New emergency broadcast system

Sarajevo - Combined Joint Psychological Operations Task Force (CJPOTF) is about to upgrade to a new broadcast system. It will provide a substantial improvement on the audio signal transmission through phone line links.
To achieve this, the new system will link four major public service radio stations to include Radio Mir on Butmir-Sarajevo. The other three stations cover the area of responsibility of each Multinational Division and broadcast from Brcko (Radio MIR) for MND-North, Banja Luka, (Radio SFM) for MND-Southwest and in Mostar (ACCORD FM) for MND-Southeast.

These radio stations, currently working in different formats, will now broadcast on the same frequency. A new transmitter is about to be set up by Radio SFM Banja Luka, which will contribute to giving full coverage on the same frequency all over Bosnia and Hercegovina (BiH)

The system consists of a Vector, also called "hotbox," a digital audio transmission device for analog telephone lines. It allows wideband, broadcast quality audio to pass through a telephone channel which otherwise supports only “pay-phone quality" voice transmission. Portable or rackmount chassis are available.

Mr. Adi Dzanovic, a CJPOTF technician, is in charge of implementing this programme.

"In a few days, we'll able to transmit audio signal of CD quality. It is the best quality which our ears can appreciate," stated Dzanovic. The device works, in some respects, like a modem. It receives an analogic signal, converts it to digital, and sends it through telephone lines.

"We can not only transmit music or news, but also can audio files, speeches, press conferences, and any recorded message. It's only needs a microphone, earphones, a portable hotbox and, of course, the phone line to transmit from anywhere," followed Dzanovic.

According to French Col. Olivier Latremoliere, commander of CJPOTF, with this radio network SFOR will be able to broadcast throughout all of the MNDs as an emergency system, not only for SFOR personnel, but also, if necessary, for the BiH population.

Related link:
SFOR at Work