DX LISTENING DIGEST 2-162, October 19, 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 1152: NEXT AIRINGS ON WWCR: Sun 0630 3210; Wed 0930 9475 NEXT AIRIMGS ON RFPI: Sun 0600, Mon 0030, 0630 on 7445, 15038 NEXT AIRING ON WBCQ: Mon 0415 on 7415 NEXT AIRING ON WORLD RADIO NETWORK: to NAm Sun 1400 ONDEMAND http://www.wrn.org/ondemand/worldofradio.html (DOWNLOAD) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1152.rm (STREAM) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1152.ram (SUMMARY) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1152.html WORLD OF RADIO ON WORLD RADIO NETWORK. WRN has already posted its timeshifted schedules effective Oct. 27. WORLD OF RADIO will be at 0900 UT Sat to Eu, Af, As, Pac, also via WorldSpace; new to Eu only also at 0530 UT Sun. To North America Sun 1500, also at the same time via Sirius Satellite Radio. We thank WRN for its continued confidence in bringing WOR to a worldwide audience. ** AFGHANISTAN [non]. Hello Mr. Hauser- Received in the mail today, Oct 18, a QSL of sorts from the 193rd Special Operations Wing (Penn. Air National Guard) with the following text: "This card acknowledges the receipt of a broadcast delivered by Commando Solo II during Operation Enduring Freedom. Thank you for your support of the 193rd Special Operations Wing" Also a personal note of thanks and apologies for the delay in responding on the back of the card. This was from a cassette recording of the 8700 kHz broadcasts I sent them in December 2001. 73s (Ben Loveless, WB9FJO, Michigan, Oct 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Afghanistan, Information Radio, 8700, n/d card with apology for delay for a written report (used my enclosed return postage + $.03 stamp of their own!). Had also sent a couple of e-mail follow-ups. No v/s (Greg Myers Clearwater, FL, Oct 19, hard-core-dx via DXLD) ** ALASKA. Here is some info I received about the upcoming KNOM test: --- (The sender is Les Brown, the engineer doing the test) One small change since our original planning for Saturday, October 26.... We'll go to 25 kW as planned at 12:00:01 AM that date but will hold the high power only to 1:00:00 rather than the 6 am we had originally planned. This is because it was pointed out that, with the time difference (we're 4-hours ahead [sic] of Eastern) the sun will have long-since risen everywhere else by 6 am our time and we'd just be running up a power bill for very little potential result. We now have a limited amount of audio on our KNOM.ORG website.... Also, I've dumped all the normal PSA's, substituting station promos to make for more and better ID opportunities! --- (via Lynn Hollerman, Lafayette, LA, Oct 17, Check out the IRCA Web site at http://www.ircaonline.org IRCA via DXLD) ?? Not so; there is plenty of darkness eastwards from Nome after 0900 UT in late October. Sunrise here in OK is around 1245. Not that Stillwater et al., will quell for this. KNOM perhaps needs to be reminded that by local sun (mean) time, they ought to be UT-11, that is 7 hours behind EDT! (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) This decision to lower power after only 1 hour is rather unfortunate. If he can keep it at 25 kW until 3 Alaskan time, that will coincide with 7 AM EST [sic, standard lament] when the sun is actually rising at this time of the year in the east. This will give DXers 3 hours to try for them !! 73 KAZ (Neil Kazaross, IL?, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. Glenn, Bali Murders: The Amateur Radio one minute silence is advised to be at 0000 UTC (Sunday 20 October 10 am EAST). This may be in error for the national one minute silence to be observed at noon EAST. EAST (Eastern Australian Standard Time) is currently UTC+10 - the switch to Eastern Summer Time does not occur until October 27, when it will be UTC+11. Tasmania already moved last weekend and is already UTC+11. Regards (Bob Padula, Victoria, Oct 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. WEEKEND HOT SHEET, SUNDAY OCTOBER 20, 2002 --- THE SUNDAY EDITION: A documentary from the BBC about a gay man of Jamaican roots who travels back to Jamaica where homosexuality remains a punishable crime. Then host Michael Enright speaks with author Meaghan Dealhung, whose new novel In the Blue House is a fictionalized account of Leon Trotsky's life in exile in Mexico. That's The Sunday Edition, right after the 9 a.m. news (9:30 NT) on CBC Radio One (CBC Hotsheet via DXLD) ** CANADA. The "Team Zone 2" Contest Group has just obtained permission to conduct the first Canadian experimental amateur radio transmissions on the 5 MHz. (60 meter) band from October 22nd to October 24th, 2002. Station will be operating from 257 KM north of Matagami, Quebec in the James Bay Region. Frequencies: 5280 - CW 5290 - digital modes 5400 and 5405 lower side band SWL Reports are most welcome. This info is "hot off the press" (the authorization was just received in the mail today from Industry Canada.) Callsign and QSL information to be announced. Please see the Team Zone 2 website at http://www.qsl.net/teamzone2 for further information. The site should be updated with further info tomorrow (Friday). 73 (Bob Chandler, VE3SRE, Oct 17, ODXA via DXLD) E-mail reports of our VA2BY 60 meter tests this coming week are much appreciated. They can go to radiotoronto@yahoo.com If you would like an actual QSL card, please send direct with return postage via VE3BY. More information on the 60 meter tests is available at http://www.qsl.net/teamzone2 73 (Bob Chandler, VE3SRE, Oct 19, ODXA via DXLD) ** CANADA. LET'S CLEAR THE AIR ABOUT HAM RADIO BILL BROWNSTEIN, The Gazette, Friday, October 18, 2002 Why "hams"? Well, it turns out that it has nothing to do with a penchant for pork products by those who practice this time-honoured pastime. Nor is it a sort of reference to juvenile theatrics. No, it seems that the origins of the word go way back. "In the days of Morse code, operators considered early radio communicators ham-fisted," Vernon Ikeda explains with a shrug... http://www.canada.com/montreal/montrealgazette/columnists/story.asp?id={0655A1CF-414C-4DE3-AEF8-607761E86F5C} (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** CANARY ISLANDS. A nice e-mail verification was just received for a report sent from last Wednesday's broadcast. The v/s Mr. Chung says: "Our church is from YOIDO FULL GOSPEL CHURCH which is in Korea. One of the missionaries from YFGC, is working as a priest in FGLP. The radio for the crew who work in the sea to hear live worships. We play this radio on live every Sunday at 11.00am and 7.00 pm in LP time, on Wednesday at 8.30 pm , and Friday at 10.00pm also in Las Palmas time." He wants reports to be sent to pulse@l21.net 73, (Mauno Ritola, Finland, Cumbredx mailing list, Oct 18 via DXLD) According to the info I received from FG Las Palmas Church, the transmitter is located at the church in Las Palmas and rated 100 Watts (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, Oct 19, dxing.info via DXLD) ** CHILE. Update to Catholic station list here includes one SW item: Coyhaique: CD84 Santa María AM, 840 AM (10,000 watts), y CE603 on 6030 khz onda corta (10,000 watts). Vicariato Apostólico de Aysén, Red de Emisoras Madipro, Calle Bilbao 681, Casilla 1, Coyhaique, Chile. Tel.: (67) 232398, 232025, 231817; fax (67) 231306. E-mail: santamaria@entelchile.net o adminmadipro@tentelchile.net Señor Nelson Alvear Cabeza, director. 0500-2300 horas [local time, evidently, currently UT -3 ---gh], onda corta 1045-0230 y domingos 1130 a 0300 [UT evidently, unless an hour off due to recent DST shift – gh] (Oct 21 Catholic Radio Update, Oct 19 via DXLD) ** COLOMBIA. La Voz de tu Conciencia, 6011 approx., Oct 19 at 0618 and 0619 caught IDs amidst preaching in Spanish about Fearing the Lord. Naturally I did not listen long or bother to measure the frequency of the moment. Can`t tell me it`s not another gospel huxter (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COLOMBIA. Hi Glenn: From the new issue of Semana (19 October 2002) at http://www.semana.com -- Radio rebelde: Causó sorpresa en el Eje Cafetero la aparición de una emisora de las Farc en el dial 101.3 F.M. El sonido es perfecto, los locutores parecen profesionales y la programación es variada y alterna vallenatos con arengas revolucionarias como la siguiente: "Arriba compañeros que tarde o temprano Manuel llegará al poder". Las autoridades no han logrado determinar dónde se originan las transmisiones (via Rich Stoller, Oct 19, DXLD) ** COSTA RICA. Dear Friends and Supporters: RFPI is temporarily unable to stream on the internet and download programs from the internet. We are in the process of installing new equipment which should put us back on the internet by November 7th -- if not sooner. The shortwave broadcast will not be affected except the following programs will be unavailable during this installation period: Democracy Now!, FreeSpeech Radio News, Between the Lines and World Opinion. Your financial support is greatly needed now more than ever to complete the equipment installation in the most timely manner possible (Debra Latham, CEO, RFPI, Oct 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [non]. CLANDESTINE from USA to CUBA: 9955, Conversando Entre Cubanos replied direct and sent me a WRMI QSL that was stamped with the logo of ExClub, La Asociación de Ex Prisioneros Y Combatientes Políticos Cubanos. Also received a letter from Justo Gabriel Quintana, their Press Director, apologizing for the delay in responding and explaining that Rolando Borges, their President, had died so that they were reorganizing. Justo also enclosed an issue of their newsletter, Fragua. This was for a November 2001 reception in which a hurricane knocked Cuban jammers off the air and allowed clear reception of the program. Report was sent to 6858 West Flagler St, Miami, FL 33144 (Hans Johnson, WY, Oct 19, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** CYPRUS TURKISH. Hola estimados amigos de la lista, este mensaje es para preguntar ¿si algún colega sintonizó ayer la emisora turco chipriota BAYRAK RADIO en los 6150 khz? Lo pregunto porque ayer tarde a las 1500 horas UT me pareció escucharla en el Sureste de España y digo me pareció porque el audio era muy flojo y la S-meter de mi receptor no se movía, pero creo que la identificación en inglés de "BAYRAK RADIO". Me pareció escucharla el formato radiofónico de la emisora era un formato como una emisora de FM. Vamos a ver si algún colega escuchó lo mismo y si no es así, por favor que contestéis a mi pregunta y me digáis qué emisora podía estar en ese horario con ese formato a las 1500 h UT. Un saludo rompecostillas para todos desde Cartagena, España de vuestro colega (JOSE HERNANDEZ MADRID. 73´s y buenos DX, Oct 18, Conexión Digital via DXLD) Véase DXLD 2-160 ** CYPRUS [non]. IBRA vs Ibrahim and Kumru Hi Glenn, Re: ** CYPRUS [non]/RUSSIA. Radio Ibrahim seems to be linked with the Swedish radio mission IBRA Radio.... Yes, they say on http://www.ibra.se - Presentation, page 5: "Den mycket starka sändaren i ryska Krasnodar hörs över hela Mellanöstern och därmed stora delar av muslimvärlden. Förr sändes här kommunistpropaganda, nu sänds istället evangelium från IBRA varje kväll." The Turkish broadcast is called Radyo Kumru, with a web page http://www.radyokumru.com which is also shown on http://www.ibra.se -: Utgång For "Radio Ibrahim" the following schedule was given on PlayDX-list by Christian Gibaudo: P. O. Box 56500, Limassol, CHYPRE mail@radioibrahim.com Winter Schedule 0700-0715 : (Mon-Fri) : 21590 0700-0745 : (Sat-Sun) : 21590 2000-2045 : (Tues) : 5935 1170 2000-2100 : (Sun, Mon) : 5935 1170 2000-2115 : (Wed-Sat) : 5935 1170 2100-2115 : (Tues) : 5935 1170 2100-2130 : (Thur) : 12025 2130-2200 : (Sat-Sun) : 12025 2130-2215 : (Mon) : 12025 2145-2200 : (Tues, Wed, Fri) : 12025 2230-2330 : (except Thur) : 9405 2245-2315 : (Thur) : 9405 2215-2230 : (Mon) : 1467 1467 kHz - TWR Monte Carlo 1170 kHz - Krasnodar Russia 5935 kHz - Ibra Radio, Moscow Russia 9405 kHz - Ibra Radio, Jülich Germany 21590 kHz - Voice of Hope, Jülich Germany 12025 kHz - HCJB Ascension Island Regards, (Mauno Ritola, Finland, Oct 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CZECH REPUBLIC. RADIO PRAGUE VALID 27 OCTOBER 2002 - 29 MARCH 2003 Czech 0930-0957 EU/AF/ME 15255 21745 1030-1057 sAS/wAF 21745 1200-1227 EU/AS/AU 11640 21745 1330-1357 EU 6055 7345 1430-1457 eAF/NAM 21745 1630-1657 EU/c,wAF 5930 17485 1830-1857 EU/AS/AU 5930 7315 2030-2057 EU/AS/AU 5930 9430 2200-2227 AS/AU/EU 5930 9435 0030-0057 N+SAM 7345 9440 0230-0257 N+SAM 6200 7345 0330-0357 NAM 7345 7385** 9435 English 0800-0827 EU 11600 15255 1000-1029 sAS/wAF 21745 1130-1157 EU/AF/ME 11640 21745 1400-1429 eAF/NAM 21745 1700-1727 EU/c,wAF 5930 17485 1800-1827 EU/AS/AU 5930 7315 2100-2127 EU/AS/AU 5930 9430 2230-2257 NAM/wAF 7345 9435 2330-2357 NAM 7345 9435 0100-0127 NAM 6200 7345 0200-0227 NAM 6200 7345 0400-0427 NAM 7345 7385** 9435 0430-0457 ME/swAS 9865 11600 French 0700-0727 EU 5930 7345 0900-0927 EU 11600 15255 1730-1757 EU 5930 17485 1930-1957 EU/nwAF 5930 9430 2300-2327 NAM 7345 9435 German 0730-0757 EU 5930 7345 1100-1127 EU 7345 9880 1300-1329 EU 6055 7345 1600-1627 EU 5930 1730-1757 EU 5990* Russian 0500-0527 eEU/AS 1359*** 6055 11600 1230-1257 eEU/AS 6055 15665* 21745 1530-1557 eEU/swAS 5915* 11975 13580 1630-1657 eEU 5990* Spanish 0830-0857 EU 11600 15255 1500-1527 EU 11600 13580 1900-1927 EU 5930 9430 2000-2027 EU 5930 9430 2130-2157 EU 5930 9435 0000-0027 SAM 7345 9440 0130-0157 CAM 6200 7345 0300-0327 C+SAM 6200 7345 7385** Transmitters at Litomysl, except: * = Relay via Rimavska Sobota, Slovakia ** = WRMI Miami, Florida, USA Note: *** = To Moscow from 1.1.2003 Local AM Transmissions on 1071 1233 1287: Spanish 1100-1130 French 1130-1200 Russian 1200-1230 English 1230-1300 English 1830-1900 German 1900-1930 Sked via Wolfgang Bueschel (retyped by Alan Roe, DXLD) ** EUROPE. Hi DX-ers / listeners, Now Sunday 20 oktober 2002 SENSATION AM from Western Europe on the shortwaves. FREQ: 15.725 MHz. TIME: 0615 UT. We changed our antenna-system. So probably the signal is better then before (Well let's hope) RECEPTION REPORTS ARE MOST WELCOME: sensationam@hotmail.com Meet you tomorrow! S.am [sic] (via George Maroti, NY, Oct 19, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** FRANCE. B-02 SCHEDULE: FRANCE - R. FRANCE INTERNATIONALE Sked effective 27 Oct to 30 March 2003 Albanian+French 0700 - 0800 9805 Arabic 0500 - 0530 3965* 5925 7135** 1600 - 1630 9790 12025 1700 - 1800 7325* 9790 12025** Cambodian 1200 - 1300 11600xi English 0400 - 0430 11910ga 11995* 3610** 0500 - 0530 13610* 15155ga 17800** 0600 - 0630 11710ga 15155* 17800 21620** 0700 - 0800 15605ga 1200 - 1230 15540ga 25820 1400 - 1500 7175xi* 9580xi* 11610xi** 17620 1600 - 1700 11615 11995ga 12015ga 17850 1600 - 1730 11615 15605 17605** French 0100 - 0200 15605be* 17710xi** 0130 - 0200 9800gu 11665gu 0230 - 0400 9790 11995 0300 - 0400 5915* 7135 7135me 7315 9845** 0300 - 0500 5945* 7135 9555** 9790 0400 - 0430 9790ga 0400 - 0500 3965 4890ga 7135* 7135ga** 7315* 9805ga* 9845 11995** 0400 - 0600 6045(0430-) 11685** 0430 - 0500 5990 7280 11850ga 11910ga 11995* 13610** 0500 - 0545 5990 0500 - 0600 6175ga 7135* 9555* 9790 9845* 11700 11995 15135** 15300** 15605ga 0530 - 0600 3965* 7135** 5925 13610* 15155ga 17800** 0600 - 0700 5925* 7135 7135ga 9790 11700 15135 15300 17850** 0630 - 0700 6175* 7280 9805** 11710ga 15155* 17800 21620** 0700 - 0800 7135* 9790 9790ga 11700 11975 15300** 15315 17620** 17850 0700 - 1600 11670(-1030) 21580 0800 - 0900 15300 15315* 21685** 0800 - 1000 15300(0900-) 17620 0800 - 1800 11845(-1600) 15300 0900 - 1200 21620 25820 0900 - 1600 21685 1000 - 1100 17850 1030 - 1200 7140ya* 9830ya 11890ya** 1100 - 1200 6175 11600be 11670gu* 13640gu 15300 15515* 15515gu** 17610** 21755ga 1100 - 1400 17620 1130 - 1200 17610* 21645** 1200 - 1400 9790ga 15300 1230 - 1300 15515gu 15540ga 25820 1230 - 1400 17860gu 21645gu(1300-) 1400 - 1430 15315* 17850 1400 - 1500 17650 1500 - 1600 15605* 17605 17620 17650** 17850 21620 1600 - 1700 6090ku 15300* 21580** 1630 - 1700 9790 11665 12025 13580 1700 - 1800 11965* 17620** 1700 - 1900 15300 17620** 1730 - 1800 11615 15605 17605** 1800 - 1900 5900 9790 11615** 11995 1800 - 2100 11955ga 11965(-2000) 1800 - 2200 7160ga 11705 1900 - 2000 3965 7315* 9485* 9790 11995 15300** 1900 - 2100 7315(2000-) 9790 2000 - 2200 6175 9485 9790 11995 2100 - 2200 3965 7315 9790ga 2300 - 0100 9805 17710ya(-0030) Mandarin 0930 - 1030 9655ya* 11890ya** 1200 - 1300 7140ya* 9830ya** Persian 1800 - 1900 7350* 9430 11650** Polish 0545 - 0600 5990 1700 - 1800 3965 7135 2200 - 2300 3965 5915 Portuguese 1700 - 1800 12015ga 15530 2000 - 2100 11965 Pushtu 1600 - 1630 11665 13580 Romanian 1600 - 1700 9805 2100 - 2200 6185 7135 Russian 0400 - 0430 5990 6045 7280 1400 - 1430 15155 15595 15605 17610 1900 - 2000 5905 7135 Serbian 0600 - 0630 6175* 7280 9805** 1500 - 1600 9805 11670 2000 - 2100 3965 6090 Spanish 0100 - 0130 9800gu 11665gu 1000 - 1030 6175gu* 9830gu** 1200 - 1230 13640gu 15515gu 1800 - 1830 17630gu 21645gu 2100 - 2130 17630gu 21645gu Vietnamese 1400 - 1500 6120ya* 11735ya** * = 27 Oct 2002 - 2 March 2003 ** = 2 March 2003 - 30 March 2003 Relays: be = Beijing, China ga = Gabon gu = French Guyana ku = Kunming, China me = Meyerton, S. Africa xi = Xi`an, China ya = Yamata, Japan [Sked via Wolfgang Bueschel, retyped into language order by Alan Roe, DX LISTENING DIGEST] ** FRANCE / INTERNATIONAL VACUUM / CANADA. Canadian satellite TV company Bell ExpressVu has added Radio France Internationale's 24- hour-a-day French language service to its line-up of radio stations. In a press release, EVu says RFI will be "free of charge for the next four months -- until February 16, 2003." After that RFI will become part of the French "Divertissement" package. "RFI is the leading international French radio station, with 45 million listeners worldwide. RFI features 58 daily newscasts on world and French events, as well as more than 65 newsmagazines," the news release says. RFI is on Bell ExpressVu's channel 979. This appears to create a new method of obtaining RFI, even for non-EVu subscribers, since EVu's radio services are FTA (free to air) if you have a Ku-band and MPEG satellite receiver (though I've found the polarization on the Nimiq satellite is a bit problematic). RFI has been available for $1 a month through Dish Network in the U.S. Curiously, the EVu signal lags behind the Dish Network signal by a full second and is several seconds behind RFI as heard on shortwave (Mike Cooper, Oct 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. Deutsche Welle B-02 includes ENGLISH: 0000 - 0100 BLN 199 DAB BERLIN 0100 - 0200 SAS 1548 TRINCOMALE 0100 - 0200 BLN 199 DAB BERLIN 0100 - 0145 N/CAM 6040 SACKVILLE 0100 - 0145 NAM 6145 WERTACHTAL 0100 - 0145 N/CAM 9640 SINES 0100 - 0145 NAM 9700 ANTIGUA 0100 - 0145 NAM 9765 SACKVILLE 0200 - 0245 SAS 11965 TRINCOMALE 0200 - 0245 SAS 13605 TRINCOMALE 0200 - 0245 SAS 1548 TRINCOMALE 0200 - 0300 BLN 199 DAB BERLIN 0200 - 0245 SAS 7285 WERTACHTAL 0200 - 0245 SAS 9765 WERTACHTAL 0300 - 0345 NAM 11985 BONAIRE 0300 - 0345 NAM 6020 SACKVILLE 0300 - 0345 NAM 6045 WERTACHTAL 0300 - 0345 N/CAM 9640 SINES 0300 - 0345 NAM 9700 ANTIGUA 0400 - 0500 BLN 199 DAB BERLIN 0400 - 0445 AF 6180 KIGALI 0400 - 0445 AF 7195 KIGALI 0400 - 0445 AF 9565 KIGALI 0400 - 0500 KIG 96 KIGALI 0400 - 0445 AF 9710 WERTACHTAL 0500 - 0545 NAM 11795 BONAIRE 0500 - 0545 NAM 5960 WERTACHTAL 0500 - 0545 NAM 6120 SINES 0500 - 0600 KIG 96 KIGALI 0500 - 0545 NAM 9670 ANTIGUA 0600 - 0645 WAF 11785 WERTACHTAL 0600 - 0700 EUR 6140 JUELICH 0600 - 0645 WAF 7225 SINES 0600 - 0645 WAF 9565 WERTACHTAL 0600 - 0700 KIG 96 KIGALI 0700 - 0800 EUR 6140 JUELICH 0800 - 0830 BLN 199 DAB BERLIN 0800 - 0900 EUR 6140 JUELICH 0800 - 0900 KIG 96 KIGALI 0900 - 0945 AF 11785 KIGALI 0900 - 0945 AF 15410 KIGALI 0900 - 0945 AF 17800 KIGALI 0900 - 0945 SEAS/OC 17820 TRINCOMALE 0900 - 0945 SEAS/OC 17845 TRINCOMALE 0900 - 0945 EAF 17860 TALATA VO. 0900 - 0945 AF 21560 WERTACHTAL 0900 - 1000 EUR 6140 JUELICH 0900 - 0945 OC 6160 ANTIGUA 0900 - 0945 OC 9510 ANTIGUA 0900 - 0945 N/CAM 9510 ANTIGUA 0900 - 1000 KIG 96 KIGALI 0900 - 0945 FE 9770 IRKUTSK 1000 - 1100 EUR 6140 JUELICH 1100 - 1145 AF 15410 KIGALI 1100 - 1145 AF 17800 KIGALI 1100 - 1145 AF 21530 KIGALI 1100 - 1145 AF 21780 WERTACHTAL 1100 - 1145 AF 25700 NAUEN 1100 - 1200 EUR 6140 JUELICH 1100 - 1200 KIG 96 KIGALI 1130 - 1200 BLN 199 DAB BERLIN 1200 - 1300 EUR 6140 JUELICH 1300 - 1400 EUR 6140 JUELICH 1400 - 1500 EUR 6140 JUELICH 1500 - 1600 EUR 6140 JUELICH 1600 - 1645 SAS 11695 WERTACHTAL 1600 - 1645 SAS 13605 NAUEN 1600 - 1645 AF 15455 KIGALI 1600 - 1645 SAS 1548 TRINCOMALE 1600 - 1700 BLN 199 DAB BERLIN 1600 - 1645 AF 21840 WERTACHTAL 1600 - 1700 EUR 6140 JUELICH 1600 - 1645 SAS 6170 TRINCOMALE 1600 - 1645 SAS 7225 TRINCOMALE 1600 - 1700 KIG 96 KIGALI 1600 - 1645 AF 9735 KIGALI 1700 - 1730 BLN 199 DAB BERLIN 1700 - 1800 EUR 6140 JUELICH 1800 - 1830 EUR 3995 WERTACHTAL 1800 - 1900 EUR 6140 JUELICH 1900 - 1945 WAF 11765 WERTACHTAL 1900 - 1945 AF 13780 WERTACHTAL 1900 - 1945 AF 15275 KIGALI 1900 - 1945 AF 17560 KIGALI 1900 - 1945 C/EAF 17810 TRINCOMALE 1900 - 1930 BLN 199 DAB BERLIN 1900 - 1945 EAF 21780 TRINCOMALE 1900 - 1930 EUR 3995 WERTACHTAL 1900 - 2000 KIG 96 KIGALI 2000 - 2045 EUR 6180 SINES 2000 - 2100 KIG 96 KIGALI 2100 - 2145 AF 11645 WERTACHTAL 2100 - 2145 SEAS/OC 11890 TRINCOMALE 2100 - 2145 SEAS/OC 15275 TRINCOMALE 2100 - 2145 WAF/AM 15410 KIGALI 2100 - 2145 WAF 17765 KIGALI 2100 - 2200 KIG 96 KIGALI 2100 - 2145 WAF 9615 WERTACHTAL 2100 - 2145 SEAS/OC 9765 WERTACHTAL 2130 - 2200 BLN 199 DAB BERLIN 2200 - 2300 BLN 199 DAB BERLIN 2300 - 2345 SEAS 13690 TRINCOMALE 2300 - 0000 BLN 199 DAB BERLIN 2300 - 2345 FE 21790 PETROPAVL. 2300 - 2345 FE 9470 NOVOSIBIR. 2300 - 0000 KIG 96 KIGALI 2300 - 2345 SAS/SEAS 9815 WERTACHTAL (Sked via Wolfgang Bueschel, resorted into language/time order by Alan Roe, DXLD) ** GHANA. 3285.5, weak signal with news read by female at 2204 UT (Oct 18). Sounded like mentions of Accra and Ghana during the news. Music at 2212. Found to be parallel to 3366 (fair signal) with Friday night music program. Didn't notice they were parallel until 2234. I thought this was Guyana off frequency (3290) originally. 4915 seemed to have Vernacular program from Radio 1. 73's (Wade Smith, New Brunswick, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 90m has lots of spurs from 3366 as in previous reports (gh, DXLD) GBC Radio Ghana heard once again on 3366, Oct 19, good signal with religious program at 2031 UT. Heard once again on 3285.5 and also 3446.5 (3366 +/- 80.5 KHz). (Wade Smith, New Brunswick, Oct 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** HAWAII. This reminds me a lot of the previous Cumbre item, but it is from `diverse sources`; illustrated, tho: VULKAAN BEDREIGT KORTEGOLF STATION http://www.kortegolf.info/KWHR.htm (Nieuwsbrief via gh, DXLD) ** HONG KONG. RTV Hong Kong has now been audible on both evenings on 3940 USB, as of October 16th. Broadcast schedule 2133-2143 UT. First evening it was hardly audible but last night there was a good reception. I missed this station exactly 20 years ago, when it was heard well in Finland - managed to hear it finally on mw, though, but always wanted to catch their SW broadcast. The station is regularly(?) on the air during the yacht race but very seldom heard at least in the northern part of Europe. Eg. last spring their schedule was hopeless in the Scandinavian point-of-view. I was using NRD535 and an L of 50 mts (Hannu Tikkanen Espoo, Finland, Oct 18, hard-core-dx via DXLD) Better reception today: 3940 USB, Radio Television Hong Kong, October 17th, 2133-2143, English, after a brief melody the following announcement could be heard: "This is Radio Television Hong Kong with a special weather forecast for the Hong Kong - Hainan yacht race 2002." SINPO 23322 I prepared a small mp-3 sound file of the ID. Please let me know, if you have interest (Michael Schnitzer, Germany, hard-core-dx via DXLD) 3940 USB, RTVHK weather broadcast 2133 UT (Oct 18) tentative logging. Music followed by British accented male announcer very weak signal with ham QRM. Heard again on 3940 USB Oct 19 at 2133 UT poor signal again, but definite Popeye type opening music and male with weather info (occasional words and numbers heard). Interference from the Maine Seagull Amateur Radio net in LSB and later two stations in possible Russian in USB which pretty well wiped out the signal (Wade Smith, New Brunswick, Oct 18-19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) QSL from RTHK 3940 USB (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, Oct 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: ------- On 19 Oct 2002 ccu@rthk.org.hk wrote: ------- Re: RTHK heard in Finland on 3940 kHz Dear Jari Savolainen Thank you for your enquiry. RTHK has seven radio broadcasting channels which are broadcast in AM and FM. We only provide occasional short wave weather reports for the Yacht race in South China Sea. It's so lucky that you have picked up our short wave signals. Kind regards. RTHK Corporate Communications Unit (via Savolainen, DXLD) RTV Hong Kong not heard yesterday, but was just audible here today (19 Oct) on 3940 usb at 2133 UT s/on with weather forecast in English, read slowly by male announcer. Blocked by ham interference from 2138. It should be on for another four days at this time so there is a chance of hearing it again if conditions remain good (Dave Kenny, Caversham, UK, Oct 19, BDXC-UK via DXLD) ** ICELAND. RIKISUTVARPID, Reykjavík noted on new and free frequency of 15715 kHz with S/OFF at 1456 UT, SIO 354. 73 and happy week-end (from Turku! Jouko Huuskonen, FINLAND, Oct 18, hard-core-dx via DXLD) ** INDIA. Several additions have been made to AIR`s External Services lately with the activation of transmitters from Khampur in Delhi. Here is a selection of them. 7410 (new) 1215-1330 Tibetan (Tibet) 9950 (new) 1515-1615 Swahili (E. Africa) 9950 (ex 15075) 1615-1730 Hindi (E. Africa), 1745-1945 English 9950 (new) 1945-2045 Hindi (Europe) 9950 (ex 9650) 2045-2230 English (Europe) 13695 (ex 13700) Bangalore 1115-1215 Tamil, 1215-1245 Telegu (SE Asia) 13750 (ex 13720) Bangalore 1515-1615 Swahili, 1615-1730 Hindi (E. Africa, Mauritius). 15050 (new) 115-1215 Tamil, 1300-1500 Sinhala (Sri Lanka) 15410 (ex 11585) 1000-1100 English (NEAsia) 15410 (ex 15235) Panaji 1115-1200 Thai (Thailand). 15235 will again be used in B-2002. 17845 (new) 0400-0430 Persian, 0430-0530 Arabic (Middle East). Some of these frequencies were used some time back. This changed schedule will continue in B-2002. 73 (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, Somajiguda, Oct 18, dx_india via DXLD) ** IRAN. ENFORCEMENT: IRANIAN JAMMER UPDATE --- The 40 meter Iranian jammers we recently reported on are still being heard. Intruder Watch Regional Coordinator Martin Potter says that the jamming is being done to a low power station called Radio Mujahed. It's being head in 10 Kilohertz steps from 7 point 010 to 7 point 090 MHz. Potter says that S-W-L's may find the same situation in the broadcasting frequencies as well (Q-News via Amateur Radio Newsline Oct 18 via DXLD) ** ITALY. In April, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi accused two famous journalists of "criminal" abuse of state television after criticising him during last year's general election campaign. State broadcaster RAI immediately leapt to the defence of the celebrated duo, Michele Santoro and Enzo Biagi, and issued a statement proclaiming that RAI was "an independent institution, autonomous from politics". Six months later, RAI unceremoniously dumped the pair from its autumn schedules, opening the floodgates on accusations that it was censoring the foes of the media-mogul-turned-politician. "If anyone is making criminal use of RAI then it is Berlusconi," said Santoro, a renowned left-wing sympathiser who has fronted successful current affairs programmes for years. "Berlusconi is behind all this. When he has an enemy he indicates them to his henchmen and they do the dirty work," he told a small group of foreign journalists recently. The government denies putting pressure on RAI to silence its critics, but the whiff of censorship won't go away -- if anything it is growing. Last week, RAI not only blocked a program from airing a satirical dig at the prime minister, but also prevented a recently sacked Culture Ministry official from appearing on two popular talk shows. "Italy no longer enjoys the same freedom of press that we have in other European countries," said Robert Menard, secretary general of Paris-based watchdog Reporters without Borders (RsF). "Indeed the situation in Italy is now worse than in a number of African countries," he told Reuters in a telephone interview (Reuters via SCDX/MediaScan Oct 18 via DXLD) ** ITALY [and non]. NEXUS STATION IN ITALY OFFERS LEASES OF SHORTWAVE TRANSMITTERS FOR CATHOLIC PACIFIC Mike, I was very interested in your article relayed by CumbreDX. Perhaps you heard of us here in Milano: we have been working since 1988 in the field, broadcasting with low power (10 kW) Shortwave into Europe. We are non profit, non denominational, with a free-access policy and our mission is to offer technical facilities ("media") to those in need to spread their message, by means of radio, and other electronic media such as the Internet. Our Charter says it all: http://www.nexus.org/NEXUS-IBA/General-Info/Charter.html We operate on a cost shared basis, where all our users share the operational costs and enjoy all services and consulting that each member offers through NEXUS-IBA. Building a new station may be unnecessarily expensive, why do not use existing services? As a matter of fact, we just signed a new venture that allows us to operate some existing transmitter facilities with power from 10 to 500 kW Shortwave & MW, with antennas that are able to reach Europe, Asia, Africa and the Pacific. We are just now modifying several high power transmitters with digital pulse code modulation (CCM), and enable them to operate with USB, -6 dB reduced carrier modulation. This type of modulation that we pioneered since 1988 is compatible with traditional AM receivers, and is able to provide from 50 to 100% additional "communication" power to existing transmitters, i.e. the efficiency of a 100 kW will be comparable to a 200 kW transmitter with 100 kW operating costs. We already linked these facilities with digital audio links that can be used to cheaply operate from anywhere in the world, and allow to be on the air at any time with basically no additional transport costs (i.e. no satellite or leased lines) Unfortunately I am not at liberty to discuss further details about this venture, but would in confidence provide more information if someone is seriously interested in using our relay facilities. I believe we can be quite competitive, and offer a cost-wise professional alternative to existing relays and especially to building a new shortwave station. 73, Alfredo Cotroneo President, Nexus-IBA Milan, Italy alfredo@nexus.org" http://www.nexus.org (Oct 21 Catholic Radio Update, Oct 19, via DXLD) See also USA: WRMI ** JAMAICA [and non]. Another obit for Dwight Whylie, from the Guardian and from a UK perspective. 73- Bill Westenhaver DWIGHT WHYLIE Norman Rae, Thursday October 17 2002, The Guardian The Jamaican broadcaster Dwight Whylie, who has died aged 66, was the BBC's first black radio announcer. He also worked in Canada, and at home, where he was general manager of the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC), and, at the time of his death, chairman of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union. Born in Kingston, the son of a pharmacist, Whylie was educated at Kingston College, a grammar school modelled on the British educational system, with a reputation for encouraging students to explore beyond the standard curriculum to literature, music and the arts. After graduating from the University of the West Indies, and a period of teaching, he moved into public relations, and radio and television production. He also built a reputation as an announcer-presenter at the JBC, created in the heady days before Jamaican independence, in 1962, as an independent institution influencing the island's intellectual development. Eventually, he moved to the JBC's commercial rival, Radio Jamaica and Rediffusion, where he became chief announcer, and reported on the birth of the new nation. In 1964, Whylie moved to Britain, initially as information officer at the Jamaican high commission, and, a year later, as the BBC's first Caribbean radio announcer, an appointment that attracted considerable press interest. Perhaps he set the image in which other West Indian media presenters have subsequently been cast: here was a well- mannered, well-read, well-educated Jamaican, speaking with dignity and intelligence - an image that still seems to startle an outside world brainwashed by the promotion of Rasta and Reggae Boyz. But his beloved Jamaica was never far from Whylie's mind, and, in the early 1970s, he returned to the JBC. By 1973, he was general manager, in a position to play his part in the building of a potentially great and independent institution, modelled on the BBC. Whylie, however, did not understand fully the conflicts between political dictate and independent, though government-funded, institutions in a small, emerging nation. By 1977, his appointment was abruptly ended and, with his reputation considerably enhanced, he moved to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Apart from his work, for more than a decade he was active in the affairs of the Caribbean community in Canada, for which he received a number of awards. When he eventually returned to Jamaica - by now regarded as the grand old man of Caribbean broadcasting - Whylie became a consultant in media training, working with UNESCO, the Caribbean Broadcasting Union, the Commonwealth secretariat and the University of the West Indies. In March last year, he served as chairman of the UNESCO media monitoring and refereeing panel for the Guyana general elections. He is survived by his second wife, Joan, and his daughter Laura. Dwight Emerson Gregory Whylie, journalist, born June 7 1936; died September 15 2002 Copyright Guardian Newspapers Limited (via Bill Westenhaver, DXLD) ** KOREA SOUTH. B-02 SCHEDULE: R. KOREA INTERNATIONAL Sked effective from 27 October 2002 Arabic 1700-1800 EU/ME/AF 7275 9870 15575 1900-2000 EU 6480 7550 Chinese (Mandarin) 1130-1230 China 6065 1300-1400 AS 1170 5975 6135 7275 2000-2100 AS 5975 2100-2200 China 6035 2300-2400 AS/seAS/EU 5975 72759755 English 0200-0300 NAM/Japan 9560sa 11810 15575 0800-0900 AS/EU 9570 13670 1130-1230 NAM 9650sa 1300-1400 AS 9570 13670 1600-1700 AS/ME/AF 5975 9515 9870 1900-2000 AS/EU 5975 7275 2100-2200 EU 15575 2200-2230 EU 3955sk French 0800-0900 EU 15210 1700-1800 ME/AF 9515 1800-1900 EU/ME/AF 7275 9870 2100-2200 EU 3955sk German 0700-0800 EU 15210 1600-1700 EU 7275 2000-2100 EU 3955sk Indonesian 1200-1300 AS 9570 13670 1400-1500 AS 9570 13670 2200-2300 EU/seAS 7275 9755 Japanese 0000-0100 Japan 11810 0800-0900 AS 5975 7275 1100-1200 AS 9570 1200-1300 AS 1170 5975 6135 1400-1500 AS 5975 7275 2300-2400 Japan 15575 Korean 0100-0200 NAM 15575 0300-0400 Japan 11810 0700-0800 EU 9535sk 0900-1000 EU 15210 0900-1100 AS/EU 5975 7275 9570 13670 1000-1100 AS 1170 1100-1130 NAM 9650sa 1200-1300 AS 7275 1600-1800 EU 7150 1700-1900 AS 5975 1800-2000 EU 15575 1900-2000 ME/AF 9870 2100-2300 AS 5975 Russian 0700-0800 EU 13670 1100-1200 AS 1170 5975 6135 7275 1600-1700 EU 15575 1800-1900 EU 7235 2000-2100 EU 7275 7550 Spanish 0100-0200 Japan 11810 1000-1100 SAM/EU 9580 11715sa 15210 2000-2100 EU 15575 sa = Sackville, Canada sk = Skelton, UK (Sked via Wolfgang Bueschel, retyped into text version by Alan Roe, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ?????? Nothing here about additional frequencies, tests, e.g. in Spanish at 1000 as in DXLD 2-151 item (gh, DXLD) ** KURDISTAN [non?]. I'm observing Clandestine Station on variable 4025 kHz in Kurdish and Arabic between fade in 1500 to 2100 with O=2-4 13.10.02: 4025.65 kHz 1828 UTC 15.10.02: 4025.17 kHz 1556-1951 UTC 16.10.02: 4024.80 kHz 1645 UTC 4025.60 kHz 1834 UTC 17.10.02: 4025.65 kHz 1959 UTC 18.10.02: 4024.80 kHz 1537-2100 UTC s/off Program is made professionally with correspondents` reports and musical bridges. I couldn't detect verification. Kurdistan was often mentioned. Change between Kurdish and Arabic ca. 1800 UT. Is it the reactivated Voice of the Patriotic Islamic Party of Kurdistan mentioned in BCDX 454, 403 and 399 and or a new station? 73 (Hartmut Engemann, location unknown, Oct 18, hard-core-dx via DXLD) ** KYRGYZSTAN. PRESIDENT SEES RADIO BROADCASTS AS 'INFORMATION TERROR.' RFE/RL's coverage of an increasingly tense political scene in Kyrgyzstan has clearly irritated President Askar Akaev in Kyrgyzstan. Indeed, in late July, Akaev labeled these broadcasts a "threat to the state," and foreign-financed "information terror" according to the AKIpress website. After Akaev's comments, according to opposition political activists, RFE/RL's signal has become more difficult to receive in Kyrgyzstan, "Eurasia Insight" reported on 16 October. Catherine Cosman, editor, RFE/RL Media Matters Oct 18 via DXLD) Like, jamming, or propagation, or??? ** LAOS [non]. ADDRESS AND TENTATIVE STATION ID FOR ULMD By Nick Grace, CRW Washington Bureau Thanks for Dave Kernick, Interval Signals Archive [Oct 18] The cloud of mystery surrounding the radio program reported as "United Lao Movement for Democracy" (ULMD) is finally clearing. The broadcasts, CRW can report, are indeed sponsored by ULMD. Multiple sources have also independently confirmed to CRW that the programs are recorded in Hmong, a minority dialect in Southeast Asia. A spokesman for ULMD reached by telephone refused comment but did confirm that the group is producing the radio programs. Armed with an online Hmong-English dictionary, we have translated an address announced during a broadcast featured on the Interval Signals Archive. P.O. Box 2426, St. Paul, MN 55106 USA The station ID, spelled phonetically, is "Xotvooj cua Tsa kom cua Ngem ah cua." Although we are unsure of two words in the station ID, "Xotvooj cua" translates to "Radio." A tentative translation of the station ID is "Radio Hmong Hope." Radio Hmong Hope/ULMD broadcasts between 0100 and 0200 GMT Fridays on 17540 kHz. Its frequency will likely change to 12070 kHz, according to Wolfgang Bueschel, during the B-02 Winter season. Developing... (Nick Grace C., Oct 18, Clandestine Radio Watch special via DXLD) ** MALAYSIA. New addition is Voice of Malaysia website: http://www.rtm.net.my/vom/utama.htm (Prime Time Shortwave Oct 19 via DXLD) ** MEXICO. President Vicente Fox reduced the amount of time television and radio stations must dedicate to the government. In a decision announced October 10, Fox's government said television and radio stations no longer have to donate at least three hours a day to the government so that it can present "material recorded by the executive branch". The amount of time was reduced to 18 minutes for television and 35 minutes for radio but must be aired between the peak hours of 6 a.m. and midnight. Before the longer hours of government air time were broadcast during late-night hours when few viewers or listeners tuned in, a Fox spokesman said Friday night. Radio and television stations also agreed to dedicate another 30 minutes each day during peak hours to other government entities, he said. The resolution also states that the government will not have to pay for the 18 minutes of daily television time or 35 minutes of daily radio time but that it will be charged full price for any additional air time, the spokesman said. Senators from Fox's National Action Party criticized the president's decision, with Javier Corral saying it was contrary to national interest. Fox said the decision was part of his campaign for a more democratic, open Mexico. He lobbied for passage of Mexico's new freedom of information law, and has made the government funded news agency Notimex more independent (AP via SCDX MediaScan Oct 16 via DXLD) ** MOZAMBIQUE. 4925: I guess Mozambique operates here. On 7 Oct, Indonesia signed off at 1500, but even after that, weak broadcast of another station continued. Language sounded like Spanish or Portuguese, and that astonished me very much, because the time did not fit for American opening. After consulting with ILGRadio database, I became convinced that Portuguese might come from Mozambique, Africa. Signal totally disappeared by 1600 (Vladimir Doroshenko, Dneprodzerzhinsk, Ukraine, Signal Oct 18 via DXLD) ** MYANMAR. 5985.85, R. Myanmar, 1329-1345+ Oct 17 with IS of exotic Burmese music, then chimes to 1330 (Top of Hour in Myanmar). YL followed with talk in presumed Burmese, possibly news. Excellent signal today, perhaps "best ever". MYANMAR. 5040.6, R. Myanmar Minority Service presumed per others` logs, 1322-1329+ Oct 17 with lite vocal music, announcer in lang. Good at tune-in and soon began fadeout, while 5985.85 continued at good level to almost 1400 UT (8 AM here). (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Drake R-8, 100-foot random wire, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS. Alfa Lima International on 15070 and somewhere between 6310 and 6200 tonight ALI will be on air (as almost always) on 15070 kHz AM and between 6200 and 6310 AM Transmission into the 48 mb will be carried out with only 50 watts and on 15070 with 300 Soon both frequency's will be used with 300 watts but until that time the lower one with lower power. Plans to start up around 2200 or 2230 UT this Saturday and continue till 0700 UT on Sunday. Maybe even a bit longer. Fairly said that we are broadcasting this way every week but due some heavy tech problems it was not sure if we did continue this way, but after sponsoring our selves again big time we can run our shows again Also we do have brand new full colour and great design QSL Cards and info sheets as well new design T-shirts in stock with full colour printing. Examples are to see on our webpage (see below). If you like to get our little QSL pack send a correct reception report to our mail drop (as well below) and enclose 1 USD or if you don't have US Dollars your local currency (money), Just enough to cover reply. Just a quick note for publishers, Al the information that is available on our webpage is free for publishing, There is also an zip file link below with a brand new pack with photo's and info concerning our station. Hope props are good. Greetings from Alfred ALI ____________________________________ Download Info's and new photos in high resolution http://www.alfalima.net/foto-paket.zip Huge webpage related to short-wave http://www.alfalima.net Take a look at our SW-online shopping center. http://www.alfalima.net/store.htm _____________________________________ And are you already a member? SW pirates group!!! Receive the latest SW-Pirates info. Simply subscribe by sending a blanc email to: SWpirates-subscribe@egroups.com More info at: http://www.egroups.com/group/SWpirates _____________________________________ Contact information Alfa Lima International, P O Box 663, 7900AR Hoogeveen, Netherlands Enclose 1 US$ email: alinter@rendo.dekooi.nl web: http://www.alfalima.net _____________________________________ Other sites of us are http://www.usaoldtimers.tk http://www.dxing.tk (Alfa Lima International, Oct 19, hard-core-dx via DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. KOKC, 1490, Guthrie, a long-silent station, bought from Fox Broadcasting for $150,000 by Jimmy Swaggart`s Baton Rouge LA organization. This is one of the outcomes of his paying less attention to FM translators and buying regular FM and AM Stations (Oct FMedia! via DXLD) KOKC AM 1490 SOLD TO SWAGGART'S CHURCH KOKC AM 1490 Guthrie has been sold to Family Worship Center Church based out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Frances Swaggart is secretary/ treasurer of this church, according to the application. Since about July, the station has been carrying religious programming from Jimmy Swaggart's SonLife Radio Network http://www.jsm.org The new owners have requested new call letters KFAS replacing the current calls which have been in place since at least 1955. The seller is Fox Broadcasting of Norman, which owns sports/talker KREF AM 1400 (OKCRadio.com/News Oct 13 via DXLD) ** PARAGUAY. Amigos! Hoy comenzó el Trans Chaco Rally que culmina el domingo próximo. Las radios que transmiten este evento usan las bandas utilitarias para "retorno" a los "móviles" que se encuentran en el Chaco y también como enlace de estas a los estudios centrales. Por tanto un "ojo" en las frecuencias desde alrededor de 5 MHz hasta aprox. los 15 MHz SSB. Básicamente es R. Primero de Marzo 780 kHz, Radio Cardinal 730, R. Uno 650 kHz y La "970" que transmiten el rally. 73 de (Levi P. Iversen, Paraguay, Oct 18, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. 5290, Krasnoyarsk. Interesting behavior noted: the period between the start of signal decrease (~2330) and complete fade-out lasts approximately 3 hours. All other stations from Asia disappear from the dial more rapidly: for 1.5 or 2 hours. Probably it's because Krasnoyarsk lies farther to the North? (Vladimir Doroshenko, Dneprodzerzhinsk, Ukraine, Signal Oct 18 via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. Re: DXLD 2-161, R. Rossii schedule may be incorrect: The Russians have a tendency of shifting around their frequencies wildly between the summer and winter seasons. Hence, comparing the summer season on air transmissions with transmissions planned for the winter is a rather useless exercise. The 16 mb R Rossii channel usually shifts between 17600 in the winter and 17660 in the summer, so there's a good chance that the published winter schedule is indeed correct (Olle Alm, Sweden, Oct 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA [and non]. Re gh`s previous comments: A note re the soft sign in Russian. I had a look into the 2002 edition of Encyclopaædia Britannica regarding Arkhangelsk vs. Arkhangel`sk, and it only shows the former model, without the soft sign. Using the soft sign is some kind of scientific transcription, while the normal practice in general texts obviously is to omit the soft sign. We have much the same problem with some other languages, a.o. Arabic, which in scientific transcription has various diacritics added, while these are always omitted in general texts. An extreme example is Vietnamese, where for instance the "o" exists in a dozen or so diacritic variations, which you will not normally see in non-Vietnamese texts. (In fact Vietnamese has so many characters that you will need two character sets to be able to write everything. The main set contains all variations of small letters plus the those variations of capital vowels that appear in normal texts. The secondary set contains all capitals of vowels with all diacritic variations (for headlines and similar uses)). 73s (Olle Alm, Sweden, Oct 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SLOVAKIA. B-02 SCHEDULE: SLOVAKIA - R. SLOVAKIA INTERNATIONAL Sked effective 27 October to 30 March 2003 English 0100-0130 AM 5930 7230 9440 0700-0730 AU 13715 15460 17550 1730-1800 EU 5915 6055 7345 1930-2000 EU 5915 6055 7345 French 0200-0230 AM 5930 7230 9440 1800-1830 EU 5915 6055 7345 2030-2100 EU 5915 6055 7345 German 0800-0830 EU 5915 6055 7345 1430-1500 EU 6055 7345 9450 1700-1730 EU 5915 6055 7345 1900-1930 EU 5915 6055 7345 Russian 1400-1430 eEU/AS 9440 11990 13715 1600-1630 eEU/AS 5915 9535 11990 1830-1900 eEU/AS 5915 6055 9485 Slovak 0130-0200 AM 5930 7230 9440 0730-0800 AU 13715 15460 17550 1630-1700 EU 5915 6055 7345 2000-2030 EU 5915 6055 7345 (Sked via Andreas Volk-D, ADDX, via Wolfgang Bueschel, DXLD) Re illegality of 7230 in NAm hamband at 0100-0230; didn`t they actually use 6190 or vicinity last season? Why not 7345? Occupied by Prague during at least part of that sesquihour (gh, DXLD) ** SRI LANKA. Re: E-mail address needed for SLBC: Government owned, with six separate services broadcasting nationwide. Tel: (94)(1) 69-6329 Fax: (94)(1) 69-5488 Email: slbcweb@sri.lanka.net I found this e-mail, in http://www.tvradioworld.com/region2/sri/ don't know if it works....good luck John ! (Dario Monferini, Italy, Oct 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SRI LANKA. I tried SLBC Colombo (Ekala) on their new 19 mb frequency on 15745 kHz. No hope to hear ALL ASIA SERVICE here. WEWN is a real nuisance, nothing can be done. What a bad choice by SLBC. I was monitoring their other frequency 9770 kHz. Most of the afternoon hours dominating station was DW with their Balkan language programmes. DW closed down 1430. After that SLBC offered enjoyable reception (S9 +5) with evergreens like "Volare". Even my wife Tuire liked the music! Bandwidth was 5.5 kHz on my AOR 7030 Plus-receiver. This is the best way to promote the hobby of DX-ing! (from Turku! Jouko Huuskonen, FINLAND, Oct 18, hard-core-dx via DXLD) ** SWEDEN. Re harmonic on 37920: Excellent, many thanks for this, Glenn, it's definitely never been reported before, not even on other lists that I monitor. I must say the MUF in the UK for this time of year is currently very disappointing. Here`s hoping for better things 73's (Tim Bucknall, UK, harmonics yahoogroup via DXLD) ** SWEDEN. RADIO SWEDEN -- Coming up on Radio Sweden: Thursday: "HeartBeat" looks at the Nobel Prize in Medicine and the treatment of spinal injuries Friday: Our weekly review Saturday: "Spectrum" takes us to a performance of the Skånska Dance Theater from Southern Sweden at the House of Dance in Stockholm, and the International Theater and Dance Festival in the West Coast city of Gothenburg Sunday: Paolo guests "Sounds Nordic" We've just switched e-mail systems here, and after some problems, the new addresses for receiving our new shortwave schedule by e-mail seem to be working (but not always, please bear with us). (SCDX MediaScan Oct 16, but not posted until Oct 18, via DXLD) ** SWITZERLAND [and non]. WITH THE SCOUTS: JOTA THIS WEEKEND This weekend, the 19th and 20th of October, is the scouts Jamboree on the Air, or JOTA. Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, tells us what its all about: - The Jamboree on the Air is an annual event. Every October a half a million Scouts and Scout Guides all over the world take to the airwaves to make contact with each other by means of Amateur Radio. The World Scout Bureau owns and operates its own Amateur Radio station. The the call sign H-B-9-S and it operates from a permanent radio room located in its offices in Geneva Switzerland. The station normally operates during Scout Nets and other major scouting events like the Jamboree On The Air. This year, the station is active on 160 through 10 meters in a number of languages. Here in the United States, the big JOTA gathering takes place at Camp Wisdom near Dallas, Texas. The call sign to listen for from there is K2BSA slash 5. Other stations expected to take part include GB2GP in London England and JA1YSS from Tokyo Japan. If you are hearing this newscast before or during this years Jamboree on the Air, get on the air and show your support of the worlds youth and of scouting by making contact with a J-O-T-A station. Who knows, it could evenb be HB9S. For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennent, K6PZW, in Los Angeles. -- Again, this weekend, the 19th and 20th of October, is the 2002 Scouting Jamboree on the Air. And if you are hearing this newscast later in the week we hope you had time to contact a Jamboree station (ARNewsline, Q-News, GB2RS via Amateur Radio Newsline Oct 18 via DXLD) ** SYRIA [non]. CLANDESTINE IDENTIFIES ITSELF AS THE ARABIC RADIO The Syrian clandestine radio has identified itself as: The Arabic Radio [Ar: Al-Idha'ah al-Arabiyyah]. The radio has a web site with the following URL: http://www.arabicsyradio.org Listeners can access the radio's weekly broadcasts from Sunday to Saturday via its web site. The Arabic radio shows the following motto: Syria Arab Free Nation The radio broadcasts daily as follows: From 0430 to 0500 gmt on 9950 kHz From 1500 to 1530 gmt on 12085 From 1600 to 1630 gmt on 12115 The Arabic Radio broadcasts material condemning the Syrian government and its human rights record. It has relayed inter alia reports on human rights abuses in Syria and an article by a Syrian expert living in Switzerland on the blunders and abuses by the Syrian intelligence. It has also used material from the web site of the Syrian Human Committee [SHRC]. The radio recalls daily the massacre of Hama, a Syrian town, where many people were killed and broadcasts pan-Arab and other patriotic as well as old Egyptian songs. Some of these songs used to be broadcast during the union between Syria and Egypt from 1958 to 1961. Slogans such as the following are broadcast regularly: Syria will be Arab and free, not dependent and not Ba'thist. Source: BBC Monitoring research 18 Oct 02 (via BBCM via DXLD) OK, someone please look up where the website be based. As I recall, BBCM has never accepted nor confirmed the ID we were getting reported from everywhere else, Sawt al-Watan. Opens with presumed anthem in MIDI. Dramatic opening announcement does include the phrase ``watan al arabiya``. Schedule has been updated correctly as above, and also shows UT+2 times, but backwards, e.g. 0430-0500 UT matches with 07.00- 06.30. Seems to me right-to-left readers should have it 00.70-03.60 -- - but I gather Hebrew, Arabic numbers etc. read from left to right within a right-to-left text, requiring the eye to jump back and forth! How inconvenient, as if in left-to-right languages we had to read numbers right-to-left (gh, DXLD) ** SYRIA [non]. CLANDESTINE - ?? to SYRIA -12085 Sout-al-Watan (presumed) *1500-1530* with usual opening music, brief announcement at 1502, then into Qur`an. Back to popular vocal music at 1510, talks at 1515, etc. Fair w/no // frequencies noted (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Drake R-8, 100-foot random wire, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** U S A. BROKERING PEACE AT KPFK --- A retreat seeks common ground between new general manager Eva Georgia and those who say she's undemocratic. By Steve Carney, Special to The Times, October 18 2002 Radio by collective -- with listeners and volunteers joining staff in programming and management decisions -- may seem a ludicrous notion in this era of corporate, consultant-driven radio, with playlists tighter than 'N Sync's choreography. But it's seen as a birthright at KPFK-FM (90.7), the Los Angeles outlet of the left-leaning Pacifica radio network. So staff unrest nearly percolated into mutiny only four months into Eva Georgia's tenure as general manager when a large contingent of employees and volunteers at the community-supported station were calling for her removal, or at least criticizing her for running a non-democratic workplace. Georgia, on the other hand, said that after years of upheaval at the station, any organization might be interpreted as authoritarianism... http://www.calendarlive.com/templates/misc/printstory.jsp?slug=cl%2Det%2Dcarney18oct18 (LA Times via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U S A. THE MOUTH OF MISOGYNY Who needs Howard Stern when L.A. has its own Tom Leykis? By Bob Baker, Times Staff Writer, October 18 2002 Is he really saying that? You don't usually get congratulated on Tom Leykis' syndicated radio show unless you're, say, a caller describing the way you talked your unexpectedly pregnant girlfriend into having an abortion -- and then dumped her. Or unless you're a woman with a lascivious tale to share, like the law clerk who boasts about tripling her pay by engaging in masochistic sex with the partner of another firm. But on this Thursday, in the first seconds of his afternoon program, Leykis sounds so delighted he can scarcely wait for the heavy-metal bumper music to fade. Praise be, he tells us in a stern, husky voice, for the Washington state Supreme Court, which hours before overturned the conviction of two men who secretly took pictures up women's skirts in shopping malls... http://www.calendarlive.com/templates/misc/printstory.jsp?slug=cl%2Det%2Dbaker18oct18 (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U S A. A NATION STUCK ON ONE STATION? On his new release, Tom Petty laments the demise of the autonomous DJ. But radio executives say they're actually more in sync with listeners now. By Geoff Boucher, Times Staff Writer, October 19 2002 There goes the last DJ Who plays what he wants to play And says what he wants to say, hey hey hey And there goes your freedom of choice There goes the last human voice -- "The Last DJ," Tom Petty... http://www.calendarlive.com/templates/misc/printstory.jsp?slug=cl%2Det%2Dboucher19oct19 (via Mike Cooper and Artie Bigley, DXLD) ** U S A. Has the erosion in AM listening stopped? For the first time in over two sesquidecades, the AM share of audience has apparently stabilized, going from 18.7 in 2000y to 18.9 in 2002y, while the FM share deceased 1.2 percentage points. This from Julian Breen, a media researcher. While slight, this could be a trend that might bear watching. The best AM markets are San Francisco (helped by terrain that can make FM reception difficult), Chicago (with market leader WGN 720), and Boston (WBZ 1030 is a major player). The poorest market for AM in the top 10 is Washington DC, which lacks many strong-signal stations, as opposed to a dial full of maximum coverage FMs (Oct FMedia! via DXLD) ** U S A. WKDN, Camden NJ, *106.9 still with RDS, but this is a biggie! First you see the WKDN call letters for 10 seconds, then CAMDEN for 3 seconds, PHILA for 3 seconds, then -FAMILY for 3 seconds, then Radio- for 3 seconds. Then it repeats over and over! The Conrad display shows it constantly changing as does the PC software. Very cool! Their Radio Text also repeats over and over with two different lines, and it is very fast! They even have a huge list of alternative frequencies: 89.5, 88.7, 90.3, 101.7, 89.3, 97.7, 105.9, 88.9, 97.3, 92.3, 94.7, 107.9. Seeing WKDN`s RDS was truly a religious experience! (B.N., who is Jewish, Oct FMedia! via DXLD) ** U S A. Miami / Ft Lauderdale is deluged with FM pirates --- I mean, all over the dial. I counted 18 pirates operating at the same time throughout FM. Some people would love to hear these stations (Terry Krueger in FL has a web page on `micro` stations), but not me... Many of these pirates play nasty rap music (uncensored). We have one on 104.1 that must run 6 kW or so. The FCC has been motionless in recent months as far as tracking these crooks down. The 104.1 pirate is quite novel: it`s a Black Republican station, with frequent sermons from `Mike the Black Man` telling us how the Democrats have been slave- drivers and such; I don`t totally disagree either... Oh, the station is called ``WBOS`` ``Boss` radio (C.D., Oct FMedia! Via DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. Lots of pirate activity on 6925, 6950, 6955 as we approach Halloween. 73s (Ben Loveless, WB9FJO, Michigan, Oct 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. HAPPY HALLI-WEEN SPECIAL EVENT Even if you can not check in, reception reports will be honored! There will be a howling ghould time on Wednesday October 30Th from 6:00-9:00 PM EST, (2300-0200 UTC). This will be the W9WZE Special Event for the year, do not miss it! It is the Happy Halli-Ween magical mist that comes together to form a colorful and novel certificate suitable for framing. Or just hanging around the neck of one of those skeletons in your closet. This was drawn by Brian Hill and is the copyrighted property of HCI. The frequency will be 14.315 MHz usb. No +/- for teeth chattering, joints knocking or headless horsemen asking for directions. If you are courageous enough to harness a howling werewolf and feed him a juicy Halli-Burger or jab a diet challenged vampire in the rump with a syringe filled with blood plasma and V/8 juice or snatch a Bat with fangs sharper than a wood splinter on a wooden casket out of the air barehanded as it swoops by slurping up mosquitoes laden with West Nile virus - than you are indeed truly brave or simply incredibly stupid! But you will howl with delight as pumpkins fed with Viagra explode on their vines like overly ripe tomatoes splattering their slimy seeds all over passing cars as you fling them from the cover of a tombstone. You will groan with glee as unsuspecting children step on your pressure sensitive decorative Halloween doormat and then wet themselves as a Milk Dud curdling scream emanates from the goblins skull that drops down from the porch roof and lights up with a yellowish orange glow that comes straight from the bowels of Hell itself. Well, maybe it is actually from that local AM station playing Acid Rock from the seventies! You will squeal with pure joy as scurrying Rats with yellow teeth needing a lot of dental work leap into the air and rip the bottom out of unsuspecting children's sacks of candy spilling goodies all over the grass. Not to worry, those battery powered rodents won't eat the candy, but those bloodshot wide eyed teenagers who may have smoked some pot, rather than replaced one in a radio chassis, are a definite risk factor worthy of stepping into one of those little booby trap pits you filled with the slimy guts you scraped out of the pumpkins you carved with the chain saw. What fun! What fermentation! What fascinating fantasy from those things that still go glow in the dark. Be there and get your customized Happy Halli-Ween certificate, W9WZE QSL card and autographed magic brochure from me, the world's only totally blind professional Magician/Illusionist. The cost is two dollars to cover postage, printing and a special envelope that the post office hopefully won't turn into hamster cage lining material. If you can include a ready to use return address label, it will be greatly appreciated. No age restrictions apply. Hallicrafters and Halloween are indeed, timeless. I hope that many of you check in with your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, borrowed neighborhood youngsters or whomever. Hear you then! (Duane Fischer, W8DBF, NCS: Hallicrafters Collectors International, netcontrol@w9wze.org Oct 18, swl via DXLD) ** U S A. SENATE DELAYS WEBCASTER BILL By Jim Hu Staff Writer, CNET News.com October 18, 2002, 8:47 AM PT The legislation would permit a more favorable payment scheme for small companies to broadcast music over the Internet. The delay couldn't come at a worse time.... http://news.com.com/2100-1023-962556.html (via Fred Waterer, DXLD) viz.: SENATE PUTS WEBCASTING BILL ON HOLD By John Borland and Jim Hu Staff Writers, CNET News.com October 18, 2002, 10:21 AM PT update: A last-minute procedural twist Thursday night stalled a Senate bill aimed at softening the blow of new online music fees for struggling small Webcasters. Small Webcasters, many of which have said they will shut down rather than start paying new royalty fees that come due this weekend, had pressed for the passage of the bill as a last-ditch effort to stay in business. Negotiations earlier this month had won the support of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for the measure. However, a last-minute hold anonymously placed on the bill by a single senator prevented the Senate from voting on the issue before adjourning Thursday night. Sources close to the issue say the senator was Jesse Helms, R-N.C., acting in part on concerns expressed by traditional broadcasters. "Jesse Helms killed Internet radio," said Michael Roe, manager of RadioIO.com, and one of the leading figures in the group of Webcasters who had helped negotiate the bill. "Pending some private deal (between the RIAA and Webcasters) materializing between now and Sunday, RadioIO will go dark." The bill still can be taken up in November after the Senate reconvenes, providing some measure of hope to Webcasters. However, as the law stands today, all Internet radio companies will be required beginning Sunday to pay royalty fees amounting to about one-fourteenth of a cent per song streamed to each individual person. The fees are retroactive to 1998, which means that huge bills will be presented to some popular stations. The record industry trade association had argued consistently that the rate, set by the Copyright Office and the Librarian of Congress, was too low. However, the group had agreed in the course of the bill's negotiations to let small businesses pay between 8 percent and 12 percent of revenue instead of the flat fee. The RIAA said it was disappointed that the bill had not been taken up as expected. "We hope that the Senate will work this out quickly," said RIAA Chief Executive Officer Hilary Rosen. "All parties who support this legislation should contact their senators to urge passage of this bill." An RIAA spokeswoman declined to comment on whether the group was willing to discuss any "private deal" that would let small Webcasters avoid the Oct. 20 deadline without legislation. According to a spokesman for Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., negotiations in the Senate over the last week had succeeded in winning most members' support. The bill was expected to pass on Thursday without significant opposition, so the last-minute hold--apparently by Helms-- came as a surprise. Capitol Hill sources said Helms was concerned by the objections of traditional broadcasters, most of which would not be covered by the bill's provisions. Over-the-air radio stations are seeking a court ruling that would exempt them from the new royalty fees when they play their programming on the Internet. However, both the U.S. Copyright Office and the courts have said that broadcasters must pay the fees. A representative for Helms could not immediately be reached for comment (via Fred Waterer, DXLD) WEBCASTERS GET EXTENSION ON COPYRIGHT PAYMENTS By ANICK JESDANUN, The Associated Press, 10/18/02 7:34 PM NEW YORK (AP) -- Smaller Internet music broadcasters are getting an extension on copyright royalty payments that would have been due Sunday, which means they can avoid shutting down. The webcasters will still have to pay up to $2,500 each in fees by Monday. But that is far less than the tens of thousands of dollars that many of them would have owed. The extension, granted by the recording industry and performance artists Friday, came a day after the Senate recessed for the elections without approving copyright rate revisions negotiated between webcasters and the copyright holders. The changes, unanimously approved by the House earlier this month, would have significantly reduced payment obligations for smaller webcasters, who complained that the higher rates could have put them out of business. "From the beginning, we have wanted to work with webcasters, and this temporary payment policy is another example of our commitment to the webcasting industry," said John L. Simson, executive director of SoundExchange, the organization collecting payments on behalf of the music industry and the artists. Only webcasters that would have qualified for reduced payments under the webcasting bill will be eligible for the extension. Simson's statement, issued late Friday, said the extension will be in effect until Congress could act on the bill. The statement does not say what would happen if Congress never passes the bill, or if the president does not sign it, although the statement refers to "this Congress" -- which adjourns at year's end. A message left with Simson after business hours was not immediately returned. Traditional radio broadcasters have been exempt from paying royalties to recording labels and performance artists on the grounds that the broadcasts had promotional value. In 1998, Congress passed a copyright law requiring such royalties from webcasters. An arbitration panel proposed rates of $1.40 per song heard by 1,000 listeners, and the U.S. Copyright Office halved them in June and set the Sunday deadline for payments. Under the settlement awaiting legislative approval, smaller webcasters could calculate payments based on how much they earn or spend. For a small webcaster like Ultimate-80s, that meant owing $7,700 instead of $24,000. Even the reduced rates are too high for some. Internet Radio Hawaii briefly went offline, although it has come back after listeners donated more than $2,000. Hundreds of other stations had previously shut down (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U S A. Oct 19 as usual, WJIE 7490 a minute or two after 0500 went silent. Forgot I had left the radio on, as the signal is strong enough now for full quieting. After an hour of open carrier, promptly at 0600 ID, and into WJIE This Week, identical program I quoted from some weeks ago still running, and after 0615 some preacher. Recheck around 1345 found open carrier again. Perhaps turning the transmitter on and off is too much trouble, or too risky, so they leave it running burning up 50(?) kW even when they have no programming. I can think of something they could play during those hours (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. B-02 SCHEDULE: WSHB EFFECTIVE 27 OCTOBER - 30 MARCH 2003 All broadcasts are one hour Languages are shown in order Monday to Sunday M T W T F S S Transmitter 1: 0000 9430 eNAM/Car : C S E F E E E 0100 9430 cNAM : C E E E E E E 0200 9430 NAM : C S F P R G E 0300 7535 Russ/eEU : C R R R R R R 0400 7535 Russ/eEU. : R R R R G R R 0500 7535 eEU : C R R R R R R 0600 7535 w,cAF : C F E F E E F 0700 7535 wAF : F E F E F F F 0800 7535 EU : R P R P F E E 0900 7535 EU : R E S E S G G 1000 6095 eNAM/Car : E F E E F F S 1100 6095 eNAM/Car : F E F S E E E 1200 6095 eNAM/Car : E F E E F F F 1300 9430 cNAM : E E E E S E E 1800 15665 eEU : G R G R G R C 1900 15665 eEU : R E R E R G C 2000 11650 wEU : P S P F S P S 2100 11650 wEU : E G E P G E C 2200 7510 wEU : S F S E F S C 2300 7510 sEU/wAF : F S E P S F C Transmitter 2: 0000 15285 C+SAM : C S E S E S S 0100 15285 C+SAM : C S P S P S P 0200 7535 Mexico : C S S E S S S 0300 5850 Russia : C R R R R R R 0400 12020 e,cAF : C E F E F E F 0500 12020 sAF : C E E E E E E 0800 9845 NZ : C E E E F E E 0900 9455 SAM : P P P P G P P 1000 9455 SAM : S P S P S P E 1100 9455 C+SAM : C S S S S S S 1200 9455 C+SAM : S G S G S E S 1300 9455 Mexico : S E S S E S S 1600 18910 eAF : F P F P F E P 1700 18910 cAF : P E F E F E F 1800 18910 sAF : P P E P P P C 1900 18910 sAF : E E E E E E C 2000 15665 AF : E F E F E F C 2100 15665 w,cAF : F F F F E F F 2200 15285 Brazil : S P E P P P C 2300 15285 SAM : S S S S S S C Far East Relay: 1000 11780 n China : C E R E E E E 1200 9880 Indonesia: C E E E E E E 1300 7460 India : C E E E E E E C = Church Service (in English?) E = English F = French G = German P = Portuguese R = Russian S = Spanish (C. Ed Evans, WSHB, via Dr. Hansjoerg Biener, via Wolfgang Bueschel, retyped into text version by Alan Roe, DXLD) ** U S A. WRMI MIAMI WILLING TO WORK WITH CATHOLIC BROADCASTERS FOR THE PACIFIC Dear Mike: Greetings from Miami. I have often seen excerpts from your "Catholic Radio Update" on Glenn Hauser's DX bulletins, and have always enjoyed them. Yesterday I saw the item where you talk about the lack of Catholic shortwave radio for the Pacific region, and mentioned our station WRMI, among others, as possible solutions. I agree with your assessment about the lack of Catholic radio in the Pacific, and I think you're right that the only thing that makes economic and technical sense is shortwave for the coverage of such a widespread region as Oceania. (Incidentally, my wife and I also visited Radio Veritas in the Philippines a few years ago and spent the better part of a day with the director, and we were very impressed with their operation and the way they cover Asia, especially since they are the only Catholic shortwave station to cover that part of the world.) You rightly note that WRMI is not the best shortwave station in the world for coverage of Oceania. However, we have made some interesting observations over the past eight years since we first went on the air. For example, we have consistently received rather good reports from listeners in Australia and New Zealand for our transmissions in the early morning hours (Miami time) -- this would be around 1000-1300 UT and possibly earlier as well -- on our Latin American beam on 9955 kHz. This is evening prime time in Oceania, and if Australia and New Zealand can hear it, then certainly much of the Pacific should be able to hear it as well. (The programming we have broadcast at that time has generally been in Spanish; I'm sure we would receive a lot more response from the Pacific if it were in English.) I also noted myself quite good reception of WRMI on 9955 kHz when I was in Hawaii, and we have had other similar listener reports from there as well. The other thing is that our "North American" antenna, which is currently at an azimuth of 317 degrees (towards Vancouver) is a rotatable log periodic-style yagi, and we have authorization from the FCC to change that azimuth to 284 degrees if we want. Looking at a great circle map centered on Miami, I note that 284 degrees goes right through northern Mexico and then almost straight over the Pacific toward Hawaii. And the azimuth could theoretically even be moved further south if desired (say to around 260 degrees, which would be toward Fiji, or 245 degrees toward Tahiti), although this would require an additional application to the FCC and payment of around $2500 or whatever they charge now for those sorts of things. But the beam width on that antenna is sufficiently wide that the 284-degree beam might cover those southern areas well enough anyway. In any case, my point is that if you receive any positive response to your article, we would certainly be willing to work with you (or whoever) on a project to reach the Pacific (not to mention the Caribbean and Latin America), whether it would involve buying part of all of the station, or simply buying airtime at a special rate. There are four of us who own WRMI, and my three partners are Catholic. (I am Methodist, but my wife is Catholic.) We have often broadcast 15-minute tapes in Spanish from Vatican Radio to fill gaps in programming over the years, and Padre Javier San Martín at Vatican Radio's Latin American service is very familiar with us. I wish you the best of luck in your very laudable pursuit, and if there is ever anything we might be able to do for you, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me. Best regards. Jeff White, General Manager WRMI Radio Miami International 175 Fontainebleau Blvd., Suite 1N4 Miami, Florida 33172 USA Tel +1-305-559-9764 Fax +1-305-559-8186 E-mail: radiomiami9@cs.com http://www.wrmi.net (Oct 21 Catholic Radio Update, Oct 19, via DXLD) see also ITALY non, CUBA non ** U S A. BTW, Glenn. I'm sure by now it has been reported to you, that WOR's IBOC encoder "blew up", and they are back to just their analog signal. Regards, (Brock Whaley, Atlanta, Oct 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) And sent this, headline missing: Story location: http://www.wired.com/news/mp3/0,1285,55757,00.html 02:00 AM Oct. 18, 2002 PDT The noise big radio conglomerates are making about digital radio is likely to drown out community radio stations -- dashing small broadcasters' hopes that the new technology would boost their signal. Last week, the Federal Communications Commission endorsed digital broadcast technology for radio stations. Immediately, iBiquity, the company that makes the in-band on-channel (IBOC) system, began working with stations in the largest U.S. markets, outfitting them with transmitters that will allow them to broadcast digitally before the end of the year. The move was hailed as a great success by the National Association of Broadcasters; however, it has likely left low-power radio stations and small niche programs out in the cold. "If the system had been designed with the public interest in mind, it would have been made with more channel space," said Pete Tridish, a media activist with the low-power radio group Prometheus Radio Project. "Instead, we have another business that supports the status quo." Low-power radio stations are small, 100-watt stations that sit in between the major channels on the radio dial. They have a range of 3 to 7 miles, but never more than that. The bill that allowed the stations' creation also relegated their existence to a very limited part of the dial. That's because, the NAB claimed, the signals could bleed into subchannels that are used for public broadcasts and require a special receiver. Those subchannels -- which are made up of unused portions of radio spectrum -- are used to transmit information to pagers, or by community services such as broadcasts of people reading the newspaper for the benefit of the blind. President Clinton signed the bill in 2000, exiling low-power radio to small, rural areas. But two years later, the NAB endorsed the FCC's decision to give the largest stations the ability to broadcast 500-watt channels alongside those very subchannels that low-power stations were told were protected. "The NAB said our hundred-watt stations would destroy radio as we know it," said Tridish. "I would love it if they applied the same standards to IBOC (as) to low-power stations. They said that any interference caused by low-power radio would destroy radio, but now they have something that they want -- they have 500-watt data systems -- it's not a big deal anymore." The IBOC technology works by wrapping the new digital signals around the old analog signals, like gift wrap around a Christmas present. Stations will soon broadcast both digital and analog signals. That combination allows people with digital radio to receive crisper sound while also receiving backup analog signals to prevent the signal from dropping out. It also lets people with analog radios -- which is nearly everyone right now -- continue to listen. The ruling disappointed advocates who hoped digital radio -- like digital television -- would provide space for more programming since a digital signal carries five times as much information as its analog counterpart. Television networks with digital capabilities broadcasting with analog pictures such as HBO can show more than five channels at one time. The IBOC technology allows a station to broadcast at a higher sound quality, but doesn't allow that station to have multiple shows airing at the same time. "The other option would have been a technology that increased the number of audio feeds that a station could put out," said Cheryl Leanza, deputy director of Media Access Project, a nonprofit public interest law firm. "That has been interesting to noncommercial radio, because they can't serve the community and they would like another audio stream." But business models come first. The radio industry believes that before it can fully experiment with digital radio, there should be known revenue streams. "Most parties interested in digital radio at this time believe that the initial consumer interests will be in data associated with audio programming, such as scrolling information that ties directly to the music or talk audio," said Jeff Jury, iBiquity senior vice president. Data delivery may prove a more successful justification for IBOC than better sound quality. The digital signals will make FM radio CD-quality, said Frank Karkota, who runs ComPol, a business that makes receivers that allow listeners to hear subchannels. But stations already have the ability to do that. The sound quality of records actually exceeds that of CDs because the digital compression used when CDs are recorded causes some sounds to be removed, said Karkota. "People don't realize that if you record a piece of music, the amount of data produced by the artist's singing would probably fill up a CD," said Karkota. "So (engineers) take that recording and they run it through a computer. Note by note that computer takes out a lot of the echo, or reverberation." In other words, digital radio won't even live up to its promise of better sound. It's just a tool to create new business, while keeping smaller competition out of the way. Digital radio, Karkota said, is destined to fail because no amount of technology can change most stations' tired playlists (via Brock Whaley, DXLD) ** U S A. COMPRESSING SHOWS FOR COMMERCIALS MAY NOT BE AGAINST LAW By KATHY CARLSON, Staff Writer Trying to wring seconds from network shows to free up time for local commercials — as one Nashville television station is accused of doing — may not be against the law. But questions about whether WSMV-Channel 4 is doing this has put Nashville in the middle of a national industry issue. ''I don't see why it would violate federal law,'' said Dan Brenner, senior vice president for law and regulatory policy with the National Cable and Telecommunications Association. The Federal Communications Commission doesn't set rules on how much time commercials can take up, except with children's programming. Using so-called compression technology, however, might run afoul of contracts that require a network affiliate to run programming without altering it, Brenner said. Earlier this week, Nashville's City Paper reported that WSMV, an NBC affiliate, was altering network programming to add commercials through use of a device called a time machine. Such devices remove about 3% of the video frames being broadcast, squeezing out more time for commercials. One device's creator has said the machine cuts frames ''imperceptibly.'' The City Paper reported yesterday that NBC was investigating WSMV's practices. WSMV Station Manager Steve Ramsey yesterday declined to comment on the reports, citing company policy. He said he hadn't talked with anyone at NBC, nor to his knowledge had anyone else at WSMV or its parent company, Meredith Corp. of Des Moines, Iowa. Debbie Turner, general manager of CBS affiliate WTVF-Channel 5, said her station does not use any compression technology. A spokesman for Nashville's ABC affiliate, WKRN-Channel 2, was not available yesterday. Compression technology isn't uncommon in the broadcast world, which like other industries has felt pressure to pump up profits. The American Association of Advertising Agencies, in a January 2002 position paper, criticized the technology's use. The group cited a Wall Street Journal article that indicated 120 compression machines had been sold in the United States, representing 10% of the nation's television stations. Pittsburgh television station KDKA used a compression device during a Steelers football game last year to add commercials worth thousands of dollars, The Associated Press reported then. At the time, the station's marketing director said the machine was programmed incorrectly. The National Football League requires networks to carry games live, and league officials contacted CBS when they learned of the delay of some seconds. The league didn't penalize the network after it corrected the problem. The machine, called the Digital Time Machine, was created by Bill Hendershot, president and founder of Prime Image Inc. of San Jose, Calif. The machine edits in real time, Hendershot told The Associated Press last year. ''We remove chunks of time imperceptibly.'' The machine's list price was $90,000, Hendershot said, suggesting it could pay for itself in three or four days in larger markets. In Nashville, it costs from $200 to $5,000 to place a 30-second commercial with one of Nashville's three major network affiliates, said Charla Fogle, vice president/media director with the Nashville advertising agency Bohan. Fogle said she's concerned by reports that WSMV might be compressing shows. Adding a 30-second commercial to an hour of programming raises the level of what Fogel called ''clutter,'' a series of commercials that increases the likelihood viewers will simply tune them out. Brenner of the cable association doesn't consider adding commercials through compression to be a major problem. ''It's not like we're seeing a 55-minute drama any more,'' he said. If, for example, a station cuts the sitcom Just Shoot Me by 25 seconds, he said, ''I don't enjoy the show less.''(Tennessean via Charles Gossett, Jr., TN, DXLD) ** U S A. TV ANTENNA WOULD TOWER OVER NYC BROADCASTERS ARE UNDER PRESSURE TO QUICKLY REPLACE SPIRE ATOP WTC By Martha T. Moore, USA TODAY NEW YORK -- As the debate over what to build on the World Trade Center site continues to unfold, a structure even taller than the twin towers is already being planned: a 2,000-foot television antenna. Even in a city of superlatives like this one, size counts. The tower, which would replace the antenna lost when the Trade Center collapsed, would inescapably be part of the New York City skyline. All that's needed is a place to put it.... http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20021018/4547253s.htm (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U S A. The local NPR outlet seems to think I'm some kind of knowledgeable radio expert or something |g|; in any case, this piece aired today and probably won't tell anyone here anything they don't already know...but you can at least hear a few nifty bits of WBBF circa 1961 (which I think came to me from Russ Horton, unless I'm mistaken): http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wxxi/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=407325 (The audio is in .wma format and runs about 8 minutes...) Enjoy! -s (Scott Fybush, NY, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** U S A. I'm hearing what is apparently a brand new weather radio station in Black River Falls, WI, on 162.50 MHz. I can find no mention of this station on any list I can find on the internet. The call letters I'm hearing are WNG-564. It's a little difficult to understand the computer voice but I'm pretty sure that is what they are saying (Daniel Sampson, Arcadia, WI, Oct 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VIETNAM. Language: see RUSSIA ** YEMEN. 9779.63, Rep. of Yemen R., 1840-1859 Oct 19, Talk by Male with lively instrumental music. 1842 Woman with mention of Rep. of Yemen R. and English service. Into Dance Pop song, then Barbra Streisand and Celine Dion(?) song, followed by another song. 1854 M with unreadable announcement. 1856 Arabic instrumental music. 1858 English s/off announcements by W "...English program from San'a. We hope you have enjoyed it. If you...San'a R., English Service, P.O. Box 2371, San'a, Republic of Yemen...(Web site)...1700 hours San'a local time...English Service of the Republic of Yemen R. from San'a signing off". Then 1 minute instrumental NA, and into Arabic service. Good signal but difficult to copy for some reason. 73's (Dave Valko, PA, Cumbre DX via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. Hello Glenn, A few loggings from Friday night. 2604 kHz, Arabic music heard from 2156 UT tune in (Oct 18). Announced as test broadcast then off at 2201. SINPO 44344. Announcer was Male with American accent (Wade Smith, New Brunswick, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 27105 AM, 10/17/2002, 0118+. An extremely faint, but clear signal. Continual music without announcements. It sounded like the transmitter was switched off between songs. Music selection on this reception sounded classic country and western. Does anyone have any ideas on the station? This station is on almost every night. Very poor (Joe Wood, Gray TN, Free Radio Weekly via DXLD) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ PROPAGATION +++++++++++ Solar activity has been mostly low except for an M2 class flare on Oct 14 and M1 on Oct 15. The geomagnetic field remained slightly disturbed with brief minor storm levels at high latitudes around Oct 13. MUFs were generally enhanced at most latitudes except for isolated depressed conditions at mid-high latitudes. Geomagnetic conditions should remain quiet until Oct 22, with disturbed conditions forecast again after Oct 27. Propagation conditions should remain similar. Prepared by Richard Jary using data from http://www.ips.gov.au (Cumbre DX Oct 19 via DXLD) ###