The Hindu : Voice of Tigers begins FM broadcast

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 17, 2003

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International

Voice of Tigers begins FM broadcast

By V.S. Sambandan

COLOMBO. Jan. 16. The Voice of Tigers (VoT), the radio of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) today started its controversial FM transmission in northern Sri Lanka amid mixed political reactions and continued apprehensions that the broadcasts would reach pockets in southern India.

The twice-a-day broadcasts — 6.30 a.m. to 8.00 a.m. and 7.pm to 10 pm — were heard by residents in the northern Jaffna peninsula.

Rebel-held northern Sri Lanka follows the IST, rather that the Sri Lankan time which is 30 minutes ahead of IST.

For its daily broadcasts, the VoT has lined up a variety of programmes, including a Sinhala slot. On all days, both the transmissions start with a two-minute `invocation to martyrs' (maaveeravanakkam).

In addition to listeners' choice, regional issues, programmes for farmers, sports events and dramas, slots have been provided for programmes such as songs of the motherland (thaayaga paadalgal) and "lessons from history'' (varalaaru sollum paadam).

Three news bulletins have also been scheduled daily.

According to sources in Jaffna, the transmissions, still on an exploratory basis, are expected to go "Eelam-wide'' in a few days.Though the VoT has been on air since November 20, 1990, the broadcasts from today are with a stamp of legality, following the grant of a license by the Government late last year.

In line with a recent trend of marking the deaths of senior cadres and leaders with an Indian involvement, today's commencement of FM broadcasts was timed to commemorate the death anniversary of Kittu, who blasted himself in 1993.

Before the VoT was started as a clandestine operation in the 1990s, the Tigers ran an experimental TV, Nitharsanam, between 1985 and 1987.

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Voice of Tigers begins FM broadcast