27 June 2003
The director-general of the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA), Yosef Barel, has presented his restructuring plan to the IBA managing committee. Under the plan, the Foreign Service of Israel Radio will close. The plan has been necessitated by the government’s planned budget cut of 230m new Israeli shekels (about 52m US dollars) in the period through 2006. The plan will see 200 employees taking early retirement, saving 30m new Israeli shekels (just under 7m US dollars).
The IBA will also save 65m new Israeli shekels (14.7m US dollars) by merging or closing some of its networks.
27 June 2003
Jean-Paul Cluzel, chairman and director-general of Radio France Internationale, and Nigel Chapman, BBC World Service Deputy Director, launched a joint frequency in Budapest on Wednesday 11 June.
The Budapest frequency of 92.1 MHz FM will be shared by RFI and the BBC, with air time being shared equally between the two international broadcasters. RFI broadcasts in French (10 hours) and in German (2 hours), and the BBC in English and Hungarian. This is the first multilingual international radio in Hungary. In Germany the two international broadcasters are already operating this type of radio arrangement.
27 June 2003
The Voice of Nigeria (VON), the arm of Radio Nigeria directed at audiences outside the country, has started to broadcast in two of the nation’s main languages.
The VON, a state-run short wave radio, started operations in 1962. Ibo and Yoruba are two of the main languages spoken in the southern part of Nigeria. A VON official said. “The aim is to reach as many Nigerians outside the country as possible while not forgetting to export our culture, of which the local languages are part.” Yoruba is also spoken in nearby Benin, Togo as well as in Brazil, while Ibo is used in western part of Cameroon.
VON already broadcasts in English, French, Arabic, Swahili and Fulfude.
22 June 2003
After months of speculation that AIB member RFE/RL would have to move out of Prague for security reasons, the station is to stay in the capital. Staff will not stay in the building of the former Federal Assembly near Wenceslas Square, but will be relocated to a different place in Prague, said preisdent Thomas Dine. When the lease for the current premises expires next, it may be extended, or removals may begin.
22 June 2003
Thales, formerly Thomson-CSF, has installed a turnkey radio broadcasting project in Abu Dhabi for UAE news and information organization Emirates Media Inc.
Installed in record time, the turnkey radio broadcasting solution for EMI includes: 800 kW mediumwave transmitter type S7HP; four-mast directional medium wave antenna system with three switchable antenna patterns (300/0/+60 degrees); new building including access road; mains supply; fresh water supply, etc. The new S7HP transmitters are compatible for future upgrades to digital operation in DRM [Digital Radio Mondial] mode.
The new station is situated only one kilometre away from the existing Dab’iyyah mediumwave station, in service since 1982. This station was already one of the most powerful in the region, with two one-thousand kW mediumwave transmitters and a four-mast directional antenna system. All equipment was delivered by Thales. Emirates Media Inc have been broadcasting services from the new station on 1170 kHz since 8 May 2003.
