News release from Mathias Kropf
During the year 2007 the activity of political clandestine stations broadcasting on shortwave has increased by 4.8 % to 1321 Weekly Broadcasting Hours (WBHs). This is way below the record 2384 WBHs measured in 1990, but still up from the all-time low of 1116 WBHs in 1999.
Activity of clandestine stations broadcasting to target areas on the Asian continent has increased by 7.9 % to 939 WBHs and activity to target areas on the American continent has also increased by 11.4 % to 215 WBHs. On the other hand, activity to target areas on the African continent has dropped by 15.2 % to now 167 WBHs.
The three most active target areas worldwide are China with 240 WBHs (+40 when compared with last year), Cuba with 215 WBHs (+22) and North Korea with 196 WBHs (+14).
The number of different target areas active worldwide has dropped sharply from 24 in the previous year to only 18 at the end of 2007. While no new target areas have emerged during the past 12 months, the following target areas that were still active one year ago are now thought to be inactive: Maldives, Libya, Sudan, Uganda, Gambia and Cameroon.
Mathias Kropf has compiled this list annually for many years. He can be contacted by e-mail at 100144.232@compuserve.com .
Source: NASB Jan. 2008)