Radio Santa Mónica new from Peru on 4965 kHz

Radio Santa Mónica from Cusco in southern Peru has been heard on 4965 kHz. The station was first logged on February 17 by Björn Malm in Ecuador. Radio Santa Mónica has been reported on a slightly variable frequency, from 4964.2 to 4965.0 kHz, signing off around or after 0100 UTC, as reported in the SWB. Previously Radio Santa Mónica (OAZ7J) has operated only on FM and on 1370 kHz mediumwave, but it seems very likely that they have bought the shortwave transmitter earlier used by OAZ7B Radio San Miguel, which used to be a relatively common catch in the 90's on the frequency of 4965 kHz. Takayuki Inoue Nozaki from Japan visited the studio of Radio Santa Mónica at Urbanizacion Marcavalle P-20, Cusco, in 1999. According to him, Radio Santa Mónica broadcast daily at 0800-0400 UTC simultaneously on 1370 kHz mediumwave (1 kW) and 93.9 MHz FM. The station has also an FM repeater in Anta, broadcasting on 105.3 MHz with an output power of only 0.3 kW. Radio Santa Mónica has specialized in Peruvian folk music programming.The broadcasting enterprise Productoras Musical Flower - Radio Santa Mónica was established by Walter Farfan Flower on May 24, 1988.
(DXing.info, February 25, 2003, updated March 14)

Radio Tikrit broadcasting to Iraq on 1584 kHz

A new clandestine radio service to Iraq has been observed on 1584 kHz. The station broadcasts in Arabic and identifies as Radio Tikrit, referring to the town of Tikrit (located some 170 kilometers north of Baghdad), where Iraqi president Saddam Hussein was born and where a large part of the ruling elite hails from. Although logged only on 1584 kHz, Radio Tikrit was initially heard announcing the frequency of 1557 kHz, which has later been corrected. Radio Tikrit broadcasts at 1900-2100 UTC (22.00-24.00 Baghdad time), dominating the frequency even in parts of Europe. According to an email received by Nick Grace, the station is operated by the Iraqi National Accord (INA), just like Twin Rivers Radio (1566 kHz) and al-Mustaqbal (1575 kHz), all of which are presumed to originate from the same CIA-operated transmitter in Kuwait.
      In the beginning the station broadcast popular Arabic music and only brief announcements. Pro-Iraqi news, press reviews and commentary were added soon, but unlike on Iraqi Radio, the national anthem was not played. Later, the tone became hostile to the Iraqi regime. According to an unconfirmed report, the voice of one of the announcers had been recognized as the same one as heard on US-run Information Radio broadcasting to Iraq, suggesting that also the programming of Radio Tikrit would be produced by the 4th Psychological Operations Group at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
      Radio Tikrit was presumably first logged by Björn Fransson in Sweden on February 3. A sample station identification is available in the audio section.
(DXing.info, February 6, 2003, last updated February 24)

BFBS on shortwave to British soldiers in the Gulf

The British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) is extending its coverage for UK troops in the Persian Gulf. BFBS has begun shortwave transmissions as follows:

Time (UTC):	Frequency (kHz):
0200-0300	6025
0200-0500	13720
0300-0400	6135
0400-0500	9820
1500-1700	15530
1500-1800	5945
1700-1800	12040

BFBS already broadcasts on FM in Ali Al Salem, Kuwait (102.0 and 107.0 MHz); Al Kharj in Saudi Arabia (96.2 MHz) as well as in Thumbrayt, Oman (102.4 and 105.2 MHz), and will be rolling out several new FM transmitters as more troops arrive.
      BFBS is operated by the Services Sound and Vision Corporation (SSVC), which is a registered charity set up to entertain and inform Britain's Armed Forces around the world. SSVC has supplied over 800 portable radios to British troops to help keep them in touch with home. BFBS has two radio networks, broadcasting pop music and speech radio 24 hours a day.
      BFBS went on air at the end of 1943 when an experimental Forces Radio station was opened in a harem in Algiers. Since then, it has broadcast from 20 countries and 67 radio stations around the world. DXing.info audio archive contains BFBS station identifications both during the ongoing Operation Telic (referring to UK military contingency preparations in relation to Iraq) and during Operation Granby (the Gulf War) in 1990-1991. BFBS can be contacted by email or by writing to BFBS UK, Narcot Lane, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire SL9 8TN or BFPO 786, United Kingdom. News on BFBS shortwave transmissions was first reported by Kai Ludwig in DXLD 3-022.
(DXing.info, February 10, 2003, last update on February 16)

European Music Radio two hours bi-weekly via Latvia

European Music Radio (EMR) is broadcasting for three more Sundays over a Latvian shortwave transmitter before a long summer break. EMR programming can be heard at 1500-1700 UTC on 5935 kHz on February 23, March 9 and March 23, 2003. After that, broadcasts will resume in October, because the required coverage area is not achieved during the summer. EMR is using a 100-kilowatt transmitter located in Ulbroka near Riga. Reception reports are welcome and should be sent by email or by snail mail (along with a return postage of $1 or 1 IRC for a new QSL) to European Music Radio, c/o Laserradio.net, BCM Aquarius, London WC1N 3XX, United Kingdom.
(DXing.info, February 17, 2003)

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