25 April 2003

Indentity crisis: Radio Tikrit/Radio Sumer "Tarek writes: Radio Tikrit just signed on, after a couple of days off the air the usual ID came back on the air around 1900 UTC with Huna Radio Tikrit." However, later in the transmission Tarek reports that station was identifying as Radio Sumer again. BTW if you can't hear it on mediumwave 1584 kHz but can receive the Hotbird satellite, Tarek says to look for it on 12597 V 27500 3/4. Methinks someone uploaded the wrong audio at the beginning of the transmission. Monitoring over the next few days should reveal whether this was a one-off. 9:17:38 PM     comment on this entry []

Latest monitoring report from Tarek Zeidan in Cairo: Today 25/4/03 for the second day I couldn't get Voice of the Liberation of Iraq on 4025 kHz. Used to sign on at 1730 UTC. Information Radio on 4500 kHz is not on today, yesterday 24/4/03 they were on with a new OM rather than the famous one I used to identify working for both Information Radio and Radio Tikrit. I think now as he's doing everything in the transmission of Radio Summer on 1584 kHz which replaced Radio Tikrit so he has no time for Information radio...BTW he announced his name while reading the news on Radio Sumer , "the news read by Ibrahim Naser " now we know his name wish I could get the name of that YL on the Information Radio as well 1566 kHz Two Rivers Radio is on today 25/4/03 Voice of Mujahideen on 720 kHz is on with heavy QRM from BBC Arabic but still audible but very weak. 8:36:38 PM     comment on this entry []

Journalism can be a dangerous occupation 3 May is World Press Freedom Day. Today I had two reminders of why it's needed. One of the young guys currently on a course at our Training Centre is from a commercial radio station in an African country. For his protection I am not going to give details. A couple of weeks ago, one of his colleagues was arrested and detained just for doing what journalists are supposed to do, which is ask questions. My friend told me he too was arrested last year, and put in jail for a week. He wasn't tortured, but it was a humiliating experience, and he had to sleep on a bare floor. Today came news that three of his colleagues have received death threats. He is sure all this hassle is coming from his country's government. In a week's time, he is going home to face who knows what dangers in the coming months. Today, too, came news that a Radio Netherlands colleague currently on assignment was kidnapped and bundled into a taxi, and managed to get away only after his digital camera was stolen. He's OK, but badly shaken by the experience. These examples serve to remind us how trivial it is to grumble when the train is 5 minutes late, as mine was this evening! 8:24:22 PM     comment on this entry []

© Copyright 2003 Andy Sennitt.