Africa n. 1 (Gabon) in difficoltà e off air

The Pan African Radio, Africa No. 1, has lost its signal and is no longer being received in Gabon and elsewhere in Africa since Apr 27, PANA learnt from the radio's management in Libreville.

According to the daily ”L'Union”, the satellite operator Eutelsat might have stopped its services to the station over an estimated 200 million CFA francs in arrears of payment. The station has been experiencing serious financial problems since 2001, especially after R France Internationale (RFI) and Japanese Radio NHK stop SW broadcasting (via this tx to Africa, we can think. Ed.). The arrival of Libyan partners had restored hope among the workers, who are now threatened by the ongoing political crisis in Libya.

The crisis, marked by the freezing of Libyan assets and the Western military intervention in the north African country, has impacted negatively on the station, which has a total debt of 1.2 billion CFA francs, according to the Management.

According to a representative of the Libyan partners in Gabon, Abubaker Ali, the salaries of the station's journalists were paid only till the end of March 2011. Ali said that the crisis in Libya prevented Libyan-African Investment Portfolio (LAP) from having access to the required funds. Libyan Jamahiriya Broadcasting became the majority shareholder in Africa No. 1 with 52 per cent of the capital, the Gabonese government owns 35 per cent and the Gabonese private sector 13 per cent. The station started broadcasting in 1981.

(Afrique Jet, via Slaen, via DX-Window)

Libia: la situazione in onde medie

WRTH has uploaded the National Radio update as of May 2
http://www.wrth.com/updates_national.html
including:

LIBYA - MW situation:

675, 1125 and 1449 kHz are controlled by the Libyan opposition and identify as Radio or Voice of Free Libya, all with different programming.

Benghazi 675 kHz station has also web site at: http://voicefreelibya.blogspot.com

1449 kHz is in Misrata, not Al-Assah.

711 kHz is in Al-Assah and transmits irregularly Vo Africa and other programming in parallel with 1251 kHz, which is running on low power.

972 and 1053 kHz are on the air, both carrying own programming. All other MW transmitters are off the air.


(via Glenn Hauser's DXLD mailing list)