Shortwave Log, Northern Germany, November 2013 (2)

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1. Radio Botswana

Another log that takes a look at African radio, after these notes on Voice of Nigeria in September. Radio Botswana is owned by the government of the southern African country where the diamonds are forever. Radio Botswana broadcasts in English and Setswana, and appears to have done so since about 1966, formerly as Radio Bechuanaland. (Yes, KT, the station is online, too, and at least one out of the country’s two million citizens is a musician.)

Obviously, China Radio International (CRI) or, more precisely, a company with a name that amounts to Global Field Media company (环球广域传媒公司), has opened a studio there, but only recently. The Chinese ministry of foreign affairs reported on July 16 this year that on July 15, CRI’s director Wang Gengnian (王庚年), Chinese ambassador to Botswana Zheng Zhuqiang (郑竹强), a deputy secretary from the Botswanean presidential office of public administration as well as delegates from the a/m Global Field Media company, Radio Botswana and from Chinese and overseas Chinese circles had been present at an opening ceremony of a CRI Gabarone program studio (中国国际广播电台哈博罗内节目制作室). CRI is scheduled to contribute material to the programs produced there, as is Radio Botswana.

Three days later, according to Xinhua, Wang Gengnian and the Global Field Media company were in Zambia, for the inauguration of an Overseas Chinese Weekly (华侨周报) there. China’s ambassador to Zambia, Zhou Yuxiao (周欲晓) also attended the ceremony.

Radio Botswana QSL, 1986

The Voice of America (VoA) operates from Moepeng Hill, Botswana, some twenty kilometers from Selebi-Phikwe. According to the British DX Club’s Africa on Shortwave, Radio Botswana was last heard on shortwave in early 2004 (In Britain, anyway). That said, the station is a domestic broadcaster, with no ambitions to be heard worldwide.

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2. Recent Logs

International Telecommunication Union letter codes used in the table underneath:
ARG – Argentina; BOT – Botswana;  CUB – Cuba; IRL – Ireland; NZL – New Zealand; THA – Thailand; TIB – Tibet.

Languages (“L.”):
C – Chinese; E – English; F – French.

Signal Quality
S (strength) / I (interferences) / O (overall merit)
5 = excellent; 3 = fair; 1 = barely audible.

kHz	Station	Ctry	L.	Day	GMT	S	I	O
4920	PBS Tibet	TIB	E	Nov 2	16:00	2	4	2
4905	PBS Tibet	TIB	E	Nov 2	16:00	1	2	1
5505	Shannon Volmet	IRL	E	Nov 2	17:55	5	5	5
4930	VoA*)	BOT	E	Nov 2	17:58	4	3	3
5040	RHC Cuba	CUB	E	Nov 3	05:45	4	5	4
5040	RHC Cuba	CUB	E	Nov 3	06:45	5	5	5
5040	RHC Cuba	CUB	E	Nov 3	07:00	5	5	5
9965	Radio Thailand	THA	E	Nov 9	19:00	4	5	4
11710	RAE Buenos Aires	ARG	F	Nov 22	03:00	4	5	4
11710	RAE Buenos Aires	ARG	C	Nov 22	04:30	4	4	4
11710	RAE Buenos Aires	ARG	C	Nov 22	04:40	3	3	3
15720	Radio New Zealand	NZL	E	Nov 27	12:30	4	5	4
11725	Radio New Zealand	NZL	E	Nov 30	07:00	5	5	4

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Notes

^*) See 1) Radio Botswana.

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Tags: Africa, America, Bremen, Britain, business, China, commodities, Confucius Institute, Cuba, development, diplomacy, foreign investment, international, journalism, media, Overseas Chinese, propaganda, public diplomacy, shortwave radio, soft power, Thailand, Tibet, world