On the evening of October 28 1998, sixty-three people died and more than 180 were injured in an incendiary fire that destroyed a discotheque in Gothenburg, Sweden. The aftermath of the tragedy focussed government attention on the inability of the mainstream broadcasters in Sweden to provide information to the communities most affected by the disaster, and on the value of Gothenburg’s Open Channel TV station, as discussed in this film.

The private Halloween party for high school students was hosted by the Macedonian Association and the young people who were killed and injured were from minority communities that had migrated into Sweden.

Henrique Selin, Principal Secretary, Ministry of Culture, says the government realised after the accident that there were many people in Sweden who were not reached by the mainstream Swedish language media. Among the key alternative sources of information for “new Swedes” were community radio and local television.

Alem Zemo of the Eritrean Open Channel Association explains that the communities needed more information in their own languages. With other groups they made two hours of live programming, with people able to phone directly into the studio to ask questions of the police, fire brigade and local authorities in their own languages.

Johannes Moubis, of Oppna Kanalen Gothenburg, says that until this tragic accident the Open Channel had never been invited to community meetings or to press conferences, but he believes that now their important role in the community of Gothenburg is recognised. This video recording lasts 5 minutes and 30 seconds.