Flying radio station broadcasts help to HaitiBy Mike Ahlers, CNN
January 26, 2010 3:38 p.m. EST
The Commando Solo crew make a run at dusk.STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Commando Solo broadcasts guidance, in Creole, for about 10 hours a day over Haiti
U.S. Air Force plane trails a vertical wire, with a 500-pound weight, to act as its AM antenna
Broadcasts include Voice of America programming and announcements from Haitian officials
The entire broadcast is in Creole, the most common language in Haiti
San Juan, Puerto Rico (CNN) -- Sixty miles west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, an Air Force C-130 makes slow and lazy ovals over the Golfe de la Gonzave, a 264-foot weighted wire dangling from its belly like a plumb line.
This is Commando Solo, a radio station in the sky. The long wire, kept vertical by a 500-pound lead weight, is helping transmit an AM radio signal to the people of Haiti. Four other antenna on the wings and fuselage are sending FM signals.
The U.S. government is using Commando Solo to deliver news and information to the survivors of the January 12 earthquake. During much of the day, the plane relays live broadcasts of Voice of America news call-in shows in Creole, the native tongue of Haiti.
During lulls in the VOA programming, it sends pre-recorded public service announcements, including advice on sanitation, what to do when encountering a dead body, and a warning from the Haitian government not to attempt dangerous and illegal ocean crossings to Florida in small boats.
iReporter shares view of Haiti from the sky
None of the 10-member crew aboard Commander Solo speaks Creole. But the technician who monitors the broadcast says he nonetheless can get a sense of the impact of the quake.
"You can hear in people's voices a lot of emotion, sometimes a little bit of frustration, sometimes really anxiety," said Brian. (The Air Force asked CNN to identify crew members only by first name and rank.)
"We hear a lot of people calling in trying to check in with their relatives and find out where they're at. And so it's pretty interesting just to hear it, even though I don't understand the language, the message really does come through," he said.
Haiti's missing and found | Are you there?
Commando Solo, part of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, has engaged in special operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and other trouble spots around the world. The Haiti mission is a rare mission focused on humanitarian relief.
Video: Plane broadcasts radio to Haiti
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"I feel it's a very important mission. I feel very proud that we're a part of it," said Brian.
The plane's pilot, David, echoes the sentiment.
"I'm honored to be here. I mean anything we can do to actually help these people, I'm glad to do."
To insure that their message is being received, the Department of Defense has handed out tens of thousands of portable radios in Haiti. The radios are both solar and hand-crank operated, and don't need batteries.
Kathy, a first lieutenant and the mission control chief on the flight, says the plane is an effective way to communicate with the public in disasters.
"Anyone can turn on a radio, tune it up," she said. "We're able to reach all of Haiti right now with our message."
One of those messages is a dire warning from Raymond Joseph, Haiti's ambassador to the United States.
"Listen, don't rush on boats to leave the country," Joseph says in Creole. "If you do that, we'll all have even worse problems. Because I'll be honest with you: If you think you will reach the U.S. and all the doors will be wide open to you, that's not at all the case.
"And they will intercept you right on the water and send you back home where you came from."
U.S. Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Christopher O'Neil said there is no evidence of people fleeing Haiti for Florida, and officials do not expect a mass migration. Previous mass migrations were caused by geopolitical turmoil, not by natural disasters, O'Neil said.
In addition, there is a large U.S. government presence on the ground in Haiti, on the water, and in the air -- which is likely to deter migrants, authorities say.
Commando Solo is part of that presence.
Altogether, the Pennsylvania guard unit has three Commando Solo planes, two of which are deployed to the Haiti mission.
During the first week of operation, missions lasted about eight hours, but the flights have since been lengthened to 14 hours, allowing 10 hours a day of broadcast time. The flights are so long it requires aerial refueling of the plane.
The airplane flew an estimated 3,200 miles on Saturday, most of it in a loop above Haitian waters.
Commando Solo crew members say they are uncertain how long they will continue operations in Haiti. Several commercial radio stations damaged by the quake have resumed operations.
But they say their efforts are worthwhile.
"When people think of the military they think about going out, blowing things up, destroying," said Barry. "We're at the other end of it. We are there to assist people, to help people, to save people."
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
VOA Reaches Out to Haiti
Voice of America Reaches Out to Haiti
Posted January 20th, 2010 at 3:12pm in Ongoing Priorities with 1 commentsPrint This Post Print This Post
While television and new technologies like Internet and cell phones are the focus of strategy at the Broadcasting Board of Governors that oversees the U.S. government’s international broadcasting assets, shortwave radio remains by far the most effective means of reaching audiences around the world, particularly in the developing countries. It is far from an outdated technology, as is sometimes allleged. A highly relevant case in point is earthquake-stricken Haiti, the poorest and most underdeveloped country in the Americas.
Since the earthquake on January 12, Voice of America has expanded its broadcasts in creole to 10.5 hour a day during the week and 9.5 hour during weekends. The international broadcaster reaches 45 different countries and has a worldwide audience of more then 125 million with 1,500 hours of news and programming weekly. The effort to reach out to Haiti is an example of a desperate need for information being filled that is not related to the Middle East or the war on terror, which has been the focus of efforts of U.S. international broadcasting in recent years. To achieve this focus, the BBG has been cutting important services (like Ukrainian, Georgian and Russian) and broadcast hours in English to increase programming to the Middle East. Yet as the case of Haiti shows, surge capacity remains critical when catastrophic events elsewhere in the world demands it.
What listeners in Haiti will be able to hear on VOA, among other things, is an interview with former President George W. Bush, assuring Haitians that the world will not forget about them. As will be recalled, and as proposed by the Heritage Foundation, Bush was tapped along with former President Bill Clinton by President Obama to spearhead the earthquake relief efforts on behalf of the administration. The Haiti Fund started by the two presidents has so far raised $10 million.
“I fully understand the anguish that the people of Haiti feel,” Bush told VOA “I hope the people of Haiti know that our government is doing everything it can with our military and USAID to get food, medicine and water to you as quickly as possible.”
“The first lesson, of course, is that aid never gets to the people fast enough,” Bush said. “I fully understand the frustrations and the anger. The people of Haiti have just got to know we hear their cries of anguish.” He added, “The people of Haiti are not alone.”
President Bush also stated that the commitment of the United States will last beyond the earthquake relief. It will take a monumental efforts and international coordination and cooperation to create a functioning society in Haiti, a tough job to begin with and overwhelming at a time when some 200,000 people are believed to have perished. Including short wave radios among the items that are distributed as aid in Haiti could be saving lives now, and help rebuild Haitian society later.
Posted January 20th, 2010 at 3:12pm in Ongoing Priorities with 1 commentsPrint This Post Print This Post
While television and new technologies like Internet and cell phones are the focus of strategy at the Broadcasting Board of Governors that oversees the U.S. government’s international broadcasting assets, shortwave radio remains by far the most effective means of reaching audiences around the world, particularly in the developing countries. It is far from an outdated technology, as is sometimes allleged. A highly relevant case in point is earthquake-stricken Haiti, the poorest and most underdeveloped country in the Americas.
Since the earthquake on January 12, Voice of America has expanded its broadcasts in creole to 10.5 hour a day during the week and 9.5 hour during weekends. The international broadcaster reaches 45 different countries and has a worldwide audience of more then 125 million with 1,500 hours of news and programming weekly. The effort to reach out to Haiti is an example of a desperate need for information being filled that is not related to the Middle East or the war on terror, which has been the focus of efforts of U.S. international broadcasting in recent years. To achieve this focus, the BBG has been cutting important services (like Ukrainian, Georgian and Russian) and broadcast hours in English to increase programming to the Middle East. Yet as the case of Haiti shows, surge capacity remains critical when catastrophic events elsewhere in the world demands it.
What listeners in Haiti will be able to hear on VOA, among other things, is an interview with former President George W. Bush, assuring Haitians that the world will not forget about them. As will be recalled, and as proposed by the Heritage Foundation, Bush was tapped along with former President Bill Clinton by President Obama to spearhead the earthquake relief efforts on behalf of the administration. The Haiti Fund started by the two presidents has so far raised $10 million.
“I fully understand the anguish that the people of Haiti feel,” Bush told VOA “I hope the people of Haiti know that our government is doing everything it can with our military and USAID to get food, medicine and water to you as quickly as possible.”
“The first lesson, of course, is that aid never gets to the people fast enough,” Bush said. “I fully understand the frustrations and the anger. The people of Haiti have just got to know we hear their cries of anguish.” He added, “The people of Haiti are not alone.”
President Bush also stated that the commitment of the United States will last beyond the earthquake relief. It will take a monumental efforts and international coordination and cooperation to create a functioning society in Haiti, a tough job to begin with and overwhelming at a time when some 200,000 people are believed to have perished. Including short wave radios among the items that are distributed as aid in Haiti could be saving lives now, and help rebuild Haitian society later.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Plane Broadcasting VOA News and Information to Haiti
PRESS RELEASE - Washington D.C., January 17, 2010 – Voice of America (VOA) Creole-language broadcasts to earthquake-stricken Haiti are now being heard throughout that country on multiple radio frequencies, many delivered by transmitters aboard a U.S. Defense Department-sponsored aircraft that began flying Saturday.
The added service features a five-hour afternoon FM program providing news and disaster relief information for the Haitian people, struggling to cope with that country's worst natural disaster in over 200 years.
Since the January 12 earthquake, VOA has increased its Creole programming from 1.5 hours to 10.5 hours Monday through Friday and from 1 hour to 9.5 hours Saturday and Sunday.
"We are very gratified to have the direct FM transmission to complement our shortwave and AM broadcasts in response to the crisis in Haiti," said Danforth W. Austin, VOA director. "These broadcasts demonstrate how U.S. Government agencies can work together when disaster strikes."
VOA Creole is covering the relief efforts in Haiti with VOA correspondents and Haitian stringer reporters on the ground, as VOA Washington headquarters and Miami bureau staffs work the crisis around the clock. Public service announcements are airing hourly to provide information about public safety and availability of water and food and other disaster assistance. VOA has also set up a call-in line to broadcast messages from family members and friends to Haiti, along with Twitter and Facebook accounts.
VOA Creole has long been a trusted source of news and information in Haiti and is the most popular international broadcaster in the country with a weekly audience reach of just over 50% of the adult population, according to independent survey research.
Stories, audio reports, photos, video and survival information
The added service features a five-hour afternoon FM program providing news and disaster relief information for the Haitian people, struggling to cope with that country's worst natural disaster in over 200 years.
Since the January 12 earthquake, VOA has increased its Creole programming from 1.5 hours to 10.5 hours Monday through Friday and from 1 hour to 9.5 hours Saturday and Sunday.
"We are very gratified to have the direct FM transmission to complement our shortwave and AM broadcasts in response to the crisis in Haiti," said Danforth W. Austin, VOA director. "These broadcasts demonstrate how U.S. Government agencies can work together when disaster strikes."
VOA Creole is covering the relief efforts in Haiti with VOA correspondents and Haitian stringer reporters on the ground, as VOA Washington headquarters and Miami bureau staffs work the crisis around the clock. Public service announcements are airing hourly to provide information about public safety and availability of water and food and other disaster assistance. VOA has also set up a call-in line to broadcast messages from family members and friends to Haiti, along with Twitter and Facebook accounts.
VOA Creole has long been a trusted source of news and information in Haiti and is the most popular international broadcaster in the country with a weekly audience reach of just over 50% of the adult population, according to independent survey research.
Stories, audio reports, photos, video and survival information
Thursday, January 14, 2010
VOA Expands Broadcasting into Haiti
Washington, D.C., January 14, 2010 – The Voice of America’s (VOA) Creole Service, reaching out to Haitian earthquake victims in their language, is ramping up the strength and frequency of emergency broadcasts to Haiti.
With Haiti’s communications infrastructure badly damaged, the VOA, the largest international broadcaster in Haiti, is providing listeners with news and information via a combination of shortwave, AM and satellite broadcasts.
“We’re doing everything we possibly can to reach people in Haiti who have a desperate need for information,” said Alberto Mascaro, chief of VOA’s Latin America Division.
He said Creole Service programming on shortwave and satellite radio has expanded from 1.5 hours daily to 5 hours. Programs now air at 7:30-8:30 am EST (1230-0130 UTC); 12:30-2:30 pm EST (1730-1930 UTC); 5:00-6:00 pm EST (2200-2300 UTC) and 8:00-9:00 pm EST (0100-0200 UTC). The evening programs can also be heard on 1180 AM from a transmitter and tower in Marathon, Florida, pre-empting Radio Marti at those times.
VOA is playing a leading role to help Haitians reach out to one another. A special call-in number – 1-202-205-9942, mailbox 42 – has been established for people to leave messages that will be broadcast to Haiti. Facebook and Twitter accounts have also been created in Creole.
VOA reporters are on the ground in Haiti, covering the international response to the disaster. Basic survival information, statements by President Obama and messages from Haitians living in the United States have been broadcast back to those dealing with the disaster.
Like other native Haitians living in the United States, VOA Creole staffers are still trying to confirm the status of their relatives on the island, according to Ronald Cesar, chief of the Creole Service.
VOA’s Creole Service reaches more than 50 percent of adult Haitians on a weekly basis. Up-to-date information is also available around the clock on www.VOANews.com/creole.
With Haiti’s communications infrastructure badly damaged, the VOA, the largest international broadcaster in Haiti, is providing listeners with news and information via a combination of shortwave, AM and satellite broadcasts.
“We’re doing everything we possibly can to reach people in Haiti who have a desperate need for information,” said Alberto Mascaro, chief of VOA’s Latin America Division.
He said Creole Service programming on shortwave and satellite radio has expanded from 1.5 hours daily to 5 hours. Programs now air at 7:30-8:30 am EST (1230-0130 UTC); 12:30-2:30 pm EST (1730-1930 UTC); 5:00-6:00 pm EST (2200-2300 UTC) and 8:00-9:00 pm EST (0100-0200 UTC). The evening programs can also be heard on 1180 AM from a transmitter and tower in Marathon, Florida, pre-empting Radio Marti at those times.
VOA is playing a leading role to help Haitians reach out to one another. A special call-in number – 1-202-205-9942, mailbox 42 – has been established for people to leave messages that will be broadcast to Haiti. Facebook and Twitter accounts have also been created in Creole.
VOA reporters are on the ground in Haiti, covering the international response to the disaster. Basic survival information, statements by President Obama and messages from Haitians living in the United States have been broadcast back to those dealing with the disaster.
Like other native Haitians living in the United States, VOA Creole staffers are still trying to confirm the status of their relatives on the island, according to Ronald Cesar, chief of the Creole Service.
VOA’s Creole Service reaches more than 50 percent of adult Haitians on a weekly basis. Up-to-date information is also available around the clock on www.VOANews.com/creole.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
VOA Reaching Millions in Haiti -- Journalists iInvited To Visit VOA
VOA’s Creole Service Reaches Millions in Haiti with Special News Reports; Comment Line
Washington, D.C., January 13, 2010 – Haitians, cut off from the world by a devastating earthquake, tuned in to special shortwave and satellite radio broadcasts from the Voice of America’s (VOA) Creole Service to learn the latest news and information.
Hours after Tuesday’s earthquake struck near the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, VOA broadcast a 90-minute special program to the people of Haiti. The program included statements of support from President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; updates from the U.S. Geological Survey, the Red Cross, the United Nations and Haitian geologists; and interviews from Haiti. Up-to-date information is also available around the clock on www.VOANews.com/creole.
VOA also set up a special call-in number – 1-202-205-9942, mailbox 42 – for people to leave messages that will be broadcast to Haiti. Facebook and Twitter accounts are also being created.
Today, the service broadcast 30 minutes of news, including an interview with Haitian Ambassador Raymond Joseph. Another show is scheduled for 12:30pm EST/17300 UTC.
“In times of crises, VOA is a lifeline of information,” said VOA Director Danforth Austin. “Because of our technologies, we are able to reach people in their own languages when disasters strike. Our hearts go out to the people of Haiti, and we’ll continue to give them the latest, accurate news.”
Ronald Cesar, chief of VOA’s Creole Service, said it was difficult for people to get telephone lines out of Haiti. In addition, damage was severe to one of the VOA’s FM affiliates, Radio Guinen. “I talked with the manager and he said his tower was down,” Cesar said.
VOA is the leading international broadcaster in Haiti, with a weekly audience reach of 50%.
Note for Editors: If you would like to cover VOA’s Creole broadcasting to Haiti or interview the VOA staff, please contact VOA Public Relations at 202-203-4959 or askvoa@voanews.com.
Washington, D.C., January 13, 2010 – Haitians, cut off from the world by a devastating earthquake, tuned in to special shortwave and satellite radio broadcasts from the Voice of America’s (VOA) Creole Service to learn the latest news and information.
Hours after Tuesday’s earthquake struck near the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, VOA broadcast a 90-minute special program to the people of Haiti. The program included statements of support from President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; updates from the U.S. Geological Survey, the Red Cross, the United Nations and Haitian geologists; and interviews from Haiti. Up-to-date information is also available around the clock on www.VOANews.com/creole.
VOA also set up a special call-in number – 1-202-205-9942, mailbox 42 – for people to leave messages that will be broadcast to Haiti. Facebook and Twitter accounts are also being created.
Today, the service broadcast 30 minutes of news, including an interview with Haitian Ambassador Raymond Joseph. Another show is scheduled for 12:30pm EST/17300 UTC.
“In times of crises, VOA is a lifeline of information,” said VOA Director Danforth Austin. “Because of our technologies, we are able to reach people in their own languages when disasters strike. Our hearts go out to the people of Haiti, and we’ll continue to give them the latest, accurate news.”
Ronald Cesar, chief of VOA’s Creole Service, said it was difficult for people to get telephone lines out of Haiti. In addition, damage was severe to one of the VOA’s FM affiliates, Radio Guinen. “I talked with the manager and he said his tower was down,” Cesar said.
VOA is the leading international broadcaster in Haiti, with a weekly audience reach of 50%.
Note for Editors: If you would like to cover VOA’s Creole broadcasting to Haiti or interview the VOA staff, please contact VOA Public Relations at 202-203-4959 or askvoa@voanews.com.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
VOA at the Forefront of New Media Technologies
Just wanted to remind folks about how involved VOA is in new media technologies. For some reason, some members of Congress think we're still radio/television-only.
In fact, VOA (www.voanews.com), the largest U.S. international broadcaster reaching 125 million people in 45 languages, is actively engaged in using new media technologies -- along with radio and television -- to reach its worldwide audience. VOA has YouTube channels, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, RSS news feeds, blogs, mobile headlines and Podcasts.
In Iran, for instance, VOA's Persian News Network -- which reaches about one-in-four adult Iranians -- has embraced new media, but is careful to ensure traditional values of journalism are not sacrified. VOA has received thousands of videos from Iranians, and is planning to add an application to the iPhone and Android which will allow Iranians to download Farsi broadcasts.
Elsewhere, VOA has teamed up with mobile phone providers to allow SMS news and information in Nigeria, Kenya, China, Pakistan, Indonesia and Ghana, among other places.
VOA has many other exciting projects: an interactive English-learning website for Mandarin and Farsi speakers is just one.
VOA is at the forefront of delivering its content on a variety platforms to reach as many people as possible with accurate, fact-based news and information.
In fact, VOA (www.voanews.com), the largest U.S. international broadcaster reaching 125 million people in 45 languages, is actively engaged in using new media technologies -- along with radio and television -- to reach its worldwide audience. VOA has YouTube channels, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, RSS news feeds, blogs, mobile headlines and Podcasts.
In Iran, for instance, VOA's Persian News Network -- which reaches about one-in-four adult Iranians -- has embraced new media, but is careful to ensure traditional values of journalism are not sacrified. VOA has received thousands of videos from Iranians, and is planning to add an application to the iPhone and Android which will allow Iranians to download Farsi broadcasts.
Elsewhere, VOA has teamed up with mobile phone providers to allow SMS news and information in Nigeria, Kenya, China, Pakistan, Indonesia and Ghana, among other places.
VOA has many other exciting projects: an interactive English-learning website for Mandarin and Farsi speakers is just one.
VOA is at the forefront of delivering its content on a variety platforms to reach as many people as possible with accurate, fact-based news and information.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
VOA Buzz! The latest from VOA
VOA’s Ukrainian Service celebrated 60 years of broadcasting on December 11 with a reception and two panel discussions. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, joined BBG Governor Blanquita Cullum, Ukrainian Ambassador Oleh Shamshur, and VOA Director Danforth Austin in celebrating the event.
Kaptur, the longest-serving woman in the House and co-chair of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, said VOA has long played a role in delivering “accurate, balanced and comprehensive news and information” to Ukraine.
In an interview with VOA’s Indonesian Service, Maya Soetoro-Ng, President Obama's half-sister, said her brother, who lived in Indonesia as a child, has a broad world view and "recognizes that we need to work in concert" with people around the world. Ms. Soetoro-Ng also praised her late mother, S. Ann
Dunham, who wrote her Ph.D thesis about village life in Indonesia.
Ronald Cesar, chief of VOA’s Creole Service, spoke to Foreign Service Officers at the Foreign Service Institute in Arlington, Va., about the growing role of Haitian-Americans in U.S. politics. Haiti’s constitution prevents dual citizenship.
Cub Scout Pack 420 from Leonardtown, Md., took took the VOA Studio Tour in December. Gy Williams and Piero Ciancio talked to them after the tour. Other visitors to VOA included Chinese news editors, American University students and Scripps Howard staff.
Spozhmai Maiwandi, director of VOA’s South Asia Division, and Bart Childs of VOA’s TV Enhancement Team, traveled to Dubai to train eleven VOA Afghan stringers in new television techniques. The training was funded under a grant from the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.
Kaptur, the longest-serving woman in the House and co-chair of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, said VOA has long played a role in delivering “accurate, balanced and comprehensive news and information” to Ukraine.
In an interview with VOA’s Indonesian Service, Maya Soetoro-Ng, President Obama's half-sister, said her brother, who lived in Indonesia as a child, has a broad world view and "recognizes that we need to work in concert" with people around the world. Ms. Soetoro-Ng also praised her late mother, S. Ann
Dunham, who wrote her Ph.D thesis about village life in Indonesia.
Ronald Cesar, chief of VOA’s Creole Service, spoke to Foreign Service Officers at the Foreign Service Institute in Arlington, Va., about the growing role of Haitian-Americans in U.S. politics. Haiti’s constitution prevents dual citizenship.
Cub Scout Pack 420 from Leonardtown, Md., took took the VOA Studio Tour in December. Gy Williams and Piero Ciancio talked to them after the tour. Other visitors to VOA included Chinese news editors, American University students and Scripps Howard staff.
Spozhmai Maiwandi, director of VOA’s South Asia Division, and Bart Childs of VOA’s TV Enhancement Team, traveled to Dubai to train eleven VOA Afghan stringers in new television techniques. The training was funded under a grant from the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.
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