Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-13
STATION. IN HAITI
ON FRIDAY NIGHTS
HHK Is Islands Sole Radio
Center-0perates on
361 Meters.

Have YOU heard station HHK
which, by the way. is the sole broad
caster in Haiti? 1t operates every Fri
day night between 8 and o'clock on
e61 meters with | 1000 watts. Capt
John II. Craige. l.. $. Marine Corps,
has been active as broadcast manager
of this station.
Although the equipment Of HHk Is
Of the best and rated at 1000 watts,
it began to run down, so to speak, soon
after the American engineers left 1t in
the hands of the unskilled native OPP
orators. Since it is a governmental
station, like many of the other activ-
ities of the republic, it falls under the
personal eye of Brig Gen. John II.
Russell, Marine Corps. special repre-
sentative of the United States in Haiti.
When it was discovered that the
station was not functioning properly.
an experienced Marine officer. Capt.
Ernest +. Filler, was sent to overhaul
the transmitter, and it was soon being
reported from the United States ana
other neighboring countries. About
the same time the native announcer.
who spoke both French and Englio.
fell ill, and so Capt, Craige. jack OF all
trades and master of many, was called
upon TO arrange the programs and
make the announcements.
~ Purpose Educational.
The purpose of this station, opened
early last Fall, is educational The
native Haitians do not read, ana Few
of them speak French or English. All
talks, therefore, are made in the local
patois of dialect employed by the ma.
iority. Orchestra recitals were ar.
ranged as purely entertainment fea-
lures, and it is these many fans in the
United States hear.
1t was first very difficult to get the
natives to listen in for they could not
he brought to believe that the recep-
ton of speech and music was possible.
However, this difficulty is gradually
being overcome, Capt. Craige says,
chiefly through the installation of re-
ceiving sets in the community centers
or public squares, where active loud
speakers began to bring out the Gu.
rious.
There are now installed FIVE radio
receivers in as many towns ana
cities and eight more are planned.
In Port au Prince the public square
is now the scene of fairly large gath
erinEs when music from native and
visiting orchestras is being broadcast
from HHK. A powerful public ad
dress system is used there to amplify
the broadcasts and several thousand
natives now enjoy the weekly con-
certs.
Special Lectures Given.
Many also foregather in this CEN
trail place Saturday mornings, when
special instructive talks and lectures
are broadcast for their benefit. One
of the things which the government
tried to accomplish over the radio
was to get natives who were Ill to
visit the local infirmaries. This was
difficult. but finally accomplished: to.
day many take advantage Of this free
clinical, service in the interest OF
health and sanitation. All instructive
talks are broadcast in the local
creole dialect SO that the populace
may comprehend.
1t Is only on the Friday musical
programs that the French and Eng.
fish announcements are made. These
concerts reach many residents Of the
United states and Canada. Capt.
Craige says that he has received as
many as 100 letters following a broad
cast, the more distant being from
California and the western provinces
Of Canada. Replies also. have been
received from the Central and South
American countries. as well as from
the neighboring islands.
The largest amount Of mail comes
from fans northeast of the station
along the eastern shores of the United
States Evidently the broadcast ennis.
sions sometimes go out as. do beam
transmission, like a single section OF
a fan. On one occasion 80 per cent
of the replies came from section
of the States and Canada lying in q
north northwesteriy direction from the
Island of Haiti. hitting the United
States coast at about Hampton Roads
and penetrating far inland.