It appears there is truth to the claim that we are a province of China. Just listen to the radio.
I hatched this contention when I redeveloped my intimacy with radio during the pandemic, especially in the early lockdown days when activities were limited to what we can do in the confines of our homes and grounds.
Three activities emerged as part of my lockdown routine – daily morning exercises, updates on COVID-19 and other reports through my iPad and listening to radio, which provided doses of entertainment, information, and spiritual strength and inspiration via DYVS, one of the 12 stations nationwide under the Far East Broadcasting Company.
Consequently, the programs have led to meditation and reflection, which serve as strength anchored on the “faith over fear” foundation.
I re-discovered my ties with FEBC, where I worked right after college graduation, handling a late night mellow music show and a weekend program of classical pieces.
DYVS programs have provided guidance and strength, especially in uncertain and mind-troubling moments brought about by the coronavirus.
Writing about my intimacy with radio, I recall early childhood days in my hometown when we trooped to the house of our neighbor, who just received an electric radio set from a relative abroad.
And because power supply in the town then ran for only three hours from 6 to 9 p.m., radio listening was limited to early evenings only.
Oh, how I remember sitting with our group of young listeners around the radio set perched safely on a dresser, suspensefully waiting for the set to heat up before it could receive the signals. Often, we missed the spiels of the program but we managed to catch the last part of the intro with the announcer’s cool voice saying, “Dear Tiyay Evelyn…”.
But that was, in the words of our columnist and my favorite DJ for all seasons, Gigi Star, “radio in the days of yore”.
Fast forward and going back to my contention, I have realized that today, the AM band at night is loaded with Chinese programs, which are apparently emanating from the Mainland.
Not just two or three stations can be locally picked up I tried counting perhaps 9 or 10 and they are received in my radio as if they are broadcast right from the neighborhood, meaning the signals are loud and clear, especially in the lower frequencies of the band.
The Chinese broadcasts signals become stronger as nighttime deepens, often intercepting those of Philippine stations.
Actually, as early as 6 p.m. until 12 hours later, these broadcasts can be picked up, peaking in strength as local stations sign off at 10 or 11.
Foreign broadcasts mainly belonged to the short wave domain but with their intensity on the AM band, we can just imagine the kilowatt power they use.
The Chinese programs are diverse – pop and classical music, news, talk shows, dramas and a mix. Unfortunately my grasp of the language is almost zero but one thing is sure these are programs from the Mainland (separate from those beamed from Taiwan as differentiated in their station ID and news content with reference to origin and scope of the material as hinted in the places mentioned).
I understand from a media colleague that while the National Telecommunications Commission exercises power in our Philippine stations, enough to order the cessation of operations, like what happened to ABS-CBN, there is little, if nothing, that can be done about signal transmissions from abroad (I remember listening to clear broadcasts of the Voice of America).
As we mark World Radio Day on Friday, Feb. 13, we celebrate the blessings the medium has been bringing to wherever we are that has widened our knowledge of issues while we are enjoying the programs it carries and the inspiration and guidance it gives.
On my earlier contention, we adopt a wait-and-see attitude on how far the broadcast influence of our giant neighbor goes in the shaping and exercising of our national policies.
And in one of your quiet nights, check out if what dominates the airlanes substantiates the claim that, somehow, we are a province of China. – NWI
