DX LISTENING DIGEST 3-030, February 22, 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: 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 1170: RFPI: Sun 0000, 0600, 1200, 1830, Mon 0030, 0630, 1230, Tue 1900, Wed 0100, 0700, 1300 on 15039 and/or 7445 WWCR: Sun 0330 5070, 0730 3210, Wed 1030 9475 WBCQ: Mon 0545 7415 WJIE: M-F 1300, Mon & Tue 7490 WRN: rest of world, Sat 0900, Europe only Sun 0530, N America Sun 1500 WRN ONDEMAND: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO: Check http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html [Low] (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1170.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1170.ram [High] (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1170h.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1170h.ram (Summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1170.html NOTE TO THOSE WHO RECEIVED THE FULL EDITION OF DXLD 3-029: accents did not display correctly, but affected only a few items; see the archive version if necessary for the corrected version, before quoting. ** ANGOLA. Glenn, I just want to make a small remark on a comment you made in your DX LISTENING DIGEST 3-028, concerning the spelling of the word "Ecclesia", in the name "Rádio Ecclesia". The comment you made reads like this: "It has to have an accent, Ecclésia; otherwise would be pronounced Ecclesía; but even in Portuguese they leave it out --- gh" As a matter of fact, the word "Ecclesia" is not Portuguese, but Latin. It means "Church", in Portuguese "Igreja". As far as I know, Latin had no accents. Therefore, "Ecclesia" has no accent too. But I think that the official name of the Angolan radio has an accent indeed: "Rádio Ecclésia". May be they write it so, to make the word more readable to Portuguese-speaking people who know nothing about Latin. Probably they thought that such people would be tempted to read it as "Ecclesía". Keep up your good work, that I enjoy so much (Fernando de Sousa Ribeiro, Porto, Portugal, Feb 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Tnx for clarifying this. I was aware the word was originally Latin, but assumed in this context it had become Portuguese as well, notwithstanding ``igreja`` (Glenn) ** AUSTRALIA. RADIO 2 SECURES AFL RIGHTS (Western Sydney X-band station 1611 KHz) 21 Feb 2003 Radio 2 1611 has announced it has obtained commercial radio broadcast rights to broadcast the AFL in Sydney for 2003. As the AFL`s Official Partner in Sydney, Radio 2 will broadcast Sydney Swan home matches throughout the year from the S.C.G and Telstra Stadium from March 29, including the Finals series. Colin Turner will head the commentary team. Turner is the broadcaster of NSL soccer on Radio 2, and has a long career in sport broadcasting, including the BBC. General Manager of Radio 2, Michael Hibbard says: ``The interest in AFL has grown enormously in the West over the last few years, both with adults and in schools. With the huge success of the Swans` matches at Telstra Stadium it is clear Western Sydney has adopted the Sydney Swans as their own. We`re excited about bringing this great family orientated game to the West.`` CEOAndrew Thompson says: ``This agreement is the result of our ongoing policy of bringing top-class National and International sporting events to our growing audience of listeners in the West``. Radio 2`s first ball by ball description will be the Swans vs Carlton at Telstra Stadium on Saturday March 29 (via Tim Gaynor, Qsld., Feb 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. FINAL SIREN FOR TRIPLE S FM ? 21 Feb 2003 Canberra radio station Triple S FM ceased broadcasting at midnight on the 31 of January. It had been on air since Melbourne Cup day 1986. 2SSS has advised the ABA that it is ``currently reviewing their long term operational status.`` The station has not surrendered its licence at this stage, but is no longer on air. The story of the Canberra community station with a racing and sports format is told for radioinfo by Terry Giesecke, who looks at the station`s history and what led it to switch off its transmitter last month: It is rare event. Very few Australian radio stations have gone off the air. Most have survived war recession, corporate mismanagement and the introduction of new media. Although many have undergone name and frequency changes. TripleS FM is the first Canberra station to succumb. Why? The impetus for TripleS FM came from a decision by 2CA (Canberra`s first commercial broadcaster) to drop racing broadcasts in the 1970s. 2CA was under pressure from a new rival- 2CC. Commencing operations in late 1975 2CC had grabbed a huge chunk of 2CA`s audience with a 24 hour top 40 format. At the time 2CA programming was typical of regional commercial radio. Comprehensive news, a mix of musical genres and lots and lots of racing, dogs and trots. 2CA`s only opposition was the ABC`s 2CN (now 666) and 2CY (now radio national). Both had a hotch-potch of programming rather than their current focussed formats. 2CA set out to recapture audience by dropping racing and moving to an all music format. Except for a limited coverage by the ABC, the racing, trotting and greyhound interests were now without racing descriptions. They together with the ACT TAB (ACTTAB) expressed their concern. But racing was finished on 2CA. Commercial radio was dropping racing all over Australia in response to a new generation`s preference for contemporary music. ACTTAB decided to fill this gap thtough community station 2XX. ACTTAB bought Wednesday afternoon airtime to broadcast key mid week race meetings. However, 2XX could not provide much more without compromising its obligations to other community groups who relied on it to get access to the airwaves. As TABs were moving into the era of nationwide seven day a week betting 2XX was not a solution. The solution was a new broadcaster. No commercial licenses were available. In any case the viability of racing on a commercial station was now doubtful. When the then broadcasting authorities decided to allocate two additional community licenses in the Canberra area ACTTAB and the racing clubs saw an opportunity. These licenses were to be contested in 1985. As community licenses could only be held by incorporated ``not for profit`` organisations, the racing community and ACTTAB decided to create a new body Canberra District Racing and Sporting Broadcasters to contest the license hearings. If successful this organisation would broadcast all race, trots and dog meetings covered by ACTTAB. Any time left over could be dedicated to local sports. There bid was successful and the then 2SSS (the name was changed to Triple S-FM later) went to air on 4 November 1986 broadcasting all race meetings covered by ACTTAB. It was also the first FM station to broadcast popular music in Canberra and was able to obtain a significant audience share. Although the ``official`` radio ratings never specifically included 2SSS. They were covered by ``other FM`` but then ``other FM`` was 2SSS. In the first survey ``other FM`` registered about 5 per cent, a big share for a community station. Jim Paterson was appointed as manager in 1985 and remained in that position until the end, some 18 years. Jim was a veteran of ABC and Commercial radio but adopted to the community sector without missing a beat. He had a close call with cancer in the early 1990s but survived 10 hours of surgery to make a remarkable recovery. Problems for Triple S started to arise when racing went to Sundays and effectively prevented the station diversifying into other sports such as Rugby League and Basketball. As well costs become a problem. ACTTAB insisted that racing coverage be sourced from Melbourne to fit in with ACTTAB`s affiliation with Super TAB. The 2KY racing service was primarily linked with the NSW TAB which operated on its own. The Melbourne service was more expensive but attempts to persuade ACTTAB to increase its contribution met with stiff resistance. As a consequence in the late 1990s the station started to incur losses that had to be met from its cash reserves. Many community stations rely on volunteers who provide their services free. While Triple S had many of these they still needed paid staff. Coordinating racing is generally accepted as being one of the most difficult jobs for radio announcers. To maintain standards expected by punters Triple S had to employ experienced and competent staff. ACTTAB has always had a curious attitude to radio racing. Its official line is that it does not have much impact on betting one way or the other. This view is belied by the fact that it has always sought to have broadcasts, firstly on 2XX then on Triple S and has been prepared to pay. The dispute with ACTTAB reached a point of no return in 2002 when failing to obtain a better deal Triple S decided to drop racing altogether. Unfortunately, it left a huge hole in the station`s programming. Replacing it with other sport proved difficult. Professional sports such as Rugby, Rugby Leauge, Australian Football and Cricket cost a lot to broadcast, costs that need to be recovered from advertising. Not an easy task in Canberra where four commercial radio stations, three commercial television stations and printed media are chasing limited advertising dollars. Amateur sports are mainly for participants and are of limited interest to radio audiences. It is to be regretted that Canberra is losing one of its locally owned and controlled media assets. In an age of globalization and media conglomerates the small independent operator is facing a severe challenge. Young people looking for a media career will also miss out. According to Jim Paterson Triple S, over the last 17 years, has provided training for at least 100 people who are now in either the ABC or commercial media. These include Rosemary Church (CNN), Gavin Morris (CNN), Craig Lorenburgs (SBS Sport), Chris Coleman (ABC Central West), Peter Newlands (ABC Tasmania) and Geoff Knobel (WIN News). Triple S is not broke but unlike HIH or One Tel has ceased operations before defaulting on any creditors. According to Jim Paterson Triple S has not surrendered its license and may come back. Only time will tell. ************ Responding to this article, former 2SSS volunteer Rod Johnson also pays tribute to Triple S: Guys, It was with a saddened heart that I read of the closure of Triple S-FM today. I was in the Rothman`s van out in the street on that Tuesday 4 Nov 86 and went to air with the very talented and now famous (unlike me) Farren Hotham as my panel Op sitting in the not quite completed studios of 2SSS. They were great days in radio. I was still in the RAAF and working every spare minute I could grab (and some that the RAAF didn`t know about) to work with a very talented bunch of men and women. Every time I see Rosemary Church on CNN I think back to her ``Church on Sunday`` shift. It was all a part of our Race Free Sunday`s and the one time we got to play music much to the disgust and censure from 2CA and 2CC. I am happy to say that I was in on the concept almost from the beginning and never have I seen a more dedicated and hard working radio executive than Jim Patterson. He wanted 2SSS to be the most professional amateur radio station in Australia and in the early days, that`s all I can comment on, (I left Canberra to join 4MK in 1987) it was that and more. I still have contact with some of the originals and I know they will all feel this loss to radio. Let us all hope that there can be a solution to what seems to be insurmountable problems and that very soon the station is back servicing Canberra and that Jim has not lost his drive for great sports radio. Johnno - Rod Johnson Taken from Radioinfo Feb 21 2003 (via Tim Gaynor, Qsld., Feb 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. ABC FACES SENATE ESTIMATES ON FUNDING 21 Feb 2003 A D V E R T I S E M E N T At the Senate Estimates committee on 10 February the ABC Managing Director Russell Balding was put through the hoops on the ABC`s triennial funding submission and various radio issues. Here is some of what was said in the estimates hearing: FUNDING SUBMISSION - Senator CONROY --- Can you give an overview of the ABC`s recent triennial funding submission? Mr Balding—The submission was forwarded to the minister at the end of November of last year. You may be aware that a summary of the submission was released publicly on 17 January. Copies were forwarded to all members of parliament. We are currently having dialogue with the minister and his staff. There is a summary funding table at the end of the triennial funding submission. Essentially, there are three components of that submission. The first component is about continuation of existing funding. There are two elements of that. The first element is $2.8 million, which was funding that was provided to the ABC in August 2000 for Radio Australia short- wave radio transmission. It was provided in August 2000 for three years, so it finishes of the end of this financial year. We are seeking from the government continuation of that funding of $2.8 million. The second element, as you may also be aware, is in respect of the national interest initiative funding of $17.8 million, which was provided for four years. There is no commitment from the government at this stage that that funding will continue. In respect of the triennium, that funding would run out at the end of 2004-05. We are seeking continuation of that funding from the 2005- 06 year. The second component of the funding is in respect of new initiatives and activities... The third component is about extending existing services. We spoke about that the last time we were at Senate estimates. There are two elements of that. One is in respect of extending the reach of News Radio and Triple J to populations of 10,000 and above. That, in a full roll out, would cost in the vicinity of another $18.8 million, but what we have proposed in the triennial funding submission is an incremental ramp up of that—in other words, a gradual roll out— to pick up both News Radio and Triple J. That would take Triple J to an additional 16 regional communities and News Radio to an additional 59 regional communities. A smaller element in respect of extending existing services is Radio Australia. Essentially what we are looking for is the use of FM relay transmissions overseas to expand Radio Australia`s reach. I will now come back to the second component, which is in respect of new programs and initiatives. What I outlined in the triennial funding submission and publicly when I released the submission was that, without any additional funding for content, the ABC will have no option other than to cut programs and services. In respect of the funds for programs and services, there are two main elements of this. One is in respect of the multichannels, the opportunities that can come out of digital multichannelling and the ABC`s belief that the use of compelling content on the multichannels --- in other words, providing the audience with something that they do not have now—will provide a catalyst to accelerate the take-up of digital. The second major element in that is in respect of an industry production trust fund with a view to increasing our content, particularly in respect of drama and comedy... Mr Balding --- We believe that it is a modest but essential ask. We believe that in the triennial funding submission we have put forward measured and sensible proposals which have been properly costed and fully justified. PROGRAM CUTS - Senator CONROY --- ...How is the submission being received by the government? Senator Alston --- He is not in a position to answer that, as you well know... Senator CONROY --- Do you think there is merit in Mr Balding`s proposals? Senator Alston --- We will consider what has been put to us. I am not in a position to make any public assessments of the merits of the case. As you know, we committed ourselves at the last election to at least maintaining in real terms the triennial funding levels. That is designed to ensure that the ABC does not get caught short if there is an inflationary increase in costs. I have not heard the proposition expressed publicly before that there might be some threat to programs and services. I know David Hill was quite good at saying those sorts of things. Senator CONROY --- It is a very serious problem. Senator Alston --- It was usually his first line of approach to somehow suggest that unless you got more funding you might cut programs and services, but I do not offhand recall that being put in the submission. I will certainly look to see whether there was any suggestion along those lines made at the time of the last triennial funding grant or, indeed, when we gave an extra $71 million over and above that as a one-off only about 12 months ago. Senator CONROY --- You are in there batting for more funds for the ABC, aren`t you? Senator Alston --- I do not quarrel with any organisation that sees a market opportunity by approaching the government for more funding to put a strong case... and Mr Balding has done that. Senator CONROY --- If the ABC does not have a champion in there barracking hard for them, they will not get anything. Just tell us that you are their champion. Senator Alston --- The ABC is certainly entitled to put its best case forward and to indicate that it could do a whole lot of new things with new funding. That is perfectly proper... Mr Balding --- I feel I have an obligation to make it very clear that this is the reality of the situation without additional funding for content --- as opposed to funding in respect of reach. There is an ask in the triennial funding submission for reach, which is about equity and access to ABC services --- that is, existing ABC services. All Australians should have the same right of access to ABC services, and we have spoken about that here before. If we are given every cent of that money in respect of reach, that will not result in one extra minute of content being available for the ABC. So I am trying to communicate it in a non-threatening way, but it is the reality of the situation that, if we were not to receive additional money for content, we would have to have a look at our existing level and our mix of services and there would be a cut to programs and services. We would not be able to sustain the same level of output that we currently provide... RADIO AUSTRALIA AND NATIONAL INTEREST SPECIAL FUNDING - Senator CONROY --- ... Will the government extend the one-off funding for Radio Australia shortwave radio transmission in South-East Asia which expires at the end of this financial year? Senator Alston --- I cannot give you any forward quotes on these things. These matters are normally considered in the budget context. For the ABC, the $71 million was a one-off. The whole purpose of triennial funding is that you do not get one-offs really. Senator CONROY --- Will you build it into the base funding then? Senator Alston --- You would expect that matter to be considered along with the rest of the ABC`s budget. Senator CONROY --- So it would be more likely to be included in base funding? Senator Alston --- It will be considered at the same time as the rest of its budget. Senator CONROY --- Will the government extend the one-off funding of the ABC National Interest Initiative, which has increased the ABC`s regional presence, beyond 2004-05 to 2005-06? Senator Alston --- I think that has at least another two years to run so --- Senator CONROY --- It goes, I think, to 2004-05. I am asking will it go to 2005-06? It is a one-off grant, so I am just asking whether it is going to be part of the new triennial funding, because there is going to be a gap at the end. Senator Alston ---If you are asking me whether it will be built into the base, I would think the answer is no, because it was never a base funding allocation. Whether it gets extended is a separate issue, and it may. If you extended it indefinitely it could be a de facto part of the base, but I think generally you would be reluctant to just expand the base when funding has been sought for a particular purpose. Senator CONROY --- Even elections come around every three years. Senator Alston --- Just so we are clear, the ABC maintains vigorously and loudly and often that its base funding is entirely at its own discretion whereas, if it approaches us with a specific request for funding, we respond to it in those terms and that money is then tied up. It is given for a purpose; it is used for a purpose. By that conceptual definition, it should not be included in base funding. Senator CONROY --- If you are suggesting that, as it is one-off, it is going to end... Senator Alston --- I am saying it was granted as a one-off— Senator CONROY --- We are talking about 50 full-time staff positions and 10,000 additional hours of regional programs. I know the election has come and gone. Senator Alston --- I thought it was a four-year grant; it may have only been a three-year grant. Mr Balding --- It is four years. Senator Alston --- It was four years. So you are only halfway through; you do not normally consider things that far out. Senator CONROY --- You do when you do triennial funding; that is the point. Senator Alston --- But it is not an integral part of triennial funding; it is not part of the funding base. It is a separate and distinct initiative. If the ABC said to us that they would like it considered at the same time, and they have, we will have a look at it. But that does not mean we will necessarily make a decision on it now. We could just as easily wait one or even two years, or we might make a judgment now about its future. We could certainly consider it now but that does not mean that it will just find its way into the base. It will remain apart and it will be dealt with separately. ABC BOARD APPOINTMENT - Senator CONROY --- I want to move onto one of your favourite topics, which occupies much of cabinet`s time, the ABC board appointments. When did Mr Kroger announce he would not be seeking a renewal? Senator Alston --- I am not sure. Senator CONROY --- Was it in November? Senator Alston --- I am not sure that he said anything publicly. Senator CONROY --- Mr Balding, does that ring a bell? There were a number of newspaper stories that were very well sourced --- Senator Alston --- It is not normally holy writ in our game, is it? As I am informed, the board itself wondered whether December might have been Mr Kroger`s last board meeting. So I do not think he had --- Senator CONROY --- But he had confirmed earlier than that. Senator Alston --- If you are asking me --- Senator CONROY --- Well, he is a friend of yours. Senator Alston --- He was appointed on the basis of his --- Senator CONROY --- No, I mean you must have chatted with him about it. Senator Alston --- I have talked to him, I have talked to a range of people. I thought you were asking whether he has publicly announced that he is not seeking an additional term and I am not sure --- Senator CONROY ---I am just trying to get a rough indication when it was that well-sourced speculation, that I am sure was drawn to your attention, indicated that he would not be seeking to have his appointment renewed. Senator Alston --- If you are asking me when did so-called well- sourced speculation first arise, it must have been months ago... Senator CONROY --- When do you expect to announce a replacement for Mr Kroger on the board? Senator Alston --- In the not too distant future. Senator CONROY --- Has cabinet considered it? Has it finalised its decision? I am not asking you what it is. Senator Alston ---I cannot really tell you what cabinet talks about and what it does not. Senator CONROY --- I am just asking you whether or not it has made a decision. Senator Alston --- There is no decision that I am in a position to announce. Senator CONROY --- Can you confirm whether Peter Reith, Tony Staley or Lynton Crosby are on your short list? Senator Alston --- I think Mr Crosby ruled himself out. Other than that, I have not really ruled anyone in or out. I think I indicated as much to one of your colleagues last year that we might rule out appointing a majority of Labor supporters. We might rule out appointing a former South Australian Premier. Although as I have said, I thought John Bannon did a pretty good job on that board. We might also rule out appointing an adviser to the WA minister. We might also rule out Mr Cameron, an ALP pollster. But beyond that we really have not focused on who we might rule in or out at all. The act prescribes the qualifications, and against that background we will make our judgment. Senator CONROY --- Does Mr Reith meet the act`s qualifications? Senator Alston --- I have not looked closely at his qualifications --- Senator CONROY --- You have known him well for years. You should be able to say, `He fits the bill.` Senator Alston --- Again, there are probably many people who would think they qualify. We have a lot of offers of assistance from members of the public and others who believe they are qualified. At the end of the day you have to make a judgment. Senator CONROY --- Did you get any public response? I think the Friends of the ABC put out an ad. Did anyone write to you? Senator Alston --- I thought it would have been to them. I did not study it closely. Quite frankly, I assumed it was an entertaining diversion. I have met with Terry Laidler, for whom I have considerable respect; certainly during his time as a broadcaster I thought he was pretty fair and reasonable. But I do not think anything has come to me as a result of that ad, so maybe the public saw it as an entertainment... EXPANSION OF REGIONAL RADIO SERVICES - Senator TCHEN --- Thank you very much, Senator Conroy. Mr Balding, I know that in the submission for your triennial budget you have on the agenda the development of the regional radio service, particularly News Radio, and the extension of it. Congratulations. Mr Balding --- Thank you for your support for that, Senator. Senator TCHEN --- Thank you. It is a bit disappointing that it can only be provided with new funding, which implies that in the ABC`s view it is less important than all your other existing services, but at least it is now on the agenda. Mr Balding --- Can we just clarify that for you. The ABC receives specified amounts for transmission. You might recall that a number of years ago --- and Colin Knowles might be able to give you a bit more detail --- the ABC never paid for transmission services; they were provided by the National Transmission Agency. On selling that transmission agency, the government then provided to the ABC a specified amount of funding for transmission. At the time, that funding was to continue transmission at that current level of service. So the ABC does not have the funds to take out of its operational budget to put into transmission, hence the requirement to ask for that in the submission (via Tim Gaynor, Qsld., Feb 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. SHEILA COPPS PROMISES 'NEW FUNDING' TO CBC UPDATED AT 11:28 AM EST Friday, Feb. 21, 2003 Globe & Mail Toronto -- The federal government will be giving "new funding" to the CBC in fiscal year 2003-2004, Heritage Minister Sheila Copps told the House of Commons on Wednesday. Responding to a question from fellow Liberal Sarmite Bulte of Toronto, Copps said that Prime Minister Jean Chretien and Finance Minister John Manley have made "sure that new funding to the CBC is indeed in the fiscal framework" of the Liberal budget introduced Tuesday. What remains unclear is whether that new funding means an addition to the Crown corporation's annual base parliamentary appropriation of about $900-million; a completely new funding system; or the continuation of the $60-million in supplementary income CBC has received in each of the last two years. The CBC was not specifically included in Tuesday's budget presentation, meaning its allocation will be made known only upon the presentation of spending estimates later this month. There had been reports that Manley, who earlier had asked his cabinet colleagues to find a total of $1-billion in "old" or "low-priority programs" to recycle into new spending, might not renew CBC's income supplement. It was first announced in April, 2001, as a sort of stop-gap to carry over the CBC until a new base-funding regime could be put in place. A CBC spokesman at the corporation's headquarters in Ottawa said, "We're still waiting to see where we stand." Staff Bell Globemedia (c) 2003 Bell Globemedia Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** CANADA. ``I wonder how many non-DXers actually listen to the Radio One service from Vancouver on shortwave (CKZU-6160). They have a reasonable signal here in Calgary day and night for the most part`` When I lived in Lake Louise in 2000-01, their (CKZU) signal varied considerably from day to day, but usually they were at least listenable. So I listened to them a lot (the CBC LPRT in Lake Louise rebroadcasts the TORONTO Radio One outlet!, which meant it was 2 hours ahead and did not feature regional news); now that I have SW in my car, I am also surprised how badly they (CKZU) cover the Vancouver area. Once I get 50 or 75 km away it seems to improve. When feeding the BC part of the network, CBC Radio One (from Vancouver) typically announces "You are listening to CBC Radio One, at (*) in (*), and at 690 in Vancouver", by way of an ID. I wrote them once to ask why they did not promote CKZU in these announcements, and they thanked me for my input (not a form letter as I recall), but they have not mentioned CKZU. ef (Eric Flodén, Radio One listener Vancouver, NRC-AM via DXLD) * e.g., 860 in Field ** CANADA. THE MAN KNOWS WAVES --- HERB HILGENBERG'S AMATEUR-RADIO WEATHER SERVICE IS A LIFELINE FOR SAILORS Michele Henry, National Post, Wednesday, February 19, 2003 Herb Hilgenberg hadn't planned on being near his radio on the morning of Nov. 20, 2000, but he's thankful he was. A young man sailing a 41- foot yacht named Pasha I from Norfolk, Va., to Bermuda had hit bad weather. His wife was unconscious, the mast was damaged, the sails were ripped. The sea was rising by the minute. "Herb, I can't go on," called the anxious voice over the choppy frequency and into Hilgenberg's basement in Burlington, Ont. "My wife is dying." Hilgenberg kept the man talking while he called the U.S. Coast Guard on his home phone, then continued to act as a go-between until the rescue was completed well into that night. Since he began operating his amateur weather service from his home in November, 1994, Hilgenberg has been getting calls like this from sailors in distress, sometimes as often as twice in a month. The U.S. Coast Guard wasn't surprised to hear from the man they know as Herb. His assistance in such cases has earned him a reputation as a trusted meteorologist and a lifeline to many caught in international waters. "Herb provides a unique service, which he runs voluntarily," says David Lever, coast guard officer and marine controller at Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) Halifax, who has been calling on Hilgenberg since 1996. "I consider him to be a hero." Lever adds that Hilgenberg is "famous and well-respected -- sadly, everywhere but in his own country of Canada." Indeed, so widespread is his renown that the Norfolk rescue centre in Virginia has Hilgenberg on its automatic emergency checklist. "I've lost track of how many lives I've saved," says the 66-year-old retired engineer, sitting at his kitchen table in a neatly pressed sweatshirt bearing the U.S. Navy emblem. "But that's not the purpose of this exercise. It is to prevent [emergencies] from happening in the first place and to keep people safe by good forecasting." Through a small (though not inexpensive) transmitter in what was once the laundry room, Hilgenberg keeps in touch with tens of thousands of private and commercial vessels around the world annually. Seven days a week, 365 days a year, he supplies them with one of the most detailed weather forecasts available. Indeed, the U.S National Weather Service lists Hilgenberg as a credible source of weather information, so much so that on the day of former U.S. president Bill Clinton's inauguration, a meteorologist in Washington telephoned Hilgenberg to corroborate the forecast for the day. "Herb provides a customized, localized forecast for a particular piece of the ocean and a particular voyage," says Lever, adding that the "official" forecasts are good for general areas but not for specific co-ordinates. "He advises on how to avoid bad weather." Though he leaves his radio on at all times, Hilgenberg is formally on the air between 3 and 5 p.m. [2000-2200 UT --- WTFK??? See below] Until then he is downloading maps and weather models from several sources, including the U.S. National Weather Service, the Canadian and U.S. Coast Guard and RCC Falmouth in England. A small computer sitting close to his radio provides satellite pictures detailing current wind patterns and strengths. After sailors notify him of their exact location, wind strength, sea height and sky cover, Hilgenberg superimposes their boat onto a nautical map in order to tell them what weather conditions they can expect to encounter. "My interpretation is the biggest part of the hobby," he says. "I associate whatever I do with an individual person. It's the human element that makes me feel I have to be totally accurate." Hilgenberg, who has an engineering degree and an MBA from the University of Toronto, was long an avid sailor, racer and student of meteorology. In 1982, during a sailing trip in the Caribbean, he, his wife, Brigitte, and two daughters were caught in a gale aboard their boat The Southbound II -- mainly because of incorrect information. "The radio said the wind was northeast 15 knots but it wasn't," he says. "It was blowing 30 knots." For six days, the Hilgenbergs battled fierce winds and high seas. This experience, in part, is why he got his amateur radio licence a couple of years later. At the time, he was working in Bermuda as a financial controller for a consulting firm during the day and spending his evenings advising boats about whether it was safe to leave port. Over the years, he became so adept at interpreting weather data and formulating forecasts that the U.S. Coast Guard agreed to supply him with weather data and financing for his pricey equipment if he would provide reports to ships at sea. Evidence of his unusual preoccupation is everywhere. There's a 30-foot antenna peeking behind his suburban dwelling. Within, there are thank you letters from sailors and coast guards, as well as photographs of boats he's helped, newspaper clippings and nautical paraphernalia. He's always adding more. On this day, Brigitte brings him a freshly delivered brown package, which he proceeds to pull from its wrapping with all the excitement of a child on Christmas morning. "This is a device that hooks the telephone, the coast guard, right through to the sailor's radio," he says, explaining that if he had had it during the Pasha I incident he could have connected the coast guard directly to the sailor, without acting as the middle man. (© Copyright 2003 National Post Relayed by Harry van Vugt, Windsor, Ontario, DXLD) How can anyone write such an article, and never mention the essential info of the FREQUENCIES Herb uses???? Referring to DXLD 2-187: VAX 498 and ``South Bound II Coastal,`` still gets a perfectly respectable signal into New York City. He`s still on his traditional frequency of 12359 ... While the North Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico are primary, limited coverage is also given the South Atlantic. Some attempts have even been made with the Eastern Pacific, propagation permitting. Alternate frequencies are 8294 kHz (channel 8A) and 16531 (channel 16B). As Herb says, ``Have a good watch`` until next month (Hugh Stegman, HF Communications, Dec MONITORING TIMES via DXLD 2-187 via DXLD 3-030) ** ECUADOR. Zum Stand des Umzugs der Sendeanlage von Pifo nach Santa Elena teilte Iris Rauscher am 30.1.2003 in einer e-Mail mit, dass sich der Bau des Grossflughafens von Quito weiter verzoegert: "Ecuador hat das Flughafenprojekt noch nicht konkret begonnen. Der Vertrag mit Kanada wurde zurueckgenommen." Dies hat direkte Konsequenzen fuer R HCJB Quito, denn nur wegen des geplanten Flughafens muss die Radiostn ueberhaupt ueber einen Umzug der Sendeanlagen nachdenken. "Wie der Umzug von Pifo nach Santa Helena vonstatten geht und wann er stattfinden wird, ist noch nicht entschieden. Ich hoere mehr Geruechte darueber von ausserhalb, als unsere Leitung etwas beschlossen hat. Es ist auch nicht entschieden, dass wir als Deutscher Dienst nur noch ueber Internet und ueber England senden werden. Wir als Team in Quito planen, unsere Kurzwellenprogrme weiter direkt von hier auszustrahlen." (HCJB German service, Iris Rauscher Jan 30, via Dr. Hj. Biener, ntt Feb 14 via BC-DX via DXLD) ** ERITREA [non]. NORWAY. Voice Of Democratic Eritrea on 5925 via Kvitsøy 1500-1600 Feb 22, Saturdays only. First part in Tigrigna, second in Arabic when I could get the full ID. Reception much better here in Belgium, now it's coming from Norway (Silvain Domen, Belgium, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GEORGIA. Please note that Radio Hara (that is the correct spelling) is not a clandestine station. It is a licensed, non-commercial Georgian broadcaster, based in T`bilisi, which is dealing in a comprehensive way with the relationships between Georgians and Abkhazians (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, Feb 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. Re recent reports about Deutsche Welle: The move to Bonn is to start officially soon, but it is another question when the last activities in the old building at Cologne will cease. I was told that the German program will be produced there at least until August (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Feb 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hello Mr. Hauser, I've been scrutinizing the current and upcoming DW English schedules; it looks like the 2100Z broadcast to W. Africa via the Rwanda relay station will likely be a good opportunity to hear DW via shortwave in N. America after the March 30 cutoff of direct broadcasts. I can hear the two current W. Africa frequencies of 15410 and 17765 at 2100Z, with 15410 coming in particularly "welle" as the W. Africa azimuths aren't too far south of us. The new summer schedule for W. Africa at 2100Z lists 9440, 11865, and 15205, but doesn't state the transmission sites, but I suspect the two higher frequencies may still be from Rwanda. Hopefully 15205 will be a decent frequency; its rather early but its better than nothing. 73 (Ben Loveless, Michigan, Feb 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Apprehensive that 15205 not Rwanda (gh) ** GHANA. 3366, GBC, Accra, noted on another Euro language besides English, viz. French at 1932-1951 when aired their usual info program in French; the female speaker announced the program would be back on "lundi", i.e. Monday, as usual, so it's definitely not aired on weekends. 43443 (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, Feb 14, BC-DX Feb 20 via DXLD) ** GUYANA. 3291, GBC (presumed) 0505-0530 Feb 22. English news and talk by man. Occasional short announcements by woman. Poor signal with fading and heavy atmospheric noise from weather here. Maintained the same marginal level throughout the broadcast (Evans, TN, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** IRAQ [non]. "RADIO TIKRIT" CRITICIZES SADDAM, "OPPRESSIVE" IRAQI REGIME A station identifying itself as "Radio Tikrit", which was observed on 7 and 8 February to carry programmes and news echoing the Iraqi media and to refer to Saddam Husayn and the Iraqi regime in respectful terms, was observed this week, on 15 and 19 February, to reverse its behaviour and to carry talks that were critical of the Iraqi regime and its leader. Unlike earlier in the month, when the "Open dialogue" programme included items glorifying "Saddam Husayn's Iraq", the programme this week included items highlighting poverty in Iraq. Newscasts were no longer copied from the news programmes of the Iraqi radio and television. The newscast on 19 February included an item highlighting the role of the United Nations in vaccinating Iraqi children. Whilst the "Before it is too late" programme on 7 February was critical of the United States and its attempts to build alliances with Arab countries, on 15 and 19 February this programme was sharply critical of Saddam Husayn's Republican Guards and the Public Security Department respectively. Members of the Republican Guards were advised to leave their positions "before it is too late". Likewise, public security officers were advised by the programme on 19 February to refuse the "orders of the tyrant" and "be brave before it is too late". Unlike Iraqi government radios, it was not observed to sign on or off with the Iraqi national anthem, nor did it play pro-Saddam songs. The station was checked on 15 and 19 February from 1900-2100 gmt, sign-on to sign-off, on 1584 kHz. Reception continues to be poor because of co-channel interference and fading, which renders the radio unmonitorable for several minutes at a time. I. Summary of the 15 February broadcast: 1. Sign-on with Arabic music. "This is Radio Tikrit." Repeated several times by male and female announcers. "For all of Iraq and all the Iraqis, Radio Tikrit." 2. The radio announced that it started its broadcast on medium wave 189 metres, corresponding to 1584 kHz. The announcer then gave a programme preview. (2.2 minutes) [hey, got it right! -- gh] 3. Kor`anic recitation, followed by religious talk about "arrogance". It said arrogant people should be treated harshly in order to humiliate them. Humbleness should also be in moderation, otherwise it turns into humiliation (6 min). 4. Newscast: (7.4 min) a. US president renews his accusations that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction. He says that it shelters members of Al-Qa'idah. Colin Powell talks about the post-Saddam era. b. France, Germany, Russia and China say that it is important that the inspection work should continue. c. Washington says the continuation of the inspection work is not the solution because of Baghdad's ill intentions. d. Egypt says most Arab countries have agreed to hold an Arab summit over Iraq this month. The summit will discuss an Arab solution to the conflict. Libyan president says he will not attend. e. The United States decides to expel the Iraqi journalist Muhammad Allawy who works as a correspondent at the UN. 5. Arab Press Review, covers the London-based papers Al-Hayat, Al-Quds al-Arabi, Al-Sharq al-Awsat. (Partly indistinct) (7.6 min) 6. Weather conditions in Iraq. (1.6 min) 7. "Open Dialogue Programme": (60 min) Includes the following items interspersed with music and Arab and Iraqi songs: a. Talk about Iraqi citizens having to sell parts of their homes, such as doors and windows, to get money for their daily living and sustenance. This of course makes the houses dangerous to live in. b. Summary of the news items listed above. c. Talk about an Arab proverb which means that if one is caught between two sides each working for his own interest, this person will end up losing all. (Partly indistinct) d. Talk about mistakes people make due to being preoccupied with daily worries. Such mistakes end up in embarrassing situations. (Partly indistinct) e. Indistinct talk about the Japanese and their punctuality. (Mostly indistinct) f. Talk about a member of the Ba'th Party who died of a heart attack. He was a good family man and a good friend. (Mostly indistinct) g. News summary: headlines of the news items listed above. 8. "Before it is too late" programme. We will read a letter written by an honourable officer of the Republican Guards. The letter says that Saddam formed the division for his family's personal protection, depriving the guards' members of any honourable patriotic description. He took advantage of their financial needs and deprived them of the right to get education. In doing so, Saddam isolated those guards from the rest of the Iraqis. He then overburdened them with special tasks that separated them from their own families and tribes. These tasks included anti-people missions such as executions, kidnappings and spying on their fellow citizens. Why was this? So that Saddam will remain on top, so that his sons Qusay and Uday will rule, and so that Sab'awi and Ali Hasan al-Majid are appointed lords over the people. Those who used you are planning to flee, leaving you to face the consequences of your crimes with bloodstained hands. You would be fools not to realize the extent of the popular wrath that awaits you if you do not leave this gang and flee. Each will be witness to reveal the crimes of the others. You are aware of the size of the crimes that Saddam and his gang committed against innocent people. Leave this gang, leave the guards before it is too late. (5 min) Newscast: Repeat of the news items listed above. (7 min) Sign-off. "From Tikrit Radio, we wish you good night." Music. Radio goes of the air. II. Summary of the 19 February broadcast: 1. Sign-on. "We greet you from Radio Tikrit and we start our transmission for Wednesday 19 February". 2. Indistinct talk (2 min). 3. Kor`anic recitation (indistinct) followed by religious talk about the importance of curing the illnesses (wickedness) of the heart to keep it pure and clean. The heart should be filled with the love of God and the eagerness to stay away from evil that invites the wrath of God. (6 min) 4. Newscast: (9 minutes) a. Iraqi UN envoy says Iraq is ready to cooperate with the inspectors to destroy Al-Sumud II missiles. b. President Bush repeats his accusations that Saddam Husayn disregards UN Resolution 1441. (Indistinct). c. Washington and Ankara are getting closer to reaching an agreement on Iraq. (Indistinct) NATO agrees to protect Turkey in case of threat. d. Pentagon spokesperson says that Iraq will be the field for the first electronic war in history. e. The United Nations vaccinates Iraqi children against polio. 5. Arab Press Review: The review includes Al-Hayat, and Al-Sharq al- Awsat. (5 minutes; partly indistinct) 6. Weather conditions in Iraq. (1 minute) 7. "Open Dialogue Programme": The programme includes the following items interspersed with Arabic and Iraqi songs and music. (40 minutes) a. The announcer greets all Iraqis, men, women and children in each and every Iraqi city and village. He expresses hope that the programme will help every Iraqi and express the aspirations and concerns of the Iraqi people. This is followed by love song. Reception becomes very poor. b. Indistinct talk about Iraqi people who died or were lost and never returned home during the wars that the Ottoman empire launched against Western countries. He says that they do not want the same tragedy to be repeated because of Saddam and his oppressive regime. (Talk in local Iraqi dialect). c. Newscast: (11 minutes) - Little progress in interviewing Iraqi scientists. This may be a reason for a military action against Saddam. - Blair says that a new resolution is needed for a military action against Iraq. (Indistinct) - Bush says that world demonstrations will not make him change his plans. - Australia's UN envoy calls on the Security Council to deal seriously with Iraq, lest international security is greatly jeopardized. - The Pentagon sends 28,000 soldiers to the Gulf region. d. Talk about childhood. Children are the future of Iraq. Happy childhood means a bright and promising future. So, harming children in Iraq is a historic crime for which all those who cause this crime to happen are accountable. e. Talk about fish as a dish that the Iraqis like and know how to cook. But these days a limited segment of the Iraqi people is able to have this delicious food in their meals. f. Talk about a dialogue between two Iraqi citizens. The first expresses fears that even the very little they have now would not last if things do not change. The second one says that it is the fault of the Iraqis who accept the present situation. g. Horoscope. 8. Newscast: repeat of above items. (Most of the cast indistinct) (6 minutes). 9. "Political Analysis": The Iraqi envoy to the United Nations says that Iraq is ready to cooperate with the inspectors for the destruction of Al-Sumud missiles. This is an attempt by the Iraqi regime to show the world that it is accurately implementing Resolution 1441. Yet this issue should not be viewed on a technical level. It should be viewed in light of the reasons that prompted the leadership to violate the UN arrangements and the cease-fire agreements. It should be viewed in light of the motives that prompted it to spend millions of dollars on this while the Iraqi people are in great need of food and medicine. (Indistinct) All this shows that this regime would never change, and that the only way to enjoy both the wealth of Iraq and security is for this regime to leave Iraq. (2 minutes) 10. "Names to Remember." Talk about Abd-al-Khaliq al-Samarra'i. He chose to remain a thinker in the Regional and National Command of the Ba'th Party while his fellow comrades, for personal gains, took high ranks of authority when the party took over power on 19 July 1960. [Indistinct]. He chose to live a very humble life. This made others envious and plotted against him and had him executed. With his death intellectual dialogue was replaced by the force of arms, and conspiracy replaced the power of reason. The party deviated from its goals of creating the great homeland. (4 minutes) 11. News summary: (2 minutes) Iraqi folk songs. 12. Talk entitled " Before It Is Too Late". The Iraqis have many negative memories about the behaviour of officers of the Public Security Department, particularly after 1979. They remember when these officers were indulged in arresting many citizens because they belonged to parties of the opposition. They remember how those detainees were placed in vehicles designed like animal cages. They still remember the collective graves for hundreds of people. (Indistinct). Everything at the security department is still ugly, painful and disgusting, including betrayal of friends, spying on families, attacking people and rape. The public security officer has become a symbol of the Iraqi tyrant, or a small image of him after adopting some of the traits of his sick personality. Iraqis regard him with hate for his actions. There is still chance for public security officers if they repent and decide to do something good for Iraq. There are many things that can be done by public security officers. Such as refusing orders of the tyrant and the torture of Iraqis who will express support for the forces of change. The public security officer should be brave before it is too late. (9 minutes) Iraqi songs 13. Newscast: Repeat of the above listed news. (7 minutes) Sign-off at 2058 gmt Source: BBC Monitoring research in English 19 Feb 03 (released 22 Feb via DXLD) ** IRAQ [non]. SAUDI ARABIA, 9750, Voice of Iraqi People/Voice of the Iraqi Rep, via Jeddah. V. of Iraqi People, Arabic to IRQ 1300-2400 9563.05 ARS. \\ ex9570, 11710. Heard today - Feb 18th - with strong signal on new 9750 (x9570) around 1900-2000 UT. 9750 reported widely in DXpress recently, \\ when music/songs theme were played, also noted on thiny 9563 kHz but distorted audio, very poor, heard at best when switched to usb mode. Near 11712.00 kHz noted a very thiny carrier noted also ... 9750: be aware IRIB Tehran is also using 9750 at 2030-2127 UT in Spanish on 6005 and 9750 (wb Feb 18) (BC-DX Feb 20 via DXLD) ** IRELAND. Irish CB Church Broadcasts From: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=380251 Row erupts over radio mass --- By Jonathan McCambridge A ROW broke out today over the broadcast of Catholic church services on CB radio. It has emerged that the practice, which had previously been used by those who were unable to attend Mass, has been curtailed following a complaint from South Antrim MP David Burnside. The SDLP have accused the UUP man of being "mean spirited" but Mr Burnside said he was acting in response to complaints from constituents. SDLP Assemblyman Donovan McClelland said: "The citizen band radio service is used by many pensioners and those who are sick or dying or who are unable to attend Mass for whatever reason. "They are able to hear a broadcast of their local church service and it is a great comfort to many people. "A lot of people have bought CB radios just for this purpose. "Unfortunately, Mr Burnside complained to the Radio Communications Agency and the Churches have now been told they can only broadcast for 10 minutes at a time or face prosecution. "This service had been running for years and now it has been removed; the quality of life for many sick and elderly has been lessened. It is a very mean-spirited act by Mr Burnside." Mr McClelland added: "It was only for half an hour on one wavelength on a Sunday - what harm is that doing to anybody?" But Mr Burnside responded: "My office was contacted by a number of CB radio enthusiasts who were concerned that the airwaves were being monopolised by this practice; this short band service is used by some to contact the emergency services and it was being clogged up. "We were asked to write to the regulatory authority who confirmed it was illegal to use these channels for broadcasting purposes; they cannot be monopolised in this way. "This is nothing to do with the Catholic Church, I am in favour of all Churches broadcasting their services, but in this case the rules were being broken. "I was merely acting on behalf of my constituents." (via Ulis Fleming, Feb 21, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** KASHMIR [non]. I tried 6135 this afternoon for the reported transmission of the new Kashmiri clandestine. I could not hear it at reported 1500 s-on, but a signal did fade in some time after 1530. Splash from DW 6140 was pretty intense, but I think the language I could hear was 'Asian'. The signal was peaking up to about S=5 by 1600, but transmission did not cease on the hour, but went on for a short time afterwards. Under such intense QRM conditions identifying any transmission characteristics was more or less impossible (Noel R. Green, UK, BC-DX Feb 19 via DXLD) ** LIBYA [and non]. Hi Glenn, Libya noted with a five minute news bulletin in English 1821 UT followed by similar news in French 1826 UT on 15435 kHz. They call themselves pompously the VOICE OF AFRICA, also noted on 11715 kHz with news in ENGLISH 1926 UT. News in French 1931 UT. Why don`t they give a simple schedule of their foreign language programs?! It`s just a wild guess of English and French programs, something between 20-30 minutes after the hour. PS WRTH says 11715 kHz is coming from France! 73 (Jouko Huuskonen, Turku, FINLAND, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALI. After reading Chris Greenway's comments in BC-DX #612, I can suspect even stronger Bamako's several HF outlets are not fully omnidirectional, chiefly re the two 60 mb outlets on one hand and the 25 & 31 mb outlets on the other hand. While in Ghana, Chris couldn't receive 9635v whereas 11960 was audible; on my end here in Lisboa, which is more than three times the distance between Bamako and southern Ghana, it's 11960 that's almost inaudible while 9635v comes well till it gets QRM from Euro/Asian stations in the afternoon. As to their 60 mb channels, they were almost equally strong in the past, but 4783v is plagued with utility QRM for years and is somewhat weaker than \\ 4835v, which is almost always in the clear. 5995 is strong but reception is always worse than on 4835v in terms of QRM and QSB. 17 Feb for instance, 9635 was quite audible as compared to today's poorly pale signal (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, BC-DX Feb 18 via DXLD) Yes, 11960 has also very poor signal here in Central Europe. But 25 mb beam seems strict in East/Westerly direction. Fine reports have been received from Japan-FE, SE Asia, as well as W Africa (Wolfgang Bueschel, BC-DX Feb 20 via DXLD) ** SEYCHELLES [and non]. The Middle East air war, By Bob Jones http://www.worldmag.com/world/issue/03-01-03/cover_3.asp Al Jazeera may have been banned and harassed by Muslim governments throughout the Middle East, but that doesn't make it the most controversial broadcaster in the region. That distinction goes to a handful of radio companies using the airwaves to do what cannot be done on the ground: spread the Christian gospel in the Islamic world. With war on the horizon, those broadcasters are preparing for a surge of interest in their message. "War gets people to think about their own mortality," says the American-educated Arabic speaker who serves as regional director for the Far East Broadcasting Association (Feba). "In the three years following the first Gulf War, we had the highest response rate in our 30-year history." (The Feba executive, whom we'll call Hosni Nasser, does not use his real name in interviews or when he's traveling in Islamic countries, because of legitimate concern for his life.) Like Trans World Radio and IBRA, a Swedish-based Pentecostal mission, Feba reaches the entire Arab world with a rag-tag network of shortwave, satellite, and AM/FM technology. Webcasts are increasing, too, but current estimates peg Internet access in the Middle East at just 1 percent of the population. Mr. Nasser says most listeners can access 8 to 10 hours of programming a day, though not always in their preferred medium. That used to mean 8 to 10 hours of Bible studies and preaching programs, but no more. "That's not the strength of radio," he explains. "We still have Bible study programs, but we're emphasizing news and current events, sports, women's shows, and so forth. We're trying to show how the gospel relates to every aspect of life." Radio drama gets a lot of airtime in a region where illiteracy approaches 50 percent, and teens are drawn to discussions of sexual relationships, work versus family, and other "taboo" topics. The programming mix seems to be working. Last year, Feba received some 4,000 letters from listeners throughout the region. That may not seem like a huge response, but Mr. Nasser points out that many listeners don't know how to write, and those who do face postal authorities who routinely censor the mail. "Sometimes we get letters saying, 'This is the 10th time I've written you. Why don't you answer me?' "When you consider all the opposition," Mr. Nasser says, "the numbers are quite encouraging." Naturally, many Arab authorities are not thrilled with those numbers, but Mr. Nasser says they are not as actively hostile as they used to be. Back in the 1980s and '90s, Arab governments would lodge official diplomatic complaints, jam signals, and do anything else they could to stop the Christian broadcasts. Today, Muslim fanatics may still send the occasional death threat, "But when it comes to the governments, we're not public enemy No. 1 anymore. They're more afraid of the Muslim extremists in their own countries now." For the individual Muslim who converts to Christianity, however, life is as dangerous and uncertain as ever. In countries like Saudi Arabia, "abandoning Islam" is still punishable by beheading, while Christians in more moderate countries may be disowned by their families or fired from their jobs. "It's after conversion that the real struggle starts," Mr. Nasser says. "Jobs, marriage, it all becomes very difficult. Then there's the loneliness factor --- there's no place for them to go for fellowship. We try to encourage them through the programming. We have programs specifically targeted to young believers to help them grow, daily Scripture readings for those who don't own a Bible. We try to act as a fellowship for them until the day when they have a local church." (World, March 1 [sic] via Jill Dybka, TN, DXLD) ** THAILAND. Die Royal Palace Station auf 6149v kHz ist noch aktiv, der etwas seltsame Sendeplan, den Alan Davies Anfang 2002 geliefert hat, stimmt noch 100%ig (Uwe Volk, Germasny, on tour in LAO, CBG, VTN and THA, Feb 15, BC-DX via DXLD) ** TURKMENISTAN. 279 kHz, Turkmen R, Asgabat (cedilla on the "s"), noted at 2338-2356 in Turkmen with songs program. \\ 5015 stronger but worse QRK due to QRM and QSB which were absent on LW. 35454. Good reception of TKM on 279 is now regular, surely due to favourable propagation conditions rather than other factors, but I may be wrong. (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, Feb 14, BC-DX via DXLD) ** U K. FIGHT AGAINST PIRATES TAKEN TO THE WEB From http://www.radiowaves.fm/news/index.shtml As part of its battle against pirate radio stations, the UK's Radiocommunications Agency (RA) are targetting Internet Service Providers who carry websites promoting the stations, according to a report on Yahoo UK News. In the UK, it is illegal to advertise on or promote pirate stations, and this new offensive indicates that the internet may no longer be a safe haven as a promotional tool. The RA have been very successful in chasing and closing pirates by the usual tracking methods. There were 49 successful convictions through the courts last year (via Mike Terry, DXLD) PIRATE RADIO CONVICTIONS DOUBLE From http://media.guardian.co.uk/radio/story/0,12636,899704,00.html Patrick Barrett, Thursday February 20, 2003 The number of people convicted for running pirate radio stations more than doubled last year. According to a report by the Radio Communications Agency, the government watchdog that polices the airwaves, 49 people were convicted for broadcasting illegal stations in 2002, up from 20 in 2001. The RA carried out 1,046 operations last year against pirate stations, equating to more than three raids a day. The conviction rate is the highest for five years and follows a change in tactics by the RA. As well as seizing equipment, it has introduced other methods such as warning record shops and nightclubs that they face prosecution if they are found to be promoting or providing premises for pirate stations as well as cutting telephone and internet connections. Stephen Timms, the telecoms and radio minister, said the figures were evidence that the tough stance taken against illegal broadcasters was paying off. "The tide is slowly turning against the pirates," he said. "We are also proposing new measures in the communications bill to strengthen enforcement powers. Police will have the power to arrest anyone running a pirate radio station. "Pirate stations can put lives at risk by interfering with safety-of- life services such as air traffic control or emergency services. They also cause interference to legal broadcasters, damage property and annoy local residents," Mr Timms said (via Mike Terry, UK, DXLD) GOVERNMENT & ISPs CLOSE DOWN RADIO PIRATES In a move to stop unauthorised broadcasters, the government has enlisted the help of ISPs to work alongside its Radiocommunications Agency (RA), which is asking Internet providers to close down sites that promote illegal pirate radio stations. In the past, the RA's focus has primarily been just on the actual broadcasters, and latest figures released this week suggest it is succeeding -- with the number of estimated active pirate broadcasters down by almost a fifth. People or companies who advertise such broadcasters or provide premises are also liable to be prosecuted, and the Department of Trade and Industry is keen to point out that this includes people who promote pirate stations on the web. An ISP that hosts promotional activity for a pirate radio station might also be committing an offence by hosting this illegal content, but there's no suggestion that the RA would seek to bring a prosecution against such a service provider. "We're working with the Internet industry on the issue of web sites that are illegally advertising these stations. When ISPs are made aware, they're keen to help by taking down these sites," a DTI spokesman told ZDNet UK News, adding that this is still a fledgling area for the RA. The ZDNet item reports that ISPs have been happy to help. The full story was posted on Wednesday 19th February 2003 and can be found at: http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,t269-s2130717 (via Mike Terry, Feb 22, DXLD) ** U K [non]. BFBS: It is a surprise [to me anyway] that the site of 5945 is Russian! Particularly as the Russians are against attacking Iraq. This, then, could be why Merlin is so reluctant to give location details. Obviously, money comes first! Well done Olle. I have tuned around the 5945 channel but not detected the 'spurs' you can hear - and at 1500, the signal is much too weak in local noise to hear background effects. As said, we in central-western Europe are receiving different signals to those being heard in Scandinavia, as Olle said: "I should add that at my place 5875 Cyprus was MUCH weaker than 5945/5905 at 1500. Democratic Voice of Burma at 1500 was about equal to R Rossii, but causing a loud het. The Popovka transmitters both lingered around S9 + 30 dB." Here, Cyprus and BFBS have been very similar at 1500 and Dem. Voice of Burma has been well over the co-channel. I heard the broadcast on Friday as you did, and your reception sounds exactly the same as my own - and of 5875 too. I assume this is because we are both on the 'edge' of the 5945 beam - me more so than you. And, as Kai says too, the VoR IS was played - albeit briefly. I have been looking through various charts to try to find anything on 5945 at 1800 from VoR, but now accept this must be via Popovka at the cut off of the BFBS transmission. Now for 13720's location!!! (Noel R. Green, UK, BC-DX Feb 15 via DXLD) Yes, quite a surprise, since one has really to wonder why they do not simply use their own transmitters. And, as Kai says too, the VoR IS was played --- albeit briefly. Apparently the satellite circuit is required for a VoR feed from 1800 (not necessarily meant for Popovka). Well, when sending out the audio file in a hurry I first just did not realize it! Interesting, this is basically the same run-up than heard also prior to the NRK transmissions instead of the R Norway interval signal now. Originates from a control / switching room outside Russia I guess. (Kai Ludwig, Noel Green, BC-DX Feb 20 via DXLD) Yes, 15530 is a satellite hop behind 693 and 909. Regarding the audio: The BBC-WS studio audio is quite distinctive, not exactly in a positive way, on non-AM distribution paths it sounds muffled without presence. This "Bush House Sound" certainly differs from the SSVC/BFBS output. What leads me to assume that 15530 is a Merlin transmitter is a clear rise of the upper-mid range around 3 kHz. This measure is typical for the UK sites. Anyway it sounds unlike 5945, and if I did not miss something they made a true crash-start, indicating a "western" facility, too. Next step will be to observe the 12040 s-on in just a few minutes (1700). (Kai Ludwig, Germany, BC-DX Feb 16 via DXLD) BFBS 12040 crash-started exactly at 1659 into the already reported countdown trailer. Unfortunately I failed to check whether or not this trailer Like on 15530 quite strong signal and upper-mids boost, suggesting a UK site. 15530 was still in progress when I came home, S=8-9 and fading. Others like Norway, Israel, Spain, Libya, Portugal, NE/ME stations, and the Chinese folk music jammers were much stronger than 15530. 12040 s-on 55 seconds before xx.00, at 16.59:05, then the mentioned trailer played. S=9+40 dB very strong, 100 % is from UK site (Wolfgang Bueschel, Feb 16, BC-DX via DXLD) ** U S A. Yesterday Deutschlandfunk broadcast a feature entitled "Americas propaganda war in the Middle East". Unfortunately it is not available on demand, only a script: http://www.dradio.de/cgi-bin/es/neu-hintergrund/904.html (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Feb 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. With all due respect to Andy Sennitt, I think he gives way too much credence to the self-censorship process in the US media. I also think he misses the fact that while CNN is the second rated news network, it almost certainly will outrate FNC and MSNBC once war coverage is underway. The success of FNC in the ratings is not solely due to its political point of view, it is in part due to the political point of the view of the other networks it competes against (yes, CNN has one, too!). I think all the networks have their deficiencies, but one clear plus is that we have a *choice*. We are far better off than during the days when our only choices were a few national network newscasts, once a day for 15 to 30 minutes. I still admire Walter Cronkite, but I'm glad he isn't our only news source. Nor do I buy into the implication in Andy's article that Americans are poorly informed or lack the ability to understand the world situation. Yes, US residents tend to be way too focused on domestic issues and ignorant of international issues but generalizations are dangerous. Many US citizens are very well informed about world opinion and issues. Because more of them watch FOX news than some other source, doesn't make them poorly informed. While I oppose censorship (overt or otherwise), the opinions of the US music industry relative to war aren't terribly important to me or most people I know and in any case are no more or less important than that of the farmers, bakers, or in my case, engineers (Rob de Santos, Columbus, OH, Feb 22, swprograms via DXLD) ** U S A. STATIONS PREPARE TO COVER IRAQ WAR Boston Radio/by Dean Johnson, Friday, February 21, 2003 http://www2.bostonherald.com/entertainment/television/radi02212003.htm Mentions WTKK, WBZ, WBUR which will send correspondents to ME, WRKO (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U S A. Der US-amerikanische Medienjournalist Glenn Hauser kommentierte diese Entwicklung wie folgt: ``Es ist recht offenkundig, daß das BBG, das gerade kostenintensives Personal wie Finanzanalysten neu eingestellt hat, die VOA und RFE auslaufen läßt. Die Sender erfüllten ihre Aufgabe im Kalten Krieg, jetzt aber sind nur noch einige 'strategische' Sprachen im 'War on Terrorism' von Belang. Danke, auf Wiedersehen. Inzwischen wird bereits gefordert, den Auslandsrundfunk zu einem integralen Bestandteil der 'Homeland Security' zu machen. Dies begann unter dem vorherigen VOA-Direktor Sandy Ungar und setzt sich nun verstärkt fort. Notwendige Investitionen unterblieben, so arbeitet die Nachrichtenredaktion nach wie vor mit veralteter Technik, obwohl eine Modernisierung bereits vor Jahren geplant wurde. Durch das gesetzliche Verbot von Inlandssendungen ist die VOA dem größten Teil der US-Bürger unbekannt und erfährt dadurch kaum öffentliche Unterstützung. Ein Mitglied des Kongresses charakterisierte die Situation mit den Worten 'wir nehmen sie auseinander'. Einige VOA-Mitarbeiter befürchten inzwischen, daß letztlich selbst die englischen Sendungen eingestellt werden. Andere versuchen nur noch, irgendwie bis zur Rente durchzukommen." (via Kai Ludwig, NTT Aktuell Feb 16 via DXLD) ** U S A [non]. USA (Colorado): HCJB World Radio will 2003 Sendungen in Tschetschenisch und Kituba beginnen. Dies gab HCJB-Präsident Dave Johnson Ende Januar in Colorado Springs CO bekannt. Die Sendungen in Tschetschenisch (eine Million Sprachangehörige in der Kaukasus-Region) und Kituba (4,2 Mio. Sprachangehörige im Kongo) sollen über lokale Sender vor Ort ausgestrahlt werden. Es sind die letzten beiden Sprachen von ursprünglich 23, für die HCJB World Radio im Rahmen des Projekts World by 2000 die Verantwortung übernommen hatte. Vor 17 Jahren hatten sich HCJB World Radio, Far East Broadcasting Co., Trans World Radio, SIM, FEBA Radio und andere große protestantische Radiomissionen verbündet, um ``die Welt bis zum Jahr 2000`` mit christlichen Radiosendungen in allen großen Sprachen zu versorgen. Damals hatte man gut 110 Sprachen mit mehr als 1 Mio. Angehörigen auf die Liste genommen. Da man das Datum nicht halten konnte, wird das Projekt als World by Radio Challenge fortgeführt. Nach diversen Änderungen auf der Liste müssen noch Produzenten und Spender für weniger als 80 der jetzt ``72 Megasprachen`` gefunden werden. 2001 hat HCJB World Radio von SIM die Verantwortung für neun afrikanische Sprachen übernommen. Dabei handelt es sich um Djerma, Fula, Ibibio, Ijaw, Maninka, Menda, Soninke, Themne and Tiv. HCJB World Radio begann 1931 mit einem Kurzwellensender in Quito. Heute arbeitet die Radiomission mit Partnern in mehr als 100 Ländern und ist an Sendungen in fast 120 Sprachen bzw. Dialekten beteiligt (HCJB- Pressemitteilung 28.1.2003 via Dr. Hj. Biener, NTT Aktuell Feb 16 via DXLD) ** U S A. The old self-supporting tower of WOSU-820 Columbus OH was toppled Feb 21; both WOSU AM and FM will be disrupted during the next sesquimonth. Illustrations, and details: http://www.wosu.org/home/fm/translate.html (via Michael McCarty, OH, DXLD) ** U S A. Here's the results of the most recent DX test that have been received here: WRCR-1300, Spring Valley, NY, Sunday, February 16, 2003 at 12:00-1:00 am ELT: According to an e-mail sent to me by DXer Gordon Bell of Troy, NY, this test never happened; WRCR's owner says that the station had lost power about 10 minutes prior to the test, and he was 200 miles away at the time, trying to get the transmitter to come up remotely --- their backup generator is a manual start! He also mentioned that he was told that an 18-wheeler brought down 3 poles with power lines, and it took 12 hours to restore service. Several reports of not hearing this test reached me, along with one asking if the test did indeed run. WRCR's owner says he is willing to reschedule the test, so perhaps we can try again! For anyone interested, here's a reminder of upcoming DX tests; if anyone has any additions or corrections, please contact me. (BE SURE TO NOTE THE TIME OF THE TEST; THEY ARE IN THE LOCAL TIME OF THE STATION) Sunday, February 23, 2003 - WFNY-1440, Gloversville, NY 12:00-1:00 am ELT [0500-0600 UT] (NRC) Please remember, what's listed as being on, say, Monday *may* be what you think of as Sunday night! Visit the IRCA Web Site at http://www.ircaonline.org (Lynn Hollerman, LA, amfmtvdx via DXLD) ** U S A. RE WJLD-1400 AL IBOC [non]: Thanks, Les. I was wondering what the story is. Was Gary Richards totally unaware of the interference IBOC causes? I'm wondering whether that stuff is not percolating down to a lot of the everyday CE's. (Chuck Hutton, WA, NRC-AM via DXLD) Mr. Richards seemed aware of the interference issues but only as they pertained to stations who "depend" on skywave reception for a large portion of their audience. He seemed to feel that even Clear Channels the "gains" brought by the new technology would be worth the interference nighttime operation would bring. If his attitude reflects most broadcasters, then we could be in real trouble. I still contend that the public will not purchase these new receivers in numbers great enough to make this profitable for stations. My prediction would be that this will be a bigger flop that AM Stereo ever was. Even if they convince lawmakers to mandate the receivers inclusion in automobiles, I can't see enough market penetration, fast enough, to make the thing fly. Their concern about not having to pay license fees also makes me wonder how high those will be, and if this will deter a lot of smaller stations from being onboard. 73, (Les Rayburn, N1LF, NNN0HSI Navy MARS/SHARES, Helena, AL, NRC-AM via DXLD) He apparently has no idea about the adjacent-channel issues. If all of the GY stations were in their own self-contained portion of the band, perhaps that understanding might 'fly'.... (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA, ibid.) They apparently did so illegally, since this station has never applied for an STA to operate IBOC. I find it sad that, as a CE, he seems to have no technical knowledge about how IBOC actually works. When he discovers what IBOC on 1390/1410 stations does to his stations`s coverage contours, he may have a better appreciation for the impact of IBOC! As others have pointed out, it's not on the same channel where IBOC wreaks its havoc, it's on the adjacent channels (Barry McLarnon, Ont., ibid.) I was really disappointed that Ford wrote IBOC would "allow broadcast stations to transmit digital and analog audio simultaneously within their existing analog bandwidths." That statement endorses a claim for the radio equivalent of a perpetual motion machine --- if you put more "stuff" into a signal, the bandwidth has to increase. That's why (for example) a phone signal occupies more bandwidth than CW, and TV signals need more room than phone. If you add a digital component to an analog signal, either the bandwidth occupied has to increase or the analog portion must be substantially degraded to keep occupied bandwidth constant. Ford should've pressed Ray on the adjacent channel QRM issues, but instead he took Ray's claims at face value. |joke| I knew ham radio would go to hell once they took away the code requirements for a Tech license and dropped it to 5 WPM for the General and Extra, and the QST article is proof. |/joke| (Harry Helms AK6C, Ridgecrest, CA DM15, ibid.) The ARRL has been out of touch with reality since the 1970's or earlier. Actually, this viewpoint sounds a lot like the kind of arguments made *not* to put so much emphasis on code as a prerequisite to greater operating privileges back at that time. The League appears to still have its head in the sand as far as reality is concerned, and objective reportage or interviewing was also never one of their strong suits.... (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA, ibid.) I would argue that's not precisely true. Many analog modulation schemes have "holes" in the spectrum --- areas where there's little or no signal, where another signal can be stuffed in. Analog color TV is a good example. As I understand it, the two color difference signals are essentially stuffed in gaps between the luminance sidebands. In that way, it became possible to put more "stuff" --- the R-Y and B-Y color difference signals --- into the TV signal without increasing the width of a TV channel. Arguably, digital signals could be stuffed in existing AM/FM broadcast radio channels as well, without increasing the bandwidth. The outer reaches of the channel have relatively little energy; some digital transmission could occur here. (however, here you'd have to install narrower filters in existing analog receivers to prevent interference, and I rather suspect you couldn't get enough data bandwidth in an AM channel to broadcast audio.) ============================ All that said... IBOC is certainly NOT a good example of stuffing something into the gaps... ============================ WRT the ARRL, I think they were in trouble either way. Keep a stiff Morse requirement and scare away newer would-be hams who find it irrelevant; or drop it and scare away existing old-timers who believe the introduction of the Novice license was the death of the hobby... (little-known fact: the League proposed a no-code license in 1945...) (Doug Smith, W9WI, ibid.) Too many ancient 'sages' trying to keep their own little exclusive club. At this point, however, QST is almost exclusively financed by advertising, the vast majority of which comes from equipment manufacturers, so I wouldn't have expected much of a different slant. One doesn't bite the hand that feeds one if one wants to stay afloat, whether one is a company or an organization (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA, ibid.) A big part of ARRL's problem is that the hand feeding them is dying. While it hasn't been directly noted in QST yet, comparing the 1997 and 2002 membership totals shows ARRL lost almost 20,000 member during that five year period. Fewer readers = lower ad rates. With the aging ARRL membership, a growing portion of the membership is eligible for the discounted memberships for those 65 and over, and that's further cutting their revenues. It's not just listener clubs that are having problems with declining numbers of members! (Harry Helms AK6C, Ridgecrest, CA DM15, ibid.) Absolutely true. And I'd bet if you compared the numbers back further, you'd find that the decline dates back about 20 years. Most of the 'old line' 'acquisitive' hobbies ( including all forms of radio hobbies, in that we collect QSO's or receptions or tapes or QSL's ) are rapidly losing numbers. The ARRL has just shot itself in the foot such as to be out on the leading edge of that trend (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA, ibid.) Yes, as others have pointed out, the real problem with IBOC on GY channels (or any frequency) will be the problems on adjacent channels. And I think the reason Mr. Richards doesn't understand the impact of IBOC is because there is almost ZERO impartial editorial journalism within the broadcast industry. The trade magazines have printed very little about the negative impact of IBOC (or DTV for that matter), meanwhile volumes could be filled on the articles printed on the potential economic rewards! Most CE's will reflect whatever viewpoint station management takes in regards to IBOC. Given that WJLD is virtually invisible in most dayparts in Arbitron, and play a largely music format, I think that station management would love to believe that the station would be a "hit" if only it was capable of producing decent sound (compared to FM). Unfortunately, IBOC plays into this and similar dreams...the dream of being able to sell data related services, etc. And since they buy lots of full pages ads in the trade magazines, there is very little "reality checking" going on. I, for one, plan to draft a letter to QST, explaining some of the negative aspects of IBOC. (As for problems with the league, let's don't even go there...but it's the only real game in town in terms of that all important lobby effort in Washington). 73, (Les Rayburn, N1LF NNN0HSI Navy MARS/SHARES, Helena, AL, ibid.) As one who dropped membership in the League in about 1980, I won't. I wish you luck, but while they were a powerful lobby at one time, they're far less than that today, and they still don't usually listen to anyone else's dissenting views (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA, ibid.) ** U S A. HEY, WAIT A MINUTE --- FOR LIBERALS, IT'S MORNING IN AMERICA Shock jocks are the progressive answer to Rush Limbaugh By Marc Fisher, Posted Friday, February 21, 2003, at 10:57 AM PT Anita and Sheldon Drobny are generous Chicagoans who have deployed their fortune on behalf of musical theater, abused children, Jewish studies programs, and the campaigns of William Jefferson Clinton. Now, they've decided that the best use of 10 million of their dollars is a grand effort to rid America of the curse of one-sided talk radio. Like many liberals, the Drobnys are puzzled: How can it be that in this great land where Lincoln and Douglas debated the future of the Union, the radio emits only the right-wing ravings of conservative loudmouths such as Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage, and on and on? For 20 years now, good libs have been conducting their very own American Idol talent search, scouring the nation for talkers to counter the conservative hegemony over the AM airwaves. Goodness, they tried Mario Cuomo, and that fiery Jim Hightower, and that nice man Bill Press, and all those other Crossfire refugees. Not a one of them clicked. It's always fun to watch millionaires flush their riches away, but really, Mr. and Mrs. Drobny, save your $10 mil. Your effort to bring your brand of American politics to the masses by putting Al Franken and a bunch of other unfunny lefties on the air is doomed because it's based on four premises, three of which are utterly false: 1) Talk radio is an important piece of pop culture and thus of political America. You got that one right. The No. 1 morning radio show in most big cities has more listeners --- way more --- than The Tonight Show has viewers. And that morning show, in most cases, is a talk show. But it's not Rush or even Dr. Laura and her pinched morality. No, it's the guys liberals and conservatives alike deride as "shock jocks": frivolous, foul-mouthed, fabulously popular --- Howard Stern, Chicago's Mancow, and their more overtly political cousins, Don Imus and the morning mayor of black America, Tom Joyner. 2) The huge corporations that control most of radio want to feed only Republican ideas to pliant American ears. Oh, please. People like the Drobnys and Hillary "Vast, Right-Wing Conspiracy" Clinton hear Limbaugh as a rock-ribbed Republican. But to radio executives, he's Jeff Christy, which was his on-air name in the '70s, when Rush was a Top 40 jock whose shtick even then involved the "Excellence in Broadcasting" network and a lot of table-thumping. The suits at Clear Channel and other big radio companies don't care if Rush is conservative or liberal, a Rhodes scholar or a mental midget. They want ratings --- period. "The job of a talk host is to get you riled up and establish absolutes, because only an absolute point of view produces phone calls, which are really hard to generate," says Walt Sabo, the radio consultant who is the architect of "hot talk," the seemingly nonpolitical talk heard on FM stations. What talkers say hardly matters; how they say it is everything. Those who succeed follow the dictates of Top 40 radio: Move fast, connect with the essential minutiae of listeners' daily lives, hit listeners' emotional core, and never get in too deep. Attach any politics you want, but the format stays the same. If you don't do radio, watch David Letterman's TV show. It's the classic Top 40 format --- bits, jingles, constant motion --- transferred to the screen. 3) The big gap in talk radio is between left and right. Wrong. The gap is between men and women. Older, conservative men listen to AM talk. Younger, more liberal men listen to FM talk. What talk-radio execs can't figure out is how to attract women. Dr. Laura and a handful of other advice yakkers pick up some middle-aged women, and NPR's talkers skim off the high-end demographic. But the vast majority of American women still use the radio mostly for music and a bit of news. Put your money into cultivating new forms of talk for women, and you're far more likely to hit pay dirt than with this cockeyed liberal notion. 4) Talk radio is inherently conservative because liberal ideas are just too complex for the simplistic medium. Nonsense. Talk isn't conservative or liberal. Scratch almost any successful radio talker, and you'll find a former Top 40 DJ who has repurposed his quick-lipped skill at dispensing shreds of meaning, moving from music to talk while remaining in the loyal service of his twin masters --- the clock and the spots. Content is secondary. These guys are on the radio because they are storytellers and showmen. Their heroes are not Churchill, JFK, or Reagan but Jean Shepherd, Larry Lujack, and Dan Ingram --- the legendary radio yakkers and jocks they listened to as shy boys alone in their rooms. AM talk --- Rush, Dr. Laura, Hannity --- targets middle-aged white guys. Surprise: They tend to be conservative. But FM talk --- Stern, Joyner, Mancow, Don and Mike in Washington, Tom Leykis in Los Angeles --- scores with young men, guys who like their radio on the risqué side, with a bulging menu of sex jokes and a powerful message that this is America and you can do whatever you want. Hint to Democrats: You may not like to admit this, but these are your voters. Yes, they like it raunchy. Most people listen to radio alone in their cars, where no one needs to be PC, where it's still OK to insult women and minorities and foreigners, and no one has to fear being slapped with a harassment charge. And it's OK to chuckle at that coarse humor and still vote Democratic. The PC brigades may find this hard to believe, but shock jocks do quite well with black listeners and with traditional Democratic demographics, such as college graduates and city dwellers. No, Stern and Don Geronimo and Tom Leykis have no interest whatsoever in having Dick Gephardt on the show, at least not unless he's going to remove his pants. And no, they would say, there's no politics on their shows. (Sabo tells DJs who want to be talk-show hosts: "If the topic is national politics, abortion, gun control, death penalty, religion, race, we have no interest. If the topics are movies, TV, personal relationships, your strong personal feelings, stuff about the workplace --- things people under 90 talk about, we'd love to hear your tape.") But even if Stern wannabes don't address abortion directly, their daily diet of searingly intimate conversation with callers hits many of those hot-button issues, and they do it almost unfailingly from a left-libertarian perspective --- they are classic social liberals. Shock jocks are this country's progressive talkers, ranting for hours on end on behalf of civil liberties, sexual freedom, the rights of the little guy against the nation's big corporations and institutions (and --- sorry, Dems --- against affirmative action). They may not share Limbaugh's fascination with electoral politics, but on the issues that divide this country into red and blue, they are every bit as popular and powerful as the supposedly unchallenged conservatives. Shock jocks talk about sex, television, and what's hot. They talk about what people are talking about, which, if you listen carefully, usually are exactly the same issues that determine how people vote: personal freedom, mores, economic well-being, family, what it's like to be a guy or a woman or an American right now. If Democrats are serious about getting into radio, they need to get out of the church and into the fray, into the issues that make people shout. No one in talk radio has ever devoted a show to prescription drugs policy --- no conservative, no shock jock, no one. Ever. But war and personal rights and family and choice --- the audience is waiting. Marc Fisher, a columnist at the Washington Post, is writing a history of radio since the advent of television. His recent columns are available here (Slate via Bill Westenhaver, DXLD) What a cynic ** U S A. WLS HOST BLASTS RIVAL AS [JESSE] 'JACKSON'S MOUTHPIECE' The usually friendly competition between two of Chicago's top news- and-talk radio stations exploded this week over the Rev. Jesse Jackson in the aftermath of the E2 nightclub catastrophe. To read the full story, click here: http://www.suntimes.com/output/feder/cst-fin-feder211.html (via Bill Westenhaver, DXLD) ** U S A. Bird lovers file lawsuit against FCC, claim communication towers pose danger to birds. The lawsuit can be found at: http://www.forestconservation.org/Litigation/gulflawsuit.pdf Web site about birds getting killed by communications towers: http://www.towerkill.com PCIA: http://www.pcia.com (AP via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MUSEA +++++ PREVIEW --- Radio: Theatre of the Mind When: Feb. 15 to May 21 Where: Nanaimo District Museum Admission: $2 for adults; $1.75 for seniors and students Information: (250) 753-1821 or http://nanaimo.bc.ca Amateur radio aficionados are a tuned-in bunch. But for all the communication tools at their disposal, every so often an event slips in under their radar. Radio buff Rick Slingerland, the Nanaimo District Museum's assistant curator, was reminded of this during the planning of the upcoming exhibit Radio: Theatre of the Mind. He would love to take credit for aligning the radio exhibition -- which opens Saturday and runs until May at the up-Island museum -- with International Marconi Day, which celebrates the oft-cited 'Father of Radio,' Guglielmo Marconi, on Apr. 26, but he simply can't. "I wasn't even aware they took place at the same time," Slingerland sheepishly admits. Slingerland isn't losing sleep over his serendipitous coup. He's currently putting the pieces into place that will bring the exhibit to life, replete with more than 30 vintage radios, some of which date back to the early 1920s. Once this portion of the primary exhibit is in place, programs tied in with the history and development of radio will commence. There'll be a special night for ham (or "amateur") radio operators, and a spring break program for students during which crystal radio sets will be constructed and toyed with. He expects the closer study of crucial radio developments such as crystal sets, battery-free radios that gave birth to a nation of young radio enthusiasts in the '20s and '30s, will fully uncover the relevance of the exhibit. "I like the whole history of radio, because it's the thing that propelled us into the communication age." The exhibit will focus on Canada's pioneering involvement during the early days of radio, Slingerland says. Information and photos of Reginald A. Fessenden, one of the first to broadcast voices and music on the radio in 1906, will be on-hand. Patrons will also be able to delve into the story of Island notables Arthur "Sparks" Halstead and Bill Hanlon, who launched Nanaimo radio station CFDC in 1923. Four years later, the two re-launched the station in Vancouver as the now-seminal news station CKWX, which still broadcasts to this day. With a well of inspiration, Slingerland had difficultly planning an all-encompassing exhibit such as Radio: Theatre of the Mind. "There is so much information, the problem was narrowing it down to something poignant and specific," he says. "I've been working on this since before Christmas. (c) Copyright 2003 Times Colonist (Victoria) (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) THIS DAY`S ENGLISH LESSON +++++++++++++++++++++++++ TELLS vs. SAYS I don`t know how this works in many other languages, but in English we have transitive and intransitive verbs. Transitives require an object (direct or indirect); intransitives do not. Thus it is incorrect to say ``X tells that this is...`` whatever. You have to say instead, ``X says that this is...`` Now, if you were to say, ``X tells me that this is...`` -- that would be correct, and conversely it would be incorrect to say ``X says me that this is...`` However, you could also say, correctly ``X says to me that this is...`` The past tense of ``tell`` is ``told``, not ``telled``, and of ``says`` it is ``said``, not ``sayed``. The seeming diphthong in ``says`` and ``said`` is actually pronounced with a short E in both. I think in most languages there are not two separate words for this, causing the confusion, e.g. in Spanish ``dice`` means both depending on the context. BTW, ``that`` in all the above examples is optional. And unlike in German, we do not put a comma between ``says`` and ``that``. That`s just the way it is (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ All quiet on the solar flare front for the past week. A coronal wind stream kept the higher latitude conditions poor over the week. Sporadic E was reported on the 16th. Depressions were more widespread on the 18th under elevated solar wind speeds. Conditions should be fairly quiet from Feb 24-28. Nighttime conditions are depressed at the moment over North America with the T index more than 40 units below predicted monthly values. Prepared using data from http://www.ips.gov.au (Richard Jary, Australia, Feb 22, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ###