DX LISTENING DIGEST 2-157, October 11, 2002 edited by Glenn Hauser, wghauser@hotmail.com Items from DXLD may be reproduced and re-reproduced only if full credit be maintained at all stages and we be provided exchange copies. DXLD may not be reposted in its entirety without permission. Materials taken from Arctic or originating from Olle Alm and not having a commercial copyright are exempt from all restrictions of noncommercial, noncopyrighted reusage except for full credits HTML version of this issue will be posted afterwards at http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldtd02.html For restrixions and searchable 2002 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn WORLD OF RADIO 1151: ON WWCR: Sat 0600, Sun 0230 5070, Sun 0630 3210, Wed 0930 9475 ON RFPI: Sat 0130, 0730, Sun 0000, 0600, Mon 0030, 0630 on 7445 and/or 15039 ON WBCQ: Mon 0415 7415 ON WRN: Rest of world Sat 0800; North America Sun 1400 ONDEMAND http://www.wrn.org/ondemand/worldofradio.html (DOWNLOAD) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1151.rm (STREAM) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1151.ram (SUMMARY) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1151.html ** AUSTRALIA. DISPUTE DELAYS SHIPPING OF HCJB TRANSMITTER TO AUSTRALIA ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Oct 8, 2002. The dock workers labor dispute on the West Coast of the U.S. has held up the shipment of a 100,000-watt shortwave transmitter to HCJB World Radio-Australia`s property near the continent`s northern coast. The transmitter, designed and built at the ministry`s Engineering Center in Elkhart, Ind., is destined for Kununurra near the northern coast of the continent. ``Many of you have prayed about all of the roadblocks that the Australian office has met each step of the way to get a shortwave radio site up and running in Kununurra,`` said Dave Pasechnik, director of the center. ``God has been awesome throughout this five- year process. Now we need His intervention again.`` A team from Elkhart is in Kununurra to install the antennas and the transmitter as soon as it arrives. The goal is to begin the shortwave broadcasts on Dec. 22, reaching across Asia, the South Pacific and parts of Africa with Christian programs. Source: HCJB Web Site (via Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, India, Cumbre DX via DXLD) So when the strike is settled it`s because of this one shipment, and divine intervention? Is God, in His Infinity, really concerned about meeting such arbitrary deadlines? (gh) ** AUSTRALIA. OFF-BAND STATIONS - 1611-1701 kHz Interrogation of the Australian Communications Authority on-line master listing reveals that there are now 289 approved licences for "Narrowband Area Service" (NAS) stations in the range 1611-1701 kHz. Most of these are not operating, and the owners have paid the licence fees to secure a form of "squatters' rights" to specific channels in defined localities. Maximum antenna power input is limited to 400 Watts, but monitoring and enforcement by ACA people only occurs if a genuine complaint is received. Spectrum bandwidth is limited to 6 kHz (double sideband AM), with actual audio being confined to 0.3-2.6 kHz. In-band stations are permitted to operate to a 9 kHz spectrum usage, but in practice, actual audio bandwidth is still around the 3 kHz cut-off. One such owner is "Heart N Soul Productions", which has 21 registrations across Australia, all on the single frequency of 1638 kHz. It is believed that only two of these are active, in Melbourne and Sydney, using the title "Arab Radio", and locally known as 3ME and 2ME respectively. One network is "Promo Radios Australia", based here in Melbourne, which operates as Radio Salsa on 1629 kHz, from a transmitter in the western suburb of Williamstown. This is 24-hrs, with no advertising, continuous music format, and very few announcements. There is one ID announcement each day, for about three minutes, generally given between 5.30 and 6.00 pm (0730-0800 UT), consisting of brief notes about Melbourne's weather. The station is also known as "Melbourne Radio 1629". Promo Radios Australia runs one other station, in Dalby, Queensland, on 1611 kHz, which has locally produced programming. A third station is at Moama, NSW, 1620 kHz, but that's is not on the air, due to lack of suitable technical people in the area to manage it. Very soon, Radio Salsa (Melbourne) 1629 kHz will make a major change to its format, will carry relays of Sydney's 2WS, 1611 kHz, which serves Sydney's Western suburbs. The Melbourne relay will be from 6 am to 6 pm local time (2000-0800 UT) daily, and will be the same program as on 2WS. Advertisements for products in Sydney and Melbourne will be carried. Radio Salsa has another station being set up, in Adelaide, and is being sited at Old Noarlunga on 1620 kHz. Commencement is imminent. Chinese language programming is also proposed for the Melbourne station, and this will start as soon as technical requirements have been arranged. Reception reports for the Melbourne station are handled by your writer - please use my personal address, and return postage is mandatory. To date very few reports have been received, due to the non-stop music format with very few announcements to generate verifiable program detail. The 2WS relay will provide greater opportunity for gathering specific content for inclusion in reception reports. There is no "log" of actual song titles, tracks played, or performers, most of which are from CDs. Please visit http://clix.to/promoradios for detailed information and a coverage map! A reminder that EDXP will be releasing the second edition of the printed "Guide to Australian Extended Band Broadcasting Stations" in January (Bob Padula, EDXP Oct 11 via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. 5955, R. Pio XII, 0230* Oct 11 ending transmission with full ID including phone numbers and e-mail address (Horacio A. Nigro, Montevideo - Uruguay, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA/PERU. La Voz del Campesino: dos emisoras con un mismo nombre, una en Bolivia (6537.3) y la otra en Perú (6956.7), rara vez audibles las dos juntas (sólo los domingos hora local, único día en que emite por la noche la boliviana). Hasta ahora sólo han sido audibles las dos juntas once noches de los domingos y más raro aún una sola mañana. Además la emisora boliviana tiene otra particularidad: los lunes descansan un poco más y abren la transmisión más tarde de lo habitual (entre las 0830 y 1030), con predominio de las 1030 ahora en el invierno (Emilio Pedro Povrzenic, Villa Diego, Santa Fé, Argentina, Latinoamérica DX, July, Asociación DX del Litoral, Rosario, via Sept Radio Nuevo Mundo via DXLD) ** CANADA. CJWI 1610 Montreal: I was there about a week ago. They're using a fiberglass whip atop a two-story metal warehouse building. The whip is perhaps 40' tall, at most. Not an impressive, or even terribly listenable, signal in much of Montreal itself! If I were running the station, I'd be looking to diplex on someone else's existing vertical antenna... there's a little loop on the top that I suspect functions as something of a capacitance hat. See for yourself and tell me what you think... http://www.fybush.com/cjwitower.html -s (Scott Fybush, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** CANADA. CBC RADIO UNVEILS SATURDAY SHOW -- FROM CANADIAN PRESS A voice familiar to CBC's prairie listeners has been pegged to host CBC Radio One's new Saturday morning hour. Peter Brown launches That Saturday Show on Oct. 26 at 10 a.m. out of Vancouver. It promises to be a mix of arts, entertainment and lifestyle listening and will replace Go, a summer series hosted by Brent Bambury. "As the program moves out of the studio and right onto location, listeners will be invited along," says Adrian Mills, CBC Radio programming executive. "From medieval jousting in Milton, Ont., to the experience of riding the historic wooden roller-coaster in Vancouver, the program will convey a sense of participation." Brown has hosted the Edmonton-based Radio Active since 1994, and before that he was a host, reporter and satirist on CBC Saskatchewan's The Arts Tonight. (Toronto Star Oct 11 via Bill Westenhaver, DXLD) ** CANADA. HOT SHEET FOR WEEKEND OF OCTOBER 12 & 13, 2002 GO! This week on Go!...host Brent Bambury dives into the world of your favorite classical cartoon music. Alan Neal answers queries about old TV shows. And the Go! gang hits the streets to find out whether Canadians really appreciate hair products. That's on Go!, Saturday morning at 10:05 (10:35 NT) on CBC Radio One. STRANDED: This Saturday on Stranded, host Jane Hawtin welcomes comedian/actor Dave Thomas of SCTV, the MacKenzie Brothers and, soon, the new Beachcombers. Find out which book, music, food and film he'd take if he were...stranded. That's Stranded, Saturday morning at 11 (11:30 NT) on CBC Radio One. CROSS-COUNTRY CHECKUP: Sunday on Cross Country Checkup...the Monarchy. The Queen is touring Canada to mark her Golden Jubilee...and everywhere she's met by adoring crowds. But behind it all, many - including the Deputy Prime Minister - question whether Canada needs the monarchy...especially one based in another country. What do you think? Does Canada need the monarchy? Join host Rex Murphy Sunday on Cross Country Checkup. That's on Cross Country Checkup Sunday afternoon from 4 until 6 (EASTERN) on CBC Radio One (CBC Hotsheet via gh, DXLD) ** CUBA. He estado observando, junto al colega local Luis A. Beauxis, aqui en Montevideo, que la presencia de Radio Habana Cuba ha desmejorado mucho desde un tiempo a esta parte. Ya no es posible escucharla con sus potentes señales en 25 metros, por nuestras noches. Solo capto una debil presencia en 9600. En 15230, ya no escucho nada. Pálida imagen de lo que era hace algunos años!. Alguien puede agregar alguna opinion al respecto? 73 (Horacio Nigro, Montevideo - Uruguay, Oct 9, Conexión Digital via DXLD) Gastando demasiado en fluido para jamming; y daños huracanetas? (gh, DXLD) Hola amigos, Aunque no es una emisora de mi predilección, sí he notado mucho las distorsiones en la emisiones, señales espóreas, frecuencias desajustadas, etc.; pero en cambio sí he notado el incremento del jamming cubano a estaciones como Radio Martí, WRMI y otros servicios que son para Cuba desde USA. Muchas veces interfiriendo y haciendo inaudibles canales adyacentes. Sabemos cómo es la politica y considero que para el gobierno, no para el pueblo de Cuba; es mejor tapar que mostrar (Rafael Rodríguez, Colombia, Conexión Digital) Efectivamente cada vez es peor la recepción de Radio Habana Cuba; a las 1200 en 9550, 15230 y 11760 se escuchan muy distorsionada, más débil y deteriorada ... en ocasiones he notado que cesan de repente sin aviso sus emisiones. Saludos (Héctor Garcia B., México, Oct 10, Conexión Digital) Yo creo que la emisora debe adolecer de falta de repuestos y, por supuesto, de recursos para poder adquirirlos, amen del bloqueo impuesto a Cuba que obviamente la limita más en lo que se refiere a poder acceder a insumos desde otros países. Además, me imagino que como sucede con las pocas emisoras latinoamericanas nacionales que aun operan en la onda corta, parte de su equipamiento debe ser obsoleto. Es simplemente una opinión pero no se me ocurre otro motivo. Chau Saludos (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, ibid.) ** CYPRUS. See LEBANON ** ERITREA/ETHIOPIA [non]. UNITED NATIONS. "RADIO UNMEE BROADCASTING FROM ABU DHABI". Radio UNMEE is the "Voice of the United Nations Peace Keeping Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea". It broadcasts news about the peacekeeping mission, such as exchanges of prisoners of war and messages for the reuniting of families. In January 2001, the Public Information office of the UN Mission in Eritrea and Ethiopia launched its broadcasts for the Horn of Africa and were heard once a week on all channels of the Eritrean radio. In October 2001, all Radio UNMEE transmissions were suspended over Radio Ethiopia, but in June 2002, resumed via the Voice of the Broad Masses of Eritrea, on SW. In April 2002, Radio UNMEE commenced broadcasts from the Merlin facility at Al Dhabbiya, Abu Dhabi, in parallel with the African learning satellite channel of the WorldSpace Foundation. The current SW transmission schedule is: Tuesdays 0430-0530 on 15215, mainly to Eritrea in Eritrean Tigrinya, Arabic, Tigre and English Fridays 1900-2000 on 13735, mainly to Ethiopia, in Amharic, Afan Oromo, Tigrinya, Ethiopian Tigrinya, and English. The English segments are 1945-2000, and 0515-0530 and the other language segments are translations of the English features. The 1900-2000 service is well heard here in Melbourne on 13735, with some interference from Voice of Vietnam 13740, from Son Tay. Mailing addresses are: ECA Building, PO Box 3001, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia PO Box 5805, Asmara, Eritrea Comprehensive background information, images, program transcripts and audio files are available at: http://www.reliefweb.int http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/unmee/radio.htm (Bob Padula, EDXP Oct 11 via DXLD) ** ESTONIA [and non]. WHEN THE CURTAIN JAMMED After the Iron Curtain came down following the end of World War II, people inside the Soviet Union didn't receive much information via the state media about what was happening abroad. What little information did reach them through official channels was highly censored. But radio waves could penetrate the Iron Curtain, and this was a major worry to the authorities. One of the ways they dealt with the problem was to jam Western radio broadcasts. Now the truth can be told about what went on inside a typical jamming station. This week we publish the first in a series of articles in co-operation with the Kistler-Ritso Estonia Foundation. The Foundation aims to establish an Occupation Museum of the recent past in Estonia, where the developmental processes during the period 1940-1991 can be studied and where relevant materials, both objects and documents, can be collected and exhibited. http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/features/html/jamming021011.html (Andy Sennitt, Media Network Newsletter Oct 11 via DXLD) ** FALKLAND ISLANDS. Coming Soon: My colleague Alfonso Montealegre of RN's Spanish department leaves this weekend for a trip to Chile and the Falkland Islands. Amongst the many items on his agenda is a visit to the Falkland Islands Broadcasting Station, where he'll be finding out how things have changed since the conflict with Argentina 20 years ago. Now there's TV on the island as well as a local outlet of the British Forces Broadcasting Service. The rural population is actually decreasing, while Stanley is a considerably bigger place than it was in 1982. So how has this affected FIBS? (Andy Sennitt, Media Network Newsletter Oct 11 via DXLD) ** FINLAND. On Saturdays Finnish Radio inserts short features in Komi and Erzya into its Russian service broadcasts. Both languages are Fenno-Ugric, spoken in Russia. Last year they had similar services in Mari and Udmurt (Dmitry Mezin, Kazan, Russia, Signal Oct 10 via DXLD) ** GERMANY. I found Your posting according DAO, Kielradio. Please refer to http://www.kielradio.de Email is info@kielradio.de Kind regards (Martin Reincke, CEO Kielradio via Marion Tempel, Germany, Oct 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. I just completed a thorough update of my webpages. Now finally a picture report about the Königs Wusterhausen site is available, I also added something about Wilsdruff and more nostalgia. Perhaps it will be further completed once I could deposit some files elsewhere. Das Ergebnis von zwei Tagen Stubenruhe, bedingt durch eine arge Erkältung, liegt nun vor. Nach fast fünf Monaten steht nun ein Bildbericht aus Königs Wurstklause zur Verfügung. Und klar: Man wils druff ankommen lassen. Und noch mehr feine Sachen. Es besteht auch eine Grundlage, einen Teil des Materials zwecks Hinzufügung weiterer Goodies auf andere, ihrer Verwendung harrenden 10 MByte auszulagern. Gute Unterhaltung! (Sollte das mit dem 27. August 1997 nicht stimmen bitte Alarm schlagen, janz sicha binnich miah da nämlich nich...) http://kailudwig.bei.t-online.de (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Oct 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. The present Head of the English Service of DW is in the process of moving on to a different department within Deutsche Welle. As from the middle of this month there will be a new Head of the English Service. (VIA: Ms. Margot Forbes, DW English Service). Regards, (Md. Azizul Alam Al-Amin, Rajshahi, Bangladesh, Oct 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Names? ** GREECE. B-02 schedule for Voice of Greece, broadcasts to Australia: 0000-0358 15630 0400-0800 17520 21530 0600-0800 12110 (via Delano) 2100-2300 15650 9420 2300-0000 15650 All broadcasts in Greek (EDXP Oct 11 via DXLD) ** HONG KONG. RADIO TELEVISION HONG KONG You can find below details about RTV Hong Kong and their schedule for the Hainan Race, including transmissions on 3940 kHz. This information was obtained by email from from Ailsa Angus (Sailing Manager) - Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (Marcelo Toníolo, Greenvale, NY, DX LISTENING DIGEST) HAINAN RACE 2002 --- RADIO/WEATHER BROADCASTS These notes do NOT form part of the Hainan Race Sailing Instructions, and are issued for information only. RADIO CALLSIGNS Radio Relay Vessels in charge of radio communications schedules will have the following callsigns (with vessels' functions in brackets): RACE CONTROL ONE : (Yacht Elektra: in charge of the daily morning and evening radio position reporting schedules). RACE CONTROL TWO : (Yacht Dolphin Six: backup for both the daily morning and evening radio position reporting schedules and to relay reports as necessary to Race Control One). RACE CONTROL : in Hong Kong is any vessel designated by the Race Committee to give race information such as postponements, premature starters etc., before and up to 30 minutes after the start of the Hainan Race. After this, it is the callsign used by the Race Committee representatives in Hainan, who MAY be guarding 4060 kHz and 2638 kHz at the appropriate reporting times and MAY have 2182 kHz and 4125 kHz for distress and calling. RTHK : is Radio Television Hong Kong, which will broadcast special weather forecasts for boats in the Hainan Race on 3940 kHz. These forecasts, provided by Hong Kong Observatory, will be broadcast at the times shown below. They will also give detailed weather information for each of the five areas marked A to E on the map overleaf: ||||| [Local time of UT+8, so 0933 and 2133 UT. Some other DX sites have not made clear the correct UT for this. We have not converted any of the times in this item: they are as given, LOCAL -- gh] ||||| Date Time Time 16th October 2002 1733 17th October 2002 0533 1733 18th October 2002 0533 1733 19th October 2002 0533 POSITION REPORTING TIMES Take Position Radio Schedule 0600 0603 1800 1803 Yachts will be called in alphabetical order. From the start of the race until you are in port, EVEN IF YOU HAVE RETIRED AND ARE HEADING BACK TO HONG KONG OR ANY OTHER PORT, you MUST comply with the radio reporting schedules. Frequencies/Channels: SSB frequencies Ship transmits Ship receives Race Communications (Primary) 4060 kHz 4060 kHz Race Communications (Secondary) 2638 kHz 2638 kHz and International ship-to-ship International distress and calling 2182 kHz 2182 kHz RTHK weather forecasts ---- 3940 kHz Supplementary distress and calling 4125 kHz 4417 kHz Supplementary distress and calling 6215 kHz 6516 kHz International ship-to-ship 6218.6 kHz 6218.6 kHz Transmission mode is J3E (SSB suppressed carrier) unless otherwise specified for special purposes by your yacht's radio instruction manual. VHF channels: (transmit and receive) Contacting Race Committee Channel 72 Distress Channel 16 Ship-to-ship Channel 99 (Hong Kong waters) Channel 72 (International) Channel 77 (International) Civilian aircraft band frequency 121.5 MHz (distress and calling VHF) Military aircraft frequency 243 MHz (distress and calling UHF) Other frequencies/channels which may be used will be advised at race briefings. Radio Checks/Times: All times in these advisory notes are Hong Kong local time, which is the same as Hainan local time -- GMT/UTC plus eight hours. PLEASE NOTE: Any boat which fails to have a satisfactory radio check recorded and which subsequently fails to report their positions during the Hainan Race is unlikely to find much sympathy in any subsequent protest hearing relating to position reports. PLEASE ALSO NOTE that the radio reporting schedules are being run for reasons of safety, and therefore compliance with them is in your own interests in case of an emergency, quite apart from being required by the Race Instructions. The Radio Operator's Routine: PLEASE REMEMBER TO OBSERVE THE THREE MINUTE SILENCE/LISTENING PERIOD FROM :00 TO :03 MINUTES PAST THE HOUR AND :30 TO :33 PAST THE HALF HOUR. THIS IS AN INTERNATIONAL EMERGENCY REQUIREMENT. Your typical day's radio work is as follows: Morning Schedule Run engine to charge batteries. Listen to and note down the special weather forecast broadcast by Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) at 0533 on 3940 kHz. Obtain your boat's 0600 hours position. Listen to and use for tuning if necessary the warning call from RACE CONTROL ONE at 0603. Give your boat's 0600 position when your boat is called beginning at 0603 on 4060 kHz. A sample call is: "YACHT ALPHA, this is RACE CONTROL ONE, your position please." Your sample reply is: "RACE CONTROL ONE, this is YACHT ALPHA, position two zero one zero, one one four two six, over." You should then hear your position read back, so you can correct any mistakes in reception. Remember to give about a one-second break after pressing your transmitting switch before you start speaking, otherwise the start of your speech may be clipped off by your transmitter's self-tuning. If you can't get through on 4060 kHz, RACE CONTROL ONE will call again for boats not heard the first time after completing the roll. Otherwise, try again on 2638 kHz when RACE CONTROL ONE will run through the list of those boats not heard previously. If your SSB is working, at worst you should be heard by other boats that can relay your position. If you know or suspect you have an SSB problem during the race, try calling any other boat on SSB and VHF (Channel 72) to ask them to relay your position. Evening Schedule In the evening, repeat the procedure as above but with later times as appropriate i.e.: Listen to and note down the special weather forecast broadcast by Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) at 1745 on 3940 kHz. Obtain your boat's 1800 hours position. Listen to and use for tuning the warning call from RACE CONTROL ONE at 1803. Give your position to RACE CONTROL ONE when called on 4060 kHz. Additional Broadcast Information : All boats are strongly advised to leave their radios on at all other times on SSB frequency 2182 in case emergency assistance is requested by other boats during the race. Other Calls : Before and during the race, information MAY be broadcast on VHF Channel 72 and SSB frequency 4060 kHz. The Race Committee in Hainan MAY keep watch on VHF Channel 72 and SSB frequency 4060 kHz. Advisory calls we may ask you to make, if any, will be detailed during race briefings. If it all goes wrong ... It shouldn't, if your radio kit has been properly installed in a sensible place away from the companionway, and you've had it checked and tested. But it might if you manage to get water over the set - it's easy enough to protect it with a spray barrier comprising a plastic chart cover or something similar. It also might not work too well if you fail to charge your batteries. If you find yourself without SSB or VHF or both at some stage, for safety reasons alone (let alone what a subsequent protest committee might do in its naturally infinite wisdom) you should resort to communicating your predicament AND your position to other boats by any other means to hand AND log the fact and any signals you make. PLEASE NOTE that if your boat is the one with a radio problem, it is up to YOU to find another boat to tell - leaving aside the dictates of prudent seamanship, good manners and a willingness to help others, we cannot force other boats to drop down or head up from their proper courses to go and have a look at you. The way back: Because boats return to Hong Kong according to their own timetables rather than in one fleet, the trip home is outside the control of the Race Committee. Also, because ship-to-shore communications are covered by Hong Kong Telecommunications International's exclusive franchise, we cannot legally set up a radio base station at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club for this purpose. Those of you who are licensed ham radio operators can, of course, arrange to make your own contacts legally with Hong Kong-based ham operators at whatever times and frequencies you choose. While ashore and in the company of other yachties in Hainan or wherever, the most sensible option would be to try to find other yachts returning home at or about the same time as you. Set up your own radio schedules with them at the times used in the race. If you wish, you can establish an account with Hong Kong Telecom so as to make radio-telephone calls to Hong Kong : please contact Hong Kong Telecom for details. Race Office representatives in Hainan will keep a list of yachts' intended departure times as they receive them, so that boats can team up for the return trip if they so wish. The special RTHK weather forecasts will be broadcast daily at 0533 from 20th October to 24th October (inclusive) on 3940 for your return journey (via Marcelo Toníolo, NY, Oct 10, DXLD) ** ICELAND. Iceland National B.S. heard on new(?) 15715 at 1425 tune in until close down at 1443 after news headlines. A fairly good signal, and assumed to be the nominal 1410-1440 service to NoAmerica. Listed 15775 was occupied until 1430 by a transmission in Vietnamese - presumed to be VOH via Jülich (Noel R. Green, Blackpool, NW England, Oct 11, Cumbre DX via DXLD) The current frequencies in use are: To Europe: 1215-1300 UTC 15715 kHz 1755-1825 UTC 13865 kHz To USA: 1410-1440 UTC 15715 kHz 1835-1905 UTC 13865 kHz 2300-2335 UTC 13865 kHz Icelandic Telecom has engaged a small German frequency consulting company to coordinate the frequencies at the HFCC conferences since season B00, but is quite unsatisfied with the results and tends to choose alternative frequencies. Those frequencies which were circulating in the DX press during the last weeks labeled "B02 schedule Iceland" are only HFCC registrations, not any decided frequencies. There is still no definite decision about how long the relays of RÚV domestic news on SW are going to continue. The Icelandic fisherfleet still requests these relays, however. 73s, (Bernd Trutenau, Lithunia, Oct 11, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** INDONESIA. 9525, Voice of Indonesia. Received in 1 year 2 months for English report, 3 IRCs and a follow up report, a hand written verification on the follow up report, which I had sent by email to Liem Kwet Hian in Jakarta, who hand carried my report to the station. v/s Endang R promises a QSL card to come. Card or no, I consider this to be valid QSL already. This ends a 12 years quest for verification from this station. My thanks to Mr Liem for all the legwork (Richard Lam, Singapore, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. Satellite radios head for used car lots By Ben Charny Staff Writer, CNET News.com October 9, 2002, 4:17 PM PT XM Satellite Radio unveils plans to supply thousands of independent car dealerships, including used car lots, with $400 satellite radio receivers to offer to their customers... http://news.com.com/2100-1033-961468.html (via Fred Waterer, DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL WATERS [non]. Hi Glenn, Further to Noel Green's observation in DXLD-2156: Further information from Radio Caroline Station Manager Peter Moore confirms that the transmitter site for 7140 kHz has been established as Ireland. Moore believes it is the same site as mediumwave 1593 kHz (whatever that is, I haven't had time to check). But he continues to insist that the shortwave transmission is unauthorised. Audio is apparently taken from Radio Caroline's satellite signal on Astra 19.2 degrees east. We also forwarded to him a report that appeared in HCDX of a QSL being received for 7140 kHz. He says that a QSL may have been sent out if the programme details were correct, but that doesn't mean that Radio Caroline itself was responsible for the shortwave transmissions, although it was aware of them. 73, (Andy Sennitt, Netherlands, Oct 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) CAROLINE ON SHORTWAVE - STATION MANAGER PETER MOORE'S COMMENTS From: RadioCarolineMailinglist@yahoogroups.com Date: 08 October 2002 15:51:09 Hello everyone, I've been reading the comments here and elsewhere about the relay of our programmes on short wave. While we are delighted to have our programmes relayed by authorised broadcast organisations that have received our prior permission and consent, but we do not and will not condone either unauthorised or illegal re-transmissions of our programmes. Over the past ten years we have injected a massive amount of time, effort and our own money into this project - as well as that of our Support Group members. We will not jeopardise either our Licence nor this investment by being irresponsible enough to authorise illegal relays. Radio Caroline has and does not issue QSL cards to listeners' reception reports that quote unofficial platforms, so I can only assume that someone is either mischief making or has made an error in reporting that we have. Even if our message is the same, we are no longer in International Waters - whether we like it or not we MUST adhere to national and international broadcasting legislation if we are to continue to be heard. I hope this makes our position clear. Peter Moore may not thank me for reproducing a recent message he sent to me regarding this subject, but for clarity it follows below: Best regards, Rob Leighton ****************************************************************** Dear Rob, Re SW thanks for the info that you sent of various postings on the fan lists. My attitude about relays is simple. From the time we went on satellite onward, we sometimes get reception reports concerning ' Caroline ' broadcasts on frequencies that we do not use. Our assumption is that persons unknown are either re-sending our satellite signal or sending out some historic Caroline recording. Perhaps this is done since the operator(s) think they are assisting us, or perhaps they enjoy causing mischief. Radio Caroline and the Radio Authority have spoken and they agree that there is nothing that we can do. To appeal for the activity to stop, could only be done on air, which would only draw attention to the matter. Further, confusion happens when operators put out a 'Caroline Tribute' as happened recently via a Laser test on 5935. Speculation that a recent direct relay may have come from Riga or Italy is I am sure based on the knowledge that we have associates in Riga and on the French Italian border. I do not send QSL replies. I send such stuff to Caroline Sales in case they can turn their reply in to some merchandise sales. Of course neither we or they can legitimise a QSL on a frequency that we do not use. My personal interest in a sporadic low power SW transmission is too small to quantify. We already have a third of the world covered in perfect digital quality via Worldspace. What do I care about some mono signal that is there one day, gone the next and at best is heard under morse code, utility signals and mush. My ambition is to do such a good job for W/Space that they add us to Asiastar (another third of the World). Also we are still looking longingly at a Sky channel. SW is of no interest to me. Why do the people doing all the rumour mongering not just listen to this relay and enjoy it. At present it seems that they may frighten the operator in to turning it off. If the signal comes from the UK, the operator will get captured in due course and if it comes from far abroad it is not a UK problem. It is certainly not my problem in either case. When I was a young man and a pirate we used to put out an AM signal and play music for the purposes of entertaining the listeners. What would actually happen is that spotty anoraks would soon be seen creeping around our location, carrying wire frame aerials and huge radio sets. Since the location was usually our parents home we would have to go off air. Thus the anoraks would actually ruin the very thing that supposedly gave them so much excitement. Nothing much changes does it. Those who can, do. Those who cannot, teach. The rest just watch and speculate. OK, bills to pay, letters to write, see you soon. Peter M (via Mike Terry, DXLD) ** ITALY [non?]. MONITORING IRRS-SHORTWAVE THIS WEEK-END ON 13840 KHZ Hi There, We have just completed several technical upgrades, that will be tested in the coming two weeks at IRRS-Shortwave. Transmitter modulation has been digitally-enhanced to support CCM (Carrier Controlled Modulation), DSB (Dual Side Band); our antenna system has been upgraded; and our digital audio link to the transmitter and modulation has been improved. We would appreciate receiving reception reports for the coming two week-ends Oct 12-13 and Oct. 19-20, 2002 13,840 kHz from 0800-1200 UTC. Power for these broadcasts will be 10 kW, target area during these times will be Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, with DX reception in the former USSR. We are also pleased to announce some special broadcasts this coming week-end Oct. 12-13, on 13,840 kHz: ==| at 0800-0815 UT: United Nations news (Sat & Sun) ==| at 0830-0930 UT Saturday 12 Oct. 2002 (repeated Sunday Oct. 13): Radio Rasant, with a special program on UNICEF. See http://www.radio- rasant.org and: ==| at 0930-1000 UT Saturday (also on Sunday at the same time): Radio Santec in German. Both Radio Rasant and Radio Santec above will issue their special QSL cards when writing to the address mentioned on the air. You may also send reception reports and comments on these broadcasts to reports@nexus.org, and we will forward them to the program producers that you hear on the air. Additionally, you may tune into http://mp3.nexus.org and obtain a QSL card by reporting on our streaming audio service in parallel with all of our radio broadcasts. Thanks and stay tuned! 73, Ron -- (Ron Norton, NEXUS-IBA support, PO Box 11028, 20110 Milano, Italy e-mail : ron@nexus.org Oct 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) But, but, if we get QSLs, what country do they count as?? (gh, DXLD) ** LEBANON. The German ADDX Kurier magazine published in its 4/98 edition a report about a visit at Radio Lebanon in October 1997. Here is the gist: The studio equipment is more than 30 years old and was once obtained from Germany. The shortwave and mediumwave transmitters were damaged in the civil war, for this reason only 10 kW are in use on mediumwave anymore. Radio Lebanon employs about 30 people in the engineering section but has about 200 people in the administration. Only a single program is produced [sic], about 10 % of it are transferred via satellite to RFI for retransmission on shortwave [sic]. On FM 96.2, 100.2 and 100.6 are in use, it is said that the same program goes out on FM and MW but instead always another program was heard on 989 instead. Mediumwave is said to use two frequencies, 873 and 989, but only 989 could be heard. There are two transmitter sites, one inmidst Beirut in the Al Hamra district of the town, containing on a 45 metres tall mast and two Harris transmitters. The second site is at Amschid, about 40 km north from Beirut. Radio Lebanon has to share this site with private broadcasters. Comments: It remains unclear what the figure for engineering staff means, only sound engineers? The statement about retransmissions via RFI appears to be a misunderstanding, in fact it is certainly Radio Lebanon which relays RFI programming caught via satellite. The transmitter site inmidst Beirut appears to be FM while all AM transmitters are at Amschid (or Amchid), hard to say whether or not this site is really in use by other stations, too. So in 1997 they were on 989 and 873 was silent, but today? Of course for Germany there are anyway no other stations than Deutschlandradio, RAI and SER on 990 (Kai Ludwig, Germany, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Olle Alm looked into old WRTHs and found this info about Lebanon 989/900 kHz: the station first appeared in WRTH 1959 with 10 kW. Before that, only 836 kHz with 4 kW was listed. From WRTH 1964, the power on 836 kHz was listed with 100 kW. When 989 kHz started, it carried the Arabic prgr of R. Lebanon, while 836 kHz carried the French program. 836 was logged often in Scandinavia, 989 kHz more seldom. When the Geneva Plan came into force on 23 November 1978, the 989 kHz was supposed to be changed to 990 kHz, 836 to 837 kHz (new frequency pattern). The 873 kHz mentioned in the ADDX Kurier article is probably a typo for 837 kHz. WRTH 2002 lists Achmit on 837 kHz with 100 kW and on 990 kHz with 10 kW. Lebanon has registered the following transmitters with the ITU (recorded by the ITU in 1982): Telznoub 549 (100 kW D), Hamat 837 (600 kW D), Beyruth 945 (10 kW ND), Achmit 990 (100 kW ND), Aito 1494 (10 kW ND). All are Geneva Plan assignments. Note - the Master Frequency Register of the ITU does not make a difference between active and inactive (resp. not built) stations (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, Oct 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. XEOI, 6010, was dominating the frequency, for a change, after 1200 UT Oct 10; the het(s) had pretty much disappeared, but there was splash from 6015. Had a talk/news program with CDT time checks, and never heard a `Your dog has fleas` jingle. BTW, the story below mentions that Encuentro DX is no longer carried on MW, just SW (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. Publicado en el Diario Milenio La ventana ciega-Claudia Segura ¡LA RANCHERA DE MONTERREY EN MI RECÁMARA! La madrugada de anoche escuchaba la radio, cuando de pronto se coló a través de mi radio la emisora La Ranchera de Monterrey. Indudablemente se trataba de una recepción excepcional, porque en la chilanga capital del país nunca es audible una emisora de Monterrey. Mi sorpresa no acababa, cuando me enteré que La Ranchera de Monterrey se ubica en el 1050 de AM y que antes no la había percibido, pese a ser una frecuencia libre internacional, porque atraviesa en la ciudad de México con el 1030 de AM, que es nada más y nada menos Radio Centro, emisora piloto de Grupo Radio Centro, la cual cuenta con un gran alcance, además de ser, al igual que La Ranchera de Monterrey, una emisora de sistema de transmisión AM Stereo y, pa` colmo, con 100 mil wats de potencia. Lo que escriba yo es poco para describir la emoción que me dio recibir desde aquí una señal de Núcleo Radio México de Monterrey, que para mis castos oídos chilangos corresponde a NRM Comunicaciones. En fin, que en las más de tres horas y media que seguí en el 1050 de AM, escuché ``Los cañonazos de la Ranchera de Monterrey`` y entre corte y corte, me enteré que hay frecuencias hermanas de La Ranchera en Núcleo Radio Monterrey: Génesis y Morena, las que se anunciaban en la voz de Gustavo Alvite Martínez, voz también institucional de Sinfonola en el DF. Fue una gran experiencia, no sólo porque sin trucos de magia ni antenas parabólicas percibí a la radio regia en su máximo esplendor. No fue necesario meterse en un asunto de internet, aunque sí resultó muy grato notar que en la web Núcleo Radio México cuenta con una pagina similar a la NRM. Por otro lado, es de lo más sabroso notar qué bien programan los regios, ``¡están bien perrones!``, como lo indica su eslogan que se repite con esta misma frase en Sinfonola (1410 de AM), también de NRM Comunicaciones, ¡la más perrona del cuadrante chilango! En fin, que no me he querido dormir hasta escuchar tres horas más de radio regia. Y por ello canturrié ``y nos dieron las dos y las tres y las cuatro y una y las dos...``, y nada más porque recordé que debía dormir al menos un minuto, sino me sigo hasta el amanecer, pues es un placer escuchar radio de otros puntos del dial nacional, como solamente sucede con la XEB, que es también una frecuencia libre internacional, como La Ranchera de Monterrey, que ha transmitido por seis décadas en el 1050 de AM bajo el mismo formato y, claro está, ya se ganó el derecho a que ninguna otra emisora ocupe su lugar en el cuadrante mexicano. Ahora, para que usted y yo comprendamos qué significa que una emisora de radio tenga un derecho de transmisión como frecuencia libre internacional, ejemplifico con un suceso futbolístico, donde por respeto a un jugador muy fregón como Hugo Sánchez, por mencionar al mejor de México, sacan su número de las camisetas del equipo porque ese será siempre el designado al niño de los pichichis. Fue una experiencia religiosa también, porque no hay ninguno como los regios para programar rancheras, gruperas, balada ranchera y hasta quebraditas con un encanto, que se podía uno dejar llevar por horas y horas sin que la programación musical brincara. Lo confieso, me desvelé, sí, pero valió la pena porque la radio es siempre tan local, que es un placer de placeres el que rompamos los esquemas y escuchemos a la radio de aquí y de allá. Lo que me trae a la mente que hoy comienza la 54 semana de la CIRT en la ciudad de México, y que está por celebrarse un aniversario más de Encuentro DX en Radio Mil onda corta. De este festejo lo que me entristece es que sacaran de la onda media de Radio Mil Encuentro DX, porque la serie podría haber sonado muy lenta o de poco interés para los no versados en la radio diexista, pero de que es un programa básico para esos cazadores de la radio sin fronteras, lo es. Con mucho agrado debo de confesar que La Ranchera de Monterrey me dejó enamorada de cualquier cantidad de regios, pero en especial de uno: del dial de Nuevo León. Fue un placer sabrosísimo. Claudia Segura (via Héctor García B., DF, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** MONGOLIA. WINTER BROADCAST SCHEDULE OF THE VOICE OF MONGOLIA Language UTC Freq Power Azim Days Japanese 0830-0900 12085 250 126 every day Mongolian 0900-0930 12085 250 126 every day 0900-0930 990 500 120 every day Chinese 0930-1000 12085 250 126 every day 0930-1000 990 500 120 every day English 1000-1030 12085 250 178 every day Mongolian 1030-1100 12085 100 178 every day 1030-1100 990 500 120 every day Chinese 1100-1130 12085 100 178 every day 1100-1130 990 500 120 every day Japanese 1200-1230 12085 100 126 every day Russian 1330-1400 12015 50 315 Saturday, Sunday English 1500-1530 12015 50 315 every day English 2000-2030 12015 50 315 every day (via Nicolás Eramo, Argentina, Oct 9, DXLD) ** MYANMAR. BURMA 5040.60 R. Myanmar (presumed) Oct 6 1510 in Burmese(?) 23222 poor signal and audio. Some women talking and laughing. No musics. Using lang. sounded like Burmese I guess. 4725 was not heard (Gaku IWATA, Japan Premium via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS. Hello from Hilversum, It has been a sombre week here at Radio Netherlands, and across the country. As you will have seen from the special announcement we sent out last Sunday, the death of HRH Prince Claus was followed by the immediate suspension of our normal programmes for 24 hours. We had quite a lot of reaction to Marijke van der Meer's documentary that was broadcast in their place, many telling us that they had not been aware of just how much good work Prince Claus had done in his life, and how popular he was with the Dutch people. If you missed it, you can listen online. The link is on the obituary page of our Web site at http://www.rnw.nl/obituary/en/html/claus.html On Tuesday 15 October, Radio Netherlands will carry live coverage in Dutch of the funeral of Prince Claus between 0800 and 1200 UT. Additional transmitters will be on the air to ensure good reception in all target areas. The details are on our schedule page at http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/html/schedule.html. Please note that the details of transmissions via Russian sites are preliminary and subject to last minute change. The English service will be covering the event in Newsline, and Martha Hawley has prepared a special edition of Music 52-15 for broadcast on the day (Andy Sennitt, Media Network Newsletter Oct 11 via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS. Hi guys, I have put some photo's up of our DX weekend to Holten in East Holland. I also had the chance to visit the Radio Nederland Flevo transmitter site on the way home. http://home.planet.nl/~kalle216/ 73 (Dave Onley, ARDXC via DXLD) ** NEW ZEALAND. Some changes for RNZI in A-02 schedule: 0459-0728 Daily on 15340, ex 0459-0658 0729-1105 Daily on 11675, ex 0659-1105 1750-1830 Sunday on 15160 || new transmission, noted on Sep. 29 and Oct. 6 (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, Oct 11 via DXLD) ** NORWAY/UK. MERLIN SIGNS AGREEMENT TO MARKET KVITSOY SW AIRTIME | Text of report by VT Merlin Communications newsletter The Oracle July- September 2002 edition VT Merlin Communications has signed an exclusive agreement with Norkring, a wholly owned subsidiary of Telenor, operators of Norway's communications infrastructure. The agreement will see VT Merlin market capacity from its shortwave facilities in Kvitsoy, Norway, providing extensive coverage of Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and beyond. The facilities consists of 4 x 400 kW shortwave transmitters that can be operated at half power, providing customers with immediate cost savings on broadcast transmissions, whilst providing comprehensive coverage of their target regions. The rotating and fixed curtain antennas offer customers flexibility to broadcast their programmes within 360 degrees of the facilities. The efficient and well managed facilities will now allow VT Merlin to offer its customers more comprehensive coverage of Europe, with the added flexibility of permitting out of band broadcasting, allowing us to provide additional services in the crowded 6 MHz band. Source: VT Merlin Communications newsletter The Oracle, London, in English 10 Oct 02 (via BBCM via DXLD) Bring on the gospel huxters! (gh, DXLD) ** PARAGUAY. 9737, R. Nacional del Paraguay, 0235 Oct 11, reactivated again, heard with talks on Health issues "Dia Nacional de la Salud Mental". Always some distorted audio, like a ripple effect of a 50 Hz unfiltered voltage (Horacio A. Nigro, Montevideo - Uruguay, Cumbre DX via DXLD) Daily report from S.E. Michigan using a Grundig Satellit 800: 9737, R. Nacional Paraguay, 0030-0040 Oct 11. Traditional music in Spanish, OM talking, ID "ésta es Radio Nacional de[l] Paraguay. Reception very clear. BTW, anyone ever get a QSL from them? (Joseph B. Miller, Cumbre DX via DXLD) Dear Glenn: This morning at 05:30:16 local time (2130:16 UT) I heard Radio Nacional del Paraguay on 9740 kHz, when The Voice of America was s/off their Serbian at 2130:16 UT, The first hearing was a song by a woman, then program in Spanish announced by a man. The special events broadcast was Paraguay President's speaking in Taiwan; he was visiting Taiwan to celebrate the National Day of Double Ten's National Holiday (10.10 2002) for our 91st National Birthday, at 2145:10 UT, and then broadcast the speech of Paraguay ambassador to Republic of China at 2147:20 UT. I think may be speaking also in Taiwan by ambassador and at 2154:06 UT announces ID Radio Nacional del Paraguay by a lady, then announced frequency, at 2157:03 UT, BBC with stronger signal of 3-note IS covers the signal of Radio Nacional del Paraguay (every time BBC has precision s/on time at 2157:03 UT with 3-note IS for their Indonesian language service). Today's signal of Radio Nacional del Paraguay is 34333. Thank you very much for your valuable information of world shortwave broadcasting. Sincerely yours, Your faithful reader (Yin Yung-chien, Taiwan, 11. 10. 2002 07:19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PARAGUAY. Adán Mur, de Radio América me dijo en un mensaje personal que durante todo el fin de semana seguirán las pruebas por los 7385 en paralelo con los 7737 khz. El inicio de los tests en 9980 khz están postergados momentáneamente hasta que se dé solución a algunos problemas técnicos menores. Saludos (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, Oct 11, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. During the whole afternoon of 29 Sep heard a harmonic of Radio Rossii on 14880 kHz (2 x 7440). Good modulation, steady signal. (Alexander Yegorov, Kyiv, Ukraine, Signal Oct 10 via DXLD) ** SWEDEN. RADIO SWEDEN --- Coming up on Radio Sweden: Wednesday: Nobel Prizes announced in Chemistry and Economics, feature on men's clothing over the centuries Thursday: Nobel Prize in Literature announced, "GreenScan" on sawdust pellets and the Latvian Environmental Foundation Friday: Our weekly review, including the Nobel Peace Prize announcement Saturday: "Sweden Today" looks back at the recent Swedish elections Sunday: Another chance to hear the "Sounds Nordic" Ace of Base special Here's the new Radio Sweden English shortwave schedule for the period beginning October 27 (all times UT): Europe/Africa/Middle East 1430-1500 17505 kHz 1830-1900 1179 and 6065 kHz (not Sundays) Sundays on 5840 kHz 2030-2100 1179, 6065, and 9445 kHz 2230-2300 1179 and 6065 kHz Asia/Pacific 0130-0200 9490 kHz 1230-1300 17505 kHz 1330-1400 9430 kHz 1430-1500 17505 kHz 2030-2100 9445 kHz North America 0230-0300 and 0330-0400 on 9495 kHz (via Sackville, Canada) 1230-1300, 1330-1400 and 1430-1500 18960 kHz (George Wood, SCDX/MediaScan Oct 9 via DXLD) ** TAIWAN. Found extremely distorted signal in Chinese peaking around 15090, 15150 and 15210, but spreading up to 15 kHz, before 1400 UT Oct 11, when FE conditions were excellent (China music jammer loud and clear on 15060). 3+1 timesig at hourtop, then into English reciting entire RTI frequency schedule (the stale news can wait!). Per website, the only frequency for English at 1400 is 15265, to SE Asia, but not heard there. Extremely maladjusted. While at site, noticed: (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) CBS Radio Taipei International`s first ever series of radio dramas ``Tales of Dutch Formosa`` will be rebroadcast every Friday starting Oct. 11. These radio dramas are dramatic interpretations of true historical events from the Dutch occupation of Formosa, now called Taiwan. Prof. Llyn M. Scott and Mr. Norman Szabor are the authors of the dramas. Prof. Llyn M. Scott also act as the director. Our host Andrew is the producer and engineer. Our regularly scheduled programming, both Hour 1 and 2, for Fridays of Oct. 11, 18, 25 and Nov. 1 will be cancelled. We are sorry for any inconvenience caused. Make sure you tune in then! For more information and listen to the program, click here! http://www.cbs.org.tw/english/Formosa/index.htm (RTI website Oct 11 via DXLD) ** TAJIKISTAN [non]. Re: Voice of Christ. Hi Glenn, I don't know if this helps, this is the registration info for the website http://www.rvoc.org Registrant: RVOC (EAYGIBHVAD) PO Box 14871, Reading, PA 19612 US Domain Name: RVOC.ORG Administrative Contact, Technical Contact: RVOC (MJGSESPQKO) ADMIN@RVOC.ORG RVOC, PO Box 14871, Reading, PA 19612 US 800-760-7862 fax: 123 123 1234 Record expires on 29-Sep-2005. Record created on 07-Aug-2002. Database last updated on 9-Oct-2002 15:11:40 EDT. Domain servers in listed order: NS1.BURLEE.COM 66.36.103.1 NS2.BURLEE.COM 66.36.102.113 The Donation website https://www.burleecom.com/rvoc_secure/donate2.shtml is no longer active but can be found in the Google cache, it gives also a Canadian contact address: Radio Voice of Christ, PO Box 2161, Sardis Station Main, Chilliwack, B.C. V2R 1A6 73s, (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, Oct 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TURKEY: Regarding Anker's comments on Istanbul Polis Radyosu, DXLD 2-156: This station now has a website with live audio stream at: http://www.polisradyosu.net A list of FM frequencies is given for various Turkish cities, including Istanbul on 94.1 MHz. Regards, (Dave Kernick, UK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** UGANDA. RADIO UGANDA PLANS DIGITAL SHORTWAVE BROADCASTING, EXPANSION OF FM USAGE Radio Uganda on 8 October carried a interview with two unidentified officials of the state-owned station who discussed the problems facing the organization and its "big plans" for the future. The future of shortwave The officials were asked whether, in view of the expansion in FM broadcasting, Radio Uganda would cease its shortwave and mediumwave transmissions. One of them replied: "No, no, because you know, as I said, with mediumwave and shortwave we've got the means of talking to the people with [only] one or two [transmitting] stations. For instance, we have operated in the shortwave with one transmitter for Red Channel [in English, Swahili and some Ugandan languages] and one transmitter for Blue Channel [mainly in various Ugandan languages] and we have been covering the whole of Uganda. So you cannot really move away from that. Important is of course to the listener to be aware that these are still [in] operation. So, likewise also for the mediumwave. Because this is a fall-back position. You know, if the FM, if you have a problem with the satellite [feed], for instance, you still just tune to your mediumwave or shortwave and get that programme that you like." Listeners were assured that shortwave broadcasting was "going to get a new lease on life" through the development of a digital system "whereby you can get the quality, FM quality, on shortwave". "We are going to convert our shortwave equipment to digital such that the signal goes digitally... Nobody is going to throw away shortwave." It was also noted that shortwave broadcasting allowed Radio Uganda to be heard elsewhere in Africa, and indeed other parts of the world. The station was also looking seriously at the possibility of digitizing other aspects of its operations. However, this would be a major undertaking as it had over 20 studios. Expansion of FM and regional broadcasting One of the officials noted that Radio Uganda's five-year development plan envisaged - "finances allowing" - an expansion of regional broadcasting, with 10 new stations opening upcountry. It was noted that one upcountry station, Mega FM radio in Gulu (northern Uganda) on 98.6 MHz, was already on the air, although it had not yet been launched officially. On FM broadcasting, it was noted that Radio Uganda's Blue Channel was now relayed on FM from Kololo (Kampala) using a new transmitter on 105.7 MHz FM while the Red Channel was using an old transmitter on 98 FM. FM transmitters had also been installed at Jinja (95.7), Fort Portal (98.8), Kabale (93.7), Mbarara (97.4) and Mbale (96.9). A further seven FM transmitters were planned for various places around the country. Equipment problems The interviewer put to the two officials that there had been a deterioration in Radio Uganda's equipment and studios. They agreed that it was a "challenge" to maintain the station's old equipment. However, it was pointed out that "Radio Uganda is on air, is operational, we produce the programmes... we record them, broadcast them. That means we have the equipment to do that." A "malicious" press report that things at Radio Uganda were tied together with "rubber bands" and that "machines are being sustained by stones" was denied. Source: Radio Uganda, Kampala, in English 1900 gmt 8 Oct 02 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** U A E. Insight: Seeking to conquer new heights Dubai |By Jay B. Hilotin | 11-10-2002 Whoever said that the Arab world is one massive monolith is patently parochial. This is one of misconceptions that the Emirates Dubai Radio and TV is trying to correct through its three radio stations and four TV channels dealing in news, current affairs, business, sports, and cultural programmes. These operations have a single mission: to reflect the Arab world not just in all its diversity. And it is not way off the mark. Despite its being a latecomer in the broadcast scene, Dubai RTV has established its commanding presence both in the regional and global arenas. With over 900 employees working its different services, the present size and nature of Emirates Dubai RTV's international reach places it in a unique position.... http://www.gulf-news.com/Articles/news.asp?ArticleID=65288 (via Kim Elliott, DXLD) ** U K [non]. RUSSIA: BVBN noted on Sat Oct. 5 with new schedule on 7430: 1700-1815 in English, ex 1700-1900; 1815-1900 in Arabic || new language (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, Oct 11 via DXLD) Received QSL from Bible Voice for their Bengali transmission at 0030- 0100 UT on 9855 kHz. Full data hand written QSL was issued from Eastbourne office (Swopan Chakroborty, Kolkata, India, Oct 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 5920, WBOH 0310-0340+ Oct. 9. Test Loop with female speaker giving information and address for reception reports, then test tones of 8 and 11 second duration. Audio was fair, noisy and generally unstable signal. Thanks to Jerry Berg for the tip on the Test! (Ed Kusalik, Alberta, Cumbre DX via DXLD) The WBOH test transmissions were heard today (Oct. 10) around 0640 tune in on 5920 at weak to fair strength. Tone followed by announcement by woman: "This is WBOH, Newport, North Carolina, USA, conducting equipment tests on five-nine-two-zero kilohertz..." followed by requests for reception reports and an address [which I could not copy completely]. WTJC 9370 was either off air, or the extremely weak "something" peaking up from time to time on the frequency (Noel R. Green, Blackpool, NW England, Cumbre DX via DXLD) Also again here around 0500 UT Sept 10, poor. Brief recording is on WORLD OF RADIO 1151 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Apparently a computer glitch is causing WJIE to play outdated backup WOR defaults instead of the latest. This was still the case Oct 11 at 1200 on 7490, this date with extreme DVR QRM. They have also been broadcasting a lot of dead air, sometimes at this hour, and as a rule after 0500 -- all night?? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 7385, WRMI, Miami FL; 2304-2333+, 10 Oct; WRMI QRMing itself! English Bible thumper over repeated WRMI ID loop. Program is Apocalypse Chronicles and continued at 2331 after ad for Green Harvest survival food. SIO= 5(5 or 3?)4- (Harold Frodge, Midland MI, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** U S A. [AMFMTVDX] Digital Radio Vote Upcoming Does anyone have information on the upcoming FCC vote regarding IBOC (In Band On Channel Digital Radio)? I heard the on-channel tests conducted from WLW recently, and I think it might behoove every one of us to write to the FCC, urging them to vote "NO" on the conversion of the AM band to all-digital. My thoughts on the matter are simple: There's NO WAY we can cram 44.1 KHz of dual-channel digital into one 7.5-KHz wide channel. There's NO WAY I could listen to WSB, WLW, or WGN from Omaha. This is, in my own opinion, another cash mill concocted by the same folks who brought you the dot bombs of this millenium. Something new to sell: "Hey! We're going live with our all-digital signal next month!" Just another "selling point" for numbnutted account executives. I believe that if the FCC had SELECTED an AM stereo standard in the 80s, and if the FCC had never chosen NRSC, but insisted on regular station inspections for splatter-emitters, AM would sound better than anything a digital transmitter could produce! (I mean, come ON! Have you ever heard the "digital quality" that the new cellphones produce?) 73, (Steve Lawrence, Omaha, Oct 9, AMFMTVDX mailing list via DXLD) ** U S A. Technology - AP FCC APPROVES PLAN FOR DIGITAL RADIO Thu Oct 10, 10:18 AM ET By DAVID HO, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal regulators gave the go-ahead Thursday for digital radio, approving a plan to modernize the medium with better sound and new features for personalized programming. The Federal Communications Commission (news - web sites) voted 4-0 to adopt digital radio technology created by iBiquity Digital Corp., a company backed by large broadcasters including ABC and Viacom. The commissioners enthusiastically endorsed the technology, saying it will benefit the industry and consumers. "We don't get many items where it's a win-win for everyone. There's no down side," Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy said. Radio has changed little for decades. FCC (news - web sites) Chairman Michael Powell said he's heartened that such a dramatic leap forward in technology is in store. "I'm thrilled and excited to see the radio wagon train finally get to the other side," he said. The approval allows radio stations to immediately begin broadcasting digital signals, though it probably will take a few months for the first stations to start. Manufacturers plan to sell digital receivers for car stereos and high- end audio systems starting next year, adding about $100 to the price of a traditional unit. It's unclear how soon digital technology will be included in portable radios. The iBiquity technology allows broadcasters to use their existing airwaves to simultaneously send digital and analog signals. Listeners won't have to buy a new radio to continue listening to their favorite stations, but can if they want better sound and other options. Supporters say the new technology will bring CD-quality sound to FM broadcasts, an end to static for AM and new data features. Radio One Inc., which owns and operates 65 stations and primarily targets black listeners, already has ordered digital transmitters, said John Mathews, the company's director of engineering. He said the Lanham, Md.-based company plans to start digital broadcasts within three months in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Detroit and Los Angeles. "We wanted to be in the front on this," he said. "The quality improvement is just phenomenal. It's analogous to the transition between cassettes and CDs." Some digital car stereos will have small screens, displaying news or advertising or pictures of the artist whose song is playing. Others will allow listeners to choose when to hear reports on stocks, sports, weather and traffic. The digital broadcasts will be free, unlike the subscriber services offered by Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio Holdings, which beam music and talk to radios from satellites. Digital broadcasts use the same language as computers — a series of on and off electronic pulses. Broadcasts with the proposed technology won't increase a radio station's range, but digital signals can be cleaned up, removing garble and uneven reception (AP via Yahoonews via Artie Bigley, and Ricky Leong, DXLD) FCC APPROVES METHOD OF BROADCASTING DIGITAL RADIO By BARNABY J. FEDER c.2002 New York Times News Service The Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously Thursday to approve a method for broadcasting digital radio that can be deployed within current analog channels. And in a move likely to speed adoption of the technology, the agency endorsed a patented approach for delivering such services developed by iBiquity Digital, a privately held company whose investors include the nation’s 15 largest radio broadcasting companies. The technology enables broadcasters to begin sending digital signals while also continuing to provide standard AM and FM analog service to listeners who do not own receivers capable of picking up the digital programming. ``Radio can now formally begin its long-awaited digital transformation,`` said Robert Struble, president and chief executive of iBiquity, which is based in Warren, N.J. and Columbia, Md. ``It’s the most significant advance since the introduction of FM radio.`` The first digital radio broadcasts are expected before the end of the year. But the equipment to receive the signals will not be available to consumers before next spring. A digital car radio is projected to cost $100 or so more than a comparable analog receiver. Digital radio broadcasting promises clearer sound than conventional analog transmissions, and the ability to transmit streams of data along with audio programming. But it has been delayed by regulatory and technical concerns. Thursday’s FCC ruling, however, coupled with the iBiquity technology, gives regulators a way to back digital radio without enduring the controversy that comes with any effort to reallocate portions of the broadcasting spectrum. Yet, some supporters of low-powered community radio stations that serve college campuses, small towns and urban neighborhoods say that the impact of new technology on them could be devastating. ``The big guys will be trashing the signals of the little guys,`` said Christopher Maxwell, who is attempting to create a low-powered station in Richmond, Va., and maintains a Web site opposing the technology http://www.digitaldisaster.org The problem, Maxwell said, is that by broadcasting digitally, stations will be filling more of the spectrum at the very edges of their allotted channels. That might make it harder for receivers to pick up weak signals from stations that cannot afford to invest tens of thousands of dollars in digital transmission equipment, he said.The ruling also worried nonprofit groups that use portions of the broadcast spectrum to read newspapers and books over the air to blind and disabled listeners. Millions of Americans receive the broadcasts, according to David W. Noble, head of the government affairs committee of the International Association of Audio Information Services. They are generally broadcast at the edges of the channels owned by public radio stations. It is possible that a fully digital system may lead to big improvements in such ``sideband`` services, as they are known. But fears about interference will be heightened as long as stations are carrying both analog and digital signals. The FCC acknowledged that such issues exist and said it wanted to address them in proposals for a final digital broadcasting standard. For now, the industry has temporary permission to broadcast digitally on FM frequencies around the clock and in the daytime only on AM channels. Ibiquity said that tests to establish proposed standards for AM digital broadcasting after sundown, when AM signals travel farther, would be finished by the end of the year. Advocates of the technology say that digital broadcasting can improve FM broadcasts to CD-quality sound and AM broadcast to FM quality. In addition, digital broadcasts are less likely to be disrupted by obstructions like buildings or hills. Digital’s biggest advantage, though, is the wide range of data services that it could eventually offer to listeners. For instance, listeners could receive information about an artist whose music is being played, customized traffic reports, or data about discounts at stores in shopping centers they are approaching. Owners of digital radio receivers that are envisioned for the future will also be able to set them to record, edit and replay programming, just as owners of technologies like TIVO do today with television. CP 1911ES 10-10 (New York Times via Mike Terry, DXLD) You can see further information on these exciting events, including our press release and commentary, at our website, http://www.ibiquity.com/news/news_fccapproves.html We will also be adding information to the site relating to today's press call and any pertinent transcripts from the FCC or iBiquity over the next few days.... (Bob Struble, President & CEO, iBiquity Digital Corporation, via Sid Merhi, National Manager, Heart N Soul Radio, Sydney, EDXP via DXLD) Here's the FCC's release on the move, thanks to a poster on the NY Radio Message Board: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: News Media Contact: October 10, 2002 Audrey Spivack 202-418-0512 FCC SELECTS DIGITAL RADIO TECHNOLOGY Authorizes AM and FM Interim, Voluntary Digital Operation Washington, DC -- Today in a First Report and Order, the FCC selected in-band, on-channel (IBOC) as the technology that will bring the benefits of digital audio broadcasting to AM and FM radio broadcasters efficiently and rapidly. Also, the Commission announced notification procedures that will allow AM (daytime operations only) and FM stations on a voluntary basis to begin interim digital transmissions immediately using the IBOC systems developed by iBiquity Digital Corporation. During the interim IBOC operations, stations will broadcast the same main channel program material in both analog and digital modes. After extensive tests, the National Radio Systems Committee endorsed the AM and FM IBOC systems developed by iBiquity, the sole remaining IBOC proponent. IBOC technology permits ``hybrid`` operations, the simultaneous transmission of analog and digital signals with a single AM and FM channel. The NRSC tests show that the iBiquity IBOC systems offer better audio quality, more robust signals, and the potential for new auxiliary services. According to system supporters, IBOC technology will provide near CD-quality sound on FM channels and FM quality on AM channels. Hybrid IBOC operations will have minimal impact on the present broadcast service. The Commission announced its support for a public and open process to develop formal IBOC AM and FM standards. It also deferred consideration of IBOC licensing and service rule changes to a future Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. Radio broadcasters have been working toward a digital transition for more than a decade. Many broadcasters view digital operation not only as a technical opportunity, but as a competitive necessity. During the last few years, opinion in the radio broadcasting industry has consolidated strongly in favor of the IBOC approach. It is the only technology that will permit the rapid development and introduction of digital operations by radio broadcasters. IBOC is spectrum efficient. It allows digital operations for all existing broadcasters with no new spectrum allocation requirements. The FCC noted that although it is no longer considering the proposed approach of requiring new spectrum in TV Channel 6, it is not today categorically foreclosing new spectrum options. In the event that new spectrum is identified for broadcast use, further consideration of both IBOC and non-IBOC out-of-band digital audio broadcasting approaches may be warranted. Action by the Commission October 10, 2002, by First Report and Order (FCC 02-286). Chairman Powell, Commissioners Abernathy, Copps and Martin, with Commissioners Abernathy and Martin issuing a joint statement and Commissioner Martin issuing a separate statement. MM Docket 99-325 -FCC- Media Bureau contacts: Peter Doyle 202-418-2789; Edward De La Hunt 418-2726; Ann Gallagher 418-2716; Norm Miller 418-2767 (via TimCronion, WTFDA via DXLD) --------- There you have it. Hope for "minimal impact," but based on what our Eastern correspondents say, it'll be worse (Tim Cronin, Worth, IL, WTFDA via DXLD) And the countdown to the end of AM and FM DXing has begun....... (Joe Fela, NJ, ibid.) For me I think is NOT end of era by DXing various transmission mode by digital or analog on MW broadcast band or VHF broadcast band!! I think you guys need to stop being a worrywart, about end of DXing world as we know it! There`s always for any signal to skip around regardless of AM narrow or AM wide, Narrow FM, Wide band FM, SSB mode, AM video, FM video, Digital 8VSB, COFDM, IBOC digital radio and who's know what next new transmission mode they might come up with!! Just think of new skills of DXing arts we can learn in the digital world. :>) And mayby someday we will DX on the subspace radio for all we know it!! 10-10-02 "72's N5XZS" From (Timothy C. Johnson in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, WTFDA via DXLD) Tim... Have you ever heard an IBOC signal? I suspect you haven't. Basically, it more than doubles the bandwidth of the station so that you lose to a very high degree both adjacents (unless you are far enough away from the local and have a very strong semi-local on one of the adjacents - that station might get through the IBOC junk). (And we're talking using a MR-78 here, too...not some unmodified run of the mill tuner). And IBOC propagates, Picture this....you have a nice, strong e-skip opening and you are trying to DX one of the frequencies that has a lot of 3 kw or 6 kw stations on it, like 100.9. But you can't hear anything on 100.9 because the 100 kw. blowtorches on 100.7 and 101.1 are running IBOC and the junk they are putting on the adjacent, 100.9 in this case, it taking it right out. I already encountered this but via tropo during earlier IBOC tests. Now some DX will still be possible with IBOC. But if most or all stations adopt it, it will be difficult and probably even painful to DX thru the IBOC noise (on Es, it might even be easier to try to DX thru a local than the local's adjacent frequencies). If it becomes that difficult, where's the fun??? And if there's no fun to DXing anymore, what is the point of it? (Joe Fela, NJ, ibid.) What is wrong with IBOC is that IBOC has serious technical problems, and that's what people are complaining about, not simply that it's a new technology. DX'ers (like anyone else) tend to embrace beneficial technology, remain neutral or philosophically supportive on new technology that's non-invasive. IBOC is at this point an unproven, inadequately tested get-rich-quick scheme for the government and the manufacturers. In pure concept, the idea is attractive to station- owners, but the drawbacks and the costs are going to pose problems. In pure concept, most of us wouldn't object to it. IBOC will, for a time at minimum, make significant negative impact on the DX hobbies because of its technical flaws and its myopic implementation. If it fails, so will its effects on DX. If it takes hold and becomes the greatest thing to come along in decades ( which I doubt, but I also concede the possibility ), and all of our radio becomes all-IBOC all the time, then a new era of DX'ing will arise from the ashes of the old, as some here have suggested. Now, to get to the point about age. There are a number of us here, who are of an age where either the time it will take to get to an all-IBOC place becomes a limiting factor. Similarly, the costs of complete conversion will be impossible or a deciding deterrent for some. That may factor in for some of us - but that's not an avoidance of new technologies. That's enlightened self-interest on the part of people who have participated in the DX hobbies for decades. Joe's bottom line says it all --- "If it's not fun anymore, what's the point?" (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA, ibid.) ** U S A. BC-CA--Middle East TV,265 VOICE OF AMERICA NEEDS $65 MILLION TO BRING TV TO MIDDLE EAST BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) -- The U.S. government's Voice of America needs $65 million to bring TV programming to the Middle East along with its youth music-driven radio shows, its governing board was told Wednesday. The entity would be called MTN, Mideast Television Network. "There's a media war going on and we aren't even on the battlefield," VOA said in a video that is part of the organization's fund-raising effort to get television programs in the area. Voice of America's Arabic-language "Radio Sawa" began broadcasting in the Middle East on March 23. There is support for the millions needed for television in committees in both houses of Congress, said board member Norm Pattiz. All VOA board members are appointed by the president. "The mission of international broadcasting is to promote freedom and democracy through the free flow of accurate, reliable and credible news and information about America and the world to audiences overseas," he said. MTN would go up against Arab al-Jazeera, a Qatar-based satellite television news channel that has been criticized by the United States for broadcasting several videos of Osama bin Laden. It also aired exclusive reports from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 attacks. Pattiz, founder and chairman of the Westwood One radio network, bristled at the suggestion that Voice of America is biased. "We are not a propaganda organization, we are an organization of journalists," he said. "We wouldn't know how to do propaganda if they asked us to do it." AP-NY-10-09-02 2231EDT (via David R. Alpert, DXLD) U.S. AGENCY PROPOSES MIDEAST TELEVISION NETWORK October 09, 2002 By Sue Zeidler LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The federal agency overseeing a U.S.-funded Arabic-language radio station in the Middle East wants to expand its reach by creating a sister television station to promote America's music and image. "We need to have an American voice on television and the White House has said it supports the concept," Norman Pattiz, one of the board members appointed by the president to oversee the agency, known as the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), told Reuters on Wednesday. BBG oversees U.S. international broadcasting, including the Mideast radio network known as Radio Sawa and other U.S.-funded networks like Voice of America and Radio Free Europe. A BBG spokeswoman said the agency requested $65 million from Congress in a proposal to start-up the Mideast television network. "We've asked Congress for the money. Congress has approved the first of several steps for getting the money," said the spokeswoman, noting that many more steps were still needed. Analysts said a U.S.-based Arabic television station could potentially counter the often biased and anti-American news broadcast by Middle Eastern stations like the wildly popular al-Jezeera television station, which is funded by the government of Qatar. Pattiz, who is also the chairman of the Westwood One Inc. radio programming company, said he and other BBG members recently met Hollywood television and entertainment executives to discuss a possible Arabic-language television network. "This was a rare opportunity to put the leaders of U.S. international broadcasting together with the leaders of the television and entertainment industries," said Pattiz. On Wednesday, the BBG also released a survey on Radio Sawa listener trends, with research showing that the Arabic-language station created six months ago to replace the more stodgy programming on the Voice of America's Arabic service, was the number one station among young people in Amman, Jordan. Radio Sawa broadcasts an upbeat mix of Western music, a la Britney Spears, with Arabic pop music and news. The survey, conducted by Edison Media Research, showed 43 percent of the respondents in a 17-28 year-old target audience listened to Sawa more than any other station and that Radio Sawa was also number one in news among young people. Despite the surveys, other experts voiced skepticism, noting that while Arabic listeners may indeed enjoy the music, they are less receptive to the news, brushing it off as American propaganda. "I'm skeptical that people are tuning into the news or are being influenced by it," said Marc Lynch, a professor of political science at Williams College. Others agreed. "It's popular because the mix of music is nice, but in terms of changing opinions about U.S. foreign policy, its not having the intended effect," said Chris Toensing, of the Middle East Research and Information Project, a non-profit public education organization. "The whole endeavor is based on the concept that the U.S. needs to be marketed and that by presenting a nice image of the U.S. in the Arab world, opinion about U.S. policy in the Mideast will be changed," said Toensing. "But it gets people angry because the message that gets across is that they think we believe they can be duped," he added. Pattiz dismissed assertions that Radio Sawa promotes propaganda. "We wouldn't know how to do propaganda if they gave it to us," he said. Pattiz said Radio Sawa acts like a firewall between the independence of journalists and the pressures from the State Department to manage its message. "When the State Department complains about stories we do, we remind them that this is an independent network," he said. (via Mike Terry, DXLD) ** U S A. U.S. RADIO REACHING OUT TO IRANIANS Wed Oct 9, 1:13 PM ET By BRIAN MURPHY, Associated Press Writer TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - A U.S.-funded radio station is preparing to reach out to young Iranians with music and a message: Stay tuned to America and its values. The broadcasts, scheduled to begin early next year, are another attempt by Washington to use youth-oriented media to bolster America's sagging image in the Middle East. The concept — round-the-clock, multi-lingual pop music and news — debuted March 23 with the Arabic-language Radio Sawa, which replaced the more stodgy public affairs programming on the Voice of America's Arabic service. Surveys indicate a growing audience for Radio Sawa — or "Radio Together" in Arabic. The music features American favorites such as Jennifer López and the Back Street Boys along with Arab pop stars from Egypt, Lebanon and other countries. One poll in Amman, Jordan, in late September found Sawa's news was favored by at least a third of radio listeners aged 17 to 28, according to the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees all U.S.-backed international broadcasts. "These surveys inspired us to try the same idea in Iran," said board member Norman Pattiz, founder and chairman of Westwood One Inc., the largest U.S. radio network. The challenges and potential in Iran are clearly evident. Iran's powerful clerics have relentlessly vilified America — the "Great Satan" — since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Chants of "Death to America" still resonate with some groups, particularly the deeply religious classes convinced that the United States is an enemy of their faith. But many younger Iranians don't feel so threatened. American culture — fashion, music, political freedoms — is absorbed via the Internet, clandestinely imported Western magazines and satellite television channels from the large U.S-Iranian community. On Sept. 10, the Voice of America began its own youth-oriented satellite TV broadcasts to Iran called "Next Chapter." The potential audience is huge. About half of Iran's citizens were born after the revolution. They have no memory of its seminal events: The collapse of the U.S.-backed monarchy and the 444-day hostage crisis at the U.S. Embassy that severed diplomatic relations. Last month, a poll by an Iranian government-run research group found nearly 75 percent of respondents favored improved ties with the United States. A court then closed the polling firm. "This is who we are after — the people who are open-minded about America," said Pattiz. "We want them to learn about the America we know, not the America that is represented to them in the government- controlled media." The new station will have offices in Washington and in Prague, Czech Republic. It still doesn't have a name and its broadcasting plan — including details like where its news and music will emanate from — has not been completed. Pattiz said the new station will abandon "old-style propaganda" methods such as ringing praises for democracy and the free market as a global cure-all. The news bulletins — with an American focus — will attempt to showcase the breadth of American freedoms and pluralism. "We want to be an example of the freedom of the press in the American tradition," said Pattiz. It may be a hard sell. The "axis of evil" label President Bush gave Iran, Iraq and North Korea had far-reaching consequences in Iran. Reformist leaders, including President Mohammad Khatami, interpreted it as an arrogant rebuff to their attempts to expand contacts. "The long history of U.S. action against Iran has left its mark on the mind of almost all Iranians," said Reza Sekini, a 31-year-old student who occasionally listens to the Voice of America's Farsi service, which began broadcasting in 1979. "I won't listen to the voice of Satan," insisted 38-year-old Reza Khodakaram. "Americans have never wanted anything good for us." But the new broadcasts could find a niche. The appetite for foreign news reports is high these days following the closure of many newspapers that sought to challenge the clerics' vast powers. The Voice of America appears far behind the tastes of young Iranians as restrictions on music ease. The new station for Iran is expected to use the same programming format of Radio Sawa, a mix of Western and local bands. "If the new station wants to win listeners, it has to come up with a musical revolution," said Mirnaser Porsofi, a retired health ministry employee. The new station for Iran will share the airwaves with the Voice of America. But the Farsi service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty will be merged into the new venture, said Joan Mower, spokeswoman for the Broadcasting Board of Governors. The $8 million project plans to seek listeners any way it can: AM, FM, shortwave and the Internet. "We have to have a number of ways to get in there," Mower said. "You never know what measures the authorities could take to try to block us." (via Artie Bigley; also via Guardian via Mike Terry, DXLD) RESEARCH SHOWS RADIO SAWA SURGES IN MIDDLE EAST; Broadcasting Board of Governors Discuss Projects with Television Executives Beverly Hills, California, October 09, 2002-- The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) today released its first survey showing Radio Sawa http://www.radiosawa.com the Arabic-language station created by U.S. international broadcasting six months ago, is the number one station among young people in Amman, Jordan. The survey, conducted by Edison Media Research of Somerville, N.J., showed 43 percent of the respondents in the Radio Sawa target audience (17-28 year olds) listened to Radio Sawa more than any other station. The next most-listened station was the Jordanian Government`s Amman FM at 18 percent. Radio Sawa was also number one in news among young people. Twenty-five percent of the respondents said Radio Sawa was the radio station they listened to most for news. That compared to 22 percent for Amman FM and 20 percent for MBC-FM. "We know we`re very popular in the Middle East, but this Amman survey is the first one that shows young people in our target audience are tuning to Radio Sawa for their news and their entertainment," said Norman J. Pattiz, a member of the BBG and chairman of its Middle East Committee. The research was conducted in Amman between August and September 2002 among 500 radio listeners in Amman between the ages of 17 and 28 who like both Western and Arabic music. The survey has a sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. Edison has been doing on-going research on Radio Sawa in Amman and other cities in the Middle East since the station went on the air on March 23, 2002. The research is designed to track audience attitudes towards news, music and overall station popularity. Other survey findings also showed Radio Sawa #1 with young Jordanians: • 86 percent of the target audience said they had listened to Radio Sawa in the past 7 days. • 23 percent said they considered Radio Sawa to have the most up-to- date news, compared with 19 percent for Amman FM. Asked which station provided the most accurate and trustworthy news, Radio Sawa and Amman FM were almost tied: 19 percent said Radio Sawa; 20 percent said Amman FM. In Amman, Radio Sawa`s FM competes with well-known local and international broadcasters including Amman FM, BBC-FM, MBC-FM and Radio Monte Carlo. During the six months it has been on the air, Radio Sawa has yet to do any advertising or promotion. Radio Sawa, a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week Arabic-language "Full Service" network, is unique in the Middle East. It broadcasts an upbeat mix of Western and Arabic pop music along with up-to-the minute news, news analysis, interviews, opinion pieces, sports, and features on a wide variety of political and social issues. Radio Sawa originates its programming from Washington and is broadcast across the region, using a combination of medium wave (AM) and FM transmitters, digital audio satellite, shortwave and internet. In another development, BBG members met with Hollywood television and entertainment executives to discuss U.S. international broadcasting initiatives, including a possible Arabic-language television network. "This was a rare opportunity to put the leaders of U.S. international broadcasting together with the leaders of the television and entertainment industries," said Pattiz, who organized the private luncheon at the Museum of Television and Radio. Pattiz described the meeting as an exchange of ideas between executives of U.S. international broadcasting and private industry. He said the BBG members outlined U.S. international broadcasting projects and sought ideas and thoughts from the private executives (BBG press release via DXLD) Note this sentence from the release: "The research was conducted in Amman between August and September 2002 among 500 radio listeners in Amman between the ages of 17 and 28 who like both Western and Arabic music." Radio Sawa's format is a combination of Western and Arab music (Kim Elliott, DC, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Q.E.D. ** U S A. Re Florida EAS problem: Hi Glenn, We are a primary EAS station in East Central Illinois. When we set off the EAS (which is a lot clunkier system than the old EBS days), there are some small and/or automated stations that interrupt programming and take our live feed. I imagine that a weekly or monthly test triggered the feed at that particular station. Once the EAS is over, the station usually takes back the signal automatically. I imagine whatever computer was running the station went to fill, and found the PSA in question. Keep up the good work! (Eric Loy, WDWS Radio, Champaign IL, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. SAN DIEGO PIRATE PLANS DEBUT ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13 An entity calling itself Free Radio San Diego has announced plans to begin broadcasting on October 13, at around 7 PM, on 96.9 MHz. The transmitter location and parameters are unknown. The operator does have a web site, however: http://www.pirate969.org (From the CGC Communicator via Fred Vobbe, Oct 9, NRC FM-TV via DXLD) ** U S A. NAMES IN THE NEWS: RAY BRIEM, N6FFT TALKRADIO LEGEND RETIRES Talk radio legend Ray Briem, N6FFT, has retired. Briem's last show was on Sunday evening September 28th over Los Angeles radio station KRLA. Before moving to the 870 spot on the AM dial Briem spent several decades honing the art of late night talk over at KABC radio on 790 Kilohertz. While there his show was eventually put on the ABC radio network, nationwide (ASWLC via Amateur Radio Newsline Oct 11 via DXLD) ** UZBEKISTAN. UZBEK INTERNATIONAL RADIO MARKS ITS 55TH ANNIVERSARY It was the "Tashkent International" radio which announced Uzbekistan's independence to the whole world and which marked its 55th anniversary on 7 October, the newspaper Delovoy Partner Uzbekistana reported on 10 October. "Launched in 1947 it started broadcasting in English, Uighur and Persian. After 35 years it began to broadcast in Arabic as well. Today people listen to the radio in 12 languages - Indian, Urdu, Dari, Pashto, Chinese and others - in more than 80 countries of Europe, Asia, East and America. The programmes of the radio are different - economy, culture, history, women's rights and art," the report said. Source: Delovoy Partner Uzbekistana, Tashkent, in Russian 10 Oct 02 p8 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** VANUATU. Adrian Sainsbury, RNZI's Technical Manager has just returned from installing a new SW receiver and aerial for Radio Vanuatu. He tells me Radio Vanuatu no longer have QSL cards so recommends that DXers send PPCs. Given the pace of life in the Islands, it could be some time before new cards are printed. Kind regards, (Paul Ormandy, New Zealand, Oct 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VATICAN. From Oct. 8 Vatican Radio broadcast a new daily service in Hausa to W and C Af 0700-0715 on 11625 SMG 250 kW / 223 deg 13765 SMG 100 kW / 210 deg 15570 SMG 500 kW / 170 deg (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, Oct 11 via DXLD) ** VIETNAM. 5034.60v, V. of Vietnam, 4 Oct 06 1210 in H'mong 22222 Poor. Talk with man and woman. Some regional musics was heard man vocal. \\ 6165. 31221 (IWATA) 6494.10v, Cao Bang R., Oct 06 1220 in Vietnamese 34232 strong but low audio. Woman's singing continued (Gaku IWATA, Japan Premium via DXLD) ** YEMEN. Radio San'a in Arabic noted: 1200-1530 on NF 6135.0 via ALH 050 kW / non-dir \\ 9779.6 via SAN 050 kW / non-dir (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, Oct 11 via DXLD) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ RECEIVER NEWS +++++++++++++ MOTOROLA INTRODUCES NEW TYPE OF DIGITAL RECEIVER MIGHT CONFUSE THE IBOC/IBAC MARKETPLACE Motorola claims its new "symphony" chipset will make a radio sound better than analog and enlarge a station's coverage area without having to resort to IBOC/IBAC. The company is calling its invention "a disruptive technology" that "raises the bar as to whether IBOC makes sense," said John Hansen of Motorola. As one observer put it, "The real key is how much they confuse the market and dilute the definition of digital radio." http://www.rwonline.com/dailynews/one.php?id=2061 (From CGC Communicator via Fred Vobbe, NRC-AM via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ GEOMAGNETIC INDICES phil bytheway - Seattle WA - phil_tekno@yahoo.com Geomagnetic Summary August 26 2002 through September 8 2002 Tabulated from email status daily. Date Flux A K SA Forecast GM Forecast Etc. 8/26 169 21 3 minor minor 6 27 161 14 3 none minor 5 28 163 10 2 minor minor 8 29 169 8 2 minor minor 7 30 170 10 1 strong minor 5 8/31 180 12 3 none minor 7 9/ 1 181 12 2 none minor 6 2 174 12 2 none minor 3 3 171 7 6 moderate minor 10 4 171 35 3 moderate minor 6 5 175 12 2 none minor 6 6 178 8 1 none minor 3 7 183 36 6 strong minor 9 8 192 23 3 moderate minor 7 9 206 6 2 minor minor 7 10 221 15 3 minor minor 9 11 216 23 4 moderate minor 8 12 212 15 3 no storms minor 7 13 206 18 3 no storms minor 9 14 207 8 1 no storms minor 9 15 188 8 2 minor minor 6 16 183 6 2 minor minor 3 17 194 14 3 no storms minor 6 18 177 13 2 no storms minor 7 19 165 16 5 no storms minor 5 20 164 4 1 minor minor 5 21 159 7 1 no storms minor 5 22 160 7 2 no storms minor 4 23 154 3 0 no storms minor 1 24 158 5 2 no storms no storms 1 25 153 5 2 no storms no storms 4 26 150 6 1 no storms no storms 6 27 152 7 1 minor minor 4 28 149 5 2 no storms minor 3 29 138 4 1 minor minor 5 9/30 138 4 5 minor minor 8 (IRCA Soft DX Monitor via DXLD) ****************************************************************** ###