Published by: World Tibet Network News, Thursdsay, August 8, 1996

"Australian Financial Review" - August 8

by Paul McIntyre

Sir Peter Abeles, chairman of the Anne Keating and John Singleton-owned Easy FM radio venture in China, said yesterday he had "absolutely no knowledge" that the station's program signal was being use d to jam Voice of Tibet human rights broadcasts in the region.

Reports in Asia this week carried BBC claims that the weekly short-wave Voice of Tibet broadcasts, based in Norway, were being "obliterated" by Easy FM's signal.

"Naturally, we will enquire but I can't imagine this," Sir Peter said. "First of all we don't own the band. We don't own the radio station.

Easy FM has the rights to broadcast seven hours a day. We lease that time from China Radio. It's an enormous organisation. They have many languages on varying bands and transmissions."

Easy FM program manager and presenter Mr Phil Sutton said he had been told of the claims yesterday and was awaiting a call from China Radio in Beijing.

"That frequency, 95.1, carried programs in Spanish and French and Joy FM for two hours out of Hong Kong," he said. "I'd like to know what hours they say are being blocked out. It may not be us."

Easy FM, with a mix of western and Chinese contemporary music and advertising, airs daily from 8am to 11am, 12pm to 1pm and 5pm to 8pm.

According to the BBC, Chinese authorities have used "white noise" from jamming transmitters to stop Tibetans tuning in to Voice of Tibet.