DX LISTENING DIGEST 6-039, March 3, 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 NEXT SW AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1306: Days and times here are strictly UT. Sat 0900 WOR WRN 15735-DRM via Bulgaria Sat 1700 WOR WWCR 12160 Sun 0330 WOR WWCR 5070 [start varies 0325-0335] Sun 0400 WOR WBCQ 9330-CLSB Sun 0730 WOR WWCR 3215 Sun 2229 WOR WRMI 7385 [temporarily] Mon 0400 WOR WBCQ 9330-CLSB Mon 0515 WOR WBCQ 7415 Wed 0030 WOR WBCQ 7415 Wed 1030 WOR WWCR 9985 Full schedule, including AM, FM, satellite and internet, with hotlinks to station sites and audio: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html For latest updates see our Anomaly Alert page: http://www.worldofradio.com/anomaly.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 ** ALASKA. Hi All, QSL received from KICY 850 Nome. Short "facts only" letter plus small brochure with the mission statement (no pun intended as it is a statement about its missions, hi- OK, perhaps it is a pun.) Letter signed by "Verification Official" J. Dennis Weidler, GM. - P. O. Box 820, Nome AK 99762. Elapsed time about three weeks. Return postage supplied and used. Pretty cool. I mean ICY! 73 (Doug Pifer, IRCA via DXLD) So I guess "verification official" is his nome d'plume? (Michael Hawkins, ibid.) For that one, you deserve a feather in your cap! (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA, ibid.) I'll settle for the hair I used to have! It`s a rare opportunity to throw in a bad pun. They usually meet with a cold reception (Michael Hawkins, ibid.) 850, KICY, Nome, in very strong over KOA in KOA's null. First // to web stream, then ID heard at 2230 PT / 0630 UT (Dave Williams. Redmond, OR, UT March 2, WTFDA-AM via DXLD) ** ARGENTINA. 1650 kHz, RADIO RENACER (Quilmes oeste) se ha trasladado a esta nueva frecuencia, abandonando así la de 1560 kHz, que venía utilizando, debido a que en esta última se instaló recientemente Radio Ciudad de Lanús (Remedios de Escalada), y con el fin de evitar interferencias. Radio Renacer es una emisora cristiana evangélica de carácter "no oficial", y viene a ocupar el espacio que dejó vacante otra emisora del mismo tipo que peraba en la X-band: RDB, La Radio de la Bendición, casualmente también desde la localidad de Quilmes oeste. Finalmente cabe agregar que en 1280, se sigue escuchando con emisiones de prueba, una emisora activa desde algún lugar del Gran Bueos Aires. La misma solo difunde música en castellano y oldies de los años 80 y 90, sin ningún tipo de identificaciones (Marcelo A. Cornachioni, Lomas de Zamora, Argentina, March 3, condig list via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA [non]. GERMANY: 15680, CVC International with English 'Your World - Chatback' with pop music & sneaky Bible Thumping snuck in betwixt the programming. Australian accented YL DJ & lots of mentions of the website 'CVC.TV' (which has a too cute photo of a gerbil holding a microphone. Does radio Azteca know there is a photo of this sort out there -- sounds like a QSL to me!) see http://www.cvc.tv/go/fuseaction/content.more/id/2251/lang/english Anyway, site is presumed, but reception was good: 354 from 1705 to 1720 25/Feb (Ken Zichi, MI DXpedition, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) ** BOTSWANA. 4930, VOA mixing product (presumed STP), audio from 2 program streams heard; one was // 4940, the other was English, 1911 UT March 1 (Tim Bucknall, Icom-IC736, Wellbrooke ALA 1530, harmonics yg via DXLD) According to EiBi, 4930 is Botswana and 4940 is São Tomé, both in English at this hour. What was the other language? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Interesting, thanks, Glenn. It sounded like an African language; I couldn't identify it. There was Turkmenistan on 4930 as well as the 2 program streams and severe utility interference. I'll listen again tonight. While I was listening and comparing, 4940 changed from English to something else // 4930 but the English stream continued on 4930 on top of the unID language (Tim Bucknall, England, harmonics yg via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. Caros amigos: Estou anexando um texto que escrevi por ocasiãó da morte do grande homem do rádio brasileiro Nicolau Tuma. O texto já foi publicado em alguns sites, como da Magaly Prado e no radio base, mas creio que alguns dos amigos tenham interesse em conhecer um pouco a vida desse grande brasileiro que morreu com 94 anos. Num momento em que a classe política decepciona, vale a pena conhecer um pouco a vida do homem que reinventou a forma de se irradiar que tão bem conhecemos. Um abraço a todos (Cassiano Macedo, Programa Encontro DX, Rádio Aparecida, sábados ás 19:00 horas horário de Brasília 22:00 horas UTC, 19 anos no ar divulgando o hobby do rádio, March 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) This is an appreciation of a radio innovator who recently died, known for being able to keep talking at 250 words per minute as a play-by- play football announcer, the ``machinegun`` (gh) Viz.: Morreu o último dos speakers No dia : 11 de fevereiro passado, morreu o último dos ``speakers``, dos primórdios da Rádio Sociedade Educadora Paulista que entrou no ar em novembro de 1923. Estamos falando sobre o Dr. Nicolau Tuma, que o jornalista Geraldo Nunes dedicou um capítulo em seu livro`` São Paulo de todos os tempos``, sob o título: O Rádio Paulista poderia ter nome: Nicolau Tuma. Tuma se notabilizou por várias feitos, principalmente pela inovação que trouxe quando transmitia pelo rádio as partidas de futebol. Nos tempos que não havia as cabines para a imprensa, o locutor ocupava uma das laterais do campo munido apenas de uma linha telefônica. P Para não deixar espaços durante a transmissão, quando na época o locutor transmitia passo a passo o desenrolar do jogo, Nicolau Tuma resolveu inovar. Dono de uma invejável dicção e de improviso, começou a irradiar com rapidez e com detalhes, para evitar que os ouvintes mudassem de estação. Assim ficou conhecido como o ``speaker metralhadora``, em cujas transmissões esportivas, chegava a transmitir 250 palavras por minuto. Em 1932, junto com grandes nomes do rádio, Tuma fez história nos microfones da Rádio Record, época em que a emissora usou seus microfones contra a ditadura de Vargas. Nicolau Tuma tinha a formação de advogado e atuava na sua formação, mas trabalhou nas rádios Record, Cultura, Difusora e Bandeirantes, principalmente ocupando os microfones. Depois foi para o Rio de Janeiro, onde passou a dirigir a Rádio Tamoio, ainda no final do governo Vargas, ocasião em que enfrentou problemas com o DIP (órgão que controlava os rádios e a imprensa na ditadura) ao tentar colocar no ar entrevistas com opositores da ditadura que já estava prestes a cair. O que poucos sabem é que Nicolau Tuma foi quem criou o termo`` radialista``, por ocasião da fundação da Associação Brasileira de Rádio, com sede na antiga capital federal. Como nos estatutos era preciso dar um nome para as pessoas que falavam no rádio, Tuma usou a palavra radialista e foi logo contestado por um jovem que estava no dia que ele sugeriu o termo. Inteligente como era, ele explicou que radialista era a soma das palavras ``rádio`` com ``idealista`` e todos abraçaram sua idéia, que hoje está nos dicionários. Além de radialista Tuma acabou se lançando na política fazendo uma brilhante carreira, a qual começou como um dos primeiros vereadores da cidade de São Paulo, eleito após o fim do Estado Novo da ditadura Vargas. Chegou a Deputado Federal por São Paulo, participando de várias projetos e códigos, sendo sua grande obra o Código Brasileiro de Telecomunicações dos anos 60, assim como a criação dos DDI e DDD com a Embratel. Reconhecido por todos pelo seu caráter e honestidade, Tuma foi muito homenageado não apenas como radialista mas como homem público sério e competente. Por isso recebeu várias comendas, prêmios e homenagens, tanto por parte daqueles que estão ligados ao mundo da radiodifusão, como por todos aqueles que conheceram sua história de homem público. Quase as vésperas de completar 95 anos, com uma memória fantástica para datas , fatos e uma perfeita dicção, Nicolau Tuma , tem sua vida perpetuada para nós quando escutamos a palavra ``radio mais idealista``, pois sempre teve orgulho na sua atuação no rádio. Assim Nicolau Tuma se junta aos grandes nomes do rádio como Hélio Ribeiro, Alexandre Kadunk, César de Alencar, Geraldo José de Almeida entre outros que provavelmente onde estiverem estarão aplaudindo-no de pé. Bibliografia: São Paulo de Todos os Tempos volume II Nunes, Geraldo - 2.005 RG Editores Depoimento para o Museu dos Pioneiros da TV no dia: 13/12/1999 Site: http://www.museudatv.com.br (Cassiano Alves Macedo, Produtor do programa Encontro DX, Rádio Aparecida, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BULGARIA. My first decent logging in ages! 17400, R. Bulgaria International, 3 x 5800, 1543 UT 3/3/06, poor but readable (Tim Bucknall, UK, harmonics yg via DXLD) ** CAMEROON [non]. R. Free Southern Cameroon, 11840 via Russia, *1800- 1859* Feb 26, sign-on with English ID, sked, choral anthem. English talk about freedom in southern Cameroon. African hi-life music, local choral music. 1858 ID, lite instrumental music to sign-off. Poor to fair in noisy conditions. Sundays only (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. RCI Sackville, 9405, 1435-1500+ Feb 25, fairly strong spur from 9625 and 9515 in English; 110 kHz separation: 9625 - 9515 = 110 kHz (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9625 is Northern Quebec Service, but at this time on Sat // RCI with The House, from CBC (gh, DXLD) DRM buzz on 15235-15245, March 2 at 1428 instead of usual analog R. Sweden in Swedish. This continued well past 1430 when analog English is supposed to air via Canada. At 1445 recheck, had switched back to analog English. Perhaps they are getting carried away at Sackville fiddling with the DRM on/off switch, to the detriment of the huge majority of analog-only would-be listeners (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) And why would RCI with CBC World at Six be bubble-jammed, on 11990 as it was March 2 around 2220? Nothing suspicious listed on 11990, but here is a remote possibility: 5995 2300-0100 TWN Fu Hsing Broadcasting C. M CHN as in EiBi, if perchance they are now on as early as 2200 (or the jammer against them is) and it puts out a second harmonic (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CATALUNYA. Assumpte: Ràdio 4 és viva --- Com ja haureu copsat pels mitjans de comunicació, volen tancar Ràdio 4 I desfer tota la xarxa d'emissores de TVE i RNE a nivell Estatal. Les treballadores i els treballadors de Ràdio Nacional a Catalunya, estem recollint signatures per pressionar els politics i evitar que tot això es faci realitat. Podeu adherir-vos a: http://www.r4esviva.es i si voleu, escriure un email al defensor del telespectador - oïent, defensor @ rtve.es mostrant el vostre rebuig al respecte. SI US ES POSSIBLE, PASSEU AQUEST E-MAIL ALS VOSTRES CONEGUTS O AMISTATS. MOLTES GRÀCIES. Toni Catalán - Treballador i membre del Comité d'Empresa de RNE a Barcelona (via EDUARD BOADA I ARAGONES, Noticias DX via DXLD) See also SPAIN ** CHINA. Re 6-038, Kraig Krist also received the notice from CRI, and this was at the bottom: Would you want to know more information and the progress of NPC and CPPCC? Please log at http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/china/events/npc-cppcc2006/ http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/ http://enpf.chinabroadcast.cn/talkchina/ Thanks. Yours sincerely, YingLian [collective name], English Service, China Radio International (via Kraig Krist, DXLD) ** CHINA. 18160 kHz, CRI, 1144 UT 03/03/06 (Tim Bucknall, England, harmonics yg via DXLD) IIRC 9080 was a WOOB frequency for domestic service years ago, but no longer listed. 18160 cannot be a third harmonic since the sum of its digits is not evenly divisible by 3. Therefore, presumably not a harmonic, but a mixing product between other frequencies in the 16 mb (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. ROOT PROBLEM - IS CHINA PLANNING A BREAKAWAY FROM THE INTERNET? The announcement by the Chinese Ministry of Information Industry that China has launched its own Top Level Internet Domains (TLDs), registered separately from those in the rest of the world, is at first glance a very worrying development. It signals the politicisation of the Internet, and appears to be a reprisal for the Bush administration managing to retain de facto US control of the Internet last year. The European Union, along with several other countries, including China, wanted a UN body to assume control of the worldwide network including its name servers. But the Americans managed to head off this move, and the US-based Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) remains in control - at least for now. The Peoples' Daily specifically stated that Beijing's decision "means Internet users don't have to surf the Web via the servers under the management of ICANN of the United States," suggesting a political motive. . . http://www.radionetherlands.nl/features/media/chn060302 (Media Network Newsletter March 2 via DXLD) ** DIEGO GARCIA. 4319 (USB), AFN, friendly E-QSL, frequency-only verie and a DG E-post card (island scene, ``Don`t worry about the world ending today. It is already tomorrow in Diego Garcia!``), in 5 days from Marshall C. Bennett bennettmc @ dg.navy.mil He indicates: ``The broadcast you heard is our frequency that is received by us here where we add our liner and re x-mitt for island personal to enjoy. 4319 is our night time frequency and 12579 is our daytime frequency from 0900 to 2100 local. We`ve just recently started to re-transmit off our short wave and have almost immediately started to receive letters from all over the world.`` A big ``Thank You`` to Scott Barbour for the contact information (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, RX340, with T2FD antenna, DX LISTENING DIGEST) This is listed, without SW, in WRTH 2006y on page 157 under BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY. I looked that up to find the local time of UT + 5 so hours above would be 0400-1600 UT (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) Sorry for my crippled English, but what does this sentence mean (just a part of whole message): ``The broadcast you heard is our freq that is received by us here where we add our liner and re x-mitt for island personal to enjoy.`` Is he talking about DG AM transmissions or about SW? Maybe I misunderstood the meaning (Jari Savolainen, Finland, ibid.) Axually, it`s not your English that is crippled (gh, DXLD) Yes, he means what you hear on shortwave is the satellite feed as they receive it. The local AM service carries the same material but with local ID's inserted (I guess at the top of the hour). (Andy Sennitt, ibid.) Now why couldn`t they do that on the SW relay? None of the AFN SW frequencies ever carry any local ID, AFAIK (gh, DXLD) 4318 kHz, 1620 UT, AFN Diego Garcia with speaking of health program 44454. 73 from (Larry Fields, n6hpx/mm Indian Ocean, Gulf of Aden, March 3, swl at qth.net via DXLD) ** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. R. Anacaona, 2279.96, 0210-0307* Feb 25, still here, 2 x 1140 with mostly continuous local pops, ballads. 0214 & 0230 IDs. 0305 closing with ID, 0306 NA. Poor to fair in noisy conditions (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. R. Nacional, Bata, 5005, 2240-2258* Feb 24, African hi-life music, Spanish announcements. 2256 sign-off with shortened NA; good (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ERITREA. 7175 kHz, Voice of the Broad Masses, Asmara, observed on 25 Feb 1742-1800*, Vernacular (not Arabic), local pops, talks, references to Somalia; 54444, adjacent QRM; almost blocked by DW's carrier 1755 prior to sign-off (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA. 5500 kHz, Voice of the Revolution of Tigré, Mek'elé, observed on 28 Feb 1813-1819, program believed to be in Tigrinya, with songs, few talks; 25331, i.e. a lot worse than usual. 6940 kHz, R. Fana, Addis Ababa, audible on 25 Feb 1805-1814, airing program in Oromiffa (presumed), with talks; 25342 (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EUROPE. Re: Sligo European Radio will be making a test transmission on Sunday 26th February 2006 between 0800 and 1000 GMT on 9330 kHz in the 32 metre short-wave band. Hi has anybody picked it up on Sunday???? 73 abo (Andree Bollin, Germany, HCDX via DXLD) Hi. Sligo European Radio will be broadcasting another test transmission on Saturday 4th March 2006 between 2100 and 2230 GMT on 9330 kHz on the 32 metre short-wave band. This test is to try and sort out one or two final problems we were having with our transmitter and power supply unit creating interference, which was then being broadcast along with our audio output. All reception reports should be e-mailed to us at sligoeuropeanradio @ hotmail.com and a QSL card will be sent back for all correctly verified reports. If anyone can record a few minutes of our output and send it to us as an mp3 file we would be delighted to hear from them. Sligo European Radio will be starting regular monthly transmissions on 9330 on Sunday 12th March at 0800 GMT. Website Address: http://www.geocities.com/sligoeuropeanradio E-mail Address: sligoeuropeanradio @ hotmail.com Yours (Chris Jensen - Sligo European Radio, March 2, HCDX via DXLD) ** FINLAND. It`s the first Saturday in March, so Scandinavian Weekend Radio must be on for 24 hours, from 2200 UT Friday, tho I have not received any publicity about it. Yes; here`s the schedule: http://www.swradio.net/schedule.htm (Glenn Hauser, March 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FINLAND [and non]. CONAN O'BRIEN DEBUTS FINLAND FOOTAGE MARCH 10 -- - Show Devotes Entire Hour To Air Footage of O'Brien's "State Visit" to Finland --- Published: March 2, 2006 http://www.nbcumv.com/release_detail.nbc/entertainment-20060302000000-conanobriendebuts.html NEW YORK -- March 2, 2006 -- After making headlines worldwide for his February visit to Finland and his meeting with look-alike President Tarja Halonen, Conan O'Brien is devoting his entire March 10 episode to show his Finnish travelogue. A studio audience will join O'Brien as he presents his coverage of his visit. "Late Night," is wildly popular in the Nordic nation and became somewhat of a political player in the country's current presidential race, specifically due to O'Brien's striking resemblance to Finnish President Halonen. The show aired mock campaign ads endorsing her and has seen an increased number of Finns in the studio audience. From landing at the Helsinki airport, O'Brien was greeted like a visiting head of state by hundreds of reporters and thousands of avid fans (some with banners reading "Tarja Is Our President But Conan Is Our King"). Over his four-day visit, O'Brien toured around Helsinki meeting fans, taking in the local custom (the sauna) and local culture - an underwear exhibit in the Helsinki's Tennis Palace Art Museum. In addition, O'Brien and crew winged north to Lapland to take in the wintry splendor of Finland's Arctic Circle territory, visiting native Laplanders' reindeer farms (reindeer outnumber people in Lapland), dog sledding camps, and Santa Claus' reputed home. In addition, O'Brien met with myriad Finnish media figures. From appearing with Arto Nyberg ("the Finnish Larry King"), to being followed by the Finnish tabloid press and sitting for an interview with two ten-year-old boys, every public appearance by Conan was covered in all its surreal detail by the "Late Night" crews. In addition, "Late Night" goes backstage at the Telvis Awards ("the Finnish Emmys") where O'Brien will receive a special award at the Telvis Awards in Helsinki - the Varipilkku Award - "for the most surprising and most entertaining TV personality in Finland." Finally, the footage will showcase the main focus of the trip: O'Brien's private Valentine's Day meeting with at the Presidential Palace with his doppelganger, President Tarja Halonen. The "Late Night" crew captures a new "Helsinki Accord," of sorts. "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" is from NBC Studios in association with Broadway Video. Lorne Michaels and Jeff Ross are the executive producers. Mike Sweeney is head writer (NBC Universal via Tom Roche, DXLD) March 10 --- I suppose that means UT March 11. Show spans the local midnight hour on stations not delaying it in the CT and MT zones, i.e. Friday March 10 into UT Saturday. East and West Coast imperialists, however, where it always airs after local midnight, might properly think of March 10 as being the previous Thursday night into Friday morning show (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GABON. Hi everyone, is anyone hearing Gabon on 4777? I`ve not for a while but still getting Burkina Faso on 5030 and Equatorial Guinea on 5005 (Mark, Anglesey, March 2, HCDX via DXLD) R. Gabon, 4777, *0459-0510+ Feb 24, sign-on with local music and opening French announcements, R. Gabon IDs. French talk; fair (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GEORGIA. Re: Massive layoffs in Georgian public broadcasting This comment was just posted in the Media Network Weblog. The link is to the Google cached copy of the Internet statement of 28 February which has been removed from their website (mentioned in DXLD 6-038): Del (North Wales) () wrote the following: http://www.haloscan.com/comments/medianetwork/114114290627046804/ Google strikes again! http://72.14.207.104/search?sourceid=navclient-menuext&ie=UTF-8&q=cache:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gpb.ge%2Feng_version%2Fpirveli_arxi%2Findex.html or if you prefer http://tinyurl.com/mz9fg (Andy Sennitt, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GOA. As Jose Jacob reported, AIR now sounds free of squealing from this transmitter site, 9820 in listed Sinhala, weak but clear with repetitive chanting at 1457-1500* March 2 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9705, All India Radio; 25 Feb, 2324-2332. Sub-continental music in local languages. Poor with heavy static (Joe Wood, TN, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) 11715, All India Radio; Feb 25, 2059 – ID & news by woman. Fair signal //slightly stronger 9445 (Niel Wolfish, MI, DXPedition, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) Cf 6-037, GOA site 9705, 11715 (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** GREECE. THE KAVALA GAP --- Is VOA still a global broadcaster? Kim Andrew Elliott discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy http://kimandrewelliott.com/kavala_gap.html Employees of the Voice of America have been suffering a spate of bad news lately. First, on February 1, we learned that, in a budget cutting exercise, VOA would eliminate about 250 hours of shortwave transmission daily. That amounted to about one frequency of three used for most broadcasts. Then, on February 6, we were informed that that VOA would be dropping radio broadcasts on twelve of its language services, including the worldwide English VOA News Now. And, if that were not enough, an e-mail on February 24 told us that the Greek relay stations of the International Broadcasting Bureau (VOA's parent agency) would be shut down. These facilities include several shortwave and one medium wave (AM) transmitters at Kavala and one medium wave transmitter at Rhodes. The shortwave transmitters at Kavala officially served Europe, the former Soviet Union, Africa, the Middle East, and even East Asia. Signals from Kavala were routinely heard beyond those areas, including (Smith-Mundt law banning domestic dissemination of VOA programs notwithstanding) the United States. During special live New year's editions of my former VOA program Communications World, listeners would call or e-mail me from New Zealand, Japan, India, Africa, Europe, and the United States - and they were all listening to the same frequency from Kavala: 15205 kilohertz. This amazing relay station is in just the right location to cover most of the globe. Of the two medium wave transmitters in Greece, 1260 kilohertz is a standout. It reached well into the Levant. The frequency was very popular among listeners to VOA News Now (VOA's global English service), including American expats in Israel. In 2002, the new Arabic-language service Radio Sawa took over 1260 kHz. Later in 2002, when Radio Sawa opened a new transmitter in Cyprus, it continued to use 1260 kHz rather than giving it back to VOA News Now. This could well have contributed to the demise of VOA News Now, slated for October. I don't know the details of the U.S. agreement with Greece concerning these relay sites. The financial terms or the cost of electricity might be inordinately expensive. It could be that houses are being built closer to the facilities, and it is fashionable these days in Europe to complain about the alleged health effects of nearby radio transmitters. On the other hand, it would be difficult to find a more stable or reliable country in the region to host a relay station. The loss of Kavala might be offset somewhat by three new shortwave transmitters at IBB's formerly medium-wave-only site in Kuwait. Even though the IBB has eleven other shortwave sites around the world, to maintain true global coverage, additional shortwave capacity is needed somewhere in a triangle roughly defined by Greece, Djibouti, and Kuwait. From this region, many countries that are vital to U.S. interests, and where media freedom is or could soon be lacking, are one or two ionospheric hops away. Why, in 2006, when modern media technologies abound, is it necessary to maintain worldwide shortwave capability? These days, when people obtain information from abroad, they prefer to do it via cable or satellite television, or from a local FM station, or from a website, rather than put up with the difficulties shortwave. But local television and radio relays of international broadcasts can be interrupted at any time, for political or commercial reasons. In recent months, FM or medium wave relays of BBC or VOA in Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Cote d'Ivoire, Russia, and other countries have been interrupted. Indonesia, one of the largest and most important of target countries, might be next if broadcasting regulations are enforced. Satellite transmissions can be jammed. In September 2005, Libya blocked an opposition radio station on Eutelsat Hotbird and took out several major television channels in the process. More typically, offended governments take content off satellites by exerting pressure on the satellite company, in the way that China compelled Star-TV to remove BBC Mandarin broadcasts in 1994. Furthermore, the sale of satellite dishes can be made illegal, and already purchased dishes confiscated. Websites are blocked in China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Burma, Uganda, and growing number of other countries. A small industry is devoted to software that can work around internet censorship. A much larger and more profitable software industry provides those filtering products to governments, companies, and institutions wanting to keep certain content from their internet users. Shortwave radio has been jammed since before World War II. But shortwave is rarely jammed with complete effectiveness. This is because shortwave, uniquely among all the media available to international broadcasting, is granted by the laws of physics immunity from interdiction. On shortwave frequencies, signals from distant transmitters are often stronger than those from closer jamming transmitters. If an international broadcaster transmits on as many frequencies as possible, from as many sites as possible, there is a good chance at least one frequency will get through the jamming. Until another medium comes along that is less interdictable, a global shortwave capability is vital to U.S. interests. Those shortwave transmitters may be needed for VOA Indonesian, Russian, Bangla, etc., if the television or FM rebroadcasting outlets inside their target countries suddenly become unavailable. While we wait for such occasions, a global English-language service would be a good way to keep the transmitters and frequencies occupied. This is because English-speaking speaking people are everywhere in the world. They are the elites of just about every country, as well as expatriates, workers, students, diplomats, volunteers, missionaries, technical experts, and seafarers outside their home countries. Many of them are in places without access to satellite television or the internet, so they have an incentive to carry along shortwave radios. The IBB Kavala and Rhodes relays will be missed. I don't mean this in a sentimental way. I mean that when there is a major global crisis, the United States will need to get accurate information to foreign populations and to Americans abroad. Modern means of international mass communications will be blocked, destroyed, or swamped from overuse. That is when a global shortwave network will become the failsafe. We reduce that network at our peril. Kim Andrew Elliott, expressing his own views, is an audience research officer in the International Broadcasting Bureau. His personal website is http://kimandrewelliott.com (via John Babbis, DXLD) See also U S A! ** GREECE. 3465 kHz, Greek Pirate, 2 x 1732.5, usual Greek music, very unstable, very weak, fundamental inaudible, 1 March (Tim Bucknall, Icom-IC736, Wellbrooke ALA 1530, harmonics yg via DXLD) No time given ** INDIA. 4840, AIR Mumbai 1433. News in English. Must be local. Turned to Hindi 1435 UT. Didn´t hear English on other AIR outlets in the 60 mb. Reception was good. March 3. 73 de (Jouko Huuskonen, Turku, FINLAND, DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also GOA ** INDONESIA. 9525, RRI; 1350-1359:20*, 25-Feb; Pretty sure that's the way he ID'd; M in heavy accented English; English & multi-lingual IDs at 1357, anthem & off. SIO-343 (Harold Frodge, MI, DXPedition, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) 9525, Voice of Indonesia; Feb 25, 1355 – end of broadcast with W giving e-mail address. Signed off with anthem. Fair signal (Niel Wolfish, ibid.) Had been inactive many months on 9525 in that time period. Must start looking for it again here, and to see if they resume running open carrier 1400 onwards (gh, DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL INTERNET. No longer International? See CHINA ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM [and non]. The Howard Stern Soap Opera Funny link below, and probably not too far from what might have transpired: http://www.audiographics.com/agd/030106-1.htm (Harry Helms W5HLH Smithville, TX EL19, ABDX via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. M0EYT IEE lecture at Bournemouth University There was a good turnout for a fascinating talk tonight (Thursday) by Paul Marsh, M0EYT, the radio ham who recently made headlines for detecting radio signals from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter at a distance of 45 million miles from earth. Paul described how he built and used a home-made receiver to pick up signals from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter transmitting in X- band. He discussed the question: As NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto gets underway, how long can amateurs keep pace with the space race? Since the lecture was advertised quoting the 45 million miles Paul has obtained access to a larger dish at a local amateur radio club and dramatically increased the distance!! (Mike Terry, March 3, BDXC-UK via DXLD) ** JAPAN. MORE DETAILS EMERGING OF NHK'S INTERNATIONAL TV PLANS More details are emerging of exactly what Japanese public broadcaster NHK is planning to do in terms of overseas broadcasting, and there is a surprise. NHK has told journalists that its two Japanese-language satellite channels, NHK World TV and NHK World Premium, have not proved as popular as it had expected. Therefore, it plans to convert the NHK World channel into an English-language channel within three years. Discussions are now taking place on how to finance the services before moving on to consider the content. NHK President Genichi Hashimoto told a news conference that NHK's international broadcasting services would best be financed with viewer fees. But he acknowledged the necessity of gaining the consensus of viewers before trying to appropriate fees for services targeting people overseas. The reason for this is that so many people have refused to pay mandatory viewer fees following embezzlement scandals at NHK. The Asahi Shimbun says that Koizumi's strong support of English- programming overseas strikes some in the communications ministry and NHK as a belated attempt to catch up with China, which already operates sophisticated international broadcasting services. They noted that China Central Television is considering Arab language broadcasting in oil-producing nations of the Middle East in addition to English, Chinese and Spanish services. (Source: Asahi Shimbun) # posted by Andy @ 12:01 UT March 3 (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** JORDAN. 11690, Radio Jordan; Feb 25, 1512 – Annoying W talking in English over annoying Madonna record with QRM from annoying RTTY (Niel Wolfish, MI, DXPedition, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) 11690, RJ with pop music & YL DJ 1405-1415 SIO 333 with RTTY QRM; Liz, which RTTY station is this again? That notched out OK but still a noisy sig. 25/Feb. MUCH better at recheck 1720-1732* still pop music but with OM talk in Arabic between songs, and a YL ID in English at 1726 saying it was their ``sign off to Europe`` and a time check as 7:30, back to pop music. Actual sign-off was not until 1732. SIO 4+44 and the notch almost 100% eliminated RTTY. 25/Feb (Ken Zichi, MI, DXpedition, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) ** KYRGYZSTAN [non]. Hi all, just stumbled across what sounds like the 2nd harmonic of Bishkek 4050 kHz on 8100 at 1636 UT 2 March 06, terrible signal and no ID yet but it sounds like a Turkic Language to my ears, so I thought I'd let everyone know; Good luck! (Tim Bucknall, UK, Icom IC-736, Wellbrooke ALA 1530, harmonics yg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) [Later:] I was wrong about 8100 KGZ: it signed off at 1700 so it can't have been Bishkek (Tim Bucknall, England, ibid.) ** LIBYA [non]. From tune in around 1410 March 2, no action from Sawt al-Amal and the jammers except for 17675 with African hilife music, in the skirts of CVC 17680. A bit better at 1442, 1505, and off as usual at 1530* Also on March 3 at 1520 check, 17675 with same (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) SOWT ALAMEL / LIBYA'S VOICE OF HOPE Sowt al-Amel program for Libya. A few observations: The program keeps using various frequencies around 17660, most recently 17665. I start checking at 1145 and hear an open carrier with no tones. In spite of the transmitter being on early, the program also seems to start late, that is, after 1200, but only about a minute or so late. Since it starts late, it just comes on with the program already in progress. There is also an open carrier on 17660 that transmits 1,000 hz tones, which I am told is a sign on process used by the Libyans in the past. This transmitter will come on at 1200 and then plays Arabic music. From Florida, I can only occasionally hear noise jamming against the Sowt Al-Amel program on the various frequencies it uses. I have not been able to hear the African music programs in this range as of late (Hans Johnson, FL, USA Feb 16 (?), 2006 in Jihad DX-ML via CRW via DXLD) Today (Feb. 16) Sowt al-Amel was again using 17680 at 1200+. Observer (Bulgaria) says this is via Grigoriopol-Moldova and it is heard at very good strength here. Co-channel today I could hear - weakly underneath - Arabic/Libyan style music but not Afro-pops. A bubble jammer was also heard on/off plus a tone. On 17660 could be heard "Idha`at al Jamahiriya al Ozma" which also opens at 1200 with Libyan anthem and Libyan style music programme. This was also very strong today. When the Libyan SW transmitters went off air they didn't sound like this, and my suggestion is that it could be via a Russian (or Commonwealth) site. I haven't heard tones via France so it may not be another Issoudun relay. The Afro-pop station was heard on air when I re-tuned 17680 around 1405, and again at very good strength. There is a weak co-channel (Chile?) and some crackle in audio. Gabon is suspected ex. 17630. This was on air at good strength today past 1200 (when no Afro-pops audible) but is not on air on 17630 at 1405+ (N. R. Green, UK, Feb 16, 2006, ibid.) Sowt Al Amel has now started playing an interval signal. It was just a bit of music repeated and lasted about 2 minutes at *1200. Then the program started. This was repeated again at 1300 (I would guess that it is simply a one hour program that is repeated.) The station was on 17670 today. I did check via a DX Tuner in Europe and heard presumed ANO from Gabon playing music at 1302 on 17670 (H. Johnson, FL, Feb 17, 2006, ibid.) ** LIBYA [non]. V. of Africa, 7320 [via FRANCE], 0224-0227 Feb 24, English ID and news, 0227 French; good (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALAYSIA. 7295, Traxx FM (RTM), Mar 2, 1436-1517, in English; DJ (Navin Nair, a.k.a.: DJ ``Navsta`` is scheduled for this time slot) plays heavy rock music and songs, ToH 10 minutes of news (``Economic and News Roundup from Traxx``); after the news a sound effect followed by ``Traxx FM`` ID, back to heavy rock music, gives phone numbers to call in or for text messages. Reception well above normal. Heard fairly regularly but with weak signals (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, RX340, with T2FD antenna, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALI. 5995, Radio Nationale du Mali; 2136-2200+, 25-Feb; 2 M in French discussion; few thumb harp notes every 4 min. to 2155 then chant & jazzy tune. ID as RNdM at 2159+ and continued with music. SIO=433+, need USB to cut out roar QRM. Nothing on 4784 (Harold Frodge, MI, DXPedition, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) 5995, ORTM; Feb 25 0556; IS & sign on by W. No sign of their 60 mb frequencies (Niel Wolfish, ibid.) ** MEXICO. Re 6-038, ``6185, R. Educación, Mexico City, heard Feb. 27 from tune-in at 0610 UT until 0630 when Vatican started on QRG, with Latin Mass, crushing Mexico´s signal (José Turner, Gondomar, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Pretty much the same story even here (gh)`` Well, under good propagation conditions and with other DX tools than just an ordinary receiver, an average external aerial plus a good DX location, this station can be heard until very late in the morning here on SW Europe, e.g. on 18 Feb 1055-1155 (which is by no means a normal time, even if those mentioned conditions are met), when rated 25432 (at best, of course). The normal fade out time varies, but it’s usually around 1000~1030, even in my other (noisy, urban) place. Having said that, and since Gondomar is not that far from the coast, I`d suggest you, José Turner, try it near the shore, even if near the Miramar &/or Canidelo sites, both using 10 kW on MW. Good luck! (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. Re the controversy over 690 Tijuana's calls: I'm listening to the W Radio Network Internet feed from 690 Tijuana on my computer at work at this very moment. I'm listening through my headphones, and the feed is very clear. The top of hour ID at 10 AM in both English and Spanish was XERA, not XTRA, not XETRA. They say "This is XERA, 690 AM, from Rosarita, Baja California, Mexico" in the English ID. Their Internet live feed is at: http://www.wradiousa.com/envivo.asp So I don't believe either Tim nor Glenn --- unless 690 is deliberately using the wrong ID at TOH, which is illegal. I'll double-check at 11 AM (Robert Wien, System Engineer, Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, Space Systems Division, Location: Bldg 59, Cubicle #1539, March 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [slightly later:] First off both you and Tim are correct, there is currently another station listed as XERA in southern Mexico. And yes, I have been to their W-radio website, and yes, it does say XETRA, but... Their TOH ID continues to be "This is XERA, 690 AM, Rosarita, Baja California, Mexico" in English and "esta es equish-eh-erre-ah, seis noventa ah-emme" in Spanish, they have a feed on the Internet that you can hear for yourself if you like off the Internet, the website is: http://www.wradiousa.com/envivo.asp (click on 'audio') I've listened to the TOH ID's with headphones at work here at both 10 and 11 AM and they very clearly use the XERA calls, not XTRA, and not XETRA, they do not say "equis-eh-teh-erre-ah", nor "equis-teh-erre- ah", and while it could potentially be construed that you could hear a "T" as an "E" (XTRA vs XERA), legally no station in Mexico can have the XT-calls, only XE and XH are authorized for the country of Mexico to my knowledge. So that leaves the only choice is that they are XERA. If they are still XETRA, then they are mis IDing at the TOH which is likely a violation of Mexican radio law, just as it would be in the U.S. (stations can use all the slogans they want during the hour, but their TOH ID MUST be their legal FCC calls and city of license). During the hour they could say XERA all they want, or X-tra, or XETRA, or the mighty 690, or 'we stink', or whatever they want, but whatever they say at TOH has to be what they really are. I don't know how strict or lax the Mexican FCC is in relation to this, I know our FCC is quite lax. I guess one way this could be resolved is to listen actually at midnight when most Mexican stations broadcast the NA. Or another option would be simply call their phone number, I went to http://superpages.com --- this may be their old phone no.: XTRA Sports 690 Am 9660 Granite Ridge Drive, San Diego, CA 92123 (858) 292-2000 They also use the slogans "La Voz del Pueblo" and "La Poderosa de Sud-California"... It's possible they've changed calls but the Mexican equivalent of the FCC database hasn't been updated yet to reflect the change, and Fred Cantú hasn't gotten word of it yet. That happens often here: you'll hear a station with new calls but no listing of it in the FCC database! We'll get to the bottom of this eventually. I'm basing my [IRCA] column currently on their TOH ID. If any info further is dug up by anyone, I'll post a correction in a future column. Thanks. 73's, (Bob Wien, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Robert, et al., That`s a good idea, actually listening to the station, which I had not! I did bring up the stream at 2300 UT March 2, and agree that in English they ID as XERA, then in Spanish as XTRA. Altho it was rather lo-fi. Which does not mean either of them is correct. The website itself now displays XETRA in big bold letters. I guess they are playing games with the calls, or are extremely sloppy; as for what`s legal in Mexico and what is not, that is very subject to interpretation. 73, (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) I guess this is indeed still up in the air. And you know, I think you're right, hearing more closely, it does indeed sound like they say a "te" (T) in the Spanish version, I wasn't paying as much attention to the Spanish version though as the English version is clearly an "E" (eh). They can't legally ID as XTRA as those calls don't exist! They can use it as a slogan if they like. If they are indeed still XETRA, then legally on the hour they have to say "equis-eh-te-erre-ah", just like they used to and not "equis-eh- erre-ah" or "equis-te-erre-ah". And being a border station, I would think they would especially have to make sure the English ID is particularly correct. I'm not doubting whether they're XETRA, XERA, XTRA, or something in between, but we need to find out once and for all, as most people will hear the English ID and take them as XERA and if they are indeed not, will get confused (possibly like I was, though who knows what they are, I just reported what I heard and nothing more)... Tim: Call the station for us and let's get to the bottom of this once and for all. Whatever you find out goes into my next column. Thanks to all for researching this! 73's, (Bob Wien, CA, ibid.) Glenn, Knowing a Mexican, anything is possible. XERA, XTRA, or XETRA. 73, (Patrick Martin, OR, ibid.) I agree. I listened last night, and I'm starting to realize that yes, the English ID is XERA, but the Spanish ID sounds more like XTRA. Was so involved with the English ID I didn't pay as much attention to the Spanish ID thinking it'd be the same translation as the English one (Robert J. Wien, March 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEPAL. R Nepal 5005 back to old --- at least here it seems R. Nepal transmitter fix on 5005 was not too successful. Yesterday and again today (3 Mar) noted them back on 5005.3 with lowest level modulation (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Yet they denied they were using a different transmitter on 5005.0 (gh) I can confirm Jari´s observation on R Nepal. Only carrier noted here in SW of Finland on approx. 5005.35 kHz. 73 de (Jouko Huuskonen, Turku, Finland, ibid.) ** NETHERLANDS ANTILLES. R. Nederland, Bonaire, on 5785, 6355 at 0400- 0457* Feb 25, weak spurs from 5975 and 6165 in listed Dutch; 190 kHz separation: 6165 - 5975 = 190 kHz (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. V. of Nigeria, 15120, *1629-2100* Feb 25, sign-on with usual theme music, 1630 into Arabic with Kor`an recitations. 1659 into English, 1701 news, commentary, local music, Afro-pops. 2000 also heard news. Fair signal strength; audio quality varied from good to very poor depending on the program (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 4770 kHz, R. Nigeria, Kaduna, monitored on 25 Feb 1823-1841, English, talks, ID, African pops, western song, children program 1832; 55444, but this is denoting the signal, not the audio which was very bad & poorly readable (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. KIPM News from John Sedlacek (FRN/FRW): As many listeners already know, KIPM is no longer active and there are no plans for a return. All currently aired programs are relayed by other pirate operators. Any correspondence sent to the Elkhorn maildrop will be forwarded to Alan Maxwell [P. O. Box 69, Elkorn NE 68022]. Although, there is no guarantee the reports will be answered. The Lula, Georgia address used for earlier KIPM episodes has been closed for several years (via MARE Tipsheet March 3 via DXLD) ** NORWAY. CHRISTIAN DRM BROADCASTS FROM NORWAY PLANNED "Fellowship of European Broadcasters" News Snippets March 2006 The newly formed Centre for Christian Broadcasting in the UK has contracted with Norway to transmit two new DRM digital Radio Stations (max power 500 kW), for 15 years, beginning in the next few months. The 2 Stations aim to cover the UK, Ireland and most of Western Europe with "live" transmissions on DRM digital radio. They are already searching for Programming and Partners. The first Station will provide Bible-based radio and the second will provide News & Current Affairs from a Christian viewpoint. For more information contact office @ c4cb.co.uk (via Dr. Hansjoerg Biener-D, wwdxc BC-DX Mar 3 via DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. KCSC, 90.1, the classical station serving OKC, is heard cross-promoting KGOU, 106.3 [& 105.7 KROU], another public station with NPR and a predominantly jazz format, ``two great stations``. Notably missing in this suspension of rivalry is KOSU which also serves the same market with a lot of classical and thus a more direct competitor to KCSC (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OMAN. R. Sultanate of Oman, 15140, *1404-1500 Feb 25. 1400 open carrier but once again did not sign on until midway through their English news bulletin. 1411 into usual pop music. 1500 chimes and into Arabic. Strong carrier but very weak modulation with hum (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PHILIPPINES. Dear DXers' --- Radio Veritas Asia will be implementing a frequency change on 12 March 2006. Details as follows: FROM 11820 to 11965 0000-0027 UT SINHALA FROM 11820 to 11965 0030-0057 UT BENGALI Happy Dxing (Ashik Eqbal Tokon, Rajshahi, Bangladesh, March 2, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. Some really odd stuff noted last night, 2 Radio Rossi Mixing products on 8243 (weak) & 8358 (strong) at 1919 UT 2/3/06. Regards (Tim Bucknall, England, harmonics yg via DXLD) ** SOUTH AFRICA. Two QSLs from the collexion Pete Bentley, NY, gave me have been added to the gallery in the Photos section of the dxld yg, with beautiful color artwork from the 1970s, one from Radio RSA, and one from SABC (Glenn Hauser, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOUTH AFRICA. 17770, Channel Africa with Africa this Week and talk re Congolese Reconciliation Commission, earthquakes and -- ready for this? -- Saarti Baartman, who was known as the "Hottentot Venus" for her pronounced buttocks and genitals which were preserved and displayed in European freak shows for 150 years until 2003 when the remains were returned to S Africa and who is now the subject of an African dance troup's latest production (I missed her name on the air, but Google is a wonderful resource!) SIO 444 1520-1545 25/Feb (Ken Zichi, MI, DXpedition, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) Now I ask you; is this not a great example of why it's a good thing to share what you're hearing with the rest of us?! (Harold Frodge, ed., ibid.) Steatopygia? ** SPAIN. Re 6-037 & 6-038 COMIENZA LA REFORMA EN RADIO TELEVISIÓN ESPAÑOLA Well, if the 59 RNE-R5 Todo Noticias outlets distributed over some 19 MW channels in mainland Spain + Balearic Islands alone are indeed to be switched off, then the band surely gets less crowded for DX, so I`m afraid to say this can also sound as good news for some, at least! (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) see CATALUNYA also The station noted off frequency is the R5-Todo Noticias outlet in Cáceres. Observed on 1107.127 from five km away of the transmitter site. There is another Spanish station off nominal frequency. EAK69 in Almería (COPE network) is on 1224.995 (nominal 1224). (Mauricio Molano, Salamanca, Spain via e-DXN, via Bruce Conti - Nashua NH, DXLD) ** SPAIN [non]. La Rosa de Tokyo para este domingo! El Grupo Radioescucha Argentino está colaborando activamente con LA ROSA DE TOKIO, el programa de DX y comunicaciones que se irradia por LS11 Radio Provincia, La Plata, Argentina, con 56 kW!! en su horario habitual de 13 a 14 hora argentina (1600 a 1700 UT) y también en Internet, en http://www.radioprovincia.gba.gov.ar Este domingo 05 de Marzo de 2006 se emitirá una producción de Radio Exterior de España sobre el papel de las radios clandestinas antifranquistas. La temática que se desarrolla cada domingo consiste en la investigación y análisis de la situación radiofónica en un país. Se revisa su historia, su actualidad política y social y, por supuesto, se hace un relevamiento y analisis de sus emisoras de radio y TV más representativas. No dejen de escucharlo!!! Via: (Arnaldo Slaen / Omar Somma, Argentina, Noticias DX via DXLD) See also CATALUNYA ** SWEDEN [non]. DRM instead of analog via Sackville 15240: CANADA ** SWITZERLAND. Two Bobs, Skype --- The latest edition of the Two Bobs has been uploaded. Please listen via http://www.switzerlandinsound.com (Larry Nebron, CA, March 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Want to thank Larry Nebron for his posting on the Two Bobs site. It was such an enjoyable experience to hear them back, now with mp3 sound. I must have misplaced some tapes of the Swiss SW Merry-Go-Round from the good old (recent) days from which I keep good memories, as one of those shows like that one by Ian McFarland on RCI and even the most SW oriented days from RN's DX Juke Box with technical readings by Jerry Cowan and presented by Ian Elliot (?) [continued under TESTIMONIALS] (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SYRIA. 9330 kHz, Radio Damascus. Feb. 27 at 2202-2205*. SINPO 45333. Female talk in English with local music. Sign-off after ID. Sign-on at 2210 with popular song. // 12085 kHz, SINPO 45444 (Iwao Nagatani, Japan, Japan Premium via DXLD) Too bad the only two English broadcasts from Syria are so poorly heard, if at all, over here in NAm. WRTH 2006 shows the times axually as 2005-2210, the second part presumably being a repeat of the first hour, with targets of Eu, NAm, Pac, also on 12085 without distinguishing which frequency for which target. HFCC B-05 only has ``OLD-A04`` info: 9330 1800 2200 4,6-10,27,28 ADR 500 340 1234567 301005 260306 D 9330 2000 2100 18,27,28 ADR 500 340 1234567 301005 260306 D 9330 2100 2200 55,58,59 ADR 500 98 1234567 301005 260306 D So if this is correct, the azimuth of the first hour is much more favorable for Eu and NAm. O, then there`s co-channel WBCQ, or semi, since the latter is CLSB, but several attempts to pull Damascus thru on USB only have been unproductive (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAIWAN. Radio Taiwan International - Frequency changes English To South Asia w.e.f. 7th March: 1600-1700 UT: 11550 (replacing 11815) 1700-1800 UT: 6170 (replacing 6080) (Alokesh Gupta, India, Japan Premium March 3 via DXLD) 6080 was a recent change but collided with China and Australia (gh) Radio Taiwan International New frequency to South Asia: Starting March 8th, RTI's English broadcast to South Asia will be changed from 6080 to 6170 kHz from 1700 to 1800 UT. On the same day, we will begin a test broadcast to the same area on 11550. That broadcast will be from 1600 to 1700. Listeners in South Asia are welcome to write to rti @ rti.org.tw about the reception quality of the two new frequencies. (RTI website via MD. AZIZUL ALAM AL-AMIN, RAJSHAHI-6100, BANGLADESH, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAIWAN [non]. Site change for Radio Taiwan International in German 1900-2000 on 6170: Since Feb 27 again via Skelton. Was via Al-Dhabbaya (UAE) during winter, temporarily via Tbilisskaya (Russia) instead where on some days the feed got messed up and RNW English was carried instead: -----Original Message----- Date: Thu, 2 Mar 2006 10:33:23 +0100 Subject: Deutsch Programm aus Skelton From: "Volker Willschrey" ORIGINAL MESSAGE ----- FROM: RTI Eva Triendl TO: deutsch @ rti.org.tw SENT: Thursday, March 02, 2006 7:22 AM SUBJECT: RTI-Deutschprogramm 6170 kHz wieder aus Skelton, GB Liebe Hoererinnen und Hoerer von Radio Taiwan International, wir erhielten heute die Bestaetigung von VT-Communications, dass das RTI- Deutschprogramm auf der Frequenz 6170 kHz von 1900 - 2000 Uhr UTC ab Montag, den 27. Februar 2006 wieder aus Skelton, GB, ausgestrahlt wird. Fuer weitere Empfangsberichte und Empfangsbeobachtungen sind wir - wie immer - sehr dankbar. Vielen Dank und mit herzlichen Gruessen aus Taipei, Ihre RTI-Deutschredaktion deutsch @ rti.org.tw http://german.rti.org.tw/ (via Kai Ludwig, DXLD) ** TAIWAN. 9745, Voice of Han, Chingshui. This is only a tentative logging. This station can be heard on daily basis with good reception around 13 UT, local Turku afternoon. Power is 100 kW and target area Mainland China. March 3. 73 de (Jouko Huuskonen, Turku, FINLAND, Rx: AOR 7030+, Ant: 95 m lw to E, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TURKEY. The David Crystal Show, a.k.a. Live from Turkey, Thu March 2 tune-in at 1410 on 15155, discussion of Palestinian/Israeli issues. After this was off, again, not even playing one complete iteration of the wonderful VOT interval signal, I checked their Turkish frequency 15350 at 1428. Its audio was as usual very clipped, but somehow the music sounded better than the speech (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TURKMENISTAN. 5015, Turkmen Radio, Asgabat with news in English at 15 UT. I didn`t like the audio. Back to normal Turkmen broadcasting without proper ID at 1510 March 3. 73 de (Jouko Huuskonen, Turku, FINLAND, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** UGANDA. 4976 kHz, R. Uganda, Kampala, noted on 28 Feb 1840-1855, talks in English, presumably on the very recent elections; 45433, but this solely reflects the signal, as the audio was bad. R. Uganda's 5026 kHz is being causing a het, just it, with Benin 5025, while both outlets were typically stronger, better at this time in the past (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U A E. UAE blocks the web. "In Dubai, a district called Media City, which is considered a 'free-speech zone,' hosts many of the world's leading international media outlets, including CNN, BBC World Service and others. At my hotel outside the 'zone,' I tried to read an article online but was denied access by government censors. A screen popped up saying the website did not conform to the Emirates' social and religious values. The Dubai Press Club chairperson, Mona Al Marri, explained that the government blocks mainly websites containing sexual content to protect family values. But the story I wanted to read was about Israel, not about sex." http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2006-03-01-free-press_x.htm (Souheila Al-Jadda, USA Today, 1 March 2006 via kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) That clinches it ** U K. Don't hold back: say what you really mean about BBC World [TV] "To say it`s eye-bulgingly, vein-poppingly, irredeemably stupidly God- awful is actually to be diplomatically reserved. BBC World News makes Fox sound like the sermon on the mount. It`s not just that it`s formatted as a pastiche of mid-Atlantic, visually portentous kitsch, with the strutting Tourette`s of repeated station idents; and that it produces news with all the energy, purpose and fluency of a constipated whippet; or even that the nuggets of content are squidged in between the garish furniture of braindead graphics and pointless graffiti." . . . http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2101-2053167,00.html (A. A. Gill, Sunday Times, 26 February 2006 via kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD ** U K. LORDS SELECT COMMITTEE ON BBC WORLD SERVICE The House of Lords Select Committee has today published its Second Report on the BBC Charter Review. The entire report is available online, and of particular interest to readers of this Weblog will be the Committee's recommendations on the BBC World Service: * We recommend that under no circumstances should the BBC World Service be allowed to be treated or seen as a "tool" of public diplomacy or of governmental goals. Everything should be done to protect the editorial independence on which its reputation depends. * We do not believe it is appropriate for a representative of the BBC World Service to serve either as a member or as an observer on a board chaired by an FCO [Foreign and Commonwealth Office] Minister under the proposed definition of public diplomacy. We are also against the proposal that BBC staff should be employed by a Government management unit. The independence of the BBC World Service could be compromised by the closeness of the relationship proposed by Lord Carter's review. * A 12 hour limit on the Arabic language news channel's broadcasting time will mean the BBC competing for audiences with one hand tied behind its back. We recommend that the Government should immediately provide the BBC World Service with the required £6 million to establish a 24 hour Arabic channel. * We therefore recommend that the BBC should comprehensively review its international activities and that a strategy outlining the future of its public and commercial television, radio and online services used overseas be published. * We recommend that as part of the comprehensive review of the BBC's international services the BBC World Service should continue to consider the need to provide television services beyond the Arabic language service. Further expansion may prove to be important but should not be dependent on cuts to existing radio services (RN Media Network) Page with links to pdf and online copies of 2nd report, Further Issues for BBC Charter Review and links to oral evidence: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld/ldbbc.htm (via Mike Barraclough, swprograms via DXLD) The entire Select Committee report is here: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200506/ldselect/ldbbc/128/12802.htm and the BBC has published its official response: http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/03_march/03/lords.shtml # posted by Andy @ 12:51 UT March 3 (Media Network blog via DXLD) Nothing about WS there ** U K [non]. Plans to blanket UK & Europe with DRM religion: NORWAY ** U S A [and non]. The KAVALA GAP by Kim: see GREECE SAVE AMERICA'S VOICE! DEVOTED TO SAVING VOA ENGLISH Broadcasts: http://savevoaenglish.blogspot.com/ (via kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) VOICE OF AMERICA IN 21ST CENTURY Letter to the Editor March 1, 2006 I APPRECIATE Boston University College of Communications dean John Schulz’s concern in his Feb. 24 op-ed on the Voice of America. There is a great deal of nostalgia from those who worked here during the Cold War for the days of banging typewriters and shortwave radio. To fight the war on terror, however, requires the latest in satellite television technology, FM radio, and the Internet. Since Schulz left us to join academia, a family of broadcasting entities has joined VOA to produce broadcasts for each region of the world under the direction of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, an independent agency. In the Middle East, Radio Sawa and Alhurra reach an audience of more than 35 million, compared with 1.6 million for the pre-9/11 service Schulz describes. Far from just a ``teen pop`` station, Radio Sawa is widely acknowledged as one of the most reliable sources of news in the Middle East. The Bush administration and Congress have had a consistent vision to utilize 21st-century technologies to send America`s message to where it will do the most good in the war on terror. That`s why the broadcasting budget has been increased by 45 percent since 9/11, wiping out a 40 percent cut in funding during the 1990s. KENNETH Y. TOMLINSON, Washington, D.C. The writer is chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governor [sic] (Boston Globe via DXLD) RESPONSE TO TOMLINSON RESPONSE TO BOSTON GLOBE COMMENTARY BY FORMER VOA JOURNALIST Ken Tomlinson's reply to the commentary by former VOA journalist John Schulz merely confirms what so many at Voice of America now understand about his intentions, and apparently those of the BBG. Think about it -- NOWHERE in the VOA Charter, or in the VOA Journalistic Code, does it state that the mission of the Voice of America is to help fight the "War on Terrorism." Yet, since the 2001 terrorist attacks, the BBG -- with Tomlinson at its helm in recent years – has accelerated the dismantling of VOA, whose journalists and broadcasters labored for decades to establish a reputation for fair and accurate journalism. VOA, in the view of Tomlinson, deserves to be nothing more than a cog in the propaganda machine built up under the BBG, what Tomlinson tries to disguise with the description "family of broadcasting entities." Tomlinson we should recall was bounced out of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for attempting to bend it like a pretzel to reflect his and the Bush administration's view of the meaning of fair and balanced. He and the BBG have been the focus of ongoing investigations by the State Department Inspector General and GAO. Nobody should be fooled by the shameful subterfuges employed by Tomlinson and like-minded members of the secretive BBG, which has always held its meetings out of public sight based on national security grounds. His dismissive and disrespectful characterization of those who worked in the trenches for decades as nothing more than people "[longing] for the days of banging typewriters and shortwave radio" is insulting, but to be expected from someone infected with the same kind of hubris that has afflicted the Bush administration since its inception. What then is the message Tomlinson and the BBG deliver to those labeled troublesome anti-progress malcontents in this brave new world -- you know, the one where all Public Diplomacy is helpful to the great cause, as Donald Rumsfeld and Karen Hughes would have it? As BBG members huddle in secret locations to plot the new shape of this perfect world; as Tomlinson presses ahead with his vision thing to send the right messages to where they will "do the most good"; and as the credibility VOA built up over the decades drains away, sacrificed to this complex thing we're calling the "War on Terrorism", the message is this: "Thank you for your efforts, but now be on your way." Shame (Concerned VOA Journalists, March 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I finally got around to listening to the archive audio of last Friday`s VOA Talk to America Feb 24, open phones upon the VOA`s 64th anniversary. Not a single irate caller from the US was to be heard blasting Tomlinson or Jackson or Bush for what they are doing to VOA. Were they screened out, or simply no one tried? Instead we had several foreign callers, some of them incoherent (or scared to death of being on worldwide radio). Host Doug Bernard gamely read the notice about the relays in Greece being closed, and hinted here and there that worse things were to come. No real news, except that also due to budget cuts there was a smaller print run of this year`s calendar and program schedule, already exhausted. Possibly some change will be found for a second printing, maybe (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. VOA Museum update from today's Cincinnati Enquirer FUNDRAISING BEGINS FOR VOA --- WEST CHESTER TO HIRE FIRM TO PURSUE MORE MONEY BY JENNIFER EDWARDS | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER WEST CHESTER TWP. - Fundraising efforts have started to rescue the crumbling Voice of America building that once promoted democracy across the globe. Township trustees agreed this week to accept a $15,000 donation from First Financial Bank. The money will hire a Cleveland-based lobbying firm to pursue more state and federal money during the next two years to renovate it into a national museum. Turning the building into a museum is expected to cost about $12 million and take more than five years, officials said. Meanwhile, the township will try to raise money other ways, including local fundraisers thrown by the volunteer group Veterans Voice of America. An endowment fund also is planned. "Let's try every way we can to raise money," said Trustee Catherine Stoker. The first priority, they say, is to stop the building's deterioration. The township is going to spend about $100,000 to replace the boiler and make other repairs. The building needs about $1 million in repairs to its electrical and heating system. The VOA building houses the township's Parks Department offices, some radio artifacts and offices for several nonprofit groups. Scott Owens, director of LNE Group who operates the company's West Chester location, told trustees Tuesday it will hold a fundraiser for the building this summer or fall. That money will be held in an account at the Community Foundation of West Chester-Liberty. The firm will retain 30 percent of the money raised to cover its expenses. The group also will help the township put the building on a national registry list in the spring so it can qualify for a federal Save America's Treasures Grant from the National Park Service. No tax money is going to the lobbying firm, trustees stressed. The township is not required to receive bids on professional services, Township Administrator Judi Boyko said. However, President Trustee George Lang did contact other firms for information on their services. Three, including LNE, submitted plans. Township officials say they chose LNE because it was the best fit for the job (via Dale Rothert, KA8KOD, DXLD) ** U S A. R. Martí, Delano, 15330, again with matching spurs March 2 at 1431, on 15192v and 15468v. The lower one had a better signal than yesterday (under CUBA non), and was readable. With BFO on, both wavered slightly with modulation (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Re: 1700 WJCC Miami Springs FL closed down? Indeed it's done with. I just checked, and there is silence on 1700 here in Miami. I was wondering that, since "now" seems to be when the "5 years" is up. Question for those in the know: Why "Now"? 1700 signed on (as WCMQ) in November of 1997, not March (or late Feb?) of 2000. I remember because I was still up at the University of Florida, and I used to DX their then Spanish programming whenever I'd get homesick for Spanish music. I digress, but it certainly was not in 2000. All of us were asking when the 'time would be up' for X-Banders and all of a sudden it's now, certainly a lot longer than 5 years. As for 1210's superiority over 1700's, not sure. 1210 is highly directional, reaching only Dade county adequately. While 1700 is not that great, it had a slightly better reach over Broward, but then again, not terribly. Probably a draw to be honest. I know a lot of Haitians had been listening to "Planet 17", and 1210's audience has all but disappeared of late with the current brokered Spanish diet (and some Asian programs at night). WSRF/1580 in Broward had been simulcasting WJCC recently after returning to the air post-Wilma so perhaps the programs remain on there. --tony s (Anthony Simon, FL, March 2, ABDX via DXLD) The range of the 1700 station was pretty decent. I logged them from Northern California several times since they went on the air, until Mexico decided to join the fray (Mike Hawkins, ibid.) The five years is actually from the date the X-band station receives its license to cover, which - as Tony correctly notes - can be many years after it actually comes on the air. Stations can drag their feet for a while, operating under Program Test Authority or Special Temporary Authority, before they receive that license to cover, and none of that time counts against the five-year clock. Because the WJCC information has already been deleted from the FCC website, I can't tell when the WJCC license to cover was issued, but I'd bet it was in early 2001. If I can find time this weekend, I'll dig into the files for some of the other long-running X-banders and see when the licenses to cover were issued. I know WJDM/WWRU has a little while longer to run, for instance. s (Scott Fybush, NY, ibid.) Hi! I sent a report to WJCC 1700 in December. However, no reply is being received from them. Does anyone have a QSL from WJCC? How would it still be possible to get a QSL from WJCC? Who is the v/s of WJCC radio? 73s (Hannu Romppainen from Finland, http://www.romppainen.net/English.htm MWC via DXLD) ** U S A. URBONO QSLs --- Hi Glenn, I wonder if you could help me get the word out regarding some problems I am having with QSLs for the United Radio Broadcasters of New Orleans (URBONO)? The cards were designed to verify reception that took place only during the operation of the special ad hoc network that flagship WWL put together following Hurricane Katrina. This period ran roughly from early September until late November 2005. I am happy to verify any correct reports submitted to me for that time period. However, I am now receiving reports from some DXers for reception in January and February for regularly scheduled operation of WWL and WHRI. I cannot, in good conscience, verify this "after the fact" reception since I was not given the authority to do this. I will continue to verify correct reception reports for the URBONO period of operation indefinitely. Thanks for any help you can offer in clarifying this situation (Jim Pogue, URBONO QSL Manager, P.O. Box 3777, Memphis, TN 38173 USA, March 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) This was made abundantly clear at the outset. People must not be paying attention, or got second-hand info which did not bother to make this clear. Or are desperate for an ``easy`` QSL. I believe it was mid-October already when the WHRI relays ceased, documented in DXLD issues at the time (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Thanks very much Glenn. Yes, probably some of each --- or perhaps some folks are just trying to squeeze out a QSL since neither WWL nor WHRI has been especially easy to verify in recent years. I've sent out just under 50 cards. A little surprisingly low since I thought I'd receive more reports than that. I guess there are fewer and fewer listeners trying for QSLs these days. I have been pretty generous with the cards, even though details have been a little sparse from some reports. Since I didn't publicize this until after the URBONO operation ceased and I had QSL cards in hand, I figured I owed most folks the benefit of the doubt. However, obviously phony reports will not be verified. I leave it to the personal integrity of DXers not to cheapen the intent of this effort (Jim Pogue, ibid.) ** U S A. The City of Irvine TIS WPKA209 on 1640 kHz is back on the air, listening to them right now at 6:58 PM [PST = 0258 UT March 3]. They've been off for a little over a year. A verie from them last year said they were sending their transmitter out for repair (Martin Foltz, Mission Viejo CA, March 2, IRCA via DXLD) ** U S A. I'd like to propose a candidate for best station in another wide-ranging category, best ethnic (non-English and non-Spanish) station. I nominate KLBS-1330 in Los Baños, CA, Radio Portuguesa. It is amazingly sophisticated and comprehensive, especially given its rather remote location, 30 miles from Merced, 60 from Fresno, 50 from Modesto, 70 from San José, 100 from San Francisco. Unlike some ethnic stations such as Polish, Czech and German polka stations in the Midwest, it is not stuck in the past, the voice of an assimilating, aging community with only sentimental memories of a fast-fading culture. It carries traditional fados, and folk and regional music, but has plenty of current pop music. News coverage is excellent, and sports receives attention, but does not dominate as on some Italian stations in New England and Australia. Announces are professional, in clean, crisp Portuguese, easy to understand, and unmixed with English words, unlike most Japanese stations in Hawaii or Punjabi stations on the West Coast US and Canada. Even though it might widen its audience by broadcasting partly in Brazilian Portuguese, I have heard only Lusitanian standard speech. Quite a contrast with HI, where there is a large Portuguese-descended population but hardly a PP word is spoken in the community or on radio (Richard E. Wood, HI, IRCA Soft DX Monitor March 4 via DXLD) ** U S A. 770, WABC, New York NY with ``Saturday Evening Oldies``, complete with old singing IDs, DJ talking about the songs, (and prattling over the first couple notes of songs...) and generally sounding like the WABC I remember as a kid. They played music like 'Love Unlimited Orchestra' and the Jersey Boys (Dawn), etc. Mentions of musicradio77.com They're doing it right -- I wonder if they turn on the stereo exciter for the show; have to listen from home this weekend. All they need now is a Sunday evening AoR show run like the shows on FM in the 70s and they'd have two programmes worth listening to! SIO 54+4+ 0245-0255 26/Feb (Ken Zichi, Brighton MI DXpedition, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) ** U S A. 1710, Radio Mosiach & Redemption (presumed), Brooklyn NY; 2121-2130+, 24-Feb; English preaching and Hebrew chanting. Torah thumping? Fair at times (Harold Frodge, Brighton MI DXPedition, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) ** U S A. HARMONIC: 2480, WGVA Geneva NY (presumed); 2322-2335+, 24- Feb; Call-in program; BoH ad with 585 area code. Poor with occasional copyable peak. 2 x 1240 (Harold Frodge, Brighton MI DXPedition, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) ** U S A. 1580, WDAB, Traveler`s Rest SC, Feb 27, 0510-0520, DX test of Morse code, sweep tones, voice announcement by W for about 3 minutes and in between tests, I heard music by The Eagles with announcements by M in Spanish before the test repeated at 12:15. Some websites show their format as SS, so it’s possible I heard their regular broadcast as well. Test was loud & booming. SC#2 (Joe Miller, Troy MI, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) ** VANUATU. At 0759 UT, Radio Vanuatu is coming into the West Coast quite well on 7260 KC. Featuring a YL announcer and some nice South Sea Island music along with some more conventional "pop" style music. There was some QRM from a Heterodyne (perhaps 600-800 CPS) on frequency. 73 de Phil Atchley, March 1, swl at qth.net via DXLD) Hi, It's out there on 7260 again tonight (0654 UT March 2). Nobody on the Left Coast should have any problem hearing it, and it's strong enough I suspect that it'll be audible further East too! Nice "Island" music. 73 de (Phil, KO6BB Atchley, DX begins at the noise floor! THE BEACONEER'S LAIR: http://www.geocities.com/ko6bb/ QSL GALLERY: http://photobucket.com/albums/y123/KO6BB/ Merced, Central California, 37.3N 120.48W CM97sh swl at qth.net via DXLD) ** VATICAN. Vatican Radio employees present pope with specially loaded iPod nano --- By Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A group of Vatican Radio employees gave Pope Benedict XVI a brand new iPod nano loaded with special Vatican Radio programming and classical music. To honor the pope's first visit to the radio's broadcasting headquarters, the radio's technical staff decided the pencil-thin, state-of-the-art audio player would make the perfect gift. Now that Vatican Radio offers podcasts in eight different languages, the pope has the technological capability to plug in and import the radio's audio files. Pope Benedict visited the programming and broadcasting hub of "the pope's radio" March 3 to mark the station's 75th anniversary. . . http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0601282.htm (via Tom McNiff, DXLD) ** VIETNAM [non]. Degar Voice, 7125 kHz. Transfer began in 1306. Statement of the man with often a mention of Vietnam. 1316 Man's announcement, a song sing men. 1317 Man's announcement and continuation of statement. 1329 Music and sign off. 33443. QRM: Chinese station. 21/2 (V. Rozhkov, Russia, Feb 21, 2006 for CRW via DXLD) ** YEMEN. YRTC San'a has been logged on 6005 2000-2200 in Arabic // 9779.5v. First reported as unidentified by Bernie O'Shea - Canada in DXLD Feb 27. Later confirmed to be YRTC by several DX'ers. Here in Finland YRTC is also audible on 6135 until sign-off 1500 (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, HCDX via DXLD) or is 6005 de Aden? ** ZIMBABWE. 6612 kHz (harmonic of 3306), ZBC, Gweru, audible on 25 Feb 1759-1809, vernacular program, talks, songs, announcement and presumably newscast 1800; 35332. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ It's worthy occasion to urge Glenn to keep on the air (kind of DX Seasoned Lone Ranger) and don't lose it! (must be our Spanish for "no aflojes!") (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ PHIL ATCHLEY`S BANDSCANNING LOGS Hello All, Since my "Bandscan" listening habits create logs that are "too big" for this mail list, and to save having to re-format them specifically for this list, I've chosen to post them "by month" in a special folder on my web-site in "text" format. This is something that I just started doing today, but will eventually have several years worth of logs on line. At the present time there are only February and the first part of March there. Though it's not as "pretty" as HTML I chose the text format because it's readable on any computer and is more "space efficient". Besides, that's the format SWLog exports . http://www.geocities.com/ko6bb/Logs/feb-2006.txt http://www.geocities.com/ko6bb/Logs/Mar-2006.txt Clicking on the below URL will display a list of all my logs (EXCEPT NDB and HAM) on my web-site in the form of text files. The reason the NDB and HAM logs aren't there is because they are kept in separate logging programs. Eventually they will probably also be posted on my site. They are in two formats, a TOTAL log for each year going back to 1994, and from 2004 on also broken down by month. I've been an active SWL since the mid '50s, but ALL logbooks and QSL cards going back before 1994 were lost in a move. The earliest annual logs shown here are rather skimpy as they only depict stations for which I received QSL cards and I kept rather minimal records of what I heard. The URL, which will also be in my signature block from now on. http://www.geocities.com/ko6bb/Logs/ Since the logs are in text format it is very easy to do a full search of any log by using notepad, wordpad or any word processor. OR, if opened "on-line" with your web browser the browser will allow you to do a search. So, in effect there are over ten years of information there for anyone needing it. Believe it or not I have on occasion found these old logs to be of use. It's true that stations change frequency over a period of time, but sometimes they DO return to a frequency that they haven't used for some time and which doesn't appear in the present databases. 73 de (Phil, KO6BB Atchley, Merced CA, March 3, DX begins at the noise floor! Swl at qth.net via DXLD) I looked thru the March file which is already pretty big. Seems rather accurate, except he, like a lot of other reporters, keeps WWRB in McCaysville GA, which it left several years ago for Manchester TN. Mostly SWBC but a few utilities mixed in, frequency order (gh) LAST EDITION OF TROPICAL BAND LIST Dear friends, the Tropical Band List will be updated for the last time this month. During the last couple of years the demand decreased steadily. The time and effort for keeping the databases up-to-date cannot be justified any more. Anybody who wants to get the March issue of the TBL is asked to contact me by private mail. The list is available for 8 Euro as a pdf file; you will find general information on this publication at http://www.radio-portal.org/wp/tbl.html Regards from Germany, (Willi Passmann, DJ6JZ, March 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Willi Paßmann discontinues his Tropical Band List, saying that the demand continuously diminished over the last years and is out of all proportions to the required work now: Hallo zusammen, die Tropenbandliste wird in diesem Monat zum letzten Mal aktualisiert. Die Nachfrage ist im Verlauf der letzten Jahre kontinuierlich zurückgegangen. Es ist müßig, darüber zu spekulieren, ob die Zahl der Tropenbandfreunde abgenommen, oder ob die ich-frage- lieber-in-der-Liste-Mentalität zugenommen hat. Tatsache ist leider, dass die Pflege der Datenbank in keiner vernünftigen Relation mehr zur Nachfrage steht. Wer also letztmalig eine aktuelle TBL bekommen möchte, den bitte ich um Zusendung einer privaten Mail, abseits der Liste. Die Ausgabe März 06 wird unverändert für 8 Euro als pdf File verschickt; Infos zur TBL finden sich unter http://www.radio-portal.org/wp/tbl.de.html Gruß aus Mülheim, Willi --- Diese Mail wurde ueber die A-DX Mailing- Liste gesendet (via Kai Ludwig, DXLD) How regrettable IF YOU WANTED THE HALLIGAN VIDEO AND AUDIO (This rare material is not about Hallicrafters as such, but about Bill Halligan the man and the history of radio you never knew.) Hi All, I have received numerous phone calls and e-mails expressing their regret for not ordering the Halligan video on DVD with the accompanying CD that contains twelve directories with 119 files and/or the Two CD Audio set before the deadline. All but 'one' person ordered both, by the way. I believe the one who did not, did not know the audio existed; no e-mail or call sign was supplied, no way to let him know. The original message on the HCI web site announcing the availability of this material was changed about ten days ago. If you have questions, or want to know some of what is on the DVD package or the two audio set, check it out there! The audio runs 2.5 hours, by the way. There is NO deadline for ordering any of the HHRP (Historic Halligan Radio Project) material! What may have caused some confusion was the availability of only 100 certified copies of the DVD package and the Two CD Audio Set. However, after those were gone the availability did not stop. The DVD packages and Two CD Audio Sets are no longer certified after number 100! The contents and price are the same, availability is immediate now. The 100 certified copies are gone, but the identical material will be available indefinitely. So you can still get it! The price for the Halligan video on DVD with the accompanying CD containing the 119 files and the Two CD Audio Set is $43 shipped in the USA and its territories. The shipping charges to Canada are $1.70 per package presently, or $3.40 total. Canadian residents please send $43.40 in U.S. funds or comparable Canadian funds. Those outside of the USA or Canada, the airmail cost is typically $4.50 per package. A total of $9 for both. Please send a total of $49 in U.S. funds. If you have any questions please contact me at: dfischer @ usol.com There will be three additional releases this year: the next in late April, then late July and finally in late October. I will be releasing details of the contents and prices within two weeks. However, yo can get an idea on the HCI web site right now, as some heavy hints are posted! From the HCI home page, find "New Stuff". From there find the link for the HHRP historic materials. Follow it. (Duane Fischer, W8DBF, HHRP: Historic Halligan Radio Project, March 1, swl at qth.net via DXLD) FIND HAMS BY ZIP CODE Just go over to the left column and click on N4MC's hams locator: http://www.vanityhq.com/ (Rich Line, MARE Tipsheeet via DXLD) with map DIGITAL BROADCASTING ++++++++++++++++++++ DRM: see CANADA; NORWAY DXer Bill Harms was interviewed by Wall Street Journal about IBOC QRM: DIGITAL SIGNALS SPARK STATIC FROM AM RADIO By SARAH MCBRIDE March 2, 2006; Page B1 Bill Harms of Elkridge, Md., likes to listen to Frank Sinatra crooning on Vegas Radio, which broadcasts at WTRI-AM 1520, a Washington-based station. But over the past year, he's had trouble tuning in to Vegas as he drives through certain neighborhoods. As he complained to WTRI owner Buddy Rizer in an email, ''there's a hiss, a hiss that did not exist in the past.'' A growing number of radio listeners are encountering similar interference -- hisses, whistles or static -- on their favorite AM stations. The problem for WTRI began about a year ago, when Bonneville International Corp.'s WTOP, the AM station at 1500, began using a digital signal that interfered with WTRI's analog signal in some broadcast areas. It's one of the unexpected consequences of the radio industry's transition to digital broadcasts. Digital radio is touted as broadcast radio's golden ticket, a technology that allows broadcasters to squeeze more stations into frequencies that currently hold just one. Advocates say the technology will allow radio to better compete with niche-oriented products like Internet radio and with other entertainment technologies, like iPods. Big radio companies, such as Clear Channel Communications Inc. and CBS Corp.'s CBS Radio, have raced to embrace digital broadcasting, adding digital signals and rolling out new programming. But that has left behind many smaller AM stations that are still broadcasting only an analog signal. They are experiencing so-called side-channel interference -- a phenomenon brought on in part by the fact that AM stations are packed tightly onto the dial, with only 10 kilohertz separating each one. (The problem doesn't affect FM stations much because they reside 200 kilohertz away from each other.) The AM stations most affected are those whose neighboring stations -- nearby on the dial -- add a digital signal. In most cases, including Mr. Rizer's, the interference doesn't stretch into a station's core coverage area, as defined in its Federal Communications Commission license. But in fringe areas, signals can be fuzzy, or lost entirely... [more] http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/SB114125971438087021.html (via Bill Harms, DXLD) Re: ANOTHER BOSTON ACOUSTICS RECEPTOR HD RADIO REVIEW René --- yours is the 2nd review that indicates an outside FM antenna is a necessity for this radio, meaning it will never be a workplace radio in this form! Take away radio's at-work listening and you have lost at least a third of total listening. And really, who besides us radio geeks is going to put up an outside antenna at home? So write- off at home listening too. Add to that the fact that static does not go away on AM, plus this is an expen$ive radio; and this seems to confirm what many of us have suspected; Ibiquity has been far far too optimistic and this technology is NOT ready for prime time, especially on AM. As for FM --- does the average consumer care about a slight improvement in the high end? Hmmm --- did I just hear a bell toll? 73, (Bruce Collier, York, PA, dxhub yg via DXLD) The other interesting thing I neglected to mention about the Receptor is that it is designed to be a clock radio. How many people are going to run an FM antenna into their bedroom from outside. This is even more unlikely than those who have FM tuners in the stereo systems! For clock radio use, I’m sticking with my trusty Sony Dream Machine. 73, René (Rene' F. Tetro, Chief Engineer Salem Communications - Philadelphia WNTP-AM/WFIL-AM, ibid.) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ ACOUSTIC ENERGY WI-FI INTERNET RADIO The Acoustic Energy Wi-Fi Internet Radio is described as the world's first radio capable of accessing over 99% of the world's Internet radio stations - simply requiring a Wi-Fi connection. The device is about 5 inches square by 7 inches tall at the back, sloping to around 5 inches tall at the front. It has a gloss black finish, with a silver front/top plate - all plastic. There is a rubberised base (which is good at preventing it from slipping round), and a rubber control knob along with 10 buttons on the top. There's also a three line LCD panel (one of these rows is for signal strength, etc), backlit in blue. My device rattles and the display turns in the case so quality of assembly seems very poor. Power is via a "wall wart". It doesn't look, or feel, £200 worth of kit. Detailed review at http://www.southgatearc.org/news/march2006/ae_internet_radio.htm (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) Re: Good price on Grundig/Eton S350DL Good News! The "MISSYOU10" 10% discount at Sieglers & Co. has been extended to March 7 '06 (Will Martin, MO, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Cantennas? This was posted to a non-radio oriented Yahoo group... Of possible interest... Fred Waterer THE TIN-CAN ANTENNA: A BOON FOR THIRD WORLD --- Elisabetta Povoledo, International Herald Tribune Monday, Feb. 27, 2006: TRIESTE, Italy --- A physics research institute here is using a low- cost but effective tool to bolster communications in developing countries: the tin-can antenna. Made from a can (the best are those used for seed oil, their creators say), a screw-on connector and a short brass wire, the "cantenna" is promoted by researchers as a cheap and efficient tool to amplify access to information and communication technologies in some of the world's poorest and often most remote areas. Cantennas work like regular antennas but cost around ˆ2, or $2.40, to build, while those purchased in a store can cost several hundred euros. They are directional antennas and can be used for short- to medium-distance point-to-point links. They can also be used as feeders for parabolic dishes. That means that by aligning a series of cantennas, it is possible to receive signals from a distant receiver using one or more repeaters, which send, amplify and redirect radio waves, and send signals remote areas. "Bringing technology to the community is called the last mile," said Sandro Radicella, who heads the Aeronomy and Radiopropagation Laboratory at the Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics here. "But I like to call this a first-mile solution because the user is put first." Since 1989, the radiocommunications unit at the lab has been working on technology to bring the third world in touch with the first, and in 1998 shifted its focus to wireless networking, a rapidly growing market sector in the developing world. The school has attracted dozens of top engineers and scientists from emerging countries eager to learn low-cost techniques that will connect universities and hospitals, and eventually even remote villages, back home. The objective is not so much about letting the residents of a rural community in Rwanda catch the latest episode of "Desperate Housewives" as raising the level of scientific research in developing countries, say the cantenna's proponents. "You train trainers, who train students, and it passes on to the villages," said Ryszard Struzak of the Institute of Telecommunications in Geneva and the other co-director of the school, which also promotes project- based field activities like wireless workshops in developing countries. The school is a natural offshoot of the International Center for Theoretical Physics, which was founded in Trieste in 1964 by Abdus Salam, a Pakistani who shared the Nobel Prize in 1979 for his work in particle physics, to advance scientific expertise in the developing world. In 40 years, more than 100,000 scientists have visited the center to conduct research or participate in training seminars. "Most developing countries don't have an effective research base and individual scientists are isolated," K.R. Sreenivasan, director of the center, said in an interview in his office. "But if you help them stay connected, there's more of a chance they'll stay in their country," avoiding a so-called brain drain of educated talent elsewhere. […] http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/02/27/business/wireless28.php (via Fred Waterer, ODXA via DXLD) They work well. My son used one for a long time to connect to the local library's high speed wireless which was two miles away (Kevin Redding, AZ, ibid.) Plans for a cantenna can be had at the following link: http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/cantennahowto.html (Mark Coady, ON, ibid.) NEW PAINT BLOCKS OUT CELL PHONE SIGNALS ROCHESTER, N.Y., March 1 (UPI) -- A Rochester, N.Y., company has developed paint that can switch between blocking cell phone signals and allowing them through. . . http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060301-015410-7150r (via Brock Whaley, DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ NASA MEDIA TELECONFERENCE ANNOUNCES SOLAR CYCLE DISCOVERY This news comes to you from NASA by the Big-Bang Astro Yahoo Group: March 2, 2006 Grey Hautaluoma/Erica Hupp Headquarters, Washington (202) 358-0668/1237 Nancy Neal Jones/Bill Steigerwald Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. (301) 286-0039/5017 MEDIA ADVISORY: 06-035 For the first time, scientists may have the tools to accurately predict the intensity of a complete solar cycle and the possible effects on space missions or communications on Earth. NASA, in partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), will present these findings during a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EST, Monday, March 6. Reporters should call: (888) 677-1822 or (210) 234-0001; provide the passcode "Solar." At the start of the briefing, supporting images and graphics will be posted on the Web at: http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/solarsystem/solar_cycle_graphics.html Participants: - Richard Behnke: director, NSF Upper Atmospheric Research Section, Arlington, Va. - Madhulika Guhathakurta: Living With a Star lead program scientist, NASA Headquarters - Mausumi Dikpati: scientist, High Altitude Observatory Division, NCAR, Boulder, Colo. - Joseph Kunches: chief, Forecast and Analysis Branch, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration Space Environment Center, Boulder - David Hathaway: Solar astronomer, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. Additional public affairs contacts: NSF, Cheryl Dybas, (703) 292-7734; NCAR, Lucy Warner, (303) 497-8602. For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/home (via Mark Coady, ODXA via DXLD) ###