DX LISTENING DIGEST 2-195, December 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 1160: WWCR: Thu 2130 9475, Sat 0700, Sun 0330 5070, 0730 3210, Wed 1030 9475 RFPI: Fri 1930, Sat 0130, 0730, 1330, 1800, Sun 0000, 0600, 1200, 1830, Mon 0030, 0630, 1230, Tue 1900, Wed 0100, 0700, 1300 on 7445 and/or 15039 WBCQ: Mon 0545 7415 WJIE: M-F 1300, daily 0400; Sun 0630, Mon 0700, Tue 0630 on 7490 ONDEMAND http://www.wrn.org/ondemand/worldofradio.html [from Fri] [High] (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1160h.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1160h.ram [Low] (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1160.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1160.ram (Summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1160.html [from Thu] MUNDO RADIAL, nueva emisión para diciembre/enero, a partir del 13 de diciembre en WWCR, 9475, los viernes a las 2215v, miércoles 2200. Y: (Corriente) http://www.worldofradio.com/mr0212.ram (Bajable) http://www.worldofradio.com/mr0212.rm (Guión) http://www.worldofradio.com/mr0212.html [desde jueves] ** ARGENTINA. SIDEBAND --- What! I can hear you saying! How come SSB is ``allowed`` for SWBC articles? These days you can hear the programmes of a number of domestic stations from this country, relayed over an SSB transmitter. This is presumed to be near the capital city of Buenos Aires and is probably a military station being utilised to carry the various domestic MW stations to farther points in the nation. One suggestion has been that this is the General Pacheco Radio, but I`m not sure. In any event, it is possible to log (and QSL) several stations on such frequencies as 29810, 20276, 15820, 9115, 4588 kHz and others. Broadcasts are erratic, but if you keep checking you are likely to pick up a sideband transmission (usually LSB, but I`ve heard both sidebands simultaneously on rare occasions, with a different station on each!) Here in Ontario, reception seems to be best in the evenings, after say 2300 UT. The most frequently heard station is R. Continental 590 AM which often carries sports commentaries. Others include R. Rivadavia 620, and Radio Diez 710, the latter styling itself as ``the most powerful Radio in the country``! (altho its listed power on the broadcast band is 10 kW!) [As consultant David Gleason frequently points out on the NRC list, it`s actually 100 kW, directional, necessary just to cover Gran B.A. on 710 versus all the manmade noise ---gh]. Programming on these stations is varied, with music, sports, news, and phone-in shows. All the above have QSLed to yours truly at various times with nice cards. They are located in B.A. and reports can be sent to the addresses given in WRTH. It has been suggested in the past that this type of relay is used to send programmes to the Argentine Antarctic community; however, they have their own broadcast facility, R. Nacional Arcángel. A good time to listen might be when there are political moves afoot, such as a speech by the President, which I heard this year. Be aware that from time to time an unidentified station may be aired (one such example was Radio Planeta in May 2001, possibly an FM music station). So you see, here is a pathway to new experiences, a change from tuning the external service RAE. Good listening! (Tom Williamson, Station Profile, Dec ODXA Listening In, retyped by gh for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ARGENTINA. RAE`s Actualidad DX ``un programa de Gabriel Iván Barrera``, confirmed around 2315-2325 UT Tue Dec 10: 15345 clear of QRM but very heavy flutter made copy difficult. The sound of the flutter overrode the modulation. I was able to tell the announcer was talking about SW stations, frequencies and schedules. \\ 11710 also seemed to be there, but under heavy QRM; 6060 not audible in splash of something. Switching 15345 to USB helped a little. Good thing it`s not any closer to R. Martí Delano blaster on 15330, which at times cross- modulated, overloading the receiver. Separate Suplemento is Fri at same time; both also in morns at 1220 on 15345 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRIA. 21590 0900-1130 BBC Arabic via Moosbrunn site (NWDXC Dec 8, BC-DX via DXLD) Let`s see, is this the first time BBC have used Moosbrunn site? Hard to keep track (gh, DXLD) ** BELARUS`. The bubble carrier on 7106v is modulated with Minsk FS \\ 7210. They have had frequency generator problems in the past, so now we are there again. As I reported already last evening, the wobbler on 7106 was the Minsk-Kalodzishchy transmitter with a technical problem (Olle Alm, Sweden, BC-DX Dec 8 via DXLD) Viz.: Heavy Bubble JAMMING from an unknown site observed Dec 8 at 2000 UT onwards on v7105 kHz (Wolfgang Bueschel, ibid.) ** BOLIVIA. 4716.91, Radio Yura seemingly back with much reduced strength noted *0958 to 1021 GMT Dec 11. Transmitter problems? Has been AWOL for ten days or more (Bob Wilkner, FL, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. 4930. RADIO SAN MIGUEL. Riberalta, Bolivia. 2320-2345 Dic. 6. EX - 4925v ??? Música salsa. Luego un mensaje de Navidad y varios anuncios con campañas en contra de la violencia familiar, Defensoria del Pueblo. ``...4925 khz onda corta, San Miguel; formar e informar es nuestra meta...Red ERBOL, revolución en la radio de Bolivia...`` Luego de las 2330 el programa La Voz de mi Comunidad. La señal era muy estable en los 4930, tanto así que me fue posible escuchar la señal de Rádio Difusora de Tabauté en 4925 (Rafael Rodríguez, Colombia, Conexión Digital via WORLD OF RADIO 1160, DXLD) See also HONDURAS, another 4930 ** CANADA. RCI in French at 1705 Dec 11 on 2nd harmonic 43130. This was quite weak and fading, while fundamental 21565 was very good (Ron Trotto, IL, WORLD OF RADIO 1160, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Radio IDs in Canada Hi Glenn, I did some surfing and found a document pertaining to all radio stations EXCEPT broadcasting stations. A PDF is attached to this e-mail. I haven't yet found anything pertaining to broadcast IDs. Radio stations in Montreal rarely use their legal ID. Radio Ville-Marie is CIRA 91.3 Q92 is CFQR 92.5 Radio Énergie is CKMF 94.3 Mix 96 is CJFM 95.9 CHOM Ninety-seven-seven is CHOM 97.7 (they drop the decimal point in the ID) COOL-FM is CKOO 98.5 Radio Classique is CJPX 99.5 FM Rythme FM is CFGL 105.7 CITE Rock Détente is CITE 107.3 There are exceptions: - News-talk stations CJAD 800 and CKAC 730 use their call signs in their monickers - All-news stations CINW 940 and CINF 690 use their official call signs right before the top and bottom of the hour - CKOI 96.9 uses its official calls as its name - Most community stations use their official call signs as their name In Montreal, the CBC (Radio One) provides complete station IDs for Montreal and Quebec City (together) at about 4:57 a.m., after the national anthem. This info contains call letters, frequency, studio addresses, transmitting antenna location and transmitting power. That is followed by a list of all the AM and FM repeating stations in the province. I've only heard a full station ID for Radio Two only once before -- and I was half asleep at the time. During hours of national programming, CBC Montreal gets its own IDs (This is/You're listening to CBC Radio One, 88.5, Montreal; CBC Radio Two, 93.5, Montreal). Radio One outside Montreal is identified as the Quebec Community Network, almost never with a specific location and frequency. Radio Two Sherbrooke and Quebec City get a combined ID, which sometimes gets cut off by the computer because it's too long! (CBC Radio Two, 89.7 Sherbrooke and 96.1 Quebec City). CBC also uses what I like to call "super-regional" identification in the Eastern provinces: "This is CBC Radio One in the Maritimes." I've heard this on weekends and after the "super-regional" weather following the 10 p.m. news, weeknights on CBA Moncton. Cheers, (Ricky Leong, QC, Dec 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Had an e-mail back from the CBC today confirming that I was hearing Regina's Z-99 over CBKF1 yesterday. Apparently CBKF1 picks up the program feed over the air from the Regina FM transmitter. The CBC was working on that transmitter and with no signal, the receiver at Gravelbourg locked onto the next strong signal up the dial, which turned out to be Z-99. It wouldn't surprise me if the CBC techs in Regina had totally forgotten about 690. This situation existed until sometime this morning, so if anyone was hearing some unexpected pop music on 690, that could be why. 73, (Nigel Pimblett, Medicine Hat, Alberta, Dec 9, IRCA via DXLD) Ha! When will stations learn not to use scanning/searching/seeking receivers for relay purposes??!! Same problem KXMS Joplin had several times with input to their webcast, now defunct (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. 4000.08, 0957-, R. Nei Menggu, Dec 9. Female heard in Mandarin language with long talks. S2 signal level. Presumed ID at toh but not really sure as Male announcer heard at that time with lower modulation (Bob Montgomery, DX-pedition to French Creek State Park, PA, NRD535d, long wire, Cumbre DX via DXLD) toh = top of hour ** CHINA. CHINA'S JAMMING OF U.S. INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING From http://www.bbg.gov/_bbg_news.cfm?articleID=50&mode=general Washington, D.C., December 09, 2002-- The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) is the independent federal agency that oversees all U.S. nonmilitary international broadcasting, including the Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA). Our mission, quite simply, is to "promote and sustain freedom and democracy by broadcasting accurate and objective news and information about the United States and the world." In China, however, we face a serious problem in fulfilling that mandate because Beijing is working hard to prevent the news we report from getting through to the Chinese people. Even as China is actively trying to expand its role in the global marketplace, it is isolating its people, cutting off the free flow of information and denying citizens reliable and credible news from the United States, among other places. The BBG, which monitors jamming with the assistance of the Federal Communications Commission, knows that virtually all of VOA's and RFA's shortwave radio transmissions directed to China in that country's languages are jammed. VOA broadcasts in Cantonese, Mandarin and Tibetan. RFA broadcasts in Cantonese, Mandarin, Tibetan and Uyghur. Unfortunately, jamming seems to be on the rise, despite increased commercial and diplomatic contacts between the United States and China. In Lhasa, Tibet 's capital city, for example, it is impossible to receive a good signal for VOA Tibetan, even though the service is on three or five frequencies, depending on the time of day. As has been widely reported, the Chinese government also is determined to censor the fast-growing internet by blocking sites, including those of VOA http://www.voanews.com and RFA http://www.rfa.org Researchers at Harvard Law School recently concluded China has the world's most censored internet, with the government blocking up to 19,000 websites. Additionally, email subscription services are blocked. The BBG - along with, we hope, all Americans -- is concerned about the Chinese government's actions for a number of reasons. First, it's a human rights issue: Everyone is entitled to factual, uncensored information. Second, the Chinese people know woefully little about the United States - and that's not good. Surveys show a disturbing 68 percent of urban dwellers in China consider the United States their country's number one enemy. By controlling outside media, the Chinese government has manipulated the news and stopped the United States from telling its side of the story. As a result, some 1.2 billion people are ill- informed about our people, our culture, our democracy, our freedoms and our government policies. Not only are the Chinese government's actions wrong - they're unfair. While China jams VOA and RFA, the United States allows China's government television, CCTV, on many cable systems across the country. China Radio International, China's government radio, broadcasts unjammed on shortwave and on a number of affiliated AM and FM radio stations in the United States. Of course, as a country that support a free exchange of views and ideas, we wouldn't have it any other way. At the same time, the U.S. government has granted more than 40 journalists from China's state-run media permission to live and work in the United States without restriction. The same cannot be said about China where American journalists work under more stringent restrictions. Moreover, the Chinese have refused to increase from two the number of correspondents working for U.S. international broadcasting in China. So what can be done? At a minimum, the issue needs to be brought to the forefront of the public agenda. Top administration officials already have promised to raise the issue with the Chinese through diplomatic channels and other discussions so we're hopeful that there might be some movement on that front. The BBG also has filed complaints of "harmful interference" with the International Telecommunications Union monthly since August 2000, claiming Chinese jamming violates radio regulations. China first acknowledged receipt of the complaints in July 2002, and again in August 2002. Failure to acknowledge complaints is itself a violation of radio regulations. China insists, implausibly, that what we hear as jamming is merely an accidental overlap of broadcasts on the country's highly congested airwaves. The BBG believes these responses are duplicitous at best. Chinese officials have not responded positively to a U.S. request to discuss frequency management. To overcome jamming, the BBG generally broadcasts on different frequencies to reach a broad geographic region. U.S. international broadcasting spends about $9.5 million annually to transmit about 100,000 hours of RFA and VOA programming to China. Costs could be slashed about 25 percent if China ceased jamming. China spends a comparable amount to counter U.S. transmissions. Finally, both VOA and RFA continue to research and experiment with proxy servers and mirror internet sites to circumvent the bamboo curtain. But the bottom line is this: the United States, now engaged in a global war on terrorism, cannot afford to have 18 percent of the world's population misinformed about our country. We need a concerted strategy involving Congress and the Executive branch to grapple with this problem - and to stop the jamming. For more information, contact: Joan Mower (202.260.0167 or 202.401.3736), jmower@ibb.gov or go to http://www.bbg.gov (via Mike Terry, Artie Bigley, DXLD) ** CHINA [non]. Re jammer but no Falun Dafa on 5925, DXLD 2-194: FDWR via Sitkunai [LITHUANIA] has been on 6035 from 2100 since the beginning of B02. I do not know what the Chinese are jamming on 5925 at the same time. 6035 is also being jammed (Olle Alm, Sweden, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COLOMBIA. 1613.1, RADIO IDEAL. Umbita. 0020-0100 Dic. 7. Música popular, anuncios de Bicicletría Bernalli y Restaurante Los Paisas. ``Escuche todos los sábados a partir de las 7 de la noche por Radio Ideal el mano a mano musical, una cortesía de Bicicletría Bernalli de Umbita...`` Nueva emisora sin licencia operando desde Umbita en el departamento de Boyacá; no es transmitiendo en la banda ampliada sino deficiencias del transmisor ya que mencionan como frecuencia nominal los 1600 kHz; mencionan QTH en Calle 16A No. 3-58 Umbita, Boyacá. 6960, ONDAS DEL ORTEGUAZA. Florencia. 1125-1140 Dic. 7. Armónico (6 x 1160). Música popular ``...en la internacional Ondas del Orteguaza su compañera inseparable...`` Anuncios de Depósito de drogas HyB, bicicletería el Rey. ``...Ondas del Orteguaza de Todelar, la estación amiga de los caqueteños...`` (Rafael Rodríguez, Colombia, Conexión Digital via WORLD OF RADIO 1160, DXLD) ** COLOMBIA. Hi Glenn, You'll appreciate this. Washington Times story mentions Voz de tu Conciencia in Colombia, and actually gives the frequency: 6010. (OK, it doesn't mention that it's variable.) http://www.washtimes.com/world/20021210-85797464.htm (Kim Elliott, DC, Dec 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: IN COLOMBIA, A MISSION FOR PEACE By Steve Salisbury, THE WASHINGTON TIMES VILLA DE LA PAZ, Colombia --- With prospects for peace in Colombia as remote as at any time during the nation's 38-year-old civil war, hope is being kept alive by a most unusual mediator — an American missionary who has known the Marxist rebels since they kidnapped him almost two decades ago. Russell Martin Stendal, 47, a Protestant missionary from Minneapolis, had been working in Colombia as a rancher and operating a two-Cessna flying service for about eight years when he was taken captive by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in August 1983. He was released five months later, making him more fortunate than some of the 120 Americans who have been kidnapped in Colombia, mostly by guerrillas. In 1999, FARC rebels kidnapped and killed three American activists who were building a school for an Indian tribe. The FARC later called the slayings a "misunderstanding." Instead of fleeing Colombia, Mr. Stendal, his Colombian wife, Marina, and their four children continue to live in the country. They spend much of their time at a countryside home on the edge of the grounds of the defunct Lomalinda Translation Center, near Puerto Lleras in Meta province. Despite a State Department warning that the FARC extorts from, kidnaps and kills U.S. citizens in Colombia, Mr. Stendal and his younger brother, "Chaddy," have acted as an informal "back channel" and sometimes as mediators in Meta among the FARC, the vigilante United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), local communities and the Colombian army. The brothers do this as part of their efforts to evangelize all the warring parties. "Divine providence put us in the situations where we have had trajectories for many years with both sides that has led to the trust that there is now," Mr. Stendal said. In 1964, the year the FARC was founded, the Stendal family moved from Minnesota to Colombia. Russell Stendal was 8. His father, Chad Stendal Sr., a civil engineer, was among the founders of the Lomalinda Translation Center of the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) in Meta. SIL was set up by Wycliffe Bible Translators to translate the New Testament into Colombia's Indian languages. According to Russell Stendal, the Lomalinda center grew to have nearly 100 households and 300 volunteers — mostly Americans. But in the mid-1970s, SIL became the target of unsubstantiated rumors that it was a U.S. government entity, and in 1981, one of its members, Chester Bitterman, was kidnapped and killed by guerrillas of the now- disarmed and legalized April 19 Movement. Another American missionary was kidnapped by the FARC in the mid-1990s, and SIL's Lomalinda center closed about a year later, Russell Stendal said. "It is astonishing we are all still alive," his father said. "Of the 23 closest personal friends of Chaddy, 20 were killed and three fled the country." Russell Stendal and his brother bought five small houses at Lomalinda, and there Russell Stendal started his first radio station in Colombia, Marfil Stereo at 88.8 FM. That was nearly four years ago. Eighty percent of the station's broadcast content is secular, and 20 percent religious, Russell Stendal said. He later added Radio Alcaraván, 1530 AM , and a short-wave station, the Voice of Your Conscience at 6010 on the 49-meter band, which can be heard in the evening in North America and Europe. These two stations are primarily religious. "Our programming isn't typical Christian programming. It is not trying to get people into our church and not into somebody else's church," Russell Stendal said. "We are trying to bring people into a personal relationship with God, no matter to what group they belong," said his mother, Patricia Stendal. "We produce programs that have solid values, and that deal with attitude and a change of heart, of being tolerant of other people's views and ideas," Russell Stendal said. Mr. Stendal's broadcasting career grew out of his writing his first book, "Rescue the Captors," which he began while a captive of the FARC. The Stendal family said it paid $55,000 for Russell Stendal's freedom, down from the $500,000 ransom demand. The Stendals say they also "donated" a year later more than 80 percent of Chad Stendal Sr.'s 74,000-acre cattle ranch in Meta to landless Indians and peasants — an action that gained the family good will from the guerrillas. Russell Stendal's story reached President Reagan, and he was invited to the White House. Mr. Reagan's director for domestic drug abuse policy met with him and opened doors for Mr. Stendal to make an anti- drug documentary and a two-year speaking tour of American high schools and colleges. In the 1980s and early '90s, the late Rev. Rafael García Herreros, a Colombian priest and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, enlisted Russell Stendal in joint Protestant-Catholic outreach efforts toward outlawed groups. Mr. Stendal tells of driving Father García to secret meetings with the late Medellín cocaine cartel leader Pablo Escobar, where the priest persuaded Escobar to surrender. Except for rustling Stendal cattle in the past two decades, the FARC and the AUC have not bothered the family, Russell Stendal said. That's "because they see we are not political," said Chad Stendal Sr., who lives with his wife in Bogota. "And they also see that we physically help a lot of people, no matter who they are. We have helped a lot of wounded while they were dying." Last month, Villa de la Paz, a community of about 600 people nearly 50 miles south of Lomalinda in an area dominated by the FARC, held a "Forum for Peace." Villager Hilberto Sáenz says the Stendal brothers agreed to help organize it. Residents complained of a deteriorating situation. Some accused the AUC and soldiers of collaborating in a campaign of killings against FARC sympathizers in nearby towns, and they feared it would reach Villa de la Paz. "We cannot deny that there are guerrillas here," said the village treasurer, a 58-year-old man who asked not to be named. "But we are not guerrillas. So, we would like the government to allow the food, medicine and things necessary to live to enter town." Some observers question the need for such a lightly inhabited area, where coca is heavily cultivated, to receive frequent, large deliveries of gasoline, which can be used to extract unrefined cocaine. One villager said the gasoline tankers also smuggle out the coca alkaloid in liquid form. Villa de la Paz was founded in 1986 by peasants and coca growers, under the watch of the FARC — Colombia's largest guerrilla group, with an estimated 14,000 to 17,000 troops — and this has put its residents in the FARC-AUC-and-army cross fire. In May, say villagers, laundress Luz Dari Caiceido was killed by government helicopter gunfire on the edge of Puerto Toledo, 18 miles south of Villa de la Paz. Three guerrillas were said to be on the outskirts, but "bullets were hitting the town," said Edilma Marín, who was working at Puerto Toledo's communal pharmacy that day and says she saw Miss Caiceido's bullet-riddled body. Mrs. Marín said the victim was a destitute single mother who left five young children and a tar-paper shack. Perhaps 5,000 people came to Villa de la Paz during the Nov. 23 peace forum, including truckloads of unarmed FARC guerrillas in civilian clothes. It was a hot, sunny day just north of the equator. About 400 people packed a tin-roofed village hall, and hundreds more filled the nearby streets. The smell of veal roasting on spits filled the air. The hall's pink concrete walls were adorned with anti-government and anti-Plan Colombia banners. Speaker after speaker denounced abuses by the army and the vigilantes, but not by the guerrillas. After one old man criticized the United States as the greatest human rights violator in history, a village leader close to the FARC took the microphone to reply. "The United States has two classes," he said, "the exploiters and the exploited. We have Americans with us here, and we honor them." Russell Stendal, who was introduced as one of "the exploited," then took the mike. "Someone told me, 'If our enemies are fearsome, then we are going to be more evil,'" he said. "Instead of being a contest of who can be the worst, why not see who can do the most good?" His listeners applauded when Russell Stendal mentioned his belief that the FARC's 43rd Front, which controls the area, didn't have a policy of kidnapping during the past five years — unlike the FARC in general. After the forum, people crowded around the American's red Chevy Suburban, where assistants passed out some of the 7,000 religious books and Bibles given away that day. Marxism is atheist, but many of the FARC's rank and file were raised as Catholics or Protestants. Nacho, 27, an officer of the FARC's 43rd Front, received Russell Stendal and others just outside Villa de la Paz two hours after the peace forum. He sat with the visitors in plastic chairs under a thatched roof near a small wooden house. Trucks occasionally roared by, raising dust from an adjacent dirt road. Accompanied by about 10 armed guerrillas in camouflage fatigues, Nacho said the idea of a regional peace forum was something to be considered. Three years of virtually fruitless national peace talks between the FARC and the previous Colombian president, Andrés Pastrana, collapsed 10 months ago. But Nacho, who said he is a 10-year FARC veteran, dismissed Russell Stendal's idea that each warring group give up 150 rifles to be melted into a peace monument. "We need the rifles," he replied, laughing. His coppery face frowned in evident disagreement when Hámilton Castro, president of the private Pro-Colombia Foundation, said: "Sincerely, if the FARC commits terrorist acts, then it is terrorist. If the state commits terrorist acts, then it is terrorist." Nacho responded that it is a time of war, and that the FARC has a right to act against its enemies, through means such as bombings and executions. "We are not terrorists," he said. "We are fighting for the people." He said it would be hard to renew peace negotiations as long as the FARC was designated as "terrorist" and U.S. extradition orders were pending against its leaders. Getting into the driver's seat of a green sport utility vehicle, Nacho smiled and shook hands, saying he enjoyed the visit. Mr. Stendal handed him a camouflage-covered Bible. The next day, Russell Stendal's team left Villa de la Paz. At an army checkpoint en route to Puerto Lleras, a soldier snatched a small peace pennant affixed to Mr. Stendal's side mirror. When Mr. Stendal complained, a sergeant ordered the soldier to give it back. Later, among the riverside ruins of Puerto Lleras, a soldier named Alex searched Mr. Stendal in a routine security check and recognized his ID card. Alex pulled out a well-worn copy of Mr. Stendal's book — "The Beatitudes, God's Plan for Battle" — and asked him to autograph it (Washington Times (Moony), Dec 10 via Kim Elliott, DXLD) ** CONGO DR. 11690, 0155-0200, R. Okapi, Dec 9. Very weak audio heard but is that of African music at tune in. Fades above and below noise floor. ID is presumed. S1 signal level. Did not hear an ID at toh (Bob Montgomery, DX-pedition to French Creek State Park, PA, NRD535d, long wire, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** COSTA RICA. RFPI`s new QSLs have finally arrived after a year or more, and priority is being given to verifying reports and/or follow- ups. 15040 is now 24 hours, and 7445 runs from 2100 to 1200 or 1300. [I am rarely awake before 1300, but I hear something else there, contrary to current HFCC which shows only: 7445 1500 2200 29,38,47,48,52 SRP 250 159 1234567 271002 300303 D RUS VOR GFC 2254 7445 0000 0800 1-4,6-11 CRI 60 30 1234567 271002 300303 D English CTR RPI RPI 20025 R. Peace The last comprehensive schedules we had from TAIWAN admitted they don`t participate in HFCC! So allowance must be made for that. Checking DXLD 2-186, we see TAIWAN on 7445 as follows: 1100-1200 English to SEAs 1200-1300 Indonesian 1300-1500 Variety Network 2 (Chinese) 1500-1600 Thai 2200-2400 Thai So from 1100, RFPI may as well not be on there, unfortunately. Tho aimed at SE Asia, Taiwan signals are quite strong here with a favorable nighttime propagation path. I left 7445 on this afternoon (not a time I usually listen to it), and RFPI faded in around 2200, no QRM. But a few minutes before 2300, pretty heavy co-channel developed, presumably Taiwan. Maybe RFPI has better luck further east (or maybe not) ---gh] Still working on resuming high-speed internet access, streaming; could take one to four weeks more, to work out details, but it *will* happen (James Latham, RFPI Mailbag heard Dec 10 at 1930 on 15039, with co- host Kevin Moore, musician; see his site http://www.chromakey.com --- notes by gh for DX LISTENING DIGEST) Whence: DEAD AIR FOR "RADIO FOR PEACE INTERNATIONAL"? Added on 10-27-2002 Kevin is currently volunteering full time at a shortwave station called "Radio for Peace International", just outside of Ciudad Colón, Costa Rica. RFPI is located on the campus of the United Nations University for Peace. Currently the University is trying to evict the station from its land. For more information, you can listen to this report by Freespeech Radio News, broadcast last Wednesday (October 22nd, 2002). Below is the text that introduces the FSRN report. "Last week, the University for Peace, a United Nations project located in Costa Rica, cut off Radio For Peace International's high speed internet connection and disconnected phone lines, ceasing the station's ability to broadcast programs like Democracy Now!, Free Speech Radio News, and Counterspin. Radio For Peace International, the only shortwave radio station dedicated to promoting peace, has also lost its web casting capabilities. The station has been receiving increased hostility from the University, and received an official eviction notice in July. Pauline Bartolone reports." (via gh, DXLD) See site for link to FSRN audio; gist: So-called Universidad para la Paz, which originally welcomed RFPI onto its grounds in 1987, thanks to its then president Rodrigo Carazo, is now under different administration, and has become increasingly hostile to RFPI; an eviction notice was served in July. James Latham says no explicit reason has been given, but suspects it`s because of connexions Maurice Strong has with large corporations, while RFPI broadcasts reports on the anti-globalist movement. The latest in two years of harassment by the university administration. Strong serves as president of the university council, on the board of World Economic Forum, numerous corporations, special advisor to president of World Bank. UPaz Dean Edmundo Ericsson says relations with RFPI have not been close for some time; RFPI and the university are going their separate ways, tho he wishes them well. Latham says university has recently held gatherings of School of the Americas alumni, and is now guarded by armed men in a country without an army. The university`s actions against RFPI amount to attempting censorship (gh`s summary of Freespeech Radio News piece, for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. 5009.76, 1030-, R. Cristal Internacional, Dec 9. Station signed on with NA then to general announcements and ID at 1030 by male announcer in Spanish. Then right to music at 1032 (Bob Montgomery, DX-pedition to French Creek State Park, PA, NRD535d, long wire, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** EL SALVADOR. 17835.3, RADIO IMPERIAL, Sonsonate. 2225-2350 Dic. 7. Gracias a la información de Glenn Hauser en Radio Enlace, intenté y logré la escucha de esta emisora salvadoreña transmitiendo música de alabanza en diferentes ritmos (salsa, norteña, balada) conducción por una locutora enviando saludos a oyentes en Santa Helena y mencionando número telfónico 4593337. ``...para El Salvador y el mundo entero, Radio Imperial...`` Mencionan Sonsonate y propaganda para una ferreteria. ``... Radio Imperial, 810 AM con la palabra de Dios...`` (Rafael Rodríguez, Bogotá, Colombia, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** GERMANY. 6005, 0748-, DeutschlandRadio, Dec 10. ID by female announcer at 0800 in German. Was playing some very nice music before toh. Some progressive and pop music. Excellent selections and great sound quality. S6 signal level with slight fades and QRM till after toh (Bob Montgomery, DX-pedition to French Creek State Park, PA, NRD535d, long wire, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** GERMANY. As usual with SW stations, except for BBC, it`s difficult to get any advance info on holiday special programming, so a look at what DW did last year (gh): An Xmas special aired on Dec 24 in English from 0900 onward, and on 25th through the 0600 English release. One version aired Dec 24 at 09, 11, 16 and 19 UT; the second edition Dec 24 at 20, 21, 23 and 25th hourly from 01 to 06, including the North American releases at 01, 03 and 05. Also, DW aired a New Year`s special on Dec 31 and Jan 1 using the same approach described above. DW`s 24-hour German language service has always programmed a wide variety of Holiday music on Xmas Eve, Xmas Day [Boxing Day too –gh], New Year`s Eve and New Year`s Day. With one of the most powerful signals in North America, you should have no trouble locating them on the dial (John Figliozzi, Easy Listening, Dec NASWA Journal via DXLD) One doesn`t need to know German to appreciate good music! (Richard Cuff, ed., ibid.) ** GUAM. KTWR took quite a hit from a typhoon over the past weekend. All transmitters are off the air presently, and the five curtain antennae are a wreck. We hope to have a couple of them back and running (at lowered power) by week's end, but the others are severely damaged enough that new parts will need to be shipped in. This info from Bill Damick, TWR (Bob Padula, Dec 10, EDXP via WORLD OF RADIO 1160, DXLD) How ungrateful of a god to do that to them / let that happen. Could TWR theology be all wrong? Even this won`t convince them (gh, DXLD) From: The Business Journal http://triangle.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2002/12/09/daily23.html 15:49 EST Tuesday TYPHOON TEMPORARILY SHUTS DOWN TRANS WORLD RADIO'S GUAM OPERATION KTWR, the shortwave operation of Cary-based [North Carolina] Christian broadcasting network Trans World Radio, is currently off the air due to damage in Guam caused by Typhoon Pongsona. The typhoon hit Guam -- an unincorporated U.S. territory about 1,800 miles southeast of Hong Kong - on Sunday with sustained winds of 150 miles per hour and gusts to 184 mph. Trans World Radio staff hopes to resume limited broadcasts this week, possibly as early as Wednesday or Thursday. TWR has nine missionary families serving on Guam. Eight were on the island when the typhoon came ashore, with the other family back in the United States on furlough. All of the families are safe, Trans World Radio said. Cary-based Trans World Radio has been airing evangelistic and Bible teaching programs to Asia from Guam via powerful shortwave transmitters for 25 years. TWR operates five shortwave transmitters on Guam. The antenna array suffered severe damage, although all the towers remained erect and apparently undamaged. Three of the five antenna curtains were "shredded," according to TWR's staff on the island. The other two were damaged, but the staff hopes to be able to repair and re-install them later this week. These two provide service for Northeast Asia (primarily for China), and Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia and southern China). Significant programming rearrangement will be made to maximize the use of the available transmitters to best serve the listeners, TWR said. Trans World Radio is a Christian broadcasting network that broadcasts more than 1,800 hours of Gospel programs in over 180 languages and dialects from 13 super-power transmitting sites and by satellite. It also airs programs via more than 1,600 local stations and transmitters. The nonprofit has about 1,000 staff worldwide, including about 70 in Cary. © 2002 American City Business Journals Inc. (via Alan Pennington, BDXC-UK, Caversham UK, and via Artie Bigley, WORLD OF RADIO 1160, DXLD) The Pacific island of Guam is still reeling after being hit head-on by a devastating supertyphoon this weekend. With sustained winds of up to 150 miles an hour, Trans World Radio's http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=TWR equipment collapsed under the storm's battering. TWR's Rich Greene: "Three of our five antennae curtains, which operate short wave to Asia were completely shredded. [And], we are now off the air trying to repair the other two antennas in order to, Lord willing, be, in a limited way, back on the air broadcasting the good news of Christ by Wednesday or Thursday." Greene says the two surviving antennas provide service for China, and Southeast Asia. "We need prayer that the Lord would enable our staff, all of whom are safe, to [be able to] give them the strength to weather this devastating time." Pray too for the listeners whose daily "ray of hope" will be temporarily extinguished in many places (From Mission Network News, December 11th 2002 via Mike Terry, DXLD) ** HONDURAS. 4930.6, Radio Internacional, Reactivated; last LA-DX log as Sept 2001. Dec 11, 1240 open carrier, 1250 sudden talk by man, mentions of Internacional, su radio. Seemed to be news program that ended at 1300. Seemed to have canned slogan of "Millennium [Force]" (as heard in English). Nice signal and modulation. ID at 1256 as FM Internacional and mention of San Pedro Sula. Mention of shortwave and Radio Internacional at 1303 (Hans Johnson, Rio Hondo TX, Cumbre DX via WORLD OF RADIO 1160, DXLD) See also BOLIVIA for another new 4930 ** ICELAND. Glenn: The last few days we've had quiet geomagnetic conditions with the planetary A currently at 7. I decided to give LW a try and heard a number of the more powerful European broadcast stations including Iceland. 189, Utvarp Reykjavik (ras 1), 0633 Dec 11, LW service was relaying channel 1. Classical music program. The signal was poor at the best. Not a good enough copy to understand any of it, but I did hear a woman announcer reading the weather. The signal dropped down after 0700, which seems to correspond to an increase in the estimated planetary K index around that time. In December it does not begin to get light in Iceland till well after 1030 (David Hodgson, TN, WORLD OF RADIO 1160, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN. 3985, 2332-2345, Islamic Republic of Iran, Dec 8. Male and female announcer in Arabic language. Continuous exchange of comments then to music at 2338. Frequent mentions of Iraq. Tentative canned ID heard at 0000. Difficult copy at this time. S3 signal level. Female announcer on occasion with English. Apparently is an English lesson. Interludes of music to break up the lessons. Interesting (Bob Montgomery, DX-pedition to French Creek State Park, PA, NRD535d, long wire, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** IRAN [non]. This logging is all mixed up: NOVOSIBIRSK is not a country. The station on 7460 at 0228 is certainly not IBC Tamil, but, as the website cited implies, the Baha`i station, Payem-e Doost in Farsi, as previously reported in DXLD, and in Cumbre by Hans Johnson (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) NOVOSIBIRSK 7460.0, 0228-, IBC Tamil, Dec 10. Test tones noted at 0224 till 0228, then just carrier noted. Music started at 0230, YL with ID as Tamil with talks in unknown language till 0233 then to very pretty tune. Back to talks with music in background at 0234. E-mail address [sic] at 0236, http://www.bahairadio.org Then to Tamil tune sung by male vocalist. S8 signal level with only slight fades. Female with talks at 0240 and then another tune in back ground while she speaks. Female with very pleasant voice speaking in calm manner. Occasional interludes of music. Washington DC mentioned at 0246. Possible ID heard at 0247 and again mention of Washington. Second female with comments at 0248. God Bless heard at 0257 by one of the female announcers. Continued thru top of hour with out ID. George Bush mentioned at 0300. At 0303 a tune played, male vocalist. Gone by 0315 (Bob Montgomery, DX-pedition to French Creek State Park, PA, NRD535d, long wire, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** ISLE OF MAN. MANX RADIO'S FUTURE HAS BEEN SECURED From: http://www.manxradio.com/ 11 December After a three and a half hour debate Tynwald overwhelmingly supported a set of proposals, from Treasury Minister Allan Bell, which will lead to a significant increase in government funding for Manx Radio. With immediate effect, share capital will be increased by £300 thousand, to £750 thousand. And the government subvention will more than double, to £570 thousand, from next April. With effect from the financial year 2004 to 2005 the subvention will be £840 thousand, with an annual increase of 3.3% thereafter. There will be a review of the station's progress from the financial year 2006 to 2007. Tynwald also supported the second part of an amendment, from Speaker of the House of Keys Tony Brown, that Manx Radio should have a statutory charter, as the Isle of Man's national broadcaster. During the debate there was general support for what the station was doing, with a keenness for better services in the future. And all the above means the £400 thousand strategic review into Manx Radio's future has been approved, with minor amendments in relation to the method of funding (via Mike Terry, DXLD) ** ISRAEL. 6971.06, 2330-, GALEI ZAHAL, Dec 9. Noted not on regular frequency but dropped down. Came on earlier and has not drifted but stable on this freq. Language is Hebrew. Recheck at 0305 and back on 6973 (Bob Montgomery, DX-pedition to French Creek State Park, PA, NRD535d, long wire, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** ITALY [non]. [UNID country]. 6280.00, 0213-0301, IRRS Relay station, Dec 9. Rebroadcast of a version of the 'Two Bobs' from Swiss Radio international. I [ID??] was given at 0225. Then to Christmas music. S10 signal level. Some slight fades. Full program in English. 0237 Swiss award for Swiss Cheeses. 2001 Swiss Cheese awards. Back to music at 0241. ID as SRI at 0246. Another 'Two Bobs' program on scanners. Merry go round program and provided address for SRI. Best of 73 from the two Bobs. ID as IRRS Relay station. Then to music at 0256. More Christmas music. Overall, excellent audio quality. ID again at toh as IRRS Relay station. off air at 0301 (Bob Montgomery, DX- pedition to French Creek State Park, PA, NRD535d, long wire, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** LEBANON [non]. SAMARA [sic – not a country], 11515.0, 1630-, Arabic, Voice of Freedom, Dec 9. Continuous pop music heard at tune in. S2 signal levels with deep fades to near noise floor. Male announcer heard at 1633 in Arabic. Arabic tune at 1634. ID is presumed. Too weak to get a positive ID (Bob Montgomery, DX-pedition to French Creek State Park, PA, NRD535d, long wire, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** MALAWI [non]. Re the recently reported weak reception of MBC in Namibia on 3385: I am sure this is a mistake. There is no trace of MBC on SW, and what is audible on 3385 is a spur of BBC on 3255. It is not too strong here, so in Namibia it would be a DX catch, but alas no Malawi! (Vashek Korinek, RSA, DXplorer Dec 10 via BC-DX via DXLD) ** MEXICO. Publicado en el diario Milenio en viernes 6-Dic. CAMBIO DE FRECUENCIA - FERNANDO MEJÍA BARQUERA ROCHA, RADIO INFANTIL Y RADIO CIUDADANA EN EL IMER Hace unos días, la directora del Instituto Mexicano de la Radio (IMER), Dolores Beistegui, conversó con este comentarista para aclarar cuestionamientos e intercambiar puntos de vista en relación a la entrega de Cambio de frecuencia publicada el 22 de noviembre (``IMER empobrece y renta la 660 a Rocha``). El convenio con la agencia Detrás de la Noticia, mediante el cual ésta adquiere el derecho a programar una de las frecuencias pertenecientes al IMER (660 de AM en el Valle de México), pero sobre todo el proyecto radiofónico que la nueva administración de esa entidad planea desarrollar fueron los temas de la plática cuyos puntos medulares se presentan a continuación. SIETE MILLONES AL AÑO El acuerdo con Detrás de la Noticia da continuidad, con algunas variantes, al convenio que esa empresa, dirigida por el periodista Ricardo Rocha, firmó en mayo de 2001 con la administración anterior del IMER para difundir un noticiario matutino en dos frecuencias, la mencionada 660 de AM y 94.5 de FM. Al iniciarse la gestión de la señora Beistegui, Rocha conversó con ella para ver las posibilidades de renovar el convenio. Dada la estrechez presupuestaria del IMER, se consideró conveniente mantener la relación con la agencia de noticias para no cerrar una fuente de ingresos. El convenio, que durará mientras permanezca en funciones la actual administración del IMER, establece un pago de siete millones de pesos al año por el alquiler de la frecuencia 660 de AM, cifra que estará supeditada a las variaciones que puedan registrarse en los índices de inflación, o sea que si éstos aumentan la cantidad a pagar variará en la misma proporción. Además, Detrás de la Noticia se compromete a que los programas que difunda a través de esa frecuencia habrán de ceñirse en todo momento el Código de Ética del IMER. NORMAS ÉTICAS Y es que el Instituto Mexicano de la Radio se ha sumado al grupo de medios de comunicación que cuenta con un Código de Ética mediante el cual rige sus programas. Consta de 16 puntos: ``1) imparcialidad; 2) veracidad; 3) integridad; 4) independencia; 5) derecho a la privacidad; 6) sobriedad; 7) promover el uso correcto del idioma; 8) respetar los estándares de gusto y decencia; 9) desalentar las conductas antisociales y criminales; 10) desalentar la cultura de la violencia; 11) salvaguardar el bienestar de los niños; 12) dar una visión completa y justa de las personas y las culturas; 13) brindar una posición justa y respetuosa frente a los entrevistados; 14) pluralidad; 15) mantener plena independencia de los intereses comerciales; 16) respetar y promover los valores que sustentan a la democracia: la libertad, la igualdad, la justicia, la solidaridad, la tolerancia``. Es plausible que el IMER tenga un Código de Ética, sin embargo, no estaría de más una explicación sobre algunas de las 16 normas, pues varias de ellas no tienen un significado incontrovertible. Por ejemplo, el punto 8: ¿qué debe entenderse por ``estándares de gusto y decencia``? RADIO CIUDADANA Un proyecto interesante cuyo éxito o fracaso habrá de verse en el curso de 2003 es el de convertir a la XEQK (1350 de AM en el Valle de México), la tradicional emisora de ``La Hora Exacta``, en ``La Radio de los Ciudadanos``. El IMER planea que a partir de la tercera semana de enero próximo la ``QK`` transmita programas generados (en su diseño y contenidos) por organizaciones de la sociedad civil, organizaciones políticas registradas ante el IFE e instituciones de educación superior. Para tal efecto se lanzó el 22 de noviembre de este año una convocatoria para que las organizaciones interesadas presenten sus proyectos. Un jurado formado ex profeso decidirá cuáles son los proyectos susceptibles de ser producidos y difundidos a través de la XEQK. Estos concursos serán cíclicos. ``La Radio de los Ciudadanos`` tendrá un Cons ejo Consultivo de Programación, instalado por el secretario de Gobernación el miércoles de la semana pasada, cuyas funciones son ``analizar y evaluar`` las propuestas de programación para la XEQK, así como ``recomendar diversos contenidos para enriquecerla``. Forman parte de él ciudadanos a título personal y organizaciones civiles. Para el desarrollo de este proyecto, Gobernación, a través de la Subsecretaría de Desarrollo Político, aporta 4 millones de pesos con el fin de apoyar la producción de programas, así como una cifra cercana al millón y medio de pesos para modernizar el transmisor de la emisora y permitir que eleve su potencia de 5 mil a 10 mil watts. Por cierto, sigue el desorden administrativo del IMER: depende formalmente de la SEP, en los hechos de Gobernación, y recibe dinero de una y otra secretaría. RADIO INFANTIL Otro de los proyectos de la actual administración del IMER es resucitar ``Radio Infantil``, concepto que, como el lector recuerda, el propio instituto impulsó de 1986 a 1991 cuando fue cancelado por el entonces director, Alejandro Montaño. Si el argumento de Montaño para desaparecer a la que se conocía como ``Radio Rin`` fue que nadie – mucho menos los niños– escuchaba la emisora, el de Dolores Beistegui es que hay un público infantil interesado en contar con una opción radiofónica, conclusión a la que ha llegado después de encargar a entidades especializadas varios estudios de audiencia. Seguramente somos muchos los que estamos de acuerdo en que ``Radio Infantil`` reviva, pero lo preocupante es que no hay en la radio estatal una directriz clara acerca de los públicos a los que ésta debe atender; por lo tanto, mientras al director del IMER hace diez años los niños no le interesaban como radioescuchas, a la directora actual sí le importan. La casa de la nueva ``Radio Infantil`` será la frecuencia de 710 AM en el Valle de México que hoy difunde música ranchera. Sin embargo, la resurrección habrá de esperar hasta el 19 de agosto de 2003, cuando se inicie el ciclo escolar correspondiente a ese año, pues aún faltan detalles que afinar. MÁS CAMBIOS Estos cambios en el Instituto Mexicano de la Radio, nos ha dicho la directora Dolores Beistegui, corresponden a una primera fase. Falta evaluar a profundidad el trabajo de las 12 emisoras que operan en diversos estados en el país, las cuales necesitan inversión para producir programas y mejorar sus condiciones técnicas. Al respecto habrá noticias más adelante, aunque se puede adelantar una: el aumento a 100 mil watts en la potencia de la emisora XEFR [sic! XERF as in Radio Frontera ---gh] (1570 de AM) que opera el IMER en Villa Acuña, Coahuila, con el fin de cubrir un amplio territorio en Estados Unidos y llevar mensajes a los mexicanos residentes ahí, proyecto que requerirá una inversión de 650 mil dólares. Fernando Mejía Barquera (via Héctor García Bojorge, DF, Conexión Digital via DXLD) Quite a lot of interesting plans above concerning government-funded `public` IMER stations, including: Raising power of XERF-1570 to 100 kW, in order to cover much of the US [as it once did, 250 kW?], but would cost $650,000; 710 in Mexico City would change from ranchera format to kids, R. Infantil, but not until another school term begins next August. XEQK-1350 in Mexico City, which has been `La Hora Exacta` timesignals and PSAs forever, would become R. Ciudadana, with a much more ambitious format costing 4 megapesos; and its power would be doubled, from 5 to 10 kW. As reported before, the 660 frequency in DF is being `rented` by IMER to a news organization, Detrás de la Noticia (in Mexico, Guatemala and some other countries, radio news providers operate independently of broadcasting stations and contract to service specific stations or groups) for 7 megapesos a year, subject to inflationary adjustments. That news is also to air on IMER`s Opus 94.5 classical format station (Glenn Hauser`s quick summary of above for WORLD OF RADIO 1160, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO [non]. DEL RIO TO HONOR WOLFMAN JACK By John MacCormack San Antonio Express-News "He introduced himself as Bob Smith, and he wanted to know who was the owner of radio station XERF," recalls González, 94, who at the time sold advertising contracts in the United States for the super-powered station in nearby Ciudad Acuña, Mexico. "I said 'What can you do?' and he said 'I'm a radio announcer and I can sell whatever you have to sell.' And I think he was on the radio station that same night, selling baby chicks — 100 for $2.98," Gonzalez said, chuckling. Once on the air, the mild-mannered, clean-cut Smith became howling, growling Wolfman Jack, and the rest, as they say, is rock 'n' roll history. Now, nearly 40 years after he left XERF for another super-powered station in Tijuana, Mexico, and seven years after his death from a heart attack, the Wolfman is coming back to Del Rio. If all goes well, at this time next year, a larger-than-life bronze statute of the great caped howler will loom over a downtown intersection. A Wolfman Jack museum and a music festival will be in the works. During his six months in Del Rio, the late-night XERF DJ mesmerized teenagers across America and beyond with his radio antics, ultra-hip delivery and anything-goes playlist. His border broadcasts were powered by a 250,000-watt transmitter — five times the juice allowed on the U.S. side. "Wherever ya are, and whatever ya doin', I wancha ta lay ya hands on da raydeeoo, lay back wid me, and squeeze ma knobs. We gonna feel it ta-night. ... OOOOOO WWWWOOOOOoooo. This is Wolfman Jack down here with da donkeys. Gonna get you some soul," he would howl. "Get naked, blow da evil weed, kiss your teachers. Wolfman play the best records in the business and then he eat 'em," growled the lupine mystery man, according to the book "Border Radio," by Gene Fowler and Bill Crawford. The Wolfman was an instant sensation. González recalls that soon after he hit the airwaves, hawking everything from chickens to virility pills, advertising sales boomed, and he had to hire another dozen young women to handle the flood of orders. "He was bringing in a lot of money, and when he left, sales went way down," he said. But in the grand visions that Del Rio mover and shaker Jay Johnson has for this dusty border city, the Wolfman can still make cash registers ring. "Del Rio deserves to be a hotshot town, and it will be, and Wolfman Jack will seal the deal," he said. "This thing is going to be flat-out explosive. Wolfman Jack was really the catalyst who pulled together the world of rock 'n' roll. He was heard in Australia, in Asia, in Europe and Canada," said Johnson, who owns a bed and breakfast and several restored buildings here. So far, all systems are go. A nonprofit foundation is being formed, and Del Rio officials have signed on to the project, as has the Wolfman's widow, Lou Smith of North Carolina. "I'm just tickled pink that they want to do that. Del Rio is the place where Robert W. Smith became Wolfman Jack," she said. Michael Maiden, a nationally known sculptor, is already at work on a model, and former Wolfman publicist Mike Venema is looking up old buddies from James Brown to Alice Cooper to help out. Three weeks ago, Venema and Maiden, who is based in Oregon, came to Del Rio and met with Johnson and other local boosters. Both came away sold on the project. "We're committed to Del Rio. It's the perfect place, and Acuña was fantastic as well. It was very reminiscent of an earlier time," Venema said. Maiden, appropriately best known for his wildlife sculptures, grew up on a ranch near Walla Walla, in eastern Washington, and had his first encounter with the Wolfman when he was 13 or 14. "I'd listen to him late at night on my little Montgomery Ward transistor radio. He would fade in and out," recalled Maiden, 52. "And I thought he was a black man. Most people did, and he kind of perpetuated that. He was one of the DJs who made black music popular," he said. "Until late in his career, no one knew what he looked like. I most certainly didn't until 'American Graffiti,'" the 1973 hit movie by George Lucas in which the Wolfman played himself. The sculptor is coy about exactly what the bronze Wolfman will look like. "My job is to try and make this icon recognizable. He was a wild and crazy guy, and kind of a whimsical character, and he's not going to be standing straight up and down like Jefferson Davis," he said. Both Maiden and Venema say they are confident the $130,000 needed for the sculpture will be easily raised once the word gets out. For Del Rio, a quiet border city on U.S. 90 known to most travelers as no more than a gas stop on the way to West Texas and the Big Bend National Park, a hip tourist attraction is sorely needed. With mild sarcasm, some locals refer to Del Rio as "the gateway to Ciudad Acuña," the much larger Mexican city across the river that offers a more glamorous nightlife. The Wolfman project has surfaced just as Del Rio is launching a revitalization of Main Street, a dowdy thoroughfare of retail shops and fading classical buildings. The city recently won backing for the Main Street project from the Texas Historical Commission, and coordinator Ginger Lyons said Wolfman Jack fits right in. "Including him in our Main Street plan is vital. We could use any tourist attraction we can get. Everyone here knows the story of Wolfman Jack, and we're very proud of him," she said. If Wolfman Jack does for Del Rio what another rock icon has done for Lubbock, the project could prove a real magnet. Each year, 35,000 to 40,000 people visit the Buddy Holly museum, which opened in 1999. "Many people come here because Buddy Holly was from here. They make pilgrimages to Lubbock, Texas, for that reason alone. We get people from Britain, Australia and all over Europe," said Connie Gibbons, museum director. The official launch of the Wolfman Jack project in Del Rio is set for March 15, and at that time a model of the statue of rock 'n' roll's most famous DJ may be unveiled. The museum would feature Wolfman artifacts and photos to tell his life story. But given the Wolfman's love of invention and hyperbole, exactly what happened here 40 years ago may never be known. In his autobiography, "Have Mercy," the Wolfman gives a lurid, action- packed account of his arrival at Del Rio and his armed takeover of XERF, later known as "The Wolfman Jack Radio Shootout Saga." According to this somewhat apocryphal account, the Wolfman and a buddy arrived in Ciudad Acuña to find XERF in receivership, and quickly engineered a coup to reclaim it from hostile hands. With guns and bribes, lawsuits and hustle, according to the Wolfman's tale, he took over XERF. He then remade its programming from a loony collection of huckster preachers and hillbilly music (the original Carter family, "Johnny Cash's future in-laws," had broadcast to the nation from Ciudad Acuña's high-powered towers) to become the hottest rock station in the world led by the most notorious underground DJ. "I was truly glowing in those days on XERF, because I was a young buck doing my thing right where I always wanted to be, hitting the airwaves with gale-force blues, rhythm and blues, and the most soulful rock 'n' roll, all sent your way through the treetop tall platinum-coated driver tubes of the most powerful commercial station on the planet," Wolfman wrote. According to the book, the final battles for XERF were won in a shootout in a cheap Del Rio hotel between the Wolfman and "Montez," the evil Mexican who wanted to reclaim the station, and a follow-up ambush in the Coahuilan desert. "I've still got a little crease on the end of my nose from that first bullet. The second one dug into the back side of the van's door frame, six inches behind where my head had been," wrote the Wolfman about the late night ambush. Lou Smith also has vivid memories of Del Rio as a cowboy town with a Spanish flavor. She said the men who met her husband on the Mexican side of the bridge wore guns and cartridge belts crisscrossed on their chests. And much of what the Wolfman wrote about actually happened, including problems with rival factions and the federales, and a late night on- the-air cry for help from XERF, Smith said. "We were staying in the Del Rio Hotel, and as we were falling to sleep, listening to the radio, they broke right into the show and started yelling 'pistoleros, pistoleros.' They were calling for the police and for help," she recalled. "Wolf jumped up and went over there to help those guys, and I don't know exactly what he did." Arturo González only chuckles when told of such accounts. Forty years later, he remembers no lawsuits, no shootouts and no armed takeovers, only a polite and reliable guy named Bob Smith who, when seated behind the microphone, became a jive-talking crazy man. "If you met him, you probably wouldn't think that much of him, but on the radio he brought out a lot of excitement, and a lot of people were happy to listen to him," he said. "He was very impressive, very dedicated and very reliable. We believed everything he would tell us. That's the kind of relationship it was," he said. And, said González, a Del Rio memorial to the Wolfman is long overdue. "He was my friend, and I think he deserves it. He put Del Rio on the map. And he was a good man. If he could help someone he would. That's the kind of man I remember," he said. http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xla=saen&xlb=180&xlc=883030 [includes a photo of Wolfman] (San Antonio Express-News Dec 2 via Artie Bigley, DXLD) ** NEW ZEALAND. RNZI has a second source of audio on the net. In addition to the widely-known audionet.co.nz RNZI`s audio-on-demand is carried on XtraMSN (yes, Microsoft`s NZ portal). The audio quality is good. Pay attention to the extra commas and punxuation herein— http://xtramsn.co.nz/musicandvideo/0,,6151,00.html --- and there is video from TV3 (Tom Sundström, Net Notes, Dec NASWA Journal via DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. Application from existing facility: 1210 KGYN OK Guymon: amend application for move to Oklahoma City to show 50000/50000(10000 during CH - critical hours) U4 (Buffalo K. Foonman and his imaginary friend Jerry Starr, AM Switch, NRC DX News Dec 9 via DXLD) ** OMAN. The island of Masirah (ma-SEE-ra) is a picturesque, though quite barren island, just 15 miles off the coast of Oman (o-MAHN) on the south-eastern tip of the Arabian peninsula. The island was named "Masirah" by Admiral Nearchos (nee-AR-kos) who was a fleet leader with the armies of Alexander the Great. The island itself is pear-shaped, just 40 miles long and 10 miles wide, with the narrowest point just 5 miles wide. The island is sandy and barren though there are scenes of beauty inland. There is an abundance of wildlife on Masirah with unique turtles and tortoises and birds, and also a spectacular coral reef just offshore. The island was un-inhabited right throughout history until military installations were constructed less than 100 years ago. At its full potential, there can be a population as high as 30,000 personnel on the island. This unusual island, which is little more than a military staging facility, was bought from the government of Oman by the British government specifically so that the BBC could establish a large international radio station on it. In earlier times, the BBC had established mediumwave stations on Perim Island Aden, and at Berbera in Somalia. However, both of these stations were closed due to changing political circumstances in the area. There was need for a large BBC station to cover the Gulf region and so work began on the construction of a two transmitter facility on the island of Masirah. The first transmitter was placed into regular service on June 1, 1969, and the second unit became operational a few months later, early in the following year 1970. These two transmitters, each rated at 750 kW, radiated BBC programming in English, Arabic and other regional languages on two widely separated mediumwave channels, 700 & 1410 kHz, with at times slight variations. At one stage, test broadcasts were also radiated on 1320 kHz. On June 13, 1977, a hurricane swept through the area lasting four days, and damaging at the BBC station mainly the antenna systems and buildings. It took six months to re-activate the 700 kHz transmitter, and another year again to re-activate the 1410 kHz transmitter. During the interim period, additional shortwave transmissions were beamed into the coverage areas from BBC facilities at other sites. However, at the time when the devastating hurricane struck the area, work had already commenced on a large new shortwave station some five miles distant. A total of four transmitters at 100 kW were installed at this facility, the first of which was inaugurated in September 1978. The additional units were progressively phased into service and the station became fully operational early in the year 1979. The shortwave station was operated under remote control from the mediumwave station. Initially, programming was provided to the BBC Masirah on large tapes sent out by ship & by plane, and by off-air relays from the BBC station located on another island, Cyprus in the Mediterranean. The BBC receiver station on Masirah was located at an electrically quiet area some distance from both the mediumwave and shortwave transmitting stations. A program feed by satellite from London was implemented in 1981. In more recent time, a replacement radio station, both mediumwave and shortwave, has been constructed in Oman on the mainland, and the transfer of programming from the old station on Masirah Island to the new station on the mainland began in August earlier this year. According to an email news item from Wolfgang Bueschel (BUSH-el) in Germany, the final broadcast from the BBC Masirah was concluded at 21:59 UTC on October 7. The last transmitter was on the air on 6030 kHz for its final broadcast. The loud voice of the BBC Masirah is now silent, the station is off the air. It has been replaced by the new station on the Omani mainland. Masirah will be remembered by millions of listeners in the Gulf areas, and by multitudes of DXers around the world, some of whom are fortunate enough to hold QSL cards and letters from this now silent radio station. In our program next week, we will present the story of the big new BBC station located on the Omani mainland (Adrian Michael Peterson, AWR Wavescan Dec 8 via DXLD) ** PERU. 4747, 1017-, R. Huanta 2000, Dec 9. Male announcer in Spanish. S1 level. Talks about the day`s programs. Nice signal for a 300 watt station. Apparently they just signed on. Nice clear copy. Excellent modulation. 9504.78, 1021-, R. Tacna, Dec 9. Interesting music. Male announcer in Spanish with long talks with music in background. Tentative canned ID heard at 1023. S4 signal level. ID heard at 1024. Station drifting down from 9504.8 to 9504.7 by 1025 (Bob Montgomery, DX-pedition to French Creek State Park, PA, NRD535d, long wire, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. THE RUSSIAN SCENE Sergey Kolesov in the Ukraine provides this fascinating look at the flourishing pirate scene in the Russia and the neighbouring republics. Sergey writes: ``Below is some info on pirate activity in CIS. Hope, it would be of interest``: Working frequencies: 1610-1800, 2850-3150 (2890-2930 usb), 3900-3930, 6600-6660 usb, 10450-10470 usb. Majority of stations are going on air in order to establish contact with similar stations. Some of them are working in group: a few stations from the same region are standing by on one frequency, most powerful one is calling all stations and when contact is established, head station gives microphone to other group stations to have a contact one by one. Outstanding stations are Radio Samorodinka working by fixed schedule and a few more stations like Russian Roulette, Natalie etc working on 3900-3930 with programmes sounding like Western European pirates. Below are some logs from 31.10.2002: 10460 usb 1429-1443 Radio Taktica 2920 usb 1554-1610 Radio Kantemir (tent.), Belgorod 3030 1619-1634 Radio Ryabina, Poltava (group: Radio Reaonans, Radio Blokha; both Poltava) 3085 1634-1649 Radio Piramida, Orel with group 3118 1701-1716 Radio Skvoznyak, Kursk (group: Istoric, Orel; Dedushka, Sigareta) 3075 2020-2035 Radio Student (group: Mercuriy) 3117 2037-2053 Radio Avtobus, Voronezh (group: Turbina, Voronezh; 45, Voronezh; Atom, Saratov; Festival) 01.11.2002: 3077 1719-1734 Radio Partizan, Lipetsk with group 3135 1727-1742 Radio Sigareta, Kursk 2930 usb 2030-2045 Radio Ugolyok. This is Christian station. They are preaching Gospel on 6660 usb too. 3100 2058-2103 Radio Mercuriy 3924 2108-2125 Radio Samorodinka, Moscow 3100 2135-2150 Radio Dozhdik, Kursk 3145 2156-2211 Radio Dvoika, Maikop (group: Vertolyot; Rodina, Belgorod; Melodia; Snezhok; Ispania) 3101 2217-2232 Radio Cristall, Kursk with group 02.11.2002 6660 usb 1820-1835 Radio Diplomat, Lugansk 3055 1837-1852 Radio Batareya, Tula 3125 1938-1953 Radio Volna, Voronezh 3090 1955-2010 Radio Sigareta, Kursk 1769 2129-2133 Radio Udacha 2980 2151-2205 21, Voronezh (group: Salut, Kursk) 2994 2209-2224 Pauk, Tambov 3000 2229-2230 Radio Cometa, Lugansk 3005 2238-2253 Radio Svoboda, Tambov 03.11.2002 10460 usb 0816-0840 Dinamit, Kursk 10460 usb 0858-0907 Controller 10460 usb 1040-1055 05, Lipetsk 3090 1952-2007 Radio B52, Voronezh (group: Vodopad, Regulator, both- Voronezh) 3075 2026-2041 Radio Rodnik, Moscow 3040 2140-2155 Radio Filin, Southern Ukraine, with group (Radio Without Licence, Dec World DX Club Contact, via editor Paul Watson, DXLD) ** RUSSIA [non]. Re Woodpecker antenna site not working: Click instead http://www.briz.ru/zoom.asp?ID=86&Pos=1 (Wolfgang Bueschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SAUDI ARABIA. SAUDI OPPOSITION GETS RADIO VOICE Dissenting voices have been silenced before now By Magdi Abdelhadi, BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/2560313.stm A new radio station run by a Saudi opposition group has gone on air in Europe. The group behind the service said Radio Al-Islah was a 24-hour satellite service but was also available on short-wave radio and can be heard in the Middle East as well as Europe. The Movement for Islamic Reform in Arabia said Saudi citizens can now for the first time criticise the Saudi regime publicly with total impunity because of modern technology. Radio stations run by opposition groups are a rare occurrence [sic] in the Arab world, and the launch marks a dramatic breakthrough in a region where public broadcasting is tightly regulated by governments. The new satellite station Sawt Al-Islah - which means Voice of Reform - is using the latest internet technology to help disgruntled Saudis voice their criticism of the royal family. Talk shows A spokesman for the Movement for Islamic Reform In Arabia told the BBC that by using an internet phone service - known as Paltalk - listeners can take part in the programme and say what they like without risking arrest or harassment. Saad al-Fagih said the bulk of the station's schedule was talk shows. The topics discussed, he said, included lack of transparency in the Saudi system, corruption, poverty and failure to implement Islamic law. Saudi authorities had in the past succeeded in foiling previous attempts to launch opposition broadcasts from exiles in the West using their financial clout. Mr Fagih said as Radio Al-Islah operated out of a European country, the Saudis could not put the pressure on. He declined to disclose which country was the base. Royal connections There are few opposition stations in the Arab world, where all radio and television channels are either owned by the state or companies associated with the ruling elites. There are several Saudi satellite television channels based abroad, but most of them are either owned by members of the royal family or companies close to them. Radio Al-Islah began broadcasting last week. If it survives any future attempts by Saudi authorities to silence it, the emergence of modern technology will have proved a decisive factor in the struggle between freedom of expression and censorship (BBC News online Dec 10 via Martin Gallas, DXLD) SAUDI DISSIDENTS LAUNCH RADIO STATION TO CHALLENGE ROYALS, PUSH FOR REFORMS --- By ALAA SHAHINE, Associated Press Writer http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20021210/ap_wo_en_po/me_gen_saudi_opposition_2 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Saudi dissidents have launched a radio station to challenge the Gulf state's ruling royals and spark reforms within the secretive country, a group spokesman said Tuesday. Saad al-Faquih said the station — Sawt al-Islah, Arabic for "The Voice of Reform" — will try to mobilize ordinary Saudis to push for political, economic and social reforms within the oil-rich kingdom. "We want to spread awareness among people of the many problems caused by the regime and grant them the freedom of expression they don't enjoy at home," al-Faquih, from the London-based Movement for Islamic Reform, told The Associated Press office in Dubai in a telephone interview. Saudi Arabia's ruling Al Saud family maintains close ties with the United States, but its government has had to fend off international criticism that it blocks freedom of expression and prevents Saudis from playing effective roles in political life. Saudi society is dominated by strict Islamic law, where alcohol is banned and women must be veiled from head to toe. The state also tightly controls media outlets. The country was also the birthplace of 15 of the 19 Sept. 11 hijackers. Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden was also a Saudi citizen until the government stripped him of his citizenship. Al-Faquih said the new radio station allows Saudis to participate in "live audio discussions through the Internet, where they can publicly criticize the government without fear of being tracked." The station started a 24-hour broadcast Saturday via satellite. It can also be heard on short-wave radio for two hours a day, al-Faquih told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from London. The Saudi dissident, however, refused to reveal the location from which the station was broadcasting, nor did he mention the name of the company that gave the group its broadcasting license. "The station is based somewhere in Europe," he said. "What we can say is that we don't broadcast from England in order not to cause any embarrassment to the British government." Saudi dissidents formed The Movement for Islamic Reform in 1996. On its Web site, the group says it opposes the royal family's policies and calls for the "unification of all opposition powers in the kingdom to push for comprehensive reform programs." Al-Faquih said the Sa`udi government, along with financial problems, had thwarted previous attempts to launch the station. _____ On the Net: Sawt al-Islah's website http://www.islah.org (AP Dec 10 via yahoonews via Artie Bigley, DXLD) Right now (at 1950 UT) I'm listening to 7590 kHz, which could be the new program (probably not really a station) of the London-based Movement for Islamic Reform in Arabia, opposed to the government of Sa`udi Arabia. The movement has a website at http://www.islah.org/ No station identification heard so far; I missed the presumed start of the transmission at 1900 UT because of working late. The signal is strong, but there are transmitter problems. Most of the time the audio is audible 60-70 seconds at a time, followed by a silence of 10-15 seconds. There is also a jammer on the frequency. "Sawt al-Islah" (Voice of Reform) probably broadcasts from somewhere in Europe or the Middle East, but does anyone have more info on the transmitter location? (Mika Mäkeläinen, Finland, Dec 10, dxing.info via DXLD) Yes CLANDESTINE from SITE? to SAUDI ARABIA. 7590, Radio Al-Islah was mentioned at the bottom of the Fox News screen headlines tonight, first time I recall a clanny drawing this kind of attention. Checked them on a javaradio in Europe earlier today and noticed that there is now a co-channel bubble jammer, something our initial DX reports from Dec 6th didn't mention. Not able to listen long enough on the javaradio to determine if radio program matches pro-bin Laden stance that the website has (Hans Johnson, TX, Dec 11, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** SUDAN [non]. Re Sawt al-Qarn missing from 21550: GAM -- IBB ceased that entry now, on both Nairobi and Luanda monitoring logs ! : GAM - Millenium Voice / R Voice of Horn. (IDHAAT SOUT AL QARN), Sudanese Arabic 1330-1430 21550 WOF I see only an UNM - UN Radio? entry at 1030-1130: it`s Tuesday only ..T.... 11:08:07 S UNM VARI 21550 AM DHA 19 RA28 [as in UNMEE ---gh] ex: United Nations Mission in ETH and ERI (UNMEE) Tues and Fris in English, Oromifa, Amharic and Tigrinya 0430-0530 Tues (ex-15215) 15235 DHA (Wolfgang Bueschel, Dec 10, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** THAILAND. Hi all, this afternoon at 1645 I had a tentative 3rd harmonic of Thailand's "Radio in the first army area in Suphanburi" on 4212 (3 x 1404). I had extreme QRM problems from various utilities 1 kHz either side, so no ID today. Thanks to Willi Passman's latest tropical band list for the tip; I would never have even considered trying for something like that! Signal was stronger than expected, but as I mentioned the main problem is ute QRM. I know what frequency I'll be tuned to tomorrow afternoon! Good DX and 73 (Tim Bucknall, UK, Dec 10, harmonics yahoogroup via DXLD) ** UGANDA. 4976, 2053-, R. Uganda, Dec 9. Very nice signal with male announcer in French. Nice music with some slight fades. Excellent reception. Off air at 2100 (Bob Montgomery, DX-pedition to French Creek State Park, PA, NRD535d, long wire, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** U S A. Our website has been updated after almost 2 weeks of being too busy with other things. Please note the special programming we're planning and the small vacation we will be taking when you visit out website; http://www.dorsai.org/~bigsteve ("Big Steve" Coletti, A Different Kind Of Oldies Show on WBCQ, 7415 kHz Shortwave, Saturday Evenings at 8:00 ET, 0100 UT-Sunday, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WINB off for the moment as an ice storm in the area has knocked out the electricity. Not sure when they will be back on; a lot of lines are down in the area. Worth checking nearby WMLK in the morning on 9465 to see if they got knocked off as well (Hans Johnson, TX, Dec 12, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** U S A. 5015 & 5120, WWRB (transmitter mixing products), 2320 Dec 10. Fundamental frequencies of 5050 and 5085 mixed to produce spurious emissions 35 kHz above 5085 and 35 kHz below 5050. Audio from both transmissions audible on the spurs. Strong level around 70 miles from transmitter site (David Hodgson, TN, WORLD OF RADIO 1160, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** USA [non?]. AFRTS relay noted 11 DEC at 1050 UT on 4278.5 USB with sports program, CBS network ID, then NPR "Morning Edition" at 1100. Strong but QRM from multiplex RTTY tones. 73, (John Cobb, Roswell, GA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Presumably Key West ** U S A. THE MEDIA MAMMOTH THAT STOLE THE AIRWAVES Jeff Perlstein, December 4, 2002 Can you name a Texas-based multinational company that is facing a Department of Justice investigation, lawsuits for inappropriate business practices, a flurry of criticism in the mainstream press, and a bill in congress to curb its impact on the industry? Did you say Enron? Try again. This 800 lb. Texas gorilla has spent $30 billion since 1996 to become the world's largest radio broadcaster, concert promoter, and billboard advertising firm. It's a major player in American television and Spanish-language broadcasting. Clear Channel Communications of San Antonio may not be a household name yet, but in less than six years it has rocketed to a place alongside NBC and Gannett as one of the largest media companies in the United States. The mega-company has gained a reputation for its ugly hardball tactics. Clear Channel has played a leading role in destroying media diversity in the United States. And yes, it is the same media company that allegedly "blacklisted" certain songs following September 11, including Cat Stevens' Peace Train and John Lennon's Imagine [Clear Channel sent a list of 150 "questionable" songs to their affiliates suggesting they not be played].... http://www.guerrillanews.com/media/doc879.html (Guerrilla News Network via John, WTFDA, via DXLD) ** U S A [non]. Haven`t spent much time listening to R. Sawa, but taxpayers who would like to monitor it in the US may tune this emission: 9665 0400 0600 VOA MRN1 ARAB MOR 02 084 which on Dec 11 I found booming in at 0545 with extremely brief news headlines over continuous musical bed, stingers between items (as if that somehow makes the news more credible, interesting?? Norm Pattiz knows best, he assures us), then back to music, first some rock song in English, then one in Arabic. And so it went, until 0559 when in the middle of a full ID giving satellite, internet, FM and MW frequencies, if not SW, they were rudely cut off at precisely 0559:30. Even VOA can`t get its act together to coördinate programming with transmission timing --- but then, SW is just an afterthought/leftover for Sawa, so who cares? This was so strong, I was sure it was Greenville until I looked it up. Turns out that the *only* Greenville usage by R. Sawa is 17740 at 1900-2100, 67 degrees. For reasons unknown, on M-F it`s the Greenville-B site, Sat & Sun Greenville-A (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1160, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. Bedtime tuning around landed on 9840 at 0600 UT Dec 11, for some lively talk in Arabic, punxuated every few minutes by some wild Spike Jonesish percussion! The alternating M&W worked themselves up to some big laughs before it ended at 0615. What could this be? I should have figured it out immediately, since the opening as well as closing theme was ``Never On Sunday``. Ended with AWR IS and ID, address in Cyprus. Gotta admit, those Arabic Seventh Day Adventists have a sense of humour! Details, from link via DXLD 2-188: 9840 100 DTK1 Julich Germany AA FF Tachelhit 0600-0730 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VENEZUELA. Saludos Glen[n]. En esta oportunidad te hago llegar las palabras del Presbítero José Palmar de la Red de Emisoras Comunitarias en el Estado Zulia, quién protesta la usurpación de su frecuencia 94.1 FM por una emisora que se hace llamar Bolivariana Stereo 94.1. Espero sea de utilidad para tí. Atte: (José Elías, Venezuela, Dec 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VENEZUELA. EMISORA BOLIVARINA 94.1 FM INVITA PARA QUE ASALTEN A GLOBOVISIÓN Saludos colegas diexistas. He aquí informaciones sobre la radio en Venezuela. Tomado de Globovisión Atte. José Elías Díaz Gómez. Desde emisora bolivariana invitaron a tomar Globovisión Zulia Durante la noche de este lunes, la Emisora Bolivariana 94.1 en Maracaibo invitaba, de manera exaltada, a tomar las instalaciones de Globovisión Zulia. "Taxistas, ayúdennos, vamos a tomar esa verga (...) vamos a buscar a Globovisión (...) vamos a agarrar a Globovisión", decía incesantemente el locutor al reportar que eran las 11:31 minutos. Globovisión Zulia fue una de las sedes más dañadas durante la madrugada de este lunes cuando varios medios de comunicación en diversas partes del país fueron atacados de manera simultánea. A Globovisión Zulia entraron rompiendo cámaras y televisores y causando un severo daño a la infraestructura. Por esto, en la concentración de oposición que se vive cada día en la avenida 5 de julio en Maracaibo la sociedad civil y distintos periodistas brindaron su respaldo a Globovisión Zulia. Igualmente el diputado del MAS a la Asamblea Nacional por el estado Zulia, Julio Montoya, obsequió, como gesto simbólico, un aparato de televisión nuevo para reponer uno de los que fueron destruídos (via Elías, Cumbre DX via DXLD) I thought Cumbre list was strictly SWBC, but people keep sending it MW, FM and TV news too (gh, DXLD) Saludos colegas diexistas. Esta información me la hizo llegar el colega diexista Luis Paz Nelo. Atte: José Elías Díaz Gómez. 5:08 pm - RADIO LIBERTAD FUERA DEL AIRE Nuestra radio, 90.7 FM (Radio Libertad), activada las 24 horas al día desde la Plaza Altamira, ahora está fuera del aire. El gobierno está creando "jamming"; todo tipo de interferencia. Obstruye nuestra señal para evitar que nuestro mensaje llega a ustedes por radio. 6 de diciembre de 2002 (via Díaz, Dec 11, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** VIETNAM [non]. Re GERMANY, DXLD 2-194: I guess they mean Chan Troi Moi or New Horizon. Nice on 15715 today at 1330, but nothing on 17555 or 100 kHz up or down from it. Perhaps just a test? (Hans Johnson, Rio Hondo TX, Dec 11, Cumbre DX via DXLD) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ RECEIVER NEWS +++++++++++++ DERMLIFT This is what radio's good for: tightening sagging facial skin. http://www.mittelmangreene.com/pages/new.htm 73 (Kim Elliott, DC, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: ...One treatment with this new radio frequency device can safely improve looseness of skin around the jaw line and neck. Usually, three treatments provide more optimal results. The DermLift(TM) can also elevate the position of the eyebrows when the forehead is treated... (via gh, DXLD; WTFK???) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ ROUTING INDICATORS GUIDE & DATABASE WUN's Special Topics Report #8 is now online. It is a new version of the "Routing Indicator Guide" which replaces Report #6 from September 1997. We also updated the Routing Indicator database which is also on our website. Download your copy at: STR #8: http://www.wunclub.com/wunstr/wunstr0208.html Database: http://www.wunclub.com/archive/files/ridbf.zip Corrections and additions are always welcome. Enjoy! (Ary and Paolo, BDXC via DXLD) KLINGENFUSS Dear Glenn, just got your note via wb. Your 9580 BBC is of course included in our 2003 products and we do not "suppress tx sites" because we do not accept censorship, not even communist Chinese pressure against Radio Free Asia transmitter sites! For latest screenshots of WAVECOM Digital Data Decoders see our hotfrequencies webpage updated D A I L Y . Worldwide terrorist networks extensively use HF e-mail - see our website! Best wishes - 73, C Strap Klingenfuss Publications Hagenloher Str. 14 D-72070 Tuebingen Germany Phone ++49 7071 62830 Fax ++49 7071 600849 E-Mail klingenfuss@compuserve.com Internet http://www.klingenfuss.org New products for 2003: HF e-mail and worldwide terrorist networks! Dear friends, all new products - 2003 Super Frequency List on CD-ROM - 2003 Guide to Utility Radio Stations - 2003 Shortwave Frequency Guide have been published by 05 December 2002. Hundreds of advance orders have already been mailed this week - well in time for the Christmas holiday and monitoring season. Detailed product descriptions, sample pages, database screenshots and the very latest references can be found at our website http://www.klingenfuss.org Alternatively, you may ask for our free 24-pages 2003 catalogue to your postal address. The 2003 Super Frequency List on CD-ROM features three gigantic frequency lists of broadcast and utility radio stations with nearly 40,000 entries. It again includes an unique collection of 215 interesting new colour screenshots in full size from the world leader in advanced digital data transmissions and teleprinter systems monitoring and decoding. The International Committee of the Red Cross situation reports from its HF stations at Baghdad, Dushanbe, Faizabad, Herat, Jalalabad, Islamabad, Kabul, Kandahar, Mazar-e Sherif, Peshawar, Sulaymaniah and so on are of particular interest. For your convenience, more than 200 screenshots are reprinted in the 2003 Guide to Utility Radio Stations as well. Traditional broadcast publications continue to say "No transmitter info available" or - even worse - reprint totally outdated schedules again and again. Unlike such bad products, our new 2003 Shortwave Frequency Guide covers the full schedules of e.g. Radio Free Afghanistan with all its sites at Briech and Dhabayya and Holzkirchen and Iranawila and Lampertheim and Udon Thani and Wertachtal, or Radio Free Asia with all its sites at Agingan Point and Almaty and Dhabayya and Dushanbe and Gavar and Holzkirchen and Iranawila and Naalehu and Palau and Tinian and Ulanbataar. Latest schedules of clandestine broadcast stations such as the anti-Chinese Fang Guang Ming Radio, and the anti-Zimbabwe Voice of the People, are included as well. So this is definitely the most up-to-date worldwide shortwave radio handbook available today! New HF e-mail networks, services, and stations now emerge virtually on a weekly basis. See e.g. http://www.bernradio.ch http://www.bushmail.co.za http://www.bushnet.net http://www.cruiseEmail.com http://www.euraf.com http://www.globewireless.com http://www.kielradio.de http://www.maf.org http://www.maflink.org http://www.marinenet.net http://www.online.net.pg http://www.pentacomstat.com.au http://www.pinoak.com http://www.sailmail.com http://www.schuemperlin.com http://www.seawave.com http://www.techserve.org http://www.twiga.com http://www.uconnect.org http://www.uuplus.com http://www.winlink.org http://www.worldcom.nl for latest details on new stations and frequencies that are perfectly listed in our new 2003 products. Apart from these, another must read is the excellent SailMail primer (updated yesterday 06 December 2002!) at http://www.sailmail.com/smprimer.htm After their dramatic failure in the 11 September 2001 disaster, the inefficient N.o S.uch A.gency and similar "organizations" are finally - one year too late! - starting to realize that there may be "secret" systems of global communication beyond transoceanic cables and telecom satellites: worldwide terrorist networks extensively use HF e-mail! See http://www.klingenfuss.org/terror.htm E-mail via shortwave is "terrorist-proof" - in both senses: a mobile communication station using a cheap laptop computer, connected to a radio transceiver operating from a car battery and feeding a simple wire antenna, is much less vulnerable to an unlawful attack than high- tech telecom switchboards, cellphone-repeater antenna farms on roof- tops of high-rise buildings, and satellite ground stations with large dish antennas. So far, the immense potential of HF e-mail has not been monitored - let alone realized! - by any other author and publisher. With 34 years of experience in this field, we predicted already in 1999 that HF e- mail will continue to spread rapidly. In the meantime, it has developed into the major application of modern digital HF techniques that we have marketed - and USED! - for years. Only the new 2003 Klingenfuss products mentioned above take this fascinating new trend into full consideration - NOW! We - who else? - provide hundreds of brandnew HF e-mail frequencies and screenshots. The pertinent analyzers/decoders have been supplied by us to dozens of intelligence, radio monitoring and secret services worldwide: see our website for a never-ending list of professional customers and references, and for the latest hotfrequencies screenshots updated DAILY from our continuous real-time monitoring! The chaotic Internet becomes more and more unreliable. We work continuously between October and April every year. If you place an order via e-mail, you should normally receive our confirmation within one day. If you did NOT receive a reply from us within a few days, something has gone wrong and we did NOT receive your order. Please remember to send PLAIN TEXT ONLY. Do not e-mail formatted Word documents and do not encrypt or pack your message. What's more, the Net becomes more and more insecure. Forget about "secure" messaging systems such as that ridiculous SSL et al. How to hack that is perfectly described on the Net; a keyword search on Google for cmaster4.zip and related software throws up dozens of sites! The Visa credit card company in particular experiences widespread fraud. As from 1 January 2003, these guys increase their so-called "service charge" from about 2 EUR per mail order to more than 6 EUR, and the transaction should be executed - believe it or not! via that horribly insecure and infamous Microsoft Internet Explorer on a SSL link ;-)) As a matter of fact, YOU will not accept that drastic price increase, and WE will not accept that complicated and time-consuming procedure. By consequence, we - and many other small and medium companies worldwide! - will refuse to accept Visa card payments after 20 December 2002. Thank you for your understanding. As an alternative, do NOT send cheques, because these cost another 15 EUR bank "service charge", even if made out in EUR! Please use your AmEx, Eurocard or Mastercard instead, or that of a friend. Talking about friends, remember our discount rates for the new 2003 products: 2-5 copies 20 percent, 6-19 copies 30 percent, 20-49 copies 40 percent, 50 and more copies 50 percent! After the dramatic crash of the EUR against real money such as CHF, GBP, HKD, JPY, SGD and USD, our products currently are up to 15 % cheaper for our customers in America, Britain, Canada, Japan, Scandinavia, Southeast Asia and elsewhere. Enjoy! Best wishes, (Joerg Klingenfuss, Dec 7, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Klingenfuss Publications Klingenfuss Radio Monitoring Hagenloher Str. 14 D-72070 Tuebingen Germany Phone ++49 7071 62830 Fax ++49 7071 600849 E-Mail klingenfuss@compuserve.com Internet http://www.klingenfuss.org I must be missing something. HF E-mail may be ``terrorist proof`` in that one is not dependent on a wired network, but how can it possibly be more secure from interception, transmitted over the airwaves, than via the internet, or satellite?? (gh) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 11 DECEMBER 2002 - 06 JANUARY 2003 Solar activity is expected to be low to moderate. Isolated low-level M-class activity is possible during the period. There is a slight chance of a greater than 10 MeV proton event during the forecast period. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geo-synchronous orbit is expected to exceed event threshold on 21-22 and 25-26 December due to recurring coronal holes. The geomagnetic field is expected to be at quiet to active levels during the forecast period. A coronal hole is due to return on 18-19 December and is expected to result in active to isolated minor storm conditions. Weaker recurring coronal holes are expected to return on 26-28 December and again on 03-04 January resulting in unsettled to isolated active conditions. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2002 Dec 10 2211 UTC # Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Environment Center # Product description and SEC contact on the Web # http://www.sec.noaa.gov/wwire.html # # 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table # Issued 2002 Dec 10 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2002 Dec 11 160 10 3 2002 Dec 12 165 10 3 2002 Dec 13 170 8 3 2002 Dec 14 170 8 3 2002 Dec 15 165 10 3 2002 Dec 16 165 12 3 2002 Dec 17 160 12 3 2002 Dec 18 150 20 4 2002 Dec 19 150 20 4 2002 Dec 20 150 15 3 2002 Dec 21 145 15 3 2002 Dec 22 140 15 3 2002 Dec 23 140 12 3 2002 Dec 24 140 12 3 2002 Dec 25 140 12 3 2002 Dec 26 140 12 3 2002 Dec 27 145 12 3 2002 Dec 28 145 12 3 2002 Dec 29 145 10 3 2002 Dec 30 150 10 3 2002 Dec 31 150 12 3 2003 Jan 01 150 8 3 2003 Jan 02 150 10 3 2003 Jan 03 150 15 3 2003 Jan 04 155 10 3 2003 Jan 05 155 12 3 2003 Jan 06 160 12 3 (http://www.sec.noaa.gov/radio Dec 10, WORLD OF RADIO 1160, DXLD) ###