>From Tom Taylor's column on today's Radio-Info newsletter
Haiti's newest radio station is broadcasting from the skies. Thanks to a specially-equipped U.S. Air Force C-130 that's flying very slowly above the Caribbean country, broadcasting an AM signal in Creole. The programming is mostly Voice of America, though CNN <http://radio-info.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=16f606482a795f a597872a8f1&id=5dec445cae&e=491e0cea53> says there are also announcements from Haitian officials about the latest on the earthquake emergency. The AM antenna is a 264-foot "long wire" that's "dangling from [the plane's] belly like a plumb line." It's kept vertical by a 500-pound lead weight - not exactly your usual antenna setup on the ground. The plane also has four FM antennas, mounted on the wings and fuselage of the workhorse aircraft. They call the plane "Commando Solo" - and the CNN report is a great reminder of radio's role during emergencies. Just to make sure the target audience can hear the Commando Solo, the Department of Defense has distributed thousands of solar and hand- crank-operated radios. _______________________________________________ IRCA mailing list [email protected] http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org To Post a message: [email protected]
