Hello and welcome to VOV’s Letter Box, a weekly feature dedicated to our listeners throughout the world. We are Mai Phuong and Phuong Khanh.
A: First on our show today, we’d like to remind you of changes in our frequencies for winter broadcasts.
B: VOV’s relayed broadcast from Moosbrunn, Woofferton, and Dhabayya to Europe at 18:00 UTC will be on 5955 khz. Our broadcast from Woofferton and Cypress Creek to Eastern America and the Caribbean at 01:00 UTC and 02:30 UTC will be on 6175 khz, and our broadcasts to Central America and the Caribbean at 03:30 UTC will be on 6175 kHz.
A: If you haven’t jotted down the changes, please go to our website at www.vovworld.vn to confirm them. We’ll also inform you individually by emails and post mails.
Hanoi in autumn |
B: In an email to VOV this week, Richard Nowak of the US wrote: “I was surprised when I checked the mail box yesterday and saw a package from VOV. When I opened it up, the figurine of the Vietnamese lady was beautiful. Thank you, thank you so much. Cam on. The statue is sitting on top of my favorite radio, the SX 28. That was awesome. A friend on Facebook said the figurine is wearing a poem cone hat and a traditional dress called an Ao Dai. Very cool!”.
A: Richard, it’s good to hear that you have received our gift as a token from VOV to acknowledge your listening. We’ll confirm your reception report on our November 2 program from 2:30 to 2:36 on 6175 khz with a QSL card.
B: Next, we’d like to welcome Paul Walker of the US to VOV. In his email to VOV on November 2, Paul wrote: “I am glad I discovered your English broadcast and that it is on a frequency I can hear. Generally speaking, 6175 is listenable for me whether it is coming from Cyprus Creek, South Carolina or Wooferton in the UK”.
A: Thank you, Paul, for tuning in to our broadcast. We’ll send you a QSL card as a birthday gift. We hope it will reach you on your day. By the way, we wish you all the best on your birthday.
B: We’d like to say hello to Kaishuu Yamashita of Japan. Kaishuu is a Japanese junior high school student. He listened to both our Japanese and our English program. Listening to our broadcast on October 17 from 11:30 to 11:45 on the frequency of 9840, he reported SINPPO at 45444.
A: Thank you Kaishuu for tuning in to our broadcast. We look forward to hearing more from you.
B: Rabi Sankar Bosu of India sent us a number of emails this week reporting that he has always been an avid listener of VOV’s English program. This week, he has a question about Vietnam’s efforts to help poor elderly people.
A: There were more than 8.6 million elderly people (defined as 60 years or older) in Vietnam, accounting for nearly 10 percent of its population, 7 percent were over 65 years old and this segment is predicted to rise to 14.75 percent by 2039. Older Vietnamese people live mainly in rural areas and over 70 percent of them must earn their living themselves.
B: Population aging has been included as one of the priority issues of Vietnam’s new national strategy on population and reproductive health for 2011-2020. Vietnam issued a Law on the Elderly in 2009, in addition to establishing a National Committee on Aging and launching a national action program. Vietnam is a signatory to the Madrid International Plan of Action on Aging.
A: There are more than 11,000 elderly associations in Vietnam. They all belong to the Vietnam Association of the Elderly (VAE). The Association conducts many activities for the care and promotion of elderly people in Vietnam including a longevity ceremony, rights protection, clubs, advocacy, etc, and contributes a great deal to society.
B: I’m now reading a letter from John Rutledge, an American living in China. He wrote: “Thank you for your broadcasts. I still enjoy them and listen when time and conditions allow. Listening conditions are better in southern China than northern China, explaining why I always listen and report whenever I’m in the south”.
A: John was the first prize winner of our contest “What do you know about Vietnam?” John, thank you for your reports on VOV broadcasts on August 19, 20 and 21. We’ll send you QSL cards to confirm your reports and will use the sticker you supplied with your exact Chinese mailing address.
B: Dewal Rafiqul of Bangladesh sent us big compliments on our program. He wrote: “I am so glad to listen to a station like yours. It is so amazing to learn different things about your wonderful country, culture and traditions. I thank you for all you do to present such a varied program. Thank for your great website page. It’s so interesting”.
A: Thank you Dewan for listening to us for such a long time. We’ll confirm your reception reports and send you the gifts your requested.
B: Avinash Cheekoh of the United Arab Emirates reported listening to our broadcasts from October 25 to 27 on the frequency of 7280 khz at 1600 UTC. He wrote: “Fair reception of English Service was noted on the frequency. The broadcast on 7289 khz at 1600 UTC suffered severe adjacent channel interference by a station on 7275 khz. I will monitor other broadcast times and frequencies of VOV in the coming days to find a better listening spot for VOV”.
A: Thank you, Avinash. We have changed frequencies for our winter broadcasts, so, we’ll send our the new frequency list. You can also check out our website at www.vovworld.vn for more details.
B: In his letter to VOV this week, Grant Skinner told us that he received our gift for participating in the contest “What do you know about Vietnam?”. He wrote a poem:
“I appreciate your kindness
More than words can say
The very nice things you sent me
Really made my day
A: Grant, thank you for the poem. We’d like to tell all our listeners that we have sent certificates of participation and gifts to everyone who participated in our contest. If any of you have not received yours, please tell us, so we can check it out.
B: Sending us a beautiful postcard of his home town Kuopio, Risto Happonen of Finland reported listening to our broadcast on October 4 from 1600 to 1627 UTC on the frequency of 9730. He wrote: “I like your program. I sometimes listen to your news and typical news from Vietnam. Vietnamese music is exotic. I’m a friend of Vietnam”.
A: Thank you very much, Risto, for listening to our broadcasts. VOV’s English Program aims to serve as a bridge linking Vietnam with international friends. We hope to see you one day in Vietnam.
B: We’d like to acknowledge letters and emails from Ivan Lebedev of Ukraine, Toshiya Nishimura and Masaru Sekimoto of Japan, Paul Hayes of Ireland, and John Relethford of the US. We’ll send you QSL cards, frequency lists, and program schedules soon.
B: We welcome your feedback at: English section, VOV World Service, Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu Street, Hanoi, Vietnam. Or you can email us at: englishsection@vov.org.vn. Tune in to additional English programs on our website at vovworld.vn. Good bye. See you next time.