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the
channel
The hotspots
Tension is palpable across much of the world, as the war against the so-called
Axis of Evil
becomes more likely. International broadcasting is vital for much of
the world in peace time – in times of crisis, the significance of broadcasts from
the major players in global radio and television. Monitoring programmes from
the heart of crisis areas can provide an invaluable source of intelligence about
what the leadership of any country is thinking.
Here,we look at two current hotspots – Iraq and North Korea – and detail what’s
coming out of those countries andwhat’s being beamed in,collated from information
fromAIB’s central database covering the sector, and from our members.
North Korea
Located in eastern Asia, bordering the People’s Republic of China and South Korea
Land area
: 120,540 square km;
population
: 22m;
infant mortality rate
: 22.8 deaths/1000 live births;
life expectancy
: 71.3 years;
government:
authoritarian dictatorship;
head of state:
Kim Chong-il (pictured above);
radio receivers
: estimated at 3.36m;
TV receivers
: estimated at 1.2m;
principal
broadcasters
: DPRK Radio and Television Broadcasting Committee; Kaesong TV; Korean Central TV Station; Mansudae TV Station – all State controlled.
External radio broadcaster
: Voice of Korea, Pyongyang, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea;T +850 2 36344; F +850 2 814418
Languages
:Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish
Time (GMT)
Target
Frequency (kHz)
0100-0150
Eur, America
3560 6195 6520 7140 7580 9325
0200-0250
Asia, America 4405 11335
0300-0350
Asia, America 3560 6195 6520 7140
1000-1050
Africa, ME
3560 9335 9850 11710 11735
1300-1350
Asia, America 4405 9335 11335 11710
1500-1550
Eur,Asia,Am
4405 9335 11335 11710
1600-1650
As,Africa, ME 3560 9975 11735
2100-2150
Eur,Asia,Am
4405
Broadcasts in Korean to the area come from a variety of broadcasters including: China Radio International,FEBC (religious), NHK Radio Japan, andVoice of Russia.
Principal Western broadcasters operating in Korean are Radio Free Asia and the Voice of America, both funded by the US government.
Radio FreeAsia
Korean-language broadcasting to North Korea increased on January 16th to four hours daily.The expanded broadcasts were authorised by the
Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), in response to rising tensions related to Pyongyang’s decision to resume its nuclear programme. RFA’s shortwave
broadcasts in Korean are on the air
1400-1700 GMT and 2200-2300 GMT
for North Korea and North Asia.They are also available on the Internet.
The Korean service, one of RFA’s nine language services, went on the air on March 4, 1997. It broadcasts seven days a week on nine shortwave
frequencies. Programming includes news, cultural reporting, and commentary.The Korean service currently comprises a Washington-based staff of 12,
bureaus in Seoul and Tokyo, and stringers around the world.
The
Voice of America
Korean Service doubled its hours to three hours a day on January 27, 2003.
Two-hour Evening Show 21:00-23:00 KST
1200–1300 GMT
7235 9555
1300–1400 GMT
5985 7235 9555 11895 648(MW)
One-hour Breakfast Show 06:00-07:00 KST
2100–2130 GMT
5995 7110
2130–2200 GMT
5995 7110 12065
Broadcasts in English
Iraq
Located in the Middle East, bordering Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey.
Land area
: 427,072 square km;
population
: 24m;
infant mortality rate
: 57.61 deaths/1,000 live births;
life expectancy
: 67.38 years;
government
:
republic;
head of state:
Saddam Hussein (below right);
radio receivers
: 4.85m;
TV receivers
: 1.75m; principal broadcasters: two State TV channels;
Republic of Iraq Radio – all State controlled
External TV broadcaster:
Iraq TV Channel, Salhiya, Baghdad;T: +964 1 422 0010; F: +964 1 425 0607;
carried on up to seven
satellites including:Arabsat; Nilesat; NSS 806;Telstar 5
External radio broadcaster:
Radio Iraq International, PO Box 8145, Baghdad 12222, Iraq; Languages:Arabic, English, French
0300-0400, 2000-2100, 2230-2300
11785 (variable)
A significant number of international radio broadcasters beam programmes in Arabic to the Middle East, and thus Iraq.They include: Adventist World
Radio (religious), Broadcasting System of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Radio Cairo, Radio Canada International, DeutscheWelle, Radio Dushanbe, Radio
France Internationale, Radio Kuwait, Radio Oman, FEBA Radio (religious) IRIB Tehran, Radio Exterior de Espana, Radio Taipei International, RAI Rome,
Swiss Radio International,Trans World Radio (religious),TRT Turkey,Vatican Radio,Voice of Indonesia,Voice of Malaysia.
Radio Sawa
is a unique U.S. government-sponsored Arabic language broadcasting service, the new Middle East Radio Networks (MERN). Radio Sawa
broadcasts a full mix of news, analysis, interviews, opinion pieces, roundtables, sports, weather, and music 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Schedule:
0000-0400
981
1260 1548
0400-0600
981
1260 1548 5965 9665 11670 11865 11875
0600-0730
981
1260 1548
0730-0800
981
1260 1548 6045 7170 9565 9615 11805 15140 15235 15440 17855
0800-0830
981
1548 6045 7170 9565 9615 11805 15140 15235 15440 17855
0830-1500
981
1548
1500-1700
981
1260 1548
1700-1800
981
1260 1548 7105 11855
1800-1900
981
1260 1548 7180 7280 9530 9770 11825 11905 11960
1900-2000
981
1260 1548 6040 7195 7280 9530 9615 11825 11905 17740
2000-2100
981
1260 1548 6040 6060 6160 7195 7280 9530 9650 11825 11905 17740
2100-2400
981
1260 1548
24-hour FM 90.5 Dubai; 98.7 Abu Dhabi; 98.1 Amman; 97.5 Kuwait City; 92.6 Doha
Radio Canada International
Arabic
0330-0359
6025 9615 11845
0430-0459
9505 11815 11955
