[BC] Cuban Broadcasts

[DHultsman5@aol.com]

In a message dated 8/20/2006 11:07:33 AM Central Daylight Time,  
bbrister at sbcglobal.net writes:

There  was an incident in about 1987 or 1988 when Cuba fired up a very high
power  transmitter on 1040. I was living in Lakeland, FL at the time and
heard it  there. I don't think they stayed at that power level too long. It
made the  news when I happened. It was reported that the Chief Engineer of
WHO Des  Moines was complaining that the signal was getting into theirs as
far north  as Illinois.

Bill B.



===========================
 
In the US there have been several diatribes between  Havana and  Washington 
over the NARBA agreements.   As Cuba no longer recongnizes  these agreements, 
they in the past have jammed regular american stations such a  WQBA and even 
VOA-Marathon long before it was Radio Marti.
 
As the broadcasting battles heated up,  Cuba fired up a bunch of on  air 
transmitters in english and allegedly moved the Radio Havana from 600 kHz.  to 610 
and ran the high power Russian transmitter in english knocking out, WIOD,  
Miami, KILT Houston, WAYS, Charlotte, WSGN, Birmingham as well as other 610  
nightime signals.   This interference was also tied in with the vote  in the 
house or senate on the funding of Radio Marti and the first TV  Marti.   The vote 
was postponed,  so in my opinion they  won.
 
The bill passed later.  But I recall that 1040 in Des Moines was  commenting 
before the commission.  1040 kHz. was the frequency  where the original 
station was down in Saddlebunch Key that was  scheduled to become radio Marti with 
50 kW and a 4-tower array.  After it  was rebuilt,  and pressure from US 
broadcasters the site was abandoned and  the programming was moved to 1180 the VOA 
installation.  Later on, the  Saddlebunch Key site was changed from 1040 to 
1180 when they rebuilt the old VOA  facility as the new Radio Marti with the 
capability of 100 kW.
 
I haven't listened in a long time but there was still a jammer on 1180 kHz.  
very audible here in Birmingham.  I was told by a gentleman with VOA that  the 
reason that they jammed WQBA, Miami was that they didn't want the  Cuban 
people to hear the prices of things especially meats,  beef,  pork and chicken on 
the Miami stations.  This information is 12-14 years  olds.
 
As previously discussed in this forum, there are still many stations  
operating on STA's in Florida due to Cuban interference in violation of the NRBA  
agreements.
 
Dave