DX LISTENING DIGEST 3-096, June 2, 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/dxldtd3f.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 1184: RFPI: Tue 1900, Wed 0100, 0730, 1330 7445 15039 WWCR: Wed 0930 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/wor1184.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1184.ram [High] (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1184h.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1184h.ram (Summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1184.html CONTINENT OF MEDIA 03-03! New edition is now available, on RFPI 7445, 15039: Thu 2000, Fri 0200, 0830; Sat 2130, Sun 0330, 0930 Also via DXing.com: {Stream) http://www.dxing.com/com/com0303.ram (Download) http://www.dxing.com/com/com0303.rm And via our site: (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/com0303.ram (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/com0303.rm (Summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/com0303.html MAY HTML ARCHIVE OF DXLD is now complete, including correxions and cross-references not in the original individual text issues: http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldtd3e.html NETS TO YOU, John Norfolk`s exhaustive schedule of ham nets & broadcasts, June 1 update: http://www.worldofradio.com/nets2you.html UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIAL Glen[n], I wanted to take my turn to say thanks for the DXLD that you publish. I'm not sure what the SWL hoopla was all about, but it doesn't surprise me. I did want to let you know that not only do I run through it for quick data/tips, but I also archive it as a text file. I have researched key words in the past in these files --- this saves me getting on line. Perhaps as a fund-raiser to support your efforts (since you are not non-profit), you may wish to offer for sale a year's worth of DXLDs on a CD for library archival use. . . (Konnie Rychalsky, June 2) ** AFGHANISTAN. RADIO AFGHANISTAN STARTS BROADCASTING THROUGH NEW TRANSMITTER | Text of report by Afghan radio on 2 June Announcement of Radio Afghanistan's broadcasting: A new transmitter station of 400 KW of Radio Afghanistan has started experimental broadcasting from 0530 [0100 gmt] until 2330 [1930 gmt], with a frequency of 1107 kHz equivalent to 271 bands. Therefore, provincial Radio and TV departments are requested to chase the programme and assure the centre about the result. Dear listeners, you can hear announcements of deaths after the recitation from the Holy Koran on FM wave as well. Source: Radio Afghanistan, Kabul, in Dari 1600 gmt 2 Jun 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) And what of 18940 via Norway? BTW, one of the neat things about that band is that its 2 x IF image on cheapo radios not covering it falls around 18.0 MHz, which they do cover! (gh, DXLD) ** ALASKA. 11675, KNLS, Anchor Point. Noisy reception in English w/religious presentation. Some audio distortion of this strong signal, 0805 24/5 (Jones, June Australian DX News via DXLD) There they go again; supposed to be on 11765! Is this a frequently repeated punch-up error, deliberate change, or somebody`s typo? Whilst checking the website June 2, noticed this: (gh, DXLD) CONSTRUCTION UPDATE FROM KNLS Construction continues at station KNLS. KNLS Chief Engineer Kevin Chambers reports that construction projects last summer went very well and all tower and antenna foundations were completed as well as all underground electrical service was put in place. This winter, Kevin says the staff have completed refurbishing the interior of the building with new paint and carpet. All old audio equipment and wiring has been removed and space completed for new equipment to arrive in the spring. The transmitter bay is being prepared for the new Continental transmitter that is being built at this time and will also be delivered this spring. One major problem has been this year's warm winter that has left the ground outside not frozen hard enough for the equipment to complete placing the earth anchors for the tower and antenna. This will have to be accomplished now by using a drill mounted on a tracked vehicle. It is planned that the tower be installed during July and the antenna be erected in September Construction photos: Antenna counterweight forms ready for use. Digging the footer for the tower. Worker cutting rebar. Bulldozer clearing antenna field. Digging footer for antenna. Preparing concrete forms. (from http://www.knls.org via DXLD) ** ARGENTINA. 10490L, Argentine Army Station. Soft pops 2130, occasional Spanish announcements, off abruptly 2130 before I could get an ID, 17/5 (Craig Seager, Limekilns (near Bathurst) NSW DXpedition, Australian DX News via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. I`m wondering; a week ago this time 1430 UT I was listening to HCJB Kununurra on 15480. Programme was legendary DX Partyline; now I`m hearing continuous classical music on this channel. I missed the morning transmission to Europe, because of the partial solar eclipse I was watching. I needed some sleep. Total of 85% the Sun was eclipsed. It was annular in Scotland, Greenland and Iceland. Not total anywhere. Who can tell me and other European and N. American listeners, how to hear DXPL?! Is it really still really produced? 73 (Jouko Huuskonen, Turku FINLAND, hard-core-dx via DXLD) See ECUADOR ** AUSTRALIA [and non]. I also get severe QRM from the US station, wipes out HCJB 11770 totally at times, like now at 0955 on 2nd June. HCJB is heard weakly in the background in Yarra Glen on 20 metres of wire in the garden on the FRG7. [which US station? co, or adjacent- channel??? Answer below] Also I wish the OTHR folk would find who they are looking for (OTHR Over the horizon radar). This morning they wiped out NHK in English 17685 totally at 0100 utc. they have been wandering up and down the bands for some months now, (since 9/11?) and often stick on a given frequency for some time. The usual pulse type of transmission (Don Rhodes, Yarra Glen, Vic., EDXP via DXLD) 11770, HCJB-OZ: Maybe the recent increase to 50 kW on 11770 has helped some because they were heard Jun 1 with a much improved signal, QRMed by co-channel WYFR until a little after 1000 but then dominant with fully listenable programming until losing ground again toward 1030 (Jerry Berg, MA, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. From Keith Ashton - aus.radio.broadcast: The New South Wales Government says an independent report has found that a radio tower near a new residential development in Sydney's west (Homebush Bay) does not pose any health risks. (Ian's comment: And if you believe that you'll probably believe in the Tooth Fairy too. Many radio station engineers don't like to spend very long in the area. Sceptical (?)...well check out http://www.neilcherry.com/profile.php Neil was well known by a few friends of mine in Sydney & Melbourne. He sadly passed away a couple of weeks ago. He was well respected by many and hated by the Australian government and telecommunications industry for the knowledge he held --- I`ll get off my soap box now) The independent consultant's report has ruled that electromagnetic emissions from the transmitter at Homebush Bay are well below levels that could cause health problems. Earlier this year, the state Government was faced with the prospect of having to pay millions of dollars for the removal of two radio towers at Homebush Bay, after allowing a block a units to be built nearby. The investigation was called after radio broadcasters raised concerns about the health hazards of the radiation in the area. However, the Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Planning, Diane Beamer, says extensive emission measuring was carried out near the tower, including footpaths, adjoining roads and inside the partially completed apartments. The Therapeutic Goods Administration has confirmed the emissions are unlikely to interfere with medical products such as pacemakers (via Ian ---, ARDXC via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. The unidentified station earlier reported by Arnaldo Slaen on 4650.3 appears to be Radio Santa Ana using a standby transmitter. A sound clip sent to me by Björn Malm, in Ecuador, featured a canned off-cue announcement for their message service called El Mensajero de la Mosquitania. Malm logged the station on 4650.35 kHz (Henrik Klemetz, Sweden, June 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOLIVIA. 5927.11, Radiodifusoras Minería, Oruro. May 2003, 1150 UT. Is not unusual but never observed this strong before. Somewhat distorted audio. Listen to the recording from this occasion http://homepage.sverige.net/~a-0901/ (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, SW Bulletin June 1, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. "Preview" sent earlier by e-mail: May 20: unID "Brazilian" on 6370.00 kHz! It is a long time until next stopdate and I sit here very astonished. Maybe someone can explain this; in such case give me an e-mail. Brazil on this frequency does not feel right but it is hard to believe in a harmonic from a Brazilian MW never logged here in Quito and besides there is only one MW Brazilian in my logbook. Was heard well when I stopped on the frequency at 1010 UT yesterday May 19 but too weak when the tape recorder was ready. I noted the town "Brasília" mentioned a few times and the talk was typical "brazilian- PP". Maybe a backward-ID, i.e., A word plus "Radio"? Yesterday evening and this morning I heard only a weak carrier and distant "weak" talk. Impossible to hear the language. As said earlier, a long time until stop date and, who knows, maybe something exciting! There is a lot of commercial traffic on the frequency so maybe a Brazilian radio operator who plays a little? [Later:] The Brazilian I just reported on 6370.00 kHz, has been heard once more. It means I am absolutely sure it is a "real" radiostation. The question is if a utility transmits the station on ``their`` frequency? (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, SW Bulletin June 1, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. Rádio Canção Nova, Cachoeira Paulista, is now relayed by way of Rádio Gazeta, São Paulo, which means that their letterbox program Além fronteiras, Sats 2200-2300, can be heard on 5955, 9685 and 15325 in addition to 4825, 6105 and 9675 kHz. The information was given on their progam on May 31 (Henrik Klemetz, Sweden, June 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA [non?] 5840, CBC Radio for Northern Territories, ID at 0225, all 5s, then at 0230 program in Arabic. May 31 (Artyom Prokhorov, Russia, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) Switching error? Northern Service on 9625 only (gh, DXLD) ** COLOMBIA. Bien activa: Hola Glenn, saludos desde Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA. En este momento te informo que estoy escuchando dos emisoras colombianas en 49 metros. La primera es la reactivación --- como reporté el pasado 01/05 --- de Radio Caracol Villavicencio, retransmitiendo el canal 1140 kHz de la OM. A esta hora, 1835 UT, puede captarse en 5958 kHz. SINPO 2/2. La segunda está en 6034.9 kHz y se identifica como La Voz de[l?] Guaviare, captada a las 1837 UT, con dos locutores al aire con música de Carlos Vives y el tema raggamuffin' "Todavía me acuerdo de tí". Señal muy débil, SINPO 2/1. Saludos, Muchos 73 y buen DX... (Adán González, Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA. Receptor: YAESU FT-890/Antena: TH3MK3, May 31, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COLOMBIA. 2879.98 harmonic, Radio Reloj, Tuluhá [sic]. May 2003, 1058 UT. During the years there have been several harmonics in my bandscans. Just as MW-DX towards LA back home in Sweden the half hour before sunrise is very good. Radio Reloj popped up with good strength 0558 local time, which is 10 minutes before sunrise. Harmonic from 1440 kHz (2x 1439.99). Listen to the recording at http://homepage.sverige.net/~a-0901/ (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, SW Bulletin June 1, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. 5025.05v, Radio Rebelde, Bauta. May 2003, 2355 UT. Has some transmitter problems as the signal often is weak and varies between 5024.91 to 5025.09 kHz. Sometimes on exactly the same split as Radio Quillabamba which fooled me to believe it was something much more exciting! (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, SW Bulletin June 1, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. R. Martí on 6050 and 6040: This was a temporary transmission coinciding with George Bush speech attacking Cuba and extra broadcast only heard over 2 nights, though jammers were present on 6040 and 6050 over the next two nights and 6050 still being jammed on the 29th! (Paul Ormandy, NZ June Australian DX News via DXLD) That`ll teach `em ** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. 600 kHz, 25/05 0316, Radio Studio 600 AM digital, Santo Domingo, programa musical, apresentador: "Fin de semana en Studio 600". Também na freqüência, com sinal mais fraco, uma emissora Argentina. A Rádio Gaúcha esteve fora do ar naquela madrugada, 34433. OBS: Havia divulgado nas listas esta emissora como UNID e Studio 25, mas contando com a grande ajuda do dexista venezuelano José Elías Díaz, muito gentil, a emissora foi identificada como Studio 600, Rep. Dominicana, inclusive o José me enviou uma gravação onde é ouvida a mesma identificação. Obrigado, José Elías! (Samuel Cássio Martins, Brasil, @tividade DX June 1 via DXLD) ** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. 4959.98, Cima 100, Santo Domingo. May 2003, 0225 UT. When "Federación Shuar" [Ecuador] is off, often Cima 100 can be found but normally extremely weak modulation. This date far better and I managed to get an ID for the first time: "La Explosición [sic] Musical por Cima 100", a program with lots of Bachata-music (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, SW Bulletin June 1, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR. "Preview" sent earlier by e-mail: May 20: Ecuador on 1610 kHz must be a hoax? During the last days I have been listening to Ecuador on 1610 kHz, both mornings and evenings. Nonstop HC-music, sometimes only interrupted by ads for firms in Cuenca so QTH must be in vicinity (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, SW Bulletin June 1, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) May 26: 1610.10, HCTP5, Ecos del Portete, Girón. May 20 you got a "preview" containing 3 stations. Managed at last to get an ID as Ecos del Portete in Girón, a small village south of Cuenca. Not far away is "Radio Buen Pastor", 4815 kHz in Saraguro on the other province border to "Loja". Hasse Mattisson Show! Today I got this mail from HM, who most probably managed to hear Ecos del Portete! Read my comments after his mail and you will understand my opinion: HM (Hasse Mattisson): "Hello BM! Time for one of my sporadic contacts! TN forwarded your tip about an unID Ecuadorian on 1610. May 24 late nite check --- nothing! But May 25 between 0105-0230 UT I had a station sounding like your description with what I call "Andean music"! 0105 when I landed on the frequency I heard and recorded "... centro del Perú ..." Then mostly non stop music with some short words between some of the tunes. No ID indications at half or full hours. After 0230 it was impossible to follow. 0144, very good in AM-mode! USB 1610.10-12 a little diffuse. No other TA stations on the Xband. Oh yes, maybe a hint on 1630. Only a "Balkan" on 1621.15. And the rest of the MW absolutely low level. Only hints on 1470 1480 1500 1510. No other Peruvian or Andean stations than on 1470. Do we have the same station? In that case something thrilling!! Almost certainly also heard by others! HM" [presumably in Sweden] BM (Björn Malm): Oh yes, for sure the same station. All said above matches what I can hear. Difficult to get in SSB and heard at its best in AM-mode. A little bit "diffuse" on 1610.10 kHz and lots of music nonstop without any talk or not even any ID at half- or full hour. The music is Andean with cumbias, Ecuadorian "rockolera" and such. Thanks for your mail! Very exciting (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, SW Bulletin June 1, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR [and non]. Hi. Tonight I listened to a lot of the programs they ran for their final English broadcast to NAm, Studio Nine, DXPL etc. Kept notes and submitted an email reception report. Then I did a few other things for a while, figuring on tuning in before 0600 to see if I could tape their final English sign/off (hooked the SW to my Sony stereo for the occasion). No such luck, they played instrumental music for about the last 20 minutes and then went off the air with no ID or Sign/off. Perhaps nobody wanted the honor? Anyway, I guess after all these many years of often listening to 9745 in the evenings (how long have they had that frequency, it seems forever?) Nov '95 is the earliest QSL I have for 9745 though I don't remember what the older cards/logbooks that were lost in a move may have shown. My earliest remembrances of hearing "The Voice Of the Andes" goes back to the mid '50s on an old console. 73 de (Phil, KO6BB Atchley, CA, swl at qth.net via DXLD) When they came on just before 0000 there was an announcement about this being the last transmission. And you can still hear HCJB on 9745, as previously reported here, since the Spanish service is being moved there from 9525. No real news about the future of DX Partyline beyond what we already heard is on this week`s edition. Will continue via Australia at present times, [Sat 0930 11770, 1430 15480] but the times will change in July with a new schedule. Also one airing will remain via Ecuador, at a new time, Sat 1230 on 15115. Also on one or possibly two US-based SW stations which have kindly offered airtime, still unidentified; working out details, once have figured out how to deliver the program. TBA on the DXPL webpage (Allen Graham, HCJB DX Partyline UT June 1 0000 on 9745, notes by gh for DX LISTENING DIGEST) Well, if they will just put audio up on the DXPL webpage ASAP, we can hear it as usual and any relay station can download it as needed (gh) HCJB-Ecuador will continue to QSL; include return postage. Interesting programming 0300-0530 Jun 1 on 9745, usual English program lineup but with historical focus. Light music 0530-0559, dead air for the last minute, pips 0600, dead air again until 0601* when shut down with no announcement. Last DXPL is posted in RealAudio at [website]. On Jun 1 checked 15115 for English at *1100 and found it strong, but not as good by 1230; QRMed then, tho still dominant (Jerry Berg, MA, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) Monitoring HCJB on June 2: Loud and clear at 1200 UT, SINPO-55555. (Surprising to me, as I expected them to be using reduced power and/or a different beam to reach the nominal target --- Central and South America.) Barely audible at 1315 UT, SINPO 15342. (Had to leave the receiver in-between 1200 and 1315 so I'm not sure what happened in the interim. K index was 5 at 1200, but band does not appear to be dead. BBC is audible (S6-7), though level is somewhat depressed today and band is not dead.) (John Figliozzi, Halfmoon, NY, Lowe HF-150 stack, A/D sloper oriented west to east, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WTFK?? Presumably 15115, as they were going to drop the \\ 12005 (gh, DXLD). Following up: In listening more closely to 15115, as the signal occasionally rises above the noise, it appears that the language being spoken is Spanish not English (at 1335 UT) and it is very weak (i.e.: no ID possible). So, I'll go out on a limb and suggest that HCJB's English language morning transmission now closes down at around 1300. In fact, I did not hear them prior to 1130 (on the bedside ICF-2010) when I first checked, so perhaps the morning release Mon.-Fri. is limited to the "Morning in the Mountains" program which has been scheduled from 1130-1255 in the past. In the absence of any info from HCJB at all, the only tools we have are monitoring and speculation (hopefully, not wild!). John, I checked the frequency schedule posted on HCJB's website. English is 1100-1330 UT on 15115 for the Americas with 100 kW, the Morning in the Mountains block. 73, (Keith Anderson, Houston, TX, swprograms via Figliozzi, DXLD) Keith, So, one of the pages is updated! After a little looking, I found it. If one accesses from the main HCJB World site http://www.hcjb.org and then clicks on "Radio Broadcasts" on the left side, and then clicks on "International Shortwave Broadcast Schedule", it comes up as you say. Thanks. Interesting also that the target region is still given as "N/S America" for 15115. The main English Service site http://www.hcjb.org/english (which is what I had bookmarked) remains as it was, though. A little confusing... (at least to me |g|) [slightly later:] The English Service site has just been taken off line --- Using that URL loops now you back to the hcjb.org site (John Figliozzi, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [and non]. A-03 Schedule: Ecuador - HCJB (Revised) International Shortwave Broadcast Schedule HCJB WORLD RADIO A03B BROADCAST SCHEDULE (30 March 2003 - 26 October 2003; Revised 01 June 2003) All broadcasts are daily. UTC UTC Freq KW Deg. Target ENGLISH 1100 1330 15115 100 352/128 N/S America 1100 1330 21455 1 35/225 Eur./S. Pacific GERMAN (High) 0500 0530 9780 100 42 Europe 0500 0530 21455 1 35/225 Eur./S. Pacific 0930 1000 6010 100 155 S. America 0930 1000 21455 1 35/225 Eur./S. Pacific 2000 2030 15545 100 42 Europe 2000 2030 17795 100 38 Europe 2000 2030 21455 1 35/225 Eur./S. Pacific 2300 2400 11980 100 131 S. America GERMAN (Low) 0530 0600 9780 100 42 Europe 0530 0600 21455 1 35/225 Eur./S. Pacific 1000 1030 6010 100 155 S. America 1000 1030 21455 1 35/225 Eur./S. Pacific 2230 2300 11980 100 150/330 N/S America HUARANI 1030 1100 6050 50 18/172 S. America PORTUGUESE 0800 0930 9745 100 100 N. Brazil 0800 0930 21455 1 35/225 Eur./S. Pacific 1530 1800 15295 100 139 Brazil 2300 0230 11920 100 126 Brazil 0000 0230 12020 100 100 Brazil QUICHUA 0830 1000 6125 100 155 S. America 0830 1030 690 50 000/180 Ecuador 0830 1400 3220 8 90 (Vert.) S. America 0830 1400 6080 8 90 (Vert.) S. America 2100 0300 3220 8 90 (Vert.) S. America 2100 0300 6080 8 90 (Vert.) S. America 2130 0000 9745 100 155 S. America RUSSIAN 0330 0430 11865 100 34 W. Russia SPANISH 0100 0500 9525 100 325 Mexico [Padula said this`d move to 9745] 0600 0630 9655 100 42 Europe 1030 1100 21455 1 35/225 Eur./S. Pacific 1030 0500 690 50 000/180 Ecuador 1100 0500 6050 50 18/172 S. America 1100 1300 11960 100 355 Cuba 1100 1500 15140 100 150 S. America 1300 1500 11960 100 323 Mexico 1430 1530 21455 1 35/225 Eur./S. Pacific 2030 2130 15545 100 50 Europe 2100 2300 15140 100 150 S. America 2030 2400 21455 1 35/225 Eur./S. Pacific 2300 0100 15140 100 160/330 N/S America Note: HCJB's shortwave broadcast schedule also includes these programs transmitted from these locations. Arabic 2100 2230 12025 250 150 N. Africa U.K. English 0700 1200 11770 50 120 South Pacific Australia 1230 1730 15480 75 307 India Australia Russian & Central Asian Languages 1600 1700 11760 500 62 Central Asia U.K. (From http://www.hcjb.org via Alan Roe, UK, June 2, DXLD) ** ERITREA [non]. Clandestine -- 5920, Germany (Jülich) relay, Voice of Democratic Eritrea. Intro music at 1400 sign on then male announcer with Tigrigna identification "Demsi Democrasiyawit Eritrea" and talks mixed with lot of fine local music. At 1430 full Arabic identification "Sawt Eritrea al-Dimuqratiya – Sawt Dabhat al-Tahrir al Eritrea" followed by long Arabic talks and occasional local music. Off abruptly at 1458. Saturdays only. Good signal with some fading (Mike Ford, UK, 31/5/03, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. ANOTHER ETHIOPIAN OPPOSITION BROADCAST HEARD: RADIO JUSTICE A new Ethiopian opposition shortwave broadcast has joined a number of other similar stations already in operation. It broadcasts in the Tigrinya language spoken in northern Ethiopia and is heard on Sundays at 1700-1800 gmt on 12120 kHz. It calls itself Radio Justice (Tigrinya: Radio Fthi [sic]). The station's transmission on Sunday 2 June began with the following announcement: "This is Radio Justice broadcasting from Washington DC [Tigrinya: Ezi kab Washington DC zmehalalef Radio Fthi eyu]. Radio Justice is prepared with the goodwill of Tigrayan International Solidarity for Justice and Democracy. Our radio broadcasts every Sunday from 8 to 9 p.m. (Ethiopian time) on 12120 kHz in the 25 metre band." There was then a news bulletin with the following items: 1. A former member of the Central Committee of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (dominant party in the current Ethiopian coalition government), who was also an administrator of East Tigray Zone, has recently defected, accusing Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of failing the country (citing the Ethiomedia web site). 2. The organizers of the recent music concert held in Addis Ababa to raise funds in aid of drought-hit compatriots say it was successful (citing the Ethiopian newspaper The Reporter). 3. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi says the ruling by the Ethiopia-Eritrea boundary commission is incorrect and unjust (citing the Ethiopian newspaper The Reporter). 4. Ethiopian diplomats discuss normalizing relations with Eritrea (citing the Ethiopian newspaper The Reporter). Source: Monitoring research 1 Jun 03 (BBCM via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL WATERS. HOT NEWS REPORT Sunday 01/06/03 FROM A POINT AT SEA !! From http://www.earthradio.co.uk/radio_news.htm After our last news report regarding the new radio ship, a lot of people mailed the Earthradio News desk as regards this being the MV Communicator, sorry wrong there!!, the ship that was purchased was bought outside the UK, but not unlike the Ross Revenge, and today is in a port outside the jurisdiction of the EU and the UK, it is being fitted out by people dedicated to Free Radio, and sponsored by supporters both in the Irish Republic, UK and the Netherlands. The people involved in this project hope to rename the ship MV Freedom and after some extensive work , both onboard and on the outside of the ship, they have the intention of moving it to the waters off the Irish coast where it will not be subject to the UK laws and from there with the support of Irish, Dutch and UK free radio supporters; it is intended to bring about a new awareness of free independent radio. More news as it becomes available. © Earthradio Broadcasting Systems 2003 (via Mike Terry, DXLD) ** IRAN. IRAN BLOCKS RADIO FARDA, VOICE OF AMERICA PERSIAN WEBSITES Washington, D.C., May 30, 2003— The Iranian government is blocking the websites of Voice of America (VOA) Persian http://www.voanews.com/Persian and Radio Farda http://www.radiofarda.com to prevent Iran`s population from getting accurate and balanced news and information about the world. ``I listen to VOA in Farsi (Persian) a lot, but recently our evil government has tried to prevent people from reaching genuine information. Please help us … We love you and your help. … We are really tired and depressed,`` one man wrote. ``Please help us to return our freedom in our dear country,`` a listener of Radio Farda emailed. The Iranian government ordered new restrictions on the Internet in early May. Newspapers in Iran said the government instructed Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block sites that are political or deemed immoral. Some 15,000 sites were targeted, according to press reports. ``It`s distressing that so many freedom-loving Iranians are unable to access the accurate news and information that we provide through our websites. We hope the situation improves soon for the people of Iran,`` said Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, Chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), which oversees all U.S. non-military international broadcasting including VOA and Radio Farda, a joint project of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and VOA. Radio Farda`s website, which attracted about 728,000 visitors in April, has experienced a decline in visitors since early May, as has the VOA Persian website, which is one of the organization`s most- viewed sites. Despite restrictions, many people in Iran, where web use is popular, have been able to circumvent barriers to gain access to the sites. BBG`s engineers say the Iranian government appears to be using software similar to that used in schools to block access to websites. Engineers are looking at ways to overcome the blockage. Radio Farda and VOA Persian are complementary services aimed at reaching a broad range of Iranians. VOA Persian, which broadcasts primarily on shortwave, has been providing news and information since 1942. Radio Farda, a youth-oriented station carrying news and entertainment, went on the air in December 2002, broadcasting round- the-clock from Prague, Czech Republic and Washington, D.C. Iran joins several other countries that attempt to deny citizens access to websites, including those operated by U.S. international broadcasting. Those countries include China, Vietnam, North Korean, Cuba and Burma (BBG press release via DXLD) ** IRAN. We had yet another phone call from VOIRI Listeners special program, so I passed it on to the wife; it`s on air Sunday 8th at 2130 (our Mon) so they said, 9870 13665 (Don Rhodes, Yarra Glen, Vic., EDXP via DXLD) ** IRAQ. FREE INTERNET ACCESS IN BAGHDAD --- From the latest blog by Salam Pax: "The old state owned Internet center in Adil district has been taken over by anarchists and they are offering internet access for FREE. You just need to dial up a number, no password, no special settings. Whoever heard of anyone doing that? About week ago a rumor spread that the Adil center has put up a sat dish and will be using the setup the Iraqi government used to have to provide the service. [Uruklink.net] is back. The people who used to work there opened the center 4 days ago; you can have an hour of Internet for as little as 2000 dinars. The center is very well equipped, they put together 30 of their best computers and have a very good connection (OK, so 30 computers in a city of 5 million is nothing, but it is a start). They even got military protection. The people who work there got a couple of soldiers from the nearest army checkpoint to take a look; the officer asked if it was OK for his men to check on their emails and stuff. The reaction from the first couple of guys who came in was a very amazed "Wow! Yesterday they put up a piece of paper that said: "we are happy to announce that you can get free Internet access by dialing up this number". A small little paper on the notice board. The telephone network is not fully operational, certain districts don't have phones at all, but as I wrote earlier many of the exchanges that have not been destroyed or looted have been linked together. You will need to keep dialing for an hour to get thru but it works, I tried it. Baghdad will also be getting its first GSM network in about two weeks. A couple of thousand lines as a first step, mainly for NGOs and Administration. I think it is going to be MCI who will set this up." (Media Network June 2 via DXLD) ** ISRAEL. Kol Israel - more info. A few comments I received were: A) The IBA meetings so far have been in relation to the government budget... they didn't specifically discuss shortwave. B) The official stance is that they will stop shortwave BY the end of the year... not AT the end of the year. C) A good address to send letters to protest the closure would be to: Chairman of the IBA Avraham Natan at IBA House, 161 Jaffa Road, Jerusalem 91280. D) Further - here are some translated news articles: (Gal Batuakh was established many years ago after there were a series of deadly scar accidents in the north on rarther poor roads...later it became a 'north' version of 88FM) IBA PLAN TO CLOSE RUSSIAN-LANGUAGE RADIO REQA FLAWED - paper Excerpt from report by Israeli newspaper Novosti Nedeli on 15 May, in Russian, entitled "Secrets of a Byzantine Court" subheadings added editorially: There is hardly a single Russian-speaking citizen who has not heard the news about the forthcoming closure of Radio REQA [Hebrew acronym for Immigrant Absorption Radio]. I must admit that this news has not made any profound impression upon myself. Previously threatened with closure The intention to close down the main herald of all our joys and sorrows, the main supplier of news to the new immigrants has been announced many times. The official, that is, officially announced "closures" have been made no less than three times, if I remember correctly. Each time the high-ranking official (it is easy to guess that the head of the Israel Broadcasting Authority [IBA] is meant in this case) had to go back on his word and cancel the announcement under pressure from the indignant immigrant public. The present IBA head, Yosef Barel, could not break the tradition established by his colleagues who preceded him in this post and pass over a radio station so badly needed by hundreds of thousands of immigrants. "What immigrants are you speaking about?" exclaimed Mr Barel. "Immigration has long run dry, there are 10 times fewer "Russians" arriving in the country as there were in the early 1990's, so why should I spend my budget on Russian-speaking journalists?" Russian is the mother tongue. Evidently it is difficult for a man who watches with admirable accuracy the number of new immigrants walking down the aircraft ladders at the airport to glance at the general picture and see that, in addition to the newest country's citizens, another 1,200,000 citizens reside in the country for whom Russian is their mother tongue. Even if many immigrants have mastered Hebrew, the language of communication in their own milieu is still that of their country of origin. Consequently, in choosing the newspapers to read and the radio and television media to watch or listen to, they naturally give preference to those that are published or produced in Russian. 85 per cent of Russian-speaking immigrants listen to Radio REQA All public opinion polls confirm the conclusion that 85 per cent of Russian-speaking immigrants listen to Radio REQA broadcasts. Not a single media all over the world enjoys a similar rating and, had this station been broadcasting in any other country, its owner would have been happy and swaggering before his colleagues of every type. The reason is simple, any media is considered to be fairly good if it manages to attract some 18 to 20 per cent of its potential audience. However, such would be the situation in any other country, but we live in Israel where everyone has his own point of view and believes it to be the only correct one. The fact that the country's new citizens pay the tax for using the state-owned radio and television whose language they often fail to understand (in addition, they pay all their other taxes to the state's treasury) does not, in the opinion of the official authorities, oblige them to provide services to the immigrants in their mother tongue. Commercial structures mastered Russian-language Thus, an interesting picture has emerged. In the race to entice the Russian-speaking clients, all commercial structures in the country have long ago mastered Russian. The advertisements in Russian for the trade, construction, insurance, and other companies; Russian-speaking saleswomen in shops and large shopping malls; Russian-speaking clerks in health funds, banks, and in the aforementioned companies themselves, everything is being done to attract as many "Russian" consumers as possible. Only the state, represented by its Broadcasting Authority, is trying, with stubborn regularity, to separate itself from the people to whom the state itself opened the way to the country. Policy of budget cuts Yosef Barel's arguments are simple: If the state carries out a policy of budget cuts, including his own agency's budget, he has no other choice but to cut down some of his subordinate structures. The structures have already been mentioned. The Broadcasting authority's board of directors decided that should financial difficulties arise, Radio Network One (Programme 1), the "All Music" channel, and Radio REQA would be closed down, among others. [Passage omitted] Barel - cuts not on the agenda This decision has not been implemented yet; moreover, in an interview with Ha'aretz, Mr Barel went into reverse and said that the closure of Radio REQA was not on the agenda. But I am concerned about other things in this situation (I mentioned above that I did not believe all statements on this theme had been made in earnest). Why should the idea of closing down the "Russian" radio station come to the forefront at each convenient opportunity? All Barel's predecessors based their decisions on economic grounds by saying that Radio REQA was eating up a substantial part of the entire TV and radio broadcasting budget. The new chief was not original and used the same argument. Even if he were correct, I would have the right, as a law- abiding taxpayer, to ask why a state-owned TV and radio company did not believe it possible to broadcast in Russian for the citizens that comprise one fifth of the country's entire population? Who gave it the right to deprive these people of an opportunity to receive information accessible to all the rest of the country's citizens? Had the TV and radio broadcasting been in the hands of private companies, the situation would have been different, but once the state believes it possible to hold the channel of communications with its citizens in its own hands, it must evidently take into account the fact that every fifth citizen knows only Russian at the level of a mother tongue. Intensive activities for over 10 years Well, we must say, for the sake of justice, that Radio REQA's intensive activities for over 10 years testify to the fact that the state indeed takes this fact into account. Then why do the state officials raise so much ado about our radio station again and again? [passage omitted] No, Mr Barel, it is not economic considerations that are behind your activities as far as this matter is concerned. Then perhaps politics is involved? However, hardly anybody would decide to accuse the [Russian-speaking] journalists of a state-owned radio station of carrying out concrete propaganda of someone's political views. Rather, some of their Hebrew-speaking colleagues could be reproached in this connection. But if politics is indeed involved here, it is politics of a quite different type, and it is linked to the personal interests and biases of the IBA chief himself. Since it has become customary in our society to recall the roots of each particular immigrant, I cannot help saying that Mr Barel originates from Egypt, and his country of origin has left the same imprint on his nature as the country of my origin has left upon myself. Describing the situation that has become dominant inside Mr Barel's agency, the media have already described the Israel Broadcasting Authority as a "Byzantine court." Perhaps this is what conceals the "political" cause of the present dissatisfaction with Radio REQA? What sultan would like to have subjects at his court who are independent beyond all measure? Source: Novosti Nedeli, Tel Aviv, in Russian 15 May 03 p 34 LOCAL RADIO STATION CLOSES DUE TO LACK OF BUDGET Text of report by Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot on 25 May Employees of "Hagal Habatu'ah," a local radio station operated by the Voice of Israel [VOI] broadcasting to Haifa and the north, are angry at the decision of Director General Yosef Bar'el to close down the station without prior notice. Some 13 years ago, the station began broadcasting music, traffic reports and local news, and employed 30 people, including VOI Network B correspondents. The VOI spokesman said in response that the decision had been taken during the term of office of the previous director general, Ran Galinka, together with VOI Director Amnon Nadav. The budget had been abolished, and so the station could no longer operate. Source: Yediot Aharonot, Tel Aviv, in Hebrew 25 May 03 p 19 (via BBCM via Doni Rosenzweig, DXLD) ** LEBANON. There was a second Radio Lebanon QSL up on eBay. It just closed at [only] $32.00. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2176349418 (Steve Lare, Holland, MI, May 31, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LIBERIA. SIX LOCAL FM STATIONS CLOSED | Text of press release by Media Foundation for West Africa on 30 May The government of Liberia has shut down six amateur FM radio stations operating in Bong County, central Liberia, and Margibi County, some 40km east of the capital, Monrovia. The stations affected include: Y- FM, Bright FM, Jet 89.9, The Voice of Kakata, and the Voice of YMCA. According to Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) Liberia sources, no specific charge has been preferred against them. However, the Director of National Communication Bureau at the Ministry of Information, Emmanuel D. Todo alleged that, "the motives and scope of operations of these stations were not clear to the government." The Association of Amateur Radio Stations (AARS) insists, however, that the affected stations were all registered with the government. The AARS has appealed to the government to allow the stations to resume operation because of the important community service function they perform in serving the news and information needs of their listeners. Source: Media Foundation for West Africa, Accra, in English 30 May 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** LIBYA. PICTURE BULLETIN FOR DAILY LIBYAN RADIO BROADCAST TO IRAQ, 28 MAY A further Libyan radio broadcast to Iraq was monitored on 28 May from 1800 to 1900 gmt on the frequencies 7245, 9605 and 11660 kHz shortwave. 9745 kHz has also been observed to be carrying the programme. The transmission appeared on the air suddenly with no special signature tune or announcements. This is one of two monitored and three announced daily broadcasts to Iraq from Libya. 1. The first item was a talk calling on the Iraqis not to place their destinies in the hands of a certain party, tribe, or sect. The Iraqi people must protect their national unity, it said. The radio said that this century is that of the people, that there is no place for any party that represents part of the people. The sovereignty of the people cannot be divided, the Iraqi people are capable of healing their wounds, overcoming their sorrows, and running their affairs by themselves. Real democracy for the Iraqi people can be achieved by adopting the concept of [the Libyan style] people's conferences and committees, the radio said. 2. The announcer said: "This programme presents some answers to important questions concerning the people's aspirations for freedom." The announcer then discussed various questions concerning the democratic system in the world, saying that democracy could not solve any of the major problems in societies, criticizes parliaments, saying that they have deprived peoples of the right to assume power. He praised the concept of the people's conferences and committees. 3. A talk criticizing the various government systems in the world, saying that they are unable to solve the problems facing the peoples around the world. The speaker said that the people's conferences and committees are the best way to fulfil the needs of the peoples. 4. An interview with a Libyan "thinker" on Iraq. He urged the Iraqi people to run their affairs by themselves without depending on tribes or parties. The interview was followed by the announcement: "This is the general centre for broadcasts beamed from the Great Jamahiriyah: A message to the people of the two rivers [Iraq]" 5. There followed a talk on the role of political parties and people. 6. Sign-off announcement: "With this we end this broadcast beamed to our people in the land of the two rivers. We hope to meet again." The broadcast carried brief musical interludes between talks but no patriotic or pan-Arab songs. Source: BBC Monitoring research 28 May 03 (BBCM June 2 via DXLD) ** MARSHALL ISLANDS [non]. Another story with no real connexion to radio, but to companion the recent item about these isles: ENID A PART OF MARSHALL ISLANDS HISTORY COMMUNITY HOSTS PRESIDENT OF REPUBLIC By Scott Fitzgerald, Staff Writer, 6/1/03 An important dignitary spent Saturday in Enid, talking about recent developments in the nation's capitol that spells good news for continuing United States-Marshallese relations. President Kessai H. Note of the Republic of the Marshall Islands arrived in Enid late Friday. He visited Marshallese First Assembly of God Church Saturday morning. Enid has a large population of residents from the Marshall Islands. . . http://www.enidnews.com/story.php?story_id=42069&c=29&PHPSESSID=43c8670a5025b30baa47c24568d67a39 Obviously, the separation between church and state is not a concept highly esteemed by the ``Marshellese``, the reason for whose presence in Enid is never explained. That misspelling even appears on the church`s peeling sign on North Van Buren. Isn`t it about time the isles adopted a non-colonial name, anyway? (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DXLD) ** MEXICO. XER - "PIRATE" RADIO MEXICAN STYLE --- From Anorak Nation: "Several obituaries of June Carter Cash referred to her early years as part of the Carter Family, singing over XER, a border blaster, one of the extraordinarily powerful radio stations broadcasting to U.S. audiences from south of the Rio Grande. XER was founded in 1931 by Dr. John R. Brinkley..." http://www.nypress.com/16/22/news&columns/oldsmoke.cfm is a good read about the guy who founded XER, one of the biggest 'border blaster' stations operating from Mexico into the US, and who first made his money with a Viagra alternative using goats' testicles. Sounds a great station too: "XER was also the first major national radio station for country music, from the Carter Family to Hank Williams. It had Bible-thumping preachers and astrologers. Entrepreneurs pitched get-rich-quick schemes: oil wells, real estate deals, lottery tickets, all spectacular opportunities for enrichment, and 100 percent guaranteed. Frank the Diamond Man sold genuine simulated diamond rings. There was The Lord's Last Supper Tablecloth, and the man who sold false teeth by mail; cures for hemorrhoids, flatulence and rectal itch." (via Mike Terry, DXLD) This week`s Been There, Done That on WHYY et al. also had a segment about this, with the ``Border Radio`` authors. 5/31 edition will eventually be available in archive via http://www.whyy.org/91FM/btdt/btdt200305.html (gh, DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS. NOG GEEN BESLUIT HERVORMING WERELDOMROEP (zondag 25 mei 2003 19:27 ) Het bestuur van Radio Nederland Wereldomroep heeft op 22 mei nog geen besluit kunnen nemen over de ingrijpende hervormingsplannen waarover Kortegolf.Info eerder al berichtte. Oorzaak: het (wettelijk vereiste) overleg met de ondernemingsraad is nog niet afgerond. De OR is onder voorbehoud alvast wel akkoord gegaan met het schrappen van diverse kortegolffrequenties in het komende winterseizoen. Dit omdat alle internationale KG-omroepen deze dagen in Canada onderhandelen over de onderlinge frequentieverdeling. Zou de OR dwars hebben gelegen, dan zou de Wereldomroep een besparing van maximaal 1 miljoen euro kunnen mislopen. Wordt vervolgd. . . (kortegolf.info via DXLD) RADIO NETHERLANDS BEGINS DRM TRANSMISSIONS FROM FLEVO As from today, Radio Netherlands is broadcasting its first regular digital shortwave service. The broadcast, at 0930-1225 UTC on 9590 kHz, carries our English service and is beamed from Flevo towards Geneva, where Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) will be officially launched later this month. For more information on how to receive this, and other DRM transmissions, check out our dossier A Listener's Guide to Digital AM http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/html/drm.html (Media Network 2 June 2003 via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS. Nozema did it exactly at 2200:00 UT: Lopik 675 was switched from Radio 10 FM to Arrow Classic Rock (without any carrier break or audio pause) and Flevo-Zeewolde 1008 was cut off. It is not possible to check Hulsberg 891 from here (too much interferences), but I would assume that it was switched from the NOS feed (i.e. the loop aired since Thursday) to Radio 538 at 200 sharp, too (Kai Ludwig, Germany, May 31, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The cut-over from Radio 10 FM to Arrow Classic Rock last night exactly at 2200, separated by a 1 kHz tone for just a tenth of a second. One has really to wonder how the kind of studio audio that Arrow Classic Rock pours out may sound when received via a Dutch cable net! Also included a recording of 1008 cutting off, exactly at 22:00:00, too. Latest information: 828 (Arrow Classic Rock) stayed on today (now // 675) and is probably still on. 891: Switched off together with 1008 instead of changing immediately to Radio 538. Wian Stienstra says that this is the result of Radio 538 wanting to have new audio processing equipment installed at Hulsberg first. 1332: Radio 192 is still on despite being no longer licenced for this or any other MW or FM frequency. Nobody knows how long this (actually unauthorized) operation will continue. 1485: Haagstad Radio switched off mediumwave already around May 25, but they say on their webpage that they want to get this frequency back. Radio 10 FM now indeed continues on the FM network that was originally allocated to Sky Radio for their Gouwe Ouwe Zender program. Sky decided to purchase the established 10 FM rather than doing with their own, reportedly quite poor programming. But the licence severely limits the amount of current songs that may be played, a circumstance that would require some changes in the 10 FM programming. Last night around 2230 (when they were already off mediumwave) it was said on 10 FM that they had only one packet of paper left due to the amount of faxes they received (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) CHANGES IN HOLLAND At the moment, the proposed English language station Radlon Media has not appeared on 1008 kHz. In fact since Dutch midnight, i.e. 2200 UT 31 May, the frequency has been completely blank, not even an open carrier. Time will tell when Radlon appear. Meanwhile, 10FM have indeed been replaced on 675 kHz with rock music, parallel 828 (presumably the Arrow). The signal on 828 kHz appears to be considerably reduced from previous levels, thus causing much less aggro to UK stations. Nothing can be heard on 1395 at the moment either, and 747 appears to be slightly reduced signal here. I have *never* heard any other Netherlands MW channels here in NW London (PAUL DAVID, Wembley Park, UK, June 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) A recent check on the Dutch frequencies audible during daylight here in NW London, just before 0900 UT 2 June, reveals still no action on 1008 or 1395 kHz. By contrast with Sunday, 675 and 828 kHz were carrying separate programming, which could clearly be determined despite the presence of a strong almost local UK signal on 828. I have a hunch that it could be some time yet before Radlon Media appear, and I propose to post no further messages on this subject until they do (PAUL DAVID, Chairman, Brent Visually-Handicapped Group, June 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) REPRIEVE FOR RADIO 10 FM --- last-minute business deal secures future by Andy Sennitt, 2 June 2003 The past week has been a frantic one for several Dutch commercial radio stations as they dealt with the fallout from the licence decisions announced on 26 May. There were some high profile casualties in the bid to secure licences for the next eight years, effective on Sunday 1 June. But with just hours to go, Radio 10 FM - which had lost its terrestrial FM frequencies to rival Sky Radio - saw itself reprieved when Sky Radio agreed to buy it. Radio 10 FM will now occupy the frequencies awarded to the planned Golden Oldies station. . . http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/features/html/ned030528.html (via DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. A new SW broadcast station is planned for the PNG Sandaun Province in the near future. This has nothing to with the NBC. It is expected that the SW transmitter will be used to cover all of PNG. Further info is under wraps at the moment. I don't know if this has anything to do with Johnno's hush hush planned 41 meter band frequencies from PNG. In fact I doubt it given those frequencies, but I could be wrong. You heard it from me FIRST on the ARDXC news reflector (Ian Baxter, Australia. PACIFIC FM MEGABASE [ Research ], http://radiodx.com/fmmegabase May 31, ARDXC via DXLD) ** PERU. Here are some catches made in the countryside some 70 km South of Moscow in the period between May 30 and June 1, 2003 with SONY ICF7600G and its telescopic antenna: 6044, Radio Melodía, Arequipa, YL in Spanish, 0023 May 31, folk-like songs (for those who know Bolivian group Kjarkas, these songs were similar to Kjarkas' ones), 0040 phone-ins, a lot of mentions of Arequipa, 0123 something about soccer, 0128 ID: ``Hasta la tarde, escúchenos de nuevo..., sintonía por todo El Perú através de Radio Melodía... arequipeña...`` (ID recorded). Better in LSB. Weak signal with sport px till 0215. Also June 1: 6044 Perú, Radio Melodía at 0120 with sport program (frequently mentioned word ``deportivo``), 34344 (Artyom Prokhorov, Russia, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) 6041.85v, Radio Melodía (presumed), Arequipa, 1049-1100, June 1. Spanish. News program. Many informations about Arequipa. The speaker mentioned "Arequipa" in several opportunities. 22432 with QRM from Brazilian station on 6040. 6173.27, Radio Tawantinsuyo, Cusco, 1037-1045, June 1. Spanish. Very nice Andean music. ID: "..su Radio Tawantinsuyo" and TC: "las 5 con 43 en Radio Tawantinsuyo... saludosa, todos quienes nos están sintonizando", 23422 with QRM from Family Radio in 6175. 6188, Radio Oriente, Yurimaguas, 1015-1030, June 1. Spanish. Announcement, ID & TC: "Así saludamos a todos los amigos que están en sintonía con Radio Oriente... 5 de la mañana con 20 minutos... estamos en Radio Oriente de Yurimaguas... ahora seguimos con el tema Aguedoya". Other ID: "Radio Oriente!!!!!" 44444. 6193.22, Radio Cusco, Cusco, 1103-1110, June 1. Huaynos. Local ads in Spanish and Quechua: "Fotografia... en Galería... Centro Comercial... frente al Palacio de Justicia..."; ID: "Radio Cusco... ahora con más melodías", 32422 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, hard-core-dx via DXLD) ** PERU. 2820.40 harmonic, Radio Olmos: Maybe you remember the logging of the Peruvian radiostation "Radio Olmos" in the province Lambayeque we had in SWB #1503? Completely unknown to all of us until now when the following mail arrived on my desk in Quito from our member Thord Knutsson/TK at the WRTH staff. Thanks, Thord!: TK: "Hello Björn, I have just returned from a very interesting trip to Paraguay. I have managed to take home a new list of Peruvian stations, dated March 12, 2003 containing 1023 pages with a total of 2137 stations on MW, SW & FM. A huge work to go through!! I have found info about a station on 1410 in Olmos, prov. Lambayeque, Dep. Lambayeque regarding your logging from January this year. Now there is a station listed on 1410 owned by Sánchez Villegas Manuel Jesús with the address Calla Tarata s/n, Olmos, Prov. Lambayeque, Dep Lambayeque. Unfortunately only the registered owner/company name and not the "working name". Info from "Ventanaperú": Provincia de Lambayeque, cuya capital es Lambayeque. Sus distritos son: Chochope, Illimo, Jayanca, Lambayeque, Mochumí, Mórrope, Motupe, Olmos, Pacora, Salas, San José, Túcume; con una población total de 220,105 hab. 4799.99, Radio Satélite; Santa Cruz, el departamento de Cajamarca. May 2003, 2341 UT. Has been active for a while but very disturbed by Guatemala. ID: "Satélite tu radio". Info from "Ventanaperú": Provincia de Santa Cruz, cuya capital es Santa Cruz de Succhubamba. Sus distritos son: Andabamba, Catache, Chancay Baños, La Esperanza, Ninabamba, Pulán, Santa Cruz de Succhubamba, Sexi, Uticyacu, Yauyucán; con una población total de 46,219 hab. 5024.92, Radio Quillabamba, Quillabamba, la provincia de Convención, el departamento de Cusco. May 2003, 2355 UT. As Rebelde often is off air this Peruvian can be heard quite well. Often religious programs. Varies between 5024.91-93 kHz. Info from "Ventanaperú": Provincia de La Convención, cuya capital es Quillabamba. Sus distritos son: Huayopata, Echarate, Maranura, Ocobamba, Quellouno, Santa Ana, Santa Teresa, Vilcabamba; con una población total de 152,576 hab. 5637.24, Radio Perú has an activity period just now. 5996.60 Radio Melodía back after a super short visit on 6106.95 kHz. Radio San Antonio on 4940.00 kHz has also been on air for a while. RD Comercial on +6324 kHz has also been on air for a few days. Yes, I can start almost every bandscan like this. Everything depends on if the responsible of the station has some extra time for his spare-time occupation: radio. 6536.06 kHz: Regarding the new Radio San Miguel de Sóndor which I reported in a "preview" these comments comes from our member Thord Knutsson/TK at the WRTH staff (thanks Thord and welcome back from your holiday in Paraguay!): TK (Thord Knutsson); "Radiodifusora Huancabamba is indeed licensed on 3370 kHz. None of the other stations are in Deps list. Dep lists no station in Sóndor neither on FM nor on MW/SW. Perhaps you notced TIN´s comments that according to MTC there are 70 TV pirates in Peru and a little bit over 800 radio pirates, of them circa 650 on FM. Thus there are circa 150 MW and SW-pirates in Peru. Sounds a little bit too few but anyhow gives a rough idea of the number. Saludos Thord". (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, SW Bulletin June 1, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) "Previews" sent earlier by e-mail: May 24: New station in distrito "Sóndor"? 6536.06, Radio San Miguel, Sóndor, la provincia de Huancabamba, el departamento de Piura. May 24 2003 - 0200 UT. In "provincia Huancabamba" it moves a bit, yes almost so you get a little bit dizzy. We start from the beginning: Around April 21 you received a "preview" with info about the new "La Nueva Radio Superior" in "distrito El Faique" situated in "provincia Huancabamba". On nearly the same frequency Radio San Miguel, also in "distrito El Faique" has been heard earlier. At around 6536 kHz for a long time Radiodifusora Huancabamba could be heard; a station during recent month has given ID as "Radio La Poderosa". In WRTH is QTH given as the town of Huancabamba. The Radio San Miguel I now hear on 6536.06 kHz gives ID as "Radio San Miguel de Sóndor". Sóndor is (just as El Faique) a distrito in "provincia Huancabamba". If the former station "RD Huancabamba" was located in "Sóndor" or if this is a new QTH I don`t know. If you have any info please let me know! Listen to a recording from this occasion: Info from "Ventanaperú": Provincia de Huancabamba, cuya capital es Chanchaque. Sus distritos son: El Carmen de la Frontera, Huancabamba, Huarmaca, Lalaquiz, San miguel de El Faique, Sóndor, Sondorillo; con una población total de 125,458 hab. (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, SW Bulletin June 1, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) "Preview" sent earlier by e-mail: May 20: 6106.95, Radio Melodía, Arequipa on new frequency! Noted Melodía here May 20 at 0030 UT with political comments and small short "Melodía es Melodía", Melodía en la noticia" - IDs of several variants by a female DJ. I didn`t wait for QTH location but recognize the station well. On 6105.08 kHz a religious Brazilian presumably Radio Cultural Filadelfia. Radio Panamericana, La Paz not on air at this occasion (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, SW Bulletin June 1, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) Soon moved to 6043v as above ** POLAND [and non]. POLISH MEDIA COUNCIL REPORT: RADIO MARYJA AIRING ANTI-SEMITIC, ANTI-EU CONTENT | Text of report by Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza on 2 June The National Radio and Television Council [KRRiTV] has declared that Radio Maryja broadcasts carry anti-Semitic content. Gazeta Wyborcza has accessed a report on a monitoring study of the Torun-based network carried out by the KRRiTV programming department at the turn of February and March. The 20-page document contains a general description of Radio Maryja programmes, outlines license requirements, and lists KRRiTV criticisms regarding contents aired by the network. The KRRiTV supports its charges with quotations from Radio Maryja programmes. The document states, for example: "Opposition to Poland's entry into the European Union dominates in the broadcasts and is expressed in various journalistic forms. The network takes advantage of the dissatisfaction of many groups of Polish citizens. During the period in which the broadcasts were monitored, the network encouraged its listeners to support farmer protests and help organize the farmers' prayer meeting at Jasna Gora many times each day." "Opposition to Poland's integration with EU structures voiced in - among others - a statement made by Bishop Edward Frankowski which was broadcast twice has been criticized by many eminent representatives of the Polish Episcopate. Many church hierarchs point out that the network defies the stance of the Holy Father and the policy of the Polish Episcopate. This confirms opinions on European integration are divided. The Torun-based network further deepens the divisions and often leads to new ones," the report goes on to say. The authors of the report state that Radio Maryja programmes carry anti-Semitic content. "Such content is unavoidable as listeners call in, but there is no justification for the lack of adequate reaction, particularly on the part of fathers hosting the programmes," says the document. "Their reactions do not address the essence of the problem. They more or less explicitly express approval for opinions voiced by listeners which defy common sense. The hosts of the programmes do not take the opportunity of presenting the stance of the [Catholic] Church on these issues, and in particular the teachings of John Paul II. This may lead to the shaping of opinions which defy Christian values." The KRRiTV report also points out that the network "frequently highlighted an untrue report on the Holy Father's blessing for Radio Maryja and the Trwam Television network [just launched by the owner of Radio Maryja]". "The monitoring thus corroborates media charges that the network treats the Holy Father and his teachings instrumentally. This is something that should not take place on radio programmes, especially programmes aired by a Catholic network." Source: Gazeta Wyborcza, Warsaw, in Polish 2 Jun 03 p 10 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. La emisora La Voz de Rusia está confirmando con preciosas tarjetas QSLs. Recuerdo que durante años enviaban tarjetas no muy 'vistosas'; después dejaron de enviar QSLs y ahora retomaron la buena costumbre de verificar. Las tarjeas son de un formato más bién alargado vertical, divididas al medio; en la parte de arriba una vista de Moscú y en la parte de abajo la foto de un receptor de comunicaciones en cuyo dial dice 'moscow time'. Muy lindas (Victor Castaño, Uruguay, Conexión Digital June 1 via DXLD) ** SAO TOME E PRINCIPE. From Anker Petersen I have received photos from São Tomé, where he visited the VOA site at Pinheira. There is an additional tower for Radio Nacional's 945 kHz transmissions. Added to: http://www.ydunritz.com/photosto.htm#Radio Nacional (Ydun Ritz (1/6-2003) via DXLD) ** SAUDI ARABIA. Hello Glenn, Re my previous report of Sa`udi Arabia on 9675. This continues, and was particularly strong today [June 2nd] around 0800, and it was heard in parallel with 11855 same time --- this frequency was fair only. So, I assume 11855 has been reactivated to carry the 2nd programme and that 9675 has been added. Another Sa`udi frequency also heard today was 9715 on air at 0625 past 0730 carrying the HQ Programme in parallel with 15380 & 17895. The signal only weak to fair. 9715 may have become audible due REE Madrid not being heard on 9710 [or 5985] at this time --- only 12035. Keep up the good work. 73s, (Noel Green, UK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SWAZILAND. SWAZI KING'S SERMON IS A LOAD OF PANTS Mbabane - Swaziland's king has singled out women wearing trousers as the cause of the world's ills in a state radio sermon that also condemned human rights as an "abomination before God". "The Bible says curse be unto a woman who wears pants, and those who wear their husband's clothes. That is why the world is in such a state today," Mswati, ruler of the impoverished feudal nation of about one million, said. The monarch, who reigns supreme in the landlocked country run by palace appointees and where opposition parties are banned, went on to criticise the human rights movement. "What rights? God created people, and He gave them their roles in society. You cannot change what God has created. This is an abomination before God," the king said. Women in the capital Mbabane were not impressed. "The king says I am the cause of the world's problems because of my outfit. Never mind terrorism, government corruption, poverty and disease, it's me and my pants. I reject that," said Thob'sile Dlamini. Mswati is Africa's last absolute monarch. He is currently married to nine wives, with a wedding pending for wife number 10, and has chosen an additional fiancée after reviewing videos of topless maidens performing a traditional reed dance ceremony (Independent, South Africa, May 31 via DXLD) ** SYRIA. 13610, Radio Damascus, 2027-2120 May 31, ID and news in English with a man announcer followed by music features and cultural program. At 2104 the man mentioned news headline were next before signing off with national anthem but after a nice ID ("Radio Damascus, the broadcasting service of the Syrian Arab Republic") music was played, another ID with a "good night" tossed in for good measure but then apparently sign on for another English program (presume the North American feed) with frequency/time announcement and news. Poor to fair with heavy splatter from WEWN on 13615 (Rich D`Angelo, PA, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) ** U K. Besides forcing news headlines upon us at the half-hour, interrupting programing, whether there be any new news or not, BBCWS have found another way to disrupt continuity: time signals on the quarter hour! At least that`s what I heard at 1415 and 1445 UT June 2 as listening to the Americas feed via satellite via local cable. I have no idea why, unless for the convenience of Ghurkas (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. RISING STAR OF BBC RADIO RESIGNS TO WRITE A BOOK From the Independent: By Andrew Johnson, 31 May 2003 One of the BBC's rising radio stars has suddenly quit her prime-time show on Five Live to write a book in New York. Fi Glover, who has presented her live phone-in show for only five months, will take a sabbatical while she writes about a liberal radio station in the land of right-wing "shock jocks". The presenter, considered one of the most recognisable voices on the airwaves, has won a host of awards since joining the radio station in 1997. She recently hit the headlines when she had an on-air spat with Five Live's star broadcaster, Nicky Campbell. But the row had nothing to do with her decision to leave. She said yesterday: "Whilst I am sad to be leaving Five Live after six years, as I've had a great time here, I was really flattered to be asked to write another book." Glover was previously one of the presenters of The Travel Show on BBC2 and has already had success with her first book, published in 2001, I'm an Oil Tanker: Travels with My Radio. Her departure will be a blow for Five Live, which has just lost its main sports presenter, Ian Payne, to Sky. When Glover leaves at the end of June her slot will be taken over by three stand-ins, John Pienaar, Julian Worricker and Juliet Morris, while a replacement is found (via Mike Terry, DXLD) ** U K. LABOUR FACES MORE FLAK ON HANDLING OF WAR AFTER TV FILM By Matt Born (Filed: 31/05/2003) The Government is set for a fresh row over its handling of the war in Iraq when a new BBC documentary about the conflict, featuring unprecedented "behind-the-scenes" footage of the military planning, is broadcast next month. The series will reveal that British military commanders were much less bullish about the progress of the war than ministers disclosed. . . http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fnews%2F2003%2F05%2F31%2Fnbbc31.xml (via Roger Chambers, NY, DXLD) ** U K [non]. BBC WORLD SERVICE LAUNCHES ON FM IN BAGHDAD AND BASRA | Text of press release by BBC World Service on 30 May In the key Iraqi cities of Baghdad and Basrah, Iraqis can now hear BBC World Service in high quality FM as well as on shortwave and mediumwave frequencies. BBC World Service is the first international broadcaster to broadcast 24 hours a day in Arabic on FM in Baghdad and Basra. The new FM frequencies are 89.0 MHz in Baghdad and 90.0 MHz in Basrah in Arabic. In Basrah, the World Service can also be heard in English on FM on 88.0 MHz. "BBC World Service has a high standing in Iraq. In recent years Iraqis depended on international radio for their news after satellite dishes were banned. BBC World Service is widely listened to and respected across the Arab world and boosted its shortwave and mediumwave transmissions to Iraq at the start of the war," said Mark Byford, Director BBC World Service and Global News. "Now, for the first time, the people of Baghdad and Basrah can listen to BBC World Service on FM. This is an historic development and we plan to extend FM to other major Iraqi cities," he said. . . Source: BBC World Service press release, London, in English 30 May 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** U S A. SHORTWAVE HATE-RADIO EXTREMIST TAKES PLEA PULASKI MAN FACED U.S. WEAPONS CHARGES By Bill Estep, SOUTH-CENTRAL KENTUCKY BUREAU Posted on Sat, May. 31, 2003 http://www.kentucky.com/mld/heraldleader/news/5982897.htm A man who once broadcast a hate-filled, extremist shortwave radio program pleaded guilty yesterday to federal weapons charges filed after his attack on a sheriff's deputy. Steve H. Anderson, 55, of rural Pulaski County, admitted in federal court in London that he illegally possessed a machine gun, carried and fired a gun during a crime of violence and possessed unregistered firearms, according to the office of Gregory F. Van Tatenhove, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Anderson faces at least 10 years in prison, Van Tatenhove said. The case against Anderson dates to October 2001, when a deputy sheriff in Bell County stopped Anderson's pickup near Middlesboro to tell him the taillights weren't working. After the deputy, Scott Elder, saw ammunition in the truck and asked whether Anderson had guns with him, Anderson riddled the deputy's cruiser with bullets. Anderson used a semi-automatic assault rifle and also had six pipe bombs, according to a federal indictment. Elder was not hurt and shot back before Anderson drove into the hills. Police found the truck early the next day, but Anderson eluded the manhunt that followed for more than a year. When police searched Anderson's home after the shooting, they found illegal weapons, including a machine gun and silencer, a sawed-off rifle, two homemade bombs and 25 fragmentation grenades, according to a federal indictment. Anderson was once a member of the Kentucky State Militia, which has said it kicked him out before the shooting because of his racist, extremist views. Anderson operated a shortwave radio program from an unlicensed station at his home, promoting anti-government, anti-immigrant, racist and anti-Jewish views, and often espousing violence, according to groups that monitor extremist radio. One group named Anderson's broadcast the top hate-talk show in the country. Anderson also had ties to the Christian Identity Movement, which considers white Christians superior to non-whites and Jews. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms caught Anderson in the mountains of North Carolina last November after the television show America's Most Wanted profiled his case and someone called investigators with a tip. Federal officials were glad to catch Anderson without another confrontation. "This is a serious crime," Van Tatenhove said. "Anytime someone possesses a machine gun, pipe bombs, grenades, other destructive devices, and then shows a willingness to enter into a confrontation like he entered into in Bell County ... you can't help but conclude that there's a real propensity to act in a violent manner." Karen Blondell, commonwealth's attorney in Bell County, said federal prosecutors consulted with her office and Elder, the deputy, about the plea deal for Anderson. Elder, who now works in Mercer County, said he was pleased with the agreement for his attacker to go to federal prison -- where there is no parole -- and would forgo having Anderson prosecuted on state charges, Blondell said. Anderson is to be sentenced before U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves on Sept. 12, Van Tatanhove said (Lexington Herald-Leader May 31 via DXLD) Indexed as UPR for United Patriot Radio ** U S A. [Re 5072 bonking QRMing WWCR]: Called FCC Tuesday (5/27) morning. Tuesday night 5070 was clean and has been since. Our tax dollars at work? (LOU KF4EON Johnson, Atlanta, June 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. HEADLINE: THE 'LOCAL' IN LOCAL TV IS IN DANGER Byline: Martin Kaplan Date: 06/02/2003 Click here to read this story online: http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0602/p11s01-coop.html (LOS ANGELES) You would think that the first thing the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) would do before rewriting the rules of media ownership in America, would be to find out how well the rules are working. But you'd be wrong. This data vacuum is especially alarming in local news. Since most Americans get most of their news from local TV stations, the kind of attention those stations give to campaigns and elections - not in paid ads, but in journalism - is a measure of the health of our democracy. It's a way to assess how close we are to having the quality information that Thomas Jefferson said we need to be good citizens. But when it comes to informing the voting public, the FCC hasn't a clue how local TV news is doing. Without that data, further deregulation can be no more than a riverboat gamble. The FCC did commission 12 "Media Ownership Working Group Papers" to get ready for its scheduled big vote Monday on whether to relax restrictions on ownership. They're all very interesting. Unfortunately, not one of them analyzes the content of local TV news to find out how local it really is. Not one of them compares the content aired by one television ownership group with the content aired by another. For an agency charged with promoting "diversity" and "localism," wouldn't it be nice to define what those words mean and then go out and actually measure local TV stations against them? This wouldn't be particularly expensive to do. All it would take is a set of objective criteria for localism and diversity, enough VCRs in enough cities capturing enough hours of programming from enough ownership groups, and enough analysts to clock the tapes and crunch the numbers. Imagine what those studies could tell us. They could examine the cities where media duopolies exist, and compare the diversity of news content in those cities with cities without duopolies. Wouldn't it be helpful to the FCC to have that information before it opens the national floodgates to duopolies and even triopolies? Another study could compare how much local news aired is truly filled with stories about that community (rather than with promotions for network entertainment or canned news feeds from corporate headquarters). Before the FCC permits more distant owners to take over more local stations, wouldn't it be useful to know where things stand now? The closest anyone has come to answering objective questions like these is a study my collaborators and I have done of 122 of the top- rated stations in the top 50 US media markets http://www.localnewsarchive.org Our focus was local-news coverage of the 2002 midterm election; we taped and analyzed more than 8,000 half- hours of the country's top-rated early- and late-evening news broadcasts during the last seven weeks of the campaign season. Anyone who thinks that TV stations have a public-interest obligation to perform in exchange for their free licenses will be dispirited by our results. On almost half the evening-news programs we taped, there was no coverage of the campaign - of any campaign - at all. When campaign stories did air, they mostly were less than 90 seconds, contained no sound bites from candidates, and came in the last two weeks before the election. They focused on strategy and polls nearly half the time; aired statewide races over local elections by almost 7 to 1, and were outnumbered by paid political ads by nearly 4 to 1. In other words, most Americans probably saw more prime-time entertainment on a single night than election coverage over an entire campaign season of watching local news. Our study didn't set out to examine the relationship between station ownership and station performance. Even so, our 122-station sample contains 45 stations owned by large owners (with nationwide audience reach of more than 20 percent), 54 by mid-sized owners, and 23 by small owners, so we can use our findings to speculate on what a true ownership study - the kind the FCC should have done - might show. For example, how much coverage was given to local races by local news? The stations in our sample with small and mid-sized owners offered more coverage than the national average, while stations with large owners did less. That same pattern seems true in individual media markets: In 16 of the 22 markets in our sample, stations owned by small or mid-sized owners aired more local campaign coverage. These findings are of potential importance. If a full-scale national study designed to correlate ownership with localism and diversity came up with similar numbers, it would have inescapable implications for the rule changes now under consideration. It's too late to conduct those studies before Monday's vote. But it's not too late for Congress and the public to demand that the Commission find out what results the current system is giving us. Nor should these results, which have been shared with the FCC, be ignored by the courts if the FCC's decision is appealed. Unless the FCC goes out and measures the local news that owners are providing under Monday's policies, it would be a roll of the dice to overthrow those policies. It would be hard to imagine Thomas Jefferson entrusting the future of democracy to a crapshoot. * Martin Kaplan is associate dean of the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and director of the Norman Lear Center for the Study of entertainment and Society. (c) Copyright 2003 The Christian Science Monitor. All rights reserved. (via Roger Chambers, DXLD) ** U S A. MICHAEL POWELL AND THE FCC: GIVING AWAY THE MARKETPLACE OF IDEAS --- By Tom Shales, Monday, June 2, 2003; Page C01 Unless something dramatic and unexpected occurs to stop it, this is what will happen today in Washington: The Republican chairman of the Republican-dominated Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and his Republican majority will revise long-standing rules on media ownership in ways that will hugely benefit, among others, rich Republicans. . . http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1424-2003Jun1.html (via Kraig Krist, Tom Roche, DXLD) FCC SET TO VOTE ON EASING MEDIA OWNERSHIP RULES --- By Frank Ahrens, Washington Post Staff Writer, Monday, June 2, 2003; Page A06 An ideologically fractured Federal Communications Commission plans to vote along party lines today to relax or eliminate some key media ownership rules, allowing a newspaper to own a television station in the same city and broadcast networks to buy more stations at the national and local levels. FCC Chairman Michael K. Powell is set to join fellow Republican commissioners Kathleen Q. Abernathy and Kevin J. Martin in approving the changes, sources said over the weekend, while Democrats Jonathan S. Adelstein and Michael J. Copps said they plan to vote against the changes. . . http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1007-2003Jun1.html 73, (via -.. . Kraig Krist, KG4LAC, DXLD) FCC VOTES TO SCRAP CROSS OWNERSHIP RULE Lou Josephs reports: "Today in Washington the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) eliminated the cross ownership rule by a vote of 3-2. The much-anticipated decision is a controversial one. Demonstraters broke up the end of the meeting and they were hauled away. The FCC's vote means that local TV and radio stations can now be owned by the same company that owns the local newspaper. Limits on the number of TV stations a company can own in the same market have been raised. However, Clear Channel Communications failed in its attempt to get the limit on the number of radio stations increased to ten in large markets. Limits on the number of radio stations have not been raised, but the metro definition the FCC has been using will be changed to the same definition as Arbitron (the ratings company). Where stations aren't in a rated market the FCC itself will determine the metro definition. This looks arbitrary and capricious, which means that the National Association of Broadcasters will probably appeal this to the Federal District Court in Washington. The national TV ownership cap gets raised to 45% of the national audience. What this means is that the major companies will now be in a mad rush to buy up every tv station that they don't already own. The winners will be Fox, Disney and Viacom. The FCC did tighten the rules regarding how ownership is calculated. The TV network merger rule stands. So you won't be seeing MSNBC-Fox in the near future." The full text of the decision will be available on the FCC Web site http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Digest/2003/ after 1730 UT on 2 June (© Radio Netherlands Media Network 2 June 2003 via DXLD) Gee...what a surprise! Big corporate interests win again...this time with a long-sought plum from the FCC by way of allowing huge media conglomerates to swallow up even more of their competitors --- and increase their presence in almost all markets. Given the track record of the Bush administration, I couldn't help but wonder why they even bothered with comments on the proceedings. They might as well have just ramrodded it through like they do everything else designed to screw smaller/independent owners --- and at the same time probably result in a lessening of diversity of opinion in both print and broadcast media. This decision really steams me --- but I would probably have dropped dead from a heart attack if it hadn't sailed through as it did. These people simply do not care about the 'public interest'. (Tom Bryant / Nashville, June 2, WTFDA Soundoff list via DXLD) They did ramrod it through. The so-called 'public hearings' were a complete sham. As usual in politics today, big money talks big. We don't really need an FCC or an FAA or an FDA etc., etc. They're all in business to serve those whom they regulate, not the public (Russ Edmunds, PA, ibid.) ** U S A. ANOTHER CLASSICAL MUSIC STATION TO DROP FORMAT Looks like WGMS, Washington DC's only commercial classical music broadcaster, will be sold and drop classical music as soon as the FCC relaxation of the multimedia ownership rules are approved by the FCC today. The following was found on the DCRTV web site on June 2: "Rupert Murdoch's Fox will get into the radio ownership business. It'll buy Bonneville's WWZZ/104.1 and WWVZ/103.9 (which will keep the music format) and WGMS/103.5 (which will drop classical for an audio feed of the Fox News Channel)." If the style of top-40 classical music which WGMS plays can't survive, is there any hope that an audience can ever be cultivated for a more in-depth classical music format? I consider WGMS an entry-level station where listeners can hear both short classical selections mixed with traffic reports and commercials. In my opinion, WGMS served a useful function of exposing folks to classical music in easy-to- swallow gulps. We continue to slide down the slippery slope of cultural mediocrity (Joe Buch, DE, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Amen! ** U S A. CAT-CENTRIC TV SHOW SET FOR ITS DEBUT By CHRISTY LEMIRE, The Associated Press, Friday, May 30, 2003; 1:13 AM NEW YORK --- Balls of yarn, little plastic toys with bells inside and the occasional whiff of catnip simply aren't enough to satisfy the entertainment needs of today's sophisticated, high-tech felines. Cats need television. And now they have it. "Meow TV," which bills itself as being for cats "and the people they tolerate," debuts at 7:30 p.m. EDT Friday on the Oxygen network. The tongue-in-furry-cheek comedy mixes video of squirrels and fish with segments titled "Cat Yoga" and "Cat Haiku." An interminably perky host on "The House Cat Shopping Network" urges kitties to "use those paws - you've seen your owners do it, you know how to dial a phone." And an ad for a collection of favorite feline songs includes "Spay You, Spay Me" and "Mice, Mice Baby." Lazy, lasagna-loving Garfield had his own animated series for a while. So did the cranky comic-strip cat Heathcliff and the animated troublemaker Felix. Then there was Salem, the spooky animatronic talking cat on "Sabrina the Teenage Witch." And of course, there was the "Toonces the Driving Cat" sketch on "Saturday Night Live." "Meow TV" executive producer Elyse Roth likened her show to "Cat-urday Night Live," and said at least two more episodes are in the works. Actress Annabelle Gurwitch, formerly of TBS' "Dinner and a Movie," plays host while sitting on the couch with her 9-year-old black cat, Stinky. "The artistic mission was to create programming you could watch with your cat," Roth said. "I don't know that you're going to park your cat and do whatever." (A recent advance showing of "Meow TV" at a Brooklyn loft, however, failed to hold the attention of a certain pair of overfed 11-year-old cats. Cali, the calico, licked herself the whole time, while Silver, who's gray and white, stared blankly out the window, then slinked away for food about halfway through.) But some cats really do watch television, insisted Pat Marengo as she cuddled her brown-and-orange Persian, Maggie. "She watches anything that's fast. She likes sports, she likes cartoons. She likes to see other cats on TV," said Marengo, who lives on Long Island with her husband and a family of cats who act and model. "We have a cat perch near the television, and she goes up, looks at it and tries to touch it." Marengo and Maggie were at the "Meow TV" launch party on Tuesday night. Also in attendance was Vincent Pastore, who starred in "The Sopranos" as Big Pussy. --- On the Net: "Meow TV" Web site: http://www.meowtv.com/ Oxygen Web site: http://www.oxygen.com (c) 2003 The Associated Press (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) Repeated at 1200 UT Sat and Sun, but not clear if there be any further episodes; suspect Meow Mix be behind this (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. It looks like The Renfro Valley Gathering on WJR is produced by the same group as the original Renfro Valley Barn Dance. Check the WJR website at http://www.wjr.net and select Program Schedule. There's a link to the Renfro Valley. The program airs on WJR only for a half hour, 5 - 5:30 am Sunday [EDT; = 0900-0930 UT]. More info about Renfro Valley, "Kentucky's country music capital," can be found at http://www.renfrovalley.com (Bruce Conti - Nashua NH, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** U S A. ADDING SOUND TO THE SCENERY 06/02/03 Grant Segall, Plain Dealer Reporter http://www.cleveland.com/living/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/living/1054546564199271.xml You can't tell an angler much about his fishing hole. "There used to be a big grind ing mill right here," says Wally Donczak, landing a catfish at Strongsville's Bonnie Park. How does Donczak know about a vanished mill from the 1820s? "I've been coming here for about 20 years, same spot," says the Parma man, tossing back the fish into the gurgling water below a dam on Rocky River's east branch. "I talk a lot to the old-timers here." He chuckles. "They tell you everything when you fish." For those without rods, radios might help. Starting Wednesday, the Cleveland Metroparks will debut "Hear Here!" - believed to be the nation's first radio tour of a regional park system. Hidden stations will broadcast information about Bonnie Park and five other historic Metroparks sites. Even a fisherman might catch a tip or two. Bonnie Park, for instance, stands in what was once the bustling settlement of Albion, with a sawmill, a carding works, three smithy shops, five stores, a distillery and three taverns. But an 1843 fire razed much of Albion, and a nearby 1851 railway slowly siphoned off the rest. Each station will broadcast five minutes of highlights about its site, with background music written and played by parks troubadour Foster Brown. The tiny stations will be hidden for aesthetics and security. But "Hear Here!" signs will mark short-term parking spots reserved for listening pleasure on AM/1620, which most car radios can pick up. The broadcasts will encourage able-bodied visitors to explore the sites on foot and will reach portable radios for several hundred feet around. The messages will repeat during daylight hours until Aug. 10. Then the stations and broadcasts will change to spotlight six more sites of natural interest from Aug. 25 through Oct. 31. Later tours have not been determined. The parks also might use the stations for special events. Metroparks publicist Bob Rotatori hopes "Hear Here!" will draw visitors who are too busy to catch the parks' personally guided tours. He says the program, which costs about $7,000, will be cheaper and neater than posting fliers at the sites. The parks bought the stations from Information Station Specialists of Zeeland, Mich., which has sold similar ones to national parks and other agencies making low-range broadcasts, including the Ohio Department of Transportation (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) ** U S A. Re Sweeper: Marcelo, there are wave sweepers in Monterey Bay, California that occupy ~5040. Could these be the ones that you hear? I don't know about any Oregon sweeper wave frequencies. I'll have to ask friends down at Oregon State -- who run the research center out of Newport, Oregon. PS When did AIR Kolkata move from 4820 to 5040? And where did AIR Jeypore go that was occupying 5040 when I last heard them in March? (Don Nelson, Oregon, Cumbre DX via DXLD) I just made a mistake about 5040 kHz. It should be AIR Jeypore, not Kolkata. I got the wrong information from the ILG list but both Passport and TBL (Tropical Band List) says that 5040 kHz is Jeypore (Marcelo Toníolo, NZ, ibid.) Both WRTH 2003 and the new SWG (volume 2 which has just been published) also list 5040 as Jeypore. 73 (Sean D. Gilbert, Editor: Shortwave Guide International Broadcasting Editor: WRTH World Radio Tv Handbook, ibid.) Here is a website that might give some info on the sweeper http://www.sover.net/~hackmohr/swiper.htm (Bob Montgomery, PA, ibid.) Thanks, Bob The site shows the Jersey installation But the Codar page shows an antenna situated on Goat Island in the San Francisco Bay (Oakland Bay Bridge to left, San Francisco center and you can just make out the Golden Gate to the far right). This one is news to me. Anyone else have any frequency/site information? Thanks (Don Nelson, ibid.) Codar in Newport Oregon (OSU) http://www-currents.oce.orst.edu/seasonde/index.html Codar in Monterey, Ca (Naval Postgraduate) http://www.oc.nps.navy.mil/%7Eradlab/radar.html and UCSC http://sapphire.cse.ucsc.edu/reinas/codar/ Codar in Alaska http://www.ims.uaf.edu:8000/salmon/CODAR/CODAR.html (5 MHz) Codar in Texas/Mississippi http://www.cbi.tamucc.edu/projects/hfradar/ http://128.160.23.41/Products/remote (25-27 MHz) (Don Nelson, Cumbre DX via DXLD) National Geographic about 4 years ago or so had a program on PBS about NYC dumping its garbage in the ocean. The problem is that sometimes they would not go out far enough and the garbage found its way back to the Jersey coastline, closing beaches and Jersey tourist trade hit the can. In fact, medical waste was of major concern. Needless to say, I was a bit shocked at this but in fact have seen the barges being taken out to sea via tugboats. I read somewhere that the reason for the sweeper was to determine the coastal tides so they could determine if the garbage would come back to the coast line and how much further out they had to go. Needless to say, this is a pretty sick thing and have difficulty believing this is actually done. I have seen the barges with black trash bags picked up off the streets of NYC headed out to sea from Staten Island. I am guessing this is a normal thing done by most large cities now. Pretty sad (Bob Montgomery, Levittown PA, ibid.) ** ZIMBABWE [non]. On 2 June at tune in 1815 SW Radio Africa was heard with good signal on 4880. Their website tells they now use this frequency instead of 6145. And their ID also mentions only 4880 now (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 4960.41, unID LAm Spanish, unknown QTH. May 29 2003 - 1115 UT. I am a big question mark. I stopped at the frequency at 1115 and at 1118 the station disappeared! Decent signal but thunderstorms spoiled the possibility to get an ID (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, SW Bulletin June 1, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 5120.44v, unID Spanish LAm, unknown QTH. May 2003 - 0100 UT. Here is a LAm with nonstop music all the time; I have never heard any talk. Music which I can`t place. Abrupt closedown without any talk at various times between 01 - 0300 UT. Very heavy QRM from ship- utility. I attach a recording from May 28 when closing at 0245 and without any QRM in LSB-mode. This time on 5122.48, as usual without any talk. If you recognize the happy, dance friendly music please contact me. Perú? (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, SW Bulletin June 1, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RECEIVER NEWS +++++++++++++ WEB RECEIVER CLUB We have formed a new, free Yahoo club for anyone interested in listening to live shortwave receivers over the internet. You can find the Web Receivers Club at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/webreceivers/ There are now over 40 web radios around the world; most are Javaradios. 73 (Bradford Wall, San Bernardino CA, June 2, EDXP via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ OUR EXCLUSIVE AND NOT COPYRIGHTED HF PLUS LOW BAND VHF PROPAGATION UPDATE AND FORECAST And now as always at the end of the show, here is our exclusive and not copyrighted HF plus low band VHF propagation update and forecast - -- Expect a very significant number of Sporadic E events during the next five days. Ionospheric absorption on frequencies between 5 and 20 megaHertz should be HIGH, and short wave propagation conditions should be severely affected by the impact of the high speed solar wind that are causing geomagnetic disturbances, that has sent the A index to figures as high as 50 !!!! The big sunspot group that has produced several X class solar flares during the past few days is expected to continue active, so we must be ready for more solar fireworks !!! As I like to say, there is no such thing as poor radio propagation, because what is bad for short wave listeners, may prove to be excellent DX conditions for AM broadcast band lovers!!! Enjoy radio amigos, it's a great hobby 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year !!! (Prof. Arnaldo Coro A., CO2KK, RHC DXers Unlimited May 31 via Bob Chandler, VE3SRE, ODXA via DXLD) ###