Shortwave Report for Central Asia, Part 3
posted by Susan Stark (Parts 1 and 2 posted below)


SHORTWAVE TRANSMISSIONS TO CENTRAL ASIA

Besides the BBC, that relic of the Cold War--RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty--still broadcasts into the former Soviet Republics, and that would include the Central Asian ones. RFE/RF was started back in the 1940's by Congress and the CIA to combat the spread of communism, and now it functions as a type of psy-ops for American foreign policy. The transmitter sites are in such American-friendly countries like Germany, Bosnia, and Thailand. It does not transmit in English, though.

The Voice of America performs the same psy-ops function, but has English broadcasting. It transmits to Afghanistan in both shortwave and AM radio. The AM frequency has a 400 kilowatt range, which makes it able to be heard by the entire country. The English segment of VOA Afghanistan is here:

English to Afghanistan

0000-0030 UTC 1296 7555

2030-2400 UTC 1296 7555

Here are the schedules for the BBC in Afghanistan:

AM:

Frequency 1413 kHz serves Afghanistan and Iran at certain times of day.

FM:

In Kabul, Afghanistan, BBC World Service in Persian, Pashto & English is on 89.0 FM.

In Mazar-e Sharif, 89.0 FM carries English service 24 hours a day.

SHORTWAVE TRANSMITTERS WITHIN CENTRAL ASIA

(Warning: some of the programming information is from 2004, and therefore may be out-of-date. But the transmitter-location info is from 2006, so it should be still pretty accurate. Better to find BBC for English broadcasts.)


Kazakhstan has two transmitters, one in Almaty and the other in Qaraturyq. It leases out it's transmitters to other countries, so it may broadcast in English.


Uzbekistan has one transmitter in Tashkent. These are the English programs:

0100	0130	English	7160	Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
0100	0130	English	7190	Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
1200	1230	English	5060	Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
1200	1230	English	7190	Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa

1330	1400	English	5060	Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
1330	1400	English	7190	Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa

The beginning of these programs should say, "This is Radio Tashkent International".


Turkmenistan has one transmitter at Ashgabat. It's got some English, but minimal.


Kyrgyzstan has one transmitter at Bishkek. English minimal.


Tajikistan has two transmitters, one outside of Dushanbe and the other at Orzu. Two fifteen minute English broadcasts.

Afghanistan has two transmitters, one in Kabul and one in Bagram, where I believe the US Forces are stationed. Lots of English programming on all AM/FM/SW frequencies.

That's it for now.