Russian Government Broadcast on 1430 AM

[Barry]

WNSW 1430 AM is now carrying an English language broadcast from the Voice of Russia, which used to be Radio Moscow. It is an interesting listen for anyone who may be interested in Russian news and culture, from a broadcast service run by the Russian government.
Here is a link to their rather interesting website, in English: http://english.ruvr.ru/radio_broadcast/25369469/.
It mentions an FM broadcast in New York. I do not know whether that is a mistaken reference to 1430 AM, or whether they are also on an FM frequency.
I have heard foreign government broadcasts on local frequencies in some other places, but this is the first time I can recall this being done in New York.

 

[nd2023]

87.7 is Russian

 

[Identnut]

I wonder what happened to the Spanish Christian format. They actually had a repeater here in Puerto Rico.

 

[Barry]

87.7 is Russian

Radio Positiv, a local station broadcasting in Russian on WNYZ 88.7 FM, AFAIK is totally separate from the Voice of Russia. What I meant in my original post is that the Voice of Russia indicates on their website that VOR is being relayed on an FM frequency in New York. I believe that what they really were referring to is that they are now being carried on WNSW 1430 AM.
There is also another separate local Russian broadcast on 620 AM. They carry mostly talk programming, while WNYZ 88.7 offers mostly Russian music.

 

[MarcB]

I wonder what happened to the Spanish Christian format. They actually had a repeater here in Puerto Rico.

It moved to 1530 AM WJDM. And at one time it was on WBQN 1160 in Puerto Rico, but not any more.

 

[Barry]

What was previously on WJDM 1530 AM? I can barely receive that station.

 

[Identnut]

It moved to 1530 AM WJDM. And at one time it was on WBQN 1160 in Puerto Rico, but not any more.

I heard that station on translator W279BV 103.7 in San Juan.

 

[Barry]

Here is a link to the announcement by the Voice of Russia. It indicates that the broadcast on WNSW began by 10/1/10. If that is correct, Radio Cantico must have left the frequency about two months ago.
The article states they are also on 1390 AM, in Washington D.C.
http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/10/01/23541245.html

 

[DToTheJ]

Well, this press release says that the "new" station on 1430 debuts today, as well as on a station in Washington, D.C.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...news--perspective-to-americans-123539349.html

 

[WNTIRadio]

Like hell the Russians or the Chinese (who are buying time on WILD in Boston) would let the USA buy time on one of their radio stations... ESPECIALLY the Chi-Comms. And the gummit is going to shut down VOA shortwave service. The times they are a changin'.

 

[davideduardo]

Like hell the Russians or the Chinese (who are buying time on WILD in Boston) would let the USA buy time on one of their radio stations... ESPECIALLY the Chi-Comms. And the gummit is going to shut down VOA shortwave service. The times they are a changin'.

There are several declassified reports online that show how VOA has bought time on some of the many Russian commercial stations, but that it is getting harder with reduced budgets and fierce competition among stations who don't want to run the boring VOA stuff.

Shortwave is an anachronism in today's world and useless in reaching younger generations.

 

[WNTIRadio]

I would argue that shortwave isn't, especially to reach developing/poor countries. You think the guy in rural Africa has the internet, never mind a phone or electricity? He probably does have a small portable radio. And with China's (and other dictator driven regimes) inclination to block internet traffic, shortwave provides a convenient way around that. I'm sure nobody in North Korea has unblocked internet access, if they have internet access at all.

Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Shortwave still has it's place but the administration would rather spend the $$ on a new battle that isn't ours in Libya (besides the other 2 that aren't ours either).

 

[ercjncpr]

Like hell the Russians or the Chinese (who are buying time on WILD in Boston) would let the USA buy time on one of their radio stations... ESPECIALLY the Chi-Comms. And the gummit is going to shut down VOA shortwave service. The times they are a changin'.

There are several declassified reports online that show how VOA has bought time on some of the many Russian commercial stations, but that it is getting harder with reduced budgets and fierce competition among stations who don't want to run the boring VOA stuff.

Shortwave is an anachronism in today's world and useless in reaching younger generations.

It is strange for me to agree with you David having been a shortwave listener from 1964 to 2002. But tis sadly true!

 

[davideduardo]

I would argue that shortwave isn't, especially to reach developing/poor countries.

If you live in a poor country, the likelihood that you have, today, a shortwave radio, is minimal. Many places in Africa have even eliminated AM, along with domestic shortwave.

Yet, as I mentioned earlier, when Burkina Faso's capital has 20 or so FMs, and a population with a median age around 28, why would anyone want to listen to fading, static-ridden shortwave (if they even know what sortwave is). Even smaller towns have several FMs

And, if you look at the cellular phone penetration in the developing world, you see that many people simply jumped from no phone to cellular, bypassing the landline experience. And the ability to use cellphones as radios is quite prevalent... with far less expensive phone plans available.

You think the guy in rural Africa has the internet, never mind a phone or electricity?

Have you ever been to rural Africa? In small settlements, radio (and TV if available) is often used in groups, sometimes at the town store or other gathering place. Do you really think that the relatively young population wants to hear most of the kind of stuff on shortwave today?

I'm sure nobody in North Korea has unblocked internet access, if they have internet access at all.

And in places like that... Myanmar, North Korea, etc., listening to shortwave is often illegal.

SW may have worked behind the Iron Curtain in the peak of the cold war, but the audience was of the generation that knew shortwave and was better off and relatively educated. Rural subsaharan Africans have no habit of SW usage.

Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Shortwave still has it's place but the administration would rather spend the $$ on a new battle that isn't ours in Libya (besides the other 2 that aren't ours either).

I'd just as soon stick to radio, and there is ample evidence that SW is of limited impact and decreasing as time goes by. Further, it's disingenuous to think that most of the world's population wants to hear US points of view today.

 

[recto101]

Like hell the Russians or the Chinese (who are buying time on WILD in Boston) would let the USA buy time on one of their radio stations... ESPECIALLY the Chi-Comms. And the gummit is going to shut down VOA shortwave service. The times they are a changin'.

The Chinese have 92.3 in San Jose

 

[Barry]

The Voice of Russia has been on WNSW 1430 AM since late last year. But apparently the Russians are promoting this as "new" because now part of the programming originates in Washington D.C., rather than Moscow. VOR will be maintaining a bureau in the nation's capital. Some of the correspondents are Americans that had worked for other U.S. news organizations.
The VOR website states that programming on the station will originate daily from Washington 6-9 AM, and "evening primetime." It also mentions they hope to expand the portion of their broadcast that originates in the U.S.

Description Includes Some of the American Journalists Now Working For this Broadcast: http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/10/01/2...gn=0d38ea2744-TRI_06-10-2011&utm_medium=email

 

[WNTIRadio]

I'd just as soon stick to radio, and there is ample evidence that SW is of limited impact and decreasing as time goes by. Further, it's disingenuous to think that most of the world's population wants to hear US points of view today.

e

What makes you think that we want to hear the Chinese government's point of view (not the regular Chinese people, but the gov't). A government that has abused masses of its citizens for the past 90 years and continues to commit human rights atrocities all the while funding our biggest enemies, such as Iran and N. Korea.

Would it have been okay if Hitler bought time on a radio station in 1939?

Just curious, it seems a bit out of place to me to give them that opening. I also think it's insane that we fund them by buying everything made there because it's cheap and they don't have to pay workers any type of living wage... but that's another post for another board.

 

[ercjncpr]

I would argue that shortwave isn't, especially to reach developing/poor countries.

If you live in a poor country, the likelihood that you have, today, a shortwave radio, is minimal. Many places in Africa have even eliminated AM, along with domestic shortwave.

Yet, as I mentioned earlier, when Burkina Faso's capital has 20 or so FMs, and a population with a median age around 28, why would anyone want to listen to fading, static-ridden shortwave (if they even know what sortwave is). Even smaller towns have several FMs

And, if you look at the cellular phone penetration in the developing world, you see that many people simply jumped from no phone to cellular, bypassing the landline experience. And the ability to use cellphones as radios is quite prevalent... with far less expensive phone plans available.

You think the guy in rural Africa has the internet, never mind a phone or electricity?

Have you ever been to rural Africa? In small settlements, radio (and TV if available) is often used in groups, sometimes at the town store or other gathering place. Do you really think that the relatively young population wants to hear most of the kind of stuff on shortwave today?

I'm sure nobody in North Korea has unblocked internet access, if they have internet access at all.

And in places like that... Myanmar, North Korea, etc., listening to shortwave is often illegal.

SW may have worked behind the Iron Curtain in the peak of the cold war, but the audience was of the generation that knew shortwave and was better off and relatively educated. Rural subsaharan Africans have no habit of SW usage.

Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Shortwave still has it's place but the administration would rather spend the $$ on a new battle that isn't ours in Libya (besides the other 2 that aren't ours either).

I'd just as soon stick to radio, and there is ample evidence that SW is of limited impact and decreasing as time goes by. Further, it's disingenuous to think that most of the world's population wants to hear US points of view today.

Speaking again as a former long time SWL, David makes lots of valid points. Local FM radio has a much bigger penetration in most parts of the "3rd World" than it used to and the internet (especially with internet cafes) is available in most places now. Why do you think that BBC, Radio Netherlands, Deutsche Welle, NHK and so may other major broadcasters have largely abandoned shortwave. Simply because it is no longer a cost effective way to reach a global audience.

 

[davideduardo]

What makes you think that we want to hear the Chinese government's point of view (not the regular Chinese people, but the gov't). A government that has abused masses of its citizens for the past 90 years and continues to commit human rights atrocities all the while funding our biggest enemies, such as Iran and N. Korea.

We interrupt this rant to ask the simple question: where in my post do I say that anyone wants to hear either the Russian or Chinese programming?

Let those governments, with whom we have a negative balance of trade, spend some money here. Nearly nobody will listen, and our society is based on allowing all ideas to be exposed and allowing the people to decide with their support or lack of support how they take to those ideas. Since it appears that this concept of openness is not well understood by neither the Russians nor the Chinese, I find it somewhat amusing that they are wasting money under the idea that merely modulating a transmitter or two will make their ideas more appealing.

Would it have been okay if Hitler bought time on a radio station in 1939?

On a purely Constitutional basis, that would have been possible, although there were so few stations at the time that it is unlikely that any would have sold any time.

Just curious, it seems a bit out of place to me to give them that opening.

I guess the Constitution and Bill of Rights is a bit out of place, too.

I also think it's insane that we fund them by buying everything made there because it's cheap and they don't have to pay workers any type of living wage...

What's a "living wage" anyway? In a place where the cost of living is a tenth of what it is in, say, St. Louis, a "living wage" might be the local equivalent of 250 US dollars a month... or less.

This kind of "dollar comparison" against different cultures, economies and societies fails based on the fact that "living" is measured against local conditions, not against the standards and costs of things in the USA.

but that's another post for another board.

Back to radio: it's quite interesting that for many many decades the US, through the USIS, has bought or "finagled" broadcast time on local media outlets all over the world. But when a few isolated incidents... on technically inferior facilities... sells time to another government, then it's suddenly bad.

Heck, I can tell you about being offered... and then almost coerced... to carry USIS programs on my stations over 40 years ago and earning the wrath of the American Ambassador for not doing so.

 

[CTListener]

Would it have been okay if Hitler bought time on a radio station in 1939?

On a purely Constitutional basis, that would have been possible, although there were so few stations at the time that it is unlikely that any would have sold any time.

Oh, there was no need for Hitler to buy time. Plenty of stations aired Father Coughlin and similar anti-semitic Nazi apologists with no financial incentive from Germany at all. Don't forget that most Americans wanted to stay completely out of the war until Pearl Harbor was bombed. Nothing prior to that -- the beginnings of the Holocaust, the invasion of Poland, the pounding of England -- was considered sufficient reason to get involved.