DX LISTENING DIGEST 3-180, October 12, 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 [note change] http://www.w4uvh.net/dxldtd3j.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 1202: RFPI: Mon 0030, 0630, 1230, Tue 1900, Wed 0100, 0700, 1300 on 7445 [nominal times, often late] LIVE STREAMING IS BACK: see http://www.rfpi.org WBCQ: Mon 0415 on 5105, 7415 WWCR: Wed 0930 on 9475 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 WORLD OF RADIO 1202 (high version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1202h.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1202h.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1202.html WORLD OF RADIO 1201 (low version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1202.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1202.rm ** AFGHANISTAN. (?) 09 Oct., 1351-1400, 9000 kHz, Asiatic music and songs. No IDs. 35443. After 1400 I didn't hear audio signal, only "hum" sound. Tx: Icom-775DSP Ant: Inverted "V" -- 73! (Dmitriy Puzanov, Kazakhstan, Cumbre DX via DXLD) What`s ``Asiatic`` music? ** AFGHANISTAN. NEW RADIO LAUNCHES TRIAL BROADCAST AT AFGHAN HERAT UNIVERSITY | Text of report by Afghan news agency Herat News Centre Sada-e Jawan [Voice of the Young] Radio has started broadcasting in the Faculty of Literature [of Herat University] The Media Action Organization of Heart Province has opened a computer centre equipped with eight computers and their accessories at the Faculty of Literature of Herat University. This is the continuation of the relief programmes sponsored by this organization aimed in particular at the university's Faculty of Literature. In order to improve communications facilities of the Department of Journalism and the Faculty of Literature, the organization provided these faculties with Internet facilities. Since it was installed, the Internet has been used by the university staff and by the Faculty of Literature. In addition to these contributions, the Media Action Organization promised the Faculty of Literature to install a radio. Technical facilities, including a studio and an antenna have already been provided. The radio called Sada-e Jawan [Voice of the Young] started its experimental broadcasting on Saturday [11 Oct 03] Source: Herat News Centre, Herat, in Dari 0001 gmt 12 Oct 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) WTFK?? ** ARGENTINA. 6215, Radio Baluarte had been irregular (1000-0300) but is off now, seemingly a transmitter or financial problem. They had been running some ads as of late, for example Grocery John, Puerto Iguazú, etc. and more Spanish programs that usual (Nicolás Eramo, Argentina, Oct 11, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** ARGENTINA. PIRATE. 6151, Radio Bosques --- The operator of Radio Bosques is Alejandro García. Until a year ago he was operating from Villa Dominico, Avellaneda in the Gran Buenos Aires but now his location is unknown. I note the radio all days after 0130 UT except today. I first heard the station in 2000, but this is the first time I have found them in one of the broadcast bands. Slogan is Radiodifusión Argentina Libre. They generally broadcast Latin American music, basically Argentine and Uruguayan protest music (Victor Heredia, Mercedes Sosa, Joan Manuel Serrat, Alfredo Zitarrosa, Leon Gieco, etc). His address is radio_bosques@yahoo.com.ar (Nicolás Eramo, Argentina, Oct 11, Cumbre DX via DXLD) Cabe señalar que esta emisora cuando anteriormente hace un tiempo atrás operaba en 11420 kHz y en otra frecuencia de la zona cercana a los 48 metros, se identificaba también con los dos nombres, aunque su verdadero era y es Radio Bosques. Por favor, tomen nota además, que la emisora actualmente no tiene dirección de contacto, pues ya no está más ubicada en la calle Magdalena, de Berazátegui, Buenos Aires (Gabriel Iván Barrera, Argentina, Conexión Digital Oct 11 via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. RADIO HOST ACCUSES AUNTY OF FORCING HER OUT The Age, Friday, October 10, 2003 Barrister-turned-ABC broadcaster Susanna Lobez yesterday accused her employer of trying to force her to quit by offering her an inappropriate job on her return from adoption leave. Lobez has taken the ABC to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission to try to win back the position she held as presenter of The Law Report on Radio National before taking unpaid leave as an adoptive parent... http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/Weekly2003/10.07.2003/Australia7.htm (The Age, via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) ** AUSTRIA. Austrian Radio effective 26.10.2003 - 27.03.2004. Service Area Power(KW) UTC khz EUROPE omnidirectional 300 0530-0000 6155 omnidirectional 100 1230-1830 13730 1830-0000 5945 South / North Europe 100 0530-1230 13730 MIDDLE EAST 100 0630-0730 17870 AMERICA North America East 300 0130-0230 7325 North America West 250 1630-1730 17865 (RELAY SACKVILLE) Central America 300 0130-0230 9870 South America 300 0030-0130 13730 ASIA & AUSTRALIA 500 1330-1430 17855 (via Eric Zhou via BCLNEWS.IT via Juergen Kubiak, 5 Oct 2003, WWDXC via Michael Bethge, DXLD) ** BELGIUM [non]. BELGIAN DANCE MUSIC FOR THE WORLD TDPRadio wants to bring Belgian dance music to the world. Starting Saturday, 11 October 2003, TDPRadio go live with its weekly broadcasts via shortwave as follows: 2000-2100 UT, 7560 kHz shortwave. These broadcasts are directed towards Europe. TDPRadio all started a year ago, when DJ Daniël Versmissen, simply calling himself DJ Daniel, started what was called the Partyflight drive in show. This summer Versmissen teamed up with Ludo Maes, who runs the Transmitter Documentation Program (TDP), to start a European shortwave station to promote Belgian dance music. "After a decadent champagne party TDPRadio was born," says Daniel Versmissen on the TDPRadio website. Fellow DJ Coone adds: "I want young party-people like me to totally freak out at a party or in a club." His real name is Koen Bauweraerts, and he is a 19 years old student from Belgium. So now it's up to you to tell them if, to use DJ Coone's words, you "f__ing love this sh__". (Hermod Pedersen, HCDX news desk Oct 11 via DXLD) I doubt it TDP Radio, Saturday 11 October on 7560 from 2000-2100. ID and website http://www.tdpradio.com given, nonstop House Music. Transmitter site probably in Norway or Southwest Russia, as with most TDP brokered broadcasts (Silvain Domen, Belgium, Oct 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hello folks, reception of 7560 TDPRadio here in Stuttgart, Southern Germany tonight at 1945-2100 UT. 1945:00 transmitter carrier already on air. 1952:30 800 Hertz tone opening procedure starts. Fluttery signal. 2000:00 Bad audio, bad 'machine sound' like music started. Program interspersed by only very few short ?English music announcements, not easily to recognize that. Not any station/ broadcaster announcement could be observed. Even Romania 7145 had a much better audio signal. TDP-R reminds me of the bad Stolnik, Bulgaria and Samara, Russia transmissions. Only seven [of ten] diodes on the Sony ICF2010 shining. Compared to much stronger NOR/DEN 7490, BUL 7500, and Radio Marya Armavir-RUS 7380 kHz 250 kW 284 degrees; which all had a signal level of steady maximum of 10 diodes shining. Fluttery signal on 7560 were similar compared to Moscow signals on 7310, 7390 and 7440 kHz. So, compared to powerful 7380 kHz signal, the location should be more northerly. 2059:44 Music stopped suddenly. 2100:10 Transmitter cut-off. Attached you can listen to a .MP3 file of TDPRadio of tonight, lasting 54 seconds. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7560, "TDP." , TDPRadio, new service from Transmitter Documentation Project as noted in a TDP E-mailing. Heard 2000-2100 Oct 11; is Saturday only, and this was the first broadcast. Surprisingly good level for this still-early hour, but voice audio muddy. Seemed to my admittedly unschooled ear like one long rock selection with a few IDs here and there mentioning TDPRadio, every Saturday night, etc.; gave frequency and URL at the start. Believed via a CIS site, maybe Tbilisskaya (a/k/a Krasnodar & Armavir). (Jerry Berg, MA, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) From http://www.tdpradio.com --- Some sources indicate Tbilisskaya-RUS (a.k.a. Krasnodar, Armavir) as the transmitter site. Technical manager is Ludo Maes ludo @ tdpradio.com (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ||||| To Belgian DJs and clubs, Very likely, you have asked yourself many times how to promote best your club/music for your target audience. We believe we have the perfect answer to this: via your own radio program broadcast worldwide on the internet and across the whole of Europe (!) via short wave radio. In this matter we have a broad and professional experience. Right now, TDP broadcasts more than 20 different radio stations on short wave worldwide! Only in this way, your target audience can learn about your club/music, what goes on and at the moment you choose. This is our proposition: you send us a mix of minimal 60 minutes, with the music of your choice and mixed by a (resident) DJ of your choice en we broadcast it free of charge. Our transmitter has a power of 100.000 Watt and covers easily the whole of Europe. At the same time, we send a live stream on the internet allowing that in principle the whole world will be able to get to know your club/music! It is also possible to announce for example theme-evenings or special events during this broadcast. On the TDPRadio web site, we can put a link to your web site and we can announce in advance your upcoming broadcast, which can also be listened to afterwards. In a later phase it will be possible to have live broadcasts from your club via a satellite connection, in case there is enough interest for this. This will certainly give a boost to your club/music and you can reach a massive audience so that your name doesn`t know any borders anymore. As mentioned previously, we do all of this completely free of charge. Interested? Then do get in touch with us! Kind regards, Daniël Versmissen, Program Manager, TDPRadio daniel @ tdpradio.com ||||||| (via Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, DXLD) ** CANADA. Monday 13 Oct is Thanksgiving, prompting CBC Radio One and Two to air some special programming. See http://www.cbc.ca/radioguide/SearchByDate?date=10%2F13%2F2003&submit=Go%21 or on the day itself, just http://www.cbc.ca/radioguide/index.jsp will suffice (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA [and non]. I don't know who 5741.4 is [5745 -- WHRI] but at 0933 UT Oct 11 there was a phone in show discussion with alarming news about mercury fillings and amalgam and di-methyl mercury. Holy smokes. I ran like hell to 6160.0 and got in on another hip hop discussion in Vancouver. The signal was sort of weak at 3-5 decs. It was mainly audible with increasing waver and muting - the Rockies are a tough one (Spanner McNeil, Montreal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC [non]. 15545, Radio Ndeke Luka via Woofferton, UK, *1859:30-1958* Oct 6; transmission opened in mid- sentence with a woman talking in French, highlife vocals at 1900 followed by formal ID and frequency announcement. Program mainly of talk/news with full formal ID at 1922, 1932 and 1943. Program cut at 1927 in mid-sentence with programming starting up again at 1930. Entire program repeated in second half-hour including break at 1958 in mid-sentence. Good signal (Rich D`Angelo, Wyomissing PA, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) via UK ** CHINA. China appears to have commissioned a new high-powered mediumwave transmitter for its external services, allowing simultaneous operation on 603 and 684 kHz to SE Asia. Previously, 603 and 684 were believed to come from a single transmitter at the Dongfang site, switching channels just before 1300. Both frequencies were heard carrying occasional music tests in late September, with the Voice of Russia and Radio France Internationale relays temporarily moved to 1296 kHz. The following observed schedule is possibly incomplete: 603 kHz: 1100-1200 CRI Cantonese 1200-1300 VOR Vietnamese 1300-1700 CRI Vietnamese 684 kHz: 1200-1300 CRI English 1300-1400 RFI French 1400-1500 CRI Cambodian 1500-1700 CRI Vietnamese 1296 kHz: 1100-1500 CRI Vietnamese 1500-1600 RFI Vietnamese 1600-1700 RFI French (Alan Davies, Surabaya, Indonesia, Oct 11, Cumbredx via DXLD) ** CUBA. Hi amigos radioaficionados!, this is the weekend edition of your favorite listener oriented and technically minded radio hobby program, the one and only that answers as fast as you can think your radio hobby questions!, and no, we don't bore you with long lists of stations that maybe can be heard at the specific location of someone attempting to put on the air a short wave listeners program. As Dxers Unlimited's fans are fully aware, HF propagation conditions change a lot, and one of their most important parameters is related to your specific geographical and geomagnetic location. So, in other words, those lists of stations that you may pick up are only valid as an indicator, and you may actually never hear some of them at all! (Arnie Coro, RHC DXers Unlimited Oct 4-5, via Bob Chandler, ODXA Oct 11 via DXLD) This is one of the handful of remarks Arnie makes periodically. Since WOR does not merely provide ``long lists of stations that maybe can be heard``, I don`t take this personally, tho who knows what he has in mind? I can think of some other programs which do provide such `long lists`, and which do become a bit tedious, especially if they are aired without regard to their newsworthiness, requiring some editorial decisions, which I make all the time. However, the very spirit of DXing is to try to hear difficult catches! It`s pretty clear that this is Arnie`s rationalization for failing to provide any DX news on his show. No doubt he is under political restrixion never to mention certain stations or countries, no matter how `interesting` they might be from a purely DX news standpoint, so he bashes other programs who enjoy freedom of information. In a country where there is no such thing as freedom of the press, it is certainly best for him to concentrate on topics such as propagation, ham radio, antennas, home-brewing equipment, and answering beginners` questions, plenty for a 17-minute program and potentially less duplicative of other media shows (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RHC heard with super whopping signal on 9580, around 0500-0600 UT Oct 11 // 9550 in English. Testing new transmitter? It would have been tremendous, except the modulation was below par (George Thurman, Houston TX, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Maybe mistake; CRI relay earlier is on 9580 (gh, DXLD) I E-mailed Arnie Coro at RHC about the 9580 the other night, and here is what he said: Hello George: This was a mistake by one of our transmitter engineers. He should have set 9820 kHz on the frequency synthesizer, but erroneously selected 9580 that was used on that transmitter earlier by the relay of Radio China International, according to the relay agreement that we have with them. The new transmitters, three of them are during the evenings on 9600 kHz, 9550 kHz and 11760 kHz. 9600 kHz is beaming to South America, 9550 kHz is beaming to the Caribbean, 11760 kHz is beaming to the East Coast of North America with a rather narrow beam, as we are using at the moment a rhombic. Thanks for the interesting report, which by the way I also found out by myself while monitoring 31 meters very late in the evening here in Havana. Your amigo in Havana, Arnie Coro (via George Thurman, TX, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RHC missing UT Oct 12 from 11760, for English at 2030 (Chris Hambly, Victoria, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR. October 12 proved to provide an excellent sunrise-opening with especially strong signals from Ecuador around 04 UT. On 1509.79 Radio Net, Ambato was heard with astonishingly strong signals for about 30 minutes. Also Radio Mera, Ambato on 1380.35 surprised with stable signals. Both are new loggings for me. On 1350 and 1250 Teleradio and R Tricolor came in with very strong signals. An unidentified, presumably Ecuadorian, on 1550 is still under investigation (Jan-Erik Österholm (JEÖ), FIN-06100 Porvoo, Finland, dxing.info via DXLD) ** ECUADOR [and non]. HCJB WORLD RADIO B03 BROADCAST SCHEDULE (26 October 2003 - March 27, 2004) ---------------------- ----------- ----------- ------------- ENGLISH 1100 1330 15115 N/S America 1100 1330 21455 Eur./S. Pacific GERMAN 0600 0630 9780 Europe (High) 0600 0630 21455 Eur./S. Pacific 0930 1000 6010 S. America 0930 1000 21455 Eur./S. Pacific 2300 2400 11980 S. America GERMAN 0630 0700 9780 Europe (Low) 0630 0700 21455 Eur./S. Pacific 1000 1030 6010 S. America 1000 1030 21455 Eur./S. Pacific 2230 2300 11980 N/S America HUARANI 1030 1100 6050 S. America PORTUGUESE 0800 0930 9745 N. Brazil 0800 0930 21455 Eur./S. Pacific 1530 1800 15295 Brazil 2300 0230 11920 Brazil 0000 0230 12020 Brazil QUICHUA 0830 1000 6125 S. America 0830 1030 690 Ecuador 0830 1200 3220 S. America 0830 1400 6080 S. America 2100 0300 6080 S. America 2130 0000 9745 S. America 0000 0300 3220 S. America SPANISH 0100 0500 9745 Mexico 1030 1100 21455 Eur./S. Pacific 1030 0500 690 Ecuador 1100 1500 6050 S. America 1100 1300 11960 Cuba 1100 1500 15140 S. America 1300 1500 17690 Mexico 1330 1500 21455 Eur./S. Pacific 1900 0500 6050 Ecuador 2000 0500 21455 Eur./S. Pacific 2100 2300 15140 S. America 2300 0100 15140 N/S America Note: HCJB's shortwave broadcast schedule also includes these programs transmitted from these locations. English 0130 0330 15555 India Australia 0730 1130 11750 South Pacific Australia 1230 1700 15390 India Australia 1800 2000 11765 South Pacific Australia Urdu 0100 0130 15555 India Australia 1700 1730 15405 India Australia Russian & 1600 1700 11760 Central Asia U.K. Central Asian Languages Arabic 2100 2230 12025 N. Africa U.K. Mailing Address: HCJB World Radio Box 17-17-691 Quito, Ecuador S.A. (via Swopan Chakroborty, India, DXLD) ** ETHIOPIA. 9560.89, R. Ethiopia, 1440 Oct 6. Local music interludes with Arabic [sic] announcements. Seemingly, a bubble jammer way under. Good signal. 5500.01, V. of Peace and Democracy via V. of Tigray Revolution, 0342 Oct 8. Long Tigrinya talk under T-storm static. Fair signal (Jerry Strawman, Des Moines, IA, 41.64131306N 93.66210470W, R8B + R7 + HF- 2050 + Inverted L, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. CLANDESTINE RADIO STATION REPORTEDLY CLOSES | Text of report in English by Deki-Alula Ethiopian Online Newsletter web site on 11 October Tigrayan Solidarity has stopped its radio broadcast to Ethiopia and closed its office in Washington DC. Sources say Solidarity, who has ten members, was unable to pay its monthly bills on time. Although insignificant, it is worth of noticing that this phony civic organization is finished for good. Source: Deki-Alula Ethiopian Online Newsletter web site in English 11 Oct 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) Per 3-179, this was via Germany, DTK, to have been scheduled for B-03 at 1630-1659 Tue and Fri only on 9820; now what was its A-03 schedule? Per 3-119 was 1700-1800 on Samara 12120 (gh, DXLD) ** FRANCE. ANCIENT FRENCH DIALECT GETS ANOTHER RADIO FREQUENCY | Text of report by French news agency AFP Montpellier, 10 October: Radio Lenga d'Oc, a radio which broadcasts in the Occitan language, has secured the frequency it was seeking in Herault [department of southern France] and which it had been requesting for several months from the Higher Council for the Audiovisual Media (CSA), we learned on Friday from the radio's director. "The CSA has allotted us a temporary frequency for nine months, on a renewable basis. This is a great victory at the end of a hard battle. We have successfully demonstrated that our region needs a strong presence of the Occitan culture," said Radio Lenga d'Oc's director Bruno Cecillon. The radio is owned by the "Son e Resson Occitan" association, created 10 years ago. The Occitan radio will be heard in the greater Montpellier area on 99.7 [MHz]. It is already available on a permanent basis on the Internet http://www.radiolengadoc.com In the Languedoc-Roussillon [region], the supporters of the Occitan culture had already secured a frequency (95.5) in Narbonne, Aude [department] for Radio Lenga d'Oc Narbonna. Source: AFP news agency, Paris, in French 1516 gmt 10 Oct 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** GERMANY [non?]. EUROPIRATE. 13865.1-LSB, Radio Free Bavaria, 1220 Oct 11 with pop music. Announcer Karl Myer (as heard) giving PO Box address in the Netherlands. "Fighting for enjoyment and free beer." Sound effect of him pouring and drinking a beer. Off at 1232. Via Javaradio Europe (Hans Johnson, WY, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** GUAM. (USA): Schedule B03 of KTWR Trans World Radio, Guam. October 30, 2003 - March 28, 2004. KHz UTC kW deg CIRAF (zones) Mon-Sun Language 7455 1100-1600 100 320 42,43,44 1234567 Mandarin 9430 1100-1200 100 285 49 1234567 Vietnamese 9430 1400-1445 100 278 49 1234567 Vietnamese 9465 1200-1300 100 345 45 1234567 Japanese 9740 1600-1630 100 335 44,45 12345 7 Korean 9865 0930-1100 100 315 42,43,44 1234567 Mandarin 9910 0915-1100 100 320 42,43,44 1234567 Mandarin 9975 1300-1330 100 315 42,43,44 1234567 Mandarin 9975 1330-1400 100 285 42,43,44 1234567 Swatow 9975 1400-1415 100 285 42,43,44 6 Cantonese 9975 1400-1500 100 285 42,43,44 12345 7 Cantonese 9975 1500-1545 100 315 42,43,44 1234567 Mandarin 11690 2100-2200 100 345 45 1234567 Japanese 11720 1230-1330 100 278 49 1234567 Khmer 11765 1100-1200 100 345 44,45 1234567 Korean 11785 2115-2200 100 320 42,43,44 1234567 Mandarin 11850 1200-1300 100 255 49,54 1234567 Javanese 11875 2200-2215 100 293 43,44 6 Cantonese 11875 2200-2300 100 293 43,44 12345 7 Cantonese 12130 0845-0915 100 285 43,44 1234567 Hakka 12130 0915-1600 100 305 42,43,44 1234567 Mandarin 12130 2145-2245 100 305 42,43,44 1234567 Mandarin 13715 2200-2230 100 285 49 1234567 Vietnamese 15195 2200-2230 100 255 54 1234567 Indonesian 15200 0900-0915 100 248 54 12 567 Balinese 15200 0900-0915 100 248 54 34 Torajanese 15200 0915-1000 100 248 54 1234567 Madurese 15200 1030-1100 100 248 54 1234567 Sundanese 15200 1100-1230 100 248 54 1234567 Indonesian 15205 0740-0900 100 263 49,50,54 12345 English 15205 0730-0900 100 263 49,50,54 67 English 15330 0745-0930 100 165 51,55,56,58,59,60 12345 English 15330 0815-0930 100 165 51,55,56,58,59,60 67 English 15330 0930-1100 100 255 54 1234567 Indonesian 15330 1415-1445 100 285 49 1234567 Sgaw Karan 15330 1445-1545 100 285 41,48,49 1234567 English 15365 1300-1415 100 285 49 1234567 Burmese 15395 1330-1400 100 293 41,49 1234567 Indian (via Hansjoerg Biener, 6 Oct 2003, WWDXC via Michael Bethge, DXLD) ** GUYANA. 3291, GBC, "then at five o'clock in this morning" into dedications, blues, Happy Birthday announcements and subcontinental music. 0900-0915 (Robert Wilkner, Icom R-75 & NRD 535D Pompano Beach FL, Oct 12, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** HAWAII. Another station here has started webcasting, a low-power one at Wailuku, Maui, Mana`o Radio, KEAO, 91.5, ethnic music format: http://www.manaoradio.com/Line_up.htm home page: http://www.manaoradio.com/ (PublicRadioFan.com via gh, DXLD) ** INDONESIA. Voice of Indonesia has been noted this week signing on with English at 0200 on 9525 and 15150 kHz (not 11785), so the new language schedule appears to be in effect (e.g. 0030-0200 transmissions cancelled) but frequencies have not been changed. RRI Pro-3 has been absent from 11860 and 15125 kHz for more than a week. RRI Pro-4 continues to be heard on 9680 kHz (Alan Davies, Surabaya, Indonesia, Oct 11, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** INDONESIA. 4920, RRI Biak, 11 Oct 1107-1204, talk by W in Indonesian, presumed news. Brief fanfare at 1110, deadair, the canned M with "roomy" sound and live instrumental music in background. Several mentions of Indonesia. Into easy Indo music briefly, more dead air for about 40 seconds, continued easy music. Back at 1133 and noted what sounded like Christian religious choral music right to 1159. Several repetitions of SCI, then W announcer with possible news and actualities, but too weak as it faded a lot by then. Wasn't home to //. Of course it was best before 1130 (Dave Valko, Dunlo PA, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. SATELLITE RADIO GROWING IN POPULARITY By Audrey Schwitzerlette, REGISTER-HERALD BUSINESS EDITOR The stereo in his car gives him not only local AM and FM stations, but XM stations carrying every kind of music from big band hits of the 1940s to progressive country. Bluegrass, newgrass, folk music, love songs, Broadway tunes, Christian music, alternative, soul, gospel, jazz, dance, Spanish, Latin, reggae, classical, children's, music from almost every era and several news and talk stations come through his car speakers "crystal clear.". . . http://www.register-herald.com/articles/2003/10/12/business/18xmradiobiz12.txt (via Mike Terry, DXLD) ** ITALY [and non]. B-03 Schedule: RAI: 26 October 2003 to 28 March 2004 [some are via Ascension; Singapore, and?? -- not specified!] Albanian 1335-1355 eEU 9670 11670 Amharic 0435-0455 eAF 11985 Arabic 0600-0620 eAF 11985 1330-1345 Medit 567 1330-1355 nwAF 9670 11800 1430-1455 neAF 11880 1630-1655 eAF 9850 11670 2025-2045 nwAF 6010 7290 2135-2155 neAF 6130 7290 Bulgarian 1540-1600 eEU 9850 11985 Croatian 1435-1455 eEU 7190 9850 Czech 1810-1825 eEU 6185 7240 2135-2155 eEU 6110 7150 Danish 2000-2020 wEU (tu/th/su) 6040 9710 English 0055-0115 NAM 9675 11800 0445-0500 nAF 5965 6100 7230 1935-1955 wEU 5965 9755 2025-2045 e/neAF 5985 9515 11880 2205-2230 AS/FE 11895 Esperanto 2000-2020 wEU (sa) 6040 9710 French 0115-0130 NAM 9675 11800 1530-1555 wEU 9670 11855 1630-1655 nwAF 9670 11895 German 1415-1435 eEU 7190 9850 1805-1825 wEU 5990 9845 Greek 1520-1540 eEU 9850 11985 Hungarian 1935-1955 eEU 6130 7240 Italian 0130-0230 C/SAM 6110 11765 0130-0315 N+SAM 9675 9840 11800 12030 0435-0445 nAF 5965 6100 7230 0455-0530 eAF 11985 0630-1300 eEU 9670 11800 1000-1100 AU 11920 1400-1425 NAM 17780 21520 1500-1525 nAF/Medit 9670 11800 11900 1555-1625 wEU 9670 11855 1700-1800 AF 9670 11725 11875 15320 15250 1830-1905 NAM 15250 17780 2200-0400 EU 1332 900 2240-0055 N+SAM 9675 9840 11800 12030 2300-0500 Medit 6060 Lithuanian 0505-0525 eEU 5965 7160 Polish 1840-1900 eEU 6185 7240 2210-2225 eEU 6110 7150 Portuguese 0115-0130 SAM 9840 12030 2050-2110 AF 6010 7290 9515 11880 15250 Romanian 0530-0550 eEU 5965 7155 2115-2135 eEU 6110 7150 Russian 0345-0405 Russ 5965 7230 9655 0600-0620 Russ 9670 11800 1605-1625 Russ 9850 11815 2000-2020 Russ 6125 7135 9670 Serbian 1910-1930 eEU 6130 7240 Slovak 1825-1840 eEU 6185 7240 2155-2210 eEU 6110 7150 Slovene 1400-1415 eEU 7190 9850 Somali 0530-0550 eAF 11985 1910-1930 eAF 11855 Spanish 0055-0115 SAM 9840 12030 0315-0335 N+SAM 9675 9840 11800 12030 2110-2130 nwAF 6010 7290 Swedish 2000-2020 wEU (mo/we/fr) 6040 9710 Turkish 1500-1520 eEU 9850 11985 Ukrainian 0405-0425 eEU 5965 7230 9655 On Sundays at 1350-1730, the following frequencies may be used for news or sports broadcasts in Italian: 9670 21520 21535 21710 [via Andreas Volk, via Wolfgang Bueschel, re-arranged from original Word Document by Alan Roe, DXLD] ** ITALY [and non?]. IRRS-Shortwave Tentative from 26 October 2003 Abeokuta/English 2200-2230 we,fr 5775 English 0900-0930 sa,su 13840 1100-1300 sa,su 13840 2000-2200 daily 5775 2200-2230 su,tu,th,sa 5775 2230-2300 fr 5775 (occasional broadcasts only) German 1030-1100 sa,su 13840 Italian 2200-2230 mo 5775 Various languages 0930-1030 sa,su 13840 (website via Alan Roe, DXLD) ** JAPAN. 3373.5-USB, NHK Osaka, Oct 11, 1252-1300*. Noted with M speaking in JP; not there at 1301 recheck, so apparently adhering to listed 1300 s/off. Pretty decent signal for 300 watts. 3607.5-USB, NHK Tokyo, Oct 11, 1250-1300*. Excited M talking, perhaps radio drama; not // 3373.5. Off at 1300 (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Drake R-8, 100-foot RW, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** MEXICO [non]. This is a follow-up to the discussion last month about whether R. Free Cascadia International should be considered clandestine, and the different ways the news was handled (or not) by different DX and media news services. My original remark merely raised the question whether `hidden political agendas` were involved when it was not covered by a number of outlets. It did not accuse any of them specifically of doing that. However, by offering only that and one other alternative, that `they were not paying attention`, I realize that I was being provocative and unnecessarily polarizing. As Nick Grace, who took great offense at this suggestion, pointed out, there were other alternatives, such as that the matter was considered and declared off-topic, as in the case of Clandestine Radio Watch. So I offer my apologies for the misunderstandings this may have caused. One reason I thought the news should be more widely disseminated quickly was that the operation was planned for a limited 4 or 5 day period only, publicized in advance, and this was indeed the case. DX listeners only had that window to hear it, if they wanted to. Interestingly, the last issue of CRW did publish as `feedback` the previous discussion about this, but still not the info about RFCI itself, tho the Sept 12 Guardian story mentioning a **pirate** radio station at Cancún, with no details, did appear (Glenn Hauser, Oct 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO [and non]. Both of my websites have been renovated. I'll continue to fine tune the pages and add more ID photographs as time permits. Former WTFDAer Christopher S. Dunne has given me permission to display some of his great Latin America TV ID photographs on "The TV DX Exposition" site. I've also added almost 50 new screen shots (with more coming soon) to the "My Mexico TV DX Photographs" pages. The "Identifying TV DX from Mexico" site now has a page for each state from which DXers have received local ID material. If you are interested, run a Google, AOL, etc search for "The TV DX Exposition." Please let me know if you spot any spelling errors or other problems (Danny Oglethorpe, Shreveport, LA, Sept 21, WTFDA via DXLD) In case anyone hasn`t already heard, there is a new tropo target in Monterrey NL, according to a press report via Hector García Bojorge, in the Conexión Digital list: XHMNU-TV 53 with 500 kW from the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, 0700-2300 local time daily. Apparently the power increase went into effect Sept. 25. That`s quite an increase over 0.0 kW in Doug`s database updated Sept 27... :-) 73, (Glenn Hauser, OK, Sept 30, WTFDA via DXLD) |grin|! Mexican stations listed with a power of zero are those for which I was unable to even educated-guess their actual power. My Mexican data is likely to improve markedly over the next few days. David Gleason posted some information over on the NRC list which leads to PDF files containing Mexican data FAR, FAR better than anything I've had before. Though not really perfect. ======================================= U.S. and Canadian stations with a listed power of zero actually have powers of less than 5 watts. The lowest power that'll fit in my database is 10 watts; anything between 5 and 10 watts is rounded up, anything less than 5 watts is rounded down to zero. – (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66, http://www.w9wi.com ibid.) Thanks to Doug for the updated Mexico TV listings. There are more stations listed, as well as updated information on many stations. No listings yet for XEZ-2 San Miguel de Allende GTO, XHURT-5 Cerro Burro MICH, XHHLO-5 Tehuacan PUE, etc.; but don't blame Doug for the peculiarities of the Mexico broadcast industry (Danny Oglethorpe, Shreveport, LA, Oct 3, ibid.) Again, most of the thanks go to David Gleason of Hispanic Broadcasting. He posted instructions to the NRC list that explained how to reach some .PDF files on the SCT ("Mexican FCC") site that are much more complete and recently-updated than the maps I'd been using. See the "Government Broadcasting Information" links on my main page to see this information directly, as well as .PDF files for Mexican AM and FM radio. There are still plenty of inexplicable things, like stations that appeared on the Televisa website (and whose existence has been confirmed by Fernando García) but aren't to be found on the SCT site. But I think we have a MUCH clearer picture than we had a month ago. Especially with regard to station powers. – (Doug Smith W9WI, ibid.) No doubt about that. XHCCH-5, for example, had been listed as less than 1 kW. The 29 kW now listed is more reasonable for a station that Jeff Kruszka [Baton Rouge, LA] and I have been able to ID several times (Danny Oglethorpe, Shreveport, LA, ibid.) ** MOLDOVA. (Pridnestrovye) Radio DMR, the External Service of the self-proclaimed Dniester Moldavian Republic (Pridnestrovye), has apparently extended its broadcasts. Erich Bergmann, Germany, reports in the A-DX mailing list that the transmissions on 5960 kHz (transmitter site: Grigoriopol a.k.a. Maiac) can now be heard (at least) Wed/Thu/Fri 1600-1640. The first part of the programs is in English, the second part was heard in German on Wed, in French on Thu, on Fri it was fully in English. Announcements in the programs indicate similar transmissions also on Mon & Tue. Other sources say that also the Russian language program of Radio DRM on 999 kHz is now carried on additional days (originally Fri only at 1700-1730). (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, Cumbredx via DXLD) Cf. 3-179 ** MYANMAR. 5040.57, Radio Myanmar, minorities programme 1142-1155 yl and om quickly alternating talk in lang, good signal. Nothing on 4725, former frequency (Robert Wilkner, Icom R-75 & NRD 535D Pompano Beach FL, Oct 12, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** PAKISTAN. 17825, R. Pakistan, 1057-1107*, Oct. 10, Urdu/English; Urdu music and talk at tune-in, English Service at 1100, YL with ID, news re Pakistani government, US relations between India and Pakistan, world news, sign-off announcements in language with (tentatively) "Pakistani Peshawar" ID, NA. Fair, parallel 21465 weak (Scott Barbour, NH, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) ** PARAGUAY [and non]. Con respecto a las transmisiones de Radio Primero de Marzo, de Asunción, descubiertas y escuchadas por Daniel Camporini, reproducimos aquí un correo, enviado por Adán Mur a nuestro colaborador Daniel, informándole lo siguiente: "Referente las transmisiones de Radio Primero de Marzo, en los 6105 KHZ, opino que se retransmiten por medio de la emisora, en Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brasil. Que sepa yo, Radio Primero de Marzo no tiene ninguna transmisión, formal, en las ondas cortas. Con el propósito de cubrir el Rally del Chaco, han utilizado la frecuencia de Pedro Juan Caballero, en el pasado. Es posible que están probando un transmisor, con el mismo fin. No he captado ninguna transmisión directa, desde Radio Primero de Marzo, en los 6105 KHZ, ni en otra frecuencia de la OC. Foz do Iguaçu domina la frecuencia, día y noche. Ni es una frecuencia Paraguaya. Radio Primero de Marzo es parte del grupo Megacadena, con base en Asunción. Transmite en los 780 KHZ, con una potencia de 30 KW. Sus estudios están en Lambaré, Asunción. La planta transmisora está ubicada cerca de Mariano Roque Alonzo, Asunción" (Daniel Camporini, Argentina, Conexión Digital Oct 11 via DXLD) ** PERU. Re 3027: Hi Alfredo, 3037.34 very weak signal here at 1000- 1020. 73's (Bob Wilkner, FL, Oct 11, Cumbre DX via DXLD) See below ** PERU. Went up to the State Game Lands remote QTH for a Europirate micro-DXpedition at 0500 UT on 12 Oct. As conditions were good, I decided to stay out for the LAs and Pacific/Asians. After the Europirates had faded at 0845 UT, I reeled in the Beverage, drove to the adjacent parking lot across the road, and laid out the 300' wire at 170 degrees (with a zig-zag or two!!) for the LAs. I got slightly misdirected walking back through the woods and nearly fell into a swamp!! Fortunately my supporting hand landed on solid ground, and the water wasn't deep enough to go over my boots. 4826.42, R. Sicuani, 0908 12 Oct. End of 50's oldie oddly enough, then fast-talk M with ID followed by TC repeated 3 times. Really slurred the ID into the TC. 0945 M on check with mentions of San Pablo. Very nice at this time!! Decent signal with 4825 slop early on. 4746.83, R. Huanta 2000, Was sitting on this OC from 0911, and OA campo music started at 0914:08. The song was stopped (turned down), and the orchestral NA was played from 0915 to 0918. Two OA campo songs (accordion and M vocalist) to 0925, then live M announcer with TC and ID and talk, presumably song announcements in local dialect. More Huayno music and announcements by same M with mentions of Huanta, Andina, buenos días, etc. Heard more IDs at 0935. What sounded like program notes at 0939 and mention of R. Huanta. Also mentioned another station and Carlos ? Back to music at 0944. Strong and nice clear signal. Made for a nice recording. 4824.41, LV de la Selva, 12 Oct 1001-1004, NA, 1004 snappy canned FM- like jingles, then "Bank on the Chain Gang" by The Pretenders!! "Más Música" jingle at 1028 followed by "She Works Hard for the Money" by Donna Summer!! Sounds just like an FM station and was probably simulcast from their FM outlet. Good signal. 3172.69, R. Municipal, Panao, 12 Oct, 1006-1009, OA harp music with M vocalist. 1009 M announcer with TC and ID, and announcement. 1010-1013 more OA campo music with W vocalist. 1013-1014 M announcer again briefly but couldn't copy. 1014 back to music. Weak at first and seemed to drop down a bit after 1010. Lucky to get the ID. Was hoping to get more for a report. Guess this just moved back up here from 3027 the day before!! (Dave Valko, PA DXpedition, 12 Oct., Cumbre DX via DXLD) 9507.62: see unID ** TAIWAN. Family Radio on 1359 kHz via Fangliao also carries programs in South Asian languages at 1600-1800, giving their postal address in Andhra Pradesh, India. I think 1700-1800 might be in Hindi and 1600- 1700 in another North Indian language, but I'm no expert. Regards from Surabaya, (Alan Davies, Indonesia, Oct 11, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** TURKMENISTAN. ABDUCTION, THREATS AGAINST RFE/RL TURKMEN SERVICE CORRESPONDENT CONDEMNED... On 22 September, RFE/RL President Thomas A. Dine strongly condemned the violent abduction of Saparmurat Ovezberdiyev, Ashgabat correspondent for RFE/RL's Turkmen Service by Turkmen National Security Ministry (MNB) officials in Ashgabat on 11 September. While in detention, Ovezberdiyev was threatened with 15 years in prison, plus five years for "perjury," if he continues reporting for RFE/RL. Ovezberdiyev told RFE/RL that MNB officials forcibly removed him from a taxi on 11 September. The officials put a black hood over his head before driving him to an undisclosed location. Later, at an MNB office, he was injected several times with an unknown substance. During his detention he was not allowed any contact with friends, family, or co-workers. MNB officials, when asked by family members, denied that they were holding Ovezberdiyev. Ovezberdiyev was released from MNB custody on 13 September in Ashgabat. Prior to his release, MNB officials said to Ovezberdiyev, "You are a traitor to the homeland." A law adopted in August by Turkmenistan's legislature would, were Ovezberdiyev to be convicted of being a "traitor," make him subject to a life sentence in prison with no chance for parole. After Ovezberdiyev's abduction, his home telephone was cut off. His wife has said this was done intentionally by the MNB, as agents from the organization have followed Ovezberdiyev for years and have threatened him, tapped his telephone, and monitored his e-mail. The 63-year-old Ovezberdiyev, who suffered a stroke last month, was denied medical treatment at hospitals in Ashgabat after officials told doctors treating him that he is a reporter of "the enemy radio." ...AS CAMPAIGN AGAINST RFE/RL CONTINUES. RFE/RL President Dine said that "Ovezberdiyev's abduction is only the latest example of a two- decade long series of threats and harassment against RFE/RL correspondents by the tyrannical government of Turkmen leader Saparmurat Niyazov." RFE/RL Turkmen Service Director Naz Nazar says these "aggressive acts" against correspondents of RFE/RL's Turkmen Service are becoming more frequent and severe when compared to previous years. Ovezberdiyev's abduction was the third attack against Turkmen Service correspondents in the last two months. In July, Muhammad Berdiev suffered serious injuries when he was attacked and beaten by two people on a street in Moscow. Berdiev's son, Shanazar, suffered a concussion when he was beaten about the head by an unknown assailant wearing a police uniform in front of his Moscow apartment on 2 September. A 20-year chronicle of harassment carried out against RFE/RL Turkmen Service correspondents by Turkmen authorities can be viewed at: http://www.rferl.org/bd/tu/info/harass2.html (RFE/RL Media Matters Oct 10 via DXLD) ** UGANDA [non]. 17555, CLANDESTINE, Radio Rhino International-Africa via Juelich, 1520-1559* Oct 11, English language talks by man about massacres in Uganda. ID at 1527: "You are listening to Radio Rhino International, Africa." Encouraged e-mails although didn't give e-mail address. Asked for phone calls to Germany at 049 162 885 4486. Encouraged listeners to go to web page at http://www.radiorhino.org -- - More talks about difficulties in Uganda and vocal selection "Stand Up for Your Rights." Final announcement provided another phone number 0049 (for Germany), 221 (for Köln) followed by 9545378. Fair signal (Rich D`Angelo, Wyomissing, PA, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) ** U S A. 22515, TBN, 1330 Oct 11, Third harmonic of fair strength. 7505 fundamental quite strong. ID for Trinty Broadcasting Network at 1332. Not sure where transmitter is located, but I think it is in a western state (David Hodgson, TN, harmonics yahoogroup via DXLD) Utah ** U S A. WSHB Schedule: 26 October 2003 to 27 March 2004 Days = m t w t f s s 0000 N+CAM 7535 E S E F E E E 0000 C+SAM 9430 E S E S E S S 0100 NAM 7535 E E E E E E E 0100 C+SAM 9430 E S P S P S P 0200 NAM 7535 E S F P R G E 0200 CAM 9430 E S S E S S S 0300 eEU 5850 E R R R R R R 0300 eEU 7535 E R R R R R R 0400 eEU 7535 R R R R G R R 0400 e,cAF 12020 E E F E F E F 0500 eEU 7535 E R R R R R R 0500 sAF 12020 E E E E E E E 0600 cAF 7535 E F E F E E F 0700 wAF 7535 F E F E F F F 0700 AU/NZ 9845 E E E E F E E 0800 EU 7535 - - - - F E E 0800 AU/NZ 9845 - - - - F E E 0900 EU 7535 - - - - S G G 0900 SAM 9455 - - - - G P P 1000 N+CAM 6095 - - - - F F S 1000 C+SAM 9455 - - - - S P E 1100 N+CAM 6095 - - - - E E E 1100 C+SAM 9455 - - - - S S S 1200 N+CAM 9430 - - - - F F F 1200 C+SAM 9455 - - - - S E S 1300 NAM 9430 - - - - S E E 1300 CAM 9455 - - - - E S S 1600 eAF 17665 F P F P F E P 1700 cAF 17505 P E F E F E F 1800 eEU 15665 G R G R G R E 1800 sAF 17505 P P E P P P E 1900 eEU 15665 R E R E R G E 1900 sAF 17505 E E E E E E E 2000 EU 11650 P S P F S P S 2000 AF 15665 E F E F E F E 2100 EU 11650 E G E P G E E 2100 c,wAF 15665 F F F F E F F 2200 EU 7510 S F S E F S E 2200 SAM 15285 S P E P P P E 2300 EU/AF 7510 F S E P S F E 2300 C+SAM 15285 S S S S S S E Far East Relay [Taiwan and/or Russia?]: 1000 AS 11780 E E R E E E E 1200 AS/AU 9585 E E E E E E E 1300 AS 7340 E E E E E E E - = Off air (Mon - Fri) E = English, F = French, G = German, P = Portuguese, R = Russian, S = Spanish [website via Alan Roe, DXLD] why bother? ** U S A. Looking for Wavescan on WINB, still scheduled 9 pm Saturday = 0100 UT Sun on 9320, per the DX Programs page of http://www.winb.com but heard instead a ranter about killing babies, and ``VP Cheney is no more a Christian than I am a Neanderthal`` -- yeah, right! Then I found that the program schedule at WINB was updated Oct 5 to show Wavescan at the new time of Sat 1700 on 13570, just before DX Partyline. BTW, the 9320 signal is quite weak here compared to neighbors, e.g. 9370 WTJC, and, when on, WBCQ 9330 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. Adventist World Radio transmitter sites at past and present, leased and owned: Country Location kW Began Closed Portugal Sines 250 1971 1992 Sri Lanka Ekala 10, 35, 100 1975 1987 Malta Cyclops 250 1979 1984 Andorra Andorra 10 1979 1981 Guatemala Guatemala City 10 1979 in use [sic] Gabon Moyabi 500 1983 1994 Italy Forlì 2.5 1985 in use [sic] Costa Rica Alajuela 5, 50 1986 1992 Guam Agat 100 1987 in use Costa Rica Cahuita 20, 50 1991 in use [sic] Russia Novosibirsk 100 1992 1994 Russia Samara 250 1992 1996 Russia Yekaterinburg 100 1992 1994 Russia Taldom 250 1992 1994 Russia Kuroskaya 250 1992 1994 Slovakia Rimavska Sobota 250 1994 in use Slovakia Velke Kostolany 100 1994 1996 Germany Juelich 100 1996 in use (from a AWR reception report form, via Michael Bethge, WWDXC-HQ, Oct 2003 via DXLD) Historically interesting, but obviously outdated, still claiming Italy, Guatemala and Costa Rica in use, the latter gone for years now, while it misses more recent additions such as Madagascar, South Africa (gh, DXLD) ** U S A [non]. ...I grabbed my helmet and got back on the Grundig 800 and powered off to Radio Africa International on 15715.0 at 1759 UT Oct 11. It was fuzzy with static but mainly audible. Turns out the Chad and Sudan border is full of refugees (Spanner McNeil, Montreal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) That`s the Methodist service via Germany (gh) ** U S A. I'll be on the weekend edition of "Coast to Coast" with Art Bell this Sunday beginning at 10:00 pm Pacific/1:00 am Eastern (Monday am in the east!) [UT Mon 0507-0600; per http://www.artbell.com audible on demand later --- gh]. I'll be talking with Art about numbers stations, pirate radio, covert government communications, and also hawking a couple of my books. I'm scheduled to be on for an hour and calls will be taken. I had the chance to talk to Art for about 45 minutes as part of the pre-interview process and learned Art had run a pirate station briefly during his teenage years. The first time I got paid for something I wrote was back in the summer of 1969, writing a couple of articles on DXing for Wayne Green's now- defunct "Radio Today" magazine. The first book I ever wrote was "How to Tune the Secret Shortwave Spectrum" for TAB Books back in 1978. I was able to leverage those articles and books into editorial positions at places like McGraw-Hill and Academic Press. As I gained experience in publishing, I felt I could do a better job of marketing my books than mainstream publishers and launched HighText Publications in 1990 to publish titles I wrote. I was lucky enough to find a couple of great partners in the husband and wife team of Carol and Jack Lewis, and together we morphed HighText into LLH Technology Publishing. We started publishing engineering and technology titles in areas like embedded programming, digital signal processing, and analog circuit design. In 1997, we sold off our line of DXing books to Fred Osterman and Universal Radio---the per-title profit for a DXing/radio title was below our targets and, sadly, I agreed we had to exit that segment. In 2001, LLH was acquired by Elsevier, and today I do editorial/marketing consulting for Elsevier and other publishers (like CMP). I'm also writing books again now that I don't have to spend so much time managing a business. It's no exaggeration to say DXing is responsible for my editorial and publishing career and, indeed, everything I now own! (Harry L. Helms W7HLH Las Vegas, NV DM26, NRC-AM via DXLD) I see Harry Helms is listed as tonight's (Sunday night/Monday morning) first guest on Coast to Coast with Art Bell. (Art Bell is back doing week-ends and they just got WABC back). The subject is Pirate Radio (Joe Fela, NJ, Oct 12, WTFDA via DXLD) ** U S A. KING OF RIGHTWING RADIO ADDICTED TO 'HILLBILLY HEROIN' Julian Borger in Washington Saturday October 11, 2003 The Guardian The king of American talk-radio, Rush Limbaugh, stunned his 20 million conservative listeners yesterday by confessing on air to years of addiction to painkillers and declaring he had booked himself into a drug clinic for a month... http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1060907,00.html (via Mike Terry, DXLD) RUSH LIMBAUGH ADMITS PAINKILLER ADDICTION http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Limbaugh-Painkillers.html (via Don Thornton, DXLD) ** U S A. AL GORE WOULD RATHER BE AILES THAN PRESIDENT -- by Joe Hagan This week, as NBC hammers out details on its proposed merger with Vivendi Universal Entertainment, former Vice President Al Gore is trying to finalize his own deal: the purchase of a Universal-owned digital news channel called Newsworld International, a transaction that could herald Mr. Gore’s official transformation from historical footnote to media player with the power to get in the game that he says has lately upset him so. "He thinks the country is disserved by the absence of truth in news, by the absence of honesty in public-official presentation, by the apparently infinite cynicism of those who currently hold high office," said Reed Hundt, the former chairman of the F.C.C.—the Michael Powell of another political age—who saw through the Telecommunications Act of 1996, as well as a close friend of Mr. Gore’s. "These things disturb him, I know that. He’s made these points to me. I think Al, and to my knowledge dozens of other progressives, would like to go beyond complaining to actually trying to fix the problems.". . . http://www.observer.com/pages/nytv.asp (NY Observer via gh, DXLD) This URL will expire; later via Table of Contents, or Opinion pages? ** U S A. As I listen to a New York Philharmonic broadcast, without the Gregg Whiteside to host it, I look for news about his abrupt firing by WQXR a couple months ago, and find this Forum http://www.hippogryph.com/cgi-bin/forum/fda9.pl about classical music, including many posts about that, such as: We have started a petition for Mr. Whiteside, whom we feel has been treated unjustly and unfairly. This man has been a jewel to QXR for twenty five years. He has done his job with mastery, grace and charm. It has been a joy to listen to him. I cannot imagine anything that a man of his background and culture could have said to warrant such actions. This is unpardonable. I hope you will join us in doing everything you can to help Mr. Whiteside fight this. Please visit http://www.petitiononline.com/gwp3wqxr/petition.html Thank you for your support, Sincerely, Lisa Kropp (via Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Gregg Whiteside has a message for his many fans: "I'll be back." Whiteside, the former voice of WQXR - who was unceremoniously fired from the New York Times-owned classical music station last month - says he has some "irons in the fire" and will be returning to the airwaves. "Nothing has been signed yet but certainly my listeners can expect to hear from me again - I will be back and I'll land on my feet," Whiteside told me yesterday. "I miss the listeners terribly - each and every letter and e-mail I get, it gratifies me that I meant so much to them. I need to be there with my listeners." Whiteside says he's "looking ahead to new challenges." "I'm working on various fronts," he said. "I'm still doing my freelance commercial work and I just did a spot at Carnegie Studios for a DG [Deutsche Gramophone] Record. Tell the listeners to hang in there - I'll be back." (The Starr Report, NY Post Sept 26 via DXLD) ** U S A. KTNS-1060: Tried for this test from 9:45 to 10:05 pm PDT (after the Cubs-Marlins game) with negative results. When looped NE/SW I received a decent signal from CKMX in Calgary, which is quite normal for this time of year. When looped NW/SE I got mostly 10 kW local KTCT-1050 slopping over badly with their over modulation (thank goodness it was talk, not rock music). However, at times KDUZ in Arizona rose up to be heard. They were ending the Phoenix Coyote-St. Louis hockey game and going into the wrap up. Any other bearing was drowned by KTCT slop. Although another NOS formatted station could be heard (at times) under CKMX. This could well have been KKDS in Salt Lake City. Rare here but not impossibly rare. Since KTNS was heard fairly easily on last year`s test I don't think they were on tonight. At least not during the period I listened. Unless they were only running their night power of 23 watts instead of their day power of 5000 watts. I'll listen again at midnight PDT in case there was a mix- up in the time of the test. 73 (Don Kaskey, San Francisco, CA, Drake R8A, Kiwa aircore loop, UT Oct 11, amfmtvdx via DXLD) [Later:] No sign of KTNS after midnight on 1060. Larry must have decided to watch the baseball game instead. 73 (don in s.f. ca, irca via DXLD) No sign of it here either during the 0400 UT hour, tho KNX-1070 is not unusual. Perhaps they belatedly realised their test would be illegal before local midnight (gh, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Just got the following from Larry Gamble of KTNS... --- KTNS AM 1060 unable to test Friday evening, October 10, 2003. Cancellation due to unexpected studio maintenance. Currently doing test. First test Saturday 10/11/03 Pacific standard [sic!] time: 5:51 am, 5:55 am and 6:06 am. Will continue at ten minute intervals until 6:30 am. Sorry for the inconvenience. Please notify accordingly. Larry Gamble, General Manager, KTNS AM 1060 --- I'm going to ask him about repeating the test this coming Friday evening, so we have more notice (Lynn Hollerman, Lafayette, LA, Oct 11, IRCA via DXLD) ** U S A. IBOC AND EFFECT ON DXING My local WDKL 730 in Alexandria, Virgina, which is running IBOC digital, is putting out hash on 720 and 740 which is destroying reception on 720 and 740. I have a couple of pertinent questions. Is a Medium Wave band with hash in between our local stations to what we have to look forward if this system is more universally implemented? Will digital signals survive weakening and fading outside of the main coverage areas like analog signals CAN at least some of the time? (Bill Harms, Oct 12, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Uh-oh, looks like 94.1 is history here, as is 93.7. It appears that WNYC-93.9 is firing out 48 dB of IBOC white noise on both sides (Eric Fader, Briarcliff Manor, NY, Sept 6, WTFDA via DXLD) On the subject of pirates, I see I have a new Spanish one on 102.4 (just misses WNEW's IBOC, which seems to be turned up somewhat --- while WNYC's has been turned off, at least right now. Great technology --- new version every day). (Joe Fela, NJ, Oct 12, WTFDA via DXLD) ** U S A. DTV ALLOCATIONS Simple question: I am assuming that each analog TV station has a digital channel assigned to it as well. At the end of the transition, the station will be required to shut the analog signal down, and will then have the choice of keeping their old channel or adopting the new one. What, then, if two stations fairly close to one another want the same channel? A case in point: WOWK-13 Huntington WV and WKYT-DT-13 Lexington KY. They are just over 100 miles apart. Due to the terrain, I am not sure how many people get both WOWK-13 and WKYT-27 off the air via analog, but I'm sure it happens, somewhere in the Lewis and Rowan county areas. Okay, fast-forward to 2006 (or is it now 2011?). WOWK wants to keep 13. WKYT also wants 13. Do they get short-spaced to one another, and if so, would the directionality factor mean that a hypothetical viewer in Morehead could simply turn the antenna east and get WOWK, then turn it west and get WKYT instead? Or does WOWK have first refusal on 13? Thanks in advance --- (David Austin, KF4NDW, Columbia SC, Sept 10, WTFDA via DXLD) Y`know, that's a good question which I don't think has been addressed! The way I read it right now I would think both stations could stay on 13. Almost all. A small number that got their permit after the digital assignments were made will only get one channel. It will be their choice whether to start as analog and switch to digital on the same channel, or start as digital and stay there. Seems to be very roughly 50/50 right now. (with two such stations seeming to have succeeded in getting the FCC to change their mind and allot a second channel) -- (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66, ibid.) What about existing translators? Will they all need to be replaced with DTV transmitters, or will they simply rebroadcast whatever they receive, i.e., will the digital signal from the mother station pass through the translator as a digital signal, and be received that way? I am thinking of those areas that are peppered with translators: Utah, the other intermountain states, the Greenville- Spartanburg-Asheville market in NC/SC/GA, etc. And the answer from Doug Smith: The FCC has just (last week) opened an inquiry on this issue. They acknowledge the existence of two possible types of DTV translator. One would really be technically identical to analog translators - it would pick up whatever comes in on the input channel, convert it to the output channel frequency, amplify it, and pass it back to the transmit antenna. If designed properly, such an analog translator should pass digital signals OK as well. The other would be a "remodulating" translator. It would decode the DTV signal just like a digital TV set, then re-encode it and transmit on the output channel. The Commission acknowledges that remodulating translators will be MUCH more expensive to build, but on the other hand suggests that a single remodulating translator could carry several different primary stations on different virtual channels. For example, five analog translators exist at Bryson City, North Carolina: W05AR w/WYFF-4 W08AN w/WLOS-13 W11AN w/WSPA-7 W46AX w/WUNF-33 W69CN w/WHNS-21 A single digital translator - we'll call it "W44ZZ-DT" - could carry all five stations: WYFF on ch. 44-1 WLOS on ch. 44-2 WSPA on ch. 44-3 WUNF on ch. 44-4 WHNS on ch. 44-5 This wouldn't support high-definition, but it would work. It would also reduce channel requirements, making it more likely enough channels could be found to translate all the signals people watch. You'd only need one transmitter and transmitting antenna, and power requirements would be much lower (Oct WTFDA VHF-UHF Digest via DXLD) ** U S A. TIM VÁSQUEZ's TALLEST STRUCTURES BY STATE As of October 2003 I began compiling this list about a year ago because of a profound lack of statistics on what was the tallest structure in each state. There are also widespread inaccuracies, such as this site which lists the Petronas Twin Towers as the world's tallest structure (far eclipsed by antenna towers in nearly 20 states). However it is true that it is the world's tallest building. Indeed, many people are fixated entirely on skyscrapers, but surprisingly it is usually not these structures which reach highest into the sky. . . http://www.weathergraphics.com/tim/tower.htm (via John Broomall, WTFDA via DXLD) That *is* an interesting list. A few comments: Alabama: WTTO is actually on channel 21. There is a channel 42 station in the Birmingham market but its tower is much shorter. Arizona: On my recent vacation I spent a day in Page, Arizona near the cited smokestacks. Climbed a hill at the southwest edge of town to get an overview of Lake Powell and the surrounding desert. The view was badly marred by two things: the Glen Canyon Dam, and the smokestacks. I had no idea the smokestacks were the tallest structures in Arizona! (and without the Glen Canyon Dam there'd be no Lake Powell so I suppose I shouldn't complain |grin|!) Delaware: I REALLY doubt WQJH-95.3's tower is 1002' and the tallest in Delaware. WQJH's licensed HAAT is only 328'. (and they've applied to move their tower across the Maryland state line |grin|) I suspect the tallest structure in Delaware is the WBOC-TV tower. WBOC is licensed to Salisbury, Maryland but the tower is in Delaware. It's 302m which is just shy of 1,000' HAAT. (things are pretty flat around there so HAAT and tower height are within a few feet of identical) Minnesota: I believe the tower in question belongs to KPXM-41 and has absolutely nothing to do with the 630 AM station. (whose city of license is in Wisconsin; I can't imagine they could get a city-grade across Hudson from a site between Minneapolis and St. Cloud!) Nebraska: The KDUH-4 tower collapsed earlier this year. They just (while I was in Scottsbluff!) returned to the air from a replacement tower about 25 miles south-southwest of the collapsed tower. And roughly 160m (500') shorter. A quick check suggests that may still be the tallest structure in Nebraska. But only by about 20', and not for long. KPTM-42 and KXVO-15 have CPs for a new (common) 577m tower that will be almost as tall as the failed KDUH 2,000-footer. Tennessee: I believe the cited South Central tower was formerly used by the 97.5 FM station in Knoxville. (now known as WJXB but it had different calls at the time) They now transmit from a site on Sharp's Ridge within the Knoxville city limits; the old (higher) site probably had terrain shielding problems across the city. The FCC has a "rebuttable presumption" that towers of more than 2,000' are not in the public interest (Doug Smith W9WI, WTFDA via DXLD) Regarding the somewhat mysterious TN tower. If it's the one about 20 miles ENE of Knoxville, it was built by WBIR-TV. They used it for several years, then opted to return to their original Sharp's Ridge location (with a new tower, higher than the original but shorter than the distant one). That's rugged terrain, and WBIR's signal really suffered in Knoxville when the move was made to the more distant location, even though the tower was much higher. To remain competitive they were almost forced to restore a local grade signal equal to their competitors who were all on Sharp's Ridge (which is about 2 air miles from the center of the city). South Central is the Evansville, IN firm that owned WTVK (26, now dark), and WEZK-FM 97.5. South Central was also part of the group that made up the original ownership of the channel 8 drop-in..which ultimately replaced WTVK (26) in Knoxville. To the best of my knowledge, none of those stations used the big WBIR tower. In fact, I'm not sure that it hasn't been dismantled. (Tom Bryant / Nashville, TN, ibid.) I dug up some old info stating that the WBIR-TV tower was at Luttrell, TN (year unknown) which is likely the same as the Blaine site Rick referred to. All the other Knoxville TV stations were listed as being at Fountain City (Sharp's Ridge). Also, wasn't WIMZ-FM at one time owned by WBIR? It's now a South Central property, and according to all available info, appears to be using the big stick near Blaine/Luttrell. If any other TV or FM station is currently using that facility, I haven't been able to put a finger on it. Strictly from memory, WTVK began operation with a self-supporting tower on Sharp's Ridge, and erected a much taller stick (approx. 1,000 feet) beside it a year or two after going on the air. I don't think they ever had a transmitter location other than Sharp's Ridge --- but I do know that they had plenty of ghosts! I had friends in Knoxville and visited there often in pre-cable days (Tom Bryant / Nashville, ibid.) As I read Doug's note about the tallest towers, I was THINKING the same things that Tom B. wrote. When I was last in Knoxville (September, 2000) 97.5 was still transmitting from the Blaine tower (on Zacchary Ridge!). The tower had not been dismantled. I checked the FCC ASR database, and there is no note that it has been taken down (but then, we know the FCC). Yes, that tower went up in 1966, a couple of years before I moved to Knoxville --- but I don't remember having difficulties seeing channel 10. Channel 26 was the baddie in that realm. Living on the south side of Knoxville, we used to watch WLOS for ABC There were Sooo many ghosts in 26 that the little bit of snow on 13 was a much preferable situation. And speaking of huge abandoned towers, does anybody know the status of the old KORN-5 tower that sat near US-81 and I-90? THAT one signed on in 1969 or so when I was living in South Dakota, but went into disuse in the last few years after channel 5 moved west and channel 46 came on the air in Sioux Falls to fill in the blank. I last saw THAT tower in August, 2000 and it was totally abandoned for broadcast purposes. (Rick Lucas, Rochester, NY, ibid.) ** U S A. LOWRY MAYS NEVER SAW HIS MEDIA COMPANY GROWING SO BIG By L.A. Lorek, Express-News Business Writer Web Posted : 10/12/2003 12:00 AM http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xla=saen&xlb=110&xlc=1067269&xld=110 San Antonio billionaire L. Lowry Mays has never been one of those media moguls who seeks out the public spotlight. For the past three decades, the ambitious entrepreneur has quietly built Clear Channel Communications into the nation's largest radio- station owner, outdoor advertiser and live entertainment company. Yet Mays, 68, with an estimated net worth of $1.2 billion, never thought Clear Channel would grow so big when he started it in 1972. "It's a classic story," Mays said during a recent two-hour interview at the company's headquarters. "We grew from $125,000 in market value to almost $30 billion today." The 6-foot-2-inch-tall Mays built his accidental empire in San Antonio through his financial acumen, hard work, quite a bit of wheeling and dealing, the deregulation of the radio industry and luck and great timing, business associates close to Mays said. In fact, at first, Mays, who ran his own investment banking company, and billionaire auto magnate B.J. "Red" McCombs planned to build up their radio station assets and sell them quickly. Growing Clear Channel into a huge international company "was not planned at all," said McCombs, now a Clear Channel director. In 1972, the two had done several real estate, ranch and oil deals together but neither knew anything about broadcasting. A failed business deal launched their empire. It happened when Mays tried to sell a local FM radio station; the buyer backed out, so McCombs agreed to purchase it with Mays for $125,000. "To some extent, it kind of was accidental," Mays said. It also was a risky venture. In 1972, 90 percent of radio listeners tuned in to the AM broadcasting network and the government limited the number of radio stations a company could own to seven. Mays bought two more unprofitable stations in Tulsa, Okla., and named the venture San Antonio Broadcasting Co. When he bought WOAI, a very profitable local talk radio station in 1975, Mays joined the company full time and changed its name to Clear Channel Communications. "Mays could talk banks out of wads of money," said John Barger, a general manager brought in to run the radio stations. "McCombs was always there with a loan guarantee." Mays saw radio industry consolidation coming, and in 1984, he took the company public to raise money to acquire more stations. That same year, the government eased ownership restrictions, allowing a single company to own 24 radio stations. But Clear Channel's biggest buying spree came after Congress enacted the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which lifted ownership restrictions allowing a single company to own an unlimited number of stations. Following deregulation, Clear Channel gobbled up more than 20 big companies even though it was much smaller than its competitors like AM/FM Inc. of Dallas, which it bought for $17 billion in 2000. Because Clear Channel had little debt, good cash flow and a high stock price, Mays could buy companies when others couldn't, said Tom Hicks, former head of AM/FM, chairman of Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst and now a Clear Channel director. "Lowry is the guy who has the original strategy, dealmaking and connections with the kingmakers," Hicks said. Early on, Mays saw the advantages of consolidation, Barger said. "We approached radio as a business," he said. "Everyone else at that time approached it as a hobby or a source of ego gratification." Mays concentrated on building cash flow. He would slash costs by sharing resources among all the stations and put together advertising packages across all of Clear Channel's businesses. Benjamin Franklin's famous credo, "a penny saved is a penny earned," could be Mays' too. A frugal man, Mays says Clear Channel also has a very frugal culture. "I think we have succeeded by virtue of that culture," Mays said. Despite his success, Mays never planned to become a media titan. He thought he might run an oil company one day. The son of a steel-industry executive, Mays and his older sister Joanne grew up in a nice house in Dallas, but his family wasn't wealthy. Growing up during World War II and the Great Depression, his family grew vegetables in a backyard "victory garden" so more rations could be sent to the troops overseas. Mays also would fetch eggs from the farm where his father grew up to sell for extra money. "Having to do those types of things made you appreciate the value of a dollar," Mays said. The family struggled even more after his father died in a car accident when Mays was just 12. His mother became a real estate agent and built up a successful business to support her children. Throughout childhood, his parents instilled in him a strong work ethic and he held a variety of jobs, including working as a surveyor with a crew after school. "I wasn't born to be the most successful," Mays said. "I was just a normal high school kid that did well academically. I was not the brain of the class." At Highland Park High School, Mays served on student council, lettered on the varsity football team and was a good student, said Dr. Kent Beasley, president of the class of 1953. "He was well liked," Beasley said. After graduation, Mays worked as a roughneck on an oil rig in Louisiana, earning $3.50 an hour and saving money for college. He excelled in college and graduated from Texas A&M University in 1957 with a degree in petroleum engineering. "That's what I thought I would do the rest of my life," he said. Yet a career in the oil business was not in his future. After college, Mays spent a few years in the military and then he returned to San Antonio to work as an investment banker before going to Harvard to earn his MBA. Mays also met his wife, Peggy, in San Antonio. They have been married for 44 years and have four children and 14 grandchildren with another one on the way. Their sons Mark, 40, and Randall, 38, currently serve as chief operating officer and chief financial officer, respectively, at Clear Channel. Daughter Katherine Mays Johnson, 43, worked as a director of communications in 2002. Daughter Linda Mays McCaul, 42, doesn't work for the company. "My immediate family is the most important thing in my life," Mays said. Mays' success also has allowed him to give back to those who have helped him succeed. In 1996, he donated $15 million to his alma mater, Texas A&M. Mays' private family foundation, with $41 million in assets, gave away $1.2 million last year. By mogul standards, Mays lives a pretty low-key life. He's not much of a jet-setter although he does get to ride in Clear Channel's private jet. "I don't have to have a big yacht or a house in South Hampton," Mays said. "I like to have a low profile." He drives a 1999 Ford SUV and lives in a $1.9 million five-bedroom house built in 1977. Ranching is his biggest indulgence. He owns two ranches on the outskirts of San Antonio where he raises longhorn cattle and exotic animals. Recently he splurged and bought a pair of rare African bongos, antelopes with huge curving horns and beautifully striped hides. "I really just like getting out into the countryside," Mays said. When he tunes in to the radio, Mays usually listens to news, country and adult contemporary music. He and his wife go to all the Neil Diamond shows, and they attended the recent Paul McCartney concert and also the Three Tenors' performance in San Antonio. Through the years, Mays has made many extraordinary friends, including President Bush and his father, George H.W. Bush, and their wives. Mays once went to dinner at composer Andrew Lloyd Webber's home in London. After the meal, Webber played several songs on the piano. "I told him, 'Andrew, I'm not leaving until you play the Phantom. I'll sleep on the couch if I have to,'" Mays said. Webber's "Phantom of the Opera" is one of Mays' favorites. Whether its dinner at Webber's home or visiting with cowboys at the rodeo, Mays gets along with all kinds of people, said Lisa Dollinger, the company's spokeswoman. Most people think of Mays as the quintessential Texas businessman but Clear Channel's reach now extends to 66 countries. And Mays' duties are far-reaching too. Aside from the radio business, he works on all kinds of Clear Channel projects, from putting together a tour of Middle Eastern art to working to restore the Boston Opera House and co-producing Broadway shows. Mays still travels frequently and puts in 60-hour to 80-hour weeks and doesn't plan to retire anytime soon. Looking at the last 31 years, he expresses wonder at how far Clear Channel has come. "It was a fun journey and I enjoyed it," Mays said. And it isn't over yet. 10/12/2003 Portions (c) 2003 KENS 5 and the San Antonio Express-News. All rights reserved (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) CLEAR CHANNEL CEO SAYS FIRM'S DETRACTORS ARE MISINFORMED By L.A. Lorek, Express-News Business Writer Web Posted : 10/12/2003 12:00 AM http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xla=saen&xlb=110&xlc=1067267&xld=110 On the road to becoming a global media powerhouse, Clear Channel Communications has attracted a lot of criticism. Some charge the San Antonio-based company has become too large and unfairly uses its clout to set advertising rates, squeeze out competitors and decide which artists get played on the radio. Conspiracy theories about its ties to the Bush administration and the influence the administration exerts on the airwaves float around the Internet. And the U.S. Justice Department has two antitrust investigations into Clear Channel's business practices. CEO L. Lowry Mays says the company has come under attack because of misinformation and myths. He says people think Clear Channel's reach is greater than it is. "There are 3,800 owners of radio stations of which we are one of them," Mays said. Yet Clear Channel dominates the dial in many small and medium-sized markets nationwide, according to a study by the Center for Public Integrity, an investigative journalism group in Washington. Central ownership doesn't always provide for the needs of the local audience, said Bob Williams, senior writer with the center. "It's hard for a Fortune 500 company based in San Antonio to do the job of a local radio station in Fargo, North Dakota, and do it well," he said. That's one of the myths about Clear Channel, Mays said. Clear Channel has more than 800 program managers who run the radio stations locally, he said. In the last decade, Clear Channel has grown into one of the world's largest media companies with 1,227 radio stations, 39 TV stations, 776,000 outdoor advertising displays and entertainment venues in 66 countries. It reported a profit of $724.8 million on revenue of $8.4 billion in 2002. Before deregulation more than half of the nation's radio stations lost money, Mays said. Deregulation has led to healthier stations and more radio formats and choices for listeners, he said. Mays makes no excuses for treating the radio industry like a business and focusing on advertising to keep the cash flow going. "You have to be able to manufacture the products and sell the audience to the advertisers," Mays said. "We have to have the very best people in news and content industry. If we didn't have the content, we couldn't sell the product to the customers." Critics also charge that the executives at Clear Channel in San Antonio centrally control content for its businesses. "How successful do you think I'd be if I chose the music for Sydney, Australia, from this desk? Or the content for a billboard in Hong Kong?" Mays said. "It's kind of a farce because it's physically not possible." Clear Channel also didn't ban the Dixie Chicks from airplay on its radio stations after lead singer Natalie Maines criticized President Bush and the war in Iraq at a concert, Mays said. In fact, Clear Channel handled the Dixie Chicks' last concert tour. "They are great artists," Mays said. "The last thing we would do is tell our stations not to play them." Clear Channel also came under fire after Philadelphia talk show host Glenn Beck, a Clear Channel employee, began promoting rallies supporting U.S. troops. Some critics thought Mays ordered the pro-troop rallies because of his close ties with the Bush family and his contributions to the Republican Party. That never happened, Mays said. Every market makes its own decisions about what to do, he said. Clear Channel also faces new radio ownership rules that the Federal Communications Commission passed in June. The rules outline markets for radio stations by geographic market size. The former method of outlining a market created unintended anomalies and monopolies in ownership of local radio stations. The new FCC radio ownership rules won't have a negative effect on Clear Channel, Mays said. "It also opens up other markets we were prevented from getting into," Mays said, such as Washington and Baltimore. Going forward, most of Clear Channel's growth will not come from acquisitions but from its existing businesses, Mays said. "The challenge in the radio business is pretty much the same as in 1972," Mays said. "We create a different product every day. It's like any other business. We do a lot of research into what people like to hear. You try to provide that better than competition." 10/12/2003 Portions (c) 2003 KENS 5 and the San Antonio Express-News. All rights reserved (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** URUGUAY. La Historia, Voz y Sonido. Cordiales saludos desde Montevideo, Uruguay. En el Programa ``Primera Voz`` de 1410 AM Libre, podrán escuchar el Lunes 13 de Octubre el espacio que realizo bajo el titulo La Historia Voz y Sonido en su emisión Nº26 referido en este caso a: LA BATALLA DE IDEAS ENTRE EEUU Y CUBA EN LA RADIO, a partir de las 1420 UT aproximadamente. Más información sobre mi actividad radial y la difusión que he realizado y realizo en torno al diexismo en http://www.geocities.com/archivoradio/gabrielgomez.html (Gabriel Gómez, Uruguay, Oct 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) hay teladifusión? (gh) ** VENEZUELA. This might be of interest to amateur radio operators. I stumbled upon the web site for Radio Club Venezolano http://www.radioclubvenezolano.org/rcv.htm celebrating their 70th year in 2004 with a commemorative QSL. Once the site loads, you'll hear what I assume is a Morse code ID (Bruce Conti - Nashua NH, Oct 10, NRC-AM via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 4025.13, 0357-0412, Oct.10, Spanish, ranchera style ballads with brief OM between selections. No ID at ToH, Poor, noisy with a few good peaks. Harmonic?? (Scott Barbour, NH, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) Unlikely, since the possible fundamentals would be: 2012+, 1342-, 1006+, 805+, 671-, 575... (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 9507.62, Is there someone here in the 1000-1030 time frame. I was hearing a het on this frequency; Tacna, maybe?? (Dave Valko, PA DXpedition, 12 Oct., Cumbre DX via DXLD) was closer to 9505 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ BOOK PROJECT The Cumbre DX Project Book is an effort to put a copy of either the Passport to World Band Radio or World Radio TV Handbook in the hands of DXers who don't have these books. Many of us can afford to buy these books annually, yet their are DXers out there who do not have the means to purchase a single copy of either. Over the years, the Cumbre DX Book Project has been a venue for donated hundreds of these books to our fellow DXers. The project matches up donors with those who need a book. Tim Gaynor of Australia has generously offered to administer the project. If you have a book to donate, contact Tim. He'll give you the name and address of someone who needs a book so that you can mail it to them. If you need a book, write or email Tim with your request. Tim's contact details are: Tim Gaynor c/o Oxenford Post Office, Oxenford 4210, Queensland, Australia or nri3@yahoo.com.au (Hans Johnson, Oct 12, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) The Brazilian request in DXLD recently has been fulfilled (Marie Lamb) RADIO STAMPS ++++++++++++ Uruguay`s Malos Pensamientos stamp illustrated: http://www.correo.com.uy/filatelia/frames/emi_db.asp?idemi=71 (via Horacio Nigro, Radio stamps yahoogroup via DXLD) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ CHANNEL MASTER FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY SMITHFIELD, N.C. - Satellite dish maker Channel Master has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after a three-year battle with declining sales: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/6925930.htm (AP via Miami Herald via Jeff Kadet, IL, Oct 6, WTFDA via DXLD) Incidentally, also used to make great FM and TV antennas! (gh, DXLD) TiVo FOR RADIO The following article from Radio World should be of interest to members of this list who desire to time shift shortwave programs that are scheduled at inconvenient times. For the complete article with links to the products described in the article, go to: http://www.rwonline.com/reference-room/special-report/02_rwf_tivo_1.shtml RW Special Report 10.08.03 Radio Gets Its First Taste of TiVo Inspired by the Personal Video Recorder, Products Allow Time-Shifting of Programs --- by Frank Beacham Since the VCR first made its way into the American living room in 1975, a few tinkerers have used videocassettes to record radio programs automatically. Though VCRs and timer-enabled audio recorders can be made to work, few offer an elegant and convenient way for listeners to time-shift radio programming. Now, over a quarter century later, another video product, the TiVo personal video recorder, has spawned a variety of techniques for time- shifting radio programming to the listener's personal preference. This time the technology works well, thanks to a combination of easy- to-use software, cheap data storage media and computing hardware that fits in the palm of a hand. However, early users of personal audio recording technology are still experimenting to determine its value in their lives, said Rob Enderle, chief executive at Enderle Research in San Jose, Calif., a firm specializing in personal technology. "The segment is just emerging, and it's not clear exactly what the market is going to be looking for," Enderle said. "But I think it will take some time for the vendors to understand the user dynamics." Enderle said popular radio programs that air nationally at a fixed time each day are easily recorded with simple timer-based technology, while music programming, unlike its video counterpart, has yet to be listed in well-developed databases. He predicted it will be five years before the technology matures, and by that time most copyright issues that are now so contentious will have been resolved. Have it your way Electronics and software makers have so far approached the "Radio TiVo" concept in two main ways: as self -- contained hardware -- based receiver/recorders that emphasize portability in the hands of the listener, and as software applications that harness the power of a personal computer to become a high-fidelity home entertainment center. PoGo! Products of Brea, Calif., puts the entire device in the listener's hand. It's Radio YourWay, a 2.8-ounce, $150 portable AM/FM radio/Flash memory recorder introduced last April. It lets the user record programming anytime, anywhere for later playback. Recording can be as simple as pressing a button to record a particular broadcast; or its timer can be set up for unattended recording of one- time, daily or weekly programs. The trade-off with the extremely compact Radio YourWay is audio quality. It records to 32 MB of internal Flash memory or to optional SD or MMC cards, sharing the same ADPCM codec used for voice recordings. This mid-range codec allows up to four hours recording on internal memory and is fine for talk and news programming. Critical listeners, however, will probably find it unsatisfying for music broadcasts. Radio YourWay has many features beyond off-air recording, including MP3 and WMA playback, and quick file transfer via USB cable to a file manager application for Windows PCs. MP3 files also can be loaded to the device's memory for field listening. Beyond talk A less integrated recording system comes from RPR Products of Tucson, Ariz. RPR takes a handful of separate components and packages them in a notebook folder configured as a time-shifting system for talk radio programming. The package, ranging in cost from $130 to $220, depending on features, contains an AM/FM radio, digital IC recorder and FM transmitter to play the recording through a car radio. Any techie worth his salt could assemble an RPR-type package on his own, but the vendor emphasizes that it has carefully matched components and addressed common problems such as interference between digital recorders and AM receivers. To solve the interference issue, RPR said the radio and recorder are positioned apart in the carrying case. More sophisticated, and emphasizing TiVo-like features, are new products appearing as software applications and peripherals for use with personal computers. These use the PC's processing power and hard drive for high audio fidelity and more control tricks. At a recent MacWorld computer show in New York City, Griffin Technology of Nashville launched its RadioShark, a $50 AM/FM radio with time-shift and Internet recording capabilities for Apple's Macintosh computers. RadioShark, connecting via USB cable, can receive and record AM or FM radio broadcasts, allowing users to schedule the recording of radio events in advance. It also can record Internet audio streams, either scheduled or real-time, from any streaming audio application available. However, RadioShark's breakthrough feature allows the user to pause a live broadcast and then return to it in moments or even hours later, continuing where the listener left off. Just like TiVo. "The fin-shaped device acts as the antenna and can be adjusted and positioned for best reception," said Andrew Green, Griffin's vice president of marketing. "Once connected, all radio tuning and control is through its full -- featured front -- end application." Recordings made through RadioShark can be transferred to an Apple iPod music player or any other AIFF-compatible digital music player for portable replay. The product is scheduled for delivery in late October, Griffin said. Play it back The lowest-cost and most advanced automated audio recording products are software applications for personal computers. Ironically, the major free streaming audio players eschew timed recording; but there are a growing number of third-party products for the Windows and Macintosh platforms. The good news is that with a broadband Internet connection and high-quality codec, these applications can provide the most control and best fidelity of any solution. On the Windows platform, Replay Radio ($29.95) from Applian Technologies of San Francisco mimics TiVo functionality for radio. Select a show, or station and time range, and the application records it for you. It works with Internet radio broadcasts in any format, including Real, Windows Media and others. Once your show is recorded, the application creates MP3 files or a CD for listening anywhere. The entire process can be automated. Replay Radio preprograms hundreds of shows and stations, making recording a point-and-click process. Applian also touts Replay Radio as a general-purpose recorder for archiving audio books, saving music, monitoring online police scanners and recording from devices attached to a PC (such as cassette decks or radio receivers). For owners of Pocket PC devices, there's a separate Replay Player ($19.95) application that allows programs recorded on by Replay Radio to work seamlessly on a portable device. Listeners easily can navigate radio programs recorded on their PC and quickly skip over blocks of commercials with the press of an on-screen button. For users of Macintosh OS X, Audio Hijack Pro from Rogue Amoeba Software of Princeton, N.J., offers one of the most advanced personal audio recording applications available, at the modest price of $30. Yes, listeners can automatically record radio broadcasts and audio from any other application on the computer. But with Audio Hijack Pro, the sound can be sweetened with industry-standard VST and AudioUnit audio effects, as well as 15 custom DSPs included with the application. Audio Hijack Pro is flexible and powerful. It can record any audio type, be it Real, Windows Media, or AAC to the AIFF or MP3 formats. Low-quality radio signals can be enhanced with DSP effects. Green Oak's Excitifier VST plug-in, which is included, can be used to "un- muddy" music by adding the upper harmonics back. With support for Apple's built -- in AudioUnit plug -- in format, it comes with a parametric equalizer, a 31-band graphic equalizer, AUMatrixReverb and more. Audio levels can be monitored with the level meters, VU meters, menu bar Meters or mda's Specmeters VST plug-in, included. With the Pipe Dream plug-in, serious computer geeks can pipe audio to any command-line application. For timed recordings, there's an entire package of timers. The application can function as an alarm clock, waking up the user to live radio, net streams, MP3s, DVDs, compact discs or any other audio desired. ~*-.,_,.-*~'^'~*-.,_,.-*~'^'~*-., (via Joe Buch, DE, swprograms via DXLD) -*~'^'~*-.,_,.-*~'^'~*-.,_,.-*~'^ INTRUDER WATCH ++++++++++++++ PUSH TO IDENTIFY UNLICENSED 10-METER OPERATORS CONTINUES A concerted effort begun last spring to monitor for and possibly identify unlicensed operators on 10 meters will continue through October. The FCC already has asked the ARRL Amateur Auxiliary/Official Observers http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/org/oo.html for assistance. Now, FCC Special Counsel Riley Hollingsworth is inviting hard information on suspected interlopers from all amateurs. ``If I don`t receive reports, we`ll have to conclude that unlicensed operation on 10 meters no longer is a problem,`` Hollingsworth said this week. Hollingsworth`s initial request to beef up monitoring came in the wake of complaints from the amateur community that rose to the level of a major enforcement headache. He`s expressed some disappointment, however, that the number of solid reports received so far has been few, although he`s aware that a problem exists. Hollingsworth asks amateurs to be specific in what they report. ``Everybody should police their own neighborhood,`` he suggested. ``Turn on the radio, and take a listen on the band. If you hear a loud signal that`s obviously an unlicensed interloper, see if you can track it down.`` Hollingsworth said that in the case of a suspected unlicensed trucker on the highway, amateurs should try to get the license plate number of the tractor --- not the trailer --- or at least the company name and, if possible, the DOT number. The FCC does not require direction-finding data but would appreciate, where possible, names and addresses of alleged or suspected operators. Audio recordings of apparently illegal transmissions also can prove helpful. Individual amateurs with solid information on alleged unlicensed operation on 10 or even 12 meters should report it to the FCC via e-mail fccham @ fcc.gov Official Observers should file their reports through normal ARRL channels. ARRL Field and Regulatory Correspondent Chuck Skolaut, K0BOG, says the FCC wants to pin down specific areas where unlicensed operation is prevalent in the US. He and Hollingsworth concede, however, that not all illegal 10-meter operation is of domestic origin. The FCC`s initial request last May request was made in accordance with the Communications Act and a longstanding agreement between ARRL and the FCC regarding the use of Amateur Radio volunteers to assist in enforcement (ARRL Letter Oct 10 via John Norfolk, DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ ARNIE CORO'S DXERS UNLIMITED'S HF PLUS LOW BAND VHF PROPAGATION UPDATE AND FORECAST Solar flux is moving DOWN, and we are expecting yet another geomagnetic disturbance when high speed particles streaming out of a solar coronal hole will be impacting upon the Earth's magnetosphere, something that will disturb HF propagation at higher latitudes after Monday. This past week solar activity has dropped lower than it was two weeks ago. Average daily sunspot number was 86.7 and average daily solar flux was 115.8. But this week represents the second week in a row that geomagnetic indices have dropped, indicating a quiet and stable earth environment for HF radio propagation. Currently we are within a solar wind stream, but a north-pointing interplanetary magnetic field keeps geomagnetic activity to a minimum. Current projections show stable geomagnetic conditions over the next few days, with planetary A index around 10 until October 12. Following this weekend on Monday, it shows planetary A index rising to 30 for October 13-14. Predicted solar flux is 105 for October 10-11, 100 for October 12, and 95 for October 13-14. Following this is a rise in solar flux, passing 110 around October 16, 120 on October 18, 130 on October 21, and 135 on October 25-26. These are, as you may expect, rough estimates based upon the last solar rotation, but as you all know well the SUN can provide us with very interesting events that so far science is not able to predict (Arnie Coro, CO2KK, RHC DXers Unlimited Oct 11 via Bob Chandler, VE3SRE, ODXA yahoogroup via DXLD) Arnie never gives his source for such figures, but they almost match this week`s outlook from SESC Boulder, as in DXLD 3-177. Can`t be beholden to the yanqui imperialistas for this, can we? (gh, DXLD) ###