team of guests who are experienced professionals currently carrying out their duties, the program has a seamless connection with its audience. Especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, many Facebook accounts interacted and asked questions about the journey back home, which the program promptly updated and provided information on.

At the end of each program, the traffic police force sends a message to listeners such as, "Through this program, the traffic police force and the production team hope to help listeners better understand traffic laws and penalties for violations, so that everyone participating in traffic can improve their awareness and compliance in the future, contributing to better supervision of traffic safety by state management agencies, helping to reduce traffic accidents, and better protecting the legitimate rights and interests of citizens."

Associate Professor Dr. Vu Quang Hao, the mentor who guided the radio team in creating the "Departure" program, commented: "The program is truly effective in disseminating information about traffic laws and, over the past four years, has contributed to changing the behavior of road users to some extent. For a local radio station to maintain such a program is truly excellent and highly effective in its public awareness campaign."

With these advantages, at the 15th National Radio Festival in 2022, the "Departure" program won a Bronze Medal in the live radio program category. This is an honor and a motivation for the program's production team to improve even further.

User Thanh Nguyen Le commented: “The program has conveyed a lot of useful information for life. I hope the program will be maintained for a long time and that the broadcast frequency can be increased...”.

With the positive reception and encouragement from likes and shares on digital platforms and listenership on radio, "Departure" has truly been effective and positively impacted the behavior of road users, leading to the formation of a better traffic culture. We hope that in the future, viewers and listeners will continue to consider "Departure" as a source of inspiration and an effective channel for disseminating information about traffic safety every Monday morning.

Along with the programs "Through Cultural Regions" and "Departure," the radio and television broadcasts of Long An Newspaper and Radio and Television Station also feature two very attractive and engaging live radio programs that receive thousands of likes and many comments from listeners everywhere: the "Music on Demand" program, launched in February 2011 (the predecessor of the current "Melodies of Time" program), and "Harmonious Understanding," launched in January 2017. These programs meet the increasingly diverse artistic needs of listeners everywhere.

With the dedication of our innovative and dynamic broadcasting team, we hope to receive even more love and support from our listeners, giving us the motivation to continue producing high-quality audio news, both in content and form, leveraging our strengths and constantly adapting to meet the ever-increasing demands of listeners in today's digital age.

Diem Trang

Source: https://baolongan.vn/chung-toi-viet-ve-chung-toi-khoi-hanh-4-nam-cung-hanh-trinh-thinh-gia-bai-2--a197182.html