DX LISTENING DIGEST 5-146, August 25, 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 NEXT AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO EXTRA 60: Thu 2300 WOR World FM, Tawa, Wellington, New Zealand 88.2 Thu 2330 WOR WBCQ 7415 [occasional] Thu 2330 WOR R. Veronica 106.5 West Point PA [NEW] http://www.radioveronica.us 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 Fri 2000 WOR RFPI [repeated 4-hourly thru Sat 1600] 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 1600 WOR R. Veronica 106.5 West Point PA [NEW] http://www.radioveronica.us Sat 1600 WOR CJOY http://www.cjoyinternetradio.com [NEW] Sat 1730 WOR WRN to North America (including Sirius Satellite Radio channel 115) Sat 2100 WOR WRMI 7385 Sun 0230 WOR WWCR 5070 Sun 0300 WOR WBCQ 9330-CLSB 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 1300 WOR KRFP-LP Moscow ID 92.5 Sun 1400 WOR WRMI 7385 [NEW] Sun 1730 WOR WRN1 to North America (including Sirius Satellite Radio channel 115) Sun 1900 WOR RNI 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 Mon 1800 WOR RFPI [repeated 4-hourly thru 1400 Tue] Tue 1600 WOR WBCQ after hours Tue 2330 WOR WBCQ 7415 [usually] Wed 0930 WOR WWCR 9985 Wed 1600 WOR WBCQ after hours 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 Extra 60 (high version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/worx60h.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/worx60h.rm (WOR Extra 60 is the same as COM 05-06, with WOR opening added to hi) WORLD OF RADIO Extra 60 (low version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/com0506.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/com0506.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/com0506.html WORLD OF RADIO Extra 60 in true SW sound of Alex`s mp3 keep checking http://www.dxprograms.net/ == due to poor propagation could not record at 2200 Wednesday WORLD OF RADIO Extra 60 downloads in studio-quality mp3: (high) http://www.obriensweb.com/worx60h.mp3 (low) http://www.obriensweb.com/worx60.mp3 WORLD OF RADIO PODCAST: www.obriensweb.com/wor.xml (currently available: Extra 58, 1281, 1282, 1283, Extra 59, 1284, Extra 60) WORLD OF RADIO ON RADIO VERONICA --- Hi Glenn, I recently put an internet and Part 15 radio station on the air. It's called "Radio Veronica" (sound familiar?) and operates at 106.5 MHz, covering our small community of West Point (Montgomery County), PA. The internet stream is, of course, available to all and may be found at http://www.radioveronica.us The reason I am contacting you is that I am interested in running World of Radio on the station. While our coverage here locally is, as one might expect with a Part 15 FM, very limited, the internet is the real drawing point. As an avid DXer (member of NRC, IRCA, Medium Wave Circle, and WWDX) and broadcast engineer myself, I'm just interested in getting the wealth of DX information you provide out to the potential audience. I would be able to receive the cast through the mp3's on your website, or via the podcast I see you are now offering. Let me know what you think. Thanks, (Rene' Tetro, PA) I'm excited about running World of Radio on Radio Veronica. Based on what you said in your last email about the nature of the time sensitive material, I am going to be running it on Thursday evenings at 7:30 PM Eastern. I'll also do a repeat on Saturday afternoons at 12:00 PM Eastern. Thanks for your relaying the announcement I had on NRC about Veronica. We started off slowly, but the word is getting out little by little. I'm getting more hits every day; and the TSL is increasing (Rene' Tetro, Aug 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) = Thu 2330 UT, Sat 1600 UT WORLD OF RADIO ON CJOY INTERNET RADIO --- I will be airing your program 12-noon Eastern, 11:00 A.M. Central, on Saturdays [1600 UT]. Your URL is going up in about ten minutes. The program is great. The hams have been fighting this BPL. Too much interference on the ham bands. BTW, my calls are KB1EXZ (Pastor Darryl Breffe, Visit my radio room at: http://www.cjoyinternetradio.com Aug 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ANTARCTICA. Increíble señal para la Antártida, LRA 36 Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel, con señal tan fuerte como las más potentes emisoras internacionales durante aproximadamente 15 minutos. ANTÁRTIDA, 15476, LRA 36, Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel, 1937- 2100, 24-08. El año pasado había escuchado muchas veces LRA 36 con buena señal, y este año apenas la había captado y con señal muy débil, pero nunca la había escuchado tan fuerte como ayer, sobre todo en el último tramo de su programa; entre 2045 y 2100 entraba tan fuerte como las más potentes emisoras internacionales, incluso parecía una emisora local. De 1937 a 2020 SINPO 24322 variando a 34333. De 2020 a 2040 SINPO 24322 variando a 14221. Por momentos apenas audible. De 2045 a 2100 mejora la señal de forma increible SINPO 45444. Programa de canciones, muy bonitas canciones en español, boleros, otras canciones románticas y sudamericanas. Aproximadamente cada 20 minutos, distintos tipos de identificación por locutor: "Transmite LRA 36 Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel por la frecuencia de 15476 kHz, desde Base Esperanza, Antártida Argentina". "Desde Base Esperanza, Antártida Argentina, ésta es LRA 36, Radio Nacional, Arcángel San Gabriel en 15476 kHz.". "Está Vd. sintonizando la onda corta de LRA 36, Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel, en Base Esperanza, sector antártico argentino". "Saludos a todos los que sintonizan la frecuencia de 15476 en la banda de 19 metros, LRA 36, Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel, Base Esperanza de la Antártida Argentina". Luego de cada identificación por locutor, locutora: "Continuamos con Rincón de Patria; si quieren contactar con nosotros, nuestro teléfono: 08102220770 extensión interior 316 y 216. Si nos quieren llamar desde el exterior: 00542974445304 ó 00542974445309. Nuestro e-mail lra36 @ infovia.com.ar , nuestro correo ordinario: LRA 36, Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel, Base Esperanza, CP 9411, Antártida Argentina. A las 2058 despedida y cierre: "Por hoy finalizan nuestras actividades; mañana volveremos a trabajar con la misma esperanza, en un lugar tan inhóspito como bello y misterioso. Les esperamos aquí de lunes a viernes, de Esperanza al Mundo". "Hasta aquí transmitió LRA 36, Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel, desde la Base Esperanza, Antártida Argentina" (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Escuchas realizadas en Friol, 27 Km W. de Lugo. Grundig Satellit 500, antena de cable 10 metros orientada hacia Centro- Sudamérica, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. New History Material at http://www.ontheshortwaves.com Under "Articles, Research, etc.," "Recordings": Every SWL who was listening from the late 1940s to 1980 remembers the Radio Australia mailbag program, which was hosted by Keith Glover for 25 of those years. Here is a recording of the last mailbag show, aired on December 28, 1980. It's hard to believe that that date was itself 25 years ago (Jerry Berg, MA, DXplorer Aug 21 via BCDX via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. GMT CLOCKED OFF AS UTC GETS A TICK. 25/08/2005. ABC News Online http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200508/s1446056.htm Canberra's clocks will no longer be set according to Greenwich Mean Time from next Thursday. The Legislative Assembly has passed a motion to replace the measure with the more accurate Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which means a nanosecond in difference. UTC is kept by precise atomic clocks, and has been taken up by countries worldwide as advancing technology relies on more accurate time scales. All Australian jurisdictions have planned to switch to the new time measure on the same day (via Bill Westehaver, QC, DXLD) WORLD OF CLOX ** BOLIVIA. 5952.5, Radio Pio XII, Siglo XX, 2229-2240, 24-08, Locutor y locutora, español, noticias y comentarios municipales, identificación: "Radio Pio XII, compartimos este programa del Gobierno Municipal". Musica boliviana. 23222. 6134.8, Radio Santa Cruz, 2255-2315, 24-08, Noticias de los partidos políticos en Bolivia "seis de la tarde con cincuenta y seis minutos". Identificación: "970 Kilociclos Onda Media, 6135 Kilociclos onda corta, transmite Radio Santa Cruz, desde Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia". "Esta es la hora diecinueve con dos minutos". Anuncios comerciales: "Distribuidora San Rafael", "Banco de Crédito". 23222 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Escuchas realizadas en Friol, 27 Km W. de Lugo. Grundig Satellit 500, antena de cable 10 metros orientada hacia Centro-Sudamérica, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. En 6010 este amanecer, ni Radio Mil, ni La Voz de Tu Conciencia, Rádio Inconfidência. BRASIL, 6010.2, Rádio Inconfidência, Belo Horizonte, 0710-0800, 25-08 locutor, portugués, múltiples identificaciones: "Inconfidencia, 4 horas 12 minutos", "Inconfidencia". Canciones brasileñas. A esta hora se suelen escuchar la mexicana Radio Mil y la Colombiana La Voz de Tu Conciencia, pero es muy difícil captar Radio Inconfidencia por aquí. Hoy ni rastro de Radio Mil ni de La Voz... y si sonido limpio y sin interferencia para Inconfidencia. 24322. También escuchada el 24-08 a las 2243 con "A Voz do Brasil". 24422. Mañana pondré el resto de las escuchas de emisoras brasileñas (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Escuchas realizadas en Friol, 27 Km W. de Lugo. Grundig Satellit 500, antena de cable 10 metros orientada hacia Centro-Sudamérica, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. DRM tests in September: see DIGITAL BROADCASTING below ** CANADA. Subtle change --- CBC Radio is now broadcasting what appears to be as close to a regional weather forecast as one can get these days. For the 90 seconds after the CBC hourly news, an announcer was reading today's forecast conditions -- but only westward from Winnipeg. I presume the eastern half of the country is receiving weather forecasts for St. John's to Thunder Bay (Ricky Leong, Calgary, Alta., Aug 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. RADIO BEIJING TIANANMEN SQUARE BROADCAST Last month`s feature of Vladimir Danchev¹s Radio Moscow English service broadcast about Afghanistan made me recall a similar maverick broadcast made on Radio Beijing`s English service on the 4th June 1989 after the Tiananmen Square massacre which said: "Please remember June the Third, 1989. The most tragic event happened in the Chinese Capital, Beijing. Thousands of people, most of them innocent civilians, were killed by fully-armed soldiers when they forced their way into the city. Among the killed are our colleagues at Radio Beijing. The soldiers were riding on armoured vehicles and used machine guns against thousands of local residents and students who tried to block their way. When the army convoys made the breakthrough, soldiers continued to spray their bullets indiscriminately at crowds in the street. Eyewitnesses say some armored vehicles even crushed foot soldiers who hesitated in front of the resisting civilians. Radio Beijing English Department deeply mourns those who died in the tragic incident and appeals to all its listeners to join our protest for the gross violation of human rights and the most barbarous suppression of the people. Because of the abnormal situation here in Beijing there is no other news we could bring you. We sincerely ask for your understanding and thank you for joining us at this most tragic moment." The rest of the broadcast took place as if nothing unusual had happened that day. Except, perhaps, for a tune played later in the program called "Ambushed From All Sides." Radio Beijing broadcasts were curtailed for several days thereafter, playing mostly Chinese classical music. The item was reportedly written by Wu Xiaoyang, the son of Communist Party of China Central Committee member, former Chinese foreign minister and vice premier Wu Xueqian. He was removed from the English Department of Radio Beijing. According to TV news anchor Feng Xiaoming, the announcer was not permitted to go abroad to study, as previously planned. The son of the minister was still in police custody when Feng Xiaoming left China in August 1989. ``The Lost Voice of Radio Beijing`` produced by Jack Urso and available online at http://www.albany.edu/talkinghistory/arch2001jan-june.html is a 3 and a half minute audio feature including a full recording of the broadcast in very good quality. Mr Urso came across the broadcast and recorded it whilst working the overnight shift at an AM newstalk radio station in upstate New York. I put Wu Xiaoyang into Google and found a December 9th 2004 report by James Borton on AsiaTimes online on the "spectacular rise of the Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV Channel, headed by a well-connected former Chinese colonel." It said that they "heed the regulations that do not permit any references to the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, the Falungong spiritual movement, abortion as a family-planning measure, and other human-rights and some political issues." "Phoenix is innovative, but they also know where the boundaries are," Professor Hao Xiaoming, an expert on Chinese media who is on sabbatical at the University of Wisconsin at Madison Journalism School, said. Further the article says that "Liu Changle (the channel`s chief executive) cannot deny that guanxi - personal, political connections - plays a role in Phoenix Satellite's success; surrounding himself with key well-connected senior management like Wu Xiaoyang, director of business development and the son of former Chinese foreign minister and vice premier Wu Xueqian, does not impede business. This comes at a time when foreign-owned media corporations still face some barriers to break into China's heavily regulated media." Research for this article came from webpages Lies in Ink, Truth in Blood, Linda Jakobsen, Harvard University, H.L. Hiew, Perth University and archives of Kim Andrew Elliot's VOA Communications World (Mike Barraclough, Sept World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** COLOMBIA. 5910, Marfil Estereo, 2315-2320, 24-08 y 0505-0550, 25- 08, Canciones colombianas, identificación "Doce de la madrugada con 45 minutos aquí en el 88-8 Marfil Estereo, Ondas de Paz". 34333. 6035, La Voz del Guaviare, 2306-2312, 24-08, Locutor y locutora, comentarios, anuncios de San José del Guaviare, Identificación: "La Voz del Guaviare". Mala modulación. 23222 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Escuchas realizadas en Friol, 27 Km W. de Lugo. Grundig Satellit 500, antena de cable 10 metros orientada hacia Centro-Sudamérica, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COSTA RICA. 5054.6, Faro del Caribe (probable), 0435-0455, Señal muy débil, sólo audible muy debilmente en LSB. Locutor, comentarios. 13221. Faro del Caribe, (probable), escuchada en su frecuencia habitual luego de su reactivación en 5056.4, pero apenas audible (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Escuchas realizadas en Friol, 27 Km W. de Lugo. Grundig Satellit 500, antena de cable 10 metros orientada hacia Centro-Sudamérica, Aug 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. ¿Qué tal, como está? El siguiente reporte en la cual le envío, tiene como finalidad hacerle saber la siguiente información: La delegación cubana residente aquí en Venezuela sobre el convenio VENEZUELA - CUBA en estos últimos días han tenido la oportunidad de recibir por medio del gobierno cubano una pequeña antena receptora de satélites para recibir señal de los diferentes canales de televisión cubana. Esto con el motivo de estar informados de lo que acontece en Cuba. Referente a las antenas que los cubanos están recibiendo por parte del gobierno cubano --- son antenas pequeñas mejor conocidas como BANDA K-U. El equipo o codificador solo viene programado para los canales de televisión cubana. ATENTAMENTE (HENRRI GONZALEZ SANTIAGO, Mérida, Venezuela, Aug 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. CUBA/USA: WATCHDOG "DEEPLY WORRIED" ABOUT CUBAN JOURNALIST ON HUNGER STRIKE | Text of press release by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on 24 August New York, 24 August 2005: The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply worried about the health of imprisoned journalist Adolfo Fernández Sainz, who began a hunger strike last week to protest the mistreatment of another imprisoned dissident. Fernández Sainz began the strike on Friday [19 August], after learning that imprisoned dissident Arnaldo Ramos Lauzurique had been beaten by a prison officer on 17 August and later placed in a punishment cell, according to his daughter, Joana Fernández Núñez. He will continue his hunger strike until Ramos Lauzurique is taken out of the punishment cell, she said. Fernández Sainz, 57, one of 24 independent Cuban journalists now imprisoned, is currently at the Holguín Provincial Prison in eastern Holguín Province, hundreds of miles from his home in Havana. His wife is entitled to visit three times per year; she and other family members may visit another four times per year. A journalist with the independent news agency Patria, Fernández Sainz was sentenced to 15 years in prison in April 2003 for committing acts "aimed at subverting the internal order of the nation and destroying its political, economic, and social system." This is his fourth hunger strike to demand adequate food and medicine or to protest the mistreatment of other imprisoned journalists or dissidents. Fernández Sainz suffers from several ailments and has lost considerable weight, his family has said. His wife, Julia Núñez Pacheco, told CPJ in April that he was 25 pounds below his normal weight. In December 2004, a medical check-up revealed that he had pulmonary emphysema, hiatal [diaphragmatic] hernia, high blood pressure, and a small kidney cyst, Núñez Pacheco said. "We are very worried about the health of our colleague, Adolfo Fernández Sainz, who has been imprisoned for almost two and a half years solely for exercising his right to express his views," CPJ Executive Director Ann Cooper said. "We renew our calls on the Cuban government to release all imprisoned journalists immediately and unconditionally." Source: Committee to Protect Journalists press release, New York, in English 24 Aug 05 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** CZECHOSLOVAKIA [and non]. FORMER RFE JOURNALIST FACES TERRORISM CHARGES Kim Andrew Elliott via his website kimandrewelliott.com spotted this story in the August 17th Prague Post. State reopens bomb case against RFE spy - Former Cold War mole Minarík gets re-charged in Munich terrorism plot --- By Andrew Steven Harris From 1969 to 1976, Pavel Minarík worked as a journalist at Radio Free Europe's headquarters in Munich, broadcasting across the Iron Curtain into communist Czechoslovakia during the height of the Cold War. What Minarík's RFE colleagues didn't realize at the time was that he also worked as a collaborator for the communist secret police, the StB, under the code name Ulyxes, allegedly plotting to blow the station to kingdom come. In one of the most notorious Soviet bloc infiltrations of the era, Minarík transmitted at least three separate attack proposals to his StB superiors in Prague as part of Operation PANEL, a clandestine effort to stop the station from broadcasting into the East. Saboteurs eventually bombed the station in 1981. Now, as RFE prepares to abandon its headquarters just off Wenceslas Square for a more remote Prague location to reduce its profile as a terrorist target, Czech officials have reopened the prosecution against Minarík. It's the latest chapter in a 12-year legal cat-and- mouse game that has involved the efforts of at least three countries. A court convicted Minarík in 1993 and sentenced him to four years in jail for plotting the attacks, but an appeals court later returned the case to the trial level for further investigation by the Office for the Documentation and Investigation of the Crimes of Communism (ÚDV). State attorney Milena Hojovcová has now re-charged Minarík with plotting a crime and endangering the safety of the public. If convicted, he faces between eight and 13 years in prison. "I have no illusions that Minarík will be quickly sentenced," said Jan Srb of the ÚDV. "However, I do not want to predict what the outcome will be. After all, this is a case of terrorism, and that is very serious. Even preparation of such an act, [even when] not committed, is very serious." Anna Rausová, spokeswoman for the station - now called Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty - declined to comment on the proceedings (Mike Barraclough, Sept World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** DENMARK. MY RADIO DENMARK QSLs --- Radio Denmark was one of my favourite shortwave stations especially due to their nice signature tune. When Norwegian public service broadcaster NRK decided to close down their shortwave transmitters at Svieo and Kvitsoy, Radio Denmark which used these relay stations became a matter of the past. Recently searching through my QSLs, I found a set of montage cards received from Radio Denmark. This unique set of four QSL cards represents each quarter of a painting symbolising the Danish National Anthem "Der er et yndigt land" (There is a lovely land) which Radio Denmark used to broadcast at the end of every shortwave transmission. Danish artist Sofie Bagger painted this exotic picture. Although I have seen various paintings as themes of QSLs, the painting on the Radio Denmark montage QSL set is the most outstanding one. I also found another unique QSL from Radio Denmark in my collection. Actually it is not a QSL for Radio Denmark, instead it verifies the relay transmission of DR International (Danmarks Radio Domestic Service for minorities) on shortwave. It was a strange circumstance I heard this station. On December 15, 2001 at 0230 UT, I was listening to Radio Denmark and was amazed to hear news in Turkish followed by Urdu and then English. I wrote to Kim Elliott about this, who informed in Communications World that Michael Stevenson of NSW, Australia also heard this transmission from 0800 to 0830 UT on 13800 kHz. Eric Køie of Radio Denmark writing to DX Listening Digest explained that it was due to some sort of digital audio problem Radio Denmark relayed its domestic service instead of its real programmes. Later I requested to Eric Køie for issuing me a special QSL to confirm the reception of DR International in English for its shortwave relay. He manuscripted on a Radio Denmark QSL that "In error we broadcast in English from DR International". The June edition of CONTACT 'Duly Verified' column featured this special QSL (T. R. Rajeesh, Report from India, Sept World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** ECUADOR. 3249.7, La Voz del Napo, 0328-0450, 25-08, Locutor, comentarios y canciones religosas, lectura del Rosario, Identificación: "Radio María" (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Escuchas realizadas en Friol, 27 Km W. de Lugo. Grundig Satellit 500, antena de cable 10 metros orientada hacia Centro-Sudamérica, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EGYPT. MEDIA GUIDE - AUGUST 2005 --- BACKGROUND Egypt has a population of approximately 71 million and likes to portray itself as the leader of the Arab world in all aspects of modern life, including the media. The media in Egypt were nationalized in 1961 under the late President Jamal Abd al-Nasir. Strict government censorship and licensing laws made private investment in the media impossible at that time. The state media, such as the widely circulated Arabic daily newspaper Al- Ahram and the Egyptian Radio and Television Union (ERTU), controlled what people read and watched. However, the advent of pan-Arab satellite TV channels in the 1990s brought with it high-budget programming and more open talk shows on social and political issues. This produced changes in the media landscape not only in Egypt but throughout the Middle East. New programming emerged on state and private television stations alike. More recently, there has been a surge in the expansion of privately owned media outlets, and a consequent dismantling of many decades of state control. The private sector in Egypt is currently investing heavily in local private media, ending years of state monopoly and relying on the country's younger viewers to increase audience figures. PRESS FREEDOMS The Exercise of Human Rights Law calls for imprisonment for not less than six months and a fine of not less than 1,000 Egyptian pounds (175 US dollars) and not more than 5,000 Egyptian pounds for anyone publishing or broadcasting false statements or reports on the elections or a referendum or on any of the candidates or their character with the intention of influencing the results of the elections or a referendum. The Press Syndicate Council has criticized the law as an open encroachment on the freedom of the press and a strong blow to the process of political reform. The Paris-based watchdog Reporters Sans Frontières noted in its 2005 Annual Report: "The opposition and foreign media have little room for manoeuvre as printing and distribution is done by government- controlled firms. Most papers have financial problems which the government uses very effectively to bring them to heel. The press is also corrupt, with the authorities and large firms buying its silence or collusion through bribes or purchase of advertising space. "All newspapers - pro-government, opposition or independent - censor themselves on matters involving the president and his family, the judiciary, the army and religion. Censorship and self-censorship imposed by zealots and Islamist movements are gaining ground in films, television and the written press. With 45 per cent illiteracy, the print media is not as directly concerned as the broadcast media. "An unwritten rule also bans interviews with Israeli citizens and officials and journalists strictly observe it for fear of the secret police, being denounced by their colleagues or else because they believe it is right." AUDIENCES Nearly all households in Egypt have TV sets, and some 88 per cent also own radios, according to research by the BBC World Service in 2005. Television remains the most popular medium in Egypt, and the gap is widening between TV watching and radio listening. In 2004, 89 per cent of the population were found to watch TV on a daily basis, compared with 79 per cent in 2003. TV is heavily watched in the afternoon and even more so during the evening soap opera slot between 2000 and 2100 Cairo time. Some 62 per cent of Egyptians listen to the radio on a daily basis. Radio is widely used for news, as well as for religious content (with 58 per cent of the population listening to ERTU's Holy Koran Radio every day). The domestic state broadcaster, ERTU, continues to dominate both the radio and TV audience markets in Egypt, and is trusted by 85 per cent of Egyptians, again according to BBC World Service research. The cable/satellite TV market continues to expand rapidly, however. Some 28 per cent of the population have access in their own homes. Pan-Arab satellite TV stations such as Al-Jazeera, Al-Arabiya, Abu Dhabi, MBC (Middle East Broadcasting Centre) and Al-Manar have all seen their audiences grow in the last few years. EGYPTIAN RADIO AND TELEVISION UNION (ERTU) ERTU is the state broadcaster. It was established in the 1960s and is responsible for the broadcasting branch of the Ministry of Information. Within the ERTU there are 11 sectors: Radio, Television, Production, News, Satellite Channels, Nile TV Thematic Channels, the Voice of Cairo Company for Audio and Visual Production, Finance and Economy, General Secretariat, Sound Engineering and finally the Radio and Television weekly magazine. The current minister of information is Anas al-Fiki, who assumed his position following a swap in February 2005 with his predecessor, Mamduh al-Beltagi, who held the information portfolio for only a few months. Before Beltagi, former information minister Safwat al-Sharif exercised considerable influence over the media in Egypt. Safwat al- Sharif now holds the posts of Speaker of the Shura (Consultative) Council and secretary-general of the ruling National Democratic Party. News and Current Affairs Department The News and Current Affairs Department was developed and restructured as an independent entity from the programming one in 1995 to meet the fast changes on the Middle East media scene in general and news coverage in particular. However, in spite of this development, some aspects of local news coverage in particular remain unchanged. A new director for news and current affairs was named in June 2005: Abd al-Latif al-Minawi, previously Cairo bureau chief of the pan-Arab Al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper. Al-Minawi has promised major changes in news layout and in political programmes, especially in the run-up to the presidential elections due in September 2005. The influence of former Minister of Information Safwat al-Sharif remains strong, however, and news programmes still start with the president's activities and meetings or reaction in the world media to his latest speeches and statements. TELEVISION EGYPTIAN STATE TELEVISION The Ministry of Information has had to update its policies in recent years, particularly in the television and radio sectors, in order to meet the fierce competition from the rise of pan-Arab channels such as Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya and, prior to that, in the early 1990s, MBC. Terrestrial TV The state television sector within ERTU is made up of eight terrestrial channels: the two main ones, known as 1 (Al-Ula) and 2 (Al-Thania), which are seen throughout the country; and six other regional channels, which cover the major geographical regions in Egypt. For Egyptian state television, this meant more live programming, a sharp increase in talk shows that cover contentious issues, a more flexible approach to freedoms on taboo topics allowed on air (such as criticism of the government and its officials and policies), and a dramatic increase in the volume of international news coverage through a vast network of reporters as well as live coverage of news events. Channels 1 and 2 ERTU's two terrestrial channels, 1 and 2 (which broadcasts two news programmes daily, one in English and the other in French), the Egyptian Satellite Channel and Nile TV International all receive the same news content, as the News and Current Affairs Department has sole responsibility for all news output and current affairs programmes. Most of the programmes on Channel 1 are also carried by the Egyptian Satellite Channel, Al-Misriya. Nile Thematic TV Nile Thematic TV includes a group of 12 digital channels which were established in 1998 in an attempt to modernize the image of state television and to win back the audiences lost to the rising Arab satellite channels. Nile Thematic TV has its own management and a young workforce, independent from those at Channel 1 and 2, but still under the control of the ERTU. The channels focus on arts and culture, news and current affairs, music, sports and children's programming. They are designed both to exploit ERTU's immense programming library and to provide a shop window for Egypt's new productions in drama and entertainment. The channels are carried on various Nilesat, Intelsat, Asiasat and Panamsat satellites. Viewers in Egypt need to buy a digital decoder. Nile News is the news channel of the thematic Nile group, broadcasting 24 hours in Arabic only. Nile News has its own newsroom, which focuses on local news. Hala Hashish, a well-known media figure, has recently been appointed as the director of the channel. Egyptian Satellite Channels There seems to be a consensus among those working in both radio and television in Egypt that radio is no longer as effective as it was among Egyptian listeners, as satellite television has taken over. Satellite penetration has reached record highs, and access is no longer restricted to those who can afford it. In less affluent areas, access to satellite television is provided through the local coffee shop, or arranged by the residents of a block of flats to share the costs. ERTU's satellite channels include: ESC 1, ESC USA and Nile TV International. They all broadcast in Arabic and are aimed mainly at expatriate Egyptians, as well as Arab audiences throughout the world. The first of these was ESC1, which was launched in the early 1990s and initially carried mainstream programming and news from the terrestrial channels. It soon became clear, however, that there was a need to develop a separate agenda which would reflect the changes taking place on the media scene, not least the fact that ESC was seeking to target different audiences in different parts of the world. Programming and staffing is independent from the terrestrial TV network, and a new Satellite Channels Department has been set up to address these challenges. This satellite network also includes Nile TV International, which also broadcasts news and current affairs in English, French and Hebrew, as well as entertainment in Arabic (e.g., soap operas, which are accompanied by English subtitles and shown because of the advertising revenue they can generate). It is targeted at both Arabic and non- Arabic speakers inside and outside Egypt. PRIVATE SECTOR TV Dream TV The launch of Nilesat and the opening of Cairo's Media Production City, with all the incentives offered by the government to investors who use its facilities, paved the way for the establishment of private television in Egypt. The most popular of these channels are the two Dream TV channels, which are 90 per cent-owned by Egyptian businessman Ahmad Bahgat and 10 per cent by the ERTU. The Dream TV network, which broadcasts only in Arabic, began transmitting in November 2001 (Dream 2 followed a few months after) and its studios are based in the Media Production City. Dream 1 targets 16-26 year olds, whilst Dream 2 targets older age groups. Dream 1 can be seen on Arabsat (26 degrees east) and Nilesat (7 degrees west), but Dream 2 can only be seen on Nilesat. Both channels screen Arabic and subtitled English-language films, but the majority of the content on Dream 1 is entertainment, whilst on Dream 2 it is live talk shows which usually cover controversial and provocative issues which are not covered on state-run television. Ahmad Bahgat received many warnings from the General Authority for Free Zones when Dream 2's talk shows tackled "serious subjects in a sensational manner", according to media observers in Egypt. The authority is the government body responsible for, among other things, issuing and revoking the licences of private satellite channels operating in the Media Production City. These topics covered by Dream 2 usually included criticism of the government and its policies - hence the popularity of the channel at the time. According to media observers, government pressure on Bahgat led him to sack the presenter of the leading talk show, Hala Sarhan, in 2003, for broaching daring topics. Two of Dream's most popular news-oriented programmes, presented by journalists Hamdi Qandil and Ibrahim Issa - both known for their criticisms of Egyptian and other Arab governments - were also suspended in 2003. The channel gave no reasons for the suspensions, but it is widely believed that the government played a role in all the decisions. The last couple of years have seen Dream TV's popularity diminish as Egyptian public opinion has become more preoccupied with politics and local news, neither of which is covered by Dream TV. In order to make up for this, Ahmad Bahgat recently recruited a new managing director, print journalist Amr Khafaga, to revive the channel after the axing of its leading talk-show hosts. In June 2005, Khafaga launched several new programmes on Dream 2 which are designed to lure back viewers. The most notable of these is 10 P.M., which is very similar to rival Orbit TV's Cairo Today programme. Al-Mihwar Another private channel is Al-Mihwar (Arabic: Axis), also based in the Media Production City and owned by a group of Egyptian businessmen, who are all investors in the City. It was launched shortly before Dream TV, with which it is seen to be in competition as both channels run talk shows covering sensitive issues. PAY-TV Although the abovementioned TV channels are non-encrypted and free-to- air, with only the expense of the satellite dish rather than a subscription, there has been an explosion in privately owned satellite pay-TV channels not only in Egypt but in most Arab countries, with Egypt in the lead. There are a few leading networks currently operating in the Arab world, most with headquarters or a base at the Media Production City in Cairo. Amongst those are Orbit, Arab Radio and Television (ART), Showtime and Star Select, each with a group of mostly non-Arabic channels, consisting of films, sports, soaps and news. Pay-TV in the Arab world is targeted at the more affluent consumer, as the subscription costs are rather high compared with average incomes, and most of the programmes and news, particularly the films, are in English with Arabic subtitles. Subscribers to any of these networks expect good quality programming, very different from what they have been receiving from terrestrial televisions run by the state. The average subscription fee for one of these pay TV bouquets is around 300 Egyptian pounds (50 US dollars) p.a. in addition to the costs involved in the installation of a digital decoder box. Orbit TV Orbit is Saudi-owned; nevertheless, its is very popular in Egypt. This is because the package includes two very popular talk-show programmes, namely: Cairo Today, from Al-Yawm TV; and On the Air, from Al-Safwah TV. Both programmes are Cairo-based and are broadcast out of Orbit studios in Media City. The programmes both cover mostly Egyptian issues and carry live interviews with high-level guests. EGYPTIAN TV CHANNELS AVAILABLE IN EGYPT ERTU channels ERTU 1 (Al-Ula) ERTU 2 (Al-Thania) Regional channels: ERTU 3 covers Cairo ERTU 4 covers Ismailiya and neighbouring regions ERTU 5 covers Alexandria and Marsa Matruh (Libyan border) ERTU 6 covers Central Delta regions ERTU 7 covers North Upper Egypt (Southern Egypt) ERTU 8 covers Aswan (South Upper Egypt) ESC 1 (Egyptian Satellite Channel 1) ESC USA (Egyptian Satellite Channel for the United States) Nile TV International Nile Thematic TV Channels Nile Drama Nile News Nile Information Nile Entertainment Nile Higher Education Nile Culture Nile Education Nile Family and Children Nile Sports Nile Sports Super Nile Al-Manarah Research Nile Enlightenment Private TV (Free-to-Air) Dream 1 Dream 2 Al-Mihwar Note: There are currently more than 150 Arabic satellite channels available in Egypt via Arabsat and Nilesat. RADIO The ERTU still controls the majority of the radio stations in Egypt. However, listening figures have dropped dramatically, according to a 2005 survey by the BBC World Service. This is mainly due to the spread of television in general, and the wide availability of satellite television in particular, the price of which has decreased significantly in the last few years. Egyptians rely on the state radio for listening to recitations of the Koran, particularly when they are unable to watch television, e.g., when driving. In addition, state radio is the main provider of news and current affairs programmes, presenting the government's position on world and local affairs. Broadcasting on MW and FM for 24 hours, these are the main stations: Arab Republic of Egypt General Service - also on FM, this is the main radio station covering entertainment and news. Voice of the Arabs - entertainment and news with particular focus on Arab affairs in the news. Middle East Radio - also on FM, a light-hearted station with little political programming. Holy Koran Service - also on FM, only religious content. Greater Cairo Radio - a mix of entertainment and news. Broadcasting on FM only: European Service - news and other programmes in several European languages. Youth and Sports - broadcasting on FM only, a sports station catering for young people. Music Programme - a mix of music programmes. The government has recently allowed two private radio stations to broadcast on FM. They are Nijoom FM, which broadcasts Arabic songs, and Nile FM, which broadcasts songs in English. Both stations belong to the Orbit group. Since their launch, Nijoom FM and Nile FM have appealed strongly to the younger age groups, who have shifted from listening to state radio altogether. The new FM stations offer up-to-date music and discussions of topics of interest to their younger listeners, but do not carry news programmes. THE PRESS The general feeling in Egyptian media circles is that the constraints imposed on the media have been significantly lifted by the government in the first half of 2005. The reasons vary from heated competition between the private and state-run media, to the government's keenness to be seen to be removing the "red lines" and allowing the media to operate with a higher degree of freedom. In Egyptian state-run radio and television, the "red lines" are self- imposed, as they are in the government press. However, the sharp rise in the number of private and independent newspapers now available in Egypt means that the "red lines" observed by private press sources have largely disappeared. The number of newspapers in Egypt has now surged to more than 500 - most of which are independent, although a few are partisan and opposition. According to the US-based human rights watchdog Freedom House http://www.freedomhouse.org "the government encourages legal political parties to publish newspapers and exercises indirect control over them through its monopoly on printing and distribution, but heavily restricts licensing of non-partisan newspapers. Strictly speaking, only foreign publications are subject to direct government censorship, but most privately owned publications, such as the English-language Cairo Times, have been forced to register abroad (usually in Cyprus) and are therefore subject to censorship." The government has recently replaced the top editors of its biggest newspapers, in response to pressure from younger journalists who wanted new blood. Some of the older editors have been in their posts for more than a quarter of a century. Two outgoing editors-in-chief - Ibrahim Nafie, 74, of Al-Ahram, and Ibrahim Saada, 68, of Akhbar al-Yawm - were appointed by the late President Anwar Sadat in 1979 and 1978 respectively. Both had faced lawsuits for remaining in their posts beyond the retirement age of 60. Media observers in Egypt predict the replacements in the state-linked newspapers may mean tougher criticism of the opposition to President Husni Mubarak. Many consider that the appointees will try their utmost to manage the presidential battle in the interest of Husni Mubarak. Other analysts believe that whether or not the new faces stay in their new posts will depend on how successful they are in quashing opposition and in promoting the inheritance of power by the president's son, Jamal Mubarak, whom many believe is being groomed to replace his father. Mubarak's government has faced unprecedented criticism at home as Egypt approaches presidential elections in September 2005. Reform groups have held a series of protests demanding that Mubarak step down, and opposition newspapers have covered the demonstrations closely and echoed the condemnations of his 24-year hold on power. In contrast, the state-linked papers have largely ignored or trivialized the opposition and dependably portray the government in a positive light, with pictures and headlines on Mubarak's accomplishments splashed across their front pages. Government newspapers The editors of the government papers are appointed by the government's general commission of the Shura (Consultative) Council, chaired by Speaker of the Shura Council Safwat al-Sharif. Al-Ahram is the oldest newspaper in the Middle East, and was first published in 1876. It is regarded as the official government paper as it always adopts the government line. Al-Ahram publishes a weekly paper on Fridays, plus an English independent edition, Al-Ahram Weekly, and a French weekly, Hebdo. Al-Akhbar is a semi-governmental paper, established in 1944. Its weekly edition, Akbahr al-Yawm, appears on Saturdays. Al-Jumhuriya is third as regards distribution and popularity; it is also considered to take the official line. The Egyptian Gazette, the oldest English-language daily, is also published by Al-Jumhuriya. Opposition/partisan newspapers Al-Ahali, Al-Wafd and Al-Ghad are the most popular independent papers. Others include: Al-Dustur Al-Fajr Sawt al-Umah Afaq Arabiya (pro-Arab) Al-Alam al-Yawm - mainly business with some political stories Nahdat Misr Misr al-Yawm Al-Jamahir Al-Naba' Al-Maydan Newspapers available only on the internet Al-Sha'b http://www.alshaab.com - partisan, opposition; hard copy currently frozen by government Al-Misryoon http://www.almesryoon.com Misr al-Arabiya http://www.misralarabiya.com MIDDLE EAST NEWS AGENCY (MENA) The oldest news agency in the Middle East, MENA publishes a 24-hour news service in Arabic, English and French. It also produces several news and current affairs publications in these three languages. In July 2005 Abdallah Hasan Abd al-Fattah was appointed MENA chief editor and board chairman. THE INTERNET The internet market appears to have stabilized: six per cent of the population access it monthly, which represents no significant growth over the last year. The internet is most commonly accessed at home (58 per cent) and in internet cafes (40 per cent). The most popular news site is Masrawy http://www.masrawy.com visited by three per cent of monthly users, while http://Aljazeera.net is the most popular international site (one per cent). The internet is primarily used for chat rooms (43 per cent of users) and as an educational tool (42 per cent). SUMMARY Media analysts generally agree that television is the most powerful medium in Egypt, particularly at a time of major political change. The public's expectations of state media have risen considerably in the last few years as a result of the awareness gained from exposure to satellite and private television. If stories are not covered by the state media, they will be available on the same day on satellite and private TVs, thus making state TV look slow at best. Presenters on phone-in programmes also acknowledge how widespread their audiences have become from the locations of the calls they receive during the show. In the past, calls came in only from Cairo, but some of the calls are now received from the most remote towns in Egypt. Private TVs have recently experienced some phenomenal successes: e.g. Orbit's evening programme, Cairo Today. The success of that programme prompted Egyptian TV to launch The House is Yours on Channel 1 and Al- Masriya, to counter the competition. Dream 2 has also launched a new array of political programmes to match the competition and feed the growing hunger of Egyptians for political news. This has become more acute as the political situation in Egypt is currently in a stage of rapid change. Source: BBC Monitoring research 24 Aug 05 (via DXLD) ** EGYPT [non]. OPPOSITION RADIO TARGETS MUBARAK By Nick Grace August 24, 2005 With Egypt's first competitive election fully in campaign mode incumbent president Hosni Mubarak's tight control of the media was shattered today with the official launch of a dissident radio program vying for the heart and mind of the electorate. Called al-Inqaz (Salvation), the program was first heard by Clandestine Radio Watch Cairo-based monitor Marwan Soliman on the Eutelsat Hotbird satellite. The 24-hour broadcasts are sponsored by the Save Egypt Front (SEF), a loose coalition of Egyptian exiles based in London that seeks constitutional and political reform and, of course, Mubarak's ouster. Arabic-language media reports cited by BBC Monitoring earlier this year indicate that planning for al-Inquaz began shortly after the SEF was founded in April 2005. Although not monitored, test programs are said to have taken place in June and July. The arrival of the new program coincides with increasing calls - at home and abroad - against press bias and the lack of equal time for Mubarak's opponents. The state-run dailies, according to the independent newspaper Al-Masri Al-Yom, published nearly 14,000 words about Mubarak's campaign on Monday compared to a total of 3,000 on the nine opposition candidates combined. Behind the SEF is former Egyptian MP Muhammad Farid Hassanein, a well- known political activist who advocates normalization with Israel and the establishment of a transparent parliamentary democratic system. He is reportedly allied with the El-Ghad party, whose founder, Ayman Nour, is standing against Mubarak. The SEF maintains an online presence at: http://www.saveegyptfront.org (Nick Grace, Clandestine Radio Watch Aug 24 via DXLD) ** FRANCE [non]. RFI relay via Vladivostok, 12075 kHz, friendly personal letter, a field strength contour map for South Africa from their Vladivostok transmitter at the time of my reception, and a post card in 9 weeks - via JSC "Radioagency-M" (see WRTH page 541), although the report was sent to Russian TV & Radio Broadcasting Network, the transmitter operator. V/s A. Batyushkin (General Director). (Vashek Korinek, RSA, DXplorer Aug 22 via BCDX via DXLD) ** GREECE [and non]. Babis: Again, nothing on 9420 from Avlis 3 at 0000-0400 last night. Have you gone to another frequency? All five frequencies were dead last night on the 0000-0400 UT to North America, only 7475 had a SINPO of 15432 at 0000 UT and then it faded away. Probably caused by the major solar storm that was working last night. At 1930 today, 9420 is still dead. At 1200 UT, Delano was dead on 9775 MHz., but came up to full strength by 1230. Regards, (JOHN BABBIS, Silver Spring, MD, USA, Aug 25, daily reception report to VOG via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUATEMALA. Radio Verdad sigue muy débil, probablemente sin estar a plena potencia. 4052.5, Radio Verdad, Chiquimula, 0317-0530, 25-08, Canciones religiosas, locutor, español. A las 0502 programa en inglés, identificación: "Radio Verdad, P. O. Box 5, Chiquimula, Guatemala, Centrala America", comentarios y canciones. 24222 variando a 12221 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Escuchas realizadas en Friol, 27 Km W. de Lugo. Grundig Satellit 500, antena de cable 10 metros orientada hacia Centro-Sudamérica, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** HONDURAS. 3249.7, Radio Luz y Vida, 0322-0359, 25-08, Canciones religiosas, locutor, comentarios, español. Cierre a las 0359. Señal muy débil. 14221. 4819.2, HRVC, La Voz Evangélica, Tegucigalpa, 0407-0510, 25-08, Programa "A solas con Dios". A las 0431 Identificación: "La Voz Evangélica de Honduras, la Radio que evangeliza". "La Voz Evangélica presenta: Relembranzas cristianas. En este momento HRVC te invita a que te unas a nosotros, HRVC orando por la nación Honduras". 24322 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Escuchas realizadas en Friol, 27 Km W. de Lugo. Grundig Satellit 500, antena de cable 10 metros orientada hacia Centro-Sudamérica, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. El "carrier" del transmisor de La Voz de Indonesia estuvo en el aire --- sin audio --- desde las 1700 UT aproximadamente y hasta pasadas las 2100, del 23/08, en los 15150 kHz. Llama la atención que las emisiones en dicha frecuencia son hasta las 2100 y sin embargo el transmisor permaneció en el aire. El audio se activó a las 0200 UT del 24/08 con el servicio en inglés. 73s y buen DX (Adán González, Catia La Mar, Estado Vargas, VENEZUELA, Aug 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL. HATE RADIO AND GLOBAL TERRORISM Global terrorism has added a new element to Hate Radio, and exposed a major weakness in existing legislation for dealing with broadcasts that encourage violence by one section of society against another. An example of the problem is Radio al-Tajdeed, whose programmes were produced in London and broadcast to the Middle East via satellite and the Internet. For six weeks after the London bombings on 7 July, exiled Sa`udi militant Dr Mohammed al-Massari remained in London producing material for Radio al-Tajdeed, calling for attacks on westerners. It seems nobody bothered to check what Radio al-Tajdeed was doing. A special article in collaboration with Clandestine Radio Watch: http://www2.rnw.nl/rnw/en/features/media/wot050822.html?view=Standard (Media Network newsletter Aug 25 via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL WATERS [and non]. The Hurricane Watch Net will activate today, 25 August, at 1900 on 14325. http://www.hwn.org/ (Steve Lare. Holland, MI, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ITALY. An excellent 20-minute talk about the sad state of Rai (identified as Radio-Audizione Italiana), occurs 3 hours (!) into the Prom 52 Listen Again file on the BBC Proms Player, available until next Tuesday. Go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/proms_promo.shtml and use the 15-minutes-at-a-time skip-forward funxion --- unless you would before that like to listen to the first two acts of Handel`s ``Julius Caesar`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, Aug 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LAOS. 4677.60, Xam Neua now on this frequency Aug 22 with what sounded like sign-on music 1200-00.5, alternating man and woman announcers with actualities the first 10 min or so, then just alternating announcers. Brief instrumental music heard at 1224.5. Carrier off at 1230:55 after short closing announcement by woman at 1230.5. SINPO 25332 (Bruce W. Churchill-CA-USA, DXplorer Aug 23 via BC-DX via DXLD) Note in this report we apparently have a mixture of conventional times with decimal-minute-fraction times. Decimally, 1230:55 would be 1230.92, rounded off, but why bother? (gh, DXLD) ** MEXICO. 6185, Radio Educación, 0703-0750, 25-08, Música clásica. Señal muy débil hoy. 24322 variando a 14321 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Escuchas realizadas en Friol, 27 Km W. de Lugo. Grundig Satellit 500, antena de cable 10 metros orientada hacia Centro- Sudamérica, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MONACO. Saludos cordiales, en estos momentos con muy buena señal se está sintonizando a Monaco Radio en 8728 USB, ID por locutor en frances, locutora en ingles y otra locatura en ruso?, con un segmento musical entre la identificación, ID " This is Monaco Radio 3AC". (José Miguel Romero, Spain, 1822 UT Aug 25, Noticias DX via DXLD) ** MYANMAR. 5040.3, Radio Myanmar from 1100 to 1130 most mornings with local music, YL (Bob Wilkner, Pómpano Beach, FL, Japan Premium Aug 26 via DXLD) ** NEW ZEALAND. 3935, Radio Reading Service 1130-1147 UT, "Gunsmoke" radio program from the 1950's Matt, Kitty, Chester and Doc. Never will hear 3935 kHz from South Eastern Florida - have tried for years. "/You going to let him walkaway like that Matt/?" Long Musical interlude .... forgot how long these musical interludes lasted in the radio days of "Gunsmoke". Last I recall hearing this was NBC 610 *WCKR*, Miami before they went back to their old call letters from the 1930's? "/How is he Doc/" "/I don't think he is going to die/". "/Next week a gambler gets cured of ... the ... hard way./" 15 mins long Gunsmoke episode. 1155 Federal Trade Commission promotion, the into Minnesota Vikings spot for the National Weather Service. 1200" This is the Radio Reading Service broadcasting on ... 3935. Contact us by email ..." (Bob Wilkner, Pómpano Beach FL, using a DXtuner in Australia, DXplorer Aug 19 via BC-DX via DXLD) ** NIGERIA [and non]. 7275: monitored this channel for Abuja from 0435 to 0630 UT on Aug 22 with following results: RTV Tunisienne dominated from 0435 until it apparently signed off at 0530 at which time Abuja began to fade in around 0535-0540 with vernacular programming to 0446.5. Heavy adjacent channel QRM until 0600 when channel became clear, but with lots of noise. Many program announcements by woman with instrumental music mixed in until 0601.5 UT. By 0600 Abuja had a very nice signal with a clear ID by woman at 0601.5 as "This is the National Service of Radio Nigeria" followed by drums IS, time pips at 0602 then "The time is 7 O'Clock". Then into R. Nigeria network news program with actualities, etc., man announcer in English. Station appears to have what sounds like periodic government and other commercials, e.g. Nigeria Export Commission. ID of "Radio Nigeria, the Network for the Millenium" heard often during news program. This is the national network program ID. SINPO 45344 with easily readable programming after 0600. Before 0600 Interference was I-3 at best (Bruce W. Churchill, CA, DXplorer Aug 23 via BCDX via DXLD) ** PERU. 3172.73, Radio Municipal, 1000-1030 YL with ID and music (Robert Wilkner, FL, Japan Premium Aug 26 via DXLD) Date? ** PERU. 4855.8, Radio La Hora, Cuzco, 2322-2333, 24-08, Español, locutor, noticias deportivas, comentarios de fútbol. Menciona "Cusco". 24322. 4955, Radio Cultural Amauta, Huanta, 2315-2322, 24-08, Locutor y locutora, quechua. 24222. 5939.3, Radio Melodía, Arequipa, 2312-2315, 24-08, locutor, español, señal débil a muy débil. 23222 variando a 13221. 9720, Radio Victoria, 0335-0348, 25-08, locutor, español, religioso, predicaciones. 24322 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Escuchas realizadas en Friol, 27 Km W. de Lugo. Grundig Satellit 500, antena de cable 10 metros orientada hacia Centro-Sudamérica, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PHILIPPINES. UPGRADING TRANSMITTERS AT PALAUIG, ZAMBALES Radio Veritas Asia has three 250 kW transmitters in Palauig, Zambales. The first two namely, TX-l and TX-II were built in 1986. The third one, known as TX-III, also known as Pulse Step Modulator (PSM), was built in 1992. The transmitter serves the purpose of providing coverage of large areas, in some cases thousands of kilometers away, with evangelization and human developmental programs produced in the studios. This is made possible due to the physical propagation of the electromagnetic waves. To cope up with the fast changing technology and to enhance a better transmission system to the target areas, the Technical Department of RVA pushed for the modification of the two old transmitters. The modification process entailed the replacement of the existing modulators to a Pulse Step Modulator Thales Stage Modulator-6 (TSM-6). The project for each transmitter was divided into three phases - the dismantling, the installation and the commissioning. Headed by a German installation engineer, the technical team from the Palauig Transmitter Site worked on the modification process. The installation phase of the first transmitter was concluded on January 14, 2005. On February 1, 2005, the final step, which is commissioning, was completed. The first broadcast using the newly modified transmitter commenced the following day, February 2. 2005. Meanwhile, the dismantling of Transmitter II started on February 4, 2005 and the installation of the new modulator immediately followed. It took less than two weeks to finish the whole process and by February 21, Transmitter II was ready for commissioning. After the complete modification of the second transmitter, the regular broadcast transmission using the three transmitters resumed as operations were interrupted to give way for the modifications. A significant result of the modification of the two transmitters is the reduction of the number of power tubes being used in transmission. Furthermore, the improvement of the efficiency to about 97% of transmitter use has been attained. In the transmitter site, the personnel are not only inspired with the result of a job well done, more importantly, they feel challenged because of the opportunity of exploring the possibilities of developing an equipment and bringing it to a state of the art status. While nobody can predict the future trends in international broadcasting, the significance of the modifications of RVA's transmitters will be felt for many years. Article by Reizal Eaia, taken from RVA Uplink, March 2005 (T. R. Rajeesh, Report from India, Sept World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. During the past few months, I was not able to devote much time to radio listening, the electrical noise from the neighbourhood prevents evening DX. I have received only eleven QSLs since June. Voice of Russia has issued two new series of QSLs. The first series consists of 5 variety cards celebrating 300 years of St. Petersburg. These are really attractive. The second series of QSLs offered by VOR are about the 60th anniversary of the victory of the Great Patriotic War. The war series appealed less interesting. VOR now issues full data cards with transmitter location near the frequencies (T. R. Rajeesh, Report from India, Sept World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** SENEGAL [non]. Site unknown, 17555, West Africa Democracy R. Aug 19 0831-0858*, 24422-35422, English, Talk and African local music, ID at 0844 and 0854 and 0858 (Kouji Hashimoto. Japan Premium via DXLD) 17555, West Africa Democratic Radio via DTK, Juelich. Aug. 20 at *0759-0858*. SINPO 25332. Sign-on with music and ID. Talk in English with African songs. Talk in French from 0842 (Iwao Nagatani, Japan, Japan Premium via DXLD) Via Rampisham, UK (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, Aug 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) So which is it? Station itself said UK: 5-144 (gh, DXLD) 17555, West Africa Democracy R, via ?, *0800-0857*, Aug 21, test program in English and from 0830 similar program in French. IDs 0800: "Good morning and welcome to the test transmission from the West Africa Democracy Radio broadcasting from Dakar, Senegal." 0830: "West Africa Democracy Radio, La Radio pour la dialogue - WADR! Bonjour." Reception reports requested by phone to 221(Senegal) 869 15 (69?), or fax to 221 864 7090, or e-mail to wadr @ wadr.org or ordinary mail to West Africa Democracy Radio, P. O. Box 16650, Dakar-Fann, Senegal. The station promotes Democracy and good Governance in West African countries. In the near future the tests will be followed by four hours of broadcasts daily with two hours in English and two in French. A senior technician explained that besides SW, the future broadcasts will also be sent via digital satellite covering all Africa and parts of Western Europe and the Middle East, supplemented with local FM retransmissions. A website will make listening to the programs on demand possible. A close dialogue with listeners in the villages is encouraged via exchange of tapes. Statements from journalists in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Guinea. The carrier signed off at 0859. SINPO in Denmark varied from 23433 to 45544. During occasional fades, I heard some splashes from CNR 1 on 17550 and unidentified, pulsing noise of moderate strength which covers the whole 16 mb. The tests are expected to end this coming Wednesday (Anker Petersen, Denmark, DXplorer Aug 21 via BCDX via DXLD) ** SOUTH AFRICA. 17565, Amateur R. Mirror International, Aug 21 *0757- 0809 35332-35333 English, 0757 sign on with Guitar's IS and ID, 0800 Opening announce, News (Kouji Hashimoto, Japan Premium via DXLD) Certainly one of the most obscure DX programs for North Americans because of its scheduling, tho propagation on a favorable occasion is not inconceivable; Sundays only (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** SRI LANKA. Hola Glenn, Saludos desde Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA. La Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation volvió a la acostumbrada frecuencia de 15745 kHz (15744.88). Así pude comprobarlo el 23/08 a las 0406 UT. La estación estuvo largo tiempo en el canal adyacente de 15747v. Transmitía el tema "Now or never" interpretado por Elvis Presley. SINPO 35422 (Adán González, Catia La Mar, Estado Vargas, VENEZUELA, Aug 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN [non]. 7999.33, V. of Sudan, Aug 19 *1528-1540, 25442, Arabic, 1528 sign on with IS, Opening announce, Opening music, ID at 1532 as "Idha'at Sawt Sudan (Kouji Hashimoto, Japan, Japan Premium via DXLD) Yes originate from Unknown site in Eritrea, 5 kW, wb (Wolfgang Büschel, BC-DX via DXLD) ** TURKEY. TURKEY PLANS RESTRICTIONS ON TV BROADCASTS IN MINORITY LANGUAGES | Text of report by Turkish daily Hurriyet web site on 18 August; subheadings as published The Radio and Television High Council (RTUK) plans to require local and national television stations which intend to broadcast programmes in different languages and dialects to submit a written undertaking, which will be a precondition for obtaining a licence for airing such programmes, sources said. Those television stations, however, will not be permitted to broadcast programmes for children in different languages and dialects. Licences will be issued after submission of written undertakings Applicants will be asked to specify the language/dialect or type of the programmes they intend to broadcast and undertake to uphold the rule of law, fundamental rights and freedoms, national security, public morals, fundamental characteristics of the republic set out in the constitution and the indivisible territorial and national unity of the State. They will also agree to comply with the general principles laid down in the constitution fundamental rights and freedoms and to fulfil obligations specified by the Higher Council. They will also pledge to provide public services in accordance with their written undertakings and the terms and conditions of the licence. Symbols of the Turkish Republic will be used if necessary Applicants will state in their written undertakings that they will notify the Higher Council of their monthly and annual broadcast schedules and undertake not to change them without prior notice. They will also state that they will not make any modification to the current design of their studios, change their existing logo, not use any symbol other than sound effects and distinguishing sound signals, and only use images and signs regarded as symbols of the Republic of Turkey. They will target only adults Television stations will state in their written undertakings that programmes in different languages and dialects will be limited to news and music programmes and programmes about general public health, raising awareness on the environment, contributions to the family budget, education, community education, economy, sports, agriculture and stock farming. They will, however, not be allowed to broadcast programmes aimed at teaching those languages and dialects. Radio stations will agree to broadcast programmes in such languages and dialects for five hours a week on condition that the duration of those programmes will not be longer than 60 minutes per day. Television stations will be allowed to air similar programmes 45 minutes per day and four hours a week on condition that they will be subtitled in Turkish or the same programme is dubbed into Turkish and broadcast immediately afterwards. Radio stations will also broadcast programmes translated into Turkish. A written undertaking will continue to remain in force if the RTUK revises its regulations. Source: Hurriyet web site, Istanbul, in Turkish 18 Aug 05 (via BBCM via DXLD) Re: Kurdish, Armenian ** UGANDA. 4976, Radio Uganda. Aug. 21 at 2036-2110. SINPO 35333. Music program in vernacular with Afro pops. ID was heard at 2051. No sign off at 2100 (Iwao Nagatani, Japan, Japan Premium via DXLD) ** U K. Every September the annual Open House London event takes place and this year the dates are 17th & 18th September 2005. From the 600+ buildings that will be open (for free) at various times over the weekend, here are a few that may be of particular interest to members: * BBC Television Centre (Sun) (Pre-book only) * BBC White City Media Village (Sun) (Pre-book only) * Theatre and Television Studios at Alexandra Palace (Sat) * BBC Broadcasting House (Sat) (Pre-book only) * BBC Bush House (Sat) (Doesn't include the Studios) * Channel Four Television (Sat) More details on-line at: http://www.openhouselondon.org/london/home.html (Alan Roe, world dx club Aug 25 via DXLD) ** UNITED NATIONS [non]. The purposes of UN Radio have not changed since it was founded in 1946 to promote the universal ideals of the United Nations, including peace, respect for human rights, gender equality, tolerance, and the upholding of international law. What has changed is the medium. UN Radio is delivering more programmes to more people at less cost to the Organization, thanks to Internet technology which makes it possible to disseminate high-quality broadcasts to audiences around the world. UN Radio is a unique broadcasting organization in that it neither owns nor operates transmitters of its own. Its programmes are made available free of charge to broadcasting organizations around the world, through tapes and electronic transmissions. New technology has made it possible to transmit audio files through computers via the internet. UN Radio has come a long way from the 1946 makeshift studios and offices at the United Nations Headquarters in Lake Success, New York, where it transmitted its first call sign: "This is the United Nations calling the peoples of the world." News bulletins and feature programmes were broadcast in the Organization's then five official languages Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish for 9 to 12 hours each day. (Arabic was added in 1974) Lacking its own broadcast facilities, and entrusted with an information agenda focusing on the important post-World War II issues of international peace and security, UN Radio made arrangements with leading broadcasting organizations to relay its programmes to different regions. In 1946, the International Broadcasting Division of the United States Department of State transmitted the entire proceedings of the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council on shortwave to the rest of the world. These broadcasts were also relayed, for the most part, by the European Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). From 1950 to 1959, UN Radio broadcast for more than six hours daily in 33 languages with some 100 countries and territories rebroadcasting its programmes on a regular basis. During the period of 1960 to 1979, UN Radio programmes consisted of: - Shortwave transmissions of the proceedings of meetings at UN Headquarters for rebroadcast or monitoring by national organizations. - Shortwave broadcasting of news bulletins in the six official languages. - Provision of news bulletins, news summaries, features and documentary programmes in 33 languages to 162 countries and territories. For shortwave broadcasts of proceedings and of news summaries, UN Radio utilized transmitters leased from France, Switzerland, Italy and the United States. In 1963, facilities were obtained on transmitters with considerably greater power and effectiveness in reaching Africa, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and parts of South East Asia. By 1984, UN Radio was producing a total of 2,000 hours of programmes a year in 25 languages and serving 167 countries and territories. Its shortwave programmes alone accounted for some 759 hours of air time annually. At the end of 1985, shortwave broadcasts were suspended due to the sudden rise of transmission charges. Alternative distribution methods were explored, identified and put in place with broadcasters in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. UN Radio programme production and distribution became more dependent on taped programmes as opposed to direct shortwave broadcasting. Each year, UN Radio sent out 110,000 tapes offering countries which had few if any New York correspondents a voice from the United Nations. Total distribution for 1997 reached 205,000 tapes/cassettes. Using new technologies to reach audiences around the world UN Radio is including "streaming audio" on the internet http://www.un.org/av/radio and live, global hook-ups with stations on five continents. The output of UN Radio consists of some 1,200 features and documentaries a year which are distributed worldwide to 185 countries and nearly 2,000 broadcasting facilities in 15 languages - Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Dutch/Papiamento, English, French, French-Creole, Hindi, Indonesian, Kiswahili, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish and Urdu. UN Radio continues to move apace with today's technology. Plans are under way to enhance programme dissemination by cutting back on tape and using the internet as a fast, cost-effective substitute. UN Radio news bulletins and summaries are already available on the internet. Building on its past experience, UN Radio has restored shortwave radio broadcasting to Africa. UN Radio gained new recognition in peacekeeping operations. The power, outreach and cost effectiveness of broadcast radio information played a key role in supporting the operation of UN missions in Angola, Cambodia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Haiti and Namibia. In all these operations, UN Radio provided staffing and programme resources, as well as technical support. Field reports, news and feature programmes on peacekeeping and humanitarian affairs have also become a staple product in UN radio programmes. Future broadcasts will cover peacekeeping operations as well as the public information needs of the United Nations system (source? via T. R. Rajeesh, Report from India, Sept World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** U S A. Based on last year`s experiences, WYFR may be closing down its multiple transmitters as Katrina approaches the Okeechobee area; even with winds far below hurricane force, problems with power transmission lines and/or antenna feed lines may require a shutdown. However, still going at 2023 UT check Aug 25 on e.g. 13800 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. ALGERIA, 7460. Based on a request from Wolfy. Here's the translation of the Audio file of RASD West Saharan Radio recorded by Carlos Gonçalves in Lisbon, Portugal. The file starts with the National Anthem of the Sahrawy Rep. (52") followed by an ID of the station "Idha`at al-jamhureya al-arabya al- sahraweya al-demokratia" in our central studios, the best thing to start our evening transmission with is the recitation of Holy Qur`an and some of the book of Allah by the chanter Abd Alrahman Alsoudees, hope Allah would make us benefited by it. (1'18) then a Qur`an recitation starts. All the best my friend (Tarek Zeidan, Egypt, SU1TZ, Aug 22, wwdxc BC-DX Aug 25 via DXLD) ** ZAMBIA. The current confirmed/monitored ZNBC schedule is: Radio 1 - 4910 kHz *0245-0515* and *1555-2205*, 5915 kHz *0515-1555*. Radio 2 - 6165 kHz *0245-2205*. Christian Voice: The current/monitored schedule is: 4965 kHz *1600- 0605* and 9865 kHz *0605-1600*, i.e. the 0400-0700 transmission on 6065 kHz has been dropped (Vashek Korinek, RSA, DXplorer Aug 21 via BCDX via DXLD) ** ZIMBABWE. Currently on 3306 kHz at *1630-0530v* and on 6045 kHz *0530v-1630* UT. "R Zimbabwe" is relayed 24 hours a day as far as I can tell. The signal strength has definitely come down lately, obviously some transmitter problem. The widely reported harmonic on 6612 kHz can be explained by its signal sometimes being stronger than the fundamental frequency, but in the past few days the 6612 kHz has been barely audible here (Vashek Korinek, RSA, DXplorer Aug 21 via BCDX via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 15390, open carrier of weak to fair strength, 1340 August 25, along with a low-pitched continuous tone, estimated about 150 Hz; at 1344 the tone went away shortly before the carrier went off at 1345* (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Dear sir, WRN English for Europe used to be heard on the Berlin cable network on 93.85 MHz. For several weeks now, the service is off air. I wrote to WRN and they answered that they were enfacing technical problems due to change of reception mode. Reception of WRN was never that good as the feed to the Berlin cable was mostly too low - so you had to turn the volume of your receiver to maximum and got a lot of hissing. I have learned from former correspondence with WRN that they receive the signal at a Berlin hotel. Maybe the transmission stop coincides with the encrypting of WorldSpace? Please, if you have heard anything about the above, let me know. P. S. I can still download your WorldOfRadio programs from your website. But it would be nice if I could listen to you on the regular Saturday morning broadcast on WRN again. Yours sincerely, (Nic K. Mowe, BERLIN, GERMANY, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ LONGWAVE RECEPTION Glenn, A running thread from the DX Florida group that had questions about my longwave setup. Very good reception as of late, and in the dead of summer. Plenty of lightning crashes, but strong LWBC signals. Is it the low sunspot count? I was answering some questions. I did hear more LWBC last night (Tuesday) at 11 PM Eastern local. Europe One on 183 was so strong it could be heard on the 2010 barefoot with its built in loop, and on a great German Wega tube radio with it's built in loop. Lot's of lightning crashes, but a good solid signal. Luxembourg on 234 was also in, but nowhere as strong as Europe One. Here is what I use for my LW DX'ing. I have found that most communications receivers have very poor sensitivity in the longwave bands, and are very prone to MW broadcast overload. I understand the Palstar and some Drake receivers are the exception, but not my 2010. Put a longwire directly in to the 2010 on longwave, and it's MW broadcast overload city. So this is what I do: 1. A 120 foot longwire and good ground. Both ground rod and metal water pipe. I am very lucky to live in an electrical quiet location. No powerline or streetlight buzz. I also turn off all TV's and computer monitors when I DX longwave. We no longer have any light dimmers in our home as well. It is my firm belief that the greatest enemy of longwave signals is noise. 2. A simple home brew longwave antenna tuner. It is tunable from 120- 600 kHz. It allows me to peak a frequency, and reject all others. 3. The tuner is fed into a 25 year old Palomar longwave convertor. It converts 0 to 500 kHz to 3500-4000. So, for example, Europe One on 183 has been tuned and converted to 3683 kHz. Most receivers I have used are much more sensitive in the 80 meter band then they are on longwave, hence the conversion. 4. The output of the converter is fed into a shortwave preamp. In this case, I use the tunable one that Radio Shack used to sell about ten years ago. The "whip" antenna is removed to prevent any 80 meter ham signals from leaking through, and the preamp is tuned to the converted frequency I am interested in. In this case 3683 kHz. 5. The output of the shortwave preamp is fed into the antenna jack of the 2010, and the 2010 is tuned to 3 MHz frequency of interest. Shielded coax and good connectors used throughout. I know this may seem like a lot to go through, but it is very effective in digging out weak longwave signals. Beacons too. In the winter, almost every longwave broadcast frequency has a decent signal or two. I lived in Hawaii for many years, and using this set up and a shorter longwire, or my 25 year old Palomar loop, I was able to hear many Far-East Russian longwave stations, and Mongolia as well. My best catch using this hair brained setup in Hawaii, was France Inter on 162 one evening, and the Russian with 150 kW on 180 all day during its broadcast schedule. Readable audio from across the Pacific at 12 noon. Well, that's what I use. Again, I believe that a quiet location, and the proper antenna tuner to peak the signal you want, and reject all others is the key to longwave listening. The longwave tuner: I use an air variable capacitor anywhere from 360 to 400 pf max in series with the inductance. The antenna is connected to rotor of the VC. The stator is connected to the coil, and the other end of the coil feeds the converter or any receiver with a 52 ohm input. I just tune the cap to peak the signal. I use a couple of coils to cover from 120 kHz, all the way up through the "X" band, 1710 kHz. These are selected with a switch or an alligator clip. Nothing fancy here. I suppose I could figure out the "L" of the inductors, but to put it plainly, for longwave I use the secondary of longwave antenna coils. I bought a bunch of Toyo longwave antenna coils very cheap many years ago in London. With longwave still in use in the UK, these can be found at any electronics shop. I also have, and have used, the old Miller "band X" antenna coils in the same fashion, plus a number of other Miller coils that cover the LW range, that I buy at hamfests and, I must admit, on ebay. I am always on the lookout for longwave coils at any hamfest, and cheap, broken, beyond repair radios from Europe that would have a coil for the LWBC band at flea markets. That's it. Just a series circuit. I vary the inductance core in two coils to cover all of the lw band, and any MW antenna coil, such as a loopstick, will do a great job peaking the MW band in the same fashion (Brock Whaley, WH6SZ/4, Lilburn, GA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) NIST GIVES FIRST RESPONDERS AN INSIDE LOOK AT RADIO WAVE BEHAVIOR DENVER -- Engineers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology have spent the last two years radio mapping large buildings and placing transmitters in old buildings before their implosion to study how waves behave inside buildings -- both intact and demolished. The idea is to help improve communications capabilities of first responders, who often lose signals in shielded or complex environments such as the basements and elevator shafts of buildings. The NIST also wants to study ways to detect radio signals through the dense rubble of a building that has collapsed as a result of natural disasters or terrorist attacks... http://mrtmag.com/news/nist_radio_waves_082405/ (via Andy Sennitt, dxldyg via DXLD) DIGITAL BROADCASTING ++++++++++++++++++++ WHAT IBOC LOOKS AND SOUNDS LIKE Possibly of some interest are a couple JPGs I've placed on the web showing IBOC on and off at WSBR 740, Boca Raton, FL, my local hiss engine. These are simple frequency scans captured with a RX-320D and "RX-320 Controller" software (by Clifton J. Turner, Jr.). Note that the URLs must be just as shown, upper/lower case as is. Each image is ~75kB. http://ScooterHound.com/WWWR/radio/WSBRwithIBOC.jpg http://ScooterHound.com/WWWR/radio/WSBRnoIBOC.jpg (W. Curt Deegan, Boca Ratón, (Southeast) Florida [Ten-Tec RX-320D, LF Engineering H-800, GAP DSP] http://ScooterHound.com/WWWR/wobbler/ Aug 23, NRC-AM via DXLD) There are also some audio recordings on Peter Jernakoff's site which I'd sent him showing WPEN's and WWDB's effects on the first adjacents. There's also an audio recording and matching screen shot of the spectrum display covering WPEN's turning IBOC off at sunset as heard/seen on 960 there. Plus a recording of WSAI-1530's IBOC on 1520 recorded by Brett Saylor in Central PA. http://www.21centimeter.com/IBOC.html (Russ Edmunds Blue Bell, PA, Aug 23, ibid.) DIGITAL RADIO TESTS START IN BRAZIL IN SEPTEMBER Twelve digital radio transmitters will begin functioning in Brazil on 26 September, in test mode. This date marks 84 years of radio in Brazil. Yesterday the Minister of Communications, Hélio Costa, announced that the transmitters will operate in the main cities, including São Paulo and Rio De Janeiro. The tests will serve as the basis for the definitive start of digital radio in the country, which is scheduled for first months of 2006. According to the Minister, broadcasters will have to choose the standard to be used and will make tests with the American system (IBOC) and with the European system (DRM) [sic. DRM is a worldwide standard.] The complete transition from analogue to digital radio is expected to take about 10 years. According to Hélio Costa, each broadcaster will have to spend between R$150,000 and R$200,000 (US$61,000 - US$81,000) on the transformation. Costa says the population will not feel the difference in their pocket, since a digital radio receiver costs practically the same as an analogue one. No details were given about which stations will participate in the test phase. (Source: Agência Estado) # posted by Andy @ 08:56 UT Aug 25 (Media Network blog via DXLD) TIPS FOR RATIONAL LIVING ++++++++++++++++++++++++ ATHEISM, PUBLIC RELIGION AND THE LESSONS OF BTK Opinion by Conrad F. Goeringer "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God." -- Psalms 14:1 and 5:1 "There are no atheists in foxholes." -- Attr: William Thomas Cummings, Lt. Col. Warren Clear, and various unidentified Chaplain, sergeants and others... "Atheism is hateful in that it depriveth human Nature of the means to exalt itself beyond Human frailty." -- Francis Bacon: "Of Atheism" Throughout much of the believing world, especially in those quarters identified with Islam or Christianity, the Atheist is, well, a deluded fool; a danger to society and the minds of the young; and a reprobate incapable of embracing ethics, decency and the other virtues grandly claimed as the exclusive realm of religion. Atheists know that, well, this is so much balderdash. The truth, however, is that even in our "enlightened" and pluralistic society, many view the Atheist as lurking somewhere on a moral spectrum between diabolic evil (for denouncing "God") or with suspicion. The latter may grudgingly "tolerate" Atheism and Atheists, but... A review of stories published over the years by AANEWS underscores this point. * Florida officials tried to prevent nonbeliever Steven Miles from having a personalized license plate that stated: "ATHEIST." Years before, Atheists like Arnold Via of West Virginia faced the same legal opposition. * A majority of voters questioned by one survey stated that they would not vote for an Atheist seeking public office regardless of his/her qualifications to serve. * According to television maven Star Jones, Atheists are not worthy of her vote, but "maybe," "possibly" she might permit an Atheist to baby-sit her kid. * Even serving on a jury, or holding so lowly an office of public trust as a Notary was, until recently, barred to us. Robin Murray O'Hair actually spent time in jail because she would {not!} take an oath to "God" in order to serve on a Texas jury. In South Carolina, Herb Silverman had to take legal action simply to be a Public Notary, which up to that point required god-belief. The Atheist is immoral or amoral, untrustworthy, naive and lacking in ethics. The religious, on the other hand, have a friend in Jesus (or Allah...), and have access to a Divine Morality (often cited as embodied in the Ten Commandments), and thanks to this, can bask in a celestial aura of goodness, salvation and all-around wholesomeness. Then there is the case of Dennis Rader, the BTK (Bind, Torture, Kill) murderer. His 17-year spree of homicides claimed the lives of ten people. The trail had gone "cold" after a bloody orgy of torture and killing that commenced in 1974 and ended in 1991. Apparently unable to control his sociopathic grandiosity and narcissism, Rader began taunting the police with a letter to the local newspaper that included photos of victims and "trophies" from crime scenes. Police soon arrested the serial killer, who last week received a volley of life sentences. Rader is no Atheist. He was a former church congregation president and Boy Scout Troop leader. After his sentencing he voiced hopes that despite his inhumane deeds, "Hopefully someday God will accept me." "A dark side is there, but now I think light is beginning to shine," Rader told a reporter for Associated Press. Remember, it is the Boy Scouts of America who will not admit Atheists or gay youth simply because they will not affirm an oath to a deity, or live up to the stereotype of being "morally straight." Religion is a theme winding throughout the saga of Dennis Rader. Being so active in his church, he had access to the facility and took at least one victim there where he photographed and further humiliated her. He told another that she would soon be in heaven thanks to his indulgence in the "dark side." The church figured even in his eventual apprehension by a police task force, when a diskette he sent to the authorities was traced to a church computer. Relatives of the victims expressed their grief in court after Rader made a rambling statement describing his perception of the events, and later before an army of cameras and reporters. One hoped that BTK will someday "burn in hell. Another, a relative of victim Nancy Fox told the court that Rader should "never, ever see the light of day .... On the day he died, Nancy and all of his victims will be waiting with God and watching him as he burns in hell." There are many lessons here of course, but one needs to be pointed out and repeated often; public religiosity is not an automatic credential for ethical behavior, sanity, or wholesomeness. Belief in God and participation in religious groups is not a prophylactic against evil, hurtful behavior. It seems so obvious, doesn't it? A point here: As individuals, most religious people are probably no better, probably no worse, than Atheists, Freethinking skeptics or any other broad segment of society. Dennis Rader is not typical of the "average" Christian any more than, say, Osama bin Laden or Mohammad Atta reflect the personality and sentiments of most Moslems. We can perhaps, with some accuracy talk about movements, organized sects and denominations, and their impact on history and culture. But individuals and their differences are vast and far more nuanced. So, if you are one of the 52% who feel an Atheist is so morally bankrupt that he/she should not be elected president (or maybe appointed a Notary Public!), consider the bias in such a view. Consider, too, that there is still enormous social and cultural pressure to declare religious belief, denominational affiliation and regular attendance at services even if such a claim is false or exaggerated. Isn't it time that we discarded these foolish and misleading stereotypes linking religiosity and ethical behavior? The Roman Catholic Church is still in the morass of a priestly pedophile scandal. Televangelists make dubious claims of everything from salvation to miracles. Religious conservatives denounce "moral relativism," sexual indulgence, and alternative lifestyles. But there is that embarrassing finding from the Barna Research Group not so long ago that revealed: "Born again Christians continue to have a higher likelihood of getting divorced than do non-Christians... Atheists are less likely to get divorced than are born again Christians." Nonbelievers -- and this includes Atheists -- have a virtual zoo of words that describe, or try to, their philosophical convictions. We are "Atheists" -- of all sorts; "Humanists" -- of all kinds; Freethinkers, Brights, Secularists, Scientific Pantheists, Universists, and this is the short list! We spend a good amount of time on exotic philosophical musings about the origin of ethics and morality in a godless universe, and how we can "find" or "derive" or "construct" a humane, ethical code of living. Our ranks include a wide spectrum of behaviors. There are likely Atheist equivalents of Dennis Rader stalking the countryside, just as there are Atheists doing incredible works that benefit others and humanity as a whole. In between these extremes there are, well, lots of different people who happen to be Atheists. It would unfair to condemn religious people simply because of BTK. It is also unfair for religious people, political leaders, preachers, opportunists and the wider religion-satiated culture, to demonize a whole, diverse group of people -- Atheists -- as utterly immoral, lacking in human sensitivity and undeserving of civil liberties, social acceptance and inclusiveness in the human community. Religion does not, in some mysterious way, confer ethics or empathy with other human beings. Despite his affiliation with Christianity, somewhere along the way Dennis Rader realized, probably at an early age, that he was "different" and unlike those around him in some fundamental sense. If we want to understand BTK and that type of sociopathic behavior, social and other sciences may reveal an answer. We know, however, that religion did not prevent these ten murders. Rader may not have killed because of religious belief (many have), but this belief failed to restrain his murderous rage. It is no guarantee of ethical behavior. The story of Dennis Rader is thus an object lesson in hasty generalizations about "others," and a caution in proclaiming a public faith as a proof that one is, by the grace of God, a decent person. ** SILVERMAN BLOG SHAKING UP CYBERSPACE! It is one of the fastest growing blogs in the Atheist/Freethought/Secular Humanist community, and you can get in on the discussion! Dave Silverman, Communications Director for American Atheists is in the Blogosphere at http://nogodblog.com It's filled with insight, wit, hot news, controversial opinion -- and polite, thoughtful commentary. So join the conversation! Sign up (it's free) by visiting http://www.atheists.org and click on the blog navigation button, or go directly to http://nogodblog.com (American Atheists newsletter Aug 22 via DXLD) ###