[HCDX] Zimbabwe: Government Admits to Jamming Radio Station

["Zacharias Liangas " <greekdx@xxxxxxxxx>]

Zimbabwe: Government Admits to Jamming Radio Station

http://allafrica.com/stories/200703070346.html
		

Media Institute of Southern Africa (Windhoek)

PRESS RELEASE
March 6, 2007
Posted to the web March 7, 2007

The Zimbabwe government has admitted that it is jamming the Voice of 
America's Studio 7 broadcasts into the country, claiming its actions are 
aimed at protecting Zimbabwe's sovereignty.

The admission was made in Parliament on February 28, 2007, by the 
Deputy Minister of Information and Publicity Bright Matonga while 
responding to a question by Kambuzuma parliamentarian Willas 
Madzimure.
Africa 2007

Madzimure had asked why the government was jamming Studio 7, 
which is manned by Zimbabwean journalists and broadcasters exiled in 
Washington DC. "We cannot allow foreigners to invade our airwaves 
without our authority," said Matonga. "We will continue to do it. We 
need to protect our sovereignty. If you go to England you will not 
receive any foreign radio stations."

Gerry Jackson of SW Radio Africa, which similarly broadcasts from 
London, said the Zimbabwean-manned radio station has since resorted 
to using text messages to beat the country's censors in the wake of two 
continuous years of jamming (see IFEX alerts of 5 July 2006, 3 June, 
28 April and 23 March 2005). Jackson says the daily SMS headline 
service is proving to be popular, with the station receiving 100 requests 
a day from those wanting to join the service.

The station's website offers podcasts, and transcripts of interviews are 
circulated by email to those in Zimbabwe and hundreds of others living 
in the diaspora. So far about 2000 people have signed up to SW Radio 
Africa's text scheme in the last two months. The jamming has mainly 
affected SW Radio Africa's broadcasts in Zimbabwe's urban areas, 
where mobile phones are most popular.

Reports of the jamming of broadcasts are part of efforts to block Studio 
7 and SW Radio Africa from reaching Zimbabweans with alternative 
information on developments in the country.


The Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) has since its 
establishment in 2001 failed to issue licenses to private broadcasters. 
This has led to several stations manned by exiled Zimbabweans, such 
as the London-based SW Radio Africa and Studio 7, beaming into 
Zimbabwe on short and medium wave from beyond the country's 
borders.

MORE INFORMATION:

For further information, contact Zoà Titus, Programme Specialist, 
Media Freedom Monitoring, MISA, Private Bag 13386 Windhoek, 
Namibia, tel: +264 61 232 975, fax: +264 61 248 016, e-mail: 
research@xxxxxxxx, Internet: http://www.misa.org

http://zlgr.multiply.com (raidio monitoring site plus audio clips )
http://www.worldisround.com/articles/302315/ (Litohoro) 321199/Tinos 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zachgr    pictures upload 
.
on my main : www.geocities.com/zliangas 
-tty-px.html : test of various TTY programs
-ethics.htm    : greek ethics , days and institutions 
-frape.htm: the greek way of cofee !!! 
Zacharias Liangas , Thessaloniki Greece 
greekdx @ otenet dot gr  ---  
Pesawat penerima: ICOM R75 , Lowe HF150 , Degen 1102,1103,108,
Tecsun PL200/550, Chibo c300/c979, Yupi 7000 
Antenna: 16m hor, 2x16 m V invert, 1m australian loop 



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