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and/or modified under the conditions set down in the Design Science License
published by Michael Stutz at http://dsl.org/copyleft/dsl.txt

Today's Topics:

   1. Logs (Manuel M?ndez)
   2. Wed morn Mystery (Charles Bolland)
   3. Glenn Hauser logs November 17, 2010 (Glenn Hauser)
   4. New QSL (Patrick Martin)
   5. Log Report for Al Muick (Albert Muick)
   6. Radio in Somalia (Robert Wilkner)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Wed, 17 Nov 2010 07:30:06 +0100
From: Manuel M?ndez <manuelmend...@gmail.com>
To: Glenn Hauser <wghau...@yahoo.com>
Subject: [HCDX] Logs
Message-ID: <4ce3766e.2030...@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252

Manuel M?ndez
Lugo, Spain

Logs in Friol
Grundig Satellit 500 and Sony ICF SW 7600 G
Cable antenna, 10 meters , faced WSW


BOLIVIA, 4700, Radio San Miguel, Riberalta, 2200-2217, 13-11, male,
Spanish, comments. Very weak. 14321. (M?ndez)

BRASIL
4825, Radio Can?ao Nova, Cachoeira Paulista, 0534-0550, 14-11, religious
songs. In parallel with 9675. 24322. (M?ndez)

4845.2, Radio Cultura Ondas Tropicais, Manaus, 2123-2136, 13-11, male
voice, Portuguese, soccer. 24322. (M?ndez)

5045, Radio Cultura do Par?, Bel?m, 0530-0615, 14-11, Brazilian songs.
Good signal today. 34433. (M?ndez)

5940, Voz Missionaria, Cambori?, 0536-0538, 14-11, religious program,
male voice, Portuguese, comments. 32332. (M?ndez)

9565, Super Radio Deus e Amor, Curitiba, 0548-0557, 14-11, Portuguese,
male, religious comments. 34433. (M?ndez)

9578.9, Super Radio Deus e Amor, Curitiba, 0552-0600, 14-11, Portuguese,
male, religious program ?Pastor David Miranda?. In parallel with 9565 y
11765. 24322. (M?ndez)

9630, Radio Aparecida, Aparecida, 1939-1946, 13-11, religious songs,
Portuguese, religious comments. In parallel with 11855. 23322. (M?ndez)

9645.3, Radio Bandeirantes, Sao Paulo, 2015-2032, 13-11, Portuguese,
male, soccer. 24322. (M?ndez)

9675, Radio Can?ao Nova, Cachoeira Paulista, 2012-2017, 13-11,
Portuguese, religious comments , male voice. 34433. (M?ndez)

11735, Radio Transmundial, Santa Mar?a, 0902-0914, 14-11, religious
songs, male and female voices, Portuguese, religious commets. 34433.
(M?ndez)

11750, Voz Missionaria, Cambori?, 0538-0542, 14-11, religious program,
Portuguese, comments. 24322. (M?ndez)

11765, Super Radio Deus e Amor, Curitiba, 0542-0548, 14-11, religious
program, Portuguese, comments. 34433. (M?ndez)

11780, Radio Nacional da Amazonia, Brasilia, 1936-1942, 13-11, Brazilian
songs. 34433. (M?ndez)

11815, Radio Brasil Central, Goiania, 0958-1010, 14-11, male,
Portuguese, comments, greetings to listeners: ?Ouvintes da Brasil
Central?. 34433. (M?ndez)

11855, Radio Aparecida, Aparecida, 1930-1945, 13-11, religious songs,
Portuguese, comment. 24322. (M?ndez)

11925.2, Radio Bandeirantes, Sao Paulo, 2007-2012, 13-11, male voice,
Portuguese, soccer. 23322. (M?ndez)

INDIA
4810, AIR, Bhopal, 1703-1712, 13-11, male, English, news and comments.
14322. (M?ndez)

4840, AIR, Mumbai, 1659-1713, 13-11, female, English, comments,
identification: ?All India Radio?, news. 24322. (M?ndez)

4880, AIR, Lucknow, 1659-1704, 13-11, Hindi music. 14321. (M?ndez)

4895, AIR, Kurseong, 1658-1707, 13-11, male, English, comments. 24322.
(M?ndez)

4910, AIR, Jaipur, 1656-1731, 13-11, Hindi music, male, comments,
vernacular, news in English at 1730. 24322. (M?ndez)

4920, AIR, Chennai, 1654-1730, 13-11, Hindi music, male, comments,
vernaculars, English, identification at 1730: ?This is All India Radio?.
Interference from Tibet on the same frequency. 23322. (M?ndez)

4940, AIR, Guwahati, 1734-1738, 13-11, news, English, male. 14321. (M?ndez)

4950, AIR, Kashmir, 1650-1710, 13-11, Hindi music, male, comments,
vernacular. 24322. (M?ndez)

5010, AIR, Thiruvananthapuram, 1645-1735, 13-11, Hindi music, at 1730
news in English, female. 34433. (M?ndez)

MEXICO
6010, Radio Mil, M?xico D. F., 0802-0820, 14-11, Latinamerican songs
program, identification: ?Vive M?xico en Radio Mil?. Very weak signal.
14321. (M?ndez)

6185, Radio Educaci?n, M?xico D. F., 0620-0930, 14-11, nice program of
Mexican sogns, identification by male: ?Radio Educaci?n, 1060 AM,
historia y memoria?, female with comments about the music. 33433. (M?ndez)

PERU
4790, Radio Visi?n, Chiclayo, 0605-0618, 14-11, male voice, Spanish,
religious program ?La Voz de la Salvaci?n?. 14321. (M?ndez)

6010.3, Radio Victoria, Lima, 0545-0620, 14-11, male, Spanish, religious
program: ?La Voz de la Liberaci?n?. 24322. (M?ndez)

9720, Radio Victoria, Lima, 0742-0750, 14-11, Spanish, religious, ?La
Voz de la Liberaci?n?. 14321. (M?ndez)


------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Wed, 17 Nov 2010 11:54:17 -0000
From: "Charles Bolland" <ka4...@peoplepc.com>
To: "ALF" <alf.e.pers...@telia.com>, "Arnaldo slaen"
        <sl...@ciudad.com.ar>,  "Bob Wilkner" <r...@earthlink.net>,
        "brainman214" <brainman...@gmail.com>,Carlos
        GonA?alves<carlos-rel...@sapo.pt>,      "Cumbre" <cumbr...@n2jeu.net>,
        "'DSWCI'" <l...@dxer.de>,       "Gayle Van Horn"
        <gaylevanh...@monitoringtimes.com>,     "Glenn Hauser"
        <wghau...@yahoo.com>,   "Hard-core-dx" <hard-core-dx@hard-core-dx.com>,
        "Marie Lamb" <mal...@cumbredx.org>
Subject: [HCDX] Wed morn Mystery
Message-ID:
        
<!&!aaaaaaaaaaayaaaaaaaaamcpx2kdl2jfmeyxbvynxoncgaaaeaaaaerhq2qubvfdu2g655zjkokbaaaaa...@peoplepc.com>
        
Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="us-ascii"

Indonesia, 9680, RRI Jakarta, 1130-1145,  Noted Jakarta
here with music and hosting by
a male and female in Indonesian language comments.
Noting the display, I see two signals
on or near this frequency.   Jakarta seems to be on
9680.000 while a second station is
on 9680.046 KHz.  This could be vice versa, since it's
difficult to separate the two.  
Also, I can only hear the audio from Jakarta regardless
whether I detune to either frequency.  The
station on 9680.046 seems to be the stronger signal.  I
am tempted to assign the 9680.046 signal
to Jakarta and the 9680 signal to the mystery station,
but I know I'd be on the hot seat if I did. But
you can, if you want?  Sometimes the mystery station
seems to fade in to threshold and it 
sounds like an Asian which probably would make Radio
Tawian International the unidentifed
station on 9680.046 KHz or as mentioned above, vice
versa.   (Chuck Bolland, November 17, 2010)
 
WR-G31DDC
26N 081W
 
 


------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Wed, 17 Nov 2010 09:31:26 -0800 (PST)
From: Glenn Hauser <wghau...@yahoo.com>
To: d...@yahoogroups.com
Cc: s...@mailman.qth.net
Subject: [HCDX] Glenn Hauser logs November 17, 2010
Message-ID: <662579.21229...@web51103.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

** ANTARCTICA. 15476, again today no trace of even a carrier from LRA36, Nov 17 
at 1406. Last time I could find it was Nov 12. Is anyone hearing it? (Glenn 
Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** BULGARIA. 15700, R. Bulgaria, Nov 17 at 1458 with a familiar violin 
concerto, but accompanied by piano rather than orchestra. Unlike certain other 
stations, this one is allowed to reach its finale before a Bulgarian 
announcement. Tho I doubt the whole `concerto` had played uninterrupted during 
the previous semihour (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA. Firedrake Nov 17:
 8400, JBA with flutter at 1347
10500, VP with flutter at 1354 
11100, JBA at 1357
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CHINA [non]. 13675, CRI English via Sackville, Nov 17 at 1454 not only has 
to contend with Habana 13680, Commies vs Commies, but self-imposed intermittent 
audio dropouts on 13675: these last a few sex each, much worse than the quick 
ones on VOI 9526-, making attempts to convey contact info and ``China Studio`` 
Chinese lessons fruitless (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** CUBA. 6010, 6050 and 6060 from RHC English are unusually almost matched in 
strength and hummy modulation quality, Nov 17 at 0638 as Arnie is talking about 
SDRs and slopers, and furthermore are all synchronized; // 6150 tho continues 
to be much undermodulated. Meanwhile still lacking at this hour on 6000 
contrary to schedule, just Harold camping on the frequency.

9955, DentroCuban Jamming Command still has it in for WRMI, Nov 17 at 0628 in 
English --- o, it`s CDHD Brigade 2506, the only exile program in English. But 
jamming pulses continue past 0630 when WRMI starts R. Praga in Spanish, surely 
no threat to The Revolution.

13680, I am monitoring RHC Nov 17 at 1359 when Tony G?mez gives a frequency 
announcement. Now he mentions start and stop times for some of the frequencies, 
a change: 15120, 15360, 15390; from 1300, 13680, 13780; from 1100, 12040, 
11760; from 1300, 11730; from 1400 to 2000, 11690; and until 0500, 6140. But 
he`s still clueless that short-lived 15390 in the clear was replaced by 15230 
under China a week ago. And reconfirmed today at 1408, way under 15230 
Sackville, not on 15390 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** FRANCE. 21450, whilst scanning 13m band for signals, Nov 17 at 1414 I hear a 
conversation in French. It was not there a minute before, and it cuts off in 
less than a minute. I quickly tune to RFI 15300 and hear a similar conversation 
continuing. And leave one receiver on 21450 in case it come back: it does, at 
*1434 again for less than a minute, but long enough to confirm // 15300. 

Something weird is going on at Issoudun: 21450 being a bandedge channel is 
off-limits both to hams and broadcasters, and would be considered by hams an 
intruder. Possibly an Issoudun transmitter`s tuning mechanism defaults to the 
low edge of the 13m band unless overridden, but it ought to be programmed to 
start at 21455 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** GUAM. 5765-USB --- whew, after missing a few days, AFN is back, Nov 17 at 
1342 check, but it`s still country music instead of news/talk (Glenn Hauser, 
OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** INDIA. 9870, AIR Vividh Bharati Service, has been incoming well lately also 
in our evenings, but Nov 17 at 1421 instead of Indian pop music there is a W&W 
discussion in Hinglish: mainly Hindi but liberally sprinkled with English words 
and expressions, such as costume designer (repeatedly), so I think, 
professional actor, and mostly, ultimately, director, you know, to be prepared, 
on the job, etc. It is too bad that there is no way to say such things in pure 
Hindi, but a bonus for us nons. This lasted until 1330 when there was a bit of 
film music, 1331 into drama with sound effects. 

Incomparably better tho fluttery signal on 9870 VBS than on unusable AIR GOS 
9690, or AIR National Channel 9425, all of which are supposedly from same site 
Bengaluru, azimuths respectively being 335, 108, 18 degrees (Glenn Hauser, OK, 
DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** INDONESIA. 9526-, VOI not off the air again today, Nov 17 at 1352 with 
music, IADs as ever, English ID with ``Sound of Dignity``. Does that mean they 
will never let their hair down and say or do anything funny, let alone 
satirical? Their loss, and ours (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** ISRAEL. 15760, Nov 17 at 1456, nice to hear the IBA trumpet and drum 
interval signal, S9+10 with heavy flutter, but the only language the powers 
that be consider worth shortwaving any more is Persian, so don`t keep listening 
to Kol Israel. 

This gives me another opportunity to point out, tho expect I shall still be 
ignored, that Kol is merely a word meaning Voice, and it is incorrect always to 
put it in caps KOL as if it were an acronym or initialism, or the entire name 
of the station.

Also an opportunity to remind us that KI can still be heard in English on SW, 
thanks to WRN and WRMI, M-F 0600-0615 on 9955, but always subject to Cuban 
jamming. This now appears as a specific entry on the WRMI program grid, not 
just as generic WRN, probably because WRMI has inserted a strip of other 
programming at 0615 during the WRN fill time; see CUBA. Do they even know about 
this in Jerusalem? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 

** JAPAN [non]. 12045, Nov 17 at 1450 good signal in Farsi, doing surprisingly 
well vs ACI from Cuba 12040 and WEWN 12050. It`s NHK via Wertachtal, GERMANY, 
500 kW, 105 degrees at 1430-1500. 12045 is continuously occupied by a variety 
of stations and sites between 1000 and 1800 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING 
DIGEST)

** MAURITANIA. 7245, ORTM still stuck here instead of 4845, Nov 17 at 0635 with 
OM soporific chanting wake-up show, then right into YL with reverb mixed with 
flutish music (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** NETHERLANDS [non]. 9865, VG reception of classical piano concerto, Nov 17 at 
0626, but I am very apprehensive, as this must be RN and it must be about to go 
off. I am (not) disappointed, as it does cut off incredibly rudely with the 
music in progress at 0627*! This is via Bonaire, at 0600-0627, Dutch at 230 
degrees for CIRAF 60 = New Zealand. While it lasted, incomparably better than 
classical music fill from band-neighbor V of Russia on 9855, 9840. We`ve had it 
with stations treating cl mx with such disrespect as fill to be dumped off 
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** NIGERIA [and non]. 7345, RDPI music from PORTUGAL at 0655-0658* Nov 17; 
meanwhile, no sign of Nigeria 7350 now or earlier. I haven`t noticed it, but 
BBCWS French via Skelton to W Africa is now scheduled on 7350 at 0600-0630, 
take that, Abuja! Used to be the prime time to hear R. Nigeria, but should 
still have no cochannel before or after, if it is still on the 7350 air at all. 
ACI from 7345, 7355 Biblis until 0600 is another matter. Nigeria failed to 
register 7350 with HFCC so the big shots can pretend it`s not there. Axually 
there are no Nigerian registrations at all in HFCC, not even the external 
service on 7255, 15120, and any clueless station attempting to use them while 
VON is on will regret it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** RUSSIA. 9840, just as last winter, VOR English to NAm is starting to get QRM 
from R. Rossii, also on 9840! Nov 17 at 0625, VOR has violin classical music 
fill after Outlook show, but there is an undercurrent. 9840 VOR is 70 degrees 
from Pet/Kam, while RR is 260 degrees from Moscow to Europe. Well, we always 
have // 9855 for VOR, don`t we? It`s 50 degrees from Vladivostok, and previous 
nights has been almost equal to 9840, but not tonight, much weaker and really 
no alternative. Kudos to the Russian frequency management organization, which 
also denies us any French Guianan relays of VOR English, unlike illegal SS 
immigrants in the USA who get 7335 even on their dental fillings (Glenn Hauser, 
OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. 15495, surprised to hear Brother Scare here, Nov 17 at 
1402, good signal. I scan by here daily and first time heard, so must be 
brand-new. Not synchronized with US sites on 9980, 9265, 9385, tho it is close 
to WWCR 9980, about two words ahead of it. 15495 is, however, synchronized with 
13810 which is Nauen, GERMANY so 15495 must be another MBR relay, Nauen or 
possibly Wertachtal. The 15495 signal is incomparably better than 13810. 15495 
gone at 1358 check, probably off one minute earlier in typical M&B style.

18530, BS also clearly here, Nov 17 at 1412, and really nudging the S-meter 
today up to peaks of S9+10, this wobbly second harmonic of WINB 9265. Yet this 
frequency never appears on The Overcomer Ministry schedule; surely it`s 
justified for a bit more self-aggrandizement of the Last Day Prophet of God 
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also USA: WWRB

** SPAIN [and non]. Tho we confirmed REE`s new semi-hour in Basque earlier in 
November, M-F at 1330-1400, it`s gone again Nov 17 at 1349 when 9765 is in 
Castilian // no satellite delay direct on 17595, and no doubt all the other 
frequencies at this hour. Discussing tuberculosis, then 1350 program ``En 
thinco minutos``. So maybe they have moved Euskera to the originally published 
time of 1300? Still SS in the 1400 and 1430 semihours. Or maybe it was just 
missing or came up short today, requiring further monitoring; or strike 
disruptions again? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 5755, dead air from the Radio Ranch via WTWW, Nov 17 at 0640, which I 
find most enjoyable; finally cuts on PPP in progress at 0644:24, time to ontune 
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 9385, WWRB with Brother Scare, accompanied by buzz extending down to 
9370 vs WTJC, and up to 9405, Nov 17 at 1436. This is the rule rather than the 
exception tho the extent of it varies somewhat (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING 
DIGEST) see also SOUTH CAROLINA [non]

** U S A. 11715, KJES, Nov 17 at 1440, big S9+22 signal presumably on 70 degree 
beam toward OK, but just barely modulated, yelling catechisms and responses. 
Now if they could only decrease the modulation to zero (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX 
LISTENING DIGEST) ###


      



------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Wed, 17 Nov 2010 17:38:53 -0800
From: mwd...@webtv.net (Patrick Martin)
To: i...@hard-core-dx.com (Mailing list for the International Radio
        Club of America), m...@yahoogroups.com, gayl...@brmemc.net,
        martinfo...@cox.net,    hard-core...@kotalampi.com, sh...@csc.albany.edu
Subject: [HCDX] New QSL
Message-ID: <21451-4ce483ad-3...@storefull-3252.bay.webtv.net>
Content-Type: Text/Plain; Charset=US-ASCII

940    KYNO    CA, Fresno, rec. vl in 21d for CD report w/SASE.  V/S:
Dave Hull-OM. Nice to get a new QSL, as it has been months,  a long dry
spell. Address: 1415 Fulton Street, Fresno  CA 93721. MW QSL #3014.
(PM-OR)

73,

Patrick

Patrick Martin
Seaside OR 
KGED QSL Manager



------------------------------

Message: 5
Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2010 06:17:59 +0430
From: Albert Muick <radioresearch_field_operati...@yahoo.com>
To: hard-core-dx@hard-core-dx.com
Subject: [HCDX] Log Report for Al Muick
Message-ID: <4ce485cf.8070...@yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

QTH:    Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan
RX:      WinRadio G303e
ANT:     100m longwire


6840  17 NOV, 1812 UTC, UNID numbers station with woman in English on
full-carrier USB giving phonetics without numbers.  Definite Russian
accent ("Novembyer").  Good strength without QRM

Another light night for DXing.  I have to pop down to Dubai tomorrow to
attend my certified ethical hacker course, so I will be offline for
about a week after today.  I will then be back with force.

73 to all,

Al


------------------------------

Message: 6
Date: Wed, 17 Nov 2010 22:34:33 -0500
From: Robert Wilkner <r...@earthlink.net>
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: [HCDX] Radio in Somalia
Message-ID: <4ce49ec9.3000...@earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed

How do you create a radio network in the world?s most dangerous country, 
where war is raging, journalists are killed, and Islamic extremists have 
banned music, sports and women?s voices on the airwaves?

If you?re the organizers of Somalia?s newest radio station, you ignore 
the death threats and defy the bans. You broadcast plenty of music and 
soccer matches ? and you hire female announcers, too.
More related to this story


The new station is Bar-Kulan (the Somali phrase for ?meeting place?), 
which this year became the first non-partisan radio broadcaster in Somalia.

Because it refuses to obey the extremists, its 50 employees must take 
precautions for their safety. They often use pseudonyms and voice-overs 
to protect their identities. And while the station has a network of 
correspondents across Somalia, along with an FM transmitter in 
Mogadishu, its main studio has been placed in neighbouring Kenya, where 
it can operate a little more freely.

Their listeners must be equally cautious. If they live in areas of 
Mogadishu controlled by the extremist militias, they often secretly 
listen to Bar-Kulan on earphones or cellphone radios, giving the 
impression that they?re merely having a phone conversation.

?They could get into trouble for listening to us,? says Farah Lamaane, 
program co-ordinator at Bar-Kulan. ?They are warned by the extremists 
not to listen to Bar-Kulan, but they still do. They know how to survive. 
So they are listening quietly and discreetly.?

Funded by the United Nations with a $1.7-million budget this year, the 
station has insisted on scrupulous independence, covering all sides of 
the conflict and refusing to take orders from anyone ? not even the 
African Union military forces that guard the besieged government in 
Mogadishu. The military asked for three hours of daily coverage of its 
activities, but the station refused.

?Nobody can tell us what to broadcast,? Mr. Lamaane says. ?It?s up to 
the Somalis. It?s up to us.?

In a country ravaged by war for the past 20 years, radio is the most 
popular medium. Somalia is still largely a rural society with an oral 
culture. Literacy is low, electricity is scarce, and infrastructure has 
been largely destroyed by decades of war. Radio has a long history in 
Somalia and it remains crucial to the national culture.

Yet radio in Somalia is under assault. The extremist Islamic militias 
have seized radio transmitters and shut down radio stations that they 
dislike. When they banned music this year, most radio stations obeyed. 
Some used the sounds of gunfire or car horns to replace music. Bar-Kulan 
was one of only two stations that refused to obey the anti-music edict.

For journalists, Somalia is one of the most hostile countries in the 
world. In past two years alone, 11 journalists have been killed in 
Somalia. Many people refused to accept jobs at Bar-Kulan when they 
discovered that it required frequent travel into Somalia.

There are many radio stations in Somalia, but most are loyal to local 
clans or officials, and some openly engage in hate speech. The 
government station, Radio Mogadishu, is seen as a propaganda organ that 
lacks credibility. Bar-Kulan, by contrast, covers the news on all sides, 
even the extremists. Its only rule is that it promotes peace, tolerance 
and reconciliation.

Launched eight months ago, Bar-Kulan now broadcasts 24 hours a day on 
FM, along with two hours a day on shortwave. It also offers live 
streaming on its website, mostly for the Somali diaspora in countries 
such as Canada. About a quarter of its employees are female.

Its music programming is drawn from a unique archive of about 6,000 
Somali songs, ranging from K?naan (the Somali-Canadian pop singer) to 
more traditional songs. Much of its programming is youth-oriented, since 
nearly half of Somalia?s population is younger than 15.

During the World Cup this year, Bar-Kulan was the only Somali radio 
station authorized to broadcast the matches. It was a coup that 
dramatically boosted its audience ratings, although its soccer 
announcers and analysts could not afford to travel to South Africa, 
where the tournament was played, broadcasting instead from the studio, 
where they watched the matches on television.

The station also carries a regular series of religious programs by 
Islamic leaders, including quotations from the Koran that emphasize the 
themes of tolerance and harmony.

The extremist militias are furious at the music, the sports and the 
female announcers on Bar-Kulan?s airwaves. ?All of us receive threats by 
e-mail and telephone,? Mr. Lamaane says. ?We just ignore it. Nothing has 
happened to us so far. It?s in the hands of God.?

The founding director of Bar-Kulan is a Canadian radio consultant, David 
Smith, based in Johannesburg, who previously helped to create radio 
networks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African 
Republic. He jokes that the extremist militias in Somalia probably 
consider him ?the Great Infidel.? But he believes strongly that 
information is a human right ? and in Africa it is usually radio that 
supplies it.

?Radio is king on this continent,? he says. ?These are oral cultures, 
and the infrastructure and people are poor.?

Although it provides 16 newscasts a day, Bar-Kulan does not try to be 
too weighty. Music and sports are central to its programming. ?In any 
war zone, people need to laugh and be entertained,? Mr. Smith says.

In the future, Bar-Kulan aims to be a national public broadcaster, with 
transmitters across Somalia. It will use cheap cellphone communications 
? text messages from its listeners ? to gather feedback and ensure that 
it is providing what Somalis want to hear.

?We can provide a platform for ordinary Somalis to express their 
feelings,? Mr. Lamaane says. ?Our ideas are purely from Somalis.?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/africa-mideast/ignoring-death-threats-somali-broadcaster-lets-the-music-play/article1801909/
 



End of Hard-Core-DX Digest, Vol 95, Issue 18
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