DX LISTENING DIGEST 3-158, September 2, 2003 edited by Glenn Hauser 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/dxldtd3i.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 1197: RFPI: Wed 0100, 0730, 1330 on 7445 [nominal times subject to delay or pre-emption] WWCR: Wed 0930 on 9475 WINB: Thu 0130 on 12160 [see ECUADOR] WRN ONDEMAND: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also for CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL]: Check http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html [High] (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1197h.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1197h.ram (Summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1197.html [Low] (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1197.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1197.ram FIRST AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1198: Wed 2200 on WBCQ 7415, 17495-CUSB Thu 0130 on WINB 12160 [maybe; or repeat of last week`s] Thu 2030 on WWCR 15825, Sat 1030 on WWCR 5070 Sat 0130, 0800 on RFPI 7445 Sat 1800+ on WRMI 15725 UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIAL This is Tom from Northern California. I love your show. I've been listening for the past 17 years. Keep up the great service (Tom) See also RECEIVER NEWS World O' Radio, on the other hand, is one of the most intelligible programs on RFPI. Glenn must be giving James a good, quiet tape with proper dynamic range every week (or however often) because he cuts through the noise and QRM much better than most of RFPI's pre-recorded stuff (I O Snopes, Aug 14 FRN Grapevine) NETS TO YOU: September edition: http://worldofradio.com/nets2you.html ** AFGHANISTAN. LEADERSHIP BANS NEW PRIVATE RADIO STATION IN EASTERN AFGHAN PROVINCE | Text of report by Afghan newspaper Erada on 31 August A new privately-owned radio station has recently started broadcasting on trial basis after receiving a legal permit. However, a few days later it was banned by the order of the leadership of the Nangarhar Province. There is a rumour in Nangarhar Province that the head of Radio and Television of Jalalabad has told the governor of Nangarhar that people do not listen to the programmes of the government-funded radio station now that the new privately-own ratio station has been established. The residents of Jalalabad say that instead of banning a privately- owned radio, the two radios should compete against each other in broadcasting sector. Source: Erada, Kabul, in Pashto 31 Aug 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) WTFK? VIEWERS ACCUSE AFGHAN HERAT TV OF CENSORING PROGRAMMES | Text of report by Afghan news agency Herat News Centre Herat News Centre, 1 September: Television is considered one of the most important means of mass communication. This medium has the main role of spreading cultural values and daily news. It should be said that if not only this but all other means [of communication] become exclusive, then they would not be able to fulfil their duties in a proper way. In addition, another obstacles in this regard is unjustified censor which prevents people from getting more information. We have interviewed some fellow citizens with regard to this issue: Jalil Ahmad, one of our fellow citizens, said the following about this issue: I believe that the programmes of Herat TV are monotonous. The situation in Herat is different in comparison with other provinces. We need to keep the status of being pioneers and we should think of some more initiatives and improvements. Unfortunately, we see the directors of the TV programmes censoring broadcasts. This in fact not only reduces the quality of the programmes but also result in losing viewers and supporters. Ahmad Zubair, a student, says: In the first days of victory, I was very happy that Herat TV was functioning again and I would follow up the programmes with enthusiasm and eagerness. However, the programmes were not so interesting. But I would tell myself that it was the first days and it would gradually become better. Unfortunately, no changes have been introduced to the programmes. Their only initiative to censor the news and movies. It has been long since I have stopped watching (Herat) TV programmes. Gholam Ahmad, a shopkeepers in Shahr-e Naw, in this regard says: The point, which surprises me, is the fact that Herat TV is censoring the Deutsche Welle news [service] and the Iranian movies. They censor the movies to the extent that one cannot understand the beginning and the ending. I do not watch any other programmes of this TV, except the internal and external news. Because other programmes do not have good quality and they are not interesting at all. On the other hand, we should not be proud of the fact that the Herat TV is better than the televisions stations in other cities such as Kandahar, Mazar-e Sharif, Jalalabad and so forth. The city, which is famous for its cultural and scientific riches, should be different from other cities. The point worth mentioning is that our colleagues tried to contact Mr Bahra, the head of TV station, by phone but he refused to answer our questions in this regard. Source: Herat News Centre, Herat, in Dari 0001 gmt 1 Sep 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) Backsliders LOCAL TV STATION BEGINS BROADCASTING IN HERAT PROVINCE | Text of report by Afghan news agency Herat News Centre A local TV station has recently begun broadcasting programmes in Ghowrian District [Herat Province]. The programmes of this TV station, produced by local people, are being managed and directed by a number of youths in the district. First this TV station will broadcast programmes that are in the people's interest. However, Herat TV station has made some comments lately. Since the launch of this small TV station, Herat TV station has not extended any sort of cooperation to them. Now that this station is active, Herat TV station is making comments and limiting their programmes [as received]. This station is still in a very primary and simple form, but the direct broadcast of this station from [Ghowrian] bazaar has nevertheless attracted public attention. In fact, in such a situation and in such a remote area like Ghowrian it is a great and admirable task. However, journalists have still not been permitted to visit the mentioned (TV station) system. Ghowrian District is the first district in Afghanistan to come up with such an initiative. Source: Herat News Centre, Herat, in Dari 0001 gmt 1 Sep 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** ALBANIA. Radio Tirana heard with good signals on 9540 during their English program to Europe at 2130, but what has happened to their North American Service on 7160/6160? Rarely heard anymore (Tom Sliva, NYC, Sept 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. Flew over HCJB Kununurra this morning on the way to the Bungle Bungles. I know - it was a Cessna C210L. I'm going to try hiking out there sometime in the next day. Missed a photo because I didn't realise it was there until we passed over. It has HCJB painted on the roof and I think the "Heralding Christ..." etc. also painted on the roof (Wayne Bastow, Aug 29, Sept ADXN via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. Effective September 3, Radio Australia's two daily 30 minute transmissions in Vietnamese are now via the Darwin relay, replacing Kranji (Singapore) and Taiwan. 2330-0000 11820 (replacing 15110 Taiwan) 0530-0600 17855 (replacing 17865 (Kranji) (Bob Padula, EDXP used by permission, via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. ABC TO CURTAIL ITS LOCAL RADIO NEWS BULLETINS By Andrew Webster, September 3, 2003 The ABC announced last night that it will soon scale back its weekend radio news bulletins. From September 13, Victorian listeners will lose up to a dozen Melbourne-produced bulletins and summaries --- on Saturday and Sunday between 1 and 10 pm --- in a shake-up that will concentrate production in Adelaide and Perth. The ABC said the changes, which will affect bulletins produced in all capital cities, are part of a strategy for dealing with recently announced budget cuts... http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/09/02/1062506855725.html (via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) ** BELARUS`. Radio Minsk coming in with fair strength in English at 0200 on 7210. 5970 is in parallel, but generally covered by other cochannel stations (Tom Sliva, NYC, Sept 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. RÁDIO NACIONAL DO BRASIL EM ONDAS CURTAS PARA A ÁFRICA Transmissão de programa em Ondas Curtas para África: Rádio Nacional do Brasil, Faixa de 31 metros. Freqüência: 9665 kHz Começamos a transmitir diariamente para o continente africano em ondas curtas em 1º de agosto. Inicialmente, montando uma programação especial utilizando o material produzido pela Rádio Nacional AM e FM e pela Rádio Nacional da Amazônia. O programa possui duas horas e vai ao ar duas vezes ao dia nos horários das 16h às 18h (inédito) e das 2h às 4h (reprise) - horários de Brasília. Estamos também trabalhando na criação de um programa piloto produzido especialmente para os Países de Língua Portuguesa (Brasil, Portugal, Moçambique, Angola, Guiné Bissau, Cabo Verde, Timor Leste). Esse é um projeto mais complexo, cujo objetivo é formar uma rede de informação entre todas as nações envolvidas, de forma que todos os países produzam e recebam material. Para tanto, será necessário formar acordos de parcerias para criarmos uma rede de correspondentes. Em parceria com o Departamento de Radiojornalismo estamos produzindo reportagens especiais sobre temas de interesse dos ouvintes africanos e brasileiros que são veiculadas no programa Repórter Nacional e na Voz do Brasil e retransmitidas para África. Além da programação das emissoras da Radiobrás, diariamente produzimos boletins com informações, principalmente, dos países de língua portuguesa, países africanos e Brasil especialmente voltados para os ouvintes da Rádio Nacional do Brasil. Programação: De Segunda à Sexta-feira: Primeira Transmissão: 16h –18h, Retransmissão: 2h-4h [UT - 3!!] - Giro Afro: 3 boletins de 3 minutos distribuídos ao longo da programação com informações dos países de Língua Portuguesa, África e Brasil; - Alô Doutor: entrevista com diferentes médicos que a cada problema falam sobre problemas de saúde e doenças como malária, aids, tuberculose, vitiligo etc. O entrevistado explica de maneira didática as causas e efeitos das doenças e ainda dá dicas de prevenção e tratamento; -Momento três: especial com 3 canções, geralmente brasileiras, escolhidas pela produtora Heloísa Mendonça. A cada programa ela seleciona um tema, que pode ser uma homenagem a algum cantor/compositor ou mesmo um aspecto em comum dessas canções. Nas últimas edições, Heloísa apresentou às Terezas cantadas por nossos artistas, falou sobre o a aniversário de Pixinguinha, apresentando versões de diferentes intérpretes; - Entrevista: produzimos ou selecionamos entrevistas feitas durante os programas Revista Brasil e Voz do Brasil com diferentes personalidades que falam de política, saúde, educação, cultura. Também estamos produzindo entrevistas exclusivas para a Rádio Nacional do Brasil; - Memória Musical: programa de uma hora com importantes artistas da música popular brasileira que falam sobre carreira, projetos e selecionam 10 músicas que marcaram e influenciaram seus trabalhos; Sábado e Domingo - Primeira Transmissão: 15h - 19 Transmissão ao vivo de jogos de Futebol, com entrevistas e comentários esportivos. No momento estamos transmitindo os principais jogos do campeonato brasileiro. - Segunda Transmissão: 2h - 5h : Musicais. Contatos: Lia Rangel ( Lia@r... ) [truncated] Chefe da Divisão de Notícias Internacionais, Radiobrás, 61 327 4124 73s! (via Célio Romais, Porto Alegre (RS), Brasil, Coordenação do DX Clube do Brasil, radioescutas via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. Recebi informação de Shirleide Barbosa, da Rádio Nacional da Amazônia, informando que a responsável pelas transmissões da Rádio Nacional do Brasil para a África é Lia Rangel. BRASIL - A Rádio Guarujá Paulista, de Guarujá (SP), acaba de enviar a primeira confirmação para um dexista brasileiro! Em Pontes e Lacerda (MT), José Moacir Portera de Melo recebeu, após espera de apenas 13 dias, carta QSL com dados completos, adesivo e cartão de visitas do diretor Orivaldo Rampazo. A Guarujá Paulista recentemente passou a emitir em 3235 e 5045 kHz. O endereço eletrônico da direção da estação é o seguinte: rampazo@radioguarujaam.com.br. BRASIL - A programação da Rádio Guaíba, de Porto Alegre (RS), também tem preocupação com o meio ambiente. Aos domingos, a estação apresenta, às 1230, o programa Guaíba Ecologia. A apresentação é de Vinícius Sinott. Em ondas curtas, a Guaíba pode ser ouvida em 6000 e 11785 kHz. Confira! BRASIL - Revista Brasil é o programa da Rádio Nacional da Amazônia, emitido de segundas a sábados, entre 1100 e 1300, em 6180 e 11780 kHz. Leva ao ar informações dos correspondentes da Radiobrás espalhados por todo o Brasil. Neste 1º de setembro a Rádio Nacional da Amazônia completa 26 anos de existência! BRASIL - Desde Tefé (AM), Paulo Roberto e Souza informa que tentou apurar, por telefone, mais informações sobre a Rádio Educadora 6 de Agosto, que emite desde Xapuri (AC). De acordo com ele, a emissora está presente no dial pela freqüência de 3255 kHz, mas é levada ao ar identificação informando que seria em 3355 kHz. Além disso, a Educadora 6 de Agosto não possui prefixo e nem está cadastrada no sítio da Anatel. Um apresentador da emissora, Leônidas, não soube explicar o porquê disto tudo. Entretanto, informou que a emissão, em ondas tropicais, é levada ao ar, entre 0930 e 0300. O telefone da emissora é o seguinte: + 55 68 5423063. Endereço: Rua Pio Nazário, 31, CEP: 69930-000, Xapuri (AC). Não possui endereço eletrônico. BRASIL - Em Registro (SP), Márcio Martins Pontes tem notado problemas no transmissor da Rádio Alvorada, de Londrina (PR), que emite em 4865 kHz. Aparece apenas uma portadora, sem áudio. BRASIL - A Rádio Nacional da Amazônia emitirá, em breve, nas sextas- feiras, o programa Rádio Justiça - Revista. A produção será da Assessoria de Imprensa do Supremo Tribunal Federal. O acordo entre Radiobrás e STF foi assinado em 27 de agosto. O programa terá como objetivo traçar um panorama da Justiça brasileira utilizando linguagem acessível ao leigo. O espaço é um primeiro passo para a futura Rádio Justiça, que o STF pretende criar, em freqüência modulada, adiante, em Brasília (DF), com uma rede de retransmissoras no país (Célio Romais, Panorama, @tividade DX Sept 1 via DXLD) ** CANADA. Out in Nova Scotia, CKEC (1320 New Glasgow) is getting ready to celebrate its 50th anniversary this fall. The official anniversary date is December 22, but the station is planning an early on-air celebration on October 10; anyone who's been associated with the station is invited to drop them some e-mail at d.freeman@ckec.com and share their memories (s Fybush, NE Radio Watch Sept 2 via DXLD) ** CHINA: THREE DIGITAL TV CHANNELS START TEST BROADCASTS IN BEIJING | Text of report in English by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency) Beijing, 1 September: Three digital television channels started trial operations [on] Monday [1 September] in Beijing. The trial was a prelude to the digital broadcasts nationwide, said Zhang Haitao, deputy director of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television. China has outlined a long-term blueprint for the development of digital television. By 2005, it should have more than 30m subscribers and would hold a dominant position by 2010. Analogue television, which currently predominates, will be stopped in 2015, according to official sources. The channels featuring soap operas, shopping guides and music will run for about three months and more channels will become available later. Viewers would only have to buy a special receiver to get digital signals, said Ma Chaojun, an official of the Beijing Bureau of Radio, Film and Television. With the digital technology, viewers can have access to many more programmes, high-quality visual and audio effects as well as personalized and interactive services on TV. Source: Xinhua news agency, Beijing, in English 1521 gmt 1 Sep 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** COSTA RICA. [RFPI-Vista] ACTION: RADIO FOR PEACE INTERNATIONAL STRUGGLES TO CONTINUE BROADCAST Negotiations begin, but threats to silence the voice of peace on international airwaves continue Representatives of Radio For Peace International (RFPI) met on August 18 with University for Peace representatives in the first of several negotiating meetings to be held between the two organizations. The conflict first surfaced when, on July 21, a University for Peace attorney accompanied by armed guards delivered a two-week eviction notice to the station and padlocked the entrance gate. Radio for Peace International owns the buildings and broadcast facilities which have been located on the campus of the University for Peace since 1987. Radio for Peace International is the only radio station broadcasting on shortwave with a message of peace and social justice. The broadcasts include United Nations Daily News. The original deadline has been extended while the negotiations take place. The goal of the negotiations is to arrive at an acceptable arrangement between the two organizations which would allow for RFPI to continue its broadcasts with as little disruption as possible. The University for Peace is a United Nations mandated institution located on international land in Costa Rica. University for Peace cofounder, former Costa Rican President Rodrigo Carazo Odio, invited RFPI in 1985 to build and manage its own office and studios on the university's Costa Rica campus. RFPI constructed studios and transmitters and has been broadcasting messages of peace and social justice since that time. RFPI STILL NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT! RFPI appreciates the ongoing campaign of listeners and supporters for their crucial dedication and commitment. A wave of letter writing, petition sending and raising awareness MUST continue to engage the world in the station's struggle. The United Nations Office of the Secretary General needs to hear from you. Please continue to send letters and e-mail to Kofi Annan's office at annan@un.org and orsg@un.org urging his office to intervene. Contact your local media, widely disseminate this release, continue to bring the struggle to light by making every effort for this cause of free speech and justice. Continuing international attention on events at Radio for Peace International is vital for the survival of the only progressive voice on short wave, YOUR global community radio station!! For more information contact: (Costa Rica) James Latham, General Manager, + 506 249 1821 (US) Jean Parker, Member Board of Directors, 303-355-9935 E-mail - mail to:info@rfpi.org http://www.rfpi.org/ For further background and previous news releases visit http://www.rfpi.org _______________________________________________ RFPI-Vista mailing list RFPI-Vista@boinklabs.com http://www.boinklabs.com/mailman/listinfo/rfpi-vista (Sept 2 via DXLD) ** CUBA. Nette amélioration de la réception de Radio Havane Cuba en français, notamment à 2130 TU sur 11760 et à 0000 et 0030 sur 9550 kHz. Arnie Coro, présentateur de l'émission DX du service anglais avait indiqué récemment que 3 nouveaux émetteurs avaient été mis en place. Questionné, le service français répond ceci dans un courrier électronique du 30 août: "Je pense que malheureusement c'est le fruit du hasard parce qu'on ne nous a pas encore fait savoir que l'installation des nouveaux émetteurs est terminée." (informations issues de http://perso.wanadoo.fr/jm.aubier via DXLD) ** ECUADOR [non]. On WINB, DXPL changes to Sat 1730 on 13570 from Sept 6 (Hans Johnson, via Allen Graham, HCJB DX Partyline Aug 30 via DXLD) ex-UT Sun 0000 on 12160 - so much for the DX block. WOR is being moved to 0130 UT Thu on 12160: possibly the new edition availablized an hour or two earlier; otherwise, the previous edition (gh) ** EL SALVADOR. 17835, 2315 31 Aug with pop music, bad het and audio breaking up (Jilly Dybka, TN, KF4ZEO, Cumbre DX via DXLD) 17835.1v, Radio Imperial, Sept 1-2, 2350 with music in Spanish. 2356 heard "su programa . . . Radio Imperial." 0000 another ID and then what sounded like a Christian program. Fair signal, rechecked at 0020 and heard much deeper fades. Back to music at 0030. Might still have been on at 0110, but Radio Japan on 17835 in English at this time pretty much wiped them out (Hans Johnson, Cody WY, Drake R8 90' longwire, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) Hans, Thanks for the Radio Imperial tip. They're still there as I type this (0122 UT). ID heard at 0115, followed by talk by a male in Spanish. Frequency here is 17835.04 (George Maroti, NY, ibid.) Thanks to a tip from Hans Johnson I am hearing Radio Imperial at 0140 UT on 17835. Signal is fair, OM with ID at 0145 (Ron Trotto, Waggoner, IL, Sept 2, AM-SW-DXing yahoogroup via DXLD) Yes, I noticed a carrier the day before, but on 17835 instead of previous 17833v (gh, DXLD) ** FRANCE. The host of the long-running "Couleurs tropicales," a weekday program of African and Caribbean music on RFI's French service, announced today that beginning October 27, there will be only one 20-minute program daily, instead of the current schedule of two 20-minute programs Monday through Friday. Before RFI started airing a newscast every half-hour, the program's predecessor, "Canal Tropical," ran a full 50 minutes every day. Host Claudy Siar offered no explanation for the impending cutback, though he hinted that African listeners might get more (Mike Cooper, Sept 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. Hi Glenn, Regarding the recent item under Germany: could the Allerweltshaus broadcasting initiative perhaps be related to the recently announced Radio Rhino International-Africa (RRIA) from Ugandan Godfrey Elum Ayoo? Regards, (Michiel Schaay, Netherlands, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Possibly ** GERMANY. DRM (and MP3) was developed by the Fraunhofer Institute in Erlangen/Germany. The nearby University of Erlangen-Nuernberg is the site of a DRM transmitter operating 24 h on 15822.5 kHz with 100 W. The campus radio is called "BitExpress" and it repeats music and word programs continuously. Students of this university are working on a simple and basic DRM receiver board using an HF mixer with audio output decoded by the soundcard of any PC. This seems to be a cheap solution if feasible. There are many other DRM transmitters active; a complete list may be found at http://baseportal.com/baseportal/drmdx/main including BBC, DW, RN, RCI etc. and several 24h SW transmitters (André Schmidt, Lautert/Germany, Sept 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Perhaps some notes on the German usage of 692/693 are of interest: Once 692 was used for Deutschlandsender / Stimme der DDR with 250 kW through a single mast and so nondirectional from Wachenbrunn. With the Geneva schedule this frequency was moved to Berlin, the Wachenbrunn transmitter was then used for some time by Radio DDR 1 on 1044, but the co-channel operation with Wilsdruff gave poor results (no proper synchronization), so the 250 kW unit finally settled on 882 with Stimme der DDR programming again. 1044 was instead operated only with a 20 kW transmitter (the one moved from the closed Erfurt site to Wachenbrunn) anymore, and because even then congestion problems remained this outlet was moved to 1089. In 1990 there was finally a last frequency change to 1431 in order to make 1089 available for Weimar which had to leave 999 because it was to be used from Hoyerswerda-Zeißig and Wöbbelin by RIAS now. (Yes, a quite complicated story...) So 693 was relocated to Berlin to be used again with 250 kW for Berliner Rundfunk from the Mahlsdorf/Uhlenhorst site. I have no reliable information about the antenna pattern, but anyway since 1988 it was nondirectional under any circumstance because by then only a single mast and two trideco antennas remained there, a second pipe mast had to be dismantled and brought to Wachenbrunn to be installed there as reflector mast for 882 since it became necessary to establish a screening due to interference complaints from Yugoslavia. When Berliner Rundfunk mediumwave transmission ceased Antenne Brandenburg, previously carried on 1359 until 7 PM only, was put on 693. After the final wind-up of GDR radio the new Ostdeutscher Rundfunk Brandenburg (ORB) took over this frequency but used instead of Mahlsdorf/Uhlenhorst the 40 kW Tesla transmitter at Königs Wusterhausen (ex and later again 603) to save operational costs. Alongside with the Antenne Brandenburg programming continued by ORB there were also some special broadcasts, to mention are especially Serbocroatian programmes for refugees from Yugoslavia. But finally ORB considered mediumwave transmissions unnecessary and left 693 by the end of July 1993. About a year later 693 operations from Berlin returned with RadioRopa- Info programming, but with 5 kW only. But RadioRopa-Info left also 693 again when they terminated the usage of Litomysl (5980/5975). Finally Deutsche Telekom offered Voice of Russia as an existing customer (Wachenbrunn 1323) this Berlin outlet, and so the transmitter was fired up again with the VoR feed. But since no official licence was issued 693 was put on tender again and allocated to Megaradio. So finally a new 603 outlet was established for VoR at Zehlendorf at the same time when another new transmitter for Megaradio on 693 was installed there. Transmissions from Mahlsdorf/Uhlenhorst ceased forever when the 5 kW transmitter on 693 was switched off there after some time of VoR simulcast on both 693 and 603. Now 693 was operated for Megaradio from Zehlendorf with higher power again. Contradictory statements were made about about the transmitter power; all I can say about this so far is that the signal appeared to be a bit weak for 200 kW, but without knowing anything about the antenna configuration it makes hardly sense to speculate about the kW figures. The rest of the story is well known: Megaradio went bankrupt, and now the idle 693 frequency is used for DRM tests. And herewith back in the present: The PS code on Berlin 104.1 is actually _100%DAB but many receivers, including the ATS 909, are not able to display special characters. This applies also to the new 89.0 RTL which shows up on these sets as 89_0_RTL instead of 89.0_RTL And IFA-Radio on 97.2 (plus DAB) broadcasts between 6 AM and 9 PM only (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Sept 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also DRM, below and POWERLINE COMMUNICATIONS ** INDIA. In addition to excellent signals most evenings on 10330, All India Radio can also be heard with good signals on 13620 after 0300 at this location (Tom Sliva, NYC, Sept 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. New satellite TV services to NAm: see ISRAEL, KUWAIT ** IRAQ. POLISH RADIO STUDIO TO START SENDING REPORTS SOON | Text of report by Polish radio on 1 September [Announcer] When the Poles take over their sector in Iraq, a Polish radio studio will begin operating in earnest in Iraq. Andrzej Zak told us today that the studio is nearly complete. [Zak] We are to prepare normal dispatches. We'll try to provide the broadest possible information about what is going on in the Polish stabilization zone, what the Polish soldiers are doing and what is happening with people who work here. However - and this is an equally important task - we are to create conditions for the reception of Polish radio in Iraq. [Announcer] We will link with the studio in Iraq several times a day every day in current affairs programmes of Polish Radio First Programme. Source: Polish Radio 1, Warsaw, in Polish 1005 gmt 1 Sep 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) Are they talking about an FM transmitter in Iraq? Or picking up SW there transmitted from Poland, with input from the studio in Iraq?? (gh, DXLD) ** IRELAND. At last RTÉ themselves have mentioned their use of Long Wave 252 kHz: Same statement on at least 3 webpages including http://www.rte.ie/radio/tuning.html EXCITING NEWS FROM RTÉ RADIO -- NEW SERVICE ON LONG WAVE 252 RTÉ are planning to launch RTÉ Radio 1 services on LW 252. At present test transmissions are being carried out with a planned launch date of 1st Oct. 2003. This channel will carry the same programming as the RTÉ Radio 1 medium wave service (via Alan Pennington, Aug 31, BDXC-UK; and via Mike Terry, DXLD) Also: http://www.rte.ie/radio/worldwide.html ** ISRAEL. English heard well at 0400-0415 on 9435 with news. Much news about strikes and economic problems in the country (Tom Sliva, NYC, Sept 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAEL. CHANNEL 2 TV TO BEGIN BROADCASTING IN NORTH AMERICA ON 1 SEPTEMBER | Text of report in English by Israeli Globes business information web site on 31 August Channel 2 News will be broadcast on The Israel Network in North America as of 1 September. The news programmes will be broadcast live at 1 p.m. EST [1700 gmt] and 8 p.m. EST [2400 gmt]. [sic --- apparently means EDT if the gmt times be correct --- gh] Channel 2 News will join Israel Broadcasting Authority's (IBA) "Mabat" news programme, which The Israel Network has been broadcasting since it first went on the air. The Israel Network broadcasting of Channel 2 News was made possible by an agreement between the two parties. The Israel Network has content agreements with IBA, IBA Educational Television, Second Broadcasting Authority (Channel 2) franchisees Reshet Television, Tel-Ad Jerusalem Studios and the cable sports, nature and culture, children's and Hop! channels. The Israel Network also buys content from private producers. The Israel Network was founded in 2001 to provide television broadcasts to Israelis residing in Canada and the US. The Israel Network is owned by IVP (owned by The Israel Network Director-General Shlomo Wolpert), Kardan Communications, Marlaz Communications and New Regency Productions, owned by Arnon Milchan. Source: Globes web site, Rishon Leziyyon, in English 31 Aug 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** ISRAEL. A responsável pela programação em espanhol da Kol Israel é Liliana Guilman. A informação é de Julio Trenard, desde Cumaná, na Venezuela. Segundo ele, o contato com a emissora pode ser feito no seguinte endereço eletrônico: AllegraA@iba.org.il (Célio Romais, Panorama, @tividade DX Sept 1 via DXLD) ** JAPAN. 9595, Radio Tampa, 1402-1430, Aug 30, playing phone in programme & Japanese music dedications. Actually Radio Veritas Asia Bengali programme was suddenly off the air for about 20 minutes & R Tampa became audible. 73s, (Swopan Chakroborty, Kolkata, India, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH. 15180 - Voice of Korea being heard regularly from 0000 to 0300 with English from 0100 to 0155; also at 0000 on 11580 (which is a new frequency for me). Poor to Fair signals. No mention of frequencies after sign on in English as is usual (Tom Sliva, NYC, Sept 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KURDISTAN. TURKISH ARMY RADIO IN N IRAQ URGES REBEL KURDS TO SURRENDER | Text of report by Turkish news agency Anatolia on 1 September Mosul: Guven Radyo [Radio Trust], which broadcasts in Iraq, is calling on the members of the terrorist PKK/Kadek [Kurdistan Workers' Party/Congress for Freedom and Democracy in Kurdistan] organization to benefit from the Rehabilitation Law. Guven Radyo, which belongs to the Turkish security forces and which broadcasts in northern Iraq on FM 96.3, is carrying programmes aimed at informing the members of the terrorist organization about the Rehabilitation Law. In the programmes, those who have benefited from the law are also calling on the terrorists and urging them to surrender to the security forces, just like them. Source: Anatolia news agency, Ankara, in Turkish 0911 gmt 1 Sep 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** KUWAIT SPACE CHANNEL LAUNCHES SERVICE TARGETING NORTH, SOUTH AMERICA | Text of report in English by Kuwaiti news agency Kuna Kuwait, 31 August: Information Undersecretary Shaykh Faysal al-Malik al-Sabah said on Sunday [31 August] that starting from today [in the] afternoon, Kuwait Television would launch its fifth channel directed to Kuwaiti and Arab viewers in the two Americas. The 24-hour channel will air through Arabsat-2 via Telstar-5 and Telstar-12 and will target Kuwaiti students and Arabs in North and South America, in addition to promoting Kuwaiti views. The programmes on KTV 5 will be aired according to the US East Coast local time, New York. Viewers will be able to watch Kuwaiti and Arab shows in addition to programmes selected from KTV 1 and KTV 3. Games of the local football season will be aired live and repeated later at a more suitable time for Kuwaiti students. The 8 a.m., 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. news bulletins were approved to be aired on KTV 5. Source: Kuna news agency, Kuwait, in English 1700 gmt 31 Aug 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** MEXICO. 6045, Radio Universidad [de SLP] is regularly heard here as of late. Sign on is variable, it can be 1200 spot on or up to several minutes after. Classical music programming is what they air, after anthem, opening announcements, and IDs. The co-channel Chinese is usually there but only is usually weaker that Universidad. The latter has a strong carrier, but modulation is pretty low (Hans Johnson, Cody WY, Aug-Sept, Drake R8 90' longwire, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** MONGOLIA. Voice of Mongolia heard with sign on at 1000 in English on 12085, followed by News and talk on economic cooperation with Russia. Poor signals with much interference, but distinct I.S. always heard (Tom Sliva, NYC, Sept 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NAMIBIA. BUSHMEN CATCH THE AIRWAVES --- 01/09/2003 22:15 - (SA) http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_1410316,00.html Windhoek - Namibia's Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) will start a new radio channel for its ancient Bushman community, Information and Broadcasting Minister Nangolo Mbumba said on Monday. Mbumba said the channel for the 30 000 strong Bushman community would be launched as part of the government broadcaster's restructuring process. "The San radio service will start as soon as a transmitter tower is erected at Tsumkwe", 650km north-east of Windhoek, programme director Claudia Ikela said. In July the British-based Minority Rights Group International had released a report saying that Namibia's Bushmen, also known as San, have experienced a deterioration in their economic and political rights since independence 12 years ago. The report criticised the Namibian government for not formally recognising the existence of the the southwest African country's 30 000 San outside the former "Bushmanland" in northern Namibia. Bushmen are hunter-gatherers, hunting with bows and arrows and eating edible roots and berries. They were the original inhabitants of southern Africa, appearing as a separate and identifiable group more than 20000 years ago (via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) WTFK??? One might dream of SW, suitable for covering a small but widely dispersed population, as in Arnhem Land (gh) ** NEW ZEALAND. Checking 17675 at 0045 UT 1 Sept. and found that RNZI transmitter was still down. This message appears on the RNZI web site http://www.rnzi.com "RNZI's transmitter is off the air with a serious fault - we regret this interruption to our short-wave service to the Pacific. Our Internet feed is not affected and programmes are available via the real audio live stream and Pacific News is also available for download." (John Figliozzi, NY, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RNZI still missing as of 0630 on 9/2. Their Web site says the transmitter is still off the air, but now gives no due date/time for a return to air (Chuck Albertson, Seattle, Wash., DX LISTENING DIGEST) I spoke to one of the technical people at RNZI today (Tues) and the problem is that they have not yet found the cause of the problem at the transmitter. Technical staff arrived at the site soon after the station went off air about midday NZ time Saturday. At this stage there is no info on when transmission will resume. The tech people are patiently going through eliminating each component until they find the culprit. Hope this information helps (Robin Bromby, Sydney, Australia, Sept 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. Hi Glenn, on 31 Aug V of Nigeria in English was noted with switch over from 15120 to 17800 at 1958 UT. 73 (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. 9504.85, Radio Tacna, Tacna, 1055-1120, August 25. Spanish. Local ads: "cuando compras Aguas de Cusco..."; ID: "Radio Tacna!!!!"; other ID as: "Es Radio Tacna, la radio de la sintonía mayoritaria"; TC: "son las 6 con 2 minutos"; news. 43433 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** POLAND. See IRAQ ** QATAR: AL-JAZEERA TV LAUNCHES ENGLISH-LANGUAGE WEB SITE The Doha-based Al-Jazeera satellite channel on 1 September reported the launch of its English-language news web site. The report said: "The Al-Jazeera Satellite Channel has launched a news site in English on the Internet to keep in touch with a larger number of people who are interested in news items that Al-Jazeera provides, in addition to more in-depth analysis of developments and varied interests." It added: "Those responsible for the site seek to have it cover news selected with accuracy from many sources dealing with politics, economy, culture, science and information in a comprehensive manner. Special attention will also be given to our correspondents in the various parts of the world." Al-Jazeera's English web site is at http://english.aljazeera.net The station's Arabic web site is at http://www.aljazeera.net Source: Al-Jazeera TV, Doha, in Arabic 0545 gmt 1 Sep 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) AL-JAZEERA RELAUNCHES ENGLISH WEB SITE The Arab satellite TV news station Al-Jazeera re-launched its English- language Web site on Monday. The site can be reached at http:/english.aljazeera.net and has its own staff of nearly 50 western and Arab journalists. A temporary version of the site went online on 24 March to cover the war in Iraq, but was soon brought down by hackers. The Arabic site also was unavailable for long periods during the war. Susi Sirri, news co-ordinator and spokeswoman, said the site aims "to fill a niche for English speakers who want to get the other side of the story, the Arab perspective." "We are following Al- Jazeera's model: opinion and counter-opinion. That is the motto of the (organization)," Sirri said in a telephone interview from Qatar (© Radio Netherlands Media Network 2 September 2003 via DXLD) ** ROMANIA. L'émission "Courrier des auditeurs" du vendredi 5 septembre (avec rediffusion le samedi et le dimanche) consacrera un volet sur les émetteurs de Radio Roumanie Internationale. 5 fonctionnent encore (NDR : et non plus 6 comme indiqué dans l'information datée du 15 août) sur les 12 qui existent, et cette situation durera, selon l'ingénieur des fréquences, encore un an à peu près, jusqu'à ce que 4 émetteurs Harris soient achetés et installés. Ces 4 nouveaux émetteurs remplaceront les 5 actuellement en service (d'après un courrier électronique de Ligia Mihaiescu, R. Roumanie Internationale - 28 août 2003) NDR: les informations données par l'ingénieur des fréquences semblent erronées ou incomplètes. Un seul exemple : à 1700 TU, RRI émet sur 11820, 11940 et 15380 en anglais; au même moment, le service roumain est entendu sur 11830, 15105 et 15335. Enfin, l'émission en turc a été devinée sur 9590 kHz. Donc 7 fréquences réellement entendues (peut- être plus en vigueur à un moment donné). Les 5 émetteurs dont il est question ne concerneraient-ils pas uniquement les émissions en langue étrangères ? A noter que la récente disparition de certaines fréquences (touchant notamment les émissions en français) a probablement un lien avec le passage de 6 à 5 émetteurs (informations issues de http://perso.wanadoo.fr/jm.aubier via DXLD) ** SIERRA LEONE. Radio UNAMSIL, 6140, verified with a nice two-page frequency only letter from v/s Sheila Dallas, Station Manager and Executive Producer, at UNAMSIL Headquarters in Freetown in 89 days who sent along a program schedule and a very nice tee shirt. She described the transmitter as a 1 kW Harris make that covers an estimated 85% of the country's 4 million people. They seem pleased with the results considering the difficult terrain of Sierra Leone. She notes reception reports from more than 100 persons scattered around the world. The FM signal is making it into neighboring Guinea, Liberia and Gambia. Needless to say, I am very pleased to have received this package (Rich D`Angelo, PA, Sept ADXN via DXLD) More like 6139 or 6138 ** SOLOMON ISLANDS. I bought a new set to both talk on and listen on, being the Yaesu FT980, Amateur as well as General Coverage Receiver/ Transceiver. I can only say it is a work of art, a beautifully quiet receiver with aqua blue digital readout and lots of nice buttons for better reception. The likes of a Notch Filter, a very effective Noise Blanker as well as Variable IF bandwidth control. You see, the joy of being an Amateur Operator is not only do you get to log Shortwave Stations, but in fact you have one of your very own to transmit to the world on with an output of 100 watts. The antenna I use is a 40M Delta Loop, which can also be utilized Harmonically for other SW and Ham bands. With this in mind, I was lucky enough to make contact with one of only two Native Ham Operators in the Solomons on the 25th of August on the frequency of 7.103 MHz. His callsign is Hotel 44 Mike Delta, H44MD, and his name is Moffatt. He was using a Kenwood TS430 Transceiver, putting out about 80 Watts, and his antenna was a 40 metre long piece of wire in the shape of a triangle, known as a Delta Loop. I was receiving him at signal strength 7, readability 5 for the duration of our conversation that spanned some 30 minutes from 5-50pm in the afternoon. I worked Moffatt again the next day at the same time with the same good results for signals and readability. I can only say that it is a wonderful feeling to make contact with people thousands of miles away with a meagre 100 watts. If all our SW stations only put out 100 watts, you can soon imagine how hard it would be to receive them. Moffatt is the only Ham in Guadalcanal and one of only two men out of 21 who sat for the Ham exam recently. This of course was due to the work of Mr Sam Voron who went to the Solomons and set up a Ham Radio School, a very worthwhile project indeed (Michael J. Charteris (VK4QS), Ipswich QLD, Yaesu FT980, 40m Delta Loop, 100 Watts, Sept ADXN via DXLD) ** SOMALIA --- Radio Galkayo, Aug 2003 Looks like this town Galkayo may become the centre command for a multi African peace keeping force as agreed to at the conference of Somali leaders in Kenya who are forming a government for Somalia. Am doing two half hour English programs at the end of the 2 Somali language broadcasts on 6.980 MHz AM on short wave radio. It is being heard well in Ethiopia and has been heard in South Africa. I was able to hear it from Sydney earlier. It operates 1000-1230 and 1600-1730 UT daily. The radio wants to expand the English if the peace keepers come. In the English we have included Swahili, Omoro and yesterday we broadcast news in Arabic so everyone is preparing to be ready for the international visitors if they come. [..] Our first student from outside this town specially came from Mogadishu to join the radio school and he is now studying Ham radio full time. He will become the technician at a new community radio station to be privately set up in Mogadishu on FM and as soon as possible on short wave. He is learning from scratch; his reasonable English means he will do quite fine. He follows everything well (S. Voron VK2BVS, 6O0A in Somalia Aug 4, 2003 via M. Watts, Australia for CRW Aug 31 via DXLD) RADIO GALKAYO - HISTORY & AMATEUR RADIO Hello from Galkayo, Somalia, [..] When the Radio Galkayo community short wave broadcast station is not broadcasting it is used as the home of the Amateur Radio Training School of Somalia. Radio Galkayo uses 6.980 MHz AM at 1000-1230 and 1600-1730 starting in Somali. The last half hours are in English with a sprinkling of a few other International languages. The English program also contains a 5 minute daily amateur radio course on the air called learning radio on the radio. 1993- Radio Galkayo starts with the first ham radio training courses conducted by Sam Voron VK2BVS in 1993 and 1994. Anyone who wants no money and no food is welcome to come and learn radio. These people off the street have now kept that station on air for 10 years. 18 August 2003 will be the 10 year birthday of that service. Somali Volunteers have since got jobs with the 3 different telephone companies and Internet cafe as they opened over the years to do business in the town. They still come each day to make programs and broadcast keeping the station on the air in a country that had no and still has no effective national government. 1994- Rotary in Boulder with half Australian Government funds upgrade the equipment donated by Australian volunteer Sam Voron in 1993 and send Sam back as a volunteer to Somalia to instal the new equipment and train Somali volunteers in its use. Oxfam Canada with Canadian Government funding identified Radio Galkayo as one of the few community radio stations in the country and has been allocating yearly funds to send Somali volunteers for further training in the media and journalism to increase the human resourse capability in the country during these 10 years of need. Currently the leaders of Somalia are meeting in Kenya to form a government and thousands of African peace keeping troops will be stationed in Somalia. BBC has said that Galkayo will be the central base of those operations. As the most peaceful region and being in a central position this means that Radio Galkayo is now looking to expand its English program to cater for the needs of the International force and the NGOs and humanitarian organisations that knowledge of the safety of this region of Somalia will attract. The training underway in the latest Amateur radio course will not be able to meet the high demand for knowledge in radio communications and broadcasting when the new government is established and finds that people with such knowledge will be needed in every town to meet broadcasting and communications needs. Therefore all students are also being trained as teachers so that they can form Amateur Radio training Schools through out Somalia. A Federal system of Government has been decided on at the conference. Galkayo is in the Puntland State. There is currently no other State formed in Somalia. The Puntland State was formed on 1 August 1998. All organisations such as the United Nations request its permission before undertaking activities in North East Somalia. The Ministry of Information, Telecommunications and Culture in the Puntland Government have signed a document allowing amateur radio training, examining and licensing to be carried out by Sam Voron and when formed these powers will be transferred to the national Somalia Amateur Radio Society. It is necessary to up date that Government agency with details of all call signs allocated. The national society will therefor be conducting training, exams and issuing call signs on behalf of that Government agency. All Amateur call signs including visitor amateur radio licences will be issued free of charge and for life unless cancelled by the Government. Anyone with an overseas amateur radio call sign will be issued a Visitor Somalia amateur licence no matter what level of ham licence they have. This is described as a courtesy to overseas visitors. For Example someone from the UK who has done a 2 day foundation class amateur will be able to get the Visitor Somalia licence which is valid inside Somalia only and has the same conditions as the Somalia unrestricted amateur radio license. However Somalis who do the license qualifying course for the same license in Somalia must reach the level of the Australian unrestricted amateur radio license. Visitors can only receive the licence on arrival in Somalia. It can not be sent in advance; however, once issued, it is for life and visitors can use it every time they come to Somalia. Visitors can email or telephone Somalia to be met at the airport with their visitor visa and visitor amateur license all prepared. While I am here such visitors can email me at svoron@hotmail.com On my departure I will outline any change of email address (Sam Voron, VK2BVS, 6O0A in Somalia Aug 5, 2003 via M. Watts, Ausralia for CRW Aug 31 via DXLD) REPORT TO OXFAM CANADA AND ROTARY BOULDER, WEST AUSTRALIA. REGARDING RADIO GALKAYO, SOMALIA. FROM- SAM VORON, AUSTRALIAN VOLUNTEER TECHNICIAN and English language program announcer. 10 Aug 2003. As we near the 18 Aug 2003 which marks 10 years of operation of Radio Galkayo and its volunteer staff I want to let Oxfam, Canada and its supporters know how far sighted they were in identifying the benefits of building up the human capacity of these people in the field of community broadcasting and media over the most difficult years in a country with no effective national government. I also want to thank Rotary Boulder in West Australia who in 1994 provided high power short wave transmitting equipment that is still in use today. I have been here almost 3 months and have decided to extend my stay by a further 3 months. Yesterday FM transmissions for the Galkayo area were added to the nation wide AM short wave transmissions here at Radio Galkayo. This will allow those travelling in cars around the Galkayo area, those in Galkayo suffering interference from near by 2-way radios and those with am/fm only receivers to listen to the programs. An additional 3 hours will be transmitted in a morning FM program starting this week. Meanwhile those in the remote corners of the country or in towns with no radio station will still be served by the stations short wave AM radio transmissions. Yesterday the station was connected to the town`s 220 Volt electricity supply after almost 10 years of Diesel generator operation. Currently the stations board of directors and staff are revising all regulations in relation to the operation of the station and financial procedures. The English service staff under training has been expanded with a view of increasing the number of hours of that broadcast should the African peace-keeping force move into Galkayo which BBC has said would be their centre of operational control for the country. With moves at the peace conference in Kenya to establish an effective national government the staff at Radio Galkayo are gearing up to be ready to play their role. Oxfam, Canada efforts over recent years in providing the wide scope of training from computer usage, to radio programming content to management skills and more have been praised by the staff here and has greatly contributed to the growing professionalism of these volunteers. These people are now an established part of the country`s network of news exchange and staff exchanges. I am currently providing training to qualify students for the Somali amateur radio operators licence here at Radio Galkayo. This is the same training I conducted in 1993 and 1994 which launched Radio Galkayo. The course is free and open to anyone. We already have the first students from outside Galkayo attending, one from Mogadishu and another from Bossaso. If you know others that would benefit in Somalia or overseas they would be welcome to join this course which goes for 3 months and which can be started anytime new students join. The course covers International radio regulations, worldwide amateur two-way radio communications, hobby radio broadcasting and the technical theory of radio transmitters, receivers, antennas, power supplies, electronic circuit and block diagrams, radio propagation, interference situations and their cure, etc. Regards, Sam Voron, Sydney, Australia volunteer in Galkayo, Somalia. (S. Voron, VK2BVS, 6O0A in Somalia Aug 10, 2003 via M. Watts, Australia, for CRW Aug 31 via DXLD) ** SOUTH AFRICA. In a fast-moving world DX-ers will slowly have to adopt to these totally new names. All credits to Time World Watch Newsletter for this information. We had the fall of communism, then several changes in India and now these. Perhaps lucky for us, the shortwave and mediumwave bands are not really crammed by local stations in the Republic if South Africa. But a change it surely is (Johan Berglund, Vabacksvägen 10, Trollhättan, Sweden, Sept 1, hard-core-dx via DXLD) TIME World Watch Newsletter, September 1, 2003 ================================================================= T I M E M A G A Z I N E www.timeeurope.com | www.timeasia.com | www.time.com SOUTH AFRICA: All Change, Please One of the first things most African nations did at independence was to change their colonial-era place names to African ones. Not so in South Africa, where, to help keep the peace in the early days of black rule, most cities, towns and streets retained the old names of apartheid. When the mayor of Pretoria, Smangaliso Mkhatshwa, recently suggested renaming the city Tshwane, the area's name before the arrival of white settlers, white residents protested that the change would be costly and, according to a petition drawn up by students at the University of Pretoria, "show contempt for history." But a name change, says the mayor, is backed by many of Pretoria's black residents, who resent living in a city named for Andries Pretorius, a leader of the Afrikaners' march of settlement. Here's a look at other South African places where new names have been adopted or proposed . OLD: Pretoria NEW: Tshwane Expect fierce resistance but eventual change OLD: Johannesburg NEW: Egoli The Zulu name is already used informally OLD: Transvaal NEW: Gauteng Sotho word meaning "Place of Gold" was adopted in 1995 OLD: Pretoria NEW: Tshwane Expect fierce resistance but eventual change OLD: Kruger National Park NEW: Mandela National Park Controversial at home, but may be popular with the tourists OLD: Cape Town NEW: Ikapa Despite pressure from hard-line nationalists, the change is unlikely (via Berglund, ibid.) What about the very name of the country? We have been expecting it to change to AZANIA, but is that just too radical?? For a while adopted it in RIB/DXLD; did our part. Except in the national domain: za! Or does that stand for Zuid-Afrika in Afrikaans?? (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** SOUTH AFRICA. SABC POSTS R32.5M LOSS http://www.bday.co.za/bday/content/direct/1,3523,1423647-6078-0,00.html (via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) ** SWITZERLAND. EXPATRIATES FOCUS ON SWITZERLANDS FINANCIAL ROLE "Another point of discussion will be the revision of the Swiss broadcasting law, and how the end of short-wave broadcasting by swissinfo/Swiss Radio International as of the end of next year will affect the Swiss abroad." http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=105&sid=4172139 (swissinfo August 29, 2003 8:25 AM via Kim Elliott, et al., DXLD) ** TAIWAN. RADIO SHIP 'GODDESS OF DEMOCRACY' SCRAPPED IN TAINAN 2003/9/2 TAIPEI, Agencies http://www.chinapost.com.tw/detail.asp?onNews=1&GRP=A&id=20340 Taiwan yesterday began to scrap the radio ship "Goddess of Democracy" which has been in mothballs after it was blocked from beaming messages of freedom and democracy to China in 1990 following Tiananmen Square massacre, officials said. The demolition work scheduled to take about 70 days kicked off following a ceremony at Anping, a harbor in the southern Tainan county, said Wu Meng-wu, the owner of the 1,200-ton ship. "This is a blow to those who have been pushing for freedom and democracy in China," an angry Wu told AFP in a telephone interview. Wu was ordered to scrap the ship in March after he lost a lawsuit filed by the Anping Harbor authorities, who insisted the ship must be removed to make way for harbor expansion and that Wu must pay at least NT$2 million (about US$58,650) in harbor-related fees. Wu agreed to begin dismantling his ship by Sept. 10 but he denied he owed the authorities any fees. Wu claimed that after he bought the ship, the government promised to help him take care of it. Wu purchased the ship for US$550,000 from the France-based Chinese Shipping Association, a group set up in Paris by exiled Chinese dissident leader Yan Jiaqi, after pressure from Beijing scuttled the group's bid to broadcast freedom and democracy messages to China in April 1990. He later turned the ship into a floating museum displaying photographs and information about the bloody suppression of Chinese pro-democracy activists at Beijing's Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989. Wu said he had spent nearly NT$100 million (US$2.93 million) on the ship. However, Wang Tien-chu, chief of the Anping Harbor Bureau, said the ship must be removed. "To tell the truth, it is nothing but an abandoned ship. It has not received an updated certificate of sailing worthiness," he said. "Mr Wu may have some complaints towards me. But what can I do? What I can do is to implement official policies, although I do respect what he has done for the mainland's democracy movement," Wang told AFP. Copyright © 2002 The China Post. All rights reserved (via Dan Say, Jilly Dybka, DXLD) ** UGANDA. PARLIAMENT BLOCKS ARMY FROM OPENING OWN RADIO STATION | Text of report by Ugandan newspaper The New Vision web site on 1 September Despite a spirited fight by Defence Minister Amama Mbabazi at parliament on Thursday [28 August], the MPs blocked the controversial 200m shillings radio for the UPDF [Uganda People's Defence Forces] in the Defence Ministry's 300bn shillings budget. The MPs overwhelmingly disagreed with the concept, saying the armed forces could do with the available radio stations like Rhino FM in Gulu, radio Veritas in Teso, Radio Uganda and the traditional army 'barazas' (assemblies). Debating the defence and internal affairs committee budget report for the final time, the MPs recommended that the 200m shillings be used to facilitate the army shop and welfare activities. Mbabazi, who had earlier told the MPs that the army command deemed the radio a vital project, later retracted saying that it was not envisaged this financial year. "We have found the need to have it. I don't want to go into a prolonged debate on the matter because it is not now," Mbabazi told the MPs. The MPs criticised state minister for defence Ruth Nankabirwa and army spokesman Maj Shaban Bantariza for allegedly saying shopping for the transmitters was on. The MPs passed the defence 313bn shillings budget with queries about the army's ability to defeat LRA [Lord's Resistance Army] rebel insurgency. Source: The New Vision web site, Kampala, in English 1 Sep 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) GOVERNMENT REOPENS SOROTI RADIO STATION | Text of report by Ugandan newspaper The Monitor web site on 1 September The minister of state for information, Mr Nsaba Buturo, on 30 August reopened Kyoga Veritas FM. Government closed the radio in June, accusing it of airing alarmist information about the rebel attacks in Teso. On the reopening, Buturo directed the radio station never to broadcast any news about security in the area unless it is sanctioned by Soroti Resident District Commissioner Mr Edward Masiga. Masiga is the chairman of Soroti District Security Committee that recommended the closure of the radio on 22 June. Buturo told the radio management, headed by Bishop Erasmus Desderius Wander, to be stingy with the truth in order to cater for security interests of the state. "The truth as you see it may have implications on other interests. So you must be economical with the truth in your newscasts. I hope that you will always consult the RDC before you report a security matter to maintain stability of the country," Buturo told Bishop Wandera. He said his ministry will soon come up with a new bill on the right to access public information. He said that soon he will call a meeting with all radio stations in the country to discuss how to report the LRA [Lord's Resistance Army] war. "There are people whose minds are not perfect. They go around soiling government's name that closing this radio was harassing the Catholics. That is not the case," he said. The reopening of the radio caused excitement among the internally displaced people and residents of Soroti town. Bishop Wandera thanked government for reopening the radio. "We did the right thing to tell the truth about the LRA invasion that saved so many lives, but this did not auger well with the wish of government," Bishop Wandera told The Monitor. The bishop, however, expressed doubt whether the radio would continue broadcasting news relating to security in the area. Source: The Monitor web site, Kampala, in English 1 Sep 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** UKRAINE. Glenn, Well I was wrong. For RUI's new use of 9810 kHz at 0000 UT it was a great beginning. Using 60 foot sloper antenna running North to South. Also using 4.50 kHz filter. September 1, 2003 9810 kHz 0000 UT 9810 RUI S9 +27 dB to S9 +44 dB, slight QRM from R. Habana Cuba on 9820 kHz. 0015 UT 9810 RUI S9 to S9 +44 dB, slight QRM from RHC on 9820. 0030 UT 9810 RUI S9 +20 dB to S9 +44 dB, slight QRM from RHC on 9820. 9805 R. Farda not causing QRM to RUI. 0045 9810 RUI S9 +20 dB to S9 +47 dB, slight QRM from R. Farda on 9805 and RHC on 9820. 0300 UT RUI S9 +27 dB to S9 +40 dB, slight QRM from R. Farda on 9805 and R. Habana Cuba on 9820. 0315 UT RUI S9 to S9 +40 dB, slight QRM from R. Farda on 9805 and RHC on 9820. 0330 UT RUI S9 to S9 +30 dB, slight QRM from R. Farda on 9805 and RHC on 9820. 0345 UT RUI S7 to S9 +27 dB, moderate QRM from R. Farda on 9805 and slight QRM from RHC on 9820. RUI check September 2, 2003. We're having terrible local thunderstorms. Therefore, I'm using a Sony ICF-SW7600G, the built-in antenna and battery power. 0000 UT RUI SINPO 45343. 0015 UT RUI SINPO same as 0000. 0030 UT RUI SINPO 44242 QRM R. Farda on 9805. Thunderstorms right overhead. I had to turn off receiver. I will monitor again, if no thunderstorms, September 3, 2003. 73, (Kraig Krist, VA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai heard with good signals during their English transmissions on 13675 from 0300. Parallel 12025 also heard, but much poorer and interference. Heard opening with news till 0310 followed by "Beautiful Arabia," interesting travelogue on life in the Arabian peninsula (Tom Sliva, NYC, Sept 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. LONDON UNDERGROUND IS IN TALKS WITH NTL ABOUT INSTALLING A DIGITAL RADIO NETWORK ON THE TUBE Salvation is at hand for Tube commuters bored by the small print on carriage advertisements and being stuck in tunnels. London Underground is in talks with cable company NTL about installing a digital radio network on the Tube. Passengers with portable radios will be able to tune in to a range of radio stations, and NTL is also considering using the signal to send video data to handheld computers. Discussions are at an early stage, but Capital Radio is said to have expressed interest in the venture. Whether witty DJs will be able to offer distraction from travelling conditions unfit for cattle is another matter. . . http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,6222-765992,00.html (via Mike Terry, DXLD) ** U K [and non]. We shouldn't suffer digital interference on 693 kHz from Germany just because Radio 5 is available via other sources (eg internet, Sky etc). I can only listen to Radio 5 in the car or on the beach on mediumwave. Hopefully the UK authorities will attach as much importance to foreign interference to Radio 5 as they did with the (alleged) interference to European stations from Radio Caroline (in 1964) and Radio North Sea Int`l (in 1970). According to Radio Netherland's Media Network, the DRM transmission on 693 from Berlin is scheduled 24 hrs 29 Aug to 3 Sept with a power of 60 kW omni-directional http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/html/drm_schedule.html (Alan Pennington, Caversham, UK, BDXC-UK via DXLD) see also GERMANY NO interference here on the south coast. I'm surprised the DRM transmission is affecting reception given the relatively low power compared to Radio 5's ERP. Anyway only for a few more days :-) (Dave, amstereofan, ibid.) This is just the "start" of the future on MW in Europe --- will be sufficient 3-4 stations will use DRM on Europe --- and we will hear just DDDDDRRRRRRRROOOOOOMMMMMMM all over the band. Last night Monday I listened on 693 and with my surprise Rai Milano is off all night, so at 0200 UT I get clearly the DRM noise with my loop to north east --- and BBC with my loop to north west --- naturally with lot of noise !! even here in Milano (Dario Monferini, Italy, Sept 2, MW-DX via DXLD) ** U K. BBC OPENS ITS DOORS (TV CENTRE AND BUSH HOUSE) As part of the London Open House Weekend 2003, BBC Television Centre and the BBC's Bush House on The Strand in London will throw open their doors for a day public tours. London Open House is a city-wide event, celebrating the capital's diverse architecture and offering free entry into over 500 fascinating buildings. On Saturday, September 20, the tour leaders at the BBC's W12 broadcasting hub will give members of the public the chance to experience first-hand the artistic and creative vision of architect Graham Dawbarn. Dawbarn came up with the idea for the innovative building design while in the pub and scribbled it on the back of an envelope. Television Centre is the world's first purpose-built television studio complex and a distinctive mural by painter John Piper and TB Huxley-Jones's celebrated sculpture of Helios, the Greek god of the sun, are also among the highlights of the 1960 building. The 50-minute tours also follow in the footsteps of television favourites, with trips into the famous studios where programmes such as Blue Peter, Top Of The Pops, Never Mind The Buzzcocks and Absolutely Fabulous are made. Visitors will also have the chance to get up close to the famous yellow three-wheel van from comedy classic Only Fools And Horses, and the architecturally unique Tardis, as featured in Doctor Who. Tours run every 10 minutes from 10:00 to 17:00 on a first come, first served basis. BBC Bush House, The Strand, London WC2B, will also be running 30- minute tours from 10:00 to 16:00 on Saturday, September 20, again on a first come, first served basis. http://www.waveguide.co.uk/latest/news030901.htm#BBC%20Opens%20Its%20Doors (via Mike Terry, DXLD) A CHANCE TO VISIT BUSH HOUSE If you're in London on 20 September, you will have the opportunity to visit Bush House, home of BBC World Service, as well as BBC Television Centre. The buildings will be open as part of London Open House, a city-wide event, celebrating the capital's diverse architecture and offering free entry into over 500 fascinating buildings. Bush House will be running 30-minute tours from 10.00am to 4.00pm on Saturday 20 September on a first come, first served basis. More details of the BBC's participation can be found in this BBC press release http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2003/09_september/01/london_openhouse.shtml Information about London Open House is available at http://www.londonopenhouse.org (© Radio Netherlands Media Network 1 September 2003 via DXLD) ** U S A. IN DEFENSE OF AMR AND REEM --- Dr. Khaled M. Batarfi Father, may his soul rest in peace, was a fan of American foreign policy. For him, the last great American President was Eisenhower, who ordered Israel, Britain and France out of occupied Egyptian towns in 1956. Since then, America, for him and his generation, equaled Israel itself, if not worse. He first began to modify his stand during the first Gulf War of 1990. This was not the result of US actions or policies, but rather of the demonstration of its democracy. I remember him relaying with amusement the anti-war views he heard on the Voice of America, asking with some confusion: How can American radio talk this way about their president? When I told him the radio was owned and funded by the government, his amusement --- and respect --- increased. ``A nation that is independent and free enough to say to their leaders a brave NO deserves my respect. A system that allows such debate and differing stands without fear of oppression is closer to Islam than any Arab dictatorship,`` he often said. When I wanted to study for a doctorate in journalism in America, he agreed only because of his admiration for its democracy and freedom. . . http://www4.arabnews.com/?page=7§ion=0&article=31164&d=31&m=8&y=2003 (via Kim Elliott, IBB, DXLD) ** U S A. I noticed that WWRB are not carrying Tom Valentine's Radio Free America any longer. Looks like it is on WHRI's 5745 on Sunday evening; I think this is new. Valentine's program is generally acknowledged as the first 'patriot' program on shortwave; he says he started in 1988 (Hans Johnson, Cody WY, Sep 1 Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** U S A. Tried tuning in Radio Prague on 8/31 at 0300 UT on 7385 and got IBC (International Broadcasting Corp.) airing "Dreamland with Whitley Streiber talking about alien visitors, intergalactic abductions, and Carlos Castenadas. Streiber's website is http://www.unknowncountry.com IBC is new to me. Their website http://www.ibcradio.com is hoping to find investors (John Calabro, Melrose, MA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Change of programming on WRMI ** U S A. PUBLIC POLICY SHOWS ENDS ON OREGON PUBLIC BROADCASTING http://wizzer.advance.net/cgi-free/getstory_ssf.cgi?o0037_BC_OR--SevenDays&&news&newsflash-oregon (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** UZBEKISTAN. Radio Tashkent is being heard best on 15295 here from 1200 to 1230 in English with parallel 17775 also audible, but not as strong as heard earlier in the summer (Tom Sliva, NYC, Sept 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 6072.29, 1001-1010, August 31, Far East Asian language. S/on. Anthem or march, announcement by female and news or talk, 33333 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) I saw a report somewhere that V. of Korea (North) Japanese service was varying around here, but can`t seem to find it again (gh, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. Re: 8621.0 ---: unID, 1120, LSB Chinese? 3 lts/num group (28/08/03) (AJP) (any info?) This station is also on 5924 at around 1200z, also on LSB. Signal lately has gone down as the Vietnamese domestic station on 5925 is becoming more dominant (Robin Harwood, Tasmania, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ UPDATE FOR THE CRW CLANDESTINE RADIO QSL GALLERY No, unfortunately not many new pictures, but --- You can now see all Clandestine Radio QSLs from the CRW Clandestine Radio QSL Gallery as a Thumbnail! Go to http://www.schoechi.de/pic-cla.html and click on 'Thumbnail'. (But it needs some time to load all 378 pictures) Any new pictures are welcome. But please contact me (CRW editor) regarding the format etc. before sending something to me! (M. Schöch, Germany, Aug 28, 2003 for CRW via DXLD) POWERLINE COMMUNICATIONS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ There appears to be again a serious threat for broadcasting below 30 MHz from the Powerline Communications side also in Europe. The European Commission issued a working document, meant for discussion with representatives of member state authorities on a workshop to be held on October 16: http://europa.eu.int/information_society/topics/telecoms/regulatory/pu bliconsult/powerline_communications/index_en.htm The document suggests in a footnote on page 8 a fieldstrength limit of 55.5 db/µV at a distance of 3 metres from power lines. Herewith only the strongest local stations could be still received within buildings, anything else (I think including shortwave broadcasting in general) would be drowned out (Kai Ludwig, Germany, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RECEIVER NEWS +++++++++++++ DX-402 DISCONTINUED I just wanted to pass on that the Radio Shack DX402 is being discontinued and is selling for $74. Keep up the great service (Tom, Northern California, Sept 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RECEIVER NEWS / DRM / CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ MAYAH DRM 2010 In response to my query to MAYAH Communications, I received the attached brochure by e-mail, along with word that the receiver will go on sale after the IBC Show in Amsterdam (which is scheduled for Sept. 12-16) with a target price of around 700 euro ($768 US at today's exchange rate). This DRM Receiver is the 2nd generation receiver for the Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) standard. It is the result of a joint development effort of MAYAH, Coding Technologies, Himalaya and AFG. The receiver is based on standard components and different to the first generation, it is smaller and lower cost. A DSP module performs all the DRM specific decoding functions. The software of the DSP module can be updated via the USB interface. The USB interface also provides the data from data application for further processing with a PC. The receiver can decode mono and stereo audio signals. The full stereo signal is available at the headphone outputs. The display indicates station name, used frequency, field strength and the number of service components of the received DRM signal. Additional information transmitted will be displayed if available. The station can be selected by directly entering the frequency using the numeric keypad. Beside the DRM standard the receiver also supports reception of analogue AM programs in the MW, LW and SW bands as well as FM programs. DRM 2010 Technical Data Size 21 x 7 x 13 cm Outputs Stereo Headphone and Stereo Line, both 3.5 mm jacket Control USB for data services and updates Power Supply External, 100 – 240 VAC, 47-67Hz DRM Modes Channel coding/modulation All channel coding / modulation as specified in DRM all code rates, EEP and UEP, Standard and Hierarchical modulation (SM, HMSym and HMMix). MSC (64QAM and 16QAM), SDC (16QAM and 4QAM) Long and short cell interleavers Transmission structure All robustness modes (A,B,C and D) All spectral occupancies (4.5, 5, 9, 10, 18 and 20 kHz) Source Decoding AAC and AAC+SBR mono, stereo (via John Figliozzi, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Also illustrating the radio, similar to a black YB-400 in appearance, Geez, doesn`t even mention frequency coverage and what about SSB, or would that be too confusing to have two different USBs? (gh, DXLD) see also GERMANY WORLD DAB FORUM AND DIGITAL RADIO MONDIALE (DRM) AGREE TO COOPERATE OVER FUTURE OF DIGITAL RADIO Leading organisations send strong signal to digital radio broadcasters and manufacturers 30 August, 2003 IFA, Berlin - Two leading lights in the digital radio community have struck an agreement to collaborate on the development of their systems, paving the way for the digital radios of the future. The World DAB Forum and the Digital Radio MondialeTM (DRMTM) Consortium announced their co-operation today, during a press conference at the IFA consumer electronics event in Berlin, Germany. The two organisations, which have many members in common, have agreed to co-operate in fostering conditions that are favourable for both digital systems. It is anticipated that this close collaboration will pave the way for a new genre of future digital radios on the market, enabling listeners to receive any digital radio service without having to worry about the underlying transmission system. Annika Nyberg, President of The World DAB Forum, said: ``The relationship we have forged with DRM is good news for digital radio broadcasters, manufacturers and – most importantly – listeners. DRM and its members have a tremendous amount to offer in terms of technology and ideas. This promises to be an exciting chapter in the history of digital radio.`` ``Since DRM`s international debut in June of this year, broadcasters are now transmitting live, daily DRM programmes. The next step is for consumers in markets worldwide to have access to DRM`s excellent audio and reception quality,`` said DRM Chairman Peter Senger. ``DRM is a market-driven system, so we are committed to strategic alliances that will increase listeners` options across the globe. We are delighted to collaborate with the World DAB Forum.`` About The World DAB Forum The World DAB Forum is an international, non-governmental organisation whose role is to promote the awareness, adoption and implementation of DAB Digital Radio worldwide. Its members include public and commercial broadcasters, receiver manufacturers and other companies and bodies committed to converting the technology behind DAB Digital Radio – the Eureka 147 system – into a commercial marketing success. http://www.worlddab.org About Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) On June 16th, 2003, 16 leading broadcasters made radio history by sending the world`s first DRM broadcasts across the globe. Since then, the number of stations transmitting live, daily DRM programmes and periodic specials has risen to 27. DRM programmes now reach Europe, the USA, Canada, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand. DRM is the world`s only non-proprietary, digital system for short- wave, medium-wave/AM and long-wave with the ability to use existing frequencies and bandwidth across the globe. DRM provides clear, near- FM quality sound and excellent reception quality. The DRM system was developed, tested and standardised in a mere five years by the DRM Consortium. Founded in Guangzhou, China in 1998 and headquartered in Geneva, the consortium has expanded into a group of 82 broadcasters, network operators, equipment manufacturers, broadcasting unions, regulatory bodies and NGOs representing 29 countries. http://www.drm.org For more information contact: Rebecca Dorta, World DAB Forum +44 (0) 207 288 4642 Siriol Evans, DRM pressoffice@drm.org Siriol Jane Evans, Director, Press & Communications Digital Radio Mondiale http://www.drm.org phone +44 1481 268 246 cellphone +44 7781 127019 (via DXLD) CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++ WRC 03 "It Seems to Us . . ." A WRC MAKES HISTORY By David Sumner, K1ZZ, ARRL Chief Executive Officer, September 1, 2003 Editor's note: Typically, only ARRL members get to read the "It Seems to Us ..." editorials that run each month in QST. We're posting this editorial that appears in the September 2003 issue of QST in the hope that both ARRL members and nonmembers might appreciate it and find it informative. . . … When the Summer 2009 schedule takes effect on March 29 of that year, 7100-7200 kHz will no longer be available to broadcasters. Instead, for the first time in decades, radio amateurs in Regions 1 and 3 will be able to use this frequency range and those of us in Region 2 should be free of the interference from high-powered broadcasting stations that has plagued us for as long as most of us can remember. The conference was not able to resolve the problem completely -- the status quo prevails at 7200-7300 kHz -- but it is undeniable that when WRC-03 ended, the amateur service was a lot better off at 7 MHz than when it began. Amateurs in Regions 1 and 3, and especially in Europe, are the biggest beneficiaries; their 40-meter band will double in size. Here in Region 2, anyone who has ever listened to 40 meters at night can readily appreciate how nice it will be to say goodbye to the broadcasters in that 100 kHz. Nighttime 40-meter phone operation has never been for the faint of heart. For those of us in the 48 contiguous states to be heard, we must find a slot in between AM transmitters running hundreds of kilowatts into huge antennas. Listening from Europe or Asia for 40- meter phone signals from the U.S. requires good equipment and a high threshold of pain. Where it's permitted, operating phone below 7100 kHz is no picnic, either; the band is much too narrow for anything resembling a clear frequency to be available. Nowhere else in the congested amateur HF bands are the problems of interference between amateurs as great as they are here. At last, some relief is on the horizon. So we have the first half of the loaf. What about the second? As you will read when you come to page 40, getting broadcasting cleared from the first 100 kHz was difficult. Many broadcasters came to the conference confident that they would not have to move; after all, they never had. A number of fixed and mobile service representatives -- mostly military -- lobbied strongly for no reduction in the utility of their allocations around 7 MHz. Persuading both groups to take the second step at WRC-07 will not be easy. If broadcasting is shifted up there is an impact on the fixed and mobile services, who will also be under pressure to relinquish spectrum for broadcasting expansion elsewhere between 4 and 10 MHz. We will have to justify our requirements all over again, using the post-2009 scenario as the new baseline. We will have to counter the argument, "Let's see how much improvement results from what WRC-03 has already done for amateurs before we do any more." . . . http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2003/09/01/1/ (via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) IX ENCUENTRO DX MEXICANO Amigos de las ondas cortas. Deseo se encuentren bien en compañía de los suyos y que en sus actividades les esté yendo cada vez mejor; aquí en el lejano norte de México ya empieza a sentirse la frescura del otoño. En la escuela hemos iniciado el nuevo ciclo escolar con buen ambiente de trabajo y mucho ánimo, esto me ha impedido por algunas semanas escuchar la radio y practicar el diexismo; las primeras semanas son muy intensas ya que lo que se haga o deje de hacer en el inicio del ciclo de hecho determina facilidades o dificultades para el trabajo en el resto del año. Mis alumnos cursan el sexto grado, son pocos y aunque son de nivel económico-social medio-bajo y más bajo aún, más un buen número de ellos que provienen de hogares incompletos, esperamos obtener buenos adelantos y éxitos. He llevado al aula una computadora un poco antigua y otros implementos que estarían por ahora fuera del alcance de mis alumnos, y ellos muestran gran interés en estas y otras actividades. Más adelante planeo trabajar con ellos algo sobre la radio y el diexismo. Les estoy enviendo algunas fotografías del pasado IX Encuentro Diexista --- en una de ellas me encuentro con la Lic. Ana Cristina del Razo, ex directora de Radio México Internacional y gran amiga y participante en los Encuentros Diexistas Mexicanos; te invito a ver más fotos de ese evento y a visitar mi página diexista, y la de mi pueblo y su región, si no lo han hecho, en los enlaces ubicados en la parte inferior de este mensaje. En este IX Encuentro Diexista Mexicano tuvimos por primera vez la participación de personal de Radio Habana Cuba y Radio Internacional de China. Como siempre ha sido, hubo una gran cantidad de damas presentes y de familias completas en la reunión. El organizador, Martín Herrera Jiménez procuró en gran parte que el aspecto económico no fuera tan desgastante para los asistentes. Yo viajé en autobus, en ida y vuelta, más de 4500 kilómetros, y me pareció corto el camino para ir a ese evento. La estrella del evento fue la nueva tecnología digital DRM para la transmisión de las ondas cortas. El siguiente X Encuentro será en el precioso puerto de Veracruz, en el Golfo de México, el verano del año 2004. Hasta la próxima. Profr. Miguel Angel. http://mx.geocities.com/profesor_miguel/ascension.html y http://mx.geocities.com/diexismo73/dx.html son mis páginas. y mis fotos: http://mx.f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/profesor_miguel (Encuentros DX, viajes, etc.) (Mensaje desde Mexico del Profesor Miguel Angel Rocha Gamez, via Arnaldo Slaen, Conexión Digital via DXLD) EUROPEAN DX COUNCIL CONFERENCE This year's European DX Council conference, organized by the Rhein Main Radio Club, took place in the Town of Königstein, which lies roughly 15 kilometres outside of the city of Frankfurt, Germany. It was held in the training and communications center of the Dresdner Bank. One of the main areas of interest and discussion was DRM-Digital Radio Mondial. We were introduced to this system in more detail, how it works and what its benefits will be. We were given an opportunity to listen to several DRM shortwave test transmissions from Deutsche Welle and Radio Canada International via Sines, Portugal. I was impressed with the FM quality of the transmissions. There was no signal degradation, only occasional dropouts. The receivers were modified units being fed through a computer, using a special program. There was a chance to purchase a modified AOR or a Sangean ATS 909 receiver. Also present at the conference was Dr Adrian Peterson of Adventist World Radio, who gave a very interesting presentation titled "Wandering the World With a Radio", charting his history in DXing. He also gave us a chance to see the QSL cards he has gained over the years. Toshimischi Ohtake of the Japan Shortwave Club made a presentation about the club’s 50+ years of activity. We were shown the number of those listening to shortwave in Japan, as well as the levels of interest in shortwave over the years in Japan, showing where there had been peak interest times, i.e .in early 1980's. Anker Petersen of the Danish Shortwave Club International gave a talk about activity on the tropical shortwave bands, showing a rather sharp decline in their use. Where some countries had slowly cut their tropical transmissions, other countries had gained transmitters in these bands, Brasil being one of these as shortwave is a more practical method of reaching those in far off areas. Wolf Harranth of Radio Austria International gave a speech on DRM and the future of DXing. Stig Hartvig Nielsen gave a talk on World Music Radio and its history. We were told of its past transmission locations and its various activities over the years, including its relays over transmitters in South Africa. Waldemar Kramer of The Technical Advisory of Radio Deutsche Welle talked to us about the rôle that listeners play in the frequency planning section. Andrew Janicek of Radio Free Asia made a presentation of that radio station`s activities including the increase in some of its language services to various parts of the world. DXers will be pleased to learn that RFA have produced a series of QSL verification cards showing the faces of various people who have had contact with RFA, such as the Dalai Lama. These will be available from the Washington office. Also present at the conference was of course the organizer, Dr. Harald Gabler, C. Laske, S. Gerhard, U. Deutscher, M. Horsreiner, Charly Hardt, and R. Kirk, all making speeches (Christopher Lewis, UK, Sept Australian DX News via DXLD) See/hear also this week`s RVi Radio World NATIONAL RADIO CLUB, DALLAS, LABOR DAY WEEKEND Kudos all around! Mr. "s" wrote: "Back home in Rochester - and what a fun weekend it was! Wally, John and Bill did a SUPER job keeping us all busy with more activities than you could shake a ten-gallon hat at." To which I, now back home in Krum, express my delight at the turnout and that everything seemed to fall into place --- including my biggest worry -- that the number of people wanting to go on the tours would match the number of seats available in carpool vehicles. I want, particularly, to tip my hat to Wally Wawro, whose media contacts in the Dallas-Fort Worth market resulted in tours that educated us on the current state of the radio and television art (and bottom line) and two memorable presentations in the hotel auditorium following the banquet. Wally also had the painstaking and time- consuming chore of wiring the myriad of components required to put WNRC on the air, then disassembling the components and, with assistance, carting one vanload of equipment from the hotel to WFAA from where it was borrowed; and a second vanload home, where his personal equipment will be separated from the transmitter, antenna and other items that will be shipped back to Fred Vobbe for eventual transport to Batavia, N.Y., next year. The media contacts who conducted the tours seemed genuinely glad to have us there. They answered all our questions and may have been surprised at how knowledgeable some of us were. (Not me; the station where I worked last 22 years ago was still locked in the technologies of the '60s.) A couple of our tour guides attended our banquet and the marathon auction that followed the business meeting and the program. In fact, Dave Stewart of HBC participated in the competitive auction as a buyer of some of the stuff heavy load of stuff our members contributed. (Again, Wally was the keeper of the loads of auction stuff that came in before this year's convention goers brought their donations to the gathering.) Swearingen and veteran DX auctioneer Phil Bytheway of Seattle enticed higher and higher bids as John and Linda Bowker kept score. The grand finale of the auction was a donation from TM Century of a "National Radio Club" jingle on which the name of the high bidder will be sung by one of the seven-voice jingle crews. (Each cut TM Century sells to a broadcaster goes for $500, just so you know what we're talking about.) The auction brought in $707.60 for the club treasury, far more than I'd expected given the last minute problems that kept Clarke Ingram from attending! I started this message early this afternoon and fell asleep at the computer terminal, jerking awake long enough to get to a bed for a solid three-hour nap. But I put in nowhere near the intensified labor that Wally did, as our window of time in the salon where the station was set up was short. I saw early arrival David Jones lending a major hand to Wally on the equipment move-in and saw Frank Styron giving a great assist with antenna installation and equipment breakdown. I'm sure there were others who pitched in, but there were other errands I was running so I did not see them all. Without Wally Wawro`s input, his liaison with the hotel, and his connections with the broadcast industry in the Dallas-Fort Worth market, our convention this year would have been nowhere near the success feedback is telling me it was. One element future convention hosts need to understand is that a major element of the National Radio Club is another service that Fred Vobbe provides, the DX Audio Service. The monthly tapes Fred puts together provides a source of information that is professionally done and of interest to all DX'ers, but that is extremely important to many blind radio fans. DXAS members have been attending NRC conventions for more than 10 years, and they participate in all the convention activities. I was privileged to carry three blind club members plus one wife in my car as we embarked on a daylong tour Saturday that covered TM Century, the leading producer of radio station jingles; ABC-Disney, in which we were allowed in the control room as Radio Disney aired live (or at least a few seconds of open mike live); Hispanic Broadcasting's evolving studio building which houses four FM and two AM stations; and KRLD's beautiful facilities housed at the Ballpark at Arlington. Our DXAS brethren were as intensely interested and probably absorbed more of the presentations at each of the tour sites as we sighted NRC'ers. How many of us are aware that at least two of our blind DX'ers own and operate radio stations --- one in Brookneal, Virginia, and the other in Alexandria, Louisiana. I knew about Brookneal because I've met Dave Marthouse at past conventions, but wasn't aware of Mark and Lida Jones of Alexandria until this DFW convention. The observations of our DXAS clientele leads me in two directions --- first to note that it was the observant care Ernie Wesolowski takes to make certain that our blind members are able to participate fully in club activities (one of our blind members won the tough DX quiz put together by Bill Hale) --- and to note that in DX News and on our list, we sighted DX'ers find little information about the persona and personalities of these members and the importance in their lives of the DX Audio Service. It would, I think, be valuable for an occasional DX News piece to introduce these fellow members to those of us who meet them only at the conventions. WNRC gives some of our blind members an opportunity to get behind the microphone and rock. Some of the most entertaining radio that occurred during the convention came when the mike was open for Mike Lantz and Dave Marthouse. (I could not observe all the WNRC operation, so do not know if Larry Stoler got on the air this year, but he, too, did a great air job at WNRC in Lima last year.) I learned many important things about life Saturday during the tour, and the smallest part of it was all the electronic techniques that have happened in broadcasting since I left the field in 1981. I am a big fan of Fred Vobbe, in case you couldn't tell, the driving force behind WNRC, DXAS and, as we're all aware, this list. I'm also a big fan of Paul Swearingen, whose longevity as publisher of DX News is unsurpassed and getting unreachable; and of John and Linda Bowker, who can be counted on to handle the registration desk and the auction accounting, as well as record one of his DX Travelogs every convention Sunday morning. These people love this hobby and they love this club. I am a big fan of Scot Fybush, whose understanding spouse postponed the birth of their daughter for a week so he could attend the convention. He was a great spokesman for the club during a portion of the last hour of the Gary McNamara Friday night on WBAP, but McNamara missed a bet by not having the instinct to start off with Scot and open the phone lines for access to him. Last year's scheduled hour on WBZ that turned into five hours of entertaining information could have happened on WBAP if the instinct was there. Unfortunately, many talk show hosts these days are so full of themselves, their agenda must dominate. And I'm a big fan of Ernie Wesolowski, whom one member at the convention this year called "The glue that holds this club together." We recognized Ernie's behind-the-scenes value to the club by dedicating the convention's official program to him. I suppose I'm going into such detail here because I think it's important for those who would host a convention to know about these backbone people who are the infrastructure, the meat and potatoes, the framework around which a convention is built, and the tours and speakers and any other creative touches the host committee could add are the flavoring that makes their convention that much more memorable. Regarding 2005, one of the attendees at Dallas, Chris Cuomo, expressed an interest in submitting a bid for his location, Birmingham, Alabama. He had bid for Birmingham in the past but competing locations had been chosen instead. Perhaps Chris' attendance at past conventions and Les' media connections might make a good host team. This is not an endorsement, but a suggestion that could be pursued to build a bid for 2005. Note that the NRC board would prefer to make a decision that could be announced at the 2004 convention, so it's not too early to explore such concrete elements as location and costs, airline service, program (including speaker or speakers) and broadcasting related tours. Past convention attendance might not be absolutely necessary; Bill Hale and I have been to past NRC conventions, but for Wally, this was his first. The tours and program Wally arranged seem to compare favorably to past conventions, if I judge the attendees' responses accurately. I have a hunch that next year's convention in Batavia, New York, will be even better than this year's, and I predict attendance will be heavier because of the concentration of members in the northeast. Barring catastrophe, I'll be there --- and I'm certain I'll go wherever it's held in 2005. So, 2005 convention bidders, start making plans now, because the decision isn't based upon "this looks like a nice place to go, let's try it." (John Callarman, Krum, Texas, Sept 1, NRC-AM via DXLD) ###