cobalt pet shortwave / mediumwave weblog

23 July 2006

shortwave summary: jul 2006 (part 3)

I don't know how I found the time for all of my shortwave listening this month. But I am nonetheless pleased to publish another series of reception reports.

These receptions came from my Sony ICF SW7600GR, my Kaito 1102, and I finally got my Sangean ATS-505 involved too.

Received stations:
* Radio Havana Cuba
* Radio Australia
* KBS South Korea
* Voice of Croatia

* 13 July 2006, 0500 UTC, 6000 khz (Radio Havana Cuba): Washington admits human rights violations in Guantanamo. (That's not my understanding; I think RHC interpolated here.) Detainees will have rights to protection under the Geneva convention. RHC referred to Guantanamo prison as a concentration camp. The USA government is falling short of obligations to disclose intelligence programs to congress. A major intelligence program being run by the White House remains a secret. Whistleblowers in the government are usually branded traitors. Bush has "consistently played politics with national security." Cuba criticized the USA plan to accelerate its transition plan. An additional $18 million (along with an existing $20-30 million per year) will help fund opposition groups in Cuba. Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez says he will continue bilateral cooperation with Cuba.

Editorial viewpoint: Condoleeza Rice said, with a straight face, that Cubans have no greater friend than the USA. USA is using a blockade, propaganda, and opposition funding in efforts to defeat the Cuban revolution. Some people are reportedly offended by the arrogance of the report titled "Bush plan for a transition to a free Cuba." USA is contributing $24 million to "break the information blockade" and provide Cuban citizens with internet access. Fidel Castro's 80th birthday will be in August, and his brother was selected as his successor.

Climate changes are believed responsible for increased number and severity of wildfires in the western USA. There are typically four times the number of fires now compared to the 1970s. Fire season has lengthened by 78 days. Mountain snowpacks melt earlier in the spring, leaving trees more vulnerable.

How come this news broadcast didn't mention Israel's strike on Lebanon? They covered Israeli news that seemed to be a day old.

During the mailbag show, Ed Newman responded to a Japanese letter writer by saying, "thank you for writing to us in English, because our Japanese is real bad!"

* 13 July 2006, 0555 UTC, 15240 khz (Radio Australia): Discussing nuclear testing in the south Pacific, and reparations for the Marshall islands. The radio station id said "Thank you for your company!" and had a short, funky music interlude at the end of the hour. "This is Radio Australia news." Police searching for clues in the India train bomb attacks. Pakistan warns against being blamed for the attacks, although India hasn't named Pakistan specifically. The attack reminds some investigators of a Kashmiri Islamic group. Three hundred persons died in the attacks. The Phillipines have been afflicted by landslides. It was hit by a second storm in July, which is the height of the monsoon season. Shell Oil is selling some of its assets in Tonga and Fiji. Due to a payroll shortage in the North Marianas, some military personnel were temporarily laid off. "Radio Australia - your Asia/Pacific news source." There was an editorial about believing in angels and about the human need for explanations for everything. One in ten British scientists knock on wood.

That was a very good signal, which included a wide range of relevant news stories for that region. It's true that I don't have any other news source for Oceania at the moment, as I haven't been able to hear Radio New Zealand International for some time. And I need to QSL both Australia and New Zealand.

* 14 July 2006, 0200 UTC, 9560 khz (KBS South Korea): Oil prices hit a record high of US$76 per barrel. The market is "agitated" by the middle-east violence. Oil futures trading began in 1983. UN Security Council is considering two draft resolutions in response to North Korea's recent missile testing. Japan might drop its harsher resolution and adopt the one drafted by China and Russia, which lacks sanctions. There are four candidates for the position of UN Secretary General; Kofi Annan will retire at the end of 2006. President Bush says that Washington will persuade North Korea to return to the six-party talks. South Korea used its economic clout to pressure North Korea to return to the talks, by postponing humanitarian aid to the North. The Washington Post referred to this move as a rare diplomatic bright spot. There were various updates on the South Korean military which I decided not to write down in my notebook. Heavy rains swept through Seoul on Wednesday, forcing some road closures. More rain, thunder, and lightning is expected through the weekend. An editorial discussed summer camps that provide instruction for economics and finance.

* 17 July 2006, 0200 UTC, 9925 khz (Voice of Croatia): 39 Croatians (not to mention at least 25,000 Americans) awaiting evacuation from Lebanon. Hot weather brings both tourists and wildfires to Croatian coastal regions. Tourists are coming from Italy, Germany, and Romania; and causing traffic delays. Forecast: sunny and overcast, 9-14C (48-57F) inland, 18-22C (64-71F) at the coast. The news bulletin lasted for about 5 minutes, then I heard approximately 6 songs. The broadcast is only scheduled to last for 15 minutes according to primetimeshortwave, but the music continued until 0230 UTC, at which point Spanish language announcers came on the air. I regret not recording this broadcast because I liked some of the music. It sounded like rock music from the 1980s in a foreign language (hopefully Croatian). I had a lot of noise on 9925 khz so I tuned down to 9923 khz to improve reception.

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