DX LISTENING DIGEST 5-169, September 26, 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 1288: Mon 1800 WOR RFPI [repeated 4-hourly thru Tue 1400] Tue 1600 WOR WBCQ after hours Tue 2330 WOR WBCQ 7415 [usually but temporary] 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: 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 or http://wor.worldofradio.org WORLD OF RADIO 1288 (high version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1288h.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1288h.rm WORLD OF RADIO 1288 (low version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1288.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1288.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1288.html WORLD OF RADIO 1288 in true SW sound of Alex`s mp3 (stream) http://www.dxprograms.net/worldofradio_09-25-05.m3u (download) http://www.dxprograms.net/worldofradio_09-25-05.mp3 WORLD OF RADIO 1288 downloads in studio-quality mp3: (high) http://www.obriensweb.com/wor1288h.mp3 (low) http://www.obriensweb.com/wor1288.mp3 WORLD OF RADIO PODCAST: www.obriensweb.com/wor.xml (currently: 1284, Extra 60, 1285, 1286, 1287, 1288) WORLD OF RADIO IN SPE-CIAL ENG-LISH: The slower speech DOES sound quite good and, since English is a second language for many correspondents, it's probably a good idea. Very 73 and thanks for all your efforts de (Anne Fanelli, Elma NY, DX LISTENING DIGEST) DXLD YAHOOGROUP: Why wait for DXLD? A lot more info, not all of it appearing in DXLD later, is posted at our yg. Here`s where to sign up http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dxld/ ** AFGHANISTAN. Afghans take to the airwaves --- MEHTAR LAM, Afghanistan --- Afghans in the Laghman province capital of Mehtar Lam are making waves. Radio waves, that is. Thanks to funding and equipment provided by a U.S. Provincial Reconstruction Team, the United States' Agency for International Development and other agencies, a fully functioning FM radio station is now up and running. (includes photos) http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=31829 (via Andy Sennitt, dxldyg via DXLD) WTFK?? ** ANGUILLA. The late DGS missing from 11775 around 1400 check Sept 26, allowing some FE station to be audible. Too late to be sure whether Caribbean Beacon was stuck on night frequency 6090 instead, as Habana had about faded out on 6000; or totally off the air. Somehow, I do not miss it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ANTARCTICA. Fictional Antarctic frequency? Last weekend, I had the opportunity, at a local film festival, to catch a South Korean feature film entitled "Antarctic Journal." ("Nam Genkilloy" in Korean). It wasn't the greatest film ever; in fact, it was pretty bad. The story concerned a team of South Korean explorers trying to reach the most remote point in Antarctica. All six of them eventually die or go mad - -- perhaps driven mad by the ghosts of a similar failed British expedition in 1922. At one point, there was a scene of the members of the Antarctic expedition trying, unsuccessfully, to contact their base camp, which seems to have been elsewhere in Antarctica. As one guy was trying to raise the base camp by voice, there was a shot of a transceiver (Icom, obviously, though I couldn't make out the model) tuned to 7842.5 kHz. Is this frequency in a range that could theoretically have been used under such circumstances? (Bill Westenhaver, QC, dxldyg via DXLD) Yes, it`s a point-to-point (fixed) band appropriate for ground-based 2-way communications, and that frequency might be useful both day and night over relatively short ranges (altho they should have had several bands and frequencies available to cover widely variable propagation conditions). (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) ** ASIA [non]. "From A.J. Janitschek of Radio Free Asia ("RFA"): The Technical Operations Division has just released the company's eighth QSL card. The card is scheduled for distribution from September 1 to December 31, 2005. This QSL Card commemorates the ninth anniversary of RFA's first broadcast which took place on September 29,1996; this broadcast was in Mandarin Chinese. Since then RFA has grown to 9 Asian languages broadcasting a total of 36 hours of radio programming daily; primarily on shortwave frequencies. RFA welcomes all reception report submissions at http://www.techweb.rfa.org (follow the QSL REPORTS link) not only from DX'ers but from its general listening audience as well. Reception reports are also accepted by email at qsl @ rfa.org For anyone without Internet access, reception reports should be mailed to: Reception Reports, Radio Free Asia, 2025 M. Street NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036, USA. Upon request, RFA will also send a copy of the current broadcast schedule and a station sticker." (via Rich D`Angelo, NASWA Flashsheet Sept 25 via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. ABC on 7875U --- during the week-end it was well heard here in Denmark between approx. 13 and 21 UT. Strong around 16 UT. 73, (Erik Køie in Copenhagen, Sept 26, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Being heard here at 2200 with a listenable signal. (9/26) (Steve Lare, Holland, MI, ibid.) I wonder if that hour it`s by longpath? (gh, DXLD) As I remember, the ADF used some feeds on SSB some years ago for the forces overseas. May have been during the first Gulf war. As an aside, I noted a relay of ABC programming about a week ago on approximately 15060 using SSB. Just heard it in passing and thought at the time that this was the situation once again. Can't make any guesses as to the transmitter site though. Regards, (John Schache, Bathurst NSW, Sept 26, dxing.info via DXLD) Like many of you, I have logged the ABC programming being heard recently on 7875 usb. Although I have seen much speculation about the possible use of this frequency by the Australian Defense Force, etc., I have not yet seen any official confirmation (perhaps there has been some, but I may have missed it). In an effort to gain this confirmation, I e-mailed a director in the Australian Defense Department today. If and when I receive a relevant response, I will immediately pass the info on (Steve Bass, Columbus, Ohio, Sept 26, dxldyg via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. AUSTRALIAN RADIO ANNIVERSARIES CELEBRATED October 2005 sees a number of important Australian radio station anniversaries being celebrated. The oldest is 2KY Sydney, which has been on air for 80 years. You can read more about 2KY's early days, and see photos of its personalities from the 1940's in the article '2KY Sydney' at http://www.radioheritage.net Celebrating 70 years of broadcasting are 2GZ Orange NSW [now on FM], ABC regional 3GI Sale in Victoria, and 7BU Burnie in Tasmania. In 1935, AWA also began broadcasting from 4PM Port Moresby in the Territory of Papua. This station closed down in 1941 with the beginning of the Pacific war. You can read more about 4PM in 'Broadcasting in Papua New Guinea' by Ian K Mackay, available now from The Emporium Radio Heritage Store. It's also the 55th anniversary of ABC regional 5LN Port Lincoln, South Australia, and the 35th anniversary of a very shortlived 3DR in Melbourne, Victoria. This was a 'draft resistance' pirate station established by students at Melbourne University in 1970. A growing number of stories about early Australian radio stations are now on-line, including a detailed guide to over 100 stations from the 1919-1929 period. Warm regards (David Ricquish, Radio Heritage Foundation, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BELGIUM [non]. RUSSIA(non): No transmissions for Zwart of Wit/Black or White in Dutch on Sep. 4/11/18/25, 0900-1100 Sun on 15660 ARM 250 kW / 290 degrees to WeEu. Cancelled or NF? (Observer, Bulgaria, Sept 26 via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. 4679.6 v until 4679.2, Radio Virgen del Remedio [sic], Tupiza, 2240 - 0000, Sep 24, Spanish Music and Religious Program, ID, 24332 (Nicolás Eramo, Chascomús DX Camp, Argentina, RECEIVER: SONY ICF 2010, ANTENNA: LONG WIRE 32 mts, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Varies & jumps widely (gh) ** BOLIVIA [and non]. 6134.80, R. Santa Cruz, Sept 26, 0932-1022, unusually good signal; nice Bolivian music; commentary about Chile and Bolivia; 0955 TC, ID ``Radio Santa Cruz`` and played a distinctive song called ``Viva Santa Cruz`` (believe this is about the only Spanish song I have ever been able to ID, hi), 1007 man and woman with Spanish language lesson (Spanish spoken very slowly and gave pronunciations for either some letters or words). For me, this qualifies as a ``best ever`` for this one. Especially good reception today for some of South America (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, RX340 + T2FD antenna, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Ron, I have been noticing the power of Radio Santa Cruz for about three weeks now. It's my opinion that they did something to their antenna or transmitter, but I am probably wrong? My best reception time frame here in Clewiston, Florida is between 1015 and 1035 UT (Chuck Bolland, NRD545, Dipole, ibid.) Hi Chuck, Greetings from Monterey. Thanks for your input! Yesterday seemed very good for some LA stations, as earlier I had PARAGUAY on 9736.93, with R. Nac. del Paraguay, at 2353 UT (Sept 25) with a super signal, which was also about the strongest I have ever heard them. Didn't hang around to listen, but just noted in scanning by. After the recent solar activity, it's nice to see conditions improving. Of course you may be correct and Santa Cruz has done something to improve their signal. Hope so, as I enjoyed listening to them this morning and it would be a nice change to have then at this level all the time. Thanks again (Ron Howard, ibid.) ** BOSNIA-HERCEGOVINA. BANJA LUKA'S BIG RADIO DETAILED Big Radio from Banja Luka was noted to have a website at http://www.bigradiobl.com on 21 September 2005. Information on the website contains information about three separate channels: Big Radio One, Big Radio Two and Big Radio Three. The website says Big Radio One's programming contains in-depth news, information and music for an older audience, Big Radio Two's programming contains music and entertainment and Big Radio Three's programming is predominantly youth-based. The broadcast frequencies given on the website is as follows: Big Radio One - 93.6 MHz, Big Radio Two - 91.5 MHz and Big Radio Three - 96.5 MHz. The website also offers live internet audio streams of Big Radio's One and Two. Source: BBC Monitoring research 21 Sep 05 (via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 2460, Radio Súper Alvorada 0044 TU, sinpo 24333, Rio Branco, música en portuguez, concierto (voz mixta). Nota: la señal llegaba con 3 de sinpo en oleadas con cierta prolongación, con tendencia a mejorar !!! 0050 música en portuguez (voz mujer) OM ID "aqui está Rádio Súper Alvorada", 9 set, ewe. 2460, Rádio Súper Alvorada, 2341 TU, sinpo 24231. OM hablando en portuguez (nota: no es tan definible por el QRM de este lluvioso, salvo ola de 2341 que superó la QRM atmosférica); 2343 ID "Súper Rádio Alvorada" (ola de 2 minutos aproximado), 10 set ewe. (Héctor Álvaro Gutiérrez, desde Lima, Perú, Conexión Digital Sept 24 via DXLD) That`s ZYF204, 2460, 1 kW in Acre, not too far form Perú (gh, DXLD) ** BRAZIL. BRASIL – Uma notícia boa e outra ruim envolvendo a Rádio Gazeta, de São Paulo (SP)! A emissora voltou a ser sintonizada na freqüência de 5955 kHz, em 49 metros. A constatação é do Leandro Renato, de Paulínea (SP), editor do sítio www.soradio.blogspot.com. O colunista também ouviu a emissora, em 23 de setembro, às 0354. O ruim é que, tanto o Leandro como o colunista, constataram que a emissora está irradiando programação musical em estilo sertanejo. Nada contra tal tipo de música, mas não deveria ser a atitude de uma estação que pertence a uma entidade de ensino que possui, inclusive, faculdade de jornalismo. Não poderiam dar espaços aos alunos sedentos por trabalhar na emissora? BRASIL – Apesar de mencionar que continua emitindo em 25 metros, faz algum tempo que a Rádio Clube Paranaense, de Curitiba (PR), não é sintonizada, no Sul do Brasil, em 11935 kHz. A constatação é do colunista. BRASIL – Faz muito tempo que a Rádio Timbira, de São Luís (MA), desativou suas freqüências em ondas curtas. A emissora, no entanto, não desistiu de voltar a transmitir, no futuro, em 4975 e 15215 kHz. Conforme informações prestadas pela direção da emissora a Paulo Roberto e Souza, de Tefé (AM), há a possibilidade da Timbira voltar a emitir, em ondas curtas, a partir de janeiro de 2006. Por enquanto, a estação pode ser sintonizada, em 1290 kHz, em ondas médias. A direção está a cargo de Raimundo Filho. O endereço postal é o seguinte: Rádio Timbira, Avenida Jerônimo de Albuquerque, 73, Cohafuma, CEP: 65071- 750, São Luís (MA). (Célio Romais, Panorama, @tividade DX Sept 25 via DXLD) ** CANADA. LACK OF REGIONAL PROGRAMMING FRUSTRATES RURAL AREAS AS CBC LOCKOUT CONTINUES HALIFAX (CP) - For the isolated rural communities that dot Labrador's east coast, most of which aren't even connected by roads, the CBC is their only outside broadcast link. But since the lockout at the public broadcaster began Aug. 15, residents in these towns and villages have been without regional news, detailed weather forecasts and vital information about flight schedules. . . http://money.canoe.ca/News/Sectors/Media/2005/09/25/1235209-cp.html (via Andy Sennitt, dxldyg via DXLD) ** CANADA. MOTHERCORP IS ADRIFT --- AS MANAGEMENT OFTEN DEMONSTRATES, AN INFLEXIBLE WORKFORCE IS THE LEAST OF CBC'S PROBLEMS Anthony Germain, Citizen Special, September 23, 2005 http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/news/opinion/story.html?id=af8be172-1b01-415b-872c-fb3af9be66d7 CREDIT: The Canadian press [caption] AS IT HAPPENS: Before this lockout, most of the CBC employees I know were reasonable, well-meaning people willing to walk the extra mile for intelligent broadcasting projects. Managers should realize how the lockout is changing the workforce. For the first time in my life, I'm walking around in circles, carrying a placard bearing the words "Locked Out." Since the MPs are about to head back to the Hill amidst cries of "Shut down the CBC!" and this conflict has entered its second month, it's time someone explained what's really going on at the CBC. To outsiders, both dedicated fans and critics, it must look as if the public broadcaster has embarked on a lemming-like rush to the cliffs. On the surface, this is a battle about the alleged need for greater efficiencies. As somebody who has filed news stories for both local and network radio and television, in English and in French, I can tell you that the CBC employee of today is as flexible as an eastern European gymnast. The CBC I started working for 14 years ago had serious problems in its workforce. No doubt about it, there was deadwood, there was laziness, there was a rigid sense of entitlement that drove new, ambitious employees (and managers) out of their minds. But almost all of that has changed in the past 15 years of layoffs, firings, downsizing and retraining. The management refrain that CBC needs even more ability to contract work for reasons of "efficiency" is BS. People -- union members included -- do lose their jobs here. It's never a pleasant experience for anyone. I know because I've had to fire someone. But those kinds of changes first require the admission on the part of managers that they hired the wrong people in the first place. So when CBC management argues it needs greater flexibility to hire the right people, who among those managers is accountable for the years of apparently poor hiring decisions that led to the so-called stiff and brittle workforce kicked to the curb on Aug. 15? No manager will say, "Gee, it turns out we hired hundreds of the wrong people in the '80s and '90s," because it simply isn't true. The truth is that, regardless of the misleading stats the corporation puts into newspapers and mails to employees' homes, every CBC shop in the country has plenty of room to manoeuvre because there are many, many non-permanent people already. On the surface, this dispute is essentially about CBC employees (through the Canadian Media Guild) drawing a line in the sand, and saying: "This stops here." CBC management is saying: "No it doesn't. We need greater efficiency to compete in this difficult, competitive, broadcasting world." As an example of the management approach to "efficiency," look no further than our new $60-million building at 181 Queen St. (the building, incidentally, is not owned by CBC, but is leased from a private company). There are fundamental problems with the building. There are technical issues with soundproofing and reverberations and echoes that make us sound less than professional on the air. I have heard construction workers' voices from the next room broadcast on recorded items. Despite the insinuations by some managers that it's in our heads, it is not. Ask the other hosts because we all agree: substandard sound is on our airwaves. Complaints from the audience (E- mails and phone calls) are routinely dismissed. The workspace itself is a problem. Reporters in the main newsroom are crammed in like kindergarten students. A Toronto manager called the Ottawa building's workspace "a disgrace." She has since been fired. Think I'm exaggerating about lack of space? Ask the 100 CBC employees who work at the Carling Avenue location, completely cut-off from the new operation. They're there because the planners forgot to make room for them. Had these same managers been planning a new Tim Hortons, they would have forgotten to make room for the coffee machines and the doughnut fryers. On the personnel side, it's even worse. Earlier this year, our editor-in-chief, Tony Burman, flew to Ottawa with an assistant to put on a slide presentation about the new management structure at 181 Queen. The bosses gave the new building a director of operations, a director of outreach and two managing editors -- one for regional news coverage, one for network news. Each of these jobs carries a six-figure salary. A new director of operations, fine. Director of outreach? Nobody knows what this job is supposed to be, including, I suspect, the person who occupies it. The post of regional managing editor wasn't filled -- despite a costly competition for it. And the person chosen to be the network managing editor quit during the lockout. The current rumour is Toronto headquarters will simply appoint somebody who was never interviewed for the job. So here's what it looks like: 60-million bucks gets tossed at 181 Queen St. to produce a building that is not up to professional broadcasting standards, and nobody is running the place. The new CBC Ottawa building, like a rudderless Exxon Valdez, is symptomatic of a larger malaise. This all ties to what I promised to write about at the beginning of this article: what's really going on here. I hear it on the line; I read it in the papers. There's no point pretending it's not an issue: CBC English Television is in a crisis and it has been for some time. It's awkward as an employee -- and God knows, as a union "brother" -- to utter this phrase, but it happens to be true. Within CBC, the new Ottawa building has become a temple to the only solution managers have come up with to "fix" CBC television. The management mantra is "integration," a business model that failed 10 years ago at the BBC. What's actually happening is this: a relatively healthy body (radio) has been hooked up to a much bigger and, unfortunately, seriously ill patient (television) for a blood transfusion. Initially, this gives the ailing patient a burst of vitality. The doctors (CBC management) who prescribed the treatment even interpret the chart as a recovery in the making. But TV's ailment is such that it requires the infusion more and more. Radio is slowly drained of its stamina. Some managers have told me if this "hostile takeover" doesn't work, well that's it for the CBC. I don't raise this schism between radio and TV to injure my friends in either television or radio. They are very talented people -- some of the best journalists and writers in the country. I draw attention to this because they have been -- all of us have been -- disappointed by an inability of the leadership of this corporation to help us keep public broadcasting relevant. We certainly try to keep it relevant, and by "we," I mean the thousands of locked-out workers who believe in the concept of public broadcasting. On television, think about Politics with Don Newman, Marketplace, Hockey Night in Canada or On the Road Again. And on the radio side, consider The House (I am not modest), Ottawa Morning (told ya!), As It Happens, The Sunday Edition, Cross-Country Checkup, Go!, The Current. Think about Peter Mansbridge's mastery during live coverage of breaking events (9/11, election night, the tsunami). Consider the infuriating wit of a Rex Murphy commentary; the dissection of a disingenuous guest by Anna-Maria Tremonti, or -- master and mentor to so many of us -- the intellectual heft and personalized eloquence of Michael Enright. If you think the talented people above, and the people behind the scenes who make them shine, can be brought to you by private broadcasters, all I can say is, I disagree. The problem is Canadians are starting to notice this lockout and they are asking themselves: "Hmmmmmm, do I miss the CBC, or don't I?" By locking us out, CBC managers have demonstrated an appalling ignorance of tactics, strategy and purpose in this conflict. Their knowledge about the movement of public opinion is like Col. Custer's understanding of the flight of arrows. The decision to lock us out has endangered the survival of public broadcasting in this country. I earn a good salary for a job I love to do. I'm a permanent employee, and I certainly know that I can be replaced in an instant. There isn't much in this labour battle for me, personally. Certainly, there's no financial gain. But there is a principle at play, the kind of ideal that makes you think about ending one career, and beginning a new one, and it's a simple one: this lockout is unjust and unreasonable. In the last few weeks, my co-workers and I have discovered that walking a line does wonders for the buttocks. Before this lockout, most of the employees I knew were reasonable, well-meaning people who were willing to walk an extra mile for intelligent CBC projects. Should we come back, whenever that may be, managers should realize what their lockout has done to the work force. From what I can tell, the CBC has created more than 5,000 hard asses. Anthony Germain is the locked-out host of Ottawa Morning and The House: The Week in National Politics. Locked Out and Ticked Off © The Ottawa Citizen 2005 (via Ricky Leong, DXLD) ** CANADA. RCI 13655 was back on, Sept 26 around 1304 but not up to its usual strength (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. Frequency change for China Radio International in French: 1600-1657 NF 11690#KAS 500 kW / 308 deg to WeEu, ex 17650 1700-1757 NF 11690*KAS 500 kW / 308 deg to WeEu, ex 7350 #co-channel BBC Swahili/Kirundi via MEY 500 kW / 007 degrees + R. Jordan English till 1630 --- *co-channel BBC Hindi/Urdu via NAK 250 kW / 280 degrees (Observer, Bulgaria, Sept 26 via DXLD) ** CHINA [non]. RUSSIA(non): Frequency changes for China Radio International via Russian transmitters from Sep. 4: 1600-1657 Arabic NF 7130 S.P 400 kW / 145 deg, ex 12065 1800-1827 Persian NF 7130 S.P 400 kW / 145 deg, ex 12065 1830-1927 Arabic NF 7200 MSK 200 kW / 190 deg, ex 12035 (Observer, Bulgaria, Sept 26 via DXLD) ** CUBA. Glenn, mail recibido de Arnie Coro referente a la transmisión en los 5055 kHz. 73 (Dino Bloise, FL, Sept 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ----Original Message Follows---- From: "Prof. Arnaldo Coro Antich" inforhc @ enet.cu Subject: Re: RHC: En 5055 kHz. Date: Sat, 24 Sep 2005 10:28:36 -0400 (Eastern Daylight Time) Estábamos probando un transmisor y como no teníamos antena disponible para los 6 MHz en ese momento, lo pusimos en 5055 kHz para cuya frecuencia sí había una antena disponible --- por cierto, sólo una humilde dipolo de banda ancha, de las conocidas como "DIPOLOS DE NADENENKO" en honor del nombre del ingeniero ruso que la hubo de crear. Para tu información, el transmisor lo teníamos en sólo 35 kilowatts de potencia, y la antena no está concebida para el servicio de radiodifusión en Banda Tropical, pues su altura sobre el suelo es excesiva para esa aplicación. En los próximos días voy a ver si hacemos otra prueba en la misma frecuencia pues resulta que afecta menos a otras estaciones en lo que al uso eventual de una frecuencia se refiere. Pregunta ??? ¿Cómo estaba el canal de 5055 kHz ese día en cuanto a estaciones adyacentes ??? (Arnie Coro, via Dino Bloise, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FRANCE [non]. 6040.00, Radio Monte Carlo --- I do not remember if it was Saturday or Friday evening but I heard a station on 6040.00 kHz with Arab talk and music and many "Radio Monte Carlo" IDs. Close down around 0320 UT. Super strong signal. What is this?? 73s (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, DX LISTENING DIGEST) At 0300-0320 that would be RMC (France) relayed via Sackville, Canada. I see it is missing from some schedules, but it is in PWBR 2005 for the summer season. It might be weekdays only, not sure. And in HFCC A- 05 tho not identified as such: 6040 0300 0330 7E,8 SAC 250 240 1234567 270305 301005 D CAN RCI RCI In the winter this switches to 0400-0420. 73, (Glenn to Björn, via DXLD) Thanks Glenn, I have never heard this ID on 6040 before and the signal was very strong so I was curious! 73s (Björn Malm, Ecuador, ibid.) Radio Monte Carlo - Moyen Orient (RMC-MO) is part of the Radio France Internationale group and produces RFI's Arabic programs (in the same Paris building as RFI), cf. WRTH 2005, pg. 511. 6040 comes via Sackville. 73s, (Bernd Truteuanu, Lithuania, ibid.) CANADA/CYPRUS On EXCHANGE service for at least a decade. RMC Arabic on 6040 kHz via Sackville CAN 250 kW 240 deg towards North American audience. 6040 0300-0330 UT zones 7E,8 SAC 250 kW 240 deg CAN RCI (alternative 9755 kHz). Exchange with RCI Montreal via RMC Cyprus mediumwave relay. 2115-2144 summer, 2215-2244 winter UT, RMC 1233 kHz MW Cyprus towards Middle East ARABIC. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) ** GERMANY. More from Germaniya --- Berlin FM: MABB now posted a press release with a list of the applicants for 87.9 and 104.1, not specified for which frequency each, but anyway MABB may also offer 104.1 (a tiny 200 watt city frequency) to failed 87.9 applicants: http://www.mabb.de/start.cfm?content=Presse&template=pressemeldungsanzeige&id=1238 Some names will perhaps be familiar from the AM/SW broadcasting scene. And Medialog / Power Radio is the venture of the former Hundert,6 director. Meanwhile he lost the right to broadcast on behalf of the busted Hundert,6 company, instead the trustee now set up an own makeshift operation from the Radio Paradiso studios. But Medialog did not accept this and now broadcasts a ``true Hundert,6`` on Zehlendorf 91.8, a frequency they actually hold for Power Radio. And so there are at present two stations called Hundert,6 on air in Berlin (or at least parts of Berlin, since 91.8 covers only parts of Berlin): The Hundert,6 of the bankrupt Hundert,6 company on 100.6 and the Hundert,6 of Medialog on 91.8. If Power Radio rings a bell: Right, the very same entrepreneur (Mr. Thimme) also runs the Kiel-based 612 kHz station and just recycled this name for his Zehlendorf FM operation (yes, the LW/MW site; the FM antenna is mounted on the 177 kHz mast). ``Bundesrepublik Deutschland``, away from the abbr.: Today this is indeed just an official term, referring to the state and the federal authorities in their entirety. Germany is usually just called Deutschland. However, if my impressions and recollections are correct this was a slow process, taking a whole decade from 1990. Another anecdote: A Soviet model of railway signalling systems called EZM (electric, centralized, small; I just can not recall the full name) also existed in a modified version for the GDR. This version was called EZMG, and the additional G meant nothing else than Germaniya. The Soviets had apparently not much hesitations to use this term, for the whole of Germany, of course. Good night, (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Sept 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY [and non]. Chris, 177 DLR (Deutschlandradio) is owned the German Federal Government, just like Deutsche Welle; Peter Senger, the head of the DRM organization is the Chief Engineer of DW. I think this is a "push to acceptance" issue. The German public practically has abandoned AM radio (LW or MW). The Megaradio commercial network project on MW failed for that reason. Chain stores don't carry many multiband radios like they did years ago, they're mostly of Asian origin and AM-FM only (no LW/SW). So DRM is an attempt to bring people back to the AM bands. DLR and DLF (Deutschlandfunk) are the only Federal networks in Germany, all other public broadcasters are state run (like Bavaria, Saar, or Brandenburg for example). DLR and DLF are carried as networks on FM as well, so the public won't miss 177 (if they even listen). Sweden turned off their LW station after they found out that only a few hundred regular listeners to 189 existed. Austria abandoned MW except for 1476, and that's mostly foreign service stuff. I read that Denmark's DR is planning to axe 234 and 1062. DRM radios are only now being rolled out, having been shown at the big IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin. Check out the radios at the following link: http://www.funkerberg.de/drm/ifa2005/index.htm but it's in German. The pictures are interesting --- note the one receiver tuned to 177. As someone who DXed 51 countries on LW/MW on my last 3 week trip over there, I have mixed feelings about it. DRM does not seem to be interested in a hybrid mode, so interference may be less over there. My receptions of DRM stations' hash on MW didn't slop as badly as HD Radio does here (Rich Toebe, Vacaville CA, IRCA via DXLD) More: see DIGITAL BROADCASTING ** GREECE [and non]. John Babbis points out that the past two weeks ERT has updated its page about the contents of the weekly English hour, Hellenes Around the World, a.k.a. Greeks Everywhere, which airs Sat 14-15 UT on 9775 via Delano, and 15630 direct, at http://www.voiceofgreece.gr/en/omogeneia_ekpompes.asp?catid=148 Trouble is, the updated page has not appeared until a few hours AFTER the broadcasts. But that`s progress (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUAM. [Re power of KSDA`s generator]: I was at your station a few weeks ago and I got the guided tour of the place. I wanted to let you know I enjoyed it very much. Thanks. I have a question and wanted to add it to my own personal notes. You mentioned the generator you was trying to give away. What was the wattage on this unit. Did you say Gigawatt or Megawatts. I was just curious on this. I for some reason remember the word 1.2 Gigawatts, just thinking of this. Again Thanks very much for the tour (Larry Fields, n6hpx/mm, San Bernadino Straits, Philippines, to Karl Forshee, AWR, via DXLD) Hi Larry, Glad you enjoyed the tour. The generator that we are selling is rated at 800 kW. Don`t think we will be giving it away.` If you are interested I can find out the selling price. Our main generator that we are using is rated at 1.3 Megawatts. Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any more questions (Karl Forshee, Engineer, AWR-Asia, Sept 26 via Fields, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Thanks again, Karl. I could of sworn I heard it at a higher wattage but no problem. I am curious about Barrigada as it`s been a site I been watching for sometime. I have been curious if there is a way to view the station there. Heard it`s government. I again as always enjoy my many visits to your station and I forgot the other guy`s name but he also was always pretty friendly as well. We will be in Singapore on Wednesday. Thanks, (Larry Fields, n6hpx/mm, to KSDA via DXLD) ** HUNGARY. (!?!), 10000, R. Budapest, 2250-2258*, Sept. 23, Vernacular, Not sure what this was doing here but noted R. Budapest over WWV with various talks between opera music. ID and IS at sign- off. Fair (Scott R. Barbour Jr., Intervale, NH, R-75, 200' Beverage antennas, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 2200 2300 HNG Radio Budapest HU Eu 6025; SAm 9850 12030 (EiBi A-05 via DXLD) ** INDIA. FAREWELL TO RAJKOT 1071 KHZ 1000 KW TRANSMITTER Dear Friends, It is now confirmed that the 1000 kW transmitter operating from Rajkot on 1071 kHz for External Services of AIR has closed down in June 2004. It started transmissions sometime around (August) 1970 and used to beam towards Pakistan and Afghanistan. They used to issue nice QSL cards. To view the one I got please click: http://www.qsl.net/vu2jos/qsls/rajkot_1071.jpg 73 (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, National Institute of Amateur Radio, dx_india via DXLD) Was still in WRTH 2005; So is India also abandoning use of 1071 kHz by any other transmitter? That`s a big hole some other country could fill. There is a 100 kW in Kazakhstan and a 10 kW in Thailand (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA [non]. KAZAKHSTAN/RUSSIA(non): Frequency changes for TWR India from Sep. 25: NF 7410 A-A 200 kW / 135 deg to SoAs, ex 11965: 2330-2400 Kokborok Sun-Thu 2345-2400 Kokborok Fri 0000-0030 Assamese Mon-Sat 0030-0045 Bengali Mon-Fri NF 9445 NVS 250 kW / 180 deg to SoAs, ex 15580: 0015-0030 Mundari Mon 0015-0030 Sadri Tue/Wed 0015-0030 Maghi Thu 0015-0030 Kurukh Fri/Sat 0030-0100 Dzonghna Sat 0030-0130 Hindi Mon-Fri 0100-0115 Newari Sat 0115-0130 Hindi Sun 0115-0145 Hindi Sat 0130-0145 Tibetan Sun (Observer, Bulgaria, Sept 26 via DXLD) ** INDONESIA. 9680, KGRE via RRI-Jakarta, 1002-1022, Sept. 25, English, Indo ballad at tune-in. KGRE sign-on at 1002 with OM. Banter between OM and YL; too weak to detail at this point. Improved a bit to note pop music at 1007 followed by jingle with "Kang Guru R. English" ID and presumed contact info at 1010. Talks resume, able to pick out a few phrases. "That`s what friends are for" at 1020 followed by mention of "Australia Aid", program hi-lites for next week and "POB 3095" contact info. RRI Indo returns at 1022 with YL mentioning KGRE, into Indo music. Poor, best using USB. Recent reports have led to speculation that reception should improve during B-05 tho PWBR 2005 shows WYFR 0800-1045 on this frequency during the winter months (Scott R. Barbour Jr., Intervale, NH, R-75, 200' Beverage antennas, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Very interesting, but KGRE is just a program on RRI, not another ``station`` being relayed. We already had the real B-05 WYFR schedule in DXLD and indeed it shows 9680 as: 9680 0145-0800 315 2 100 | 9680 0800-1100 140 13 100 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. One of the nice things about fall is the possibility of (late-) afternoon reception of Asian stations. China and India have sometimes been audible as early as August, but I didn't have any luck this season yet with Indonesia. Until today. 4925, RRI; Jambi, Sept. 26, 1549-1555, Male chants. At 1552 short piece of guitar music, followed by male speaker in Bahasa Indonesia, who gave full local ID at 1553. 24332. Receiver: ICom IC-R75; Antenna: Wellbrook ALA-1530 magnetic loop. 73 (Mark Veldhuis, the Netherlands, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAQ. AL-RAFIDAYN SATELLITE CHANNEL OBSERVED TESTING ON NILESAT Al-Rafidayn (Tigris and Euphrates) TV, a new Iraqi satellite channel, on 24 September was observed testing on the Nilesat 102 satellite, which is located at 7 degrees west and covers the Middle East, North Africa and some parts of Europe. Between 0600 gmt and 1000 gmt, the television was not observed to carry any programmes except for an on- screen animated message saying that the channel will begin its transmission "soon". The transponder information is as follows: Frequency: 11919 MHz Polarization: Horizontal Symbol Rate: 27500 FEC: 3/4 Source: BBC Monitoring research 24 Sep 05 (via DXLD) ** JAPAN. NHK has terminated its domestic SW relays. According to NHK Engineering HQ, it was decided in March and they were actually terminated by the end of May. NHK had been using the relays for almost 60 years, but satellite links and quality land lines are more reliable and convenient these days. Terminated relays are: Sapporo, 600 watts DSB on 3970, 6005 & 9535; Tokyo, 900 watts SSB on 3607.5, 6175 & 9550; Nagoya, 300 watts SSB on 3970, 6005 & 9535; Osaka, 300 watts SSB on 3373.75, 5428 & 9181; and Fukuoka, 300 watts SSB on 3259, 6130 & 9535. (Toshi Ohtake, Japan, JSWC via REVIEW OF THE DX PRESS/DXplorer via Ron Howard, CA, dxldyg via DXLD) This is indeed sad news. I was beginning to wonder about them, as I have not heard even a whisper from Sapporo on 6005, Osaka on 3373.5(U) nor Tokyo on 3607.5(U) during random checking during the last few months, which is unusual. Sapporo and Tokyo were the most frequently hear when they were on and Osaka not as much as the others. My last reception for Osaka (JOBB NHK-2 programming) was back on March 19th, with English language lessons from 0931 to 1017 UT. They will be missed. Back in the 1970's I first came across Osaka on 3377.5 kHz, in USB, with 300 watts, and got hooked on these low powered relay stations. They were among my favorites. They may be gone, but I will always have some good memories of their programming and some nice QSL's (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Surprising these anachronisms lasted as long as they did (gh, DXLD) ** JORDAN. Even more QRM for 11690: see CHINA (gh) ** KURDISTAN [non?]. CLANDESTINE, 3970.6, Voice of Iranian Kurdistan (tentative), 0256 - 0302, Sep 25, Kurdo, Female announcer, comments, 22232 (jamming). 6335, Voice of Iraqi Kurdistan, 0247 - 0250, Sep 25, Kurdo, Musical Program and comments, Female announcer mention Kurdistan, 34433 (Nicolás Eramo, Chascomús DX Camp, Argentina, RECEIVER: SONY ICF 2010, ANTENNA: LONG WIRE 32 mts, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KURDISTAN [non]. SAUDI ARABIA TO CONSIDER TURKISH CALL TO BAR KURDISH ROJ TV ON ARABSAT | Text of report by Turkish NTV television's NTV Online website on 23 September Ankara: On Thursday [22 September], Denmark rejected a request to revoke the broadcasting rights of Roj TV, saying the network does not breach Danish laws. Ankara wants to have Roj TV, which currently broadcasts on Arabsat, taken off the air. Turkey has complained that the station, which broadcasts into Turkey, carried propaganda for the PKK [Kurdistan Workers' Party] and also airs reports on Turkish troop movements in the south-east of the country, hindering anti-terrorist operations. The Saudi Arab[ian] authorities are to investigate the request, as Roj TV has started using Arabsat to expand its broadcast coverage into the Middle East. Source: NTV Online website, Istanbul, in English 23 Sep 05 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** KURE ATOLL. KH7. After being behind schedule in getting on the air due to the challenges of unloading equipment because of heavy seas, the K7C team is on the air! However, they are having difficulties with their ISP over the operation of the DXA Web page. The K7C Web page on Sunday, states: "We have slimmed down DXA to focus only on the logging functions due to excessive server loads. After talking a few hours to sleep and catch their breath this morning, K7C will be back on the air around 2000-2100z. We will be adding the lost QSOs to the DXA log. PLEASE REST ASSURED that if your contact was confirmed by a K7C operator over the air, and it currently doesn't show up on DXA, it is in the log and it will appear on DXA in the near future after we have resolved these issues. Thanks so much for all the wonderful emails of support we have been receiving." As this was being written, it seems K7C has been active on 30/17 meters CW and 20 meters CW/SSB. From their Web site, the following are a selected set of primary operating frequencies. They are selected to avoid conflict with other possible operations and to be on or near the standard frequencies used by major DXpeditions. The following is indicative of these frequencies, but is only provisional. THIS LIST IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. They will make every effort to avoid interfering with emergency communications related to the hurricane disaster on the gulf coast. Please work with them to adapt to the location conditions, and advise them if they are in conflict with emergency service communications. CW - 1826.5, 3522, 7022, 10106, 14022, 18072, 21022, 24892, 28022 kHz SSB - 3795, 7095, 14195, 18145, 21295, 24945 and 28475 kHz RTTY - 7035, 10135, 18105, 21085 and 28085 kHz 6 Meter - 50106 kHz CW/SSB The K7C Web site: http://www.cordell.org/htdocs/KURE/ The DXA Web site: http://www.cordell.org/DXA (KB8NW/OPDX/BARF80 via Dave Raycroft, ODXA via DXLD) ** MEXICO. XEQOO R. Pirata, 1050 kHz Cancún: Now 'Imagen 1050' I`m not sure when the change happened, and if this has already been reported, please excuse me. Lightning struck one of the main powerlines in my country last night. Of course, the first thing to do in such a case, is to run to the portable and scan the MW band. I did so, and found lots of strong Cubans, Guatemalans, Nicaraguans, Salvadorians and Mexicans on the dial. Slightly better reception than usual, perhaps due only to the lack of RF pollution (the black-out left the whole country in the dark for 2 hours), because I couldn`t hear any of the Colombians or Caribbeans that come in when propagation is better. The usually strong XEQOO on 1050 from Cancún was even stronger last night, but it has changed format. It is no longer called Radio Pirata, but ``Imagen 1050`` and the programming originates in Mexico City. It consists of mostly talk: news, sports, politics. And they have a program in English at 1030 and 0400 UT. The station is now operated by the ``Imagen Informativa`` network. Their web page is at http://www.imagen.com.mx/ Best 73 (Elmer D. Escoto, San Pedro Sula, HONDURAS, Sept 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Here`s the page about English, which is news, apparently on the entire Imagen network, cities covered listed at the bottom. It seems there are two different programs in English, but this page is vague and contradictory about it: http://www.imagen.com.mx/news/ Ana María Salazar WELCOME TO IMAGEN NEWS! Anamaria @ imagen.com.mx Every day at 11:00 PM and 5:30 AM [meaning 5:30 is a repeat?] Do you know what is happening in Mexico? Looking for a news program that will provide you the latest and most relevant news in English about Mexico? Welcome to IMAGEN News, the only nationwide daily radio news program about Mexico. Anchored by Ana María Salazar, also the host of ``Living in Mexico``, IMAGEN News will provide you a concise summary of the daily political, financial and sports news in Mexico. We also provide you with in-depth analysis by interviewing government officials, analysts, academics, and business leaders who will give you their opinions about the latest in Mexico. There are four ways to listen to "Living in Mexico": Tune in to your local IMAGEN Radio Station. Click on the square above were it says ``audio`` during the time this show is transmitted (everyday at 11:00 PM and 5:30 AM .) Listen to prior transmissions through RealPlay Or download to your I-POD or MP3 prior transmissions WHO IS ANA MARIA SALAZAR? The host of ``Imagen News`` Ana María Salazar, is a recognized international law and national security expert on Latin America. She is a popular speaker at business and academic forums regarding these issues and writes a weekly column for El Universal, and other major Mexican newspapers. In addition to ``Imagen News`` Ana María also hosts ``Imagen News`` [sic] a daily news program, also in English. She is the author of two books: ``La Guerras que Vienen`` (Aguilar/Nuevo Siglo 2003) and ``Seguridad Nacional Hoy. El Reto de las Democracias`` (Aguilar/Nuevo Siglo 2002). Ms. Salazar received her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1989 and a B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley in 1986. Between June 1998 and January 2001, Ms. Salazar served at the Pentagon as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Drug Enforcement Policy and Support. As a result of her efforts at the Pentagon, Ms. Salazar was recognized by Hispanic Business Magazine as one of the 100 most influential Hispanic Americans in the United States. Prior to joining the Pentagon, Ms. Salazar served at the White House as Policy Advisor for President Clinton`s Special Envoy for the Americas in 1998 and from March 1995 to June 1997, she served in the U.S. State Department`s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. Ms. Salazar has also worked and lived in Latin America. In Colombia she served as the Judicial Attaché at the United States Embassy in Bogotá, coördinating evidence and information requests between the United States and the relevant Colombian agencies. She also has supervised multi-million dollar projects designed to improve the administration of justice in Colombia and Guatemala. She is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts and in the District of Columbia and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. [Then we find a separate page about Living in Mexico, which is on Sat & Sun at 1500 UT:] WELCOME TO ``LIVING IN MEXICO`` ``Living in Mexico`` is a weekly English language news program, that provides a summary of the most relevant economic, sport, and political news, keeping its listeners up to date on relevant and pressing issues in Mexico. In addition to a detailed news summary, ``Living in Mexico`` provides an in-depth analysis by interviewing Mexico’s most authoritative voices on issues affecting life in Mexico. There are four ways to listen to "Living in Mexico": Tune in to your local IMAGEN Radio Station. Click on the square above were it says ``audio`` during the time this show is transmitted (Saturday and Sunday at 10:00 AM) Listen to prior transmissions through RealPlay. Or download to your I-POD or MP3 prior transmissions. [Imagen network in order by states, which are not mentioned]: Aguascalientes, Ensenada, Mexicali, Tijuana, La Paz, Ciudad del Carmen, Ciudad Acuña, Monclova, Torreón, Saltillo, Colima, Comitán, Tapachula, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chihuahua, Ciudad Hidalgo Parral, Ciudad Jiménez, Ciudad Juárez, Area Metropolitana, Durango, Celaya, Guanajuato, Irapuato, León, Salamanca, Acapulco, Chilpancingo, Pachuca, La Barca, Guadalajara, Toluca, Apatzingán, Lázaro Cárdenas, Morelia, Zamora, Cuernavaca, Tepic, Montemorelos, Monterrey, Oaxaca, Puebla, Querétaro, Cancún, Ciudad Valles, San Luis Potosí, Culiacán, Mazatlán, Agua Prieta, Ciudad Obregón, Hermosillo, Nogales, Puerto Peñasco, Villahermosa, Matamoros, Miguel Alemán, Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa, Tampico, Tlaxcala, Coatzacoalcos, Córdoba, Jalapa, Martínez de la Torre, Poza Rica, Veracruz, Mérida, Zacatecas [Here is the complete list of stations with frequencies, AM & FM:] http://www.imagen.com.mx/afiliados/estados/lista.php Key station in DF is XEDA 90.5, which I have DXed a number of times. But what about the parts of México on MDT & PDT? Are the shows delayed one and two hours there, or live on the network at the same absolute time countrywide?? In any event, with the demise of XERMX and the lack of commitment to broadcasts in English on XEPPM, it looks like Imagen becomes a defacto external service; too bad none of its affiliates are on SW (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MONACO [non]. See FRANCE [non] ** MYANMAR. Woman speaking Burmese at 1315 Sept 26 on 5985.9, with a slight het from 5985.0; Yangon weak and will not hold up yet as late as 1430 for English (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA [non]. U.K.(non): Salama Radio Inter in Hausa/English to Nigeria via VT Comm: 1930-2030 Wed/Sun on 11885 WOF 300 kW / 180 deg, cancelled from Sep. 14 (Observer, Bulgaria, Sept 26 via DXLD) ** PARAGUAY. See BOLIVIA [and non] ** PERU. Monday edition: 6895.412, La Voz del Campesino unknown QTH (Peru) I still don´t know the QTH of La Voz del Campesino on 6895.412 kHz (see 19/9 2005). The station was again on air last night. This time many greetings and "comunicados" to people in the town of "Moyobamba" The recording is made one hour before the earthquake last night 2055 local time. Moyobamba was the city most affected where 60% of the houses were damaged or destroyed (said by Radio Colón, Quito this morning). The earthquake measured "7" on the Richter Scale and was felt also in southern and western Ecuador. Comments, photos and recordings at: http://www.malm-ecuador.com 73s (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, Sept 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WRTH 2005 says: 6957v, R. La Voz de [sic] Campesino, Huarmaca, Av. San Francisco de Assisi s/n, Huarmaca, Prov. De Huancabamba, Depto de Piura, while they have the 6895 station instead as R. San Miguel, San Miguel de El Faique, with an address in a place called Pampa Alegra [sic]. PWBR 2005 more or less agrees with these identities, so have they swapped frequencies, or what? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. Frequency changes for Voice of Russia effective from Sep 4: 1500-1530 Albanian NF 9470, ex 15290 1700-1800 Arabic NF 7130, ex 12065 1700-1900 Arabic NF 9470, ex 9835 1830-1900 Arabic NF 7130, ex 12065 1900-2000 Bulgarian NF 6000, ex 9470 1000-1300 Chinese NF 9470, ex 12000 1400-1900 Commonwealth NF 7440, ex 9820 1700-1900 Commonwealth NF 7425, ex 12055 1745-1830 Czech NF 5940, NF 7420, ex 15350, 11745 1700-1745 Hungarian NF 5940, NF 7420, ex 15350, 11745 0100-0500 English WS NF 7180, ex 9665 0300-0500 English WS NF 5900, ex 9880 1400-1500 English WS NF 6205, ex 12055 1500-1600 English WS NF 9810, NF 11980, ex 15455, 12040 1800-1900 English WS NF 9480, ex 11630 + additional 9820 2000-2100 English WS NF 7310, NF 7330, ex 12070, 15455 1700-1800 English WS NF 7390, NF 9820, ex 9480, 11675 Sat/Sun 1700-1730 Finnish NF 7390, NF 9820, ex 9480, 11675 Mon-Fri 1600-1800 French NF 7310, NF 9810, NF 11980, ex 12070, 15455, 12040 1800-2000 French NF 7330, NF 12070, ex 7310, 12000 1500-1700 German NF 7380, ex 9795 1800-1900 German NF 7380, additional 1800-1900 Greek NF 6000, NF 7230, ex 9470, 12015 1700-1800 Italian NF 12060, ex 11840 1730-1800 Norwegian NF 7390, NF 9820, ex 9480, 11675 Tue/Thu 1700-1800 Polish NF 11630, ex 11980 2000-2030 Portuguese NF 9480, ex 11630 2300-2400 Portuguese NF 7390, ex 12010 1600-1700 Romanian NF 5940, ex 15350 0100-0300 Russian WS NF 5900, NF 7260, ex 9880, 12070 1500-1600 Russian WS NF 7130, ex 15440 1700-1800 Russian WS NF 9480, ex 11630 1900-2000 Russian WS NF 7420, NF 9480, ex 11745, 11630 1900-2100 Russian WS NF 7425, ex 12055 1530-1700 Serbian NF 9470, NF 12060, ex 15290, 11840 1830-1900 Slovak NF 5940, NF 7420, ex 15350, 11745 0000-0100 Spanish NF 7180, ex 9665 0000-0200 Spanish NF 7390, ex 12010 2030-2100 Spanish NF 9480, ex 11630 1730-1800 Swedish NF 7390, NF 9820, ex 9480, 11675 Mon/Wed/Fri (Observer, Bulgaria, Sept 26 via DXLD) ** SYRIA. SYRIA LICENSES TWO PRIVATE RADIO STATIONS | Text of report in English by Syrian News Agency SANA website Damascus, 26 September: Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-Itri issued a decision on Monday [26 September] licensing of Sawt al-Ghad Company, Syria, to establish a private audio commercial radio called "Syria al- Ghad". He also issued a decision authorizing the Style Company FM to establish a private audio commercial radio named "Style FM". Source: SANA news agency website, Damascus in English 26 Sep 05 (via BBCM via DXLD) WTFK? ** SYRIA. SHAM SATELLITE CHANNEL BEGINS TEST TRANSMISSION ON ARABSAT A new Syrian satellite channel, Sham TV, on 24 September was observed testing on Arabsat 2D satellite, which is located at 25.8 degrees east and covers the Middle East, North Africa and some parts of Europe. Apart from a video showing various sites in Damascus, which is repeated throughout the day, the television was not observed to carry any programmes. In an interview with London Al-Hayat newspaper, Akram al-Jundi, a member of the Syrian People's Assembly, said that Sham TV seeks to present a "purposeful media message" to its viewers. He adds that the channel will begin transmission following the month of Ramadan. Al-Jundi said he wants to make his channel a platform for all Syrians to express their opinions by participating in political talk shows and other programmes, including a programme that will shed light on all 38 Syrian political parties, including those which are not licensed, and a programme entitled "The Other Angle". Al-Jundi added that he hopes to obtain an approval from the Syrian government to air Friday sermons in order to "confront the television stations that promote suicidal and takfiri [labelling other Muslims as infidels] thoughts. Why do we not present a moderate, enlightened Islam away from adopting extremism and fanaticism and issuing unacceptable fatwas [Islamic rulings]?" Al-Jundi added that the channel will transmit its programmes via satellite from Damascus to Dubai, from where it will be broadcast to the whole world. Sham TV transmits via the following transponder: Frequency: 12597 MHz Polarization: Vertical Symbol Rate: 27500 FEC: 3/4 Source: BBC Monitoring research 24 Sep 05 (via DXLD) ** U K [non]. Frequency change for BBC in Azeri: 1700-1730 NF 11855 SKN 300 kW / 090 deg, ex 11665 RMP 500 kW / 076 deg \\ 5875 CYP 250 kW / 047 deg and 9570 CYP 250 kW / 057 deg Cancelled transmission for BBC in Russian in DRM mode: 1800-1900 on 15215 RMP 035 kW / 061 deg to RUS (Observer, Bulgaria, Sept 26 via DXLD) ** U K [non]. Frequency change for TWR Africa in Amharic via VT Communications: 1800-1830 Mon-Fri 1800-1845 Sat/Sun NF 12035 DHA 250 kW / 225 deg, ex 11810, re-ex 12035 (Observer, Bulgaria, Sept 26 via DXLD) DHA = UAE ** U S A. ``Columbia, Gem of the Ocean`` --- bring it back as VOA`s IS and theme tune! Yes, that was used for many years until replaced by Yankee Doodle, so that VOA would not sound so serious or, dare I say it, majestic? The song was just played this weekend by the Enid Symphony Orchestra as part of the medley of patriotic tunes within ``American Patrol`` by F. W. Meachum, for which I have a special fondness as some music I learned to play on the piano almost a semi- century ago. The ESO only puts on a half-dozen concerts per year, and many of the players are drawn from elsewhere in the state, not to mention temps in town thanks to Vance AFB, but ``The Night Sousa Came to Town`` (he performed here four times, actually, in the 20s and 30s), was a performance worthy of a much larger city and orchestra, excellently done to a full house, kudos to Douglas Newell, Music Director, as were the interspersed operatic favorites sung by guest soprano Maria Ferrante, from Boston. If you get a chance to hear her perform, don`t miss it! I bet I was the only audience member to associate C,GOTO with VOA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. /CZECH REP. (non): Additional RFE/RL changes: 0300-0400 Azeri on 9855 cancelled 0500-0600 Georgian on 9855 cancelled 1400-1500 Armenian on 9790 cancelled 1400-1500 Georgian on 15255 cancelled 1400-1500 Kazakh NF 15255, ex 15455 \\ 4995 15355 1400-1500 Tajik NF 9790, ex 17670 \\ 15370 15725 1500-1600 Azeri on 15160 cancelled (Observer, Bulgaria, Sept 26 via DXLD) ** U S A. Rod Hembree is becoming a cash cow for US SW stations, and even DX publications, as Brother Scare fades away. The Sept Listening In of the ODXA includes a full-page advertisement (as acknowledged) made up mostly of Hembree`s ``commentary`` on the BBC, but also plugs his schedule. Trouble is, at least two of the frequencies, if not the times, are obviously wrong, for Good Friends Radio Network: 1300-0100 on 9470, and 5101 at 0200-0500. Now, there is no US station on 9470; what could that be, really? Maybe plans to go on DTK? 5101 I guess means WBCQ 5105, tho his current schedule is different, such as 2100- 2300 on 17495. Beware of clicking on http://www.thestreamtv.com which launches gospel-huxtering audio automatically from an embedded player. I finally found a page giving SW schedule, http://www.thestreamtv.com/1250/radio_006.htm and see that ``9470`` must refer to WINB, actually on 9740. Geez, he can`t even publish his own frequency usage correctly, so how can anyone believe that he is qualified to inform us about God? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WWL, URBONO via WHRI is partly back on previous schedule, which was deleted last week from both websites, and remains deleted as of 2300 UT Sept 26, just ``5835 M-F at 12-14, and 15285 M-F at 14- 20``. UT Mon Sept 26, confirmed on 5835 after 0500; on 11785 at 1305, and on 15285 after 1400, and still going when again checked before 2000. However, 9840 was not on at 2300 check; it had been on the original URBONO schedule at 22-24. But 15285 was still on with WHR programming at that hour, as it had been scheduled before URBONO relay began (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. There are reliable rumors to the effect that some New Orleans stations may be suspending operations around the time you read this. Hundreds of thousands of Crescent City residents have spread throughout the country; some don't intend to return. Bâton Rouge became Louisiana's largest city in a matter of hours. It seems unlikely to me that any station would stop broadcasting outright. I would not, however, be surprised to see one or more stations become semi-satellites of Bâton Rouge outlets, as appears to have already happened with WGNO. Could one or more New Orleans stations move to Bâton Rouge? (not an easy task, but who knows?) Good DX! (Doug Smith, Oct VHF-UHF Digest via DXLD) ** U S A. CHRISTIAN MINISTRY SETS UP EMERGENCY RADIO STATION NEAR NEW ORLEANS The Midland, West Texas-based Blessings For Obedience (BFO) Ministry has installed a 250-watt FM radio transmitter aboard the Friend Ships Ministries' relief ship Hope near New Orleans. BFO has been granted an FCC emergency radio station licence which, according to Kelly Coleman, BFO president and co-founder, is "the first licence ever issued for a temporary emergency-relief FM radio station." The New Orleans station, Radio Hope, bears the call letters KS5XAE and operates 18 hours a day on 107.9 FM. BFO has provided 800 pocket-size, solar-powered radio receivers, tuned to 107.9 MHz to receive Radio Hope's broadcasts, for distribution to hurricane victims who are still in New Orleans and Gretna and who are without power to operate their own radios. The solar-powered radios were donated to BFO by Galcom International and the Canadian government. Kelly Coleman says that since it was set up in 1986, BFO has installed FM and AM radio broadcast stations for missionaries in remote areas of the world, such Central America, South America, Africa and elsewhere. BFO sent a radio engineer and equipment to build FM radio stations in Indonesia following the December 2004 tsunami and earthquake, Coleman said. (Source: Midland Reporter Telegram) Blessings for Obedience http://blessingsforobedience.homestead.com/HOME.html Friend Ships Ministries http://www.friendships.org/ # posted by Andy @ 11:46 UT Sept 26 (Media Network blog via DXLD) More North Korean tactics of fixed-tuned radios. Hit `em while they`re down. Thou Shalt Have No Other God (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. I am not sure why, but KATC [ch 3 Lafayette LA] has had no end of trouble --- they had just decided to try streaming last week, just in time for Rita, and Friday night, the webmaster apologized, saying there was something wrong with it, the feed had to be constantly rebooted --- it was off most of the night. Then, once they'd got that running on Saturday morning, their studio phones went out! They had set up some local forums on their site for people to trade messages, and THOSE went down. The webmaster had been on camera talking about setting up a place where people could upload their storm photos instead of trying to forward them to the station e-mail -he did, and then not long after, IT went down! As I write this, their streaming video is again out - "For updates" - and they say it should return "some time this morning". Here at the house, our cable video was out most of the day yesterday, so we watched that for part of the day. They had nothing but hurricane coverage. Don't you have relatives in Eunice? Have you heard from them? I've been on that KATC forum, and there's a lady from Eunice on there that's been giving info and updates about that area (Lynn Hollerman, Lafayette, LA, Sept 25, ABDX via DXLD) ** U S A. FCC ANNOUNCES RELIEF PLAN FOR BROADCASTERS AFFECTED BY HURRICANE RITA | Text of press release from the US Federal Communications Commission on 24 September Washington, DC: In response to the devastation of Hurricane Rita, the Federal Communications Commission's Media Bureau today released two Public Notices that provide relief to Multichannel Video Programming Distributors (MVPDs), television and radio broadcasters by allowing systems and stations to operate and restore communications as needed in areas impacted by Hurricane Rita. In light of the possible extensive damage to businesses and homes in the Gulf Coast region, and the essential need for broadcast services to the residents of the region, the FCC will provide additional assistance on an expedited basis to MVPDs and broadcast stations in order to get the systems and stations back on the air as quickly as possible. The Notices give all requests for temporary facilities or modification to existing facilities expedited processing. The provisions for broadcasting emergency information are presumed to be in effect. For television and radio stations, the Notice provides the following: - Special Temporary Authority (STA) - Requests for STAs will be handled as expeditiously as possible. - Emergency Antennas - The Commission rules permits FM and TV stations to erect temporary antennas without prior authority from the FCC. Also allows AM stations to use a horizontal or vertical wire or a non- directional vertical element of a directional antenna as an emergency antenna. The Commission waives the requirement that licensees notify the Commission within 24 hours of commencement of operations employing these antennas. - AM Nighttime Operations - The Commission rules permits AM stations to use their full daytime facilities during nighttime hours to broadcast emergency information, provided all operation is conducted on a noncommercial basis. - Limited and Discontinued Operations - The Commission waives current rule on notification time period and will accept notifications within 30 days and requests to remain silent within 60 days of the discontinuance of operations. - Tolling of Broadcast Station Construction Permit Deadlines - Upon request, a permittee of a broadcast station located within a Federal Disaster Area will be provided an additional 90 days to complete construction. For Cable Television Relay Service (CARS) stations, the Notice will begin expedited procedures for STAs for temporary facilities or modification to existing facilities for restoration of services. Operation under CARS STAs may commence immediately upon local coordination. Notification to the FCC shall be made within 48 hours and subject to ratification or modification by the FCC's Media Bureau. All requests for emergency operation must be coordinated with local frequency coordinators and interference protection to state and local emergency and public safety services must be made. Also, compliance by MVPDs with many of the technical requirements of Part 76, Subpart K of the Rules will be waived for 90 days. (See the accompanying Public Notice for details). Bureau staff will provide expeditious service and coordination with MVPDs for Part 76 waiver requests or other assistance. Source: Federal Communications Commission press release, Washington, in English 24 Sep 05 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** U S A. MEDIA FIRMS CATCHING UP TO HISPANIC MARKET --- A Media General tabloid will join its Spanish-language products in the Tampa Bay area, where a growing population has been served by small companies. By ERIC DEGGANS, Times Op/Ed Columnist Published September 25, 2005 TAMPA - Experts sometimes call it the "sleeping giant," an offhand reference to the growing political and economic power of Hispanics in the United States. But on the subject of large media companies bringing Spanish-language products to the Tampa Bay area, it's the corporations that may have been asleep, mostly ignoring a segment of the population whose numbers and buying power expand tremendously each year. No more. Three years after Time Warner Cable (now known as Bright House Networks) established the Spanish-language digital news channel Bay News 9 en Espanol, a flurry of major media companies are poised to enter the market - mining the area's surging Hispanic population as others courted Hispanic consumers in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando years ago. . . http://www.sptimes.com/2005/09/25/Business/Media_firms_catching_.shtml (via Terry Krueger, DXLD) ** U S A. Here's a question for everyone here. What's the most interesting catch you've made as a spur or harmonic? (Rick Lewis, AZ, Sept 18, amfmtvdx at qth.net via DXLD) Any given night I can usually find at least one BCB harmonic between 2 and 3 MHz. Graveyard stations seem more likely to be guilty! Probably the *strangest* I heard was in Madison, Wis. There was a weak signal on 96.6 FM with top-40 music. A bit more tuning around, and I heard the same station on 99.6. Figured it was a receiver spur of one of the locals -- but grabbing another receiver, I couldn't find the same music on any other local FM station. Left the spur on to wait for an ID. Then, I had an idea. Took the second receiver, and tuned it to *AM*. Sure enough: found the 96.6 & 99.6 stations were WISM 1480 AM! My theory: at that time, the WISM-FM 98.1 transmitter was in the same building as the WISM-AM 1480 transmitter.[0] The AM RF was riding into the FM exciter and modulating that exciter at 1480 kHz. The varying-amplitude 1480 kHz modulation caused the creation of extra sidebands, 1.48 MHz either side of the 98.1 carrier and with the AM audio. At least, that's a guess... [0] 98.1 FM is now WMGN from a different site. 1480 AM is now WLMV, and WTDY-1670 is their X-band side – (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66, http://www.w9wi.com ibid.) Hi, Doug, I observed similar mixing products in the Dalles, Oregon, where KMCQ (104.5), running 100 kW from a mountaintop transmitter site that got into _everything), mixed with KODL (1460.) Had it on every receiver from most places in town (Rick Lewis, amfmtvdx at qht.net via DXLD) I have noticed this in a number of different places, when an FM station is co-located with an AM (even on the very same tower). The mixing product of the FM frequency plus the AM frequency is always within 1.7 MHz of the FM frequency, but since it is AM, or partially AM, it`s suppressed on an FM receiver, more audible the cheaper the receiver is. When KCRC Enid was on 96.9 and 1.39 MHz, we had the mix on 98.29 a few miles from the three-towers, upon one of which the FM antenna was mounted. Then 96.9 moved to a site outside of town, and then moved again halfway to OKC, and 98.29 was covered up anyway by a local gospel-huxter translator on 98.30 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. [KYW 1060 Philadelphia was unexpectedly off the air one night recently; word quickly spread on the about-to-be-defunct NRC-AM list and DXers went after new stations on that temporarily open frequency. WBIX is licensed to Natick MA with 40 kW daytime, 22 kW critical hours] WBIX at 1:50 AM [EDT = UT - 4] on Saturday --- By chance, I was listening to WBIX around that time. (I live in Arlington -- right near the Lexington line about 16 miles from the WBIX night site. The night signal here is around 2.5 mV/m). KYW was not in evidence under WBIX, which was a VERY unusual circumstance at night on 1060 in these parts and I presumed KYW to be off, but I didn't find out that I had presumed correctly until I read Rene's post this morning. WBIX would like everybody to think that they mostly run business news/talk, but the station really runs brokered time whenever possible and most anybody who is willing to meet their price gets on the air. During the day, there are as many hours of brokered health and fitness programs as there are of business-related shows. At night, they carry programs from networks owned by station owner Alex Langer. These networks include CRN (Cable Radio Network and NRN (National Radio Network). From 4:00 AM to 8:00 AM M-F, WBIX carries Doug Stephan, who I believe is syndicated by Liberty Broadcasting, which I believe used to be RadioAmerica or something like that. From 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM M- F, they run a CRN/NRN show on food and restaurants usually hosted by a guy named Michael Horn. From 10:00 PM to 1:00 AM they run Laurie Roth, who continually excoriates George W Bush for being too liberal! Anyhow, around 1:50 this morning, WBIX was running a talk show about wine(!) The most charitable way to describe WBIX's format is "eclectic talk." Considering that the station has just emerged from bankruptcy, the alternative would be dead air (actually, KYW would be audible on most nights), but at least Langer is able to fill the time without stealing money from others, which is what the previous owner, Brad Bleidt, did. As you probably know, Bleidt confessed to stealing something like $30 million from his financial-planning clients and is currently in prison awaiting sentencing. Since Langer never got the money that Bleidt had promised to pay him for the station (I think Bleidt owed Langer $7 million), Langer owns the station again. Thanks to brokered time, Langer is probably not losing money on WBIX, but he can't be making much either. Expenses must be appreciable--the station has two leased transmitter sites. Langer will probably sell WBIX again in due course if he receives a decent offer. The day signal is excellent; the night signal isn't horrible – (Dan Strassberg, NRC-AM via DXLD) And based on Scott Fybush's site of the week looking at WBIX, it looks like Mr. Langer inherited, at other investors' expense, a pretty decent-looking AM directional plant. If memory serves me, I got the inference that Mr. Bliedt 'spared no expense' in building out the current incarnation of WBIX transmitter plant. I was well impressed with the build-out, while also sickened by the loss incurred by the investors he allegedly bilked (Ron Gitschier, Palm Coast, FL, nee Lowell, MA, ibid.) ** U S A. WELCOME TO LOWPOWERBROADCASTING.COM Welcome to my brand new site dedicated to Low Power Broadcasting! I know there are other sites out there, but i wanted to do create my own as a service to the community of Part 15 Broadcasters! http://www.lowpowerbroadcasting.com/ (Paul Walker, FL, IRCA via DXLD) ** U S A. Re: KMHS 1420 Coos Bay, OR off the air --- To prevent misconceptions. KMHS is operated by the High School. Their school nickname is 'Pirates', thus 'Pirate Radio'. It is a perfectly legal operation. (Or rather was until the tower collapsed). (Don Kaskey, CA, ABDX via DXLD) See also MEXICO ** U S A. There needs to be an understanding of broadcasting by the DXer. Stations do not principally exist to serve DX, and will operate with what they believe the local listener wants. Much of the heated discussion has come from the divergent interests of radio and DX, in areas like IBOC and consolidation. A hobby that exists due to AM radio is now antagonistic towards radio. Unless this attitude changes, AM DXing will die on its own, and these squabbles will only hasten its demise. After this debate is decided, we will still have a hobby weakened by dissension and one that is increasingly both about radio and anti- radio at the same time. In other words, the issue is bigger than the one of the closure of this list (David Gleason, NRC-AM via DXLD) The profit motive, and the concentration of corporate ownership, have (in this DXer's view) helped ruin radio for the DX hobby. I used to get across the continent on a regular basis; now the band is so crowded I am lucky to get beyond 500 miles on most frequencies. There are thousands of additional stations on the air now, yet there is no discernible increase in diversity - one market sounds exactly the same as any other market. DXing AM (FM is not far behind, TV is a lost cause) is pretty much like visiting shopping malls. It doesn't matter whether you are in Los Ángeles, Toronto or Grand Rapids Michigan. Add to that IBOC, which in my view seems asinine for a multitude of reasons I won't rehash because the arguments have already been made. Adjacent channel noise from IBOC has already ruined some frequencies before and during sunset, and in some cases later than that. If implemented at night, IBOC will be the nail in the coffin for AM DX. Certainly, these factors have hurt! the DX hobby. And, from my perch as a DXer and radio enthusiast, hurt the listening public, too. Now, I agree that stations do not exist to serve DXers. I'd say it's pretty droll of any DXer to make a stink over not getting a QSL. But you know something? I'd sooner alienate someone in the industry who doesn't like my position on something rather than keep my opinions and ideas to myself because someone in the industry, or another DXer, or someone who is both of these, might disagree and take offense. Given the choice of thoughtful, polite free speech or a QSL or DX test, guess which I'd take? I'd expect the same of anyone on this or any other list, regardless of their point of view. There are reasonable ground rules to maintain civility - no abusive language, no racism, and such. Besides, it's pretty dumb in my view to be a rude flaming idjut and expect to win an argument. A cause quite often becomes lost when the loudmouths come to the surface. Better to employ fact, tact and logic. However, one of the consequences of living in the free and open society many of us cherish (and quite rightfully wish upon NRC management) is criticism and opinions that we don't like. Like it or not, DXers on on the front lines of listening, and many of them are pretty sophisticated (Saul Chernos, NRC-AM via DXLD) Radio from market to market sounds so similar because the USA, from coast to coast, is, with only the minor variations of ethnicity, one country with one majority culture and a small number of integrated minority cultures. Just as Seinfeld and ER get ratings in Spokane and Sebring and Salina and San Francisco, music tastes are very similar, from one end of the nation to the other. So a station targeting 25 to 45 year old women is going to play almost the same songs in the same style no matter where it is. Only DXers regularly listen to stations not designed to be listened too outside a small geographic area. The fact that a station in LA is similar to one in Chicago is of no relevance to the average listener, since they will not listen to more than one market's stations at the same time, even if they travel --- and when they travel, they will look for a station just like the one they prefer at home. At least the US has local stations. In most of the rest of the world, national programming is all networked, with the same names and programming on as many as several hundred stations. Whether it is Los 40 Principales (200 stations in 10 countries) or Europe 1 or Cadena Ser or NRG, most of the world has much more non local radio; the reason is the same, though, in that a nation's tastes are generally more similar around that nation than they are different. HD, like it or not, is coming. There are dozens of stations signing up every week, and it is what it is. DXing un-friendly, but supported by the NAB, the FCC and every major US broadcaster, right down to NPR. In the past, DXers did not fight with stations. It was not an "either or" situation (a QSL or free speech) but one of respect for the stations we DXed, whether we liked the programming or not. I remember seeing the beginning of this in comments about "every station carries Art Bell...." when, in fact, Art Bell is probably the first overnight show to make money for a large group of stations in the history of radio. I hear, still, comments about stations polluting the dial with crap in overnights. Yet nobody mentions why stations stay on the air overnight --- not to get listeners, but to be on and ready at 5 AM or 6AM when the listeners arrive. Overnight shows are intended to do one thing at 95% of stations: make sure the transmitter is working in morning drive. I really take exception at the idea that a DXer is a sophisticated listener. A sophisticated listener is one who lives in the same market that the stations they listen to broadcast. They are aware of the choices in radio, locally, and make them according to personal taste. Nobody from outside the local market can possibly be a sophisticated listener, especially to AM which derives less than 10% of its revenues and even less of its listening from nights, which is when DXers listen. As I said, the chasm between radio and DXing is deepening. The lack of understanding of radio is far greater now than in the past, judging by the number of misconceptions in this single post (David Gleason, ibid.) Folks, verification has always been voluntary. In the past, stations had an interest in out/of/metro reception, but that interest is almost zero today and DX reports are seldom understood and often interpreted as kooky or an imposition. It behooves us to be nicer, not more aggressive, towards radio stations if we want to get veries in the future (David Gleason, Sept 23, IRCA via DXLD) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. 7460, /ALGERIA, (Presumed), RASD, 2143-2159, Sept. 23, Arabic, Continuous musical selections until wiped out by 7465-WWCR sign-on at 2159. Fair (Scott R. Barbour Jr., Intervale, NH, R-75, 200' Beverage antennas, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZIMBABWE. 6611.9, ZBC (2nd harmonic), 2039 - 2045, Sep 24, Vernacular, Comments by man announcer mention several times Zimbabwe, Afican Music, 34333 (Nicolás Eramo, Chascomús DX Camp, Argentina, RECEIVER: SONY ICF 2010, ANTENNA: LONG WIRE 32 mts, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 6090, 2043-2050*, Sept. 18, Vernacular, Various talks at tune-in, drums at 2045 and tentative ID, only able to copy "broadcasting house", into wind instruments with talk over. Different announcer with weak audio until cut-off at 2050. Poor with lots of adjacent channel slop. Nigeria perhaps? (Scott R. Barbour Jr., Intervale, NH, R-75, 200' Beverage antennas, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 21600, strong open carrier around 10 over 9, but fading, not local at 1425 UT Sept 26. At first I figured it would be Saudi Arabia`s French service, with deficient modulation, since there were traces of audio. But it cut off at 1428 for a minute, and off again at 1436, when I could detect another weak signal on 21600 on a par with SA`s other 13m channels, 21460, 21505, 21640 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SHORTWAVE RADIO AS ART ++++++++++++++++++++++ "Ongoing throughout the evening will be "Radio Sub Rosa," which takes strange and ambient shortwave broadcasts and rearranges and re- imagines them. "Drop Me Up and Lift Me Down" is participatory and involves tumbling on the grass and a tarp." http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2005/09/22/65258 (via Andy Sennitt, dxldyg via DXLD) That`s all about SW in this piece about various theatrical events (gh) DIGITAL BROADCASTING ++++++++++++++++++++ DRM, DAB & IBOC Interesting thread. My feelings are not that mixed. Frankly, if DRM takes up on MW I already know I'll have to give up TA DX completely. It's true DRM tests so far seem to be less sloppy on nearby channels, but please consider much of that is low to medium power. Don't forget we've got some 100s kilowatters here. I'm not sure how a digital RAI Radiouno on 900 kHz would sound on, say, 930. Rumors have it the former Radiodue transmitter on 693 (now shut off) will be back with DRM tests, but that should've started last January. It's actually far less accepted. HD radio is a small commercial reality in the US already, but here in Southern Europe nobody, literally, has ever heard about digital terrestrial radio. Younger generations don't even know about medium waves; nothing exists outside the FM space. Digital radio means DAB in UK and partially in Germany. When I read about European broadcaster trying to breathe new life into local MW with what? DRM? Words simply fail me. Richard is right about DRM radios having been presented at Berlin's IFA, but it's about the third "launch" in three years. Market for DAB radio (which needs much wider bandwidth in the VHF or L-Band frequencies) is just starting to thrive, with several models. It works nice, DAB I mean, so nice that Finland has just decided to drop it and Germany is considering ending its longtime tests. Italy has just regulated on how to give out licenses for DAB. Nobody asked for them, yet; we have some tests ongoing, covering a meager 30% of our geography (in theory), with a total of 20 programs or so. If you're lucky, you would find a few DAB car radios and a single portable model sold by Sangean in perhaps five shops in the whole country. So long, DAB, I'm afraid. But DRM? You got hundreds of radio channel when you hook up to digital satellite, many radio channels will be hosted on new digital terrestrial TV "ensembles". And don't forget cellular penetration averages 80-90% in many European countries: new standards like DVB-H (H for handheld) and other, coming from South Korea for instance, mean that we're sooner getting digital radio in our handheld phones than on "out-by-next-Christmas-we-promise" DRM radios. The argument for DRM is mainly driven by the broadcast equipment industry, but here in Europe small local stations are not so common, outside Spain or UK. Local FM stations have longtime been syndicated in nation-wide networks and I sincerely doubt they'll be ready to invest in new equipment to upgrade their huge infrastructures to digital (DAB or DRM, which has been proposed for FM frequencies too). Not with a market which wouldn't be able to listen to their programs and ads. Local stations on MW are even scarcer and national or regional broadcaster are simply closing down their LW/MW, analogue or digital. I know I'm biased, but analogue radio serves us very well here on FM, while MW is something only very old grown-ups remember, DVB (or IP, for that matter)-derived digital radio content could find its way more easily to digital set top boxes and handhelds. Mass production of DRM sets could take much too long. DRM tests, in the meantime, are a huge pain in the back for our hobby and IBOC is gradually eroding our potential TA targets. Not funny but c'est la vie. 73s (Andrea Lawendel, Milan, Italy, IRCA via DXLD) see also GERMANY NUMBER OF HD RADIO [station] USERS SURPASSES 500 Philadelphia - Sep 23, 2005 - There are now more than 500 AM and FM stations across the United States broadcasting with Ibiquity's HD Radio technology. Stations serving each of the top 50 U.S. markets are offering digital HD Radio coverage, including: Detroit (21 stations on the air), Los Angeles (19), Chicago (19), Atlanta (18), Miami (16), Boston (15), San Francisco (15) and New York City (14). Some significant events have contributed to this momentum: * BMW announced that it will be the first auto manufacturer to offer an HD Radio receiver as a factory installed option in 2006. * Twenty-three of the leading broadcast groups made commitments to convert more than 2,000 stations to HD Radio technology. * NPR, Westwood One and the Jones Radio Networks announced new feeds of music and news programming tailored to broadcasters seeking content for their multicast channels. * HDRadioPlaybook.com was launched to provide tools to promote HD Radio and educate listeners on the system's new services. * In 2005, HD Radio receiver products are currently or will shortly be available from ADA, Alpine, Boston Acoustics, DaySequerra, Eclipse, JVC, Kenwood, Panasonic, Radiosophy, Rotel, Sanyo and Yamaha (From Radio Magazine's online newsletter via Tetro, IRCA via DXLD) Of course, they don't tell you how many are AM and how many are FM. 73, (Rene' F. Tetro, Chief Engineer, Salem Communications - Philadelphia, WNTP-AM/WFIL-AM, 117 Ridge Pike, Lafayette Hill, PA 19444, IRCA via DXLD) Predominantly FM, fortunately (gh) IBAC INTERFERING WITH ITSELF Greetings from down the road in Philly. How would asymmetry in an antenna array effect this? It would seem that in order for the "hiss" to cancel out, then the antenna system sidebands need to be absolutely flat out to 15 kHz. I haven't seen a lot of systems, especially DAs, that can claim such symmetry. In other words, can the signal emitted from the antenna system actually cause the situation? (Rene` Tetro, PA, Sept 18, NRC-AM via DXLD) It would certainly seem reasonable to believe --- unless the IBOC exciter can somehow be adjusted to compensate for asymmetric antennas? -- (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66, http://www.w9wi.com Sept 23, ibid.) IBOC exciter can't be adjusted to compensate the asymmetric antennas. The hiss canceling is limited to the portion of the IBOC carriers that are phase modulated from 0 to 5 kHz. If you center tune carefully, these carriers will cancel out. Asymmetry in the antenna can cause them not to be cancelable. This is why your antenna input needs to comply with "Hermetian Symmetry" --- in other words, the resistance should be flat, and the reactance should be complementary but equal +/-5 kHz from carrier (Tom Ray, WOR, ibid.) After talking to a CE the other day that set up IBOC for KCVR Lodi CA, it cost $60K for the new AM transmitter and equipment. He told me unless your transmitter is really new, you have to replace the transmitter with a new one that has the capabilities of IBOC. Old ones won`t work. KCVR is 5/.5 KW U4. He said a 1 KW IBOC transmitter and equipment would cost close to the same, maybe a bit less. So how many stations are going to pay to go IBOC on AM? The stations in Clatsop County don't have that kind of money. They never will. $50-$60K is a lot of money for most stations I would think. 73, (Patrick Martin Seaside OR, Sept 26, ibid.) Patrick, For us, if and when we ever go IBAC, it will not be the transmitters that are the issue. Both are relatively new, and were designed with IBAC in mind (Harris DX50 on WNTP and Harris DX10 on WFIL). The problem is going to be, as I believe it will for most stations, getting the required flat 15 kHz bandwidth out of the antenna system. Right now, WFIL could do that with no problem. It was designed to be extremely broadband back in 1998 in anticipation of a digital future. WNTP, on the other hand, has an antenna design that is twenty years old, and doesn't pass out to 15 kHz --- I've tried. It's flat out to about 9 kHz. It will need redesign work and reconfiguring. That will be our largest expense, apart from the IBOC equipment itself. And, I think a lot of stations are going to be in the same boat. There are an awful lot of ancient antenna systems out there, many of which don't even work well with NRSC-2, let alone NRSC-5. It would make an interesting study to gather every annual NRSC-2 measurement from every AM radio station over one year, and see just how many are currently able to meet the present 10 kHz NRSC-2 standard. That would give an indication of how many are even close to being IBAC ready. If a station can only pass 5-6 kHz, there is no way they are going to be able institute IBAC without antenna system changes (Rene` Tetro, PA, ibid.) Rene`, (I guess this is a question for Tom Ray too) how big of a problem is "azimuth bandwidth"? Back in the early 1980s in Madison, I lived on the far west edge of the city, on the edge of WISM-1480's night pattern. Their signal was modestly distorted -- but if you drove towards downtown a mile or two, into their main lobe, the distortion cleared up. I figured their pattern was tighter at the carrier than at the sidebands -- essentially creating overmodulation but only if not in the main lobe. At some point after becoming WTDY* they refurbed the antenna system and the problem cleared up. - Is this a common problem with DAs? - How critical are the relative levels of the various data carriers, and their levels relative to the analog carrier? (is the analog carrier used at all in the demodulation of the digital signal?) *(they're now WLMV -- or moved to 1670 -- depending on how you look at it) – (Doug Smith W9WI, TN, ibid.) Because of his extensive experience with the IBOC technology, Tom Ray could probably answer your questions better than I concerning how IBOC functions in a station's nulls. But, to answer your other question: Yes, distortion of the analog signal is a normal occurrence in tight nulls. What is happening is that the carrier is being reduced to such a degree that only a portion of the sidebands (which carry the audio information) remain. You are hearing the sidebands without the carrier. This is accomplished by controlling the current and phase (how long it takes the signal to get from the transmitter to a tower in relationship to a reference tower) of the am signal in each tower of a DA system. By controlling these relationships in each tower of a DA, you create nulls in certain directions that "cancel out" the carrier. On the receive end, basically this is the result of how long it takes the signal to get from the combined towers to your receive antenna, and how strong the signal from each tower is. This is what creates the distorted sound you speak of (Rene' Tetro, ibid.) As I have stated many times on various lists, with the slow destruction of the AM band from all of the sideband hiss, listenership will dwindle on AM to an even greater degree than may have otherwise been the case. It will erode exponentially as the band becomes noisier and noisier to those still listening on analog radios (read: Most People). By the time the transition is complete and AM is fully digital - say 10 to 15 years from now - the band will have largely been abandoned by listeners. 73, (Rene' Tetro, ABDX via DXLD) Rene`, this is the biggest question I have. How can station owners be so shortsighted not to understand that people listen to radio in their cars and that`s about it? If people can't hear much but white noise while in their cars, they are going to flee to XM, Sirius, CDs MP3s or anything else to get away from their stations! I think the manufacturers know this is a massive loser and they are not out to take a huge loss on radios no one wants nor needs. No manufacturer is really pushing this, hell, the stations and iBiquity aren't pushing it. This seems like no one, even iBiquity cares whether or not this succeeds. Business majors in colleges, years from now, will use radio as an example of how NOT to market product when it comes to AM stereo and IBOC, one a failure and the other destined to become a destructive failure. What radio needed was to program things that people like and cover local news and events a lot better. Sounds simple, its kind of expensive to do, but its not so expensive when you think about losing all your audience (Kevin Redding, AZ, ibid.) My listing of AM IBOC stations at http://topazdesigns.com/iboc/station-list.html gives ownership info (Barry McLarnon, VE3JF Ottawa, ON, IRCA via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ LONG-HAUL TRANS-EQUATORIAL FM DX, CARIBBEAN TO BRAZIL [Note: these logging are in date and time order, presumably UT, even tho frequency is given first; some Brazilian logs, mostly in SP state mixed in have been removed; unclear why even MHz frequencies are given to two decimal places; ITU country abbr`s used, SINPO ratings] 97.00 21/09 0108 GDL RFO Guadeloupe, OM, nxs, FF 45344 103.8 21/09 0115 HTI R. Lakansyèl, Port au Prince, OM, discurso??, mx como fundo musical, FF 35333 97.3 21/09 0117 LCA R. Santa Lúcia, Castries, px de música country, EE, OM 43343 95.7 21/09 0120 ?? Unid (Fame FM - JMC??), OM/YL, talks, EE 43343 91.9 21/09 0121 ?? Unid, mx reggae, EE 45344 90.1 21/09 0126 ?? Joy FM, QTH??, mx gospel c/coral, relg, EE 35343 97.9 21/09 0128 ?? Unid (Nord FM??), YL/OM/OM, talks, FF 34333 96.5 21/09 0131 DOM Metro FM, Santo Domingo, mx rapp ou hip hop, EE 45344 94.0 21/09 0134 MRT R. Martinica, Trinité, YL/OM, talks, FF 35343 107.5 21/09 0136 AIA Heartbeat Radio, The Valley, mx caribenha, EE 45333 107.00 21/09 0138 ?? Unid, OM/OM, talks, FF 44333 106.6 21/09 0144 GDL RCI Guadeloupe, QTH??, OM/OM, talks, menção ao Haiti, FF 45333 106.2 21/09 0148 MRT Radio AS, QTH??, jingle: `Radio AS`, mx variada 44344 104.8 21/09 0151 ?? Unid, YL, nxs, FF?? 33333 104.2 21/09 0152 ? Unid, YL/OM, talks, EE 33333 90.7 21/09 0201 BRB BBS, St. George, mx local, OM, EE 34333 91.1 21/09 0203 ATG Observer FM, St. John’s mx c/ Reo Speed Wagon, EE 44344 101.6 21/09 0218 ?? Unid, mx pop EE, idioma?? 34333 91.9 22/09 0034 ?? Unid, mx reggae, EE?? 33333 97.00 22/09 0209 GDL RFO Guadeloupe, Basse-Terre, mx caribenha, FF 45333 97.3 22/09 0210 LCA R. Santa Lúcia, Castries, YL/OM, talks, EE 55344 103.8 22/09 0211 HTI R. Lakansyèl, Port au Prince, OM em conversa telefônica c/ uma ouvinte, FF 45344 107.00 22/09 0214 ?? Unid, OM, FF 34333 96.5 22/09 0216 DOM Metro FM, Santo Domingo, px musical, EE 45344 106.6 22/09 0219 GDL RCI Guadeloupe, QTH??, mx, FF 35333 90.1 22/09 0223 ?? Joy FM, QTH??, mx gospel EE, EE 44344 101.4 22/09 0229 ?? Unid, YL/YL, talks, FF 24332 102.6 22/09 0236 ?? Unid, mx caribenha, idioma?? 25332 89.8 22/09 0236 ?? Unid, mx caribenha, FF ou creole 35333 96.7 22/09 0246 SCN ZIZ, Basse-Terre, mx, EE 23332 97.00 23/09 0038 GDL RFO Guadeloupe, Basseterre, OM/OM, talks, FF 44344 97.3 23/09 0040 LCA Radio Santa Lúcia, Castries, mx caribenha, EE 45344 91.9 23/09 0041 ?? Unid, mx reggae, YL/OM, EE 45344 94.00 23/09 0050 MRT Radio Martinica, Trinité, YL, nxs, FF 33333 106.6 23/09 0051 GDL RCI Guadeloupe, QTH??, OM, nxs, FF 25232 96.5 23/09 0052 DOM Metro FM, Santo Domingo, OM, nxs, EE 33333 89.3 24/09 2357 MRT Radio Sud Est, QTH??, mx caribenha, OM, FF 45344 89.8 24/09 2358 ?? Unid, id OM em FF: ``Radio — —``, mx salsa?? em espanhol 45344 90.7 24/09 0012 BRB BBS, St. George, mx caribenha, YL, EE, QRM em EE 33343 97.00 24/09 0015 GDL RFO Guadeloupe, Basse-Terre, OM, FF 45344 97.3 24/09 0017 LCA Radio Santa Lúcia, Castries, px de música country, EE 43343 91.1 24/09 0018 ATG Observer FM, St. John’s, mx caribenha, EE 45344 90.1 24/09 0020 ?? Joy FM, QTH??, mx gospel, relg, EE 34333 91.9 24/09 0022 ?? Unid, mx `Around the clock` versão instrumental, EE 34333 93.7 24/09 0024 ?? Unid, YL/OM, talks, idioma?? 34333 94.00 24/09 0029 MRT Radio Martinica, Trinité, mx caribenha, FF // 94.3 e 92.00 MHz 45344 96.5 24/09 0031 DOM Metro FM, Santo Domingo, mx caribenha, EE 45333 97.9 24/09 0032 ?? Unid (NRJ Antilles - MRT??), OM, mx, FF 45333 101.1 24/09 0035 ?? Unid, OM, EE 33333 103.8 24/09 0037 HTI Radio Lakansyèl, Port au Prince, mx pop EE, FF 34333 106.2 24/09 0039 MRT Radio AS, QTH??, mx pop EE, OM, FF 45333 106.6 24/09 0042 GDL RCI Guadeloupe, QTH??, mx pop EE, FF 45333 107.00 24/09 0045 ?? Unid, OM/OM, talks, risos, FF 35343 107.7 24/09 0048 ?? Unid, mx rap, idioma?? 33333 107.9 24/09 0048 ?? Unid (Kairi FM - DMA??), mx reggae, QRM Universidade FM - Londrina/PR - 107.9 MHz 43333 (RUBENS FERRAZ PEDROSO, BANDEIRANTES, PARANÁ, BRASIL, RECEPTOR: SONY ICF SW 7600G. ANTENA: LW DE 12 M + INDUTOR, @tividade DX via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###