DX LISTENING DIGEST 4-158, October 16, 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 NEXT AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1249: 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-CLSB 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 1300 on KRFP Moscow ID 92.5 Sun 1500 on R. Lavalamp http://www.radiolavalamp.org Sun 1900 on Studio X, Momigno, Italy 1584 Sun 1930 on WWCR 12160 Sun 2000 on RNI webcast, http://www.11L-rni.com Sun 2000 on RFPI http://www.rfpi.org repeated 8-hourly [maybe] Mon 0230 on WRMI 6870 Mon 0300 on WBCQ 9330-CLSB Mon 0330 on WSUI 910, webcast http://wsui.uiowa.edu [previous 1248] 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 Mon 2100 on WBCQ 9330-CLSB repeated thru Wed Wed 0930 on WWCR 9475 WRN ONDEMAND: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also for CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL]: WORLD OF RADIO 1249 (high version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1249h.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1249.rm WORLD OF RADIO 1249 (low version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1249.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1249.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1249.html WORLD OF RADIO 1249 mp3 in the true SW sound of 7415: (stream) http://www.piratearchive.com/media/worldofradio_10-13-04.m3u (d`load) http://www.piratearchive.com/media/worldofradio_10-13-04.mp3 ** AFGHANISTAN [non]. /UAE/U.K. Salaam Watandar QSL card. As Mr. David Trilling, Program Associate, promised in August by E-mail, Salaam Watandar (Internews Radio) sent me a large sized QSL Verification Card. On the front of the card, FM station map of Salaam Watandar in Afghanistan is shown. On the back, verification statement with the stamp of Internet News. Also the colourful postage stamp of Afghanistan is put (Takahito Akabayashi, Japan, WWDXC TopNews Oct 8 via BC-DX via DXLD) ** ANTARCTICA. ANTARCTIC TERRITORY, 15476 kHz, LRA36 Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel, from Base Esperanza, is broadcasting currently from Mon to Fri's *1800-2100* operating with 1 KW power, according to the information supplied by the Major Néstor Fabián Argüello, Director of LRA36 who talked yesterday night with me (Gabriel Iván Barrera, Argentina, date? Japan Premium Oct 15 via DXLD) ** BAHRAIN. [tentative, unID] On 9745 I was able to hear the very weak unID station playing Arab songs under HCJB broadcasting in Spanish and Special English. The Arab station improved from SINPO 11221 at 0320 to 22222 at 0330, but faded out at 0350. In the meantime I noticed that it was not \\ the Arabic broadcasts from Dubai (on 12005 \\ 15400), Tunisia (9720), Sudan R Service (11665) or Kuwait (6055), of for that matter the Voice of Turkey (9460). It had faded out, before I could compare it with BSKSA (Holy Qur`an on 9715/15170 and HS-2 on 9675). It needs further checking. (Anker Petersen, Denmark, dswci DXW Oct 13 [sic] via BC-DX via DXLD) Supposed Manama Bahrain, on 9745 USB with co-channel HCJB, heard on Oct 6th, 9th, 10th around 0320-0540 (fading out) with non-stop classic Arab singing (no IDs or other talks). Now (0343) SIO is 322 (HCJB). (Vlad Titarev, Ukraine, DXplorer Oct 10, ibid.) Seldom noted these days with very low power of less than 5 kW usb mode; maybe prepared test for Ramadan service to seamen and fishermen? (Wolfgang Büschel, Oct 13, ibid.) ** BOLIVIA. R. Illimani, 6025.01, 1004-1030+ Oct 9, Tentative with local CP music, Spanish talk. Too poor to catch an ID; lots of splatter and co-channel QRM (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOLIVIA. 4845.03, R. Municipal, Caranavi; 0912-0918, p on 9/29. ID as "[En?] sintonía Radio Municipal, 96.9 frecuencia modulada, 4845 kilociclos amplitud modulada, banda de 60 metros desde la capital provincia Caranavi, departamento de La Paz, República de Bolivia" (MORIYA, Radio Nuevo Mundo via DXLD) 4845.06, R. Municipal, Caranavi; 0915-1005, p on 10/10. 1000 ID "Sistema de comunicación... musical, en Caranavi. R. Municipal, 96.9 FM... R. Municipal onda corta, 4845 kc amplitud modulada, banda de 60 metros, desde capital... de Bolivia, Caranavi." (Hideki WATANABE, ibid.) ** CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC [non]. B-04 for Radio Ndeke Luka via VT Communications: 1830-1930 on 11785 WOF 250 kW / 152 deg French/Singo (Observer, Bulgaria, Oct 15, via DXLD) ** CHINA [non]. SITE? 11765 from ? to CHINA Sound of Hope? Thanks DXLD tip. Tuned in at 1557 Oct 15 and heard two stations in Chinese mixing. 1600 dead air then Chinese Firedrake (music jammer) started up. But I could also hear Chinese talk underneath the jammer from time to time. Via DX Tuner Australia (Hans Johnson, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** CHINA [and non]. Some CRI schedules in the 0500-0900 period including the new Kashi/Kashgar site: 0500-0557 English-NA 17540kas, 17490U3, 15350kas, 13720kas, 11740kas, 9560sac, 6190sac 0500-0657 German 17720U3, 15245U1 0600-0657 Chinese 17650kas English 17540kas, 17490U3, 15465kas, 15350kas, 13720kas, 13620kas, 11740kas, 1214.85 MW Albania Fllake 0700-0757 Chinese 17650U1 English-Eu 17540kas, 17490U3, 15350kas, 13720kas, 1214.85 5 MW via Albania Fllake 0800-0857 English-Eu 17540kas, 17490U3, 15350kas, 13720kas (Nagoya DXers Circle website, Oct 12 via BC-DX via DXLD) ** COSTA RICA. RFPI streaming is finally back as of Oct 15; see links at http://www.rfpi.org The one working for me was regular .ram However, what`s heard bears little resemblance to the currently posted program grid, dated July-September. At 1640 UT Friday I heard transition from TUC Radio to Progressive Radio, which was not supposed to happen until 2000 UT Friday. I had been checking for World of Radio at 1600, as the last replay of the Thursday 4-hour program cycle when it should have originally appeared at 2000 and as usual could not confirm it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** DENMARK. World Music Radio is on the air from now (Friday 1820 UT) until Monday morning 0600. Frequency: 5815 kHz. Best 73s (Stig Hartvig Nielsen, Denmark, Oct 15, HCDX via DXLD) WMR reception the US --- Reception of WMR 5815 on the West Coast is not too good I'm afraid. I understand the best chances are around 0400-0500 UT. Reception on the East Coast of North America and in Latin America is often quite good from as early as 2200. Best 73s (Stig Hartvig Nielsen, Denmark, station owner, via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ERITREA [non]. B-04 for Voice of Eritrean People via VT Communications: 1730-1830 Sun on 13690 RMP 500 kW / 125 deg Amharic (Observer, Bulgaria, Oct 15, via DXLD) ** ERITREA/ETHIOPIA [nons]. B-04 for UNMEE via VTMerlin's txs: 0900-1000 Sun on 21460 DHA 250 kW / 255 deg English+Various 1030-1130 Tue on 21550 DHA 250 kW / 255 deg English+Various (Observer, Bulgaria, Oct 15, via DXLD) ** EUROPE. A statement from Euronet Radio Two important events have had an influence on shortwave broadcasting a) The end of the 'cold war' b) The rapid growth of the Internet Governments now seem intent on cutting back or completely removing budgets for International broadcasting via shortwave. Some, like Switzerland, have switched totally toward distribution of material and programming via the web. Euronet has realised that with the growth of local FM relays and the cost effectiveness of web distribution, shortwave is somewhat limited in its current ability to deliver viable audience levels at reasonable cost. Our position is now slanted very much toward webstreaming and satellite distribution. That said, we still believe in the long term there is still a place for broadcast services on shortwave. The future for shortwave broadcasting rests with DRM. This offers a ray of hope for all organisations wishing to reach wide areas with quality signals by means other than satellite and the web. It is essentially a race. If Europe gains satellite radio similar to XM-Radio and Sirius, then DRM shortwave may never secure a viable foothold. It will simply be overtaken by mobile satellite receivers and all the strengths such a system has. Euronet is constantly watching the media scene and monitoring developments. Euronet's immediate future is with webstreaming, followed closely by satellite distribution. We are greatly encouraged by the DRM broadcasts of DW, BBC and RTL etc., When (if ?) DRM receivers become widespread we certainly will also adopt this means of signal distribution. Andrew Yeates, Euronet Radio (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) ** GERMANY. Now, after confirmation from a second (tho unofficial as well) source, the explicit version of my recent hint: Bayerischer Rundfunk plans to discontinue the AM service on 6085 by the end of this year. The newspaper Die Welt reports threatening cuts at Deutsche Welle. For 2005 a budget loss of 8.5 million Euro is expected, combined with increasing wages/fees resulting in a deficit of more than 10 million Euro. It is already planned to cancel further radio services if this scenario becomes reality. http://www.welt.de/data/2004/10/13/345311.html?s=1 (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Oct 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. B-04 Allerweltshaus on 9480 at 2200-2300 Sun & Mon: This transmission will aim at CIRAF 14 and 16 (beam 230 degrees), so must be something else than Radio Rhino International (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Oct 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GREECE. At 2000 UT were noted the following pirate Greek-speaking stations on: 1377; 1566; 1612; 1628; 1633; 1650; 1680; 1700; 1716; 1751; 1755 and countless harmonics around and in 90 m.b. (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, BC-DX Oct 13 via DXLD) ** GUATEMALA. R. Coatán, 4779.98, *1037-1045+ Oct 9, sign-on with long choral NA; 1041 opening ID and into local religious programming with talk and local religious music; fair-good (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** HONDURAS. QSL: R. Luz y Vida, (3250 kHz); QSL Card for 2nd f/up. A195A [sic ??]. v/s: Mr. Donald R. Moore (Director) (Hideki WATANABE) also QSL Card. A650A [sic] It was received on the same day as Mr. H. Watanabe (MORIYA) also I'm glad to receive this card from HRPC (UEMURA, all Radio Nuevo Mundo via Hideki WATANABE, DXLD) ** HUNGARY. Diosd site. A couple of years ago already the third Hungarian SW site at Diosd has been closed. For some time I am now searching for the year when Radio Budapest ceased to use Diosd but with no success. Perhaps you could find something in your files? I recall that during the last seasons or even in the very last one also an 11 metres was on air from Diosd. I think the site must have been in use until the mid- or late nineties, but when was it closed? (Kai Ludwig, Germany, BC-DX Oct 8 via DXLD) On March 31, 1999 closed Diosd SW broadcast installations (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) ** INTERNATIONAL. JAMBOREE ON THE AIR 16-17 OCTOBER Jamboree On The Air, or 'JOTA', is taking place on 16 and 17 October. This in the 47th annual event in which Scouts and Guides from all over the world speak to each other via amateur radio to share experiences and ideas. The first Jamboree On The Air was held in 1958, since when millions of Scouts have become acquainted with amateur radio through this event. Many special event stations with GB and special club prefixes such as GX are expected to be on the air from the UK, as well as numerous Scouts stations overseas. Further information about JOTA is available on the Internet at http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8 (RSGB via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) ** IRELAND. The MW 567 service will return in November this year, when it will broadcast alongside LW 252. No specific date has yet been announced for the return of the frequency, as it is contingent on the maintenance work finishing on schedule. Announcements will be made closer to the date on LW 252 and you can also find up-to-date information on our website - http://www.rte.ie/radio1/staytuned.html (RTÉ Radio 1 via Steve Whitt, MWC e-mail news 30.9.2004 via ARC Info Desk Oct 11 via DXLD) ** ISRAEL. Re 4-157, 9988v: It seems that the transmitter is in need of some attention if drifting as logged this morning. I am a little out of date with ISR radio but assume that 9985 at 0400-0500 is a replacement for another higher frequency? At Yavne, the TDP lists 4 x 300 kW PHI of 1971 & 1973, 1 x 100 kW CON of 1984 and 1 x 500 kW CON of 1989. Yavne has only one 50 kW but use of two are registered. And I assume that 250 kW is a reduction in power from 300 kW, and that the 500 kW is off air or also used at lower power? TDP shows a site at Tel Aviv with 5 transmitters of various powers, but is it still in use? (Noel R. Green, UK, BC-DX Oct 14 via DXLD) ** ISRAEL. From Oct. 10 Kol Israel on NF 11605, ex 15640 \\ 13850* and 17535: 1500-1600 Fri/Sat in Persian; 1500-1625 Sun-Thu in Persian; 1600-1625 Fri in Russian; 1600-1625 Sat in Ladino (*) totally blocked by Russian International Radio in Russian (Observer, Bulgaria, Oct 15, via DXLD) see also LEBANON [non?] ** ITALY. As well-known, 846 from Santa Palomba was in the end on air only with a fraction of full power. I wonder if in fact no longer the stationary installations (reported to be an almost brand-new 1200 kW Thomcast transmitter I think) were in use but instead this mobile transmitter? http://www.mediasuk.org/archive/mobile_rai_e.htm (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Oct 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA SOUTH [non]. B-04 for Radio Korea International /RKI/ via VT Communications: 2000-2100 on 3955 SKN 250 kW / 106 deg German 2100-2130 on 3955 SKN 250 kW / 106 deg English 2000-2100 on 5955 SKN 250 kW / 150 deg French 1900-2000 on 7180 RMP 500 kW / 168 deg Arabic 1800-1900 on 7235 RMP 500 kW / 062 deg Russian 0700-0800 on 9535 SKN 300 kW / 110 deg Korean (Observer, Bulgaria, Oct 15, via DXLD) ** KURDISTAN. OFFICIALS WARN TURKISH BROADCASTERS AGAINST KURDISH PROGRAMMING | Text of report by Izzettin Akbal of Dicle News Agency, in Malatya, "If you broadcast in Kurdish...", published by German- based Kurdish newspaper Ozgur Politika web site on 13 October One of the developments that has corroborated the warning in the EU's Progress Report that the obstacles to broadcasts in different languages have not been fully eliminated, and that problems are still taking place, has taken place in Malatya [eastern Turkey]. The Directorate of Security has threatened radio and television stations broadcasting locally that legal procedures will be instituted against them if they should include Kurdish in their broadcasts. The Malatya Security Directorate, sending a written warning to 17 radio stations and five local television stations, threatened that legal procedures will be instituted against organizations that include Kurdish or other languages in their broadcasts. The provincial organizations of both Mazlum-Der [Association for Human Rights and Solidarity With the Oppressed ] and the IHD [Human Rights Association] have reacted against this incident. Seventeen radio stations and five local television stations, including Radyo Fon FM, Mega FM, Selam FM, Imparator FM, Gunes TV, Er TV, TV M, Ufuk TV, and CNM TV, were warned in a message signed by Malatya Security Directorate Deputy Security Section Chief Ramazan Karaoglan not to include Kurdish or other languages in the broadcasts they make to Malatya. The notice, which threatens legal action against organizations that broadcast in Kurdish or other languages, notes that the broadcasts are monitored on a 24-hour basis by the Monitoring Unit of the Security Directorate's Security Section, that certain broadcast organizations have included Kurdish in their broadcasts, and that recordings of the broadcasts in question are in their archives. The warning notice draws attention to Article 5 in the "Directive Regarding Radio and Television Broadcasts in Different Languages and Dialects Traditionally Used in Daily Life by Turkish Citizens", which states that "Broadcasting may be conducted in the different languages and dialects traditionally used by Turkish citizens in their daily lives by public and private national radio and television organizations by obtaining permission from the High Council [Radio and Television High Council - RTUK] in accord with the provisions of this directive." It then says that "As can be understood from this, the right to broadcast in the various languages and dialects is provided to national radio and television broadcasters, and on the condition of receiving permission from the RTUK. I thus request that you show the requisite sensitivity in this regard in terms of your broadcasts, and note that legal procedures will be initiated against you should you fail to do so." Human Rights Association (IHD) Malatya Branch President Mahmut Uzun said that there are no radio or television stations in Malatya that broadcast programmes in Kurdish, but only one or two radios include Kurdish musical pieces. Uzun stressed that the warning notice was aimed at preventing these Kurdish pieces from being played any more. Stating that difficulties continue to be experienced from the standpoint of implementation despite the fact that a number of laws have been changed in Turkey, Uzun said that "The forces favouring the status quo are unable to stomach the changed laws. Every people in Turkey has the right to listen to music and receive instruction in its own native language. This is a universal right. We, as the IHD, are going to be following up on this policy." Mazlum-Der Malatya Branch President [FNU] Sarigul said that, with the new provisions, the legal obstacles to broadcasts in the various languages have been eliminated, but that the practical obstacles have not been done away with. Sarigul spoke as follows: "The goal here is to intimidate, to dissuade, and to prevent. We have to come out against the laws currently in force, more than against the notice from the Malatya Security Directorate. While obstacles of this type are being removed one by one in Turkey's process of adaptation to the EU, those circles that are unprepared for this have to go through a process of adaptation as well. Every person must be able to use every means [of expression] freely, and the prohibitions in question should be removed by means of civil disobedience." Source: Ozgur Politika web site, Neu-Isenburg, in Turkish 13 Oct 04 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** KURDISTAN. Voice of Iranian Kurdistan was broadcasting the same program *0250-0315 in Kurdish on weakly jammed 3970 (SINPO 34233) and non-jammed 4860 (35333)! But at the start 4860 was five seconds ahead of the broadcast on 3970. However at 0314 they were broadcast simultaneously (Anker Petersen, Denmark, DXplorer Oct 13 via BC-DX via DXLD) V. of Komala is now only on 4612 at 0325-0500 and 1655-1830 UT. V. of Independence on 4165 at 1502-1655 UT. V. of Democracy on 4250var at 0245-0400 and 1558-1700 UT. V. of Revolution and V. of Communist Party of Iran is now on 3870, 4380 and 6410 at 0325-0427 and 1425-1527 and 1555-1703 and 1725-1830 (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, BC-DX Oct 13 via DXLD) ** LAOS [non]. 9515, Hmong Lao Radio, at 0100, is Merlin relay at Rampisham UK, should be Wed/Fri in UT (Tue/Thur in NAm!); in winter schedule to be moved tentatively to 6040 kHz, 0100-0200 UT to zones 4, 7-11; with 500 kW, at 300 degrees from U.K. \\ 15260 still via Taiwan. (Wolfgang Büschel, BC-DX Oct 13 via DXLD) ** LATVIA. Europa Radio International - E R I will be taking part in the KREBS-TV test transmissions on 576 kHz medium wave. The transmitter which is rated at 100 kW is sited to the west of Kuldiga in Latvia. "It could be the opportunity we've been waiting for," says Alan Day, ERI's Operations Manager "we originally planned our operation around medium wave but suffered several setbacks and decided to look at other alternatives. Now, subject to this transmitter being able to deliver a good signal into the UK, we may once again have to review our plans." The tests will be taking place during November although a firm date has yet to be set. Meanwhile Europa Radio International - E R I will again be broadcasting from Riga, Latvia on 9290 kHz on Sunday 24th October from 2 pm until 4 pm (UK time). [1300-1500 UT] Alan Day also reports that ERI has struck a deal 'with a major manufacturer of quality communication receivers and equipment' and will be selling the items soon via a new on-line shop at their website at http://www.europaradiointernational.co.uk (Alan Day himself, ERI, Oct 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LEBANON [non?]. Radio Mashreq which is broadcasting in Arabic on 756 and FM (allegedly from Southern Lebanon) has been noted with full- style Hebrew programming (music, talk, news) in its webstream at http://www.carmelnews.org/radio.htm during the last days. "Carmelnews" (the news agency which claims to run Radio Mashreq) was frequently mentioned (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Bernd, well, I checked that station (Al Idha`a Almashreqya) on the net and you are right, they are having a Hebrew program instead of the usual Arabic program. I wonder why!? But I checked them last September when I was in Alexandria (Northern Egypt) and the programs on 756 were still Arabic. I have to disagree with you about the location of the station. I think after the kick of Israel by Hizbuallah from south Lebanon they don't transmit from there anymore. That needs more checking I'd say. All the best my friend, yours (Tarek Zeidan, Cairo, Egypt, ibid.) Hi Tarek, thanks. Apparently, indeed a site within Israel seems most likely, also the new Hebrew programming seems to point into this direction. 73s, (Bernd Trutenau, ibid.) ** LIBYA [non]. V. of Africa 17695, 1208-1211+ Oct 9, tune-in to English news, ID, 1211 into French. Good, strong // 21675, 21695. Also on 15205, 1928-1931 Oct 9, English news, ID, good-strong; // 15315 weak under R. Nederland (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Presumably all via FRANCE as usual ** MEXICO. 1700.0, XEPE, La Romántica, Tecate BC; 0650-1130, g/f on 10/10. XEPE has 7 patterns of IDs as follows: "Ésta es XEPE 1700 AM, La Romántica, Tecate, Tijuana y San Diego. Una emisora de Grupo Media Sports de México." [``Sports``, really?] "Identifícase con nosotros. Ésta es La Romántica 1700 AM." "La estación de los grande[s], La Romántica 1700 AM." "Éxitos de ayer, hoy y siempre en La Romántica 1700 AM." "Diferente a la semana, Así es La Romántica 1700 AM." "Quédase donde está. Somos La Romántica 1700 AM." "En Amor, [es]té con La Romántica 1700 AM." (Hideki WATANABE, Japan, Radio Nuevo Mundo via DXLD) Some of the slogans did not quite make sense, so I attempted to edit them, but could be wrong (gh, DXLD) ** NEPAL. I tried for 100 MHz from my QTH on 3rd of October and I found strong stereo sound quality of Nepali language FM service of government-owned Radio Nepal at 1704-1715 UT. From 1704 to 1710, I heard Nepali patriotic song by female singer. From 1710-1715, there was a news bulletin in Nepali mostly related to domestic and Maoist crisis. At 1715 UT, the broadcast was closed down. There was not any Maoist radio station on the frequency at that particular time (Mukesh, Muzaffarpur, India, via Swopan Chakroborty, BC-DX Oct 9 via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS. RN Letters Program still extant! Hi, Glenn! We've missed RN having a letters program ever since "Sincerely Yours" was dropped from the program line-up a while ago. But I just discovered that RN actually still has some kind of a letters program, albeit minuscule in length. On the African service in the middle of the US afternoon, at about 1955 UT until the next program begins at 2000 UT, they actually read listeners' letters and answer them or address the topic brought up. I can hear it pretty well on 9895 kHz these days (surprisingly better than on Bonaire transmissions on at the same time on 17810 kHz). I haven't heard this on any other service at any other time. Is it on otherwise? Or is it on web or satellite only other than this SW transmission? It is not listed in the current or next "On Target"; does this mean that it is "unofficial" and likely to disappear without warning? Has anyone out there been listening to it consistently in the past? If so, how long has it been on the air? 73, (Will Martin, MO, Oct 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I guess you are hearing this on every weekday? Do they answer letters from Africa only? (gh, DXLD) ** NIGERIA. V. of Nigeria, 15120, 1103-1115+ Oct 9, tune-in to English news, 1105 ID and TC, local folk music. Program about local festival. Weak, but in the clear (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. On October 13th, I could listen to VON in French at 0700 on 15120 (15120 and 11770 were announced, but nothing on 11770 was heard). At 2102, I noticed VON in French on 15120 with excellent reception here. Best regards (Jean-Michel Aubier, France, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 7120 --- A joint project of several evangelical groups is also planned to broadcast on SW. Up till now Wantok Radio Light has only been on FM in Port Moresby: "Dear Dr. Biener, Thank you for your note of inquiry about the Shortwave station in Papua New Guinea. The project is still on track and the station should begin broadcasting within the first two weeks of January 2005. The SW frequency assigned by Pangtel (the government regulatory agency) is 7120 kHz. Many thanks for your interest. Joe Emert, Joseph C. Emert, President Life Radio Ministries, Inc., Radio Station WMVV, 100 S Hill Street, Suite 100, Griffin, GA 30223, 229-2020, U.S.A. via Dr. Hansjoerg Biener, Germany, BC-DX Oct 16 via DXLD) This project has been in limbo for over a year; they were supposed to start up about 6 months ago, but CRN beat them to the air (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. R. Melodía, Arequipa, 5939.32, 0410-0425+ Oct 8, Spanish pops, ballads, not the usual OA fare. Spanish announcements, 0422 ID; poor (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. 4586, Radio La Hora, Cuzco, Recibida carta con banderín de la emisora y tarjeta QSL con datos completos, con sello de la emisora y firmada por el Gerente General, D. Edmundo Montesinos Gallo y el Director de Frecuencias, D. Carlos Gamarra Moscoso. Tardó en llegar dos meses y medio aproximadamente y junto al informe de recepción se envió 1 US $ para ayuda del sello de retorno. Dirección a la que se envió el informe: D. Carlos Gamarra Moscoso (Radio La Hora) Avenida Garcilaso 411, Wanchaq Cuzco, Perú La carta con el informe se envió el día 28 de Julio de 2004 Se recibió la carta con la tarjeta QSL el día 15 de Octubre de 2004 D. Carlos Gamarra Moscoso, Director de Frecuencias, me cuenta, por mail aparte, que él también es DX-ista, y que usa para la escucha varios aparatos Normende de tubos (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN [non]. B-04 for Sudan Radio Service via VT Communications: 0300-0500 Mon-Fri on 9625 WOF 300 kW / 126 deg English/Arabic/Various 0500-0600 Mon-Fri on 11795 WOF 300 kW / 126 deg English/Arabic/Various 1500-1700 Mon-Fri on 15530 WOF 300 kW / 140 deg English/Arabic/Various 1700-1800 Mon-Fri on 11715 WOF 300 kW / 140 deg English/Arabic/Various (Observer, Bulgaria, Oct 15, via DXLD) ** TAIWAN [non]. CHILE/TAIWAN Re DXLD #4-157: Also two RTI relays via Calora del Tango, Santiago relay: 11720 2100-2200 13,15NE SGO 100 45 G MER RTI 17625 1100-1400 13,15NE SGO 100 45 G MER RTI (Oct 15) (BC-DX via DXLD) Very interesting; we`ll see if this B-04 listing really happen. Early versions of the A-04 schedules showed some China station, not clear which, relayed via Santiago, but none of that ever panned out (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAIWAN [non]. B-04 for Radio Taiwan International /RTI/ via VT Communications: 1900-2000 on 3955 SKN 250 kW / 175 deg French 1900-2000 on 6170 SKN 250 kW / 105 deg German (Observer, Bulgaria, Oct 15, via DXLD) ** TURKEY. See KURDISTAN ** U K. B-04 for Leading The Way via VT Communications: 1700-1730 Tue/Fri on 9800 RMP 500 kW / 085 deg Persian 1700-1730 Sat/Sun on 9800 RMP 500 kW / 062 deg Russian (Observer, Bulgaria, Oct 15, via DXLD) ** UNITED NATIONS [non]. B-04 for United Nation Radio /UNR/ via VT Communications: 1700-1715 Mon-Fri French 7170 MEY 100 kW / 076 deg 9565 SKN 300 kW / 180 deg 21535 MEY 500 kW / 342 deg 1730-1745 Mon-Fri English 7170 MEY 100 kW / 005 deg 9565 SKN 300 kW / 110 deg 17810 ASC 250 kW / 065 deg 1830-1845 Mon-Fri Arabic 7265 RMP 500 kW / 140 deg 9810 SKN 300 kW / 110 deg (Observer, Bulgaria, Oct 15, via DXLD) ** U S A [non]. ABBEY TRIBUTE FOR ALISTAIR COOKE (And very well deserved, I really miss Letter from America - Mike) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/3745596.stm Friends and family of the late BBC broadcaster Alistair Cooke said a final farewell to the Radio 4 presenter at a memorial service at Westminster Abbey. A recording of Cooke, who presented the programme Letter From America for 58 years before he died aged 95 in March, was broadcast in the London church. More than 2,000 attended the service, including BBC chairman Michael Grade and Sir David Frost. The Abbey choir sang one of Cooke's favourite pieces from Handel's Messiah. BBC director general Mark Thompson paid tribute to Cooke. "It is often said that institutions have their own DNA," he said. "I think if you look deep into the genetic code of the BBC, not just today but for as long as the BBC exists, one of the things you would find at its heart would be the rich, calm, beguiling, wise voice of Alistair Cooke," he said. Susan Cooke Kittredge led the prayers and Cooke's son John gave readings, while his granddaughter, violinist Jane Byrne Kittredge, played the second movement from Bach's Concerto in A Minor. Jazz singer Jacqui Dankworth performed Gershwin's Someone To Watch Over Me. A recording of Cooke which was made several years ago when he was unable to attend an engagement was played at the memorial service. "I'm sure you expect me to say, 'I'm sorry I'm not with you'. Well, I'm not sorry," he said. "I am of the opinion that a radio broadcaster should be heard and not seen." US journalist Peter Jennings, senior editor and presenter of ABC News, read a tribute. "Alistair had a passion and a hunger to know and understand and enjoy his adopted country," he said. "He really captured America and the essence of its being. Alistair helped us to understand ourselves." Cooke was known in America for his television career, which included the series Masterpiece Theatre. The Stars and Stripes flew above the Abbey in his honour. Cooke was born in Salford, but moved to the US in 1937 and was granted citizenship in 1941. Letter From America was the world's longest-running speech radio programme. Cooke joined the BBC as a film critic in 1934 and started writing his US current affairs and historical Letter in 1946. The show was listened to by people across Europe, Asia, New Zealand, Africa, the Americas and the Middle East via the BBC's World Service. It was heard in the UK on BBC Radio 4. Over almost 60 years, his 15-minute reflections touched on everything from the assassinations of the Kennedys to the terrorist attacks of 11 September. Cooke had presented 2,869 Letter From America programmes, missing just three weekly broadcasts during Letter from America's run. In 1973, he received an honorary knighthood for his contribution to Anglo-American understanding, and a year later addressed the United States Congress on its 200th anniversary. He also received an award from Bafta for his contribution to Anglo- American relations and a Sony radio award for his services to broadcasting (via Mike Terry, Kim Elliott, DXLD) ** U S A. Glenn: Re VOA Talk to America, 4-157: Reference to "who will be the next president" was verbatim, as announced for the November 3 (correct) program -- though given the experience four years ago, there's no assurance that we will know on November 3 "who will be the next president." (Mike Cooper, Oct 15, DXLD) ** U S A. EDITORIAL ANALYSIS: CLASH OVER AMERICA'S ARABIC POP STATION | Text of editorial analysis by Alistair Coleman of BBC Monitoring Media Services on 14 October A draft report by the US State Department's inspector general has criticized the Arabic-language Radio Sawa for failing to promote democracy and pro-American attitudes in the Middle East. The radio station, which opened in March 2002 with an annual budget of 22m dollars, has been defended by Sawa's operators, the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG). The report's main conclusion is that Sawa has been so pre-occupied with building a large audience with its mix of Western and Middle- Eastern popular music that it has neglected its role in influencing minds in the region. "Radio Sawa has failed to present America to its audience", the report noted, saying that it compared unfavourably to Al-Jazeera in terms of quality, and the listeners were concerned at the station's poor use of Arabic, said the Washington Post. Unflattering portrait "It is not a flattering portrait," a State Department official told AFP Recent contracts awarded by the BBG for customer surveys in the Middle East have led to accusations that the body is more interested in the station's music playlist than it is with news content. These surveys have shown, however, that Sawa is one of the most popular stations both in the Gulf states and North Africa. Journalists at Sawa's sister station Voice of America have also been critical of Sawa's role in the Middle East, with VOA staff complaining of slashed budgets and diverted resources as the BBG concentrates its efforts on younger listeners in the region. Sawa defended Sawa's supporters have been quick to defend the station, citing its popularity in a region where American initiatives are generally met with hostility. BBG Chairman Kenneth Tomlinson said Sawa is "one of the biggest successes the US has ever had in international broadcasting", citing poorly drafted terms of reference for "a fatally flawed report." State Department spokesman Richard Boucher was also critical of the draft report, saying "We think they're doing that very well," suggesting the report may be revised to reflect the government's "positive" view of the station. Meanwhile, a US government public diplomacy commission has recommended that the BBG's request for increased funding be approved. Democratic Senator Joseph Bidden praised Sawa and Al-Hurra for reaching 27m Arab speakers, a thirteen-fold audience increase over two years. "They have set a new standard for innovation in US international broadcasting. We are doing a much better job of broadcasting to the people of the Middle East." Source: BBC Monitoring research 14 Oct 04 (via DXLD) ** U S A. U.S.-FINANCED NEWS CHANNEL ASSERTS INDEPENDENCE By Ellen McCarthy, Washington Post When a U.S. military helicopter swooped into Baghdad and began spraying bullets into a crowd of civilians believed to be looting an Army armored vehicle, most Arab news channels aired a video of the scene that captured the last words of a journalist killed in the attack. "Please help me. I am dying," pleaded the reporter, Mazin Tumaisi. His network, al-Arabiya, showed the footage again and again, as did al-Jazeera. Alhurra TV, however, deemed the video too disturbing to air. The story could be told without such graphic images, news directors for the new U.S. government-funded network concluded. Editors at U.S. news channels routinely decide that some images are too graphic to air. But to critics and competitors of Alhurra, its decision was evidence that the young network airs U.S. propaganda. "It is very questionable for them not to show it," said Hafez al-Mirazi, Washington bureau chief of al-Jazeera, the Arabic news channel based in Qatar. Alhurra, a network with 150 reporters based in Springfield, is the U.S. government's largest and most expensive effort to sway foreign opinion over the airwaves since the creation of Voice of America in 1942. The 24-hour channel, which started operating in February, airs two daily hour-long newscasts, and sports, cooking, fashion, technology and entertainment programs, including a version of "Inside the Actors Studio" dubbed in Arabic. It also carries political talk shows and magazine-type news programs, including one about the U.S. presidential election. Its programs are produced in a two-story building that once housed local NewsChannel 8. It is staffed by a handful of journalists recruited from Arabic stations and newspapers and dozens of employees scurrying around in jeans and running shoes or kitten heels. A mixture of Arabic and English fills the newsroom as journalists answer phones and click away on their computers. Congress last year approved $62 million to pay for Alhurra's first year. In November 2003, Congress committed $40 million more to launch a sister station aimed solely at Iraq that was launched in April. The operation is overseen by the Broadcasting Board of Governors, an independent federal agency that is also in charge of Voice of America. The U.S. government launched Alhurra after deciding that existing Arab news channels displayed anti-American bias. The aim is to promote a more positive U.S. image to Arabs. Khalid Disher, 24, who owns a shop in the Mansoor neighborhood of Baghdad, likes Alhurra. "Their news covers everything, the good news and the bad ones. They cover all of Iraq. As a new channel, it is a very good start." Others are suspicious. "I know that this channel is funded by the U.S. Congress," said Atheer Abdul-Sattar, 24, who owns a sports-equipment store in Mansoor. "The Americans want their interests to be achieved. They will direct the kind of shows or ideas they want the Iraqis to believe." Mouafac Harb, Alhurra's news director, bristles at that notion. "We're state-funded, but not state-run," Harb said. "I don't recall getting a phone call from someone trying to steer the news. Ever." Alhurra may have a problem standing out in a crowded field. There are about 120 satellite-television channels, including al-Jazeera, Dubai- based al-Arabiya, London-based Arabic News Network and state-run operations. William A. Rugh, a former ambassador to United Arab Emirates and Yemen who wrote a book on Arabic media, said Alhurra has "been a big waste of money" so far, in part because it must compete in a saturated field of Arabic networks. The moving force behind the birth of Alhurra, which means "the Free One" in Arabic, was Norman Pattiz, the California radio executive who created Westwood One Inc., the nation's largest radio network. Pattiz was appointed in November 2000 by President Bill Clinton to the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees federally funded international media efforts such as the Voice of America and Radio and TV Marti, which is aimed at Cuba. Pattiz quickly focused his attention on the Middle East, and, he said, he soon concluded that newscasts on Middle East stations often offered "incitements of violence, hate- speak and disinformation." In 2002, the broadcasting board launched Radio Sawa, a radio station that mixes American and Arabic pop music with five hours of daily news programming. Meanwhile, Pattiz, armed with a video of scenes of Arab citizens stomping on American flags and burning an image of President Bush, lobbied Congress to fund a TV station. "These are the kinds of visions of America that people in the Middle East see every day," Pattiz said, recalling his sales pitch. Pattiz helped hire Harb as news director of Radio Sawa. Harb, a Lebanon-born U.S. citizen, attended George Washington University and had been working as the Washington bureau chief of the Arabic-language newspaper Al Hayat. After Congress approved funding for Alhurra, which had strong backing from the Bush administration, Harb became Alhurra's news director as well. Alhurra and Alhurra Iraq are owned by a nonprofit corporation, the Middle East Television Network Inc., which was set up as a holding company for the Arabic television stations. Harb said editorial decisions rest with him, but that he reports to the Broadcasting Board of Governors and Bert Kleinman, president of the Middle East Television Network, which oversees the station's finances. Alhurra does not air commercials or generate any revenue and thus is dependent on the U.S. government for its money. Alhurra spent $20 million to buy broadcast equipment and technology and to renovate the studio. The rest of the money went for operating costs and salaries, which network representatives say are in line with the U.S. government's pay scale. Next year's budget for the two television and one radio stations is expected to total $52 million. Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Del.), the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wants to expand the effort. He has introduced a bill calling for similar broadcasts in Farsi, Kurdish and Uzbek, among other languages. The expansion would require $222 million in start-up funding, plus a $345 million annual budget on top of Voice of America's budget of $570 million for 2005. Eighty of Alhurra's 150 journalists moved here from Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries. Fifty remained abroad to work in the network's bureaus in Amman, Baghdad, Beirut and Dubai. Harb said most of the journalists were initially skeptical but agreed to join for the opportunity to try something new. "Journalism is difficult in Lebanon. It's difficult to say everything you want to say," said Larissa Aoun, who previously worked for a state-run station in Beirut. "I was really looking for an opportunity where I could be more open." Alhurra had a bumpy start. When the channel was launched in February, government officials in some countries condemned it. A cleric in Saudi Arabia issued a fatwa, or religious decree, against watching the channel, writing in Al Hayat that Alhurra was staffed by "agents in the pay of America." In Alhurra's first days, there were many technical problems. And when President Bush appeared on the station to discuss the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, he ended the interview by telling Harb he'd done a "good job," prompting more questions about the station's independence. Harb said he wishes that Bush had not made that comment, but that he also believes the incident was misconstrued. "I don't believe I was soft on the president," he said. In March, when Israeli missiles killed Hamas leader Sheik Ahmed Yassin as he emerged from a prayer session, most Arab news channels switched immediately to the story. Alhurra stuck with its regular program, a cooking show. Detractors pounced on that. "Whatever the reason, Al-Hurra's not pursuing the story in real time will be interpreted by many Arabs as politically motivated," wrote an opinion editor at the Daily Star newspaper in Beirut. Harb agreed that it was a mistake. "This happened very early in the life of Alhurra. . . When they assassinated the next leader of Hamas, we were more ready to give more comprehensive coverage by then," he said. Harb does not, however, think that Alhurra was wrong when it decided not to show the video of the dying al-Arabiya journalist. In U.S. media, "the idea of publishing graphic images is shied away from, frowned upon universally," said Keith Woods, who teaches journalism at the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla. "Everybody has a sense of a line that you don't cross without good reason." Imad Musa, 34, was working in al-Jazeera's Washington bureau before he joined Alhurra as a producer. Musa, an American who is the son of Palestinian immigrants, liked the idea of shaping a new channel. He said he received assurances of journalistic freedom before taking the job and has not felt pressure to slant a story. There are, he acknowledged, differences between the policies of his current and former employer. Alhurra's reporters are told not to refer to the U.S. presence in Iraq as an occupation. Those who set off explosive devices attached to their bodies are called suicide bombers, not martyrs. And in Iraq, Alhurra reporters "focus on more human interest and positive stories. For instance, 'electricity has arrived in this neighborhood,' not 'this neighborhood still doesn't have electricity'," Musa said. Musa also has to deal with the fact that some Arab politicians refuse to appear on his channels or are criticized for appearing. One member of the Jordanian parliament who agreed to be on Alhurra in August was criticized for appearing opposite an Israeli. Overall, however, Musa said news judgment at Alhurra is not very different from that of al-Jazeera. Last month, on the day Musa was being interviewed, al-Jazeera began its 5 p.m. newscast with video of violence in Najaf that was almost identical to the scene Musa picked to lead his program. The Alhurra program's two anchors were positioned in front of a blue map of the Middle East in the Springfield studio. During that day's broadcast, one of al-Jazeera's female anchors wore a head scarf. Alhurra's anchors were dressed in modern business attire. Both stations used a classical form of Arabic in presenting the news. But unlike al-Jazeera, Alhurra didn't sign off with the traditional Islamic greeting assalamu alaikum, or "peace be upon you." Alhurra is transmitted to the Middle East on two satellites, Nilesat and Arabsat. Viewers in Iraq can also get the network over broadcast television. The network is available to 70 million satellite television viewers in 22 countries. There are few reliable statistics on how many people watch it regularly. One survey conducted for the network by ACNielsen found that 29 percent of Jordanians and 24 percent of Saudi Arabians with satellite-TV receivers tuned in during a seven day period in July and August. But a Zogby poll of six Middle East countries done in May for the University of Maryland found that Alhurra barely registered as a primary source of news. "There is a psychological barrier, and this . . . affects people's perceptions in dealing with things coming from across the Atlantic," said Badran A. Badran, a professor of media and communications at Zayed University in Dubai. "The U.S. is viewed in a negative light." Some Middle East experts assert that the very assumption under which Alhurra was created -- that existing Arab news stations contribute to disdain for the United States -- is flawed. "The managers of Alhurra have stigmatized the competition and stereotyped it as being totally anti-American and that's simply not true," said Rugh, the former ambassador. Rather than compete in an already crowded field, Rugh said U.S. American policymakers should appear more on al-Jazeera and other widely watched channels. More than 400 Voice of America staff members signed a petition sent to Congress in July charging that Alhurra and Sawa were draining VOA's budgets and not being held to the same editorial standards. A draft of a report by the State Department's inspector general, obtained by The Washington Post, said Radio Sawa is failing to meet its mandate to promote pro-American attitudes because it is preoccupied with building an audience through music -- an assertion disputed by the Broadcasting Board of Governors. The State Department said it is revising the report. Some legislators have said that if Alhurra is not promoting U.S. views, the government should not be funding it. "Do not tell us it's not propaganda, because if it's not propaganda, then I think . . . we will have to look at what it is we are doing," Rep. José E. Serrano (D-N.Y.) said at a hearing in April. Harb countered that fair news is what will promote democracy. "Our track record will speak for itself," he said. Staff writer Jackie Spinner and special correspondent Omar Fekeiki contributed to this report from Baghdad (via Jim Moats, Oct 15, DXLD) ** U S A. ANOTHER SCANDALOUS EVANGELIST HAS TIES TO OZARKS Springfield's reputation as a way station for troubled TV evangelists continues. After I noted in a column two weeks ago that the first sex- drenched scandal involving a nationally known preacher with Springfield ties — revivalist Emma Molloy — erupted in 1886, readers suggested I check out recent news in California about Paul Crouch. The 70-year-old founder of the world's largest Christian TV empire, Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), is reported to have paid an employee $425,000 to keep quiet about a homosexual tryst. Crouch spent much of his childhood in Springfield, graduated from the Assemblies of God's Central Bible Institute (now College) here, and got his start in major media by managing a film library for the Assemblies in the early 1950s. In 1973 Crouch and wife Jan, daughter of a prominent Assemblies minister, launched TBN. Today the network's programming is seen on almost 9,000 TV stations and cable systems in 75 countries. In addition to the hush-money report, the Los Angeles Times has been looking into finances of TBN, which is based in Orange County, Calif., and into the lifestyles of the Crouches. The newspaper cites spending of millions on lavish homes and furnishings, fancy cars, a private jet and other perks. Sound familiar? In the 1980s, popular television evangelists Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart fell from grace amid lurid revelations that focused the national news spotlight on Springfield because both were credentialed by the Assemblies of God, which is headquartered here. The Bakker mess eventually involved another TV preacher, Jerry Falwell, a 1956 graduate of Baptist Bible College here. Falwell took over the helm of Bakker's operation for a while before it collapsed in bankruptcy. Paul Crouch is vigorously denying that a homosexual liaison happened, and he insists that TBN expenditures have been proper. But if the cloud over his ministry does mushroom, apparently there will be no fallout on the Assemblies headquarters here. Juleen Turnage, the denomination's respected public relations director, says that Crouch relatives, past and present, have been closely connected with the Assemblies, but that Paul and TBN are not allied with the church. Meanwhile, Swaggart, Falwell and Bakker continue to make news, although the headlines are not as sensational as those of the 1980s: • Swaggart was forced to apologize a couple of weeks ago for telling a TV audience that he would kill any gay man who approached him romantically, then "tell God he died." Swaggart, who no longer is licensed by the Assemblies but who continues his Louisiana-based ministry, now says he was only joking in the televised worship service. • Falwell's usual vigorous support for conservative political candidates hasn't been quite as welcome this presidential campaign season because of lingering uneasiness over remarks he made shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Two days after the attacks in an appearance on the "700 Club" program of televangelist Pat Robertson (who apparently has no Springfield links — whew!), Falwell seemed to blame the tragedies on supporters of abortion, gay rights and other causes he opposes. Declaring "God will not be mocked," Falwell suggested that God had allowed the attacks to occur as a warning to liberals. • Bakker, after serving a federal prison term for defrauding investors in his former PTL Club resort in North Carolina, now is living in the Ozarks and is back on TV. "The New Jim Bakker Show" originates from Branson during weekday noon hours. He took a swipe at the Assemblies during a broadcast this past week when he boasted that his new independent ministry is growing despite the fact that "the church had declared my doom, my end." Bakker sports a new comb-over hairdo and a new wife, Lori. (Tammy Faye, his spouse and on-air sidekick during the PTL heyday, divorced him in 1992). But much of Bakker's new show is reminiscent of old "PTL Club" programming. In between discussions of Bible Scripture and performances by musical guests, Bakker urges TV viewers and visitors to his Internet Web site to become "partners" by pledging to contribute up to $1,000 per month. And he promises to pray for "healings and miracles" requested by those who call telephone numbers flashed on the TV screen throughout the show. Stay tuned (via Bill Wilkins, MO, DXLD) ** U S A. Hello Mr. Hauser, WWRB's new 3185 frequency heard here in Michigan 0400Z Oct 15, with musings by a "Bud Moore". Abrupt end of transmission at 0406. Excellent signal, but not as strong as WWCR 3210. Best regards (Ben Loveless WB9FJO ex-WPE9JLQ, Sony 2010, 30 ft attic longwire antenna, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. B-04 for WYFR via VT Communications: 1900-2100 on 3230 MEY 100 kW / non-dir English 0500-0600 on 3955 SKN 250 kW / 106 deg German 1900-2000 on 5965 SKN 300 kW / 110 deg Arabic 1800-1900 on 7240 RMP 500 kW / 105 deg Arabic 1700-1800 on 9530 RMP 500 kW / 105 deg Arabic 1800-1900 on 13720 SKN 300 kW / 140 deg Arabic 2000-2100 on 15195 ASC 250 kW / 065 deg English 1400-1500 on 15520 DHA 250 kW / 085 deg Hindi 1500-1700 on 15520 DHA 250 kW / 085 deg English 1700-1800 on 21680 ASC 250 kW / 085 deg English (Observer, Bulgaria, Oct 15, via DXLD) ** U S A. Format of the new 1620 kHz --- Minor league hockey's PENSACOLA ICE PILOTS move game broadcasts to newly signed-on Country WNRP-A (AM 1620)/GULF BREEZE, FL, which will carry all 72 games this season (From allaccess.com via Brock Whaley, Lilburn, GA, DXLD) ** U S A. RADIO FREE MOSCOW ON THE AIR KRFP signed on the air for the first time Tuesday, and we plan on bringing the community of Moscow, Idaho a whole bunch of great local and national programming. Our signal is getting out 4-10 miles depending on direction, topography and quality of radio. We've applied for a grant to eventually move our antenna to a local tower, putting it 70-100 ft. above average terrain. If you're getting this message, it's because I've communicated with you previously about airing your show on KRFP. You can check out our preliminary schedule at http://www.radiofreemoscow.com/schedule If your show is scheduled for a fringe time slot, keep in mind that we may re-run it later in the day as time permits. We're trying to keep the shows on a regular schedule to help build an audience, but we may have to adjust the schedule to accommodate local community members' schedules. Thanks for the great programming, and I'll be glad to reply to individual questions and comments. You can also usually reach me weekdays at the number below. --Leigh Robartes Chair, KRFP/Radio Free Moscow, Inc. 116 E. 3rd St., #201 Moscow, ID 83843 (208) 892-9299 http://www.radiofreemoscow.com (via DXLD) Program sked, still with a lot of blank spaces in it, shows WORLD OF RADIO AT 6:00 am Sundays, (Shortwave Report at 6:30), CONTINENT OF MEDIA alternating with other monthly shows at 7:00 am. Moscow is in the Pacific zone, so this is currently UT -7, 1300 & 1400, soon to be UT -8 = 1400 & 1500 for us. KRFP is on 92.5 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Re Radio Clairemont, 98.5, San Diego: Glenn, I found your brief article about my micropower station interesting, though I wanted to correct one observation. Your source indicates that we're running a few watts, which is impossible with the transmitter we have (an FM25B kit by Ramsey). I borrowed a service monitor to satisfy myself as to our power level (a Bird wattmeter wouldn't even wiggle with a 10 watt slug) and the most signal that this transmitter can produce is +7.5 dBm (about 5.6 mW if my calculations are correct.) We're using a 5 dB gain Comet antenna at 20'. Though I turned it back down after testing, I'm amazed at the amount of coverage we get at full power. Regards, (The Friendly DJ http://www.clairemont.us/main.php ``Random Radio in an Ordered World`` Oct 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Updating the Update --- Jim Hilliker checks in from the Monterey Bay to tell us that the KABL/92.1 FM-Standards simulcast on KION/1460 has yet to take place. Clear Channel is continuing its mostly syndicated News/Talk offerings there, and also running the very same stuff on KZFX/1380, both stations in Salinas. CC had announced plans to move its ex-KABL/960 stuff to 1460, in attempts to mollify the masses. This may take place sometime in the near future (GREG HARDISON, CA, Oct 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. We are greatly enjoying the series Leonard Bernstein: An American Life, convenient here at 10 am CT Saturdays on KCSC. Here`s the extensive station list, unfortunately without any times, but many of them webcast. Perhaps we can research some more times ASAP: http://wfmt.com/bernstein/stations.html There are other pages about it at WFMT, but no on-demand; mentioned on the show is http://www.artistowned.com where CD sets are for pre-sale. They have also done a 4-parter about John Coltrane (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. We are trying to deal with a large number of transmitter break-ins here in Houston. In the last 60 days, at least 13 radio and 2 TV stations have had their transmitter buildings violated. One class of break-in seems to be just for the hell of it, although in the last two weeks, they have started to trip all the breakers, including tower lights. At KTRH [740], our regional source for EAS, they also cut the fuel line to the generator, spilling the whole tank of diesel on the ground. These have generally gained entry with bolt cutters and pry bars. In the other break-ins (mostly TV), they have gone in through the roof, to avoid detection, and stolen significant amounts of equipment including the alarm systems (D C Macdonald, K2GKK, OCAPA Emergency Managers` List, Oct 14, via ARRL-OK via John S. Carson, KD5SRW, Norman OK, DXLD) FBI INVESTIGATES HOUSTON-AREA TRANSMITTER BREAK-INS/VANDALISM: http://www.rwonline.com/dailynews/one.php?id=6018 Date posted: 2004-10-14 First arsonists target cell towers out west, and now the Houston area of Texas has seen several break-ins at broadcast transmitter sites, cell sites and pager sites. Readers tell us the FBI and its counter terrorism intelligence group representatives, plus sheriff's representatives from Harris and Montgomery Counties, Air Marshals and the Department of Homeland Security attended this week's regional SBE meeting to discuss the break-ins, gather information and offer assistance to engineers. The break-ins, at reportedly 13 radio and 2 TV stations, have occurred at night on weekends and holidays. Some sites have been hit more than once. According to one reader the perps "disable all alarms, rip out wires from punch blocks, trip all breakers, disable all stand-by equipment and then take the log book." Another reader says whoever is breaking in takes the stations off the air and "seems to know their way around an AM station." Engineers are encouraged not to visit their transmitter sites alone, especially at night, to respond to alarms. Anyone with information about station break-ins is encouraged to contact the Houston FBI at: http://www.ctighouston.org We'll have more in an upcoming issue of Radio World (via Harry Helms, DXLD) ** UZBEKISTAN. R. Tashkent International, 15295, *1200- Oct 9, sign-on with IS, 1202 ID and English news, local music. Weak, poor with splatter. \\ 17775 weak under unID station. Also heard English at 1330 with IS, ID and English news on 15295 and 17775, both in the clear at this time (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VENEZUELA. Radio Táchira 4830 kHz --- Saludos cordiales, queridos colegas diexistas. Espero se encuentren todos muy bien. A las 2355 UT de hoy viernes me he comunicado por vía telefónica con Radio Táchira 4830 kHz a través del número 02763550560 para reportar la programación religiosa que estaba al aire. Los amigos del programa saludaron mi llamada diciendo que habían recibido una comunicación telefónica del Estado Anzoátegui y que daban gracias a Dios por hacer que las ondas de Radio Táchira llegaran por estos lados a través de la onda corta. Hablé brevemente también con el operador y me dijo que estarían prendiendo constantemente el transmisor de onda corta. La grabación la dejaré guardada en mi fonoteca personal como un bonito recuerdo. Atte: (José Elías, Venezuela, Oct 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 4830, 16/10 0115, Radio Táchira, Venezuela, a bomba. LA mx e ids. Rx: Drake SPR-4 & T2FD. Ciao (Giampiero Bernardini, Milano, Italy, BCLNews.it via DXLD) Activity periods are usually brief (gh, DXLD) ** WALES [non]. B-04 for Wales Radio International via VT Communications: 2130-2200 Fri on 3955 SKN 250 kW / 105 deg English 2130-2200 Fri on 7110 MOS 100 kW / 300 deg English [Austria] 0300-0330 Sat on 6005 RMP 500 kW / 300 deg English 1130-1200 Sat on 17625 RMP 500 kW / 062 deg English (Observer, Bulgaria, Oct 15, via DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ POWERLINE COMMUNICATIONS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ FCC APPROVES NEW BROADBAND HOOKUPS INTERNET CONNECTIONS TO USE POWER LINES By Yuki Noguchi, Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, October 15, 2004; Page E05 http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A34100-2004Oct14?language=printer The Federal Communications Commission yesterday approved nationwide deployment of new technology that carries high-speed Internet connections over electric power lines. "Broadband-over-powerline" allows subscribers to connect to the Internet by plugging a modem into a conventional electrical outlet. Supporters said it could become a major alternative to cable modem and phone connections if FCC approval helps it attracts investment and the participation of major utility companies. "The impact is significant," said William Berkman, chairman of Current Communications Group, a five-year-old Germantown company. Current already has pilot projects offering the service to 5,000 customers in Cincinnati and several dozen in Potomac. Berkman said the company plans to introduce the service in parts of the Washington area within a year for $30 to $50 a month. The FCC had limited the new technology to pilot projects while it studied the concerns of critics, including amateur radio operators who said it could interfere with their signals. The FCC unanimously approved wider use of the technology after finding that the interference was manageable. It also set rules for monitoring interference. "The presence of a third universal broadband connection will mean a robust choice for consumers and strong, healthy competition," FCC Chairman Michael K. Powell said in a written statement. On Tuesday, Powell took a tour of Manassas, where the technology is used. Commissioner Michael J. Copps expressed concern that wider deployment could still run into problems, and he raised the question of whether the customers of power companies would be subsidizing a new business. But he voted to approve the deal, saying he hoped it would drive down the price of broadband. Although the new technology would be installed on the lines of major utilities, which would share in the revenue, it is being developed and marketed by a number of upstart companies such as Current. The company is privately held by investors led by Berkman and his family, who have been major investors in the cable and telecom industries. Other investors include Liberty Media Corp., a major cable programming company and a group of power companies. Current has raised $70 million. It partners with Potomac Electric Power Co. and Cinergy Corp., which give it access to their power grids. Current installs devices on the network that allow electricity and Internet signals to travel at different frequencies over the same wire. Other companies offering similar technology include Main.net Communications Ltd. of Israel, Amperion Inc. of Andover, Mass., and Ameren Corp. of St. Louis. © 2004 The Washington Post Company (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) F.C.C. CLEARS INTERNET ACCESS BY POWER LINES October 15, 2004 By STEPHEN LABATON http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/15/technology/15power.html?ex=1098832736&ei=1&en=02e0a5f697ae3823 WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 - Clearing the way for homes and businesses to receive high-speed Internet services through their electrical outlets, the Federal Communications Commission adopted rules on Thursday that would enable the utility companies to offer an alternative to the broadband communications services now provided by cable and phone companies. As a further spur to the rollout of broadband Internet services, the F.C.C. also ruled that the regional Bell companies do not have to give competitors access to fiber optic lines that reach into consumers' home - a decision that prompted two of the Bells, SBC Communications and BellSouth, to announce that they would move quickly to build new fiber optic networks in residential neighborhoods. The ruling was criticized by rivals of the Bells and consumer groups, which called it anticompetitive and said it would lead to higher prices. For the electric companies' part, broadband Internet service is more than a year away from becoming widely available. But the agency's ruling is expected to increase significantly the level of investment and interest by the utilities, which had been stymied in previous attempts to offer new services over power lines. They reach more American homes than either telephone lines or television cables. So far, the technology has been limited mainly to experiments around the country, although a commercial version recently became available in some communities near Cincinnati. "Today is a banner day, and I think years from now we will look back and see it as an historical day for us,'' said Michael K. Powell, the F.C.C. chairman. "This is groundbreaking stuff.'' Known as broadband over power lines, or B.P.L., the technology uses a special modem that plugs into electrical outlets. So far, it has been offered at speeds of 1 to 3 megabits a second, which is comparable to broadband service over cable modems or conventional phone lines - though not as fast as the 5 megabits a second achievable through the residential fiber optic lines just now being introduced by the Bell companies. An obstacle to the use of power lines to carry communications traffic has been the electromagnetic interference the technology can cause to various types of radio signals. The commission ruled that it would tolerate a small amount of radio interference in certain areas by the new service in exchange for making the broadband market more competitive. Amateur radio operators and public safety officials had asked the commission to move slowly in the area because of the interference created by the service. The agency responded by setting up a system to monitor interference and restricting the service in areas where it could jeopardize public safety, like areas around airports and near Coast Guard stations. Officials noted that there have already been field tests in 18 states of the B.P.L. technology. One company, Current Communications, has recently begun to offer broadband service near Cincinnati in a joint venture with Cinergy, the Midwest power and energy company. The service is priced at $29.95 to $49.95 a month, depending on the speed. While some regulatory and technical issues remain, the technology offers enormous promise because the power grid is ubiquitous. The costs to the industry to offer the new service would be comparatively small, and the possible returns on those investments could be high. If the utility companies do begin to offer the broadband service more widely, they would also be likely to enter the telephone business by offering phone services over the Internet, just as phone and cable companies have begun to do. Mr. Powell, the F.C.C. chairman, said that the new technology would not only offer greater competition in the broadband market, but would also allow consumers to easily create networks in their home through electrical outlets. And adding communications abilities to power lines would permit electric companies to better manage the power grid, he said. Mr. Powell and three other commissioners voted to approve the rules. The fifth commissioner, Michael J. Copps, dissented in part. He noted that the agency had pushed aside a number of vital issues for another day, including questions of whether utility companies would have to contribute to the telephone industry's universal service fund and provide access to people with disabilities, and whether measures would be put in place to ensure market competition. He also said that regulators would need to determine whether it would be fair for electricity customers to pay higher bills "to subsidize an electric company's foray into broadband.'' "We just have to get to the big picture and confront the challenges I have mentioned if B.P.L. is going to have a shot at realizing its full potential,'' Mr. Copps said. But industry executives praised the decision. "This is one of the defining moments for the widespread adoption of broadband by Americans,'' said William Berkman, chairman of Current Communications, a private company in Germantown, Md., which hopes to have in place a B.P.L. Internet network passing by 50,000 homes by the end of the year. The future also grew brighter for the regional Bell companies with the F.C.C.'s decision to grant BellSouth's request to exempt the Bells from any requirement that they lease their new fiber lines to the home to rivals at low costs. Mr. Powell said that the exemption would "restore the marketplace incentives of carriers to invest in new networks.'' Prompted by the decision, the Bells said they would move more rapidly to build fiber networks to homes. So far, the nation's biggest Bell, Verizon Communications, has been the most active in building residential fiber networks. But on Thursday, SBC said it now planned to provide 18 million households higher speed Internet services in two to three years, rather than five years as previously announced. "The shovel is in the ground, and we are ready to go," said SBC's chairman and chief executive, Edward E. Whitacre Jr. But rivals, consumer groups and Mr. Copps criticized the decision as anticompetitive. The F.C.C. majority seems unable to restrain its preference for monopoly over America's consumers, business users, and investment, said Len Cali, a vice president for AT&T. Mark Cooper, director of research at the Consumer Federation of America, said the decision would tighten the already powerful grip that the telephone and cable companies have on broadband services. "This stranglehold will stifle innovation as these duopolies discriminate against unaffiliated applications and services that in the past have driven the growth of the Internet and the boom in information technology,'' Mr. Cooper said (via someone, DXLD) BROADBAND BY POWER LINES MOVES FORWARD --- FCC clears the way for more companies to offer the alternative form of Net access. Grant Gross, IDG News Service, Friday, October 15, 2004 http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,118168,00.asp The U.S. Federal Communications Commission this week cleared the way for power companies to roll out broadband over power line service by approving a set of rules designed to limit interference to other radio frequency devices such as amateur radios. The FCC's action on broadband over power lines, often called BPL, requires providers of the alternative to cable modem or DSL service to employ devices that can switch frequencies if they cause interference and that can be shut down remotely. Commissioners, who praised BPL as a broadband competitor that will bring prices down and spur new services, also will require a national database of BPL installations for public safety agencies, amateur radio operators, and others concerned over potential interference. [LIKE EVERY SHORTWAVE LISTENER???????????????] FCC Chairman Michael Powell acknowledges concerns from the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and other ham radio operators, but he calls the FCC's adoption of the BPL rules a "historic day" for the future of U.S. broadband services. Powell calls amateur radio an "important resource" in the U.S. communication system and promises that the FCC will pay attention to interference issues going forward. "We'll continue to be vigilant, and we've put the tools in place," he says. "But let me underscore that the potential for America and the American economy is too great, too enormous, too potentially groundbreaking to sit idly by and allow any claim of any possible technical fear to keep us from ... the drive into America's broadband future." But Commissioner Michael Copps questions if the rules will keep the FCC as involved as it could be in refereeing interference complaints. "I take the concerns of [the amateur radio] community very seriously, and believe that the FCC has an obligation to work hard to monitor, investigate, and take quick action where appropriate to resolve harmful interference," Copps says. "If an amateur radio user makes a complaint and an agreement between the BPL provider and the amateur radio user cannot be reached, the FCC should step in and resolve the matter." Copps also criticizes other commissioners for not dealing with other issues, including 911 service, access for disabled people, and whether electricity customers should subsidize BPL roll outs in these rules. But he also says he supports the roll out of BPL as a new option for U.S. consumers. "I think we all agree that a wide deployment of BPL would benefit broadband consumers," he says. "This is a market desperate for more competition." An ARRL spokesperson says it is too early to comment on the FCC rules because the group has not yet seen detailed descriptions of the rules. "Some part of it looked very interesting, some parts we were unsure about," says Allen Pitts, media and public relations manager for ARRL. ARRL continues to question BPL's effect on amateur radio signals, Pitts says. "We will always be concerned about the pollution of the ... spectrum," he says. Officials from Current Communications Group, which has partnered with Cinergy to provide BPL in parts of Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky, says the FCC decision may open up more power companies to using BPL. Among the benefits of BPL is that the devices monitor electrical blackouts, and power companies can pinpoint outages without relying on customers to call and complain. Through a second joint venture with Cinergy, Current plans to deploy BPL to smaller municipal and cooperatively owned power companies covering 24 million customers across the U.S. At least four U.S. power companies are offering commercial-level BPL service to customers, and others are offering BPL on a test basis to customers. Current has no problems with the FCC rules, says Jay Birnbaum, the company's vice president and general counsel. "We can peacefully coexist with all the users out there," he says. The FCC rules should provide some assurance to power companies considering BPL, Birnbaum adds. Although many power companies take a conservative approach to offering new products, the FCC action on interference removes one obstacle, he says. "Most utilities don't want to go first--it's not in their nature--but they don't want to go last," Birnbaum says. The FCC rules establish so-called "excluded frequency bands" where BPL cannot operate because of potential interference with aircraft receivers. The rules also establish "exclusion zones" in locations close to sensitive operations such as Coast Guard or radio astronomy stations. BPL providers must also consult with public safety agencies, aeronautical stations, and other potentially affected government groups before rolling out BPL (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = I'm just wondering --- if it`s OK for the power companies to be over 100 mw output with BPL and basically walk all over the FCC rules, is it now okay for me to build a 5 watt transmitter and put it on shortwave? Hey if the power companies can go over 100 mw, why can't anyone else? I assume Powell, Quinlan and the rest of those clowns never have anticipated the possibility of someone saying, "Hey if the ABC power firm can broadcast with over 100 mw of power, I should be able to as well". Just food for thought. (Bill, swprograms via DXLD) The 100 mw rule applies only between 540 and 1700 kHz and then only if using an antenna and ground lead no more than 10 feet in length. At SW frequencies Part 15 requires radiated levels of field strength [something missing here?] Here's another idea; couple your 150 watt ham rig into the power line through a capacitor. Once the BPL company installs those bypass capacitors around your pole transformer, the entire power grid could become your transmitting antenna. And incidentally, the receiver in nearby BPL repeaters will likely fry in the first 20 milliseconds of your first transmission. There will be no trace of what caused the problem. Soon the power company will get tired of replacing repeaters and fold the service as not being reliable. They will likely leave the transformer bypass capacitors in place rather than spend money to remove them. Now you will be able to use the power grid as a huge transmitting antenna. ~*-.,_,.-*~'^'~*-.,_,.-*~'^'~*-., (Joe Buch, ibid.) -*~'^'~*-.,_,.-*~'^'~*-.,_,.-*~'^ Joe, You're getting pretty radical in your retirement! I love it ...... Radio Fanatics Rebel against The FCC & BPL ... The ultimate act of civil disobedience (Jim Strader, swprograms via DXLD) I've seen some reports of how BPL affects hams, but have you or anyone seen any data on how a ham working in the HF band would affect the data in BPL? Mind you, I'm not worried about it, but I can see a utility getting into some hams face when they can't roll it out due to some ham's QSO (Frederick Vobbe, OH, NRC-AM via DXLD) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = They have recently talked about installing BPL in the Philippines and the local hams are quite against the move, not just because of what we`re seeing here but its costs might be outrageous. My son recently approached us about Broadband and found out the price is very steep from the other type. Our price for regular service is around 200-300 pesos per month, or if you go to the cafés, it`s around 100 peso per hour. Broad band charges 1550 to 2000 pesos per month and not too many locals can afford that price. Many local hams are trying to stop the program and I think if some of us can get together and send our objections to Kerry he might reconsider it (Larry Fields, n6hpx/du1, Cavite, Philippines, Swprograms mailing list via DXLD) BPL rule report from industry newsletter This is cut'n'pasted from an e-mail called "BPL Today" --- "Chronicling the Creation of the Broadband over Power Lines industry". "BPL Today is written by seasoned experts giving you their analysis on what the news means with cutting commentary on the twists, plans, failures, strategies, shocks, absurdities, new sales and buying methods -- as energy and communications converge into America's largest industry." FCC MAKES BPL RULE FINAL -- FERC MAKES UNPRECEDENTED APPEARANCE AT FCC MEETING BPL is official. FCC today made final its amendments to Part 15 to regulate access BPL (as compared with the in home network version) setting limits on frequencies and putting in place methods for handling interference with radio users. Fast turnaround on the rulemaking was meant to quickly create the regulatory clarity the fledgling industry needs to win investment and catch hold. To that end, the commission created "a minimal regulatory framework for BPL," to advance Congress' goal of keeping the rules pro competitive and FCC's goal of getting broadband to every American, said Chairman Michael Powell. FERC Chairman Pat Wood was at the meeting with FERC Commissioners Nora Brownell and Suedeen Kelly an unprecedented appearance and cooperation between commissions that's symbolic of the two worlds that BPL bridges and the vital roles the new technology can play in each. Having a smart grid one with broadband present throughout will help power systems operate more efficiently and reliably, said Wood. He called Brownell FERC's tech guru and added that she and FCC Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy had talked about "synergies" between the two commissions relating to BPL. BPL's security benefits and added "real reliability" more than offset the cost of the upgrade, noted Brownell, and offer broadband revenue at no extra charge. The FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) did extensive research and worked closely with the National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA) to make sure the rules answered the latter's concerns, said Powell. Wood and Brownell joined Powell Tuesday at the Manassas, Va BPL deployment to witness the technology in action. They chatted with one of the residents who was amazed at the easy installation just like plugging in any appliance, he said several times and Powell made a free VOIP call on the resident's phone. Powell and Wood released a joint statement that listed the benefits of broadband in economic, educational, social, medical and cultural welfare to the country. The benefit of adding BPL as a broadband competitor could be seen in how Comcast reacted to the BPL roll out by COMTek in Manassas. It dropped its price considerably, noted Powell during the meeting. The final wording of the rule wasn't released but OET's Bruce Franca told BPL Today that 99.9% of the wording has been approved and the commissioners just need to sign off on a few minor changes before the rule's released. UPLC's Brett Kilbourne was encouraged by the rule and expects the final wording to be a workable compromise. Kilbourne is UPLC's director of regulatory services and associate counsel. The final version refers to bands of exclusion frequencies that BPL equipment has to avoid, he noted. An important change from the proposed version is having equipment makers get FCC certification for each BPL device and recertification if the design of a device changes. To date BPL makers had to have test results on file showing compliance with FCC interference limits. The new rules have an administrative procedure for getting certification plus a transition period so that equipment in the field can keep operating while it gets certified, noted Franca at a press briefing after the meeting. The new rule makes Part 15 "more conservative" to address interference issues, Franca added. When interference occurs it's often with amateur radio operators who have charged in many FCC filings that notching doesn't work and that even the slightest interference can make it impossible for them to have conversations over very faint signals with other users around the world. The commission will use a reasonable definition of what's "harmful," noted Franca. The rule includes a call for an industry maintained database of BPL deployments to guide those who get interference to possible sources nearby for quick resolution. In cases where interference isn't resolved, the commission is prepared to act quickly according to the new rules. One source of concern is state notification, UTC CEO Bill Moroney told BPL Today, requiring utilities to notify the state PUC before deploying BPL. He's holding judgment until the final wording is released. If notification is made public, he would expect cable and DSL competitors to change their marketing strategies in the target area before the BPL could even be deployed. Those two technologies don't have to report their own movements and creating a competitive disadvantage for BPL would be counterproductive, he added. Watch for Monday's issue of BPL Today for the rest of our interview with Moroney plus reactions from industry leaders, much more detail on the final rule and much more about the historic trip to Manassas. Here's a tid bit: Manassas plans to make its traffic stoplights IP enabled and, in tandem with IP enabled surveillance cameras at intersections monitor traffic flows and manage them by tweaking the traffic light patterns. That's just one of countless innovations expected once the power wires carry IP (via Ed Mayberry, swprograms via DXLD) FREQUENCY MANAGEMENT ++++++++++++++++++++ HOW THINGS WORK : FCC SPECTRUM LAWS --- by William Nicoll When you take a call on your cell phone, listen to the radio as you drive down the highway, or tune into satellite television at home, you probably take for granted how those signals are getting to you. It was Arthur C. Clarke who so aptly put it: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." And if you took for granted the technology behind today's wireless wonders, you never even gave a thought to the policy that lets them exist. Welcome to the exciting world of "spectrum policy," in which our representatives in the U.S. government have been laying down the law for almost 80 years. Spectrum policy has its origins in the Radio Act of 1927, in which Congress established the the Federal Radio Commission, the first regulatory organization for the airwaves. It wasn't for seven years, however, that more comprehensive rules were passed with the Communications Act of 1934. One of the major results of this act was the creation of the Federal Communications Commission, or FCC. The FCC, under the auspices of the Communication Act, establishes and supervises policy regarding commercial uses of wired and wireless communications in the United States. Over the years, there have been many amendments to the Federal Communications Act to keep pace with technology, but its spirit remains intact. Unfortunately, the public has very little knowledge of what the FCC actually does. That is because the nature of spectrum policy is very technical, and the effects of such policy aren't readily seen. When was the last time you cared about at what frequency maritime navigation radio or garage door openers operated? With just a little education, this can be changed. We can start with some basic information about the electromagnetic spectrum. Most people know that light travels in waves. It turns out that light is only one part of a continuum of electromagnetic phenomena; these phenomena are characterized by their frequency, which is a measure of how many times a wave moves from crest to crest in a constant period of time. The accepted unit of frequency is the Hertz (abbreviated Hz) one cycle per second. By drawing a line that represents low frequencies on the left and high frequencies on the right, one can set up the electromagnetic spectrum and divide it into parts. From left to right, the common bands of the spectrum are known as: radio, microwave, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays. These many types of waves are all just photons of different wavelengths. Over the years scientists have given bands of the spectrum different names for expedience. It is much easier to say "radio waves" than "500 MHz electromagnetic radiation". With a basic understanding of electromagnetic waves, spectrum policy becomes a little friendlier. Spectrum policy is primarily concerned with radio and microwaves ranging from 3 kHz to 300 GHz. It is at these frequencies that wireless communication is most viable. For example, you wouldn't want to listen to your favorite rock station on a gamma-ray radio; the sheer energy these high frequencies carry would probably give you radiation poisoning before the song was finished. Frequencies lower than 3 kHz are also impractical. Because their wavelengths are so large, they would need proportionally larger antennas. The Navy recently closed a 28-mile-long antenna in Wisconsin that allowed it to communicate with ballistic missile submarines deep under the ocean. With the battle lines drawn, the question remains who gets which frequencies. Many people compare the spectrum to a natural resource, like oil; its distribution is very important. The government reserves almost 70 percent of the usable spectrum for itself. Every government radio application, from military satellites and forest ranger walkie-talkies to CIA communications and air traffic control, takes place on these reserved frequencies. Not surprisingly, a separate agency is responsible for government allocation of frequency: the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The FCC has no control over use of these government frequencies. There are several rationales behind this: Reserving a wide band of frequencies for themselves ensures that the government will never have to pay third parties for communications. The NTIA, in the interests of national security, can keep the usage of certain frequency bands classified. The downside of this is that very little oversight exists to see if these frequencies are being used efficiently. The remaining 30 percent of the radio spectrum is doled out by the FCC. They classify frequencies in two ways: licensed and unlicensed. Unlicensed spectrum may be used by anyone, anytime. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees against signal interference with unlicensed spectrum. This usually isn't a problem with unlicensed spectrum because many devices operating on these bands are low power, such as cordless phones, EZ-Pass tags, wireless LANs, and microwave ovens. Licensed spectrum makes up the bulk - 98 percent - of the frequencies given out by the FCC. Cell phones, radio, and television are the primary users of licensed spectrum, and they are big business. Television advertising revenue in 2001 was over $35 billion. Radio had almost $20 billion in revenue. With this kind of money, politics are bound to get involved, and the FCC hasn't escaped. Over the years, companies have lobbied the FCC for use of certain frequencies - say, the 2 GHz range for satellite radio. It used to be the case that companies would get what they wanted. Until the last decade or so, unused frequencies were still available, but that is no longer the case. Today, frequencies are becoming scarce. Consequently, they're becoming much more valuable. This forces companies to innovate more efficient uses of spectrum, so we've seen many advances in communications technology. Even so, the value of certain frequencies has skyrocketed - up to $1 billion per MHz for certain bands in cellular use. Some people have begun to question why the FCC was giving away such valuable frequencies as political favors, so they responded by forming an investigative group known as the Spectrum Policy Task Force. It is this group's job to evaluate 80 years of policy and determine where reform is needed. One recommendation they've made is the increased use of spectrum auctions, where frequencies are sold to the highest bidder. The Bush administration hopes to make over $25 billion on spectrum auctions in the near future. Keep that in mind the next time you are on your cell phone and you hear someone say "Talk is cheap." http://www.thetartan.org/article.jsp?id=693 (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ Caro Glenn, O DX Clube do Brasil realizou uma DX-Camp neste mês de outubro com um excelente resultado de escutas em ondas médias. O Dexista Rocco Controneo, publicou na página: http://www.dxing.info/dxpeditions/ilhacomprida_2004_10.dx uma descrição das condições de escutas utilizadas no evento, os partcipantes e os logs. É o seguinte: SOUTH ATLANTIC DXPEDITION October 9-11, 2004 Ilha Comprida, 300 Km SW of São Paulo, Brazil by Rocco Cotroneo Astonishing Asian conditions for three days at local sunset. Four out of five stations coming in from the same transmitting site, in Taiwan, over 18000 km away. Usual and less usual African station were good too. No usual Middle East stations were heard. All stations were heard in a car with Rocco's AOR 7030+, two BOG's 140 mt each, E and SE oriented layed on the beach, and a Quantum phaser A good number of them were tuned also with a NRD 345 and various Sony and Grundig portables Rocco Cotroneo, Marcelo Bedene and Wilson Rodriguez were joined, on the third day, by Rudolf Grimm, Carlos Felipe da Silva, Ivan Dias and Carlos Castano. Sample audio files are available at Rocco's site: http://homepage.mac.com/WebObjects/FileSharing.woa/wa/default?user=roccocotroneo&templatefn=FileSharing1.html&xmlfn=TKDocument.1.xml&sitefn=RootSite.xml&aff=consumer&cty=US&lang=en AFRICA 567 SOUTH AFRICA Talk Radio OCT 11 2210 Usual all news program, English 657 SOUTH AFRICA R. Pulpit OCT 11 2200 Religious, slightly off (657.98). In English, with full AM and FM ID at 2200 [656.98??? -- gh] 846.05 SOUTH AFRICA Umhlobo Wenene FM OCT 11 2240 Local music, fair 909 BOTSWANA Voice of America OCT 9 2125 Huge signal, English, at times audible with portables with ferrite only 963 MOZAMBIQUE R. Mozambique OCT 10 2205 Portuguese, National news and talk 972 BOTSWANA R. Botswana OCT 10 2125 Local language, music and talk. No parallel on 4820 (still on?) 1026 MOZAMBIQUE Emissora Provincial de Manica OCT 11 2150 National news relayed by Maputo, than local ID and s/off with typical xylophone tones at 2200. Mozambique traces on 1008 too. 1098 SOUTH AFRICA Ikwekwezi FM OCT 10 2200 Regular here in Brazil, even 2 kHz off the local pest 1100 Globo. Strong in local language. Usually African pop music, religious program on Sunday night 1197 LESOTHO WYFR OCT 9 2025 Usually the first African signal here in Brazil. Strong at times, overloading São Paulo on 1200. 1458 MAYOTTE RFO Mayotte OCT 10 2045 News in French, weak 1484.53 ANGOLA Em. Provincial Kuanza-Sul OCT 9 2120 Only Angolan this time. Mostly talk ASIA 1098 TAIWAN Radio France Internationale (presumed) 2215 OCT 10 Chinese, overloading for a few minutes the South Africa station. Radio Taiwan schedule says there is a Radio France Inter relay at this time 1377 CHINA CNR1 (pres.) OCT 9 2105 Talk in Chinese with woman, possibly news 1359 TAIWAN WYFR OCT 11 2025 Religious program, parallel with 1503 and 1557. Switches to Chinese at 2100 1503 TAIWAN WYFR OCT 11 2110 Unbelievable strong signal at times. This frequency was well stronger than the 1557 outlet, already heard in the past here in Brazil 1557 TAIWAN WYFR OCT 10 2025 This frequency switches from English to Chinese at 2100, too Published on October 15, 2004 (via Adalberto Marques de Azevedo, DXLD) PROPAGATION NEWS FOR THE UK A reminder that the RSGB propagation news is also available in a Saturday update at http://www.keele.ac.uk/depts/por/update.htm posted every Saturday evening and for more on propagation generally, see http://www.rsgb.org/society/psc.htm (Mike Terry, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###