DX LISTENING DIGEST 3-073, April 27, 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 later at http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldtd3d.html HTML version of late March issues: http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldtd3c.html For restrixions and searchable 2003 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn NEXT AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1179: RFPI: Mon 0030, 0630 or 0700, Wed 0100, 0700 or 0730 on 7445 WBCQ: Mon 0445 on 7415 WJIE: M-F 0730 on 7490, 13595 [maybe; anyone confirm??] WWCR: Wed 0930 on 9475 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/wor1179.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1179.ram [High] (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1179h.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1179h.ram (Summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1179.html UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS I appreciate your commentary, and thank you for it. It makes DXLD worth reading (Eric Floden, BC, April 24) Thanks for your always entertaining commentaries. They say to me that you really read and take interest in what comes in to your always interesting DX material. 73 from (Björn Fransson on the island of Gotland, Sweden, with SIERRA LEONE item) ** AFGHANISTAN. I listened around yesterday evening (April 25th), local time here, and found three unIDs, which I hope, you bright people out there, can help me solving: On 7000.04 at 1738-1820 UT a station with vernacular songs, almost non stop. I heard talk at 1754, but couldn't find out the language. The music wasn't the "African Horn" type, but the only station mentioned in lists is Radio Banaadir, Somalia. I think it's another station, but which? Fair strength (Björn Fransson on the island of Gotland, hard-core-dx via DXLD) Regular here on 7000 is Information Radio, Bagram, Afghanistan. Mode USB plus carrier. Moved from 8700 several weeks ago (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, ibid.) ** AFGHANISTAN. Temporary permission granted for YA1CQ operation: The Daily DX http://www.dailydx.com reports that Hiro Nakanishi, JA1CQT, is back in Kabul, Afghanistan, as part of the Basic Human Needs (BHN) contingent. He has been granted temporary permission to operate as YA1CQ until the end of May, although he expects to be in Afghanistan for 12 months. BHN is a nongovernmental organization -- or NGO -- that`s helping with humanitarian relief efforts. Others associated with the BHN team include Ito ``Dan`` Sadao, JA1PBV. YA1JA is the BHN club call sign (ARRL Letter April 25 via John Norfolk, DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. What did everyone think of the second DX Partyline on Saturday which was dedicated to the coming changes with HCJB Ecuador and answering some concerned listeners questions? [see ECUADOR] I say that we should all get together and now urge HCJB Australia to seriously consider doing a DX Partyline program (would have to have a different name of course out of respect for the real DX Partyline, there can only be one DX Partyline!) Let`s start emailing HCJB Australia in Melbourne and see what they think! (Michael Stevenson, Port Macquarie, N.S.W., Australia, April 27, EDXP via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. Glenn: Misinformation about ABC: 13620 is still received clearly in Taiwan at 2200-2400. Maybe R Australia still sticks to B02 sked as follows [including:] 2200-2300 21740 17795 17715 15230 13620 2300-0000 21740 17795 17715 15415* 15230 13620 12080 11695* 9660 (Miller Liu, Taiwan, Apr 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BAHRAIN. 9745 USB+carrier, Radio Bahrain. Although this frequency is relatively in the clear between 2030-2130 for us in North America, there's no avoiding the QRM from 9750 since LSB is suppressed. Programming before the ToH has been varied, although music is more typical. At the ToH there's time pips, and an ID by an OM. Tarek Zeidan listened to my audio clip and heard, "Idhaat mamlakat al Bahrain". The news read by a YL usually follows, with music bridges alternating with the news items. SINPO 22432 (George Maroti, NY, Apr 24-26, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. 5580.23, R. San José, San José de Chiquitos, 0014- 0115 YL and OM at threshold level, 0010 flauta boliviana?, trio singing at 0112. fading in and out, mostly talk until trio, Slow transmitter drift upward in frequency from 5580.22. Again 26 April at 0030 - 0055 with very weak signal; never have observed this during the 1000 to 1100 time period. (Bob Wilkner, Pompano Beach, Florida, Icom R-75, NRD 535 D,Drake R7 "on the ground" 10 meter longwire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOUGAINVILLE. 3850, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, Radio Independent Mekamui, Full data QSL letter from Sam Voron in 22 days for a taped report. Confirmed power as 80 watts (Nigel Pimblett, Medicine Hat AB, IRCA DX Monitor via DXLD) How long ago did you hear it? Not reported lately ** BRAZIL. O biólogo e dexista Paulo Roberto e Souza, de Tefé (AM), além de defender a Amazônia no trabalho diário, no Projeto Mamiraua http://www.mamiraua.org.br também ajuda a divulgar o trabalho das emissoras de rádios de ondas curtas e tropicais de sua região. Recentemente, recebeu convite para fazer sugestões e produção de notícias de interesse da Amazônia da direção da Rádio Nova Baré, de Manaus (AM), recentemente reativada em 4895 kHz. Conforme Rosivaldo Ferreira, da agência Proclip, que administra a emissora, a programação da Nova Baré será baseada no tripé: qualidade de vida do homem do interior; segurança da navegação nos rios e o manejo da floresta como forma de subsistência. O slogan da emissora é o seguinte: "conversando a gente se entende". BRASIL - A Rádio Difusora Acreana, de Rio Branco (AC), está de olho na audiência dos países vizinhos. O apresentador Antônio Fiori faz programa, a partir de 0100, no idioma de Cervantes. Conforme o radioescuta Saulo Gomes de Souza, de Porto Velho (RO), "o espanhol não é original, mas é grande a vontade do locutor em conquistar a audiência hispano hablante". (Célio Romais, Panorama, @tividade DX Apr 27 via DXLD) ** BURMA [non]. Hi Glenn, 5910 kHz, Democratic Voice of Burma came this Fri afternoon Apr 25 with quite strong signal closing down exactly 1531 UT as Passport suggested. No positive ID. This so-called tentative. Transmitter site in Uzbekistan? 73´s (Jouko Huuskonen, Turku, FINLAND, Rx: AOR 7030+ Ant: ALA 1530p-active loop, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. CFVP, 6030, April 21/03 at 2300 with Broadcast News and into Pop music at 2304. Fair (Mick Delmage, at Don Moman`s, AB, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Regarding the CBC piece today [DXLD 3-072], the National Post is just so out of control. I thought you'd enjoy this piece from Saturday's Globe & Mail. Note that the author is grand-daughter of a former PM (Lester Pearson) (Eric Floden, Vancouver, DX LISTENING DIGEST) SEE NO EVIL, NO MORE BEING PRO-AMERICAN WAS ONE THING, BUT THE NATIONAL POST'S CANADA- BASHING FINALLY WENT TOO FAR, SAYS THE PAPER'S FORMER COLUMNIST By PATRICIA PEARSON Saturday, April 19, 2003 - Page A19 I suppose it's rare, nowadays, to see journalists quit their jobs to protest their paper's politics. We talk about media oligarchies, about their corporate agendas, their "bias." But we view them as monoliths and don't expect the living souls of which they are comprised to beg to differ. There is the bias of Al-Jazeera, the bias of CNN, the liberal bias of The New York Times. "Did The New York Times watch the same war as the rest of us?" a hawkish columnist wondered in The Wall Street Journal the other day. Could she be more specific? The New York Times is a collection of hundreds of individual editors, reporters and commentators, some as conservative as William Safire and others as left-wing as Bob Herbert, some reporting straight from Iraq, while others remain cloistered in film-screening rooms or on their beats. Were they all watching the war with one, miraculously fused pair of eyes? No. And for the past three years, working as a columnist for the National Post, I saw a different world than my colleagues on the paper's op-ed page. I described the view from where I stood, and if the Post was perceived as "right-wing," then so be it. I, myself, and many wonderful reporters and editors there, were not. So I did not quit the Post because of its bias. Not exactly. What I want to explain is that I quit because of mine. It happened gradually, by increments and subtle turns. But being a liberal columnist at the Post grew increasingly unpleasant. A paper that started out as imaginative and vibrantly skeptical began sliding into orthodoxy. A kind of Political Correctness, so excoriated as a disease of the left, began to prevail. When CanWest, controlled by the Asper family, acquired the paper from Conrad Black, I no longer dared to express sympathy for Palestinians. When my editor, of whom I am fond, revealed a deep suspicion of environmentalism, I self-censored in favour of conviviality. When I mentioned that Canadians were more tolerant of abortion than Americans, I found myself accused by another columnist in the paper of "being more persuaded than the rest of us" by the merits of enforced abortion in China. That, in turn, unleashed a flood of hate mail from the pro-life crowd. It was vexing, but not intolerable. I simply felt as I imagine a man would in a roomful of radical feminists. Then came the prelude to the war in Iraq and, with it, a deep unease throughout the world about the massive, rumbling shift in the international order. The White House stamped its foot impatiently while the world thought the implications through, and emotions intensified. At my paper, they exploded. Debate -- so critical for Canadians at this juncture -- was trounced at the Post by a sort of Shock and Awe campaign against any liberal position, not only from the neo-cons' favourite wit, Mark Steyn -- who treats punditry as a sport and shoots liberals like skeet -- but also from every other editorial writer on the page. Perhaps 9/11 knocked them off their horse on the way to Damascus. I cannot presume to say. But the paper got religion. What arose from the editorial page, with remarkable intensity, was a neo-conservative vision of America that did not remotely reflect the America that I once lived in, and continue to love and respect. Instead, it was a cultish adoration by Bush people of American power unleashed. This vision of America blatantly favours the rich, displays a breathtaking indifference to the environment, crushes civil liberties, manipulates patriotism by stoking fear, insults its allies, and meets skeptics with utter contempt. To see it confused with America per se was actually shocking. When Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia -- an American, I believe, but the Post might wish to check his ID -- stood up on Capitol Hill last month and said, "today, I weep for my country," he was expressing the concern of many. Fascism rising. But, to the Post, such objections to the neo-conservative vision became an unpatriotic heresy to be heaped with scorn. How astonishing, utterly, to watch a Canadian newspaper presume itself to be more pro-American than the most senior politician in the United States Senate. At times, the Post's hostility to critics of the war was simply childish. There wasn't a peace movement. There was a "peace" movement, quote unquote. There wasn't a valid argument that UN inspectors be given more time to find Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, or that pre-emptive invasion should be seriously hashed out in light of precedents in international law, or that an alternative to force might be imagined. All along at the Post, protesters were dismissed as loathsome "peace" activists indulging "an infantile nostalgia for anarchy" whilst "wrapped in the warm fuzz of self-righteousness." In recent days, such people were said to have betrayed "our best friend" America, and should stop "henpecking" U.S. forces to restore order in Iraq, because they really ought to be "too busy eating crow." Note the lack of grace here, the meanness of spirit, the selective memory and the gloating. Not a day went by this month when I didn't want to write a letter to the editor of my own newspaper. But even still, that wasn't what prompted me to hand myself a pink slip. What finally provokes a journalist to resign in protest of bias? The answer is when she begins to feel that that bias is doing her nation harm. Allow this piece to stand as my retort to columnist Diane Francis, who wrote in last Saturday's Post that unlike American patriotism, which is fabulous, "Canadian nationalism is an oxymoron." Really, Ms. Francis? Well, call me a freak of nature, but I am an ardent Canadian nationalist. I love my country, and I am fiercely proud of it. I cannot sit back and watch this nation attacked, relentlessly and viciously, by a newspaper that would trash so much of what we believe in, from tolerant social values to international law, belittling us for having our beliefs, while turning around and saying that what makes America great is Americans' ardour in defending their beliefs. I can not be a part of a newspaper that would hector our business community into fearing that Canada is to blame for the deterioration in U.S.-Canada relations, when the Americans themselves concede that the White House has fence-mending to do. I am in Mexico now. Remember Mexico? That other, vulnerable satellite state that opposed unsanctioned U.S. action? I sit here watching the Mexicans comfortably and elegantly banter about that "loco" George Bush, a man who -- as Carlos Fuentes mused recently in a conservative paper -- was less threatening when he was drunk, and I weep for those of my countrymen who have been made to feel ashamed by the Post. O Canada, Ms. Francis. The fact that I bugger up the verses at ball games doesn't mean that I don't get the meaning of the song. I sat at the knees of my grandfather as a child, absorbing the love he felt for this country with every exhaled breath, and you cannot -- and will not -- make me betray him in favour of becoming George Bush's "best friend." Patricia Pearson, an award-winning writer, was a columnist for the National Post until this week. She is the granddaughter of Lester B. Pearson (via Eric Floden, DXLD) ** CANADA. I send along these excerpts from a CRTC decision just to confirm that in an age of megapower, there is still a place for minipower. Faro's population is about 500 (From Harry van Vugt, Windsor, Ontario, Canada) Ottawa, 23 April 2003 1. The Commission approves the application by Northern Native Broadcasting, Yukon to amend the broadcasting licence for the radio programming undertaking CHON-FM Whitehorse, in order to operate a transmitter in Faro. 2. The new transmitter will operate at 90.5 MHz (channel 213VLP) with an effective radiated power of 1 watt (via Harry van Vugt, ON, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. Wavelength isn't on the currrent schedule -- see http://www.crienglish.com/about/schedule.htm#1 If I've done the math right, 0400 UT equals 12 noon in Beijing, when "X FM" (youth-formatted music) is on the schedule. Wavelength doesn't appear on the 91.5 FM schedule (Richard Cuff, swprograms via DXLD) ** CHINA. CHINESE MEDIA COMPANIES REAP WINDFALL East Malaysia Daily Express 14 April, 2003 SHANGHAI: China may be adamantly against a US-led war in Iraq, but the nation's state-owned media companies have cheerfully capitalised on surging advertising revenues as companies race to place ads during television broadcasts from the battle zones. With more than 400 million Chinese said to be glued to their television sets watching developments unfold in Iraq, state media conglomerates broadcasting unprecedented live daily coverage of the war have been rewarded with soaring advertising revenues. "Our statistics show that viewer rates at CCTV (China Central Television) jumped 28 times since we began our live broadcasts of the war in Iraq, which of course attracted many firms to put their ads on our channels," said an advertising executive at the flagship channel, who requested anonymity. In March, income from commercials at CCTV, China's largest nationally-owned media group, increased by 100 million yuan (RM45.6 million), a 30-per-cent jump over the same period a year ago. The company forecasts another 100 million-yuan rise in April, which means the network will have achieved 20 per cent of last year's 850 million yuan in advertising-derived income in just two months. Such handsome profits have spurred many of CCTV's network of 12 channels to move to a CNN-style of round-the-clock-coverage, bringing the war vividly into Chinese living rooms nationwide. Never before has such extensive coverage of a news event been seen in China and is a radical departure from the usual steady digest of carefully nurtured party propaganda meant to legitimise the rule of China's ruling mandarins. At CCTV International, the network's English-language station, executives were well prepared for the opening salvoes of the Iraq war, embedding Chinese reporters within the coalition military, just like other overseas news groups. And like its largely western counterparts, within minutes of the first strikes on Iraq by US and British forces, CCTV International was reporting live on the scene and shifting to 24-hour coverage of the conflict. Other CCTV channels responded in similar fashion. "Before the war we had about 285 minutes of news per day, but after the war started it reached as much as 13 hours a day of war-related news coverage," said an executive at CCTV-4 in Beijing, who gave his last name as Wang. Despite the tremendous use of resources and the unprecedented freedom granted by Chinese authorities to its press corps in Iraq, media are still muzzled on a range of issues which the Communist Party perceives as politically sensitive - as most recently seen in its media blackout at the outset of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. China may not be about to establish an independent press, but market forces are in large part responsible for its radical departure in news gathering, said Yu Hai, a sociology professor at Fudan University. "Chinese media have to be freer, or at least to act in the same way as their foreign counterparts, since commercial needs, amid harsher competition from other TV stations, make it the right way to attract a larger audience. As the number of viewers increase so will their income," Yu said. Abreast of such bottom-line considerations, days after the war began, CCTV bumped up the cost of its advertising slots 12 times and increased from three minutes the amount of commercials during hour- long newscasts to nine minutes. That is still far less than international networks such as CNN or the BBC, but the increase has served to meet demand. "After the outburst of war in Iraq we found CCTV-4's viewer rate surged so quickly that we decided we had to put ads on," said Qiu Hongying, a marketing executive at Yangshengtang, a national drug maker. Professor Ding Junjie from Beijing Broadcasting Institute said: "What the live broadcasts of the war in Iraq has brought to CCTV is not only huge ads income but also its invaluable public brand, which is more important than the ads income. "Next time when some events take place, the first response of audiences might be to go to CCTV quickly and directly."- AFP (via Tom Roche, Apr 24 DXLD) ** COSTA RICA [non]. Ed Volkman and Joe Bohannon will be accompanied by 245 listeners when they broadcast their WBBM-FM (96.3) morning show all next week from Costa Rica. They've been awarding "Eddie & Jobo Beach Bash" trips for the last three months (Robert Feder, Chicago Sun-Times Apr 25 via Jill Dybka, DXLD) ** ECUADOR. Hi Glenn, I had HCJB on while I was doing something else (15115, SINPO 44433, 4/26/03) At 1330 during a show about developments at HCJB, they announced they were ending the English and German editions to North America and Europe so they could concentrate limited resources on Spanish, Portuguese, and Quechua programming. They are going to keep some English, but much more limited. I didn't catch a specific time frame for the changes to start. (At the start of the program, I wasn't listening that closely until the announcements started.) HCJB was my first DX log (March 15, 1969, 0400 GMT 11.9?? Mc./s. :-) While I generally have agreed with the comments in DXLD about the irritating habits of evangelical broadcasters - (e.g. TWR - Africa and Cape Verde Islands - Having been a practitioner for many years, I was sure Catholicism was a Christian religion.) - HCJB's more "soft sell" programs have been a lot more "listenable" than most. Those programs have had a lot more cultural interest (like Andean music). In addition, their South American news has been excellent when the North American news interests have ignored that continent. Like many of the readers of DXLD, I'm one who has listened to many hours of broadcasts from very strong viewpoints (like Communist states during the Cold War, right wing broadcasters on private shortwave stations in the US, Clear Channel owned personalities promoting the current war ...) one can learn to sort out the interesting parts from the underlying "message." HCJB has had programs that one can listen to using those kinds of filters. Anyway, another international broadcaster heading out the Shortwave door to the developed world. It is another sad exit (Mark Taylor, Madison, WI, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Just listening to HCJB (9745 at 0315 UT), the program "Studio Nine". They are carrying some interviews about the demise of the NA and European English service. It looks like most of the English programming that they will carry after that will be from Australia on 11770, 0700-1200 UT. Right now the Australian transmitters are only running 50 kW and Beamed to Asia/Pacific Rim, but have been heard in parts of NA (Though they didn't say it, I'd presume the West Coast). They 'may' give those a boost sometime in the future. Also mentioned was the possibility that the last month (May) may contain a lot of walks down memory lane, focusing on some of the things that have been broadcast in the past. (Perhaps this also gives them time to "Phase Out" producing things in their studios ??) 73 de (Phil, KO6BB Atchley, DX begins at the noise floor! Merced, California, April 25, swl via DXLD) Curt Cole was back on DX Partyline April 27, to respond to a number of listeners` questions, almost all of which have already appeared in DXLD: The gist: Answering Kai Ludwig`s question, decision has been made that will not continue with European releases beyond end of 2003. Date not set for German and Spanish to end, but English definitely ends May 31. Germans are very actively researching other possibilities for a German broadcast into Europe. Rob Wagner, Australia asked: how will you use extra transmitter capacity freed up by dropping English? I believe Pifo has a reserve capacity. By increasing services to Latin America? Possibility of leasing time to other broadcasters wanting better coverage from hi up in Andes? Decision is to overall reduce SW presence in Latin America region, concentrating more on local radio. Majority of population in Latin America lives in cities now [so they can`t listen to SW??]. So answer probably is ``no`` as far as expansion to what we are doing on SW. What we are doing is looking at possibility of multiple sites around Latin America to serve listeners better. We believe airport still likely to become reality in about 5 years. Have talked about leasing to others. Will look into it further. Open to possibility under the right conditions and right broadcasters. We don`t do that now, altho we lease time from other broadcasters. Michael Stevenson, NSW: give us a DX program from HCJB Australia, with Allen Graham coming to work there? [``work of the devil`` not mentoned. . .] AG: My assignment with mission will continue to be here in Ecuador for the time being. No decision to make a transfer, but may come about in future. Is in God`s hands. CC: Maybe the guys in Australia will be considering doing a DX program anyway, as DXPL has been quite an asset to their programming. Special QSL card for finale? Other shows are considering special programs. Studio 9 will begin specials for May; different producers will send greetings; favorite Studio 9s brought back. As are some other programs. Ryan Ellgood, TN: What kind of forces are behind this? Listening to the end. Regionalisation of our mission is one of main forces. No longer our goal to reach the whole world from Quito; economics another force, a consideration, tho not a driving one. Having financial problems, have to make cuts. Changing SW listening habits. Decline in Europe, North America, past sesquidecade. Fewer letters to language services, particularly English. If had unlimited funding, maybe would not be doing this. Looking at continuing a morning release to Americas, not really Canada. Evening Spanish release gets into Canada, where there are a lot of Ecuadorians, listening especially on Sunday nights for the scores of their teams. John Figliozzi: Why bother to write, etc. [much of his long commentary previously in DXLD] CC: used to do quite a few more hours to NAm; that has been cut back in the last few years. A matter of economics, or not enough transmitters. Now we have enough transmitters, but it`s down to a philosophy of what we`re doing here. We are not shutting down the possibility of restarting some English to North America in future. But at this time that is not what we will be doing. In years to come we have high hopes for digital, and what that will do for SW radio, and that may be the single thing that will resurrect our English language service to parts of the world that we are now cutting. Most resources will now go into planting local stations in Latin America. Already cut French, Japanese in the last two years, tho Japanese has an incredible internet ministry. No, we will not reconsider a shorter English release to North America. Not only listeners, but staff members in the English department are feeling a loss as well, but believe it is the right thing to do now. Some engineering staff in Ecuador are being reassigned to Australia. There is a grieving process as they say goodbye here, begin ministry elsewhere. It`s not just Quito anymore; we`re just a part of the HCJB picture. Most English will come from elsewhere (HCJB DX Partyline April 27 UT 0300 on 9745, notes by gh for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EL SALVADOR. Saludos cordiales, Glenn. En el e-mail pasado te notifiqué la escucha de la evangélica Radio Imperial, Sonsonate, El Salvador; por 17835 kc. (17 metros), escuchada el 5 y 6 de Abril. Los días posteriores no la volví a escuchar, pero a partir del lunes 21 y hasta el jueves 24, fecha en que redacto el presente e-mail, la he vuelto a escuchar, de 1500-2400 UT más o menos, esto es, mientras lo permiten el QSB, y QRM de otras radios internacionales. Se identifica como: ``Esta es Radio Imperial, 810 AM``. (Jesús Martínez Miranda, Uruapan, Michoacán, MÉXICO, http://www.qrz.com/database/xe1hmw DX LISTENING DIGEST) Radio Imperial, 17835.2 (checked with Don Moman`s frequency analyzer) April 19/03 2059 past 2300 in Spanish with Religious programming. IDs noted usually around :02 minutes past each hour. Very Good. On April 20th they were on 17835.4 kHz around the same time (Mick Delmage, at Don Moman`s, AB, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ERITREA [non]. CANADIAN-BASED CHRISTIAN GROUP PLANS BROADCASTS TO ERITREA The Canadian-based Christian organisation The Voice of the Martyrs http://www.persecution.net says that, starting this summer, it will be broadcasting a radio programme into Eritrea specifically to encourage persecuted Christians in the east African nation. Current plans are for half of the programme to consist of dramatic readings from VOM's best-selling book, "Jesus Freaks" in the Tigringa language. Two years ago, The Voice of the Martyrs published "Jesus Freaks" in Amharic, the main language of neighbouring Ethiopia. Said Glenn Penner, Communications Director of The Voice of the Martyrs, "Persecuted Christians in Ethiopia have found 'Jesus Freaks' to be an incredible source of encouragement. Sharing a common culture and similar persecution, we have been assured by believers from the area that these testimonies will have a similar impact in Eritrea. Eritreans are avid radio listeners and we are convinced that this is the proper strategy for this increasingly 'closed' nation." The Voice of the Martyrs was founded in the mid-1960's by Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, who was imprisoned and tortured by Communist authorities in his native Romania for fourteen years. While still in prison, Pastor Wurmbrand envisioned a ministry that would focus on the plight of the Persecuted Church, raise a voice on their behalf, and provide encouragement and assistance to them (© Radio Netherlands Media Network 25 April 2003 via DXLD) ** GERMANY. Some may say I am thinking before I talk --- but, how much is Deutsche Welle really saving by having dropped English to North America? The reason I ask is: you would think that means for example the closing of the Antigua relay site that transmitted at 0100 UT on 9640. Okay, that shuts down; I agree there`s cost savings --- but in case no one has looked at that frequency since the ending of English at 0100, there`s Deutsche Welle STILL on 9640 at 0000- 0300 UT nightly in German (with a signal that has been 40 over 9 the last few nights). So, was the dropping of English more politically motivated or just a move to get them attention for a possible return? (Bill KA2EMZ Bergadano, Apr 27, swprograms via DXLD) ** GUATEMALA. R. Cultural Coatán, 4780, Apr 18 0115-0135+, irr. [irregular? irreverent? irrelevant?] talk in local language with brief music breaks, 0129 ID, 0131 Spanish ballads and local ranchera type music; weak; also heard next night 4/19 but barely audible. R. K`ekchí, 4845, Apr 19 0200-0310* Spanish religious music, talk. 0305 Spanish closing announcements and long NA; poor-weak (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. AIR, 9425 at 1440 April 21 in English with talk about the role of parents and teachers in the education of children. Very Good signal (Mick Delmage, at Don Moman`s, AB, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. RRI Serui, 4606.4, April 20/03 at 1157 in Indonesian. Lots of mentions of RRI and what I presume was news at 1200. Fading out after 1300. Very Good signal. RRI Wamena, 4870 at 1052 thru 1210 UT April 20. Pop music, with English songs 3 to 1 over Indonesian tunes from the likes of C. Dion, B. Joel etc. IDs at the Top of Hour did not mention site but the IDs during programming did mention Wamena and one even mentioned Irian Jaya (not Papua). The canned IDs had a slight echo effect. Mentions of frequencies including "FM Stereo". Signal was super with "HiFi" quality sound. Thanks to Arnstein Bue [HCDX]for pointing out that I was too quick to assume a new transmitter for Sorong being on 4870 (Mick Delmage, at Don Moman`s, AB, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL INTERNET. INTERNET RADIO TAKES OFF BIT BY BIT PETER HENDERSON, REUTERS, THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 2003 08:31:40 AM LOS ANGELES: Internet radio has found a niche. Lots of them, in fact. The Internet offers a staggering variety of music streams from radio stations' Webcasts to playlists customised by advanced software. . . http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/xml/uncomp/articleshow?msid=44338640 (via Jilly Dybka, TN, DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. TWO-HAM CREW SET TO FLY TO INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION Space veterans Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, RK3DUP, and NASA astronaut Ed Lu, KC5WKJ, were scheduled to head into space this weekend to assume the reins of the International Space Station (ISS) as its Expedition 7 crew. Crew commander Malenchenko, 41, and NASA Space Station Science Officer Lu, 39, will be the first two-person ISS crew increment and the first primary crew to travel to the space station on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Their Soyuz TMA-2 vehicle is scheduled to launch April 26, at approximately 0354 UTC from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. They`ll arrive aboard the ISS April 28. The two crews will spend six days together on the ISS. Originally scheduled to return in March aboard the space shuttle Atlantis STS-114 mission, Expedition 6 Commander Ken Bowersox, KD5JBP, Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin, RV3FB, and NASA Space Station Science Officer Don Pettit, KD5MDT, will return to Earth aboard the Soyuz TMA-1 craft that`s now attached to the space station. They`re scheduled to land on May 3 in Kazakhstan. Bowersox, Budarin and Pettit have been in space since November 23. NASA says that with the arrival of the Expedition 7 crew just days away, the Expedition 6 crew has been preparing for ``handover`` activities this week. On April 23, the crew conducted a motion control system test in the Soyuz TMA-1 that Expedition 6 crew will use to return to Earth. Malenchenko and Lu will remain in space until October. NASA has said that until the space shuttle returns to flight-ready status pending the outcome of the Columbia accident investigation, Russian Soyuz vehicles will handle ISS crew rotations. NASA Chief Sean O`Keefe said this week, however, that he expects the shuttle fleet to be space- ready by year`s end. NASA continues to investigate the February 1 shuttle Columbia tragedy that claimed the lives of seven astronauts, three of them Amateur Radio licensees. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, says NASA has okayed a schedule of one or two ARISS school group contacts per week, despite the reduction in crew size. The grounding of the shuttle fleet could put a crimp in plans to deliver new ham radio gear to the ISS this year, however (ARRL Letter April 25 via John Norfolk, DXLD) ** IRAN. PRESIDENT DENOUNCES UNAUTHORIZED JAMMING OF SATELLITE BROADCASTS. President Hojatoleslam Mohammad Khatami and parliament speaker Mehdi Karrubi have called a stop to a reported project in Tehran to jam satellite broadcasts, IRNA reported on 22 April. Following a discussion of the issue in parliament, the president and speaker issued a directive calling for identifying and taking action against those responsible for the jamming. At the parliament meeting, officials said that "a certain military organization," otherwise unidentified, is transmitting powerful jamming signals from several of its bases in Tehran as well as from mobile units installed on trucks. The report, which originally appeared in the 22 April edition of the reformist daily "Hambastegi," did not identify the offending broadcasts, which likely are Persian-language television programs originating from Los Angeles and other foreign cities. In an apparent effort to avoid controversy over whether the contents of the broadcasts warranted jamming, opponents of the project are stressing that the jamming transmissions are harmful to citizens' health, causing, among other things, infertility ("RFE/RL Newsline," 23 April via RFE/RL Media Matters Apr 25 via DXLD) Yeah, that`s the ticket ** IRAN [non]. Radio Sedaye Iran in Farsi now daily 1530 - 1730 UTC on new 17525 kHz, better signal than ex 11575 although jammer followed to new frequency. First heard on 26/4 here with SINPO 44444 at best. Frequency listed on their homepage is 17510 kHz, also before the change. Best regards, 73 (Wolfgang von Poellnitz, HARRIS RF-550 / RF-551Preselector, JRC NRD-535D and longwires, Warsaw, Poland, hard- core-dx via DXLD) ** IRAQ. REBUILDING FREE MEDIA. "Now that [deposed Iraqi President] Saddam Hussein's regime has been overthrown and so much damage and so many causalities have been inflicted on the country because of his dictatorial rule, Iraqis aspire to an open, democratic, and pluralistic political life," writes Iraqi journalist Hamid Ali al- Kifai, co-chairman of the International Conference on Free Media in Iraq, in an essay titled "Free Media Is a Prerequisite for a Democratic Iraq" According to al-Kifai, "We need a new media law to be incorporated in the Iraqi constitution as soon as possible in order to provide journalists with the legal protection they need to carry out their duties." His article is available to newspapers for 3 May, World Press Freedom Day, and is available for downloading in English, French, Spanish, and German at http://www.worldpressfreedomday.com (CC, RFE/RL Media Matters Apr 25 via DXLD) ** IRAQ. MEDIA INDUSTRY IN IRAQ TO BE REBUILT Friday, April 25, 2003. Feature: Iraqis attempt to rebuild crumbling domestic media In war torn Iraq, local journalists have begun the hard process of rebuilding their domestic media. . . http://www.abc.net.au/news/indepth/featureitems/s840399.htm (via Jilly Dybka, TN, DXLD) ** IRAQ. US BUSINESSMAN 'PLANS FM STATION IN BAGHDAD' In a message in the newsgroup uk.radio.amateur, Philip de Cadenet of Transmitters 'R' Us writes: "I've just shipped a 1kW FM system to Jordan. This is being installed on the top floor of a 17 storey hotel in Baghdad by a US businessman who intends to start a station. He's hired a Jordanian DJ. He has also been informed to not concern himself about a licence just yet and just pick a frequency." (Media Network via DXLD) ** IRAQ. JAY GARNER'S SPEECH TO THE IRAQI PEOPLE Tarek and I both watched this on TV. It was apparently a radio address, not made for TV, but someone filmed it anyway. Both of us, independently (he in Cairo, me in The Netherlands) noticed that Jay Garner kept using his finger to point at the camera, which is considered an impolite gesture in that part of the world. It has been a bad day for the Americans - the explosions and deaths in Baghdad this morning, and now this. It beggars belief that nobody warned Mr Garner - who by all accounts is a good and decent man - about what gestures to avoid. Such attention to detail makes all the difference when you're trying to win the hearts and mind of a sceptical population (Andy Sennitt, RN blog via DXLD) Other cultures also need to realise that gestures they find offensive are innocuous in our culture (gh, DXLD) ** IRAQ. HAMS ABOUND ON UN WORLD FOOD PROGRAM`S IRAQ ``FAST INTERVENTION TEAM`` Several radio amateurs --- including some of the world`s top operators --- are among United Nations World Food Program (WFP) ``Fast Intervention Team`` (FITTEST) personnel already in Iraq or poised nearby and expected to be inside the war-ravaged country very soon. FITTEST is responsible for building technical infrastructure to ensure WFP can move relief food supplies rapidly and safely. Any ham radio operations would be secondary to the WFP`s efforts in Iraq, however. Peter Casier, ON6TT --- who`s expected in Baghdad as early as next week --- says the WFP will have a critical role in the post- conflict era in Iraq ``where 60 percent of the population is dependent on external food aid.`` In ham radio circles, Casier may be better-known as a top contester and one the operators of Afghanistan`s YA5T after the US-led military action there in 2001. Other YA5T alumni expected to soon be in Iraq as part of the WFP effort include Robert Kasca, S53R --- the last UN international staff person evacuated from Iraq before the conflict --- Mark Demeuleneere, ON4WW, and Mats Persson, SM7PKK. Casier and Demeuleneere paired up at World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) events in 2000 and 2002. Kasca was director of competition for WRTC 2000. Casier says he, Kasca and Dane Novarlic, S57CQ, were on the air from Iraq until just before the war broke out. Casier reports that Diya Sayah, YI1DZ --- one of the primary operators at the Baghdad Radio Club`s YI1BGD and the WFP`s Baghdad telecommunications officer --- is safe and well in Iraq. FITTEST also has a mandate to install or build basic technical networks, Casier said, including such systems as VHF repeaters, satellite communications and HF fixed and mobile stations. The team also will set up radio rooms, rework administrative procedures, and assign call signs for all UN humanitarian-aid workers and non- governmental organizations (NGOs) --- other international aid organizations. Others ready to go include Ed Giorgadze, 4L4FN, who`s in Turkey. Until last November Giorgadze had operated from North Korea as P5/4L4FN while on a WFP assignment in Pyongyang. Patrick Pointu, F5ORF, and Mark Tell, VK4KMT, among several other FITTEST team members who are radio amateurs. The Daily DX http://www.dailydx.com reported this week that Willie Mohney, YI/KV4EB, has been operating daily on 15 meters at or around 21.270 MHz, moving to 20 meters --- perhaps around 14.255 (ARRL Letter April 25 via John Norfolk, DXLD) ** IRAQ. Hi guys, today 25/4/03 for the second day I couldn't get V. of the Liberation of Iraq on 4025 kHz; used to sign on at 1730 UT. Information Radio on 4500 kHz is not on today; yesterday 24/4/03 they were on with a new OM rather than the famous one I used to identify working for both information radio and R. Tikrit. I think now as he's doing everything in the transmission of radio Sumer on 1584 kHz which replaced R. Tikrit so he has no time for Information Radio. BTW he announced his name while reading the news on Radio Sumer, "the news read by Ibrahim Naser". Now we know his name, wish I could get the name of that YL on Information Radio as well. Otherwise I'll nickname her as Baghdad rose --- hint hint-Tokyo rose ;) 1566 kHz, Two Rivers Radio is on today 25/4/03. They still broadcast these messages to the Iraqi people: "the collation forces will leave Iraq after having a government in your country"; "Dear Iraqi people, Saddam is either dead or vanished he and his murderers followers will not threaten you any more so enjoy your freedom"; "apart from having their necks in danger, the coalition forces did something else. They found millions of dollars hidden by the ex-regime. Now that money is back to the Iraqi people"; "after decades of threats to the Shiite in Iraq, you can enjoy and rejoice with this freedom" --- stuff like that all the time. They as well still have that guy who never IDed himself, having a long talk about "now this is the moment of the labor of a new Iraq... it may be hard but it's the moment we have been waiting for. . . Iraq will be back to its well known position, the wounds of the Iraqi people will heal, Iraq will be as it used to be, the light for this world". V. of Mujahideen on 720 kHz is on with heavy QRM from BBC Arabic, still audible but very weak. will see about R. Sumer and Almostaqbal tonight. All the best guys, 73 (Tarek Zeidan, Cairo, Egypt, Apr 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi guys, sorry but tuning in to the satellite transmission on the Hotbird 13 East, I heard the ID on 2100 UT with R. Sumer, not radio Tikrit. But I'm positive the beginning of the transmission was the usual Radio Tikrit. Did anyone hear the beginning of the transmission today on 1584 kHz?? Otherwise that'd be very funny. Seems like they made the switch when I switched my radio off and went to check the satellite receiver :( Sorry about that guys. Yours (Tarek Zeidan, ibid.) Hi guys, Radio tikrit just signed on, after a couple of days off the air. The usual ID came back on the air around 1900 UT with Huna Radio Tikrit. So now we will start wondering where is radio Sumer? ;) All the best guys (TAREK Zeidan, Egypt, Apr 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Maybe some dumbo put the wrong tape on :-) Or else there's a power struggle between to competing intelligence factions... Nice one, Tarek (Andy Sennitt, DXLD) Hi guys, Today 26/4/03 listening to information Radio on 4500 kHz with lots of interviews with Iraqi people some of them women crying and men giving out their names and talking about the ex regime of Iraq different than the usual stuff of messages to the Iraqi people. New voices, not the usual OM and YL changing places between IDing and reading the messages. It's 1750 UT now and the are talking about the food for oil agreement, no music heard so far! 1800 UT an ID by the usual YL. They have been off for a couple of days; now they are back on track but the signal is really fair, not as good as it used to be. Aall the best from Cairo (Tarek Zeidan, April 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAQ [non]. V. of the Iraqi People, 4785, Apr 18 0045-0316* Apr 19. Tune-in to ME music, Arabic talk, 0100 news, 0309 Kor`an. Weak- fair. \\ 9570, 9563, 11710. I believe 4785 is a sub-harmonic of 9570 (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAQ. MEDIA BEHAVIOUR ROUND-UP 1600 GMT 25 APR 03 [excerpts] The AFP news agency reported on 25 April that an unofficial radio station was on the air in Baghdad and that the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) had distributed its newspaper in Baghdad. The following is a round-up of BBC Monitoring's media observations on Iraq and related reports for the 24-hour period up to 1600 gmt on 25 April [none issued Apr 26 or 27 yet; presumably back to M-F only]: IRAQI STATE MEDIA Iraqi state media have not been observed to resume transmissions. Some frequencies which were used by Republic of Iraq Television and Republic of Iraq Radio Main Service are being used by US forces' broadcasting stations for Towards Freedom and Information Radio services. Iraqi Satellite Channel Television has not been observed. Iraqi internet sites are all inactive. SERVICES OPERATED BY U.S. AND U.K. FORCES The US/UK airborne TV service Towards Freedom and the UK-run Radio Nahrain near Basra are believed to be on the air. On 16 April, US forces started broadcasting Towards Freedom TV programmes from Baghdad airport (in addition to the existing airborne transmissions lasting five hours a day from US Commando Solo aircraft flying over Iraq), Reuters news agency reported. US Information Radio continues to be heard by BBC Monitoring. Iraq Media Network - heard on 1170 kHz - also announces as "The Voice of New Iraq". This radio station broadcasting in Arabic was observed by BBC Monitoring on 1170 kHz from tune-in at 1640 gmt on 17 April. Programme content was mostly music with occasional announcements, typically translating as "You are still listening to the Iraq Media Network, on 1170 kHz mediumwave". The US newspaper Wall Street Journal reported on 16 April that the USA was sponsoring a new AM radio station in Iraq called the Voice of the New Iraq. The new station marked the birth of the Iraq Media Network, which would eventually include newspapers and TV stations run by returning Iraqi exiles, the report added. OTHER STATIONS ALSO HEARD BBC Monitoring has also observed the following official, unofficial, opposition and broadcasts of unknown location on various dates since the start of the war: Voice of Rebellious Iraq (programmes prepared by Tehran-based SCIRI) Voice of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (programmes prepared by Tehran-based SCIRI) Ashur Radio (scheduled 0800-1200 gmt and 1700-1900 gmt) was observed from approximately 0800 gmt on 23 April on 9155 kHz in Arabic and Assyrian. This station, which reportedly commenced broadcasting in April 2000, is operated by the Assyrian Democratic Movement (Zowaa) - an opposition party in northern Iraq. It is said to broadcast in Assyrian and Arabic, possibly via a hired shortwave transmitter in Azerbaijan. Voice of the People of Kurdistan (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, PUK) Voice of Iraqi Kurdistan (Kurdistan Democratic Party, KDP) Republic of Iraq Radio, Voice of the Iraqi People (Iraqi Communist Party radio) Radio of the Land of the Two Rivers (also known as Twin Rivers Radio) Mesopotamia Radio and Television from Arbil Radio Freedom (Radio Azadi), Voice of the Communist Party of Iraqi Kurdistan Voice of Kurdistan Toilers (Kurdistan Toilers Party) Source: BBC Monitoring research 25 Apr 03 (via DXLD) ** KASHMIR. Two news reports on suicide attack on AIR-Srinagar today: FOUR KILLED IN SUICIDE ATTACK ON DD, AIR STATIONS IN SRINAGAR -------------------------------------------------------------- (1415 hrs) At least four persons - three suspected militants and a security official - were killed in a suicide attack on the complex housing All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD) in Srinagar today afternoon. Militants first caused a powerful explosion in the vicinity of the heavily-guarded complex in the heart of the city before the attack, officials said. One militant and a CRPF jawan were killed outside the main gate of Radio Kashmir, and two other militants were gunned down by BSF personnel in a nearby mosque where they had taken refuge after their attempt to enter the complex was foiled by security guards, they added. Two BSF personnel were also injured in the exchange of fire. (PTI)(Business Standard - 26 April' 03) SUICIDE ATTACK ON DD-AIR COMPLEX IN SRINAGAR, AT LEAST FOUR DEAD ---------------------------------------------------------------- Press Trust of India Srinagar, April 26: At least four persons --- three suspected militants and a security jawan --- were killed on Saturday in a suicide attack on the complex housing All India Radio and Doordarshan in Srinagar on Saturday afternoon. Militants first caused a powerful explosion in the vicinity of the heavily-guarded complex in the heart of the city before the attack, an official source said. One militant and a CRPF jawan were killed outside the main gate of Radio Kashmir and two other militants were gunned down by BSF personnel in a nearby mosque where they had taken refuge after their attempt to enter the complex was foiled by security guards, the sources said. Two BSF personnel were also injured in the exchange of fire. Militants drove to the main gate of the complex in an explosive-laden ambassador car which exploded with a big bang around 1 pm, official sources said. A heavy exchange of fire followed between militants and the security guards for about 15 minutes, they said. The blast and firing triggered panic among the AIR and DD employees. The entire area has been cordoned off and a search operation launched (Indian Express - 26 April'03) (both via Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, dx-india via DXLD) FIVE KILLED IN REBEL RAID ON KASHMIR RADIO STATION Authorities in disputed Kashmir thwarted an attempt by separatist guerrillas to raid India's main state-run radio and television station, but three rebels and two guards were killed in the clash. A senior police official told Reuters the militants first detonated a car loaded with explosives outside the complex in the heart of Srinagar, summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, to divert the attention of guards in the high-security area. "They then tried to storm the complex but were stopped by security forces," the official said. One militant was killed at the entrance to the complex and two were chased and killed in a gunbattle outside a nearby mosque in pouring rain, he said. Two security force personnel were killed and six more injured, he added. "No one had sneaked into the radio or television complex ... the area was thoroughly searched," said paramilitary spokesman T. Acharya after security forces searched the complex for fear a fourth militant might have evaded the security cordon. Responsibility for the incident was claimed by two rebel groups with no known links to each other. A spokesman for the militant group Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, based in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, told Reuters his group had carried out the attack (From ABC News Online (Australia) via Matt Francis, Apr 26, ARDXC via DXLD) CAR BOMBING KILLS 5 AT RADIO KASHMIR OFFICES By MUTABA ALI AHMED, The Associated Press, 4/26/03 6:00 AM SRINAGAR, India (AP) -- Three suspected Islamic militants and two Indian soldiers died Saturday during a car-bomb attack on the offices of the state-run radio and television station in the capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir. One militant died when the car bomb detonated while the others were killed in the ensuing shootout with soldiers and paramilitary forces, said Javed Ahmed, senior superintendent of police. It was not immediately known if the soldiers were killed in the explosion or the shootout. Three members of the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force were wounded, Ahmad said. The Pakistan-based Al Madina Islamic guerrilla group claimed responsibility for the attack in a telephone call to a local news agency, Kashmir Press Service. The attack came a day after a powerful explosion ripped through a courthouse in Kashmir, killing three people and injuring 34, amid a sharp surge in violence in the region. Militant groups, based in Pakistan or its portion of Kashmir, have fought since 1989 to merge the region with Pakistan or make it independent in a conflict that has killed more than 61,000 people. Pakistan denies that Islamic guerrillas use its territory to launch attacks on Indian forces and civilians in Indian-controlled Kashmir. India accuses Pakistan of training and arming the guerrillas, but Pakistan says it only gives moral support and no material help (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** KOREA SOUTH. Awful nice people in Seoul. Constantly sending little presents, etc. Today they sent me a "Listeners Survey", which is fair enough. To make sure that I filled it out the even supplied a pen and 2 IRCs. I think this is the first time a broadcaster has ever sent me IRC! Still it`s good that at least one broadcaster is interested in its SWL audience; these days with decreased broadcasts and "No QSL" policies, sometimes I think they don`t want to know us. I make a point of listening to RKI because they are interested in us (Jem Cullen, ARDXC via DXLD) Radio Korea International is currently working on a downloadable / net-version of its current survey. It should be ready in the next week or two, and will be sent upon request as soon as it becomes available. Regards, (Swopan Chakroborty Kolkata, India, Apr 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KURDISTAN. V. of the Kurdistan Toilers, 4245.9, 0210-0220* Apr 19, tentative: very weak with ME music, talk in language (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KURDISTAN [non?]. PUK RADIO STATION WILL "SOON START BROADCASTING" From United Press International - 25 April 2003 12.54pm http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20030423-125615-6913r from Mashraq wa Maghrib for April 25 KURDISH LEADERS PREPARE BAGHDAD VISIT ERBIL, Northern Iraq -- Both leaders of Iraqi Kurdistan's two main parties, Jalal Talabani of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and Masud Barzani of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, will attend the meeting in Baghdad Monday that is meant to lay the basis for a new Iraqi government. Adil Murad, a member of the PUK politburo said Friday that Talabani would go to the meeting as well as Barazani and representatives of other Iraqi groups. KDP spokesman Hoshiar Zibari said Thursday preparations were under way for Barzani's visit to Baghdad. A Kurdish special protection force was in the Iraqi capital to greet Talabani. Murad said the PUK has been expanding its presence in Baghdad, noting that some 16,000 copies of its newspaper, Al-Ittihad, had been printed and distributed. He said a PUK radio station would soon start broadcasting programs in Kurdish and Arabic and would expand to address Iraq's other minorities. He said the PUK was also studying setting up a new television station. Both PUK and KDP run local TV stations, radios stations and satellite channels in Iraqi Kurdistan [no frequency or band mentioned unfortunately] (via Alan Pennington, UK, DXLD) So is the point of this that they will have a new station in Baghdad? This is not clear, since the admittedly already have stations at least in or to Kurdistan (gh, DXLD) ** KUWAIT. 11990 kHz from 1757 UT with music, Arabic, ID, brief anthem, ID in English, into program on Islam and character. Presumed back in English with old schedule from 1800-2100 (Roger Chambers, April 24, Utica NY, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Radio Kuwait is back with its Urdu programme on 15110 kHz at 1600- 1800. The service was off during Iraq war. Regards, (Swopan Chakroborty Kolkata, India, Apr 27, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LITHUANIA. Radio Vilnius, 9875, April 19/03 at 2335 UT in English with talk about the cost of auto injuries on the Lithuanian economy. Abrupt off at 2359. Excellent (Mick Delmage, at Don Moman`s, AB, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS. Hello from Hilversum, I have to begin this week with some sad news. Today many of my colleagues from the English department attended the funeral of a much-loved former employee of Radio Netherlands. Harry Kliphuis, who for many years was a familiar voice on our English language service, passed away on Monday night at the age of 65. Although Harry had retired by the time I came to work here, I met him on a number of occasions when I came to record contributions for the Media Network radio show, and he was always full of good humour. His passing is a great loss to the Radio Netherlands family (Andy Sennitt, Media Network newsletter Apr 25 via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS. Lots of raids in Holland. As a lot of you might already noticed, lots of Dutch pirate stations keep low profile. This due the fact that the Dutch Agency Telecom (DTI, FCC) is trying to clean up the Dutch airwaves. They did take out already more than 50 pirate stations in the last few weeks and it is a work in progress. Spokesman of AT say that they will take out every pirate that is active and that they will not rest until they have taken out every single one of them. As you see the future in the Netherlands for pirate stations is not sure anymore and our guess is that number of active pirate stations will drop big time. For more information we ask you to call us at +31 619 508 938 or take a look at our webpage where is more info on this (lot in Dutch). Greetings from Alfred Zoer (Alfa Lima Int) (ALI April 27, shortwaves yahoogroup via DXLD) Huge webpage related to short-wave http://www.alfalima.net ** NEW ZEALAND. Re DXLD 3-072, Joe Talbot's logging 3935 ZLXA 1135- 1150+: I may be wrong, but aren't they relaying R National overnight without any "local" ZLXA IDs. At least it used to be that way in the past. So, at the time of logging it was actually R National program via ZLXA? (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Radio New Ireland, 3905, April 19/03 0920–1010 UT in Pidgin English with local music, many IDs including frequency announcements. Very Good (Good on April 20) (Mick Delmage, at Don Moman`s, AB, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Noted tonight 1000 UT 27/4 that 4890 Port Moresby is off air (David Onley, Myrtleford - Oz, ARDXC via DXLD) ** POLAND [non]. Radio Maryja SW schedule in A03 according to the station's website: Mon-Sat 0500-0715 & Sun 0600-0800 on 15455 kHz; daily 1500-1930 on 12010, 1930-2200 on 7380 kHz. HFCC data shows a 250 kW transmitter at Tbiliskaya-RUS for these broadcasts (290 degrees beam to Europe); except for 7380 kHz where a 250 kW tx in Samara-RUS is being used until 7 September, with a 284 degree beam. After 7 September, all transmissions are scheduled to originate from Tbilisskaya (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, Apr 27, EDXP via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. MUSIC AROUND US --- Popular dance tunes of the past, songs, jazz music --- that's exactly what you are going to hear in the next edition of MUSIC AROUND US. And in each of them you will hear the sound of an accordion playing along. You will also have a chance to meet some of Russia's very best accordionists, real virtuosos all. The program will go on the air on Tuesday, April 29, at 0430, 1430, 1730, and 2030 UT. It will be repeated on Thursday, May 1, at 1430 UT and on Friday, May 2, at 0130 UT. Do stay tuned. (What`s new on VOR via Maryanne Kehoe, ODXA via DXLD) ** SERBIA & MONTENEGRO. FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF RTS BOMBING MARKED BY RELATIVES | 21:26 | B92 BELGRADE -- Wednesday - Relatives today marked the fourth anniversary of the tragic deaths of 16 Radio Television Serbia employees who were killed when NATO bombed the state-media company's building. In addition to relatives and friends of the dead, representatives of the Belgrade Assembly laid wreaths at the foot of the Tasmajdan park monument, situated behind the RTS building. The gathering at the monument was addressed by Zanka Stojanovic, mother of Nebojsa Stojanovic, who lost his life in the bombing. Mrs. Stojanovic said: "Every minute of these four years we ask ourselves why? There is no real comfort for those who were maybe everything to us, and who will never return. "This is the biggest political murder committed by Milosevic, Mira Markovic, the Socialist party of Serbia, the Yugoslav Left and the Radicals. They were all in power. "Of the nine suspects named in the criminal charges only one has been convicted and he is in prison. Shadows of our dearest, rest in peace, we hope that you are in some better world". The crowd was then addressed by Zora Cavic Ilic, a translator for Television Belgrade, who said: "Our colleagues died for no reason, but they were sacrificed for an awful reason, awful". The families have urged local authorities to find all those who conspired and issued the orders for this murder and all accomplices. The 16 died after RTS management failed to clear the building despite receiving an official warning from NATO prior to the bombing (B92.net via Jill Dybka, MSIS, DXLD) ** SIERRA LEONE [non]. Hi Glenn, Re: your comment about my "funny" answer from UNAMSIL, Sierra Leone: The word that I used to SWB, Swedish "rolig" ("roligaste"), was translated by Thomas Nilsson to "funny". "Rolig", in this case, means "enjoyable", "good", "nice" ("one of my most enjoyable", "my best" or "my nicest"). "Rolig" is a funny word. In Danish "rolig" means "calm". If a Swede says to a Dane that a film is "rolig", the Swede means that it is funny and the Dane thinks he says that it is "calm". 73 from (Björn Fransson on the island of Gotland, Swedenm, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See TESTIMONIAL ** SLOVAKIA. RSI Spanish: 0230-0300 6190 Central America; 9440, 11990 South America 1430-1500 6055, 7345 Europe; 11600 South America (some days on 11715; it might was a mistake made at Rimavská) 2000-2030 6055, 7345 Europe; 11600 South America (Abstract from the printed frequency schedule via Ramón Vázquez Dourado, España, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOLOMON ISLANDS. SIBC, 5020, April 20/03 relaying BBC in English at 1125 Good (Mick Delmage, at Don Moman`s, AB, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SWITZERLAND. The reported DRM transmissions from Sottens on 1566 are limited to the period from June 15 til June 21, related to the WARC at Génève. Programming will be the same than on 765, output power probably some 10 kW. Regular DRM services in Switzerland are described as "still far away". (Christian Brülhart, Switzerland, April 22 via Kai Ludwig, DXLD) ** TATARSTAN. RUSSIA. External service from Kazan is not called "Voice of Tatarstan" anymore. The new name (not a best one, I think - Ed.) is "On the Tatarstan wave" (Russian: Na Volne Tatarstana. Tatar: Tatarstan Dulkynynda). What is the reception quality in the new season? Schedule coincides with the one used last summer: 0400-0500 11665 0600-0700 9690 0800-0900 11925 (Ildus Ibatullin and Dmitry Mezin, both from Kazan, Russia. . .) Fair reception in Primorye is only possible in autumn and winter, when 15105 kHz is used (0500-0600 and 0700-0800 winter time). In summer overall merit for those broadcasts is not higher than 2 points. (open_dx - Igor Ashikhmin, Primorskiy kray, Russia. . .) I'm listening in Moscow at 0800; excellent reception, 55555, on 11925 kHz (open_dx - Konstantin Gusev, Moscow, Russia . . .) Reception in Kyiv: 0400-0500 11665 44544, quite good, minimal fading, sometimes there is slight QRM caused by Kuwait on 11675 and DW on 11655. 0600-0700 9690, 43533 initially, but after 0620 Radio Romania Intl came much stronger. 0800-0900 11925, good reception, but moderate fading. SINPO 45534. (open_dx - Alexander Yegorov, Kyiv, Ukraine. . .) I'm not authorized to send QSLs for broadcasts of newly-formed "Novy Vek" company, which is responsible for SW transmissions from Kazan now. Negotiations on the QSL management are ongoing. Wait for results and wish me luck. If you send me reports on Radio Tatarstana broadcasts on 252 kHz, you'll get QSL without any delay, because I still have QSL agreement with them (Ildus Ibatullin, QSL manager; all: Signal via DXLD) ** TURKMENISTAN. TURKMEN MEDIA DEVOTED TO THE INTEREST OF THE STATE AND ITS LEADER --- By Naz Nazar Among all the countries of the former Soviet Union, Turkmenistan has the most repressive climate for journalists. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) placed Turkmenistan among the worst -- on a par with North Korea, China, and Burma -- on its 2002 worldwide index on media freedom. The near-total lack of media freedom in Turkmenistan is unique in the post-Soviet space and is simply one reflection of the increasingly dictatorial policies of Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov. While the Turkmen Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and of the press, in practice the government does not tolerate political dissent or freedom of expression. No law establishing media freedom exists in Turkmenistan. The constitution states, "Citizens have the right to freedom of expression and also to obtain information unless it is a state, official, or commercial secret." However, people who express views critical of or at variance with the positions of the government risk arrest on criminal charges. In democratic countries, the role of the media should be to report information as objectively as possible and to inform the citizenry about developments both within their country and abroad. Turkmenistan, however, is a country with total censorship, where the role of the media has been reduced to glorifying Niyazov, around whom a cult of personality has arisen that exceeds even the Soviet-era worship of Lenin and Stalin. In one observer's words, Turkmen newspapers look like a promotional campaign for Niyazov and state-run television has been turned into Niyazov's personal program. Every issue of every newspaper carries the oath of loyalty to Niyazov, and his head appears continuously on the upper-right corner of the television screen. Almost all print media is funded by the government, and there are no private or opposition media. Niyazov is the formal founder of all state-owned newspapers, and he personally appoints all editors who, in turn, must report to him, in addition to reporting for him. The evening news on state television must be approved by the president's office before it can be broadcast. This draconian media policy has two main objectives. The first is to limit information provided by the media to the local population both about developments within the country and about developments abroad, in order to promote the myth of the president as a wise, enlightened, benevolent ruler who is profoundly respected by his counterparts abroad. The second is to restrict the amount of information about developments in Turkmenistan that is disseminated abroad and that could filter back into the country, thereby undermining that carefully crafted myth. In order to achieve the first objective, state control over print and broadcast media is virtually absolute, and criticism of the president and his policies is taboo. Critical remarks in speeches by visiting state leaders are carefully cut out of the text by censors at the Turkmen State News Agency before the speeches are broadcast on Turkmen state television. The content of broadcast programming and newspapers consist almost exclusively of reports on the president's activities and extracts from his book "Rukhnama," which is a discourse on Turkmen history and the national character as Niyazov sees it. The government also maintains a strict monopoly over the Internet. In 2001, the Communications Ministry stripped private Internet providers of their licenses. This move has left the state-owned Turkmentelecom as the monopoly provider of Internet services. Private Internet providers were serving about 1,000 clients in Ashgabat, while Turkmentelecom had about 100 subscribers. Electronic mail is believed to be routinely intercepted by the security services, which thus controls and blocks the flow of information. The list of blocked Internet sites grows every week, and opposition sites cannot be accessed. There is a tough Internet-user application procedure, and many people simply cannot afford to buy computers or pay the monthly access fees. The only reliable information sources that the people in Turkmenistan have are those they can get from abroad. Russian and other foreign newspapers are no longer allowed, however. Subscribing to foreign newspapers has been complicated by state-imposed formalities and subscription fees payable in foreign currency. Only a handful of five-star hotels in Ashgabat that cater to foreigners stock some foreign newspapers in limited numbers. At border crossings, written materials are checked, and anything potentially damaging to the government is confiscated. Television and radio programs from Russia are scrutinized and censored and are broadcast only after a 24-hour delay. Lately, programs from Russia have been reduced to children's cartoons and entertainment shows with occasional interruptions in transmission. Satellite-dish antennas are also a problem for the Turkmen government, but they apparently are still tolerated in some places. In urban areas, if people can afford $150 to buy a satellite dish, they can watch Russia's ORT, RTR, and NTV and some Eurasian and Turkish channels. In order to further restrict the public's access to foreign media, the Turkmen authorities disconnected the cable network following transmission of a Russian television program that was highly critical of Turkmenistan. Cable television was one of the country's few independent sources of information and proved popular, as it allowed viewers to tune in relatively cheaply. Russia's Radio Mayak is retransmitted in Turkmenistan, and people can listen to it on their car radios, but it has no specific programs for Turkmen audiences. The only international broadcasting to Turkmenistan in Turkmen is RFE/RL's Turkmen Service. The political climate has deteriorated since the purported attempt to assassinate Niyazov on 25 November 2002, and this deterioration has been reflected in the vicious media coverage of the trials of people arrested on suspicion of complicity in the attack. OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Freimut Duve has compared these trials with the Stalin-era show trials. Turkmen state television used the most primitive and obscene language to describe the accused and showed crowds calling for them and members of their families to be put to death. A controversial law on treason adopted in February is so vaguely worded that almost any Turkmen citizen could be accused of treason and jailed for life. Although this legislation is not purely a media issue, it has an impact on the media in that even fewer people are now willing to speak openly. Many journalists are afraid of imprisonment, torture, intimidation, and persecution and have either found a compromise with the government or they have abandoned careers in journalism or fled the country. Journalists can write freely only in foreign publications under pseudonyms. In December, a person who had given an interview to an RFE/RL Turkmen Service correspondent in Ashgabat was detained by authorities, and although he begged the authorities for clemency and explicitly denied that he had criticized Niyazov personally, he was locked in a psychological hospital for two months. As for the second objective -- limiting the amount of reporting on Turkmenistan by foreign journalists -- the government requires that all foreign correspondents be accredited. The accreditation of some international correspondents has not been renewed in the past two years. RFE/RL's correspondents' applications for registration have been routinely turned down. Now the accreditation procedure is more complicated because it requires clearance from not only the Foreign Ministry and the presidential press service, but also from the National Security Ministry. As part of the regime's isolationist policy, visa-application procedures for foreign journalists have been further tightened since the alleged attempt on President Niyazov's life. At state border- crossing points there is a long list of foreign journalists who are not allowed to enter Turkmenistan. Once a journalist is in the country, he or she will be questioned by the authorities concerned about the visit's purpose and duration. The journalist is allowed to leave the capital city only with special official permission and in the company of a National Security Ministry official. Obstacles are often created to prevent foreign journalists from interviewing officials, and the government routinely ignores foreign journalists' attempts to pose questions at press conferences. Government officials are also reluctant to answer questions from foreign journalists over the telephone. When RFE/RL's Turkmen Service calls ministries in Ashgabat, whoever answers promptly hangs up as soon as Radio Liberty is mentioned. As Ambassador Duve's staff has demonstrated in its report on the media in Turkmenistan, the situation has deteriorated markedly in recent years. As long as Niyazov remains in power, a shift toward liberalization in Turkmenistan's official media policy is highly unlikely, to say the least. Naz Nazar is the director of RFE/RL's Turkmen Service (RFE/RL Media Matters Apr 25 via DXLD) AUTHORITIES CLAMP DOWN ON INTERNET USE. Turkmen authorities continue to exercise strict control over Internet access, and the country has just one Internet provider, the state-run Turkmentelekom, Forum 18 news service reported on 22 April. Forum 18 has been informed that, in the crackdown after the purported assassination attempt on President Saparmurat Niyazov in November, all Internet cafes were closed. Almost all nonofficial Turkmen websites have also been shut down. By relying on special computer programs that seek out "code words," Turkmen authorities are successfully controlling private Internet correspondence. Even a private letter employing religious terminology will probably not reach its addressee, Forum 18 reported. CC (RFE/RL Media Matters Apr 25 via DXLD) ** UKRAINE. April 18, 2003, 12040: 2305 UT, RUI, S5 to S9, moderate QRM R. Sawa on 12040. April 19, 2003, 12040: 0005 UT, RUI, S1 to S3, no QRM 0105 UT RUI S1 to S5, no QRM 0205 UT RUI S 1/2 to S5, no QRM. 0305 UT RUI S5 to S9 +20 dB, QRM Deutsche Welle on 12045 causing slight QRM. 0405 UT UnID on 12040, RUI not heard. Biggest problem is not QRM. Biggest problem is propagation. 73, (-.. . Kraig Krist, KG4LAC, VA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. Don't you believe the BBCWS continuity announcer who says "coming up is a half an hour of John Peel." Thanks to bottom-of-the- hour headlines, Peel's WS show now runs 26 minutes. It makes me heart long for the days of old where programs would actually last 45 minutes, an hour, or, gasp, 90 minutes! Virtually all BBCWS shows are the $9.95 equivalent of 15 or 30 minutes now -- Are really expected to suffer headlines before and after just to hear an 11-minute or 26- minute program? And is BBCWS ever gonna stop running that stupid SMS announcement every hour at :29 after the hour? Why push a crude feedback method that only allows feedback of a few words at a time? Do they think they've dumbed us down that much? (Mike Cooper, Apr 25, DX Listening Digest) ** U K [and non]. BBC official frequency guide is still found so many error. Frequencies on BBC website are the same as those on On Air Magazine. Take East Asia stream for example: 11945 2100-2200, 9580 2330-2400 are missing from official sked but shown on Nagoya Dxer Circle http://www2.starcat.ne.jp/~ndxc/uk.htm Therefore some mistypes must exist in other stream (Miller Liu, de Taiwan, Apr 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. BBC FACES PROSPECT OF AUDIT BY MPS From The Sunday Times April 20, 2003 The government is to force the BBC to be independently audited - even if it does not agree to include that provision in the new communications bill, writes Andrew Porter. It will be the first time that the BBC, with an annual budget of £2.5 billion, has been scrutinised by a parliamentary watchdog. There will be a cross-party amendment in the Lords next week, when the bill begins its committee stage, pressing for the BBC to be audited by the National Audit Office, which reports to the Commons Public Accounts Committee. The BBC is audited independently, but is overseen only by its governors. A government insider said: "The BBC is lobbying furiously to stop this, but I have not met one government member who thinks the change in auditing will not happen soon." A growing body of influential peers and MPs is urging ministers to act. They want the BBC to show that it provides value for money. Lord Lipsey, leading moves to get the amendment approved in the Lords, said: "I can see no reason why the BBC should not be independently audited when it is getting £2.5 billion through the most regressive of taxes. "It should be accountable to someone - and that someone should be parliament." The BBC fears a threat to its editorial independence. (via Mike Terry, DXLD) ** U K. CAMBRIDGE SPY DRAMA BY BBC 'IS WORTHY OF THE KGB' By Tom Leonard, Media Editor, (Filed: 23/04/2003) The BBC defended its decision yesterday to make a £4.5 million drama depicting the Cambridge spies as heroic idealists amid claims that it had produced a "piece of KGB propaganda". . . http://www.dailytelegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/04/23/nspy23.xml&sSheet=/news/2003/04/23/ixhome.html (via Jilly Dybka, TN, DXLD) ** U K. THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: YOU ALL SOUND FAR TOO DULL By Chris Hastings and Elizabeth Day (Filed: 27/04/2003) The BBC has asked contributors to Radio Four's Thought for the Day slot to take secret voice-coaching sessions following criticisms that their delivery is too monotonous. . . http://www.dailytelegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/04/27/nbeeb27.xml&sSheet=/news/2003/04/27/ixhome.html (via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) ** U K [and non]. I have now had the chance (much delayed) to check all known BFBS frequencies under the new schedule. 17635 and 15795 were not heard at all. As for the others:- 17895 was well heard during its 2-hour run from 1400-1600; 15425 was well heard during its 0600-0700 run; 13860 was quite well heard during its 1400-1800 run; 15150 was well heard from 1700-1730, but was then co-channel another (unknown) station. 13760 was heard, co- channel WHRI, during its 1800-2000 run; 11975 was heard during its 0400-0600 run, but with difficulty at times, likewise 7260 between 0300 and 0400, and 6015 could be heard quite well during its 1800- 2000 run. Hopefully, I have not missed any out. It was interesting to note during the morning transmission that the earlier part featured the Middle East Breakfast Show, whereas the later part featured the German Breakfast Show (Paul David, UK, April 25, swprograms via DXLD) Who is responsible for this travesty? Have been hearing BFBS for UK services in Iraq on, among others, 13860 (see http://www.ssvc.co.uk/bfbs/radio/frequencies/telic.htm ) Programming starts just after TOH with no intro or announcements, unless it gets mixed up with WYFR. Audio quality is generally poor, with about 3kHz upper limit, but local continuity and news is distorted beyond intelligibility. Transmission ends before the end of the programmes, with no announcements. Also, where are the transmitter sites? (Jules Hardstone, April 24, UK, hard-core-dx via DXLD) Hi Glenn, I just heard 1715 UTC BFBS Radio Two on 15150 kHz relaying BBC Radio 4 - news with very strong signal. Reception like local FM station. Transmitter location unknown. 73´s (Jouko Huuskonen, Turku, FINLAND, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K / U S A. Glenn, I was VERY interested to read the item in DXLD 3-068, about Low Power Community Broadcasting. I can assure you that this is not an entirely 'new' idea. Here in UK, some 25 to 30 Years Ago, some of us were agreeing with an idea expressed in the WRTVH, at the time, by their Clandestine Correspondent, (sorry I cannot remember his name) that the frequency range 6.200 to 6.300 MHz be opened up with 'light' regulation for this sort of activity. This would have also, 'legalised', at least some of the 'pirate' activity, taking place on that range (it still does, especially on a Sunday Morning). Probably to avoid utility interference this would have to be limited to day-time hours. With so much of the utility service, now having been moved to satellite, etc, one wonders, if this idea, might be looked at again? (Ken Fletcher, Prenton, Wirral UK CH43 5RG, 22nd April 2003, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. BBC'S DYKE "SHOCKED" BY AMERICAN NETWORK BIAS ON IRAQ UPDATED by Francis Till In a speech designed in part to refute criticism that the BBC displayed a pro-Iraq, anti-war bias during its coverage of the war, BBC director general Greg Dyke said he was "shocked" by pro- government bias in American reporting of the war in Iraq. http://www.nbr.co.nz/home/column_article.asp?id=5751&cid=1&cname=Media (via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) DYKE ATTACKS 'UNQUESTIONING' US MEDIA Dominic Timms Thursday April 24 2003 The Guardian BBC director general Greg Dyke has delivered a stinging rebuke to the US media over its "unquestioning" coverage of the war in Iraq and warned the government against allowing the UK media to become "Americanised". Mr Dyke said he was "shocked" to hear US radio giant Clear Channel had organised pro-war rallies in the US and urged the UK government to ensure new media laws did not allow American media companies to undermine the impartiality of the British media. "We were genuinely shocked when we discovered the largest radio group in the United States was using its airwaves to organise pro-war rallies," said Mr Dyke. "We are even more shocked to discover the same group wants to become a big player in radio in the UK when it is deregulated later this year. "The communications bill currently before parliament will, if it becomes law, allow US media companies to own whole chunks of the electronic media in this country for the first time. "In the area of impartiality, as in many other areas, we must ensure we don't become Americanised." The BBC chief expressed his concern that American media owners would apply the same pressure to their output in this country. "You're surprised when you discover the biggest owner of American radio stations organised pro-war rallies - it's a long way from our idea of impartiality. "They [American networks] must be clear that the rules are different here. What is now defined as impartiality in the US is different." Mr Dyke singled out Fox News for particular criticism over its pro-Bush stance, which helped the Rupert Murdoch- owned broadcaster to oust CNN in the US to become the most popular news network. "Commercial pressures may tempt others to follow the Fox News formula of gung-ho patriotism, but for the BBC this would be a terrible mistake. "If, over time, we lost the trust of our audiences, there is no point in the BBC," he said in a speech delivered at Goldsmiths College in London today. Mr Dyke revealed there had been a huge increase in demand for BBC news in the US since September 11, saying this reflected "concerns about the US broadcasting news media". "Many US networks wrapped themselves in the American flag and swapped impartiality for patriotism. What's becoming clear is that those networks may have misjudged some of their audience. "Far from wanting a narrow, pro-American agenda, there is a real appetite in the US for the BBC's balanced, objective approach." Mr Dyke also mounted a rigorous defence of the BBC's coverage of the war in Iraq after ministers publicly accused the corporation of bias towards the Baghdad regime. He refuted accusations that the BBC had been "soft" on Saddam Hussein, insisting the corporation's commitment to "independence and impartiality" was "absolute." Mr Dyke added the BBC had made "subtle daily changes" to the way it covered the war so it could "believe in and defend the integrity of our reporting". Citing the history of war reporting from Suez through Vietnam to Kosovo, Mr Dyke said British governments of every persuasion had sought to use the media to manage public opinion. "In doing so they have often sought to influence the BBC and, on occasions, to apply pressure," he said. Mr Dyke conceded the government had a right to pressurise the BBC, saying it would only become a problem if the BBC caved in to its demands. But he dismissed accusations from Downing Street that BBC correspondents in Baghad were Hussein's stooges as "absurd," saying that although journalists such as Rageh Omaar had Iraqi minders who occasionally restricted their movements, "they did not interfere with what was being broadcast". He did, however, admit the war had raised new dilemmas, one of these being the controversial practice of embedding journalists with troops. "Embedded correspondents may have given us better pictures and immediate insight of the battles but how much physical risk for our journalists and crews is acceptable in return for great pictures and commentary?" he asked. "How do we ensure their reports are placed in the proper context; how can we guard against 'embeds' being seen as 'in bed' with their hosts? "On this latter point, I think there is a need here for a serious piece of academic research on the impact of embedded journalism." Copyright Guardian Newspapers Limited (via Bill Westenhaver, DXLD) ** U S A. WEVD R.I.P. Atop the FCC's call letter list TODAY (4/25) under the heading "Call Signs Reserved for Pending Sales Applicants" is the possible end of a set of call letters in use in NEW YORK for a very long time --- ABC has reserved the call letters WEPN to replace the storied WEVD-A calls on 1050 AM. The WEVD calls have been in the market for many decades, moving from AM to FM and back and appearing on different frequencies in that time, including 1330 AM and 97.9 FM; the station was originally started in 1927 through a memorial fund in honor of Socialist leader EUGENE V. DEBS and was operated by the JEWISH DAILY FORWARD for most of its history until ABC LMAd it for ESPN RADIO (from http://www2.allaccess.com/ via Brock Whaley for DXLD April 25, 2003) ** U S A. ENFORCEMENT: RADIO STATION DINGED FOR $9000 A $9,000 fine against WRKQ-AM in Madisonville, Tennessee, has been affirmed by the Federal Communications Commission. The regulatory agency says that WRKQ allegedly failed at least once to identify itself by call sign. Also that it operated at night with daytime power and failed to adequately attenuate its second harmonic. The harmonic is a rather interesting issue here. WRKQ operates on 1250 kHz. The FCC says that it`s second harmonic falls squarely on WWV`s authorized frequency of 2.5 MHz. The FCC says that it measured WRKQ`s second harmonic down at only -55 dB per centimeter whereas -70 dB is required by the rules. You can read more on the web at http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-03-1033A1.doc (Amateur Radio Newsline Apr 25 via John Norfolk, DXLD) ** U S A. 91.5, The Point. 80s music pirate is still being heard. Best during Sat/Sun afternoons before 5 pm. After 5 pm [2100 UT] you may hear weird computer noises. Has changed from relaying Dayton's "The Point" to Houston's "106.9 The Point". "Houston's home for the best of the 80's & more." Legal ID "KHPT Conroe-Houston" Still has quarter-hour time voiceovers. http://www.1069thepoint.com/ 4/20 (Larry Russell, MI, MARE via DXLD) So 91.5 transmitter presumably somewhere near Flushing MI (gh) ** VANUATU. Radio Vanuatu, 7260, April 21/03 at 0808 in LL. Drum Interval Signal at 0810 then more talk (news??) by lady announcer. Pop music at 0817 after giving ID and frequency announcements for SW, MW and FM. Fair (Mick Delmage, at Don Moman`s, AB, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VENEZUELA. Radio Anarquía La Cámara Venezolana de la Radiodifusión cuenta 118 emisoras ilegales instaladas en todo el país. Los estados Barinas, Táchira y Trujillo son los más afectados por la proliferación de las radios clandestinas Delia Meneses Un insistente debate domina actualmente casi todo el espectro radioeléctrico, especialmente en el interior del país. Desde hace tres años, las denuncias que los empresarios del negocio radial han presentado acerca de la proliferación de emisoras ilegales se han incrementado. Para Miguel Angel Martínez, presidente de la Cámara Venezolana de la Radiodifusión, se ha desvirtuado el concepto primario de las llamadas radios comunitarias ya que, amparadas bajo este esquema, se encuentran operando sin permiso de la Comisión Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (Conatel), alrededor de 118 emisoras en todo el país. Las consecuencias de este repunte de ondas alternativas, según Martínez, son perjudiciales para las emisoras legalmente establecidas, tanto en el aspecto técnico como en el económico. . . Para leer este artículo en TalCualDigital.com http://www.talcualdigital.com/ediciones/2002/07/17/f-tal.asp?pv=f-p12.htm&st=f-p12s1.htm (TAL CUAL MIÉRCOLES 17 DE JULIO DE 2002 --- ECONOMIA via Henrri González, April 23, 2003, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 4960, at 1058 April 20. Unknown language and music (perhaps Andean music). Very good signal past 1120. Lots of work needed to ID this one (Mick Delmage, at Don Moman`s, AB, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 6025, 0915-1010, April 27, Spanish transmission. I heard gospel music in Spanish non stop. At 0940-0954 long religious talk read in Spanish by male. After, other song. At 1000 complete ID but the signal was very low and I couldn`t listen to the identification. I only heard: "...banda internacional de 49 metros". After, more songs. 33422 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, hard-core-dx via DXLD) Why not R. Amanecer, Dominican Republic? UNIDENTIFIED. On 7568.1 at 1812-1902 a station with music of Oriental (Turkish) style. I recall that there has been a Turkish station from the AM band somewhere on shortwave, but don't remember the frequency. Maybe someone with better mind than mine can remember. At 1900 there was some pop music, followed by male talk (in Turkish?). Fair strength (Björn Fransson on the island of Gotland, hard-core-dx via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. Half identified, but interesting enough: On 9739-43 (very varying) at 1700-1728 a station with English news, and commentaries, much about the oil resources in Russia (!). Everything points to Radio Bahrein, but English??? The station was totally wiped out by VOA, starting on 9740 kHz at 1728. Please help! 73 from (Björn Fransson on the island of Gotland, hard-core-dx via DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THIS DAY`S CZECH LESSON +++++++++++++++++++++++ In other words... I had to smile when I read a report from the Czech News Agency CTK, as re-published by BBC Monitoring. The spokesperson for RFE/RL in Prague is listed as Sonia Winterova. Her name is actually Sonia Winter - ova is the unstressed ending attached to all names of females in the Czech language. Maybe the CTK are using a trainee who has not yet learned that the intricacies of the Czech language don't necessarily apply in other tongues :-) And in case you're wondering, I did study some Czech at university more years ago than I'm prepared to admit here. (anDY Sennitt, RN blog via DXLD) You mean the -ova is not pronounced at all? And should not be shown in print either?? (gh) DANISH/SWEDISH LESSON: See SIERRA LEONE, what else? PROPAGATION +++++++++++ GEOMAGNETIC INDICES Phil Bytheway - Seattle WA - phil_tekno@yahoo.com Geomagnetic Summary March 31 2003 through April 21 2003 Tabulated from email status daily Date Flux A K SA Forecast GM Forecast Etc. 3/31 155 22 3 minor no storms 8 4/ 1 160 26 3 minor minor 8 2 153 16 3 minor no storms 6 3 158 21 3 no storms no storms 10 4 156 15 3 no storms minor 10 5 153 24 3 minor minor 8 6 137 22 4 minor minor 9 7 126 8 2 no storms no storms 5 8 116 6 1 no storms no storms 5 9 112 18 5 minor minor 9 10 109 26 3 minor minor 6 11 104 27 4 minor minor 7 12 103 14 3 no storms no storms 8 13 102 8 2 no storms no storms 6 14 102 11 2 no storms no storms 2 15 102 15 3 minor no storms 6 16 101 24 3 minor no storms 5 17 99 26 4 moderate no storms 5 18 101 26 2 minor no storms 6 19 108 19 3 minor no storms 5 20 112 13 3 no storms no storms 6 4/21 119 17 2 no storms no storms 6 Solar activity has increased the last few days with some M class flares noted, the largest being M4.5 early on Apr 23. A coronal mass ejection was associated with this flare and may cause a glancing blow on Apr 25-26 with possible minor storm periods. As I write solar wind speed has increased with a slight southward trend which has raised the geomagnetic field to active levels. Early in the week solar wind speed was elevated leading to active to storm conditions at high latitudes and some depressed conditions. After April 27 conditions should remain close to normal until around May 8 though this quiet period may be delayed by a possible coronal wind stream. Prepared using data from http://www.ips.gov.au (Richard Jary, SA, Apr 26, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) GIANT SOLAR TADPOLES BORN IN EXPLOSION NASA-GSFC NEWS RELEASE Posted: April 10, 2003 Dark features resembling Earth-sized tadpoles were seen swimming in the atmosphere of the Sun after it was heated to millions of degrees following an enormous explosion, according to scientists who made the observation using NASA's Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE) spacecraft. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0304/10tadpoles/ (via Jilly Dybka, KF4ZEO, DXLD) SURPRISE! LIGHTNING HAS BIG EFFECT ON ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY Scientists were surprised to learn summer lightning over the U.S. significantly increases regional ozone and other gases that affect air chemistry 3 to 8 miles above Earth's surface.The amounts of ozone and nitrogen oxides created by lightning surpass those generated by human activities in that level of the atmosphere. http://www.nasa.gov/home/HP_news_03110.html THE MASTER OF LIGHTNING 04/21/2003 13:45 Brilliant scientist Nikola Tesla was a very strange person A lot of people consider him to be the greatest inventor in history . He discovered alternating current, fluorescence, wireless transfer of power , remote control principles, he built a sun-powered engine, and a lot of other things. All achievements of the up-to-date electronic industry would be impossible without his discoveries and inventions. http://english.pravda.ru/science/19/94/377/9800_tesla.html (via Jill Dybka, DXLD) ###