DX LISTENING DIGEST 6-030, February 13, 2006 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 2006 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 NEXT SW AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1304: Wed 0030 on WBCQ 7415 Wed 1030 on WWCR 9985 Full schedule, including AM, FM, satellite and internet, with hotlinks to station sites and audio: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html WRN ON DEMAND: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL] http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html or http://wor.worldofradio.org WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS: www.obriensweb.com/wor.xml DX/SWL/MEDIA PROGRAMS Feb 14: http://www.worldofradio.com/dxpgms.html ** ARMENIA. This is the schedule for the foreign service given on the website. It's in local time, UT +4, but since I seem to have a problem converting times correctly, I will leave that to others :-) http://www.armradio.am/programs/?next Programs for foreign listeners Every day, duration 4, 5 hours in 11 languages. These programs inform Diaspora and foreigners about a political, economical, cultural events in Armenia, as well as juridical-economical field of the country. Republican First Program Program in Georgian - 17:20-17:30. Motherland - Diaspora - 21:10-21:40. Program for Ezdis - 17:30-18:00. Programs in French, German, English - 22:29-22:59 (except Friday). Programs for Countries in the Middle East Persian - 08:30-09:00, 864 KHz, 4810 KHz . Azerbaijan - 18:00-18:30, 864 KHz, 4810 KHz . Turkish - 18:30-18:45, 864 KHz, 4810 KHz . Kurdish - 18:45-19:15, 864 KHz, 4810 KHz . Arabic - 21:45-22:15, 4810 KHz . Programs for European Countries (Monday-Saturday) Motherland-Diaspora (Armenian) - 23:30-00:00 French - 00:00-00:20, 9960 KHz . German - 00:20-00:40, 9960 KHz . English - 00:40-01:00 (Sunday), 9960 KHz . Programs for European Countries (Sunday) Motherland-Diaspora (Armenian) - 23:30-00:00 French - 12:30-12:50, 9960 KHz . German - 12:50-13:10, 9960 KHz. English - 13:10-13:30, 9960 KHz. Programs for Latin American Countries Motherland-Diaspora - 07:00-07:30 (Armenian). Spanish - 07:30-07:45 (via Andy Sennitt, dxldyg via DXLD) This schedule is VERY suspect. Wrong frequency and wrong times compared to actual monitoring in 6-029. Shows 9960 instead of 9965 and the European service half an hour later than monitored, once converted. Frequency missing for Latin America (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) The page is copyrighted 2003-2004 and it`s very similar to the schedule in the 2003 Handbook, English at 2040-2100 on 9960 and the separate Sunday broadcast at 0910 for example. I checked the monitored information provided by Edwin and Mike myself on Friday and it was correct, did not get a chance to check the 2030 language (Mike Barraclough, ibid.) Certainly Glenn, we could be complaining among us about this Armenian frequency disaster but not helping them to be aware of. I just send a short message to the frequency manager to pay some attention on this. I guess it will help more if more voices complain on the same issue (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, ibid.) ** AUSTRALIA. ANOTHER SHORTWAVE ERA ENDS ``Mr Radio Australia``, veteran ABC Broadcaster KEITH GLOVER passed away on 3 February. Keith was always an entertainer at heart. He studied singing in the 1930s and won several competitions. He entertained during the war years and worked on radio serials after the war. His radio career began with the ABC in Queensland in 1947. Moving to Melbourne in 1956 Keith worked with Radio Australia for many years and to shortwave listeners worldwide he was very much the friendly voice of Australia. He was a consummate communicator and as presenter of Radio Australia`s `Listeners` Mailbag` became an `interactive` broadcaster well before the term was popularised. He received a number of awards for international broadcasting, and in 1997 received a Medal in the Order of Australia for his community service. This included presentation of the Sound Magazine for Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind for 20 years. Keith`s voice was well known on `home service` radio, presenting a wide range of programs including news bulletins, sporting panels, Anzac Day marches, and Royal Tours. Keith was seen regularly on Melbourne’s ABV2 TV station and he presented a ballroom dancing programme for a number of years. He once quipped that he might have been a TV newsreader but for his lack of hair. In the latter stages of his ABC career Keith moved into management, working as Supervisor of Radio Australia’s English Language programming and finally as Supervisor of Radio Presentation in Victoria. He retired from the ABC in 1985. Around this time he toured NZ, meeting with DX League branches and did a great job as guest auctioneer at the DX Convention at Godley Head near Christchurch. For many members of the League, Keith Glover personified Radio Australia and with his death another of the great shortwave radio personalities is lost to us (Bryan Clark, Feb NZ DX Times via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. DELAY IN SHUTDOWN OF AUSTRALIA'S ANALOGUE TV RECOMMENDED | Excerpt from report by Radio Australia on 13 February A parliamentary committee has recommended delaying the shutdown of analogue television broadcasts in Australia until 2010 to encourage a smooth transition to digital television. Australians have been slow to take up the new technology which offers superior pictures and sound. The recommended switch-off date of 2010 would push back the planned shutdown of analogue broadcasts by up to two years in some metropolitan areas. But Liberal Party MP and committee chair Jackie Kelly says it would help provide the most competitive prices to all consumers. [passage omitted] Source: Radio Australia, Melbourne, in English 0800 gmt 13 Feb 06 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** AUSTRIA [and non]. Some remarks about verification policy: ``Ö 1 Service`` of ORF, Vienna, says they cannot fulfill (since 2002, it seems) the request for verification of Sackville Relay for reports referring to such a transmission. However, I cannot use their incorrect QSLs confirming 13775 kHz Moosbrunn, Austria, and 1476 kHz Moosbrunn, Austria; Moosbrunn has never been operating on mediumwave! - If you get that kind of incorrect QSL, please, do send it back to Vienna and also ask them not to issue incorrect documents. (At present they use 13675 kHz via Sackville to N. Am. from 1600 to 1700 UT, but will only confirm - incorrectly! - via Moosbrunn, Austria.) (Stu Forsyth`s QSL column in Feb NZ DX Times, but who actually said this is unattributed, via DXLD) Where are you, Wolf Harranth? see also CANADA; CHINA ** BAHAMAS. ZNS3 (C6B3) 810 Freeport, Bahamas, remained off for the third straight day. Last checked at 6:13 pm ET, Feb 12 2006. Web site is no help, most of the pages and links are missing or broken (W. Curt Deegan Boca Raton, (southeast) FL, IRCA via DXLD) Maybe they are off so they can assess QRM from the new Floridian on 810 (gh, DXLD) The problems in the Bahamas seem to be spreading. Today at 2:36 pm ET, Feb 13 2006, both 810 ZNS3 Freeport and 1240 ZNS2 Nassau, Bahamas, are both off the air. ZNS3 has been off for four days now, this is the first time ZNS2 has been noted off the air. Only 1540 ZNS1 Nassau, remains on as of this time. [Later]: ZNS2 is back on at 3:24 pm ET, Feb 13 2006. ZNS3 remains off the air (W. Curt Deegan, Boca Ratón, (southeast) FL, Feb 13, IRCA via DXLD) ** CANADA. Some remarks about verification policy: Being a listener to Radio Canada programmes since 1955, I hoped to receive QSL cards for my 13 detailed reception reports sent during the 50th year of listening and reporting. Nothing doing! It would be a thousand pities if their good verification policy should have stopped. (It would indeed. We need to remember that a lot of international broadcasters no longer can afford to pay for staff to do verifications and those that do, do not necessarily offer the relevant information to their staff. There is not a lot we can do other than complain. Good will is important. Satellite television, among other things, has done a lot to weaken the importance of radio .....) (Stu Forsyth`s QSL column in Feb NZ DX Times, but who actually said this is unattributed, via DXLD) ** CANADA. REGIONAL RADIO SERVICE EXPANDED IN ARCTIC QUEBEC Last Updated Mon, 13 Feb 2006 12:08:24 EST CBC Arts Taqramiut Nipingat Inc. (TNI) has launched its regional radio network in Arctic Quebec providing hours more programming in Inuttitut. Its regular programming will still be heard on CBC North radio but programming has been expanded to 90 hours a week on the independent network at 94.1 FM. The new programming is available to all communities in Nunavik (Arctic Quebec), except for Ivujivik and Kuujjuaraapik. More at: http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/national/2006/02/13/inuttitut-radio.html (via Fred Waterer, ON, dxldyg via DXLD) What does this mean? Multiple relays in each community, all on 94.1 MHz? (gh, DXLD) ** CANARY ISLANDS. Re 6-029 Full Gospel Las Palmas Church: It was 30 Nov 2003 when I logged FGLPC on 6719U at 1950. This was a move from 6715U. I think I never heard them again in 2004 or later. Maybe they have found another good frequency or then simply closed by authorities. 73 (Jari Savolainen, Finland, Feb 13, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CATALUNYA. ASUNTO: VOLADURA ANTENAS PALS Diari El Punt 13-02-06 La voladura de les antenes de Pals està pendent només d'un permís de la Guàrdia Civil CiU critica que no hi hagi un pla integral per regenerar les dunes ORIOL MAS. Pals L'empresa adjudicatària de la voladura de les antenes de Radio Liberty de Pals està pendent només d'un permís de la Guàrdia Civil per iniciar els treballs, com és preceptiu en la manipulació d'explosius. Segons el govern estatal, l'afectació dins de l'espai i fora serà ``mínima``. Per altra banda, el diputat de CiU Jordi Xuclà ha criticat que no hi hagi un pla integral en què es prevegi la regeneració de les dunes des de l'endemà de la demolició. + Una imatge d'arxiu de la platja de Pals, amb les antenes al fons. Foto: MANEL LLADÓ Les tasques de demolició s'han projectat de manera que no afectin els sistemes de dunes de fora del recinte tancat de Radio Liberty, i que la incidència dins l'espai interior sigui ``mínima``. Això s'aconseguirà utilitzant maquinària lleugera i limitant al màxim els moviments de terres per a l'eliminació dels fonaments de les antenes. Això és el que ha contestat el govern espanyol a una pregunta del diputat de CiU per Girona Jordi Xuclà, i ha afegit també que el tancat exterior del recinte no es retirarà fins que no s'hagin definit els usos generals dels terrenys. A partir d'aquí, ja es podran començar les actuacions de protecció de la zona de dunes, que s'inclourà dins el futur parc natural de Medes-Montgrí. Xuclà ha demanat un desmantellament ``ràpid``, perquè quan comenci la temporada turística per Setmana Santa s'hagi retirat tota la ferralla. El diputat ha criticat el que considera ``una manca de planificació integral`` del govern en aquest assumpte, ja que no es preveuen les actuacions després de la voladura i la regeneració de l'espai per refer les dunes i plantar-hi vegetació. Xuclà també ha posat en dubte que l'afectació sigui mínima, i ha recordat que el seu grup defensava un desmantellament peça a peça. Tampoc veu malament la proposta de fer-hi un museu de les telecomunicacions, però creu que pot haver arribat tard (via EDUARD BOADA I ARAGONES, Feb 13, Noticias DX via DXLD) ** CHINA. Some remarks about verification policy: Unlike their French Service, Russian Service, Esperanto Service, it seems that CRI`s English Service cannot afford separate QSL cards any more. After sending many requests / reminders of my very detailed reception reports of 2004 and receiving many promises that QSLs will be sent soon, Mrs. Ying sends 8 (eight) cards for 24 (twenty-four) reports (each card verified three different reports). Also she wonders how to find out about their relay stations and confirms: ``6100 kHz via .....``, ``7295 kHz via .....``, ``13600 kHz via .....``. (Stu Forsyth`s QSL column in Feb NZ DX Times, but who actually said this is unattributed, via DXLD) ** DIEGO GARCIA. VQ9, CHAGOS (Top-bander Take Note!). Larry, VQ9LA (aka WD0HSP), on Diego Garcia has been quite active on 160 meters. Look for him on/or above 1814 kHz between 1130-1530z and 2200-0100z. Larry has just added another beverage antenna toward North America. He will be looking for NA stations he has not been able to hear before. Bill, W4ZV, suggests that "if you have VQ9, PLEASE do not add to the QRM. He normally listens up 1-2 kHz. EU please give NA guys a chance for this very long haul DX from here." (KB8NW/OPDX/BARF80 Feb 13 via Dave Raycroft, ODXA via DXLD) DARK SKIES OVER DIEGO GARCIA One of the facets of my other major hobby, astronomy, is the fight for light pollution abatement. Each year over $2 Billion is wasted in North America alone illuminating everything outside of the intended target. You can learn a bit about light pollution from the astronomy page of my website link below. The exotic DX target of Diego Garcia has been an astronomer's paradise up until the war on terror and the war in Iraq started up. But no more. The link below should make for interesting reading for those of us who have logged Diego Garcia. http://www.darksky.org/newsltrs/60-69/nl64_fea (Mark Coady, Editor, Your Reports/Listening In Magazine; Co-Moderator, ODXA Yahoogroup, Ontario DX Association; Chair, Light Pollution Awareness Committee, Peterborough Astronomical Association, Bridgenorth, ON K0L 1H0 http://geocities.com/luckywimpy ODXA via DXLD) ** GABON. Has Africa Number One given up shortwave, and/or turned over its transmitters to jamming? See LIBYA [and non] Africa Numero Un is still running on 9580, anyway. Feb 13 from 2120 tune-in with music by Ray Charles; informal ID is ``la radio africaine``. 4 pips at 2200, news and full ID at 2201. From website: 21h00 - 22h00 TU : Flash Black Avec Brother B. Le meilleur des Gold de la musique « Black ``. (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) So does ``black`` have a different connotation in French than ``noire``?? (gh, DXLD) ** GEORGIA. GEORGIAN RADIO CHRONICLES Radio broadcasting has a long history in Georgia. The first Radiotelephone broadcast occurred in 1925. In 1927 regular broadcasting in Georgian, Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani languages started. The format of the first broadcasts was borrowed from the press: "Radio Newspaper", "Radio Magazine", etc. In 1956 Georgian Radio began broadcasting through Medium Wave. In this period broadcasting of Armenian and Azerbaijani language programmes was started. Later Georgian and Greek programs were added. Georgian artistic-musical programmes covered the rest of time. From 1965 the radio station was called "Tbilisi-288" and from 1983 the name was changed to "Mtatsminda". For years Moscow broadcasting had forcefully occupied the most significant place in the Georgian Radio grid. One third of Georgian broadcasting was full of programmes transmitted from Moscow. In fact, Georgians were listening and looking at the world through the eyes of Moscow. To fill the information vacuum it became necessary to seek different stations such as Voice of America, Radio Liberty, Deutsche Welle and BBC. Nowadays the situation is different. From 1995 at 7:30 p.m on the first and second channels of the Georgian radio half-an-hour's programme of Voice of America is broadcast. From 1997 an hour`s programme of Radio Liberty is broadcast at 9:00 p.m on the second channel and at 12: 00 a. m. on the first channel. In 1999 the International Broadcasting Office of the Georgian Radio was created. It broadcast half hour programmes in 10 languages (Georgian, English, German, French, Russian, Turkish, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Kurdish and Greek) to 32 countries. The aim of the broadcasting is to acquaint the foreign audience with the Georgian life and culture, thus establishing the place of Georgia in Europe. Radio Georgia has contributed to filling up the information vacuum, created during the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict. Many foreign listeners say that they learned about Georgia for the first time through Radio Georgia. The service has however suffered due to unreliable equipment and power problems and broadcasts are currently suspended (T. R. Rajeesh from the Georgian Radio website updated by Mike Barraclough; Report from India, Feb World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** GERMANY. History: Radio Volga on 904 --- A website about the DFS 904 clandestine station reveals an interesting circumstance: The 904 kHz frequency at Burg was originally meant for special programs of Radio Volga, meant to support a return of emigrants into the USSR. I wonder if these programs were really produced at Potsdam. Anyway they existed in the fifties and were a Radio Volga transmission to the postal office, see the transmitter log from 1956 at http://www.freiheitssender.radiohistory.de/infrainnen.htm This page also includes pictures of the studio sites used for the GDR clandestine stations. Grünau Regattastraße was the main seat of GDR radio from 1952 (when they abandoned Haus des Rundfunks) until the Nalepastraße facilities were ready, later the Regattastraße studios were used for staff training and known as Funkschule. Bestensee is actually associated with DSS 935, did really DSS 904 use these studios as well? The facility was from hearsaying (leaked information) known to GDR radio staff as emergency studio, so probably kept in operational condition until 1989. The Friedrichshagen seat was later used by GDR radio for seminars, with foreign journalists participating if I recall correct. In this case it was a surprise also to GDR radio insiders that this building was earlier the studio site of DFS 904 (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Feb 13, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. NPR to replace the VOA in Berlin: see U S A ** INDONESIA. UNLICENSED RADIO STATIONS IN SULAWESI FACE CLOSURE | Text of report in English by Indonesian newspaper The Jakarta Post website on 13 February Arik, 20, was sitting outside his small studio with fellow broadcasters Indri, 26, and Yepi, 28. They were engaged in a serious discussion about the imminent suspension of unlicensed radio stations by the Regional Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPID). Radio Unique in Kendari, southeast Sulawesi, was one of the unlicensed stations facing the threat of being shut down. There was no way to hide their anxiety over the imminent crack down on illegal radio stations, allegedly using jamming devices. "We have no funds to handle licences. We don't work commercially. We often spend more than we make, but that's the price for the fun we enjoy," said the long-haired Arik. "We have received warning notes from KPID several times. It has even threatened to seize our broadcasting equipment," added the manager of Unique FM. Located on Jl. Manggis in Kendari, the studio is not as big as Jakarta's Radio Prambors, with its modern facilities, or Radio Trijaya with its relay stations. They borrow the building from Arik's relative, a radio operator now residing in Makassar, South Sulawesi. "We just take care of this house and use it as a studio instead of leaving it idle," said Arik at the end of January. The room is mostly filled with music cassettes and manual broadcasting instruments, with no sophisticated software facilities. "The region should not only think about revenue or taxes from radio stations. Why isn't there any attempt to close cafes with their morally adverse effects? Is it because of their contribution to regional income?" queried the youths. In their view, there is ample room for the station to contribute to the region. Promoting development policies among young listeners is one positive thing and campaigning against drug abuse is another. "We don't seek payment for such opportunities, but the local administration ignores our potential. We alert the public about what our peers are doing," Arik said. Radio Unique was born from the boredom among local youths, who used to just hang out, drink and brawl. Some of them pooled their money to buy a transmitter and antenna, a simple sound mixer, and gathered their cassette collections, with electricity and telephone bills also equally divided among them. "We have made friends, learned to speak and behave properly because we have become familiar to many people. Our old friends now prefer to stay at home, requesting songs and listening to music. We were able to share our money for a purpose, and create an amicable atmosphere," said Arik. For five years, Radio Unique faced no constraints and had no problem with other radio stations, until the KPID's warnings began arriving. "As we are now regarded as disturbing legal frequencies, the commission should have provided us with training instead of directly imposing a freeze," Yepi said. The KPID plans to issue one final warning to all radio stations in southeast Sulawesi still operating without a licence. It will also communicate the policy to the public and monitor radio programmes aired by the existing stations. Southeast Sulawesi KPID chairman Amri Dayan said initial data indicated the presence of 64 FM radio stations, with only 20 of them applying for KPID licences. Five of the 20 are close to receiving broadcasting recommendations for fulfilling private radio requirements: Radio Swara Alam in Kendari, Radio Gontor in South Konawe regency, Radio Getar Sembilan in Muna regency, Radio WBM in Bombana regency and Radio Suara Baubau in Buton regency. All the 20 applicants have chosen the private radio category because they need a range of above 2.5 km. "Their reluctance to operate as community radio stations is apparently due to the relatively limited range capacity of this group," said Amri. Since it was set up in May 2005, the provincial KPID has strived to popularize the law and regulation on broadcasting and licensing procedures among studio managers in 10 regencies and Kendari. According to Amri, the effort has led to more requests for broadcasting permits. "We hope that radio station owners and managers will really abide by the provisions. They should not wait until we take reordering measures after we already gave them a grace period to apply for licences," Amri continued, adding that the KPID itself was not meant as a radio muzzling agency but rather was designed to implement the rules to the extent of registration and licensing. It is the duty of the Frequency Monitoring Centre to determine whether a radio station is OK'd or not. "This February we are coordinating with the frequency monitoring centre as the technical agency that will decide on further moves," he affirmed. Source: The Jakarta Post website, Jakarta, in English 13 Feb 06 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL WATERS [non?]. 12 Feb UT afternoon (forgot to write down the exact time) noted Coalition Maritime Radio/Radio One/CMFR or whatever name they use nowadays on 9134.5 USB. Running a loop tape in several local languages (not in English) mentioning a contact telephone number. No specific ID heard, but one announcement (Hindi, Urdu or similar) mentioned two times "Coalition Ships". Sounded like the tape was rewound back after announcements with pip-like sound and then started again. No music at that time, just loop with announcements (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN. I run across Arabic on 15545 and wonder what it is, such as Feb 13 at 1505 with interview mentioning Iraq and Afghanistan. At 1515 ID for Tehran and into poetry show, slowly recited. Per EiBi this is: 15545 0530-1630 IRN IRIB Teheran A NAf s 15545 0530-1630 IRN IRIB Teheran A ME s So a very long service, and running two transmitters (or antennas?) both from Sirjan site (Glenn Hauesr, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRELAND [and non]. RADIO FAX --- Many members will remember the shortwave broadcasts of Radio Fax, initially from the UK and subsequently Ireland between 1988 and 1992. We reported extensively in Contact on their attempts to obtain a licence to operate a private UK shortwave station. Andy Burnham, who along with Trevor Brook was the producer of the original Sparks programmes, has launched a new Radiofax website, http://www.radiofax.org complete with audio downloads. He says: " Being Radiofax we have tried to move with the times so are offering downloads in an audio blog / podcast style. Each week (or three) I will be updating the site with programme extracts from the extensive archives we have. We will also be adding some music programmes. For speech extracts, I'm selecting items of historical/anorak interest and there are some items that haven't really dated from when they were originally broadcast in 1992. All have been remastered (as they say) from the original tapes so are of pretty high quality. The fantastic response from listeners, the way they cared about the speech based output and the devotion of housebound, disabled and blind listeners in particular, led founder and sponsor Trevor Brook to feel the project to have been one of the most worthwhile things he has ever done." The site also includes some historical material about the station (Mike Barraclough, Feb World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** LIBYA [and non]. Re 6-029: Re this from Glenn and another from Tarek Zeidan - er, um, I'm not sure I implied that the Afro-pop music station on 17655 was actually ANO. I really don't know, and only mentioned the station in answer to what Glenn recently wrote. While tuning through the 17 MHZ band 17630 was a frequency I particularly checked. As Glenn writes, 17655 went off around 1530 [Feb 12] - audio cut and then the carrier slowly dropped off air. The signal was still good here but showing some signs of deterioration. I would be very surprised if it came via France. I did try 15475 around 1430/1500 too but didn't hear ANO on there either, so where is it at that hour? I can hear it on 17630 as I type at 0930, so the obvious thing to do seems to check for sign off. This one has "muddy" audio - as does 17655 and ANO does play Afro-pop of the type heard via 17655. It's interesting to note that Tarek hears French lyrics too. Whoever is organising the jamming has a monitoring station and would also seem to have control of the transmitters, so who can we blame then! Feb 13: ANO 17630 took a break between 1027 and about 1110 but has since remained on air past 1200 when co-channel with D. Welle in German [via Sri Lanka?]. Interestingly (?) there is no Afro-pop station at 1200 on 17655 or higher. A strong carrier - initially with a tone - was heard on 17670 as early as 1138. I missed the opening announcement at 1200 but it sounds like Al-amel. In the background I hear Libyan style music playing at a much weaker strength. Carrier and tones on 17660 were noted at 1155 and this opened as Ozma at 1200. This is the current activity to date. 73 (Noel R. Green, Feb 13, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) All these comments I can UNDERLINE! Similar thoughts I had in previous weeks. Secret services of ex French empire neighbours Tunisia or Algeria would never play such West African Cuban music I guess ... and France mainland services are too far away. CRI French S=9 +60 dB 17650 powerhouse. Today noted AfroCuban on 17670, and a poor Arabic signal underneath. Libyan station as usual on 17660, but poor. Tiny carrier on 17680, seemingly Chile as Romero writes. (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, Feb 13, ibid.) Saludos cordiales, la actividad a ésta hora desde Valencia en España es de la siguiente manera a las 1250 UT: 17650 R. Int de China en francés, sin problemas. 17660 NO ID con música árabe, SINPO 55544. 17670 Al-amel, SINPO 54544, sin embargo por momentos es atorada por la NO ID y prácticamente no se escucha, entonces el SINPO 42342 17670 NO ID, emisión de fondo con música afro-pop. Irrumpiendo por momentos y atorando a Al-amel. 17680 Voz Cristiana en español, se percibe con señal muy debil. En 17655 y 17665 se aprecia la emisión de música árabe transmitiendo por 17660. En 17675 se aprecia la emisión de NO ID con música afro-pop Saludos cordiales, cómo dos relojes perfectamente sincronizados a las 1400 UT termina la transmisión de Al-amel, hoy en 17670 y la transmisión de música árabe en 17660; una vez más la transmisión de música afro-pop se prolonga quizás hoy hasta las 1530 y en la frecuencia de 17670. Tras varios días de seguimiento en éstas frecuencias, se puede apreciar que en los 17660 ocurra lo que ocurra, entre las 1200 y 14:00 se transmite siempre la emisión de música árabe. Al-amel se dedica a variar constantemente la frecuencia de emisión, intentando evitar la jammer de Libia con emisión de música afro-pop. Por otra parte, la emisora NO ID con música afro-pop aparece siempre en la frecuencia de transmisión de Al-amel, prolongando su emisión entre 30 y 90 minutos más (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, Feb 13, ibid.) On Feb 13, I did not tune in until 1420; by then, nothing but 17670 was on the air with the African music, not all of it hi-life, some with a much faster tempo. So I figured that must have been today`s frequency for Sawt al-Amel earlier. Nothing heard on the other frequencies in the area, tho at 1430 there may have been a co-channel carrier. By 1500, 17670 was occupied by dentroCuban jamming against ghostMartí. 17680 with VC was going all along as usual, of course (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Solar flux 76 and mid-latitude A-index 2. The mid-latitude K-index at 1500 UTC on 13 February was 1 (8 nT). No space weather storms were observed for the past 24 hours (SEC via DXLD) More comment: I took a break from radio between about 1215 and 1255, and on returning I found that ANO had gone off 17630 (only D. Welle was audible), but now there was Afro-pop on 17670 underneath Arabic! When this went off c1400 the Afro-pop was loud and clear, and still on air at 1430+. Some organization is obviously monitoring the situation, and maybe they waited to see where the clandestine would come up today before introducing Afro-pop? Maybe Glenn's intuition (!!!) is correct and this is Gabon - they are not on 15475 either. According to HFCC registrations 17630 is via 305 degrees and 15475 via 307 degrees but this would need to be slewed to give best signals in Libya. If it is the ex-17630 transmitter then SW does not seem so important to Africa #1 any longer. The WRTH lists 5 X 500 kW at Moyabi. Another should be carrying Africa #1 on 9580 so that leaves three more for relay services - perhaps all in use? The on/off tones on 17660 suggest Russia (or Commonwealth) but maybe we need to look towards Ea Europe for the Clandestine transmitter? My reception was slightly different to Wolfgang`s - CRI 17650 was indeed very strong but I seem to have had much better reception of both 17670 clandestine and 17660 Ozma. Both were 20dB over 9 here. The Afro-pops are peaking to 10dB over 9 - all on a LW and R75. 73 from (Noel R. Green, England, ibid.) Indeed, ANO seems to have removed the references to its shortwave schedule on its website. Now just says "Africa n 1 émet dans les grandes capitales d'Afrique et à Paris en FM, sur internet (africa1.com) et sur le bouquet satellitaire Africasat." Ondes Courtes is only mentioned on the station history page (Andy Sennitt, ibid.) Still on 9580 tho: see GABON The west African music reported previously in DXLD was heard here also for the past few days on 17655 at tune in after 1400 UT and was off at 1530 with no announcements. Today, Monday Feb. 13 it had moved to 17670 with a strong signal here and again off at 1530. At 1500 noticed a weak "bubble" jammer that gradually gained strength and seemed to be accompanied by a second jammer (presumed) after 1530. Both noises/ jammers had considerable strength here and were still on after 2000 when I last checked (Bernie O'Shea, Ottawa, Ontario, DX LISTENING DIGEST) These bubble and other noise jammers on 17670 in the 15+ period, or somewhat earlier, are surely leftover Cubans against Martí which abandoned this band at Janend (gh, DXLD) ** MEXICO [non?]. VIRTUAL -- MEXICAN REBEL STATION FOUND IN CHIAPAS The VirtualCIA http://www.virtualcia.org/room.html is a group of Microsoft Flight Simulator hobbyists that simulate real world flight operations using the Virtual Air Traffic Simulation Network (VATSIM) and FlyNET. The VirtualCIA is in no way affiliated with any real world organization. This is an independent volunteer organization open to all Flight Simulator hobbyist for fun. Fun is mine when I find they have "found" the Rebel radio station in Chiapas, Mexico. See "document" at http://www.virtualcia.org/reports/RadioReport.jpg and the "corresponding" imagery at http://www.virtualcia.org/reports/radio%20tower%203.jpg They fly those planes in a very "really simulated" world!!! :) 73 (Horacio A. Nigro, Montevideo, Uruguay, Feb 13, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEW ZEALAND. RADIO NEW ZEALAND INTERNATIONAL REDUCES BROADCAST HOURS --- RNZI carries the following announcement on its website: 12 Feb, 2006 08:08 UT: Until further notice due to technical problems at the transmitter, transmission will close at 2110 NZDT (0810 UT) and reopen at 0500 NZDT (1600) UT on 11980 kHz. # posted by Andy @ 10:17 Feb 13 (Media Network blog) Problems anything to do with DRM? (gh) ** NORTH AMERICA. Ran across this while surfing for interesting stuff: (it is from May of 2005 so this may be old news, but it is new to me!) This group is specifically designed to provide bored Amateur Radio Operators, CB'ers, Pirate Broadcasters, Commercial Radio Station owners, engineers, on-air talent, RF Technicians, Shortwave Listeners, Legal Beagles, Newbies and non-techies a place where one can regain a sense of wonder at the sheer exploration of what we like to refer to as "Phunny Phreekin'cies". Modify your radios, put 'em on phreekin'cies on which they were not intended to operate, and enjoy a little harmless game of "cat & mouse". We've done and are doing the exhaustive research as to what operating phreekin'cies are not going to cause any disruption of official, life- dependent traffic. Our first and foremost concern is that we do not jeopardize existing services and their operations. Fellow bootleggers, there are TONS of phreekin'cies just waiting to be populated by a bunch of fun-loving renegades and radio outlaws! Remember, the 11 meter freeband is again taking it's cyclical demise, so we have to go "where the weather suits our clothes", so to speak. Right now, we're playing around with 6800 LSB and 13555 USB (the 45 meter and 22 meter bands respectively). So what are you waiting for? When you finish listening to your favorite Pirate Broadcaster on 6925 or thereabouts, QSY to the chit- chat channel of 6800 and discuss the programming you've just heard. Or get on and call CQ and see who comes back! Please join us at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/all-band_radio_renegades_and_outlaws ...and put a little fun back into your two radio operations before your radios become homes for mice, insects, and various genus of mold (via Kenneth Vito Zichi, MARE Tipsheet Feb 11 via DXLD) Anyone heard anything on these frequencies? 6670 is one that also has been mentioned in other places? Anyone???? // (kv zichi, ibid.) ** OKLAHOMA. KOKF-FM/Edmond (Oklahoma City) PRICE: $4 million TERMS: Asset sale for cash BUYER: Educational Media Foundation, headed by President Richard Jenkins. Phone: 916-251-1600. It owns 164 other stations, including KYLV-FM/Oklahoma City. SELLER: RDM Broadcasting, headed by President Ron Dryden. Phone: 405-721-3573 FREQUENCY: 90.9 MHz POWER: 100 kw at 436 feet FORMAT: CHR/Pop BROKER: John Pierce of John Pierce & Company COMMENT: A $200,000 escrow deposit has already been made. A change in formats to Christian-themed programming is tied to EMF's purchase of KOKF (radioiandrecords.com via Brock Whaley, DXLD) O god, there are never enough gospel huxters on the air in OK (gh) ** PORTUGAL [and non]. Re 6-029: Glenn (and Chuck Bolland), RDPi - Rádio Portugal is using 17680 to Africa (beam STP-AGL-MOZ-AFS) for a few years’ time, not months (!), just like RNZI is using the adjacent 17675 too. According to the RDP, it seems no QRM de CHL is experienced in their target areas. Voz Cristã (not ``crista``!)/Voz Cristiana peaking S9 at 1509 on 13 Feb with their Castilian [sic] program. A similar situation stemming from stations relying too much on theory occurs with 9460 kHz 300 kW 45º Eur 2000-2400 (daily, but meant for special/extra broadcasts only, like yesterday, 12 Feb): R. Slovakia Intl. 150 kW uses it for at least a certain time during that 4 hr period, and it’s been reported the RDPi just murders reception of it in NE Spain. Here in Lisboa, SVK is often better heard than the RDP transmitter, some 45 km eastwards, but that’s normal, like it’s normal that their signals are heard a lot poorer when observed at my SW coast place. The RDP, which stands for Radiodifusão Portuguesa (not ``Diffusion``!), is currently running its HF centre, CEOC-Centro Emissor de Onda Curta, at a semi-automatic /automatic operation (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, Feb 13, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SLOVAKIA. Glenn: Hooray -- finally got a good signal from Slovakia: 7230 at 0100 Feb 13, Slovakia Today, "Sunday Newsreel", news on the EU, Denmark, Italy, the UN, Hungary; mailbag program with letters from Denmark, England, New York, Sweden, etc.; news by man, mailbag by man/woman team; SINPO 4 2-5 4 4 4, with intermittent ham QRM; Croatia [7285 via Germany] also good that evening here, but still struggling to hear Hungary and Romania (Eric Bryan, WA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) No biz in 40m hamband (gh) ** SLOVAKIA [and non]. RTI and VOA’s VALENTINE GIFT FROM WASHINGTON DC London/Poprad/Washington 14 February 2006 – RTI and the VOA have teamed up to give Europe a Valentines gift with a difference – the launch of the VOA’s Border Crossing on RTI, Radio Tatras International. Border Crossings is in its 10th year as the Voice of Americas premier music request live call in program. Hosted by Larry London, Border Crossings airs Monday through Friday for an hour starting at 7.00 pm CET (18.00 UK) on RTI. Eric Wiltsher, RTI, commented: ``We are very proud to welcome Larry to the truly international line up on RTI. Border Crossing is a highly respected program, in the music industry, which is clear to see from the eclectic list of guests Larry has spoken to. Larry is the first of our new international shows on RTI in 2006 and what a way to start the new line-up``. Larry has recently welcomed, on the show, some of today's most popular hit makers, artists like Alicia Keys, Gwen Stefani, Rod Stewart, Rob Thomas, Hilary Duff, Barry Manilow, Pussycat Dolls, Black Eyed Peas and many more. There will be a Bon Jovi Border Crossing special on RTI soon. Please join Larry London via RTI for an hour of requests and dedications. Listeners can call in to 202-619-2077 or send an email to Larry at BorderCrossings @ voa.gov and then listen for their song (RTI via DXLD) ** TAIWAN. Radio Taiwan International Frequency Changes in South Asia: Starting February 18th, Radio Taiwan International broadcasts to South Asia will be changed from 1600 to 1700 UTC at 11815 KHz to 1700 to 1800 UTC at 6080 KHz (RTI Website) Best regards, (MD. AZIZUL ALAM AL- AMIN E-65, BANGLADESH, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Also via Swopan Chakroborty, India. You mean in English? (gh, DXLD) ** THAILAND. Re 9705, 6-029: No, o phuc, it was a typo. It was on 9725 (Terry Krueger, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TURKEY. VOCE DELLA TURCHIA, 6185 KHz, QSL-CARD, STICKERS, SCHEDULE, 3 NEW TURKISH STAMPS, 44gg, RAPPORTO INVIATO IL 1 GENNAIO 2006 AL TERMINE DELLA PRIMA TRASMISSIONE IN LINGUA ITALIANA. RAPPORTO INVIATO VIA EMAIL A: kiymet.erdal @ trt.net.tr LE IMMAGINI SU http://swli05639fr.blogspot.com/ 73'S (FRANCESCO Cecconi, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. N E W S R E P O R T news, views and comment presented by MIKE BARRACLOUGH --- BBC LANGUAGE SERVICES The arguments expressed in December and January Contact for the retention of some BBC language services are, in my opinion, illogical and statistically flawed. 160 million potential long standing listeners is for one thing somewhat of a contradiction in terms. As reported in DX News the Czech service had a reach of 17,000, the other services axed also had low audience figures. The statement that Arab audiences will probably not watch a BBC TV service ignores all the research that has already been done by the BBC as well as the current audience in Arab countries for its radio services. I don't understand the validity of the comparison between radio services which are 'cheap per listener' and television which is stated to be very expensive. Of course it will not be expensive per viewer as the research shows 85% or more of the target group are likely to watch. This will increase the World Service's overall audience so how can this be described as a run down? Indeed they have stated that they expect their international global reach over all platforms to increase from 190 million to 260 million as a result of their strategy. The review of language services took into account three sets of factors: the relative geopolitical importance of each market, the availability of other national and regional independent or "free" media, and their current audience levels and the BBC's best predictions for the future. The audience for the language services selected was small and in decline, most were relics of the Cold War. Who are these supposedly anti World Service MP's? Nigel Chapman, Director of BBC World service said in his Transforming BBC World Service speech in October that in real terms that the income of the BBC World Service is the highest in real terms since the early 1990's. English remains as a core service for the areas no longer served in their native languages. The BBCWS internet site can also be accessed in these countries. I can find no evidence of the Foreign Office wishing to wipe out the World Service as Edwin asserts given their commitment to its budget, their recent Public Diplomacy Review or in Nigel Chapman's strategy statement. I am quite happy for services hardly anyone listens to, are for the most part broadcast for a very small number of hours each day on some FM stations and are to countries who have free access to international media and have free media of their own to be discontinued. I have read reports suggesting the BBC World Service should be given additional funding for the Arabic TV Service thus preserving the language services. The funding would this would then come from UK taxpayers. I would contend that they would prefer the money spent on health and education rather than language services to Eastern Europe with minimal audiences (Mike Barraclough, England, Feb World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** U S A. TOMLINSON, ROBINSON & UNGER ON CHANGES AT VOA --- All Things Considered Monday, February 13, 2006 4:50 p.m. EST Segment runs 4:12 SIEGEL: From NPR News, this is All Things Considered. I'm Robert Siegel. NORRIS: And I'm Michele Norris. President Bush's budget plans contain big changes for the Voice of America. The White House would boost satellite television programming to Iran, Afghanistan and Venezuela. But as NPR's David Folkenflik explains, it would come at a cost of most English language shortwave broadcasts. FOLKENFLIK: The Voice of America was set up by the American government in 1942. Here's how it sounded on its first day, charged with beaming real news into Nazi-controlled lands. TAPE: Our voices are coming to you from New York, across the Atlantic Ocean to London, from where they are relayed to you in Germany. FOLKENFLIK: VOA has continued to cover the news, warts and all -- including the Vietnam war, the fall of the Berlin wall, and the impeachment of President Clinton -- for listeners across the globe. But under the budget proposed by the Bush administration, almost all English language shortwave radio broadcasts would be eliminated. Broadcasts in Greek, Turkish, Thai, Hindi, and several other languages would also be cut. Kenneth Tomlinson is chairman of the presidentially-appointed Broadcasting Board of Governors. The board oversees the VOA and other international broadcasters owned by the U.S. government. Tomlinson says English-language radio service has fallen victim to shrinking listenership for shortwave broadcasts at a time when dollars are tight. TOMLINSON: There's no question the post-Katrina budget has forced us take steps that we're not thrilled about having to take. FOLKENFLIK: But the administration would increase overall spending on the VOA. With Tomlinson's guidance VOA intends to create new satellite TV shows for trouble spots such as Afghanistan, Iran, and Venezuela. TOMLINSON: It is simply a matter of priorities. If you have to choose between broadcasting in English to Iran or Persian to Iran, you go with Persian. You go with the native language. FOLKENFLIK: The president's budget is not cast in stone. Congress often amends it. Aids to key lawmakers say they have not yet focused on spending levels for the VOA. NPR interviewed a half-dozen veterans of Voice of America for this story. They say the English language newsroom is the core of the broadcaster's news service. Dan Robinson has worked for Voice of America for 27 years and is now its Congressional correspondent. And he says the symbolism of eliminating English is devastating. ROBINSON: This is the language of the world. For VOA to do away with that, for the board to make a decision like that, is just unthinkable. FOLKENFLIK: Robinson says part of VOA's heritage is its ability to broadcast straight news, not propaganda. ROBINSON: The Voice of America has provided a valuable service -- and a journalistic service -- reflecting the standards of American journalism to the world. FOLKENFLIK: These aren't the first cuts for the agency. VOA's Arab language services were replaced several years ago by al Hurra television and Radio Sawa. They are owned by the government but aren't part of the VOA. Last year some critics contended VOA's leadership was putting pressure on its journalists to reflect favorably on the Bush administration, a claim VOA rejected. Sandy Unger was the director of the Voice of America from 1999 to 2001. He says the proposed cuts are part of a shift away from objective journalism. UNGER: The Broadcasting Board of Governors and the Bush administration are eliminating the heart and soul of the Voice of America. It would be better if they would just say that that they, y'know, intend to destroy the Voice of America and be honest about it. Unger points to other international broadcasters and governments that are increasing English language news programming. UNGER: It is as if to say that we as a country and as a political culture prefer that people around the world not get their news from the United States in English, we prefer that they get it from al Jazeera, China, Russia, France, Australia, all sorts of people who are broadcasting in English. We asked Voice of America director David Jackson for interviews several times, but he declined. But Broadcasting Board chairman Ken Tomlinson says the VOA is belatedly embracing new technology. TOMLINSON: At Voice of America we're going to look at expanding our satellite television broadcasting. Satellite television is to the future what shortwave is to the past. And we also plan to focus on the Internet because, again, this is the future. FOLKENFLIK: English language broadcasts to Africa would not be affected. David Folkenflik, NPR News, Washington (via DXLD) See also SLOVAKIA [and non] ** U S A. VOA ENGLISH NEWS NOW IS HISTORY The main language of the United States is English, right? So why is it that the powers that be in DC running the VOA have decided that English doesn't need to be on the radio any more. The internet will handle it? Hey have the asked the Swiss about how the old Swiss Radio International audience feels about going to swissinfo.ch to get the news about Switzerland and Swiss products and industry? Or how about the audience from Radio Denmark and Radio Norway who can't defend their countries to the Muslim world via shortwave radio? Who dreamed this one up? (Lou Josephs` medianetwork blog, Feb 10 via DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. NPR to replace the VOA in Berlin... This is something I have long recommended, since the developed world would benefit more from NPR's programming than the VOA's programming in terms of information, education and entertainment. Why? Because NPR has already invested in the programming, might as well leverage that investment and then have the VOA produce programming that is not within the scope of any other broadcasters. Oh, wait. That's what they plan to do; at least the second half of that, by focusing on Arabic services. http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/02/12/business/radio13.php (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, Swprograms mailing list via DXLD) viz.: A NEW VOICE FOR AMERICA IN EUROPE By Doreen Carvajal, International Herald Tribune. February 12, 2006 Hurtling down the autobahn, his radio blasting German headlines, David Knutson yearns for something absent from his life and the airwaves of his adopted city of Berlin. "I miss 'Car Talk,"' said Knutson, an opera singer who grew up with National Public Radio and its top-rated show in the United States. "I think those guys are absolutely insane." But soon, Knutson will be able to savor raging debates about horn- honking etiquette, the lousiest cars of the year and the automotive perils of a man's midlife and Mercedes crisis. The Washington-based National Public Radio is poised to bring "Car Talk" and "Fresh Air" to the first station under its control in its 35-year history, in one of Europe's major capitals and biggest radio markets - Berlin. That calculated step is part of a broader effort by the broadcaster to shape NPR into a respected global voice, aided by new technology and the retreat of Voice of America from the international market for news delivered in English. In the spring, NPR will replace Voice of America in Berlin, where that U.S.-funded broadcaster made its debut in 1945 on the American Forces Network. Through six decades, the VOA offered jazz from Benny Goodman, delivered late-night headlines to homesick American soldiers and chronicled the crumbling of the Berlin Wall. But its Berlin license is expiring in April, and with the fall of Communism in Europe, its presence there no longer seems essential. Last week, the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors proposed a $671 million budget for publicly funded broadcasting services that could eliminate the VOA's News Now broadcast, reflecting a shift from English-language programming to projects in local languages in the Middle East. "Our primary focus is on providing programming in places where people have a limited ability to get a variety of news sources," said Larry Hart, a spokesman for the broadcasting board, who noted that many European countries had plenty of English alternatives via cable and satellite services. Still, he said the board was "quite disappointed" at the ending of "a 60-year legacy of U.S.-funded broadcasting having access to the people of Berlin." But the Voice of America's broader strategic shifts present a fresh opportunity for NPR. Ken Stern, executive vice president of NPR, said the development "raises some questions for us about how NPR can fill or extend our services at a time of transition." He added: "This is a period of broadening our thinking. Technology really provides a marketable opportunity for us to reach people in a way that we couldn't before. We've learned a lot about the international audience and what they need." To extend its reach beyond U.S. borders to almost 150 countries, NPR is already using a combination of platforms: its Web site and podcasts, as well as cable and satellites like the Hotbird in and around Europe, which reaches audiences from Iceland to Yemen. The Web site http://www.npr.org is now attracting six million unique visitors monthly, more than a quarter of them from outside the United States, Stern said. This month, podcast downloads for programming like daily newscasts exceeded 13 million, also with about a quarter of them retrieved by non-U.S. listeners. Still, Stern said NPR could not estimate the scope of its international audience, although it knows that its audience of 25 million listeners weekly in the United States is growing. So with its domestic audience as its primary mission, it is moving cautiously abroad to make sure that its international effort is self-supporting through program fees and sponsorships. The export of NPR is vital, executives said, to building name recognition and visibility. But popularity and support do not necessarily translate into "pledge drives," one of the more time- honored public radio rituals for raising money. Initially, NPR executives said they hoped to raise the modest cost of E20,000, or $24,000, for funding the new Berlin station through underwriting from German-American businesses and foundations. There are "no plans for on-air fund drives," said Jeff Rosenberg, who heads NPR's international operation. "That would probably not go over well." The Berlin station is a new tool for NPR, which does not license or operate radio stations in the United States. Instead, it sells programming to member radio stations that are part of a loosely organized public radio network, which in 2004 contributed half of NPR's $153 million in revenue through program fees and dues. To keep the German station a low-budget one, NPR will use the same American programming and will benefit from getting a license at minimal cost from German authorities, who grant similar licenses for broadcasters like Radio France International and the BBC World Service. For the past year and a half, American expatriates have been lobbying German officials to grant a license to NPR in particular after the expiration of the VOA license in April. With the departure of the American Forces Network station from Berlin in the early 1990s, they complained that it was difficult to tune in to an American voice, with the VOA programming largely relegated to late-night slots. "When the wall came down in Berlin, the British had the BBC, and the American station was basically inaudible; there was a rock 'n' roll station, but they could have done so much more," said Gary Smith, executive director of the American Academy in Berlin, which will be working with NPR to create some local programming based on lectures, conferences and events at Berlin's cultural center. Some supporters longed so much for a radio station with an American accent that they organized parties to collect signatures pressing German authorities to grant a license for NPR. "We feel like we've been thirsty for 10 years," said David Knutson, who held a Fourth of July party last summer for the effort. In reality, however, Germans are the biggest audience for English- language broadcasts. BBC World, which last conducted a survey of its listeners in Berlin in 2002, said its 2.3 million listeners were mostly Germans who spoke English or who were trying to master the language. Typically, international radio programming tends to be a niche news source, which has difficulty attracting advertising or sponsorships, said Christoph Lanz, managing director of Deutsche Welle, the German news service. But he praised the arrival of NPR in Berlin. "We think that NPR is a public broadcast, and what we want is a public broadcaster and not government propaganda," he said. "NPR has a good reputation and provides good public-service journalism. And the VOA, as we all know, is the state opinion media of the United States." Letters and e-mails from foreign listeners, Rosenberg of NPR said, indicate that the audience shares that view. They prefer programming with "no artifice, no hidden sales pitch and no slanting to sell a point of view," he said. They also enjoy the opportunity to eavesdrop on America's frank conversations with itself, he added. After all, no one but the "Car Talk" hosts, Tom and Ray Magliozzi (aka Click and Clack), could tell a Berliner about the latest cup-holder design competition, the evils of the internal combustion engine and which make of automobile nuns favor (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD; also from NY Times via Mike Terry, DXLD) Except that they don't put up which station/transmitter they are using. Most German radio is not to air anymore but through community cable and local FM. The Berlin license might be a holdover from the Cold War. Nobody is listening? Ah, the Spiegel story of 24 November 2005 says 87.9 FM. The Medieanstalt (FCC to Yanks) is concerned that the Americans regard the station and frequency as an American fiefdom. Find the FAZ essay by Heinrich Wefing on the idea of NPR being a 'dove' compared to VoA 'hawk' While the innocent and ignorant like VoA, the sophisticated dislike it and tune to other stations because of its hawkishness. Soft diplomacy is more persuasive (Dan Say, BC, ibid.) NPR is intended as a domestic programme for the USA and so is not ideal for an international audience. However as the VOA appears to have all but given up any attempt at attractive English language programming NPR will increasingly be "the voice of America" for English language listeners. In Europe NPR is available on Worldspace and one popular satellite system. The only obvious weakness is that NPR isn't on the UK Sky satellite platform. This limits the UK audience. Presence on Sky would cost $60k - $100k per year and would not generate any income which is probably why it's not been done. Personally I enjoy "On The Media" on NPR and occasionally listen to other programmes. I know other NPR listeners in London (Mark Hawkins, London, England, Swprograms mailing list via DXLD) In case you were unaware, Mark, there's a lot of PBS and NPR programming as well as Pacifica Radio Democracy Now on World Radio Network English for Europe who are on Sky; schedule is here: http://www.wrn.org/listeners/schedules/schedule.php?ScheduleID=1 That includes On the Media at 0300 Monday; at that time WRN is relayed by Spectrum Radio 558 medium wave in London. Platform details: http://www.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=49 They also carry Pacifica Radio Democracy Now (Mike Barraclough, UK, ibid.) PBS?? That`s TV (gh, DXLD) At least it's not Fox (John Figliozzi, NY, swprograms via DXLD) My reaction is much less positive. Of course the VOA was biased, but in the predictable direction of pro-US. The poor Germans will never know if NPR is correctly portraying US policy or their own agenda. :/ Do you believe NPR representative of our national policies? Fox would be just as bad, only in the other direction. The point being that, as long as the US government aspires to international influence, it's best served to not leaving the presentation of its views to third parties (Scott Royall, Conch Republic, ibid.) Technically, the VOA isn't supposed to be the mouthpiece for the US Government to air its views, except for the segment labeled as an "editorial". The VOA has long promoted itself as "accurate and unbiased". Interestingly, the demographics of NPR listenership are roughly evenly split in political persuasion. That's a net left-of-center demographic, though, because roughly twice the number of Americans consider themselves conservative as liberal. NPR is the only other non-profit news entity available as a substitute for the VOA. CNN, MSNBC and FOX all exist to sell commercials (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, ibid.) This week, perhaps. And depending on how the question is asked and who is asking it. We probably disagree on whether the VOA -- as it is ostensibly constituted, not how it has been forced to operate in recent times -- meets the test. Operating in full compliance with its Charter, I would argue that the VOA was the sole and proper vehicle for this mission. As for NPR, its problem has nothing to do with, what I would argue is, an erroneous charge of liberal bias. Its problem has to do with the fact that its programming is designed with a domestic US audience in mind, not an international audience. It assumes that its audience is acquainted with concepts, facts and ideas that an international listener probably won't be (John Figliozzi, NY, ibid.) Yeah, like Iowa must always be identified as a ``Midwestern state``, etc., etc. (gh, DXLD) I believe this was NPR's own report approximately 8 months ago. I agree that timing and question format can introduce substantial variability in responses (Richard Cuff, swprograms via DXLD) Scott Royall asked:- "Do you believe NPR representative of our national policies?" The view from this part of England is no. Having said that, other than during the policy "advertorials" neither is VOA. State funded national broadcasters do not have to represent national policies. Europe has a number of examples of broadcasters that do not represent policies. They do, however, broadly reflect the values of their country and thus, in the long term, promote that country. Too much emphasis on national policy leads down a path which ends at tractor production figures! (Mark Hawkins, London, Swprograms mailing list via DXLD) ** U S A. INK-STAINED WRETCHES FIND REFUGE AT NPR WASHINGTONIAN: Washington BUZZ Three walls in the foyer of National Public Radio headquarters near Capitol Hill are covered with black-and-white photos of NPR stars like Nina Totenberg, Sylvia Poggioli, and Claudio Sanchez. It might need a fourth wall for incoming journalists. "We're probably the only major national news organization on a growth curve," says NPR's Andi Sporkin. "We're on a hiring binge, expanding bureaus, expanding beats." While many newsrooms are shedding reporters -- from the New York Times to the Dallas Morning News -- NPR is one of the few places an experienced journalist can hope to get a job. . . http://www.washingtonian.com/inwashington/buzz/2006/0210.html (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U S A. WEST TEXANS TO HAVE NPR OPTION ON RADIO DIAL [KRTS 93.5 Brand New FM] Posted on Fri, Feb. 10, 2006 By BILL HANNA, STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/entertainment/13843288.htm There aren`t many places where the start of a new radio station would attract the likes of Dan Rather and Willie Nelson. But in far West Texas, where the crackle of static is often all you`ll hear as you surf the radio dial, a new station is big news. On Monday, Rather will help dedicate Marfa`s National Public Radio affiliate, KRTS, a 100,000-watt station that should be able to reach out-of-the-way places like Sierra Blanca, Van Horn and portions of Big Bend National Park. While urban exiles in Marfa, Fort Davis and Alpine may appreciate the programming, it remains to be seen if this staunchly independent region will embrace All Things Considered and A Prairie Home Companion. ``To be perfectly honest, a lot of old-timers don`t even know what an NPR station is and cannot fathom what it is,`` said Alpine hotel owner Carla McFarland. ``They`re saying `what`s the big deal about a radio station?` They just don`t care.`` But a lot of others can`t wait. Alpine native Emmy Holman, owner of Bread and Breakfast bakery, currently tunes into Alpine`s sister stations KVLF-AM and KALP-FM. She knows their programming by heart. ``We listen to Dean Martin every morning before the Farm and Ranch report comes on,`` Holman said. ``It`s the same every morning. Don`t get me wrong, they do a great job -- it`s a great local radio station -- but everyone can use a little variety.`` The impetus for the new station came out of Austin. That`s how Rather was persuaded to be on-hand for the dedication and Nelson agreed to perform a benefit concert on Valentines Day. The license is owned by Austin-based Matinee Media and Marfa Public Radio`s board includes Texas Monthly editor Evan Smith, and the general manager of Austin`s public radio station, KUT. Initially, the station will consist almost exclusively of NPR programming. Over time, the Marfa station will add local call-in shows, music as well as programs dealing with the art and history of the region. ``In some respects, we`re the first new station out here in 50 years,`` said Tom Michael, the station`s general manager. ``There`s a hunger for local news out here. I think we can serve as a bridge between all of the different the communities in this area. If there`s anything that`s going to explain the Border Patrol agent to the new art gallery owner in Marfa, this is it`` Katy Hackerman, the station`s Austin-based board president, said local programming will make the station vital to listeners. But it may not be for everybody. ``I think the West Texas spirit is independent and some may not like it,`` Hackerman said. ``But that`s the great thing about radio, if they don`t want to listen, they`ll turn it off.`` Some residents have questioned how the station will raise enough money to keep operating given the sparse population of the region. But besides having deep-pocketed supporters from as far away as California, New York and Chicago, Hackerman said the station has budgeted carefully and may reach as many as 50,000 listeners. Ray Hendryx, owner and operator of KVLF and KALP, has had KVLF in his family since it went on the air in 1947. Other than a few pirate radio outfits and satellite radio, his stations have had had no competition. But Hendryx, who dubbed his stations the ``Voice of the Last Frontier,`` isn`t worried. In fact, he hopes KRTS succeeds. ``It`s kind of a gamble but, dadgum, I appreciate it when someone gambles out here,`` Hendryx said. http://www.marfapublicradio.org (via Kevin Redding, Feb 11, ABDX via DXLD) Well, it`s about time. I once considered moving to that area, but lack of public radio was a downer. No program schedule or streaming on the website, yet? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Hi All, KCKN [1020 Roswell NM; cf 6-029] is now on with "Classic Country" and is very strong here in Arizona at 0910 EST (Bill Block, Prescott Valley, AZ, Feb 13, IRCA via DXLD) ** U S A. CHRISTIAN BROADCASTING GIANT SALEM COMMUNICATIONS MAKES ITS MARK IN ORLANDO --- By James Carlson 2/9/2006 http://www.orlandoweekly.com/util/printready.asp?id=10441 On Sept. 28, Bill Bennett - the sermonizing drug czar in George H.W. Bush's administration who turned out to be a habitual gambler - was taking calls on his conservative radio show, Bill Bennett's Morning in America. One caller wondered if Social Security's ills were due to legalized abortion reducing the number of tax-paying citizens. Bennett responded that economic arguments should never be used in a discussion of moral issues. Then he said, "You could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down." He clarified that the extermination of a whole race of babies would, of course, be morally reprehensible. Bennett got a lot of flak for the comment, but he never apologized. Bennett is just one of the conservative stars in the lineup at Salem Communications Corporation, the largest Christian broadcasting and publishing company in America, and the new owner of three radio stations in Orlando. On Oct. 21, 2005, Salem, based in Camarillo, Calif., announced their intention to buy WTLN-AM 950, WHIM-AM 1520 and WORL-AM 660 for an estimated $10 million. Salem's entrance into the local radio market means Orlando now has four Christian radio stations. For Salem it's just another expansion. Think of the company as the evangelical Clear Channel; they now own 105 stations, 62 of them in 22 of the top 25 markets. The company's clout, however, comes not only from their numbers, but also from their political views. The two founders of the company are deep-pocket contributors to Republican groups, and they're not shy about using their stations to push a conservative agenda. Still, most in Orlando have no idea who or what Salem really is. Edward Atsinger III and his brother-in-law, Stuart Epperson, both graduates of Bob Jones University, bought their first Christian station in 1974 in Oxnard, Calif., a time and state where liberal ideas were flourishing. Preachers paid for airtime to sermonize, and listeners could call in, allowing them to feel connected to the station. What time wasn't filled with preaching was filled with Christian music. Their station was a respite from the era's liberalism. With this Salem, whose name comes from a biblical reference meaning "peaceful," was born. After that first station took off, the pair started buying small AM stations in big-city markets across the country. It wasn't until 1987, however, that they began to change the way talk radio operated. Until then, the FCC's Fairness Doctrine ruled. While not requiring equal time for opposing views, the rule did prohibit broadcasters from airing the same political views day after day. Threats of fines or the pulling of radio licenses kept Salem's programs from stepping too far to the right. As Epperson recently wrote on the American Conservative Union Foundation website, "We are in the [radio] business primarily because we have a point of view." When the FCC repealed the Fairness Doctrine, Atsinger and Epperson were free to move as far to the right as they cared. On-air hosts no longer had to mute conservative leanings, and they could take caller after like-minded caller who spoke their minds. It was the beginning of conservative talk radio as we know it today. Ken Mills, the former news director for Public Radio International, the leader in syndicated programming for National Public Radio, says Salem was a pioneer in using the public airwaves to promote a partisan agenda. "Salem took that FCC ruling and ran with it," Mills says. "They really perfected the art of pushing a narrow political view." When Congress eliminated media ownership restrictions in 1996, Salem grew even more. From Seattle to Miami, New York City to Los Angeles, the company has stations in all the major markets. All Salem stations follow one of three formats: Christian teaching, conservative news talk or contemporary Christian music. In Orlando, WTLN and WHIM will follow the Christian-teaching format (essentially Bible study), while WORL is slated to be a news talk station. Salem also uses a unique business model: Its stations rely on sales of syndicated programs and blocks of airtime to local church groups, rather than advertising. That means Orlandoans can tune into WTLN at 3 p.m. any weekday and hear Gib Allen, pastor at Calvary Chapel of Orlando, or listen at 8:30 a.m. on Sundays for Life Change from the East Orlando Baptist Church, or at 7 p.m. on Sundays to hear First Baptist Central Florida's live Haitian worship service. In addition to local shows, the Salem Radio Network syndicates a number of shows to stations around the country. Radio personalities in the SRN include conservative talker Michael Medved; Janet Parshall, who used to work for Concerned Women for America; and Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Despite the lineup, Epperson isn't ready to concede that Salem is a mouthpiece for the Republicans. In an article in the December 2005/January 2006 issue of Mother Jones, he said, "I personally am happy the president won. But we've been very careful as a company to be nonpartisan." Off microphone, however, Atsinger and Epperson wield sizable power in conservative circles. In 1996 both were on the board of governors for the Council for National Policy, the secretive, ultra-right wing group that works behind the scenes to steer and shape conservative policy. In 2004, Atsinger co-founded Americans of Faith, a massive, church-based, get-out-the-vote campaign. From 2000 to 2005, the duo gave more than $300,000 to Republican causes. They gave $1,000 to U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney, R-Oviedo, and another $2,000 to Republican Sen. Mel Martinez. Other recipients of Atsinger and Epperson's money include the legal fund and PAC set up by Tom DeLay. Salem even has their own PAC, which since 2000 has given $170,000 exclusively to Republican legislative candidates including Feeney and U.S. Rep. Ric Keller, R-Orlando. Their radio stations aren't very good at shrouding their allegiance to conservative Republicans. In March 2004, Salem talk-show host Kevin McCullough solicited funds on his Salem-sponsored blog for John Thune, the Senate candidate who eventually ousted minority leader Tom Daschle. In Philadelphia, a Salem affiliate held numerous Operation: Vote events where people who registered to vote were eligible for cash prizes and a new car. "Salem is great at mobilizing their core constituents," says Mills. "And they are conservative constituents." During the Terri Schiavo standoff, Salem talk-show host James Dobson said on the air: "A woman's life hangs in the balance. We really have to defend this woman, because if she dies, the lives of thousands of people around the country can be killed, too." Dobson's co-host then listed the phone numbers of Florida legislators. And despite the owner's self-described nonpartisanship, almost all Salem hosts indicated their favor for Bush in the 2004 election. On his election-day show, Bennett said flatly, "President Bush should be re-elected, and John Kerry defeated." Nonetheless, Epperson says his stations don't take a political stand. "We provide content that listeners can't get anywhere else, but we're not pushing one side." He also said Salem is excited about entering the Orlando market, and he thinks they can flourish here. Mills doesn't disagree. "As a company they are very strong. They'll probably do very well [in Orlando]," he says. "But don't be fooled. Salem is the biggest cheerleader of the right wing." (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U S A. It was just a few hours after last week's NERW went up on the site when the phone began ringing off the hook here at NERW Central. "Quick! Turn on 1520! KB's dropping oldies at 3," was the message - and with that, western NEW YORK was launched on that oddest of early 21st century radio battles: a liberal talk war. The impetus, of course, is today's "soft launch" of a mixture of Air America and local talk on WHLD (1270 Niagara Falls), under an LMA from Citadel. (The full program schedule at WHLD, including Ray Marks' local morning show, will apparently launch March 1.) And whether it's been in the works for months (as Entercom claims), or whether it was hurriedly whipped together in a matter of days, Entercom's reaction was to pull the plug on the struggling oldies format at WWKB (1520 Buffalo) with no more fanfare than an hour of "goodbye" tunes - and then head right into the launch of "Buffalo's Left Channel." The lineup on the new 1520 begins with Jones' Bill Press show in morning drive, followed by Lockport native Stephanie Miller at 9. At noon, it's a local show (well, a show done by ISDN from California exclusively for 1520) with Leslie Marshall, who's familiar to Buffalo listeners from an earlier stint at WGR and fill-in duty at Entercom's big talker, WBEN (930). Ed Schultz is on at 3, followed by a Stephanie Miller repeat, WOR's Lionel at 10, and WOR's Joey Reynolds (a holdover from the oldies KB) overnight. The move came as a blow, of course, for fans of KB's oldies format - but the outcry seemed to be far louder away from Buffalo, where 1520's blowtorch of a night signal reached Washington and Long Island and New England, than it was in Buffalo, where the station's ratings never quite seemed to justify even the modest effort being expended on local programming. The move leaves the morning team of Danny Neaverth and Tom Donahue out of work, and it puts an end to some of the greatest voice-tracking in history, courtesy of Jackson Armstrong. KB midday jock Sandy Beach remains with Entercom, of course, hosting the afternoon talk show on WBEN, and PD Hank Dole still has his day job as well, programming the company's WLKK (107.7 the Lake.) And of course the great wheel of speculation is busy spinning: will WHLD's big names, Ray Marks and Al Franken, outweigh the "inside baseball" labor talk and Democracy Radio programming that will fill much of the rest of its schedule? Will 1520's big draws, Miller and Marshall, draw audience away from WHLD during a weak part of its day - or will they pull listeners away from Entercom's cash cow, WBEN, instead? Will KB's disenfranchised oldies listeners go over to Citadel's WHTT (104.1) and its 70s-oriented, classic rock-leaning version of the format? Have Buffalo listeners heard the last of Neaverth and Shannon? (We'd bet against it.) Can WJJL, Buffalo's other AM oldies station, manage to get its new West Seneca transmitter site built, to put a more solid and competitive signal over the Queen City? The last word, for now, has to go to Armstrong, who had this to say over at DCRTV.com: "Maybe our paths will cross again and we can continue to prove that good radio isn’t dead. It is just severely suppressed." (Scott Fybush, NE Radio Watch Feb 13 via DXLD) ** U S A. FORMATS AND NUMBER OF US STATIONS Compiled by Ken Onyschuk from the 2006 Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook, edited by Bill Hale Adult Album Alternative (AAA) 87 Adult Contemporary (Pop) 1758 Agriculture 59 Album Rock 88 Alternative Rock 260 American Indian 4 Arabic 1 Beautiful Music 76 Big Band 87 Black 89 Bluegrass 33 Blues 103 Children’s (Radio Disney, et al.) 55 Chinese (all AM) 4 Christian 1209 Classic Rock 637 Classical 511 Comedy 1 Current Hit (contemporary) 634 Disco 1 Diversified 287 Easy Listening 52 Educational 252 Ethnic 73 Farsi (AM) 1 Fillipino [sic] 2 Folk 16 Foreign 63 French (all AM) 3 Full Service 67 Golden Oldies 19 Gospel 627 Greek 4 Inspirational 102 Irish 1 Italian 2 Japanese 1 Jazz 365 Korean (all AM) 10 Light Rock 41 MoR 219 Native American 8 New Age 25 News, All (283 AM) 753 News-Talk (1036 AM) 1279 Nostalgia 115 Oldies (Pop favorites from ’55- ’73) 1113 Other 220 Polish (all AM) 5 Polka 5 Portuguese 3 Public Affairs 70 Reggae 4 Religious 834 Rock, AOR 546 Russian (both AM) 2 Smooth Jazz 40 Soul 698 Sports Talk (838 AM) 944 Talk (605 AM) 767 Tejano 25 Top 40 67 Underground 16 Urban Contemporary (Black Pop) 361 Variety 297 Vietnamese (all AM) 5 Bill`s remarks - Obviously, this listing is highly subjective. When polled of their station`s format, the response reflected the opinion of whoever filled out the paperwork. Who`s to say what is the difference between ``American Indian`` and ``Native American``? Or ``Jazz`` and ``Smooth Jazz``? Or ``Black``, ``Soul``, and ``Urban Contemporary``? Am I to believe there are only 25 Spanish-language, identified herein as ``Tejano``, stations in the US? Shoot, I can hear 25 right here in the Fort Worth-Dallas area alone. Then there are the broadcasters in single-station cities which play C&W (conspicuously absent from this list) in the morning, has a `Tradio` show followed by polkas in the afternoon and Mexican and/or rock at night. What are they, ``Variety``? Where are some of these specialized stations located? The lone ``Japanese`` station is, no doubt, in Hawaii, while the 2 ``Russian`` formatted stations are likely in Alaska beaming their religious programming westward. The ``Irish`` station is most likely in Boston, and the ``Greek`` stations are probably on Florida`s West Coast. ``Vietnamese``? I`ll bet in California and in the Houston area. The ``Arabic`` station? I`m guessing the Detroit area. ``Polish`` and ``Polka``? Upper Midwest for sure. But Ken is dying to know exactly where that lone ``Disco`` station is. He obviously wants to dust off those platform shoes and play his ``Saturday Night Fever`` album (NRC E-DX News Feb 13 via DXLD) ** U S A. KMTV-3, new logo, new slogan --- Hopefully skip will bring someone my locals (which hopefully means it works the other way for me)... and if it does, please note KMTV has a new logo, which you can see on the web at http://www.kmtv3.com/ The spoken IDs are replete with "Action 3 News" and no more mention of "KM3" --- for now. But then again, they've dropped the old slogan yet to bring it back. For now, take note of Omaha's most frequently- changed logo and here's hoping you see it on your TV screen soon! (Matthew C. Sittel, Bellevue, NE, Feb 12, WTFDA via DXLD) ** U S A. THE MAN WHO SHARPENED TV NEWS'S VISION --- REUVEN FRANK, NBC'S PIONEERING EXEC, MADE SURE VIEWERS GOT THE PICTURE === By Tom Shales, Washington Post Staff Writer, Sunday, February 12, 2006; N02 Reuven Frank died young, at the age of 85. Those who knew and worked for him -- and those who went into broadcast news because they had been inspired by him -- also knew by instinct or experience that he stayed remarkably young at heart, mind and spirit until the very end. He disliked being called pioneer or founding father because he didn't want to be thought of as a historical figure. Now, though, he is one. . . http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/10/AR2006021000409_pf.html (via Tom Roche, GA, DXLD) ** VATICAN. VATICAN RADIO 75TH ANNIVERSARY Vatican City, February 12, 2006, (Zenit.org). http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=84360 Benedict XVI says that Vatican Radio has helped the voice of Popes to reach "all peoples," as he noted the station's 75th anniversary. In comments made today after praying the Angelus from the window of his study, the Holy Father recalled that it was Pope Pius XI who asked radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi (1874-1937) to build the Vatican's broadcasting station. "With radio, and later television, the message of the Gospel and the words of Popes have reached all peoples more rapidly and easily," acknowledged Benedict XVI. Vatican Radio announced Saturday that the Holy Father will visit the radio's installations March 3. Father Federico Lombardi, director general of Vatican Radio, said in an interview with the station that it broadcasts programs in 40 languages and has 400 employees. The management of Vatican Radio is entrusted by the Holy See to the Society of Jesus. "VATICAN RADIO ... A RADIO THAT TALKS TO THE WORLD" http://www.vaticanradio.org/inglese/enindex.html The station broadcasts in 5 continents with programmes in 40 different languages produced by two hundred journalists from 61 different countries There is 22.000 hours of simultaneous broadcasting on different frequencies, including news, live reports religious celebrations, in- depth programmes and music. From topical subjects to in-depth programmes on moral questions, Vatican Radio, offers to everyone, Catholic or not, the Church point of view (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) See also RADIO PHILATELY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ gh for sale on eBay Interesting item discovered on eBay. http://cgi.ebay.com/QSL-RADIO-NEDERLAND-SPECIAL-QSL_W0QQitemZ6595863830QQcategoryZ38031QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Please note, I have nothing to do with this sale, etc. Simply found it interesting. 73, (Kraig Krist, VA, Feb 13, dxldyg via DXLD) It`s the only QSL I have ever issued, appropriately with a portrait of yours truly in my much younger days (gh, DXLD) Is it ethical to sell QSL cards? Surely the point of a QSL card is that it's unique to the person who sent in the report. Why would anyone pay several dollars for a QSL card that was originally sent to someone else? If one no longer wants a collection of QSL cards, surely the thing to do is offer them to one of the QSL libraries (there are several). Or is that an old-fashioned view? (Andy Sennitt, ibid.) Surely it is. This is an antique and collectible item. Maybe the owner no longer lives or it was discarded. Why not the chance to incorporate it to an active collection of SW radio items. I have bought it (Horacio Nigro, Uruguay, ibid.) RADIO PHILATELY +++++++++++++++ VATICAN RADIO 75th ANNIVERSARY Re 6-029: Ooops --- According to my friend Dario Monferini in Italy, in recent chat this will be a postmark -not a stamp- (Horacio Nigro, Uruguay, radiostamps yg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Maybe lost in translation from Italian to Spanish? The item referred to talks about ``issuing a stamp`` -- ``Para la ocasión el correo vaticano emitirá una estampilla especial que resaltará las bodas de diamante que cumple la emisora y que será el símbolo de las celebraciones que se darán durante todo este año. La estampilla presentará el número 75 y la inscripción: "Inauguración de Radio Vaticano".`` (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) DIGITAL BROADCASTING ++++++++++++++++++++ OFFICIAL DRM RESPONSE TO RECENT MEDIA NETWORK COMMENTARY In response to my commentary Lean and Mean, we have received the following response from Siriol Evans, Director of Press & Communications at Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM): [Italics] In reading through your recent commentary on the RNW Web site titled Lean and Mean: International Broadcasting Tightens Its Belt, I noticed some points I'd like to clarify. You mention that "delays in introducing affordable user-friendly receivers are proving to be a major problem, and it's by no means certain that DRM will ever realise its full potential, as in the meantime international broadcasters are dropping significant amounts of short-wave output." The DRM Consortium holds a much more optimistic view. We have reason to anticipate success in terms of upcoming receiver availability and DRM's implementation among international broadcasters in general, based on recent and ongoing developments in markets worldwide. Among these developments are: 1) Several DRM receivers have already been introduced (notably at IFA and IBC last year) and continue to be introduced (at Le Radio! in Paris next week). A full list of what has been introduced is in the DRM Newsletter issued today. The lead article details these receivers.* 2) Consumers will be able to order radios online in the coming months. We advise interested listeners to stay tuned to http://www.drm.org as well as DRM's national Web sites for product availability bulletins and ordering information. 3) An increasing number of international broadcasters are already broadcasting on DRM, including BBC World Service, Deutsche Welle, Voice of Russia, RCI, Radio Sweden, Radio Kuwait, Radio Vaticana, and of course, Radio Netherlands. 4) DRM testing is underway by broadcasters in a range of markets, including China, Mexico and New Zealand. Solomon Islands Broadcasting Commission is interested in using DRM SW to serve its outer island stations. CVC has conducted DRM tests across South America, with a view toward regular DRM broadcasts of Spanish and Portuguese services. 5) Regulatory bodies in various markets are moving forward with DRM plans. Last year, the FCC adopted DRM for US HF Broadcasting Service (HFBC) digital transmission, for international broadcasts originating in the US and sent overseas. In Poland last year, the telecom regulator URTiP published plans for DRM SW, MW and LW broadcasts. We fully anticipate that DRM implementation among international broadcasters will continue to rise steadily, and will indeed be boosted by future sales of DRM consumer receivers. I hope this information is helpful to you, and that you will issue a clarification to your commentary based on these positive developments. [/italics] *) This is the text of the item referenced above: The latest multi-standard, DRM-capable consumer receivers will be showcased at the DRM stand at Le Radio! in Paris in February 2006. DRM-capable tabletop radios were introduced at the consumer electronics show IFA in Berlin, and at IBC in Amsterdam last year. These consumer radios have DRM/DAB/FM/RDS capabilities plus analog short-wave, medium-wave/AM and long-wave. They use DRM member RadioScape’s RS500 module, and DRM member Texas Instruments’ DRM350 multi-standard digital radio baseband. RadioScape and Texas Instruments have unveiled three such radios, by Roberts, Sangean and Morphy Richards. Several other DRM products have also been introduced: DRM member Coding Technologies, in cooperation with AFG Engineering GmbH and Himalaya (Power) Electronics, demonstrated a DRM-capable radio based on Analog Devices’ Blackfin®. DRM member Fraunhofer IIS showcased a complete DRM processing chain for integration into a DRM- only or multi-standard receiver IC, supplemented by Coding Technologies’ Audio Decoder Library. DRM member Robert Bosch GmbH presented a modified car receiver that has DRM capabilities. In collaboration with DRM member RTL Group, Visteon Corporation demonstrated its in-vehicle DRM, FM & AM CD Tuner. Panasonic showed an OEM, DRM-capable, car radio prototype. # posted by Andy @ 11:10 Feb 10 (Media Network blog via DXLD) "Introduced", "showcased": on 8.12.2004 Peter Senger said in Dallas that one million DRM receivers are expected to be in the marketplace by 2006. Does "showcased" at Paris mean that they are now ready. Where is the programme content in the release that would encourage consumers to buy them if they are? (Mike Barraclough, England, 02.10.06 - 2:32 pm, ibid.) HD RADIO Well, call me a traitor to my DX roots, a hypocrite, or just merely curious, but today I did it. I committed the unpardonable DX sin: I ordered an HD Radio! I've read some good reviews about the Boston Acoustics Receptor, and the price was right ($299), so in a moment of weakness I ordered one. May God have mercy on me! I'm interested in hearing what the am sideband splatter will sound like on analog first adjacents on this radio; for instance, trying to listen to WWKB at night when WCKY still has its HD on; or locally, to see what happens to WBCB 1490 when WDAS-AM is running IBOC. The other interesting test will be 1470 WKAP and 1480 WDAS at my home QTH, where both stations have an equal signal (Rene' F. Tetro, Chief Engineer, Salem Communications - Philadelphia, WNTP-AM/WFIL-AM, IRCA via DXLD) Rene, I'm sure I am either misunderstanding your point or the dynamics of the situation, but when tuning a non-IBOC station with an HD radio, isn't it going to sound just the same as any other AM radio? Why would the effect of IBOC sidebands on next adjacent stations sound different with an HD radio? Do you suspect there might be some special filtering? Or maybe you don't expect it to be different and intend to verify this. IBOC is certainly a mystery, in any number of ways. Whatever you discover will no doubt be of considerable interest (W. Curt Deegan, Boca Raton, (southeast) FL, ibid.) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ FIVE BELOW: DXING WITH THE SDR-1000 ON MEDIUMWAVE AND TROPICAL BANDS Hi Glenn, Some of your readers may be interested in following my new blog on the "software-defined" Flex-Radio SDR-1000 for foreign MW and tropical bands DXing. I don't know of anyone else (yet) using it for this part of the spectrum, so others might benefit from my experiences, good or bad. With its high dynamic range and IP3, the SDR-1000 has the potential to be a superb performer in particular for tuning the 9-kHz "splits" of trans-Pacific and trans-Atlantic stations from North America. It also has the potential to be a flop if not set up correctly, as the Flex-Radio takes a degree of technical proficiency to configure and operate. I have a good start on the blog, with sections such as: Introduction Key Points Unique Features Drawbacks And Solutions Initial Setup and Calibration Power Up: First Impressions of the SDR-1000 DXpedition Time The Panadapter and Spectrum Displays The SDR-1000's Approach To Automatic Gain Control (AGC) Observations On Audio Quality The blog is titled "Five Below: DXing with the SDR-1000 on Mediumwave and Tropical Bands," and can be found at http://www.sdr-1000.blogspot.com Contents include screenshots of the "PowerSDR" software, photographs, and some MP3 audio file samples. I hope to update this blog weekly. Good Listening, (Guy Atkins, Puyallup, WA, Feb 13, DX LISTENING DIGEST) OFF-FREQUENCY LOGGING In a recent DX bulletin I note a couple items from the same reporter, some extremely unlikely tho remotely possible frequencies: 7283 for CRI in English at 2044, and 7358 for WYFR in English at 2104. He has three radios, a Roberts, a Yaesu and a Sony, tho it`s unknown which of them (if more than one) were employed in these catches. Of course, originally handwritten logs could say 5 and be misread as 3 or 8, but assuming they made it thru the editorial process unchanged from the original notes, we highly suspect a digital frequency readout was reported for stations off-tuned for whatever reason, possibly to avoid interference on the opposite side, or simply not bothering to center the tuning on a strong signal. Whatever the case, we urge somebody other than gh to question and clarify items such as these! It seems there is always someone who doesn`t get it about reporting transmitted frequencies rather than just dial readings (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) POWERLINE COMMUNICATIONS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Motorola Plans BPL Hybrid --- The U.S. mobile giant plans a mostly wireless way to offer broadband over power lines. February 10, 2006 Motorola is entering the broadband-over-power-lines market in the United States with a hybrid of wired and wireless technologies that has, at least momentarily, quieted opponents. Having received all needed U.S. approvals, Motorola is about to offer a technology that employs a sequence of wireless devices located on utility towers to carry the broadband traffic. The service then reaches into the home through standard electrical connections. . . http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=15689&hed=Motorola+Plans+BPL+Hybrid (via Joe Ringer, Swprograms mailing list via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ RECEPTION CONDITIONS FOR DX ZERO sunspots for about the 12th day running makes this the longest dry spell since the last lowest count in the last sunspot cycle 10 or so years ago. Amazing conditions for those interested in Dxing the AM broadcast band with many long distance stations heard, even in the daytime! Currently in Australia the maximum SW usable frequency is about 15 MHz during the day and at night time it drops to about 9 MHz (Keith Ashton, Feb 12, dxing.info via DXLD) ###