DX LISTENING DIGEST 3-020, February 4, 2003 edited by Glenn Hauser, ghauser@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/dxldtd3b.html [note change] HTML version of all January issues are now at http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldtd3a.html For restrixions and searchable 2003 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html For restrixions and searchable 2002 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid2.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 NEXT AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1167: RFPI: Wed 0700, 1300 on 15039 and/or 7445 WWCR: Wed 1030 9475 WJIE: M-F 1300 7490... WRN ONDEMAND: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 [Low] (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1167.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1167.ram [High] (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1167h.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1167h.ram (Summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1167.html FIRST AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1168: Wed 2300 on WBCQ 7415, 17495-CUSB Thu 2130 on WWCR 9475 Fri 1930 on RFPI 15038.6 AUDIO: Check http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIAL Hi Glenn, just a note of appreciation for the hard work you do keeping shortwave listeners up to date. Thanks! (Jim Wishner, MN, Jan 31, with a donation) ** AFGHANISTAN. Since November 11, Radio France International (RFI) has operated an FM transmitter in Kabul on 95 FM following agreement with the Afghani Information Ministry (e-broadcast Asia via Richard Jary, Feb 4, Cumbre DX via DXLD) 95.0, or rounded off? (gh) ** AUSTRALIA. RADIO AUSTRALIA'S NEW SEASON If you're a regular listener to Radio Australia, you know that many regular programs have been on hiatus since mid-December. As of late January, several programs audible via shortwave during local weekday mornings in North America will be shuffled around. Here is the new weekday schedule: 1305 The Planet 1405 Margaret Throsby - a repeat of the 0410 UT broadcast 1605 Bush Telegraph 1705 Australia Talks Back - a repeat of the 0910 UT broadcast 1755 Perspective - a repeat of the 0855 UT broadcast Some folks might not be thrilled to see these changes, because the second hour of The Planet is lost. The Planet is regularly mentioned as a favorite world music program in shortwave programming discussions. The motivation for these changes is likely not Radio Australia; at that time of night, Radio Australia relays what airs on the domestic Radio National service, with the exception of the hourly newscasts -- they are specific to Radio Australia. While I'm not sure if Roger Broadbent and his colleagues have much clout, it probably doesn't hurt to contact them if you would rather hear different programming. The best E-mail address is english@ra.abc.net.au What we in North America hear as one contiguous programming block for The Planet (currently from 1320 to 1500) is really two different programs: the program from 1405 to 1500 is a repeat of the prior afternoon program. It appears this second hour will no longer air on Radio National as of January 27th. Other new programming debuted on Radio National as of late January, and I wouldn't be surprised to see some of it make its way onto the Radio Australia schedule. More on that as information becomes available; one program with an interesting subject line is The Ark. Hosted by Rachel Kohn (The Spirit of Things), this new program will be an interview with a knowledgeable guest discussing an inspirational event, person, artifact, practice or place in religious history (Richard Cuff, Easy Listening, Feb NASWA Journal via DXLD) Unfortunately Radio Australia isn't running "The Ark", though it is available in Radio National's live stream and is available on demand from the Radio National website. "The Ark" is on the Radio National schedule Wednesdays 2:15 PM, which currently converts to Wednesdays 0315 UT while Australia is on DST. Live RealAudio version is at http://abc.net.au/streaming/RN.ram live WMP version is http://www.abc.net.au/streaming/RN.asx (Richard Cuff, PA, Feb 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. Frequency change for HCJB in English to S Pac/Au effective from Feb. 2: 0700-1200 NF 11770* (43333) KHX 025 kW / 106 deg, ex 11755 to avoid Radio Finland *co-ch 0700-1000 Voice of Russia WS in Russian (irr.) 0700-1200 China National Radio 2 in Mandarin Chinese 0700-1200 Voice of Nigeria in English/Hausa/English (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria Feb 4 via DXLD) Oops, HCJB frequency management still leaves something to be desired. Possibly all this co-channel on 11770 is less of a problem in Pacific target than Finland was on 11755? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Good reception in Bulgaria for HCJB in English to S Asia from Feb. 2: 1230-1730 on 15480 (44554) KHX 100 kW / 307 degrees (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria Feb 4 via DXLD) Dear Glenn, At last, HCJB Australia has started test broadcasts from 29th January 2003. First time heard by me in Chandigarh (North India) at 1305 till abrupt sign off at 1402 UT. On 30th January, again heard at around 1300 till sign off at 1420. They are asking for reception reports over phone no. +61891693565 or email english@hcjb.org.au Signal here is absolutely clear without any interference. Best 73 (Kanwar Sandhu, UNIVERSAL DX LEAGUE, PO Box 1128, Sector 15, Chandigarh 160015, INDIA, Feb 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Emmanuel Granado wrote from Edmonton questioning some of the area channels in my database. He also passed along two web addresses that may be of interest to those DXing Canadian stations. Check out Nelson Media on http://members.shaw.ca/nelsonmedia/ and CDN:TV on http://www.cdntv.cjb.net The latter site offers video clips and network IDs (Doug Smith, TV News, Feb WTFDA VHF-UHF Digest via DXLD) ** CHECHNYA [non]. U S A(non): Frequency changes for Radio Liberty in Russian/Avari/Chechen/Cherkessi: 1800-1900 NF 7565 (55544), ex 11930 NF 9840 (45444), ex 12130 \\ 9615 (55444) 73 from (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria Feb 4 via DXLD) ** CHINA. Accusing China of jamming all its Voice of America and Radio Free Asia shortwave broadcasts into the PRC, especially Tibet, the Broadcast Board of Governors (BBG) in Washington went in front of Congress in December to press for a concerted effort by the U.S. to end the problem and to obtain equal treatment for US broadcasters operating in China on the same basis as China`s networks widely enjoyed in the US (e-broadcast Asia via Richard Jary, Feb 4, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** COLOMBIA. 6140.58, Radio Melodía, 1118 Jan 31, "Las últimas noticias", talk about President Uribe of Colombia and the ELN guerrilla group, ID at 1131; strong signal, but fading by 1140 (Ralph Brandi, Tinton Falls, NJ, Drake R8, AOR AR-7030 Plus, 250-foot mini- Beverage, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** COLOMBIA. Re Voz de la Resistencia: Anthony, Many thanks for your valuable observations. Hope you will keep us informed on this from your vantage point. Did you mean the broadcast is at 1200, or the warm-up is at 1250 UT? 73, (Glenn to Tony Conte, Feb 1) Ooops! Warmup 1250, newscast promptly at 1300 GMT. Will be glad to keep an eye/ear out for Voz. Traveled to Ecuador in July 2001 and my first night in Guayaquil it boomed in. Subsequent evening became worse and worse. Quito, which I expected to offer a stronger signal was disappointing. I've always found that HF propagates far better on the coast than up in the mountains (Tony Conte, Panamá, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COLOMBIA. The station run by Colombia`s Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia [sic] (FARC) --- the narco-guerilla [sic] group largely responsible for that country being in such turmoil --- appears to have resurfaced after a long silence. La Voz de la Resistencia has recently been noted using 6.175 around 1030. Ironically, this is the frequency the station has always announced, even though their transmissions usually floated around the area of 6.250 MHz. Another signal was found on 10.000 upper sideband around 2100. This appears to also be a FARC outlet, but is probably aimed at a different part of Colombia (Gerry L. Dexter, Bandscan America, Feb Shortwave Magazine via DXLD) Dexter manages to write a full page of material without ever mentioning the name of anybody who actually heard and reported the items covered. In this case, there was only a single report of 6175, on one date only, from David Hodgson. If you report an exclusive to the DX world, beware! Dexter will steal it without the minimum courtesy of a credit. As I recall, there was only a single report of 10000-USB as well, by Adán González. Both naturally appearing in DXLD, which Dexter is forbidden to use as a source due to his arrogant rip- off policy. Yet in other pages of SWM, all loggings are carefully credited to each individual who reported them. Why the disparity? He goes on to mention that La Voz de tu Conciencia settled on 6010 but lately has turned up on 6015. Would you believe 6010.5? Yet another single logging is made to appear a regular: R. Nacional de Colombia reactivated on 9635 in the evenings (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. Some DEUTSCHE TELEKOM (DTK) changes: Bible Voice Broadcasting Network /BVBN/ effective Jan. 27: 0030-0100 9740 NAU 250 kW / 095 deg Mon-Sat to S As Hindi ex 7315 0800-0845 5975 JUL 100 kW / 290 deg M-F to W Eu English ex 0700-0745 1900-1945 6010 JUL 100 kW / 060 deg Mon-Fri to E Eu En/Ru/En ex 5910 IBRA Radio effective from Feb. 1: 0500-0600 9710 JUL 100 kW / 115 deg Daily to ME Arabic ex 0500-0530 Brother Stair /TOM/ effective from Jan. 12: 1600-1800 6110 JUL 100 kW / non-dir Daily to WEu English ex Sat only Voice of Hope/High Adventure Ministries effective from Feb. 1: 1400-1530 15775 JUL 100 kW / 090 deg Daily SoAs En/Urdu new txion 1530-1630 11905 JUL 100 kW / 115 deg Daily ME En/Urdu new txion 1515-1530 9860 JUL 100 kW / 115 deg Sat ME English new txion 1530-1730 9860 JUL 100 kW / 115 deg Mon-Fri ME En/Ar/Fa ex Daily 1730-1800 9860 JUL 100 kW / 115 deg Sun ME English new txion (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria Feb 4 via DXLD) ** HONDURAS. One of these days we may see a new station on the air in Honduras. Radio Bethel, which currently operates from Taujica on 1.160 medium wave, says it would like to add a shortwave facility on 60m (Gerry L. Dexter, Bandscan America, Feb Shortwave Magazine via DXLD) The only source for the HRHZ F.Pl. is Larry Baysinger, Cumbre DX, quoted in DXLD 2-130 way back on August 17, to give you an idea how stale the material in Bandscan America can be. Is he or Cumbre credited for this info? Of course not! (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. The BBC World Service has brokered a 30 minute weekly segment on All India Radio's FM1 network to carry "BBC Extra" a lifestyle program. Domestic Radio program sponsorship is also used by other foreign broadcasters serving the Indian market. The BBC is reported to be paying 8000 rupees for each show, which do not carry commercials (e-broadcast Asia via Richard Jary, Feb 4, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** IRAN [non]. On December 19, 2002, the US launched Radio Farda, a unique Persian-language radio service designed to give Iranians additional news, information, reports on public affairs, and entertainment. The service is funded by the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors and jointly run by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Voice of America. Radio Farda broadcasts around-the-clock on AM 1593 and AM 1539 and digital audio satellite and 21 hours a day on shortwave. While BBG claims audiences like the new station, it replaced Radio Azardi [sic], a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty operation. The Iran authorities see Farda as a propaganda move against them (e-broadcast Asia via Richard Jary, Feb 4, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** IRAN [non]. Very good reception in Bulgaria for V of Southern Azerbaijan in Azeri on Jan. 29/30: 1630-1700 Wed/Thu on NF 9375 (55544), instead of ann. 9570 (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria Feb 4 via DXLD) The very minimum in competence for any SW station or program is the ability to announce its own frequencies correctly (gh, DXLD) ** KASHMIR [non]. CLANDESTINE from ? to SOUTH ASIA 9890, Sadaye Kashmir (presumed) already with an open carrier at 0208 Feb 5. Rather than a tone or set of tones, I heard a het on 9890 from spurs on 9891 and 9889. These went away when the program started at 0230. I don't recall such a long warm up period from a program coming from the CIS. Tones from the CIS operations I have heard usually go on and off prior to the program starting. Best I have ever heard them but still not too strong. Sounded like the first words out of the woman announcer's mouth were "In the name of God, the merciful and compassionate," the typical Islamic opening. Then a partial ID with the word "Kashmir" heard. Two female announcers were noted, usually just one talking. Mostly music. A bit of a fade by 0300 and didn't seem to switch over to a different language at 0310. Longer block of talk at 0300, some mentions of Pakistan. 0317 perhaps a different language at this point as a male announcer started. Hard to tell as fading pretty good by this point, but I did hear him mention Pakistan several times. Man ended shortly before 0330, woman returned for just a bit and then off at 0330. In Farsi, Sadaye means "voice," I presume that it means the same in Urdu and that the translated name is "Voice of Kashmir." An Internet search found a Pakistan TV program with this name and a weekly magazine that was banned by the Pakistani government last year. I think that it is also worth noting that this program is at the same time as Voice of Jammu and Kashmir Freedom in [if?] the latter's latest published schedule still holds true (Hans Johnson, TX? UT Feb 5, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** KYRGYZSTAN. Re DXLD 3-019 item from UzReport.com: "KYRGYZ RADIO STATION SALAM TO START BROADCASTS TO UZBEKISTAN" Glenn - I suspect this may be only a new FM frequency re extract from UNICEF below. (Current frequency of R Salam, Batken is 105.0 MHz according to WRTH 2003) From: http://www.unicef.org/programme/highlights/cee/story/radio.htm "....Batken`s youngsters are fortunate enough to have the impetus that Radio Salam`s frequency modulations offer on a daily basis; other young people in more remote parts of the province are denied this for the time being. But UNICEF is now working to raise the necessary funds that would allow the radio's footprint to extend way beyond the current one covering the town and a few of the surrounding villages. The funds will be used to relocate the transmission antenna from its present location in the town to one of the nearby mountains. This would provide the station with coverage of the entire province, as well as enough spill-over into the border regions of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to enable the non-Kyrgyz youth to come together with their peers across the frontiers. This, after all, is what Radio Salam is all about." (Alan Pennington, BDXC-UK, Caversham UK, Feb 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LIBERIA. RLI presumed on 6100, fair with English talk about church, J.C. at 0706 Feb 4; 5470 R. Veritas was also in with somewhat weaker signal and hardly any modulation (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LIBERIA. 5469.98, Radio Veritas, 0720 Feb 4. Relay of VOA's "Daybreak Africa" until 0727, ID "This is Radio Veritas, the Voice of Truth" at 0728, again "Radio Veritas FM is your watchdog on the radio dial", time check for 7:30 (Ralph Brandi, Tinton Falls, NJ, Drake R8, AOR AR-7030 Plus, 250-foot mini-Beverage, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** LIBERIA. 6100.03, Radio Liberia International, 0731 Feb 4, Afro-pop music, "Program is 'Wake Up Liberia'", anniversary of Episcopal church in Liberia, calypso music, close-down of program at 0801, ID "This is Radio Liberia International, the external service of the Liberia Communications Network" (Ralph Brandi, Tinton Falls, NJ, Drake R8, AOR AR-7030 Plus, 250-foot mini-Beverage, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** MEXICO. Southwest DXers FYI -- The last 2 Sunday nights, I've noticed XEPRS-1090 off the air when I checked around 10 pm local time. They seem to come back on before midnight, judging by my tapes from 1080 on those nights. This may be a case of scheduling silent periods so as to avoid running "La Hora Nacional" at 9 pm? I can't get anything but noise and slop with XEPRS off. Mostly KRLD/XEDY on 1080 and KFAX/XENAS on 1100. 73, (Tim Hall, Chula Vista, CA, Feb 4, IRCA via DXLD) I thought LHN was at 0400 UT, or is it 10 pm local also in the western timezones? (gh, DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS. Saludos, grupistas, Como no sabrán sin leer DX Listening Digest, se ha retirado el plan de recortes en RN, para negociar un plan revisado dentro de unos dos meses. Además, oigo decir que escribir en defensa a RN a tantas embajadas, y órganos gubernamentales, bien pueda ser contra-productivo, que RN goza de su independencia de influencia politica... 73, (Glenn Hauser, Feb 3, Conexión Digital via DXLD) De excelentes fuentes vinculadas directamente con la emisora mundial holandesa me permito afirmar que la presión que podamos ejercer sobre órganos públicos y gubernamentales holandeses será esencial para conseguir torcer el rumbo de la decisión tomada. La emisora es pública pero su destino está en manos de las autoridades de los Países Bajos. 73's (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, ibid.) Cuento también con ``excelentes fuentes vinculadas directamente con`` RN (gh) ** NEW ZEALAND. Glenn, As I recall from last year, RNZI will carry much of the National Radio programming on Waitangi Day (which starts later today UT). Here's the National Radio programme schedule: Waitangi Day - Thursday 6 February 2003 [subtract 13 for UT] 12.04 All Night Programme Including: 12.06 Spectrum; (RNZ); 1.05 I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again (BBC); 2.05 Cadenza with Peter Fry; 3.10 The Carving (RNZ); 4.05 Mana Tangata (RNZ); 4.30 Playing Favourites; 5.10 Rourou (RNZ) 6.00 Early Bird 6.15 How the Kiwi Lost its Wings (RNZ) 7.08 Mrs Mafua’s Hat (RNZ) 9.06 The Best of Kim Hill RR 10.06 Look Into My Eyes Dr Aric Sigman looks at how hypnosis affects the brain, how it appears to cure certain illnesses and whether anyone can really be hypnotised and made to do anything the hypnotist desires (NNC) 11.05 Schnackenberg of Kawhia An early European family’s version of the story of the East Coast from the arrival of Kupe through to the 20th century - recorded in the 1940s (RNZ) 12.35 Off The Wire (RNZ) 1.06 Cadenza with Peter Fry 2.06 The Waitangi Rua Rau Tau Lecture: Encounters & Responses Justice Sir Rodney Gallen presents the inaugural annual lecture in a series aimed at monitoring progress towards a truly celebratory national bicentennial in 2040 3.04 Mahinarangi Tocker - Live in Concert (RNZ) 4.06 Fresh Off the Boat When a Samoan widow`s younger brother comes to New Zealand, a few adjustments need to be made on both sides to overcome cultural differences (RNZ) 5.40 The Night I Got My Tucki The idiosyncrasies of New Zealanders, their sounds and behaviours, seen through the eyes of an 11-year-old girl in Illinois. By Stepanie Johnson (RNZ) 6.07 The Secret Museum The story of how archeologists; unsure how to cope with a large quantity of sexually explicit artifacts, created a secret museum and might now be viewed as the unwitting founders of modern pornography (BBC) 6.45 Storytime (RNZ) 7.07 Drawl and Twang (F) Fed Up to the Back Teeth, featuring Dunedin's incomparable Marcus Turner and the Chaps band (RNZ) 7.30 Bookmarks RR (RNZ) 8.06 Whenua! RR People, issues, music and comment in Aotearoa (RNZ) 9.06 One Planet (BBC) 9.30 Bookshelf Day Out, by Barbara Anderson Three women have some interesting preoccupations as they engage in the ritual of going "over the hill" to visit (RNZ) 9.45 Mana Tangata RR (RNZ) 10.00 News at Ten 10.12 Pinky Pops In Wellington comedian Pinky Agnew spins a few yarns and shares some of the treasures in her biscuit tin (RNZ) 11.06 Pioneering Rhythm & Blues Labels The fourth of a 12-part look at the independent record labels that sprang up in the 1940s and early 50s (RNZ) 73, (Ivan Grishin, Ont., Feb 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, Caught this message on the rnzi.com webpage. The internet feed is available (I'm listening to it right now -- but it's only on until 2400) Haere Mai. Welcome! The RNZI short-wave service is off air at the moment due to a power failure. Normal service should resume at 0300 UTC [1600 NZT] 05 February, 2003. (via Ivan Grishin, DXLD) 17675 inaudible at 0450 (gh) ** NEW ZEALAND. RADIO NZ STAFF 'AT BREAKING POINT' From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3099259&thesection=news&thesubsection=general 04.02.2003 By MATHEW DEARNALEY Radio New Zealand news staff are sceptical about a damning consultants' report confirming what they already knew - that they are in despair over budget cuts and associated woes. The report, which the state broadcaster says it commissioned from accountants Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu to investigate their concerns, has been presented to them as doubt surrounds the future of managing editor Lynne Snowdon. Pointing to a widespread belief that Radio New Zealand's Auckland and Wellington newsrooms are "at breaking point" and ready to "implode", the report cites high staff frustration and a lack of leadership. This has led to concern within the organisation about a reduced quality of news coverage and increasing mistakes, it says. Ms Snowdon, who has found herself at loggerheads with Radio New Zealand chief executive Sharon Crosbie, remains on extended sick leave despite her employer's expectation at the weekend that she would return yesterday. She could not be reached for comment, but an independent source told the Herald he understood efforts were being made to resolve a dispute between her and the management "through different legal means". Radio New Zealand spokesman John Barr would not comment on a suggestion that Ms Snowdon, who was head-hunted from the British Broadcasting Corporation in the mid-1990s, may sue for constructive dismissal. One insider suggested Ms Crosbie commissioned the report "into so- called problems in the newsrooms" to undermine Ms Snowdon's position, but another said that if this were so it overshot its mark because the top management had to bear responsibility for the findings. Mr Barr said the report was a direct response to staff concerns about staffing levels, career development opportunities and ways of working, and any actions taken over it would be discussed thoroughly with union representatives. Engineers' Union delegate and Radio New Zealand economics editor Brent Edwards would not discuss the Snowdon-Crosbie standoff, but said staff had tried to persuade the management the report would be a pointless exercise. "As soon as we heard there was going to be a report we said: 'Don't do it, it's a waste of money because you ought to know what the problems are'." Mr Edwards said his members resolved yesterday to work with the management on ways to resolve the highlighted difficulties, but only if the exercise was broadened into an examination of how many staff were needed to run a national public news service. The report comes after cost cuts of $225,000 from last year's news budget of $8.1 million resulted in a recall notice being given to Radio New Zealand's only overseas staff correspondent and a temporary reduction in its parliamentary gallery staff from five to four. Mr Barr said news was not the only division faced with budget cuts to cover rising transmission costs. But he acknowledged concern among news staff that the bulk of the most recent Government funding increase to the organisation as a whole, of $889,000 in 2001, went to new feature programmes under a directive of former Broadcasting Minister Marian Hobbs. Some of the money was earmarked for retaining regional news reporters, but staff earning markedly less than in other media organisations are seething over a failure to address high turnover in the main radio newsrooms. Despite the injection, New Zealand On Air's overall allocation of $22.29 million to National Radio and Concert FM remains more than 20 per cent below the $28.05 million Radio New Zealand received in 1990 from the old public broadcasting fee (via Mike Terry, DXLD) ** NIGERIA. Frequency change for Voice of Nigeria - NF 11770*, ex 7255 as follows: 0500-0800 in English 1600-1700 in Arabic 0800-0900 in Hausa 1700-1800 in Fulfulde 0900-1200 in English 1800-2000 in English 1200-1300 in French 2000-2200 in Hausa 1300-1600 in Swahili 2200-2300 in English *co-ch 0500-1200 China National Radio 2 in Mandarin Chinese 0600-1000 Voice of Russia WS in English (irr.) 0700-1200 HCJB AUS in English 1430-1630 VOA in Pashto/Dari 1630-1830 RFE/RL in Pashto/Dari 1830-1900 VOA in Azeri \\ freq 15120 0500-1200 and 1900-2300 (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria Feb 4 via DXLD) Not ex-7255 at 0700 as I heard them both Feb 4: Checking 11770 at 0700 Feb 4 for HCJB-Australia, I heard talk in unID language with lo-fi audio. After a few minutes my brain locked into the accent and realized it was English, but hardly Aussie. It was V. of Nigeria as recently reported on this long-inactive frequency, confirmed by \\ 7255, but not audible on 15120, as it sometimes has been even at this late hour. No sign of HCJB --- and no sign of Finland 11755 either. Wonder if VON has three or just two transmitters going now (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I tuned to 11770 kHz this morning to check HCJB Australia to the Pacific on their new frequency (ex 11755) and found Voice of Nigeria in English mixing with HCJB on 11770 around 1020 UT. Both stations equal strength (S2) at this time with moderate fading, but by 1045 V of Nigeria was dominant on the frequency. Programming seems to follow schedule on their website http://www.voiceofnigeria.org/ e.g. "Women and Development" at 1030; "Soul Lift" at 1100 etc. Closed at 1158 but no schedule heard and no mention of 11770 on the website, just 15120 and 7255. Not sure if 11770 replaces either 15120 or 7255 (couldn't hear either of these) but presumably is used 0500-1200 (and also 1900- 2300? - will check later). 11770 was listed at the end of 2001 as one of the frequencies to be used by one of the three new 250 kW transmitters commissioned by V of Nigeria (see "The New Voice of Nigeria" on RN's Media Network site at http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/features/html/nigeria011101.html but as far as I know, has never been used until now? (Alan Pennington, BDXC-UK, Caversham, UK AOR 7030+ / longwire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Well, I can remember when 11770 was active many years ago, but despite constant listing of it on schedules, has just recently reappeared. This was reported as early as Jan 9 in DXLD 3-018, by Schulze in Philippines, UT evening. It`s supposedly for C & S Africa, so wonder what the azimuth really be. In our afternoons, will be yet another problem for XERMX (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGESTS) Interesting! They have announced this one for years, but I don't think have actually used it for quite some time. My records show I QSL'd it for reception on 20/3/78 at 0635 UT (Craig Seager, Australia, ARDXC via DXLD) 11770, 0603 Feb 4, V of Nigeria, poor-fair signal in English with news. Ex-15120 and in // with weaker 7255 (Paul Ormandy, New Zealand, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I tuned into Nigeria today and heard their 2200 UT ID in English where they announced broadcasting on 7255, 11770, and 15120 kHz to different areas. I could hear 11770 and 7255 only. 15120 had a strong signal covering it (Chuck Bolland, FL, Feb 5, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. One might hope that KOMA`s new format would lead to something more objective than Roy Masters, but he`s still on, noted closing at 0700 Feb 4. Now, how about Brother Scare? (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Subject: KOMA 1520 Tribute Program Kent, I just wanted to take a moment to thank you (and your great airstaff) for the incredible job that you've done over the years in keeping music (and especially the oldies format) alive on AM as long as you did. I moved to this part of the US a little over five years ago and KOMA-AM kept me company thru many nights on the road! Being in radio myself, I understand the decision to flip the AM to the new format early was an easy one given the magnitude of the Columbia disaster - it was indeed a news story for the history books. It did, however, deprive those who are classified as AM "DXERS" a chance to hear the history of KOMA that you had promoted so well. Was this recorded for posterity and is there any chance of getting a tape of it? Do you know anyone in the area who may have recorded it? I'll be traveling thru OKC later this year and will be looking forward to listening to KOMA again - this time on the FM side. Thanks again for sticking with almost full-time music on AM for all these years!! Sincerely, (Mark Erdman, Herington/Salina KS, Feb 3, to KOMA via NRC- AM via DXLD) For those who had really wanted to hear the tribute program that was to air on KOMA over the weekend, this response from their PD puts it all in the proper perspective. At least the airchecks are where everyone can hear them!! (Mark Erdman, Herington/Salina KS, ibid.) Hi Mark, Thanks for your sentiments. It was unfortunate that the Columbia tragedy caused us to change format early. The plan was to change the format on Feb. 3rd. So the tribute did not air. But a collection of the airchecks is posted at the following link: http://www.live365.com/stations/174431 Enjoy! And thanks for being a constant fan of 1520. I appreciate your understanding of the change. It was not easy to do. We are all fans of the glory days of AM radio and it was fun to relive it on KOMA-AM. But as things always change, we look forward to a new era for 1520. We intend to keep the station respected regardless of format. Best regards, (Kent Jones, Program Director, KOMA Radio, http://www.komaradio.com thegoodguys@komaradio.com via Erdman, ibid.) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Wantok, Radio Light 93FM, the country`s first Christian Broadcasting network hopes to raise 200,000 Kina to start a SW station in March this year. Late last year, the station also set up an agreement with state broadcaster, NBC to carry its 7 am and 7 pm news bulletins for its 300,000 strong audience (e-broadcast Asia via Richard Jary, Feb 4, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** PORTUGAL. Additional changes for RDP Internacional-Rádio Portugal: to Europe Mon-Fri 0900-1057 on 11875 LIS 300 45œ retimed, ex 0900-1300 1100-1300 NF 15140 LIS 300 45œ ex 11875 2000–2400 NF 9880 LIS 300 45œ ex 11 860 (special broadcasts only) Full updated schedule for RDP Internacional-Rádio Portugal in next OBSERVER #241 (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria Feb 4 via DXLD) ** PUERTO RICO. Just to let everyone know, the WBMJ/WIVV tests DID run, according to the Bert Johnson, Operations Manager at WBMJ-WIVV. He is anxious to hear from anyone who might have tried or heard the tests. You can reach him at bjohnson [at] cem-wbmj.org (Lynn Hollerman, Lafayette, LA, IRCA via DXLD) ** SAO TOME. SÃO TOMÉ. The VOA 600 kW transmitter on 1530 is currently using a non-directional pattern which may give more radiation toward the US than the usual directional mode. They should be in this mode for the next few weeks. Daily at 0300-0530, 0600-0630, 1600-1800 and 1830-2200; 0530-0600, 1800-1830, 2200-2230 Mon-Fri; and 0630-0700 Sat-Sun, English, Portuguese, Hausa, French (Jerry Berg, DX-plorer, via Harold Sellers, Newmarket, Ontario, Feb 4, ODXA via DXLD) ** SAUDI ARABIA [and non]. AL-JAZIRAH TV VIEWS ROLE OF SA`UDI OPPOSITION RADIO STATION | Text of report by Qatari Al-Jazeera satellite TV on 31 January [Part of an Islamic song that says Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem are pained by the injustice done to Muslims] With such songs, Sawt al- Islah [Voice of Reform] radio started its transmission from London via satellites and on shortwave. The radio, which is considered the mouthpiece of the Saudi opposition Movement for Islamic Reform [in Arabia - MIRA], broadcasts talk shows and analytical programmes. It also provides direct and live contacts with listeners in Saudi Arabia. Supervisors of the project hope it will succeed in attaining the goals of their movement. [Sa'd al-Faqih, head of MIRA - recording] The idea is not new. It may have been a good thing that it was delayed, because it now feels closer to the sensitive conditions in the country [Saudi Arabia]. Everybody is now talking about major crises inside the country. There are also major regional and international crises. All calculations and futuristic studies are talking about very hard difficulties facing the regime and the society in general. There is a likelihood of chaos in the country due to these challenges. It is good that we have reached the point of being able talk to the public at this time in particular and provide this tool to direct the public and tell them what they should do. [End of recording] While some Saudis in London try to monitor the radio, some observers doubt its ability to influence the political conditions inside the Kingdom, especially since it started at the time when the Kingdom and all its key figures and institutions are facing a fierce onslaught from the West. Many opposition figures inside the country joined ranks to maintain the cohesion of the home front. However, managers of the project believe otherwise. [Sa'd al-Faqih - recording] They want to join ranks behind those who want to surrender the entire country, their religion, identity and culture to the enemy. This is not called joining ranks. [End of recording] Al-Jazeera Television tried to obtain an official comment. It contacted the Saudi embassy in London. Despite repeated attempts, we have not been able to get any reply. Source: Al-Jazeera TV, Doha, in Arabic 1130 gmt 31 Jan 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** SERBIA-MONTENEGRO. See YUGOSLAVIA [non] ** SOLOMON ISLANDS. 5019.9, Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation 1226 Jan 31, music program "Sound Quality", // 9580 Radio Australia with delay of about 1 second, ID for Radio Australia at 1300, into RA News, then "The Planet"; airing RA instead of BBC today during overnight hours; still listenable an hour and a half past local sunrise here (1207 UT) (Ralph Brandi, Tinton Falls, NJ, Drake R8, AOR AR-7030 Plus, 250-foot mini-Beverage, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** UKRAINE [non]. RFE/RL will begin using 3980 kHz via Biblis, Germany, for the evening Ukrainian broadcast from February 10. 1800-2000 Daily ADD 3980 (ex 6170) 2000-2100 SU-FR ADD 3980 (ex 6170) (Dan Ferguson via SWBC@topica.com mail list Feb 4 via DXLD) ** U K. BBC WORLD SERVICE HIGHLIGHTS Fridays, 0130 UT: Because he`s been part of the BBC schedule since the 1960s, John Peel is regularly taken for granted. Peel has long championed innovative popular music talent from around the world, and his show is a fixture in the arts programming of the World Service. Thursdays, 0206 UT, beginning February 6th, repeated Fridays, 1506: In the three-part series titled Technology in South America, Discovery takes a look at Brazil, the most successful South American nation in its implementation of science and technology. The picture isn`t 100% rosy, as conflicts have developed over areas including genetically modified crops and generic pharmaceuticals. Saturdays, 1330 UT, February 8th and 15th: Andy Kershaw visits Timbuktu in West Africa to take part in Desert Blues, one of the world`s oldest music festivals. In the last few years, the festival has grown beyond its local roots and, this year, features the legendary Malian singer Ali Fanka Touré. Sunday, 0001 UT, February 9th: Play of the Week presents a special 90- minute installment featuring a play currently in its run from London`s West End – second only to New York`s Broadway for English language dramatic production. As of this date, the title to be featured has not been posted on the World Service website. All Plays of the Week are available for on-demand listening for the week following the live airing, if you can`t be at your radio on Saturday evenings. Saturdays, 0406 UT, beginning February 15th: I`m Sorry I Haven`t a Clue, one of the most popular light entertainment shows on BBC Radio 4, makes its World Service debut after 30 years on the domestic service. The chairman/moderator, jazz trumpeter Humphrey Lytelton, gives four comedians silly things to do. Examples include singing one familiar song to the tune of another, giving misleading advice to visitors to Britain, a playing the game Morning Crescent – whose rules are a closely guarded secret and are subject to mysterious fluctuation. Fridays, 0230 UT, beginning February 21st, repeated Mondays, 1530: A Fresh Start for Africa is a new three-part 30-minute documentary series looking at the New African Initiative – a continent-wide development plan recently drawn up by African leaders. The program looks at the recent history of Africa since the independence movements of the 1950s and 1960s, the regional conflicts, and a guardedly optimistic viewpoint arising on the continent. Mondays-Fridays, 1345 UT, repeated Tuesdays-Saturdays, 0445: Off The Shelf features the first batch of winners from the World Service Short Story Competition during the week beginning February 24th. The first week`s stories hail from Connecticut, Vanuatu, South Africa, New Zealand and Italy. Wednesdays, 1406 UT, repeated Thursdays, 0106, beginning February 26th: Meridian Writing begins another World Book Club series, featuring Doris Lessing and her classic first novel The Grass Is Singing. Lessing was born in Persia (now Iran), moved to Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), and later moved to England. March`s feature is Jung Chang`s international bestseller Wild Swans, and you can send in questions for Chang (presuming you`ve read the book) to meridian.writing@bbc.co.uk or via mail to the usual Bush House address. Thursday, February 27th, 0230 UT, repeated Friday, 1530 UT: Sports International takes a look at the upcoming 2003 Formula One auto racing season. Like other international sports, Formula One gets little air time on domestic US stations – here`s one way to get a jump start on the year ahead. Saturdays, 0230 UT, beginning March 1st, repeated Tuesdays, 1530: The Giving Game is a four-part 30-minute documentary series looking at the growth of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) since World War II. There are now 40,000 international NGOs and millions of local initiatives. Their roots, and the reasons for their growth, are explored (Richard Cuff, Easy Listening, Feb NASWA Journal via DXLD) ** U K. THE MEDIA COLUMN: THE BBC MUST ADMIT THAT IT HAS DONE WRONG ON A HUGE SCALE --- By Tim Luckhurst, 04 February 2003 There were people in London in the 1930s who believed that John Reith, the director general of the BBC, was a megalomaniacal lunatic. The postmaster general did. Ramsay MacDonald and Stanley Baldwin had their suspicions. But, as the cabinet papers on the abdication of Edward VIII have revealed, Reith proved entirely trustworthy when constitutional crisis came. The King wanted to do an unauthorised radio broadcast to the nation. Backed by his friend Winston Churchill, he was all set to stake his empire on a direct appeal to the people over the heads of ministers. As we now know, Baldwin vetoed that. When cabinet colleagues fretted that the king would go straight to Broadcasting House, the Prime Minister was confident. Reith was on side. He would not permit it. Would Greg Dyke have respected constitutional principle? There are people throughout Britain in the Noughties who doubt it. Consider the ratings opportunity: a monarch speaking exclusively to the BBC about sex and power would leave commercial stations viewer-free. Plugged relentlessly and presented by Jeremy Vine, it would screw the competition completely. Add repeats on News 24, and analysis on BBC4, and BBC Digital would outperform Sky Sports. Dyke would be more likely to ask if King Charles could speak at the same time as Arsenal vs Man United, and whether he would bring Camilla, too. Too cynical? In the first month of 2003, Barry Cox called the BBC a "cultural tyranny" and suggested that it should be funded by subscription. The Labour MP Derek Wyatt declared the corporation to be "in terminal decline" and suggested that it should be split up. Jonathan Dimbleby questioned whether the licence fee is still justified. So did Jeremy Isaacs. A New Statesman front page demanded that the Government "Kill the Licence Fee", and had a columnist describe it as a "poll tax that picks the pockets of the poor to fund the pleasures of the better-off". That is the view of the Opposition, too. And, to make it all official, the Culture Secretary, Tessa Jowell, ordered the most comprehensive review of the BBC's remit since the Peacock report of 1986. She made it plain that the BBC's funding mechanism will be "tested to destruction". Granted, 1986 is not so long ago. To a casual observer, we have been here before and under less ruthlessly competitive leadership than Dyke's. But that is wrong. What was once the ideological perspective of the Thatcherite right has become the consensus. This is worse than the relationship between Harold Wilson and BBC News. It makes Tory fury over even-handed coverage of the Suez crisis look trivial. Dyke's BBC is under assault from sectors of opinion that have traditionally defended it. Of course, self-interest is involved. Commercial broadcasters resent the BBC's expansion into digital. ITV reviles the populist scheduling that has cut its share. But even in Broadcasting House, there is awareness that the BBC is losing the argument. Gavyn Davies worries about dumbing-down. Executives understand that renewal of the charter in 2006 is less certain than ever. This is a critical time in the history of the BBC. To survive as a global standard-setter, it's going to have to do something that has been anathema since Reith's day: to admit it has done wrong on an unprecedented scale. Dyke will deny it, but, from right to left, it is now accepted truth that his BBC has expanded into market sectors in which it has no business. Worse, that this commercialism has been exercised at the expense of licence-payers, many of whom don't want the new services for which they pay, and to the detriment of mainstream quality. It doesn't look good for the BBC to announce redundancies in news and current affairs as war looms. The case for a licence fee remains strong. Neither ITV nor Rupert Murdoch really wants the BBC touting for revenue in an already depressed, fragmented market. But they, with politicians and licence-payers, have decided that they do not want a BBC that seeks to dominate the airwaves, instead of strengthening them with a core of excellence. Dyke has made it plain that he intends to serve a second term. But in Parliament and among the public, the view is growing that the director general's strategy is a barrier to renewal of the licence fee. Like Edward VIII, he may need to be persuaded that the survival of an institution he claims to love is incompatible with his own ambitions (Independent Digital via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U K [non]. India: UK-based, Christian Voice International, in November launched a daily three-hour shortwave service in Hindi to India using World Radio Network (WRN) transmissions from its studios in West Bromwich, England (e-broadcast Asia via Richard Jary, Feb 4, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** U S A. BBCM quotes much of the BBG material in DXLD 3-019 and adds some analytical remarx: ANALYSIS: USA ENLISTS COLD WAR STATIONS FOR ANTI-TERROR WAR | Text of editorial analysis by BBC Monitoring's Foreign Media Unit on 4 February In the most significant set of changes to US external broadcasting ever seen, the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), which oversees all non-military US international broadcasting, is redirecting efforts from eastern Europe to the Middle East and Indonesia. It is adding new TV and radio output to its new key target areas. It has given details of its 2004 budget request to Congress. According to a BBG press release, "the president is asking for an appropriation of 563.5m dollars - a 9.5 per cent per cent increase" over the 2003 budget request. (AFP news agency puts the increase at 11.1 per cent over the 2003 budget of 507m dollars.) The BBG release states that programming increases are targeted at the Middle East and southeast Asia "to bolster efforts in the war on terrorism". ... As the US seeks new means by which to air its message and to circumvent regional media which resist or decline to accept US- supplied programming or paid advertising, it accepts that the role of surrogate media is largely complete in Europe. The BBG continues to expediently adapt the external media mix under its control to reflect US foreign policy as closely as possible. Source: BBC Monitoring research 4 Feb 03 (via DXLD) CZECH-BASED US RADIO FACES CUTS | Text of report in English by Czech news agency CTK Washington, 4 February: The proposed 2004 US budget calls for a reduction in funding for Prague-based Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) causing the layoff of 46 people out of a total of about 600 RFE/RL employees in the Czech Republic. The reduction of 8.8m dollars deals with the broadcasts of RFE/RL and the Voice of America (VOA). RFE/RL will cease to broadcast in Slovenian, Latvian, Estonian, Croatian and Bulgarian. The VOA will cease to broadcast in Czech, among other languages, the US government reported on its web pages. The budget proposal, presented to Congress by President George W. Bush recently does, however, call for an increase of broadcasting to the Middle East and Asia. Source: CTK news agency, Prague, in English 1725 gmt 4 Feb 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) It`s pretty clear that VOA and RFE are being phased out by the BBG, which has been adding expensive staff such as budget analysts. The stations did their job in the Cold War, and now only certain `strategic` languages in the War On Terrorism matter. Thank you, and goodbye. There is even some pressure to make international broadcasting an explicit component of Homeland Security. This started under previous VOA Director Sandy Ungar and continues apace. Needed improvements have not been made, e.g. the outmoded newsroom is still in use, despite plans years ago to modernize it. The Smith-Mundt act, prohibiting VOA from broadcasting domestically, and consequently missing the support of the American people, most of whom do not realize they have a stake in it, hampers VOA from gaining public support. One Member of Congress remarked, ``we`re taking it apart``, tho s/he does not favor this. Some VOA staff fear that even English broadcasts will ultimately be eliminated. Many others are just trying to hang on until retirement (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) EDITORIAL: BEING WISE AFTER THE EVENT I admit it --- I'm old enough to remember the Cold War, and all that went with it. If you didn't hear lots of jamming when you tuned across the shortwave bands, you knew there was an ionospheric disturbance in progress. It was said that the Soviet Union spent more on jamming western broadcasts than the Voice of America spent producing them. But at least life was predictable back then. You more or less knew how the USSR was going to react to any international event. We now live in far less certain times. As recently as two years ago, the priorities reflected in the 2004 budget request for US international broadcasting would probably have been different. The world had heard of Osama bin Laden, but nobody imagined him capable of masterminding the atrocities that happened on 11 September 2001. For Cold War, read War on Terrorism. For USSR, read Middle East and Asia. We're back in the familiar scenario where international broadcasting, especially from Washington, has an overtly political role. It's interesting that the media in the US now regularly refer to the international broadcasting efforts of the Bush administration as 'propaganda'. Back in the days of the Cold War, propaganda was something produced by the 'bad guys'. The US, through Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty, ran what were termed 'surrogate domestic services' for countries where the media was closely controlled by the authorities. But, according to the Chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the fact that these countries are now democracies means they're not needed any more. Chairman Tomlinson writes that "the goal these services struggled and sacrificed for has been achieved, and they [the broadcasters] should take great pride in the role they played in this historic mission." Proud they may be, but an unemployed journalist needs more than pride to pay his mortgage. On a much smaller scale, the same kind of discussions are going on at Radio Netherlands, where efforts are being made to lessen the impact of planned changes on the personnel. Gone are the days when a job with an international broadcaster was a job for life. All of us must now face up to the fact that the world is far more volatile, and what's important today might be less so this time next year. We could simply rest on our laurels and boast about the awards we've won, while the rest of the world moves on. But we could hardly expect the Dutch taxpayer to finance such indulgences. The loss of specialist journalists is a blow to any international broadcaster, whatever its size. With every journalist who leaves, you lose years of accumulated knowledge and experience that can no longer be used to the benefit of the organisation. People don't produce programmes in a vacuum, they share ideas with each other. In retrospect, it was unfortunate that the 1994 reorganisation at Radio Netherlands eliminated our Arabic service. But we could not have foreseen then what would happen 7 years later. It remains to be seen whether the BBG's decision to eliminate 9 languages, all from the same area of the world, will turn out to be the right one. Of course, if it isn't, we won't know until it's too late. Andy Sennitt, Feb 4 This editorial represents the opinions of the writer, not those of Radio Netherlands. http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/features_archive/html/030204.html (via DXLD) ** U S A. BUSH'S BUDGET BACKS MIDDLE EAST TV NETWORK By Pamela McClintock http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=597&u=/nm/20030204/tv_nm/television_mideast_dc&printer=1 WASHINGTON (Variety) --- President Bush on Monday threw his support behind an American-style Arab TV network that would replace traditional propaganda tools such as the staid Voice of America radio network with the latest in music and news. In his proposed budget for 2004, Bush set aside $30 million for the Middle East Television Network. The money goes to the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), which supervises the U.S.` nonmilitary international broadcast services, including VOA and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The allocation was a major victory for radio mogul Norman Pattiz, a member of the BBG. Pattiz, the former Westwood One chairman who was appointed to the BBG by President Bill Clinton, has held numerous meetings in recent months with White House officials and Capitol Hill solons trying to raise support for the Arabic satellite network. "Now that we know we are in the president's budget and that chances are good this funding will be supported by Congress, we can start doing the research and lining up the programming. It puts us in a position where we've become real and not just an idea," Pattiz told Daily Variety. $30 MIL MORE NEEDED Pattiz estimated the BBG needs another $30 million to get the network up and running. He and the other governors will continue to press Congress for supplemental funding in the coming weeks. Late last year, a number of TV executives met with Pattiz in Los Angeles to throw around ideas for the Middle East Radio Net. "Hollywood and the creative community are well aware of what we are attempting to do," Pattiz said, namely, reach out to younger Arab audiences and try to promote the American side of the story. The BBG began doing that on the radio side with last year's launch of Radio Sawa, a music and news network. Pattiz played a key role in developing Sawa's format and securing funding. Not everyone in the media biz was enthusiastic about President Bush's proposed $2.23 trillion budget, which now goes to Capitol Hill for approval. Final budget takes effect Oct. 1, the beginning of the fiscal year. NO INCREASE FOR CPB President Bush recommended no increase in funding for the Corp. of Public Broadcasting (CPB), which distributes money to public radio and TV stations, and no special allocation of funds for the digital TV transition. Public broadcasters say the president's $380 million allocation actually represents a decrease, since he is suggesting the CPB use up to $100 million of the total funding for its digital transition. In each of the past couple of years, public broadcasters have received between $20 million and $25 million specifically for the digital conversion. "For 35 years, public broadcasters have met the federal mandate of providing universal service, meaning that every community in America has access to a wealth of independent, noncommercial programming and educational resources, as well as local services that are highly valued by their citizens. This service is deeply threatened by this budget proposal, as is CPB's investment in new national programming for TV and radio," read a statement signed by CPB president-CEO Robert Coonrod, PBS president-CEO Pat Mitchell, National Public Radio president-CEO Kevin Klose and Assn. of Public TV Stations president- CEO John Lawson. TAKING CASE FURTHER The public broadcasters said they would take their case to Capitol Hill, urging lawmakers to restore funding for the costly digital TV transition. Bush didn't snub either the National Endowment for the Humanities or the National Endowment for the Arts. The NEA supports projects aimed at enriching the nation's cultural heritage. Bush set aside $117 million for the NEA, a slight increase from 2003. The NEH would receive a total of $152 million, with $25 million going to expanding the "We the People" initiative, designed to "promote the study of our nation's history, institutions and culture," according to the budget. Bush set the budget for the Federal Communications Commission at $281 million and once again called for broadcasters to pay taxes on unused spectrum. Clinton, too, suggested such a tax, but Congress has stiffly resisted such proposals. Bush proposes the FCC collect annual lease fees totaling $500 million for the use of analog spectrum by commercial broadcasters beginning in 2007. Individual broadcasters returning their analog spectrum would be exempt from the fee (via Brock Whaley Feb. 4, 2003, DXLD) ** U S A. Yet another new US religious broadcaster has been heard testing. This one is KIMF in Pinon [sic], New Mexico, operated by the International Fellowship of Churches. It`s probably fully active by now, with an initial schedule having it on 5.835 from 0000 to 1800 and 11.855 [sic] from 1800-0000. Mail goes to: International Fellowship of Churches, KIMF Radio, 9746 6th St., Rancho Cucamonga, CA 97130 (Gerry L. Dexter, Bandscan America, Feb Shortwave Magazine via DXLD) This is nonsense. No one has ever reported hearing it. The planned schedule merely emerged a few months ago when this was written, and it`s 11.885. BTW, if and when active on 5835, it will be overshadowed by super-splatter WEWN on 5825. Dexter also mentions WBOH 5920 and assumes it will be active by the time we read this (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [and non]. 26 MHZ IFB SIGNALS HEARD IN 2002 These are signals from cueing and monitoring devices at work in TV and radio stations. IFB (Interruptible Feed-Back) equipment plays back the station's normal audio feed and superimposes the studio controller's voice when required. Most IFB transmitters put out a 1 Watt signal. Those marked * are licensed for up to 100 Watts. Freq MHz Signal Origin No. of Hearings 25.870* WFLA (970 kHz) Tampa FL many 25.950* KGON (92.3 MHz) Portland OR 5 26.100 WIS (Ch10) Columbia SC 1 26.100 KRIV (Ch26) Houston TX 1 26.100 WREG-TV (Ch3) Memphis TN 2 26.100 U of T Ftb Net Tulsa OK 1 26.150 WSB-TV (Ch2) Atlanta GA 4 26.150 KOLN (Ch10) Lincoln NE 3 26.150 KARE (Ch11) Minneapolis MN 2 26.150 KWTX-TV (Ch10) Waco TX 1 26.200 WGCL (Ch46) Atlanta 1 26.200 KSHB-TV (Ch41) Kansas City MO 1 26.200 CJAD (800 kHz) Montreal 5 26.200 WTSP (Ch10) St Petersburg FL 1 26.200 WBMA (Ch33) Tuscaloosa AL 1 26.250 WVTM-TV (Ch13) Birmingham AL 1 26.250 KPRC-TV (Ch2) Houston TX 1 26.250 WISH-TV (Ch8) Indianapolis IN 1 26.250 WKXT-TV (Ch8) Knoxville TN 1 26.250 WESH (Ch2) Orlando FL 1 26.300 WGCL (Ch46) Atlanta GA 4 26.300 WTLX (Ch19) Columbia SC 1 26.300 WHBQ-TV (Ch13) Memphis TN 2 26.350 WSMV-TV (Ch4) Nashville TN 2 26.350 WTSP (Ch10) St Petersburg FL 2 26.400 KSBH-TV (Ch41) Kansas City MO 2 26.430 WDAF-TV (Ch4) Kansas City MO many 26.450 WBRC-TV (Ch6) Birmingham AL 1 26.450 KCRG-TV (Ch9) Cedar Rapids IA 1 26.450 KFXA (Ch28) Cedar Rapids IA 1 26.450* WLW (700 kHz) Cincinnati OH many 26.450 KCNC-TV (Ch4) Denver CO 1 26.450 KUSA-TV (Ch9) Denver CO 2 26.450 KMGH-TV (Ch7) Denver CO 2 26.450 WJXT (Ch4) Jacksonville FL 4 26.450 WHAS-TV (Ch11) Louisville KY 1 26.450 WECT (Ch6) Wilmington NC 1 All heard by Alan Roberts in St Lambert QC. (25 Plus, Jan CIDX Messenger via Sheldon Harvey, DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. BACK TO THE BORDER In order to set the stage for a `hot` new story, a trip back to TV TIME TUNNEL in the July 1989 VUD will be helpful. Away we go! INTERNATIONAL INTRIGUE This unusual chain of events began in 1961 when KCND-TV began telecasting on channel 12 in Pembina, ND, with a primary objective of drawing advertising dollars out of the half-million plus Winnipeg market (which had more people than the entire state to which KCND-TV was licensed). The tower was situated just south of the US/Canada border 55 miles due south of Winnipeg and one of the tower guy lines was anchored just a few *feet* away from Canadian soil. Thanks to tabletop flat terrain, the station put a good signal into the Metro Winnipeg area. KCND-TV was an independent, but did manage one major coup d`état! They carried the ``Tonight Show With Johnny Carson`` --- never before seen in Winnipeg. After ten years on the air, a lot of red ink, and some bad breaks regarding Canadian advertising, the channel went dark and remained off the air for better than 10 years. Shortly after KCND-TV bit the dust, CKND-TV (note the similarity in call letters) went on the air in Winnipeg. Meanwhile, the ex-KCND-TV tower remained in place at the border; tower lights blinking but no signal being transmitted --- for another 10 years! Eventually the tower (which was part of the KCND/CKND deal) was dismantled and shortly afterward re-assembled at Minnedosa, MB, where it serves as the `stick` for CKND-2, a re-broadcaster of CKND 9 in Winnipeg. The final chapter in this bizarre affair is that after being dark for so many years, channel 12 in Pembina has been reactivated and is now KNRR-TV, a satellite of KVRR-TV in Fargo. There`s a new tower at almost the exact location of the former KCND structure. There is also a new Winnipeg reception problem in the form of adjacent channel interference from CHMI-TV (13) with transmitter near Elie, MB; about 25 miles west of downtown Winnipeg. NOW --- THE ``HOT`` UPDATE! When KCND cranked up in 1961 the skimpy studio/office building was at the edge of the village of Pembina, and just a couple of blocks east of Interstate 29. The transmitter was about 10 miles west. The station went on the air in the fall, and experienced a relatively trouble-free startup. In mid-summer of the first full year of operation a problem cropped up. On very hot days, something happened to the KCND-TV video. ``Sparkles`` and occasional dropouts would begin at about 1 or 2 PM, worsen, and then begin to disappear about 8 or 9 PM. Remember, it can get mighty hot up there. 100+ isn't uncommon --- and along the 49th parallel, the sun doesn't set until after 10 PM. After a good bit of head-scratching, some sharp engineer locked onto the problem. Heat rising from the concrete surface of fourlane Interstate Highway 29 was creating inversions that were deflecting the STL signal and causing the dropouts. The microwave path was only 15 feet above the road surface. The problem was solved by building a lightweight 50 foot tower beside the studio building, and moving the STL transmit dish up to the top of it from the roof of the one story studio building. Amazing stuff; surely too good to be forgotten! [caption] This off-the-air photo of the KCND-TV test pattern reveals what may have been one of the crudest lettering jobs in circular test pattern history. It looks like the call letters and number were sketched onto the pattern template with a `magic marker`. (Tom Bryant, TV Time Tunnel, Feb WTFDA VHF-UHF Digests via DXLD) ** U S A. A wish list: I note that KVBC-DT-2 is now on the air in Las Vegas. If there's one I'm looking for on skip to log here, that is probably it. Other interesting targets for skip that NAB claims to be on air include: WBBM-DT-3 in Chicago WKYC-DT-2 in Cleveland WWMT-DT-2 in Grand Rapids WHP-DT-4 in Harrisburg PA WMAZ-DT-4 in Macon, GA KTVM-DT-2 in Butte, MT That's seven skip targets out there for any DTV DXer to be looking out for when skip fires up. Some of them strike me as very promising targets, free from nearby alternate signals (e.g., Macon, Butte and Harrisburg)... I think we'll learn a lot in 2003 about what is possible when it comes to skip. I fully expect at least one of us to log DTV skip in the next year. How hard will it be to get it to stay in long enough to lock? We'll see. Heck, a number of us, myself included, have seen the DTV snow of WKYC -DT via skip --- but I didn't have the DTV card installed yet. A closing thought: I look forward to the possibility of logging them - -- and there are more potentially that will be on air with those. In a way it's comparable to the pioneering efforts of earlier DXers on various other bands. We'll be the ones who will find out what is possible. Imagine if there was a massive skip opening and multiple DTV signals came in at once --- could we get instantaneous IDs on our skip, similar to RDS/XDS? The future may have some neat stuff for DXers! And while I certainly enjoy DX the way we've known it for years, I see that DTV is certainly a DX-able signal, and one I'll continue DXing! (Matt Sittel, NE, Feb WTFDA VHF-UHF Digest via DXLD) I know many DXers are lamenting the high cost of DXing DTV. (They really shouldn`t. Hauppauge DTV tuner cards are now available on eBay for under $250, and DTV `set-top boxes` can now be had at Circuit City and similar stores for similar prices. The set-top boxes can be connected to regular analog TVs. (possibly through an inexpensive Radio Shack `RF modulator` if there isn`t already a video input jack) Many models will also allow you to connect a VGA computer monitor. Anyway, Bill has found a way of getting into DTV DX that`s even cheaper. Indeed, free. Provided you`re lucky. (So far, Bill isn`t.) The DTV stations in Green Bay have been running contests to give away digital TVs. Bill has been making a serious effort at winning a DTV from one of his locals. This has happened in other markets; give it a try! (Doug Smith, TV News, Feb WTFDA VHF-UHF Digest via DXLD) ** U S A. FCC Experimental FM License FCC GRANTS "EXPERIMENTAL FM APPLICATION" FOR SUPER BOWL The first item under the heading of "Local Items from the FCC" in this newsletter shows that the FCC has granted an experimental authorization on 93.7 MHz for Global Radio, Inc. in San Diego. However, an inspection of the actual paper grant shows that the applicant had requested to use six frequencies in conjunction with San Diego's Super Bowl - 89.1, 92.9, 93.7, 96.9, 104.1 and 106.9 MHz - and that the FCC permitted it to use two - 93.7 and 96.9 MHz. "Event broadcasting stations" such as these are not ordinarily permitted by the Commission, so it is unclear why the FCC made an exception in this case. It is also unclear why the Commission allowed operations to occur on channels (93.7 and 96.9 MHz) that were second adjacent to existing San Diego County FM stations on 93.3, 94.1, 96.5 and 97.3 MHz. Are second adjacent concerns no longer important? The Global grant is disturbing in that it comes on the heels of an unrelated case where an alleged pirate operator was issued experimental authority by the Commission, and the added facts that the San Diego application described herein was not publicly announced until AFTER the Super Bowl, and a copy of the grant was only available in paper form, making it difficult to review. In short, the whole experimental grant process needs to be revised and brought into the daylight so we can all see what is being proposed - and have an opportunity to comment - long before a grant is issued. Finally, an informal report reaching our office indicates that Global's Super Bowl operations allegedly took place on all six frequencies requested, not just the two that were granted. The FCC has indicated that it is investigating. At least the call sign of the San Diego operation is easy to remember: It's WN3XFL, and just happens to rhyme with NFL. We understand that an experimental FM system was also authorized at the New Orleans Super Bowl in 2002, so a pattern is emerging (From CGC Communicator via Fred Vobbe, NRC FMTV via DXLD) What powers are involved? More than Part 15, apparently (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D.C. 20554 ) In the Matter of ) ) File No.: EB-02-TP-463 Ian R. Walker ) NAL/Acct. No. 200332700006 458 Arlington Road ) FRN 0007-7679-73 Jacksonville, Florida ) FORFEITURE ORDER Adopted: January 29, 2003 Released: January 31, 2003 By the Chief, Enforcement Bureau: 1. In this Forfeiture Order (``Order``), we issue a monetary forfeiture in the amount of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) to Ian R. Walker, for willful violation of Section 301 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (``Act``). The noted violation involves Mr. Walker`s operation of a radio station on the frequency of 95.5 MHz without Commission authorization. 2. On November 5, 2002, the District Director of the Commission’s Tampa, Florida Field Office (``Tampa Office``) issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (``NAL``) in the amount of $10,000 to Mr. Walker. Mr. Walker has not filed a response to the NAL. Based on the information before us, we affirm the forfeiture. 3. ACCORDINGLY, IT IS ORDERED THAT, pursuant to Section 503(b) of the Act, and Sections 0.111, 0.311 and 1.80(f)(4) of the Commission’s Rules (``Rules``), Ian R. Walker IS LIABLE FOR A MONETARY FORFEITURE in the amount of $10,000 for willfully violating Section 301 of the Act. 4. Payment of the forfeiture shall be made in the manner provided for in Section 1.80 of the Rules within 30 days of the release of this Order. If the forfeiture is not paid within the period specified, the case may be referred to the Department of Justice for collection pursuant to Section 504(a) of the Act. 5. Payment shall be made by mailing a check or similar instrument, payable to the order of the ``Federal Communications Commission,`` to the Federal Communications Commission, P.O. Box 73482, Chicago, Illinois 60673-7482. The payment should note NAL/Acct. No. 200332700006, and FRN 0007-7679-73. Requests for full payment under an installment plan should be sent to: Chief, Revenue and Receivables Operations Group, 445 12th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20554. 6. 1 47 U.S.C. § 301. 2 Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, NAL/Acct. No. 200332700006 (Enf. Bur., Tampa Office, released November 5, 2002). 3 47 U.S.C. § 503(b). 4 47 C.F.R. §§ 0.111, 0.311, 1.80(f)(4). 5 47 U.S.C. § 504(a). 6 See 47 C.F.R. § 1.1914. Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D.C. 20554 ) In the Matter of ) ) File No.: EB-02-TP-260 Josue Alusma ) NAL/Acct. No. 200232700022 4301 Rose Ave., #B ) FRN 0007-4959-97 Naples, Florida ) FORFEITURE ORDER Adopted: January 29, 2003 Released: January 31, 2003 By the Chief, Enforcement Bureau: 1. In this Forfeiture Order (``Order``), we issue a monetary forfeiture in the amount of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) to Josue Alusma, for willful and repeatedly violation of Section 301 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (``Act``).1 The noted violation involves Mr. Alusma`s operation of a radio station on the frequency of 100.5 MHz without Commission authorization. 2. On August 6, 2002, the District Director of the Commission’s Tampa, Florida Field Office (``Tampa Office``) issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (``NAL``) in the amount of $10,000 to Mr. Alusma. Mr. Alusma has not filed a response to the NAL. Based on the information before us, we affirm the forfeiture. 3. ACCORDINGLY, IT IS ORDERED THAT, pursuant to Section 503(b) of the Act, and Sections 0.111, 0.311 and 1.80(f)(4) of the Commission’s Rules (``Rules``),4 Josue Alusma IS LIABLE FOR A MONETARY FORFEITURE in the amount of $10,000 for willfully and repeatedly violating Section 301 of the Act. 4. Payment of the forfeiture shall be made in the manner provided for in Section 1.80 of the Rules within 30 days of the release of this Order. If the forfeiture is not paid within the period specified, the case may be referred to the Department of Justice for collection pursuant to Section 504(a) of the Act.5 Payment shall be made by mailing a check or similar instrument, payable to the order of the ``Federal Communications Commission,`` to the Federal Communications Commission, P.O. Box 73482, Chicago, Illinois 60673-7482. The payment should note NAL/Acct. No. 200232700022, and FRN 0007-4959-97. Requests for full payment under an installment plan should be sent to: Chief, Revenue and Receivables Operations Group, 445 12th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20554. 6. 1 47 U.S.C. § 301. 2 Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, NAL/Acct. No. 200232700022 (Enf. Bur., Tampa Office, released August 6, 2002). 3 47 U.S.C. § 503(b). 4 47 C.F.R. §§ 0.111, 0.311, 1.80(f)(4). 5 47 U.S.C. § 504(a). 6 See 47 C.F.R. § 1.1914. (both via Terry L. Krueger, Clearwater, DXLD) ** U S A. USF TV, RADIO STATIONS LAY OFF 8 St. Petersburg Times; St. Petersburg, Fla.; Feb 1, 2003; ERIC DEGGANS; Copyright Times Publishing Co. Feb 1, 2003 Citing the need to refocus its management and anticipating the possible loss of more than $600,000 in state funding, officials at WUSF have let go eight staffers from the public radio outlet and television station. Six employees' contracts were not renewed, including those of WUSF-Ch. 16 station manager Bill Buxton, TV membership manager Tom Wilson, WUSF-FM 89.7 news director Rick Stone and TV communications director Martha Cooper, who had worked at the station nearly 30 years. Two other employees were laid off from their current positions and offered jobs elsewhere at the University of South Florida, which holds the licenses for both WUSF-TV and WUSF-FM. Employees were told of the changes last week. JoAnn Urofsky, who serves as general manager of both the TV and radio station, said the changes would help merge membership operations for the two outlets and create a management team to pursue her goals for the station. She expects to hire replacements for both Buxton and Stone at the stations, which have a combined staff of about 60 people. "This was not done for financial reasons . . . It was done to transform the station," said Urofsky, who became general manager at WUSF-FM in 1994 and was confirmed in the same position at the TV station last May. "I hope we save some money, sure. But we have some big goals . . . I had to put together a leadership team I'm confident can fulfill our transformation." She said Gov. Jeb Bush's proposed state budget would end state funding for public broadcasting outlets across the state. That would cost WUSF-TV $557,000, about 15 percent of its $3.7-million budget. It would cost WUSF-FM $106,000, about 3 percent of its $3.8-million budget. The Legislature must approve a budget this spring and can accept or ignore Bush's recommendations. Additionally, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has announced cutbacks that could affect how much federal funding both outlets receive, Urofsky said. Buxton, 63, of Tampa, had worked at WUSF-TV for more than 33 years. He said the financial pressures were likely larger at the TV station than on the radio side. "I think JoAnn would like to see more operations of the TV and radio stations . . . merged into one unit," he said. "All state government is under a lot of pressure to cut costs." Still, Urofsky said the possibility of state funding cuts was not the sole reason for the changes. "The announcement of the governor's budget was made the night before the reorganization . . . (and) you don't make a decision like that overnight," she said. Stone, 52, of Forest Hills, said he felt no anger toward the station that let him go after 13 years. "I think they've got to take the place to the next level," said Stone, who plans to leave the radio industry and seek work as a writer. "I'm not really sure what expectation I was not meeting . . . (but) I don't think it was about (saving) money." - Times staff writer Lucy Morgan contributed to this report. (via Terry L Krueger, DXLD) ** U S A. WBBR/WEVD OUTAGE RESCHEDULED Hi folks, Bob Janney, CE at WBBR-1130, was kind enough to give me a call this afternoon to pass along word that the outage he'd planned a month or so ago has now been rescheduled. WBBR-1130 NY and WEVD-1050 NY will be SILENT from 0100-0400 (possibly an hour earlier for WEVD) ELT on Saturday, 8 Feb 2003 and Sunday 9 Feb 2003 (late Friday and Saturday nights if you're staying up!) WWDJ-970 NJ will also take *some* downtime during this event. Thanks to Bob for thinking of the NRC and letting us know about this! s (Scott Fybush, NY, Feb 3, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** U S A. 1580 low het: Somebody's off a bit here - a couple hundred Hz I'd guess - too small for me to measure in any useful way. I suspect it's local WGYM-NJ, but it might also be WPGC-MD, or perhaps someone else, but it's really annoying. Anybody else hearing this ? If not, I'll conclude it's WGYM (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA, Feb 4, NRC- AM via DXLD) This is probably the Haitian pirate Radio Concorde, a.k.a. "WRCB" (assume Radio Concorde Boston). I can hear it locally on my Drake R8, and its frequency is definitely low (Paul McDonough, Medford, MA, ibid.) ** U S A. Has anyone ever heard a Clear Channel station cheating after sunset with day power? I can't think of one! (Pete Lee, NRC-AM via DXLD) If you ever hear of one let me know and it won`t happen long! Not to say we don`t have a time clock screw up or something like that. But if someone is doing it to make more money, I can tell you it will work. We will save who ever is did its salary. [sic] (Paul Jellison, Clear Channel, Feb 4, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** U S A. From Radio World Online: Communications consulting engineer Glen Clark, president of Glen Clark & Associates, has petitioned the FCC to reconsider its ban on AM stations using IBOC at night. The interference concerns that led to the ban can be addressed in ways that would allow the "majority" of 24-hour AMs to go IBOC immediately, states Clark in a Petition for Reconsideration filed at the FCC. It is true, he states, that "a minority" of AMs would cause "significant interference" to their neighbors if they went digital at night, however he believes the number is "small". The FCC already has a spectrum allocation guideline, the desired-to- undesired ratio, that can predict which AMs would likely cause interference to their neighbors with nighttime IBOC operation, so its unnecessary to ban all AM nighttime IBOC operation, he states. FCC rules require co-channel stations to have a D/U ratio of 20-to-1, meaning any interfering signal can be no stronger than 1/20th of the strength of the desired signal. First adjacent channel stations are required to have a D/U ratio of 2-to-1 or more at the periphery of the primary service area. These rules, he states, do not change from day to night. Expanded band stations are subject to a more stringent nighttime allocation standards, a 2-to-1 D/U ratio for first-adjacents. He proposes authorizing all expanded band AMs for nighttime IBOC operation immediately. He proposes the commission can identify AMs that could go IBOC at night with no significant additional 1st adjacent channel interference by asking: "What stations could satisfy the same standards at night as are implied to be adequate by the commission's approval of IBOC during daytime hours?" Or, "What stations could satisfy the current standards in Part 73.182 with reference to first-adjacent channel stations without drawing upon grandfathered radiation rights?" He's suggested a five-rule test to quickly assess which stations should go IBOC at night and plans to discuss his theory at the IBOC presentations on Sunday, April 6 at NAB 2003 (via Dennis Gibson, Feb 4, IRCA via DXLD) ** U S A. WWVB CONTROLLED CLOCKS Good Morning, I just noticed that my MFJ WWVB controlled clock has lost lock. More interestingly, it is now "fast" by 9 hours and some seconds, but also fast by SIX MONTHS! Apparently Ground Hog Day has had some perverse effect and it is now August! Any thoughts from out there? Thanks, (Ron Hunsicker, Feb 2, location unknown, swl via DXLD) I, too, received an MFJ WWVB clock for Christmas, and on occasion my clock will do the exact same thing! Like Ron, I put a new set of batteries in when I got it. I have the blue and silver wall clock which has the offset ability so that one can display U time. I have also mounted my clock near a sliding glass door. I have noticed that when the clock searches for a signal and locks on, it will reset to the correct time/date with no problem, but the problem that Ron and I are both having is bizarre. What I noticed with my clock is that it will search for a signal exactly when the directions say it will (between 2 AM and 5 AM). The only problem is that since I have the offset set up for UTC, the clock thinks 0200 hours (6:00 pm here) is a good time to search for the signal. I believe that the clock has set itself only a handful of times since I've gotten it, as it just searches way too early in the evening. If I press the button on the back to initiate a manual search at say 11:00 pm or 12:00 midnight Pacific time, the clock will usually sync. (John Beattie, Feb 3, swl via DXLD) This is actually more common than you might think. Any users out there remember Heathkit's Totally Accurate Clock? Remember what the biggest flaw was? The problem is that subcarrier protocol used by NIST to broadcast the time. It has no check sum or any other consistency check. In certain propagation conditions one had difficulty determining the difference between a long 100 Hz pulse and a short 100 Hz pulse. Sometimes the selective fading played tricks by being synchronous with a one minute cycle that you could read multiple minute messages incorrectly. Heathkit used a criteria of having to read three consecutive minutes in sequence before they'd decide that this was the correct time. But even that didn't work as reliably as I would have liked. I used to have one of these things keeping clock time for a wide area water distribution network. I have the battle scars to prove that this method for transmitting time needs a lot of improvement. Now we have all sorts of consumer clocks locked to WWVB. Unfortunately, WWVB uses the same scheme. The propagation is much improved and selective fading is less likely. But there still isn't any way to know you have received the time correctly. Thus, given the right propagation conditions, you can still observe this awful behavior. 73, (Jake Brodsky, AB3A "Beware of the massive impossible!", swl via DXLD) ** U S A. TEXAS AMATEURS AID IN SHUTTLE DEBRIS RECOVERY, CATALOGING QST de W1AW ARRL Bulletin 12 ARLB012 From ARRL Headquarters Newington CT February 3, 2003 To all radio amateurs Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and SKYWARN volunteers in Nacogdoches, Texas, have been assisting local emergency management officials and NASA to locate and catalog debris from the Columbia shuttle. The shuttle and its crew of seven, including three hams, were lost over Texas February 1. ARES and SKYWARN volunteers from the Nacogdoches Amateur Radio Club have been surveying the area in and around Nacogdoches looking for shuttle debris. Public Information Officer Tim Lewallen, KD5ING, of the Nacogdoches Amateur Radio Club said amateurs have been accompanying officials from both NASA and the EPA to expedite the search and clean up of area schools. Texas officials have cancelled school in most of East Texas because of fears that shuttle debris could pose a health hazard. ``Usually we just get the coordinates, take a photo and move on to the next site,`` Lewallen said, ``and someone from NASA will come along and pick up the piece later.`` He said the club had additional volunteers lined up for duty over the next few days, with amateurs coming from East Texas, Houston and Dallas. The ARES and SKYWARN volunteers have been working with emergency officials from Nacogdoches County, Texas Rangers, NASA, Texas Department of Public Safety, EPA and the National Guard. The ARES and SKYWARN volunteers also were following up on NASA-provided telemetry and radar information that indicates where debris might be found, Lewallen said. The search area includes densely forested areas. NASA has requested that those encountering debris avoid any contact with it and cautioned that persons found with stolen accident debris will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. The Columbia crew, headed by Commander Rick Husband, included Pilot Willie McCool and Mission Specialists Kalpana ``KC`` Chawla, KD5ESI; David Brown, KC5ZTC; Laurel Clark, KC5ZSU, Michael Anderson, and Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon (via John Norfolk, OKCOK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VIETNAM [non]. GERMANY 15715 Chan Troi Moi 1405 Feb 3 [Monday] with YL with presumed inspirational message in VT, hymn at 1415 (Jill Dybka, TN, Cumbre DX via DXLD) Well, there`s a log which doesn`t sound clandestine; cf 3-019 (gh) ** YUGOSLAVIA [non]. [note: as is, without proper Serbian accents, but we`re not positive where they should go in proper names. Since Serbian is written in another alphabet, it is nonsensical not to render it phonetically when transliterating into Roman alphabet. Names ending in -c are likely pronounced ch, as c with an acute; the letter c elsewhere should probably be respelt ts, e.g. Mitsunovich --- gh] COUNTRY DISSOLVES AS KOSOVO LAWMAKERS THREATEN INDEPENDENCE By Jolyon Naegele Yugoslavia's federal parliament today debated a new constitutional charter and accompanying laws that, once enacted, will result in the dissolution of Yugoslavia and its replacement tomorrow by a loose federation to be known as Serbia and Montenegro. But as RFE/RL reports, ethnic Albanian lawmakers in Kosovo, angered by the inclusion of the province in the new charter, are preparing a declaration of independence. Prague, 4 February 2003 (RFE/RL) -- The speaker of one of the chambers of the Yugoslav federal parliament, Dragoljub Micunovic, said in advance of today's joint session that adoption of the constitutional charter would be the final act in forming the new state of Serbia and Montenegro. "At any rate, I believe that, although some people might not vote for it, the majority of deputies will vote for the charter. After that, it will be proclaimed, and at that moment the state union of Serbia and Montenegro will come into being," Micunovic said. The republican parliaments of Serbia and Montenegro approved the charter last month after European Union foreign-policy chief Javier Solana brokered negotiations between Serbian and Montenegrin leaders. Once the charter takes effect tonight, with the proclamation of the new state, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia will cease to exist and the name Yugoslavia will be consigned to the dustbin of history to join Austria-Hungary, the Soviet Union, and Czechoslovakia. The successor state, Serbia and Montenegro, will be a looser federation within the same borders as the former Yugoslavia. Some wags in Serbia are calling it "Solania." The two constituent republics will have the right to hold referenda on independence after three years. Montenegrin leaders have pledged to push hard for independence. The new state will enter the world without a flag, coat of arms, or national anthem. A joint parliament, yet to be elected, will have 60 days to resolve the flag issue and until the end of the year to adopt a coat of arms and an anthem. However, no dramatic changes are expected either in the pan-Slavic tricolor or the pan-Slavic anthem, "Hej Sloveni." Within 10 days after the new state comes into being, the republican assemblies of Serbia and Montenegro must establish the rules of election to the new state's 126-seat parliament. Within five days after that, Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica, in one of his last acts in that function, must set a date for parliamentary elections. But during the new state's first two years of existence, deputies to the new parliament will not be elected directly by the public but rather by the Serbian and Montenegrin assemblies. Once elected, the joint parliament will choose a speaker, deputy speaker, and president of the new state. Micunovic said: "At the following session, the president of the republic, who is simultaneously the prime minister, will have five days to come up with a council of ministers to present to parliament. Parliament will vote on the council of ministers and, if approved, it will be sworn in as the government. If not, there will be more time to come up with a new government." The new parliament will then proceed to establish government institutions and a court for the common state. Yugoslavia was founded in December 1918, just weeks after the end of World War I, but was known as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes until 1929 and subsequently as the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. From 1945, it was known as the Democratic Federation of Yugoslavia; from 1953, as the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia; and from 1963, as the Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia. That, in turn, was replaced in April 1992 by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia after the secession of four of the six constituent republics: Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Meanwhile, ethnic Albanian politicians in Kosovo are preparing a declaration of independence. They are angered by inclusion of the province in the constitutional charter, as well as by renewed calls by Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic to the international community to allow Serbia to deploy up to 1,000 soldiers and police in the province. Bujar Dugolli is the parliamentary whip for Ramush Haradinaj's Alliance for the Future of Kosovo. "On the basis of the rules of the assembly, the 42 undersigned deputies request an extraordinary session of the assembly be held on 13 February with the purpose of adopting a declaration of Kosovo as an independent and sovereign state," Dugolli said. Dugolli said the initiative is a direct response to references to Kosovo in the preamble of the new constitutional charter as being a part of Serbia and a response to the EU's failure to condemn Kosovo's inclusion in the constitutional charter. Michael Steiner, the UN secretary-general's special representative to Kosovo and the head of the United Nations civilian administration in the province, UNMIK, has said he will block any attempt by Kosovo's parliament to declare independence. Steiner has also rejected Djindjic's call for a return of Serbian forces to the province. "The stance of the international community and [the NATO-led peacekeeping force] KFOR is that there is no return of Serb[ian] military and police forces to Kosovo," Steiner said. UN Security Council Resolution 1244 does not recognize Kosovo as part of Serbia but as part of the Yugoslav Federation. While some Kosovar Albanians have sought to interpret this as meaning that the dissolution of Yugoslavia would set Kosovo free, the international community has made it clear that while Kosovo remains an international protectorate, with a yet-to-be-determined final status, it will continue to be de jure a part of the successor state to Yugoslavia: Serbia and Montenegro. In part, that's because sudden independence for Kosovo would in all likelihood result in a declaration of independence by the Bosnian Serb entity, Republika Srpska, followed by an attempt by that ministate to form a union with Serbia. That would leave the Bosniak Croat entity of Bosnia-Herzegovina in an even weaker, less viable position than at present. Out of necessity, this could lead to its forming a union with Croatia, which many Bosniaks could perceive as a threat to their identity. Montenegro, in all likelihood, would withdraw from the new common state with Serbia and declare independence. Dugolli expressed the hope that Steiner would not dissolve the Kosovo assembly, since, he said, such a move would be all too reminiscent of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's dissolution of the Kosovo assembly in 1990, when ethnic Albanian lawmakers tried to declare republican status for the province. (c) 1995-2003 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc., All Rights Reserved. http://www.rferl.org (via Ivan Grishin, DXLD) ** ZIMBABWE [non]. MADAGASCAR: New schedule for Voice of People in English to Zimbabwe from Jan. 27: 0330-0427 Daily on 7120 MDC 050 kW / 265 deg cancelled 1700-1757 Mon-Fri on 7120 MDC 050 kW / 265 deg retimed, ex 1630-1757 Daily (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria Feb 4 via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. Hi Mauno and HCDX, Now I am quite sure about the identity of the Arabic speaking station I happened to listen to on 1584 kHz. Started today (Feb 4th) at 1900 UT with many IDs: "Huna Radio Secret" and talked about, as I presume, Iraq. Very good strength tonight. I listened also before 1900 and there was an unidentified station playing pop music, ending with "Dream" at 1858 and suddenly went off! Two minutes later the Radio Secret started with the same strength, so maybe it's the same. Yesterday Radio Studio X was very strong and mostly dominating over the Arab. I have very good recordings of the ID, but can't make audio clips, unfortunately. So, now remains an address to write to! 73 from (Björn Fransson on the island of Gotland, Sweden, Feb 4, hard-core-dx via DXLD) I don`t think that identifies it, just deepens the mystery. Must just be an Arabic word sounding like `secret` (gh, DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ WRTH, SW GUIDE ON CD-ROM? Greetings; Is either the WRTH or the Shortwave Guide available on CD- ROM? That would be very helpful for people, especially us visually disabled shortwave listeners who have computers with screen reading programs. It would be nice to be able to look up stations on our own instead of having to beg a sighted friend to do that. Please let me know if there is a CD-ROM version of either, or both, publications. Yours in Christ's service, (Bruce Atchison, Alberta, to WRTH, cc to DXLD) BIERWIRTH ONLINE SW SCHEDULE After having had a continuous lack of time since December, my all- stations shortwave schedule is up to date now again, of 4 Feb 2003. It can be found, as usual, on http://www.eibi.de.vu/ Sorry for the delay! Hope it's of use to you. For example: AIR 15050 at 14.50 UTC, recently having been unid'd, could have been id'd here. ;-) 73, (Eike Bierwirth 04317 Leipzig, DL, Feb 4, hard-core-dx via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ UPDATED TABLE OF OPTIMAL WORKING FREQUENCIES The new table of February's FOT is online at http://hfradio.org/latest_chart.html (from http://prop.hfradio.org/ ) The chart is created using a SSN of 125 - the predicted smoothed number forecast for February 2003. 73 de (Tomas, NW7US // AAR0JA, Feb 4, SWBC via DXLD) FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 05 FEBRUARY - 03 MARCH 2003 Solar activity is expected to be mostly low with occasional moderate levels during the period. Region 276 has potential for M-class activity early in the period. There are also indications of new active regions rotating around the east limb in the next few days. No greater than 10 MeV proton events are expected during the forecast period. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux is expected to reach high levels on 15 – 19 February due to recurring coronal holes. The geomagnetic field is expected to be at quiet to isolated major storm levels during the period. Isolated active conditions are possible on 05-06 February due to a small recurring coronal hole. Minor storming with isolated major storm conditions are possible on 14 -18 February due to a returning equatorial coronal hole :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2003 Feb 04 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 2003 Feb 04 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2003 Feb 05 140 10 3 2003 Feb 06 145 10 3 2003 Feb 07 145 12 3 2003 Feb 08 150 10 3 2003 Feb 09 155 8 3 2003 Feb 10 160 8 3 2003 Feb 11 165 10 3 2003 Feb 12 170 10 3 2003 Feb 13 165 10 3 2003 Feb 14 155 10 3 2003 Feb 15 150 12 3 2003 Feb 16 145 15 3 2003 Feb 17 140 15 3 2003 Feb 18 130 15 3 2003 Feb 19 125 20 4 2003 Feb 20 120 20 4 2003 Feb 21 120 15 3 2003 Feb 22 115 15 3 2003 Feb 23 120 12 3 2003 Feb 24 120 10 3 2003 Feb 25 125 8 3 2003 Feb 26 120 12 3 2003 Feb 27 120 12 3 2003 Feb 28 125 8 3 2003 Mar 01 125 8 3 2003 Mar 02 135 8 3 2003 Mar 03 135 10 3 (http://www.sec.noaa.gov/radio Feb 4 via WORLD OF RADIO 1168, DXLD)###