DX LISTENING DIGEST 4-095, June 21, 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 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 NEXT AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1234: Tue 1600 on WBCQ after-hours http://wbcq.com repeated weekdaily Wed 0930 on WWCR 9475 Mon 0330 on WSUI 910, webcast http://wsui.uiowa.edu 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 1234 (high version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1234h.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1234h.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1234.html WORLD OF RADIO 1234 (low version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1234.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1234.rm WORLD OF RADIO 1234 in MP3, the true shortwave sound of 7415: (stream) http://www.piratearchive.com/media/worldofradio_06-16-04.m3u (d`load) http://www.piratearchive.com/media/worldofradio_06-16-04.mp3 FIRST AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1235: Wed 2200 on WBCQ 7415, 17495-CUSB Thu 2030 on WWCR 15825 ON DEMAND: from early UT Thursday, change 1234 above to 1235 MUNDO RADIAL junio-julio: Tres veces por semana en WWCR 15825: martes 2130, miércoles 2100, viernes 2115; y en segmentos por Radio Enlace de RN, los viernes y domingos. Además: (corriente) http://www.w4uvh.net/mr0406.ram (bajable) http://www.w4uvh.net/mr0406.rm (guión) http://www.worldofradio.com/mr0406.html DXLD YAHOOGROUP: Why wait for DXLD? A lot more info, not all of it appearing in DXLD later, is posted at our new yg. Here`s where to sign up. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dxld/ (Glenn Hauser, May 13, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. R. Australia Frequency Schedule --- Hi! I just heard, I think in the latest DXing with Cumbre, that there was a handy complete R. Australia frequency schedule on their website. As I recall, from looking for such a thing with UT times on it in the past, they didn't have one. In any case, there is one up there now, at http://www.abc.net.au/ra/hear/pdf/frequencies.pdf with an April 2004 date on it. It's 4 PDF pages (the last one is just satellite info). However, if you are at the page above that, in which it lists all sorts of regions and lets you click on each to get local-time frequency schedules for each one, don't you believe the "USA Central" one (at http://www.abc.net.au/ra/hear/usac.htm )! Not only is it wildly optimistic, giving frequencies and times around the clock, the whole day long (and we well know that RA is only hearable at some times) but it doesn't even mention 9590 kHz, the ONLY frequency we can hear RA on in the morning after they cut off the better 9580 abruptly (and rudely, with no warning, before the top of the hour, with no frequency-change announcement like they give at other times) at 1400 UT. Unfortunately, that change comes just before "The Science Show" on Sunday mornings. Anybody know just *why* they run 9580 and 9590 in parallel before then, and then decide to kill the *better* of the two? However, what really does surprise me is that they even *mention* any North American areas in this guide. I thought that RA officially cut off North America as a target area some months ago and don't even acknowledge that we can hear them here! Does this inclusion of such references to the US (West, Central, and East in the table) mean that that policy has been changed or withdrawn? Regards, (Will Martin, MO, June 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Will, They officially don't beam their signal purposely to the USA but as many transmissions are targeted at the Pacific, it is indeed possible to hear them at optimal times. Seeing John Figliozzi does their publicity and I believe he resides in the US, Radio Australia would 'like' to target the US. The change of frequencies is possibly due to differences in daylight hours, as opposed to your nighttime and Early listening hours. 73 (Tim Gaynor, GCC, QLD, Australia, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. CHRISTIAN RADIO: CONVERSION ON THE AIRWAVES This is a transcript from AM. The program is broadcast around Australia at 08:00 on ABC Local Radio. You can also listen to the story in REAL AUDIO and WINDOWS MEDIA formats. http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2004/s1135749.htm AM - Saturday, 19 June , 2004 08:24:00 Reporter: Anne Barker HAMISH ROBERTSON: Now to another form of religious broadcasting in Indonesia Residents in the remote West Australian Kimberley are divided over plans to broadcast the gospel from local transmitters to the world's largest Muslim nation. A global Christian organisation already beams a shortwave signal from transmitters just outside Kununurra. The group's Australian Director is in town this weekend to discuss plans for another 31 transmission towers to extend its broadcasts to half the world's population. But as Anne Barker reports, some residents fear a Muslim backlash, even a terror attack, if the plan is allowed to proceed. (Sound of radio program: "This is the voice of the Great Southland HCJB Australia.") ANNE BARKER: It's an unlikely setting for an evangelical radio station. But if the Christian missionary group, HCJB or Heralding Christ Jesus' Blessings gets its way, the small outback town of Kununurra will soon beam the gospel to 60 per cent of the world's population. (Sound of radio program: "Today's 'Plain Talk' program marks the 20th in this series of bible studies from the Book of Ephesians.") KAREN PERCY: HCJB has been broadcasting its overtly Christian message on shortwave radio for 75 years, mostly from Ecuador in South America. A year ago it installed transmitters in Kununurra to extend the signal from its Melbourne studios to south-east Asia. But it wants to build another 31 towers more than a hundred metres high to extend its reach across Asia and the south Pacific to Europe, the Middle East and Africa. (Sound of radio program: "And welcome to another edition of 'Praise and Worship'") ANNE BARKER: HCJB's Australian Director, David Maindonald says he makes no apologies for broadcasting an unashamedly Christian message to predominantly Muslim nations like Indonesia. DAVID MAINDONALD: You look at the statistics of a great country like Indonesia, and you will see that it has a 10 per cent Christian population there, and so we want to encourage the Christian people that live in that country as well. ANNE BARKER: Do you have any concerns about inflaming the sectarian tensions in Indonesia between Islamic militants and Christians? DAVID MAINDONALD: We don't get involved in the political side of things at all. We also have people within these countries, as I said before, who are Christian, and we seek to be guided by them in our programming so that we don't do anything that would create any difficulties for anybody, and we seek to keep well clear of that. (Sound of radio program: "Welcome to another broadcast of the 'Hour of Decision' with Billy Graham.") ANNE BARKER: But even before the towers are built tensions are flared much closer to home. A sizeable number of Kununurra residents have opposed plans for a Christian radio presence in town, and while the local Council has already approved the extra towers, HCJB is yet to be given the rights to any land. One Shire Councillor, Keith Wright, says many residents fear the repercussions of beaming a Christian signal into Indonesia. KEITH WRIGHT: It might be the fact that some governments or some fanatical religious organisations don't like their people listening to it, and if they can't persuade them to turn off the radios voluntarily, they might decide to stop the broadcast at their source. ANNE BARKER: So, what, are you fearing some sort of backlash against the people of Kununurra? KEITH WRIGHT: There could very well be, yes. I mean, you can't pre- empt what some radical people might do. HAMISH ROBERTSON: Keith Wright, who is a Shire Councillor at Kununurra in Western Australia's Kimberley. He was talking there to Anne Barker (via Mike Terry, dxldyg and Larry Nebron, DXLD) ** AUSTRIA. Greetings Mr. Hauser --- Received a letter and program schedule from ORF Austria, regarding joining some type of club they're starting up, different levels of participation with appropriate costs in Euros. Like the DW questionaire I received earlier, the correspondence and schedule are in GERMAN. Best Regards (Ben Loveless, WB9FJO ex-WPE9JLQ, Michigan, June 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) As in 4-094 ** AUSTRIA. Jose Jacob notes that an amateur station with the special callsign OE80XRW (the 1st digit is the letter OH and the middle digit is the number zero) will be on the air from Vienna from June 1 until the end of the year to commemorate the 80th anniversary of regular broadcasting in Austria. On several previous occasions, there has been an interesting co-operation between the government broadcasting service ORF-ROI and the amateur radio world. On each of the previous notable events, special QSL cards have been issued for the occasion (AWR Wavescan June 20 via DXLD) ** BANGLADESH. I just came back from a vacation on the west coast, and of course I took the ICF-SW77 along. I did some DXing at Yosemite N.P. (CA), Lake Tahoe (CA), and Crater Lake N.P. (OR). Unfortunately, I had a problem with local electrical noise just about everywhere. So it was difficult to do any really serious DXing. From Yosemite Gatehouse near the park north entrance: Was horrible for electrical noise. Anything below about 4100 was wiped out. Plus, there was a low level noise on frequencies above as well. MW was useless too. But on the last morning, I was surprised to find MW fairly clear, so did some recording after SW faded. Started with a 100' wire south, then changed it the next day (11th) to W-NW, but it really didn't help. The noise seemed to vary in freq range during the day. At 1045 UT, found the sweeper in the 5035-5050 and 4775-4800 ranges. The former is a new range I've never heard before, and there was an absence of the one centered around 4900. 4775-4800 was fairly strong, but nothing like on the east coast. (10 June) 7185, Bangladesh Betar, 1228, IS audio distorted. Dead air, 1229 instrumental music, full ID by M in English starting with greeting ("Hello listeners...") for external service. Then W with ID and into news. Weak. (10 June) (Dave Valko, Cumbre DX via DXLD) More under INDONESIA, PAPUA NEW GUINEA ** CANADA. Subject: LATEST REPLY FROM RCI From: RCI rcimtl @ RADIO-CANADA.CA Subject: Re: Reception report from India for Maple Leaf Mailbag special QSL Date: Sat, 12 Jun 2004 01:43:09 IST Dear Sir: Thank you very much for your e-mail of the 8th. We will verify your report with the special QSL card when it is available. However, since the design has not yet been chosen, there will certainly be a delay. Yours very truly, Bill Westenhaver, RCI Audience Relations (via Rajeep Das, June 20, DXLD) ** CANADA. In past elections, RCI and MW stations like CBA Moncton have broadcast East Coast results long before the embargo was lifted in Ontario and the west. (FW) ELECTIONS CANADA ENDS VOTE COUNT BLACKOUT -- CTV.ca News Staff http://sympaticomsn.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1086916599122_82325799?hub=topstories Canada's chief electoral officer has decided that Canadians will be able to learn election results of time zones ahead of theirs, even before their own polls have closed. The decision, announced suddenly Thursday night, means that broadcasters and websites such as CTV.ca will not be forced to delay transmitting election results while polls are still open in the West, as they had previously been required to do. Elections Canada says the decision stems from a court case in British Columbia involving Paul Bryan of Coquitlam. Bryan was charged after posting results from the 2000 federal election on the Internet before the polls closed in B.C. He contended in court that Section 329 of the Canada Elections Act, which prohibits early results transmission, was contrary to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Federal lawyers argued the blackout is necessary to avoid influencing the results in time zones where the polls are still open. Some westerners had complained that elections were often over before they had a chance to vote, leaving them to feel that their votes had no value. But the court ruled that the ban had the effect of impeding the free flow of information. As a result of the Bryan case, the section is of no force and effect in British Columbia. Although the decision will be appealed, the appeal has yet to be heard. Therefore, in order to achieve uniform application of the Elections Act, Chief Electoral Officer of Canada, Jean-Pierre Kingsley says the B.C. decision will be applied across Canada for now. "The Chief Electoral Officer has reviewed the B.C. Supreme Court decision with Raymond Landry, the Commissioner of Canada Elections," Elections Canada said in a news release Thursday night. "In consequence, Mr. Kingsley announced that, to achieve uniform application of the Act across the country, the decision of the British Columbia Supreme Court will be applied across Canada in the current general election pending a decision from the British Columbia Court of Appeal." The decision means that voters in B.C., where polls close at 7 p.m. local time (10 p.m ET) will be able to see results from Newfoundland - - where polls close at 8:30 p.m. local time, or 7 p.m. ET -- for more than two hours before their own polls close (via Fred Waterer, Ont., June 16, DXLD) The obvious(?) solution is to open and close polls at the same absolute time everywhere in the country; do it by UT, and why not a full 24-hour or even 29.5-hour period, i.e. from midnight in N&L to midnight in BC? What is this nonsense that people have to know ASAP in prime time the outcome of elexions, anyway? (Glenn Hauser, USA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Undoubtedly, some of these shows may end up on RCI. Cheers (Ricky Leong, Montreal, June 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ========== http://www3.cbc.ca/sections/newsitem_redux.asp?ID=3498 SUMMER WAVES CBC RADIO LAUNCHES EXCITING SUMMER SCHEDULE JUNE 28, 2004 Join CBC Radio as we launch a vibrant summer schedule for both CBC Radio One and CBC Radio Two that brings you an exhilarating array of new programming. The summer schedule begins June 28. In total, 19 new shows will debut, in conjunction with the best of our regular season. These programs have been created to entertain Canadians and connect them with what's going on across the country this summer. Most of the new shows are the outcome of CBC Radio's ongoing commitment to a program development process that underscores our promise to reflect all Canadians across the country in the way we create new programming. Summer programming highlights include: Bunny Watson, a new Saturday morning show from Vancouver in which the world is Bill Richardson's library, and features Richardson finding interesting connections through books, movies and music; Wiretap, a show from Montreal that features Jonathan Goldstein exploring interesting themes and ideas through the intimacy and immediacy of phone calls; Sweet Justice, a Halifax program that takes an innovative approach to exploring the legal issues that make you roll your eyes as you read your morning paper; and Jian Ghomeshi hosts 50 Tracks, a show that sorts through the thousands of CDs released every year to build a list of the essential songs of the 20th century. To help capture the flavour of Canada in the summer, the schedule includes The Circuit: Your Summer Festival Pass, an Edmonton-based show with Peter Brown that features the best performances from summer festivals across the country. We are also pleased to debut Sunny Days (and Nights), created by the team that brought you CBC Radio's cult classic The Great Eastern. It's an all-new foray into subtle humour, mind-bending satire and big laughs as they chronicle the summertime antics of Canucks in cottage country (via Ricky Leong, QC, DXLD) Details? (gh) You can find full details on all of our new summer programs, as of June 24, at http://www.cbc.ca/radiosummer For further information: Doug Flavelle, CBC Radio Communications, (416) 205-8956, doug_flavelle @ cbc.ca (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) Radio Summer 2004 season programming. Jian Ghomeshi? Some of us will tune to the new with-it Première Chaîne of SRC, available in most urban areas, if you look, across the country. Music is music in any language. ======================== Changes in store for CBC French Radio - Doing More for Culture - Doing More for Music - Doing More for Young Adults MONTREAL, May 7 /CNW Telbec/ - Big changes are in store for CBC French Radio: the Première Chaîne will add 12 hours of cultural content to its weekly programming, while the Chaîne Culturelle is gearing up for a makeover, with a new focus on musical diversity and Canadian talent, and late nights given over entirely to the 16-to-34 age group. Through these changes, CBC French Radio confirms its public service mandate, and becomes more distinctive than ever on the airwaves. "At a time when French-language radio in Canada is becoming increasingly homogenous, this challenge is more and more relevant. Defending cultural diversity and our musical heritage, are major, national priorities that are rooted in our commitment to public service," says Sylvain Lafrance, Vice-President, French Radio and New Media. CULTURE: A TOP PRIORITY FOR CBC FRENCH RADIO Today, culture is more than ever in need of support and of an audience. This is the underlying reason for Radio-Canada's decision to increase cultural content on the Première Chaîne, one of French- speaking Canada's foremost sources for news and information. Beginning next fall, the Première Chaîne will feature 12 additional hours of cultural programming per week, over and above the constant stream of cultural items that already figure in regular broadcasts. Such an infusion of culture will complement current programming and provide a portal to the world of arts and entertainment, including théâtre, cinema, dance, literature and the visual arts. And given the Première Chaîne's nearly one million listeners, these new cultural programs will be able to reach a much larger audience. MUSICAL DIVERSITY: THE CHAINE CULTURELLE'S NEW CALLING Music will become to the soon-to-be-revamped Chaîne Culturelle what news is to the Première Chaîne: a vital, all-pervading, passionate and impassioned force that sets out to represent current reality and Canadian diversity while embracing the world. With daily programming revolving around four styles --- classical, jazz, world music and French song --- musical content will be resolutely pluralistic. This musical diversity will not only give the network a warm and friendly tone on the airwaves, it will also provide a forum for discovery by spotlighting music and musicians who receive little airplay elsewhere. Numerous partnerships with professionals from the music and entertainment scenes across the country will nourish this diversity while fostering talent and creativity. YOUNG ADULTS: FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF BANDEAPART.FM While daytime programming on the new network will target listeners aged 35 to 54, listeners aged 16 to 34 won't be left out: nighttime will be their time. The network's evening programming will be modelled on Bandeapart.fm, a youth-oriented music website and Première Chaîne program that explores emerging trends and connects listeners from around the world. Every night, the new network will hand the mike to singers and every possible genre of group, and bring you the latest music trends, be they from Montréal, Vancouver, Moncton, London or Berlin. The new face of the Chaîne Culturelle, whose new name will be revealed shortly, thus strengthens Radio-Canada's public service mandate by offering listeners across the country even more choice and diversity in radio content --- a choice offered by a network dedicated to providing top-quality information and cultural content on the one hand, and musical diversity from home and abroad on the other. For further information: Guylaine Bergeron, Senior Director, Promotion and Broadcast Strategy, CBC French Radio, (514) 597-4767, guylaine_bergeron @ radio-canada.ca (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** CHINA. CRI's Chinese-Language Course Starts June 21 CRI English is re-running its 212-lesson Chinese course starting Monday June 21. Each lesson is broadcast for two or three consecutive days There is a "revision" lesson on the seventh day. The lessons, which are about two minutes' long, are heard at the end of CRI's daily programme (Roger Tidy, UK, June 21, dxldyg via DXLD) O, I think we are already too late to catch ep 1, as CRI`s day begins at 1600 UT, does it not? Or is it 0000 UT. Wonder if the Chicom are subtly brainwashing listeners with content of the lessons. If I hear one more reference to ``work units``, I`ll scream. Even if they are not, the fact that this question could be raised speaks volumes for the prehistoric state of Chicom government media (Glenn Hauser, USA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. CHINA TV PLANS GLOBAL EXPANSION --- China Central TV plans to become a global media operator starting with the launch of four new international television channels. By the end of 2004 CCTV plans two new channels for overseas Chinese viewers, while French and Spanish channels will be launched in October. CCTV says that the new channels are not designed to generate significant revenues but instead are "brand building" exercises (June AIB newsletter via DXLD) ** CUBA [and non]. The following evidently appeared last August, and the subject has been covered here before, but in case there is some additional info about Cuba`s involvement in jamming US satellite communications: (gh) INTERFERENCIA HOSTIL, By Manuel Cereijo Cuba está interfiriendo las transmisiones de satélites que están enviando señales de radio y televisión, desde bases dentro de los Estados Unidos, hacia Iran. Cuba lo hace desde su base de Bejucal, 20 millas de La Habana. Esta interferencia desde la Base Electrónica de Bejucal, está afectando también ciertas señales en Europa y en el Medio Este. Con la tecnología actual, aunque no es fácil, se puede localizar exactamente dónde se origina una interferencia de un satélite. Es por ello que se ha podido localizar que la interferencia es hecha de Cuba. El satélite que está siendo interferido desde hace ya 4 semanas, exactamente desde el 5 de Julio, es el Telstar 12, en el este del Atlántico, operado por la firma Loral Skynet. Los iraníes, utilizando discos pequeños de recepción, habían estado oyendo y viendo transmisiones, tanto de noticias, como de entretenimiento, y las transmisiones habían adquirido una audiencia grande. También se están siendo interferidas por Cuba, transmisiones en el idioma Farsi, desde Los Ángeles, utilizando el satellite Telstar 5 de Estados Unidos. Estas transmisiones se transfieren al Telepuerto de Alexandria, Virginia, donde se combinan con las transmisiones de La Voz de Las Américas [sic], y se envían también a través del satélite Telstar 12. Cuba e Irán mantienen relaciones muy cercanas desde hace mas de 12 años. Cuba le construyó, diseñó, y le dió toda la tecnología y equipamiento a Irán para la construcción del mayor Centro de Ingenieria Genética y Biotecnología de esa región. El proyecto duró 3 años, y se inauguró en Mayo del 2001. A cambio, Cuba ha estado recibiendo petróleo de Irán. Base de Bejucal En 1995, Cuba y Rusia llegaron a un acuerdo, por el cual Rusia le construiría una base similar a la base rusa de Lourdes para el uso del gobierno cubano. La construcción duró tres años, desde el año 1995 a Enero de 1998, con una inversión de $750 millones de dólares. La base empezó a funcionar parcialmente a mitad de 1997, y en plena actividad en Enero de 1998. No es coincidencia que el departamento de Defensa de los Estados Unidos denunció un aumento enorme en las actividades de penetración de sus computadoras a partir de 1998. La base fue construida en Bejucal, a 20 millas de La Habana. La base tiene una extensión de 20 millas cuadradas, un poco más pequeña que Lourdes, ya desmantelada, pero más moderna. Para la función de espiar telecomunicaciones, utiliza equipos tanto de computadoras de alta velocidad y funcionamiento, conocidas como HPC, adquiridas de China, quien a su vez las adquirió en los Estados Unidos, así como equipos de reconocimiento de voz, sintetizadores, etc. Hay tres sistemas de redes computacionales: las de uso general, las dedicadas a funciones fijas, así como las de reconocimiento del patron de voz. La base de Bejucal tiene 10 antenas conectadas a satélites. La base de Bejucal puede realizar otras actividades aun más importantes y peligrosas para la seguridad nacional de los Estados Unidos. Entre ellas: introducirse en las redes computacionales de este país para obtener información de los files dentro de las mismas; el poder alterar la información de los files, sin conocimiento del usuario, y lo más peligroso, el cambiar las órdenes de mando de los sistemas computacionales, lo cual puede paralizar o alterar la infraestructura básica de un país. Puede, así mismo, interferir las telecomunicaciones dentro de un país, o hacia otro país. En 1999, después de extensas negociaciones entre Raúl Castro y el Ministro de Defensa de China, Chi Haotian, así como el General Dong Liang Ju, se llegó a un acuerdo entre China y Cuba, donde personal militar chino utilizaría la base de Bejucal junto al personal cubano, pero más importante aun, la base utilizaría los satélites de comunicación de China, y no los de Rusia. China es el país que más satélites de comunicación ha lanzado al espacio en el período entre 1999 y Mayo del 2003, habiendo lanzado más de 30 satélites desde su base de Taiyuan, cerca de Beijing. El personal chino, en colaboración con los cubanos, en un proyecto conocido como Proyecto Titán, han también construido dos bases de antenas, una en Wajay, La Habana, y la otra en Santiago de Cuba, conocida como la "finca de las antennas". Desde estas dos bases se realizan innumerables investigaciones en las áreas de interferencia de telecomunicaciones, alteraciones meteorológicas, emisión de radiaciones de radiofrecuencia, etc. En resumen, esto representa un acto hostil no sólo contra los Estados Unidos, sino contra el derecho universal a la información de los pueblos, y demuestra la capacidad potencial que posee Cuba de interferir señales dentro de los Estados Unidos. También demuestra, que tanto en la rama biotecnológica, como en la cibernética, la tecnología de Cuba es superior a la de Ir’an. Ambos países están clasificados como países terroristas. TOMADO DE LA EDICION "GUARACABUYA", ORGANO OFICIAL DE LA SOCIEDAD ECONOMICA DE AMIGOS DEL PAIS. FIN Cordiales 73's (via Oscar de Céspedes, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** CUBA [non]. I took a closer look at the R. Martí program grid referenced here a while ago, http://www.martinoticias.com/rm_sch_spa.html and clicked on the text version http://www.martinoticias.com/rm_sch_spa_txt.html hoping it might be conveniently copyable, but guess what, as the extension implies, it`s also an html grid! How well-done is this website! In fact, it is all-talk (if not all-news); there are no music shows left, not even the one I used to like (tho there was too much yammering in it even then), so I just pick out a few intriguing titles, times here converted from UT -4 to UT: Tue/Thu/Sat 0400-0430 El Periódico Grampa [a takeoff on the official commie paper Granma, which, yes, is named after Castro`s revolutionary boat, which was really named for someone`s grandmother in English]; also airs Sun 2000-2030. Wed/Fri/Sun 0400-0430 Las Noticias y el Jefe Sat 0900-0930 El Cubano y su Fe [perhaps a repository for everything non-Catholic? Bet this too is Catholic-dominant, if not exclusive] Sun 0900-0930 Noticiario Cultural Cubano Sun 1100-1200 La Misa Sat 2300-0130 Sun La Pelota [play by play sports, presumably béisbol now, the only show hilited in red! --- at least this week --- as of 6/20 the days are marked for the week 6/14-6/20, tho in the lower right corner of the so-called text version, it says 6/7-6/13] (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR. Hi Glenn: Re: DXLD 4-094 and DXPL airing wrong broadcast direct via HCJB Ecuador. This morning I woke up early and heard the program on 12005 kHz, 1230 UT featuring the report from EDXP followed by a repeat feature produced/presented by Rich and Lisa McVicar about National Anthems. This program featured NA's from Latin America (Colombia, Venezuela, Perú and Ecuador). I did not catch the show right from the beginning so I'm not sure if it was dated for this weekend or not. Since [DXPL`s almost] leaving HCJB-Ecuador I have missed more shows than I listen to. I do download them but never seem to get around to listening to them. The 0200 Sunday UT transmission via WWCR just doesn't make it here in the summer with such a low frequency. The sun sets here just past 0400 UT at this time of year so I'm usually outside in the back yard enjoying a bonfire and the higher HF bands on the portable. RNZI being my favorite (Mick Delmage, AB, June 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Contrary to my remark last time, I did tune in June 19 about midway thru at 1245 (squeezed by RHC on 12000 and something else on 12010); old show ended about 1255, music fill, and Allen Graham came on to plug next week`s show, so apparently a deliberate fill-in. I believe he mentioned recently he is about to go back to Ecuador in July (?), apparently having raised enough on ``home ministry`` to sustain his next stint there (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) For what it's worth, this morning's Ecuadorian airing of DXPL *was* a new edition, but it was one filled mainly with an old recording of Latin American national anthems instead of new material (except for a reading of Bob Padula's report) since the host was travelling and didn't have time to produce a complete new edition (Will Martin, MO, June 19, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR. DX HCJB --- Pessoal, Ouvi agora há pouco entre 0100 e 0130 UT [domingo] nos 11920 kHz o excelente programa DX HCJB na emissora equatoriana. Em um estilo ágil e bastante agradável o programa contou com grande participação do DX Clube do Brasil através das noticias com o Célio Romais, artigo com Adalberto Marques de Azevedo. Caio Lopes e Marcelo Bedene apresentaram material preparado por Célio Romais e Wilson Rodrigues; também foi levada ao ar uma entrevista relacionada ao Encontro DX de Lorena. Mais um espaço conquistado pelos dexistas e radioescutas brasileiros, vale a pena nosso apoio a este excelente programa. 73 (Samuel Cássio Martins, São Carlos SP, June 19, radioescutas via DXLD) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. Re 4-093: ``Voice of Ethiopian Salvation changes via DTK T-systems: 0700-0800 on 21550 JUL 100 kW / 145 deg Sun to EaAf in Amharic, cancelled 1600-1700 on 15670 JUL 100 kW / 145 deg Thu/Sun to EaAf in Amharic, ex Thu only (Observer 316 Jun 15, 2004)`` I believe that the 21550 actually is Voice Of Democratic Path For Ethiopian Unity... They have another transmission: 15565 1830-1930 Wednesday (Silvain Domen, Belgium, June 19, dxldyg via DXLD) CLANDESTINE - 15670 V. of Ethiopian Salvation *1600-1640 June 17 [Thu]. Presumed with opening flute theme at 1600, then opening anmt and talks in HoA language; musical break at 1616 was followed by more talks (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Drake R-8, 100-foot RW, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** GERMANY. Noted the DW World DX program still airs the last Sunday of the month at the end of the Mailbag program. Last heard May 30/04. That program airs during the 0800, 1100, 1300, 1600, 1800, 2000 and 2200 time slots. They still refuse to mention this program in their printed material. 73 (Mick Delmage, AB, June 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) So next would be June 27 (gh) ** GUIANA FRENCH. 15515 still with the big buzz for the fourth day in a row, as quickly checked around 1330 June 20. And the fifth, June 21. Would not be surprising if the same transmitter at other times of day is also doing this on other frequencies; anyone notice? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. Crater Lake Resort (cabins), Ft. Klamath OR: Again, I was hindered by the cabin orientation. Was located in the middle of the E-W row of cabins with the manager`s home adjacent to the north. The only option was laying the antenna wire on the ground to the south. There was some noise here too from the "resort". 3976.1, RRI Pontianak, 1136, Warta Berita by W with mention of Indonesia, warta berita, Kalimantan, Jakarta, president, and one actuality by M. 1145 M announcer, 1148 peppy march music. 1149 beautiful ID and program notes by W announcer. Into Bryan Adams song "Heaven" remake. Signal about same as at home in Winter on a decent morning. (15 June) 4790, RRI Fak Fak, 1210 Jakarta warta berita by W announcer with English interview of "Michael" at R. Sweden about 3 Indonesian gunmen arrested in Sweden (were Swedish citizens since the 70's) for human rights violations. W thanked him for his interview with Radio Republik Indonesia. 1216 deep-voiced M announcer with interview outro, then different M with report mentioning president, and an actuality to 1220. More news by M announcer with reports mentioning president, government, Jakarta, Islam. Went right past BoH with Jakarta news. 1233 news outro, anthem to 1235. Then M with nice QTH ID/frequency (pronounced QTH as "Fok Fok"). (15 June) (Dave Valko, OR, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** ISLE OF MAN. New UK radio station to be launched --- 18 June 2004 A PRIVATE broadcaster plans to launch a new UK-wide commercial AM radio station aimed at women shoppers and plans to raise £13m ahead of next year's float. There are currently only three commercial radio stations licensed to broadcast nationally in Britain - ClassicFM, Virgin Radio and TalkSport - with the latter two on the AM broadcasting band. Although FM radio stations are more common and offer a better quality listening experience, they have a limited broadcast range which restricts their transmission area. Isle of Man International Broadcasting said it had obtained a full broadcast licence from the Isle of Man government to operate across the UK and the Republic of Ireland on a long wave frequency, found at the lower end of the AM band, which will transmit as far as parts of continental Europe. But Richard Menzies-Gow, an analyst with Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, said it was an ambitious venture. 'Listeners now are much more discerning about quality... they don't want crackle and hiss when there is such a range of FM quality and digital stations,' he said. Atlantic 252, popular a decade ago, had a similar long wave signal but listeners were turned off by poor reception, he said. The company, which has lined up 60s crooner Gene Pitney and Rick Wakeman of 70s rock band Yes as DJs, said it will issue 18.6m shares at 70p each to set up the station, which will be broadcast from the Isle of Man from 2005. It will offer a mix of easy listening music, news and talk radio, going head-to-head with BBC Radio 2, Britain's most popular station, for listeners aged 25 to 55 years. It is particularly keen to attract women, who make or influence household purchasing decisions and are thus a target market for advertisers, chief executive Paul Rusling said. The company estimates revenue from radio advertising in the UK at over £600m ($1.1 giga) a year. It plans to list on the Alternative Investment Market in 2005 with an estimated market capitalisation of £50m to £100m. Funds raised from the initial public offering would be used to market the station, which will cost around £8m. Rusling said he was confident that in the medium term the future of long wave radio was secure, despite the onslaught of digital broadcasting. 'There are still some 70 to 80m radios with longwave out there (and) manufacturers are still making longwave car radios.' However, the station will use digital broadcasting platforms such as the Internet. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/business/articles/timid79537?source (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) WAKEMAN AND PITNEY SET TONE FOR NEW RADIO STATION http://media.guardian.co.uk/radio/story/0,12636,1240424,00.html (via E. Baxendale, UK, DXLD) Guardian now requires registration; viz.: IMIB £13m fundraising to be announced today Wakeman and Pitney set tone for new station Dan Milmo, Thursday June 17, 2004, The Guardian A fourth national commercial radio station could be launched next year if a £13m fundraising to be announced today is a success. Seventies prog rock star Rick Wakeman and 60s crooner Gene Pitney are among the backers for the Isle of Man International Broadcasting company, which has finally won permission to put a new national station on air. IMIB is hoping to raise £13m in a subscription offer, prior to a flotation on AIM next year. The unnamed station, which is expected to launch early next year, will be aimed at the 25-to 55-year-old age group and will target female listeners. The station will use a long wave signal similar to the one allocated to Atlantic 252, a radio broadcaster that flopped because listeners were turned off by the poor reception. Paul Rusling, chief executive of IMIB, said £4.8m of the proceeds would go towards building a transmission mast off the coast of the Isle of Man, which will carry a much stronger signal than Atlantic 252's. IMIB has struggled to get the project off the ground after encountering resistance to the mast from Isle of Man residents who complained that the transmitter would be an eyesore. The local population relented after IMIB proposed building the mast several miles out to sea. Mr Rusling admitted that the new station would effectively be a stalking horse for a digital station, with negotiations under way to take a slot on Digital One, a national broadcaster. "We only view the long wave transmitter as one outlet. It's to give the station a kick start before we eventually see it on digital. The sound quality is not as great as FM but at the end of the day people choose their station by the quality of the content, not the quality of the signal," he said. Mr Rusling added that IMIB had been in talks with five major radio groups about investing in the project and held discussions with Virgin Radio and The Wireless Group about outsourcing advertising sales. "We would rather the radio groups did not control it because they are likely to want to steer the output of the radio station. If Chrysalis ended up controlling it they would want us to be like Heart FM," he said. IMIB already has two DJs signed up for the station. Mr Wakeman, who has been involved in planning the venture, will present shows and Mr Pitney's appeal will be used to draw female listeners at the older end of the station's target audience. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,3604,1240404,00.html (via Mike Terry, BDXC-UK via DXLD) ** ISRAEL. 6973, Defense Forces Radio (Galei Zahal) in Hebrew. 0020 6/15/04. Two (M) possible phone conversation or interview, mentions of "Yavne" and "Yisrael," into Hebrew pop music (Jim Clar, NY, NASWA Flashsheete via DXLD) 6974.5 NF, (or just wandering up the dial?), Galei Zahel, 0040-0108 Jun 17, mix of talk in Hebrew by a man announcer mixed with Israeli pop vocals. Phone calls from listeners at 0054. After brief musical fanfare at 0100, ID and News read by a man. Fair (Rich D`Angelo, PA, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) ** KOREAS. Re: ``The Korea Times reports that the South Korean radio programme Voice of Liberty, which has been aired for decades along the border with North Korea, made its farewell broadcast on Sunday.`` Hmmm, Liberty? These would be the official services of KBS for North Korea, Liberty-1 on 972, 1134 and 6010, Liberty-2 on 1170 and 6135 (also RKI programming here). Any monitoring of these frequencies? And this would still leave the question about the actual clandestines from the South. [Later:] Some further research shows that the reported "Voice of Liberty" was loudspeaker activity, loosely translated as "radio" and "broadcasting", but in fact nothing was said about actual transmissions (i.e. transmitters, not blaring loudspeakers). So I would expect that the Liberty networks of KBS as well as the two clandestine stations from the South are on air as always. See http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200406/200406150015.html (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LATVIA [and non]. Re ERI, 4-094: There appears to be a widespread misunderstanding about the nature of the transmissions in/from Latvia (partly encouraged by misleading statements of relayed foreign "stations"). To make it clear: there is only one licensee for the MW and SW transmissions in Latvia: the Riga-based KREBS TV. As for Mediumwave, KREBS TV's new station Radio 945 AM is a regular, domestic station which will broadcast around the clock for listeners in Riga as soon as the test period is completed. Shortwave: KREBS TV is renting out air time via the Ulbroka SW transmitter on 9290 (which is owned by the state-run Latvian Radio & TV Centre). Because of the good coverage in Western Europe, 9290 has proved to be an attractive frequency and the number of "stations" that are booking this relay is constantly growing. None of these "stations" however has any own license in Latvia; all these transmissions are mere relays (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, June 19, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Regarding Europa Radio International and "has negotiated a deal with a German station to use its AM/MW transmitter covering Western Europe later in the year" -- ????? Well, the only possibility I could imagine would be Radio Bremen's transmitter. Two years ago Radio Bremen discontinued two programs and replaced them by only a single new one while putting Funkhaus Europa, until then transmitted on 936, on the now vacant FM frequency set. Back then they were allegedly considering to lease the mediumwave transmitter --- a new facility with a special, cheap antenna design, see http://www.waniewski.de/id60.htm --- to a third party. But Megaradio did not step in. Again, this is just to mention the only possibility I could think of (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. Cierre de Radio Mexico Internacional Amigos: aquí envío una transcripción de la carta que envíe al presidente de México, sobre el cierre de Radio México Internacional. ------------------------------------------------------------------ C. Presidente Constitucional de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos, Don Vicente Fox Quesada: Me permito distraer un momento su tiempo y atención para plantear brevemente un problema suscitado recientemente en el Instituto Mexicano de la Radio, IMER, sobre el reciente cierre de la emisora de ondas cortas, Radio Mexico Internacional, hecho que indudablemente no fue bien meditado. Las ondas cortas son todavía el medio más eficaz de hacer llegar la imagen de un país y por medio de una señal de radio a los rincones menos imaginados de lugares lejanos, mucho más allá de las fronteras y más allá de los océanos. Por ello, prácticamente la mayoría de los gobiernos nacionales del mundo han promovido de alguna forma la existencia de emisoras de ondas cortas con programas para oyentes en el extranjero, y es común el empleo también de idiomas extranjeros en sus emisiones. Así, por ejemplo, aquí en mi localidad, es posible sintonizar, en español, a emisoras de más de 30 países de Europa y Asia, y también de esta región del mundo, por ejemplo a Radio Habana Cuba. Por que una persona que viva en la ciudad, en un pueblo, en una localidad aislada del desierto o en la selva, o a bordo de un barco pesquero; de cualquier nivel socio económico y cultural, puede sintonizar sin mayor dificultad una emisora de ondas cortas. Por que un receptor de ondas cortas es el medio más económico, fácil de transportar y operar: Por que no se requiere por parte del oyente de contratos o costos de operación, las ondas cortas son simplemente la mejor opción para que un país difunda su imagen al exterior. Esto lo venía haciendo Radio México Internacional, sin poder compararse claro está a la mayoría de las emisoras internacionales, debido a su raquítico presupuesto y a la sistemática falta de atención del gobierno federal, que poco a poco fueron condenando a su desaparición a esta querida emisora. Su servidor, como oyente de emisoras de ondas cortas desde 1980, sé bien de la importancia de que exista una emisora internacional gubernamental para nuestro país. Como ciudadano, que entiende que se necesita que su país fortalezca su imagen y soberanía al menos en esta región del mundo. Como contribuyente, veo con tristeza como IMER emplea recursos sosteniendo emisoras en ciudades en donde hay otras emisoras que puede seleccionar un habitante de las mismas. Como profesor, me doy cuenta de la importancia educativa que tiene una emisora de ondas cortas, y más si esta es la voz de un país, y mucho más, como lo era por su excelente programación y por su calor humano Radio Mexico Internacional. Como residente en una localidad que carece de radioemisoras locales --- las más cercanas a 90 kilómetros - -- y que es similar a cientos de miles de localidades así en todo el mundo. Y como mexicano preocupado por la falta de sensibilidad y sentido común de quienes tomaron la medida de cerrar a nestra emisora internacional, le solicito considere este mensaje, y tome las medidas que a su investidura le correspondan y que favorezcan la reactivacion de XERMX, Radio México Internacional. Profr. Miguel Angel Rocha Gámez Acacias 2002, Ascensión, Chih. Tel. 636 692 0543. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Es necesario que todos y cada uno de nosotros levemos a cabo la acción que podamos para cambiar esta situación. No esperemos a ver qué hace el Dr. Julián, o Ana Cristina, o alguien más. Redacta tu propio mensaje. Si lo deseas, puedes escribir por correo electrónico a la Oficina de Comunicación de la Presidencia de la República, llenando el formato que está en: http://www.presidencia.gob.mx/?P=17 También puedes escribir a los diputados o senadores de los diferentes partidos políticos; en todos los casos manifestando tu inconformidad y haciéndoles notar la falta de sentido común de las autoridades responsables de IMER. Grupo parlamentario PRD: http://www.prd.senado.gob.mx/content/secciones/contactanos.htm http://www.diputados.gob.mx/prd.htm Grupo parlamentario PRI: http://www.pri.senado.gob.mx/index.asp?sniffed=true&os=win&browserVersion=6&browserMake=microsoft&browserFamily=ie4 http://www.diputados.gob.mx/pri.htm Grupo parlamentario PAN: http://www.diputados.gob.mx/pan.htm Grupo parlamentario PVEM: http://www.diputados.gob.mx/pvem.htm Grupo parlamentario PT: http://www.diputados.gob.mx/pt.htm Grupo parlamentario Convergencia: http://www.diputados.gob.mx/convergencia.htm También invito a los amigos de otros países a colaborar en esta acción. Es importante la participación de todos nosotros. Un saludo desde el lejano norte (ADXB via antenadx yahoogroup via DXLD) ** MEXICO. XERMX-OC, Centro emisor de "Radio México Internacional". Saludos a todos. Para mi me da coraje y tristeza al enterarme que XERMX-Onda Corta dejó de transmitir. Se desconoce que va a ocurrir con el centro emisor (la planta transmisora) de Radio México Internacional. Oficialmente el día 1 de Junio de 2004 a las 18:00 horas tiempo local salió del aire la estación al recibir una orden, la cual no recibieron un escrito formal. Tuve la oportunidad de visitar la planta transmisora y desde afuera me percaté que estaban las antenas sin algún cambio, pero por suerte pude ver los cinco transmisores para las frecuencias 5985 kHz, 9705 kHz, 11770 kHz, 15430 kHz y 17770 kHz y ahí estaban (tres de 10,000 watts, uno de 50,000 watts y uno de 100,000 watts). Lo malo que un transmisor a parte de los otros cinco ya mencionados, uno que en su buena época fue de 10,000 watts que no funcionaba, fue destruido por una persona con una hacha hace unos 25 días aproximadamente; solamente estaban los restos de éste. Esto para venderlo como fierro viejo. Ojalá que los demás puedan salvarse de esto, es decir que vuelvan a funcionar, los demás que estén en un museo o una institución de educación superior. También me comentan que el IMER (Instituto Mexicano de la Radio) tiene recursos para operar la estación de onda corta Radio México Internacional así como las tres de frecuencia modulada y las cuatro de onda media en el Distrito Federal, así como las doce emisoras distribuidas en los estados. Por otra parte, los transmisores principales de las tres estaciones de frecuencia modulada en el Distrito Federal son nuevos (XHIMER-FM 94.5 MHz "Opus 94", XHOF-FM 105.7 MHz "Orbita" y XHIMR-FM 107.9 MHz "Horizonte 108") y están ubicados en el cerro del Chiquihuite al norte en un terreno de Televisión Azteca por lo que el IMER le está pagando a la televisora una renta por usar el terreno. Y los transmisores auxiliares de éstas mismas estaciones se localizan en el Ajusco al sur en un terreno del IMER; lo cual considero que es muy raro esto. Toda esta información me la dieron a conocer, pero es hasta cierto punto confidencial, ya que puede haber problemas con el supervisor de la persona que me lo comentó, ya que los ingenieros que ahí están recibieron la orden de que no pueden visitarlos sus familiares en la planta transmisora. Por lo que mi visita debe no debe ser dada a conocer y debe permanecer en anonimato. Por cierto, respecto al transmisor de 500 watts de la estación XEQK- Onda Corta 9550 kHz, "La Hora Exacta" actualmente inactiva, pregunté por él pero se desconoce a donde fue a parar y por supuesto que fue de éste en los últimos años (Roberto Edgar Gómez Morales, Club Diexista Mexico, June 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) XERF-AM 1570 kHz, "La Poderosa 15 70" Saludos a todos. He podido escuchar a XERF-Onda Media 1570 kHz, ``La Poderosa 15 70``, emisora que transmite desde Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila con una potencia de 100,000 watts, estación perteneciente al Instituto Mexicano de la Radio. La intensidad de la señal con la que he recibido a esta emisora ha sido pobre con mucho desvanecimiento. He escuchado música norteña así como a una locutora con el acento local, y hasta recibe llamadas de radioescuchas que se residen del otro lado de la frontera. Esto es posible ya que la emisora XEINFO-AM 1560 kHz no tiene una fuerte señal por lo que aquí en el sureste de la delegación de Coyoacán en el Distrito Federal es posible practicar el diexismo (Roberto Edgar Gómez Morales, Club Diexista México, June 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. XEPE "Romántica, Amor 1700 AM" is operating sporadically on 1700, ex-560 (XEPE/XEKTT), 550 (XEKTT), and 1600 (XEKTT). They have mostly been on in the mornings, frequently off in the afternoons and evenings (they're on now). Although the X-band allocation for Tecate is the standard U1 10000/1000, we know these guys have a rig that can run 20 kW, and the knucklehead that runs the station has a long track record of running over his licensed power at KURS-1040. The sister station on 780, which has a nice tropical format, has been off for a week or so, reportedly so they can diplex in the new 20/10 kW rig for XESDD-920. XESDD currently runs 2500 watts and gets out about as poorly as the other Ensenada stations. The antenna site for these new monsters is between Tecate, Tijuana, and Ensenada, seemingly almost due south of my location (I live near the far SE corner of Chula Vista, near the olympic training center at Otay Lakes). Another affiliated station to pay attention to is XEKT-1390. They raised power to 5 kW a few years ago and they seem to get stronger all the time. I wouldn't be surprised if they were running over their licensed power too. http://www.inetworld.net/halls/dx/index.html 73, (Tim Hall, Chula Vista, CA, 1625 UT June 19, amfmtvdx at qth.net via DXLD) ** MONACO. MC One is no longer, at all, on MW 1467 kHz. The station made a two month contract with Monte Carlo Radiodiffusion. And this contract is now over. The station is now only on FM on 98.2 MHz with a low power transmitter. The station is only heard in the Principality. The transmitter is in the Jardin Exotique (Exotic garden), so it's the ONLY station with a transmitter on the Monaco soil! All other stations (Mont Agel and Col de la Madone) are on the French soil. MC one is also heard on the web: http://www.one.mc Best regards from France, (Christian Ghibaudo, June 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEPAL. Re UK [non], 4-094: Dear Glenn, With reference to BBC Hindi to India on 576 kHz, it must be via Nepal. They were having it in the past also (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, dx_india, June 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) BBC World Service on mediumwave via Nepal The BBC is using 576 kHz from Radio Nepal's Surkhet transmitter with 100 kW. The schedule is 1630-1700 UTC World Service in English, 1700- 1730 UTC Hindi, 1730-1800 UTC World Service in English. A few years back BBC used to broadcast via Radio Nepal's 3 MW transmitters on 576, 648 and 792 kHz with Hindi at 1715-1730 UTC as Radio Nepal's transmission ends at 1715 UTC. Now it seems Radio Nepal dropped their programmes from 1630 UTC onwards to accommodate the BBC. (Source: DXAsia) posted by Andy, 15:17 UT June 20 (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Being disgusted with the situation at the "resort" cabin [see INDONESIA] and not wanting to waste another morning, I drove up to Crater Lake N.P. at 1030 UT (3:30 AM PDT) for a micro-DXpedition there. Parked at Discovery Point vista on Rim Road (where the road was closed because of snow. Although a few more miles of the road was plowed, the road was closed here), and ran the 100' of wire basically NW along a snowbank. The "outside temp" in the car read 42 degrees, but it had to be below freezing as all the previous days running melt water had frozen. The snow had a solid coating of ice as well. It was very very windy out of the east. I also wanted to get some photos of the Sun rising over the crater rim. Sunrise was at 1226 UT. 4960, CRN, 1214-1425, Soft religious music, 1218 M announcer with song announcements and talk by men. Decent signal at this time. Back at 1250-1300 and nonstop music. Tuned away briefly for Serui 4605.0. Continuous nonstop music past 1356!! Did play "Chariots of Fire" at 1320. Had some dead air at 1355. M at 1404 with religious talk again. Fading quickly by 1425. (16 June) (Dave Valko, OR, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** SLOVAKIA. Re 4-094: Last week the council of Slovensky Rozhlas "took note" of the intention to shut down shortwave if no financing can be achieved by June 30. A request for 50 million Slovak Crowns was filed to the foreign ministry but no results are known so far. So something has to happen soon (if not something happened in the last few days); otherwise Rimavská Sobota will go dark in less than two weeks. So much for now, (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN [non]. ENGLAND - 17660, Sudan Radio Service 1507-1549 6/17. News items, mostly from Sudan, in English; music break at 1512, then feature program "Our Voices" at 1515, followed at 1530 by a feature about a Sudanese artist, all in English; at 1545, went into Juba Arabic program (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Drake R-8, 100- foot RW, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** SYRIA [non]. Radio Free Syria started on June 20, 1800 13650/Cyprus transmitter? 33343 (some sidesplatter from China's powerhouse on 13640). Started with what I assume is Syria's national anthem, several ID's, slogans, military type music. A fast paced program with various musical intermezzos. At 1830 using a techno dancetrack to announce a new topic (DXA375-Silvain Domen, Antwerpen, Belgium (CEST/UTC +2) All times given in UTC, Lowe HF-250/Sony ICF-SW7600GR/10 meters mlb- longwire, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Right now I have a faint carrier on 13650, way too weak to get any audio or just to say when it actually came on (Kai Ludwig, Germany, 1822 GMT June 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Re: 13650.00 "Radio Free Syria" (RFS), 1800-1900 UT, Suns only. 18.59:04 end of music program. 19.00:00 UT transmitter switched off. Could be a MNO transmission via Cyprus, the BBC Zyyi 007 degrees signals are similar poor here in W Europe. 13650 weak signal here in GER, S=1-2 only. I made some MP3 recordings; you will hear the difference. 13650.00 "Radio Free Syria" (RFS), 1800-1900 UT, Suns only. Signal S=1-2 only. TX location still UNKNOWN. Weak like the poorer: RCI WER 13830, IBB R Marti 13820, and IBB IRA Ceylon 13855. To report much, much stronger signals of various broadcaster on 22 mb at same time: 13605 AIR, 13610 BBC NAK Persian, 13625 CHN Firedrake, 13640 TRT German, and CRI-CHN Mandarin (I guess, of course NOT Chaozhou lang, but sounded different than Mandarin), // 11670 DongFang, but on 13830K not heard. 13660 BBC Skelton, 13685 CRI Bamako MLI relay Ar, 13690 VRT Skelton, 13700 WSHB (and CHN Firedrake), 13720 MNO Skelton, 13745 BBC RMP Ru, 13760 KRE in Spanish, 13770 POR. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, June 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I put the first 25 seconds (I think then there was an edit anyway, if there is not one already within these few seconds?) on the RBB server: http://www.radioeins.de/_/meta/sendungen/apparat/040619_a1.ram Good night, (Kai Ludwig, Germany, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Radio Free Syria has published a contact fax number in Berlin, Germany on its website http://www.radiofreesyria.org --- Radio Free Syria is looking for dedicated Syrians living inside Syria and who are willing to work with other Syrians on expanding the radio operations. We will provide you with a complete package including the feeling that you have participated in freeing Syria from the oppressive regime of the Ba'ath party. To help, please send an email to: webmaster @ radiofreesyria.org or fax us to Germany at: 00-49- 306-908-8573 (011-49-306-908-8573 from the US) *** (via Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, June 21, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) SYRIA: DISSIDENT RADIO OBSERVED ON SHORTWAVE An inaugural shortwave transmission sponsored by the US-based dissident group Reform Party of Syria was observed by BBC Monitoring yesterday on 13650 kHz at 1800-1900 gmt. This broadcast in Arabic identified on air as Voice of Free Syria (Sawt al-Suriya al-Hurr), although the organization's English-language web site http://www.reformsyria.org refers to the broadcast as "Radio Free Syria". The Reform Party of Syria also has an Arabic-language web site at http://www.reformsyria.net Source: David Kernick, BBC Monitoring research in English 21 Jun 04 (via DXLD) Later: UNITED STATES/SYRIA: RADIO FREE SYRIA STARTS BROADCASTS The US-based Reform Party of Syria radio station Radio Free Syria started Arabic-language broadcasts at 1800 gmt on 20 June 2004, on 13650 kHz. The station came on the air abruptly, "crash starting" at 1800 gmt with music and slogans, identifing as Voice of Free Syria (Sawt al- Suriya al-Hurr). This was followed by a 10-minute news bulletin and commentary. The rest of the programme consisted of a variety of Western and Arabic music interspersed with slogans by both male and female announcers. An Arabic-language commentary was heard between 1838 and 1852 gmt, with the station closing abruptly at 1859 gmt. Bearings taken on this transmission show that the broadcast may originate from facilities near Köln, Germany. In the minute before Radio Free Syria came on the air, a brief clip of the opening of the Radio Free Syria programme was heard on the same frequency, followed by several seconds of Deutsche Welle before the programme "crash started" at 1800. Source: BBC Monitoring research, in English 1800 gmt 20 Jun 20 (via DXLD) En forma tentativa, quiero reportar la escucha de la nueva clandestina para Siria: CLANDESTINA: 13650, Radio Free Syria (tentativa), 1801-1820, Junio 20, s/on, música, anuncio o ID por OM, breve anuncio o charla. Charla por OM a 1809, musica a 1811, breve anuncio, canción típicamente árabe interpretada a capella por OM e YL, anuncio, tras el cual siguen las canciones. 23442 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, Conexión Digital via DXLD) Escuchada también en España RADIO FREE SYRIA con un SINPO de 33433; la programción ha sido de hombre hablando en árabe con bastantes momentos musicales, dígase canciones y música en árabe. ¿Alguien sabe la dirección postal de la emisora? Saludos desde el Sureste de España de (JOSE HERNANDEZ MADRID, ibid.) ** TURKEY [and non]. Voice of Turkey in German on 13640 (1730-1830) is at least from 1800 obliterated by an almost equally strong (what else than Kashi?) transmission. Awwwwwh!!! It is impossible to determine the language of the CRI program since subaudible heterodyne makes the loud mess "perfect", but at least Mikhail Timofeyev already monitored this outlet I think. I am not aware of a parallel outlet for the VoT programme, so the Chinese indeed blow it away altogether (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. Concerning Radio 4 as well as Radio Ulster not rejoining BBC WS after the transmission break: It is not uncommon for "Watchdog" systems to stay with the emergency programming after being once triggered by silence, even if audio is restored. However, in the case of Radio 4 this is no satisfying explanation because one would expect an always staffed main control room at BBC Broadcasting House...? (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K [and non]. BBC IS IRAQ'S BIGGEST BROADCASTER from BBC News 21 June 2004: - BBC World Service remains the world's largest radio broadcaster BBC World Service is the biggest broadcaster in Iraq and Afghanistan, audience figures show. Latest figures, released on Monday, showed a 60% weekly reach in the Afghanistan capital of Kabul. And in Iraq, the launch of FM broadcasts in Baghdad, Basra and other major cities gained a weekly audience of 1.8 million. Globally, there were 146m weekly World Service listeners in 2004, down from 150m in 2003. SHORT WAVE DECLINE BBC World Service attributed the global audience decline to a significant drop in short wave radio listening year-on-year, which has been partly offset by a rise in FM audiences. . . http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/3825701.stm see also Financial Times: http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1087373137375 (via Alan Pennington, BDXC-UK via DXLD) ** U K. Rugby transmitter site --- The last of the old 800 foot masts forming the 16 kHz VLF system at Rugby's BT radio station are now being demolished. More about the history of the site in the links below. I shall miss them, apart from the radio interest they have been a landmark on my travels ever since childhood. http://www.alan.melia.btinternet.co.uk/rugbyrs.htm http://www.alan.melia.btinternet.co.uk/rugbyrs.htm http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/sites/r/rugby_radio/index2.shtml (Simon Butterworth, Bugbrooke, Northants, SWM Readers via Mike Terry, BDXC-UK via DXLD) ** U S A [non]. AFN-AFRTS is currently audible on new 9980U at 1445 at good strength, but with some QRM from unknown noises [probably some form of ute]. It is operating in // with 7590U which has been on air again the last few days. Programme = 'Sports Byline(?) America' followed by AP Network news after ID on the hour then more ESPN Radio. 13855U via Iceland is not audible, and has not been heard for the last few days. 73s from (Noel R. Green [NW England], June 21, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) AFN were better off far from the broadcasting bands; now they will have problems from big AM transmitters on 9975, 9985, e.g. (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. AGENCY DEMANDS EMPLOYEES GIVE UP PRIVACY RIGHTS IN ORDER TO TAKE SICK LEAVE Dateline: Washington, 06/18/04. Management Chief Negotiator Mary Rasmussen demanded today that employees give the Agency "sufficient detail" of their illness or physical condition in order to take sick leave. In contract negotiations over the use of annual leave and sick leave, Rasmussen also stated that, a general statement from a physician stating only that the employee was under his or her care or was incapacitated for duty does not automatically entitle the employee to use the sick leave that they earn. When asked at the bargaining table by Union negotiators what constitutes "sufficient detail," Rasmussen replied that it was whatever the Agency deemed it to be. She also stated that if employees want to use sick leave, they must relinquish their rights to medical privacy (AFGE Local 1812 via DXLD) I wonder what ``Agency`` the local keeps referring to. It`s the union representing workers at VOA, which comes under a Board and a Bureau (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. WBCQ ANOMALIES AND RECENT OBSERVATIONS Saturday June 19 http://www.zappahead.net/wbcq/anomaly.php At a 1311 aircheck on Saturday, June 19, heard WBCQ bothered and weak at 9329.9 LSB with top-of-the-hour station IDs repeating over and over and over on top of a pontificating Brother Stair in the background. Cart machine still stuck on play at 1322. Whoops! Radio Free Euphoria/Radio Three has ended its run on WBCQ. A repeat of Allan's show heard on Sunday at 5PM ET for the past several weeks. Michael Ketter tells me that the Captain is preparing new material for presentation on airing on Area 51 in the future. Just Another Day In America is likewise gone from WBCQ. Have heard Marion's Attic at 7PM ET for the past couple of weeks, and live impropmtu Timtron shows a couple of weeks before that (via John Norfolk, dxldyahoogroups) ** U S A. The Peacock Project --- Shortwave Project COMING SOON, THE PEACOCK PROJECT, INVOLVING INDEPENDENT PRODUCERS, ON A ROTATING BASIS ON WBCQ 7415 KHz SCHEDULE Golden Age of Oldtime Radio 8 PM (0000 UT Sunday) Eastern US SummerTime Saturday July 3 (translates as 10 AM Sunday our AUS time) The Voice of Savage Henry July 10 --- The best of Garage Rock Downunder DX and MusicFest --- Aussie Tim's Gaynors favs and interesting shortwave talk! July 17 (Mixed music/vocals and shortwave talk) Different kind of oldies show (DKOS)--- Doowop July 24 TBA July 31. Programs may be subject to change. Look forward to your company. Will be streamed on: http://64.217.136.174:8010 via WBCQ 'The Planet' further info at:- http://www.networkradiointernational.net/shortwave.html There will also be a chat available at MIRC Starchat server 'Cybershortwave' which is open for you to join at the above times. 73 (Tim Gaynor, GOLD COAST Q, AUSTRALIA, June 20, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U S A. QSL: WWRB, 6890, f/d certificate, same one making the rounds in various DXers` mailboxes, with stickers indicating transmission mode and frequency. This in 856 days for SASE (not used). V/S, Angela Frantz. What's up with the new DXer/QSL friendly attitude at WWRB? (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R75, MLB-1, RS longwire with RBA balun, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Re 4-094, The US XBand list header should have read June 2004 instead of May (Mark Nicholls, NZ DX Times, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Subject: IBOC hash from 950 station --- Right now I am getting IBOC hash assumed from a station on 950, possibly WXGI. The hash is interferring with reception of DX on 940 and 960. 6/19 0610. WKDL 730 still has IBOC turned off (Bill Harms, Elkridge, Maryland, R8B, Homebrew K9AY, Sat, 19 Jun 2004 06:15:26 -0400, DX LISTENING DIGEST) {950 IBOC was WPEN: 4-096} Later: WKDL 730 turned on IBOC today. It was too good to be true (Bill Harms, Elkrdige, MD, R9B, Homebrew K9AY, June 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. What happened at AIR AMERICA RADIO? The WALL STREET JOURNAL http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB108777724900342526,00.html?mod=home%5Fpage%5Fone%5Fus has a front-page story written by JULIA ANGWIN and SARAH MCBRIDE chronicling the troubles at the fledgling liberal talk network, describing the company's $70,000 launch party at a trendy MANHATTAN hotel at the same time the network was running out of cash, having raised only $6 million instead of the $30 [$20?] million allegedly promised by former operators EVAN COHEN and REX SORENSEN. The article says that the money was gone and a $2 million deficit run up within six weeks. The paper says "creditors are lined up at the door" and scores the network's "haphazard organization, opaque finances and flawed business strategy." The network claims to be back on financial track under a new corporate entity, PIQUANT LLC, replacing the former PROGRESS MEDIA corporation after COHEN and SORENSEN departed over, they say, "cultural differences." SHELDON and (Chairwoman) ANITA DROBNY are back in the picture as investors in the new venture, along with AAR CEO DOUG KREEGER. A potential dispute is brewing because COHEN and SORENSEN claim they're owed cash or shares in the new network, according to the CHICAGO TRIBUNE http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0406190169jun19,1,3470820.story while the company thinks they're owed nothing. The JOURNAL also says that RANDI RHODES paid staff out of her own pocket when the network didn't pay them, and that AL FRANKEN's salary, more than a million dollars a year, was the subject of a dispute between the host and COHEN and SORENSEN when they didn't pay it and would not provide proof that any money had been deposited in his account to pay it (allaccess.com via Brock Whaley, June 21, DXLD) ** U S A. Citadel's 50 kW KAAY 1090 makes a lot of money for them with wall-to-wall preachers though they get miserable ratings in Little Rock (Billy G, Radio-Info Oklahoma board via DXLD) KAAY basically prints money.... with VERY little overhead. I mean you are looking at $90-100k a month revenue and MAYBE $4-6k a month expenses... I can see why Citadel is reluctant to change. They have one program on Friday night where one of the former news guys from KARN plays oldies for an hour, but other than that it is all infomercials and wall-to-wall religion. I can see why KOMA, WWL, WSAI, WLW and others stick with the preaching in those late hours. Just more proof that today's radio is all about the $$$ and nothing else. As far as X-Band stations, I listen to WRLL in Chicago every morning on the way to my morning show. Can sometimes hear them up to 7:30- 8:00ish... the Brownsville, TX station comes in very well. 1700 The Ticket in Dallas bleeds over Brownsville occasionally... I can get WMWR in Macon, Georgia and KWHN in Fort Smith, AR quite well. I am just west of Fort Smith most of the time when I am picking this up. (MediaMogul June 8, Radio-Info Oklahoma board via DXLD) There was a rumor on the Arkansas board KAAY was going to switch to all-sports a couple months ago because their 5 year agreement with the previous owner to keep it all-religion has run out. But it hasn`t happened yet. Guess the money's too good. As long as someone wants to shell out big bucks for a 50K night skywave those companies are going to take the money and program junk. And that`s the problem with KOMA-AM and WKY and why they are near the bottom - both stations are being run on the cheap and just sticking on programming that will pay them or costs them little to operate (Billy G in TX, ibid.) ** U S A. 'AT HOME ON AIR IN THE VALLEY' By Marc Fisher, Sunday, June 20, 2004; Page C01 From the Washington Post, Sunday 20 June, 2004 http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A54748-2004Jun19?language=printer Craig Orndorff, the morning man and midday host and evening sports play-by-play announcer on WAMM in Woodstock, Va., finishes up another noontime edition of "Helping Hand," the radio station's swap shop of the air, and steps out of the studio. "No goats today," he says. In the Shenandoah Valley, where locals bump up against ever more weekenders and retirees from the Washington area, the noontime swap shop is still a place where people call in to offer livestock or, in one recent case, "frozen rats, 10 to a package, for $20." More often than not, someone out there will bite. WAMM is the last radio station in Shenandoah County. Its weak signal sometimes gets lost in the static of the AM band, but it is the only place on the radio where anyone cares about elections in Toms Brook or Strasburg, or the games played by high school teams, or the needs of county residents when the weather turns dangerous. When a snowstorm or hurricane threatens, deejay Alan Arehart, a veteran of 33 years on the radio in the valley, brings his kids into the studio in sleeping bags and camps out for the duration, running the station on car batteries if necessary, reading listeners weather advisories through the night. This might not have seemed so extraordinary a decade or so ago. But one spring morning in 2002, the Shenandoah Valley woke up to hear that their big-band station was now playing hip-hop and had been moved to Harrisonburg, 35 miles to the south. There were still four stations in Shenandoah County then. Clear Channel, the media monolith that has bought up 1,200 stations nationwide, now owns five of the top 15 stations in the Harrisonburg market and nine of the top 26 in the Winchester area. Shenandoah falls between those two markets. A group of locals, including former Washington Star reporters Peggy Boston and Joan Anderson, got together to mourn the loss of their local stations and found themselves impelled to act. In less than three months, they raised $200,000 from 19 investors, bought a station and put it on the air. WAMM is a storefront in Woodstock, just across Route 11 from the Cup and Crumb restaurant and just up the block from the gallery and frame shop, where a sign on the front door announces that the store will close on three Saturdays because the owner's son is visiting after a tour in Iraq. "Please understand how precious this time means to us," the note says. The station is a homey little place decorated with antique microphones. The studio is a back room with a big picture window and stacks of CDs. On the white board, a message congratulates the sales staff of one full- and two part-timers (one of whom also runs the cemetery and works at the post office) for their "best ever" month -- $12,468.75 in ads sold. WAMM has yet to turn a profit, and its programming of big-band tunes and standards from the '30s, '40s and '50s is mostly satellite- delivered music supplied by ABC in New York. But car dealers, real estate brokers and banks support the broadcasts of high school football, basketball and baseball, as well as summer evening play-by-play of the Valley League, a collection of college players on their way to the minors. "We don't want to become suburban Winchester," says Boston, the station's chairman. "We're the only thing in the county, and we want to sound like the county." On cue, someone walks through the front door to ask if the station would promote a dance to be held Friday night. To the surprise of its staff, WAMM is attracting listeners not only among those who can pull in its signal at 1230 AM, but from around the world, via the Internet at http://www.radioshenandoah.com The promotional announcements for Arehart's program of doo-wop and early rock, "The Nifty Fifties," are recorded by a woman in Tasmania who listens to the show over the Web. Still, it's not certain that WAMM can hold out against Clear Channel and other huge companies that bring a big-city sound to small towns. Even if ad spots on WAMM are only $10 each, it's a hard sell to advertisers who want to see the ratings and demographic studies big stations provide. Local business owners see the value in a station that broadcasts from the county fair, gives air time to the 4-H club and airs lost-dog notices. But local shops are giving way to the Wal-Marts of the world, and that's another story (via Matt Francis, Washington, DC, Mike Cooper, DXLD) 1000 watts. Class D Local 1230 kHz (Brock Whaley, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. KUNM PRESENTS PUBLIC FORUM ON MEDIA INDEPENDENCE On Wednesday June 23, a member of the Federal Communications Commission will be in Albuquerque for a Town Meeting on the future of media. KUNM is a co-sponsor, and will broadcast the hearings live from 5:30 p.m. until 10 p.m. [MDT = UT minus 6] The event will include two panels of local leaders, and plenty of time for public testimony. You can listen to the event on KUNM, or join us at TVI's Smith-Brasher Hall, on the corner of Coal Avenue and University Blvd SE in Albuquerque. This will be the first of four Town Hall meetings held in different parts of the U.S. Here's the schedule for the Albuquerque event on June 23: 5:30 Opening Welcome Governor Bill Richardson (invited) Lieutenant Governor Denish FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein 6:00 Panel I: Current Issues and Media Independence Gloria Tristani, Former FCC Commissioner Stuwart Paisano, Governor, Sandia Pueblo (invited) Joseph Maestas, Councilman, City of Espanola Marcos Martinez, Programming Director, KUNM Radio Robert McCannon, Director, Media Literacy Project 6:30 - 7:30 pm Public Comment (2 minutes per speaker) 7:30 pm Panel II: Improving Media Independence and Diversity in the Future Ted Garcia, Managing Director, KNME-TV V.B. Price, Columnist, Albuquerque Tribune (invited) Tim McGivern, Managing Editor, Weekly Alibi Steve Lawrence, Managing Editor, Crosswinds Weekly Harlan McKasato, Former Host, Native America Calling, NPR (invited) 8:00 - 10:00 pm Public Comment (2 minute limit) Freepress website http://www.freepress.net/future (KUNM Friday, June 4, 2004 via DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. FCC SAYS PENDING 40-METER CHANGES WILL ENHANCE SPECTRUM EFFICIENCY NEWINGTON, CT, Jun 17, 2004 --- The FCC says pending changes in the 40-meter amateur band as a result of World Radiocommunication Conference 2003 (WRC-03) will improve spectrum efficiency. The Commission`s remark came in a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) in ET Docket 04-139, which seeks public comments on proposed rule changes to complete domestic implementation of various WRC-03 allocation decisions. The NPRM primarily affects Parts 2, 25 and 73 of the FCC`s rules. ``We anticipate that administrations in Regions 1 and 3 will in the near future authorize phone emissions in the segment 7150-7200 kHz,`` the FCC predicted in the NPRM, ``and we note the ARRL has requested that the frequency segment for phone emissions be expanded to 7125- 7300 kHz.`` The FCC said authorizing phone in the 7150-7200 kHz segment of the band would permit same-frequency US-to-DX contacts, resulting in increased spectrum efficiency. Amateurs in the Region 1 countries of Norway, Croatia and San Marino already have been granted access to 7100 to 7200 kHz on a secondary, non-interference basis. Under the present regime, most amateur stations in Regions 1 and 3 use 7075-7100 kHz for phone. Since the US phone band is 7150 to 7300 kHz, this means most US-to-DX operation requires ``split`` operation. The band 7000-7300 kHz is allocated to the Amateur Service on a primary, exclusive basis in Region 2, but that is not the case in much of the rest of the world. Effective next January 1, WRC-03 allocated the band 7100-7200 kHz to the Amateur Service in Regions 1 and 3 on a co-primary basis with broadcasting. After March 29, 2009, 7100-7200 kHz will be allocated to the Amateur Service on an exclusive basis throughout the world, except in some Region 1 and Region 3 countries. ``As such, Amateur Service use of this 100 kilohertz will be on a de facto secondary basis in Regions 1 and 3 until the broadcasting service vacates the band 7100-7200 kHz at the conclusion of Schedule B in 2009,`` the FCC noted. ``This means that amateur stations in Regions 1 and 3 will shortly be permitted to transmit in the band 7100-7200 kHz, if they can find a frequency that is not being used by an international broadcast station.`` The FCC said it doesn`t think it needs to update its Part 97 Amateur Service rules until administrations in Regions 1 and 3 implement changes to allow amateurs to transmit in the 7100-7200 kHz segment. ``As a practical matter, we do not believe that the Amateur Service can make use of the band 7100-7200 kHz in Regions 1 and 3 in advance of HF broadcasting stations vacating the band because of the great power disparity between amateur stations and international broadcast stations,`` the FCC concluded. The NPRM also addresses the deployment of Earth Exploration Satellite Service-Active (EESS-Active) spacecraft in the 70-cm band. The FCC said it ``tentatively`` finds that any secondary EESS-Active allocation at 432-438 MHz should be limited to federal government use. The Commission said operation in that allocation ``should not cause harmful interference to, nor claim protection from, any other services allocated in the band in the United States, including the Amateur-Satellite service.`` Prior to WRC-03, representatives of the ARRL and other International Amateur Radio Union member-societies worked to develop a deployment approach that severely restricts satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) operations on EESS-Active satellites. As a result WRC-03 incorporated into the international Radio Regulations a table of geographical, time and power-level constraints with which SARs must comply. By and large, SARs may not operate over North and Central America, Europe and many countries in the Middle East and Asia. Typical duty cycles will be from 10 to 15 percent. Among other applications, SARs are used for remote sensing, for mapping tropical forests and for detecting Arctic ice floes and ocean surface activity. An SAR-carrying satellite is not expected to launch much before 2010. The Commission has proposed adoption of a new US Table of Allocations footnote that would permit NASA to perform limited pre-operational testing of its systems within line-of-sight of its US control stations, ``provided that it does not cause harmful interference to the Radiolocation, Amateur, and Amateur-Satellite services in the United States.`` Comments in the proceeding are due July 16, with reply by August 2. Interested parties may view the entire NPRM, file comments and view comments filed in ET Docket 04-139 via the FCC`s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/ Copyright © 2004, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved (via John Norfolk, dxldyahoogroups via DXLD) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. 15665, ITALY [non], R. for Peace via IRRS, 1151-1205*, June 18, Spanish/Arabic/English, OM with talks in Spanish, Arabic music and quick "Radio for Peace" ID in Arabic-accented English. Several IDs over Arabic music including "Radio Saharoui". IRRS ID/address at 1159 followed by choral/orchestra music until 1205 sign-off. Fair at best with propagation fades and static crashes (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R75, MLB-1, RS longwire with RBA balun, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. Glenn, There wasn't anything on shortwave this morning so I tuned down to 1020 kHz on the AM band hoping to hear KDKA. Around 0926 UT as I tuned around to 1020, I heard what sounded like a warble type jammer there. I wasn't sure at first whether my receiver was going bad, or there actually was this strange signal there. I turned on a second receiver and tuned to 1020 and the warble signal was there also. I am thinking it's either coming from Cuba, or someone who broadcasts on that frequency has a bad transmitter? Any thoughts? (Chuck Bolland, Clewiston, Florida, June 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Chuck, A few months ago, R. Martí tested very briefly on 1020, believed to be via Turks & Caicos private station. This may have been enough to trigger a jammer on 1020, just in case it comes back (Glenn to Chuck, via DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++ UPCOMING HFCC CONFERENCES At the NASB Annual Meeting, the members voted to appoint KTWR-Guam as our official coordination rep for the next two HFCC conferences. The next conference is in Helsinki, Finland August 23-27. If your station will not have its own representative there, please be sure to e-mail Jeff LeCureux a copy of your B04 frequency requirements at: jeff@twrguam.com (as well as of course sending them to Tom Polzin or Tom Lucey at the FCC). Jeff and George Ross will both be there from KTWR, and they will make sure your requirements are correctly recorded and will inform you of any major potential collisions involving your station. NASB Board member Dennis Dempsey of WEWN is also planning to attend the Helsinki conference. You may remember that the NASB and a series of co-sponsors had offered to host the February 2005 HFCC Conference in Miami. Due to some possible visa complications for delegates from certain countries, we changed the venue from Miami to Mexico City. In the end, the HFCC/ASBU Steering Board tentatively selected an invitation from Egypt for the February 2005 conference, and it indicated that it may accept one of our NASB proposals for the August 2005 conference. We hope to have a definite decision from the Steering Board in the near future (June NASB Newsletter via DXLD) FCC UPDATES, QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS --- TOM LUCEY, FCC The FCC would like to have our tentative Winter schedules by June 1. The FCC database has been upgraded to include all the HFCC elements. They would very much appreciate getting our submissions in the HFCC format because the FCC database can now directly input files that are in the HFCC format. Tom made copies of the HFCC format available. The next HFCC meeting will be held in Helsinki, Finland August 23-27. The FCC’s deadline for sending in requirements is July 11. The FCC has a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking --- OET Docket 04137 --- to amend the rules and implement decisions in the WRC-03 for HF Spectrum. This docket deals to a large degree with single sideband and DRM matters. It sets minimum powers for SSB and DRM transmissions. The FCC is working on implementing electronic filing of HF applications. Tom Polzin is the one to talk to in regard to questions about electronic filing. The question came from the floor as to getting temporary broadcast authority to operate shortwave and medium wave transmitters in the USA in the DRM mode for test purposes. Tom responded that they would have to talk to the branch in OET that does experimental licensing (June NASB Newsletter via DXLD) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM ++++++++++++++++++++++ WiMax for broadcasting I've mentioned WiMax in the past as a looming alternative to existing AM/FM broadcasting. Here is a link to the "techno-diary" of my old publishing friend Jeff Duntemann about the possible use of WiMax for broadcasting (albeit for "pirate" radio). Jeff is a long-time ham radio operator and quite knowledgeable about the technical aspects of WiMax: http://www.duntemann.com/Diary.htm#current This is the entry for June 18 in case it's no longer the "current" entry (scroll down if necessary). I wonder who's going to be the first to develop/introduce a "WiMax broadcasting" receiver? (Harry Helms W7HLH, Las Vegas, NV DM26, June 18, NRC-AM via DXLD) Dunno, but it won't be soon. There's no spectrum allocated to WiMax and it's going to be a long time before it finds a home in licensed frequency bands. In the meantime you may find a little unlicensed usage, but it will be a handful of people at best. There's also the issue of the transmitting antenna. To get the claimed coverage, you need to stick the WiMax antenna on a tall tower - a cell tower at the minimum and better if it's a broadcasting tower. Lastly, the technology is going to be expensive for a long time. It's a fairly complicated piece of technology, as it was designed to make sure that virtually everyone within the coverage area will get a good signal regardless of multipath or obstructions), and that is not consumer jelly bean technology (Chuck Hutton, ibid.) REAL AUDIO PLAYER SUBSTITUTE Hi, Glenn, In your bulletin "DX Listening Digest 4-093", under the subject "SUBSTITUTE TO THE REAL AUDIO PLAYER", you quoted the DXer Horacio Nigro as saying that the Real Audio Player adds garbage to our computers. I read somewhere --- I think it was in a newsletter issued by the internet guru Fred Langa, but I'm not sure; his site is http://www.langa.com --- that the Real Audio Player adds spyware to our computers, i.e., it adds code intended to spy what we do while we surf the net: what links we visit, what keyboard strokes we make, etc. This information is usually sent to advertisers for marketing purposes only, but we cannot be sure whether its use is always so innocent. According to the same newsletter, from the web site of the BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk we can download a player, also from Real Networks, that is just like the Real Audio Player, but without its added "features". The BBC is a non-commercial organization and, as such, cannot support any marketing strategy in its web pages. According to this, the BBC has imposed to Real Networks that the player to be accessed from the BBC is a stripped down version of the Real Audio Player. The player specific to the BBC is called Real One. I myself made the download of the Real One player from the BBC and I'm happy with it. The player works quite fine, just like the Real Audio Player. 73 (Fernando de Sousa Ribeiro, Oporto, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I believe we had a similar discussion a few months ago; from that I also heard from someone that regular RA player spyware isn`t really any worse than usual, and can be opted out from. Not just BBC calls the latest versions Real One (gh, DXLD) CLOCKWORK RADIO INVENTOR GETS WOUND UP OVER LACK OF LOOS By Sarah Bell ONE of Twickenham's most famous residents is spearheading a crusade to reopen toilets in the town, claiming health problems are brewing. Trevor Baylis, inventor of the wind up radio, who lives on Eel Pie Island, believes Richmond upon Thames Council are putting a price on life by keeping the toilet closed. He says people relieving themselves on the streets due to the lack of facilities could spread infections. He has launched a petition urging the council to reconsider.. . http://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/news/localnews/display.var .501323.0.clockwork_radio_inventor_gets_wound_up_over_lack_of_loos.php (via Kim Elliott, DXLD) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ THE WORLD OF SHORTWAVE RADIO Hi Glen[n], I have finished off most of my website at last. The World of Shortwave Radio is the name of my new site which contains all the shortwave listener needs: http://www.mwcs.co.uk/shortwave I have a few useful resources for us shortwave listners. Audio recordings, QSL page, utility frequencies, a what is that noise (includes: interference and digital noises and you can add your own too), The future, the history, radio espionage. 90% of the site is complete but a few pages are still coming over time. I would like your ideas and suggestions for the site. --- Kia ora, (Meaning 'Good Health to you' - Maori) :):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):) From Robert Wise of Hobart, Australia Mail Address: Geilston Bay High School 271 East Derwent Highway Geilston Bay 7015, Tasmania, Australia (via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ SURFIN': DXING BETWEEN THE HAM BANDS By Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU, Contributing Editor, June 18, 2004 http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2004/06/18/1/?nc=1 'Tis the season for VHF and UHF band openings, so this week, we visit a Web site dedicated to the TV and FM broadcast band DXing. Let me count the wires. There is coax connecting the antenna to the amplifier and coax connecting the amplifier to the radio. There is a cable connecting the amplifier to dc power, a cable connecting the radio to dc power and a cable connecting the GPS to dc power. There is a cable connecting the GPS to the radio, and finally, there is a cable connecting the microphone to the radio. Unrelated to Amateur Radio, there also is a cable that connects the iPod to a cassette adapter that allows me to play the iPod through the land barge's stereo system. All these wires are hanging around the area of the dashboard just over the transmission hump. When the "Pie Doggies" travel with me, add two dogs and two leashes to the mix and things can get real messy! For $30, I bought a transmitter for the iPod that allows me to play the iPod through the FM receiver in the land barge. The transmitter plugs into the top of the unit and draws power from the iPod's battery, so there are no wires to power the transmitter. This setup eliminates the wire between the iPod and the cassette adapter. Without going into details, trust me when I say that that wire was the most troublesome of all the wires in land barge. It was even more troublesome than the coax on the floor in the rear passenger area that tangled up an in-law one cold night last winter. To use the iPod transmitter, you find an unused channel in the FM broadcast band, set the transmitter to that channel, and voila, you are broadcasting your music collection on the air. (I wouldn't actually call it "broadcasting" because the transmitter's range is about 10 feet.) Living on the highest ridge in the county and smack dab in the middle of the New York-Boston metroplex, finding an unused channel on the FM band is not easy. I actually could not find a clear channel. The few unused channels all had splatter from the used adjacent channels, so I compromised and found one that did not have much splatter, programmed it into the transmitter, and everything was copacetic as I commuted to and fro listening to my favorite tunes. Last Friday morning as I started up the land barge to go to the salt mine, I turned on the radio and there was a strong signal parked on the "clear" channel I had selected for my iPod transmitter. A station out of Providence, which is normally inaudible at my home, was coming in like gangbusters. It is June and the VHF bands were doing what they often do on June mornings. The FM band was wide open due to enhanced propagation conditions (tropo). I tuned the whole band and every channel was occupied by a strong signal. Until I drove to a lower altitude, the iPod transmitter was not strong enough to capture the Providence station and even then, there was intermittent interference. When I returned home from work, I was determined to find a clearer channel. The band conditions were back to normal and I was more deliberate comparing the splatter on the unused channels. I was sure I found the clearest channel, reprogrammed the iPod transmitter, and everything was fine until this morning, when I found another strong station broadcasting on my new clear channel! I guess I will have to find other means of entertainment on those days when the FM band is open. How about FM broadcast band DXing? Mike's TV and FM DX Page http://pages.cthome.net/fmdx/ is a personal labor of love. Mike's TV and FM DX Page is the "labor of love" of Mike Bugaj, who publishes VHF-UHF Digest, the monthly magazine of the Worldwide TV-FM DX Association. (We featured the Association's Web site here back in August 2001.) Being a personal Web site, Mike's site is a little more personal than the Association's site and is a lot of fun to explore. On the really personal side, you can look at maps that illustrate Mike's DX catches during E skip and tropo propagation conditions and on the less personal side, you can read Mike's articles about how to get started and what equipment to use for TV and FM DXing. You can listen to an amazing assortment of Realaudio sound clips of DX stations received by Mike during aurora, tropo, E skip, and F2 skip conditions. And if you want more, check out Mike's Mailroom for a long list of links pertinent to TV and FM DXing. By the way, enhanced propagation conditions on the broadcast bands may indicate that there are enhanced conditions of the ham bands in the world above 50 MHz. Before cable, I caught some nice E skip conditions on 2 meters after I saw the E skip rolling through the TV broadcast bands. Until next week, keep on surfin' Editor's note: Cable and the dish killed TV DXing, yet WA1LOU still cannot find anything to watch. To discuss TV and FM DXing and other important stuff with Stan, send him e-mail at wa1lou@arrl.net (via John Norfolk, dxldyg via DXLD) ###