Friday, April 08, 2011

Japan's public broadcaster plays crucial role warning about earthquakes



NHK, Japan's public broadcaster, has an earthquake early warning system that is unique in the world. However, some observers say the station could be more critical of the government's handling of the recent disasters.

On 11 March 2011, NHK was broadcasting live from the Japanese parliament. The MPs were discussing various motions and voting.

All of a sudden, at exactly 2.46 p.m., blue lettering appeared on the screen along with a map. An earthquake had just occurred in the north-eastern part of the main island of Honshu. The reporter, who seconds before had been discussing the debates in parliament, told the viewers which prefectures were affected by the quake.

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: NHK's main newsroom is in Tokyo's Shibuya districtAs soon as an earthquake occurs anywhere in Japan, the station automatically broadcasts an earthquake warning. The information comes from the tremors themselves.

Additional story from Deutsche Welle at
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,6497013,00.html

and incase you missed it, here is the NHK/Radio Japan A-11 summer schedule

Effective: 27 March - 30 October 2011

All times UTC

Arabic
0600-0630 ME 11975iss
2015-2145 ME MW1350yer 89.3+107.2 MHz in Palestine

Bengali
1300-1345 swAS 11685sng

Burmese
1030-1100 seAS 11740sng
1430-1500 seAS 11740sng
2340-2400 seAS 13650

Chinese
0900-0930 AS 6090
1200-1230 AS 6090
1300-1330 AS/seAS 6190 9455
1430-1500 AS 6190
1530-1600 AS 6190
1600-1630 seAS 11730
2230-2250 AS 9560
2240-2300 seAS 13650
2340-2400 AS 15195
2340-2400 seAS 17810

English
0500-0530 AF/EU 5975rmp 11970iss
0500-0530 NoAM 6110sac
1000-1030 OC/Hawaii 9625 9840
1000-1030 seAS 9605
1100-1130 EUR 9760wof, Fris only DRM mode
1200-1230 NoAM 6120sac
1200-1230 seAS 9695
1300-1330 AS 15735uzb [alt 15660uzb]
1400-1430 seAS 11705
1400-1430 AS 15735uzb [alt 15660uzb]
1400-1430 EU/AF 21560iss

French
0530-0600 AF 11730iss 13840mdg
1230-1300 AF 17690mdg

Hindi
0130 0200 swAS 11740uzb
1430-1515 swAS 15745mdg

Indonesian
0945-1030 seAS 6140sng
1315-1400 seAS 11705
2310-2340 seAS 17810

Japanese
0100-0500 seAS 17810
0200-0500 AS 15195
0200-0300 seAS 11780sng
0200-0400 SoAM 11935bon
0200-0500 ME/AS 17560
0200-0500 CeAM 5960sac
0200-0500 AS 15325
0700-0800 AS 6145 6165
0700-1700 AS 9750
0800-0900 SoAM 9825
0800-1000 seAS/AF 11740sng 15290iss
0900-1000 SoAM 9795sac
1000-1700 seAS 11815
1300-1500 CeAM 11655sac
1500-1700 AF/swAS/SoAS 12045sng
1500-1700 EU/AF 17735iss
1700-1900 AF/ME 15445wer
1700-1900 EU/AF 11945iss
1700-1900 AS 6035 7225
1700-1900 SoAM 9835
1900-2200 CeAS/ME 11670
2000-2400 CeAS/ME 11910
2000-2100 OC 9625
2000-2200 AS 6085
2100-2200 OC 13640
2200-2300 ME 9620wer
2200-2400 AS 13680
2200-2400 SAM 15265bon

Korean
0915-0945 AS 6160
1130-1200 AS 6090
1230-1300 AS 6190
1400-1430 AS 6190
1500-1530 AS 6190
2210-2230 AS 9560

Persian
0400-0430 ME 11730uzb
1430-1500 ME 13680iss 88.0MHz Kabul
1630-1700 ME MW927tjk

Portuguese
0930-1000 SAM 6145chl
2130-2200 SAM 11880chl

Russian
0330-0400 EU MW738mos MW1386sit
0430-0500 EU 6165sit
0530-0600 AS 11715 11760
0800-0830 AS 6145 6165
1130-1200 EU 9760wof, Fris only DRM mode
1130-1200 AS 6185
1600-1630 EU MW738mos MW927tjk

Spanish
0400-0430 SAM 6195bon
0500-0530 CAM 6080bon
1000-1030 Ce-SoAM 6120sac 6195bon

Swahili
0315-0400 AF 7395mdg
1730-1800 AF 13730mdg

Thai
1130-1200 seAS 11740sng
1230-1300 seAs 9695
2300-2320 seAS 13650

Urdu
1515-1600 swAS 7410uzb MW927tjk

Vietnamese
1100-1130 9695saAs
1230-1300 9695seAS 11740sng
2320-2340 seAS 13650

Relays:
bon Bonaire, Neth Antilles
chl Santiago, Chile
dhb Al Dhabayya, UAE
iss Issoudun, France
mdg Madagascar
mos Moscow, Russia
rmp Rampisham, wof Woofferton UK
sac Sackville, Canada
sit Sitkunai, Lithuania
sng Kranji, Singapore
tjk Dushanbe, Tajikistan
uzb Tashkent, Uzbekistan
wer Wertachtal, Germany
yer Gavar Yerevan, Armenia

URL: www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/radio/shortwave/all_201103.pdf
(NHK Radio Japan, wwdxc BC-DX TopNews March 9;
final updated NHK, via Alexey Zinevich-BLR
(via wb, Germany)