2024年7月19日金曜日

In Donetsk, Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions, a television and radio broadcasting system that can block enemy signal has been deployed.

 

Russian TV, radio signal to be jammed in Ukraine’s frontline regions

Russian TV, radio signal to be jammed in Ukraine’s frontline regions

In Donetsk, Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions, a television and radio broadcasting system that can block enemy signal has been deployed.

This was announced by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal during a government meeting, Ukrinform reports with reference to his Telegram channel.

"Another important aspect is fighting against enemy propaganda. Today, by a separate order, we are extending the system of special television and radio broadcasting to Donetsk, Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions, which includes, among other things, the jamming of enemy radio electronic signals," he said.

Video of the day
Read also: Lavrov voices traditional propaganda messages before journalists at UN

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy cooperates with partners in order to support the printing of a newspaper for distribution in the front-line territories of Donetsk region, which will include information on mine awareness and humanitarian aid.


2017年9月26日火曜日

BBC launches Korean language service covering North Korea
BBC launches Korean language service covering North Korea
DPRK government may already be blocking some of the short-range frequencies, however
September 25th, 2017
The British Broadcasting Service (BBC) began its Korean language programming on Monday, an announcement from the UK’s national broadcaster reads, and will transmit news and radio to the entire Korean peninsula.
Its Korean language programming forms part of 11 new foreign language services that the BBC called the biggest expansion of its World Service since the 1940’s, with £289 million (USD$389,514,200) invested in the project.
“BBC Korea will be reporting a fair and impartial news based on the tradition the BBC World Service has established,” Francesca Unsworth, BBC World Service director said in the article announcing the new programming.
The new Korean language service will broadcast 30-minute long programs for a period of three hours on shortwave frequencies and one hour on medium wave frequencies per day.
According to the article accompanying the launch, the shortwave service will begin at 15:30 (GMT) while the medium wave broadcast will start at 16.30 (GMT). The programming will cover current events, the economy, sports, and culture.
While the BBC article did not explicitly mention the DPRK, it also gave broadcasting times in North Korea’s Pyongyang time, which is 30 minutes behind Seoul.
The North Korean government strictly controls information flows into the country, and already blocks some frequencies used by other radio broadcasters like Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, and Free North Korea radio, among others.
It’s not clear how easily the frequencies that BBC will broadcast on can be picked up in the DPRK, however, said one expert familiar with radio in the North.
“Both 5810 and 9940 shortwave frequencies are jammed right now,” Martyn Williams, author of the North Korea Tech website told NK News, who also posted an example of the jamming on YouTube. “1341 mediumwave was also on air although I could not determine if there was jamming.”

“The jamming is strong, so it obliterates the signal even in Seoul,” Williams added, saying that he was able to tune into a remote South Korea-based receiver to test reception from San Francisco.
Former Ambassador Robert King, the U.S. Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights, said in 2015 that an estimated 30 percent of North Koreans are tuning into foreign radio broadcasts, adding they are considered much more effective than more high-profile attempts to breach the information blockade, such as sending balloons across the border.
North Koreans can tune into foreign broadcasts via radio sets purchased on the black market or government issued radios that have been tampered with to pick up non-government frequencies, while some North Koreans have also built their own radios to pick up external information.
Edited by Oliver Hotham
Featured Image: by nknews_hq on 2015-09-09 15:14:11

2017年7月31日月曜日

Iranians Concerned About Health Effects of Broadcast Jamming Equipment

Iranians Concerned About Health Effects of Broadcast Jamming Equipment


0:00:00 /0:05:48
Direct link

A protest in Iran has raised concerns about broadcast jamming equipment and its effect on human health.
The protest took place on January 9 in the southern city of Shiraz. Demonstrators gathered outside the offices of the governor of Fars province.
One demonstrator sent a video of the protest to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). The station reports to the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which also supervises Voice of America.
RFE/RL says the protesters blamed the government’s jamming operations for health problems among local residents. People accused the equipment of causing problems such as a sharp pain in the head and even cancer.
Iran’s government has long interfered with Persian language broadcasts by Western media to try to stop Iranians from watching or listening to them.
Some jamming equipment uses electromagnetic waves that critics say are responsible for the health problems.
Former Iranian lawmaker Ali Akbar Mousavi investigated the issue of jamming. Mousavi now lives in the United States. He told VOA the Shiraz protesters were concerned about a comment reportedly made by Iran’s deputy health minister, Reza Malekzadeh. The official spoke about a link between jamming equipment and public health.
Malekzadeh reportedly said “preliminary studies” found that electromagnetic jamming signals can increase the risk of cancer. Iran’s state-operated news agency, IRNA, reported the comment in a story published in December of 2016. It said he was speaking during a visit to a cancer research event in Shiraz. He provided no further details on the studies that he noted.
Iran’s Financial Tribune newspaper noted that Health Minister Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi later questioned the importance of his deputy’s comments. Hashemi reportedly said his ministry still lacked “strong scientific evidence to prove that jamming can enhance the risk of cancer or exacerbate health problems.”
The United Nations’ World Health Organization (WHO) says scientific research does not confirm any health effects from exposure to low-level electromagnetic fields. It also said, “Some gaps in knowledge about biological effects exist, and need further research.”
Ali Akbar Mousavi served as vice-chair of the Iranian parliament’s information and communications technology committee. In an email to VOA, he said he had seen “many” reports of Iranian lawmakers and civil society members speaking out in recent years against the government’s jamming activities.
“My colleagues and I raised the same concerns (about jamming) as members of the 6th Iranian parliament and succeeded in stopping it through public pressure,” he said. “Unfortunately, the government started jamming again when (former President) Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to power (in 2005).”
Jamming is barred under rules of the International Telecommunications Union, of which Iran is a member.
Mousavi said he expects criticism of jamming to continue until the Iranian government stops what he called an “illegal” practice.
I’m Kaveh Razaei.

Michael Lipin reported on this story for VOANews.com. Afshar Sigarchi provided additional information George Grow adapted their report for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor.
_____________________________________

Iranians Protest Against Broadcast Jamming, Point to Health Concerns

Iranians Protest Against Broadcast Jamming, Point to Health Concerns



FILE - President Hassan Rouhani (center) listens to head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi (left) while attending a ceremony marking the national day of nuclear technology in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, April 7, 2016. Iran's Health Minister Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi is at right.

A rare protest by Iranians against their government’s use of broadcast jamming equipment is bringing global attention to growing concerns about the health impact of the practice.
Dozens of residents of the southern Iranian city of Shiraz joined the protest January 9, rallying outside the headquarters of the governor of Fars province, of which Shiraz is the capital. Participants sent a video of the protest to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, a U.S. government-funded network supervised by the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which also oversees VOA.
RFE/RL reported that the protesters blamed the government’s local jamming operations for a series of health problems suffered by residents, from headaches to cancer. Some chanted, “Jamming is betrayal of the people,” while others said good health is an “inalienable right.”
Iran’s Islamist government has long jammed Persian-language broadcasts by Western news organizations such as VOA, RFE/RL and the BBC to try to stop its people from watching them. Some jamming equipment uses electromagnetic waves that critics say are the cause of the health problems.
Former Iranian lawmaker Ali-Akbar Mousavi, who investigated jamming while serving from 2000 to 2003, and who now lives in the United States, told VOA one factor that raised the alarm of the Shiraz protesters was Iran’s deputy health minister Reza Malekzadeh making remarks about a link between jamming and public health.
In an article published December 22, 2016, Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA quoted Malekzadeh as saying “preliminary studies” indicated that electromagnetic jamming signals can increase the risk of cancer. He gave no further detail on the studies that he cited. IRNA said Malekzadeh was speaking on the sidelines of a cancer research event in Shiraz.
Iran’s Financial Tribune newspaper says Iranian Health Minister Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi later downplayed his deputy’s remarks. It quoted Hashemi as saying his ministry still lacked “strong scientific evidence to prove that jamming can enhance the risk of cancer or exacerbate health problems.”
The World Health Organization says scientific literature “does not confirm the existence of any health consequences from exposure to low-level electromagnetic fields.” The U.N. body also said “some gaps in knowledge about biological effects exist, and need further research.”
Iranian social media users shared their thoughts about the jamming controversy with the VOA Persian Service’s New Horizon program Tuesday.
Some who commented on the program’s Facebook and Instagram pages complained of headaches and other health issues that they blamed on government jamming in Shiraz. One noted that jamming of foreign programs had decreased in recent days and his health had improved, while another said jamming appeared to have increased in part of the city.

In an email to VOA, Mousavi, who served as vice chair of the Iranian parliament’s information and communications technology (ICT) committee, said he had seen many reports of Iranian lawmakers and civil society members speaking out in recent years against the government’s jamming activities.
“My colleagues and I raised the same concerns [about jamming] as members of the sixth Iranian parliament and succeeded in stopping it through public pressure,” he said. “Unfortunately, the government started jamming again when [former President] Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to power [in 2005].”
Jamming, the practice of deliberate interference with broadcast signals, is prohibited under rules of the International Telecommunications Union, of which Iran is a member.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani issued a Citizens’ Rights Charter last month, stating that: “Citizens have the right to freely and without discrimination enjoy access to and communicate and obtain information and knowledge from cyberspace.”
The document says the “imposition of any type of restriction (such as filtering, interference, speed reduction and network interruption) without explicit legal authority is prohibited.” It is not clear if the prohibition applies to jamming of foreign broadcasts.
Mousavi said he expects domestic criticism of jamming to continue until the Iranian government stops what he called an illegal practice.
VOA’s Persian service contributed to this report.

2015年3月5日木曜日

U.S.-Cuba Thaw Could Muffle Air Wars



U.S.-Cuba Thaw Could Muffle Air Wars
by Randy J. Stine
on 03.03.2015
     
http://www.radioworld.com/images/storyToolboxLabel.jpghttp://www.radioworld.com/images/icon_print.gifprint  http://www.radioworld.com/images/icon_rss.gifrss 

Intentional Cuban-spawned interference to U.S. AM radio stations, mostly in southern Florida, has become less of a problem in recent years. Newly improved relations between the United States and the communist-run island nation may eliminate the problem forever, according to several observers.
http://www.radioworld.com/Portals/0/New-Marti-Logo-Color-sml.jpgFormer Cuban leader Fidel Castro’s efforts to block U.S. broadcasts from reaching his country, sometimes referred to as “radio wars,” are well documented. High-powered Cuban radio transmissions occasionally have interfered with U.S. AM radio broadcasts since the mid-1980s.
Most AM experts contacted for this article believe the electronic warfare was in response to the U.S. government’s launch of Radio Martí in 1984.
The Broadcasting Board of Governors is an independent federal agency responsible for U.S. government-sponsored civilian international broadcasting. Its Office of Cuba Broadcasting oversees Radio Martí, whose mission is to promote freedom and democracy by providing the people of Cuba with objective news and information programming.
Cuba, which sits just over 90 miles south of Key West, Fla., continues to jam Radio Martí’s short- and medium-wave broadcasts into that country regularly.
Cuba is not a signatory to the International Telecommunication Union’s Region II Agreement governing Western Hemisphere radio allocations, and the country doesn’t conform to the restraints of the agreement, according to sources. At one time Cuba employed a network of high-power AM transmitters that created noise to intentionally jam the broadcast signals of AM stations as far away as Utah, Minnesota, Iowa and Ohio, observers said.
http://www.radioworld.com/Portals/0/rw-Cuba%20Roberts.jpg
Florida Association of Broadcasters President/CEO C. Patrick Roberts said the number of reported instances of interference has declined in the past decade.
“Purely anecdotal evidence … seems to show the interference from Cuba as being less of a problem now,” said one person familiar with the situation. 
Florida Association of Broadcasters President/CEO C. Patrick Roberts said the number of reported instances of interference is down the past decade, though some of the improvement may be attributable to power increases at a dozen or more AM stations in Florida.
“We really haven’t had any recent complaints [about interference]. It used to be an ongoing problem, but less so in recent years. I would say it has been less of an issue the past 10 years,” said Roberts. He predicts such interference will drop off further thanks to political change.
SPECIAL TEMPORARY AUTHORITY
A number of AM stations in Miami and across Florida have for years operated at increased power levels under special temporary authority from the FCC in order to combat the effects of jamming, according to Roberts.
For example, iHeartMedia station WINZ(AM), Miami, at 940 kHz is licensed for 50 kW daytime and 10 kW at night but has operated at 25 kilowatts at night under STA to overcome skywave interference from Cuban station CMKD, according to FCC records.
The STA dates to 1981; the commission has been regularly granting the extensions at six-month intervals. WINZ most recently received an extension in September 2014; it expires March 5, 2015, according to FCC data.
“This authority is subject to termination upon reduction of power or cessation of operation by the Cuban operation or upon commission instruction to WINZ, at which time WINZ must return to licensed operating parameters,” the commission states in the documents.
The FCC said the exact number of AM stations employing STA-granted higher-power to help overcome Cuban interference is unavailable.
Similar arrangements are in place at Miami area AMs like WAXY (Lincoln Financial Media), WQAM (CBS Radio), WHIM (Caron Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Salem Communications), WIOD (iHeartMedia), WQBA (WQBA[AM] License Corp.) and WSUA (WSUA Broadcasting Corp.), according to observers.
AMs operating with STAs could face challenges renewing their authorizations if those are no longer justified, according to those familiar with the practice.
Roberts believes AMs that have STAs now will keep those. “Many have been at these higher power levels for a long time. I don’t expect a policy change at the FCC regardless of improving relations between the two countries.”
http://www.radioworld.com/Portals/0/rw-Cuba%20Radio%20Marti.jpg
Cuban rapper Naykon (center) joins Radio Martí’s Juan Juan Almeida (left) and Lizandra Diaz Blanco (right) on “1800 Online,” featuring irreverent interviews with bloggers, artists, entrepreneurs, technology aficionados, sports and entertainment celebrities, bridging Cubans living both on and off the island.
DIRECTIONAL ARRAYS
AM broadcasters affected by the consistent jamming in the 1980s through the early 2000s have spent a lot of money on their facilities to boost power levels and build directional arrays, according to one AM radio expert.
Several broadcast engineering consultants familiar with south Florida AMs declined to comment for Radio World because of the sensitive nature of client work.
The major U.S. policy shift toward the communist-run island announced late last year by President Barack Obama could eventually increase the flow of free media into Cuba, experts believe.
However, the long-term impact of the most recent developments on Radio Martí broadcasts to Cuba is not clear, those familiar with the government service said. The Office of Cuban Broadcasting has a 2015 budget request of about $27.1 million;OCB employs approximately 117 employees, plus contractors.
OCB Director Carlos Garcia-Perez said the shift in U.S. policy concerning Cuba does not change the mission of Radio Martí, which is to deliver news and information to people in Cuba so its citizens can make educated decisions regarding their future. Radio Martí “is more relevant than ever before. Our work is more important than ever,” said Garcia-Perez.
He compares the work of Radio Martí to other government-supported programming, such as Radio Free Europe, “that is still delivered to what are now allied nations. They’ve continued to broadcast in those cases,” Garcia-Perez said.
Cuba is successful in jamming some of Radio Martí’s 24-hour shortwave and medium-wave transmissions into the country, but not all, according to Garcia-Perez.
The government radio service also relies on the use of social media, mobile devices and its website to bypass the broadcast jamming and get content into Cuba, Garcia-Perez said.
“Our numbers of website hits have been way up since the announcement by President Obama. Our website provides circumvention tools to help our audience in Cuba eliminate censorship,” Garcia-Perez said.
OCB also uses SMS text messaging to communicate directly with almost a million Cubans cell phone users, according to its website.
Not everyone is supportive of Martí, which faces increased political scrutiny.
In January, Minnesota Democrat Rep. Betty McCollum reintroduced a measure to end U.S. taxpayer funding of Radio and TV Martí. Over the 30 years the U.S. has funded these efforts, they have cost taxpayers $770 million, and in 2015 Cuba broadcast will cost American taxpayers $27 million, according to McCollum, who characterized Radio and TV Martí as “outdated Cold War artifacts” and “propaganda broadcasting” in the measure.
McCollum submitted the same bill in 2011, but the measure failed to garner enough support to pass Congress.
New BBG CEO Andrew Lack, sworn in this January, has not commented publicly about how the latest developments may impact Radio and TV Martí.
The Committee for U.S. International Broadcasting — which describes itself as a nonpartisan, nongovernmental organization working to strengthen flow of uncensored news to countries with restricted and developing media environments — remains supportive of Radio and TV Martí.
“This is not the time to curtail nor eliminate funding to OCB,” said Ann Noonan, CUSIB co-founder. “OCB funding is not a waste of money.”
CUSIB has warned that it’s unlikely changes in the relationship between the U.S. and Cuba will result quickly in a free press in Cuba.
With Raul Castro in January “calling for the end of Radio and TV Martí broadcast into Cuba in order to normalize relations, it is unlikely Cuba will embrace the idea of a free press,” Noonan said.
CUSIB co-founder Ted Lipien noted in the online Digital Journal in January that Radio and TV Martí reporters were still not being allowed travel to Cuba and report from there.
The Castro regime “is likely to fight tooth and nail to prevent media freedom,” wrote A. Ross Johnson, a former director of Radio Free Europe, and S. Enders Wimbush, a former member of BBG, in an op-ed piece in the Washington Post in January.
- See more at: http://www.radioworld.com/article/us-cuba-thaw-could-muffle-air-wars/274803#sthash.2e01jYPC.dpuf