DX LISTENING DIGEST 4-128, August 25, 2004 Incorporating REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING 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 AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1243: Wed 2200 on WBCQ 7415 Wed 2300 on WBCQ 17495-CUSB [ex-2200] Thu 1600 on WBCQ after-hours http://wbcq.com repeated weekdaily Thu 2000 on RFPI http://www.rfpi.org repeated 4-hourly [maybe] Thu 2030 on WWCR 15825 Fri 0200 on ACBRadio Mainstream repeated 2-hourly http://www.acbradio.org/mainstream.html Fri 2300 on Studio X, Momigno, Italy 1584 Sat 0000 on SIUE Web Radio http://webradio.siue.edu Sat 0800 on WRN1 to Europe, Africa, Asia, Pacific Sat 0855 on WNQM Nashville 1300 Sat 1030 on WWCR 5070 Sat 1830 on WPKN Bridgeport, 89.5, http://www.wpkn.org Sat 2000 on RFPI http://www.rfpi.org repeated 8-hourly [maybe] Sat 2030 on WBCQ 17495-CUSB Sat 2030 on R. Lavalamp http://www.radiolavalamp.org Sat 2300 on RFPI http://www.rfpi.org repeated 8-hourly [maybe] Sun 0230 on WWCR 5070 Sun 0300 on WBCQ 9330 Sun 0630 on WWCR 3210 Sun 1000 on WRN1 to North America, webcast; also KSFC 91.9 Spokane WA, and WDWN 89.1 Auburn NY; maybe KTRU 91.7 Houston TX, each with webcasts Sun 1100 on R. Lavalamp http://www.radiolavalamp.org Sun 1500 on R. Lavalamp http://www.radiolavalamp.org Sun 1900 on Studio X, Momigno, Italy 1584 Sun 1930 on WWCR 12160 [NEW] Sun 2000 on RNI webcast, http://www.11L-rni.com Mon 0100 on WBCQ 9330 Mon 0230 on WRMI 6870 Mon 0330 on WSUI 910, webcast http://wsui.uiowa.edu [previous 1241] Mon 0430 on WBCQ 7415, webcast http://wbcq.us Mon 0900 on R. Lavalamp http://www.radiolavalamp.org Mon 1600 on WBCQ after-hours http://wbcq.com repeated weekdaily Wed 0930 on WWCR 9475 WRN ONDEMAND [from Fri]: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also for CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL]: WORLD OF RADIO 1243 (high version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1243h.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1243h.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1243.html [from Thu] WORLD OF RADIO 1243 (low version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1243.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1243.rm WORLD OF RADIO 1243 in the true SW sound via mp3: keep checking http://www.piratearchive.com/dxprograms.htm 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) ** ANGUILLA. [see also TURKS & CAICOS]. Actually, Jerry Kiefer's not quite right about the 1610 Anguilla, either. It was actually notified to ITU as a part of the RJ-81 "corrections and additions" right after the agreement was signed but before the Region II Expanded Band agreement ("RJ-88") was put into effect. And 1610 is allotted to Anguilla in the RJ-88 agreement. But, like all but a few bilateral special cases, nobody's service is protected outside their own country. The outstanding broadcasting exception is US/Mexico FM service, where there is trans-border protection (Ben Dawson, WA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BELARUS. [Re 4-127:] Mahilioú 7145 is a 5 kW transmitter, but it propagates differently, since it is located in the very east of Belarus. WRTH 2004 map, pg. 74 shows the locations. 73s, (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. Este 21/08, a las 0006 UT, pude captar la señal de Rádio Nacional da Amazônia, en los 6170 kHz, con SINPO 3/3. Colocaba música y había una pareja de locutores (hombre-mujer) con comentarios. Escuchada también el 23/08, a las 2338 UT, pero en 6190 kHz, con fuerte señal (Adán González, Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BULGARIA. Program "Horizont" left 774 kHz, moving to 1584 kHz, and Radio Varna is now on 774 (ex 981) kHz MW. 73s de (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, Aug 23 via Wolfgang Büschel, MWDX yg via DXLD) There is a well maintained website will full technical info on all Bulgarian txs: http://www.radio.dir.bg (You need to be able to read Cyrillic letters, though.) This website lists the Varna transmitter for "Horizont" on 1143; while the Sovorovo transmitter (Varna region) for "Horizont" on ex 774 is listed on 1485 (not 1584). The above reported move of the Varna transmitter on 981 (R. Varna) to 774 is not yet included on the website. The complete LW/MW list from this website: 261 75 Vakarel Horizont 576 500 Vidin Hristo Botev 594 250 Pleven Horizont 648 30 Plovdiv Radio Plovdiv+Hristo Botev 702 10 Pirin Hristo Botev 747 500 Petrich Horizont+FS 747 10 Salmanovo Horizont+Turkish prgr 774 75 Varna R.Varna [power acc. to website, QRG/ex981 acc. to above info by Rumen Pankov] 828 500 Shumen Hristo Botev 828 50 Sofia Hristo Botev 684 150 Blagoevgrad Radio Blagoevgrad 864 10 Samuil Horizont 873 60 Stara Zagora Radio Stara Zagora+Hristo Botev 963 40 Pirin Horizont 963 40 Sofia Horizont 963 5 Malko Tarnovo Horizont 963 75 Shumen Radio Shumen+Horizont 1017 50 Kardzhali Horizont+Turkish prgr 1143 40 Varna Horizont 1161 500 Stara Zagora Horizont 1161 10 Dulovo Horizont+Turkish prgr 1161 10 Targovishte Horizont+Turkish prgr 1224 500 Vidin Horizont+FS 1296 150 Kardzhali Hristo Botev 1296 30 Pleven Hristo Botev 1485 5 Suvorovo Horizont 1485 3 Haskovo Hristo Botev 1584 10 Dobrich Horizont (via Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Por una extraña razón, Radio Canadá Internacional se muestra desordenada en la emisión de sus programas en español, tanto en horarios como en frecuencias. Por ejemplo, el 22 y 23/08, tuvo un servicio en español a las 0200 UT, en los 11990 kHz. Tal emisión no figura en sus actuales esquemas. Igualmente, el uso aleatorio de la banda de 19 metros para los horarios de 23 y 00 UT, es otra característica del desorden. 73s y buen DX (Adán González, Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHILE. Effective Aug. 10 Christian Voice/Voz Cristiana cancelled the following transmissions: 2000-2400 on 11665 SGO 100 kW / 075 deg to WeAf in English 2000-2300 on 15365 SGO 100 kW / 105 deg to SoAf in Portuguese (Observer, Bulgaria, Aug 24 via DXLD) 11665 was supposedly for SW Africa, apparently a temp fill-in for a service normally from Zambia, and represented the only English from the Chile site (gh, DXLD) ** CHINA. Frequency change of China Radio International Arabic via Kunming 500 kW / 300 degrees: 1600-1657 NF 11810*, ex 11915 to avoid DW Russian \\ 17880, 15440, 15125, 11730, 7160 *from 1630 strong co-ch Radio Prague in German via ARM 250 kW / 290 degrees to WEu (Observer, Bulgaria, Aug 24 via DXLD) ** CHINA. Frequency change for China National Radio in Kazakh/ Uyghur/ Mongolian: 1400-1700 NF 9430 co-channel FEBC in Mandarin Chinese, ex 9455 (Observer, Bulgaria, Aug 24 via DXLD) ** CUBA [non]. ANALYSIS: USA STARTS AIRBORNE TV MARTI BROADCASTS TO CUBA | Text of editorial analysis by BBC Monitoring Media Services on 24 August US military aircraft on 21 August began transmitting TV Martí broadcasts to Cuba to override jamming of the US terrestrial transmissions for Cuba by the island's authorities. President Bush had allocated 18m US dollars in May to fund the project, as part of a series of measures recommended by the US Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba headed by Secretary of State Colin Powell. In a statement on 23 August, US State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said: "On 21 August the United States successfully broadcast Radio and TV Martí to the Cuban people for several hours from an airborne broadcasting platform operated by the Air National Guard. The Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba recommended that such broadcasts be carried out on a regular basis to break the Castro regime's information blockade on the Cuban people. "Radio and TV Martí have transmitted their signals to Cuba for over a decade, and they are routinely jammed by authorities that are fearful of the truth and of their own people. These broadcasts will give the Cuban people uncensored information about their country and the world, and will help bring about a rapid and peaceful transition to democracy." The TV Martí broadcasts are beamed to Cuba "for four hours [a day] on Channel 13 [VHF]," and "will continue frequently in the days to come", according to the web site of the Office of Cuba broadcasting, http://www.martinoticias.com The site also carries details about Radio Martí programmes and frequencies. But the times and dates on which the airborne TV Martí broadcasts will be transmitted remain unclear. Radio Martí began in the mid-1980s. Cuba started jamming both the radio and its counterpart TV Martí when the latter began operations in 1990, the Voice of America recalled, adding: "The jamming of TV Martí has been especially effective despite extensive efforts to overcome it." Radio and TV Martí operate under the Broadcasting Board of Governors, a US government body that supervises all US-government supported international broadcasts. Cuban exiles pleased Vladimiro Roca, an activist for human rights in Cuba, said in an interview reported on the CubaNet News web site on 21 August that the airborne broadcasts were a step that "the majority of the Cubans have been waiting for... allowing TV Martí to be broadcast by using a plane so that the signal can get through to Cuba. The Brothers to the Rescue organization demonstrated that the most effective method was using a light aircraft with a small antenna. And the signal got through." CubaNet News - http://www.cubanet.org - is a Miami area-based news organization that posts on its web site reports transmitted clandestinely to it via telephone by independent journalists in Cuba. A leading Cuban exile group in Florida, the Cuban American National Foundation (CANF), issued a statement praising the Bush administration for the operation. The TV station "is irrefutably one of the most critical tools at the disposition of US policy to help precipitate a democratic transition on he island," said CANF head Joe García, in remarks quoted by AFP news agency. The CANF complained, however, that it had taken so long to enable Cubans to watch the TV Martí shows. "It took more than 14 years, three presidents and 100m dollars to finally put into effect a programme that could have long before helped to shape the destiny of those 11 million who suffer under Castro's totalitarian rule," the group said in a statement. Feliciano Foyo of another exile group, the Cuban Liberty Council, also welcomed the move. "These transmissions will allow Cubans to learn about a world which Fidel Castro has hidden from them, and to learn about the possibilities every human being has in a world where he lives in liberty," Foyo said. Source: BBC Monitoring research 24 Aug 04 (via DXLD) Note this says the airborne broadcasts will be weekly, presumably Saturday evenings (gh, DXLD): ESTADOS UNIDOS SATISFECHO POR SEÑAL DE RADIO Y TV MARTI El Nuevo Herald | 08/24/2004 | Posted on Tue, Aug. 24, 2004 WILFREDO CANCIO ISLA, El Nuevo Herald La trasmisión de las señales de Radio y TV Martí desde un avión militar estadounidense C-130 constituye un ''paso extraordinario'', pero no será el único esfuerzo para romper el bloqueo informativo impuesto por el régimen de Fidel Castro, afirmó ayer Pedro Roig, director de la Oficina de Transmisiones hacia Cuba (OCB). ''Hemos logrado este paso extraordinario con favorables índices de recepción y a partir de ahora, semanalmente, los cubanos podrán contar con una programación especial'', afirmó Roig. El pasado sábado, entre 6 y 10 p.m., EE.UU. envió por primera vez las señales de Radio y TV Martí desde una plataforma aérea operada por la Guardia Nacional. El Departamento de Estado calificó el lunes de exitosas las transmisiones, que utilizaron el canal 13 y una frecuencia de onda media no empleada anteriormente por emisoras radiales norteamericanas. Hasta anoche, el gobierno cubano no había emitido ninguna declaración oficial. Roig indicó que los resultados preliminares de audiencia han sido masivos, aunque advirtió de que habrá que esperar aún para realizar una evaluación profunda de lo sucedido. Un primer informe sobre los cómputos de recepción podría conocerse hoy. Según los reportes, la señal entró con mucha fuerza en la costa norte de La Habana y en la zona central del país. Varios testimonios dan cuenta de receptividad en ciudades como Camagüey y Placetas, y en barrios habaneros como El Vedado, Centro Habana y Habana Vieja. Las transmisiones incluyeron un programa especial dedicado a la Red Avispa; una entrevista con el ex director del FBI en Miami, Héctor Pesquera; una intervención del escritor exiliado Carlos Alberto Montaner y noticias sobre la guerra de Irak. En muchas casas, el audio entró perfectamente pero la señal era borrosa. ''Al principio la gente se desconcertó, pero el sentimiento general fue de alegría'', relató ayer el disidente Vladimiro Roca desde La Habana. ``De todas las medidas anunciadas por la Casa Blanca ésta era la que se esperaba con más interés, porque representa un desafío a los medios de difusión controlados por el gobierno''. La transmisión aérea figura en el plan propuesto por la Comisión de Asistencia para una Cuba Libre, anunciado el pasado mayo por el presidente [actuando] George W. Bush. Roig apuntó que las trasmisiones semanales desde el avión C-130 duplican las dificultades técnicas al gobierno cubano, que hasta ahora había bloqueado las señales televisivas emitidas por un globo aerostático desde Los Cayos de la Florida. El costo diario de la plataforma aérea es de $70,000 (via Oscar de Céspedes, Aug 24, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** CUBA. Re: Rebelde is on 530 kHz So far, it's a west coast FL log only (myself, then Bishop and Zecchino). No surprise there, if it is in Pinar del Rio as Paul's initial bearings indicate. Best time for most to check (if in FL) is daytime, or closer to sunset. It's right on frequency, BTW (Terry Krueger, Clearwater FL, 1215 UT Aug 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Actually, I heard it last night here in NC, // a couple of frequencies between 600 and 700, mixing with RVC, on the dead-south 250m mini-bev, here in NC (Jay Novello, Aug 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 530, Rebelde here again at 2140 GMT+ today, Aug. 24th, parallel 1180. Next report from me will be if something monumentally different happens here. This one is now boring (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CYPRUS. TECHNICAL ITCH HITS RADIO CYPRUS Cyprus state radio has been forced to suspend live programming after an infestation of fleas, attributed to scores of stray cats that live around the station's premises. "The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC) announces that due to the immediate need to spray its studios, Radio 1 and Radio 2 will broadcast recorded programs until 2100 tonight, with news on the hour," an announcer told listeners on Tuesday. "The problem with the cats is causing a terrible situation, there are hundreds of them and they are running into the studios and onto the roof," one reporter said. "At one point, a cat fell through the roof and landed on someone's head." Inevitable The flea infestation was first noticed when CyBC staff reported sick and the cause of the illness was traced to the flea-ridden strays. "This was a little unexpected, but it's also inevitable when you have all these strays wandering around," senior manager Michalis Stylianou said. "We are proposing the cats either get vaccinated or gotten rid off", he said. "The dog should also go". According to the French news agency AFP, the station's unofficial mascot, Rika the poodle, is also believed to be a culprit. A CyBC memo to staff said the studios would be closed for 24 hours while they are fumigated. "We were told a day would do but now we are hearing this could go on for the better part of this week", a staff member told the agency. Source: as listed (via BBCM via DXLD) CATS PUT CYPRUS RADIO OFF THE AIR Tuesday, August 24, 2004, CNN, NICOSIA, Cyprus (Reuters) Dozens of stray cats and their fleas put Cyprus state radio off the air on Tuesday as fumigation experts were called in. Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC) Radio 3 programme said only songs and news bulletins would be broadcast for the next 24 hours on all three of the CyBC's radio channels due to "an immediate need for spraying." "The problem with the cats is causing a terrible situation, there hundreds of them and they are running into the studios and over the roof," said one reporter who declined to be named. "At one point, one cat fell through the roof and landed on someone's head," he said. "They have made a mess and broken everything in my office." Staff said they were told there was a possibility the three CyBC stations could stay off the air for as long as three days. Cats have been roaming the CyBC grounds for decades and now number more than 100 (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) See also FRANCE [non] Fleas shut down radio stations http://www.online.ie/sp/printdoc.adp?id=3150393&return=%2fentertainment%2fviewer%2eadp%3farticle%3d3150393 (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. Dominican Republic FM List I just stumbled across this web site, which some of you may find useful: http://www.dominicandata.com/frecuenciaaldia/emisorasfmrd.htm Regards, (Fred Laun, Temple Hills, MD, Aug 24, WTFDA via DXLD) (Radio-TV Officer at American Embassy Santo Domingo, 1964-1967) By our contributor Dino Bloise, also with an AM page: http://www.dominicandata.com/frecuenciaaldia/emisorasamrd.htm But not exactly Al Día, as both are copyright 2001, and does not yet include the 1640 station. Some other pages are dated 2003 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR. La estación de señales horarias de Ecuador HD2IOA, que no aparece en la lista de estas emisoras del WRTH 2004, transmite las 24 horas del día en 3810 kHz, tal como me confirman en el siguiente mail que he recibido de dicha emisora, en el que aparece también su dirección: "Hola Manuel Méndez, el Instituto Oceanográfico de la Armada del Ecuador a través de sus funcionarios tienen el gusto de saludarte e indicarte que nuestra estación de señal horaria HD2IOA transmite las 24 horas del dia en la frecuencia de 3810 kHz; nuestra dirección es: Instituto Oceanográfico de la Armada Avenida de la Marina vía Puerto Marítimo código postal: 5940, Guayaquil-Ecuador" HD2IOA fue captada varias veces por mí en el mes de julio con señal débil, en horas del amanecer aquí en España (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Aug 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ERITREA. I had meant to be in touch earlier about Thorsten Hallmann in DXLD 4-118 noting nothing from Eritrea on 7175, although Eritrea 7100 was being heard regularly. As I think you reported a while ago, the 7175 transmitter moved to 7180 earlier this year (possibly to move it further away from Ethiopia on 7165, which has been known to be moved itself to 7175 to jam Eritrea). (Chris Greenway, UK, Aug 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FINLAND. A new coördination coming up soon, before 2005. Present closing down 1/9 -04. All broadcasts illegal on 603 kHz until new coordination established (Roy Sandgren, Radio 603, Aug 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FRANCE. LOW-POWER SHORTWAVE STATION BRIEFLY ON THE AIR IN PARIS A shortwave station with an extremely low transmitter power will be on the air in Paris, France, in September. Innov'Radio has a temporary license to broadcast from Paris on September 5, and from Apremont, north of Paris, on September 9-19. The frequency will be between 25845 kHz and 25880 kHz, and transmitter power 1-10 watts, depending on the event to be covered. According to the decision by the governing body Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (CSA), the antenna may be placed no higher than 30 meters off the ground. At the same time, CSA licenced two other exceptional temporary radio stations. Radio Evénement will broadcast on November 5-7 on 66.0 MHz with a power of 15 watts, and Radio Spot will be on the air on September 25, October 2, October 9 and November 6 on 66.8 MHz with a power of 15 watts. Both frequencies fall into the OIRT FM band, which is not normally used in Western Europe. The licences were announced on August 14. Among DXers, news about the stations was first published by Thiérry Vignaud on the fr.rec.radio usenet group, and by the Radioactu website (DXing.info, August 23, 2004 via DXLD) ** FRANCE [non] Re 4-127, about FINLAND, MONACO and CYPRUS: It is necessary to separate site owners (like TDP) and program producers/broadcasters (like RFI, RMC). A. Site Owners Finland: The owner of the Pori site is Digita Oy, in which TDF has a minority share (49%); 51% is owned by YLE. Monaco (not Monte Carlo) & Cyprus: The "2 x 100 and 1 x 500kW" refer to the Mont Agel (Fontbonne) SW site in Monaco. This site is commonly known as "TWR site" (as it is currently leased exclusively by TWR), but the actual owner is Monte- Carlo Radiodiffusion (MCR). MCR is the transmitter network operator in Monaco and should not be confused with the country's national broadcaster Société Radio Monte Carlo. MCR is a subsidiary of TDF. MCR runs (a.o.) the SW site in Mont Agel (Monaco), the LW/MW site in Roumoulles (France) and the MW site in Cape Greco (Cyprus). There are no SW transmitters in Cape Greco. B. Broadcasters In 1996, Radio Monte Carlo-Moyen Orient (RMC-MO) became part of the Radio France Internatonale group and RMC-MO is now the label of RFI's Arabic service. RMC-MO produces a 24h program via satellite, FM relays and in part relayed via Cape Greco-CYP 1233 (operated by MCR) and on SW via Issoudun, France (operated by TDF). The RMC-MO studios are situated in the same building as RFI in Paris (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Re the NASB Newsletter and comments by Bernd - hmmmm, I nearly got it right. I "only" managed to confuse the Mont Agel (Fontbonne) site with that of Cape Greco-CYP! Apologies for that. It seems that my comment re the Pori site in FNL is more or less correct in that TDF has a 49% share in ownership. And re the two 100 kW and one 500 kW SW transmitters with fixed curtains serving Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Mediterranean areas at Fontbonne [NOT Cape Greco as I originally and erroneously wrote] - the current TWR schedule from this site indicates that their A-04 schedule is covered by the two 100 kW transmitters. The newer 500 kW unit is not used. In fact, the SW transmissions are now limited to 0645/0715 until 1400 only. Long gone are the days when we used to be able to listen to RMC on SW for most of the day. 73s from (Noel R. Green, UK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. IBB HOLZKIRCHEN ANTENNAS DISMANTLED Am 9. August 2004 begann der Abbruch der Antennenanlagen der frueheren US-amerikanischen Kurz- und Mittelwellenstation in Holzkirchen. Binnen einer Woche sollte die Abbruchfirma Seidl die bis zu 122 Meter hohen Masten faellen und fuer die Verschrottung vorbereiten. Mehr als 50 Jahre lang wurde das 68 Hektar grosse Areal fuer Sendungen US- amerikanischer Auslandsdienste nach Osteuropa, Nord- und Mittelasien eingesetzt. Nach langen Auseinandersetzungen wurde der bis Sommer 2005 laufende Pachtvertrag zwischen IBB und der Bundesvermoegensverwaltung als Besitzerin des Areals wurde vorzeitig aufgeloest, der Sender zum 31. Dezember 2003 abgeschaltet. Nachdem die US-Amerikaner den Mittelwellensender schon laenger nach Kuwait gebracht haben, wurde juengst der erste von drei Holzkirchener Kurzwellensendern in Kuwait in Betrieb genommen. Der Abbau und Neuaufbau der Antennen lohnte sich dagegen nicht. Die Gemeinde hat das Areal fuer 8,2 Millionen Euro gekauft. Fuer den 4. September planen die Gemeinde Valley und die Buergerinitiative Sender Freies Oberland ein grosses Fest (Dr. Hansjoerg Biener, ntt, Aug 15 via BC-DX via DXLD) Die Regionalpresse zum Abbruch der Antennen: http://www.marktplatz-oberbayern.de/regionen/miesbach/1605,187681.html Hier stehen sie noch: http://www.geodaten.bayern.de/bayernviewer/ Suche Ort: Oberlaindern => Oberlaindern (Miesbach) => 1 mal W(esten) => Zoomen Eicherloh => Eicherloh (Erding) => 2 mal W(esten) => Zoomen (Westseite der Strasse 801 kHz, 6085 kHz, Ostseite 1197 kHz) (Wolfgang Reis-D, A-DX Aug 14, ibid.) NACH ACHT JAHREN KAMPF FALLEN DIE ANTENNEN BEI OBERLAINDERN "Das ist schon ein grosser Moment", sagte Adelheid Schlichting. Die Oberlaindernerin und ihr Mann Juergen waren gestern auf das ehemalige Sendergelaende gekommen, um den Beginn der Abbrucharbeiten mitzuerleben. Nach acht Jahren Kampf sei es endlich so weit, sagte auch Valleys Buergermeister Josef Huber. Am Ende der Woche werden Bauunternehmer Josef Seidl zufolge die Masten fallen. "Jetzt schaut her, jetzt packt er's." Huber machte aus seiner Ruehrung keinen Hehl, als der Abbruchbagger mit seinem grossen Greifarm die Winde betaetigte und sich das rund 2,5 Tonnen schwere Kupfernetz der noerdlichsten Antenne einen Meter senkte. Auch Zweiter Buergermeister Karl Stemmler, Gruenen-Kreisrat Roland Klebe aus Warngau sowie Helga und Dieter Marth von der Buergerinitiative liessen sich diesen Moment nicht entgehen. Zeit war es, Bilanz zu ziehen und nach vorne zu blicken. Die Amerikaner haetten gelacht, als er die Veraenderungssperre angekuendigt habe, erinnerte sich Huber. Man sehe den Gebaeuden an, dass das International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) als ehemaliger Paechter nicht mit dem Auszug gerechnet habe: Es gebe neue Fenster, neue Tueren, ein neues Dach. Doch nun muessten die Amerikaner klingeln, wenn sie auf das Gelaende wollten. Die Schluesseluebergabe sei fuer ihn ein besonderer Tag gewesen, erklaerte Georg Paul, Vorsitzender des Vereins Sender-Freies-Oberland, auf Nachfrage. Paul: "Unser Ziel ist fuer mich erreicht." Nur die Gesundheitsstudie wolle er noch betreiben: "Das sind wir Betroffenen anderswo schuldig." Aufgrund des starken Zusammenhalts in der Gemeinde, mit den Nachbarn und mit der Kreisbehoerde habe David in diesem Fall gegen Goliath siegen koennen, ist sich Huber sicher. Auch die Unterstuetzung der rot-gruenen Bundesregierung sei ein wesentlicher Faktor gewesen, erinnert Klebe. Der ganze Prozess mit Demonstrationen, Buergerbegehren mit 20 000 Unterschriften, Gerichtsprozessen und Petition im Bundestag fuege sich fuer ihn wie ein Mosaik zusammen, sagte Valleys Rathauschef: "Jeder hat ein kleines Teil dazu getan." Aus dem "politischen Schachzug" (Klebe), einen Golfplatz auf dem 138 Hektar grossen Areal zu planen und so eine Veraenderungssperre zu bewirken, koennte schon bald eine "Bereicherung fuer die Region" (Huber) werden: Morgen laufe das letzte Gespraech mit einem der drei Interessenten. Ein Bewerber plane sogar, neben dem 18- und dem 9-Loch- Platz und dem Hotel mit 250 Betten noch ein Bundesjugendleistungszentrum aufzubauen, berichtete Huber. Rund 30 Jahre werde die Flaeche als Huber: Golfplatz besser als Fabrikhallen Golfplatz verpachtet. "Das ist besser, als wenn hier grosse Fabrikhallen hinkommen." Gestern hat die beauftragte Firma begonnen, unter den Antennen aufzuraeumen: Holzverschlaege wurden abgerissen, Verankerungen geloest, Metallpfosten entfernt. Wenn am Ende der Woche die Masten fallen, wollen auch die Vertreter der Buergerinitiative wieder vor Ort sein. "Dann gibt es schon mal ein kleines Fest", sagte Paul. Die grosse Feier mit geladenen Gaesten soll am 4. September stattfinden. Bis dahin wird es von den Antennen, die in der Umgebung fuer schlaflose Naechte und Krankheitsfaelle gesorgt haben, keine Spur mehr geben. (Anette Vogel Oberlaindern; Muenchner Merkur newspaper, Marktplatz Oberbayern Miesbach, 10.08.2004) HR 594. Moin, Moin, hier in Stuttgart um 0600 UT nur ein aeusserst schwaches Signal von HR Sky-line aufzunehmen. Dies duerfte nur vom Hohen Meissner kommen, -- aus Rodgau Weiskirchen kommt jedenfalls nichts. Blitzschaden? Oder Wartung. (wb, BC-DX Aug 16) Laut technischer Leitstelle des HR ueber Telefon 069 - 155 2616 war der Sender Weiskirchen seit 0400 UT ausser Betrieb, z.Zt. um 0645 UT mal wieder auf Sendung. Der Grund der Arbeiten in Weiskirchen war in Frankfurt nicht bekannt. Harald - oder andere Besichtiger der MW Anlage, hast Du die direkte RufNr. der Weiskirchen Anlage ? (wb, Aug 16, BC-DX via DXLD) ** GERMANY [non]. RUSSIA: Frequency change for DW in Chinese via Chita 500 kW / 194 deg: 2300-2350 NF 15515, ex 9570 via A-A 500 kW / 094 deg \\ 9690, 9610, 7305, 6175 (Observer, Bulgaria, Aug 24 via DXLD) ** HONG KONG. 1044, 1250, Metro Plus, Peng Chau, Hong Kong. Fair with male talk in CC when clearly heard "studio Hong Kong" ID. Blown away to here this as I thought it was just another Chinese station, wasn't until I went through the tape that I realised this was Hong Kong (The Crocodile DX Hunter, Craig Edwards, Townsville, North Queensland, Australia, date not specified, posted August 25, Drake SPR4 & flock of sheep for antennas (4 EWE's), MWDX yg via DXLD) ** INDIA. Dear friends, The late sign off of AIR stations lately mentioned in DXLD 4-127 is of course due to the Olympics coverage (Jose Jacob, India, Aug 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) AIR Delhi was noted today morning on 4870 instead of the normal 4860 from sign on at 0025. AIR Hyderabad is noted sign on 5 minutes early on 4800. Now they are at from 0020 (ex 0025) on 4800 (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, Hyderabad, Aug 25, dx_india via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL. PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE BROADCASTS: [tropical band Brazilians generally beyond scope of this, but some are included; gh at least lined up the first five columns] START STOP DAY ITU STATION LANG TARGET FREQUENCY 0000 0045 USA WYFR Family R. SAm 17725 17750 17805 0000 0100 CHN China R. Int. LAm 11650x 11850/GUF 15420b 0000 0200 Tu-Sa ARG R. Argentina al Exterior Am 11710 0000 0600 AGL R. Nacional, Canal A Af 1088 1367 4950 11955 0000 2400 B R. Aparecida SAm 820 5035 6135 9630 11855 0000 2400 B R. Bandeirantes, SP SAm 6090 9645 11925 0000 2400 B R. Brasil Central SAm 1270 4985 11815 0000 2400 B R. Gazeta, São Paolo SAm 5955 9685 15325 relays R. Canção Nova 0000 2400 B R. Guaíba SAm 6000 11785 0000 2400 B R. Guarujá SAm 5980 0000 2400 B R. Marumby SAm 9665 0000 2400 B R. Nacional Amazônia SAm 6180 9665 11780 0000 2400 B R. Pioneira, Teresina SAm 5015 0000 2400 B R. Tupi, Curitiba SAm 6060 9565 11765 0030 0100 CVA R. Vaticana LAm 1260 7305 9605 0045 0100 USA WYFR Family R. SAm 17725 17750 0100 0145 USA WYFR Family R. SAm 7520 15130 17725 0100 0800 CHL Voz Cristã SAm 11745 0115 0130 I RAI International SAm 9840 0145 0200 USA WYFR Family R. SAm 7520 0200 0300 USA WYFR Family R. SAm 17750 0230 0300 J NHK R. Japan SAm 15565/GUF 0300 0900 B R. Nova Visão SAm 5965 9530 11735 0400 0500 USA WYFR Family R. Af 11530 0430 0500 G BBC Af 3390/AFS 6135/AFS 7205/AFS 0430 0500 USA Voice of America Af 1530/STP 6095/STP 6145/ASC 7340/BOT 9885/BOT 13725/STP 0500 0645 Mo-Fr POR RdP R. Portugal Eu 7240 9840 0500 0700 Tu-Sa B R. Nacional do Brasil Af 9665 0500 0800 SuMo B R. Nacional do Brasil Af 9665 0515 0545 D Deutsche Welle Af 9565/RRW 15520w 0530 0600 CVA R. Vaticana Af 11625 13765 15570 0600 1900 AGL R Nacional, Canal A AGL 1088 4950 9720 11955 0645 0700 Mo-Fr POR RdP R. Portugal Eu 7240 9840 11850 0700 0745 USA WYFR Family R. Eu 9985 0700 0800 Mo-Fr POR RdP R. Portugal Eu 9815 9840 11850 0700 0830 SaSu POR RdP R. Portugal Eu 12020 13640 Af 21830 WAf 17710 SAm 17710 0800 0930 EQA HCJB Voice of the Andes SAm 9745 21455 0800 1000 Mo-Fr POR RdP R. Portugal Eu 12020 0800 1030 B R. Itatiaia B 5970 0800 1100 CHL Voz Cristã SAm 6110 0800 0200 B R. Novas da Paz SAm 6080 9515 11725 0800 0215 B R. Record SAm 6150 9505 0800 0300 B R. Cultura AM SAm 1200 9615 17815 0800 0300 B R. Cultura FM SAm 6170 0800 0300 B R. Globo, São Paulo SAm 6120 9585 0800 0400 B R. Gaúcha, P. Alegre SAm 6020 6060 9565 11915 0804 0900 USA WYFR Family R. SAm 9605 11770 0830 1000 SaSu POR RdP R. Portugal Eu 11995 12020 13640 Af 21830 WAf 17710 SAm 17710 0830 0430 B R. Filadélfia B 6105 0855 1300 B R. Senado B 5993 0900 1000 USA WYFR Family R. SAm 6175 9605 9625 11770 0900 1500 B R. Nova Visão SAm 9530 0900 1500 B R. Transmundial SAm 5965 11735 0900 0100 B R. Rio Mar SAm 3385 6160 9695 0900 0400 B R. Anhangüera SAm 4915 6080 11830 0930 0300 B R. Educadora 6 de Agosto B 3255 0940 1430 B R. Integração B 4765 1000 1045 USA WYFR Family R. SAm 6175 9605 11770 1000 1200 Mo-Fr POR RdP R. Portugal Eu 12020 Af 21830 WAf 21655 21725 SAm 21655 21725 1000 1200 SaSu POR RdP R. Portugal Eu 12020 13640 Af 21830 WAf 21655 SAm 21655 1030 1100 J NHK R. Japan SAm 15590/GUF 1100 1130 Mo-Sa CVA R. Vaticana LAm 1260 21850 1100 2000 CHL Voz Cristã SAm 21500 1200 1300 AGL RNA N'Gola Yetu AGL 944 7217 1200 1345 SaSu POR RdP R. Portugal Eu 12020 13640 Af 21830 WAf 17710 NAm 17575 SAm 17615 17710 1200 1700 occ POR RdP R. Portugal NAm 17575 1300 1500 Mo-Fr POR RdP R. Portugal As 21810 1315 1330 CVA R. Vaticana Eu 1260 9645 11740 1345 1400 SaSu POR RdP R. Portugal Af 21830 WAf 21655 NAm 17575 SAm 17615 21655 1400 1700 SaSu POR RdP R. Portugal Eu 13770 15555 Af 21830 WAf 21655 NAm 17575 SAm 17615 21655 1400 2000 B R. Nova Visão SAm 11735 1400 2000 B R. Transmundial SAm 5965 9530 1425 1440 Sa SWZ Trans World R. MOZ 7315 1425 1455 Su-Fr SWZ Trans World R. MOZ 7315 1530 1800 EQA HCJB Voice of the Andes SAm 15295 1600 1645 Sa SWZ Trans World R. MOZ 4760 1600 1900 Mo-Fr POR RdP R. Portugal Eu 13770 15525 Af 17680 WAf 21655 21800 SAm 21655 21800 1630 1645 Mo,Th SWZ Trans World R. MOZ 4760 1700 1730 USA Voice of America AGL 1530/STP 7290 11775 15545 1700 1800 F R. France Int. WAf 15530 EAf 12015/GAB 1700 1800 USA Voice of America Af 1530/STP 9830/STP 12080/BOT 1700 1800 USA WYFR Family R. Af 21525 1700 2000 SaSu POR RdP R. Portugal Eu 13770 15555 Af 17680 WAf 21655 NAm 17575 SAm 17615 21655 1700 2300 occ POR RdP R. Portugal NAm 17575 VEN 21540 1730 1800 USA Voice of America Af 9805/BOT 9815/BOT 15730/STP 17785/MRC 1800 1830 Mo-Fr USA Voice of America Af 1530/STP 9815/BOT 9830/STP 12080/BOT 15730/STP 17785/MRC 1800 1840 CVA R. Vaticana Af 13765 15570 17515 1800 1845 USA WYFR Family R. WAf 17525 1800 1900 Tu-Fr E R. Exterior España Am 21700 1800 2200 SaSu B R. Nacional do Brasil Af 9665 1900 2000 AGL R. Ecclesia AGL 7205/AFS 1900 2000 CHN China R. Int. Eu 7335j 11825x Af 7180x 9535x 9620x 11640$/MLI 13630$/MLI 1900 2000 USA WYFR Family R. Eu 18930 1900 2030 G BBC SAm 15285/ATG 17605/CHL 17630/ATG 1900 2030 I IRRS Milano Eu 5775 1900 2100 Mo-Fr B R. Nacional do Brasil Af 9665 1900 2300 occ POR RdP R. Portugal Eu 13720 15445 15555 Af 11945 WAf 21800 SAm 21540 21655 21800 NAm 17575 1900 2400 AGL R Nacional, Canal A Af 1088 1367 4950 9720 11955 1905 1920 124 SWZ Trans World R. AGL 6130 1920 1950 SWZ Trans World R. AGL 6130 2000 2030 CUB R. Habana Cuba Eu 15120 2000 2030 RUS Voice of Russia SEu 7440m 11630m 2000 2050 D Deutsche Welle CAf 15275w SAf 9875/RRW 11870/CLN 15275w 2000 2100 CHL Voz Cristã SAm 21500 SAf 15365 2000 2100 F R. France Int. CAf 15530 2000 0300 B R. Integração B 4765 2000 0300 B R. Itatiáia B 5970 2000 0900 B R. Canção Nova SAm 1020 4825 6105 9675 2000 1000 B R. Inconfidência B 6010 2000 1100 B R. Baré‚ Onda Tropical B 4895 2000 1130 B R. Globo, Rio SAm 6030 2030 2045 CVA R. Vaticana Eu 1530 4005 5890 7250 9645 2030 2100 G BBC Af 3390/AFS 6135/AFS 7205/AFS 11855/ASC 13745r 15105s 2050 2110 I RAI International Af 6130 7295 11880 15240 2100 2130 Fr CAN R. Canadá Int. SAm 15165 17740 2100 2200 USA WYFR Family R. Af 15770 2100 2300 CHL Voz Cristã SAm 15475 21500 SAf 15365 2100 0300 B R. Nova Visão SAm 5965 11735 2100 0300 B R. Transmundial SAm 9530 2100 1000 B R. Clube Paranaense B 6040 9725 2130 2200 G BBC SAm 9870/ASC 11965/ATG 15390/ASC 2200 2230 CUB R. Habana Cuba SAm 17705 2200 2300 CHN China R. Int. 11650x 15100b 2200 2300 USA WYFR Family R. SAm 17725 15130 2200 0303 B R. Senado B 5993 2215 2330 EGY R. Cairo SAm 11790 2230 2300 G BBC SAm 9870/ASC 11965/ATG 15390/ASC 2300 2330 CUB R. Habana Cuba SAm 15230 17705 2300 2400 CHN China R. Int. SAm 13650/CUB 2300 2400 RUS Voice of Russia Eu 603 SAm 7330m 11510/TJK 12010m 2300 2400 USA WYFR Family R. SAm 17725 2300 0100 CHL Voz Cristã SAm 11745 15475 2300 0200 Mo-Fr POR RdP R. Portugal NAm 9715 15480 VEN 13700 B 13660 15295 2300 0230 EQA HCJB Voice of the Andes SAm 11920 12020 2330 2400 SaSu CAN R. Canada Int. LAm 11825 15455 2330 2400 CUB R. Habana Cuba SAm 15230 (Eike Bierwirth's shortwave broadcasting-schedule list - Last update: August 11, 2004, filtered for the language-based transmissions by JKB, Aug-Sept WWDXC DX Magazine via DXLD, edited by gh) ** INTERNATIONAL WATERS. MARLO 15500 QSL --- Thanks to a reminder by Flavio Archangelo in a recent DXLD I resent my 4 May reception report of 15500 Information Radio to marlo @ nsa.bahrain.navy.mil and received a brief confirmation from LT González. Also Jan Edh of Sweden received similar e-mail. 73 (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, Aug 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: ------- Subject: Information broadcasts on 15500 kHz heard in Finland Jari, Yes we received your email. Congratulations on your ability to receive our signal from such a far distance and thank you for listening. V/R, LT Gonzalez, MARLO (via Jari, ibid.) ** IRAN. Some frequency changes for VOIROI/IRIB: 1230-1327 Malay NF 17590, ex 17555 \\ 15200 1430-1527 Bengali NF 9940 and NF 12090, ex 9520 and 12015 \\ 7305, 9810 (Observer, Bulgaria, Aug 24 via DXLD) ** IRAQ. REPUBLIC OF IRAQ RADIO ON NEW MEDIUMWAVE FREQUENCY IN BAGHDAD BBC Monitoring has observed public broadcaster Republic of Iraq Radio with a powerful signal on the new mediumwave frequency of 675 kHz in the Baghdad area. This was in parallel with the FM service on 98.3 MHz. Republic of Iraq Radio's mediumwave frequencies of 603, 1026 and 1071 kHz have not been observed on air since late July 2004. 675 kHz was formerly used by a station broadcasting from Iran into Iraq, Voice of Rebellious Iraq, although this now seems defunct, having not been observed by BBC Monitoring since May 2003. Source: David Kernick, BBC Monitoring research in English 25 Aug 04 (via DXLD) ** ISRAEL. Reshet Gimel / Reshet Moreshet --- The Reshet Gimel URL which was listed at http://publicradiofan.com is now Reshet Moreshet (Heritage Network), which the IBA website says will start officially tomorrow (Wednesday). I'm sure the webmaster will change the title soon. Just a heads up, in case you've saved the direct URL somewhere (Doni Rosenzweig, Aug 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAEL. DISAPPOINTED RADIO AUDIENCES MAY BE SAVED BY NEW TECHNOLOGY http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=67787 17:32 Aug 23, '04 --- For the many radio listeners who suddenly found themselves without anything to listen to over the past year: Not to worry, a solution appears to be on the way. First it was Arutz-7. On Oct. 20 of last year, the Supreme Court convicted ten Arutz-7 employees of broadcasting without a license - despite their bosses' expensive efforts to broadcast from outside Israel's territorial waters - and within two hours, the managers took the station off the air. Though Arutz-7 continued to broadcast via the internet and phone, this was not an option for most listeners. The B'Sheva newspaper at the time collected responses from disappointed listeners, including, "I no longer turn on the radio at all... I've lost my oxygen... This station was the soul of my life. It was my lifeblood, and now I have to keep switching stations, hearing all the junk, and turning it off... We are attached to the station especially on Fridays, when we're all home. All the preparations for Shabbat are accompanied by the special atmosphere that Arutz-7 gives. The children come home and hear the songs for Shabbat and the [Sabbath eve] programs. This is an atmosphere that no other station has..." and the like. Earlier this month, the same happened with the hareidi religious stations. They were suddenly cut off, on the whole, when the Knesset passed a law banning advertising on pirate radio stations. Veteran hareidi broadcaster Shmuel Ben-Attar said today, "People are crying, calling us up, bothering us night and day... They don't want to listen to the secular stations, and they simply have nothing to hear." Relief may be in sight. Moshe Galili, the Deputy Director- General of the Communications Ministry and the man responsible for frequencies regulation, explained today that no fewer than three different laws will hopefully be passed by the end of this year to provide additional frequencies and radio platforms. "There are three issues here," Galili explained to INN's Hillel Fendel today, "laws, technology, and licensing. The law currently provides for two types of radio permits: national/public, which must reach the entire country; and regional radio, which is privately owned on a commercial basis. What we want to do now is to create a new entity: commercial national radio. For this we need new legislation." For various reasons, there are currently three laws on the table or in the process of being prepared - one for each of the various types of technology. Two years ago, legislation was introduced to create three new national radio stations - analogue, not digital - for specific target audiences. Galili said it was understood at the time that one of them would be for Arutz-7 and one for the Shas Party's listening public, "though in the end, the precise allocation will be decided by whatever coalition happens to be in power at the time." The law was held up for various reasons, though now it has passed its first reading and is being dealt with by the Knesset Economics Committee. Galili explained that Committee Chairman Shalom Simchon (Labor) asked for a reform in the bill, leading Communications Minister Ehud Olmert to decide on the establishment of a public committee to look into the proposed reforms. The committee has not yet been appointed. In any event, in the two years since the above law was proposed, technology has advanced to the point where Israel is no longer so narrowly restricted to available frequencies. Digital technology can enable between 24 and 30 radio stations on just one frequency, while currently 18 stations are available via an American satellite circling over our region. These options are covered, respectively, in two other pieces of legislation currently being improved upon or drawn up. Terrestrial digital radio would be run by private investors who build a digital platform - 10-15 transmitters erected throughout the country. "It would likely be a BOT (Build, Operate, Transfer) operation," Galili said, "in which the investors build the infrastructure, make their profits from selling the rights to use the platform for broadcasting, and then turn it over to the government after 15-20 years." The satellite option involves an American satellite on which originally 80 channels were available - and of which only 18 now remain. "No one is waiting around for us," Galili said, "but if we act quickly, then let's say 15 will remain for us... The cost per station is around $350,000," which he said is "presumably higher than what a digital station would cost to run." Galili explained that the profitability of such enterprises would of course be dependent on the availability of affordable radio receivers: "There are currently many different radios on the market - some that receive only AM/FM, some that also receive digital, some that receive satellite, and some that receive all combinations of the above. The cheapest of the digital/satellite receivers costs $150. The assumption is that as demand increases, the prices will go down." The third issue is of course the most significant: Who will be authorized to broadcast? Although the problem of lack of frequencies will be solved, "there is no telling how many new stations will want to apply to operate stations," Galili said, and therefore the issue of how to distribute the licenses has not yet been determined. "There are two types of permits: licenses and concessions. Licenses are offered as they are at present, given the paucity of frequencies," and only to those that fulfill the most rigorous conditions and are then approved by the government, "while concessions are offered to almost anyone who applies, as long as they fulfill certain basic conditions." The all- important question of who will receive what type of license will be decided by the Communications Minister at a later date, Galili said. Asked why digital/satellite radio stations cannot be treated as newspapers, such that anyone who can afford to operate one can do so without a license, Galili explained that the law states that radio stations must be licensed - and that digital/satellite stations are considered "radio" for this purpose (via Doni Rosenzweig, DXLD) ** JAPAN. 648, 1022, Armed Force Radio, Okinawa. Poor but clearly audible with a jingle for "NPR Radio Worldwide" followed by NPR News in EE (CE) 810, 1040, Armed Force Radio, Tokyo, Japan. Noted this // 648 kHz but stronger with NPR Network pgm in EE (The Crocodile DX Hunter, Craig Edwards, Townsville, North Queensland, Australia, date not specified, posted August 25, Drake SPR4 & flock of sheep for antennas (4 EWE's), MWDX yg via DXLD) ** KENYA. Glenn, Good to hear from you. I'm back in the UK now, though was in Kenya earlier this month. 4915 has been operating regularly, and I'm not aware of any changes to the schedule in the current WRTH, i.e. Monday-Friday only and generally signing off shortly after 1900, though it's entirely possible that this has been extended to 1930 without me noticing, or that it overran on this particular occasion. 1930 is much too early for Ghana to sign off. Incidentally, the VoK was renamed KBC way back in 1990 (in fact, going back to the pre- independence name). (Chris Greenway, UK, Aug 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH. Frequency change for Voice of Korea in Arabic/English/Spanish/French/Arabic/Korean 1500-2057 NF 11535 (45444) to ME, ex 11735 (Observer, Bulgaria, Aug 24 via DXLD) ** KURDISTAN. IRAQ: VOICE OF IRAQI KURDISTAN OBSERVED ON NEW FREQUENCY BBC Monitoring has observed Voice of Iraqi Kurdistan opening the day's transmission at 0304 gmt on 6340 kHz shortwave, replacing long-used 4085 kHz. Programming was in Kurdish, which was heard until fading out around 0515 gmt. The station broadcasts in Arabic and Kurdish in support of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) from studios in Salah al-Din in northern Iraq. The party has a web site in English and Kurdish at http://www.kdp.pp.se Source: BBC Monitoring research in English 24 Aug 04 (via DXLD) ** KUWAIT. IBB via new transmitter in Kuwait KWT 250 kW / 070 deg to Afghanistan eff. Aug. 19: 1330-1430 17605 RFE*Dari 1930-2030 11835 VOA Dari 1430-1500 13690 VOA Pashto 2030-2230 11835 VOA English 1500-1530 13690 VOA Dari 2230-2330 11935 VOA English 1530-1630 13690 VOA Pashto 2330-0030 11995 VOA English 1630-1730 11760 VOA Dari 0030-0130 11995 VOA Pashto 1730-1800 11730 VOA Pashto 0130-0230 11995 VOA Dari 1800-1830 11730 VOA Dari 0230-0330 11945 RFE*Pashto 1830-1930 11750 VOA Pashto *RFE/RL/Radio Free Afghanistan (Observer, Bulgaria, Aug 24 via DXLD) ** MALDIVE ISLANDS. SAMMAREY SABOTAGES THE MINIVAN RADIO BROADCAST Mariyam Mohamed - Friday, 20th August 2004 http://www.e-maldives.com/news/minivan_radio_sabotaged.htm The independent Minivan Radio test broadcast on Wednesday night [Aug 18, 11525] at 2130-2230 Male' time was sabotaged by the Maldives government, when it hijacked the same frequency to transmit pro- Gayyoom propaganda. A senior technician at the government's radio station, Voice of Maldives, was spotted in the street after the broadcast, saying on his mobile phone: "We'll do the same thing again tomorrow night." International laws forbid registered frequencies to be hijacked in this manner, but the Minister of Information, Arts, and Culture, Ibrahim Manik (Sammarey), Gayyoom's brother-in-law, who controls radio, TV, and the print media in the Maldives, is no stranger to the violation of such laws. TV Maldives, the government television station, for example broadcasts pirated VCD's of Bollywood films and songs (when its not showing Gayyoom propaganda), probably the only national TV in the world to do so. Maldivians have had to pay the price for the culture minister's ignorance and infringement of international copyright laws. Some years ago, TVM not only broadcast a pirated copy of a Bollywood blockbuster just days after it's release, it also unwittingly beamed the film via satellite to the Indian subcontinent. The film's producers sued the Maldives government and the treasury had to foot the bill. Last night's sabotage is further proof of the minister's ignorance. A commentator remarked, "Why did they have to transmit the Voice of Maldives signal on the Minivan Radio frequency, why couldn't they have played Tamil songs or something, so that people don't know the government is carrying out the illegal activities?" Sammarey is widely believed to be the most backward and ignorant member of Gayyoom's cabinet. He is also currently the second-most loathed minister (Yameen heads the top of this category now). In the run-up to last year's presidential elections, when the dictator invited people to write to him with their views, most people are said to have advised him to get rid of Summer Blue Ibrahim Manik (Dhivehi Observer Aug 20 via DXLD) ** MALDIVE ISLANDS [non]. Victor [Goonetilleke, Sri Lanka] says it's not true that 13 MHz is a problem for receivers in the Maldives, but of course if Radio Minivan is not happy, the 11 or 15 MHz bands can be an alternative. Victor thinks 13 megs is fine, but will monitor and report back. 73, (Andy Sennitt, Holland, Aug 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Minivan Radio, the Free Radio of the Maldives, will transmit on Wednesday 25th August between 2100 - 2200 (Male' time). [1600-1700 UT via Germany] Transmission frequency is Shortwave 13.855 MHz Tune in for the Real News, music, discussion and lots more. Tell your friends. Please let us know if you could or could not receive the broadcast in your area. Contact details: Friends of Maldives is a group concerned with promoting cultural links with Maldives and addressing Human Rights Abuses in the country. Friends of Maldives, 64 Milford Street, Salisbury, SP1 2BP [UK]. Tel. +44 (0) 1722 504 330 Email: admin@friendsofmaldives.co.uk (via Ignacio Sotomayor, Spain, Aug 23, dxldyg via DXLD) DISSIDENT RADIO TO START DAILY BROADCASTS ON 25 AUGUST A dissident radio billing itself as the "Free Radio of the Maldives" will start a daily one-hour broadcast on Wednesday 25 August, according to an announcement on the Dhivehi Observer web site at http://www.e-maldives.com Minivan Radio is due to be on air at 1600-1700 gmt (2100-2200 Maldives time) on 13855 kHz shortwave, from a transmitter believed to be in Juelich, Germany. The broadcast is produced by a UK-based group called Friends of Maldives, which carried out a test transmission on 11525 kHz on 18 August. The organization has a web site at http://www.friendsofmaldives.co.uk Source: David Kernick, BBC Monitoring research in English 25 Aug 04 (via DXLD) Minivan's 13855 suffered lots of QRM from the Russian on 13860 here (DXA375-Silvain Domen, Antwerpen, Belgium, dxldyg via DXLD) Hi Glenn, Thanks for the timely reminder! The station started promptly at 1600 on 13855 with English ID and announcement followed by a talk in a 'local' language. This is still in progress at 1625. The signal here is not very strong and is being badly splattered by CRI in Russian on 13860. Russia has a Russian language transmission on 13850 but this is not very strong, and so it is possible to hear some programme content from Minivan by using LSB. The signal on 13855 is varying in 'loudness' from time to time, which doesn't appear to have anything to do with actual signal strength. I'll be interested to know if it makes it as far as Enid. 73s from (Noel Green, England, Aug 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hearing Radio Minivan here on 13855. 1556 transmitter brought up, 1558 a single little 'gong' sound on freq, not sure what that was, 1559 Radio Miami International ID, saying that the program was directed to the Maldive Islands... then into language... Good signal. [Later:] Did I actually hear the announcer say Radio Miami International? After I typed that in, and sent it off I was left wondering...? Certainly sounded that way, and it appeared to be an American accent (Steve Lare, Holland, MI, USA, Aug 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Yes, the broadcast is arranged through WRMI, and T-Systems require such an announcement prior to the broadcast (Andy Sennitt, dxldyg via DXLD) Yes, that was an RMI ID you heard --- as opposed to a WRMI ID (Jeff White, RMI, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I was listening too, strangely enough. Mentioned for the Maldive (with a long I --- which is it?) Islands. Poor signal, but at least some signal unlike 11525 last week; some splatter from WWCR 13845 but otherwise clear frequency, no problem here with 13850 and 13860, but what about in target? Some English and quite a lot of music. Around 1640 tone seemingly from conch shell, bird cries, drumming which may be their ID signal; The Poem, in English, heard again around 1652; cut off at 1659 during music, heard no closing ID (Glenn Hauser, Enid, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Another I.O. candidate for outside broadcasts::: ** MAURITIUS. NEW OUTCRY OVER POSSIBLE RADIO SANCTIONS | Text of report by UN regional information network IRIN on 24 August There has been a renewed outcry over plans by the Mauritian government to look into "sanctions" against private radio stations, with activists saying this is the only medium through which ordinary citizens can voice their opinions on the government's performance. Mauritius is due to hold elections in 2005 and observers believe that censuring private radio stations could be detrimental to the island nation's democracy. Lalit, a social activist group and political party, issued a statement on Monday [23 August] condemning the "repression [of] radio stations from which ordinary people can often speak out freely". "We see it as a means of gagging the public in the face of impending economic catastrophe," the organization said. The economic success of Mauritius is in danger of unravelling, as it is set to lose the protection of free access to European markets for its products that it has traditionally enjoyed. This has resulted in retrenchments in the country's export processing zone, with most jobs being lost in the clothing and textile sector. Sugar exports to the European Union are also threatened, and tourism, the other main foreign exchange earner, has stagnated. The loss of jobs has reportedly caused mounting dissatisfaction with government's handling of the economy, which has been voiced on air, an observer told IRIN. A recent gas explosion in Grande Baie, in the north of the country, added fuel to government's position that radio was spreading "alarmist reports". In an earlier interview, Mitradev Peerthum, an adviser to Prime Minister Paul Berenger, told IRIN that "after the explosion in Grande Baie everybody on radio was suddenly an expert, and there was alarm spread: people were saying it was a terrorist attack. There must be a sense of responsibility, you cannot spread alarm like this." He also pointed out that private radio stations were "very new [to Mauritius]" and that "someone speaking on radio directly could say 'you see that minister, manager, or ambassador is a crook'". Lalit, however, sees a parallel to an earlier time when economic hardships in the 1970s "brought with it a repressive state of emergency in which elections were postponed, the media gagged, and people arbitrarily detained". It said investigating new sanctions for the "abuse" of radio licences by private stations was a move in the wrong direction, and warned of the alleged erosion of human rights in the country. Source: UN Integrated Regional Information Network, Nairobi, in English 24 Aug 04 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** MEXICO. 1050, 1000, XEG, La Ranchera de Monterrey, Mexico. Noted with SS ID by MA at 1000 but mostly mx, fair but KTCT dominant with sports (CE) 1060, 0935, XEEP Radio Educacion, Mexico. SS tunes here with fair strength but poor overall due to 4TI 1062 splash. (CE) 1220, 0745, XEB, La B Grande, Mexico. Fair in SS with typical mx programming (CE) 1700, 0835, XEPE Tecate, Mexico. The dominant one here in SS with EE & SS love songs (The Crocodile DX Hunter, Craig Edwards, Townsville, North Queensland, Australia, date not specified, posted August 25, Drake SPR4 & flock of sheep for antennas (4 EWE's), MWDX yg via DXLD) ** PHILIPPINES. Frequency change for FEBC in Mandarin Chinese via BOC 100 kW / 345 degrees: 0800-1800 NF 9430 co-channel 1400-1700 CNR in Kazakh/Uyghur/Mongolian, ex 9500 (Observer, Bulgaria, Aug 24 via DXLD) ** PHILIPPINES. 612, 1402, DYHP Cebu City, Philippines. Fair briefly under ABC with animated FA then 'R M N' ID jingles (CE) 621, 1938, DXDC Davao City, Philippines. Fair here despite local 50kW Townsville monster on 630 kHz. Religious service then series of slick jingles & IDs as "RMN" (CE) 918, 2010, DZSR Quezon City, Philippines. Fair here with full EE sign of including freq, power, address (CE) 954, 1500, DZEM Bulacan, Philippines. Fair mixing with Tagalog religious then EE & Tagalog ID "DZEM Christian Era Broadcasting Service", then into US accent EE sermon presented by the "Collections of Christians for the Church of Christ" (CE) 972, 2030, Manila Broadcasting Corporation, Philippines. Not sure of city or callsign but fair in Tagalog with relay of DZRH & Manila Broadcasting Corporation network IDs with lots of funny sound effects (CE) 1116, 2030, DYTR Tagbilaran City, Philippines. Poor but unusual to fade up on ID for a change, Tagalog with male giving series of "DYTR AM Stereo" IDs over and over (CE) 1170, 1004, DXMR Zamboanga, Philippines. Fair here in Tagalog with political news commentary including local and world issues then "PBS" and "Philippine Broadcasting Service" IDs (CE) 1197, 0953, DXFE Davao City, Philippines. Noted here in Tagalog with religious sermon then FEBC English ID at 1000 and pgm'ing in EE from then on (CE) 1224, 2008, DXED Davao City, Philippines. Noted here at fair level at sign on in EE with Eagle Broadcasting Co. info including freq, power and address, then a eagle screeching jingle and into Tagalog (CE) 1323, 1040, DYSI Iloilo, Philippines. Fair here with no sign of 5DN, Thailand or Japan. "DYSI Super Radyo" IDs then promo's for a radio contest and "APB" radio network (CE) 1449, 1538, unID, Suspect Philippines here with mushy audio due to 2MG and other Asians. Noted Tagalog with sports news, a promo jingle for Football coverage and ID as "Sports Radio SMSA" (CE) 1575, 1000, DXJR Cagayan de Oro, Philippines. Good with ad for Baileys Jewellery & Pawn Shop followed by ID "This is JR AM Radio 1575 khz - a commercial radio station...public information & community services" (CE) 1584, 0830, unID Philippines. Good on peaks in Tagalog with amateur sounding outfit with lots of breaks in talking by MA. Lots of talk of Manila but no IDs on the hour after listening to it for three evenings straight, one night at 0830 mention of "FM 87.9 & Regional 1584" but missed any ID (The Crocodile DX Hunter, Craig Edwards, Townsville, North Queensland, Australia, date not specified, posted August 25, Drake SPR4 & flock of sheep for antennas (4 EWE's), MWDX yg via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. Frequency changes for Voice of Russia: 1400-1800 Russ. Int. Radio NF 13850 MSK 250 kW / 190 deg, ex 13860 to avoid CRI Ru 1700-1800 Russian WS NF 13850 MSK 250 kW / 190 deg, ex 13860 to avoid CRI Ru 2000-2130 Serbocroatian NF 12040, additional freq \\ 1548 and 9470 (Observer, Bulgaria, Aug 24 via DXLD) ** SAMOA AMERICAN. 580, 0909, KJAL Pago Pago, American Samoa. Poor here in presume Samoan with non-stop religious like commentary but a tough one due to big splatter from NBC 585 at 0909. Mind you its nice to say that PNG is a pest when usually it is a little DX gem. Noted a week later at better level 1010 with EE religious pgm and US network promo's (The Crocodile DX Hunter, Craig Edwards, Townsville, North Queensland, Australia, date not specified, posted August 25, Drake SPR4 & flock of sheep for antennas (4 EWE's), MWDX yg via DXLD) ** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. GERMANY. Some DTK T-systems changes: Brother Stair/The Overcomer Ministries (TOM): 0600-0800 on 6110 JUL 100 kW / non-dir Daily to WEu in English, ex 295 degrees 1400-1500 on 6110 JUL 100 kW / non-dir Daily to WEu in English, ex 1300-1500 1400-1500 on 13810 JUL 100 kW / 115 deg Daily to ME in English, ex 1300-1500 1700-1900 on 17550 WER 250 kW / 300 deg Daily to NAm in English, ex JUL 100 Kw (Observer, Bulgaria, Aug 24 via DXLD) ** SUDAN [non]. NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE RADIO VOICE OF SUDAN OBSERVED ON SHORTWAVE BBC Monitoring has observed clandestine radio Voice of Sudan broadcasting on 7999.3 kHz shortwave at 1530-1600 gmt on 25 August. The radio station speaks on behalf of the Sudanese opposition grouping, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). It has been on the air intermittently since 1995, from a transmitter believed to be in neighbouring Eritrea. Source: David Kernick, BBC Monitoring research in English 25 Aug 04 (via DXLD) ** TAIWAN [and non]. Re: ``CBS RADIO TAIWAN INT'L current schedule as follows: Revised : AUG 10, 2004 1. VARIETY NETWORK ONE (in CH) 2200-0200, 0400-1700 (Mo-Fr 0800-1000 sign off) 7270 2230-2300 N CHN [...] VOICE OF CHINA: CHINESE 2230-2330 7270, 0800-0900 11940 (via Miller Liu, Taibei, Aug 11, dxing.info via DXLD)`` Voice of China clandestine or CBS Variety Network 1 on 7270? ``1. VARIETY NETWORK ONE (in CH) 2200-0200, 0400-1700 (Mo-Fr 0800-1000 sign off) 1503 1000-1200 1300-1400 S TWN (unpublished) [...] Radio Chan Troi Moi (New Horizon Radio): VIETNAMESE 1330-1430 1503 //17595v (via Miller Liu, Taibei, Aug 11, dxing.info via DXLD)`` New Horizon Radio clandestine or CBS Variety Network 1 on 1503? (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TURKS & CAICOS. Re Martí on 530: Wow --- RVC can NOT be happy about this --- I'm sure Fidel is having a nice 100 kW jamming rig tuned to 530 as I write this. They've been running reduced power lately because power is so expensive there --- they're gonna have to go back to 50 kw to have a prayer! 73, (Bruce WB3HVV Collier, York, PA, amfmtvdx via DXLD) Poor RVC, for sure... and Bruce's remarks bring up a point. There's just no way this 18 million dollars is going to get the job done. Any frequency they choose will be jammed, AM, FM or TV. Some people will be able to tune in the broadcasts (it's a big island), but in most places listening will just be too aggravating. I'm not one to bash government all the time, but sometimes it's scary to see how they mishandle things (when those things happen to be areas about which I have some basic knowledge... not opinion, but factual knowledge). (SuperCFL, ibid.) Regional MW agreements –-- Glenn, One of your correspondents stated that Turks & Caicos isn't signatory to the "North American Radio Agreement." In fact, the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement was abrogated and replaced by the "the Final Acts of the Regional Administrative MF Broadcasting Conference" generally known as the "Rio Agreement" or "RJ-81" in 1981, and my copy shows the signatures of the two representatives of the United Kingdom, P.R.A. Fulton and A. R. Cameron, who signed on behalf of all the territories which were British-governed at the time, some of which have now become independent countries. The current ITU BRIFIC database still shows "TCA" as country for Turks and Caicos, but G for Great Britain as administration, since the Turks and Caicos are still British territory. The database shows two 530 allotments in Argentina and 4 in Canada, but not the Radiovision Christiana operation at South Caicos (Benj. F. Dawson III, P.E., Hatfield & Dawson Consulting Engineers, LLC, 9500 Greenwood Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98103 USA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See Also ANGUILLA ** U S A. VOICES OF AMERICA --- Public diplomacy is not the magic bullet --- by Kim Andrew Elliott, 24 August 2004 Since the 9-11 terrorist attacks, a multitude of commissions, advisory panels, working groups, foundations, and institutes have advocated more US public diplomacy. This, they say, would reverse the anti- American sentiment in the Middle East and elsewhere. . . http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/features/html/us040824.html (Media Network Aug 25 via DXLD) What I have never understood is the USG spent lots of more to wire schools and libraries with the internet. Did we do the same outreach in the Middle East? And in areas where a firewall blocks acess have we used disruptive tech to get past them? Yeah we've tried some stuff but RSS is not a feature of any BBG sites. And RSS cuts thru firewalls like a knife. Good points that Kim makes but overall we could be doing much better across the board. We seem to be lost in the forest and we don't see thru the trees (Lou Josephs, 08.24.04 - 3:25 pm, ibid.) ** U S A. ``What is the Smith Mundt act? Why is it germane to the discussion?`` Smith-Mundt is the act that says it is illegal for the VOA to broadcast to American citizens (Ralph Brandi, swprograms via DXLD) Furthermore, it has been interpreted to prohibit any contact whatsoever (mailings, schedules, materials, etc.) between a US international broadcaster and the US general public. The only exception, apparently, has been QSLs. The effect is that they operate in a cocoon outside the view of the US general public (John Figliozzi, ibid.) Have there been any recent attempts to overturn this legislation? In the internet age it seems to be anachronistic. As was mentioned over the weekend, at the very least, they should be accountable to the American people. Makes it hard to be held accountable when they're protected from having to talk to us (Mike Wolfson, ibid.) I think the idea is to prevent the government from aiming propaganda directly at its own citizens. If it's anachronistic, that's mainly because government has figured out how to aim propaganda indirectly at its own citizens (Ralph Brandi, ibid.) I was thinking more in terms of the wall between VOA and the public so that the public didn't know what VOA was saying to foreigners. These days you can't hide that kind of stuff. That kind of belief is what seems anachronistic to me. Seems to me to be the kind of law that doesn't work anymore and should be repealed. Guess that's kind of naive though. I'm more cynical than John. I agree with him that the VOA should be accountable and should be honest and objective in its reporting. Don't see it happening though. That's where my cynicism comes in. There's no profit for anyone to push for change. Someone MAY make some political mileage out of it --- a hit and run kind of attack, but long term no one will raise any money out of it or get any votes so I doubt any congressional types will be interested in it. Wish it was otherwise. You guys got VERY lucky with the BBC effort. Don't know how it can be repeated with the VOA though. John Q. Public couldn't care less. The right wing wackos WANT it to be propaganda. Very short sighted thinking as far as I'm concerned. It will come back to bite them someday. Someone someplace will have a tape or a copy of an article. This is not 1984 --- all records can not be changed. Too much short term thinking going on today with too little concern for long term consequences --- just my opinion (Mike Wolfson, ibid.) Actually, I believe that the intent wasn't even as "lofty" as that. It was the price demanded by commercial broadcasters for not challenging the US government's wartime decision to commandeer the former's shortwave transmitters. They didn't want the government to compete with them for stateside listeners (John Figliozzi, NY, ibid.) ** U S A [non]. CZECH REPUBLIC: Some frequency changes for RFE/RL: 0030-0200 Persian del 9775 0030-0600 Persian NF 9865, ex 9795 0200-0400 Persian del 9615 0500-0700 Russian NF 17695, ex 17730 to avoid BSKSA Main px in Arabic from 0600 0600-0700 Russian NF 15130, ex 17810 to avoid VOIROI/IRIB in Hausa 1000-1100 Russian NF 15130, ex 11725 1300-1330 Serbian NF 15255, ex 17605 1400-1500 Russian NF 11895, ex 9595 (Observer, Bulgaria, Aug 24 via DXLD) ** U S A [non]. U.K.: Frequency change for WYFR Family Radio in English via RMP 500 kW / 105 deg to ME: 1800-1900 NF 13740 co-channel V of Vietnam in En/Fr, ex 13700 to avoid CRI in Chaozhou (Observer, Bulgaria, Aug 24 via DXLD) ** U S A. RAUNCHY SPANISH RADIO LOST IN TRANSLATION --- Lurid talk with guests and callers about sex acts. Scatological references complete with occasional sound effects. Derisive jokes about homosexuals. Is it Howard Stern on late-night cable? No, this is Spanish-language radio in Los Angeles, "in flagrante" and in broad daylight. . . http://www.floridatoday.com/!NEWSROOM/peoplestoryL824SPANISH.htm (via Andy Sennitt, dxldyg via DXLD) This story looks very familiar; tho currently dated, I think I read it somewhere several weeks ago (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. Re: BYE-BYE, 1440 BROADWAY --- At 08:55 AM 8/23/04 -0400, Joel Rubin wrote: ``It occurs to me that because of their low frequency, they escaped North American MW reallocation in 1941 so they must have been on 710 for quite some time.`` The oldest reference in my library is a 1932 October - 1933 January edition of White's Radio Log. It shows WOR licensed to Bamberger Broadcasting Services, Inc. Newark, NJ with 5000 watts on 710 K. C. (KHz had not yet been invented). A note indicated that there was an outstanding construction permit for WOR to go to 50 K. W. Anybody have an older reference? ~*-.,_,.-*~'^'~*-.,_,.-*~'^'~*-., (Joe Buch, DE, swprograms via DXLD) -*~'^'~*-.,_,.-*~'^'~*-.,_,.-*~'^ ** U S A. WNYW, originally the DuMont Telecentre, was an opera house that was gutted in 1953 to convert into television studios. It is quite a historic building for television history, home to Cavalcade of Stars which included the Jackie Gleason Show and incorporated original Honeymooners "lost" episodes (which later moved to the Adelphi Theatre where classic 39 episodes which were filmed at the Adelphi Theatre), Captain Video, The Arthur Murray Dance Party, Bishop Sheen, Wonderama, Sgt. Bilko (WABD Studio 5 was converted to a film studio to allow Phil Silvers to do the show in NYC for the first year and a half of the show http://www.fourminus.freeserve.co.uk/filming.htm - here is a still http://www.comedyorama.com/philsilvers/philsilvers-graphics/bilko-03.jpg of a run through in Studio 5; note the overhead grids commonly used for live/taped television but rarely used for film), Soupy Sales, Ernie Kovacs, the first two seasons of the Electric Company, the first five years of All My Children and literally hundreds of forgotten network and syndicated shows since its opening in 1954. Below are some interesting links about DuMont - the great forgotten network. http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ggninfo/32.htm http://www.slick-net.com/space/interviews/caddigan1.phtml http://members.aol.com/cingram/television/dumont.htm (DR, Aug 24, swprograms via DXLD) ** U S A. Syracuse's WTVH 5 has apparently been off the air since Saturday due to a catastrophic failure of its antenna. WTVH-DT 47 is on from the same site, and they're trying like crazy to figure out what failed in the analog antenna and get back up on analog. (They feed local cable systems by fiber, so no problems there.) WTVH just went through some pretty intense antenna work to get a combo analog/digital antenna in place atop its 50-year-old self-supporting tower in the hills south of Syracuse. They also just replaced their analog transmitter. Gotta be some sleepless nights there right now... s (Scott Fybush, NY, Aug 23, WTFDA via DXLD) ** U S A. I must say that two minutes of the Olympics I try not to miss are the openings of the NBC prime-time coverage at 0000 UT, with that glorious music and copter shots of Greek scenery --- Bob Costa`s intro, always in the SECOND person, is quite a curiosity. Guess it`s to make the vast viewing couchpotato audience feel they are Olympians themselves (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. STUDY: CABLE LOSING STEAM --- MORE SPENDING ON PROGRAMMING KEY --- 08/23/2004 - Updated 09:16 PM ET By David Lieberman USA TODAY NEW YORK --- Cable's 25-year assault on broadcast networks' ratings is near its end, according to a controversial study of viewership patterns released Monday. Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Tom Wolzien says that by 2009 cable networks will peak, collectively attracting about 57% of prime-time viewers. That's up from 53% in 2004 and 43% in 2000. But that will be it, he says, unless cable networks choose to cut profit margins by ramping up spending for programming... http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20040824/1b_partysover24.art.htm (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U S A. I know that both translators and LPFMs are many times a nuisance to DXers (although I've logged quite a few as DX), I'm curious about how the FCC treats the two. Why are translators allowed more power than LPFMs??? It seems that it should be the other way around. My angle on the thought --- LPFMs are original broadcast material for the most part and are more like a full power station in programming content, whereas, translators are mostly 'satellators' - not even the real thing, yet they get to have more power. Is anything mandated by the FCC make much sense?????? I would rather log an LPFM for DX than 'another' translator station (Jim Thomas, wdx0fbu, Milliken, Colorado, 40 mi N of Denver, Aug 23, WTFDA via DXLD) Let me guess, and this is only a guess. Translators are licensed to full power broadcasters who should be held to higher technical standards. LPFMs are licensed to community groups or religious groups that may not have the same level of technical know-how and may be unable to afford to hire the same level of engineering support. Therefore (maybe), the FCC assumes the LPFM is more likely to have technical malfunctions, so the lower power reduces the probability of interference to other broadcasters. Of course there is always the NAB. :-) (Allan Dunn, K1UCY, ibid.) ** U S A. WRHC has been playing games for years. Licensed at 1550, they had a beautiful 4 tower array just off the coast from Miami in "Stiltsville" running 10 kW beamed into Miami until hurricane Andrew blew it away. At the time they had a 3 tower night array in Coral Gables with 500 watts. They've been operating with an STA since, both at the WYFE/670 site and the night site which was condemned by the city of Coral Gables and towers knocked down. They are directional day to protect "Clear channel" ZNS/1540 in Nassau but they sound like a ton of bricks in Bimini and Grand Bahama, so much for protection. A few years ago they filed for 1560 and without authorization cranked up with big power around the clock, causing grief to their co-channels, especially WQXR. The FCC fined them after months of illegal operation. At present they operate with an undisclosed power level from the 670 site on route 997 west of Miami. Now with a change of city of license to Kendall Lakes, they have a new CP for 1560 that they have filed to modify. The site for both the day and night arrays is just south of Tamiami Trail on route 997. This is one the commission should have blown out of the water years ago (Jerry Kiefer, Port Orange, FL, Aug 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. KGNU DEALS TO EXPAND INTO DENVER --- Boulder's member- supported KGNU radio station will be audible throughout the Denver area starting Sunday as a result of the station's purchase of AM bandwidth. KGNU will announce today it has added a presence on the Denver dial by spending $4.1 million to pick up the 1390 KJME spot that will be vacated by a Spanish-language music station Saturday night. The 26-year-old progressive news and music station will kick off its Denver broadcast at 9 a.m. Sunday with live coverage of the demonstrations outside the Republican National Convention in New York City. . . http://www.bouldernews.com/bdc/city_news/article/0,1713,BDC_2422_3135861,00.html (via Andy Sennitt, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U S A. Allen Loudell is a regular attendee at the Winter SWL Fest, avid shortwave listener, and one time speaker at the Fest. Allan is mentioned in the following article from the Wilmington News Journal. The radio station of which he is the Program Director is one of the last local news stations with a true local perspective. I hope Clear Channel sticks with their plan to keep the local focus (Joe Buch, DE, swprograms via DXLD) Wednesday, August 25 , 2004 WILM SOLD TO CLEAR CHANNEL --- RADIO GIANT TO PAY ALMOST $4 MILLION FOR FAMILY-OWNED STATION --- By STEVEN CHURCH 08/25/2004 http://www.delawareonline.com/newsjournal/local/2004/08/25wilmsoldtoclear.html Wilmington radio station WILM 1450 is being sold to radio conglomerate Clear Channel Communications Inc. for almost $4 million, a deal that marries one of the last, family-run, all-news broadcasters in America with the country's biggest radio company. General Manager E.B. Hawkins said Tuesday morning that his family, which has owned the station since 1949, has rejected several offers in the last five years, including some that were for more money. Clear Channel appears dedicated to keeping the station's local news format intact, which is why the family agreed to sell, he said. Hawkins said the current management team is expected to remain at the station, although a final decision will be made by Clear Channel. The Federal Communications Commission is expected to approve the sale in about 60 days, he said. Clear Channel, which is buying the station through a subsidiary called Citicasters, likes the news emphasis of the station, said Joseph Puglise, market manager for Clear Channel in Delaware. Experts said WILM is among a dwindling number of all-news radio stations that produce nearly all of their own programming. Syndicated talk radio programs have nearly taken over the AM radio dial because that format is cheaper for station owners to air than locally produced news reports, a staple of WILM's programming. Clear Channel is the biggest radio station owner in the country and is known for using syndicated programming to bring in strong profits, said Edward Atorino, a stock analyst with Fulcrum Global Partners LLC. Last year, the company's radio stations had a profit margin of 40 percent, Atorino said. Revenue from all Clear Channel divisions was $8.9 billion. "They are very profitable and very well run," Atornio said. Phila. stations top locals The Wilmington media market is unusual because most of its listeners tune into Philadelphia stations, not local broadcasters, said Mark Fratrik, vice president of BIA Financial Network, a media consulting company. Only about 38 percent of radio listeners tune into local stations, he said. WILM ranked sixth in listeners out of 12 stations in the Wilmington market, Fratrik said. His company estimates that WILM had about $1.3 million in revenue in 2003. Clear Channel bought WILM because the station's programming will fit in well with the company's other four Delaware properties, Puglise said. The company owns two talk radio AM stations, WDOV in Dover and WWTX in Wilmington. It also owns the FM music stations WRDX in Wilmington and WDSD in Dover. WILM will be able to put much of its news programming on the Dover stations, moving the entire WILM morning news show to WDOV, 1410 AM, Puglise said. "This may be one of those mergers where there will be more local programming afterward than existed before," he said. Allan Loudell, the station's program manager and longtime host of the morning news program, said the news staff was anxious when the sale was announced to employees Monday. But he said he was optimistic that Clear Channel would keep the local news format. The company has a financial incentive to focus on local news because that is what listeners have come to expect from WILM, he said. "If you don't do a lot of local programming, you are not going to have great success," Loudell said, although he acknowledged that some things are bound to change. "Are we looking at a possible tweak here and there, yeah." There are about 1,000 radio stations in the United States that focus on talk shows and news programs, said New York broadcast consultant Valerie Geller. Of those, only a handful are still independent, she said. "It is amazing that WILM was able to be an independent as long as it was," she said. A spokeswoman for the FCC said the agency does not keep statistics on how many radio stations are independent. Talk radio has risen in the last decade as federal rules were changed to allow companies like Clear Channel to own several stations in the same market. That has led to clusters of stations that are owned by the same company and share programming, said Fratrik, with BIA, the media consulting company. WILM remained independent during the wave of radio station mergers that began in the 1990s. Clear Channel used the federal rule changes to become one of the world's biggest media companies, with 1,200 radio stations, 41 television stations and 776,000 outdoor advertising displays in the United States. Founded in 1928 WILM was founded in 1928 by radio engineer E.B. Boyle on the top floor of the Bendheim Shoe Store on Market Street in Wilmington. In 1949, the station was purchased by Hawkins' father, Ewing Hawkins, who was a beer distributor in Delaware. Former employees have said WILM has long maintained a much bigger news staff than most local news stations of the same size, sometimes to the detriment of the bottom line. "What struck me was that the station was a throwback to the days of full-service news and talk radio, where a lot of the programming was locally produced," said former WILM reporter Jim DeSousa. "We really had an astounding number of people on the payroll." Former WILM reporter Sharon Mittelman said many radio journalists got their break in broadcasting from the station. Mittelman left the station last year and became a writer and anchor at the national CBS Radio News in New York. "It was the experience of a lifetime to work for WILM," she said. Hawkins said the station put more of its resources into producing good news and local talk radio programs than into marketing and advertising, which affected the company's bottom line. He said for the last 50 years the company "has been breaking even." "It's just a fabulous product that has been undermarketed," Hawkins said. Copyright ©2004, The News Journal (via Joe Buch, DE, swprograms via DXLD) It will certainly be against character if Clear Channel leaves WILM alone. Hopefully Allen can hang in there -- clearly he was passionate about the local news focus of WILM. Interestingly, Jim DeSousa, quoted near the bottom of the article, is probably the same Jim DeSousa who is now the news director of our local NPR affiliate, WDIY-FM (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA, ibid.) ** U S A. Trans-Pacific DX logs from Townsville, Queensland, US portion: 670, 1005, KBOI Boise, ID. Caught the tale end of CBS news here, good on peaks with many KBOI IDs, series of ads then talk on immunisation (CE) 980, 0920, KDBV Salinas, CA. Only tentative this, need to recheck tape, exotic upbeat SS music but tough to ID due to deep fades and splatter from 2NM 981 (CE) 1070, 0752, KNX Los Angeles, CA. Good this evening with lots of ads then CBS news. A strong het is noted from KNX on most nights but it is rarely heard due to big splash from 4SB 1071 (CE) 1110, 0804, KDIS Pasadena, CA. Fair but fading in and out with usually better KFAB. Radio Disney program and funnily enough heard the same song play list that I noted the previous evening with KMKY 1310, except songs were in a different order (CE) 1150, 0940, KXTA Los Angeles, CA. Becoming more reliable lately here in Townsville with ESPN Sports Centre program (CE) 1310, 1003, KMKY Oakland, CA. Fair above the usual mud on this channel with Radio Disney top 40 style pop music show (CE) 1330, 0832, KKPZ Portland, OR. Religious sermon then into gospel mx, fair on peaks but battling with splatter from 4BU Bundaberg Rum on 1332 (CE) 1380, 0855, KTKZ Sacramento, CA. Poor here mixing with XECO, ad for sports virtual player website then ID "on 13-80 KTKZ" (CE) 1390, 0847, KLOC Turlock, CA. Fair in SS with popular tunes mixing with unID Mexican that had non-stop ranchera. ID on the hour with EE & SS (CE) 1480, 0930, unID. Poor here mixing with unid SS speaker. ID "Radio Roger, broadcasting on 14-80 khz, Radio Roger" (CE) [maybe not USA] 1660, 1030, KRZX Waco, TX. Poor overall but made a couple of peaks with ESPN Radio network IDs & sports, mixing with KTIQ (CE) 1690, 1258, KFSG Roseville, CA. Religious talks briefly in EE but mostly in SS with gospel tunes (CE) 1700, 1130, KTBK Sherman, TX. Fair mixing with XEPE, sports program with ID's as 'Sports Radio 1310' and the 'Ticket' (The Crocodile DX Hunter, Craig Edwards, Townsville, North Queensland, Australia, date not specified, posted August 25, Drake SPR4 & flock of sheep for antennas (4 EWE's), MWDX yg via DXLD) ** VIETNAM [non]. Radio Chan Troi Moi/Radio New Horizon: 1330-1430 on 17595 JUL 100 kW / 075 deg Daily to VTN in Vietnamese --- cancelled (Observer, Bulgaria, Aug 24 via DXLD) ** YEMEN. ADEN RADIO IN ENGLISH AND FRENCH AVAILABLE ON SATELLITE FOR EUROPE BBC Monitoring has observed Republic of Yemen Radio 2nd Programme (Aden) with programmes in English at 1600-1630 gmt and in French 1705- 1730 gmt on the Hotbird satellite at 13 degrees East. Other programming is in Arabic. This and other radio and television services of Yemen Radio & TV Corporation have long been available on Arabsat satellites beamed to the Middle East, but since early August 2004 have also been available on the Hotbird satellite for Europe. Satellite details for Yemen Satellite TV, Republic of Yemen Radio General Programme (Sana) and 2nd Programme (Aden) are as follows: Hotbird 3 at 13 degrees East, 12380 MHz, MPEG-2, vertical polarization, symbol rate 27500, FEC 3/4 Arabsat 2B at 30.5 degrees East, 12515 MHz, MPEG-2, horizontal polarization, symbol rate 3000, FEC 3/4 Arabsat 2C at 26.2 degrees East, 4124 MHz, PAL analogue, vertical polarization Arabsat 3A at 26.0 degrees East, 11938 MHz, MPEG-2, vertical polarization, symbol rate 27500, FEC 3/4 Republic of Yemen Radio General Programme (Sana) also has an English programme, at 1800-1900 gmt, however this has not been observed on satellite, only on shortwave 9780 kHz. The General Programme has an Arabic web site which includes archived news audio files at http://www.yradio.gov.ye Source: David Kernick, BBC Monitoring research in English 25 Aug 04 (via DXLD) ** ZIMBABWE [non]. WEB-BASED NEWS SERVICE LAUNCHED A web-based independent Zimbabwe news service has recently been launched. The web site, Zim News Online, has a South African- registered domain containing archive items dating back to 9 July. The site claims to be an independent news service with no political or civic affiliation. Formed by "seasoned journalists and lawyers", the service was created "to expand the democratic space being shrunk by repressive media laws being selectively used to eliminate the independent media [in Zimbabwe]". Zim News Online is critical of President Robert Mugabe and his government. The home page bears the official Zimbabwean flag and is accompanied by the slogan: "An independent news service from Zimbabwe." The original contact telephone number for Zim News Online, a South African number now withdrawn from the site, was given as +27 73 516 7977. The web address of the site can be found at http://www.zimonline.co.za with a contact email address given as zimonline@zimonline.co.za Source: BBC Monitoring research, 23 Aug 04 (via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. Thanks to the tip of Finn Krone, listened on 15670 today, but had to leave the house before 1345 UT. Unfortunately had a memory card overflow on the MP3 recorder today, so missed the announcement on two frequencies, which noted on both, Aug 23 and 24th. Attached see the small mp3 file of the receive condition level at my place. Program is non-religious, enlightened modern western style of the female and male announcer, modern music cut, hear on the end of the recording. ID like "Mooohhaaane-Radio" ... 73 (Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PROPAGATION +++++++++++ BLACK CAT UPDATES DX TOOLBOX WITH NEW TOOLS "Black Cat Systems has released an update for DX Toolbox, bringing it to version 2.2.0. DX Toolbox is a utility designed for gathering information that affects shortwave radio broadcasting, or as Black Cat puts it, "a radio propagation / conditions analysis and forecasting tool." http://www.macobserver.com/article/2004/08/24.11.shtml (via Andy Sennitt, Holland, Aug 24, dxldyg via DXLD) TRANS-ATLANTIC LONG- AND MEDIUM-WAVES INTO ALBERTA TA's were in earlier this evening around 22:00 MDT, which is about an hour after local sunset. I heard carriers on 162, 198, 864, 1053, 1107, 1206, 1215, 1224, 1305 and 1314. I also heard a man singing on 189, which was probably Iceland and un-needed here. At one point I thought I could hear faint music on 1215 which could have been the UK as the sun had risen in Eastern Europe. Unfortunately noise levels here are still very high which makes it kinda difficult to hear any audio on these faint signals. I have never heard TA's as early in the season as this before so I'm hoping it can only be the start of a great DX season. From "IRCA's unofficial TA early warning beacon" located in St Isidore AB with AOR 7030 & 150' EWE (Mike Stonebridge, UT Aug 24, IRCA via DXLD) Conditions here not quite as good as last night as all I could hear were carriers on 162 and 189. Because I wasn't able to check the band as early as I did last night, sunrise had already occurred over much of Europe (Mike in St Isidore AB with AOR 7030 & 150' EWE, UT Aug 25, ibid.) The geomagnetic field ranged from quiet to minor storm levels. From 16 – 19 August, the field was mostly quiet to unsettled with brief periods of active conditions observed at high latitudes. By 20 August, and through to the end of the summary period, the field became predominately unsettled to active with isolated high latitude minor storm periods as a recurrent coronal hole high speed stream influenced the geomagnetic field. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 25 AUGUST - 20 SEPTEMBER Solar activity is expected to range from very low to moderate. Solar activity is expected to be at very low to low through late August. From early to mid-September, activity levels are expected to increase to low to moderate when old Region 656 (L=085) is due to return. A greater than 10 MeV proton event is possible after 01 September upon the return of old Region 656. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at high levels on 25 – 26 August, 04 – 06 September, and 14 – 19 September. The geomagnetic field is expected to range from quiet to unsettled levels for most of the forecast period. From 24 – 25 August, 03 – 05 September, and 13 – 18 September, levels are expected to increase to unsettled to active due to a series of weak, recurrent coronal hole high speed streams that are expected to be in a geoeffective position. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2004 Aug 24 2211 UTC # Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Environment Center # Product description and SEC contact on the Web # http://www.sec.noaa.gov/wwire.html # # 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table # Issued 2004 Aug 24 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2004 Aug 25 105 10 3 2004 Aug 26 105 8 3 2004 Aug 27 105 8 3 2004 Aug 28 105 8 3 2004 Aug 29 105 8 3 2004 Aug 30 95 8 3 2004 Aug 31 90 5 2 2004 Sep 01 95 8 3 2004 Sep 02 105 8 3 2004 Sep 03 110 15 3 2004 Sep 04 110 12 3 2004 Sep 05 110 12 3 2004 Sep 06 110 10 3 2004 Sep 07 110 10 3 2004 Sep 08 105 10 3 2004 Sep 09 110 10 3 2004 Sep 10 115 10 3 2004 Sep 11 115 8 3 2004 Sep 12 115 8 3 2004 Sep 13 115 12 3 2004 Sep 14 120 12 3 2004 Sep 15 110 8 3 2004 Sep 16 100 15 3 2004 Sep 17 95 12 3 2004 Sep 18 90 12 3 2004 Sep 19 90 10 3 2004 Sep 20 85 8 3 (http://www.sec.noaa.gov/radio via WORLD OF RADIO 1243, DXLD) ###