Iraq Update

Tuesday, October 28 2003

FM BAND IN BAGHDAD (MHz)

 89.0 - BBC World Service in Arabic
 89.9 - Iranian Payam network in Persian
 90.1 - Iranian Voice of the Mujahidin in Arabic
 93.0 - Iranian Javan (Youth) network in Persian
 93.5 - Radio Monte Carlo-Middle East
 94.8 - Continuous Arabic music - no announcements
 96.7 - Iranian IRIB Arabic Service
 98.0 - BBC World Service in English
 98.1 - Iranian Payam network in Persian
 98.3 - Baghdad FM Radio
100.4 - US Radio Sawa in Arabic
101.6 - Iranian Javan (Youth) network in Persian
102.4 - Radio Free Iraq (RFE/RL)
104.1 - IQ4 Radio Iraq in English
107.8 - American Forces Network in English
AM/MEDIUMWAVE (kHz)

 531 - (Iranian) IRIB Radio Sarasarye network in Persian
 540 - Radio Kuwait Main Programme in Arabic
 549 - (Saudi) BSKSA General Programme in Arabic
 558 - IRIB Radio Farhang network in Persian
 576 - IRIB Arabic Service
 585 - (Saudi) BSKSA General Programme in Arabic
 594 - IRIB Radio Sarasarye network in Persian
 612 - IRIB Arabic Service
 630 - Radio Kuwait Koran Programme in Arabic
 639 - IRIB World Service in Kurdish
 648 - (Saudi) BSKSA General Programme in Arabic
 657 - New Iraq Radio in Arabic and Kurdish
 666 - IRIB Radio Sarasarye network in Persian
 693 - US Information Radio in Arabic
 702 - IRIB Radio Sarasarye network in Persian
 711 - IRIB Ahwaz regional in Arabic
 720 - Voice of the Mujahidin in Arabic
 729 - Emirates Radio, UAE, in Arabic
 756 - Information Radio in Arabic
 783 - BSKSA 2nd Programme in Arabic
 819 - Syrian Arab Republic Radio Main Programme in Arabic
 837 - IRIB Isfahan regional in Persian
 855 - BSKSA Koran Programme in Arabic
 864 - Radio Nejat in Persian
 873 - BSKSA Koran Programme in Arabic
 882 - BSKSA Koran Programme in Arabic
 900 - IRIB Radio Sarasarye network in Persian
 909 - Radio Nahrain
 918 - Syrian Arab Republic Radio Main Programme in Arabic
 936 - BSKSA Koran Programme in Arabic
 954 - Radio Qatar in Arabic
 972 - IRIB Radio Sarasarye network in Persian
 981 - IRIB Radio Sarasarye network in Persian
 990 - IRIB Radio Sarasarye network in Persian
1000 - Voice of the Worker Communist Party of Iraq
1026 - Iraqi Media Network - Radio Baghdad in Arabic
1053 - Republic of Iraq Radio, Voice of the Iraqi People in Arabic
1071 - IRIB Radio Ma'aref network in Persian
1089 - BSKSA 2nd Programme in Arabic
1089 - Radio Russia in Russian
1134 - Radio Kuwait Main Programme in Arabic
1152 - IRIB Radio Farhang network in Persian
1161 - IRIB Arabic Service
1170 - (US-run) Radio Farda in Persian
1179 - Voice of Iraq
1188 - IRIB Radio Payam network in Persian
1197 - IRIB Moghan regional in Persian
1224 - IRIB Arabic Service
1233 - Radio Monte Carlo Middle East, Cyprus
1242 - Radio Sultanate of Oman
1251 - IRIB Radio Sarasarye network in Persian
1260 - (US-run) Radio Sawa, Rhodes, Greece
1269 - Radio Kuwait Modern Arabic Music Service
1278 - IRIB Kermanshah regional in Persian
1287 - IDF Radio, Israel, in Hebrew
1295 - Voice of Azerbaijan in Azeri - Radio Liberty relay
1305 - Radio Al-Mustaqbal
1305 - IRIB Bushehr regional in Persian
1314 - (US-run) Radio Free Iraq via Abu Dhabi
1323 - BBC World Service, Cyprus, in English
1332 - IRIB Tehran regional in Persian
1341 - Radio Kuwait 2nd Programme in Arabic
1395 - Voice of Armenia in Armenian
1422 - BSKSA Foreign Language Programme in French
1430 - IRIB Radio Sarasarye network in Persian
1440 - BSKSA General Programme in Arabic
1449 - IRIB World Service in Russian
1467 - BSKSA General Programme in Arabic
1476 - Emirates Radio, UAE, in Arabic
1485 - IRIB Radio Sarasarye network in Persian
1503 - IRIB Radio Sarasarye network in Persian
1512 - BSKSA Koran Programme in Arabic
1521 - BSKSA General Programme in Arabic
1521 - IRIB Radio Farhang network in Persian
1530 - IRIB Radio Sarasarye network in Persian
1539 - (US-run) Radio Farda in Persian
1548 - (US-run) Radio Sawa in Arabic
1566 - Radio of the Land of the Two Rivers in Arabic
1575 - Continuous pop music - no announcements observed
1575 - Radio Asia, UAE, in Urdu
1593 - VoA English/Kurdish/Persian + Radio Free Iraq
Iraqi Media Network, Voice of New Iraq - operated by the Coalition
Provisional Authority. Has also identified as Republic of Iraq Radio
from Baghdad and Voice of Free Iraq (Sawt al-Iraq al-Hurr). Broadcasts
on 98.3 MHz FM in Baghdad.
On 27 May 2003 the station was observed on 1026 kHz announcing as
Iraqi Media Network-Radio Baghdad.
Shamin Rassam, an Iraqi-American, directs IMN's FM radio outlet as
well as news bulletins on the mediumwave station, according to the
Washington Post.
Radio Nahrain Since the end of March 2003, Radio Nahrain, also known
as Twin Rivers Radio, has been transmitting on FM on 100.4 and 94.6
MHz from a location south of Basra. It has also been monitored on 96.0
MHz and 909 kHz mediumwave. The station is operated by British forces,
but was due to be taken over at some stage by the Coalition
Provisional Authority.
A new radio station called the Voice of Iraq was launched in Baghdad
on 27 August, the Iraqi newspaper Al-Zaman reported. Voice of Iraq is
supervised by the International Agency for Free Media, a media
institution run by Iraqis that was active abroad during the Saddam
Husayn regime and covered Iraqi news and domestic developments via the
Internet. The station broadcasts on 1179 kHz. It covers Baghdad and
nearby towns including Mahawil, Ba'qubah and Fallujah.
In its news bulletins, Voice of Iraq reports news about Iraq from an
international perspective as well as from local sources, and cites
reports from news agencies such as AFP. The bulletins are interspersed
with Shi'i religious and patriotic songs.
IQ4 Radio Iraq In Baghdad, a previously unidentified FM radio station
on 104.1 MHz playing continuous Arabic and Western pop music was
observed on 16 August with the following announcement in English:
"This is IQ4 Radio Iraq, Iraq's first independent music station, 104.1
FM".
Voice of Freedom, Voice of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan radio in
Arabic and Kurdish is operated by the PUK. It broadcasts daily from
1000-1900 gmt on 95.0 MHz. The station identifies on air as "Radio
Freedom".
Turkomaneli TV and radio was launched in Kirkuk in April 2003 and
broadcasts on behalf of the Iraqi Turkoman Front. Turkomaneli Radio
opened radio stations in Talla'far and Mosul on 6 and 8 May
respectively, the Iraqi Turkoman Front newspaper Turkomaneli reported
on 11 May.
Dangi Komal-Kirkuk radio broadcasts on 1341 kHz in Kurdish, Arabic and
Turkish to Kirkuk on behalf of the Kurdistan Islamic Group.
The Worker-Communist Party of Iraq's "Radio Bopeshawa" is reportedly
back on the air. The internet site of the Worker-Communist Party of
Iraq http://www.wpiraq.org reports that Ila al-Amam (Forward) Radio
[usually rendered as Radio Bopeshawa, meaning "Forward"], voice of the
Worker-Communist Party of Iraq, broadcasts for one hour a day on
shortwave from 1100 gmt (half an hour in Arabic and half an hour in
Kurdish), to the areas of Arbil, Kirkuk and Mosul. The same programme
is repeated between 0500-0600 gmt the next day. Identifies on air as
"Voice of the Worker Communist Party of Iraq".
Polish Radio --- The 4 September edition of Radio Polonia's
"Multimedia" programme included information on relays of Polish Radio
in Iraq. Polish Radio Programme 1 is received in Iraq by satellite and
rebroadcast in the canteen on one of the four Polish bases; further
loudspeaker relays will be added at the other bases. A studio has been
set up to insert local programming and contribute to Polish Radio
Programme 1, and there are plans to establish FM radio stations in the
Polish controlled sector in Iraq to carry the programmes. Funding has
also been provided for all Polish troops to be given radio receivers
so they can listen to the broadcasts.
The following are among stations in operation before April 2003 that
continue to be heard inside Iraq:
Voice of the People of Kurdistan, operated by the PUK

Voice of Iraqi Kurdistan, operated by the Kurdistan Democratic Party
(KDP)
Radio Azadi, Voice of the Communist Party of Iraqi Kurdistan

Ashur Radio - The station reportedly began operation in April 2000 and
is operated by the Assyrian Democratic Movement, an opposition
organization in northern Iraq. It broadcasts in Assyrian and Arabic on
shortwave, reportedly from a transmitter in Azerbaijan.
Voice of the Iraqi People, Voice of the Iraqi Communist Party - The
station broadcasts from northern Iraq, possibly using Kurdish
facilities.
Voice of the Mojahed, the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization's radio, may
still be located in Iraq. This radio broadcasts via shortwave,
satellite and with archive audio files on the Internet. Following the
fall of Saddam Husayn, the station was observed to have ceased
broadcasting for a few days in April. The station is currently heard
on various shortwave frequencies and on the Telstar 12 satellite at 15
degrees west, on frequency 12588 vertical, in parallel with the
terrestrial frequencies. The web site of the radio station is at:
www.iran.mojahedin.org
Al-Mustaqbal [The Future] radio is operated by the Iraqi National
Accord.
RADIO

Voice of the Mujahidin --- First observed on 17 April and broadcasting
in Arabic, the station's content suggests that it is operated by the
Iranian-backed Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq
(SCIRI). In addition, the station is transmitting on one of several
frequencies used by Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting for its
external transmissions. Has been heard on 90.1 MHz FM, in parallel
with 720 kHz. The content generally parallels that of the main SCIRI
web site located at http://www.majlesaala.com.
Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran (VIRI) external service in
Arabic can be heard on mediumwave and shortwave inside Iraq as well as
via the Internet at http://www.irib.com.
Voice of Rebellious Iraq --- broadcasts in Arabic and supports the
Iranian-sponsored Shi'i group, the Supreme Council of the Islamic
Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI); believed to transmit from Iran. The
station was untraced when checked from 5-7 July 2003.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Major international radio and television stations, such as pan-Arab
satellite television stations, the BBC Arabic and World service radio,
the Paris-based Radio Monte Carlo-Middle East, US Radio Sawa and US-
sponsored Radio Free Iraq are available in Iraq.
BBC World Service is now 24 hours a day in Arabic on FM in Baghdad and
Basra. The FM frequencies are 89.0 MHz in Baghdad and 90.0 MHz in
Basra in Arabic. BBC World Service in English can be heard on FM in
Baghdad on 98.0 MHz, and in Basra on 88.0 MHz and 98.1 MHz.
Radio Monte Carlo-Middle East is now on FM on 93.5 MHz in Baghdad for
24 hours a day.
Radio Sawa is on FM in Baghdad (100.4 MHz), Arbil (100.5 MHz) and
Sulaymaniyah (88.0 MHz), as well as on 1548 MW.
Since mid-May 2003, Libya has been broadcasting specifically to Iraq
in Arabic. The shortwave broadcasts carrry the following announcement:
"This is the general centre for broadcasts beamed from the Great
Jamahiriyah: A message to the people of the two rivers [Iraq]." Libya
broadcasts to Iraq daily on 17600 kHz from 1200-1300 and on 7245,
9605, and 11660 kHz from 1800-1900 gmt.
Syrian Arab Republic Radio is the Syrian state-owned radio's external
service. It broadcasts on shortwave on 12085 and 13610 kHz. It has
also been heard in Iraq on the MW frequency of 819 kHz between 1100
and 1145 gmt. Its satellite parameters are 11572 MHz H (7.2 MHz) on 16
degrees East Eutelsat W2, and 3803 MHz LCHP 40.50 W NSS 806. Its
broadcast times are from 1100-1145, 1350-1450, 1830-1915 and 2215-2315
gmt.
Radio Kuwait is the state-owned Kuwaiti radio. It can be received in
Iraq on the MW frequency of 540 kHz 24 hours.
Voice of Israel is Israel's state-owned radio. It broadcasts daily in
Arabic on shortwave from 0300-2115 gmt on 5915 kHz and 12150 kHz.
Access to all broadcast media is limited by the availability of
electricity, radio and TV sets and the satellite equipment.
Source: BBC Monitoring research 24 Oct 03 (via DXLD)