A recent discussion thread on Hard-Core-DX about Radio Cook Islands prompted
me to make the following MP3 audio files available to the DX community.

Each recording is a 45-minute segment of a 90-minute cassette tape I made
while visiting Rarotonga in 1993. The files are Zipped together with a
"Readme" to save a bit of file size. The MP3 particulars are 16-bit, 16-kHz
encoding in monaural format.

If you can only download one of the two segments due to ISP costs, online
time, etc., I'd recommend the first recording. Both are enjoyable, but the
first MP3 has more programming variety.

http://home.comcast.net/~guyw.atkins..._Islands_1.zip (5 Mb
download)

http://home.comcast.net/~guyw.atkins..._Islands_2.zip (5 Mb
download)

If for some reason the above URLs don't work, try these alternate addresses:

http://guyw.atkins.home.comcast.net/..._Islands_1.zip

http://guyw.atkins.home.comcast.net/..._Islands_2.zip


Below is the text of the README file included with each segment:
----------------------------------------------------------------

Radio Cook Islands
630 kHz mediumwave

Recorded: April 6, 1993 at the Rarotongan Resort (7 km from transmitter)
Equipment: Grundig Sat. 500 receiver, Marantz PMD-221 Cassette Recorder

The programming of Radio Cook Islands is bilingual, and announcers are
fluent in both English and Cook Islands Maori.

Music selections on RCI encompass all styles, to appeal to many age groups.

This recording was scheduled to include as much local music as possible.

A visit with station personnel revealed that Radio Cook Islands' 11760 kHz
shortwave transmitter and antenna were destroyed in a fire in May 1992. The
outer islands are being served by AM and FM repeaters and RCI will not be
reactivating their shortwave outlet. The shortwave transmissions on 11760
were simply rebroadcasts of the 630 kHz mediumwave station.


PROGRAMMING NOTES:

R_Cook_Islands_1.mp3

National anthem & hymn; sign-on announcements & music.
Music; weather; sign-off announcements & national anthem.
Local & regional news; weather; ads; music.

R_Cook_Islands_2.mp3

"Party Time" music request show; weather; local ads; more music.


OTHER NOTES:

RCI programming includes all the hallmarks of a small, non-professional
station: stuck records & tape carts, dead air, poor modulation, and other
miscues. However, that's part of the flavor of local radio, and these errors
are heard throughout this recording. Particularly noticeable is the bassy,
over-modulation of the studio announcer during sign-on announcements
(R_Cook_Islands_1.mp3 segment).

RCI's headquarters is in downtown Avarua, and their 5 kw transmitter and
modern quarter-wavelength vertical antenna is located in the town of
Matavera (northeast side of Rarotonga).

Guy Atkins

Puyallup, WA USA

original cassette recording of Radio Cook Islands transcribed to MP3
10/30/03.