[spectre] Polar Radio: have your audio broadcast in Antarctica!

honor honor at va.com.au
Tue Jan 2 11:33:44 CET 2007 

Dear Spectre,

r a d i o q u a l i a have just began broadcasting a new FM radio 
station in Antarctica.

'Polar Radio' is Antarctica's first ever artist-run radio station.
It transmitted its first programme on FM on 29 December 2006.

Polar Radio is part of a series of projects run by I-TASC - the 
Interpolar Transnational Art Science Constellation 
<http://www.i-tasc.org/>.

Please see the below announcement for more information about Polar Radio.


CALL FOR CONTENT - DEADLINE: 10 JANUARY 2007

Do you have a song, a message, or a sound that you want broadcast in 
Antarctica?

We are looking for your music, sound art, radio plays, radio 
documentaries, and any phonically interesting artefacts you have to 
broadcast on Antarctica first artist-run radio station.  There is a 
supply plane leaving for Antarctica from Cape Town on 11 January.  We 
plan to have a shipment of CDs sent on that supply plane.  We are now 
looking for CDs of:

- music of all different kinds
- radio art
- radio plays
- audio documentaries
- audio books
- archived news reports
- investigative journalism
- podcasts
- any other audio material you would like to have broadcast in Antarctica

If you have sonic material you want broadcast, please make a CD and send it to:

Siphiwe Ngwenya / I-TASC
c/- Pitch Black Productions
7 Prince Street
Gardens
Cape Town 8001
South Africa

The best formats to send are:
- audio CDs
- MP3 CDs

Very best wishes

Honor Harger

r a d i o q u a l i a
http://www.radio-astronomy.net
http://www.radioqualia.net



..........................................................
ANNOUNCEMENT - ARTIST-RUN RADIO STATION IN ANTARCTICA

Date: 31.12.06

Location:  Antarctica
..........................................................

'Polar Radio' is a community radio station in Antarctica initiated by 
I-TASC and r a d i o q u a l i a.

The first prototype station began FM broadcasts on 29 December 2006 
in the Dronning Maud Land sector of Antarctica, where South Africa 
maintains their base, SANAE IV.

The radio station is broadcasting new music, sound art, documentaries 
and live shows to the research community in Dronning Maud Land. 
Mobile researchers can tune into the radio station from their skidoos 
(snowmobiles used for transport).  Residents of SANAE IV can tune in 
to the station from FM receivers at the base.

This prototype station is the first step towards establishing a 
permanent community radio presence in Antarctica, which may 
eventually broadcast in between geographically dispersed Antarctic 
bases.

The research phase of Polar Radio is supported by Arts Council England.

..........................................................

ABOUT I-TASC

I-TASC is the Interpolar Transnational Art Science Constellation. 
I-TASC is an official project of the International Polar Year 
2007-2008. The project was conceived by Thomas Mulcaire and Marko 
Peljhan. I-TASC is a decentralized network of individuals and 
organisations working collaboratively in the fields of art, 
engineering, science and technology on the interdisciplinary 
development and tactical deployment of renewable energy, waste 
recycling systems, sustainable architecture and open-format, 
open-source media. I-TASC is a lichen-like structure sharing and 
integrating local knowledge, resources and skills across six 
continents in order to symbiotically engage with the air, ocean, 
earth and space commons

The members of the first I-TASC Reconnaissance and Communication 
Expedition arrived in the Dronning Maud Land sector of Antarctica in 
December 2006 and will stay until February 2007.  They are guests of 
the South African Antarctic Programme <http://www.sanap.org.za/>. 
The crew are:
- Thomas Mulcaire (South Africa)
- Adam Hyde - r a d i o q u a l i a (New Zealand)
- Ntsikelelo Ntshingila (South Africa)
- Amanda Rodrigues Alves (Brazil)

The I-TASC crew's journey to the continent on board the ship, SA 
Agulhas and their work at SANAE IV base is documented in an online 
journal at the I-TASC website <http://www.i-tasc.org/>, under the NOW 
section.
..........................................................

RADIO IN ANTARCTICA

Whilst, Antarctica has never had an indigenous population, it does 
now have a regular human presence.  It hosts scientists from 27 
different nations. In the summer more than 4000 people live in 
Antarctica.  Scientists tend to be located at the scientific bases 
operated by their home nation. Because of the immense size of the 
continent these bases tend to be far from one another. One of the 
only technologies which can bridge the wide expanses of Antarctica is 
radio.  Whilst radio is primarily used to coordinate science 
expeditions and vital activities such as air-traffic control and 
search and rescue, the existence of several amateur radio stations in 
Antarctica operated by radio engineers in their spare time, is 
evidence that radio communication for leisure purposes is viable and 
desirable.  Like any amateur radio stations, those in Antarctica are 
only operational sporadically, and communicate only with other 
amateur radio stations, on a one-to-one basis.

..........................................................

POLAR RADIO - THE FUTURE

Polar Radio will draw on the history of amateur radio broadcasting in 
the polar regions, taking inspiration from the role radio has played 
in the exploration of the Poles, and in facilitating communication 
between polar inhabitants and the wider world.

One of the most important functions of Polar Radio station is be to 
radiophonically link dispersed bases, creating trans-national, 
inter-base connections promoting discussion and collaboration amongst 
the researchers living in Antarctica. Should it prove feasible, 
following this research phase, it is hoped that Polar Radio will 
enable researchers to share information about the living 
circumstances and weather conditions of their respective bases, and 
to anecdotally communicate the results of their investigations.

In tandem with this community radio function, Polar Radio will also 
be a platform for artists.  Many of the Antarctic bases have 
artist-in-residence programmes and regularly host artists in-situ. 
Polar Radio hopes to make it possible for artists in residence to 
communicate their work to the residents of Antarctica. It will 
pro-actively encourage artists to create audio-based art (sound art, 
new music, radio drama and other audio based practices) for 
broadcast, thus posing new artistic challenges for artists living in 
Antarctica.

It is also hoped that Polar Radio will broadcast creative programmes 
produced outside Antarctica.  Using internet-based systems, and 
posted CDs, we hope to enable an interface between artists and 
musicians based around the world and the residents of Antarctica.

It is envisioned that the eventual programme of Polar Radio may be a 
combination of news reports from the various Antarctica bases 
authored by researchers, music programmes compiled by researchers, 
audio art, music, news and magazine programmes, sound art and radio 
art documentaries and audio-based art created by artists in residence 
at the Antarctic bases.

..........................................................

TRANSMIT YOUR MESSAGE IN ANTARCTICA

We are in the process of compiling programmes for broadcast.  The 
internet connection at the present South African base in Antarctica 
is not fast enough for the crew to download sound material to 
broadcast.  But we do want to broadcast music made by musicians and 
sound artists, radio plays, documentaries, and any other sonically 
fascinating ephemera.

So, we need your help!

If you have ever wanted a piece of music you have made, or even just 
a piece of music you like, heard in Antarctica, now is your chance. 
Make a CD and send it to: Siphiwe Ngwenya / I-TASC
c/- Pitch Black Productions, 7 Prince Street, Gardens, Cape Town 
8001, South Africa

DEADLINE: 10 JANUARY 2007

There is not much time between now and when the plane leaves, so 
anything you can copy onto CD and post, would be gratefully received.

..........................................................

FURTHER INFORMATION

For data on Polar Radio, contact: r a d i o q u a l i a
Email: adam at xs4all.nl   or   honor at va.com.au
http://www.radioqualia.net

For data on I-TASC, contact: Thomas Mulcaire or Marko Peljhan
Email: tm at interpolar.org   or     mx at interpolar.org
http://www.i-tasc.org/
-- 
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . .

r   a   d   i   o   q   u   a   l   i   a


                    ((o))

f  r e q u e n c y  s h i f t i n g  p a r a d i g m s
i n  s t r e a m i n g  a u d i o

listening to space
http://www.radio-astronomy.net


radioqualia at va.com.au
http://www.radioqualia.net


supported by virtual artists (VA)
http://www.va.com.au

&

la fondation daniel langlois pour l'art, la science et la technologie
http://www.fondation-langlois.org/

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