I saw a report that the Cuban AMs were off the air Monday morning and rushed to the Key West SDR, where I found everything normal, but I found every Cuban signal other than Radio Reloj simulcasting. Then the usually near local signal strength Reloj on 950 began to fade away, and I flipped to other signals that were also fading. I checked another Miami SDR and couldn't really tell other than I heard Cuban signals. . Worth watching the next couple of days. We'll also see if they dust off those superpower power levels
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Cuba AM after the protests
- Thread starter gr8oldies
- Start date
I was wondering about this sort of thing myself. Given that to the best of my understanding, the Cuban Government normally responds to dissent and protest with all-out brute force, I presume that they'll be some sort of fallout impacting the Cuban AM radio outlets. I'm normally out of range for most Cuban signals, but the SDRs in Florida area could make for some interesting listening.
UPDATE: The Key West SDR is suffering from blanking noise across the band at times today, and it doesn't appear that there was anything wrong with the actual signals. When the noise was off, everything was there. Everyone that was not Reloj carried the marathon Presidential speech, where apparently he declared that the US was responsible for the protests
I just visited the Miami and Key West SDRs. The Key West rig was full of noise, but some of the Cuban signals came through. The Miami receiver had less noise, so a number of Cuban signals were listenable. It sounded to me pretty much like business as usual for R. Rebelde and R. Progreso. They both had musical programs, although Rebelde was punctuated by talk. R. Reloj on 950 was pretty much overwhelmed by the noise on the Key West SDR, but was in the clear on 570 on the Miami radio. Again it sounded like business as usual, but I couldn't really tell. Then there was R. Enciclopedia on 530. Seemingly nothing out of the ordinary there either (on the Miami SDR). Female announcers and a slightly more uptempo version of the elevator music they play at night.
What was missing was R. Nacional on 590 (a classical music station). Absent on both SDRs. I know from past experience that R. Nacional in Key West should have been strong enough to break through the noise on the channel. In Miami it should have been under WAFC (Clewiston, FL). Finally, R. Marti on 1180. In the clear on the Key West SDR with all politics, and R. Rebelde "chorus" underneath. Not surprising, I guess. I must have head the word "revolution" a half dozen times in less than five minutes.
What was missing was R. Nacional on 590 (a classical music station). Absent on both SDRs. I know from past experience that R. Nacional in Key West should have been strong enough to break through the noise on the channel. In Miami it should have been under WAFC (Clewiston, FL). Finally, R. Marti on 1180. In the clear on the Key West SDR with all politics, and R. Rebelde "chorus" underneath. Not surprising, I guess. I must have head the word "revolution" a half dozen times in less than five minutes.
For the crystal clear listen of the Cuban networks, you can find them here: Radio Enciclopedia | Audio en Vivo. This aggregates all of them and I did find Radio Musical Nacional streaming (can't tell you about 590 though). Things seem to have settled down, Radio Rebelde what sounded like someone in the studio interviewing a reporter (unusually light hearted and I doubt any Cuban station is going to have live call ins) and I've got Enciclopedia with kind of light jazz.
Communist governments, such as those in Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela tend to downplay or ignore negative news. While Cuba has a tendency to have the national leader make long, long speeches, the media will generally give little or no coverage to anything negative.
Venezuelan media still in private hands knows that reporting on anything that negatively impacts the government will result in either closure or suspension. Nicaragua confiscates opposing media or has them burnt down, something they learned from "pineapple face" Ortega years ago. Cuba can emprision protesters, or restrict horribly food rations, jobs and the like.
Similarly, authoritarian regimes in our hemisphere have always persecuted protesters, whatever their flavor. Rojas in Colombia, Pinochet in Chile and Peron and the Peronistas in Argentina are examples, but there are many more. I was removed from Ecuador when my talk station's news alliance with the El Tiempo newspaper and a political party acted against us: the editor of the paper "disappeared" and was never seen again.
So, generally, you can expect Cuba to arrest the organizers of a protest and to say little about them in the state-owned media. "Move on, folks, nothing to see".
>>Finally, R. Marti on 1180. In the clear on the Key West SDR with all politics, and R. Rebelde "chorus" underneath. Not surprising, I guess. I must have head the word "revolution" a half dozen times in less than five minutes.>>
I listened a bit to the Key West receiver this afternoon and also heard Radio Marti loud and clear.
The other Cuban stations seemed to be pretty much there as usual.
I listened a bit to the Key West receiver this afternoon and also heard Radio Marti loud and clear.
The other Cuban stations seemed to be pretty much there as usual.
The thought actually crossed my mind after my post that the Cuban Government's approach might actually be...."Nothing to see here". Thanks for your insightl
I used to always get an annoying hum on R. Enciclopedia online, so I haven't tried it for quite a while. Probably two years or so.
I'll give it another shot. I actually like their music for bedtime or relaxing. I also like R. Nacional. (Suffice to say that I have very eclectic tastes in music.)
Unless they shoot a bunch of protestors in the street.
Whatever is coming through on 1180 right now on the Key West SDR is pretty strong. Strongest AM signal, in fact, on the receiver, throwing some slop onto 1190. There's a little interference underneath, interference appropriate for a station 90 miles away with a salt water path, so guessing it's the Cuban station. I don't know how well Marti comes in in Key West given their highly directional pattern.
I don't speak Spanish or understand much, but I have heard "New York Times," "Twitter" and "revolution" a handful of times and even a few chuckles from the hosts.
I don't speak Spanish or understand much, but I have heard "New York Times," "Twitter" and "revolution" a handful of times and even a few chuckles from the hosts.
In which case they will call them "rioters" and say the police acted to defend the honest and honorable communist citizens who were put at risk by the rioters.
Key West may be in the edge of the null of Radio Marti, Their pattern is essentially about 120° to 150° wide from Marathon, aimed right at Cuba. So Key West would be in a lesser signal area. Marathon is 50 miles over salt water from Key West, so I'm guessing that the signal is still pretty strong there.
Martí is online at Listen Live - Audio en vivo: Radio Martí - Radio y Televisión Martí | RadioTelevisionMarti.com so you might compare the SDR signal with the stream.
I've heard Martí in Miami near Coconut Grove and Coral Gables on a car radio, weak but listenable, with no Cuban interference in the daytime.
It would be very unusual for a Cuban station to be covering US sports, so that sounds a lot like Martí.
I always wondered why Martí covered US sports, which would be of little interest in Cuba unless it is to show the Latino presence in sports, particularly baseball, in the US. I've done the Congressionally mandated annual review of Martí on two occasions, so I have a residual interest in that operation.
Could this be why Marti covers baseball?
List of baseball players who defected from Cuba - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
And supposedly, ive heard.. when Marti is doing a game, Cuba doesnt jam it.
Going back 35 or so years ago, the Pan American games were in Indianapolis, and that included baseball. There was a story about a defector playing for the USA. In the clip that was translated, the Cuban radio announcer referred to him as "the traitor".
I caught a weak Marti off the Bonaire SDR, and all I really caught was the name (excitedly) Justin Bieber! I thought "that'll make those commie kids capatalist!
I'm sure that is part of the reasoning, since baseball is the national sport of Cuba. Soccer never took hold in PR, the Dominican Republic or Cuba.
I'd never heard that! It would seem illogical to promote an anti-Castro, anti-Communist station even for a few hours.
It can't "not" jam it unless it's going to shut off 34 stations carrying Radio Rebelde. I've not heard of that happeningCould this be why Marti covers baseball?
List of baseball players who defected from Cuba - Wikipedia
And supposedly, ive heard.. when Marti is doing a game, Cuba doesnt jam it.
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