New Station - Radio Risala

[VK3BVW]

15165 kHz, Radio Risala International - site unknown (perhaps Issoudun??).

This new SW station started on Feb 20 at 1830 UTC, with numerous IDs as "Radio Risala". I can't confirm this, but the language used sounded like Oromo (a.k.a. Afaan Oromo) which is spoken largely in Ethiopia. The programming featured mainly talk with occasional excerpts of instrumental music. This appears to be a religious group, Muslim-based faith. From 1853, there was a long chant in call and response style. Suddenly off at 1857 in the middle of the chant, so we didn't hear a proper sign off announcement.

The signal strength was poor here at Mount Evelyn. The band was not in very good shape this morning. I tried recording it but the quality just wasn't good enough to include here.

More details and links at http://medxr.blogspot.com.au/2015/02/new-station-radio-risala-international.html

73 everyone de Rob VK3BVW

[fpeconsultant]

I can confirm the following:
Risala International 15165khz Fridays (only) 1830-1900 to East Africa in Oromo
Since 2/20/15
Not likely Perhaps from ISS yet other known broadcasts from ISS were strong yesterday at my QTH yet Risala was weak (at best) - but time will tell.
http://risalainternational.org
Thanks Rob!

FPE

[VK3BVW]

OK on perhaps not ISS. I was guessing, too hard to tell from here. Will be interesting to see what site it was. Other reports of this transmission also mentioned it was at a poor level, too. Thanks.

Rob

[VK3BVW]

Risala has just been listed in the latest Aoki file as being Issoudun. Failing any other additional info, I'm assuming that's correct.

Rob

[Oliver]

Per German RadioEins.de Website:

On February 20, 2015 begann a Oromo Community in Minneapolis (USA) to produce a weekly radio program and broadcast it to Ethiopia. It runs each Friday from 19.30 bis 20.00 clock CET on 15165 kHz.

At least in the main, is this program dedicated to the Islamic religion. This corresponds to its presentation as a Radio Risala, in original spelling in Oromo, as Raadiyoo Risaalaa.The understanding of "Risala" in Islam is a mediator between God and Man.

On the Internet and by phone are these productions already spread for some time. When the first broadcasts on shortwave started, it seemed to be the show #184. As the announcement on Facebook shows,the transmission time and the exact frequency are apparently not even clear to the organizer.

The broadcasting on shortwave was arranged by the one-man company "Broadcast Belgium". Their usual partner, and in this case also Raadiyoo Risaalaa, are restricted to range of possible transmitter sites, such as shortwave facilities in France, Bulgaria and Pridnestrovie.

Further background can be found on the Facebook profile, and the incomplete website risalainternational.org but without knowledge of the language Oromo no further details are recognizable. A Eye catcher on Facebook is an entry in English from January 14th, that encourages to boycott Google because of the Youtube Video "The Innocent Prophet", which contains the exclamation "USA is losing."

The name "Radio Risala" had appeared in shortwave broadcasting in 1994 for a short time. But then via the transmitter Bolshakovo in the Kaliningrad region.The broadcasts back then are likely unrelated to the current activities. They are also not to be confused with an homonymous FM station in Mogadishu.

I am sorry for the rough translation using Google translate but I modify the article as good as possible to make somewhat sense.

[fpeconsultant]

Risala has just been listed in the latest Aoki file as being Issoudun. Failing any other additional info, I'm assuming that's correct.

Rob

Time will tell - perhaps this can be confirmed soon.
Thanks again rob!
Also:
A station of this name existed a few years back:
In 1994, Islamic station Radio Al-Risalah commenced ops from Moscow, renting(?) airspace from Radio Moscow and the Bolshakovo, Kaliningrad station (at the time).
I am not suggesting there is a connection.
FPE

[VK3BVW]

Thanks Oliver and FPE. Yes, before I wrote my blog post on this station, I also did some research and the names Risala and Raadiyoo Risaalaa popped up numerous times for both the Mogadishu and the Russian stations. As you say, these previous operations appear to be unrelated.

Agreed, the fact that most people reported the signal was at fair to poor level does suggest something other than Issoudun. Bulgaria and Pridnestrovie are likely. But I don't know where Aoki got its information from.

Cheers, rob

[fpeconsultant]

I received the following info:

quote:
This is a muslim Ogaden Clan Organization, working against the Government of Ethiopia; targeted to the Ogaden state of Ogaden-Somalis in the eastern Ethiopia province.

Have they really such kind of a political agenda?
They have also a Facebook profile (freely accessible):
https://www.facebook.com/RaadiyooRisaalaa
 
The postings there rather look like being of an entirely religious nature, with no secular efforts at all. But of course this would need to be checked out by someone who actually speaks Oromo.
 
And note this particular post in English:
https://www.facebook.com/RaadiyooRisaalaa/posts/800294603365744
:unquote
Thanks to Kai

FPE