DX LISTENING DIGEST 5-223, December 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 For latest updates see our Anomaly Alert page: http://www.worldofradio.com/anomaly.html Latest edition of this schedule version, with hotlinks to station sites and audio, is at: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html NEXT AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1298: Mon 1900 WOR RFPI [repeated 4-hourly thru Tue 1500] Wed 0030 WOR WBCQ 7415 Wed 0100 WOR CJOY INTERNET RADIO plug-in required Wed 1030 WOR WWCR 9985 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 1298 (real high): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1298h.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1298h.rm WORLD OF RADIO 1298 (real low): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1298.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1298.rm WORLD OF RADIO 1298 (mp3 high): (download) http://www.obriensweb.com/wor1298h.mp3 WORLD OF RADIO 1298 (mp3 low): (download) http://www.obriensweb.com/wor1298.mp3 (lower download) http://www.piratedxer.com/worldofradio_12-21-05.mp3 (lower stream) http://www.piratedxer.com/worldofradio_12-21-05.m3u WORLD OF RADIO 1298 summary: http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1298.html WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS: www.obriensweb.com/wor.xml ** ALBANIA. 7465, 21.12 2005, Radio Tirana in French - back again after 2 weeks break. 4 CB (Christer Brunström, Sweden, SW Bulletin, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ANTARCTICA [and non]. The `ICE` flights to the US Antarctic Research Program base at McMurdo have been monitored during October on the well-reported frequency of 9032 kHz. These flights leave Christchurch, New Zealand and deliver personnel and supplies to McMurdo, landing on an ice runway within the base facility. Some years ago I had a conversation with a well-respected radio professional, a veteran of many expeditions to both polar regions, and he reckoned that it was usually easier to work the Antarctic on HF than the Arctic. It`s worth devoting some monitoirng time to that frequency (Ben Hogan, SSB Utilities, Dec Short Wave Magazine [UK] via DXLD) ** ARGENTINA. 15344.68 kHz - RAE Buenos Aires at around 1930 UT yesterday night Dec 25, noted with time pips at 1930 UT and definitely program in Spanish, tiny S=2 rating. Co-channel signal from RTM Morocco skipped over my head. At same time poor 19 mb coverage, noted at best 15120 Nigeria and 15400 Ascension, fragments of - probably - 15250 WWRB, and 2x Radio Cairo to Africa on 15375 and 15425 (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, Dec 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ARMENIA. Voice of Armenia is broadcasting English program at 1925- 1945 UT on 9965 kHz. Programme is only 20 minutes, only news (world and national). Reception condition was good. Signal was 444 (ABID HUSSAIN SAJID, PAKISTAN, Dec 25, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. 5KA involvement with 390: see INTERNATIONAL WATERS [non] ** BURKINA FASO. 5030, Radio Burkina, 1850-1901, 24-12, locutor, francés, noticias "L'actualité", anuncios comerciales, comentarios, menciona "Burkina Faso", canciones africanas. A las 1900 identificación: "Radio Burkina, a la Capitale, 19 heures, bon soir". 45444 (Manuel Méndez, Spain, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. RCI, 15180, with some Xmas story in English, was squealing, and splattering out to +/- 20 kHz, at 2220 UT Dec 25. Same transmitter? Also squealing, 17835 in French at 1704 Dec 26 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. CBC Radio identifications --- Good day. I have almost finished monitoring one by one every CBC Radio One and Radio-Canada streamed broadcast and have some observations. Radio Canada "Première Chaine" stations identify properly every hour on the hour before the news, with the callsign of the main station. The only noted exception was 88.1 Charlottetown PEI which skipped the callsign but mentioned the frequency. CBC Radio One has no formal station identification at any time. Some of them, not many, may give the local station's frequency and origin after the news and the weather forecast. Check for local broadcasts on the available schedules on the Internet. Sometimes a local broadcast might mention something that remotely sounds like a station ID... a passing mention of, for example... "On CBC Radio One in Saskatchewan" for example. One observation of note: every morning at 6:18 AM Pacific Time (0918 ET [1418 UT]), during the program "North by North West" on CBU 690, after the national news, the local news, the weather forecast and the first song featured on the program, the program host mentions the frequencies for Vancouver and Victoria, as well as a frequency of one of the numerous CBC Radio One relays on the B.C. network, a different one each time. Have fun! (Alain, underwater_stuntman, Dec 17, CIDX yg via DXLD) ** CANADA. Wed. Jan 11, 2006: Pray for the planning and preparations necessary for setting up low powered Christian broadcasting in the province of Quebec. There is almost no evangelical broadcasting for our francophone neighbours (Galcom International Prayer Bulletin http://www.galcom.org/prayerbulletin/december05/prayerbulletin.html via DXLD) Those lucky francophones! Galcom HQ is in Hamilton, Ontario. Looking thru this 90-day list will give you a good idea of where Galcom tentacles are spreading, projects for new radio stations at various stages in many countries --- presumably mostly FM, as the term short wave appears only once. See also RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM (gh) ** CANADA. 1610, CJWI, "CPAM radiounion.com", Montreal, QC, DEC 24, 2220 EST - a local, but I thought it was important to tip other DXers that they are having Spanish tropical music programming at this time, instead of usual Haitian programming. ¡Salsa romántica y merengue! At this late time, there was way much less CFAV-1570 splatter, probably the blockbuster skywave signals on 1590 and 1600 kHz were blocking the splatter (Bogdan Chiochiu, car, QC, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHAD. 6165, R. Nat. Tchadienne, Dec. 26 between 1740-1750 UT presenting typical Sahel music in Vernacular program. 24332. Best 73's from Portugal! (José Turner, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CROATIA. Croatian Radio Zagreb, Deanovec, 6165 kHz, 100 kW 0500- 2400 UT in Croatian language operating on odd 6164.963 kHz at 1410 UT according to SpecLab display (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, Dec 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. NA-093. A group of Cuban operators plan to activate Cayo Jutias Island during the last week on January. Each operator will use their own callsign and sign homecall/1. Operators mentioned so far are: CO2WL, CO3CJ, CO3JN, CO3LF and CO3VK. Activity will be on 40/20/15 meters CW/SSB and possibly some PSK and the other bands. They expected this to be a very hard and difficult DXpedition because there are no facilities on this island. QSL via IZ8EBI. The Cuban group is looking for donations and sponsors to help support this DXpedition. For more information, visit the following Web page at: http://xoomer.virgilio.it/iz8_ebi/ (OPDX/KB8NW/BARF80 via Dave Raycroft, ODXA via DXLD) ** CUBA [non]. 6135, 20/12 2225, R. República, SS propaganda anticastrista, ottimo (Roberto Pavanello, Vercelli - Italia, bclnews.it via DXLD) 6135 kHz, Radio República en español desde Florida, 2201-2230 UT, 25- 12-05, 43443. Programa relacionado con la Navidad y las prohibiciones en Cuba, comenzó con el villancico "Los Peces en el Río", buena recepción. A las 2230 comienza el programa "Alternativa". "Esta es Radio República, voz del Directorio Democrático Cubano transmitiendo para Cuba con fe en la victoria"; "Alternativa", un programa de pensamiento libre, de análisis internacional y de debate político, conducido por Orlando Gutiérrez Boroná. También pude escuchar a Radio República, con peor calidad de recepción, el pasado 15-12-2005 a las 0900 por los 9955 kHz, frecuencia de Radio Miami Internacional. Esta es su página Web: http://www.radiorepublica.org/ Receptor: JRC NRD-535 Antena PBX-100 Lugar: Casco urbano. Saludos y buenos DX's 73 (José Bueno - Córdoba - España, HCDX via DXLD) I just hear on 6135 Spanish chatter which must be Radio República. Rather good signal, actually too good to come from within Germany in a winter night, but on the other hand 6075 has a hollow sound, indicating that not only Sines but also the Wertachtal signal is present. There is multiband compression with the bass range suppressed, and I think the settings (or rather the resulting sound) indeed points at T-Systems. By the way, Deutsche Welle is not involved in the routing of other T- Systems transmission customers (unlike Bush House for VT transmissions or RCI main control for anything to be transmit from Sackville). So no DW audio is to expect on such transmissions, unless an entirely wrong circuit is put on air by mistake. 6135/5965/7110 are now also shown at http://www.radiorepublica.org suggesting that they are not just a short-term test. [Later:] The transmission on 6135 was indeed Radio República. Went off at 0000 (did not pay attention for the exact time), and a few seconds or so later a carrier appeared on 5965, after another second modulated with the Radio República feed. Same characteristics as 6135, I assume even the very same transmitter, judging from the short break (which should be sufficient for an in-band frequency change with a modern transmitter). Nothing from the other side of the pond (i.e. jamming, oooops, RHC testing a new transmitter of course!) audible here, neither on 6135 nor on 5965. Towards 0000 (or 2400, for that matter) on 6135 another station appeared which sounded like Radio Azadi. No other signal at all on 5965, but reception suffers from Romania on 5960 [q.v.] (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Dec 25-26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I fully agree with Kai that 6135 must originate from a European site. Good and stable signal on Sunday night (/Olle Alm, Sweden, Dec 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6135, R. República, 2312-2330, escuchada el 25 de diciembre en español, varias personas en tertulia sobre la Navidad en Cuba, con comentarios como "Castro no pudo con el niño Jesus" y "Los comunistas en Cuba celebraban la Navidad con sus familias", SINPO 34322 (José Miguel Romero2, Spain, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CZECH REPUBLIC. FUTURE OF BBC FM RELAYS IS UNCERTAIN The BBC's Czech service announced the end of the station's current affairs broadcasts on Friday 23rd December. Newscasts are to continue until the end of January when the Czech service, which has been on the air for 66 years, will fall silent. There are now fears that the relays of BBC's World Service in English may have to go off the air in the country as well. The BBC has a licence to broadcast on FM until 2012, but that licence was granted on condition that the station would broadcast some programmes in the Czech language (at that time some 5 hours a day). Vaclav Zak, a member of the Czech radio and television council, confirmed on Friday that the future of the BBC on FM in the Czech Republic is uncertain. Read and/or listen to the report by Daniela Lazarova of Radio Prague http://www.radio.cz/en/article/74089 Discussion Forum (in Czech) on BBC website on the future of the service. http://www.bbc.co.uk/czech/forum/story/2005/10/051026_bbc_end_forum.shtml # posted by Andy @ 14:39 UT (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA ECUATORIAL. 5005, Radio Nacional, Bata, 0500- 0700, 25-12, Inicio del programa a las 0500, locutor, canciones navideñas, comentarios religiosos "La Navidad es una ocasión que Cristo nos brinda para redimir el pecado, cuantos están bebidos esta mañana por la borrachera de anoche, entregémonos a Dios". Villancicos españoles. A las 0612, Noticias de Guinea Ecuatorial. Identificación: "Navidad es tiempo de alegría, Navidad es tiempo de amor, Feliz Navidad y próspero año nuevo 2006 les desea Radio Bata". Cierre a las 0700. 45444 (Manuel Méndez, Spain, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FINLAND. Dear Mr Hauser, Due to a YLE Radio reorganization (announced earlier) I am leaving YLE at the end of the month. International Broadcasting as a unit within YLE is being merged with YLE Radio Peili (a talk channel, mainly internet, used to be DAB until its demise this fall). The foreign language programming except Russian was axed here already in 2002. Personally, I want to thank you, Mr Hauser, for the services in making news about stations and service available, not only in recent years but as early as the late 80s at least. I recall there was duplicated News about International Radio that we used to get. I believe you were associated with them. There was no internet, and the WRTH was outdated soon after printing - and thus private information services were of much avail. In a recent edition you wondered why the FM English newscast about Finland is not aired internationally. Well, the decision to stop international distribution in 2002 was a stand in principle, and no effort is being made to subvent it, of course. That was a corporate policy decision; there has never (since the 50s) been any Foreign Office involvement in Finnish external radio. - The newscast is on the internet as video, though. You will see in it some familiar voices from the past. - YLE Mondo (successor to the Capital FM) is not on the internet. Much of the material heard on the station is on the net, from the original producers. For technical schedule information, or other needs of the kind, you may contact in the future Mr Janne Nieminen, technical manager. at first name, surname AT yle.fi With best regards (Juhani Niinisto (at YLE international radio 1977-2005), Dec 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Mr Niinisto, best of luck to you in whatever you do next. I have always appreciated your initiative in clarifying matters about YLE, even if I have not asked you directly (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FINLAND. IN FINLAND, A BATTLE OF THE TONGUES The New York Times, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2005 Finland bends over backward, with little dissent and at great cost, to make its 260,000 Swedish speakers feel comfortable. . . http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/12/25/news/finland.php (via Gerald T. Pollard, DXLD) ** GERMANY. Here is a picture of the audio routing capabilities the then postal office had at Frankfurt am Main already in 1956 (at about two thirds into the page): http://www.aufbau-ffm.de/doku/Sonder/fm/Fernmelde4.html Signals from 240 incoming sources could be routed to 40 transmission circuits. A separate control room was in place as well for dispatching feeds: http://www.aufbau-ffm.de/serie/extra/fern06.html (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Dec 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY [non]. DW is yet another station with no more consideration for listeners (or the integrity of its own programming), as a Strauss waltz was cut off abruptly around 1559 UT Dec 26 as the relay via Canada on 15445 closed, in yet another example of disconnect between studio and transmitter site. Surely this is not the only SW transmission which has to go off at :59 past the hour in order to retune; so why isn`t the programming out of the studio wound up before then? BTW, per EiBi, the 1500 hour on 15445 is Sackville, the 1400 hour Bonaire (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GOA [and non]. XAVIER CAMPUS COMMUNITY RADIO The Ministry of Communications, Government of India, has conveyed its decision to grant a licence for establishing Wireless Telegraph Station - FM Broadcast (Audio) to St. Xavier's College, Mapusa, Goa by letter No. 14024/06/05 - 1R/8689 dated 21.11.2005. As per the parameters fixed the frequency allotted is 90.4 MH2 [sic], emission - 180 KOF3E and working hours from 0000 to 2400 Hrs. The R.F. Power Output for this Fixed Station is 20 watts. The Licence is for captive use only. The intention of the Central Government to issue a License for setting up of a Community Radio Broadcasting Station (FM) at St. Xavier's College, Goa, was communicated by letter no. 45015/16/04-BA (P)/CRS dt. 5.4.2005. The license is for free to air broadcasts of educational, health, environment, agriculture, rural and community development programmes only. Nothing that offends good taste or decency, contains criticism of friendly countries, contains attack on religion, contains anything obscene, defamatory, false and suggestive innuendos & half truths, likely to encourage or incite violence, contains anything affecting the integrity of the Nation, criticises, maligns or slanders any individual in person, encourages superstition or blind belief, denigrates women, denigrates children, presents/depicts/suggests as desirable the misuse of drugs, alcohol, narcotics, tobacco can be included in the programme. . . http://shire.symonds.net/pipermail/goanet/2005-December/036395.html (via Frederick Noronha via cr-india group via Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, India, dx_india via DXLD) This must be the list for all things Goan, not just broadcasting: http://www.goanet.org/mailman/listinfo/goanet and the archives are open (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GREENLAND. 3815, 21.12 2210, Grønlands Radio (?) Danish recognized but disappeared after a few minutes. CB (Christer Brunström, Sweden, SW Bulletin, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** HAWAII. 'LIFELINE' RADIO KNDI TURNS 45 [1270 Honolulu] By Gordon Y.K. Pang, [Honolulu] Advertiser Staff Writer Posted on: Sunday, December 25, 2005 http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Dec/25/ln/FP512250349.html/?print=on They run programs in the Filipino languages of Ilocano, Tagalog and Visayan more than half the time. But then there's the Marshallese show Wednesday nights and the Hispanic program Sunday afternoons, the Tongan show late Friday and Saturday nights and a Vietnamese program on Monday evenings. In all, radio station KNDI 1270 AM carries programs in at least 11 foreign languages during the week. The humble radio station that operates out of an old-style wooden house in McCully and is run by a Hungarian refugee celebrates its 45th anniversary with a banquet and dance Friday night. Advocates for immigrants praise the station for being an essential link for people with limited English and the rest of Hawai'i. Amy Agbayani, director of the Office of Student Equity, Excellence and Diversity at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa and a longtime civil rights advocate, is among the supporters. "The reality is there are individuals in communities in this state that do not speak English at all, or very little, but they speak another language," Agbayani said. "Just like with speakers of English, there is a need to communicate information to this group, and from this group." Patricia McManaman, chief executive officer of Na Loio --- Immigrant Rights and Public Interest Legal Center, agreed. "Anytime you can provide news and information to people in a language that they speak, it provides a lifeline to the community," McManaman said. "People are informed about events and topics in their state and in their local communities, and nationally. It gives them an opportunity to participate in the larger society and have their voice heard." KNDI "plays a vital role for government agencies when they say there's going to be a tsunami, or a hurricane or a vaccination, or diabetes information or a no-smoking campaign," Agbayani said. "You can't say, 'Well, we can ignore them,' because they are a part of Hawai'i. And their not being served impacts the larger community as well." The Department of Health is one of the organizations that KNDI has worked with most. Judy Strait-Jones, a DOH public health educator, said KNDI has helped her agency broadcast public service announcements about everything from flu shots to dengue fever. The station doesn't just provide free time for the public service announcements, which is standard for broadcasters, but also provides translations for free, Strait-Jones said. Most recently, the Health Department has worked with KNDI owner Leona Jona on programs dealing with health issues for the Panapean and Chuukese communities, Strait-Jones said. If the Asian flu virus were to hit Hawai'i, KNDI would be crucial in informing those in immigrant communities on what they should do to protect themselves, she said. "Communications is going to be the key, if and when something like that happens." Strait-Jones said one key to the success of KNDI as a communications link to immigrant populations is Jona, who has worked at the station since 1976 and bought it in 1988. "What I appreciate about KNDI is, it's not just about the money, it's about trying to reach people with a message," Strait-Jones said. "She wants to make sure that needs are being met; she's an advocate for those folks." Often, Strait-Jones said, it's Jona approaching the Health Department with ideas about programs they should be putting on the air for immigrants. "Maybe it's because she's coming from an immigrant standpoint as well." Jona, who turns 76 next month, came to the United States after the failed Hungarian Revolution against Soviet rule in 1956. Jona said she and her husband had minor affiliations with the revolutionists but were in the rural part of the country away from Budapest at the time of the conflict. Jona and her husband, an architect, eventually settled in California, where she was an accountant with Shell Oil. They divorced in 1976 and she wound up in Hawai'i. Within months of her arrival, she landed a job as KNDI's office manager. Jona credits James T. Ownby, a lifelong radio man, with pushing KNDI into ethnic programming. Ownby, she said, actually started the station in 1960 as an all-female station. But that didn't work, and it gave way to the first ethnic programs in Chinese, Korean and Filipino, she said. When Ownby died, Jona said his son not only offered to sell the station to her, but helped her finance the purchase. Ethnic programming made up about 40 percent of the station's programming when Jona took over. Today, about 80 percent of the programming is ethnic. The exceptions are 4 1/2 pre-dawn hours each day of metal rock music and a popular blues program on Saturday nights. Of the ethnic programming, Jona said, 70 percent is in Filipino languages while 30 percent is Samoan, Tongan, Hispanic, Chinese, Okinawan, Vietnamese, Laotian, Marshallese and, most recently and temporarily at least for now, Panapean and Chuukese. "It was a gradual process," Jona said. A landmark year for KNDI was 1982, when KISA, an all-Filipino station, decided to change formats to English, which sent a majority of its on- air personalities packing. Among them was Filipino icon Faustino Respicio, who took many of his colleagues with him to KNDI. KNDI also once carried Japanese and Korean language programs. Today, each of those two groups have their own stations. KORL radio, AM 690, meanwhile, now broadcasts Filipino, Japanese, Latin and Chinese programs, according to its Web site, which calls itself "Hawai'i's talk and multicultural radio" station. Jona broadcasts education programs for the ethnic communities, something she has been able to do with the help of the Ethnic Education Foundation of Hawai'i, a nonprofit that works closely with KNDI and has enlisted grant money to put on programs dealing with everything from child support to housing. Harvey Weinstein, KNDI vice president and station manager, is a 38- year radio veteran who once worked at the fabled KPOI rock station at its peak in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Weinstein has been working at KNDI the past 15 years and, like others, he credits Jona for the station's success. "I think if she were to sell this station to somebody else, I don't know if they could perform the same commitment that she has to the ethnic community," he said. "Where else are these people going to go find out about what's happening in their homeland or even what's happening here in the community in Hawai'i?" [Sidebar illustration:] KNDI manager Harvey Weinstein, left, and owner, Leona Jona, air programming in at least 11 languages. RICHARD AMBO | The Honolulu Advertiser http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/dailypix/2005/Dec/25/FPI512250349AR_b.jpg [Sidebar:] 45 YEARS' PARTY What: KNDI 1270 AM 45th Anniversary Holiday Banquet and Dance When: Friday, 6:30 p.m. [HST = UT Sat Dec 31 0430] Where: New Empress Restaurant, Chinese Cultural Plaza Cost: $30 a person, $250 for a table of 10. Must RSVP by Tuesday. Call Leona Jona or Aaron Thomas at 946-2844 (via Brock Whaley, ex-HI, DXLD) KNDI stood for "Candy" when it went on the air with an all female staff. How many other stations run Tongan and heavy metal music? (Brock Whaley, GA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. AIR TRANSMISSION SUSPENDED DUE TO FIRE AT STATION SILIGURI, Dec 25.- Transmission of programmes from the All India Radio Siliguri was suspended today for nearly four hours due to a fire at its transmission centre located at Salugara on the outskirt of Siliguri town. The fire, which broke out at 2 p.m. today on the grass field of transmission centre campus forced the authorities to suspend the transmission at 2.30 p.m. Though the fire did not spread over the building and remained confined to the grass field only, it took two hours for four fire tenders to douse the flames completely. The feeder lines were damaged at the transmission centre in the fire and after repairing works transmission of programmes was again resumed at 6:23 p.m. - SNS http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=10&theme=&usrsess=1&id= 100581 (via Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, India, dx_india via DXLD) Not SW ** INDONESIA. 9680, KGRE via RRI Jakarta, Dec 25 (Sun.), 1001-1020, in English and Indonesian; Indonesian pop songs, singing jingle for Kang Guru Radio English, several segments presented by Kevin Dalton in English plus YL in Indonesian. Poor, mixing with WYFR, in French (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, RX340 + T2FD antenna, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. SHORT FILM AVAILABLE OF RADIO NETHERLANDS ACEH PROJECT As some of you may recall, earlier this year Radio Netherlands technicians in Hilversum constructed three emergency FM radio stations that were shipped out to Indonesia in containers to help some of our partner stations whose facilities were destroyed in the tsunami. A short film with commentary in Dutch is available online showing one of these stations, Aceh News FM 104, in action. It broadcasts to some 200,000 listeners. Radio Netherlands is giving financial support towards the construction of a permanent station and transmitting antenna. When that eventually goes on the air, the temporary Radio Station in a Box will be moved to another location. View or download the movie (2'23") 4.5 Mb Windows Media format http://download.omroep.nl/rnw/wmv/atjeh_radiostation.wmv # posted by Andy @ 10:57 UT Dec 25 (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. RS0ISS Heard --- The International Space Station was calling CQ last night using the call sign RS0ISS. Operation was on the "unusual" frequency of 145.990 MHz simplex FM. Cosmonaut Valery on the mic. Astronauts on the ISS usually operate half-duplex transmitting on 145.800 MHz and listening on 145.200 MHz. The International Space Station cross-band repeater will be activated for 3 days from 27th December. You don't need any toneburst or CTCSS tone to access this "Repeater-in-Space". Just transmit on 437.800 MHz and listen on 145.800 MHz; see this link for full details. http://www.southgatearc.org/news/december2005/russians_repeater_mode.htm When the ISS is in Repeater Mode the astronauts have been known to come back to Amateurs calling CQ through the repeater. Predictions of when the International Space Station can be heard are available at: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/predict/ For further information on the ISS see the Fan Club website: http://www.issfanclub.com/ ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) http://www.rac.ca/ariss/oindex.htm ---- AMSAT-UK produce a quarterly newsletter "Oscar News" which is full of Amateur Satellite information. For membership details contact the secretary Jim Heck G3WGM Tel: +44 (0)1258 453959 E-mail: g3wgm @ amsat.org Website: http://www.uk.amsat.org/ 73 and a Happy New Year to you all (Trevor M5AKA, monitoring_monthly yg via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. What price for a blessing from God? Had readers been watching the religious `event` transmitted from Charlotte, NC, USA during the evening of 9 October, then they would know the answer to that question. A quite remarkable programme feed over Atlantic Bird-1, 12.5 degrees West for ``The Inspiration Networks` championed the need for three Atonement Offerings at 67 pounds per month; the offering would be placed on the altar and you`ll receive God`s blessing in a `double portion`. ``No man shall stand before me empty handed`` was liberally quoted from the book of Deuteronomy as the OK to ring up the `Prayer Ministers` to give them your credit card details; if the line is busy, ring again --- this shows that we are all talking to God! A remarkable commercialisation of religion and absolutely no indication of where your `Atonement Offering` cash was going (in their pockets!!) Carried in the Channel 3 Globecast bouquet, 11.106 GHz-H (SR 20145 + FEC ¾). Curiously, the following night another religious event, `Be the Best` but with `KICC Lagos`, Nigeria linking with Dallas, Texas and offices in Hemel Hempstead, UK, a true international production, which appeared to be another cash collection, asking viewers to ring the prayer line +44 020 8525 0000; the KICC and Dallas transmissions carrying a recorded `Atonement Offering` item from the same presenter as the previous night --- for a minimum 50 pounds offering you received an ``Ark of the Covenant and bonus DVD``. It was pretty evident that the `Atonement` cash would not be going to the victims of the Bali bombings early October. . . (Roger Bunney, Satellite TV News, Dec Short Wave Magazine [UK] via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL WATERS [non]. Radio 390 and 5KA Adelaide partnership? The mystery deepens about who or what is behind UK-based Radio 390, that claimed it was going to operate on 1386 kHz with 500kW (!!) then said that its backers had pulled out. Now http://www.radio390.org/ goes to what appears to be the website of 5KA Adelaide, Australia - and says: "5KA is dedicated to bringing you the best radio service in Adelaide and a new radio service to Europe. We offer a unique blend of music from the 1960`s, news, talk and information to encourage and entertain you throughout the day and night in Adelaide and around the world." Is this yet another hoax? Or is there really a connection between the two? Maybe someone down under can help (Andy Sennitt, Netherlands, Dec 25, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Feico de Boer on Anorak Nation provided this link to an extensive and interesting history of 5KA: http://tinyurl.com/b4f6p which opened on 25th March 1927 from 51 Kintore Avenue, Prospect, hence the KA. It got an FM frequency in 1990 and broadcast as KAFM. The 5KA/KAFM name ended on January 1st 1994 when new owners rebranded it as FM 104.7. The webpage is of similar design to the previous Radio 390 one which linked to various Dallas newspapers and local Dallas information. There's a different music stream going out at Paul Francis's other site: http://www.radio390.bravehost.com/ similar to the style of the original 390. Doubtless we will hear claims of new backers in Adelaide soon :) (Mike Barraclough, UK, Dec 25, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN. Re 5-222: ``BTW, did you realize that VOIRI does NOT broadcast in Persian on SW? Neither external nor domestic service, according to WRTH 2006.`` -- It is my understanding that they never ran a separate, external service program in Persian but instead carried the first domestic program (Sarasarye) on shortwave (namely 15084). If I recall correctly, they took it off shortwave together with the foreign language broadcasts for Central/Western Europe and North America (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Dec 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN. 6010, Voice Of The Islamic Republic Of Iran, English service, site? DEC 24, 1925 UT - piano music, "This is The Voice Of The Islamic Republic Of Iran", into a recitation of the Holy Kor`an (which the chick really loved, surprisingly since aside from being very unusual music, the reception was only fair). New country! My best daytime DX on 49 meters! (Bogdan Chiochiu, QC, DX LISTENING DIGEST) A IRIB Radio que emite em espanhol desde o Irão, é mesmo especial, pelo respeito, pela dedicação e espiritualidade, pelo carinho e pela forma como responde com inclusive presentes, livros e pede retorno de informação (Sérgio Oliveira - Fátima - Portugal, radioescutas via DXLD) But they are controlled by Islamic extremists dedicated to the obliteration of western culture. O, that`s all right (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ITALY. 6100/6195 --- Never came across of a RAI Rome report of this new B-05 early morning operating on 6100 kHz at 0630-0800 UT slot, due of BBC Rampisham using 6195 kHz till 0800 UT in winter season. 6100 kHz transmission noted this morning Dec 26 with a Christmas greetings broadcast of Italian nationals abroad, many phone-in interviews noted interspersed by Italian and international carols. 0630-0800 UT in direction of Sarajevo, Belgrade at 52 degrees. 6100 0630-0800 28,29W ROM 100 52 Italian I RAI and later on: 6195 0800-1300 28,29W ROM 100 52 Italian I RAI (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, Dec 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LATVIA. 9290, Radio Marabu via Latvia Relay Dec. 24, 1419-1510. Noted with pop selections to Xmas Music. German DJ with one positive ID for Radio Marabu. Signal was marginal to just audible at best (Edward Kusalik, Alberta, CANADA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9290, KWRN Nordland Radio via Latvia Relay Service, 0900-0915, December 25, English & ?, very short music and identifications non stop (as Interval Signal), "This is KWRN Nordland Radio...". All identifications and announcements by male, Christian songs, 25332 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, condig list via DXLD) 9290, 25/12 0925, KWRN - ID e musica, buono 9290, 25/12 1030, R. Q103 - Tedesco, ID e musica, buono (Roberto Pavanello, Vercelli - Italia, bclnews.it via DXLD) 9290, KWRN Nordland Radio, 0930-1000, 25-12, locutor, alemán, canciones en inglés, identificación: "KWRN music", "KWRN Northland Radio", locutor, comentarios, menciona "Santa Claus". 45444. 9290, Q103 Deutschland, 1000-1040 25-12, locutor, alemán, comentarios y canciones navideñas. 45444 (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Grundig Satellit 500 y Sony ICF SW 7600 G, Antena de cable, 10 m. orientada WSW. Escuchas en Friol, 27 Km. W de Lugo, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LATVIA. Marabu Caroline relay on 945 AM Riga --- From Radio Nord: Hello Jari, Merry Christmas! Radio Marabu Caroline 25 and 26 December on 945AM Riga relay 1800-2400 UT. Regards (Raimonds, via Jari Savolainen, Dec 25, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LIBERIA. 5470, 19.12 2115, Radio Veritas with a religious lecture finished by a dashing ``Bye Bye`` and some African music. QSA 3 despite no good opening towards Africa. JE (Jan Edh, Sweden, SW Bulletin, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. 6010, Radio Mil, 0850-0940, 25-12, Canciones, canción "La mujer que yo quiero se llama Guadalupe, es la santa más buena...", otras bonitas canciones románticas, identificaciones entre canciones "visítenos en internet http://www.radiomil.com.mex --- a partir de hoy puede escucharnos vía real audio", "Si a Vd. le preguntan qué emisora escucha, diga Radio Mil". A las 0900 "Radio Mil AM, celebre esta Navidad con Radio Mil, 1000 AM, onda corta, 6010 kHz, banda internacional de 49 metros, 50.000 watts de potencia, y en internet http://www.radiomil.com.mex son las 3". Entre canciones: "Radio Mil, tres ocho", "Radio Mil, tres once". 24322, incluso por momentos 34333. Comprado en multitud de ocasiones que para escuchar Radio Mil aquí en España, y me imagino igual en Europa, hay que esperar a ese momento de buena propagación que se produce luego de la salida del sol y dura hasta aproximadamente hora y cuarto más tarde, en que ya la señal empieza a debilitarse (Manuel Méndez, Spain, DX LISTENING DIGEST) So they just started webcasting today! (gh, Dec 25, DXLD) ** NEPAL. GLOBAL CRISIS WATCH CHRISTMAS EDITION NOW AVAILABLE As promised yesterday, a new edition of Global Crisis Watch is now available from ClandestineRadio.com. It's 30 minutes long and 21.1 Mb in MP3 format. The direct link to the file is http://www.clandestineradio.com/gcw/gcw_051226.mp3 and it's also available as a podcast http://www.clandestineradio.com/gcw/rss.xml?PHPSESSID=35612c12ae3e25b9995c61077439a56c In this edition, I update the situation at Voice of the People in Zimbabwe, and there's a fascinating interview with Dinesh Wagle (United We Blog!) in Nepal about the latest developments there. # posted by Andy @ 10:18 UT Dec 26 (Media Network blog via DXLD) That`s the second one in one week, after six-month break (gh) ** NETHERLANDS. Hello. Quick question: Can you please tell me the current status of Robert Greene, late of Radio Nederland (Radio Netherlands). I miss him terribly. I was unsuccessful in trying to find his blog (if there is one). Thnx, (Don Wilson, San Francisco, Dec 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, Rob has been having a well-earned break since his official retirement at the end of September. I will be contacting him early in the New Year to see if he's ready to start blogging. We will of course mention it in the Weblog if and when it happens. But as Rob is now officially retired, whatever he does will be personal and will have no connection with Radio Netherlands. 73, (Andy Sennitt, RN, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. 15120, 25.12 0720, La Voix du Nigéria in French with Christmas Carols. Back again after some weeks absence. Heavy variation in audio quality. 2-4 CB (Christer Brunström, Sweden, SW Bulletin, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) Voice of Nigeria, 15120, 1700-1900 Dec 25, good level. Live announcements/live news brings good audio/modulation, but some pre- recorded programs/music at very low modulation. Again, some very nice seasonal music with an African flavor. Enjoyable (Christopher Lewis, England, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. Summary of Pirate Activity heard this past weekend in Alberta 6920U, Kracker Radio, Dec. 22. 2244-2302. Noted with variety of Xmas music, from White Xmas to Alvin & the Chipmunks version of White Xmas. Also noted with CW IDs as ``CQ-CQ-CQ de Kracker Radio`` 6925U, Kracker Radio Dec. 24 2317-2335 Kracker Radio with CW IDs, Xmas music, comments about supporting the Economy. 13887.84 to 13880.00, Voice of the Islands. Dec. 24, 1625–2200. Tipped off that this was on the air, noted as early as 1625 with just marginal signal, with deep fades. Noted with Xmas Music such as Winter Wonderland, Little Drummer boy, and Sleigh Bells; re-tuned at 1712, heard with more Xmas Music, and a Nice ID at 1858 for ``This is Voice of the Islands --- welcome to our Xmas Special``. The Best reception was 2014-2100 with a variety of Xmas Music, from Silent Night, Winter Wonderland by Bing Crosby, Here comes Santa Claus, OM (John Priest (?). Announcer had a British accent, and mentioned about the special Xmas broadcast, greetings to all from Voice of the Islands. Signal ranged to fair to almost a Good copy (S3 to a S4 level) at times, despite the fading. According to Jerry Coatsworth, the QSL address is either via P. O. Box 293 Merlin, Ontario, NOP 1WO (return postage) or voiceoftheislands @ hotmail.com They will be on the air Dec 23, 24, 25, 31 & Jan. 1, 06; 30 watts AM Mode with 2-element Beam towards Europe (North America Transmitter Location then?) (Edward Kusalik-Alberta, CANADA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA [and non]. From [NRC] AM Switch Issue 13 . . . One of your `missing` Okies: LICENSE RENEWALS GRANTED: 1110 KEOR OK Atoka 73, (BILL Hale, TX, Dec 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I had previously mused about a long list of OK stations which had their license renewals routinely granted by FCC, not including some stations such as this, probably just a matter of expiration dates (gh, DXLD) Bill, OK, tnx; but that`s the one being moved to 1120 in Catoosa in another of those chess games to benefit The Metroplex. 73, (Glenn to Bill, via DXLD) Benefit? Nah . . . Maybe --- I see where KEOR has been sold to M&M, owners of KCLE-1140 Cleburne. And, I'm sure you are aware they applied to move KCLE to 1110 with higher power. At the time of the Auction 84 applications, I didn't associate the KCLE/KEOR relationship. Sure, KCLE will have more power. But they will lose nighttime service, which for the past couple of years (since moving from 1140) has provided HS football and other sports to the community. M&M also owns KJSA-1120 Mineral Wells, which has applied for a power increase and move to 1200 in Maple Grove, MN!!!! What a joke. Benefit? Nah. 73, (BILL Hale, TX, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. 1640, KFXY, OK, Enid. 12/21 1700 [EST]. Promo for Oklahoma Cowboys basketball on KNID-99.7 followed by ID: ``AM 16-40 KFXY Enid-Oklahoma City, The Score``, into sport scores (Rick Turner, Bemidji, MN, YB400PE, Select-A-Tenna 541, Domestic DX Digest, NRC E-DX News via DXLD) ** PAKISTAN. ILLEGAL RADIO CHANNELS CONTINUE TO CAUSE PROBLEMS IN NWFP Illegal FM radio channels operating in the tribal areas of Pakistan`s North West Frontier Province (NWFP) bordering Afghanistan are continuing to cause problems. So far, despite a pledge by the governor of the province to halt the broadcasts, the two rival religious Pir and Mufti groups continue to deliver religious sermons from their home-made stations, threatening peace in the region. ANP leader and renowned advocate Abdul Latif Afridi said he was unable to understand why these religious groups had been allowed to operate their illegal FM stations. "It is the responsibility of the government to close down their FM channels and stop them misleading ordinary people," he said. Asked about the role of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, he said PEMRA had no influence or jurisdiction in tribal areas, and therefore they could not be held responsible for the present situation. Another local resident, requesting anonymity, said that in the beginning people were benefiting from these FM radio stations as the religious scholars used to deliver lectures on religious topics. However, he added, during the past few months the two main rivals, Mufti and Pir groups, started venomous propaganda against the religious thoughts of each other, causing problems which have engulfed the whole area. (Source: Internews) # posted by Andy @ 09:28 UT Dec 25 (Media Network blog via DXLD) Full story: ILLEGAL RADIO CHANNELS CREATE A STIR IN TRIBAL AREAS Published: Sunday, 25 December, 2005, 08:50 AM Doha Time http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=65986&version=1&template_id=41&parent_id=23 (via Zacharias Liangas, DXLD) ** ROMANIA. While checking out Radio República on 5965 [see CUBA non] after 0000 Dec 26, I found Radio Romania International in Spanish on 5960. Huge carrier but weak audio, perhaps already sent with too low level from Bucuresti since a noise gate just barely opens. HFCC shows only 31 and 25 metres frequencies for this broadcast, so one can only guess whether this is Tiganesti or Galbeni (two transmitters at each site are scheduled for this programme), and in fact one can only guess about the actual schedule as well (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Dec 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. 5960, R. Tikhiy Okean (R. Station Pacific Ocean), Dec 25, *0935-1000*, Russian programming, with many segments of recorded interviews, Russian ballad and a pop song, 0956 full ID and phone number, followed by pop Russian song till sign-off. Reception very good, virtually 100% readable (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, RX340 + T2FD antenna, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5960, Radiostantsiya Tikhiy Okean, Vladivostok, 0947-1000 Dec 26. Noted man in Russian comments until 0953 when a woman talks briefly. She is followed by a Romantic Russian ballad. Just one song, then back to comments by a couple of men. Just before the hour, closing comments and then off, carrier and all. RTO was fair in strength (Chuck Bolland, Clewiston, Florida, NRD545, Dipole, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. Re 5-222: Perhaps it should be noted as a precaution against misunderstandings that the Voice of Russia information from Nikolay Rudnev reflects their entire shortwave output, i.e. in Russian as well as foreign languages. Probably not even all of these frequencies are on air, at least 9720 1000-1100 (Bolshakovo in Kaliningrad area) is not listed by VOR German service at http://www.vor.ru/German/Liste/liste.html Glancing through this list, I again have to wonder if all three Moscow area sites are still involved in shortwave transmission? Anyway all the 100 kW transmitters there (more than 20 units) must be idle now, with the DRM from Taldom being the only exception. All the best, (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Dec 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I wonder why they keep mis-labeling these schedules as Russian language only, not to mention the caveats you mention; and what is their ultimate source? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Today I checked 9720 in the 1000-1100 period: Indeed Voice of Russia German is on here, in parallel to 15540. Both appeared to be the listed sites, i.e. 9720 Bolshakovo and 15540 Tbilisskaya (again, instead of previously used Samara). (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Dec 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SAUDI ARABIA. 21640, ARABIA SAUDITA, BSKSA, Riyadh, AA, 25/12 1401, OM/YL/talks. Várias pessoas comentando algum fato no estúdio (OM/YL), e rindo muito. Um estilo bastante diferente do que se está acostumado a ouvir pela BSKSA. 45544 RWG. Rx: Kenwood R-1000, ant.: Degen DE-31, LW 22 m. 73s, (Rudolf Grimm, São Bernardo, SP, BRASIL, http://www.radioways.cjb.net http://www.ondascurtas.com radioescutas via DXLD) ** SCOTLAND [non]. News from Radio Six International in Scotland --- Starting on January 6th, we will be adding a thrice-weekly transmission on 945 kHz from Ulbroka (2.7 kW), aimed at listeners in Latvia and Estonia, with signals hopefully receivable in parts of Sweden and Finland. The January schedule will be:- SATURDAYS: 0700-0800 9290 kHz (100 kW, Ulbroka) 0930-1030 13840 kHz ( 20 kW, IRRS Italy) (2nd week of month only) 2000-2100 945 kHz (2.8 kW, Ulbroka) SUNDAYS 0800-0900 13840 kHz ( 20 kW, IRRS Italy) (2nd week of month only) 1200-1300 9290 kHz (100 kW, Ulbroka) 2000-2100 945 kHz (2.8 kW, Ulbroka) THURSDAYS 2000-2100 5775 kHz ( 20 kW, IRRS Italy) (2nd week of month only) FRIDAYS 2000-2100 945 kHz (2.7 kW Ulbroka) We're hoping to add a weekly transmission from the USA in January as well. Happy New Year, Glenn, Best regards (TONY CURRIE, Programme Director, Radio Six International, Dec 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. BULLETIN: Brother Scare is not a big hit in Turkey. Around 2245 UT Dec 25 on 9320 he was talking about how in all the time he has been on an FM station in Istanbul --- which he thinks covers the entire country --- he has only got one P-mail and a handful of E-mails in response and virtually no financial support. So he is pulling out of there at yearend, and has already found a replacement, the Philippines. I predict he will be slightly more successful there since 1) there are a considerable number of English-speakers; and 2) a considerable number of Christians already, altho 3 ) we should hope they are not as wacky as he is (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SRI LANKA. Good signal but heavy polar flutter on 11500, Dec 26 at 1711 in South Asian language, big hum during phone-interview portion of audio. A variety of stations and sites are listed for 11500 by EiBi, but at this hour it is the VOA Urdu service: 11500 1700-1800 USA VoA Radio Aap ki Dunyaa UR SAs /CLN 11500 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN [non]. USAID/OTI MEDIA PROGRAMMING IN SUDAN The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has issued the following information about the Sudan Radio Service in a press release dated 21 December: The overall goal of the USAID/DCHA/OTI Sudan program is to strengthen Sudanese confidence and capacity to address the causes and consequences of political marginalization, violence, and instability. The five main objectives of the OTI Sudan program are to: support the emergence of responsive, effective, and inclusive civil authorities; provide opportunities for peaceful dialogue within and among communities; assist in the emergence of an empowered and active civil society; increase access to quality, independent information; and protect vulnerable populations. In support of OTI's objective to increase access to quality, independent information, OTI has invested significantly in the development of media programming in Sudan, most notably with the creation of a local language shortwave radio service, the Sudan Radio Service (SRS). Given Sudan's vast geographic size and high rates of illiteracy, shortwave radio was identified as the best means to quickly establish independent media for southern Sudan. Existing radio broadcasts in regional languages have been limited to broadcasts from the north and sporadic coverage from various international services like the BBC. OTI's radio service targeting southern Sudan constitutes a critical component of the USAID strategy for development in Sudan and the wider USG support to the successful implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed between the Government of Sudan and the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement on January 9, 2005. Education Development Center (EDC) is OTI's implementing partner for the Sudan Radio Service, which began broadcast on July 30, 2003. The radio service programming reflects the vibrant community of many peoples and cultures in southern Sudan. Regular, weekly programming targets speakers of Dinka, Nuer, Juba-Arabic, Bari, Shilluk, Zande, Moro, Arabic, and English. The broadcasts provide balanced news and information, particularly on the national peace process, as well as on local-level conflict resolution efforts. Information on critical humanitarian programs is also highlighted. The service broadcasts educational programming with topics ranging from agriculture/animal husbandry, economic/business development, and health issues. The service emphasizes civic education and governance programming, promoting positive and peaceful development of the government institutions. The radio service also promotes cultural programming such as music, poetry, story-telling, dramas, using these forms of entertainment to draw in listeners. Current production studios for SRS are in Nairobi, Kenya, with Sudanese producers and reporters traveling throughout southern Sudan. The Sudan Radio Service broadcasts six hours of news, music, & informative content each day – Monday - Friday. Languages: Monday: English, Arabic, Juba-Arabic and Dinka Tuesday: English, Arabic, Juba-Arabic, and Zande Wednesday: English, Arabic, Juba-Arabic, Nuer and Moro Thursday: English, Arabic, Juba-Arabic and Bari Friday: English, Arabic, Juba-Arabic and and Shilluk Schedule: 0600-0800 UTC on 11665 kHz 0800-0900 UTC on 15325 kHz 1800-2100 UTC on 17660 kHz (Source: United States Agency for International Development) # posted by Andy @ 09:17 UT Dec 25 (Media Network blog via DXLD) They did it again! Times are NOT UT, but local UT +3, and all the frequencies are wrong, from some past A-season (Glenn Hauser, 12.25.05 - 8:42 pm, ibid.) Thanks Glenn, then I will remove the offending text (Andy, 12.25.05 - 9:51 pm, ibid.) SRS again heard on 11705, Dec 26 at 1712 in Arabic, with big signal via UK, and big hum to go with it in Arabic talk, cutting to musical fanfare stinger. If the signal is so good over here, does that mean it is even better, or worse (so much of it being wasted in this direction) in Sudan? No sign of co-channel VOP Madagascar to Zimbabwe or jamming. Not much signal from 11735 Zanzibar either (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TUNISIA. Radio Tunisi Internazionale è inattiva in onde medie sulla storica frequenza di 963 kHz. La trasmissione è però regolarmente in onda in FM; ho appena finito di ascoltarla sui 92 MHz (Roberto Scaglione, Sicily, Dec 25, bclnews.it via DXLD) 963 was the frequency with all the foreign language services (gh, DXLD) ** U K. I just happened to tune in a BBC WS frequency that was about to carry H M The Queen`s Xmas message to the C`wealth, Ascension 21470, Dec 25 at 1505. She was on only from 1506 to 1510, followed by GSTQ. ``God save our gracious Queen; may she never turn green ... From every mountainside, God Save the Queen``. Is she trying to outdo Bush in brevity of radio addresses, or is that all BBC gives her? Another annus horribilis, for the World, not just the Royal Family. Could be the TV version is longer as has been the case in past, with video clips of some of the horrors (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WOR 1298 was on WRMI 7385, half an hour earlier than scheduled at 2200 UT Sunday Dec 25; after 2230 there was some preacher. Was this a mistake, or a deliberate change? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Praise Yahweh! WMLK modulation had increased to the point that occasional words could be made out amidst the hum, on relatively strong carrier 9265, Dec 26 at 1706 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. I happened to check the Shortwave Log Community http://www.shortwavelog.com/Community/ Dec 26 at 2000 UT, and found the very top log was not only from the future, but of a (-910 kHz) receiver image instead of a real frequency: ``Shortwave Dec-26 2330 0000 6505 WBCQ Maine United States Unknown Shortwave 1 33343 English Grundig S350 Gloucester, VA Shack Steven Armstrong Shortwave`` Such are the drawbacks of this kind of ``logging community``. Somehow I lost interest in checking further down the page for any newsworthy items. O wait, same guy reports RHC on the unlikely 5089, which must surely be 5090, an image of 6000. Surely due to that S350, which he hasn`t figured out yet makes all these images. Such receivers ought to be required by law to have a large label on them saying ``watch out for 910 kHz images!`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. There was a typo in the email to you from Sophie about the Voice of Joy. The frequency is in fact 6220 kHz. The Christmas special will be repeated on December 26th at 1400-1600 UT. Thereafter at 1400-1500 every Saturday (Jeff Cohen, WRN, Dec 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, Greetings for a Happy New Year! Please use this email address voiceofjoy @ comcast.net for sending out contact information about our broadcast times. The other email I have is my personal email address. (Dean Phillips, Voice of Joy, Dec 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) So did anyone hear it today Monday at 14 on 6220? Above notice was posted the day before on the dxldyg and HCDX (gh, DXLD) RUSSIA, 6220, Voice of Joy, 1400-1600 UT, Dec 26. Italian music pirate station Mystery Radio blocked Voice of Joy co-channel here in Europe. V. of Joy appeared around 1530 UT underneath. Mystery Radio left air at 1539 UT finally. VOJ heard then on Sinpo 44444 rating in Austria. Religious music content. Clarion at 1559 UT, followed by an e-mail address voiceofjoy @ comcast.net announcement, on which US soldiers serving in Iraq may order a music CD [gift?]. "God Bless You" and s/off (Patrick Robic, Austria, via Wolfgang Büschel, Dec 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Yes, 6220 not a good choice either; maybe Mystery would stand by this one hour per week from now on if they know about VOJ (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WAPI/WJOX tests Dec 27-28-29: Les, Please clarify! Does the test start at 11:59 PM CST or 12:59 AM CST? Every other posting is conflicting! The start time is the only time I can listen since next day is a work day. Thanks. (Art Peterson, Richmond, CA, IRCA via DXLD) Art, The test begins at 11:59 PM CST (1 minute prior to midnight central) Sorry for the confusion (Les Rayburn, test coordinator, ibid.) That is, 0559 UT Tuesday Dec 27, a.k.a. tonight. Details in 5- 217 (gh, DXLD) WAPI/WJOX DX Test QSL Requirements --- I apologize for anyone who may have felt excluded by my request for recordings of the upcoming WAPI WJOX DX Test. That certainly was not my intent. I will gladly accept written reports of the test, and will QSL 100% all reports received via e-mail, snail mail, etc. It may take some time for me to get to these requests due to a heavy work load and limited time. As Paul and others pointed out, QSL requirements are always based on the requests of the station, or the person authorized to perform QSL chores and in no way reflects on the NRC or IRCA. For me, it is simply easier to handle reception reports via e-mail and using recordings; but I don't wish to exclude anyone. Send reception reports to: les @ highnoonfilm.com or Les Rayburn, N1LF C/O High Noon Film 100 Centerview Drive Suite 111 Birmingham, AL 35080 73 and Good Luck to all in logging our first "inventory insert test!" (Les Rayburn, WTFDA-AM via DXLD) ** U S A. 600, WMT, IA, Cedar Rapids. Has been back on licensed power/pattern, U2 5 kW, since late October, per engineer Jim Beard (no relation). Still doing some tweaking due in part to a new metal fence surrounding the towers. They had been using an STA for approximately 2 kW days and 500 W nights U1 for about a year while two of their three towers and ground fields were replaced (Doug Beard, Springfield IA, Domestic DX Digest, NRC E-DX News via DXLD) ** U S A. As discussed in an article some months ago, The Metropolitan Opera appears to be gone from some of the unlikely non-classical AM affiliates which had carried the broadcasts for many years under Texaco/Chevron sponsorship, e.g. in Kansas, KGGF-690 and KULY-1420. Now only public radio stations on FM (and Kansas City`s classical KXTR which has been banished from FM to the X-band) are found via the updated http://www.operainfo.org/stationfinder/ However, an accompanying map has too many dots on it now. There is now a page with info on intermission features http://www.operainfo.org/intermissions/ not including their timings within each broadcast. For that we will have to go back to the BBC Radio 3 listings, which should resume MetOp Dec 31 after its dalliance with Bach the past fortnight. For those who need to catch an opera more than a week after its original broadcast, it`s confirmed that Radio Cultura Sao Paulo FM, webcast, is carrying Met 8 days delayed Sundays at 1700 UT from Dec 24 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Les Is More for --- ABC! --- By Rebecca Dana In a meeting with reporters in Los Angeles last January, CBS president Leslie Moonves made some suggestions --- with a flippancy he now seems to regret --- for how his network might improve its third-ranking evening newscast: longer narrative pieces, higher production values, no ``voice-of-God single-anchor`` format, and a sense of humor or optimism about the news, without which his nightly broadcast is sometimes kind of a downer. He also floated, via The New York Times, a more recent idea of having naked women read the daily headlines --- flippancy being, as it is, a tough habit to kick. But by then, television news people were already steeling themselves for their industry’s inevitable, and inevitably painful, snazzification process. Now, one year later, the CBS snazzification has finally begun! Except it’s happening at ABC. CBS has taken few discernible steps toward juicing up its news shows, save a very public wooing of Today show anchor Katie Couric, but ABC executives seem to be moving as fast as possible to implement Mr. Moonves’ ideas. . . [much more, 3 page article] http://www.observer.com/media_nytv.asp (NY Observer via DXLD) This URL shows the current article, which will probably disappear in due time into an archive accessible only by paying, I think (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. Reasons to Trust Local TV News (13 comments ) READ MORE: Washington Post, CBS Reason #1: the talent. This from (subscription) site newsblues.com: Kacey Bytheway, the luscious young Palm Springs morning news anchor who changed her professional name to Kacey Montoya for "security and safety reasons" and NOT to appear Hispanic, also goes by a third name. According to http://www.Fox-Files.com ("An Experience in Erotica"), she's Kacey Aliece, a "Lustful and Curious Blonde" who "dreams of hosting a tabloid TV show such as Extra." Kacey Aliece, according to the website (which sells her photos for $3.95 each), "looks like she loves teasing her viewers with her innocent, but naughty - schoolgirl sex appeal." Join her "as she mixes it up on the set with her titillating and erotic ensemble of near- nothing g-string and lingerie shots." On http://www.benchwarmer.com where she's still known as Kacey Bytheway, you can buy her "trading cards." She also offers "authentic kiss" cards. On eBay, you can buy "swatches" of her bikini for only $149.95. (Your surly editor has already bought Mrs. B one for Christmas.) Kacey (insert last name) has also appeared in a hugely unwatchable country music video by Chris Chitsey, modeled swim patches, endorsed sunless suntan products, and pushed her modeling portfolio on http://www.swamodels.com http://www.tropicbeauty.com and http://www.venusbeauties.com She's still featured on the subscription-based soft porn site http://www.thesexiestwomenalive.com/ and http://www.purrfectangelz.com where she talks about her turnoffs ("Liars, arrogance, and bad breath") and her secret ("I'm smarter than I look!") and her dream ("To be a successful Broadcast Journalist and to speak Spanish fluently."). Turns out, Kacey Bytheway... or Kacey Aliece... or Kacey Montoya (take your pick) got her big break at crappy little WOAY-4-ABC in Oak Hill, W.Va. (Market #149)... In Oak Hill, she caught the eye of big time New York agent Gregg Willinger, who maneuvered her into a smaller market... in the middle of the desert... at KPSP-2[sic]-CBS in Palm Springs (Market #153). We assume she pays Willinger a percentage of her salary each month for the service. But, Willinger has high hopes for Kacey. As he told us last week, "This kid is going to be a star some day." (via Harry Shearer, Eat the Press, huffingtonpost.com via DXLD) ** U S A. NEW SUPPORT FOR HILL'S NOMINATION AS FCC COMMISSIONER wrathofkahn.ORG Issue 24 December 21, 2005 First, permit me, Dear Reader, to tell you that important steps are in motion to get Dr. Ken Hill on Martin's new FCC . . . http://www.wrathofkahn.org/ (via DXLD) This issue will then be moved to the bottom of the archive page: http://www.wrathofkahn.org/wst_page5.html ** U S A. NATIONAL SOS RADIO NETWORK Back in the USA, the radio amateur community consists of about 675000 licensees. Following the constant threat of terrorist attack and increasingly extreme weather conditions including Hurricane Katrina, that pretty much wiped New Orleans, Biloxi and other coastal towns off the map, an American radio amateur, Eric Knight KB1EHE, has proposed a National SOS Radio network. Eric`s idea is that in times of trouble amateurs would listen on Family Radio Service (The US equivalent of PMR 446) channel 1 – 462.5625 MHz FM. The public at large should be educated that if they need assistance, a call on Channel 1 would be monitored by a local ham who would then relay the call for assistance to the appropriate authority by any means possible but using amateur radio if land-lines and cell phones are out of action. The proposal has gone to the ARRL for discussion. It`s certainly an inexpensive and simple solution that would have probably saved lives following the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina (Dave Roberts, Scanning, Dec Short Wave Magazine [UK] via DXLD) Has anything come of this by now? (gh, DXLD) ** VENEZUELA. Como les había comentado anteriormente, hice el viaje a las poblaciones de Piritu y Puerto Piritu para comprobar la existencia de Radio Piritu 810 AM y pude comprobar como les había dicho, que Radio Piritu 810 AM no existe. Según lo escuchado por mí, hay dos emisoras en Piritu; una es Playera 101.9 FM y la otra es la emisora comunitaria Radio Paraíso 93.3 FM. Cabe señalar que en la frecuencia 810 AM, se escucha: Radio 810 "La Suprema", transmitiendo desde Valencia, Edo Carabobo. La pude escuchar muy bajita el mismo día desde Piritu. Puedo decir que aproveché el viaje igualmente para escuchar a Radio María Venezuela 1450 AM, emisora que transmite desde Caracas, en la 3era Norte de la Avenida Guaicaipuro, Quinta Mirna. El slogan de la emisora es: "Una voz católica en tu casa". En Piritu esta emisora se oye muy bien; practicamente la escuché a orillas del Mar Caribe. Estuve hablando con la señora Anneris, la cual me trató muy amablemente y me dio algunas informaciones. El correo electrónico de la radio es: radiomariavenezuela @ hotmail.com Allí escribí y recibí respuesta de parte del Sr. Pedro Raimundo Moreno Castillo y aparte de eso, una preciosa tarjeta navideña de la radio. De lo anterior se desprende que Radio Sonera 1450 AM que transmitía desde Catia La Mar, Edo Vargas, desapareció. Otra estación que he estado escuchando muy bien es Educativa 1050 AM, cuyo slogan es: "con todo lo que sucede en el despacho educativo". Anteriormente en esta frecuencia escuchábamos al canal musical de la Radio Nacional de Venezuela, pero ahora es: Radio Educativa 1050 AM. Atte: (José Elías Díaz Gómez, Dec 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ¿Entonces nadie en Piritu sabía nada de la emisora 810, talvez proyectada? (gh, DXLD) ** VENEZUELA [non]. 13680, R. Nacional Venezuela, via Cuba, Dec. 26 at 2040-2058 UT. Excerpts of President Chávez speeches and commentaries. Many IDs until off in mid-sentence at 2058. 34443 // 9525 presented very weak signal and suffering severe interference. That's all for the moment Best 73's from Portugal! (José Turner, DX LISTENING DIGEST) You mean 9550? (gh, DXLD) ** YEMEN. Glenn, after a long time helped me again to use fine ham radio software SpecLab to measure some odd frequency broadcasts via AOR 7030 and Sony ICF2010 receivers. 9780v, YRTVC Sana'a at *0257-2210 UT: outlet uses at least two different transmitters in 31 mb, which reported by many monitors over and over again in DX press in recent years. Theory is, both transmitters operating on odd frequency, but these frequencies differ by some Hertz. One operating slightly above 9780 two years ago, the other slightly below or around the 9779.5 range. Once I thought Sana`a uses both transmitters, BUT changes it from day to day. This morning at 0500-0530 UT I heard Sana`a very loud on - heavy odd - 9779.51 kHz, Sinpo 44444 rating. But at 0530 UT the uneven number changed to 9779.76 kHz and signal level dropped down to S=2-3 suddenly[!], so I assume another antenna array is in use with the second transmitter unit. At 1415 UT Sana'a was operating on 9779.76 kHz today. Early morning broadcast always reported on 9779.44 ... to .55 kHz, seemingly at 0257-0530 UT time span. The other reported on odd 9779.66 ... 9780.50 kHz. In 2002-2004y the change over time reported to be much later at 0700 ... 0705 UT. \\ 5950 kHz *0257-2130v UT (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, Dec 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Saudi Arabia noted on odd 9714.95 [?x9675 0300-0900] at 0900 UT this morning, \\ 0600-0900 15170[NE, EUR] and 15380[NoAF] kHz (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, Dec 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZIMBABWE [and non]. See NEPAL for a new Global Crisis Watch UNIDENTIFIED. Hallo MG freaks, Gelezen op http://www.anoraknation.com/ --- Pipeline Radio will transmit for 3 hours this coming Monday the 26th December on 50 kW if all goes to plan. I will be looking for Reception Reports from any DXers. It starts at 2200 GMT = 2300 CET with a 2 hour special from Tom Mackenzie with a mix of new music and Classic album tracks; Andy Lewis will be on from Middlesbrough 88after myself :) studio @ pipelineradio.org 73, (via Hugo Matten B-8630 Veurne, Belgium, Dec 25, BDXC via DXLD) WTFK? Are we talking about 1386 again from somewhere? (gh, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 1710 kHz, Christmas music --- Very strong here in central Jersey at 2040 ET. I can't yet tell if it's some sort of image or intermod, which I typically don't have an issue with, but it's unID at this time. WEMJ [15 minutes later:] Now ID'ing as WENJ, but a search through AM Log shows no such station (Dave central Jersey Hochfelder, Dec 25 = UT Dec 26, IRCA via DXLD) Dave: Maybe you got another pirate there. I suspect there are several stations on this channel as I have seen at least five or six carriers here at times (Bill Harms, MD, ibid.) UNIDENTIFIED. 5438 USB --- Monitoring this on 11 October proved to be very interesting indeed. I was hearing numerous stations, which must have been an exercise net. Well, if it wasn`t a military exercise net, then there must have been a pretty large war going on that was missed by the news media. There was a mass of talk about minefields and diversionary attacks and the like. There was plenty of radio traffic regarding car bombs and civilian casualties. One of the `Head Sheds` appeared to be a chap with a South African accent. I have a marvellous recording of him saying, ``Do not slow the tempo, we must catch the enemy while his attention is directed toward our diversionary attack.`` And other stuff like that. Has anyone ever heard similar exercise radio talk on 5438? The traffic was in what can only be described as `extremely clear speech` meaning that there was little or no attempt to cloak any information at all. Perhaps the participants were using radios in the clear, knowing that `for real` they would have access to encrypted sets? Or maybe it was cadet traffic from a CCF station? It`s a bit of a mystery, I`m afraid. With the southern African accents it quite took me back to the `Green Leader` recordings of the Rhodesian military during Operation Gatling, when terrorists were neutralised during an attack on Westlands Farm on the Zambian border. A few days later the Irish Army were on 4990 but it wasn`t as exciting as the other net! (Ben Hogan, SSB Utilities, Dec Short Wave Magazine [UK] via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 6660, FRENCH [?] PIRATE --- At the conclusion of my October SWM offering I asked if anyone else had heard the French pirate who transmits almost anything on 6660 kHz LSB. It seems that I was about the only individual in the western world who hadn`t heard him before! `Big Ears` reports that he has heard him frequently interfering with traffic on the HF airband. Mike from Enigma 2000 kindly contacted me saying that this Frenchman has been there for at least 20 years, transmitting up to 18 hours every day. Mike reports that the pirate often retransmits loop recordings of other programmes and services including emergency traffic and HF air communications. Interestingly, Mike muses that despite the rumours that he is believed to be in Southern France, this may not be the case as at Mike`s location in South Wales the nuisiance is invariably an extremely strong signal (10 dB over S9). The signal remained at that strength even when an X—17 solar flare took out almost all signals in mid- September. Is the French speaking oaf in southern France or is he somewhere closer? (Ben Hogan, SSB Utilities, Dec Short Wave Magazine [UK] via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. Seems I am not the only one to have noticed the numbers station colliding with WYFR on 6855; but WYFR is not scheduled to begin on that frequency until 1945 (gh, DXLD) It is surprising, from a personal standpoint, to discover that the numbers stations still pack a phenomenological punch. Scanning the bands for shortwavemusic fare the other night, I heard two segments which gave me pause longer than virtually anything else over the past week's monitoring. In the first case, it was a matter of absurdist contrast that kept me locked on the frequency: a Spanish five-figure CIA numbers station ("V2") was coolly running digits over a Family Radio liturgy in perfect balance. Neither station suffered an undue amount of interference or cross-channel distortion; their stately, measured internal rhythms rolled indifferently against one another like a pair of marooned rafts. Duelling XMTRs!: Family Radio vs. V2 11/20/2005, 6855 kHz (1938 UT) http://www.mykeweiskopf.com/swmusic/75_fri_v2.mp3 (Shortwavemusic via DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS See FINLAND ++++++++++++++++++++++++ PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ CHRISTMAS RADIO HERITAGE STORIES AT http://www.radioheritage.net For the past few weeks, the most popular search term here at http://www.radioheritage.net has been 'Christmas Radio', so here're three Pacific Christmas stories you'll enjoy this holiday season. Adrian Peterson's latest column features a Christmas time broadcast in 1938 from PITC Radio, the shortwave broadcaster from Pitcairn Island. This is the latest in his 'Radio to the Rescue' series, and it's a story with a personal twist. There are amazing photos of broadcasting on Pitcairn as well, including the inside of the local ham shack in the 1950's, a photo of the 1930's shortwave transmitter, and inside and outside photos of the Royal NZ Air Force shortwave station on the island in the 1940's. Next is the story of Christmas Island Radio, located in London. There's no snow in this town though, as this is the story about the building of a local community radio station on lonely Christmas Island in Kiribati, in the center of the South Pacific. Finally, come celebrate the 60th anniversary of Christmas 1945 in Tokyo, Japan. This is a fabulously illustrated item about WVTR, the Armed Forces Radio Service station that had been on the air for just a few months. See how Christmas was celebrated at this new station serving troops in occupied Japan. And, if you're interested in other AFRS Japan stations, check out our latest listing of every known outlet, plus more great images from the 1940's and 1950's. All on line now at http://www.radioheritage.net, all free access, and a small way of sharing this Christmas season with our friends from around the Pacific and across the world. Happy Holidays! (David Ricquish, Radio Heritage Foundation, HCDX via SW Bulletin via DXLD) RADIO PHILATELY +++++++++++++++ Stateside DXers should remember that U.S. postage rates will increase on January 8, 2006. ADDED NOTE: Joe, W4TV, also wants to remind OPDX readers that FOREIGN postage rates will also increase. New rates: Postcards: 1 Oz. letter: Canada and Mexico - $0.55 Canada and Mexico - $0.63 Rest of the world - $0.75 Rest of the world - $0.84 It won't affect those DX stations who send a USD or Euro, but it will be important to those who use U.S. postage. It will also cut into the "extra" that often pays for the cards, envelopes, labels, ink, etc. for QSL manager (OPDX/BARF80/KB8NW via Dave Raycroft, ODXA via DXLD) NEW IRC PROCEDURES - RATE INCREASE AFFECTS INTERNATIONAL REPLY COUPONS The postage rate increase scheduled for January 8, 2006, affects the price of the international reply coupon (IRC). The new price will be $1.85 per coupon. Offices must follow the procedures listed below when the new rate goes into effect on January 8, 2006 (USPS Postal Bulletin, December 22, via Mike Cooper, DXLD) DIGITAL BROADCASTING DRM: see PROPAGATION below ++++++++++++++++++++ LEAP SECOND PALES BY COMPARISON A friend in Chicago just sent an email asking about the effect of the coming leap second on the TV industry -- since we'll probably have a live announcer in NYC yelling "Happy New Year" at the time I don't think we'll even notice. But the rest of my reply might be of general interest: Strangely enough, digitization has caused significant time problems for TV. The production crew in NYC may start the NBC Nightly News at precisely 5:30:00pm, but by the time the video & audio get coded to digital, MPEG-encoded for satellite, uplinked 86,000 miles (and back), and MPEG-decoded at the affiliate, it's at least 5:30:00.6. Then --- In our case, if you're watching the analog off-air signal, 5:30:00.6 is when you'll see the news start. If you're watching on Comcast cable, the signal is sent to Comcast via a digital fiber optic link. It takes time for that link to encode/decode. It's probably about 5:30:01 by the time Comcast gets the signal, and I can't vouch for how long it takes them to do whatever they do with it. Especially if you have digital cable. If you're watching on a digital TV set, I don't think there's much delay in the digital fiber link to the digital transmitter. But between the MPEG encoder and the decoder in your TV there's a delay of a bit more than a second. 5:30:01.6 or so. If you're watching on DirecTV or Dish Network it gets *real* interesting. As in, more than **ten seconds** of total coding delay. (the local signals in a given city are picked up off-air at a centralized point, digitized, and fed by fiber optic to the national uplink point. I'm sure there are significant delays in that process - - and there are further delays in the encoding for transmission over the satellite.) The moral of the story is, if you decide when to celebrate the beginning of 2006 by watching TV, you're going to be between 0.6 and 12 seconds late. Best to use WWV -- (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66, Dec 24, WTFDA via DXLD) Fortunately, the leap comes at midnight GMT, so by the time the ball drops in NYC, we'll all be on the same clock. And, you are quite right about the delay. But, it gets even wierder with the satellite radio. I can do a break live, walk across the plaza here at Graceland, and walk into the bathroom. Only by then, am I hearing the break I just did live streaming down the line. Delay varies (why?), but it is often in the 20-second range (Peter Baskind, J.D., LL.M. N4LI Germantown, TN/EM55, ibid.) Re one of the satellite radio nets (gh) Certainly the *amount* of compression possible depends on the program material -- test tones would compress a LOT more than, say, a Nirvana song -- I think it would be reasonable to believe that less-complex material that can be compressed further can also be compressed faster (Doug Smith W9WI, ibid.) It gets even longer with some streaming systems. Windows Media Encoder can be as much as a whole song (3+ mins) behind (Craig Healy Providence, RI, ibid.) So much for live TV these days using digital. WCCO 830 AM is always 7 seconds delayed when CBS radio news comes on --- the CBS time tone at the top of the hour can no longer be trusted on IBOC (John Ebeling in MN, ibid.) Don't know if anyone mentioned it but WAWZ 99.1 Zarephath NJ now has IBOC. Riding around Somerset county you cannot get Power 99 from Philadelphia! At home Power is strong but WAWZ is causing a lot of problems on 99.3, wonderful! (Bob Smolarek, ibid.) I wonder if that is a problem on these new HD radios? You should complain to WUSL, not that they have a lot of listeners in Hunterdon County, but they probably do in Middlesex/Mercer (Rick Shaftan, NJ, ibid.) You'd still have the problem because an HD radio gets its digital information from the 98.9 and 99.3 sidebands, right? That is, until the analog 99.1 shuts down and the digital part moves back to 99.1 from the sidebands. Or am I totally wrong?? So how is an HD radio going to know when to get the info from the sidebands or the main channel? Has anyone ever explained this? -- (Mike Bugaj, Enfield, CT USA ...who is slightly confused about HD, ibid.) I have made some inquiries as to having a station move to all-digital mode for a test. I have been told that the current crop of equipment doesn't have this capability (!). My question was about WHJJ-920 AM in Providence, and I'll ask specifically about WWBB-101.5 FM next time I see the engineer. My assumption is that there are two choices. First, the current receivers likewise have no ability to decode an all-digital mode. That's kind of unlikely, as it would obsolete them practically out of the box. The second, and to me more logical choice is that the receiver firmware can simply detect where the digital carrier is, and handle it appropriately. Until I can find a local station willing and able to test this, I won't know for certain (Craig Healy, Providence, RI, ibid.) WAWZ-99.1 IBOC --- My Christmas present from my strongest local. Doesn't make much difference since I've already written off the DXing hobby. Can't hear Philly-98.9 here at all now and the IBOC is getting on 99.5 just a little bit. In fact, unlike the other IBOCs, the WAWZ IBOC sidebands sound louder (with buzzing) than the main channel and also seem noticeably wider. Maybe it's because I'm so close. Wonder how IBOC sounds in Manhattan (haven't been there in 15 years and plan to keep that streak going. Merry Christmas, (Joe Fela/Central N.J., ibid.) If we accept some of the predictions based on TV digital (for which there was also a more powerful incentive - a partial band auction - these may not be obsolete anytime soon. Hybrid mode for FM may be around 10-15 years. Of course that presumes that HD FM ends up a success. If not they'd be obsolete sooner. And given all of the uncertainty and delay in getting hybrid mode receivers to market, I suspect nobody's even thinking that far out -- or if they are, they're seeing the dollar signs from yet another round of 'let's make what's out there obsolete so we can sell them all new again' (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA ( 360' ASL ) [15 mi NNW of Philadelphia], ibid.) I did pick up an HD receiver BRAND NEW off of ebay for $70! That $70 deal on ebay was pretty damn good. (Kevin Redding, AZ, ABDX via DXLD) Keep your eyes peeled folks! I am told that there will be more available on EBay soon (Kent Winrich Director of Engineering, Clear Channel Milwaukee, ibid.) What a missed marketing opportunity. iBiquity getting free demo receivers into the hands of interested private citizens who would evaluate them with a level of technical competence and criticality that 999 of 1000 average radio listeners do not possess. (these do NOT have to be DXers) and then hopefully flood their local media with laudatory messages. There are several possible explanations -- 1. iBiquity has no marketing sense whatever 2. iBiquity is too cheap to see any possible value in doing this, believing that the cost of the radios exceeds the possible future value of the PR it would generate. I keep scanning the [Tampa] Tribune for signs that Walt Belcher, media critic, has HIS demo set yet. Has not happened. 3. iBiquity does not like DXers and believes that anyone more than 25 miles from a radio station is a DXer. 4. iBiquity does not expect the demo audience to actually send any laudatory messages, or 5. iBiquity believes the available air product would not lead to any laudatory messages. Unanswered question number 582 - why is anyone selling a "brand new HD receiver" on eBay? Did not see the value in it? hmmm Merry Christmas, (Bob Foxworth, FL, ibid.) There are more HD Radios on the way from China as we speak. I dont think that the marketing has had a chance to even kick in yet. The answer to who was selling it, it was iBiqity selling the unit (Kent Winrich, ibid.) I am aware of several brands in various stages of readiness. I think the Boston Acoustics is the only one (to my knowledge) in-home unit (vs. car unit) that is now available, it showed up in a J&R newspaper ads, several readers over on the bc list have one. I am sure the marketing is going to begin shortly. ``The answer to who was selling it, it was iBiqity selling the unit.`` Interesting! Is this a commercial unit that they are promo'ing in some manner, sort of along the lines of my earlier irreverent posting, below, or is it some type of prototype -- which I would think is highly unlikely, because there would not be an optimum way to do QC that would ensure product consistency Haven't taken the time yet to research it but I am sure this has no connection with the $70 item you describe. I would pay $70 today for a receiver that I could take with me in my truck (not _installed_ in the truck) so that I could determine the day limits of the WFLA signal in HD mode, and to see what if any degradation is present in CH hours. It would be enjoyable to spend a couple days 'running radials' finding sites and then setting up in 'fixed mode' testing the decode and measuring strength in analog mode on a separate set (unless there is a way to pull AGC out of the HD set and drive a little DC meter). However if there is a workable $70 radio for sale then why are the others way up into 3 figures? (Bob Foxworth, FL, ibid.) Wow, you're not kidding or exaggerating, I'm 36 miles away from WAWZ and it might be stronger than any IBOC I get here! It actually totally wipes out WUSL/Philly's signal (a mere 24 miles away) pointed right at them, and clearly affects their signal in all other directions! That's why I scoff when people say there's no problem with IBOC because you're not supposed to hear distant stations. What about situations (many in the Northeast US) where full-power Class Bs are rather close and the interference you get in the middle of their coverage areas? I know for a fact plenty of people in Trenton listen to Power 99, and if the garbage I'm getting south of Trenton is any indication, it's probably a lot tougher today. Really discouraging. Bah humbug. lol (Nick Langan, Florence, NJ, WTFDA via DXLD) What`s to LOL about? (gh) Does the signal quality suffer when they're streaming additional channels? It kind of sounds like with HDTV. The broadcasters originally pushed it because of the greatly improved picture quality. Then they realized they could get multiple revenue streams from the same frequency allocation and you started hearing more about all the great things they could do with multiple signals. They forgot to mention the quality of those signals may well be back down to standard resolution. I suspect the same thing could end up happening with IBAC. We'll get four times as many channels filled with the same crap we get now and it won't sound all that much better either (Jay Heyl, ABDX via DXLD) To my surprise the quality is still better than analog FM. HD 3 will be AM audio quality however until (and IF) they ever drop the analog signal. Some of the AM IBOC station I have listened to are in Stereo as you can hear the spots in stereo (Kent Winrich, ibid.) Kind of interesting how that works isn't it? First find a way to "legally" stomp all over the first & second adjacent channels, then come up with a way to split your signal into several different "streams". Hmmm. (Brian Leyton, Valley Village, CA DX-398 / RS Loop, ibid.) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ FUNNY VIDEOS, ADVENTURES OF A RADIO LISTENER Oi! Vídeos (engraçados) do dia-a-dia de um radioescuta: Como sintonizar uma emissora em SSB com um Sony 7600GR (1 min, engraçado!): http://tinyurl.com/ayghh A aventura da caça às inteferência (7 minutos, mas é muito bem feito! Em inglês) http://tinyurl.com/ag2wy Estes são exemplo de uma nova ferramentas que os geniais do Google disponibilizaram: pesquisa de vídeos. Fica em http://video.google.com/ 73! --hg (Huelbe Garcia, radioescutas via DXLD) SUPERPOWER WLW TRANSMITTER WEBSITE For my WLW "fix", I go to the following website: http://www.hawkins.pair.com/wlw.shtml (Bob Smoak, Bamberg, S. C., ABDX via DXLD) GOOD NEWS... ...NEW DUAL BAND SW IS HERE! Jaime Gómez of Galcom`s Radio Production Department proudly displays one of the first Dual Band SW radios to be sent to Colombia. [caption] After a few engineering delays, the new Dual Band Short Wave Radio that we have been reporting about since earlier this year has finally (God`s timing, not ours) rolled off the assembly line. These special radios will shortly be making their way down to Colombia, South America, and into the hands of Russell Stendal of Colombia Para Cristo Ministry who has requested 100,000 of them. Because the radios will be distributed in the jungles among the opposing factions involved in military combat, Russell requested that the radios be produced in the colour green in order to camoflague [sic] them if necessary. The two frequencies that the radios have been tuned to are 5910 SW and 6010 SW. The 5910 SW frequency will be used for evangelizing and then, when an individual comes to know Christ, the radio can be switched to 6010 SW for discipling and growing in the faith. It is interesting to note that the dual band short wave radio uses the same amount of power, has the same amount of playing time, and has the same sensitivity (the ability to pick up a signal) as the single frequency fix-tuned radio that Galcom has been producing for many years. The difference lies mainly in the amount of components inside of the dual band radio. An increase in the number of parts means longer assembly and tuning times. It also means an increase in cost, however; Galcom is trying to maintain the same low cost at US$20.00 per radio. This should be possible due to the high volume of components that will be ordered. Praise the Lord for His goodness to our ministry! Pray for Galcom as, by God’s grace, we face growth on every level: enquiries for radios and radio stations, speaking engagements, administration, staffing, orders, funding requests, technology, production, shipping, and accounting. ``Lord, lead us on.`` (Galcom Newsletter Dec-Jan-Feb at http://www.galcom.org/newsletter/december05/december.html via DXLD) Hmmm, I`d want a radio that would tune more than just two frequencies – these are not ``dual-band`` but ``dual-frequency``. At what point are the converts allowed to listen to a third frequency, and then, and then --- any frequency they may desire, if ever? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ DRM 26 MHz -- NVIS? Test transmissions are currently being carried out in the UK and various other countries, both on the traditional domestic AM broadcasting bands (LW & MW) as well as on SW frequencies in the 26 MHz band. Here the idea is to use such frequencies for local services rather than for long distance reception. The idea is to employ near vertical incident (NVIS) techniques to broadcast to local listeners. Using about 100 W of radiated power into an antenna system which fires the signal straight up into the ionosphere results in signals being `bounced` straight back down to provide a service area of several km radius around the transmitter site. Tests rare ongoing to examine how effective this method of domestic broadcasting is likely to be, and to evaluate the effect of the sunspot cycle on the delivery of signals via such techniques (Lawrie Hallett, DRM MAKES GOOD PROGRESS, Dec Short Wave Magazine [UK] via DXLD) ??? I have never heard of NVIS being used at 26 MHz. Can the ionosphere really be expected to reflect at such a frequency with VI, let along oblique at this sunspot trough? Altho I don`t have it, I know there is a formula for computing VI MUF. NVIS is carried out successfully on the tropical bands, and I am aware of only one higher than that, Wantok Radio Light, PNG on 7120. Surely the 26 MHz low- power DRM tests are meant for direct/line-of-sight-groundwave coverage. Nothing was said about antennas aiming upward, for NVIS, regarding the 26 MHz tests in Mexico City and Dallas (tho I did not get to see the transmitting antennas). Even on tropical bands, NVIS with DRM has its problems because of multiple up/down reflexions. It so happens another column in the same magazine referred to NVIS with a better understanding of it: (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) In August 2002, UK amateurs, subject to permission, were allowed to use frequencies in the 5 MHz band that are generally used by military cadet units --- the official reason being to allow research into Near Vertical Incidence Skywave (NVIS) propagation, the squirting of RF as straight upwards as possible in the hope that it will, having bounced off of the ionosphere, come back down to earth fairly close to where it was sent up --- the object being to create a close-in signal footprint with no dead ground between the end of the groundwave and the start of any Skywave (Clive Hardy, Amateur Bands, ibid.) Dear Glenn, WRN is not using NVIS for 26 MHz but GROUNDWAVE and the intention is to limit skywave as much as possible. NVIS has been suggested as being appropriate for large and sparsely populated areas of the world but 26 would be useless for NVIS and much lower frequencies would be used. For 26 MHz to be widely deployed and successful as a local service (primarily in places where other bands are full) the skywave must be minimised. Some special transmission antennas are now being designed with screen on top to do this. Our transmission which began on December 16 is 1.7 kW (rms erp DRM power) using a three element vertical yagi antenna pointing north at the Aquiva mast in Croydon South of London (Tim Ayris, WRN, Dec 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Meaning vertically polarised, not aimed upwards. Maybe that`s how Lawrie got confused (gh, DXLD) TIPS FOR RATIONAL LIVING ++++++++++++++++++++++++ HOLIDAY WISHES Each year at Christmas, I always try to come up with some sort of creative Christmas greeting to send off to family and friends. 25 years ago, on December 8, 1980, John Lennon was murdered in New York City. The senseless loss of someone who embodied peace, to be taken in such a violent manner, really had a major impact on my life, then, and for the future. This year, I've decided to borrow John Lennon's words, from his 1971 song "Happy Xmas", for my annual Christmas message. His words say it all. In addition to the song lyrics, I decided to add some of John's most famous quotes as well. I really hope you enjoy them. Best wishes to you, your family and friends. Enjoy the holidays, which ever ones you celebrate. Have a happy, safe and peaceful Christmas and New Year. Sheldon & Darlene Harvey Happy Xmas (War is Over) --- by John Lennon – October 1971 So this is Christmas And what have you done Another year over And a new one just begun And so this is Christmas I hope you have fun The near and the dear one The old and the young A very Merry Christmas And a happy New Year Let's hope it's a good one Without any fear And so this is Christmas For weak and for strong For rich and the poor ones The world is so wrong And so happy Christmas For black and for white For yellow and red ones Let's stop all the fight Various John Lennon quotes: "If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace." "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans" ``Time you enjoy wasting, is not wasted." "Reality leaves a lot to the imagination." "I believe in God, but not as one thing, not as an old man in the sky. I believe that what people call God is something in all of us. I believe that what Jesus and Mohammed and Buddha and all the rest said was right. It's just that the translations have gone wrong." ``You either get tired fighting for peace, or you die.`` ``A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.`` "Rituals are important. Nowadays it's hip not to be married. I'm not interested in being hip." (via Sheldon Harvey, QC, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hope that you have all had a peaceful and Blessed Christmas, and that the new year will bring to you all the desires of your heart. All the Best (Christopher Lewis, England, Dec 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###