DX LISTENING DIGEST 4-001, January 2, 2004 edited by Glenn Hauser, http://www.worldofradio.com Items from DXLD may be reproduced and re-reproduced only if full credit be maintained at all stages and we be provided exchange copies. DXLD may not be reposted in its entirety without permission. Materials taken from Arctic or originating from Olle Alm and not having a commercial copyright are exempt from all restrictions of noncommercial, noncopyrighted reusage except for full credits NOTE: In order to reduce our workload, there will no longer be monthly HTML files of DXLD. Properly done Google searching really makes this an unnecessary luxury. Maybe we can at least get the 2003 files finished eventually. A quick way to get hotlinks from the plain text version is to copy and paste it and send it to yourself at an e-mail account which automatically hottens the URLs, e.g. yahoo. For restrixions and searchable 2004 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 WORLD OF RADIO on WRN1 North America has been moved from 1500 UT to 1100 UT on Sundays (Kevin A. Kelly) That will be much less convenient for our many NAm listeners; replacing us at 1500 is ``Eco-Zone with Stephen Sloan, a weekly show about the environment and the natural world with host Stephen Sloan`` which also has two other weekend times. Also goodbye to our appearance on WRMI 15725, currently carrying WRN from 1500. At least this may put WOR on a few more local stations carrying WRN overnight only? The same show knocks us off the European service Sun 0530, but still Sat 0900 to there and elsewhere (gh) NEXT AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1214: Sat 0000 on Studio X, Momigno, Italy, 1584, 1566 Sat 0900 on WRN1 to Europe, Africa, Asia, Australasia, webcast Sat 0955 on WNQM, Nashville, 1300 Sat 1130 on WWCR 5070 Sat 1900 on IBC Radio webcast Sat 1930 on WPKN Bridgeport, 89.5, webcast Sun 0130 on WBCQ 9330-CLSB Sun 0330 on WWCR 5070 Sun 0730 on WWCR 3210 Sun 0845 on Ozone Radio, Ireland, 6201v, time variable Sun 1100 on WRN1 to North America, webcast [ex-1500!] Sun 1600 on IBC Radio, webcast Sun 2000 on Studio X, Momigno, 1566, 1584 Mon 0430 on WSUI, Iowa City, 910, webcast [last week`s 1213] Mon 0515 on WBCQ 7415, webcast, 5105 Wed 1030 on WWCR 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 1214 (high version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1214h.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1214h.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1214.html WORLD OF RADIO 1214 (low version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1214.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1214.rm CONTINENT OF MEDIA 03-06: new edition produced December 29, 2003 cannot be aired yet on Radio for Peace International On SIUE Webradio: UT Tue 0430 from Jan 13 alternating with MUNDO RADIAL; On Demand from December 30: (stream) http://www.dxing.com/com/com0306.ram (download) http://www.dxing.com/com/com0306.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/com0306.html NETS TO YOU new Jan 1 edition: http://worldofradio.com/nets2you.html DX PROGRAMS new Jan 1 edition: http://worldofradio.com/dxpgms.html UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS --- Modesty has finally gotten the better of me, and from now on these will be in the `below the ~~~~~~ line` final section of DXLD rather than at the top (gh) ** ARGENTINA. NEW X BAND STATION IN ARGENTINA 1620, Radio Italia, Villa Martelli, Vicente López district, Buenos Aires province, 0120-0207, January 01. Spanish. Test transmission. Italian songs: romantic songs, canzonetas, etc. At 0205 UT ID by male as: "Radio Italia AM1620... les deseamos un feliz año nuevo... y, por nosotros, los inmigrantes, le agradecemos a esta patria de adopcion... éste es el deseo de Radio Italia, AM1620. Muchas, pero muchas felicidades les desea Radio Italia, con nuestra vía de comunicación 4709-1172". At 0207 S/off. 44444. Villa Martelli is a locality in the north Buenos Aires suburbs. I live three or four kilometers from the transmitter site. Today, January 01, heard at 1200 and at 1820 UT with ID's and tangos by Julio Sosa. The speaker`s name is Juan Berardis. Greetings for all Italian community (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, Jan 1, bclnews.it via DXLD) ** ARGENTINA. Just back in Havana a few hours ago after a very interesting trip to Brazil, where I attended a scientific conference dealing with the preservation of the world's digital heritage, one of the topics I teach about at the University of Havana's School of Social Communications, and of course that I took my portable radio, and a wire antenna to listen from Rio de Janeiro, where I stayed for almost a week. It was nice to pick up some short wave stations that are seldom heard in Havana with such quality, as the Radio Argentina al Exterior 15345 kiloHertz frequency, kept on the air in an act of devotion to radio by a group of engineers at the General Pacheco transmitter site, that according to what I was told by an ex Radio Argentina al Exterior Director General, looks more like a radio museum than an actual transmitting station (Arnie Coro, CO2KK, RHC DXers Unlimited Dec 23 via Bob Chandler, VE3SRE, ODXA via DXLD) ** AUSTRIA. "El sitio Web de Radio Austria http://roi.orf.at dejará de funcionar a principios de enero de 2004, será sustituido por el sitio http://oe1.orf.at/service/international_en de Ö1 inforadio. Todo esto a resultas de los cambios en la emisora que se producirán precisamente con el nuevo año." Saludos cordiales, (Tomás Méndez, Spain, Noticias DX via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. 4722.9, Radio Uncía, Uncía not noted 0000 or 0950, 1 January (Bob Wilkner, NRD 535D, Pompano Beach Florida, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 5993.11, Rádio Senado, Brasília, 0953-1000, December 31. Portuguese. Brazilian music. Short commentary about the Senate activities in 2003. ID. Pips at 1000. 33433 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** CANADA. 530, CIAO, Ontario, lots of Foxy 88/5 non-IDs including their web address occasionally http://www.foxy885.com and lots of EZL and soft-rock oldies like 'no way to treat a lady' and 'sweet suspicion'. Their 'format' ID was 'a better variety of unforgettable hits'. FINALLY an ad at 0718 for a local restaurant (Rosa's place on Finch Ave) -- not a bloody 'legal' ID during the hour+ I had them on as background noise! SIO 4+ 4-5 4 (intermittent co-channel QRM) 0631- 0731 13/Dec (Kenneth Vito Zichi, MI, MARE via DXLD) ** CANADA. Gore Bay --- Manitoulin Airport, Gore Bay, Ontario, for RR of 4/5/03 at 2130 of non-directional beacon "YZE" on 245 kHz. Partial data letter signed by Robert J. Colwell, Manager. After apologizing for the delay and returning the $2 I included for postage, he added "I can confirm your report as accurate, and am amazed that you were able to pick up a strong signal, given the distance. The NDB has been operating many years and is the only approach instrument we have. I'm sure the day will come when it will be replaced by a GPS approach, which is kind of sad in a way, to see "old faithful" replaced with some newer technology. It has guided many an aircraft to C-YZE over the years." (Joe Miller, Troy MI, MARE via DXLD) ** CHILE. 6089.99, Radio Esperanza, Temuco, 1046-1056, December 31. Spanish. Headlines from the national newspapers "La Tercera" and "La Nación". TC and ID as: "faltan 13 minutos para que sean las 8 de la mañana... despidiendo el 2003 con... Esperanza". Song (the singer is Oscar Medina). 34433. I couldn`t hear this station from my city, Buenos Aires, at this hour, from many months ago (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** CHINA. CHINA RADIO INTERNATIONAL BROADCAST TIMES AND FREQUENCIES FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE SERVICE (Beginning Dec. 28th, 2003) [gh inserts believed and mostly confirmed transmitter sites for NAm, Carib: H=Habana, Cuba; M=Montsinéry, French Guiana; N=Noblejas, Spain; S=Sackville, Canada] North America ( East Coast ) ---------------------------- 2300-2400 6040-S 0100-0200 9790-S, 9580-H 0300-0400 9690-N 0400-0500 9755-M, 9560-S 0500-0600 9560-S 1100-1200 5960-S [Real Time Beijing program] 1300-1400 9755-S, 9570-H, 13675-S 1400-1500 9755-S, 13675-S 1300-1400 1120 AM# # One-hour program is relayed by WUST or New World Radio North America ( West Coast ) ---------------------------- 2300-2400 13680-S 0100-0200 9790-S 0300-0400 9790-H, 9690-N 0400-0500 9560-S, 6190-S, 9755-M 0500-0600 9560-S, 6190-S 1300-1400 13675-S 1400-1500 13675-S, 17720-H 1500-1600 17720-H [!! Still missing 7405, 1400-1600, direct from China !! --gh] Caribbean Sea ------------- 0700-0800 5990-H [sic! This is local time in Beijing, actually 2300-2400 UT; hope none of the rest are local time. Will any other editors publishing this schedule note this? --- gh] Europe ------ 2000-2100 5965, 9840, 7190, (Lithuania) 1557 2100-2200 5965, 9840, 7190, (Luxemburg) 1440 2200-2300 7170 2300-2400 (London) 558AM, Helsinki 92.9 FM, 106.7FM [Many, but maybe not all of the African frequencies are via Bamako, MALI --gh] East and South Africa ---------------------- 1400-1600 13685, 15125 1600-1800 7190, 9570 1600-1800 7190, 9570 2000-2100 11640, 13630 2100-2130 11640, 13630 West and North Africa --------------------- 1900-2000 9440, 9585, 7140 2000-2100 9440, 7140 South Asia ----------- 1200­1300 1188* 1400­1500 1422, 9565 1500­1600 7160, 9785, 1323 * Testing Frequencies Southeast Asia -------------- 1200-1300 1341, 9730, 11980, 684 1300-1400 1341, 15180, 11980 The South Pacific ----------------- 0900-1100 15250, 17690 1200-1300 9760, 11760, 15415 1300-1400 11760, 11900 CRI-Hindi revised effective 28 Dec 2003 --------------------------------------- 1300-1400 1422, 9635, 11675 1500-1600 1422, 7235, 9690 1600-1700 1188, 7235, 9690 CRI-Hindi website also announces new e-mail: hindi @ chinabroadcast.cn Regds, (via Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, India, Jan 2, DXLD) 1188 on test, could be the registered Kashi-Kashgar site ex-1197 kHz (Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. For a few weeks now CNR-1 has been using three "new" transmitters. These are generally listed as SZG, i.e. Shijiazhuang, some distance southwest of Beijing in the SW part of the Hebei province. This site has been using other frequencies in past periods, usually in the lower bands. Apparently they have been off for some time for refurbishing. The schedule listed by the NDXC website is as follows: 6125 2000-0100, 1200-1735(=11720) 7305 2000-2200, 1130-1735(=11750) 9710 2000-2400, 1300-1735(=15370) 11720 0100-1200 (=6125) 11750 2200-1130 (=7305) 15370 0000-1300 (=9710) (dated December 18) Apparently a few changes have been made: 11720 uses 7110 for the evening segment 15370 switches to 9710 at 1100 9710 uses 6125 for the late evening segment. All except 11750 are listed as SZG and 11750 seems to replace listed but unheard 11825. The audio of these frequencies is exactly synchronised, so there is little doubt that all are from the same site. There is a large delay compared to the Beijing 100 kW Continentals (Olle Alm, Sweden, December 31, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Kashi testing: I have not heard any classical music tests after December 24, so either the transmitters are off for adjustments or have entered regular service as jammers using CNR-1 for audio (Olle Alm, Sweden, Jan 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) A few weeks ago it was announced that CNR-1 would become Zhongguo zhi Sheng (=Voice of China), and this seems to be happening now. The new name has been mentioned rather inconspicuously since at least Christmas, but listening this morning I heard it announced at full power as follows: "Zhongyang Renmin Guangbo Diantai, Zhongguo zhi Sheng, China National Radio" on top of the hour (at 0800). A long announcement just before the hour also seemingly promoted the new name. At other times the longer name "Zhongguo zhi Sheng Guangbo Diantai" is also used. Obviously the other channels have got other "zhi Sheng" names, including CNR-2. CNR-2 had English from 1300 and seemed to repeat the channel name in English, but I did not get the specific word, possibly it was "music", i.e. Voice of Music (would be Yinyue zhi Sheng in Chinese). Now it remains to be seen if the regional and local stations will also be renamed. (The "zhi" corresponds to English 's, i.e. "China's Voice", etc.). The CNR-1 site using 15370, 11750, 11720 is also heard on 17615 from 0700, when RFA goes off, to past 0900. Very weak signal here, and other frequencies for this 4th transmitter not yet traced (Olle Alm, Sweden, January 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA [non?]. Glenn, I am leaning towards Wolfgang's explanation of a jamming situation. Just for something to do, I sat on 6280 prior to 1100 this morning with nothing heard. Exactly at 1100 UT an English language broadcast faded up --- CRI, China. It sounded as if the signal was switch on to a cold transmitter. Prior to 1100 nothing was heard (Chuck Bolland, Clewiston, Florida, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Chuck, 5960 via Canada at 1100 is a separate CRI service, an hour when there are no other known English broadcasts. You really should check to see if the audio matches what you hear on 6280. 5960 also comes on cold at 1100, AFAIK, tho I am rarely listening at that hour. 73, (Glenn, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Why not check symmetrical 5800 (5960 minus 160) kHz, when the 6280 spur is on air. Usually such stations putting out spurious signals, very often produce another spur on the opposite side (Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) But on 5800, the dominant audio would more likely be NHK from 6120, leapfrog-style (gh, DXLD) ** CONGO. RTVC Brazzaville, 5985, 1845-1900, Dec. 31st, good signal, heard here for the first time in several weeks (Thorsten Hallmann, Münster, Germany, Jan 1 http://africa.coolfreepage.com/africalist/ DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CROATIA [non]. CROÁCIA VIA ALEMANHA – A programação, em espanhol, da Voz da Croácia é um exemplo de como o rádio deve se portar atualmente. A programação iniciou com apenas 5 minutos de duração. Agora, já são 30 minutos diários. Começou com apenas um noticiário, apresentado por dois locutores. Em seguida, evoluiu para as entrevistas, sempre enxutas, feitas por telefone. É preciso destacar que toda a programação é retransmitida via centro emissor de Jülich, da Deutsche Telekom. Assim, uma programação muito simples, com poucos gastos, sem o peso da conta de transmissores e energia elétrica, leva o nome da Croácia ao mundo de fala espanhola. Aquelas velhas redações, lotadas de jornalistas dedilhando suas máquinas de escrever ficaram para a história! Aqueles estúdios incrementados e parafernália de equipamentos, idem. Com programas simples, é possível fazer rádio em casa, com a ajuda da Internet. Voltando à programação da Voz da Croácia, além do noticiário, é apresentada sempre uma entrevista, geralmente com alguém que repercute o nome do país em locais em que o espanhol é a língua dominante. Pode ser ouvido, por exemplo, num dia, o ex-embaixador croata na Espanha ou outro diplomata que atuou no Equador. A fórmula é simples e não há mágica. Por fim, ouça você a Voz da Croácia, em espanhol. A partir de 2330, está no ar, em 7285 kHz (Célio Romais, Panorama, @tividade DX Dec 29 via DXLD) ** CUBA. En el programa especial de Radio Habana Cuba "En Contacto" conducido por Manolo De la Rosa y su esposa Malena con motivo de fin de año el Ingeniero Arturo González, Jefe de la dirección técnica de la emisora manifestó que en estos momentos se están haciendo muchas inversiones con vista a mejorar las transmisiones, área de cobertura, inclusive también en los estudios por cuanto en estos últimos tiempos el deterioro de la técnica por envejecimiento ``nos ha tenido fuera del aire en algunos casos y algunos problemas de calidad``. Agradeció el envío de reportes con los cuales se puede evaluar mejor la sintonía de la estación. 73's y feliz año nuevo para todos!!! (Dino Bloise, Hollywood, FL, USA, Jan 1, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** CUBA. Not only in Spanish is RHC mixed up about its own frequencies: at 2259 UT Jan 1 on 17705 I heard the closing announcement of the Guaraní service defaulting to Spanish for numbers, as ``22 metros, 17705``. Also, checking http://www.radiohc.cu/espanol/frecuencia.htm I see that new 11800 reported recently by monitors in the morning in Spanish, is still missing from the schedule. Another strange: If you click on Diexismo you get nothing about En Contacto, but just an online reception report form! Default entries are kHz 5965: metros: 19, which hardly match. The frequencies are in a drop-down, not allowing one to report on e.g. 11800 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [non]. R. Martí: see USA ** DENMARK [non]. See NORWAY ** ECUADOR? 2299.84, Unidentified, Dec 29, 1003-1055, very weak Andean flute and drum instrumentals; Malm reported La Voz de Riobamba (2 x 1150) in March 2003 on 2299.81. and recently their 3rd harmonic on 3449.76 (Mark Mohrmann, Coventry, VT USA, NRD 535D, V-Beam 140m at 180 degrees, "VT-DX" http://www.sover.net/~hackmohr/ DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY [and non]. Holzkirchen replacements I just went through the IBB operational schedule to find out about the closure of the Holzkirchen site. Transmissions from Holzkirchen ceased on New Year's Eve at 0900. The last hurrah was Radio Liberty in Russian, actually the only suitable programming for burying this site, on 11885. All but one RFE/RL and VOA transmissions from Holzkirchen are now up from other sites, in two cases on other frequencies. No substitute could be found only for VOA in Russian 1900-2000 on 9505; probably this outlet was considered dispensable with 6105-LAM, 7220-LAM, 9520- WOF, 9650-MOR and 9750-KAV available anyway. The majority of the transmissions remained in the responsibility of IBB Germany; most of them originate from Lampertheim now, logical in some way since the Holzkirchen transmitters were already remote- controlled from there. Probably VOA now uses this site for the first time. I am only aware of VOA transmissions via Holzkirchen and Biblis (the latter one including German) so far. It remains an open question what happened with the slots of RFA Tibetan, especially since the Radio Liberty program that followed RFA on 15185 was moved to another frequency (12025). I heard something on 15185 on New Year's Eve -- but, but, this could well have been Chinese jamming rather than RFA. And here the moved operations in detail: Lampertheim (Germany): 0300-0400 7220 RL, Russian 0400-0500 9635 RL, Tatar-Bashkir 0400-0600 11980 RL, Russian 0700-0900 11885 RL, Russian 1100-1200 11885 RL, Russian 1100-1300 17805 RL, Russian (already since Dec 6) 1400-1500 12025 RL, Turkmen (ex 15185) 1800-2400 6105 VOA and RL, both in Russian 1900-2000 7220 VOA, Russian 2300-2400 7220 RL, Russian Biblis (Germany): 0100-0200 6095 RL, Russian 0500-0600 7270 RL, Russian 0600-0700 5980 RL, Ukrainian (Mon-Fri only) 0600-0700 11885 RL, Russian 2000-2100 9845 RL, Russian Kavala (Greece): 0000-0100 6135 RL, Kazakh 0000-0100 7145 RL, Kazakh 0300-0400 6105 RL, Russian 0400-0500 7255 RL, Tatar-Bashkir 0500-0600 9575 RL, North Caucasus 1100-1400 17730 RL, Russian 1600-1700 9505 RL, Tatar-Bashkir 1600-1700 9665 RL, Azeri 1600-1800 9505 RL, Tatar-Bashkir and Russian 1800-1900 9785 Radio Free Iraq Briech (Morocco): 1700-1800 9725 RL, Armenian (ex 11865) (Kai, feeling more and more like being an undertaker, Ludwig, Jan 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Three further reports of Süddeutsche Zeitung on the Holzkirchen matter: The Valley municipality signed a sales contract about the station grounds (138 hectares, 68 of them occupied by the actual facilities) on Dec 30th; the mayor did not like to reveal the price yet. This price is to be lowered by 440,000 EUR to compensate for the expenses of the demolition of the station. IBB has until September 30th to dismantle its equipment, then the demolition work will start. The mayor of Valley is quoted saying that no company will be engaged; instead the municipality will do the work itself, "so it will become a true party". The head of the citizen actions group said he will watch in the New Year's Eve night with measurement equipment how the facilities will be switched off: http://www.sueddeutsche.de/sz/landkreise/hol/C29SK010/ [I cannot do without commenting that I can lively imagine this "true party": Whole families with children and grandparents smashing the buildings... Ha, and I guess somebody went out just too late, since "in the night" the show was already over for hours. Bad luck. -kl] It is intended to cancel all legal action against the operators of the transmitter site: http://www.sueddeutsche.de/sz/landkreise/hol/C29SF010/ And about celebrations on New Year's Eve: http://www.sueddeutsche.de/sz/bayern/red-artikel168/ (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Jan 2, DX LISTENINGDIGEST) ** GERMANY. Jülich 702 and Nordkirchen 855 were put on tender; see the document "Ausschreibungstext Mittelwelle" at http://www.lfm-nrw.de These frequencies were once allocated to VIVA Radio, a joint venture of the VIVA TV company with Radio NRW, the content supplier of the local stations in Nordrhein-Westfalen. This project never materialized, obviously the licence was quietly returned by both companies in the meantime (I think a withdrawal would have came to our attention). The transmitters (both 5 kW) exists, 855 was already heard with a test tone while 702 was noted testing with nonstop music and Megaradio audio. The DRM test project "531 digital" concluded on Dec 31; the transmitter at Burg was switched off, the 531 channel will be put on tender. A project office responsible to promote digital broadcasting states that Europe 1 intends to start DRM transmissions (of a German program, not the French one aired via 183) on Burg 261 later this year. Release see at http://www.digitalerrundfunk.de/mittelwelle/mittelwelle- anhalt.php?content=aktinfo or link under "21.12.2003" (second one in the right column) on the startpage where you will be find yourself immediately throwed to if scripting is enabled in your browser (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Jan 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. THE SAME PROCEDURE AS EVERY YEAR Famous in Germany but entirely unknown in the home of the actors, the UK, is the TV play "Dinner for one" about Miss Sophie celebrating their ninetieth birthday with their four best friends of whom the last one died 25 years ago. This piece was recorded by Norddeutscher Rundfunk in 1963, since the seventies it is here in Germany broadcast every New Year's Eve. Perhaps you will be aware that I mean the whole of Germany when I say "Germany": GDR TV had "Dinner for one" on the schedule, too. But the BBC does not dream of broadcasting it, NDR says that they got no reaction when they sent the BBC a copy. The programme starts with some explanations for viewers without any knowledge of English. This talk included two wrong quotations "the same procedure than every year". Continued protest by English teachers forced NDR not earlier than in 1988 to edit them, using an "as" they found in tapes of rehearsal sessions (quite a surprise that they survived, since VTR tapes were very expensive back then). Especially the second one of the edits is impossible to miss, at least when knowing about it. In 1999 a colorized version was broadcast for the first time to the horror of the fans, it remained an expensive curiosity. (Color TV was inaugurated in Germany not earlier than in 1967, so these monsters of colour cameras with Orthicon tubes are entirely unknown here.) More about this production here: http://www.ndr.de/ndr/unterhaltung/shows/dinner/hintergrund.html And now the reason for writing this: The whole play is posted there in Real Media format. Stream URL: http://stream.ndr.de/bb/redirect.lsc?stream=ndr/video/vs/20031231_dinner_for_one_ndr_2.rm&content=content&media=rm Perhaps you will have to shake your head about the strange sense of humour of the Germans. Otherwise: Have fun! (I got a 150 kbit/s stream, still quite blurred but at least recognizable.) (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Jan 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Amusing; tho it start in German, the rest of it is in Englisch (gh, DXLD) ** GHANA [non]. Here`s the answer to previous item about Embassy broadcasting in Washington DC: WAMU *88.5, 67 kHz SCS, African and ``multi-cultural``. It`s starting out just on weekends. Melaku Tefera, an Ethiopian living in Ashland VA, is starting the service. He hopes to expand to other markets (Dec Fmedia! Via DXLD) ** GUATEMALA. 4052.47, R. Verdad, 1 Jan 2004, 0514-0558*, Was listening to this off and on while out on a Europirate micro- DXpedition. Mostly Christmas songs including "White Christmas" at 0530, but also a few short English inspirational Christmas passages. There were also a few other brief talks in a non-English or Spanish lang. Was playing the instrumental NA at s/off. Good signal. Per Edgar Amilcar Madrid in a QSL from the station, they're running 610 watts and increased their sked from 1100 to 0600 UT. Quite a nice signal for 610 watts. Lists their SW frequency as 4.0525 MHz. Mark 25 February on your calendar --- it`s their 4th anniversary (Dave Valko, PA, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** INDIA. B. SINGH TO BE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF AIR ------------------------------------- Indiantelevision.com Team (30 December 2003 2:00 pm) NEW DELHI: A bureaucrat is all set to take over at the helm of country's radio pubcaster All India Radio (AIR), while sibling Doordarshan remains firmly under control of the government through another bureaucrat. According to Prasar Bharati sources, B. Singh, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from Tamil Nadu cadre, is all set to take over as the director-general of AIR. The board of Prasar Bharati, which oversees the functioning of AIR and DD, selected Singh from 20-odd candidates, including some from the corporate world, who had given a shot for the DG’s post at AIR. The top post at AIR had been lying vacant for the past few years in the absence of any full-fledged DG being appointed. At present, Prasar Bharati CEO K S Sarma doubles up as the top honcho of AIR too. AIR, which crossed the Rs 1000 million revenue mark for the first time last financial year ended 31 March 2003, is being positioned as an organisation that would contribute substantial revenue to the Prasar Bharati kitty. Singh`s candidature has not yet been announced as the government green signal is awaited. Meanwhile, Navin Kumar, a joint secretary in the department of heavy industries, will be taking over as the DG of Doordarshan. DD has not been as unfortunate as AIR in the sense that it had a full- fledged DG - S Y Quraishi, albeit for a short period of time - who was shunted out. Reason: reported misunderstanding and differences with the information and broadcasting ministry. Both Kumar and Singh`s candidatures were finalised recently by the Prasar Bharati after a series of interviews (via Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, India, Dec 30, dx_india via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. XM COMMENTARY FROM MOTLEY FOOL COLUMNIST Not everyone who tries an XM radio thinks it's nifty: http://www.fool.com/news/commentary/2003/commentary031230DY.htm The Motley Fool is a financial commentary and education site (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA, Dec 31, swprograms via DXLD) ** IRAN. La Voix de la République Islamique d'Iran qui avait remis en vigueur les fréquences ondes courtes vers l'Europe après les avoir supprimées le 26 octobre les a de nouveau retirées à priori depuis le 22 décembre. Seules demeurent les longueurs d'onde à destination de l'Afrique. L'émission vers l'Amérique du Nord semble supprimée. Dans un courrier électronique, la station demande à être informée " de la qualité et de la vitesse du chargement du site " (d'après un courrier électronique de la station - 28 décembre 2003, informations issues de http://perso.wanadoo.fr/jm.aubier via DXLD) BTW, advise you not to click on the Xiti icon at upper left of his page, ostensibly a counter, lest you risk spyware infexion (gh) Voice of Islamic Republic of Iran English and German services to Europe were discontinued late December. The 1030-1127 English broadcast continues and noted January 2nd with poor strength here on 15480 15550, both clear channels. Arabic heard January 1st daytime on 15545 to 1630 when 9935 signed on. Turkish heard 1600-1727 on 7125 9735 and Urdu 1630 tune in to 1727 on 3965 (Mike Barraclough, England, Jan World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** IRAN. AMATEUR RADIO ASSISTS IN IRAN EARTHQUAKE RELIEF Turkey Amateur Radio Club President Aziz Sasa,TA1E, reports that three Amateur Radio operators joined the Turkish Relief Team that departed for the incident location --- the city of Bam, some 600 miles south of Tehran--from Istanbul December 27 aboard a military aircraft. Local communications will be carried out on 2-meter simplex with HF operation on 14.270 MHz during the day and on 7092 kHz or 3777 kHz during hours of darkness. Soyhan Erim, TA2IJ, will handle HF operations at the Turkish Incident Command Post. He is part of the Ministry of Health team. Erdinç Sarimusaoglu, TA2RJ, is part of the AKUT Search and Rescue Team, while Mustafa Yuceturk, TA1CAN, is a member of the Istanbul Civil Defense Search-and-Rescue team. Also on site is Serdar Demirel, TA2NO, a member of the Ankara Civil Defense SAR team, who arrived earlier (ARRL December 31 via John Norfolk, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAEL. The Overseas Service of Kol Israel closed January 1st. Domestic services continue to carry some foreign language news bulletins and are relayed on shortwave. English was noted January 1st at 1800-1815 on 9435 11585 and at 2000-2015 on 6280 11585. On January 2nd French heard 1100-1110, English 1110-1120 and Spanish 1120-1130 all on 15640 17535 (Mike Barraclough, England, Jan World DX Club Contact via DXLD) A few hours ago, someone in Israel emailed that, at the moment at least, Reshet Gimel is still on 531 kHz (MW). Reshet Alef is supposed to be moving to that frequency (Daniel Rosenzweig, NY, 1217 UT Jan 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ITALY. SATURDAY FREE WAVE --- On Radio Europe frequencies starting from January 10th 2004, will start a new program. Radio Europe will come a relay station for all pirate broadcastings all around the world. From 8.30 a.m. To 1.30 p.m. [0730-1230 UT, on 7306??] Every Saturday (for the time of half an hour or one hour) the radio stations can coöperate with this wonderful thing. The meeting will be then every Saturday and the entrance fee for half an hour will be Eur 40,00 while for one hour will be Eur 70,00. If you should require any further information, please send an e-mail to radioeurope @ iol.it or please write to the following address: Radio Europe, C.P. 12, 20090 Limito di Pioltello (Milano), Italy (via Dario Monferini, Jan 1, DXLD) ** ITALY? Radio Tre: A number of folks have been hearing this one. Dario Monferini was kind enough to provide the following: Radio 3 Network is a legal station operating only on FM band on 100.3 MHz, they have WEB and real audio link. http://www.radio3.net/ Mirco Rippolo is the Chief Engineer, and he has always claimed the station has nothing to do with the relay on short wave. True or untrue, the only result is they never confirmed the operation on short wave. Mirco doesn't speak English, so if you contact him, the language is a problem. e-mail : staff @ radio3.net Their address: Via Montorsoli 10, IT-53036 Poggibonsi (SIENA) ITALY. You may wonder who is operating this pirate relay and why??? Well, I have some "ideas" but unfortunately they are not documentable, so they remain as my personal guessing. Why this relay?? Simply to test transmitter and to "keep" the international listeners attention open to this frequency (Dario Monferini, Italy, via Hans Johnson, Jan 2, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** KOREA SOUTH [non]. KOREAN-AMERICAN RADIO STATION ENDS 14 YEARS OF BROADCASTING --- 2004/01/02 09:13 KST LOS ANGELES, Jan. 1 (Yonhap) -- The main radio station for Korean- Americans went off the air as of midnight Thursday after 14 years of broadcasting due to a lease dispute. Lee Jang-hee, head of "Radio Korea," said through a pre-recorded message that he was forced to end broadcasts after a failure in negotiations for renewing the contract for the frequency. Radio Korea hit the airwaves on Feb. 1, 1989 in Los Angeles and eventually attracted listeners in 14 main American cities, including New York and Honolulu. It spoke for the Korean-American population at times of conflicts, especially during the Los Angeles riots in April 1992. A Chinese firm that owns the right to the frequency is said to have demanded double the current lease fee (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) WTFK?? Subcarriers, I suppose, tho some ethnic groups, e.g. Iranians actually have AM or FM station main carriers in SoCal. Chinese firm, as in Mainland? Surely illegal (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LUXEMBOURG. RADIO LUXEMBOURG DRM BROADCASTS AUDIBLE IN N. AMERICA 01 January 2004 09:14 I had the pleasure over the last few nights to hear the DRM shortwave transmissions of RTL from Luxembourg from 0700 to about 0845 UTC on 6095 kHz. Due to the unexpected (and very welcome) absence of "Doctor" Gene Scott's "Caribbean Beacon" on 6090, RTL's signal on 6095 was easily received in Detroit, Michigan. Hopefully, Scott's mad ravings on 6090 are gone forever (but not likely I'm afraid). RTL's broadcasts are unique in that they are the first stereo broadcasts that I've ever heard on shortwave (I believe that some station in Alabama [NDXE] was supposed to do CQUAM stereo on analogue shortwave about 10 years ago, but abandoned the project)! The fidelity was pretty darned good. It's my hope that perhaps DRM in the future will lure other broadcasters who have abandoned shortwave to come back on the air. I hope that RTL Luxembourg has a long and prosperous life back on the 49 meter band to listeners throughout the world (Fredric J. Einstein, rec.radio.shortwave via Mike Terry, DXLD) Yes, but does Luxembourg have anything to say to Michigan? Monophonically, stereophonically, analogically or digitally? (gh, DXLD) ** MALAYSIA. Radio 4, 7295 kHz, December 28, 2003, 1129 UT. Songs, "Radio 4" ID by female and gave phone number at 1142. At 1144 a tone on 7295 makes understanding Radio 4 impossible. Source of tone? Overall reception, before 1144, poor (Kraig Krist, Annandale, VA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALTA [non]. VOICE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN FALLS SILENT Staff Reporter --- Web posted on January 1, 2004 at 9:00:00 AM CET http://www.independent.com.mt/daily/newsview.asp?id=22783 The Voice of the Mediterranean radio station has stopped transmissions with effect from today. All the workers employed with the station have been handed their notice. This was announced by the Union Haddiema Maghqudin in a statement. It said the union`s manufacturing and services section had been holding discussion with the radio station`s management, the Foreign Ministry, the Director of Work and Industrial Relations and the Libyan embassy in Malta to try and save the jobs of the workers. The radio is jointly owned by the governments of Malta and of Libya and has been operating in Malta for many years. These last few years the Libyan side did not continue with its financing. This meant that the radio station could not be viable any more and there was no other way except to close it down. On 16 December, the union added, Libyan deputy secretary Ali Mohamed Attia on behalf of the Libyan government informed the director of the radio station that the Libyan government was ready to renew the contract between Malta and Libya for the coming ten years to 2011. He also added that the Libyan government was also ready to continue paying its financial contribution for the coming times. Despite this, the union added, the Libyan government has failed to honour its commitment. The union section has informed the director of Labour and Industrial Relations to initiate meetings so that the sacked employees find alternative employment with government bodies. The employees were yesterday addressed by UHM secretary general Gejtu Vella and informed of the latest developments. Despite these last developments, the union is still hopeful that an agreement is reached by the Libyan and Maltese governments on the financing of the radio station and that the radio will thus be able to continue with its transmissions and the employees` jobs are safeguarded (via Kim Elliott, Artie Bigley, DXLD) MALTA-LIBYA RADIO STATION SIGNS OFF --- [by] Ariadne Massa http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=143550 [illustrated with station building, banner] The Voice of the Mediterranean went on air for the last time yesterday and its 13 employees have received termination letters. The shortwave radio station, set up 20 years ago by Libya and Malta, has had to close down for financial reasons after the Libyan government failed to pay its share of the funding, running up arrears of nearly Lm1 million. The station's mission was to promote Mediterranean culture, primarily the Maltese culture and identity, and encourage people from different cultures to identify what can unite them in order to promote peace in the region. The employees have been assured they will receive all termination benefits and the Union Haddiema Maghqudin will be initiating talks with the government to find them alternative employment. The two governments had committed themselves to pumping Lm180,000 a year to keep the station running. But the Libyan government recently informed Malta "it no longer saw a function for this kind of station". The Ministry of Foreign Affairs then wrote to the Libyan government asking it to confirm its intentions and to open discussions on the Lm1 million owed to VOM. The ministry gave the Libyan government until December 31 to officially answer its letter but until yesterday it had received no reply. On December 17, a letter of goodwill had been sent to the Libyan Ambassador to Malta, Ali Nageem, by the deputy secretary of the Public Broadcasting Board in Libya. VOM managing director Richard Muscat said Mr Nageem had forwarded him a copy of the letter which, in a nutshell, said the Libyans were committed to continue participating in VOM for the next 10 years and to pay their dues. However, the money still didn't arrive and a spokesman for the foreign ministry said it would only have considered an official letter sent specifically to the ministry in response to its official request. An inquiry ordered by Foreign Ministry Joe Borg, after accusations were levelled against Mr Muscat's way of running the station, cleared Mr Muscat of any wrongdoing. The opposition, however, found the inquiry report "unacceptable" and said it smacked of a cover-up. When contacted yesterday, Mr Muscat said he was sorry to see the station closing down after all these years and expressed disappointment that he had been made a scapegoat. He said the deputy secretary of the Libyan Broadcasting Board had stated in his letter that his services were very much appreciated and he looked forward to furthering this cooperation in the coming years. "I have worked hard to boost VOM and I still truly believe it has a role to play," said Mr Muscat (Times of Malta, Jan 1 via Larry Nebron, Kim Elliott, Artie Bigley, DXLD) Les émissions en français de la Voix de la Méditerrannée se sont terminées avec le programme diffusé le 28 décembre entre 2100 et 2130 TU. Pour la petite histoire on retiendra que le programme était " cahotique ", avec un extrait d'environ une minute du Courrier des Auditeurs qui passait en boucle et avec une qualité audio défectueuse. L'émission du matin était une fois de plus un programme du mois d'octobre. L'émission en italien a débuté avec " le chant des adieux ". Quant au programme anglais, les présentateurs ont indiqué qu'il y avait quand même une possibilité de reprendre les émissions en 2004 (émissions du 28 décembre de la VOM, informations issues de http://perso.wanadoo.fr/jm.aubier via DXLD) 7440 kHz silent at 2000 this evening (Jan 1). Anyone hear VoM's final broadcast? (Alan Pennington, UK, BDXC-UK via DXLD) Voice of the Mediterranean ceased transmissions December 31st. The last English programme on 6185 [via Rome] heard 1740 tune in to 1800 was a music programme featuring artists who had died during 2003 including Johnny Cash and the Searchers (Mike Barraclough, England, Jan World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** MAURITANIA. 4845, R. Mauritanie, Dec 28 0725-0805, 25332. Talk program by OM in French and Arabic. ID heard at 0726 in French. The program continued even after 8 o'clock (Hiroshi TOKUSA, Japan, Japan Premium via DXLD) Quite unusual logging, Africa at that time around sunset in Japan on 60m. Long path?? Or is he really in Japan? City not given (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NAMIBIA. NBC, 6060 heard 2010-2025+ December 26th with English phone in programme, fair with some fading, best on USB to avoid splash from Turkey 6055 (Mike Barraclough, England, Jan World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** NIGERIA. VON, presumed, 7255, Dec 31st, 2015 (not heard at 2000) until 2040 sign-off, nonstop African highlife music, very strong, dominating over China in Russian. Heard for the first time since Dec. 24th. Nothing heard on New Year morning. 15120, heard again on new year's day from 1540-1610 with music, VON tune and short announcements. No real programming. Fair signal (Thorsten Hallmann, Münster, Germany, Jan 1 http://africa.coolfreepage.com/africalist/ DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15120, VoN Program Previews in English for the coming week and talk re cultural traditions in Rural Nigeria. SIO 444 with some HF Hets and splatter; OM announcer was clearly heard, YL went to the 'mumbles with marbles in mouth' school of broadcasting. 14/Dec 1910-1944 (Kenneth Vito Zichi, MI, MARE via DXLD) ** NORWAY. Here a sample of some last NRK transmissions on shortwave, consisting of nothing than a relay of BBC Worldservice, here at 1615 on 7490. The recording starts with the radio tuned into 9410, so you can study the delay of 2.6 seconds and also the much more aggressive audio processing in use at Norway: http://kailudwig.bei.t-online.de/9410_7490.mp3 Unfortunately just a few minutes later the propagation from Norway almost collapsed. If it doesn't return I will have to put up with very poor recordings of the final Radio Danmark broadcast since the audio streams linked at http://nett-radio.net/norge.htm are already dead and nothing can be found anymore at http://www.dr.dk either. However, there is not much to record anyway, some New Year's Eve stuff from DR's news department followed by just a short, plain-sounding announcement. Without knowing Danish I got an impression that those who produced this program did not care at all (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Dec 31, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Uwe Bräutigam reports that the Radio Norway International IS, the one gone two years ago, was played once during the last NRK transmission "on 7490" (so he probably refers to the penultimate one instead). If so this would be quite remarkable in view of all the senseless BBCWS relaying (I still stick with my assumption that this was just Alltid Nyheter, once programmed to go out on the shortwave feed Mon-Fri during daytime when outside the holiday season own programming is scheduled). I only tuned in again for the very end on 7465, programming as described by Anker Peterson, ending with about two minutes of interval signal, a few seconds of open carrier, then off, over and out (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Jan 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORWAY. NORWEGIAN CLUBS EXPERIMENTING ON 60 [sic] METERS Norwegian Radio Relay League International Liaison Officer Ole Garpestad, LA2RR, reports that registered club stations there have enjoyed special permission to test on 5 MHz for the past three years. Almost all of these club stations have a one-letter call sign suffixes and, in some situations, they may use the LE prefix. The authorization is restricted for use in emergency communication or training, and Norwegian stations may not work stations outside of Norway on 5 MHz. Garpestad said Norway`s elongated shape makes it impossible to communicate from one end of the country to the other on 80 meters, and 40 meters ``has its shortcomings`` during hours of darkness. ``We are only allowed to use the two frequencies 5.410 and 5.420 MHz, all modes, 100 W,`` he said, ``but only for communication between Norwegian club stations engaged in emergency communication or training for such communication, so this does not include any station outside of Norway.`` (ARRL December 31 via John Norfolk, DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. Hi Glenn, Contrary to what Nigel says, I have yet to hear KMMZ 1640 up here. I've tried many times without success. Nigel is fairly close to the US 49th Canada/US border, whereas I'm around 500 miles north of the border (Mike in St Isidore AB Stonebridge, Dec 30, IRCA via DXLD) 1640.00, KMMZ, OK, Enid, 12/21, Heard here with a pretty good signal with top of the hour ID at 1659 CST as "KMMZ 1640 - Enid Oklahoma", then into Comedy show NEW (James Niven, Moody TX, NRC-AM via DXLD) KMMZ, 1640, Enid, OK with unique all comedy format good tonight under WTNI in Mississippi. New one here (Les Rayburn, N1LF, Navy MARS NNNØHSI, "Proudly Serving Those Who Serve", Helena, AL 35080, 0433 UT Jan 2, NRC-AM via DXLD) Try the 1750 Meter Band: http://www.highnoonfilm.com/xmgr ** OKLAHOMA. KQBL, 96.9, Enid, 96-9 Bob FM, with local-sounding rather than automated presentation. After ending its country format, it played comedy starting at 9 one morning, later playing a Celine Dion marathon, after which at 10:45 ``96-9 Bob FM`` was born. ID: ``Bob is KQBL Enid-Oklahoma City.`` (Dec Fmedia! Via DXLD) KMMZ sibling station ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. P29Z-PREFIX HAMS GRANTED HF ACCESS Rick Warnett, P29KFS, reports that the principal legal officer for PANGTEL, the telecommunications regulatory agency in Papua New Guinea --- has authorized HF operation by those holding a Limited Amateur Operator`s Certificate of Proficiency (P29Z-prefix call signs). The change is to become effective at 0000 PNG Time on December 31 (ARRL December 31 via John Norfolk, DXLD) ** PERU. (tentative) 4260.40, Radio Ilucán, (3 x 1420) Jan 02, 1041- 1105, as reported by Wilkner and Bolland down in Florida, Andean vocals, lots of announcements (probably ads) but no ID heard, // weaker 2840.27 but nothing heard on 5677, poor signal (Mark Mohrmann, Coventry, VT USA, NRD 535D, V-Beam 140m @180 deg., "VT-DX" http://www.sover.net/~hackmohr/ DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. 4855.58, Radio La Hora, Cusco, 0111-0115, January 01. Spanish. TC: "las 8 de la noche con 12 minutos, faltan exactamente una hora y cuarenta y ocho minutos para que comience el nuevo año". ID and ann.: "Radio La Hora está presentando la moderna música en esta noche", 33433. 4965, Radio Santa Mónica, Cusco, 0105-0110, January 01. Spanish. ID: "...programa que estamos compartiendo por Radio Santa Mónica...", TC, greetings. Ann. "Desde el Cusco!!!!", Andean music. 32432. 6173.20, Radio Tawantinsuyo, Cusco, 0100-0104, January 01. Spanish/ Quechua. Andean music. TC and ID as: "atención, 8 de la noche... por Radio Tawantinsuyo!!!", Greetings: "...saludos a la señorita... en la ciudad Imperial de Cusco", 44433. Never than strong at this hour. 6193.47, Radio Cusco, Cusco, 0055-0059, January 01. Spanish. Religious program conduced by female. Ann. and ID as: "aquí estamos en Radio Cusco, escuchando los preciosos testimonios....", 23332. 6249.20, Radio La Voz de Andahuaylas, Andahuaylas, 0333-0343, January 01. Spanish. Special new year transmission. A few tropical songs and announcement, TC and ID by male as: "37 minutos pasaron de las 10 de la noche; queremos dar una cordial bienvenida a todos los que están en sintonía con Radio La Voz de Andahuaylas... estamos escuchando la mejor música... saludos para el Año Nuevo... aquí, en Andahuaylas ...somos Radio La Voz de Andahuaylas... nos quedamos hasta la 1, hasta la hora 1 en punto". More songs. 24332. For moments, the signal was 3. Best reception in LSB mode. 9504.64, Radio Tacna, Tacna, 1040-1045, December 31. Spanish. Local ads: "...fabricante de los afamados productos Honda", ID: "Radio Tacna, la radio de la sintonía mayoritaria" and other announcement and ID as: "Radio Tacna, noticias... profesionales de la información... con Tacna Noticias... 9505 kHz en sintonia nacional... la radio de mayor credibilidad del país". Local news. 23422 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** POLAND [non]. Radio Maryja started its last shortwave transmission at 1600 on 7400 with an announcement referring the shortwave audience to other possibilities to tune in (satellite and internet). Before a shred of the VOR interval signal was heard, like in case anybody should have doubts that this is a transmitter in Russia due to the absence of the Soviet test tones (not the first time I hear a Russian site opening without them, so they are really nothing to rely on). The audio was OK although the mike audio was of the muffled RE20 style, not ideal especially for the "plain" modulation without multiband compression and upper mids raised. Here is a recording: http://kailudwig.bei.t-online.de/Maryja.mp3 (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Dec 31, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ROMANIA R. Romania International, 9510 kHz, January 1, 2004, 0113 UT. Report on caroling and Christmas/ New Year customs. Description of a traditional New Year day lunch. Overall fair reception. QRM from WYFR on 9505 and a bubble type jammer on 9510 (Kraig Krist, Annandale, VA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ROMANIA. The following report about Timishoara 630 reveals that the old transmitter site within the town was not refurbished; instead the new rig (a Harris, see previous reports) was installed on a completely new site near Ortishoara, about 25 km north of Timisoara: "Hallo, wie ich eben von OM Rudolf Takács aus Temeswar, Rumänien erfuhr wurde der Standort der Antennen von Radio Temeswar bei der Umrüstung des Senders verlegt. Ursprünglich waren ja die Antennen nur ein paar hundert Meter vom Zentrum der Stadt entfernt. Jetzt befinden sie sich beim Ort Ortisoara (Orzidorf) ca. 25 km nördlich von Temeswar. 73 und ein gutes Neues Jahr 2004 Erich aus Ansbach" (Erich Bergmann, A-DX mailing list, Dec 31 2003 via Kai Ludwig, Germany, Jan 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SAIPAN. NEW YEARS VISIT TO FEBC AND RFA Well, Happy New Year to all; my ship pulled back into Saipan Island out in the Marianas for about two days and it was an enjoyable time for us. Got to watch the whole island in its fireworks display. I got ashore on New Years and planned originally to call home and also to see if there were any changes to FEBC and Radio Free Asia. I went over and rented a car for 60 a day and went around the island to visit FEBC first. Its about 20 minutes from the main part of town, and found it quite fast, as the antenna towers were visible from the main part of town. I could also see `em at night as they have a fancy way of lighting `em up at night; they form a glow across the lines and reflect like a giant Christmas light. There is a sign that leads to the station off the main part of the highway and it`s about 6 minutes to drive down. Mostly an old rock path. As I got to the top of this hilltop site I was instantly greeted by members and families of the station who were celebrating New Year`s. They allowed me to drive up close to the station where I took some pictures of the outside. The antennas are duplicates of the AWR, and KTWR [Guam]. But shorter in size as they only have about 4 towers where the other stations have 6 or more. One of the station engineers walked over and asked if I wanted to see the station and I greeted him with "well, yes" and also mentioned I been here before but was several years ago. He took me into one building where they had about five studios and also an audio room where they still have at least a thousand cassette tapes from years of programs. The tapes are no longer being used and they are starting to go the same format as AWR and KTWR with audio CD and similar programmings. In fact, he mentioned they have a few students that are in the process of changing the audio cassettes to CD. Or digital. The rooms where they did the programs are all still there but some are being used for storage rooms. I mentioned that last time I was there they had a Russian family doing programs, but he said they no longer do it. Then later we went into the control room and it too was changed as the station was doing away with audio cassette players and also it showed a similar change of formats too. The last time I was there they had a disc type device where they could rotate it like a slide projector and install a different tape. That machine was gone. It was removed from the station. The engineer took me into the transmitter room and it too had changes as they now have three transmitters instead of four like before. Much of the gear is still the same. He informed me the fourth transmitter is now in their FEBC station in the Philippines and they might be getting a new one. I remember the old Heathkit frequency counter in the corner and saw it had been removed. We went out into the yard where the antennas were and actually walked over between the towers. We spent quite a bit of time conversing about the damages they get and the way they repair the antennas. They virtually just lower the curtains and spend parts of the time working on damaged cables. Or wires. They also do this when the typhoons come through. These are multiband dipoles. It takes all day to put em back into the air. They start at 5 am and work till 6 or 8 in the evening. My tour ended after about two hours and I left in my rented VW. And headed back into town. From there I was planning to visit Radio Free Asia which is about ten minutes from the other side of the town area. After a little bit, I found the antenna farm. A lot different in design and shape as compared to FEBC and the others at Guam. They were still curtain types but seemed like the towers were not the same make. They also had about two big satellite dishes outside and some smaller microwave types to talk to another station only a few miles away. I took a number of pictures outside. And drove up the gate where they had a security guard standing by. I asked the same question about this one as a I did at FEBC, and that was is there a chance to see the station. The reply was a big disappointment, and as most of you know the station is owned and operated by the US government. Since they just raised the terrorists level in the states. It came here as well. The answer was a flat out NO?!, but then I got to talking to the guard who chatted with another guy inside and he also came back with the same answer. So there was no way to view it. I found out also that right across the water within range is the Voice of America transmitter station on Tinian island and I could see it pretty clear but I think it too would have been out of bounds. I ended up getting stuck out in town over night and really enjoyed myself on this neat little island. Have A Happy New year and I am on my way to Korea. 73's from (Larry Fields, n6hpx/du1, swl at qth.net via DXLD) ** SINGAPORE. R. Singapore International, 9600 kHz, December 28, 2003, 1152 UT. Interview about various economic subjects including the WTO and USA economy. Positive ID by female at 1156. Music. At 1159 Cuba begins on 9600 and blocks R. Singapore Int. Overall reception, before 1159, poor. Check // 6150, but it's too low, too weak to understand. However, I do believe 6150 is R. Singapore International (Kraig Krist, Annandale, VA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. Caught Brother Scare at 2250 Jan 1 on 6045 and 6055 talking about all his extra transmitters and frequencies for the next 5 months via Juelich at 1100 and 2200. I checked them all quickly and was also audible here on 7105, 7145 and 5905, but not on 9490, 6175, 5985, 9730, 9480, 9695. Compared to WWCR 7465, I at first thought the Jülich programming was not parallel at all, then realized it was running about 18 seconds behind WWCR --- so an internet feed? Quality was pretty good for that, tho I listened only as long as absolutely necessary to check all this out. I continue to be absolutely mystified about why enough people --- any people --- would give this charlatan sufficient money to do all this (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN. Checked 15170 at 1500 UT today again, but IBB Sawa is extremely strong and no other co-channel station could be noted, at my place in Central Europe (Wolfgang df5sx Büschel, Jan 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Since reading Tarek's first report about this one I have been checking 15170 around 1500, on and off, but nothing heard so far. The channel is clear until IBB makes a crash start at 1500. However, I am hearing Sudan on 7200 again. I don't know how long it's been there, but it did have an off-period. I've heard clear mention of 'Omdurman' and 'Sudan' but not the old "Huna Omdurman" which they used to use. Maybe Tarek can tell us exactly how they do ID currently. The signal was good and clear at 1600 today [Jan. 2nd] and improving (Noel Green, England, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN. 7200, Radio Omdurman, Omdurman, 0408-0415. January 01. Arabic. Bulletin news in Arabic by male. Many mentions to "Sudan". At 0411 talk by male. Afterwards, the speaker says "....Omdurman". Strong QRM from ¿Radio Rossii? in the same QRG. I could separate two stations with the Twin PBT of my Icom R75. 22442 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** SUDAN [non]. Sudan Radio Service: Tuned into 15530 at 1450 and found the VOA on the frequency, in presumed Kurdish to 1459. At 1500 Sudan Radio Service signed on, with some English announcements at s/on. The sign on sequence of SRS, 15530 at 1500 seems to consist of giving all the relevent information such as address and sked in the various vernacular languages. This takes a few minutes! After this sequence was over at around 1510, the announcer (in English) mentioned that an English segment would be broadcast in the second hour of the transmission, then followed by what seems to be details of the upcoming transmission in the various vernaculars. This all takes a while before they actually get to any programming! English news, read by a woman announcer at 1515 on 15530. English program segment at 1600 on 15530, 'The Road to Peace'. English news at 1615, read by a woman announcer as at 1515 on 15530 (Steve, Holland, MI, Lare, Drake R7, R8 and R8B, Dec 31, swl at qth.net via DXLD) Hi. This station "seems" to be just another arm of our overseas broadcasting service known as the VOA or IBB |grin|. You know, like Radio Marti, Radio Free Europe, Radio Free Iraq, Radio Free Asia etc, etc. That would explain why they use the same facilities as the VOA. If you check their Website, it looks quite "Official" and Governmental, even though it's a .org rather than a .gov URL. In any case, I'm changing the country of origin in my logbook from Sudan to the USA with relay from Woofferton England. NOT a SUDAN logging at all. 73 from the "Beaconeers Lair". (Phil, KO6BB, Atchley, DX begins at the noise floor! Merced, Central California, 37.18N 120.29W CM97sh, ibid.) ** TURKEY. VOT 6055 at 2020 with IS. Barely audible (Liz Cameron, 31 Dec, MARE via DXLD) Someone reported that they had just moved here for the 1930 English broadcast, (too bad for Rwanda), but is among a few items I lost in an MS Word mishap. Those who find their expected items missing in this issue are invited to resend (gh) ** UKRAINE. R. Ukraine Int'l 5905, 0134, 12/24, Woman reading commentary about disabled people. I wish she took more breaths, as her delivery was rushed and urgent. Tiring to listen to. SIO=433 (Pat Rady, Holland, MI, MARE via DXLD) ** U K. Hi, Glenn! Thanks for including my comments in the last DXLD of 2003; my fame increases. Also was be-famed by being mentioned in today's BBC Science In Action question show, near the middle, with a question about DNA and chromosomes (which they somewhat dumbed down to edit and shorten). Be sure to listen to tonight's airing! :-) [Fri 2206 and UT Sat 0206 on Americas stream] I had sent a batch of questions and they picked the most simplistic; I suppose that's to be expected (Will Martin, MO, Jan 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. Hi Glenn, Jonathan Marks came across this sad story about former BBCWS announcer John Stone. I don't recall seeing it in any of the SWL publications or Web sites (Andy Sennitt, Jan 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) A sad but inspiring story to start the New Year --- Jonathan Marks came across a story from last August in The Times which most of us seem to have missed. Apparently former BBC World Service announcer John Stone suffered a massive stroke three years ago. The story is about how John has coped with the situation. Lovingly written by John's former partner, I don't mind admitting it had me reaching for the Kleenex! The scary thing is that he's only a year or two older than me. And, like all of us, he never imagined such a thing could happen to him... (Andy Sennit, Media Network blog via DXLD) Viz.: STROKE: 'I CAN THINK, BUT I CAN'T BLOODY SAY IT' Health features August 27, 2003 By Susan Shepherd In February 2000 John Stone, one of the World Service's best-loved announcers, disappeared from the airwaves. He had suffered a massive stroke at the age of 51. Here, his former partner describes the brain damage that robbed him of speech, and the catastrophic impact it has had on his life JOHN STONE cannot remember his last broadcast for the BBC World Service. It was probably an early-morning news summary; perhaps an illustrated bulletin from a studio somewhere deep within the Art Deco splendour of Bush House. It would have been the final duty of a night shift that had begun 12 hours earlier. Afterwards, as a thousand times before, he would have handed his scripts to his producer, bade him or her goodbye with a cheery ``God bless`` and walked away. No doubt his hand was already reaching into the pocket of his hallmark striped blazer --- a garment he sported summer and winter alike --- for a Benson & Hedges ``gasper``. My cough sweets, he used to call them. What John could not have suspected, nor the millions of listeners who heard his familiar delivery that January day, was that one of the BBC`s best-loved voices was only 48 hours from catastrophe. Early on February 2, 2000, while he was still in bed, a blood clot entered John`s left carotid artery, one of the two main supply routes of blood to the brain, and blocked it. This interruption caused what he was soon to learn was a cerebrovascular accident, or CVA. To you and me: a stroke. And what a massive stroke it was. At 51, his relative youth played as much of a part in saving his life at that moment as his heavy-smoking, sedentary existence behind the microphone had in almost costing it. He had survived, but at a terrible price. For in those first painless but terrifying minutes that followed, John realised that he could not move, swallow --- or speak. The voice, described by one listener writing from Uruguay as ``the mightiest voice to hit the airwaves``, was gone... http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8123-892676,00.html 73, (via Andy Sennitt, DXLD) Yes, it is true you can rewire your brain. Two years ago I could barely write a few words. I had a stroke on June 1, 2000. Also at night. Warning signs were plentiful, I had frequent periods of dizzy spells, mild headaches. But I dismissed them. They were mild TIAs. The depression is quite common as an aftereffect. For a variety of reasons. Mine was in the thalmic region of the brain, so I have occasional memory lapses and can spend way too much time fixated on things. But as time goes on and I retrain myself, that's getting better. Brother John, the KABC FM jock from the love format of the late 60s on US radio came back from this same kind of stroke (that John Stone had); took him 5 years but he was back doing voice work at KRTH in LA, when we used his talents in Boston to launch our jazz format at WROR FM in the late 80s (Lou Josephs, 01.01.04 - 7:20 pm, Media Network blog via DXLD) And that eloquent posting is testimony to how well you've recovered, Lou! As some of our readers know, I have a different sort of brain- related problem, epilepsy and a related condition called dyspraxia. But it doesn't stop me holding down a job, though opinions on how well I do it may vary (Andy Sennitt, 01.01.04 - 7:49 pm, ibid.) Live life while you can, and never depend on tomorrow (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. VERONIQUE RODMAN APPOINTED TO THE BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS --- Washington, DC., December 31, 2003 -- Veronique Rodman, a public relations specialist and former television producer, has been appointed to the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), the bipartisan, nine-member board which supervises all U.S. nonmilitary international broadcasting. President Bush nominated Rodman to the BBG on October 24, 2003, and gave her a recess appointment on Dec. 26, 2003. "Veronique Rodman brings to the BBG an understanding of international affairs and broadcasting," said Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, the BBG's chairman. Rodman is director of public affairs at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, a Washington-based think-tank. Before joining AEI in 1999, Rodman worked for many years in broadcasting. From 1982-1995, she served as a producer of ABC-TV's "This Week With David Brinkley." As a television news consultant, she later helped launch "Fox News Sunday." Rodman also worked as vice president for the Cosmetic, Toiletries and Fragrance Association Foundation, and as program coordinator for the SAIS-Novartis Prize for Excellence in International Journalism, a journalism award given annually at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Previously, she worked for former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and for CSIS's Congressional Leadership Group on International Communication. Early in her career, she was assistant festival director for "The World of Islam," in London. Born in Cairo, Rodman received a B.A. from Rutgers University and an M.S from Georgetown University. She studied at the Sorbonne in Paris. She is married to Peter W. Rodman. They have two children. Rodman replaces Robert M. Ledbetter, Jr., of Tupelo, Miss., whose term expired (BBG Press via DXLD) ** U S A. Radio Martí --- Have been surfing the internet today and came across this: http://wwwa.house.gov/international_relations/107/pete0606.htm I wonder if the problems it describes still exist as we turn from 2003 to 2004. If so, one has to ask (in light of the plummeting audience numbers cited) why Radio Marti remains so well-funded (or even in existence) while the VOA has had to drastically cut back even its demonstrably successful services, such as VOA Worldwide English and many language services (John Figliozzi, NY, Dec 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz., excerpts: RADIO MARTI`S SHRINKING AUDIENCE AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT Testimony of Philip Peters, Vice President, Lexington Institute before the Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights Committee on International Relations, House of Representatives Washington, June 6, 2002 [. . .] Talk show host Nancy Crespo recently led a discussion of ``Cubans in the United States who work for the Castro regime,`` by which she meant advocates of engagement and normalization of relations. She labeled Max Castro, a University of Miami sociologist and contributor to The Miami Herald, ``Fidel Castro`s columnist in The Miami Herald.`` Such characterizations violate Radio Marti`s own editorial guidelines, which prohibit inflammatory and derogatory descriptions of individuals. This is a longstanding problem that affects Radio Marti`s image and credibility, and it persists even under current management. Just two months ago, an internal BBG program review found that the problem continues, citing a case of a ``highly derogatory`` commentary about former President Carter that was withheld from the air because of its content. BBG recommended that commentators be reminded of the editorial guidelines rather than be removed from Radio Marti altogether. Last February, Cuban independent journalist Manuel David Orrio reported that, ``Every day, Radio Marti is turning more and more to the positions of the extreme right of the Cuban exile community...it raises the question whether for the current management of Radio Marti, political opinion is more important than credibility.`` [. . .] I recommend the following steps: 1. Terminate TV Marti in light of its failure to establish an audience in Cuba and its inability to overcome Cuban jamming. 2. Move the Radio Marti newsroom and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting headquarters back to Washington, retaining a news bureau in Miami. This will preserve reporting resources in Miami, but it will allow closer supervision by the Voice of America and Congress. It will also contribute to fulfillment of a key element of the VOA Charter, that VOA broadcasts should ``represent America, not any single segment of American society.`` 3. Overhaul Radio Marti`s newsroom management. In addition to personnel with roots in the Cuban American community, there should be news and programming supervisors who are not Cuban American, have no links to Miami politics, have strong journalism backgrounds, and have an ability to produce programming that is more reflective of our entire country and more compliant with the VOA Charter. In addition, full English language proficiency should be required of all newsroom personnel as an essential tool for reporting and news judgment. The current management of Radio Marti`s newsroom, Lazaro Asencio and Agustin Alles, do not speak English. 4. Demand immediate implementation of basic reforms such as establishment of a program log, utilization of focus group research, and termination of broadcasters who fail to adhere to Radio Marti`s standards of professionalism and fairness. 5. Restore Radio Marti`s research department. Congress abolished this office in 1996 without conducting hearings at a time when personnel in this office were known to be critical of Radio Marti`s program quality. The department had four analysts who made recommendations, collaborated in program development, consulted with news and feature programming staff, and generally provided a source of long-range perspective. The department also had an excellent library of Cuban history and current affairs. In light of the need to improve program quality, this office should be restored. 6. Use independent monitors. Radio Marti would benefit from regular monitoring reports by diverse groups of American professional journalists who are not U.S. government employees, and who would be free to give candid assessments of the quality of Radio Marti`s programming. 7. Increase Congressional oversight. This hearing is a good beginning, but continued oversight is needed to end the culture where criticism of Radio Marti`s programming is interpreted as rejection of the station`s mission. Congressional oversight will be particularly helpful in addressing program quality issues, and in resolving the widely reported allegations of mismanagement and sexual discrimination at Radio Marti. 8. Broaden programming horizons. Congress should expect that Radio Marti live up to the VOA standard that its broadcasts reflect all of America, not just one sector. Congress could usefully ask whether Radio Marti is covering significant stories that reflect sectors of American society that are involved in Cuba. One major story is Cuba`s purchase of $100 million in American food since last fall. Is Radio Marti covering the companies that are making these sales? Is it describing the way this food is being distributed in Cuba? Is it covering those who support these sales as well as those who oppose them? Another major development is the large numbers of Americans who are visiting Cuba with or without U.S. government licenses. What is the experience of these visitors? What interaction do they have with Cuban citizens? What difference do they make in Cuba? [. . .] (via DXLD) Maybe some of the answers to that question (above) can be found here: http://wwwa.house.gov/international_relations/108/87672.pdf (John Figliozzi, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. Someone in Israel emailed that VOA in English is receivable on 1593 kHz (MW) from Kuwait and in Eilat on 1530 from São Tomé. VOA in English used to be receivable for a few hours a day on 1260, from Rhodes. For a while already, due to all that has been going on in the Middle East, VOA in Arabic continues to broadcast during those hours (Daniel Rosenzweig, NY, 1217 UT Jan 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. We're used to WRMI airing last week's edition of "Wavescan" in its 0330 UT Mondays timeslot. Can be annoying but is also a chance to hear the previous week's program if missed the weekend before. But, on 12/29/03 they aired edition #459 from October '03! That was not of much use. Wonder if they just grabbed the wrong tape or referenced the wrong digital file or what? Hope it was a one-time glitch (Will Martin, MO, Jan 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) No more WOR at 1500: see top ** U S A. WWCR has adjusted its transmission schedule on #4, the Brother Scare service, no longer with 7 MHz step-up in the mornings, but 5770 0400-1300, then 9475. The rest: 1300-2100 9475, 2100-0400 7465. If you haven`t yet looked at the links on this page http://www.wwcr.com/wwcr_sales_information.html there is a lot of good info on how the most successful commercial US SW operation works, including a 7-minute video tour (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A? Pirate. Voice of the Abnormal, December 28, 2003 6925 USB, 1109 UT. Male announcer stating "Voice of the Abnormal is the real VOA". Beer drinking songs, example "9 Coronas" sung to "My Sharona" and beer ads. Address PO Box 69, Elkhorn, NE 68022. Overall excellent reception. Pirate Radio Free Speech, December 28, 2003, 6975 kHz, 1339 UT. Beer songs, X rated songs and X rated comedy bits. Positive ID at 1341 by male, "This is Radio Free Speech New Year's Dirty Song Celebration". Addresses given as PO Box 1, Belfast, NY 14895 or PO Box 109, Blue Ridge Summit, PA 17214. Overall good reception. Pirate KIPM December 28, 2003 6925 USB 1230 UT. Alan Maxwell and "The Legend of Tiamet Part 1". Overall excellent reception (Kraig Krist, Annandale, VA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 1228-1337* Dec 28, KIPM, 6925U "The Legend of Tiamat part 1". Alan and friends open an ancient tomb, and release an evil sea-goddess. (Google turned up http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiamat and http://www.eastbayastro.org/articles/lore/draco.htm 1340-1448* Dec 28, KIPM, 6950U, "The Legend of Tiamat part 2" Alan will try to put the sea-goddess back to sleep. 1448-1550* Dec 28, KIPM, 6950U, "The Seeds from Space" A meteor brings Alan 2 seeds, which grow into 2 green people (Larry Russell, MI, MARE via DXLD) I nabbed this one too 1520-1600+. Fair sig. Also: KIPM, 6925, 27 Dec at 0200 with "Nine Audio Signals from Outer Space." (Liz Cameron, MI, ibid.) ** U S A. Been listening to the FM band and since the wee small hours of 12/26 there has been a station on 89.1 identifying as "The Classical Music Station WCPE from Raleigh-Durham North Carolina". Great propagation? Catch it while you can? Fat chance. Since this is the frequency of our local high school station WPHS (Warren Public High Schools, 100 watts) and the signal strength meter is pegged, I think someone went into the station, opened up a cable or satellite channel (the station is proud to say they are heard around the world by cable and internet and please send money, they apparently are not Public Radio affiliates), fed it to the transmitter and walked away. Days of listening on the hour and nary a Michigan id. Pisses me off because vacation time usually sees the station dark and I had hoped to spend some time listening to jazz on WEMU (John Rose, MI, MARE via DXLD) ** U S A. TIS, 1650 kHz, "Department of Transportation Traffic Advisory Radio AM 1650" by female. December 29, 2003 1940 UT. With Washington DC, out-of-date, traffic information. Warned about the national Christmas Tree lighting on December 4th and traffic impact. OK. This is like my neighbor who keeps their Christmas lights up all year. They are either really early or very late ;-) Overall fair reception. TIS, 1660 kHz, 1946 UT, December 29, 2003 with regional weather forecasts. Included various airports, marine forecasts and mountain forecasts. Partial ID at 1955 with male, "National weather service... 1660.. broadcasting from Manassas". Overall poor to fair. WWRA, positive ID on 1660 causing severe QRM. TIS, WPBJ590, 590 kHz, December 31, 2003, 1858 UT. Male announcer with repeating message, "You're listening to Montgomery County travelers ... WPBJ590 AM... on interstate 70..." Deep fades, overall reception poor. TIS, WTEZ462, 530 kHz, December 31, 2003 1903 UT "Highway radio station" with National Airport, Arlington, VA parking lot status and rates. Information repeated. Overall fair reception TIS, KJI955, 1640 kHz, December 29, 2003, 1953 UT. Male announcer with repeating message, "This is radio station KJI955 sixteen forty kilohertz". Overall reception fair (Kraig Krist, Annandale, VA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) That mystery KJI-955 on 1640 kHz is in again today. Noted as usual on car radio this afternoon strong while driving near Langley, VA (where CIA HQ is located) and still audible into downtown DC. Then noted at home for the first time with tape loop by man: "This is radio station KJI 955, transmitting on sixteen-forty kilohertz." Around 1430-1500 EST today (1/1/04). University of Maryland TIS at College Park, MD audible and slightly better on 1640 as well (David Yocis, Washington DC, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** U S A. If I had to pick something special from 2003 it would probably be my QSL from the KKOB-AM1 night time synchro transmitter in Santa Fe. I verified the 230 watt synchro during a trip through NM. To prove that I was hearing the synchro, I removed my car radio antenna and made sure that I could not hear the main transmitter in Albuquerque. I then drove toward the synchro transmitter, using GPS for guidance, with my car radio scanning the band in the seek position. I then noted acquisition of the signal as my car radio locked onto the 770 signal when I approached the transmitter. With no antenna on my vehicle I could only hear it within about a 3 block radius. The very friendly full data QSL letter from the CE said that after decades of operation, mine was the first reception report ever received specifically for the synchro transmitter (Patrick Griffith, NØNNK, Westminster, CO, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** U S A. FCC actions: A-O BROADCASTING CORPORATION. Issued a monetary forfeiture in the amount of $25,000 to A-O Broadcasting Corporation, former licensee of FM radio station KTMN, Cloudcroft, NM, for among other violations, failed to comply with RFR maximum exposure limits. Action by: the Commission. Adopted: 12/22/2003 by Forfeiture Order. (FCC No. 03-332). EB http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-03-332A1.doc http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-03-332A1.pdf http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-03-332A1.txt (via Fred Vobbe, Dec 29, NRC FMTV via DXLD) ** U S A. KSL for reception of 11m feeder on 26190 on 6 Dec. Plain blue and white postcard. Neat to verify (Liz Cameron, MI, MARE Jan 2 via DXLD) ** U S A. WCTM, Eaton OH: Stan Coning was saying Christmas Eve that health and finances will force him go dark with WCTM in the new year (Brian Stevens, Cincinnati radio board via Artie Bigley, DXLD) More discussion and link to Scott Fybush 47-minute audio interview: http://www.radio-info.com/mods/board.php?Post=101272&Board=cincinnati (via Bigley, DXLD) ** U S A. SATERN on standby for incidents: Specific to Threat Level Orange, National Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) Director Pat McPherson, WW9E, says SATERN will stand by on its national net frequency of 14.265 MHz New Year`s Even (sic) in case a major incident occurs. Alternate frequencies are 7.265 and 3.920 MHz, depending upon propagation. Incidents notwithstanding, McPherson says, Boston area SATERN will run a net from its emergency operation center on New Year`s Eve on 7.265 MHz (ARRL December 31 via John Norfolk, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VANUATU. Radio Vanuatu on 7260 noted today (Dec 31) at 1138 with Christmas music and inspirational talk in the vernacular. ID and New Year's Greetings in English at 1202 then into a multilingual address by the President (English, French, and Bislama) including "In 2004, Vanuatu will be stronger and more prosperous". (Mark Coady, Ont., ODXA via DXLD) ** VENEZUELA. Comenzando las captaciones del 2004, debo informarles que como cosa curiosa fué reactivada la señal del Observatorio Cajigal en la frecuencia de los 5000 kHz. Se está escuchando muy bien a las 0500 UT. Otra señal venezolana que se mantiene transmitiendo actualmente a las 0500 UT es Radio Amazonas en la frecuencia 4940 kHz; se está escuchando bastante bien. Atte: (José Elías, Venezuela, Dec 31, Conexión Digital via DXLD) Only for NYE? ** ZIMBABWE. The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation and the Herald daily had been accomplices in ``the theft of a nation`s democratic rights`` and ``accomplices to murder`` over the past three years a report by the Harare Media Monitoring Project said. As in Rwanda in 1994, when Radio des Milles Collines beamed anti Tutsi propaganda, journalists in the state media had ``abandoned the most elementary standards of truthfulness`` to create stories that ``seemed calculated to incite a violent response to the Government`s opponents. No longer is it adequate to say they are politically biased.`` it added. At least every half hour state radio broadcasts a jingle urging Zimbabweans to adopt ``liberation`` values and repeats the word ``war`` five times. The state media had made no attempt to report reality. Their aim was to ``fire up`` a hard core of ruling party militants against the opposition as Rwandan radio had mobilised a small group of Hutus to genocide. ``When one day the perpetrators of violence are held up to account those who incited them with hate speech should not be forgotten`` the report concluded (The Times via Mike Barraclough, Jan World DX Club Contact via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 4750 kHz AFRICA ??? Station heard on 4750 kHz on both 30th and 31st December from 0345 UT tune-in: Presumed religious programme in African language. Same ID in English at 0358 on 30th and at 0349 on 31st as "Broadcasting on 4750 kHz in the 60 metre-band, this is Radio Peace. Thank you for listening". Continues thereafter in African language again. Anyone know where from? (Tony Rogers, Birmingham - UK, AOR7030+/LW BDXC, Dec 30, BDXC-UK via DXLD) Nothing, not even a carrier here around 0350 Jan 2 (gh, OK, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. Checked also unID? Arabic station on 11890 at 1200-1230 UT, this service coming direct from Libya???, checked against Libyan service via France on 17695, 21485, best on 21675, and 21695, around 1100-1300 UT slot, the latter service was different compared to 11890. Poor signal on 11890, due of strong Liberty Russian on 11895, and an unknown stn co-channel, most likely NHK Radio Japan via Sri Lanka relay, I guess. 73 (Wolfgang df5sx Büschel, Jan 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ TV GUIDE AT THE HAIRDRESSER`S Magazines routinely send free magazine subscriptions to doctors' offices and beauty/barber shops. These promotional versions are occasionally not the localized versions sent to paying subscribers. Magazines do this as advertising to solicit prospective subscribers from patrons browsing the magazines while they are waiting (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) BTW, my 3-month free subscription extension seems to have expired. Checking one on the newsstand, I see they have an offer for new subscribers at 67 cents per copy, far lower than the previous ``guaranteed lowest rate`` of about a dollar a copy (gh) DRM +++ Hi Glenn, Happy New Year! This is not a DRM receiver but a DAB receiver (Roberto Scaglione, Sicily, DX LISTENING DIGEST) From your issue 3234: DRM RECEIVER FROM SANGEAN RECEPTORES --- Dica do Adalberto Marques de Azevedo, de Barbacena (MG): a empresa Sangean lançou um modelo de receptor para o modo DRM - -- Digital Radio Mundiale. Você ser conferido em: http://www.rigpix.com/dabdrm/sangean_ddr3.htm (Célio Romais, Panorama, @tividade DX Dec 29 via DXLD) Hmm, notice both DAB and DRM in the URL. The site also deals with DRM receivers (gh, DXLD) SACKVILLE DRM QRMS RHC You are listening to the mid week edition of Dxers Unlimited, and here is a preliminary answer to a question sent in by several listeners that pick up our broadcasts on 6000 kiloHertz to North America. The noise that is now heard at some hours on that frequency is apparently coming from a transmitter located in Sackville, Canada. The transmitter is broadcasting using the DRM, Digital Radio Mondiale standard, and its bandwidth is according to what I have heard here in Havana well beyond the DRM standard's maximum bandwidth. As DRM is a completely new broadcasting technology that requires transmitters to be extremely linear in their operation, I was not surprised when my e- mail box was full of complaints about the DRM incompatibility problem on the 6000 kiloHertz frequency. Now we must wait and see if engineers at the Sackville, Canada, transmitter site become aware of the problem and are able to adjust the equipment so that it will not use up such a large bandwidth that causes problems to stations operating on frequencies near to the DRM broadcasts. Any reports about poor reception on 6000 kiloHertz caused by a rushing sound coming from the DRM broadcasts from Canada will be most appreciated. Send them to arnie@radiohc.cu or via fax to the following number, country code 53, then dial 78785810, again our FAX number is country code 53, then 7-8-785810. If you have any news or information about DRM Digital Radio Mondiale tests in progress, it will also will be most appreciated, as many broadcast engineers around the world are concerned with the real life compatibility of DRM with current AM modulation short wave broadcasts. Remember, any rushing type sound heard on top of our 6000 kiloHertz frequency may be coming from the DRM transmitter operating nearby [6010] and the more we learn about the problem will help to try to solve it so that you can continue listening to Radio Havana Cuba's 6000 kiloHertz frequency the way you have always heard us at this time of the year (Arnie Coro A., CO2KK, RHC DXers Unlimited Dec 23 via Bob Chandler, VE3SRE, ODXA via DXLD) This may well be a problem correctly described, but what about RHC`s own squealy transmitters such as nearby 5990 with CRI at 2300? These also cover excessive bandwidth. And Cuba`s intentional jamming of other broadcasters, also causing collateral damage??? Does Cuba thus not forfeit any claim to assistance when it faces unintentional interference? The current DRM schedule via Media Network shows 6010 in use only at 0000-0059 and 0400-0459 with 70 kW from Sackville in two westerly beams with BBCWS in English (gh, DXLD) DRM, digital radio mondiale systems tests continue but they seem to be targeted not to the general audience of short wave listeners at all, as the actual number of radios and adapters able to pick up the DRM digital broadcasts is extremely low. In order to pick up the DRM transmissions you will need either a special receiver or a combination of a digitally tuned very stable receiver and a computer program that will decode the DRM into analog audio output from your computer's soundcard. It is remarkable that so far the DRM consortium has not offered a freeware version of the software required to be able to listen to such experimental transmissions that are supposedly the beginning of a new era in short wave broacasting. Beginnings that only a very selected few engineers at the properly equipped monitoring stations can listen to. Seems like marketing is definitely not the strong side of the DRM consortium !!! (Arnie Coro A., CO2KK, RHC DXers Unlimited Dec 30 via Bob Chandler, VE3SRE, ODXA via DXLD) UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ May I send my Best Wishes for 2004 and thank you for the invaluable work you are doing. 73s from (Noel Green, England) Hi Glenn, Just a short note to wish you personally a Happy New Year. I note that you produced 235 issues of DXLD in 2003, not to mention the other things you do! Your continuing dedication to shortwave listening and DXing is something that never ceases to amaze me. Ever since I started out an SWL in the late 1960's, you've been there. You've hinted that you might consider slowing down a bit, and not only do you deserve to take it easier after so many long years, but it would be a good idea to wean the SWL community into relying less on you and a bit more on their own efforts. Your efforts are certainly not taken for granted, as proven by the number of unsolicited testimonials you receive --- but I sometimes wonder how some people would function in the hobby if they didn't have DXLD to help them figure out what they're listening to :-) As for actually slowing down, as opposed to hinting at it, I'll believe that when I see it! 73, (Andy Sennitt, Holland, Jan 1) As we are now beginning a new year I want to express my special thanks to Glenn and Wolfgang for all the bulletins received in 2003. Since I also do some bulletin editing for the ARC, I am well aware of all the effort and time it takes to edit just one single bulletin --- and Glenn has produced 235 of them in just one year! All the best to you all for 2004! (Olle Alm, Sweden) Re: DXLD TOO MULTILINGUAL? Duane F in DXLD 3-232: "Let me give you an example Glenn, perhaps it will help to open your mind to the nearly infinite scope of this problem. While you tend to reduce things to a personal deficiency standpoint, I prefer to work with empirical techniques. Commonly known as Science and the scientific method'. /.../ There is no need to be concerned about the World Of Radio posts here, [he means DXLD notifications] as the blind and print handicapped are well aware they sometimes contain lethal characters." My comment: If only all these bright, intelligent Americans for once could open up their minds enough to grasp the other side of this problem: There exist a world outside the US limited borders. That is the world which for decades have been bullied into using a non-native language filled with "lethal" characters (American English) just to have their computers work according to American idiosyncrasies. Just to cope the world eventually got blessed with "extended ASCII", but in this borderless Internet era non Americans are still forced to use lower ASCII on the Internet. Not because computers are stupid or prone to break down, nor because American "scientists" are too stupid to fix "the problem", but rather because a bunch of Americans are too unwilling to do so. Unicode anyone? And thanks to Glenn Hauser for trying to understand and manage in a world of multiple languages, cultures and brains. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (Hermod Pedersen, HCDX Web Editor ) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ ARNIE CORO'S DXERS UNLIMITED'S HF PLUS LOW BAND VHF PROPAGATION UPDATE AND FORECAST Solar sunspot count around 55 and moving down, solar flux will be reaching the below 100 units mark really soon, and the A index, or planetary geomagnetic disturbance indicator will be also down below 8 units --- but not for long, as scientists are forecasting yet another coronal hole related increase in solar wind speed and particle count. There are some probabilities of sporadic E openings for the frequency range between 20 and 100 megaHertz, as the winter E skip season is now on its way. Expect still rather high maximum useable frequencies on some paths during your local daylight hours, so call CQ from time to time on 10 and 12 meters and you may be pleasantly surprised with a DX station or two answering (Arnie Coro A., CO2KK, RHC DXers Unlimited Dec 30 via Bob Chandler, VE3SRE, ODXA via DXLD) THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE SEATTLE, WA, Jan 2, 2004 --- This is the first ``Solar Update`` for 2004 --- time to review averages from 2003 and compare them to revious years. From the third quarter of 2002 through the last quarter of 2003, the average daily sunspot numbers were 193.5, 152.7, 120.3, 107.3, 110.2 and 99.2. Average daily solar flux for the same six quarters were 178.1, 164.2, 134.3, 124.2, 120.8 and 137.4. Average daily sunspot numbers for 1997 through 2003 were 30.7, 88.7, 136.3, 173, 170.3, 176.6 and 109.2. Average daily solar flux for the same seven years was 81, 117.9, 153.7, 179.6, 181.6, 179.5 and 129.2. By averaging the daily numbers on an annual basis, we certainly can see a decline in the solar cycle over the past few years. Over the next week, expect solar flux numbers between 120 and 125. A geomagnetic forecast for January 1 predicted planetary A index values for January 2-8 of 20, 15, 35, 30, 35, 35 and 25. With the exception of this Saturday, January 3, those numbers portend rough conditions with geomagnetic storms --- especially in those cases where the A index is above 30. This should be the result of a big blast of solar wind beginning on Sunday, January 4. Remember that the long winter nights are great for 160, 80, 60, 40 and 30 meters. The typically higher summertime noise is long gone, and long hours of darkness are great for the lower frequencies --- at least when there isn`t a major geomagnetic storm. In the past we`ve featured links to US and Canadian sites that offer information on space weather, but you might want to check out The Australian Space Weather Agency page http://www.ips.gov.au/ Click on ``Space Weather`` to view an update on geomagnetic indices and HF fadeout warnings. Select ``HF Systems,`` and then look to the vertical field on the left and click on links to ionospheric maps for Australasia, Asia, North America, North Atlantic and Europe. If you`ve ever been interested in plotting solar flux and sunspot numbers, in the past we`ve mentioned the free Solar Data Plotting Utility, by Scott Craig, WA4TTK, which runs in Windows. The Solar Data Plotting Utility is available from Craig`s Web site http://www.craigcentral.com/sol.asp The page indicates that an MS-DOS version of the program is available too. The Windows version specified Windows 95 or Windows NT4, but I`ve used it with Windows 98, Windows 98 SE, Windows 2000 Pro and Windows XP with no problems. On New Year`s Eve, I uploaded 15 years of data for his program to his Web site. This is nice if you haven`t been running this program before and updating the data file. The software can pull the data out of the bottom of this weekly bulletin and add it to the existing data file. It can also grab the data via FTP from the ARRL. If you have any gaps or are starting new with this program, the complete data file through December 31, 2003, can be quite handy. Download it if you need it, and you can add to it weekly or daily from now on. For more information about propagation and an explanation of the numbers used in this bulletin see the Propagation page on the ARRL Web site http://www2.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html Sunspot numbers for December 25 through 31 were 58, 65, 47, 47, 56, 15 and 25, with a mean of 44.7. The 10.7 cm flux was 139.1, 137.2, 161.5, 119, 114.5, 107.7 and 105.6, with a mean of 126.4. Estimated planetary A indices were 6, 9, 12, 12, 6, 8 and 17, with a mean of 10. Amateur solar observer Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, provides this weekly report on solar conditions and propagation. This report also is available via W1AW every Friday and an abbreviated version also appears in The ARRL Letter. Readers may contact the author via k7ra@arrl.net Copyright © 2004, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved (via John Norfolk, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###