Cuba's Battle of the Airwaves I Am( Mum ,MINA

.-ham.0. " °100 ^ 8' 'Mom Moe. Cuba's Battle of the Airwaves I am( mum ,MINA. Story and QSLs ..htC RADIO OM & By Gayle Van Horn W4GVH AMERICAS FO Ent -.11F Mimi O. herd. Along a sparsely populated region situated The Battle Begins name to Radio Americas which remained on about 100 miles southeast of Havana, In 1960, a small island off the coast ofthe air until it abruptly left the airwaves in May sits an area that resembles the swamps Honduras, known as Swan Island, was pur- 1968. of southern Florida. This area is connected tochased by the Gibraltar Steamship Company Even so, anti -Castro voices have continued the mainland by a couple of two-lane asphalt from New York (a company which owned no throughout the years to transmit propaganda roads, and is of historical value to the peoplesteamships)! A 50,000 watt transmitter was and program to the island nation. At presstime of Cuba. quickly set up on Great Swan Island. As soon there are six active clandestine broadcasters; It is known as the Bay of Pigs. the transmitter became operational, it started five of them broadcasting from the transmitters On April 17-19, 1961, a 60 hour raging battle blasting anti -Castro programs beamed to theof WRMI in Miami, Florida. These include: ensued at the Bay of Pigs, when Fidel Castro's rev- nearby communist island. Conversando entre Cubanos, Entre Nosotros, olutionaries defeated a band of 1,400 CIA trained By May of that year, shortwave listeners Foro Militar Cubano, Radio Oriente Libre and Cuban exiles determined to repel the threats of were riveted by the sounds of Radio Swan on Voz de la Junta Patrieitica Cubana. It should socialism. The initial engagement commenced 1160 and 6000 kHz. Originally planned as abe noted that transmissions from WRMI are when planes, painted to resemble the Cuban Air clandestine, it was decided the station wouldroutinely jammed by the Cuban government, so Force, bombed airfields near Havana. instead broadcast as a commercial station. expect some nasty interference whenyou tune The Bay of Pigs was just one consequence Programs were in Spanish with a predominant in their transmissions. of Fidel Castro overthrowing Cuban dictator anti -Castro slant. Radio Swan announced it was Fulgencio Batista in 1959. During the next two transmitting from an island in the Caribbean US Government Broadcasts years most of the island's industry and broad- that was claimed by Honduras and the United cast stations were nationalized, and the country States. Antenna direction finding techniques to Cuba Radio Marti, which is operated by the aligned itself with the Soviet Union, alarming showed the station to be originating from Swan United States government, began broadcasting the United States. Island. It was now obvious this was a front for Castro soon declared his government the American CIA, operating off the coast ofon May 20, 1985, using 1160 kHz (shades of Ra- socialist, resulting in an abrupt break with the Honduras. dio Swan/Americas!). Fourteen and a half hours of uncensored news reach Cuba from a studio United States. The U.S. Bay of Pigs invasion Radio Swan not only reached its target area was a failure and a profound embarrassment to of Cuba, but the entire Caribbean as well. in Washington, D.C., via Voice of America President John F. Kennedy. While many blame Shortly after the station's inauguration, transmitters in Marathon Key, Florida. the failure on Kennedy's reluctance to send in Castro began intentional signal jamming, but Jose Marti, the Cuban intellectual and patriot after whom the station is named, once U.S. air power, Cubans proclaim it was their was only successful in stopping signals into the said that, "Others looked at radio and saw a dominant fighting skill that resulted in victory. capitol city of Havana. Hundreds of letters were gadget; his genius lay in his capacity to look at The following year saw the Cuban mis-received from all parts of Cuba and the United the same thing, but to see far more." With those sile crisis nearly plunge the world into war and States. As Radio Swan progressed, it became insightful words as inspiration, Radio Marti has sealed the inevitable continuation of the Cuban - the symbol of the anti -Castro movement. United States standoff. broken through Castro's propaganda machine For Cubans, the Bay of Pigs conflict is one and offered the Cuban people news, entertain- of immense pride. It ultimately led to the modern Swan and the Bay of Pigs ment and discussion using Cuban journalists, era of the Cuban -United States stalemate and the In one sense, this island was even apart thinkers, writers and entertainers. battle of the radio airwaves that has raged ever of the actual land battle during the Bay of Pigs Radio Marti proponents claim that in just since. invasion. Radio Swan was used in tactical sup- a few short years it became the most listened port during the military action to station in Cuba. In addition to Marathon Key and transmitted coded messages transmitters (which now broadcast on 1180 to the invading beach forces. kHz), broadcasts are also carried on shortwave Programming was monitored transmitters out of Greenville, North Carolina, by listeners and press services and Delano, California. worldwide. Although routinely jammed by Cuba, After the unsuccessfulRadio Marti has proven to be a successful invasion, Radio Swan admitted broadcaster that competes with Cuban domestic the attack had been unsuccessful stations and networks. The current broadcast and returned to normal program- frequencies for Radio Marti Spanish programming generally designed to ming are: 1180, 5745, 5980, 6030, 7365, 7405, avoid inciting the Cuban people; 9565, 9805, 11775, 11930, 13820, 15330, and however, the anti -Castro format 17670 kHz. Correspondence for Radio Marti, in was evident in its selections ofSpanish or English, may be directed to, Office related news items. Near the end of Cuba Broadcasting, 4201 N.W.77th Avenue, of 1961, the station changed its Miami, Florida 33166. 10 MONITORING TIMES December 2005.

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