DX LISTENING DIGEST 6-083, June 4, 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 SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1317: Mon 0415 WBCQ 7415 Mon 0500 WRMI 9955 Wed 0930 WWCR 9985 Complete schedule including non-SW stations and audio links: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html For 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 DXLD YAHOOGROUP: Why wait for DXLD? A lot more info, not all of it appearing in DXLD later, is posted at our yg. When applying, please identify yourself with your real name and location. Here`s where to sign up http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dxld/ ** AFGHANISTAN. Ross, EX1UN (4W6UN), who has been in Kyrgyzstan for the previous 2 years, is now in Kabul. He told Kan, JA1BK, that he was issued the first official license of the Afghan Amateur Service, T61AA, and they will no longer be using the YA prefix. Ross is in Kabul for the Union Nations as a Project Coordinator (Customs Modernization and Trade Facilitation Project). He currently has just set up a long wire to start operations and will hopefully be improving on antennas and a bit more power. Ross could not bring all of his equipment on deployment. However, he will bring back a FT-100 and\or IC-706 MkIIG when he goes home for a short trip in July (KB8NW\OPDX June 5\BARF-80 posted June 4 on rec.radio.amateur.misc via John Norfolk, dxldyg via DXLD) ** ARGENTINA. CONFLICTOS EN RADIO RIVADAVIA --- Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires. Un nuevo conflicto se plantea en el seno de Radio Rivadavia (AM 630) como consecuencia del atraso en el pago de los haberes que desde hace varios años se hacen en cuotas, todos los viernes. Por esa razón entre el lunes y martes últimos se produjo un quite de colaboración en diferentes sectores, tarea que fue asumida por personal jerárquico. Como consecuencia de esa medida fueron despedidos el operador Daniel Lineares, el técnico Pablo Moroni y tres profesionales del servicio informativo: Gustavo Gordonas (de larga trayectoria en la emisora), Fernanda Terpolini y Julián Amador. La rápida presentación ante el Ministerio de Trabajo y la declaración de conciliación obligatoria determinó que por el momento las autoridades decidieran reincorporar a los despedidos. Es de esperar que se solucione el conflicto (tomado de La Nación, Argentina via Conexión Digital June 4 via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. HCJB has resumed transmission in Japanese since June 2, on every Friday and Saturday [UT] at 2230-2300 on 15525. The programs are produced in Sydney, Chicago, and Tokyo. Japanese transmission from Ecuador was once on the air from May 1, 1964 until December 31, 2000. This may be the first case that international broadcaster resumes Japanese transmission. Reception reports should be addressed to HCJB Section, Yodobashi Church, Hyakunincho 1-17-8, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 169-0073 Japan, requiring 160 yen stamp for reply (Takahito Akabayashi, Tokyo, Japan, June 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AZERBAIJAN. 6110.84v, External service from Baku was just heard at surprisingly big level, quite competitive against neighbours (6110 China, 6115 Belarus, 6105 VOA). May 30, 1700-1800* (1700-1730 English, 1730-1800 Russian). Program for both services there were 10 minutes of news, then music (Azer folk mostly). Modulation not too bad. Overall up to "3" (Vladimir Titarev, Kremenchuk, Ukraine, Dxplorer, via DSWCI DX Window May 31 via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. Big Brazilian opening before 2 pm local 11735, Rádio Transmundial (via Radio Nova Visão), Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul; 1732-1746, 4 June, 2006. Huge, nearly local signal with nice, soft vocals (apparently Christian) and jazz instrumentals, Braso-PT M, W "Radio Transmundial" ID at 1740, several more Transmundial ID's by M. Odd to hear what is supposedly a 50 kW Brazilian early afternoon (harkens back to the a year or two in the early or mid 80's when summer conditions favored things like this). 11780, Rádio Nacional da Amazônia, Brasília, DF; 1756-1810, 4 June, 2006. Presume the one with nonstop M&W Braso-PT talk. Strong. 11785, Rádio Guaíba, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul; 1746-1752, 4 June, 2006. Another big signal, live soccer coverage with M, odd 1K tone at times (indicating a goal or something?), lots of crowd audio mixed up. 11830, Radio CBN Anhanguera, Goiânia; 1752-1756, 4 June, 2006. Good, a little weaker than Radio Guaíba, also with soccer coverage but not parallel 11785. 11895.15, something weak here 1810+, 4 June, 2006, but unable to pull enough audio to tell if the listed Brazilian though seemed PT. Nothing on 19 or 31 meters noted (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida, USA, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Solar-terrestrial indices for 03 June follow. Solar flux 76 and mid- latitude A-index 3. The mid-latitude K-index at 1800 UTC on 04 June was 0 (4 nT). No space weather storms were observed for the past 24 hours (SEC via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. BRASIL – A Rádio Globo, do Rio de Janeiro (RJ), está mantendo no ar os transmissores de ondas curtas ``dentro do possível``. Foi o que o Gerente de Transmissores da emissora Gilberto Küssler informou a Edson Ferreira, de Paulo Afonso (BA). Segundo ele, ``os equipamentos são muito antigos e adaptados``. Ressaltou, no entanto, que a emissora pretende, em breve, modificar o parque de transmissores de ondas médias. Em seguida, será a vez de ``rever o parque de ondas curtas``. Kussler também pediu paciência aos ouvintes das ondas curtas até que tudo seja implementado. Questionado por Ferreira a resposta da confirmação QSL, o Gerente de Transmissores informou que estuda a implantação de uma versão eletrônica de QSL para enviar aos dexistas. BRASIL – A Rádio Clube Paranaense, de Curitiba (PR), permanece emitindo, em ondas curtas, apenas em uma única freqüência: 6040 kHz. Até o início de junho, nada de 9725 kHz ser reativada! (Célio Romais, Panorama, @tividade DX June 4 via DXLD) ** CANADA. For anyone with access to CBC Newsworld, ``Radio Revolution: The Rise and Fall of the Big 8``, documentary about CKLW is currently airing on the program The Lens on CBC Newsworld at 10 pm ET Saturday night June 3, repeated at 1 am ET (Wade Smith, New Brunswick, UT June 4, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) To really appreciate the program, one should see the DVD, which was basically the version aired on History Television, originally in Canada, with some bonus features. The documentary unedited is 72 minutes in length, and well worth viewing for anyone interested in radio, the personalities and the politics of running a radio station in Canada. CBC cut it to fit a one hour time slot, and reportedly added some of the "bonus" material from the DVD which did not originally air on History Television (Canada). Still good on the CBC for showing it (Fred Waterer, Ont., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) This documentary is well worth watching. The producers seem to be aware of DXing. There's even a shot of a CKLW QSL card. Wonder if Rosalie Tremblay (the famed CKLW music director who could make or break a song) was also the verie signer back in the day! 73 (Mike Brooker, Toronto, ON NRC-AM via DXLD) I believe my card from the mid-1970s is signed by Ed Buterbaugh (Niel Wolfish, Toronto, ibid.) My QSL from 1965 was signed by R.C. Williams, it looks like. It is the same card they showed on the program too. 73, (Patrick Martin, OR, ibid.) ** CANADA. CANADIAN FORCES STATION, ALERT Another chapter has been added to my series on Canadian SIGINT stations, past and present. This time, CFS Alert is the featured subject. Besides being the most northerly inhabited location in the world, it is probably the most famous and well known SIGINT station in the world as well. In the document, there is something for everybody including a thumb nail history of the amateur radio stations which once operated there. http://jproc.ca/rrp/alert.html (via Jerry Proc, Toronto, Ontario, June Radio HF Internet Newsletter via DXLD) ** CHINA [non]. Happened to tune across CRI, 9650 via Canada, June 3 at 1348 when they mentioned that they have future plans to set up one hundred new FM or MW relays in other countries; after giving Kenya as the answer to the quiz question they had just asked --- where is CRI`s own first FM relay abroad? Shhhh --- you have to know that to enter their win-a-trip-to-China contest. I fail to see the point of asking a valuable(?) question and then immediately giving the answer requiring no intelligence or research whatsoever, just regurgitation. O, maybe it`s the party-line syndrome? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. 3280, Voice of Pujiang, Shanghai, June 2, 1417-1456, Chinese programming, 2 men and young woman carrying on a conversation over some light jazz music, occasional pop music selection, BoH many ads, gives AM & FM frequencies, some English pop songs. As one would expect from a local station, the reception was good, // 1420 (AM) and // 97.65 FM (approximate frequency). (Ron Howard, Shanghai, China, Etón E5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA [and non]. Some random comments from Shanghai Hi Glenn, The Eton E5 is an excellent radio for traveling. The size is just right and it's great to re-charge the batteries while they are still in the radio. The built-in whip antenna is simply amazing. By turning the antenna and also the radio to different positions, it is easy to get the best reception possible. This is especially true above 5900 kHz. Here in Shanghai the apartment I am staying in is on the second floor, which is good. One room faces a busy street, with a power transformer located across the street and has overhead power lines for buses, which is all bad. As expected this room is not very productive for listening but even here I can turn the radio and whip antenna in such a way to null out some of the electrical noise. There is a second room that is away from the street and faces an inner courtyard. Almost all of my listening is done here, as the reception is so much quieter. Have been surprised that I have not heard any Indonesian or PNG stations. In fact nothing that I would call serious DX has been heard, considering that my location is China, but then my listening here has been very casual, with just random checking to hear what is coming in. Regarding the Chinese program that I often hear in Calif. on 6060 kHz. (Sichuan PBS), with the English ID of "This is the Voice of Golden Bridge": when watching CCTV-9 (International & English channel) I noted many announcements indicating that "Golden Bridge" is their advertising agent, so apparently this is a fairly common name/reference in China. Of course most of my time is not spent at the dials. Have been traveling outside of Shanghai for about four days, enjoying the many sights of China. All in all it's been a very relaxing and enjoyable vacation and even the limited listening I have done has been fun. In the future when I come here I will probably take a more structured approach to listening, which may prove to be more productive (Ron Howard, Shanghai, China, DX LISTENING DIGEST) When I was in China and other parts of Asia, I too was surprised about the lack of PNG and Indonesian stations I heard. I did hear many mid- eastern stations well, though (Andy O`Brien, ibid.) ** CHINA. The situation on 1323 is mildly confusing, but there are apparently two high powered foreign service transmitter sites in Jilin province. One is used by CRI & VOR directed south and used for Korean programs by both broadcasters. The other is used by CRI for Russian programs to Russia's far east. Both transmissions are on the air at the same time during local evening. We hear the Russian broadcast quite well in Grayland but I don't think we've ever heard the one in Korean. I would expect Australian DXers to hear the Korean service, since it would be aimed directly at them (Bruce Portzer, WA, June 2, MWDX yg via DXLD) In Nhulunbuy, NT Australia I hear both the Chinese outlets on 1323 kHz battling it out. Fortunately there are SW //'s to help figure out what is going. Both signals are pretty much the same strength here. cheers (Craig Edwards, Nhulunbuy (Gove), Northern Territory, Australia, ibid.) ** COOK ISLANDS. ZK1 - Jim, ZK1JD and Victor, ZK1CG had hoped to be QRV with their new E5 callsigns on 1 June. However, according to first hand information collected by Bernie McClenny, W3UR, editor of The Daily DX, it seems that "the new calls may not actually be officially issued until July 1st". Hector, EA3EKS reports he will be active as ZK1EKS from the Cook Islands (not mentioned if from the South or North Cooks) on 8-13 June. He plans to be active on 10, 15 and 20 metres (28275, 21275 and 14275 kHz). QSL via EA3EKS (425 DX News via Dave Raycroft, ODXA via DXLD) ** CUBA. RHC, 9820, June 3 tuned in at 0457 for English talk, only to have it abruptly interrupted at 0458* (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. RADIO HABANA CUBA SCHEDULE: TIMES, AND FREQUENCIES From March-2006 to October-2006 Updated June 1 2006 http://www.radiohc.cu/index.htm [ambiguities sic as received] SPANISH NEW YORK 12000 11 - 15 North, Central South America 6000 11 - 15 Caribbean 9550 11 - 15 South America 11805 / 15230 11 - 15 Caribbean 9550 / 11800 21 - 23 Buenos Aires 15230 21 - 23 North, Central South America 11760 00 - 05 Central America 6140 / 5965 00 - 05 North America 9820 / 6000 / 6060 00 - 01 / 00 - 05 Caribbean 9550 02 - 05 South America 15230 / 11875 / 9600 00 - 05 Round Table [weekdays only?] North America South America 6000 / 11875 23 - 01 ALÓ PRESIDENTE [this is Sunday only!!] Central America 13680 14- Caribbean 11670 14- South America 11875 / 17750 14- North America 13750 14- ENGLISH [what about the 2030-2130 on 9505, 11760 we have heard recently???] Caribbean 9550 23 - 24 / 05 - 07 North America 9820 / 6000 / 6060 01 - 05 / 05 - 07 North Central and South America 11760 05 - 07 FRENCH Caribbean 9550 / 9505 00 - 01/ 01:30 - 02 / 22 - 22:30 North Central and South America 11760 5965 20 - 20:30 / 21:30 - 22 22 - 22:30 / 23 - 23:30 PORTUGUESE South America 17705 / 15230 22 - 22:30 / 23 - 23:30 23 - 24 Caribe 11800 20 - 20:30 GUARANÍ South America 17705 22:30 - 23 / 23:30 - 24 QUICHUA South America 17705 00 - 00:30 KREYOL Caribbean 9505 - 9550 5965 21:30 - 22 / 22:30 - 23/ 01 - 0130 21:30 - 22 / 22:30 - 23 / 23:30 - 00 [not clear which frequencies go with which times and this applies to some other entries too] ÁRAB Caribbean 11800 20:30 - 21 ESPERANTO [this is Sunday only!] North America 6000 07 -07:30 North Central and South America 11760 15 - 15:30 / 19:30 - 20 Central America 6140 23:30 - 24 South America 9600 23:30 - 24 Send reports via e-mail to radiohc @ enet.cu Send reports via air mail to: Radio Habana Cuba PO BOX 6240 Ciudad Habana 10600, Cuba (via Arnie Coro, ODXA via DXLD) ** CUBA. Cuba on 4, I think. German language lesson in classroom. It has that other worldly we-have-all-the-time-in-the-world mood of Cuban TV (Curtis Sadowski, Rantoul, Illinois, 1518 UT June 3, WTFDA via DXLD) I have the camcorder set on all 5 skip TVs with the tape rolling. Every channel seems to have a Cuban including that 4. Cuba's unworldliness is pretty unique. It's about the only ocean paradise left with no billboards or powerlines everywhere (Jeff Kadet, Macomb IL, ibid., who has probably travelled there) ** ECUADOR. Estamos transmitindo também programas no idioma dos índios culinas. (em 25 metros na freqüência de 12020 kHz às 19h50 horário de Brasília, que corresponde às 22h50 UT). Sabemos que há mais de 4.000 índios culinas no Brasil e Peru e muitos deles envolvidos em feitiçaria por não conhecerem a Cristo como Salvador. São pessoas como você e eu que têm direito de escolher entre seguir a Cristo ou não. Sabemos que as ondas do rádio não podem ser paradas e em alguns lugares são a única maneira do indígena brasileiro ouvir a Palavra de Deus. Louvamos a Deus por tantos que colaboram com este ministério. A APEC em parceria com a GALCOM, missão evangélica canadense que produz esses rádios de bateria solar e sintonia fixa na Emissora HCJB tem distribuído esses rádios ao povo ribeirinho que vive sem energia elétrica. Meses atrás foram distribuídos 300 rádios pré-sintonizados na região de Sena Madureira no Acre. São 300 novas famílias que agora tem a oportunidade de ouvir o Evangelho e isso em plena selva Amazônica. Para muitos deles foi a primeira vez que ouviram a mensagem do Natal e agora sabem que Emanuel, significa Deus conosco, que quer estar presente na vida deles. Unidos em Cristo, Ingrid, p/ Equipe HCJB - A Voz dos Andes Caixa Postal 16050, 81611-970 - Curitiba - PR Fone/Fax: 3376-3553 http://www.hcjb-brasil.org (As novidades da HCJB - A Voz dos Andes de janeiro/2006 03/01/2006 via SRDXC June 4 via Noticias DX via DXLD) ** EGYPT. FM band changes in Cairo --- Hello DXers, starting 31/5/06 celebrating the media day here in Egypt, ERTU made some changes on the FM band as follows : Middle East Radio will be on 89.5 MHz 24/7; before that that frequency used to have Middle East Radio from 0000 to 1600 UT and from 1600 UT the Cultural program takes over till 0000. The cultural program got a new frequency now 88.7 MHz and the time as usual from 1600 to 0000 UT. Also the news network on the FM band got a new frequency of 92.7 MHz added to the current frequency of 91.5 MHz. I have to say the new frequency of 92.7 is really stronger than 91.5 here in Cairo. Best Regards (Tarek Zeidan, Cairo, Egypt, June 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FINLAND. Re 6-082, SWR power: Dear Glenn. "50 mighty watts" is only a slogan (nowadays) used of us. At the present we have transmitter power of 100 watts used with all transmitters. Maximum ERP allowed is 2.5 kW on SW-frequencies and 1 kW on MW 1602 kHz. 73' (Alpo Heinonen, Rovaniemi, Finland http://personal.inet.fi/koti/alpo.heinonen/ June 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 3/6, 0640 11720.0 Scandinavian Weekend R., Finlandia, mx pop. IN/SF; 0730 11690.0 Scandinavian Weekend R., Finlandia, EE, telefonata. IN/BN (Luca Botto Fiora, Rapallo (Genova), Italy, DE 1103, playdx yg via DXLD) ** FRANCE. 27350, Presumed RFI?, 2 x 13675, continuous French talk 1347 utc June 3. RFI not listed on 13675 in PWBR (Tim Bucknall, Mobile, axe edge, Derbyshire, TTI TCB-880 Multi-standard cb + mobile whip, harmonics yg via DXLD) But listed in EiBi: 13675 0600-0700 F Radio France Int. F WAf 13675 0800-2000 F Radio France Int. F NAf And HFCC says 500 kW, 204 degrees from Issoudun, but you are awfully close to be getting that on 27 MHz --- maybe not too close by sporadic E? (Glenn Hauser, OK, ibid.) Thanks Glenn, yes there was Heavy Sporadic all afternoon from Germany & France. When I got home an hour later it was still audible but at a very weak level on other receivers. All the best (Tim Bucknall, ibid.) ** GERMANY. German radio amateurs plan to celebrate the 2006 Football World Cup being held in their country by putting on a number of special event stations. . . GB2RS News - Courtesy of the RSGB via http://www.southgatearc.org/news/june2006/world_cup_stations.htm (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) ** ICELAND. ARMED FORCES RADIO SIGNS OFF IN ICELAND By Richard Gardner 3 June 2006 The linchpin of the North Atlantic portion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO/ETAN) is no longer considered important, so the USA is pulling out. Totally out by October. And the airwaves are silenced, the last Mahan high school graduation has occurred. NAS Keflavík is soon no more. Icelandic National Broadcasting Service, RÚV, reports that the US Armed Forces Radio at the Keflavik military base signed off yesterday, June 1st. It started operations in 1951 and had broadcast continuously for 55 years. According to RÚV, the US Armed Forces Radio, colloquially known as "Yankee Radio", made more American music available to Icelandic audiences and "deeply influenced the music, fashion and attitudes of Icelandic youth." Iceland joined NATO in 1949 and entered into a formal defense agreement with the US in 1951. Earlier this year, the US decided unilaterally to withdraw the bulk of its forces from the military base at Keflavík in a move that has been characterized as a "unilateral cancellation" of the US-Icelandic Defense Agreement. [who will defend Iceland now? China, maybe? --- gh] That is the Icelandic view. The US view is Iceland, where is that? However I remember hearing an Icelandic Member of the Parliament (Althingi - and yes, it is the Parliament, as Icelandic puts "the" in places you never would) talk about how he learned English watching bootleg Bonanza shows. Geography says western Iceland, where most of the folks live, is on the North American Plate, but recent politics is pushing them to Europe. I guess the locals will all become "FM-heads," listening to FM 95.7 (Audio link - warning, serious Europop). http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/2006/06/armed_forces_radio_signs_off_in_iceland_/ More comment on this site: ! worked for a number of years to make this happen (remove the USAF aircraft). We only have x amount of aircraft, and they are divided by so many missions, training, test , maint. and other. We can't afford to spend money in Iceland, because times have changed and they are not the "early warning" they used to be. Iceland is a wonderful place with wonderful people, but the cold war is over. Posted by: Ron at June 3, 2006 20:04 (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) American Forces Radio signs off http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/?cat_id=16539&ew_0_a_id=209736 (via Zacharias Liangas, DXLD) The President of the United States recently made the decision that Naval Air Station, Keflavik will begin a transition to a reduced "footprint" which will be completed by 30 September 2006. This was only announced on March 15th. Phone & internet services cease at end of June. SW (Steve Whitt, UK, June 1, MWC via DXLD) Thunder 1530 left MW yesterday but the satellite feed is still being relayed via the base cable TV system with minimal capability to break in with local messages. The FM station K-104 is still on air till mid July. Yesterday the MW studio & transmitter was broken down and crated out for re-use. Destination seems to be Bahrain but not clear if that means a new MW transmitter there. 73s (Steve Whitt, June 2, ibid.) ** ICELAND. 2/6, 0705, 7590.0u, AFRTS Iceland, inattiva; 0706, 9380.0u, AFRTS Iceland, inattiva (Luca Botto Fiora, Rapallo (Genova), Italy, playdx yg via DXLD) Is this coincidental, permanent? (gh) ** INDIA. LIVE COMMENTARY OF INDIA VS WEST INDIES CRICKET TEST SERIES All India Radio will broadcast live commentary alternately in Hindi and English of the four cricket test matches between India and West Indies to be played in West Indies as per the following details: - Live Commentary on Medium Wave & FM-Gold Channels: DATE TIME (IST.) PROGRAMME 2nd to 6th June 1920-2135 1st Test match at Antigua 2210-0240 10th to 14th June 1920-2135 2nd Test match at St. Lucia 2210-0240 22nd to 26th June 1920-2135 3rd Test match at St. Kitts 2210-0240 30th June to 4th July 1920-2135 4th Test match at Kingston, Jamaica 2210-0240 [these times were not aligned this way in the post, but I assume they mean there is an intermission break 2135-2210 IST --- subtract 5.5 hour for UT, i.e. 1350-1605 & 1640-2110 UT] The following 65 Medium Wave stations shall relay the commentary: Ahmedabad Agra Allahabad Ambikapur Bangalore Bhopal Aurangabad Bhadrawati Chennai Coimbatore Dharwad Bhagalpur Delhi Cudappah Gwalior Bikaner Hyderabad Cuttack Jalgaon Gulbarga Kolkata Gorakhpur Jammu Jamshedpur Lucknow Guwahati Jodhpur Jeypore Mumbai Indore Kozikhode Mathura Jabalpur Madurai Panaji Jaipur Mangalore Pondicherry Jalandhar Mysore Ratnagiri Nagpur Rampur Shimla Patna Ranchi Silchar Pune Sambalpur Jagdalpur Raipur Sangli Rajkot Shillong Rohtak Siliguri Thiruvananthapuram Srinagar Tiruchirapalli Suratgarh Varanasi Trissur Vijayawada Udaipur Vishakhapatnam FM Gold Channels in the four metros will also broadcast the commentary. In addition All India Radio will also broadcast hourly updates of these matches on its FM Rainbow Channels. The hourly updates of two minutes duration each will be relayed by all the 12 FM Rainbow Channels at the following timings: DATE TEST MATCH TIMINGS (IST Hrs. [subtract 5.5 for UT]) 2- 6 June 1st 1945, 2045, 2145, 2245, 2345, 0045, 0145, 0245 10-14 June 2nd 1945, 2045, 2145, 2245, 2345, 0045, 0145, 0245 22-26 June 3rd 1945, 2045, 2145, 2245, 2345, 0045, 0145, 0245 30- 4 July 4th 1945, 2045, 2145, 2245, 2345, 0045, 0145, 0245 The frequency details of various AIR stations are available at our website http://www.allindiaradio.gov.in/schedule/fqsch.html (Via AIR Website) Live commentary is also available on SW frequencies - 3315, 4910, 4950, 4960 & 5040 as usual. Regds, (Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, India, dx_india via DXLD) ** INDIA [non]. 7275, AIR FM Gold, Chennai (Madras) India, 33333, Hindi/ English. Indian Hindi music followed by a YL announcer, then more music. Interesting that this should be coming in this well when the sun hasn't set here yet! 0305 UT June 3 (Phil Atchley, Merced CA, TenTec RX-320 receiver, swl at qth.net via DXLD) But see this: ``INDIA. AIR Chennai has changed from 7275 to 7270 for the morning broadcast at 0025-0430. It must be due to interference from Singapore which has come up lately on 7275 (ex 7170). The full sked of Chennai 100 kW on 7270 now is: 0025-0430, 0700-1330, 1430-1740 73 (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, May 4, dx_india via DXLD 6-070)`` So it is not AIR, unless they have moved back to 7275. Not only is the sun not down in CA, it`s mid-day, more-or-less in S & SE Asia, making propagation rather unlikely from India, or Singapore. Propagationally, far more likely over a mostly darkness path from the east is Tunisia on 7275. Perhaps you ruled that out since old schedules show them opening at 0400. But in the summer they open at 0300. Unless you are quite sure it was Hindi rather than Arabic, consider that it may have been Tunisia. Next time check // 7190 to be sure (Glenn Hauser, OK, swl at qth.net via DXLD) {and I often listen to them here for the big signals and nice music -- gh} Thank you Glenn, I'll change the log. I thought it had a "Hindi" sound, but I was probably swayed more by what my databases indicated than by fact. Even though I don't understand them, I can usually recognize the more common languages, but do make mistakes. (I DID remark on how I thought the log was unusual due to time of day, but strange things occasionally happen on 40M). 73 de (Phil, KO6BB Atchley, DX begins at the noise floor! THE BEACONEER'S LAIR: http://www.geocities.com/ko6bb/ MY RADIO-LOGS: http://www.geocities.com/ko6bb/Logs/ QSL GALLERY: http://photobucket.com/albums/f306/KO6BB/ Merced, Central California, 37.3N 120.48W CM97sh, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. On May 27 a severe earthquake hit the southern part of Java, Indonesia, particularly around the cities of Jogyakarta and Bantul where more than 5,400 people are reported killed and 200,000 homeless. Our Japanese member Nobuya Kato writes: "I have to express my sincere condolences over those victimized by the devastating earthquake that hit Java, Indonesia yesterday. I understand how horrible an earthquake is as we Japanese often suffer from earthquake." The only domestic broadcasting station on Java which still is active on SW is RRI Jakarta which still can be heard on 9680 and 11860 (Anker Petersen, DSWCI DX Window May 31 via DXLD) I think it should be spelt Yogyakarta, or Jogjakarta, not a mixture (gh, DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. SIRIUS V XM - THE STOCK MARKET VIEW June 4, 2006, New York Post, By Peter Lauria After years of trading in near lock-step, the country's two giant satellite radio companies appear ready to put some space between them. Sirius Satellite Radio, lifted in large part by Howard Stern joining its ranks, has been hitting its subscriber-growth targets and doing everything right in the corner office, while rival XM Satellite Radio has been hit with a litany of negative issues. At the same time, Sirius has been none too shy in pointing out to investors that those issues aren't affecting them. . . http://www.nypost.com/business/66951.htm (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN [non]. 3880v, Voice of Iranian Revolution, *1520-1627*, Apr 30 and May 18, Kurdish martial song, 1524 "Scheherazade" by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakoff, ID: "Dengi shurashi Iranya" and program // 4330v and 6420v. New times. 3880v, Voice of the Communist Party of Iran, *1724-1835*, Apr 23, (- 1850* on Sat Apr 29, -1913* on Fri May 19), Farsi, Kurdish and Turkuman (?) programs after having the same "Internationale" as R Peking played in former years, // 4330v and 6420v. New times (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria and Anker Petersen, Denmark, DSWCI DX Window May 31 via DXLD) ** ITALY. AFTER 11 YEARS, A NEW LIST OF ITALIAN RAI FM TRANSMITTERS Hi all, After 11 years, we can announce a new list of the Italian RAI FM transmitters. The old EBU list was made in 1995. Finding information on RAI WAY web site is not so easy. Now, hanks to a research made by OTG TV http://www.otgtv.it by Oliviero Dellerba for fmdxITALY, there is an updated list of the three main RAI channels (Radiouno, Radiodue, Radiotre) transmitters sites. Soon, the list will be integrated in FMLIST, where the Italian list is taken care of by fmdxITALY. About fmdxITALY: is an Italian FM club, founded in 2002, with more than 280 members. It runs a web site http://www.fmdx.altervista.org There, you can not only find the RAI list, but also 180 band scans, made in Italy and in other countries, mainly in the Mediterranean area. If you like to visit the site, you can use an automatic translator into English or French. _________________________________________ Dopo undici anni, il nuovo elenco dei ripetitori FM della Rai Finalmente è disponibile il nuovo elenco dei tremila ripetitori Rai. Erano undici anni che non veniva rinnovato, l'elenco dell'EBU (European Broadcasting Union) risale al 1995 e attualizzarlo non era facile: il sito della Rai è molto dispersivo (non fornisce un elenco, mette a disposizione solo un database per ricercare tra migliaia di comuni). Ora, grazie a un'elaborazione di OTG TV per fmdxITALY, è disponibile sul sito del gruppo fm italiano il nuovo elenco dei ripetitori Rai. La lista verrà integrata in FMList, di cui fmdxITALY segue l'aggiornamento anche con funzione di coordinamento dei collaboratori. fmdxITALY, il gruppo fm italiano, nato come gruppo su Yahoo nel 2002, ha più di 280 iscritti. Dall'anno scorso ha anche un sito internet che propone 180 bandscan italiani ed europei, in particolare dai Paesi che si affacciano sul Mediterrraneo. Un traduttore automatico consente di convertire le pagine in inglese e francese (Fabrizio Carnevalini, fmdxITALY Group http://it.groups.yahoo.com/group/fmdxITALY http://www.fmdx.altervista.org playdx yg via DXLD) ** JAPAN. The 50-minute "World Interactive" program from R Japan with DX Information from Japan SW Club will be aired 8 times on every second weekend. The June 10-12 program will be about HCJB and R St. Helena Day Revival with interview of Mr. Kipp (Toshi Ohtake, Japan, May 26 via DSWCI DX Window May 31 via DXLD) ** JAPAN [non]. Best signal on 16m, except for Chile 17680, was 17870, Asian-sounding music, just before cut off at 1329 June 2. This is listed as NHK Warido in Swahili via Ascension (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH. NORTH KOREAN MARTIAL MUSIC? Hi All, I have a couple questions about N. Korean martial music (which I have on the radio right now). The (mostly) female vocalists all seem to have beautiful voices, but they always sound so "mournful". Also most of the orchestral music is also rather dirge-like. Every once in a while, though, you do hear a song that is quite upbeat with a totally different attitude. Anyway, my question is this. Does anyone here understand Korean AND know the central theme of their music? I would presume that it is either about "The Great Leader", or from the sound of it, mourning the loss of a military member. But then, that could be considered biased, as I really don't know. 73 de (Phil, KO6BB Atchely, CA, DX begins at the noise floor! swl at qth.net via DXLD) ** LATVIA. 2/6, 0647, 9290.0, BBC WS English!!! Tests Riga a bassa potenza? IN/SF (non era una spuria, si sentiva anche con l'R7). 3/6, 0600, 9290.0, R. Six Int., Lettonia, EE, s/on. MB (ma non hanno detto che Riga sta spenta per tre mesi?) (Luca Botto Fiora, Rapallo (Genova), Italy, DE1103, playdx yg via DXLD) Sì, da domani (Roberto Scaglione, ibid.) IN = insufficient; SF = sufficient; MB = very good (gh) ** LIBERIA [and non]. While listening to a recording I made of Star R, during one story on the "Liberia Today" program, the Liberian Information Minister mentioned that "...today we do not have a SW broadcasting system..." referring to the looting during the unrest. A state-run SW station is apparently still on their minds (Dave Valko, PA, DSWCI DX Window May 31 via DXLD) ** LIBYA [and non]. 3 Junio --- Persisten las malas condiciones de propagación, aunque en el día de hoy se observa una ligera mejoría. A las 1200 comienza la emisión de La Voz de África en su programa musical en la frecuencia de 17665. También a la misma hora y en emisión en paralelo por las frecuencias de 17660 y 17670 La Voz de África en árabe, y en Hausa por las frecuencias de 17610 y 17725. A las 1213 consigo escuchar a Sawt Al-amal por la frecuencia de 17695; en esos momentos la emisión en 17660 deja de emitir y empieza por la frecuencia de 17695, así se mantiene hasta las 1300. Sawt Al Amal pasa a la frecuencia de 17690; poco después las emisiones en árabe de La Voz de África se establecen en paralelo por las frecuencias de 17690 y 17695. A las 1318 comienza emisión jammer musical en la frecuencia de 17690 y se prolonga hasta las 1530. Las emisiones de La Voz de África en árabe, en Hausa y la emisión musical cesan a las 1400 (José Miguel Romero, Spain, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MONGOLIA. According to Tatsuya Shirai, Mongolian Radio & Television began Japanese lesson for domestic audiences. Tuesdays and Thursdays 0115-0135, rebroadcast Wednesdays and Saturdays 0810-0830. Ulaanbaatar FM 106.0 MHz; Western region 4830, 4895 kHz; Central and eastern regions 7260 (Takahito Akabayashi, Tokyo, Japan, June 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEW ZEALAND. The new R. New Zealand International schedule as we have it now from June 4 has both the AM and DRM modes on 15720 during the 2251-0458 UTC time period. AM is also on 13730 during this time. I'm hoping to get out an updated shortwave schedule at Prime Time Shortwave today so if anyone here's of any changes I would appreciate hearing about them (Daniel Sampson, Prime Time Shortwave, June 3, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Seems to me they messed up the conversion to UT, since the NZ times would be plausible, suggesting that 13730 will be used 1851-2235 in DRM and 2236-0458 in AM while 15720 is supposed to run 1951-2235 in AM and 2236-0458 in DRM. Wonder if they change either the mode or the frequency on each transmitter? (Kai Ludwig, Germany, ibid.) Ciao, vi segnalo di nuovo l'ascolto qui a Roma del segnale in DRM di Radio New Zeland, stasera intorno alle 23.30 locali [2130 UT] il segnale arriva molto bene, il rapport SNR varia da 13 a ben 18 db !! L'ascolto, del programma in inglese (argomento il calcio in nuova zelanda) , e' praticamente continuo, con poche interruzioni a causa del fading. Codifica ACC+ Mono da 16.56 kbps. Rx Icom IC 756 con convertitore esterno 455/12 Khz. Dream 1.6.1, antenna verticale da 7 metri. Saluti, Andrea Roma – (Andrea Borgnino IW0HK http://www.mediasuk.org/iw0hk http://www.mediasuk.org/archive http://www.biciurbana.org bclnews.it via DXLD) ** PERU. R. Virgen del Carmen (ex R. Huancavelica) 4886.8, 1047 31/05/06, R. Virgen del Carmen, Huancavelica, SS, comentario político, ID anunciando http://www.radiovirgendelcarmen.com OM, 45444 (Rogildo Fontenelle Aragão, Sony 2001D - LW 20m, Quillacollo - Bolivia, June 3, condig list via DXLD) Viz.: Nuestra estación nace en el año de 1997, donde el Obispado ante la necesidad imperiosa de contar con un medio de comunicación que permita difundir programas educativos, culturales informativos acordes con la realidad local, es que se adquiere los activos de una Radio muy antigua que venía operando en Huancavelica, llamada Radio Villarrica, radio que antes se denominó Radio Huancavelica. Desde aquí empezamos con estos equipos y se le cambia el nombre llamándola ``Radio Virgen del Carmen de Villarrica``, para darle un nombre católico y combinado con su nombre antiguo, desde entonces hasta la actualidad tenemos ya ocho años trabajando arduamente por la evangelización en los Andes Peruanos. Actualmente Radio ``Virgen del Carmen de Villarrica `` produce programas locales como informativos, noticiarios, culturales educativos, deportivos y católicos. Muchos de ellos se realizan en la lengua nativa como es el quechua, para llegar de una manera mas directa y efectiva a las zonas rurales, donde en algunas de estas comunidades la Radio es el único medio de comunicación social que tienen. Para ello contamos con tres poderosos transmisores uno de frecuencia modulada para la ciudad (opera las veinticuatro horas del día), otro de onda media y de onda corta coberturando de esta manera toda la región. Así mismo le comentamos que desde el 2001 suscribimos un contrato a plazo indefinido con los Directivos de EWTN Radio Católica Mundial de Birmingham Alabama USA., para retransmitir en forma directa programas de EWTN Radio más conocido como la Cadena Católica de Madre Angélica, asimismo últimamente tenemos el canal de Madre Angélica EWTN Televisión por el Sistema de televisión por cable en la ciudad de Huancavelica, también tenemos señal abierta en el canal 15 UHF, por el momento no tenemos producción local, cosa que pensamos concretizar en un tiempo corto. Nuestras frecuencias 99.1 FM, 1580 AM y 4885 SW. Nuestros estudio ubicados en Plaza Bolognesi 142 cercado Huancavelica, nuestra planta de transmisión en Yananaco - Huancavelica. RADIO VIRGEN DEL CARMEN, PLAZA BOLOGNESI Nº 142, CERCADO, HUANCAVELICA, PERU TeléFAX: (051)-67-451257 (via Rogildo Fontenelle Aragão, Sony 2001D - LW 20m, Quillacollo - Bolivia, June 3, radioescutas yg via DXLD) ** PERU. 15055, Radio Imperial II (reflejo), 1232+ UT 19 de mayo. SINPO 23332, Lima, Peru. Locutor con el típico programa de esta emisora. (al cambiar a 1440 khz resulta ser imperial II 2); QRM de otra estación. La señal va entrando en rápido fáding, hasta que desaparece totalmente (Héctor Álvaro Gutiérrez, Lima, Perú, Conexión Digital June 4 via DXLD) Probably some kind of local mixing product not audible anywhere else; but just in case (gh, DXLD) ** PHILIPPINES. FEBC English heard June 2 from 1005 tune in to 1030 off on 15325; programme was Leading the Way from the RadioLife mission, good strength on clear channel (Mike Barraclough, UK, June WDXC Contact via DXLD) ** PORTUGAL. Todas as cartas, mensagens e relatórios de sintonia enviados para a RDP Internacional são respondidas, no ar, no programa Caixa Postal. O segmento também conta com informações do mundo das ondas curtas e DX. Vai ao ar, nas segundas-feiras, no seguinte esquema: às 0910, em 9815 kHz; às 1045, em 9815 kHz; às 1747, em 11630, 17680, 17825 e 21655 kHz. As informações são de Isabel Saraiva, do Departamento de Intercâmbio da RDP (Célio Romais, Panorama, @tividade DX June 4 via DXLD) Used to be UT Tue 0030v? airing too (gh) ** ST. HELENA. Donations from the DSWCI and members of the Japan SW Club were handed over to Mr. Robert Kipp at the DSWCI Jubilee celebration and more money is coming from individual members. An unused ICOM IC-706MKIIG 100 W transceiver was later on donated by one of the JSWC members and has been shipped it to Mr. Kipp in Germany. We are waiting for the St. Helena Revival Day broadcast on the FIRST WEEKEND IN NOVEMBER (Toshi Ohtake, Japan, May 26 and Anker Petersen, Denmark, DSWCI DX Window May 31 via DXLD) For more details on the project, please look at http://www.dswci.org and click Latest news (Robert Kipp and Rolf Wernli, webmaster, Switzerland, ibid.) You mean Nov 2007, right? Or are they now trying to get it going already this year? And it used to be last weekend in October instead. Not clarified either at http://dswci.org/news/0605/sthelena.html (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** SERBIA [and non]. Bijeljina-Jabanusa transmitter on air? I just made a point of listening to the station formerly known as Radio Yugoslavia via shortwave (German 2000-2030, except on Saturdays, on 6100 of course), but all I could make out behind the blaring DRM signal from Junglinster (centered on 6095, so obliterating LSB and carrier of AM signals on 6100) was CRI, Kashi site if an older HFCC registration can be trusted. What's up? Again no money left to pay the power bills in Srpska? Anyway shortwave failed, again leaving their website as only means to get their news, either in print or as recorded news, usually not including a station ID, so no help to find out if they still call themself "International Radio of Serbia and Montenegro" on air (if they make it on air at all). No matter how the station calls itself: Did Podgorica provide (a more than symbolic amount of) money to run the service? If so the break- away would of course affect them. However, I would assume that this was not the case. And I can not even remotely imagine that RTCG at Podgorica would launch a foreign service. How should they find the editorial resources and the funds to lease airtime (at Jabanusa or elsewhere)? And who's next? Kosovo? Srpska? Pridnestrovye? Chechnya? Abkhaziya? South Ossetiya? Nagorny Karabakh? (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 4, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) I noticed earlier this week while checking their website, that the IRSM doesn't seem to provide audio on their website any more, either. Print news only, unless the audio is cleverly hidden somewhere. English to North America gone from their schedule too (Fred Waterer, Ont., ibid.) I suppose you refer to http://www.radioyu.org/ It seems each page is at first unfound until I refresh it (gh, DXLD) ** SLOVAKIA. At a Radio Council meeting May 24th a document was approved stating that Radio Slovakia International should cease its shortwave broadcasts June 30th. The transformation of the shortwave broadcast to a part of the Internet service of the public radio will follow shortly after. Apart from the Internet, the programme of Radio Slovakia International will continue to be broadcast via satellite. According to RSI editor in chief Ladislav Kubis the proposal will not secure quality standard broadcast of the foreign service of public radio as defined by law. However this proposal was passed by a majority in the final vote (Station website via Edwin Southwell, June WDXC Contact via DXLD) ** SOUTH AFRICA. Channel Africa, English on 9685 at 0528 June 3 was heard using the slogan ``Voice of African Renaissance``. I wonder if this is informal or official (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN [non]. 15515 ENGLAND, Darfur Salaam Woofferton (according to WRTH A06 schedules), 1710-1729* May 29, man and woman talking in Arabic followed by flute and string instrumentals. Numerous brief talk segments with flute and string music between items. Two mentions of program name and BBC including at closedown. Good signal but // 17585 (Ascension Island also according to WRTH A06 schedules) was only poor to fair. Initial reports had this as Cyprus (Rich D'Angelo, PA, NASWA Flashsheet June 4 via DXLD) So are we sure about the sites now for each frequency? (gh, DXLD) ** TAIWAN. Re fate of Pali transmitter site? It was 1996 closing Pali transmitter. No document on the web can be searched to know where was the only one 100 kW transmitter go (Miller Liu, Taiwan, June 3, dxing.info via DXLD) ** U K [non]. Music in Spanish on 21470 Ascension, Sat June 3 at 1355, which would be Charlie Gillett`s World of Music scheduled at 1332 to EAf, ME and Eu on BBCWS, but not // 17830 which is to other parts of Africa (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. RADIO WAVES: ROLAND WHITE: POP QUIZZED The Sunday Times June 4, 2006 For a long time, I used to go to bed early, just like the young Marcel Proust. But, unlike the young Proust, I could listen to Radio Luxembourg under the bedclothes. I fell asleep to the soothing sound of radio bingo, which was the only programme that coincided with my bedtime as an eight-year-old. But more sophisticated young listeners relied on 208 metres for a glimpse into the forbidden world of pop music. . . . . .Moyles boasts about his dominance over commercial stations, but I can't help wondering if a discussion about whether a golfer has an erection is so precious that it needs state support? http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2101-2205266_2,00.html (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) Reading this one-sided piece makes me wonder whether I should continue to buy the Sunday Times, particularly since its news features are increasingly just copied and pasted from its weekday editions. Mr White's first line, comparing himself to Marcel Proust, is sailing very close to Private Eye's Pseuds Corner. We then have the report from the so-called European Media Forum given undue prominence, which seems to have been solely created for the purposes of this report. the European Policy Forum, from which this report emanates, is a right- wing think tank. Its President, Graham Mather, was a prominent Conservative MEP being there Economic and Monetary Policy spokesman and the only other person listed at its website, Graham Vibert, was active with Mather in the Thatcherite Institute of Economic Affairs. Keith Boyfield, who wrote the report, is an economist who presents other reports to the EPF and other UK right-wing think tanks. I can find no mention on the EPF website of its sources of funding. The Commercial Radio Companies Association itself does not want Radio One privatised for the simple reason that it would make their situation regarding lower advertising revenues worse. The advertising revenue currently with local and regional stations would go to the national station. How patronising of this Murdoch-worshipping journalist, who is doubtless well paid for this space-filling drivel toeing the party line, to list a few areas Radio 2 covers that commercial radio does not, though I would say, jazz --- what jazz? He then decides to ignore all of Radio One's varied schedule including its commitment to live music, unsigned bands, educational campaigns on drugs, etc., and base his whole argument on a two minute exchange on the Chris Moyles show. What happened to balanced well researched journalism? (Mike Barraclough, UK, June 4, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** UNITED NATIONS [non]. 17810, ASCENSION ISLAND, United Nations Radio, *1730-1745* May 29, opened suddenly with ``It`s Monday the 29th of May, UN Radio, I`m Gerry Adams; first the news.`` A man followed with the news before special features. Closed mentioning Monday through Friday in six languages. Good with // 15495 from Skelton only poor to fair (Rich D'Angelo, PA, NASWA Flashsheet June 4 via DXLD) ** U S A. THE RIGHT THING TO DO --- It's not often that we defend management but the removal of VOA reporter Alisha Ryu from the Baghdad Bureau has led to criticism. The unnecessary budget cuts to the Voice of America have insured that the Agency cannot guarantee even minimal safety standards for its reporters. VOA personnel have been sent on dangerous assignments without adequate safety protections or self-defense training, and Iraq has proven to be especially risky for journalists as the recent story involving Kimberly Dozier has shown. Even the big corporate news broadcasters cannot keep their employees safe there. Under-funded government broadcasters such as the VOA are even less equipped to do so. Last week a story was planted in the Washington Post about the VOA's closure of the Baghdad Bureau. The story's purpose was, no doubt, to give the VOA a black eye right before Congress takes up the issue of VOA's funding for FY 2007. The story by Howard Kurtz is being used by some on Capitol Hill to justify the draconian budget cuts to VOA's radio broadcasts. But no matter the outcome of the budget debate, the decision by VOA management to remove Alisha Ryu from a life-threatening situation and the hesitancy to put another reporter in the same situation were the right decisions (AFGE Local 1812 via DXLD) ** U S A. INDIAN WEBSITE SAYS VOA IS PLANNING TO CLOSE MORE LANGUAGE SERVICES The Voice of America (VOA) has decided to shut down its daily 90- minute short-wave radio service in Hindi citing budgetary cutbacks, and the emergence of TV and the Internet in India as the leading media to disseminate news. Private FM radio stations have also affected its listenership, according to Jagdish Sareen, editor, VOA Hindi, quoted by the Indian website DNA. The decision by the Broadcasting Board of Governors is pending with the US Congress for final approval. The website quotes Brian Mabry, senior public affairs advisor at Voice of America, as saying "Along with VOA Hindi, our services in Albanian, Bosnian, Serbian, and Russian will also stop." Instead, he says, "We will pursue a strategy of reaching our audience through TV programming." "India has a sophisticated media market," says Mabry. "We are responding to changes in the market. Our audience in India has choices. Some years ago, we stopped programming in European languages for the same reason." (Source: DNA India) # posted by Andy @ 10:21 UT June 3 (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. For our IBB transmitter site sign-on and off project, I have pulled out the IBB registrations for the 17, 19 and 21 MHz bands. Many of these are probably not VOA itself, but RFE/RL, RFA, RFA, etc. I am not really sure whether YDD is confined strictly to VOA transmissions only. The YDD music is certainly NOT played at the beginning and end of each transmission shown! In many cases the transmitter has to jump to another frequency immediately. Or has just done so. Or is a crash-start to avoid interfering with some other station, or a DCI = drop carrier immediately, for the same purpose. This info is probably available only to internal IBB transmission schedules. But here is a start: 17565 GB 1630-1700 17615 SAI 0300-0700 17640 TIN 0100-0200 17670 IRA 0230-0430 KWT 0430-0630 IRA 1030-1100 WOF 1600-1700 [typo as WOR in original post; wonder why?] 17685 UDO 0400-0600 KWT 0630-1030 UDO 1030-1230 MOR 1400-1500 LAM 1500-1530 17695 TIN 0100-0200 17720 SAO 1400-1500 17725 MOR 1600-1630 17730 UDO 0700-0900 PHT 0900-1000 LAM 1000-1400 BOT 1400-1500 SAO 1700-1830 M-F 17745 BIB 1400-1600 MOR 1600-1700 17755 IRA 0800-1400 17765 PHT 0000-0300 17780 KWT 0600-0700 TIN 0700-1000 17785 MOR 1800-2000 17820 PHT 0030-0100 IRA 1100-1200 17835 SAI 0030-0130 17845 IRA 0600-0800 17855 IRA 0230-0330 PHT 0700-1100 KWT 1100-1200 17880 SAI 0300-0700 17895 BOT 1500-1600 MOR 1600-1700 MOR 1800-2000 19010 IRA 1230-1330 21500 TIN 0600-0700 21530 IRA 1000-1200 21555 DL 2100-2130 21690 TIN 0300-0600 DHA 0600-0700 21705 UDO 0700-0900 So you may monitor these frequencies just before or after the times shown, record the YDD, if any, then note its exact duration, style, etc., and send the audio file to us with all the particulars attached to it (Glenn Hauser, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) YDD is run only on VOA transmissions. It is not run before a DCI nor a crash start. If you chance on a "tune-up" frequency and hear YDD and it disappears right before a nearby VOA crash start, that was an operator error. Try to ascertain who the operator(s) were, and send a personal e-mail to them and you may get a QSL. If the higher-ups find out about such an OE, they may have a cow. If that OE happens at a supposed Greenville or Delano site, don't worry so much. The criminal tech will probably tell his supervisor (in a diplomatic sort of way) where to shove the transmitter. Elsewhere, American higher-ups are God. Here in US, they eat it uncooked. Tune-up frequencies are assigned by headquarters and are not top- secret. Head of monitoring or Kim Elliott can find out what they are. "Test Frequencies" also are not top secret, and for test music they have a limited choice of CDs chosen at whim by the tech on duty, and he or she will probably QSL such more readily than a "regular" transmission. He/she was there and dunnit. The late Ray Crites K1WW always played "In the Mood" by Dorsey at Delano. I don't remember what Greenville played, but it was less by whim and almost always consistent. You can find out that, too. "Borrowing" modulation from another program is a no-no. If you hear an IBB transmission where it's not supposed to be, that's an OE. If it came from a foreign site, blah blah; if from a domestic site, blah blah. OE rules apply. John Vodenik, Delano jvodenik @ del.ibb.gov may verify most anything including your grandmother's tea kettle. Tell him Charlie sent you. He will personally kill me. Tell him you are serious and he is able to determine, with much effort, which IBB transmission you really heard. Then he will kill me again. Herr Hauser served in government. He knows how much hooey flows. He helped fritter your tax dollars. Hope this confuses you more! CharlieT, retired transmitter troll and frequent acting shift supervisor (Charles A. Taylor, NC, June 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Despite Charlie`s earlier assumption about unique YDD versions at each site, so monitors in the know will be able to tell them apart, it seems to me that official monitors already know, having full access to schedules and latest changes (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Charlie-san and Glenn, I happened to come across this item by chance, and I have a rather simple comment... Huh?! Definitely a new one on me. Willing to investigate. Wire Paladin... oops, got carried away (Mike Hardester, NC, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: June 2, 1956: "Voice of America Radio Station's Site to Be Sold." The Bladen County (North Carolina) site, purchased by the government for $460,000, was supposed to be one of the "most powerful radio stations in the world." Its purpose during the Cold War: "to override Communist radio jamming." By David Frederiksen, Star-News Correspondent This historical perspective takes readers back to the Wilmington area of 100 and 50 years ago (from http://tinyurl.com/mlc4j via Mike Hardester, NC, DXLD) Mike, So that`s all there was to it. 1956 doesn`t make sense to me. Seems to me this was long before a Greenville site was even thought of for VOA. O, I see Bladen county is nowhere near G`ville, but down near Wilmington. Maybe the USG had bought a site there but sold it before ever developing it and eventually went with the Greenville triangle instead? Sure, it would be interesting to investigate this further. 73, (Glenn to Mike, via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. ANOTHER FORMER VOA STAFFER DIES Jerry McKinney, former managing editor at DC-based Voice Of America, died in rafting accident in New Mexico. McKinney ran the VOA newsroom until he returned to New Mexico in 2002. According to AP, McKinney, 68, died on 5/26 when his raft flipped on the rapids section of the Animas River, throwing himself and a 3-year-old girl into the water. The girl was rescued by another raft..... http://www.kobtv.com/index.cfm?viewer=storyviewer&id=25996&cat=NMTOPSTORIES posted by lou josephs at 1:20 AM Monday, May 29, 2006 (medianetwork blog via DXLD) OBIT ** U S A [non]. FUTURE MILITARY RADIO MENU COULD BE MORE POP, LESS TALK --- HIP-HOP-HEAVY CONTENT RECOMMENDED FOR STATIONS AROUND WORLD By Leo Shane III, Stars and Stripes Mideast edition, Saturday, June 3, 2006 WASHINGTON — Military radio stations around the globe soon could be playing more hip-hop, more pop hits, less country music and no sports or political chat shows. A media consulting group reviewing American Forces Radio has recommended those changes as a way to boost ratings. The analysis of the radio broadcasts is the first major review of the over-the-air offerings in more than a decade. Warren Lee, operations and plans officer for American Forces Radio and Television Services, said no decisions on programming changes have been made so far. But officials will meet Thursday to discuss the future of military radio, and the new review — conducted by Lund Media Research — will be the launching point for those discussions. To compile its recommendations, Lund surveyed 1,125 AFR listeners between January and April of this year, and conducted 10 focus groups in Europe over the same time period. (See graphic at end of story.) http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=37616 The biggest change proposed in the review would be centralizing most programming decisions in the United States, and creating a pair of music stations for broadcast worldwide. The first station would feature hip-hop, rap, pop music and other similar formats. A second station would have classic rock, alternative bands and a mix of other Top 40 songs. Popular talk radio programs such as Rush Limbaugh and those from National Public Radio, as well as country music, would be relegated to a third station, broadcast only in a few select areas with three military radio frequencies. Going, going, gone The Lund recommendations also include dumping play-by-play of American sports events from over-the-air broadcasts, noting that only a small audience listens to the events. Fewer than 15 percent of those surveyed said they had listened to baseball, basketball or hockey games on the radio in the preceding six months. Instead, those games will be offered through the cable channels only. In addition to broadcast radio, AFRTS offers a dozen radio formats via its cable and satellite television system, accessible only with the decoder boxes. The report also recommends removing the Tom Joyner show from over-the- air broadcasts as well, despite its popularity among minority troops. Several white respondents complained about the show, and Lund officials deemed it too controversial for AFR’s attempts to broaden its listening audience. Lund officials found talk radio — both sports and politics — aren’t a major draw for troops under 34 years old. Country music, while popular with some troops, is also despised by others, making it difficult to mesh with other musical formats. ``They said when we play country, we pull in the country fans but lose everyone else,`` Lee said. So the recommendations would relegate those talk shows and country acts mainly to the cable system, along with adult contemporary and oldies albums. ``AFRTS should get away from presenting blocks of different styles of music on the same station,`` the report said. ``Instead, present the most popular mainstream formats. Radio programming elements should complement each other to increase the time one spends listening to the station.`` Seacrest vs. Cronauer Andy Friedrich, deputy director for AFRTS, said that even if officials decide to accept the Lund plans, purchasing and installing the equipment necessary will push implementation to January 2007 at the earliest. And he emphasized that none of the ideas are forgone conclusions. ``We don`t have the funding issues of commercial stations in the United States, but we do have a message to sell to our audience,`` he said. ``So the question is, how do we grab the biggest share of the audience out there and still provide a service?`` The goal, Friedrich said, is to have the largest audience possible hear the radio stations’ hourly inserts on local news, servicewide alerts and other military information. Currently, the Armed Forces operate radio stations in 18 countries, each one receiving content from AFRTS headquarters in California. Decisions on what programs to air, when to air them and who should act as a DJ between songs are made at the local level. ``Traditionally, in areas where we`ve had two over-the-air stations, one has been different blocks of music and one has been news talk,`` Lee said. ``But this study is saying that might not necessarily be the way to get the best audience.`` Local DJs --- such as Adrian Cronauer, made famous in Robin Williams` portrayal in ``Good Morning, Vietnam`` --- would be replaced by prepackaged American hosts such as Ryan Seacrest, except for occasional regional call-in shows. Local news reports would still be produced and inserted into each hour of programming (Stars & Stripes June 4 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) Consultants ruin everything ** U S A. Found a loud and clear signal on 12180, where no stations are listed anywhere, June 3 at 2109 with Global Crisis Radio, Alex Jones, originating in Chicago, mentioning a new LPFM station in OKC carrying them, and ``the usual`` 25 meter band frequency. 9/11 conspiracy crap, the-government-did-it stuff. Was not listening around hourtop for ID, but still going at 2218, and this smax of WWRB. Checking their other usual frequencies, 6890 and 9385 were on, none parallel, while 11915-11920 and 15250 were not. WWRB website remains way out of date, no mention of 12180, still shows long-abandoned 9320. Considerably stronger on 12180 than WWCR on 12160. Wrapping up show at 2258, ``on RBN live``, 2300 sharp, Republic Broadcasting Network ID, and then WWRB ID for 12180. Dave says, ``in next couple days [sic] testing 12 decimal 180 instead of 11 decimal 920, in next week or so [sic]``. No timespan given; then more RBN programming. Global Crisis Radio --- not to be confused with the Global Crisis Watch, CRW podcast also on WRMI (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Then I find this item in my mailbox: Glenn, On 5765 kHz I am currently hearing the Alex Jones show. Good Reception. This is the first time I have heard his show on SW; it is usually an AM radio show. I started listening to it at (21:40 UTC) 9:40 PM MDT June 2, 2006. It is still on at 10:04 PM MDT (22:04 UTC) [sic] (Paul Armani, CO, DX LISTENING DIGEST) He must mean 0340 and 0404 UT Saturday June 3. 5765 is WWCR, with Info Wars, Alex Jones, scheduled 02-05 UT Tue-Sat. If there is anything about his radio scheduling at http://www.infowars.com or http://www.infowars.net it is well hidden (gh) ** U S A. On Ask WWCR (6/3/2006 #230), Dr. Jerry Plummer announced: WWCR is considering three different programs to replace the 15 minutes of DX Partyline that has been cut from the program. For the immediate future, Ask WWCR will be inserted. The DX Block begins at 0200 UT [Sunday] and airs on 5070 kHz. I am now listening to what is announced as the "new, condensed DX Partyline" which began at 0200 (Dan Srebnick (Aberdeen, NJ USA), dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) So did Ask WWCR also run at its original time just before this, 0145? (gh, ibid.) Yes, it did. The second Ask WWCR at 0215 was a different show which consisted of an interview with new Operations Manager. It will repeat next week at 0215 as well (Dan Srebnick, ibid.) ** U S A [non]. DGS audio via WWCR, and I think also Anguilla, is marred by a constant crackle, as if a satellite dish were slightly mis-aimed, but it could be on the uplink since it is heard on more than one station. But who cares? Seems like it is not as bad on Costa Rica (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WRMI stream, during the 0400 UT Sat June 3 WORLD OF RADIO, rebuffered every few seconds making it unlistenable, still the same during Viva Miami which followed. I doubted it was a problem on my broadband end, but Jeff was listening earlier and later than this and had no such problem. Meanwhile, 9955 was totally obliterated by jamming when checked around 0445; jamming off after 0500 but no signal audible anyway. Guess Jeff needs to get word to the DentroCuban Jamming Command as to when it is now safe to relent. Then on UT Sunday June 4, 9955 was audible but with jamming after 0515 with Aventura Diexista interviewing Dino Bloise, and jamming continued after WOR 1317 started at 0530. Thanks a lot, Arnie! I wouldn`t jam your show, even if I could (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Solar-terrestrial indices for 03 June follow. Solar flux 76 and mid- latitude A-index 3. The mid-latitude K-index at 0600 UTC on 04 June was 1 (6 nT). No space weather storms were observed for the past 24 hours (SEC via DXLD) ** U S A [non]. SOUTH AFRICA, CVC International, 4990 observed here from 1925 tune-in May 25th to abrupt 2205 off. It is in parallel to 15340 via Chile (Edwin Southwell, June WDXC Contact via DXLD) That explains the Brazilian accent, for sure (gh) ** U S A. WRNO and their insurance company cannot come to terms as previously thought. They cannot agree on a settlement amount, and are asking for prayers and donations. Do not have a current address (George S. Thurman, TX, June 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I spoke to WRNO May 5th. They are still in negotiations with the insurance company concerning their antenna and hope to be on now by the end of July or August (Hans Johnson, Florida, Jihad DX, via June WDXC Contact via DXLD) ** U S A. WFAN To Be Off Again --- WFAN-660 just announced (Saturday June 3 2325 ELT) they will be off the air again Sunday morning, June 4, at 0100. Might be 0100-0500, they say, or maybe just 0105-0120. Presumably WCBS-880 will be affected too as last night (David Yocis, June 3, NRC-AM via DXLD) UT -4 = 0500-0900 or 0505-0520 UT (gh) Thx for the tip. Maybe, just maybe I can log KTNN from here in Michigan. I heard them while in California a couple of years ago, and it was quite an experience just to hear the Navajo chants. A distinctive sound like should cut through other signals, at least that's what I'm hoping. And on 880, KRVN Omaha {sic} Nebraska would make a nice catch also. [Later:] Been listening for the last 10 minutes - they say from 1:05 to 5:00 but they will continue with their internet only broadcasting (Joe Miller, Troy MI, June 4, ibid.) ** U S A. NO MORE CLASSICAL MUSIC AT CT PUBLIC RADIO [June 04, 2006] EDITORIAL: Roll Over, Beethoven (Hartford Courant, The (CT) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Jun. 4 -- Classical music fans are going the way of the long-playing record, if you believe the trends at WNPR-FM, Connecticut's public radio station. The folks at 90.5, citing a precipitous drop in listeners and donations, have curtailed most of their regular classical broadcasts in favor of a news-talk format, including popular National Public Radio interview shows such as "Fresh Air." The drumbeat of change has been audible for more than a decade. In 1989, citing reduced listenership, WNPR-FM dropped "Morning Pro Musica" with Robert J. Lurtsema, a mainstay for classical music in New England. There were letters of protest at the time, but not enough to persuade the powers that be to bring back Bach and Brahms. With the fastest-growing demographic for classical music age 65 and older, few would blame the station for banking on younger customers who prefer words to symphonic music. Still, this is a sad development that has an "end of an era" feel. There was a time when the lives of classical composers were taught in most schools. Children could identify certain basic classical themes from music appreciation classes and field trips to local concerts. Many a future public radio listener learned to differentiate the flute from the piccolo or the bassoon from the oboe via Leonard Bernstein's Young Peoples` Concerts. The lulling effect - some would call it a civilizing influence - of classical music that attracted listeners of yore is needed now more than ever, yet it is perceived by most aficionados of hip-hop and rap as dull or boring fare. It is telling that classical music has been used all over the world in recent years to repel young troublemakers from public parks and rail stations. When blasted through loudspeakers, Mozart and Mahler have proven quite effective at chasing away drug dealers, vandals and loiterers. What an ignominious fate for such noble notes. Connecticut's public radio station will retain its live Saturday broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera in New York, recorded programs from the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and Connecticut Opera on "Sunday Spotlight," and the organ program "Pipe Dreams." Devotees will have to turn to other stations during the week to slake their thirst for Schubert, Mendelssohn, Chopin and Grieg. Internet radio and subscription services, too, offer classical content. But there's no denying that with the change in the format at WNPR, a cachet has been lost that distinguished public radio from mainstream outlets (via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) ** U S A. CHECK THE NUMBERS: RUMORS OF CLASSICAL MUSIC'S DEMISE ARE DEAD WRONG --- By ALLAN KOZINN May 28, 2006 EVERYONE has heard the requiems sung for classical music or at least the reports of its failing health: that its audience is graying, record sales have shriveled and the cost of live performance is rising as ticket sales decline. Music education has virtually disappeared from public schools. Classical programming has (all but) disappeared from television and radio. And 17 orchestras have closed in the last 20 years. All this has of late become the subject of countless blogs, news reports, books and symposiums, with classical music partisans furrowing their brows and debating what went wrong, what can still go wrong and whether it's too late to save this once-exalted industry. Moaning about the state of classical music has itself become an industry. But as pervasive as the conventional wisdom is, much of it is based on sketchy data incorrectly interpreted. Were things better in the old days? Has American culture given up on classical music? The numbers tell a very different story: for all the hand-wringing, there is immensely more classical music on offer now, both in concerts and on recordings than there was in what nostalgists think of as the golden era of classics in America. . . [registration required] http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/28/arts/music/28kozi.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print 73, (via John Wesley Smith, KC0HSB, DXLD) Heartening ** VIETNAM [non]. TAIWAN, 7380, Little Saigon Radio (presumed), June 2, *1500-1530*, at tune-in at 1458 found heavy splatter from 7375 (Chinese language station). ToH, on with assume Vietnamese song, man and woman talking in what I am fairly certain was Vietnamese till 1510 short musical fanfare, more talking by woman, played several songs (dramatic ballads), occasional brief piano selections, off with a tone. Poor, due to heavy QRM from 7375 (Ron Howard, Shanghai, China, Etón E5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 21 MAYO, 0834 UT, 3580 KHZ. Un Misterio. Música instrumental (guitarra), sin comentarios, sin identificación. Fin de transmisión a las 0837. Buena Calidad (Adán Mur, Ñemby, Paraguay, Conexión Digital June 4 via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. What sounded like DRM QRM centred on 9380, making WWRB Brother Scare 9385 almost inaudible at 1340 June 3, but the latter faded up and down a bit compared to the noise. However, no DRM found listed anywhere around 9380 at any time, so maybe it was some other digital interference (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 13620, rock music at 1403 Saturday June 3. Two clues from Eibi: 13620 1300-1600 KWT Radio Kuwait A Eu 13620 1400-1500 Th-Sa USA Voice of America IN SEA /MRA I suppose it could be either, tho strange to have music so close to hourtop (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 19000 exactly, some weak two-way, perhaps in Spanish, underneath the MHz birdie on the FRG-7 which also served to demodulate it, June 3 at 1358 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ WAS GREAT TO HEAR YOU LAUGH, MAN I was just listening to 865-7309 on WBCQ hosted by Jen and co-hosted by Allan Weiner. They were talking about how you hardly ever show emotion on your broadcast; talking about how neat it would be to hear you laugh on air. So N9EWO sent in a clip of you laughing on a old broadcast you did. About the bird droppings on the island, and all the details of that story. Hilarious stuff, man. A great moment caught in time. I listen to your broadcasts every chance I get on my Radio Shack DX-375. I`ve contacted you before, numerous times, mainly from WebTV though I have a real computer now. Bye, (Kelly Bogues aka Rabishu (Seminole, TX), KB7RX) http://www.rfma.net/archives/000762.html LANGUAGE LESSONS ++++++++++++++++ SPANISH DIALECTS, ACCENTS AND USAGE Glenn, Re: DXLD 6-082. I agree with Henrik Klemetz about the particular way Chileans say words with "G" or "J". I also agree with Carlos Gonçalves that Argentines speak Spanish with an Italian intonation, although I never thought we Uruguayans did too! :-) I think it is most obvious in the Buenos Aires Province and can be easily traced down to the Italian immigration during the 19th century, which reached both Argentina and Uruguay. Also, it is true that Spanish spoken in South America is very different from that spoken in Spain, not only in accent but also in word usage. I understand that some words used here are in fact archaisms from the times of the Spanish Colony, for instance the "vos" and "ustedes" (i.e. singular and plural forms for "you") used in the Rio de la Plata area instead of "tú" and "vosotros" used in Spain, which are supposedly more modern forms. BTW you will find that the Spanish spoken by the announcers from Radio Bata (Equatorial Guinea), is similar to that spoken in Spain, something that could be expected as Spain retired from that country only 40 years ago. As to the question made by Raúl Saavedra, in Uruguay it is most usual to say "vos" much in the same way as in Argentina, but only in casual talk, as we also use the "che" to informally call the attention of a friend or relative to whom we are talking. I remember that when I was a child I was taught in school that "tú" was correct and cultured, while "vos" was used by uneducated people. This has changed lately. Also, I have heard that in some areas in the Lavalleja and Rocha "departamentos" (counties) people still preferred to use the "tú" instead of "vos"; however I am not sure if this is still true, given the enormous impact of the mass media based at Montevideo as well as the influence of Argentine TV shows seen here. The whole panorama of accents is of course much more complex than what has said here, as people within each country have different accents according to the region where they live, and people living near the national borders tend to speak much like their neighbours across the border. Thankfully, DXers do not need to learn all these variations as radio is usually made by professional announcers who tend to speak a "neutral" Spanish everywhere. 73, (Moisés Knochen, Montevideo, Uruguay, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Yes but can be clues to unIDs (gh, DXLD) Cuban Spanish is sometimes slower than Mexican, but the important distinction is that enunciation or clarity of words is more woolly with the Cubans. The words sound muffled or slurred (Bill Mitchell, WTFDA via DXLD) DIGITAL BROADCASTING DRM: see NEW ZEALAND; SERBIA; UNIDENTIFIED 9380 ++++++++++++++++++++ IBOC marketing... (Said this a couple of years ago, think it's likelier than ever now...) IBOC is really about two things, neither of which are intended to benefit the consumer (my logic here just follows the lines of maximum return on greed) - On the strictly radio side it'll kill a lot of the less well funded independents both on AM and FM (guess which entities stand to benefit from that?) Then, once the miserable long and medium distance performance of the system has become an established fact it'll then be used as justification for the FCC to be told by its corporate masters to issue many, many more licenses (AM and FM) to compensate, translator/repeater-like, for these shortcomings. (Can we guess what entities will also benefit from that?) From the strategic viewpoint, it's performing the function of grooming the public to accept the digital Trojan Horse. Once this medium (like television and home media delivery systems) is fully digital and not analog, upgrading a little further with good stuff like the 'cannot be recorded' flag in the data stream becomes an accomplished fact. The RIAA will be *very* happy when that happens and the various vendors/broadcasters will gain all kinds of sellable services from it. Only reason the change in radio isn't being forced on us by the government (a la HDTV) is because the boys on Pork Barrel Hill can't sell the spectrum to corporate interests. The upshot of this will be many more stations (mostly indistinguishable) and simultaneous reduction of choice in programming, most of which you will not even be able to record anyway. It will, however, add considerably to shareholder value for the corporate entities involved in all this. There are a couple of flies in the ointment in all this, though - the internet and satellite delivered systems. They'll have to be bought out (in the case of satellite services) or legislated against (in the case of the 'net) before the shareholder's perfect media world can come into existence. I figure they have at least five years before they can safely be moved against. But don't be surprised if you read that terrestrial radio entity Megacorp Broadcasting has bought XM or Sirius before three or four years more have passed (Lee Reynolds, KD1SQ, June 1, NRC-AM via DXLD) I agree with you mostly, but I have to wonder whether or not either of the above things will actually occur. I agree they may be attempted, but 5 years from now, I don't believe it will be possible to legislate or regulate against programming on the net - in fact I'm not sure it could happen right now. It's too big, too international and too pervasive. And in that same time I believe that since all of the other things will benefit satellite radio to the extent that it will have become so successful that buying it out won't be a viable option either financially or practically. The occurrences in terrestrial radio you've predicted will be both the best-case scenario for satellite radio and the undoing of the terrestrial media entities. If your 'Megacorp' doesn't act within a year or so to buy out satellite, I don't see it happening at all. My 'fearless prediction': satellite subscription TV will launch within the next few years and quite possibly play out in a parallel way (Russ Edmunds, PA, WB2BJH, ibid.) THE END OF ANALOG TV BROADCASTS IS NEAR Read the full article at: http://www.reed-electronics.com/eb-mag/article/CA6339516?ref=nbcs& To apply for your own free subscription to Electronic Business, just click here now: http://www.eb-mag.com/sub (via Curtis Sadowski, IL, June 4, WTFDA Soundoff via DXLD) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ ADVICE RE MY TROPICAL QTH ANTENNA 'FARM' Slightly OT, but I would welcome practical advice about my proposed DX antenna 'farm' on the paradise island of Phuket, Thailand. There is more info and a photo on my website at http://www.naiyangparadise.com/dxphuket.html Thanks! (Simon Luttrell, simonluttrell @ yahoo.com June 3, HCDX via DXLD) THE ALUMINUM FOIL DEFLECTOR BEANIE This site is dedicated to spreading the word about the Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanie and how it can help the average human. Here you will find a description of AFDBs, how to make and use them, and general information about related subjects. I hope that you find the AFDB Homepage to be an important source of AFDB know-how and advocacy. http://zapatopi.net/afdb/ (via Robert Ellis, Beaconsfield, Quebec, June Radio HF Internet Newsletter via DXLD) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ NEW CD --- RADIO PENNANTS OF THE WORLD The most comprehensive and complete listing of radio pennants from all over the World, Copyright by Andy Schmid, Germany Complete HTML-multimedia presentation of all pennants shown in the Radio Pennant Museum --- 2600 Radio pennants from 102 different countries. Price: 30.- Euro. More information have: SchmidAndy @ aol.com 73, (Paul Gager, Austria, June 4, BDXC-UK via DXLD) VOICE OF AMERICA: A HISTORY You quoted Alan Heil on WOR 1317. It just happens that I am reading his book. For those blind people who receive talking books in the US, the National Library Service order number is RC58786. As I have just begun the book, I am not going to write my reactions yet, but, when I finish, I will write something that perhaps you can use. Regards, (Tim Hendel, Huntsville AL, June 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) FOR THE DXERS IN ASIA; "TV-FM DXING GUIDE 2006" For the DXers in the mainland China, Taiwan and Korea; "TV-FM DXing Guide 2006" Issue "TV-FM DXing Guide 2006" (in Japanese, pages 211) is issued from JVUDXC on 1st May 2006. This book is the one that has been issued aiming to open the all reception informations and the domestic the TV, FM broadcasters listing etc to the public, and the use of the TV-FM DXers in Japan. By the way, We decided the starting to sell for the DXers in the mainland China, Taiwan and Korea. we thought that despite using in Japanese on this publications, the DXers in Mainland China, Taiwan and Korea can understand the contents. because there are the characters mainly Arabic numerical (ex. 89.1 MHz) and Kanji/Hanzi(ex.??) in it and I noticed that they are interested in the TV, FM broadcasting in Japan. "TV-FM DXing Guide 2006" is edited the two chapters, one is the reception listing and the other chapter is the domestic TV, FM, STL, MW lists. The reception listing on TV and FM station inside and outside the country after 2001 is arranged separately by classification by countries and the propagation modes(grand wave, meteor scatter, radioduct, F2/Es/TEP), and it is useful for chapter of the reception listing to know what kind of DX can receive it. The chapter of domestic TV, FM, STL, MW lists sorted by frequency and by transmitter site area. Also there are the address of the All stations. Moreover, special contribution "TV-DX of the terrestrial digital broadcasting and watch the test transmitting (in Japanese)" is also described. The mainland China, Taiwan, and South Korea inquires 2,000yen with air shipping expense contais. If you need more informations, you can send email to me, and refer to the page for details http://www5a.biglobe.ne.jp/~mitu/guide2006.html (HUKUNAGA, Mituhiro "Mitu", 3. Jun. 2006 JVUDXC, Japan V-UHF DXers Circle, http://www5a.biglobe.ne.jp/~mitu/eng.htm dxing.info via DXLD) MUSEA +++++ BVWS GARDEN PARTY Don't know if any other members are also members of the British Vintage Wireless Society or BVWS. Every year around this time they have their garden party at the vintage wireless museum in Dulwich, SE London. This year`s garden party was today and was special as it was also their 30th anniversary. The museum is in a large Victorian house. The curator, Gerry Wells, was born in the house in 1929 and still lives there. To step in, there is a timewarp, 30's wallpaper, brass light switches (genuine ones, not B&Q repros), china ceiling roses with silk-covered twisted flex leading to brass lampholders with art deco shades. Every room and corridor space is filled with wirelesses and associated equipment. Gerry's bedroom is downstairs and even this room has a large rack containing the old standards converter the London ITV transmitter along with early TV and PA equipment. There's more. Down the garden are numerous large sheds which extend across the neighbours` garden as well. (I gather their land was purchased a few years ago). These sheds contain even more exhibits and also Gerry's workshops. There is even a coil winding workshop. These sheds have their own central heating boiler; well, can't have the exhibits getting damp, can we? The garden party was very enjoyable and extended into the neighbours` gardens on both sides. There was an excellent buffet meal with wine, and a band entertained us. There were the usual raffle and lucky dip, etc., with vintage items as prizes. There was also a "boot sale" in one of the sheds and I came away with a nice HMV table radio model no 1122 for a very reasonable £15. I've already carefully powered it up slowly on a variac and am pleased to say it works on all three wavebands, LW, MW, and SW 16 to 50m with only a slight background hum. I've now found a place for it in my front room (Gareth Foster, England, June 4, BDXC-UK via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ PROJECT WEST FORD In May 1963, the US Air Force launched 480 million tiny copper needles that briefly created a ring encircling the entire globe. They called it Project West Ford. The engineers behind the project hoped that it would serve as a prototype for two more permanent rings that would forever guarantee their ability to communicate across the globe. http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=516#more-516 (via Skip Arey, Beverly, New Jersey, June Radio HF Internet Newsletter via DXLD) TIPS FOR RATIONAL LIVING ++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Annotated "You Might Be In Radio If....List" From Corey Deitz, Your Guide to Radio. Click The Links For More Explanations YOU MIGHT BE IN RADIO IF... you turn up the radio excitedly at the sound of dead air on your competitor's station. YOU MIGHT BE IN RADIO IF... you have 37 unlabeled 15 minute cassettes in your back seat. . . [many more] http://radio.about.com/cs/funradiothings/a/blinradioif.htm Just for fun :-) This is a link to a web site with all kinds of articles about radio. Here's one article I thought was interesting. Even as a listener I fit into some of these categories! See how many describe you;-) Enjoy, (Brian VA3BAH A. Hopkins, ODXA via DXLD) ###