DX LISTENING DIGEST 5-129, August 3, 2005 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 2005 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1283: Wed 2200 WOR WBCQ 7415 [first airing of each edition] Wed 2300 WOR WBCQ 17495-CLSB Thu 1000 WOR World FM, Tawa, Wellington, New Zealand 88.2 Thu 1600 WOR WBCQ after hours [stream has been down] Thu 2030 WOR WWCR 15825 Thu 2300 WOR World FM, Tawa, Wellington, New Zealand 88.2 Thu 2330 WOR WBCQ 7415 [unscheduled but was on last week] Fri 0000 WOR WTND-LP 106.3 Macomb IL Fri 0200 WOR ACBRadio Mainstream [repeated 2-hourly thru 2400] Fri 1600 WOR WBCQ after hours [stream has been down] Fri 2000 WOR RFPI [repeated 4-hourly thru 1600 Sat] Fri 2105 WOR World FM, Tawa, Wellington, New Zealand 88.2 Sat 0800 WOR WRN to Eu, Au, NZ, WorldSpace AfriStar, AsiaStar Sat 0855 WOR WNQM Nashville TN 1300 Sat 1000 WOR WPKN Bridgeport CT 89.5 & WPKM Montauk LINY 88.7 Sat 1200 WOR RFPI Sat 1600 WOR RFPI Sat 1730 WOR WRN to North America (including Sirius Satellite Radio channel 115) Sat 1730 WOR WRMI 7385 [from WRN] Sun 0230 WOR WWCR 5070 Sun 0300 WOR WBCQ 9330-CLSB Sun 0330 WOR WRMI 7385 Sun 0630 WOR WWCR 3210 Sun 0730 WOR World FM, Tawa, Wellington, New Zealand 88.2 Sun 0830 WOR WRN to North America, also WLIO-TV Lima OH SAP (including Sirius Satellite Radio channel 115) Sun 0830 WOR KSFC Spokane WA 91.9 Sun 0830 WOR WXPR Rhinelander WI 91.7 91.9 100.9 Sun 0830 WOR WDWN Auburn NY 89.1 [unconfirmed] Sun 0830 WOR KTRU Houston TX 91.7 [occasional] Sun 1200 WOR WRMI 7385 Sun 1300 WOR KRFP-LP Moscow ID 92.5 Sun 1730 WOR WRMI 7385 [from WRN] Sun 1730 WOR WRN1 to North America (including Sirius Satellite Radio channel 115) Sun 1900 WOR RNI Mon 0230 WOR WRMI 7385 Mon 0300 WOR WBCQ 9330-CLSB Mon 0330 WOR WSUI Iowa City IA 910 Mon 0415 WOR WBCQ 7415 [usually closer to 0418-] Mon 1600 WOR WBCQ after hours [stream has been down] Mon 1800 WOR RFPI [repeated 4-hourly thru 1400 Tue] Tue 1600 WOR WBCQ after hours [stream has been down] Tue 2330 WOR WBCQ 7415 [unscheduled, but several weeks lately] Wed 0930 WOR WWCR 9985 Wed 1600 WOR WBCQ after hours [stream has been down] Latest edition of this schedule version, with hotlinks to station sites and audio, is at: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html WRN ON DEMAND [from Fri]: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL]: http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html WORLD OF RADIO 1283 (high version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1283h.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1283h.rm WORLD OF RADIO 1283 (low version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1283.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1283.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1283.html [from Thu] WORLD OF RADIO 1283 in true SW sound of Alex`s mp3 [projected]: (stream) http://www.dxprograms.net/worldofradio_08-03-05.m3u (download) http://www.dxprograms.net/worldofradio_08-03-05.mp3 WORLD OF RADIO 1283 downloads in studio-quality mp3 [from UT Thu]: (high) http://www.obriensweb.com/wor1283h.mp3 (low) http://www.obriensweb.com/wor1283.mp3 WORLD OF RADIO PODCAST: www.obriensweb.com/wor.xml (currently available: 1277, Extra 57, 1278, 1279, 1280, Extra 58, 1281, 1282, soon 1283) ** CANADA. A reminder from a few months ago --- Come Journey Down Memory Lane, the low-power Winnipeg station on 580, is about to come back for another biweek: Re CJML, 580, the temp Winnipeg station, I was wondering if their website (actually geocities) http://cjml.cjb.net/ is still up a biweek after their activity, and indeed it is, crawling: ``...CJML will be back on the air!!!.....AUGUST 6 - 20 to celebrate VJ - DAY broadcasting from Deer Lodge Center...`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST 5-091 via DXLD 5-129) Viz.: Broadcasting Pictures from Deer Lodge here CJML is proud to return Nostalgia Radio to Winnipeg with the Honoring of our Canadian Veterans on the 60th Anniversary of VJ Day live from Deer Lodge Hospital August 6-20 (CJML website via gh, WORLD OF RADIO 1283, DXLD) ** CANADA. RECOLLECTIONS --- From Radio: The Remote Years, by Dick Halhed, a book about CBC Radio between 1941 and 1967 TORONTO CBC BUILDINGS Circa 1952 Certainly Toronto did not appeal to everyone. Some regional broadcasters derived the utmost delight in hating ``T`ranna`` and everybody in it, preferring to remain in the comfortable environment with which they were familiar. Some lacked the self-confidence to risk a move to Mecca --- being concerned about the tough competition they would be up against in the big city. Many were happy in their work at one smaller location or another and could think of no reason to move to Toronto where they might earn more but would have to lay out more for living costs. And it is possible that a few regional personnel would not consider a transfer to Toronto because once, when they had had to visit the place to attend a meeting, they had had an opportunity to tour the Radio Building and decided that once was quite enough. As everybody who is anybody knows, CBC Toronto`s Radio Building formerly had been a young ladies` fashionable private school called Havergal College. That was back when 354 Jarvis Street was a snobbish address and not merely one of the few respectable buildings in a district known for its prostitutes, winos and derelicts. Externally, the Radio Building was quite charming --- a five-storey red brick pile festooned with English ivy and boasting an arched main entrance four steps above sidewalk level. Several dozen windows faced the street, which afforded a view, and the sound, of non-stop heavy traffic. Directly north of the Radio Building was a parking lot, originally reserved for employees` cars but later usurped to accommodate an increasing number of mobile cruisers and other broadcasting-oriented vehicles. Adjoining the north side of the parking area was a three-storey grey brick building known as The Kremlin or, more respectfully, The Annex. It was the seat of power where the Ontario Regional Director and Director of English Networks and the National Programme Director and other betitled bigwigs held sway in high-ceilinged offices with bricked up fireplaces in what had been a magnificent private residence back when Jarvis Street echoed to the clip-clop of matched greys as they drew gleaming black carriages behind them in which rode genteel ladies and gentlemen of the era. At the rear of the parking lot stood a new yellow brick structure of five floors --- the Television Building in which the first equipment was being installed. To its south and directly west of the Radio Building was a red brick house of two floors known as The Hospital which actually had been the sick-bay for the Havergal College missees. It now accommodated a number of small production departments. Although it was the radio production headquarters and studio block for this country`s Trans-Canada and Dominion Networks, the Radio Building`s interior hardly would have inspired anyone --- were he ``in the business`` or a casual visitor. Mind you, it was clean; it could not help but be clean. There was a crew of painters who spent their entire lives redecorating the several CBC-owned edifices at the Jarvis/Carleton corner as well as a dozen other owned and leased antiquities in the downtown area which served as studios, rehearsal halls, archives, storage areas and goodness knows what else. It was said that the Radio Building was held up by paint and telephone-wire. Whenever someone was moved from one office to another, and especially when an entire department was relocated, new telephone lines were strung around the walls of the areas concerned. Musical chairs had been a popular game in the Radio Building ever since the Corporation moved in. Quite often, someone would occupy an office for only a month or so then the ``space committee`` in its wisdom would decide to juggle offices. Occasionally this involved moving a wall in order to accommodate more people with more furniture. This mausoleum was a veritable rabbit-warren with long corridors which led around corners into all sorts of intriguing places including a long forgotten cobweb-covered swimming pool in the sub-basement. The basement proper, known for some reason as the First Floor, contained the usually crowded staff cafeteria where a couple of mangy cats roamed beneath the tables, meowing for hand-outs. There was Programme Clearance where producers booked their studios from Nancy Boyd. Sound Effects occupied another area packed with bells of various tones, doors that squeaked or banged, windows that rattled or slammed on command, steps of stone or wood or iron, beds of gravel, wind-up phonographs, dishpans, crockery, swords, Chinese gongs and shelves of meticulously indexed sound effects recordings for use in cases where manually operated effects were impractical. The same area accommodated the CBL and CJBC announce-booths, master- control, recording-room and maintenance—in which technicians held sway with soldering-irons, circuit-diagrams and trays filled with condensers, resistors and other components as they de-bugged a Magnecorder tape machine or removed hum from a temperamental pre-amp. The basement also was the domain of the night manager who received all the enquiries and complaints after 5:00 p.m. and who had to deal with everything from incoming and outgoing emergency feeds to a report that some idiot had climbed to the 300-foot level of the new TV tower and was about to find out whether he could fly. The ground or main floor (usually called the Second Floor) was the production area and accommodated all the studios and control-rooms ranging in size from small (such as ``J`` and ``K``) to spacious, of which the only one was Studio ``G`` where concert orchestras and major dramas were produced. This floor also boasted a reception desk immediately inside the main entrance. Adjacent to the receptionist was an artists` lounge which, over the years, shrank several-times until it became little more than a waiting-room. Since the Radio Building was without an elevator, one climbed a broad flight of stairs from the basement to the ground floor and again up to the second, third and fourth levels (known of course as the Third, Fourth and Fifth Floors.) The top three levels consisted entirely of offices for producers, production assistants and secretaries. Some were of generous size but were packed with people at desks, piles of audio tapes, filing cabinets and typewriters. Most were broomcloset private offices, equally cluttered. The top floor really was no more than converted attic space and each office had a single, small dormer window and a sloped ceiling so there was inadequate head-room and elbow-room. Two or three offices each contained a small door which, with some exertion, could be pried open to permit the occupant to step out onto the roof to reach a fire- escape. The building-inspector had been warning the CBC for years that, if one more filing-cabinet were placed in an office in the Radio Building, the entire structure might collapse. The fire inspector had more than likely given up and occasionally might be seen shaking his head: and mumbling to himself as he picked his way through the conglomeration of tightly packed furniture, bundles of papers, stacks of books, empty pop bottles and other specialties of the broadcasting craft (via August ODXA Listening In via DXLD) ** CUBA [non]. ...On July 26th, Cuban President Fidel Castro revealed that the United States recently increased its transmissions, taking advantage of the situation created when Hurricane Dennis hit the island. It is important to know that, according to international rules, during a natural disaster, unimportant radio-communications do not go out on the air to avoid interference with those that have priority. There had previously been no case in which such a situation was used to obtain political benefits, which is not only illegal, but is also unethical. Fidel Castro specified that the radio and television transmissions from the United States toward Cuba reach almost 2,500 hours a week. He revealed that, in less than a year, 46 transmissions have been carried out from a military aircraft. It is important to stress that radio and television transmissions from mobile media, particularly aircraft and ships, are prohibited by international agreements and represent a contempt against the International Telecommunications Union rules, which explicitly forbid those transmissions. . . (RHC via http://www.ahora.cu/english/SECTIONS/opinion/2005/Agosto/02-08-05.htm [also referenced under VENEZUELA] via Andy Sennitt, dxldyg via DXLD) What about JAMMING? Is jamming forbidden? I am not aware of any increase in US transmissions to Cuba following H. Dennis. If anything, they have diminished with the destruxion of the aerostats, and the airborne broadcasts are more sporadic than ever (gh) ** CUBA/USA. SENIOR JOURNALIST ACCUSES US OF "MEDIA AGGRESSION" "Straight Talk", transmitted on Cuba's Radio Rebelde on 2 August, discussed breaches of UN broadcasting regulations by the United States and its use of military broadcasting equipment against Cuba. The panel included guests Arnaldo Coro, a senior journalist and co- founder of Radio Havana; Fernando Dávalos; and Teresa Valdés. Coro begins by stating that communications frequencies are regulated by the UN, and that the United States has agreed to be governed by UN rules on these matters. He then asserts that when the United States uses a military aircraft to broadcast programming towards Cuba on the same frequency as Cuba's Channel 13, it is in violation of international communications regulations. Coro says that the United States has been repeatedly notified of this violation. Then Coro discusses the corruption at the offices in charge of these broadcasts, alleging that members of the Cuban mafia receive pay cheques for jobs they do not do. Dávalos interjects to affirm that the counterrevolutionary dissidents in Cuba receive "millions" of pesos from the United States. He then states that the C-130J, which broadcasts Tele Martí, belongs to the US military and is fitted with military-grade broadcasting equipment and affirms that its use against Cuba constitutes an "aggression". He also asserts that the aircraft's high-altitude flights are dangerous, and that if there were ever an accident causing it to crash, the US government would blame Cuba in order to justify invading the island. Coro goes on to say that legal experts in the field of telecommunications agree with Cuba's contention that the transmissions cease. He then states that media should be used to provide news and educate the people, not carry out acts of aggression. The presenter thanks his listeners, guests and technical crew, and then concludes the programme. Source: Radio Rebelde, Havana, in Spanish 1615 gmt 2 Aug 05 (via BBCM via DXLD) Gee, on DXUL Arnie sounds so friendly! (gh, DXLD) ** CUBA. CUBANOS COMIENZAN A VER TELESUR COPIADO DE LA EDICION ELECTRONICA "EL NUEVO HERALD", MIAMI AP Spanish | 08/01/2005 | Posted on Mon, Aug. 01, 2005 http://www.miami.com/mld/elnuevo/news/world/cuba/12277726.htm ================================================================== ANDREA RODRIGUEZ, Associated Press LA HABANA - La señal de Telesur, un canal de televisión creado por varios países de la región a fin de dar una "visión latinoamericana" del acontecer mundial, comenzó a ser percibida en Cuba pero sólo a través de un resumen insertado en un canal local. "A partir de este lunes 1 . de agosto, el Canal Educativo 2 ofrecerá diariamente una selección de una hora de lo mejor de Telesur, el nuevo canal latinoamericano", anunció una nota difundida en todos los periódicos de la isla. En Cuba los medios de prensa son monopolio del Estado. Telesur - un proyecto informativo entre Venezuela, Argentina, Cuba y Uruguay - será una suerte de "voz alternativa frente a los grandes emporios mediáticos del Norte", pronosticó la breve nota. Sin embargo, no se transmitirán en Cuba las cuatro horas actuales de prueba -- que llegarán paulatinamente a ser 24 horas -- de la cadena cuyo lanzamiento el 24 de julio contó con el auspicio del presidente venezolano Hugo Chávez. La semana pasada, el mandatario cubano Fidel Castro expresó su satisfacción por la existencia de una cadena con contenido latinoamericanista que contrarreste a las versiones de las corporaciones de medios mayormente instalada en países desarrollados. "Va a ser tremenda emisora", dijo Castro. Considerada un instrumento de integración regional por sus creadores, la emisora generó polémica desde ya. Una transmisión de prueba incluyó imágenes del guerrillero colombiano Manuel Marulanda (alias "Tirofijo"), lo que provocó protestas de Bogotá y observadores temen que el canal no sea más que un medio de propaganda para los gobiernos izquierdistas que lo promocionan, particularmente el de Chávez. Las autoridades estadounidenses, además, se mostraron preocupadas de que pudiera difundir una imagen negativa de ese país en el continente. En reacción, la Cámara de Representantes de Estados Unidos aprobó una enmienda para iniciar transmisiones hacia Venezuela. El mismo 24 de julio, en coincidencia con la presentación de Telesur, su corresponsalía en Cuba ya hizo una transmisión experimental, explicó a la AP Rodobaldo Díaz Olivera, productor de la cadena en la isla. Según el responsable se espera enviar unas 15 "piezas informativas" cada mes desde La Habana. Se prevé que la señal de Telesur llegue a través de cable o por frecuencia abierta a Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Uruguay, Guatemala, República Dominicana y Brasil entre otros Estados. Para el caso de Cuba hasta ahora sólo se espera el resumen anunciado que cada día se difundirá en los canales locales. "Por ahora, que yo conozca, se van a transmitir los condensados (resúmenes) de una hora, además de que nuestras notas se usan en los noticieros domésticos (cubanos)", comentó Díaz. CORDIALES 73 (via OSCAR DE CESPEDES (MIAMI, FL), condig list via DXLD) ** CZECHOSLOVAKIA. Programming Matters, by Fred Waterer LISTENING IN/August 2005 NOTE: Fred`s own comments, italicized in the original, are put in quotation marks here (gh) ``Programming is what we listen to on shortwave and this column presents and discusses programs. The presenters of these programs and the stations they speak from are also topics for coverage. We also delve into many other topics to see how radio impacts our lives.`` Something a bit different this month ``The entire column concerns Radio Prague and Radio Slovakia International, in honour of Radio Slovakia’s last minute reprieve from the budgetary axe and the anniversary of the August 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion. For as long as I have been an SWL, the broadcasts from Prague, and then from Prague and Bratislava have not only been entertaining and well heard (well, mostly --- Slovakia can be difficult at times), but interesting from the standpoint of both politics and history. The evolution of Radio Prague from the Cold War mouthpiece of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, to a moderate, public service broadcaster from Central Europe has been fascinating. Radio Prague has been a window into an interesting nation, and into history in the making --- which is still going on as the Czech Republic and Slovakia join the European Community. And who back in 1968 or 1978 or even 1989 could have seen the day that Prague would host Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty. But that’s a whole other story --- my comments are hereafter in italics. Another broadcaster in danger of closing, lives to fight another day (seemingly)`` Radio Slovakia International saved --- Thu 21 Jul 05, 08:12 Last week, the public broadcaster announced its intention to close down its short-wave foreign language service and to downsize the staff of the radio station by 84 people. The management decided to take this radical step to cut costs. By this step it intended to compensate revenue shortfalls in concession payments and payments from the state budget. Due to the restrictive measures taken by general director of Slovak Radio Jaroslav Reznik, the Radio Council, a radio supervisory body, was summoned for a special meeting on Tuesday. Its members appointed by Parliament have agreed to bind the director to continue the shortwave broadcasting of Radio Slovakia International. Shortwave broadcasting will not be stopped, Jaroslav Reznik confi rmed for Radio Slovakia International. Nevertheless, he added he could not say for how long this status will be possible. According to him, it is now up to the state authorities to express clearly whether they are interested in a foreign broadcast service. The supervisory body of Slovak radio agrees with the General Director in the point that the foreign service should be financed from the state budget not from the concession fees. That is why the financial sources should be provided by the government. Nevertheless, neither the Culture Ministry nor the Foreign Ministries seem to be interested in allocating sufficient means from their budgets. The European standard is to support a foreign radio broadcast from the budget of the Foreign Ministry. The law dealing with Slovak radio states that finance should be provided from the state budget for foreign service broadcasting. However the current Culture Minister questions this part of the law. Due to an allegedly unclear interpretation of lines defining financing foreign broadcasting, Culture Minister Frantisek Toth has initiated a legal analysis of the respective lines. The position of state authorities leaves the financing foreign broadcast on the reserves of the Slovak radio. Zuzana Mistrikova, the head of the media section at the Culture Ministry. The Slovak Republic represented by the government thinks it is something that the Slovak Republic needs to have and to have it in high quality and then to decide how it will be financed and if it will be financed directly from the state budget or if the system of financing of Slovak Radio will be so well managed that it will be able to finance broadcasting like this. Despite the fact that the foreign broadcast on short waves will not stop, there will be restrictive measures taken in Slovak Radio. According to the Radio Council, these cannot be affecting the production and broadcasting of the program. The supervisory body consists of members appointed by the parliament. The head of the council Michal Dzurjanin concluded that now they have to wait for Parliament and the Government to solve the current deficit of over EUR 8 million for the Radio. http://www.slovensko.com/news/2326 ``I became an SWL quite by accident in July 1978. By chance I pushed a button on an old Nordmende radio and heard Radio Sofia, Bulgaria loud and clear. And it was an awesome discovery to my then teenaged ears. I picked a good time to start listening --- the sunspot cycle was co- operative and the Cold War was still in full swing, although sometimes it was hard to tell, it being the era of ``détente`` and negotiation of nuclear arms reduction treaties. Ronald Reagan was still an ex-Governor of California with presidential ambitions and Leonid Brezhnev, the Soviet leader, was only just verging on senile. The shortwave bands at the time were very different --- most nights one could not fail to trip over many Radio Moscow frequencies. And the East European countries were right behind figuratively and literally, parroting the Moscow party line and extolling the virtues and wise decisions of their respective leaders, like Gustav Husak in Prague, Todor Zhivkov in Sofia, Janos Kadar in Budapest and Nicolai Ceaucescu in Bucharest. Radio Prague, in the then Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, was heard easily in a number of languages, for an hour at a time. Interspersed with the news and propaganda, were many nice and presumably non- political discussions of Czech and Slovak music, culture, history, industry, tourism and sport. No doubt a hook to get one to hear the party line, but nonetheless one of the more entertaining hours one could hear at the time. From 1978-1989 I spent many hours indeed listening to Radio Prague. Also, remember this was the era when stations would flood your mailbox (assuming the packages all arrived intact) with magazines [see our cover], books, 45 rpm records (remember those?) and all manner of trinkets and goodies. I still have filing cabinet drawers full of this stuff --- an interesting reminder of a bygone age.`` 10 years earlier, Radio Prague was near the centre of the action as a reform movement, known as the Prague Spring swept the country… Czech Radio History Part V - The Prague Spring [06-06-2003] By Martin Hrobsky In this week`s edition of our weekly special on the history of Czech Radio - marking the station`s 80th anniversary - Martin Hrobsky looks at the role radio played during the Prague Spring. It was 1968 in Czechoslovakia and optimism was in the air: students, workers, and intellectuals alike were calling for change in a political and economic system that was no longer meeting the needs of the people. The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia knew this, and once a number of innocent reforms were carried out, the winds of change could not be stopped. Within a short amount of time, Alexander Dubcek, the new General Secretary of the Czechoslovak Communist Party, began to loosen the party`s grip on both the political and economic spheres in socialist Czechoslovakia. This reform movement, which became known as the Prague Spring, aimed to create ``socialism with a human face`` - an experimental merging of socialism and greater democracy. The reforms included increased freedom of speech and the press, the rehabilitation of political prisoners, and a movement towards a more market driven economy. However, the Soviet Union, along with other Warsaw Pact countries, looked with dismay at what was happening in Czechoslovakia. They saw the Prague Spring as a threat and feared the winds of change would soon blow through their own countries. Then came that unforgettable morning when the people of Czechoslovakia awoke to a world which was completely different to the one they went to sleep to the night before. It`s 2 am August 21st, 1968. Czechoslovak Radio informed people to stay tuned to the radio as important news was soon to be broadcast. This was the announcement that Warsaw Pact forces had crossed the Czechoslovak boarder just hours earlier. The Soviet Union, along with Poland, East Germany, Hungary and Bulgaria, sent about 200,000 troops across the boarder to occupy Czechoslovakia and to quash the Prague Spring reform movement. Within one week more then 650,000 foreign troops would be on Czechoslovak soil. What followed were mass protests in Prague and throughout Czechoslovakia against the occupation. Thousands of people took to the streets, pleading with the occupiers to turn around and go home. In many parts of Prague troops opened fire on demonstrators. Occupation of the Czechoslovak Radio, August 1968 On the morning of August 21st, Czechoslovak Radio broadcast a statement by the Central Committee of the Czechoslovak Communist Party, condemning the invasion. Prague citizens began gathering in front of the radio building on Vinohradska Street, and there were clashes which left a number of people dead. Meanwhile, Czechoslovak Radio announcers called for the continuation of free reforms and for people to remain calm. Here are the final moments of Czechoslovak Radio on that dark morning: The radio building was occupied by Warsaw Pact troops just minutes later. For a number of days Czechoslovak Radio ceased to broadcast from its home here on Vinohradska Street, but the free radio continued to function underground. These underground broadcasts were vital for informing people about events that were taking place during the initial stages of the occupation. These secret broadcasts were often transmitted from all over the country - constantly switching broadcasting locations and frequencies - and the occupying force had a very hard time silencing these broadcasts. The broadcasts organized peaceful protests, relayed information such as where supplies and doctors were needed, and informed the world of the situation in Czechoslovakia. Radio Prague even continued broadcasting from secret locations in Prague. Broadcasts were ten minute long news programs in five languages, and these underground programs lasted until September 9th. What followed the Prague Spring was a complete rolling back of reforms that had been made. In the subsequent period, known as ``normalization,`` freedom of the press was all but extinguished and Czechoslovak Radio became a controlled media tool of the Communist Party. Radio Prague mainly served propaganda purposes during this time, broadcasting the regime`s socialist message for the whole world to hear. http://www.radio.cz/en/article/41504 ``During my early years, listening to Radio Prague, Gustav Husak was the Czechoslovak leader. Hour after hour, Radio Prague would describe the important things he was doing and thinking about. Yet the mid to late eighties saw the arrival of Mikhail Gorbachev on history`s stage. Gorbachev`s reforms in the Soviet Union were reminiscent of the Prague Spring in many ways, and when Moscow began saying things like perhaps the 1968 invasion was wrong, it served to knock the foundations out from under a number of East European regimes, essentially installed at the point of Soviet guns. This was especially true in Czechoslovakia.`` Gustav Husak - Czech history`s forgotten man [22-12-2004] By Coilin O`Connor ...Husak`s experience as the victim of a Stalinist purge in the 1950s gave him a lot of political capital, which - as historian Vilem Precan explains - the ambitious Slovak made every effort to exploit: ``After he was rehabilitated in the Party in 1964 he was offered the position of deputy minister of justice, which he rejected. He realised that he could not make a comeback using a straightforward route, so he tried to reestablish himself in politics in a roundabout way, by criticizing the established regime and the established leadership. He did this and many of us saw some hope in him.`` ... ``I had the impression of a very strong personality, with some charisma, which was able to convince the listener. He was the only politician of that time who could speak without a script. I was thirty years old. And I had great respect for him at that time. Later, when I got to know him better, I was not only dissatisfied, I was disgusted.`` ... Unfortunately, however, Mr Precan and other supporters of reform were to discover that Husak would prove to be more interested in his own self-advancement than in effecting any great social changes: ``He was an orthodox communist. This was his belief, but at the same time he was a great manipulator. He was a man of power. His fanaticism for power - to share in power and to occupy the top position was his ambition. And he was able to sacrifice everything in pursuit of this goal. He could sacrifice his name, his word, and even his closest friends. Anything. So he was not a man of principle.`` The defining moment in Husak`s political career arrived during the cataclysmic events of August 1968. ... The Czechoslovak population`s unexpectedly fierce resistance to the Warsaw Pact invasion left the Soviet leadership desperate for someone who could control the situation. Aware of the fact that simply installing a known apparatchik as leader would probably provoke further unrest, they were desperate for someone with reformist credentials who could still be influenced by Moscow to help reestablish order. Vilem Precan believes the situation was a perfect opportunity for Gustav Husak to finally fulfill his yearning for power: ``You see in 1968, the invasion turned out to be a political disaster, which was apparent in two or three days. Because you cannot control a country when the population resists. And so the Soviets badly needed a man like Husak with trust among the population and the will and ability to consolidate the country - to make peace and to pacify the country and its population, and to quell the popular resistance. And Husak was this man. At that time the Soviets needed the Czechoslovak question to disappear from European politics and not be the open wound that it then was. So they needed Gustav Husak badly.`` [not Fred] Once he had been installed as Party Secretary in April 1969, Husak quickly abandoned any reformist pretensions and reinstituted strong Party control over the Czechoslovak economy, state, and society. During this period of so-called ``normalisation`` Czechoslovakia became a police state with a huge network of government informants. It is a period many Czechs consider to be one of the darkest in their history, and few tears were shed when Husak was forced to resign as president following the collapse of communism in 1989. He died in relative obscurity two years later. Vilem Precan believes it is ironic that Husak spent so much time pursuing the trappings of power that he neglected to leave behind any worthwhile legacy as the country`s leader: ``I can`t say that he made any positive contribution. And he is forgotten. And the era of Husak`s normalisation was a black time in the Czech and Slovak past. He has been forgotten and I think this is his great punishment. We feel no need to put him on any trial - real or imaginative, because his policies and the things he did were finally vanquished. We are here and we live in freedom. And Gustav Husak is forgotten.`` http://www.radio.cz/en/article/61591 The Velvet Revolution ``1848 is remembered as a year of liberalization, and revolution in widespread parts of Europe. In my opinion 1989 will be remembered the same way as a wave of freedom spread over Eastern Europe in the wake of Gorbachev`s reforms. And shortwave radio listeners had a ring side seat. It`s generally forgotten that the events of 1989 in Beijing, which led to the Tienanmen Square massacre took place about the same time as Gorbachev`s visit to Beijing. Then with varying speeds, regimes in East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Romania and others fell, not (necessarily) at the point of a gun, but due to public pressure and civil disobedience, ``people power`` as it was dubbed in the Philippines a few years before. November was a key month in Czechoslovakia. On the 9th, the Berlin Wall came down. On the 17th, students held a march to commemorate the 1939 execution of dissident students by the Nazi occupiers. When the marchers headed towards the presidential palace (actually a castle, how cool is that, but I digress), security forces initially barred their progress, then (reportedly) opened fire. But did they? Most international broadcasters at the time reported that yes they did. Even Radio Prague reported it.`` Misha Glenney of the BBC interviewed a student who took part (years later):`` KP: Yes, definitely in that one minute. And we came here there was a sort of small demonstration and I showed to my mum the place they reported the student Smid was killed. But I didn`t think that Martin Smid was killed by policemen but because of the pressure. MG: It was the report of his death that really sent shockwaves around Czechoslovakia. Although Martin Smid didn`t die, how important do you think it was that people thought he was dead in terms of getting everything going still further? KP: I think it was extremely important for the generation of our parents. I think that was the moment for a lot of people of the older generation why they started to go to the streets and be active because they thought this was a kid and they have no rights to kill kids. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/523146.stm It started on November 16, 1989 with a peaceful student demonstration in Bratislava. One day later, on November 17, 1989, another peaceful student demonstration in Prague was severely beaten back by the communist riot police. That event sparked a set of popular demonstrations from November 19 to late December, and a general two- hour strike of the population on November 27. By November 20 the number of peaceful protestors assembled in Prague had swelled from 200,000 the day before to an estimated half-million. With other communist regimes falling all around it, and with growing street protests, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia announced on November 28 they would give up their monopoly on political power. Barbed wire was removed from the border with West Germany and Austria on December 5. On December 10, the Communist President Gustáv Husák appointed the first largely non-communist government in Czechoslovakia since 1948, and resigned. Alexander Dubcek was elected speaker of the federal parliament on December 28 and Václav Havel the President of Czechoslovakia on December 29 1989. As one of the results of the Velvet Revolution, the first democratic elections since 1946 were held in June 1990, and brought the first completely noncommunist government to Czechoslovakia in over forty years. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velvet_Revolution ``I remember trying to hear the ``Interprogram`` from Prague early in the morning the night Havel was appointed President. It seemed a momentous occasion in spite of the terrible radio reception.`` Twelve years after the break up of the Czechoslovak federation the mood in the two countries has changed radically. The once upbeat Czechs, who were considered a role model for the post communist world in the early 90s, are in a slump, their Slovak neighbours, who risked a lower living standard in return for complete independence are upbeat and optimistic about the future. http://www.radio.cz/en/article/63031 After the ``Velvet Revolution`` the most compromised employees and secret service agents left Czechoslovak Radio. Radio Prague gradually returned to its original mission - to provide the world with balanced and unbiased information about events in Czechoslovakia. Programmes once again began with a horn fanfare from Antonin Dvorak`s New World Symphony, as they had before the war. From the early 1950s to 1989, Radio Prague`s signature tune was the rousing Communist anthem ``Forward Left``. From April 1 to May 7 1990, Radio Prague fell silent. Only the Czech and Slovak language expatriate programmes and Interprogram stayed on the air. The reason for this pause was the uncertain position of the international service, combined with programme, personnel and technical cutbacks at Czechoslovak Radio. The Arabic, Italian and Portuguese for Latin America broadcasts had already been cut. Eight languages had been reduced to five: Czech/Slovak, English, German, French and Spanish. The ``central departments`` - that symbolised the ``party line`` - were reduced. Programmes were cut back sharply and many staff were laid off. In 1989, Radio Prague had some 360 employees: four years later that number had fallen to just over 50. http://www.radio.cz/en/html/65_democracy.html ``The succeeding 15 years have seen reductions in programming, budgets, transmitters, and the split into Radio Prague and Radio Slovakia International after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. While programming initially suffered, Radio Prague and RSI both have very entertaining programs today. Both have excellent websites (although Radio Prague`s is by far the better one). Both offer the option of listening online using Real-Player, and Radio Prague even offers programs for a week in a downloadable mp3 format.`` Check out: http://www.radio.cz/en/ http://www.slovakradio.sk/rsi/ Schedules: Radio Prague Every show starts with a brief bulletin of news from the Czech Republic to keep you up-to-date on events in or relating to the country. On weekdays this is followed by Current Affairs - a magazine offering an in-depth coverage of political, economic, social, cultural and sports events in the Czech Republic. The rest of the show is reserved for the following regular features: MONDAY Talking Point - a closer look at the issues - big and small - shaping the day-to-day lives of people in the Czech Republic. TUESDAY Czech Science - everything about Czech science past and present. One on One - an informal interview show, where you have the chance to meet some of the most interesting figures in Czech life today. WEDNESDAY Czechs in History - remarkable people and events in the history of the Czech Lands (once a month). Czechs Today - a Who`s Who of personalities shaping contemporary Czech society (also once a month) . These alternate with Spotlight - a popular feature in which we take you to different corners of the Czech Republic. THURSDAY Panorama - our weekly foray into all things Czech; from cultural and artistic trends to social phenomena. FRIDAY Business Briefs - a weekly round-up of business and technology news from the Czech Republic. The Arts - reports on the rich cultural life of a country in the heart of Europe. SATURDAY Magazine - The show that starts where the news ends - we bring you the stories you might otherwise have missed. ABC of Czech - we unravel the mysteries of the Czech language. One on One - another chance to hear Tuesday`s interview. ICE - Insight Central Europe - our pioneering Central European current affairs magazine programme, produced jointly by Radio Prague, Radio Austria International, Radio Slovakia, Radio Polonia and Radio Budapest and Radio Slovenia At times and frequencies marked with ** in the schedule, we broadcast Insight Central Europe, our pioneering Central European current affairs magazine programme, produced jointly by Radio Prague, Radio Austria International, Radio Slovakia International, Radio Polonia, Radio Hungary and Radio Slovenia International. ICE we broadcast at these times (UTC/GMT)and frequencies (kHz): UTC 08:00-08:27 Frequency 7345; 9880 Area North-West Europe UTC 14:00-14:29 Frequency 21745 Area East Africa; North America UTC 18:00-18:27 Frequency 5930; 9415 Area North-West Europe; Asia; Australia UTC 22:30-22:57 Frequency 7345; 9435 Area North America; West Africa UTC 23:30-23:57 Frequency 5915; 7345 Area North America SUNDAY Mailbox - we reply to your letters, e-mails and phone calls and answer your questions. Letter from Prague - a personal view of life in and around the Czech capital. Encore - our monthly look at what`s going on in the world of Czech classical music Magic Carpet - Czech world music, also once a month Czech books - a brand new fortnightly feature looking at Czech writing today. http://www.radio.cz/en/programme Radio Slovakia International A typical week at RSI: News followed by Slovakia Today (in most cases) 18.07.2005 Monday - News, Topical Issue - Insight Central Europe – a joint programme of Radio Slovakia International, Radio Austria International, Radio Prague, Radio Budapest, Radio Polonia & Radio Slovenia 19.07.2005 Tuesday - News, Topical Issue - Davis Cup - Slovakia has qualifi ed for this competition`s semifinals - Countryside development in Slovakia - The impact of EU´s passenger chart on low-cost airlines in Slovakia 20.07.2005 Wednesday - News, Topical Issue - Business News - Currency Update 21.07.2005 Thursday - News, Topical Issue - Prodigy at Pohoda Festival 22.07.2005 Friday - News, Topical Issue - Why an American books the Radio Station`s Orchestra? - The 3rd Round of the Quiz - Regional News 23.07.2005 Saturday - News - Garbage at ``Pohoda`` Festival - Milan Rastislav Stefanik at Bratislava castle - Front Page 24.07.2005 Sunday - Sunday Newsreel - Listeners´Tribune http://www.slovakradio.sk/rsi/ (Fred Waterer, Programming Matters, August ODXA Listening In via DXLD) ** EGYPT. 11885, Aug 3 0009-0015, Radio Cairo booms here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with a seven to ten over but is almost not understandable due to muffled audio. The music sounds clear but the announcers are having a clarity problem. Anyone else notice this? (Rich Brock, HCDX online log via DXLD) Certainly, for decades (gh, DXLD) ** GERMANY. Westdeutscher Rundfunk will produce a special program for the Catholic event World Youth Day at Cologne from August 15 to August 21. This WDR 5-Weltjugendtagsradio is to be carried not only on a special FM frequency at Cologne (87.6) but also on mediumwave 720 and 774. Between 2100 and 0400 Funkhaus Europa will be relayed. See http://www.wdr5.de/sendungen/sonderseiten/542819.phtml where they also mention that WDR 5-Weltjugendtagsradio will originate ``from the latest, fully automated digital studio`` of Westdeutscher Rundfunk, as if this would matter at all and as if automation would be a positive term for a radio station. Recently the new government of Nordrhein-Westfalen made attempts to get the FM frequencies of BFBS, namely the high power outlets Langenberg 96.5 and Bielefeld 103.0. These frequencies could be used to establish a second program of Radio NRW, the de-facto state-wide commercial station in Nordrhein-Westfalen. The intended deal was to offer BFBS slots on DAB instead, arguing that the FM allocations would be ``absolutely worthless in just five years``. Of course the new Düsseldorf government did not explain why they are so keen on soon ``absolutely worthless`` frequencies. Anyway, these attempts failed entirely. BFBS was not even willing to discuss the matter at all; press reports quote an assistant of the BFBS Germany program director at Herford with the statement ``we're not closing``. The radio museum at Königs Wusterhausen was open to the public for the last time so far on Sunday, when the lease of the building expired. They were supposed to hand over the building today (Aug 3). It remains to be seen what will happen now. Word on Sunday was that the former Köpenick 693 kHz transmitter http://www.funkerberg.de/eng/museum/koepeniker/koep-start.htm could be soon transferred to elsewhere. The Deutz diesel http://www.funkerberg.de/eng/museum/diesel/dieselroom.htm is subject of a preservation order and to remain where it is. It is to expect that the last remaining mast at Königs Wusterhausen http://www.funkerberg.de/museum/mast/mast.htm will be demolished next year, since its continued preservation would cost 250,000 Euro then (Kai Ludwig, Germany, August 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. 13605, All India radio via Bangalore. Full data ``Pornographic Statues on Temple`` Card in 6 weeks, for IRC. V/s Y. K. Smarma Director (Spectrum Management & Synergy) (Harley Rutstein, Piermont NY, QSL Album, August ODXA Listening In via DXLD) Harley was good enough to send me a copy of this card, interesting on what the reaction to the graphic nature might have been –editor. (Edward Kusalík, ibid.) I wanna see it! Surely the Hindus do not consider those porn, altho putting that in quotes makes it seem like that was the caption on the card? (gh, DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL INTERNET. KPIG / Free XM Well, I went to listen to KPIG yesterday on Shoutcast, and discovered that all of the free streams had disappeared. My old links wouldn't work anymore either, so something was up. It looks like the links are back today though, so hopefully it will stay around. Out of curiosity though, I did a DNS lookup to see where the stream was coming from. I was surprised to see it coming from a stream.aol.com address. Thinking that it might be AOL Radio, I looked, but couldn't find a KPIG stream listed anywhere. Oh well. What I did discover though, is that AOL Radio now includes XM channels. I've been listening to one of the AOL channels (songwriters) and they had a promo about this, and they mentioned that you don't even have to be an AOL member. I don't think they carry everything that XM has (I'm pretty sure that MLB isn't included), but they do seem to have most if not all of the music channels. So if you'd like to listen to XM for free, just go to AOL.COM and check it out (Brian Leyton, Valley Village, CA, Aug 3, ABDX via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. XM SATELLITE RADIO AND NY TIMES RADIO ENTER PROGRAMMING AGREEMENT US broadcaster XM Satellite Radio, and New York Times Radio, the newly established New York Times Company unit that includes classical music radio station WQXR, have announced an agreement whereby XM will include New York Times Radio-produced information and music content on a number of its channels. XM will incorporate a series of Times- branded information features on several of its talk channels, including reports, reviews, and commentaries from Times staffers; XM will present the popular WQXR music series "Reflections from the Keyboard" on one of its classical music channels; and the companies will jointly present a series of quarterly classical music specials. In addition, the companies will develop New York Times Radio hourly newscasts for select XM talk channels. "XM is the leader in satellite radio, and will be very helpful with our new national initiative," said Tom Bartunek, president of New York Times Radio and general manager of WQXR. "We hope that this initial agreement is the beginning of a long-term, growing collaboration." "New York Times Radio will provide a variety of high-quality talk radio, music, and news content for XM listeners," said Eric Logan, executive vice president of XM Satellite Radio. "We look forward to working with The Times to offer a diverse selection of programming that will inform and entertain our millions of subscribers from coast to coast." # posted by Andy @ 15:05 UT August 3 (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** JAPAN. Radio Japan, NHK World has published 2005 Annual Report, which can be found at http://www.nhk.or.jp/english/annual.html Best regards, (MD. AZIZUL ALAM AL-AMIN, BANGLADESH, Aug 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LUXEMBOURG [non]. RTL starts DRM test transmissions to the UK on 7145 kHz --- Radio Télévision Luxembourg (RTL) has started test DRM transmissions towards the UK on 7145 kHz. The transmissions will continue through 31 August, 2005, from 1000 UTC to 1600 UTC and will be broadcast from the Jülich transmission site. Reception reports are welcome at drm @ rtl.com (Source: DRM Software Forum) (Media Network blog August 3 via WORLD OF RADIO 1283, DXLD) ** MAURITANIA. MAURITANIAN ARMY TAKES OVER STATE RADIO AND TELEVISION Mauritanian army troops, including members of the presidential guard, seized control of the state radio and television in the capital Nouakchott early today. All state media broadcasts were interrupted from 0500 UT following the army takeover, which came as President Maaouyia Ould Taya was out of the country attending the funeral of King Fahd of Saudi Arabia. Radio and television remained off the air all morning, but the Mauritanian news agency resumed operation in the afternoon, and reported that President Maaouyia Ould Taya has been ousted, and a military junta will rule in his place. BBC Monitoring observed the TV station back on the air shortly after 1400 UT, reading the same statement, and the radio service was reported back on the air with Qur`an recitations. The ousted President was reported to have landed in Niger on his return from Saudi Arabia. # posted by Andy @ 14:37 UT August 3 (Media Network blog via WORLD OF RADIO 1283, DXLD) MAURITANIAN OFFICIAL SOURCES SILENT AFTER REPORTED COUP ATTEMPT Following reports of a coup attempt in Mauritania, there is so far no signal from the single Mauritanian official radio channel which usually broadcasts continuously throughout the day. The television has been observed to be showing a still picture of the Kor`an. Mauritanian TV does not normally broadcast during the day until 1800 gmt. The official Mauritanian news agency has not yet made any comment. The only website from among the various opposition and other concerned sites is Mauritanian opposition Al-Islah website http://www.isslah.net which has given a report similar to that of other foreign news agencies; noting an "unprecedented presence of army forces on the streets of the capital". It also explicitly quoted an Al-Jazeera report about gunfire being heard. Reports on developments have been aired by pan-Arab TV channels Al- Arabiya and Al-Jazeera since around 0815 gmt. These reports noted the presence of the Presidential Guard on the streets of the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott, particularly near official buildings such as the TV and radio centres. Mauritanian President Maaouiya Ould Sid Ahmed Taya had been in Saudi Arabia for the funeral of King Fahd. Al-Arabiya reported at 0958 gmt that the president's plane had been prevented from landing in Mauritania. A journalist in Nouakchott talking to Al-Jazeera noted rumours of arrests of top military figures, although he was not specific about who. He also pointed out that the presence of the Presidential Guards could either be to prevent an expected coup attempt, or could represent a coup in itself. He also reported gunfire, but said this amounted to no more than "two gunshots". Al-Arabiya said that the gunfire came from near the Presidency. Al-Arabiya's correspondent reported at 1034 gmt that the Mauritanian chief of staff had been arrested by the Presidential Guard. The official Moroccan news agency at 0925 gmt reported "loud gun fire" in Nouakchott, noting reports of "an aborted coup attempt". Algerian radio aired a report from its correspondent in Nouakchott at 1000 gmt, reiterating the presence of the army around official buildings. He said that these forces had cleared the streets of civilians in those areas. BBC Monitoring is continuing to monitor Mauritanian and other regional sources. Source: Quotes package from BBC Monitoring, in Arabic 3 Aug 05 (via DXLD) Mauritania media behaviour Mauritanian official media sources, i.e. television, radio and until half an hour ago the news agency, AMI, have been off line as a direct consequence of the military coup in that country. All reports on the development of the situation there have been filed from the numerous Mauritanian opposition websites, mainly Al-Akhbar independent news agency. Watch continues. Source: Radio Mauritania, Nouakchott, in Arabic 1400 gmt 3 Aug 05 (via BBCM via DXLD) Mauritania TV behaviour Mauritanian television has been observed to restore sporadic transmission at 1410 gmt. A female newsreader is seen reading out a statement about the success of a military coup in Arabic, followed by a male newsreader reading out the same statement in French. The station kept on repeating the same statements at short intervals. Mauritanian radio has also restored transmission with recitations from the Kor`an. Watch continues. Source: Mauritanian TV, Nouakchott, in Arabic 1410 gmt 3 Aug 05 (via BBCM via WORLD OF RADIO 1283, DXLD) 4845 is obviously the SW frequency to check once it is dark, and if you are in Portugal, 7245 in daytime (Glenn Hauser, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1283, DXLD) Surely 4845 has been silent per last three weeks in the absence of Mauritania. I noticed they are back since Aug. 1st in their usual schedule that goes after 0030, this time with a weaker signal, or must be too much T-storms, and with the characteristic qur`an recitations. (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, Aug 3, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1283, DXLD) Last night I noted Mauritania again active here in south Italy, very strong as usual (Roberto Scaglione, Sicily, Aug 3, ibid.) but will it be on tonite? (gh) Checking 3 Aug at 1955 Mauritania on 4845 with continuous Qur`an-like chanting, passing TOH 2000 without interruption. Around 2007 Arabic ID and talks about democracy in Mauritania. Around 2012 back to chanting and after a moment talks about democracy in local language. I understand the coup was on 3 Aug but the station appeared on 4845 a few days ago after (some weeks?) of silence (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, WORLD OF RADIO 1283, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO [and non]. BONILLA CHAPTER VII UNFOLDS, LOOKS LIKE ENRON Our prediction that the Bonilla case would probably be "one of the biggest stories to break in the local broadcast community in years" (CGC #687) is coming true. In fact, this story resembles Enron, and contains allegations of vanishing equipment, geographic coordinates that are mysteriously moved from one place to another, and false statements given to the Commission - all to maintain valuable cross- border (Section 325(c)) program transmission rights. The Bonilla case involves, as you may recall, AM stations XESS, XESDD and XEKTT, and FM station XHBCE-FM, all in Baja North, Mexico. Aerial photographs taken by Lazer Broadcasting in May 2005 uncovered evidence of apparent massive violations of international broadcasting agreements - from AM stations that should have been built with multiple towers (but weren't) to XHBCE-FM's Class B facility that was apparently operating from the wrong location (and 1700 feet too high), to a Class C1 antenna that apparently couldn't protect the U.S. We are also reminded that the Class C1 antenna was built to handle 100 Kw ERP, far above the 8.2 kW value ultimately allowed by the SCT. While the operators of the stations have repeatedly and vehemently denied any wrongdoing, Lazer Broadcasting along with Emmis Communications filed a pleading on Friday that appears to have shattered the heart of the Baja stations' defense. According to the Lazer/Emmis attorneys ("Lazer"), Friday's document provides, "....conclusive evidence that BCA and Quetzal have been engaged in a high-stakes game of fraud on the FCC" in order to save their Section 325(c) permits. Maps, color photos and engineering drawings accompany Lazer's easy-to-read pleading and show how the alleged misdeeds were accomplished. You may read the Lazer/Emmis filing at the first URL below. Color photos are posted separately at the second URL: http://earthsignals.com/add_CGC/Reply_BCA_Opposition.pdf (Complete black & white filing - 3.3 megabytes) http://earthsignals.com/add_CGC/Reply_BCA_Oppose_Photos.pdf (Color photos only - 6.3 megabytes) If you read nothing else, download the first document and read "pdf" pages 28 thru 33, starting with the title, "The True Location of XHBCE's Class B Plant is Revealed." It would help to print the Exhibit E-2 map beforehand ("pdf" page 39) as a guide. It's fascinating to see the step-by-step process that Lazer claims was used to obscure the true location of a valuable broadcast property. How do you move coordinates from one place to another anyway? Once you've read that, you'll probably read more (CGC Communicator August 3 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) see also DIGITAL BROADCASTING below ** RUSSIA [and non]. INTERVIEW DID AUTHORITIES A MAJOR FAVOR I had settled down on the covered porch to read an article in Novye Izvestia called "Forgotten Voices: Why Western Radio Stations Are Becoming Less Popular With Russian Listeners." The article reported that stations such as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the Russian service of the BBC have fallen far behind local radio stations in the ratings. . . . . . In my view, Basayev did more to justify the official Russian position on Chechnya in the eyes of the world community than any Kremlin spin-doctor ever could. Rather than banning ABC from its press events, the Defense Ministry should give the network, and Ted Koppel, some kind of reward for services rendered. . . http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2005/08/02/006.html (via Andy Sennitt, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ABC TV COMPANY "REGRETS" RUSSIA'S DECISION NOT TO EXTEND ACCREDITATION | Excerpt from report by Russian news agency Interfax Moscow, 3 August: The president of the American TV company ABC, David Westin, has expressed regret in connection with the Russian authorities' decision not to extend accreditation for his TV company's journalists. "ABC News deeply regrets the measures taken by the Russian authorities regarding our journalists working in Russia. However, we cannot allow the government of any country to hinder our reporting news fully and accurately," a statement quoted by Ekho Moskvy radio says. "We hope that the Russian government will in due course review its position," the TV company's president noted. His statement also contains the following: "Residents of Russia have suffered a lot from Chechen terrorists. Not a single civilized person can show indulgence towards the killing of innocent peaceful citizens. The task of the mass media is to report events - even those that amount to illegal acts - in order to help their audiences to better understand important problems which affect all of us." Last Tuesday [2 August], the Russian Federation Foreign Ministry made a statement which says that the ABC TV company is undesirable for contacts with all Russian state organizations and departments and that the accreditation of its staff in Russia will not be renewed. [Passage omitted: details of the Russian Foreign Ministry's statement] Source: Interfax news agency, Moscow, in Russian 2116 gmt 2 Aug 05 (via BBCM via DXLD) AMERICAN ABC TV TO LOSE ACCREDITATION IN RUSSIA IN EARLY 2006 | Excerpt from report by Russian news agency Interfax Moscow, 3 August: The American TV company ABC will finally lose its right to work in Russia in early 2006. ABC employees received their accreditation at various times and expiry dates will run from November over the following two to three months, the Russian Foreign Ministry press service has told Interfax. "A total of 10 ABC employees, four journalists among them, now have accreditation with the Russian Foreign Ministry, which gives the right to engage in journalistic activities on the territory of Russia," the press service said. [Passage omitted] Source: Interfax news agency, Moscow, in Russian 0854 gmt 3 Aug 05 (via BBCM via DXLD) RADIO LIBERTY JOURNALIST'S CHECHEN INTERVIEW ILLEGAL - RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY | Text of report by Russian news agency Interfax Moscow, 3 August: In interviewing Chechen terrorist [leader] Shamil Basayev, journalist Andrey Babitskiy has violated not only Russian but also international legislation. Sources in the Russian Foreign Ministry's information and press department said this to Interfax news agency on Wednesday [3 August]. "Article 20 of the international pact on civil and political rights talks about the inadmissibility of inciting terrorism," the agency's source said. As for Russian laws, Andrey Babitskiy, as a journalist of Radio Liberty, should have had appropriate accreditation from the Russian Foreign Ministry in order to conduct journalistic work in Russia, the representative from the Foreign Ministry's information and press department stressed. "And in order to do an interview in a zone of counter-terrorist activity at all it is essential to obtain accreditation from the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. This ministry gives out the necessary permits," he noted. "All the rules for trips into a zone of anti-terrorist operations are posted on the Interior Ministry's website," he added. Source: Interfax news agency, Moscow, in Russian 0945 gmt 3 Aug 05 (via BBCM via DXLD) US TV NETWORK BANNED BY RUSSIA by Margreet Strijbosch, 3 August 2005 http://www2.rnw.nl/rnw/en/currentaffairs/region/easterneurope/rus050803?view=Standard&version=1 Russia is to ban US television network ABC from operating inside its borders. On Tuesday, the foreign ministry in Moscow announced that the accreditation of ABC`s journalists would not be renewed, after the station`s US transmission of an interview with Russia`s most wanted terrorist, Chechen rebel Shamil Basayev. The controversial interview was actually recorded in June by Russian journalist Andrei Babitsky, who was himself abducted in Chechnya a few years ago, while working for Radio Free Europe in Prague. He regards the Russian response to the item as `shocking` and `ill-advised", and commented, "if there had not been such a fierce reaction, it would have been forgotten by now." Tightening muzzle However, as a Russian journalist, he is fairly used to such things. Under President Vladimir Putin, an ever-tighter muzzle has been placed on the country`s media. At present, there is still only one truly independent newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, and one radio station, Echo Moskvy. Mr Babitsky was even arrested a year ago as he made his way to Beslan, where a school full of children was the scene of a mass hostage-taking incident, carried out on the orders of the very same Shamil Basayev. This, however, is the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union that the Kremlin has reacted so furiously to a foreign media organisation, as Martin MacCauley, a British expert on Russian affairs at the University of London, confirms: "It is unprecedented. Nothing like this has happened since the fall of communism in 1991. We are really going back to the pre-glasnost era, to the era of Brezhnev, when journalists could be declared persona non-grata. This is a very serious step, because it underlines the fury and dismay of the Russian authorities that ABC - an important American network - should give Shamil Basayev airtime and allow him to articulate his demands and accusations and - if you like - to legitimate his policy." Guilty of terrorism Yet it is not unusual for terrorists to be seen and heard in the international media. Stations such as al-Jazeera and CNN have, for example, broadcast tapes featuring Osama bin Laden. An interview with a terrorist is not, in itself, an act of terrorism, and may provide some insight into the way they think. The controversial ABC provides an example, inasmuch as Shamil Basayev can be seen wearing a T-shirt with the word `anti-terrorist` printed on it. He believes that Russia is guilty of terrorism in Chechnya, and that this makes him an anti- terrorist. He, though, is responsible for multiple attacks in Russia, in which hundreds of adults and children lost their lives. Martin MacCauley sees a number of possible explanations for the fierce Russian reaction to the interview. Firstly, it could be a warning to foreign media that they, too, cannot get away with saying, writing or showing anything they care to. Up to now, these restrictions have only applied to domestic media. But, Mr MacCauley believes there`s another reason, too: "The first question I would ask the Russian foreign ministry is: how is it possible for ABC to arrange an interview with Shamil Basayev, while you have been chasing him since 1998 and you haven`t found him yet? Does this mean that you are incompetent or that ABC is very clever?" "The answer, I think, is that the Russian military and security forces have not really devoted all their [power] to catching and eliminating Shamil Basayev. There are voices inside Russia who say that the military establishment is doing very well, making money out of the war in Chechnya, that there is enormous corruption and that this is one of the reasons why they are so unsuccessful in Chechnya and are losing men every day." Further evidence of incompetence like this, is of course, painfully embarrassing for President Putin. Officially, he has declared the war in Chechnya `at an end`, but under his regime - where the `dictatorship of the law` is said to apply - the conflict is in fact beginning to spread. Russia appears to be losing control of the situation in other republics in the Caucasus, with growing reports of unrest and disturbances in, among other places, Ingushetia and Dagestan. Seen against this background, muzzling the media would appear to be nothing more than a cosmetic solution, and one which - as Martin MacCauley sees it - also makes President Putin look somewhat silly: "Now, when he will go abroad, journalists will ask him: `what may we report Mr President? Can we actually report what you say, or can we comment on what you say?` and that can be very facetious, and he would in fact come in for some ridicule." © Radio Nederland Wereldomroep, all rights reserved (via Media Network via DXLD) ** SLOVAKIA. See CZECHOSLOVAKIA ** SOUTH AFRICA [non]. Catching up on old DXLDs here, and noticed this, on July 9: ``I know that *I* get infuriated when so many BBC announcers mis-pronounce "apartheid" as "apart-hate" -- I consider it totally unprofessional embedded editorializing (and also so outdated as to be idiotic).`` Hi Will, FYI: "Apart-hate" is closer to the correct pronunciation of the Dutch/Afrikaans word. The diphthong "ei" in Dutch is kind of a cross between the sound of the English word "eye" and "-ay"(as in English "may"). It is hard to describe, being halfway between the two English sounds, but to non-Dutch ears it probably sounds more like "apart-hate" (Saul Broudy, dxldyg via DXLD) Concur (gh) ** SOUTH AFRICA. Channel Africa --- I suppose it depends on how you look at it. For myself, I am inclined to say that South African radio has fallen victim to the modern tendency of splitting up radio services (at least on shortwave) into program producers and technical transmitting facilities. Anyway, what used to be the S.A.B.C. on shortwave is now reduced to a limited operation known as Channel Africa. (ex-domestic service is Radio Sonder Grense.) The giant transmitting equipment is centred on a Telefunken 500 kW unit, with a massive antenna array (featured on their QSL card ). The whole complex is known as the Meyerton Transmitting Station. Not only does this station broadcast Channel Africa, but - like many of its kind, such as the Jülich station in Germany and the Merlin outfit in Britain, it broadcasts (relays) programmes for many overseas stations such as TWR, Adventist World Radio, BBC, UN Radio, RFI, CRI, R. Vlaanderen, Family Radio, and FEB Radio. Channel Africa can be heard in English on 3345, 7240, 7390, 11825, 11875, 15220, 15285 and 17770 kHz at different times of the day, beamed to various parts of the world. These frequencies may be varied. Yours truly found them recently on 17735 at 1345 UT with good signals. The 19 meter band channels also are good here at times. Programming is dominated by news bulletins about the African continent and world politics in reference to Africa. A little music may occasionally be heard, but if you are an addict to Afro rhythms you would be better advised to tune to Africa No. I from Gabon. However the news items are interesting, with a different viewpoint from the West. There are however large variations in the announcers’ English, some being more difficult to understand due to the particular accent and clarity of speech. Always an interesting station to listen to, Channel Africa has an excellent reputation for confirming reception reports. The administrative organisation is known as SENTECH and the address is Private Bag X06, HONEYDEW 2040, South Africa. An alternative is the WRTH address at Auckland Park. Try them! (Tom Williamson, Station Profile, August ODXA Listening In via DXLD) ** SRI LANKA. Have anybody noticed this: Sri Lanka BC has moved to 15747 for his English service from 0030 to 0430 (// 9770) since last Aug. 1. They have a nice selection of oldies, mainly from the 50s, which I enjoyed around 0100 Aug. 2nd with good signal till fading near 0400. The opening on 9770 lasts till 0300. Let's hope they don't cut this one as happened with their evening schedule. It's my feeling that there's no other shortwave station playing such nostalgia at present. Or am I missing something? (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, August 3, dxldyg via DXLD) ** TURKS & CAICOS. QSL recibida --- 530 kHz AM. Radio Visión Cristiana Internacional. Recibida carta QSL con datos completos, V/S Wendell Seymour, Manager/Technician de la emisora; además incluyeron una tarjeta postal. Tardó en llegar 62 días y junto al informe de recepción se incluyó 1 IRC. En la carta QSL informan de algunos datos técnicos de la emisora: "Radio Visión Cristiana Internacional broadcasts at a power output of 40 kW into a single 485 foot antenna using a Nautel Brand Ampfet50, 50 kW AM Broadcast transmitter. This transmitter facility is located at the Northern end of South Caicos in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Our main offices and studios are located in Paterson, New Jersey and our program audio is distributed via Galaxy 6 satellite." Dirección de la emisora, address: Radio Visión Cristiana International, 530 AM, South Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands, British West Indies, Zona del Caribe (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, España, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** UKRAINE. Photos from Dario Monferini`s recent visit, starting with Dario himself, then Alexander Yegorov of RUI, DXer Vlad Titarev among others: http://www.playdx.com/html/transilvania2005/photobook/index.html (via Vlad Titarev, via Wolfgang Büschel, DXLD) Image 39 shows an actual Radio Ukraine studio, but I would be really surprised if this basic set-up should be a live on-air studio: Just a small Soundcraft console, and the lone CD player on the rack to the right is the only playback device in this view. No sign of audio/continuation systems in use either (there would have to be more than a single monitor). Not also the set in image 2 (Kai Ludwig, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. Re: BBC Monitoring job cuts --- FYI: The item in DXLD 5-128 is credited to Waveguide. However, most of this item is word for word the same as a longer article by Dominic Timms published in the Guardian http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,14173,1540866,00.html (Andy Sennitt, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U S A. /AFRICA: VOA LAUNCHES FOUR NEW HAUSA PROGRAMMES | Text of press release by Voice of America on 1 August Washington, DC, 1 August 2005: The Voice of America's (VOA) Hausa service has launched four new radio programmes for its audiences in Nigeria and several other West African nations: Tsaka Mai Wuya (Hausa Political Crossfire), Ra'ayoyin Masu Sauraro (Listener's Mail), Sharhin Jaridun Afrika (Africa in the US Press) and Sharhin Jaridun (Press Review). VOA Director David S Jackson said he hoped the new shows would attract even more listeners to the Voice of America's wide variety of broadcasts. "Since 1979, our Hausa broadcasters have provided accurate, balanced and timely news to their more than 25 million listeners in Nigeria, Niger, Ghana, Cameroon and Chad," he said. "These new programs will continue Voice of America's high standards and tradition of excellent programming." VOA Hausa broadcasts 10.5 hours a week to West Africa, where it has earned one of VOA's largest radio audiences around the world. According to Jackson, the service's popularity is due to the quality of its staff. "Our Hausa service brings together the best professional talents from diverse religious, ethnic, cultural and academic backgrounds," he said. "Like all of our broadcasters, they don't represent any interest groups, either foreign or domestic. But they do represent the best in journalism, and by following the standards of the VOA Charter, which requires all of our broadcasts to be accurate, objective and comprehensive, our Hausa-speaking audiences know they can trust the Voice of America." (VOA's Charter has been a US federal law since 1976.) VOA Hausa receives thousands of letters and emails each month from listeners across its broadcast area. One listener, Abdul-Hadi Dabo from Kaduna, expressed his appreciation for Tsaka Mai Wuya (Hausa Political Crossfire), and commended VOA Hausa's objectivity: "I am writing this mail to commend you for telling the truth no matter how bitter it is regarding the happenings around the world." Another listener, Mahammad from Katsina, wrote, "We are full of thanks to you each time we hear your voices and the news you provide us because of the strength of the truth contained therein." Tsaka Mai Wuya airs Tuesdays and Thursdays, with a repeat on Saturdays; Ra'ayoyin Masu Sauraro (Listener's Mail) airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and Sharhin Jaridun Afrika (Africa in the US Press) airs on Wednesdays. Sharhin Jaridun (Press Review) airs on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, focusing on Nigerian, Niger and Ghanian papers, respectively. These Hausa programmes can be heard on the following shortwave frequencies, among others: 4940, 9815 and 12080. They also air on mediumwave and FM frequencies through affiliates in Nigeria, Niger and Ghana. For more information on programmes, frequencies and scheduling for VOA Hausa, please visit us at http://www.VOAHausa.com Source: Voice of America press release, Washington, in English 1 Aug 05 (via BBCM via DXLD; also via MD. AZIZUL ALAM AL-AMIN, BANGLADESH, DXLD) It`s not very clear, but apparently the new programs are in existing transmissions, rather than new transmissions. So why don`t they mention the old programs that have been cancelled to make way for them? And why not give the exact times and complete frequencies for Hausa? Current VOA sked by language shows: 0500-0530 UT 1530 4960 6035 6095 9885 1500-1530 UT 9710 11990 13745 1800-1830 UT [Saturday only] 1530 4940 9565 11955 17785 2030-2100 UT 4940 9815 9830 11720 12080 15730 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Airline Transport Communications, Inc. --- Hi Glenn: Thought this would be of interest: Airline Transport Communications, Inc (ATC) just finished installing their Model VT-600 A VORTAC (Aircraft ground based navigation system VOR / DME / TACAN) here at the Manchester, TN transmitter facility. They have started construction of a Helipad to facilitate Avionics sales and service on various types of helicopters from Military to private 'copters. Plenty of $$$$ is being spent on homeland security upgrading helicopter avionics systems. Regards (Dave Frantz, WWRB, August 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. SAN DIEGO'S 96.9 MHZ PIRATE IS RAIDED BY FCC AND OTHERS San Diego's 96.9 MHz pirate radio station was taken off the air on July 21, 2005 following a raid by the FCC and other officials. San Diego's SBE Chapter 36 picks up the story from there: "No one was arrested, but an estimated $3,000 worth of equipment was confiscated at the station, located in the South Park neighborhood of San Diego near Balboa Park. The FCC says that they make such raids based on complaints. Pirate station rep "Bob Ugly" says "it was understood that this raid was coming."" The pirate station was reportedly located near the intersection of Elm & Bancroft. SignOnSanDiego posted a detailed story on July 22, and the story is available from their archives for a fee. SBE Chapter 36 posted this interview with Mr. Ugly in the fall of 2003: http://sbe36.org/2005/08_waves_pirate.html (CGC Communicator, Aug 3 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) COFFEE, DANISH, AND A LITTLE PIRATE TALK --- By Gary Stigall, Chapter 36 Chairman, Chief Engineer, XETV Fox 6, July 23, 2005 No one was arrested, but an estimated $3,000 worth of equipment was confiscated at pirate station Free Radio San Diego, http://www.pirate969.org/ Thursday, July 21. The station was located located in the South Park section of San Diego near Balboa Park east of downtown. The FCC was quoted in a San Diego Union-Tribune article to say they make such raids based on complaints. Pirate station rep "Bob Ugly" says on his website "it was understood that this raid was coming." A sign on the door from the FCC had said so. Bill Zears of the FCC said that he can't comment while the U.S. District Attorney prepares its case. I sat down one morning in September of 2003 with Bob Ugly at a coffeehouse in the Golden Hill neighborhood in San Diego near where a 5/8-wave vertical antenna broadcasts on 96.9 MHz above his apartment. So how did you get started? . . . http://sbe36.org/2005/08_waves_pirate.html (via CGC Communicator Aug 3 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) An excellent read (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. Hi, Glenn! Glad you put in that item about "kickers" on the national news shows in DXLD 5-127. I never knew just what the profession called those lighter-touch (and usually more interesting) ending news items at the close of broadcasts. I, too, try to catch those and noticed the fact that they all covered Atkins that day. If I hear the promo for one coming up that I know I want to see, I'll often try to tape that final five minutes or so on that channel while watching another. I wish that they'd have a full half-hour of just "kickers"! Sure would be better than yet another half-hour of local so-called news/ weather/ sports following the nat'l news programs. There's similar items on radio; are they called "kickers" there, too? I especially am annoyed by the NPR items, where all day long they hype some interesting light story with promos and then it is buried somewhere in the middle of a full hour of newscast and I always miss that specific time. I always felt that, if it is worth pre-promoing all day long, it should be the *lead* item! Then tell me about the latest disaster or political garbage issue afterwards! 73, (Will Martin, MO, DX LISTENING DIGEST) CNN does that too (gh) Since I haven`t actually worked in a newsroom for decades, I can`t be sure everybody in radio and TV calls them kickers, and I think there are some other colourful terms, but that is the word which comes to my mind (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. HUNDREDS FILE COMMENTS ON FCC MORSE PROPOSAL NEWINGTON, CT, Aug 2, 2005 -- Hundreds already have filed comments via the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) on the Commission's recent proposal to eliminate the Morse code requirement for all license classes. A formal 60-day comment period starts once the FCC's Notice of Proposed Rule Making and Order (NPRM&O) in WT Docket 05-235 appears in the Federal Register, but all comments filed now are valid nonetheless. Issued in response to 18 petitions for rule making-- including one from the ARRL--the FCC's NPRM&O, released July 19, dealt only with the Morse requirement and turned away all other proposed rule changes. A random sampling of the more than 360 comments filed at this point suggests the tide is running firmly in favor of the FCC's stance. Some even praised the Commission. . . http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/08/02/100/?nc=1 (via Bill Smith, W0WOI, DXLD) ** U S A. DAYLIGHT SAVING [sic] TIME EXTENSION PASSED The Senate Friday approved a $14.5 billion energy bill that contains a provision to expand Daylight Saving Time in 2007. Since the bill has cleared the House the measure moves on to the president for his signature. Reuters reported he is expected to sign the bill. DST would start on the second Sunday in March, from the current first Sunday in April and extend one week to the first Sunday in November. Proponents say the change will save energy as more daylight would extend later in the afternoon; the drawback for AM daytimers is they'd sign on later in the morning for a longer period than they do now. From: http://www.rwonline.com/dailynews/one.php?id=7498 -73 (Ulis Fleming, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Unless they have PSRA, which most of them do (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. AM DX test TONIGHT WIKX 1590, New Richmond WI Just received word of this last minute test from Paul on the IRCA List, and have been unable to reach anyone at the station for additional details. Hope everyone can catch it! 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF, NRC/IRCA Broadcast Test Coordinator Subject: [IRCA] AM DX test TONIGHT WIKX 1590, New Richmond WI Hello DXers; This Wednesday nite, WIXK 1590 in New Richmond, WI will transmit on a power of 100 watts after sunset on their new transmitter, plus another power level to see how far their signal can reach. If it all works out, they will be on at night all the time. Sorry about the last minute notice, but I just heard about this from a fellow Minnesota DX Club member. Best regards, Paul, W0AD, Minneapolis (via ODXA via Joe Talbot via dxldyg via DXLD) = UT Thu Aug 4 (gh) ** U S A. More on ABC-TV banned: see RUSSIA ** U S A. CURRENT CRITICISM, INTELLIGENT DESIGN, AND HAVING IT ALL "The challenge for Current [TV]," we suggested yesterday, "will be to walk the delicate line between cool and worthwhile." According to James Wolcott, Current is already stumbling. Wolcott wonders if "young [is] the new tired," because Current strikes him as "so determinedly, shinily, creamily, fake-casually, hang-loosily, self-cooingly Young that it already seems patronizing and homogenized, despite the ethnic mix of the hosts." To Wolcott's tired old eyes, it's "as if all the marketing 'cool hunters' got together in a conference room, sent out for Red Bull and Listerine mint strips, and brainstormed into the night to create a channel appealing to MTV viewers looking for a little extra somethin'-somethin'." . . http://www.cjrdaily.org/archives/001718.asp (CJR Daily Aug 3 via gh, DXLD) Lots of crosslinx ** VENEZUELA [and non]. TELEVISIÓN MARTÍ TO VENEZUELA: A VERY BAD RECIPE --- A [dentro] Cuban perspective: "The simple idea that the United States should broadcast radio or television transmissions toward Venezuela to protect the right to receive free information does not take into account that 48 television channels are on the air in the South American country, 46 of them private, and one can pick up more than 120 radio stations in Venezuela." . . . http://www.ahora.cu/english/SECTIONS/opinion/2005/Agosto/02-08-05.htm (via Andy Sennitt, dxldyg via DXLD) See also CUBA ** ZIMBABWE. [2 x 3306 harmonic] Heard by several listeners in North America between 2200 and 0300 UT on 6612 with local music and news...jcf (John Fisher, World Radio Report, August ODXA Listening In via DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DIGITAL BROADCASTING See LUXEMBOURG, DRM 7145 ++++++++++++++++++++ FCC CONTINUES TO RECEIVE OPINIONS ON IBOC - FROM XEPRS TOO The last CGC Communicator mentioned that IBOC comments had been "flooding in" to the FCC, but that statement reflects the almost 900 comments that have been filed since 1999. The number of letters added recently has been much smaller, but continues to grow. Of particular interest to broadcasters in southern California are the "Comments of Broadcast Company of the Americas, LLC," (BCA) program supplier to 50,000 watt XEPRS, 1090 kHz, Rosarito (near Tijuana). XEPRS had a very listenable signal in the greater Los Angeles area until KNX (1070 kHz) and KDIS (1110 kHz) began broadcasting in IBOC. Thereafter, interference to XEPRS was widespread according to the document just filed. BCA writes: "The implications for AM service [when more stations switch to IBOC] are staggering. If the IBOC standard is not modified to eliminate the interference that it currently causes, the millions of listeners who depend upon AM..... will be deprived of service." BCA notes that some of the interference is experienced inside XEPRS' 5 mV/m contour. View BCA's Comments at http://tinyurl.com/8ruhg [CGC Editor's note: KNX has temporarily suspended IBOC transmissions, and KDIS had reverted to C-Quam on Monday, the day this story was prepared, so XEPRS' signal should have been interference-free at that time, and may still be clear today. AM IBOC, while beneficial in some respects, can jam out the out-of- town competition. Now, where is the public interest in that? Reply Comments are due August 17 (CGC Communicator Aug 3 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) POWERLINE COMMUNICATIONS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ SAN DIEGO BASELINE BPL TESTS ARE HISTORY San Diego Gas & Electric Company ("SDG&E") is installing its first test BPL system in Zip Code 92123. It's a small system, and 92123 happens to be the Zip Code of Ham Radio Outlet, although we do not know if the BPL equipment will illuminate HRO's store which would make an interesting test bed. (ARRL's local representative is Jim Stevenson, W6YI.) Official SDG&E BPL RFI observers were invited to make baseline RF measurements and observe spectrum tests on Wednesday, July 27, 2005, before the first BPL equipment was installed. The system is scheduled to become operational on August 31, 2005 and could be left on for a year. Technical questions remain as to the efficacy of SDG&E's upcoming tests because they involve a small geographic area and only about 10 SDG&E employees will use the system to "monitor electric-grid conditions and control equipment in the Kearny Mesa area" according to SignOnSanDiego. So, it is reasonable to ask if there will be enough BPL activity to simulate a fully loaded Internet-connected system with many hungry users. If not, the RFI results will be questionable at best. For further information on SDG&E's BPL tests, these links are available: SDG&E Media Press Release http://tinyurl.com/9uvaz SDG&E Public Data "In Accordance With FCC Requirements" http://www.sdge.com/bpl/ SBE Chapter 36 BPL Story by Gary Stigall http://sbe36.org/2005/08_bpl_pilot.html SignOnSanDiego Story (link will expire soon) http://tinyurl.com/dtaqe (CGC Communicator Aug 3 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ SW BROADCAST SOFTWARE? Can anyone recommend a good short-wave software database? I was wondering if anyone has got around to designing anything that is more intuitive than the ones that require your to enter in a frequency and then they list stations using that frequency at that time? I have amateur radio software that interfaces with my radio and reads the frequency I am on, it also graphically displays amateur radio callsigns on a bandmap that have been posted via a DX spotting cluster. Seems to me that the same concept could be used for SW broadcasters --- as you twirl the tuning knob on your radio, the band map on the PC could list stations known to be using that frequency at that time (Andy O`Brien, NY, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Andy, everything you mention requires whether or not your receiver can send and receiver data? For example, the NRD545 sends back the receivers frequency to your computer, but it doesn't send the frequency's radio stations. What receiver are you using? I use a database that I wrote which lists a frequency's occupants. It can also be sorted using a particular time and language, City, country, Continent, and any other sort I desire as long as the data has previously been provided. To build a database such as the HFCC and the EIBI requires a lot of work by someone (Chuck Bolland, FL, ibid.) LIGHTNING GUARD - A SIMPLE REVIEW I just recently subscribed to Electric Radio and ordered a Lightning Guard [as it is that time of the year]. Hooked it up last night. Quite pleased. Here is how it works. When turned off, it disconnects your antenna, grounds it, disconnects the hot and neutral AC wires of the rig or rigs [power bar!] you have plugged in AND connects the rig side hot and neutral wires to ground. It has an auto function that is pretty neat too. http://www.ermag.com/index.cfm?v_link=product_detail&v_key=265 Let's say that Phil is DXing late at night in his basement shack while the ladies [wife and daughter] are asleep. Some rumbles of thunder and flashes of light occur, but Phil is unaware [I usually have two or three rigs on at once and the window in the shack is very small]. The power flicks off for a second as often happens during a thunder storm. On automatic, that momentary power interruption will trip the device, disconnecting the antenna, grounding it, disconnecting the rigs' AC, grounding hot and neutral etc. If I want to get things back, I press the reset button. Otherwise, things are disconnected and grounded. While unplugging and grounding the old fashioned way is cheaper and even more effective, you have to remember to do it. Now I am more confident at using the gear if there is the possibility of thunder and lightning in the weather forecast. The rig looks very well made and looks to be GVFM [good value for the $]. I have a few extra lines of defense too - a low amperage fuse, a 10 ohm 1/4 resistor with a weight [resistor blows, weight drops yielding over a one foot gap], the isolated grounded balun and now this device. I'm happy to report that the new device does not hurt reception at all. Was enjoying listening to 80s rock and new rock as well on Virgin 1215 while static revealed distant thunder and lightning. I guess you could say my favourite nighttime DX stations to listen to are CINW [940 News Montreal], Virgin 1215, CKNB 950 in Campbellton NB, and of course, the ethnic strains of 1134 Croatia (Phil Rafuse, PEI Canada, August 3, ABDX via DXLD) Lightning Guard may stop low level surges but a direct strike or big nearby strike will still jump across the disconnected line gaps and damage or destroy your equipment. 73 & GUD DX, (Thomas F. Giella, KN4LF, Plant City, FL, USA, ibid.) You rain PROPAGATION +++++++++++ The geomagnetic field ranged from quiet to major storm levels. Quiet levels prevailed through early on 27 July when activity increased to unsettled to minor storm levels due to the onset of a co-rotating interaction region followed by a coronal hole wind stream. These conditions persisted through midday on 30 July. Isolated major storm periods were observed at the higher latitudes midday on 28 and 29 July. Thereafter, through the end of the summary period, geomagnetic conditions were mostly quiet to unsettled. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 03 - 29 AUGUST 2005 Solar activity is expected be at moderate levels with a chance for isolated major flares through about 10 August when Region 792 is due to rotate around the west limb. Activity levels are expected to be mostly very low to low through about 24 August. Thereafter, and through the end of the forecast period, levels are expected to increase to low to moderate when old Region 792 is due to return. A greater than 10 MeV proton event is possible with major flare activity from Region 792 until its departure from the solar disk on about 10 August. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at high levels on 07 ? 12 August, 17 ? 22 August, and 26 ? 27 August. The geomagnetic field is expected to range from quiet to major storm levels. Unsettled to active levels are expected on 04 August due to the arrival of a glancing blow from the M1.0 activity that occurred on 01 August. A recurrent high speed coronal hole wind stream is expected to produce active to major storm levels on 16 ? 18 August. Another coronal hole wind stream is expected to cause unsettled to active levels on 24 ? 25 August. Otherwise, expect quiet to unsettled conditions. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2005 Aug 02 1823 UTC # Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Environment Center # Product description and SEC contact on the Web # http://www.sec.noaa.gov/wwire.html # # 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table # Issued 2005 Aug 02 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2005 Aug 03 105 5 2 2005 Aug 04 105 15 3 2005 Aug 05 105 5 2 2005 Aug 06 100 7 2 2005 Aug 07 100 10 3 2005 Aug 08 100 10 3 2005 Aug 09 95 10 3 2005 Aug 10 90 7 2 2005 Aug 11 85 7 2 2005 Aug 12 80 7 2 2005 Aug 13 75 5 2 2005 Aug 14 75 5 2 2005 Aug 15 70 7 2 2005 Aug 16 75 30 5 2005 Aug 17 75 20 4 2005 Aug 18 75 12 3 2005 Aug 19 80 10 3 2005 Aug 20 80 8 3 2005 Aug 21 80 5 2 2005 Aug 22 80 5 2 2005 Aug 23 85 10 3 2005 Aug 24 90 15 3 2005 Aug 25 95 12 3 2005 Aug 26 100 10 3 2005 Aug 27 105 5 2 2005 Aug 28 105 5 2 2005 Aug 29 105 5 2 (http://www.sec.noaa.gov/radio via WORLD OF RADIO 1283, DXLD) ###