[HCDX]: CRW 001

[Giovanni Serra <g.serra@xxxxxx>]

Dear DX Friends,
Please, find enclosed the following new DX newsletter CRW 001 via Martin
Schoech, Germany.  

73 and Ciao

Gianni Serra
g.serra@xxxxxx
TFW & TFW On Line DX Newsletter editor
 


> -----------------------------------------------------
> Dear audience from varoius mailing lists !
> 
> First we want to apologize for this (perhaps unwanted) mail to you.
> It's aim is to show you an example of a new Clandestine Radio News-
> letter we proudly present today :
> 
> CLANDESTINE RADIO WATCH
> 
> If you are interested in this field of radio activity, please feel
> free to write to one of us. Your contributions are highly welcome
> since we won't go on repeating what other mags already printed. For
> this first edition we did so, sometimes. Regular contributors to CRW
> will receive it direct via E-mail, all others can read it for free via
> the internet.
> 
> If you don't mail us anything you won't hear from us again. But of
> course, we hope to hear from you !
> 
> Nick from Washington and Martin from Merseburg
> 
> --------------xxxxxxxxxx  CRW 001  xxxxxxxxxx--------------
> 
> CLANDESTINE RADIO WATCH
> April 2, 1998
> 
> Clandestine Radio Watch (CRW) is a biweekly report which centralizes
> the latest news and developments affecting the study of clandestine
> radio in an easy-to-read format. Editions are published around 2000
> UTC Thursdays through e-mail and are posted on the two web pages given
> below within 24 hours.
> 
> We welcome your contributions, input and support. Logs, QSL
> verification info, as well as background material can be sent to
> either of CRW's editors:
> 
> Nick Grace C.   : yb0rmi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Martin Schoech  : schoech@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> 
> CRW can also be accessed on-line at:
> http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/2594/geo-cla.htm
> and soon to be mirrored on the Clandestine Radio Intel web:
> http://www.qsl.net/yb0rmi/cland.htm
> 
> ------------xxxxxxxxxx  Breaking News  xxxxxxxxxx-------------
> 
> Radio Democracy for Africa
> 
> Angola's VORGAN may leave the air in April 1998.
> 
> Address discovered for Ethiopia's Rainbow Radio
> 
> Iranian and Tibetan Clandestine May be Related
> 
> ..............................................................
> 
> RADIO DEMOCRACY FOR AFRICA
> U.S. President Bill Clinton unveiled a new public diplomacy effort
> using a white clandestine dubbed Radio Democracy for Africa.  Speaking
> to a crowd in Botswana on March 28, he noted that Africa needs an
> independent radio service.  "State-run media are the norm in much of
> Africa; accompanying such media are often biases and positions of the
> prevailing political party or in some cases, repressive regimes."
> Radio Democracy for Africa is "aimed directly at encouraging progress
> toward freedom and democracy, respect for human rights, and an
> independent and objective media."
> 
> Funding for the service will come directly from the Voice of America
> (VOA), and in fact, Clinton pledged US$4.8 million over the next two
> years.  Rather than be a separate entity, as Radio Marti and Radio
> Free Asia are, Radio Democracy for Africa will be inserted into VOA
> programming.  After it begins in May 1998, the station will be
> broadcast 22.5 hours a week.  Programming will be in nine different
> European and African languages directed at 19 African states.
> 
> Radio Democracy for Africa coincides with plans for Radio Free Iraq
> and Radio Free Iran, and will join Radio Marti, Radio Free Europe /
> Radio Libery, and Radio Free Asia as a tool to spread democratic
> principles around the world.
> 
> More information on this station can be found at CRI:
> http://www.qsl.net/yb0rmi/usia_africa.htm
> 
> (Information adapted from Reuters and the Wasington Post.)
> 
> ..............................................................
> 
> VORGAN AGAIN SCHEDULED TO SIGN OFF
> April may mark the end of UNITA's clandestine station, Voice of the
> Resistance of the Black Cockerel (VORGAN).  According to the BBCM,
> "handed over its formal  declaration of military demobilization to the
> Angolan govt and said it would  implement outstanding clauses of the
> peace agreement" on March 7.  The UN-brokered Lusaka Peace Accord
> between UNITA and the MPLA government in Luanda depends on the
> following: 1)complete demobilization of UNITA's military forces,
> 2)establishment of UNITA in Luanda to participate in a joint
> government, and 3)closure of VORGAN, which the UN has condemned.
> 
> The Lusaka Peace Accord, negotiated in 1992, has been broken many
> times and is still in jeapordy.  Jonas Savimbi, the head of UNITA, and
> other officials are afraid to return to the capitol after
> assassination threats.  Policymakers in Luanda have also promised an
> escalation of fighting should UNITA not follow through with compliance
> of the pace agreement.
> 
> UNITA is already isloted by its former allies, USA, UK, and the UN,
> and its overseas lobbying offices have been ordered closed.
> 
> VORGAN is to become a non-partisan FM station called Radio Despartar,
> and international efforts have already been underway to ensure a
> smooth transition of VORGAN staff.  However, communiques issued by
> UNITA and comments made by Angolan officials put the closure of the
> clandestine station in doubt.
> 
> .....................................................
> 
> RAINBOW RADIO ADDRESS
> Rainbow Radio announces the following address during its closing
> announcement: P.O.Box 140104, 53056 Bonn, Germany.
> 
> According to Martin Schoech, an Ethiopian friend "translated parts of
> the last transmission of Rainbow Radio for me. The language is of
> course Amharic, but the whole transmission is 'propaganda' (as he
> said) from the people of Oromo against the Ethiopian goverment.
> Nothing was said (about) which particular organization stands behind"
> the group, however.
> 
> .....................................................
> 
> IRANIAN AND TIBETAN CLANDESTINE MAY BE RELATED
> CRW was contacted by the project leader of the Democratic Voice of
> Iran (DIVA) about the station's new webpage.  "The site is...
> experimental but is working regularly," the source reports.  "Within
> few days we shall advertise its inception in local papers as well as
> in the links of others."
> 
> Ludo Maes also reported in BCDX 357 that the Voice of Tibet is also
> now on-line along with DIVA.  What is not mentioned in the report,
> however, is that a comparison of these websites show striking
> similarities.  These similarities either mean that these clandestine
> programs are funded from the same source or share information between
> each other.
> 
> Both sites appeared around suddenly within the past two weeks.  As of
> press time, DIVA (www.dvi.org) has a little over 100 hits, and the
> Voice of Tibet site (www.vot.org) has almost 100.  Take a close look
> at the counter, too.  Both use the same counter within a red border.
> Another similarity is the format of the e-mail address.  Both use the
> name "mail."  Iran's is "mail@xxxxxxx" and Tibet's is "vot.org."  It's
> obvious that the groups hired the same design company to build the
> webpages.
> 
> Both websites are devoted only to the groups' radio activities.  In
> fact, the only comments made about each group is a general sentence
> stating that each is "independent."  No personnel or staff is listed,
> nor are any non-radio campaigns mentioned.  In fact, the registration
> records are empty for both sites.
> 
> Interestingly, the Iranian website links to two groups that have
> received funding from the CIA in the past: the Flag of Freedom
> Movement and the Constitutionalist Movement of Iran.  Whether or not
> the CIA may be behind this and the Tibetan clandestine's sites is
> unknown, nevertheless, the small set of links is interesting.
> 
> Not much has been known about the Democratic Voice of Iran, which hit
> the air nearly a year ago from hired transmitters in Central Asia, and
> CRW sources could not be reached in time for publishing.  The Voice of
> Tibet, on the other hand, was built by students in Norway and it seems
> that the station took on a life of its own.
> 
> ------------xxxxxxxxxx  Schedules  xxxxxxxxxx-------------
> 
> ANGOLA
> 
> A Voz Resistencia de Galo Negro (VORGAN)
> Organization: UNITA
> Address: Rue Montoyer n_6 , bte 6, Bruxelles 1000, Belgium
> Languages: Portuguese
> Identification:
> 0500-0900  9770 kHz
> 1100-1430  11880 kHz
> 1700-2100  6225 kHz  (BBCM via AGDX, Mar 7/13 via BCDX 355)
> 
> ASIA (REGION)
> 
> Radio Free Asia
> Organization: USIA
> Address: 330 Independence Ave, SW, Washington, DC 20547, USA
> Languages: Mandarin, Tibetan, English, Viet, Burmese, Cambodian
> 1800-2000  7530. 9355, 9650, 9885, 9905 kHz (Dan Ferguson-USA via CDX)
> Additional broadcasts in Mandarin that started on Mar 1, 1998.
> 
> ETHIOPIA
> 
> Rainbow Radio
> Organization: Unknown Oromo group
> Address: P.O.Box 140104, 53056 Bonn, Germany
> Language: Amharic
> Identification: Keste Damena Radio
> 0100-0200  Sat  9855 kHz  (JTK via BCDX 355)
> 1000-1100  5910 kHz Sundays via Germany  (Martin Schoech-Germany CRW)
> 1600-1700  Thur  15105 kHz  (JTK via BCDX 355) Summer schedule
> effective April 1.
> 
> Voice of United and Free Ethiopia
> Organization: United Front of Ethiopians
> Address: P.O.Box 5801, Washington, DC 20016, USA
> Language: Amharic
> Identification: Andit Netsa Ethiopia Dimts Radio Agelgilot
> *1615-1715*  7570 kHz  Sun  (Martin Schoech-Germany)
> 
> KASHMIR
> 
> Voice of Independent Kashmir
> Organization: Kashmiri Mojahedin
> Address: P.O.Box 102, Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan
> Language: Urdu
> Identification: Ni sera-i hurriyat-i Kashmir hai
> 1705-1729*  6300 kHz USB  (Mahendra Vaghjee-Mauritius via NU 1469)
> 
> MYANMAR
> 
> Democratic Voice of Burma
> Organization: Broad coalition of independent groups
> Address: P.O.Box 6720, Skt. Olavs Plass, N-0130 Oslo, Norway
> Language: Maymo
> Identification: Democratic Myanmar a-Than
> 1245-1345  9425, 15330 kHz  (PanIview-Bulgaria via BCDX 357)
> 
> NIGERIA
> 
> Radio Kudirat
> Organization: UDFN
> Address: PO Box 9663, London SE1 3LZ, UK
> Language: English
> 1900-2300  6205, 11540 kHz  (PanIview-Bulgaria via BCDX 357)
> Summer schedule. Now jammed by Nigeria.
> 
> Voice of Free Nigeria
> Organization: Free Nigeria Movement
> Address: P.O.Box 441395, Indianapolis, IN 46244, USA
> Language: English
> 1900-2100  11645 kHz  Saturdays via Germany
> (Dave Kenny-BBCM via WOR 932)
> 
> WESTERN SAHARA
> Voice of Free Sahara
> Organization: Frente Polisario
> Address: POLISARIO, 1 rue Franklin Roosevelt, 1600 Algiers, Algeria
> Languages: Spanish, Arabic Identification: La Voz de Sahara Libre
> 2200-2300  9640, 11610 kHz  (Joerg Klingenfuss-Spain via BCDX 357)
> Reactivated
> 
> ------------xxxxxxxxxx  QSL Verifications  xxxxxxxxxx-------------
> 
> ERITREA
> 
> Voice of Democratic Eritrea
> P.O. Box 200343, 53134 Bonn, Germany
> Fax: +49 0 228356 181
> webpage: http://www.erols.com/meskerem
> Signed by Seyoum O Michael, Member of Executive Committee
> e-mail: Mghebresel@xxxxxxx
> Partial data letter received in 20 days.
> (Zacharias Liangas-Greece via TFW 55)
> 
> ETHIOPIA
> 
> Voice of Oromo Liberation
> Prinzenallee 81, 13357 Berlin, Germany
> Signed by Taye Teferra
> No data letter for taped report and 2,20 DM (mint stamps) in 25 days
> (Martin Schoech-Germany CRW)
> 
> Voice of Tigray Revolution
> P.O. Box 450, Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia
> Signed by Fre Tesfamichael
> Full data postcard via registered mail received in 59 days.
> (T.H. Ekblom-Denmark via DSWCI via TFW 55)
> 
> ------------xxxxxxxxxx  Miscellaneous  xxxxxxxxxx-------------
> 
> IRAQ
> 
> US plan to set up "Radio Free Iraq" criticized.
> The political editor of the Rep of Iraq Radio has commented on a
> 'Washington Post' report of 2nd Mar, which said that the United States
> supports the idea of setting up a Radio Free Iraq as part of its
> efforts to confront President Saddam Hussein and that US officials are
> considering plans to use a tx in Kuwait, which was used against Iraq
> in the past by secret opposition groups financed by the Central
> Intelligence Agency. (BBCM via AGDX via BCDX 354)
> 
> RADIO FREE ASIA
> 
> Statement on foreign broadcasting plans. Expanding VOA and Radio Free
> Asia bcs to China. Developing a Persian-language surrogate bcing sce
> to Iran. ... Since passage of the International Broadcasting Act in
> 1994, the IBB has carefully analyzed txion assets in order to create a
> reliable, flexible and efficient network responsive to the technical
> requirements of all US internat broadcasters. In FY 1997, under a
> single, smaller engineering organization, the consolidation of the
> network continued, including the shifting of resources to reflect a
> change from Cold War era priorities to new ones in East Asia, Africa
> and the Middle East.
> 
> ... Actions are presently under way to ship txs and other equipment
> from downsized or closed stns to those closer to priority audiences in
> Africa and Asia; to construct new antennas designed to meet the
> growing demand for combined bc requirements; to add satellite ground
> stns; and to install energy-saving solid state modulators at various
> sites. This effort will continue throughout FY 1998 and into FY 1999,
> as will the conversion of major segments of the IBB satellite txion
> network from analogue to digital format, which directly increases both
> the capacity and quality of global network coverage. The request
> includes 12m dollars to continue the replacement of obsolete analogue
> production equipment at Washington headquarters with modern digital
> technology.
> 
> ... In August, International Broadcasting Bureau [IBB] monitoring stns
> in various locations confirmed significant interference with RFA
> Mandarin language bcs to China, using the traditional jamming
> technique known as "co-channelling" during RFA txions. While IBB
> monitoring and listener responses via mail and faxes indicate that the
> RFA signal, transmitted on multiple freqs, continues to get through,
> the jamming emphasizes the importance of enhancing the present IBB
> txion network with facilities such as the new Tinian (Pacific island)
> relay station.
> 
> ... Cost of upgrading global txion network. A total of 25,308,000
> dollars is requested in Fiscal Year [FY] 1999 to continue the
> technical upgrade and consolidation of the IBB's global txion network.
> This network, representing a national resource valued at over one
> billion dollars, includes three domestic (incl Tinian island) and 11
> overseas relay stns containing some 130 txs, and a network of leased
> international satellite circuits which serves more than 1,000
> satellite earth stns worldwide.
> 
> Mindful of the International Broadcasting Act's mandate to consolidate
> wherever possible, we are proposing a reduction in positions for FY
> 1999. This budget proposes 4,329,000 dollars in FY 1999 programme
> decreases, including eliminating the shortwave site in Rhodes, Greece
> (1,200,000 dollars and 27 positions), further reducing Office of
> Engineering headquarters staff (1,600,000 dollars and 20 positions).
> (BBCM via AGDX via BCDX 354)
> 
> SOUTH KOREA
> 
> National Salvation bites R Free Asia. The homepage of the
> South Korean "National Salvation Front" ran an article entitled "Stop
> Radio Free Asia" on Mar 15. To read the article go to:
> 
> http://www.alles.or.jp/~kuguk/091503.htm
> 
> National Salvation Front is an imaginary product of North Korean
> propaganda that claims to exist in Seoul and operate the clandestine
> "Voice of National Salvation" broadcasts from there.  (Sonny
> Ashimori-Japan via BCDX 356)
> 
> ------------xxxxxxxxxx  Sources  xxxxxxxxxx-------------
> 
> Source Abbreviations:
> 
> AGDX: Arbeitsgemeinschaft DX e.V.
> BBCM: British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring
> BCDX: Bueschel Calling DX
> CDX:  Cumbre DX
> CRW:  Clandestine Radio Watch
> DXW:  DX Window
> NU:   Numero Uno
> TFW:  The Four Winds Online
> WOR:  World of Radio
> ______________________________________________________
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