DX LISTENING DIGEST 6-084, June 6, 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 AIRING OF WORLD OF RADIO 1317: Wed 0930 WWCR 9985 SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1318: Wed 2200 WBCQ 7415 Wed 2300 WBCQ 18910-CLSB Fri 2030 WWCR 15825 Sat 0400 WRMI 9955 Sat 0800 WRN 13865 DRM via Bulgaria Sat 1430 WRMI 7385 Sat 1600 WWCR 12160 [or later] Sun 0230 WWCR 5070 [start varies 0225-0235] Sun 0530 WRMI 9955 Sun 0630 WWCR 3215 Mon 0300 WBCQ 9330-CLSB 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 DX/SWL/MEDIA PROGRAMS June 6: http://www.worldofradio.com/dxpgms.html ** ALAND ISLANDS. Vi förhandlar fortfarande med olika landägare för uppsättning av en starkare sändare samt antenn/mast. Vårt mål är att komma igång snarast möjligt med effekten 5-50 kW. Under tiden tills det är löst, senast 1 oktober 2006, kommer tillfälliga sändningar med 1,5 kW. Vi har förhandlingar med olika delägare som har intresse att sända över 603 khz. Med 50 kW, når vi mer än 50% av alla invånare i Sverige, Finland och Estland dagtid. Det finns mer än en am-mottagare per invånare i varje land. Best regards from (Roy Sandgren http://www.radio603.info.se (1/6-2006) via Ydun`s MW Info via DXLD) How about a translation? ** ANTARCTICA. 15475, 1830 2/6/2006, RN Arcángel San Gabriel, Spanish, melhor escuta em 15476 em USB. Noticias, seleção Argentina na Alemanha. Fala muitas vezes sobre a cidade de Córdoba 34333 APLN (Antônio Louzada, AOR 7030, Sony 7600GR, Kenwood R2000, Grundig Satellit 800, LongWire 25m Balun PY8ELO-WB61, PORTO ALGRE - RS, Brasil, radioescutas yg via WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DXLD) Any Gabon QRM?? (gh, DXLD) Hi Glenn, I checked 15476 yesterday at about 2010 and heard absolutely nothing (Steve Lare, Holland, MI USA, June 6, WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. Hello George - I'm just back from commissioning two new transmitters for RA at our Brandon station in Far North Queensland (about 70 km south of Townsville). They still running at 10 kW, are 20 kW rated so should be reliable --- and they can do DRM so I will think about some limited DRM test transmissions later this year. If I can extend the hours of operation of the Brandon station there might be a chance you will be able to hear the "Coral Sea" service on 080 degrees (currently 12080 kHz 2000 - 1200 UT). Kind regards (Nigel Holmes, RA, to monitor George Poppin, June 6, via WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. Two-transmitter operation at HCJB here commenced May 31, one of them moved from Ecuador (Allan Graham, DX Partyline June 3, notes by gh for DX LISTENING DIGEST) Previously claimed April 30 (gh) ** AUSTRALIA [non]. Found CVC on new 15795, June 5 at 1358 with English announcement giving their website http://cvc.tv and 1400 into newscast billed as ``CVC Network News, your global link``, by woman with sorta Oz accent. Variety oF world news items starting with something bad in Iraq. Apparently CVC think 40% of a 5-minute news block should be devoted to stupid ballgames since the last 2 minutes were about tennis, basketball, cricket; how oecumenical! 15795 does not yet appear in any of the usual online A-06 schedules. Per 6-059, this frequency is reserved for DRM from France: 15795 0800-1800 28S,29S,39N ISS 30 88 N Various F NEW TDF And per 6-055, the only other use of 15795 is AIR Chinese (to NE Asia) 1145-1315 11840(Kh) 15795(B) But it is on CVC`s website for English broadcasts http://www.cvc.tv/go/fuseaction/schedule.main/lang/english as a new entry made 31 May: 15795 kHz 14:00 UTC 17:00 UTC Middle East 31/05/2006 This follows another new one the same date: 17860 kHz 12:00 UTC 14:00 UTC Middle East 31/05/2006 While we are at it, a couple more recent changes, dated 23 May: 13830 kHz 12:00 UTC 15:00 UTC Western Russia 23/05/2006 13800 kHz 15:00 UTC 17:00 UTC Western Russia 23/05/2006 The 13 MHz ones were already in 6-081 under GERMANY as Jülich, 60 degrees, both with collisions. On the CVC website, of course, no transmitter sites specified. The original A-06 CVC schedule showed only two entries for English during this time period: 1100-1800 Asia 13635 (via Australia) 1500-1800 Nigeria 15715 (via Wertachtal) I did not check either frequency to see if one were missing. If it is the Nigeria service, it would be on the air earlier than before. Perhaps these are both additional services, since the targets are different, Middle East and Western Russia (even tho the webpage insists on giving times in India and Indonesia for them as well, which I have deleted). (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Solar-terrestrial indices for 04 June follow. Solar flux 76 and mid- latitude A-index 1. The mid-latitude K-index at 1500 UTC on 05 June was 2 (14 nT). No space weather storms were observed for the past 24 hours (SEC via DXLD) GERMANY New transmissions of CVC International in English via DTK T- Systems 1200-1400 on 17860 JUL 100 kW / 105 deg to WeAs, June 1 till August 31 1400-1700 on 15795 JUL 100 kW / 160 deg to WeAs, June 1 till August 31 (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, June 6, via WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. 4650.20, 2223 04/06/2006, R. Santa Ana, Santa Ana Del Yacuma, OM mx SS 25242. 4716.80, 1030 04/06/2006, R. Yura, Yura, YL talk quechua, 45444. 4746.90, 2226 04/06/2006, R. Huanta, Huanta, OM mx SS, 45343. 4796.40, 2230 04/06/2006, R. Malky, Uyuni, OM mx SS, 35343. 6025.00, 2307 04/06/2006, R. Illimani, La Paz, ID OM talk SS ...De Bolivia para el mundo ..., 55555. Receptor: JRC NRD 525. MFJ SW/MW/LW TUNER Mod. MFJ - 956. Ameco Mod. PT-3 Pré amplificador de RF. Fones: Kenwood HS -5. Portable Cassette Recorder Marantz PMD 201. Antena Delta Loop (14,37 . 14,37 . 14,37 na horizontal alimentada nocanto esquerdo da base) (Ulysses A Galletti, Cidade: Itatiba - S.P., radioescutas yg via DXLD) ** BULGARIA. R. Bulgaria, 2300 broadcast in English on 11700 to NAm is now in the clear, as checked June 5, thanks to HCJB moving back to the frequency it was supposed to be on, 11720; qv (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BURKINA FASO. R. Burkina, 5030, *0529-0555+ May 29, sign-on with NA and 0530 into French talk. Local African folk music. Poor, mixing with a strong Gene Scott [Costa Rica 5030] (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. International Broadcaster use of podcasting continues to expand [see also GERMANY, NEW ZEALAND] Why mention podcasts in a shortwave club journal? Primarily because the trend in international broadcasting is to diversify the ways people can listen to programming. Shortwave, local FM rebroadcast, satellite radio, live webcast, on-demand webcast, and podcast are all part of the ``tool kit`` broadcasters have at their disposal. Since the Easy Listening column is all about the content of programming, I feel it`s worth the effort to highlight the diverse ways available to a listener to listen to well-crafted, interesting programming from perspectives that traditionally were limited to shortwave technology to reach a global audience. Hopefully you`ll agree with this line of reasoning! CBC Canada Radio Canada International`s domestically focused parent, CBC Radio, has recently launched a series of podcasts for programs that air only on the domestic CBC Radio services, as well as some which air on RCI`s North American service in the mornings. A few programs are podcast in their entirety – Dispatches and Quirks and Quarks. Others have weekly ``best of`` editions – As It Happens (20 minutes in a recent edition), The Current (48 minutes), Ideas (53 minutes), and Definitely Not the Opera (25 minutes). There are also weekly podcasts taken from the various regional morning and afternoon programs on local CBC stations, such as Toronto This Week and Manitoba This Week. There are also irregularly scheduled podcasts from Sounds Like Canada and Words At Large, taken from CBC programs that feature books and interviews with authors. In my opinion, the gem among all these is a daily podcast called Editor`s Choice. It`s a sampling from various CBC Radio programming; recent editions were all spoken-word programming; Freestyle was the source for one recent edition. The features recently podcast in Editor`s Choice ranged from 7 to 17 minutes in length. You can find the CBC`s podcast offerings at http://www.cbc.ca/podcasting/ (Richard Cuff, Easy Listening, June NASWA Journal via DXLD) ** CANADA. Ad oggi questo e' il miglior risultato di ascolto "dx" in DRM, tra l'altro l'impianto utilizzato usa "solo" 100 kW in DRM. Un altro ottimo DX in DRM e' stato l'ascolto "in mobile" del segnale di CBC dal Canada sui 9800 kHz effettuato in macchina tra Latina e Roma. Qui ci sono le foto di quello strano test: http://mediasuk.org/iw0hk/drm_mobile.htm (Andrea IW0HK Borgnino, June 6, bclnews.it via DXLD) ** CANADA. Re 6-083: Only one logging to report during the WFAN and WCBS absence: CKLQ, 880, Brandon, Manitoba, 6/4/06, 0530 (UT) or 0130 EDT. Country music format, with weather in Celsius but without the corresponding Fahrenheit, station ID, leading into the country classic "High on a mountain of love". I also managed to go to their website, and listened a live internet broadcast playing the same song, although there was a slight time delay. Fair signal but peaked and faded several times. Manitoba #2. (Joe Miller, Troy MI, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** CANADA [and non]. For many years CKLW verifications were sent out by Ed Buterbaugh's secretary. Ed was CKLW chief engineer, and later chief engineer of WJR. He was a panelist for me a couple of times when I was the moderator of technical panels/seminars for the old NRBA (originally NAFMB, later merged with NAB) conventions. He was a major figure in station engineering matters for serious heavy duty high test rock and roll AM (Ben Dawson, June 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA [non]. Canadian TV relayed in Cortez, Colorado: see U S A ** COLOMBIA. R. Líder, 6139.79, 0600-0630+ May 29. Irregular; 0600 ID, 0601 news. Many IDs, romantic Spanish ballads. Fairly strong but some slop from DW on 6140. Best in ECSS-LSB (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Had been missing for 2 weeks, I think (gh) ** DJIBOUTI. QSL; 4780. Full data letter and beautiful station sticker in nine months for a French Report (Steve Price, Johnstown, PA, June 5, ODXA via DXLD) ** ECUADOR. There are two pages of photos from a 2001 visit to HCJB at http://www.kkn.net/gallery/hcjb Some striking 1999 photos of HCJB, Quito and the local wildlife at Tim Totten NG4N`s website http://www.n4gn.com/hc8/ [local? HC8 implies Galápagos --- gh] An illustrated travelogue by Jack Wagoner covering the 1970s and 1980s at http://www.netwalk.com/~fsv/homepage3.htm (Chris Brand, Webwatch, June BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** ECUADOR. Re 6-081: HCJB confirmed June 5 at 2330 moved from 11700 to 11720 in Spanish, in the clear, and equally in the clear now, R. Bulgaria in English on 11700. Thank you, Allen Graham. I don`t see this impacting any other station, except the monthly Scandinavian Weekend Radio, which could use 11690 instead of 11720 at this time. Even tho DX Partyline has been ``condensed`` to 14:30 length, surprise2, it still contains a hefty `Tip for Real Living`. On the first show, June 3, TFRL lasted 3:35, or 25 percent of the show. That of course, would be equivalent to 7:15 or so if it were the 29:30-long show it used to be. This is progress? And why is it that those who are Spanish-speaking are spared this proselytizing? See below (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [and non] "AVENTURA DIEXISTA" (( HCJB )) - Cada semana, Allen Graham y Juan Carlos Chimarro nos traen el espacio "Aventura Diexista" con informaciones del mundo del DX y comunicaciones en general, con la colaboración de sus corresponsales especializados Pedro Sedano desde España y Dino Bloise en los Estados Unidos. HCJB World Radio Programa "Aventura Diexista" Casilla 17-17-691 Quito - Ecuador Su correo electrónico: amigos @ hcjb.org.ec Su página Web: http://www.vozandes.org/ Horarios de Transmisión por HCJB: Sábado a las 1440 UT por 6050, 9745, 11690, 11960 y 21455 usb. Domingos a las 2240 UT por 6050, 12000 y 21455 usb. Horario de transmisión por WRMI: Sábados ut 0515-0530 en 9955 kHz Domingos ut 1415-1430 en 7385 kHz Lunes ut 0545-0600 en 9955 kHz (from http://es.geocities.com/programasdx/aventuradx.htm where the latest audio is linked, plus archives, via WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DXLD) So the times on HCJB are a bit earlier than I thought. The old shorter version used to vary start-time quite a bit, perhaps less so now. As I said, this week`s 4-6 show has an interview with Dino Bloise. He`s Dominican, but has lived in the US for a long time, NY, NJ, and now S FL, which reminds him a lot of the DR, almost like home. He used to produce a show called Monitor DX, which was carried on several stations, including BBC. Alen Grajam invited him to make a monthly contribution to Aventura Diexista. Guess what? In Spanish there is no equivalent Tip for Real Living, just 15 solid minutes of on-topic programming! Including a WRMI ID at the conclusion, so that is where the audio file came from (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [non]. HCJB WORLD RADIO SET TO RESPOND TO INDONESIA QUAKE http://www.hcjb.org/news/hcjb_world_radio_in_the_news/hcjb_world_radio_set_to_respond_to_indonesia_quake_2.html (via Bruce Atchison, AB, DXLD) No, not HCJB Australia (gh) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. R. Nacional, Bata, 5005, 2245-2301* May 27, Spanish talk, African hi-life music. 2258 sign-off with 3-minute NA. Weak but in the clear (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EUROPE. Pirate, Laser Hot Hits, 6275, 0505-0530+ May 29, Beatles` music, IDs. Merlin, Ontario, mail drop. 60s rock music; fair (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) That`s pretty late for Ireland in summer; must be about sunrise (gh, DXLD) ** EUROPE. Hi Glenn, Just a brief note to let you know that last evening on 5 June 2006, from 0207 until 0240 UT, on 6218/6219 kHz I tentatively picked up Mystery Radio. The signal came in quite well at my location -- SINPO 35333, S7 dB on my Drake R8A. I have no idea where this station is located, though mention has been made that Italy might be the QTH. The program consisted of continuous music, of a European disco/pop style, with an ID at 0212 that was unclear. However, the format fits Mystery Radio, though I didn't hear Michael Jackson's "Thriller." I was actually trying to pick up Laser Hits, listed in June 2006 NASWA Journal as on this frequency. Free Radio Weekly #537 does not provide a mail drop for this station. Do you have any idea where I might try to send a reception report? Thanks, (Ed Insinger, edi @ aircast.com NJ, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Not sure, but I think they have no address and no QSL. Maybe they will see your report here and QSL if they wish (gh, DXLD) ** FINLAND. Radio Finland QSLs --- Hi, to send reception reports to Radio Finland, the correct address is: Digita Oy, Porin lyhytaaltokeskus, Makholmantie 79, FI-28660 Pori, Finland or raimo.makela @ yle.fi I've heard that people think Radio Finland doesn't respond, but they are sending to wrong addresses! (AnlaShok, June 6, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GABON. R. Gabon, 4777, *0458-0530+ May 29. Sign-on with French opening announcements. 0459 NA, 0500 French talk. 0501 IDs, African hi-life music. Fair-good (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. DEVELOPMENTS AT DEUTSCHE WELLE Like the BBC World Service and Radio France International before it, Deutsche Welle has eliminated shortwave broadcasts targeting North America. Some DW broadcasts targeting Africa, however, can be heard reasonably well here, though at somewhat inconvenient times. North American options other than shortwave include the following: * 24/7 English language webcast at http://www.dw.world.de * All DW English language programming is also available on-demand, though only the past 7 days’ worth, or one edition, as appropriate, of each program is available. * Podcast offerings have recently been expanded, as mentioned below. * Sirius satellite radio subscribers can hear Newslink Plus every weeknight at 9 PM ET (0100 UT Tue-Sat) on channel 136, PRI World. Listeners who have been tuning into DW since the 1980s probably remember the weekend Larry’s Random Selection, a weekly look at offbeat items from the news, along with a weekly salutation from ``Jessie, the cat what am``. I always found Larry Wayne`s offbeat sense of humor enjoyable. Fast forward to 2006: DW now offers a weekly newsletter, called ``Germany Light``, that includes ``weird and wonderful`` stories from around Germany. To be sure, it isn`t radio, but if you`re a fan of offbeat news, you`ll want to subscribe to this weekly newsletter. See http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1410678,00.html or simply type ``Germany Light`` into the search box at the main DW website. Dialogue Dialogue is a new program in Deutsche Welle`s English language service. It`s a weekly half hour that combines several stories regarding religion. The stories selected focus on the interactions between religious matters and greater society, quite often focusing on conflicts between religious groups of different faiths, and conflicts between religious groups and government or cultural institutions. A typical program might cover five stories, which seems to be a good balance between breadth of coverage and individual story depth. Dialogue airs at times scattered from Friday through Sundays: Fridays, 1630 and 1730; Saturdays, 0830 and 1830; Sundays, 1430; Mondays, 0230, 0430, 0530 and 0630. While DW no longer targets North America via shortwave, past listening suggests the 0630 airing on 17860 (from Kigali, Rwanda) is probably the best bet, as the other hours that typically work well to North America, particularly the 2100 UT airings on 11865 and 15205 kHz, don`t include any airings of Dialogue. Your other listening alternatives include the live DW webcast, for any of these airings, plus the on-demand program archive at the DW website for the current week`s edition. Older archives don`t appear to be kept. Podcasting DW has been gradually increasing its podcasting offerings. Programs offered as podcasts include Inspired Minds, Living Planet, Newslink Plus, Sports Report, Inside Europe and – get this -- Slowly Spoken News Reports, DW`s German language version of the Voice of America`s Special English newscasts. Best place to find DW podcasts is their own website, http://www.dw-world.de/english/podcasts (Richard Cuff, Easy Listening, June NASWA Journal via DXLD) ** GREECE. Updated summer A-06 of ERA-5 Voice of Greece in Greek from May 11 [when Kavala/IBB cooperation ceased]: 1900-0555 on 7475 1100-1000 on 9420 0500-1000 on 12120 0600-1000 on 15630 1100-1855 on 15630 Radio Fillia (Interprogramme) in Arabic, German, Russian, Spanish, Romanian, Turkish, Serbian, Bulgarian, Albanian, French, Polish and English: 1300-1900 on 7430 cancelled all! ERA-3 Radiofonikos Stathmos Makedonias in Greek: 1100-1655 on 9935 1700-2255 on 7450 (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, June 6, via WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DXLD) ** ICELAND. Re 6-083: Iceland is thoroughly European, and is in ITU Region I, although the AFRS transmitter was on one of the frequencies (1530) divisible by both 9 and 10, and therefore could cause confusion to the unwary (Ben Dawson, June 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. I have been keeping an eye on the Cartoon Network schedule, in case Space Ghost Coast to Coast reappear, but no. that is not enough. He and his cohorts were back in their usual timeslot, approx 0445 UT Monday June 5, nevertheless, apparently as unbilled fill to some other program starting that half hour. I think I have seen every episode, however, and no new ones are being produced, AFAIK. Then I watch my tape: no, have not seen this one, about the death(?) of SG. From what followed on Adult Swim, apparently a memorial tribute to Alex Toth, credited with the original SG design, and his son has set up http://www.tothfans.com (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL WATERS [and non]. WHERE to LISTEN on HF RADIO With the demise of the WUN Club we have to look elsewhere. The best compilation of frequencies used during last year`s Katrina disaster and its aftermath has been put together by Hugh Stegman on his Website. Hugh is well known to Monitoring Times readers for his informative and reliable Utility World column. His clickable site is listed below. It is too lengthy to list here. Please read his notes before proceeding to the frequency list. http://www.ominous-valve.com/hurrlist.txt (Robert Ellis, Worldwide Utility Column, June CIDX Messenger via DXLD) ** IRAN [non]. U.S. STATION SEEKS EAR OF IRAN'S YOUTHS --- RADIO FARDA GOES EASY ON THE NEWS, HEAVY ON POP MUSIC TO CAPTURE VAST UNDER-30 AUDIENCE By David Finkel Washington Post Staff Writer Monday, June 5, 2006; A13 The typical listener is probably a male (but might be a female), most likely under 30 (but might be over), and is almost certainly listening in a house (but might be in a car). When it comes to knowing its audience, the U.S.-funded Radio Farda knows only two things for sure: that the audience is surreptitiously listening somewhere inside Iran, and that the Iranian government doesn't want anyone to hear what a U.S.-funded radio service has to say. How, then, does Radio Farda -- which receives about $7 million in federal funding and is hoping for substantially more as the United States expands its push for democracy in Iran -- decide on what to broadcast to such an audience? The answer can be found in an anonymous office building off Interstate 95 in Northern Virginia. There, past the guard, past the magnetometer, through the controlled-access doors and at the very far desk in a quiet room, Sara Valinejad is about to click a computer mouse and determine what any Iranian with an AM or shortwave radio, or an Internet connection, will be able to hear the following day. The guiding philosophy: "In Iran, they don't allow you to be happy," says Valinejad, 30, who emigrated from Iran 10 years ago. Radio Farda, she says, is intended to do the opposite. . . http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/04/AR2006060400890_pf.html (via Mike Hardester, DXLD) So she pix all the music on Farda? (gh) Same: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/04/AR2006060400890.html (via Mike Barraclough, dxldyg via DXLD) The tone of the article sounds skeptical. And well it should be. Not that popular music -- Western or Persian -- is bad content. It's just a very thin reed on which to rest an important international radio service. Seems that the consultants (Kleineman) think young Iranians want exactly what young Americans want. Is that why the U.S. stations they advise are losing listeners in droves to satellite radio? A lot of money has been spent on Farda...A LOT! This seems a very poor (and poorly planned, designed) return on that investment. Especially when one considers what has been dismantled in order to build it (John Figliozzi, 06.06.06 - 6:44 pm, Media Network blog via DXLD) ** IRAQ. "RADIO TIKRIT" BACK ON THE AIR IN IRAQ A little over three years ago, a radio station called Radio Tikrit came on the air in Iraq as part of the US psyops campaign. Now, the city of Tikrit - the birthplace of Saddam Hussein - again has US- operated radio station. This time, it's being run by the 3rd Brigade Combat team, 101st Airborne Division, and the purpose is to try to open lines of communication between the Coalition Forces and their Iraqi neighbours. The military are concerned about the deteriorating security situation in the area. The station's programming includes live call-in shows, enabling local citizens to express their feelings and ask questions. (Source: Army News Service) # posted by Andy @ 11:47 UT June 5 (Media Network blog via DXLD) WTFK?? ** IRELAND. THE PIRATE SCENE --- An interesting article about this, which apparently started during Easter week 1916. Rebels occupied the Irish School of Wireless Telegraphy at the corner of what is now O`Connell Street and Lower Abbey Street [Dublin?], and got an old ship`s transmitter working. They broadcast the news about the Easter Rising from 5:30 pm on Easter Tuesday [?] until midday the following day, before they were put off the air. It`s not clear whether anyone heard their transmissions. . . http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2006/05/10/1646203.htm (Barry Henshall, Manchester, June BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** ITALY. Updated A-06 of RAI International: North America 1400-1425 Italian 15280 17780 1830-1905 Italian 15380 17780 2240-0055 Italian 11800 0055-0115 English 11800 0115-0130 French 11800 0130-0315 Italian 11800 0315-0335 Spanish 11800 Central and South America 2240-0055 Italian 9840 0055-0115 Spanish 9840 0115-0130 Portuguese 9840 0130-0230 Italian 6110 9840 11765 0230-0315 Italian 9840 0315-0335 Spanish 9840 North West Africa 0435-0445 Italian 6145 7235 0445-0500 English 6145 7235 1330-1355 Arabic 9670 11795 1500-1525 Italian 9670 11655 1630-1655 French 7275 9845 11855 1700-1800 Italian 7175 9845 2025-2045 Arabic 6110 7130 2050-2110 Portuguese 6110 7130 2110-2130 Spanish 6110 7130 North East Africa 0435-0445 Italian 6110 0445-0500 English 6110 1330-1355 Arabic 11915 1500-1525 Italian 11720 1700-1800 Italian 5985 2135-2155 Arabic 6000 7260 Central Africa 1700-1800 Italian 15320 15385 2050-2110 Portuguese 15240 East Africa and Middle East 0435-0455 Amharic 11900 0455-0530 Italian 11900 0530-0550 Somali 11900 0600-0620 Arabic 11900 1630-1655 Arabic 11810 1700-1800 Italian 11970 1910-1930 Somali 11890 2025-2045 English 11875 2050-2110 Portuguese 11875 Far East, Japan and Australia 2205-2230 English 11895 1000-1100 Italian 11920 Mediterranean area - "Notturno dall'Italia" 2200-0400 Italian 6060 "Domenica sport" on Sunday [mainly calcio, or exclusively?] 1250-1630 Italian 9670 11885 17570 17780 21515 [some to NAm] West Europe 1530-1555 French 9670 11855 1555-1625 Italian 9670 11855 1805-1825 German 6040 9845 1935-1955 English 5960 9845 2000-2020 Danish 6110 9780 Tue/Thu/Sun 2000-2020 Esperanto 6110 9780 Sat 2000-2020 Swedish 6110 9780 Mon/Wed/Fri Russia 0345-0405 Russian 5970 9670 11830 0600-0620 Russian 9670 11795 1605-1625 Russian 9780 11700, some days on 9870 11775 instead 2000-2020 Russian 6185 9565 11775 East Europe 0405-0425 Ukrainian 5970 9670 11830 0505-0525 Lithuanian 9670 11795 0530-0550 Romanian 9670 11795 0625-1300 Italian 6195 1335-1355 Albanian 9610 1400-1415 Slovene 9570 1415-1435 German 9570 1435-1455 Croatian 9570 1500-1520 Turkish 9870 11775 1520-1540 Greek 9870 11775 1540-1600 Bulgarian 9870 11775 1810-1825 Czech 6130 1825-1840 Slovak 6130 1840-1900 Polish 6130 1910-1930 Serbian 6130 1935-1955 Hungarian 6130 2115-2135 Romanian 5970 2135-2155 Czech 5970 2155-2210 Slovak 5970 2210-2225 Polish 5970 (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, June 6, via DXLD) ** JAPAN. NEW THRUST SOUGHT AS SCANDALS TAINT NHK IMAGE Shingo Ito AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Tuesday, June 06, 2006 Hong Kong Standard http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=17&art_id=20138&sid=8272494&con_type=1 Japan's once-hailed business and social model, now blamed by many for a decade of economic stagnation and years of crony capitalism, is undergoing an overhaul as society tries to modernize. The media is [sic] no exception. NHK, Japan's sole public broadcaster, faces the biggest ever crisis in its 56-year-old history. A series of scandals have triggered an intense debate on the fate of one of the world's largest media groups. NHK has faced months of public criticism after employees were caught stealing viewer fees, using fake receipts and claiming expenses for business trips that were never made. The controversies led hundreds of thousands of angry households to refuse to pay their viewer fees, which are mandatory but with no penalties for non-payment. Genichi Hashimoto, who became NHK president last year after predecessor Katsuji Ebisawa quit in the wake of the scandals, admits that slack management caused the embezzlement and fraud embroiling the mammoth organization. "Once such scandals come out, our trust collapses," said Hashimoto, who is also president of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union. "In the long history of the viewers' fee system, there must have been arrogance and irresponsibility in our workers' minds, and we were lacking a sense of public money." As of March, 1.2 million households had stopped paying NHK's annual fees - 14,910 yen (HK$1,034) for terrestrial broadcasts and 25,520 yen for satellite services per year. Viewer fees account for 96 percent of NHK's income. The boycott sent annual revenue at NHK - the Japanese initials for the Japan Broadcasting Corp - down by 4.9 percent to 634.3 billion yen for the year to March for the second consecutive annual decline. "While the Japanese, who tend to follow rules and customs, continued to pay the fees like offertory, NHK neglected self-reform, forgot about viewers and got above itself," said Takaaki Hattori, a professor of mass communication law at Rikkyo University in Tokyo. "NHK is finally paying for its indolence." NHK remains a top source of news, with its staid broadcasts notorious for airing lengthy speeches by politicians, shunning the trend in much of the world for flashy graphics and light features. But NHK has not been immune to changes in the Japanese model, where the promise of lifetime employment at one company has been shattered as the country emerges from a decade of economic woes. Earlier this year, NHK announced a reform plan including a reduction of its employees by 1,200 - equivalent to around 10 percent of its workforce - over the next three years. The government, however, is seeking more drastic restructuring and has set up a panel to hammer out proposals to revamp the broadcaster, including a cut in the number of channels. Panelists have recommended that NHK cut at least two channels. The broadcaster currently has eight - two terrestrial TV channels, three satellite TV and three radio channels. The panelists agreed the channels to be eliminated would be selected from among the satellite and radio channels. NHK, which has said it would not serve the public's interests to slash its radio and television selection, is now showing signs of accepting the plan. "But these proposals are still insufficient," Hattori said. "A crucial question remains unanswered: where on earth is this public broadcaster supposed to go at a time when Japan's social structure is dramatically changing?" Japan is rapidly graying as the nation's population decreased last year for the first time since World War II. The birthrate has hit a record low - automatically squeezing NHK's income year by year unless it takes drastic financial measures. A survey last year showed that only 28 percent believed NHK was really needed, compared to 41 percent in a similar study in 1985. The poll covered 3,600 people; 53 percent responded. "I don't watch NHK quite often because I can watch various kinds of interesting TV programs on other channels," said Asuka Takasaki, 22, a university student, who has not paid NHK viewers' fees since she moved out of her family home three years ago. Some experts point out that NHK, which is required to win parliamentary approval of its annual budget, has tended to form cozy ties with the government and as a result does not respond to viewers. Liberals denounced NHK last year when reports said the broadcaster toned down a documentary on "comfort women," the Asian women sexually enslaved by imperial Japan, after pressure from a senior politician. NHK's predecessor began the nation's first radio broadcast service in Tokyo in 1925. As the nation marched into aggression in the region and World War II, NHK played a major role of propaganda and was strictly censored. NHK was re-established in 1950 and has since expanded into a media conglomerate with 34 affiliates. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE (via Dan Say, DXLD) As usual, not a word about the impact of this on NHK Warido! Except that it may be one of the three radio networks mentioned in passing. Chicoms may be a bit gleeful about such capitalistic scandals, as if China were free of corruption (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** LAOS [non]. Hmong Lao Radio via WHRI, Sat & Sun 13-14 has moved from 11785 to 11940, as in the WHR schedule under USA (gh, WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DXLD) ** LAOS [non]. 15260, "LAOS", (Presumed) Hmoob Moj Them, 0222-0241, June 6, (Presumed) Laotian, continuous talks by YL, with occasional OM, between brief musical bits. Poor with 15255-WYFR splatter. Thanks Rich D'Angelo tip (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R75, 200' Beverages, MLB-1, DTS-4, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DX LISTENING DIGEST) That was UT Tue; was supposed to be UT Wed & Fri only, and only until 0230. So the identity of this is questionable, appropriately `presumed` (gh, DXLD) ** LIBYA [and non]. CHEQUEANDO A LIBIA 4 Junio --- Cómo ya va siendo habitual, a las 1200 comienza por la frecuencia de 17665 la emisión musical de La Voz de África; sin embargo en el día de hoy la emisión en árabe de esta emisora comienza por las frecuencias de 17670 y en 17625, emisión en paralelo. Las emisiones en Hausa por 17610 y 17625 [17725 that should be?], frecuencias que hasta ahora no han variado. A Sawt Al-amal no se la escucha hoy por ninguna frecuencia, tampoco se escucha hoy la emisión jammer musical estilo afro-pop. Todas las transmisiones de La Voz de África comenzaron a las 1200 y terminaron a las 1400; ninguna de ellas cambió de frecuencia. 5 Junio --- En el día de hoy se han producido ciertos cambios; en 17665 la emisión musical de La Voz de África hasta las 1400. Por otra parte La Voz de África en árabe comienza con emisiones en paralelo en 17660 y 17670. A Sawt Al-amal se la escucha en 17675; esta situación cambia a las 1220 en que cesa la emisión de 17660 y pasa a 17675 atorando a Sawt Al-amal y en paralelo por 17670. A las 1230 se inicia señal de burbuja en 17675; Sawt Al Amal se mantiene en esta frecuencia hasta las 1311 que pasa a 17685. Poco después cesa la emisión de 17670 y aparece en 17685 y en paralelo con 17675; también aparece la señal de burbuja en esta frecuencia. A las 1313 comienza la emisión jammer musical estilo afro-pop tras estar un minuto en portadora sin señal. Entonces en esta frecuencia de 17685 ocurre algo curioso: las emisiones de La Voz de África y la emisión jammer pugnan con fuerza; sin embargo a veces baja la potencia de la jammer y se escucha sin problemas a La Voz de África y al revés, llegan a desaparecer una para dejar paso a la otra; las señales son muy fuertes y Sawt Al-amal ya no se la escucha (José Miguel Romero, Spain, June 5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6 Junio --- Según voy chequeando a Libia, observo unas particularidades; he observado que las transmisiones en hausa de La Voz de África que se transmiten a las 1200-1400 en paralelo por las frecuencias de 17610 y 17725 van acompañadas de un zumbido característico y que en las transmisiones en árabe eso no ocurre; también se observa esa particularidad en el servicio en hausa por la frecuencia de 15660 y que he podido escuchar entre los horarios de 1800-2000. ¿Quizás estas transmisiones provengan del mismo transmisor? (José Miguel Romero, Spain, ibid.) ** MEXICO [and non]. I'm listening to a strong Spanish speaker on 1160 at 5:45 AM [1245 UT], calls sounded like XEQN and using Once Sesenta AM slogan. Sounds like it's in Tijuana area? Anyone else hearing this one? [Later:] XEQIN, 1160, San Quintín --- This is the ID so they have moved from 1290. Announced 10,000 watts. Also used La Voz del Valle slogan. There goes 1160 (Martin Foltz, Mission Viejo CA, June 5, ABDX via WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DXLD) Ouch. KSL has always been one of the most reliable skywave signals here. This is really going to mess them up big time. I really can't understand this choice of a channel. At under 800 miles, they are going to be hammered by KSL's skywave, making their nighttime signal pretty useless. Did the FCC have any way of preventing this from happening? It seems to me that 10 kW on this channel would need to be coordinated (Brian Leyton, Valley Village, CA, ibid.) If they are using the full 10 kW at night, they will be widely heard and possibly even here. 73 KAZ (Neil Kazarross, Barrington IL, ibid.) ** MOLDOVA. Radio DMR, Pridnestrovye. English on Fridays is confirmed at 1600-1640; there is no German on Fridays. Heard on 5910 but still announces 5960 (Edwin Southwell, UK, DX News, June BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) English also other weekdays but 20 mins (gh) ** MONGOLIA. PUBLIC BROADCASTING, MONGOLIAN STYLE Neal Jackson, Vice President for Legal Affairs at National Public Radio in the US, is in Mongolia this week working with the Asia Foundation to assist Mongolian National Broadcasting as it attempts to make a difficult transition. After more than 70 years as a state broadcaster, the organization is trying to become an independent national broadcaster. Neal is sharing the experiences of NPR and advising Mongolian colleagues on the substantial challenges ahead. Read this dispatch from Mongolia from NPR producer Charlie Mayer http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5453899 # posted by Andy @ 15:01 UT June 6 (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** MONTENEGRO. ONE STEP CLOSER (To Become a New One!). It was reported today in the newspaper that "Montenegro's parliament declared independence for the tiny Balkan republic Saturday, forming a new European state and dissolving what was left of the former Yugoslavia." It also mentioned that "The declaration says Montenegro's strategic national goal is integration into the European Union and NATO, and the new country will immediately apply for admission into the United Nations and other international organizations." This is good news for DXers. Once Montenegro becomes a UN member or is assigned a prefix block from the ITU, it will be added to the "ARRL DXCC List". The official start date for DXCC purposes should be the date that Montenegro joins the UN or ITU. ADDED NOTE: Ranko, YT6A, announced late Saturday, June 3rd (edited), "As soon as we become new DXCC country, a large international team will activate a DXpedition as inaugural operation from Montenegro. More to come later..." (KB8NW/OPDX/BARF80 June 5 via Dave Raycroft, ODXA via WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS [non non]. A DXpedition of interest both to radio amateurs, SWLs and offshore radio enthusiasts. Radio Amateur station PB6REM is planning to broadcast from REM Island June 8th and 9th using HF and 2 metres. For those unaware of the islands history information at the link below, it is due to be dismantled but am not sure if any date has been fixed: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REM_island The DXpeditions webpage has photographs of previous radio amateur transmissions from the island: http://www.qsl.net/pb6rem/ (Mike Barraclough, monitoring monthly yg via DXLD) ** NEW ZEALAND. Radio New Zealand Fans of Radio New Zealand International (RNZI) know that much of the programming aired when RNZI is audible in the USA is rebroadcast from the domestic National Radio network. Radio New Zealand upgraded their Internet capabilities last year, including on-demand and live webcasts, and this Internet-delivered audio capability has recently been expanded to a podcasting trial. The National Radio programming included in the trial, with RNZI shortwave air times in parentheses, includes Saturday Morning with Kim Hill, Mediawatch (Saturdays 2109, 2212), Country Life, Insight (Saturdays 2104, Tuesdays 1230), One In Five, Parliamentary Audio, Our Changing World (Sundays 1315, Thursdays 0906), This Way Up (Saturdays 0010) and Upbeat. Visit Radio New Zealand`s podcast offerings at http://www.radionz.co.nz/rss (Richard Cuff, Easy Listening, June NASWA Journal via DXLD) ** NEW ZEALAND. Ciao, vi segnalo che ho preparato sul mio sito, una pagine con gli screeshot dell'ascolto di Radio New Zeland Int. in Drm e con alcune informazioni sulle trasmissioni digitali di questa emittente, l'indirizzo e': http://www.mediasuk.org/iw0hk/rnzi_drm.htm Saluti e 73 (Andrea IW0HK Borgnino, bclnews.it via DXLD) Ciao a tutti, ieri sera, alle 22:42 locali ho provato ad ascoltare di nuovo il segnale DRM di RNZI sui 13730 kHz; il risultato e' stato ancora migliore dei giorni precedenti. Come potete vedere dal log di Dream che trovate in fondo al messaggio il segnale variava tra i 18 e i 22 dB di SNR, audio praticamente perfetto senza interruzioni, sembrava di ascoltare la DW sui una frequenza tipo 7515 kHz (Andrea IW0HK Borgnino, June 6, bclnews.it via DXLD) See also CANADA ** NIGERIA. V. of Nigeria, 15120, 0508-0625+ May 26, tune-in to English news program, IDs. 0600 ``Talking drums`` and English news. Economic news about Nigeria. Fair-weak but in quiet conditions. Barely audible next night, May 27 (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. USA Pirate, The Crystal Ship, 6876.22, 0230-0230+ May 28, ID announcements, rock music, parody music, audio clips from movies. Good (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. I was expecting something like this: KAUT-43, the OKC UPN affiliate, which does not have a news department and never has done any news at all, since it has been bought by the NBC affiliate, KFOR- 4, has a new 9 pm newscast M-F called ``Oklahoma's News Channel 4 at 9 on 43``. How`s that for jumbling numbers? That puts it head to head against KOKH-25 (Sinclair) with its longtime news hour at 9 pm as happens on many Fox affiliates, which a few months ago added another semihour at 10 pm, which went head-to-head against KFOR, as well as KOCO and KWTV. So will the 10 pm news on 4 turn out to be basically a repeat of the 9 pm on 43?? I have more pressing things to do than research this, but I did notice on UT Tue at 0200 and 0300 they did have the same lead story by Cherokee Ballard, who, yes, is a Cherokee and appears to have grown all her hair back since chemotherapy. At 0300 on 4, there was no ``Recorded Earlier`` notice as they are constrained to display constantly when they do the 1+ am playback. Of course, it would be a terrible admission to have to make that your main 10 pm newscast was not live. OTOH, KOCO-5 is the station in this market which glommed onto the nonsensical ``LIVE, LOCAL, LATEBREAKING`` slogan --- are such things copyrighted on a market-by- market basis, or only by gentlemen`s agreement? KFOR news then would be . . .EARLYBREAKING! KFOR 10 pm news was formerly repeated at 10:30 on KOPX-62 which being a Pax station had some tenuous connexion with NBC (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA [non]. KLAK RADIO TOWER VANDALIZED Now that school is out for the summer --- kids will play, and some will vandalize. The KLAK radio tower is the latest location of vandalism. KTEN's Kristi Branam was out at the tower outside of Tom Bean in Grayson County, and has more on the story. This is the third time the KLAK tower has been vandalized in the last two and half months. Grayson County authorities suspect it's just teenagers out for a good time. KLAK employees say the mid-level and lower-level lighting systems were destroyed by shotguns blasts, and had to be replaced. The copper grounding wire along the anchor of the tower was also stolen. A neighbor across the street heard gunshots that night. "There was a couple gunshots about 2 o'clock in the morning," said Sabrina Loria, who lives by the tower. "We were upstairs, had our windows raised. It was cool in the evening. And, as we heard the gunshots there was a car that just started up and then took off around the corner." At this point, it is unknown if the vandals climbed the tower to shoot out the lights, or just shot from the ground. The investigation is continuing. The neighbor, Sabrina Loria, also said that she saw a pick-up truck parked at the gate on Tuesday evening and took down all the necessary information for the authorities. When the vandals are caught, KLAK management plans on prosecuting. Kristi Branam, KTEN News. [video available] http://www.kten.com/Global/story.asp?S=4977886 (via Artie Bigley, OH, WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DXLD) Geez, this story never mentions the frequency or city of license, but the tower is in Grayson County TX, near a place called Tom Bean. I had to look it up at FCC FM Query: 97.5 licensed to Durant OK, and only a CP, according to them, for Tom Bean! Facility number 36265: http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?list=0&facid=36265 The call no doubt refers to Lake Texoma, since 1600 Lakewood CO foolishly abandoned it (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. The OKMOZART Festival starts this Thursday in Bartlesville. On this week`s "Oklahoma Perspectives", a conversation with OKMOZART Executive Director Manuel Prestamo. "Oklahoma Perspectives" airs Wednesday afternoon at 4:44 [2144 UT]. All Times - Central. Listen to OPR live at 91.7 in central Oklahoma, 107.5 in northeast Oklahoma, 101.9 in Okmulgee, or at http://www.kosu.org (KOSU This Week, June 6 via DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Re 6-081: R. Central, 3290, has a big signal; wonder if a new transmitter. And on the air already at 1930 tho used to open at 2000. Also heard in evenings; not // 4890. Rabaul 3385 also being heard (Chris Hambly, Victoria, UT June 5, WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. Dear friends, This morning I checked the LA-conditions and finally found better reception of Peru than the previous weeks: 4775, R Tarma, Tarma, 0245-0300, Jun 03, Spanish ann, pop songs, 0258 ID: "Radio Tarma", CWQRM, 23232. 4790.25, R Visión, Distrito José Leonardo Ortiz, Chiclayo, 0300-0420 fade out, Jun 03, Andean songs, Spanish ann, long religious talks 0307-0358 and 0401-0420 mentioning Radio Visión, 0358 ann, hymn, 0415 another hymn, CODAR QRM, 24333. 4826.5, R Sicuani, Sicuani, Cusco (presumed), 0315-0318*, Jun 03, Quechoa talk and suddenly off, 24232. 4939.97, R San Antonio, Villa Atalaya (tentative), 0325-0340, Jun 03, Spanish ann, songs - late broadcast, 14232. 5637.01, UNID, 0345-0405, Jun 03, very weak with talk probably in Spanish. Just "something" there! Could it be R Peru, San Ignacio on one of its rare appearances? Best 73, (Anker Petersen, Skovlunde, Denmark, June 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PHILIPPINES. 15510, R. Pilipinas, *0200-0214, June 6, English, IS, OM with sign-on announcements. News re Filipino education system and economic growth bill. PBS promo for "Philippine History" program and "You are listening to PBS News top stories" at 0211, more news re Filipino politics and agriculture. Poor/weak; using LSB mode pulled out enough usable audio (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R75, 200' Beverages, MLB-1, DTS-4, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SCOTLAND [non]. New DX program from Radio Six International, is aired on the second full week of each month so in June the schedule is expected to be: Sat 10 June 0915 on 13840 via IRRS Sun 11 June 0745 on 13840 via IRRS Thu 15 June 1945 on 5775 via IRRS All also webcast via http://www.radiosix.com (Tony Currie, DXLD, as then foreseen by Dave Kenny, BDXC-UK Communication via WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DXLD) Not exactly; the day-by-day internet schedule a week ahead already shows June 10 and 11: 0745 and 0915 on Sat, 0745 Sun on 13840 only. Last month there was also a repeat well after 0000 as previously reported (Glenn Hauser, June 5, WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DX LISTENING DIGEST) CHANGES TO RADIO SIX INTERNATIONAL --- With effect from Monday, June 5th 2006, Radio Six International makes a number of significant changes to its transmission pattern. New details, all times in GMT. 2300-0500 DAILY 1350 kHz (50 kW) Kuldiga, Latvia 2300-0500 DAILY 94.2 MHz stereo (30 kW) Poprad, Slovakia 2300-0500 DAILY 94.8 MHz stereo (15 kW) Kosice, Slovakia 2300-0500 DAILY Digital satellites: SKY CHANNEL 0195 and EUROBIRD 12.523 GHz Horizontal 27500 2/3 0000-0200 SAT/SUN 88.5 MHz stereo (LPFM) Tawa, New Zealand 0700-0800 DAILY 88.5 MHz stereo (LPFM) Tawa, New Zealand 0700-0800 2nd Sunday 13840 kHz (20 kW) via IRRS [Bulgaria] 0830-0930 2nd Saturday 13840 kHz (20 kW) via IRRS [Bulgaria] 1100-1200 2nd Sunday 88.5 MHz stereo (LPFM) Tawa, New Zealand 1900-2000 DAILY 945 kHz (2.7 kW) Riga, Latvia 1900-2000 2nd Thu 5775 kHz (20 kW) via IRRS [Bulgaria] To celebrate our 43rd Anniversary, we`re on 945 kHz for extra hours between June 3rd and 9th as follows: June 3, 4, 5, 6, 8: 1500-2100 June 7: 1700-2100 June 9: 1500-2300 Regards (TONY CURRIE, Programme Director, radio six international, June 6, WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The SLOVAKIA relays indicate there is now some connexion with Eric Wiltsher`s Radio Tatras International (gh, WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DXLD) ** SERBIA [non]. Re: Bijeljina-Jabanusa transmitter on air? Hmm, just tried the "Audio-Nachrichten" link on the German pages and only got an error message, no network connection to rtsp://acabgd.iserver.net:5540/yuradio/German.ra At least on May 22 they had recorded news up and running: http://www.radioeins.de/meta/sendungen/apparat/060603_A1.ram Note the presentation, more lively than just a few years ago, now read by two announcers who started with introducing themselves. And I suspect the studio to face a street 8-) Anyway this news presentation just made me wonder what they would have to offer in the remainder of a 30-minute broadcast. The transmissions to North America should be gone since last September when they restricted the airtime for their shortwave transmitter to the 1845-2158 period (would now be 1745-2058 if the schedule did not change), apparently to reduce the power bills. Back then I last tried to get the German program on shortwave, with only this result: http://www.radioeins.de/meta/sendungen/apparat/050924_A1.ram Difficult to find out from here if they are on air and just get drowned out by the Junglinster signal. However, I would be really surprised if Kashi is audible but not a co-channel Bijeljina- Jabanusa. And the missing audio files are probably a further indication of disrupted transmissions (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 5, WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SLOVAKIA. R. ESLOVAQUIA PODRÍA PROLONGAR SU EMISIÓN EN OC. Saludos cordiales, según se publica hoy en RSI, las emisiones en Onda Corta de RSI podrían prolongarse hasta encontrar una solución a su financiación. Noticia via RSI: http://www.slovakradio.sk/inetportal/rsi/core.php?page=showSprava&id=2433&lang=6 Noticias RSI Zemková busca nuevas formas que permitan mantener la onda corta La ley que regula el funcionamiento de la Radio Nacional Eslovaca necesita ser enmendada y la Oficina Presidencial podría contribuir a este proceso. Precisamente, esta fue la conclusión a la que llegó ayer el mandatario eslova, Ivan Gašparoviè, tras reunirse con la nueva directora de este medio de difusión público, Miroslava Zemková. Asimismo, el jefe de Estado se interesó en los planes futuros de la directora de la radio. Zemková aseguró que la Radio Nacional conservaría el carácter de institución pública, aunque no descartó la función de medio comercial que podría tener en algunos casos. Entre los temas de debate no pudo pasar por alto el de las transmisiones en onda corta al exterior. Gašparoviè reconoció que el país carece de suficientes fondos para mantenerlas, pero por otro lado alegó que no había por que apresurarse en el cierre de éstas. La funcionaria estatal respondió que el cese de las emisiones en onda corta no era la única variante posible para solucionar el déficit de financiero y, a este respecto, mencionó la prolongación del tiempo de transmisión, la búsqueda de recursos alternativos e incluso de otras formas de salidas al aire (via Romero2, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DXLD) Lamentablemente está en francés, pero esta sección amplia un poco más la noticia; sin embargo la sección en inglés no se hace eco de esta noticia. Noticia via RSI, sección en francés. http://www.slovakradio.sk/inetportal/rsi/core.php?page=showSprava&id=2432&lang=4 La directrice de la Radio nationale cherche les possibilités pour maintenir Radio Slovaquie Internationale RSI Lundi 5 juin, la directrice de la Radio Nationale Miloslava Zemkova, reçue par le Président de la République slovaque Ivan Gasparovic, a présenté les possibilités de maintenir RSI qui, depuis 13 ans, émet quotidiennement des émissions à destination du monde entier en 5 langues étrangères et en slovaque pour la communauté slovaque vivant à l’étranger. Par manque de moyens financiers, décision a été prise par la direction puis approuvée par le Conseil de la Radio, d’une part, de mettre fin à la diffusion des émissions en ondes courtes et, d’autre part, de réduire considérablement le personnel de ce département. Selon Ivan Gasparovic, président de la République slovaque, il ne sert à rien de précipiter les choses et il serait bon de connaître le point de vue du prochain gouvernement. En plus, le chef de l`Etat souligne qu’il est très difficile de regagner les fréquences ondes courtes une fois abandonnées. Selon Mme Zemkova, plusieurs possibilités pour ``maintenir en vie RSI`` sont envisageables: prolongement du contrat sur les fréquences avec les télécommunications, nouveau mode de financement, ou passage à un autre type de diffusion. A partir du 1er juillet, et selon la stratégie de la direction de la Radio slovaque, les programmes de RSI ne seront diffusés que par satellite et via internet, ce qui diminuera considérablement le nombre d’auditeurs. Non seulement le personnel du RSI mais également plusieurs députés, le Bureau pour les Slovaques vivant à l’étranger ou encore l’Association mondiale des Slovaques de l’étranger se sont élevés contre cette décision (via Romero2, ibid.) Now they are waffling about really turning off SW at Junend (gh, DXLD) ** SPAIN. Looking at REE`s webpage for something else, I see that they will be broadcasting all the World Cup games in which Spain is involved. No details whatsoever, but look for disruptions in their normal programming in Spanish, as there is nothing more important than a stupid ballgame (Glenn Hauser, June 6, WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SPRATLY ISLANDS. Spratly Islands operation reported imminent (June 6, 2006) --- The Daily DX quotes Toshi Kusano, JA1ELY, who provides details of an imminent --- and brief --- operation from the Spratly Islands. According to the report, Tex Izumo, 9M2TO, will commence operation from Layang Layang Island, Spratly Islands (AS-051) starting at about 1200 UTC, Friday, June 9, through 2200 UTC on Monday, June 12. He is said to have all necessary documentation in order and will be on the air as 9M0\9M2TO on CW only. The one-person operation will cover all bands from 80 through 6 meters at 100 W. QSL via JA0DMV, via the bureau (JARL) or direct to Tex Izumo, 9M2TO, 2C-10-03 Mutiara Apt, Jalan Sungai Emas, 11100 Batu Ferringhi, Penang Is, Malaysia (ARRL main page via John Norfolk, dxldyg via DXLD) ** TURKEY. Dear listeners; The topic of this year's essay contest is; "Can religions play a guiding and constructive role in dialogue between civilizations?" We look forward to hearing from you until June the 15th, which is the deadline. You can also send in your entries via e-mail. They should not exceed three pages. We wish you luck (VOT English Section englishdesk @ trt.net.tr June 6, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. Ian MacRae on the uk-radio-listeners group alerted me to the fact that Charlie Gillett has been unwell and has decided that he will no longer be able to do his weekly 2 hour show on BBC Radio London. There is more including an explanation from Charlie of his health problems at his website forum's thread linked to below, he is hopeful that he will be able to continue his BBC World Service show: Sound of the World website forum thread: http://snipurl.com/rd4f (Mike Barraclough, June 5, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DX LISTENING DIGEST) He has been diagnosed with Churg Strauss Syndrome; our wishes for recovery (gh, ibid.) ** U K. BBC World Service --- Review – ``Business Daily`` This was one of the most important new programs launched with the seasonal frequency changes and significant schedule alteration at the World Service The program seems targeted for ``Generation X`ers`` -- 20-somethings to 30-somethings. The production sounds reasonably similar to the USA public radio program Marketplace, though slightly ``hipper``, typically tackling 1 or 2 issues over its 18-minute duration and then adding a 3-minute commentary from regular contributors including the Asian Wall Street Journal`s Jeremy Wagstaff. Stock market updates are generally not included; you`ll want to listen to World Business Report for them. There is some overlap between Business Daily and World Business Report, which often will air the same 3-minute commentaries featured in Business Daily. The 2132 weekday edition of Business Daily on 15390 kHz (also webcast and on XM satellite radio) should be audible in North America. Other airtimes include 0141 (Sirius/XM), 0741 (Europe webcast), 1041 (Sirius/XM), and 1541 (Africa SW). Business Daily will also be available on-demand, and is updated daily as of 0741 UT. Other programming highlights include the following: Making Cities Work is a new four-part documentary series featuring the Observer newspaper`s architecture critic, Dejan Sudjic, looking at cutting-edge solutions for transport, housing and the environment in Mexico, Russia, China and the USA. Sudjic brings together some of the world`s best, most creative urban thinkers to present their vision of cities of the future. Shortwave airtimes include Mondays 1105 and 1905 UT (Europe, also live webcast), and Mondays 1405, 1905 and Tuesdays 0505 (Americas – XM), beginning June 19th. On-demand webcast and podcast should also be available; also check the Documentary 1 airtimes. In Slumming It, Emma Josephs visits slums in India and the US to explore the day to day reality of living in a slum in this new two- part series. The United Nations says 32 per cent of the global urban population – one billion people – now live in slums and the number will double in the next 30 years unless urgent action is taken. Shortwave airtimes include Wednesdays 1105 and 1905 (Europe and live webcast) and Wednesdays 1405, 1905 and Thursdays 0505 (Americas – XM), beginning June 21st. Also available via on-demand webcast and podcast; also check the Documentary 2 airtimes. World Stories is a five-part series of documentaries produced by World Service non-English language services for airing in the BBC`s English language service. The features include the following: Brazilian Beauty, produced by the Portuguese service targeting Brazil, in which image-conscious Brazilian reporter Ilana Rehavia investigates what Brazilian think about their looks and body image, beginning Friday, June 2nd. Farming in the Ukraine, produced by the Ukranian Service, in which Ukrainian Service producer Marina Denysenko tells the story of Alain - a wealthy retired French businessman from Cannes - who follows his dream and puts $2 million into a farm in the dilapidated Ukrainian village of Krasivka, beginning Friday, June 9th. Aliens in California, produced by the Greek Service, visits the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute in California to explore how far we have gone to seek out Extra Terrestrial civilizations. Irini Romboglou assesses the chance of humans finding fellow-thinkers in the cosmos, other beings that might contemplate and wonder as we do, beginning Friday, June 16th. Feminism and the Veil, produced by the BBC Arabic Service, investigates whether women in Egyptian Islamic militant groups are activists, or are playing a subordinate role. Safaa Faisal explores the social background and ideology that leads a woman to become part of the Jihad struggle. She looks in depth at today`s Egyptian scene where Islamic ideology has become increasingly dominant and most of women`s views of feminism, individuality and achievement can only be viewed under the lens of religion. And she examines the Egyptian government`s way of dealing with female fundamentalism in the context of global terrorism, beginning June 23rd. The Porter and the Mountain, produced by the Hindi service, looks at ill-equipped porters in the Himalayas, who have long risked life and limb, suffering in miserable conditions, for the equivalent of the price of a pint of beer. Guides and Porters working the Himalayan trek routes often pay a shocking proportion of their pay to middlemen. Navin Singh Khadka tells the story of the dangerous and stressful working conditions and poor employment rights of the Himalayan porters, beginning June 30th. Airtimes include Fridays, 0806, 1106 and 1906 (Europe / live webcast); Fridays 1306, 2106 (Africa); Fridays 1406, 1906, and Saturdays 0006, 0506, and Sundays 2306 (Americas / XM); also check the Documentary 3 airtimes. Hope June brings relaxing listening! 73 DE (Richard Cuff, Easy Listening, June NASWA Journal via DXLD) ** U K [and non]. I am finding that BBCWS on 11865 is difficult or impossible to listen to between 1250 and 1300 UT as WYFR brings a carrier up on the frequency that almost completely surpresses BBC's audio. I'm sure BBC doesn't care (Mike Cooper, Atlanta GA, Jun 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I forwarded this to WYFR, and hope they will care (gh, DXLD) ** U K. UK'S CHANNEL 4 LAUNCHES ONLINE RADIO SERVICE --- 4RADIO The UK's CHANNEL 4 is launching online radio programming as part of its entry into the audio business. The service will be called "4RADIO" and will include a 30 minute morning news show, a morning racing report, an audio version of chat show hosts RICHARD AND JUDY's book club, and programs related to "LOST" and "BIG BROTHER." Some of the programming, which is being released at http://channel4radio.com will be used on its ONEWORD digital radio channel; the company is bidding for the new national digital multiplex proposed by OFCOM (allaccess.com via Brock Whaley, DXLD) Channel 4 (TV) is sort of a commercial PBS for Britain. Apparently the new `radio`, without any transmitters, is not a continuous service, but offers stuff to download, mostly free, subscription required. Wonder if they have any geographical restrixions? FAQ: https://www.channel4radio.com/faq.php (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [and non]. My favorite piece of recorded music for startup of new transmitters/sites has always been the song about his lost girlfriend Kay recorded many years ago by the great blues singer Memphis Slim. I think he's the composer/lyricist too, but I'm not sure. But I have not used it for new IBB sites! I did get admonished for running a program stream when I needed audio (and had no other source) for "smoke testing" at one new IBB site! (The title of the song is: "If You See Kay" with suitably slurred pronunciation.) (Ben Dawson, June 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [and non]. Imagine how podcasting, the new gimmick public and private broadcasters are now falling in love with, will affect radio: single programmes taken away from their timing in the day and out of the context of the preceding and following programmes are no longer radio as we know it. Let`s listen as long as we can: as usual, when international broadcasters change their schedules (BTW, isn`t it funny that this still coincides with the European clock change, even tho Europe is no longer a SW target?), I must locate the frequencies on which I can listen to the VOA for the following six [sic] months. At 1500/1600, Border Crossings, the `European` frequencies 15195 and 15445 are totally inaudible here, but as usual, Africa helps being just across the Mediterranean. 17895 is superb, and closes down at 1600, but 15580, only slightly worse, gives good reception until 2100 --- and this means I now have a second frequency (the other is 4940) for the splendid shows of African music at 2000/2100: the new African Beat M-F and Music Time in Africa on weekends, now at 2000. Programs that make you reconcile with popular music, after the daily treatment of the Trivial 40 on the car radio (Stefano Valianti, Italy, Southern European Report, June BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** U S A. Re 6-083: Future US military radio menu could be more pop, less talk Consultants, ratings, blah, blah, blah... It seems everyone today feels the need to spend scarce resources on outside consultants, as if the supposed experts in charge feel unqualified to make a few decisions based on their knowledge and experience from actually having done the job for these many years. Or is this phenomenon the natural outgrowth of using the Harvard Business School management manual where the people in charge know nothing about the intricacies of the business they are managing? These are unique radio stations established to provide specific and unique services to a unique audience. If they're just going to do what every other (commercial?) entity does already, why go through the expense of having an AFN or AFRTS? (John Figliozzi, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Like I said ** U S A. Removed World of Radio UT Sunday 0300 on WBCQ, which has been replaced by something called Radio Free Truth (WBCQ Anomalies and Recent Observations page, June 1). (John Norfolk, DX/SWL/Media Programs June 6 via DXLD) The original item about this in 6-081 did not specify frequency, and seemed to refer to 7415, which would have replaced the Michael Ketter Show repeats (how is he doing now, anyway?). Now the WBCQ anomaly page names 9330 and says it replaces WORLD OF RADIO (gh, WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DXLD) ** U S A. Updated summer A-06 for World Harvest Radio: WHRI Angel # 1 0100-0300 on 9515 Mon-Fri 0100-0600 on 7315 Sat/Sun DXWC Sun 0330 0300-0600 on 5860 Mon-Fri 0600-1000 on 7315 1000-1200 on 7555 1200-1300 on 9495 1300-1400 on 11785 Mon-Fri 1300-1400 NF 11940 Sat/Sun, ex 11785 >>> Hmong Lao Radio in Lao 1400-1600 on 11785 DXWC Sun 1530 1600-2300 on 15285 DXWC Sat 1930 2300-0100 on 7555 WHRI Angel # 2 0000-0100 NF 9515 Mon-Fri, ex 9820 0100-0300 on 7490 0300-0500 on 7520 0500-0900 on 7465 0900-1200 on 7520 1200-1700 on 9840 1700-2200 on 15665 DXWC Sun 2030 2200-0100 on 7490 Sat/Sun KWHR Angel # 3 0100-0500 on 17655 DXWC Sat 0330 0500-0800 on 13650 0800-1200 on 9930 DXWC Sun 1500 1200-1400 on 12130 1400-1800 on 9930 KWHR Angel # 4 0500-1300 on 11565 DXWC Sat 0700, Sun 0500 WHRA Angel # 5 0100-0500 on 5850 DXWC Sat 0230, Sun 0230 0500-0600 on 6145 0600-0700 on 7490 1200-1400 on 15665 1400-1600 on 17650 1600-1900 on 17640 1900-2100 on 13710 2100-2300 on 11765 2300-0100 on 7520 DXWC=DX-ing With Cumbre. This week on air edition # 500!!! (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, June 6, via DXLD) ** U S A [non]. If you`d like to hear the complete DXing with Cumbre theme music, without talkovers, and in stereo, it happens to be played on this week`s The Music Goes Round with Desmond Carrington, on BBC Radio 2. Starts about 6.5 minutes into the June 6 show, available for a week on the BBCR2 Player; it`s Stan Kenton`s Intermission Riff, and the playlist says: Title INTERMISSION RIFF Artist BILLY MAY CD SWING ERA - THE POST WAR YEARS Label TIME LIFE: TL 505/10 Subscription issue - not available (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. Frequency change for WYFR Family Radio in Spanish: 1900-2000 NF 7340 MSK 250 kW / 264 deg to SoEu, ex 7440 (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, June 6, via DXLD) see also UNIDENTIFIED ** U S A. 25950 FM, KOA Denver (studio link), 0919 UT June 5, Good signal here again, this time at 4:20 in the morning local time. Ad block then "News Radio KOA" ID at 0922. Local phone in talk program. Also noted WWV on 20 MHz around the same time with a good signal, as well as a strong signal from the K5UNY 10 meter propagation beacon on 28238.6 located at EM 12 (David Hodgson, KG4TUY, Nashville, TN, June 5, WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also PROPAGATION ** U S A [and non]. A couple of weird things I noted in Cortez, CO: Channel 30 there is CBC. Huh? Why would the 92.7 audible from Cortez north into Utah be rebroadcasting "Lava 105" from Hawaii? I listened to it for quite awhile, and got the legal on tape... weird! (Matthew C. Sittel, Bellevue, NE, June 4, WTFDA via DXLD) Matt, Cortez doesn't just have CBC - they have NTV (Newfoundland) and many other cool stations on their translators. I had posted a full list a few years ago and I'll see if I can dig it up. If you ever stay in a hotel in Cortez, be sure it's one that gets its channels over the air! (Dave Williams, OR, ibid.) Er, is that legal? ** U S A. West Michigan Es (WY-MT) --- Es tonight between 7 and 10 pm (EDT) [June 5 2300 UT-0200 UT June 6] was extremely strong as it always is from this region: tonight's Es was from Montana-Wyoming. Included in the mess was a perfect FOX4 (Billings) - not the first time in this quality. I usually know that my Es is limited to 100 kW stations, but managed to pick up a near-perfect NBC8 (on 3 KYUS) for about an hour with local news broadcasting at just 10.5 kW. I thought such a station might be harder to pick up, but apparently not, because later I picked up a Wyoming Public Television translator station K02LG which officially has an FCC ID as "South Forks, Etc, WY" in an... out-there spot where places are named by creeks surrounding Yellowstone. Saw the logo on 2 and clearly marked it in my notes, but no match for WYOPTV network. It flashed in and out for no more than 5 seconds over K2 (Casper). Es mainly held at Ch 4 and below - no FM at all - but what does come in from this region ALWAYS comes in almost as local and often when the Es moves, the signals go crazy as they did. I was able to ID 4 Channel 2s at one time... with logos :)! As always, WB2 was only audio in the background - nothing new. Great screencaps tonight, putting a lot of recent ones on my website as I write this. 6/05 2 K02LG PBS South Fork Wyoming 1150 miles 2 KNOP NBC North Platte Nebraska 775 miles 2 KTVQ CBS Billings Montana 1121 miles 2 KTWO ABC Casper Wyoming 1028 miles 2 KWGN WB Denver Colorado 1010 miles 3 KBME PBS Bismarck North Dakota 759 miles 3 KOTA ABC Rapid City South Dakota 864 miles 3 KRTV CBS Great Falls Montana 1256 miles 3 KYUS NBC Miles City Montana 994 miles 4 KCWC PBS Lander Wyoming 1149 miles 4 KHMT FOX Hardin/Billings Montana 1077 miles 5 KFYR NBC Bismarck North Dakota 759 miles (Chris Kadlec, Fremont, Michigan, June 6, AMFMTVDX mailing list via DXLD) ** U S A. This afternoon I caught K228DK Deming NM (1100 miles) on 93.5. Drops my lowest-powered Es catch from 40 watts to 10! Geez, maybe somebody -could- actually receive 2 watt KPOV on 106.7 from here sometime... :-) (Dave Williams, Redmond, OR, June 4, WTFDA via DXLD) Heard his recording: it`s KRWG Las Cruces translator. Not to be confused with the mysterious `KRTS` Marfa TX on same frequency, also NPR (gh) ** U S A. COMMISSION MIGHT APPROVE RADIO KANSAS' PROPOSED TOWER, DESPITE CITIZENS' OBJECTIONS --- By Mary Clarkin, The Hutchinson News http://www.hutchnews.com/news/local/stories/radio060506.shtml Reno County commissioners appear likely to override the recommendation of the County Planning Board and approve Radio Kansas' proposed 1,300- foot-tall tower near East 4th and Buhler Road. "My thinking right now is that it's a good thing for a lot of people," Commission Chairman Francis "Shep" Schoepf said Friday of the proposed tower. Commissioner Larry Sharp said it "seemed like a reasonable request with a reasonable location." Both Schoepf and Sharp said they had not decided how they'll vote Wednesday. The News could not reach Commissioner Frances Garcia. 'Mixed emotions' Schoepf said he was leaning toward approving a special use permit, although he felt empathy for the rural residents. In Sharp's opinion, residents opposing the tower had not substantiated their concerns. Their most valid objection was the visual factor, he said, and even that could be argued. There are two television towers in close proximity, with one rising about 1,500 feet. Sharp has never voted against a recommendation of the Planning Board during his nine years in office. He noted, however, that the Planning Board split 4-3 against the tower, while County Planner Mark Vonachen favored issuing the permit. Planning Board member Lloyd Moore said he had "mixed emotions" on the issue. He voted to deny the permit because of the potential danger of falling ice and residents' complaints about noise from the tower. On the other hand, Moore said, there is the theory that "if you're going to build a dump, you might as well build another one by it" - a reference to the nearby towers. Those other towers constitute one of the strongest arguments for the site, in Radio Kansas General Manager David Horning's view. Finding a new home Radio Kansas is a network of three National Public Radio stations: KHCC out of Hutchinson, KHCD serving Salina-Manhattan and KHCT serving Great Bend-Hays. Hutchinson is home base for Radio Kansas, and Hutchinson Community College holds the license. In June 2008, the station's space lease on the tall television tower near East 4th and Buhler Road will expire. The tower owner has ruled out an extension because it wants to use the space. After about 27 years on that tower, KHCC is forced to find a new home. The other television tower in the area is less than 1,000 feet tall, making it too short for the radio station. The FM station is licensed as a Class C station, so it needs at least a 1,000-foot tower, Horning said. Last year, the community college sought the Federal Aviation Administration's approval to build a tower at the south campus, near Yoder. The agency nixed the request, stating that the structure was "presumed to be a hazard to air navigation." Horning said that left few options. 'Narrow window' "We really can't go far," Horning said. He explained that a "pretty narrow window" within the station's frequency limits maneuverability to about 10 to 15 miles, and there are impediments within that territory. Hutchinson Municipal Airport presents one barrier, while airspace between Hutchinson and Wichita throws up another barrier. The largest population area for KHCC is toward Wichita, and locating a tower north and west of Hutchinson would hinder outreach to that audience. A far-west tower would duplicate the service provided by the Barton County tower. The terrain dips southeast of Hutchinson - another negative in trying to find a tower site. "I'm not convinced that if we had three years to do this we could find another site," Horning said of the proposed site about 1.5 miles east of East 4th and Buhler intersection, on the south side of the East 4th. 'A roar' Pete Hayden said it happens perhaps once a month or once every couple months. Weather conditions - a strong wind isn't essential - cause "a roar," similar to a jet fighter's sound wake, to emanate from the tall tower near his home east of Hutchinson. "It's not often, but it's nerve-wracking because it does not let up," Hayden said. He also has witnessed tower ice pieces landing on East 4th. Horning said radio staff is aware of the noise. He also said, "It doesn't happen very often." Regarding the threat of ice, Horning pointed out neither Reno County Sheriff Randy Henderson nor tower insurance salesman Brad Rayl could cite examples of mishaps caused by falling ice from towers. Hayden, who listens to Radio Kansas, said he wouldn't be surprised if the permit is granted. Still, it doesn't seem right to him. "Our country was founded on the individual's rights, not the greater good," Hayden said. Tight timetable Radio Kansas has about three months - not three years - to pin down the tower site, in order to obtain projected funding. Officials estimated the total project would cost $1,095,803. They applied to the U.S. Department of Commerce's Public Telecommunications Facilities Program for a $695,803 grant. The recently approved Kansas state budget for the fiscal year starting in July contains $325,000 for the Hutchinson project, but state funding is contingent on receipt of the federal aid. Applicants must have the Federal Communications Commission's project approval before they can be eligible for the Commerce Department's funding program. The federal agency will announce grant awards in September. Horning said the Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Communications Commission have given their blessings on the proposed East 4th and Buhler tower site. If Radio Kansas had to launch a new tower site search and obtain nods from the regulatory agencies, it would lose out on this year's funding cycle, Horning predicted. What Horning didn't mention - but could thwart potential funding in the future - is the White House wants to eliminate the Commerce Department's telecommunications funding program, claiming it duplicates other programs. Under the funding scenario for the new tower, the federal and state aid would leave a gap of about $75,000. If bids come in lower than projected, the outside aid would cover the project. If not, Radio Kansas could mount a capital campaign to close the gap, according to college and station leaders. 06/05/2006; 02:32:27 AM (Hutchinson News via Artie Bigley, DXLD) ** U S A. TED KOPPEL DÉBUT --- Ted Koppel will make his debut as an NPR Senior News Analyst on Thursday, June 8 during All Things Considered. His essay is on the unintended consequences of United States policy toward Somalia over the last two decades. Koppel, now managing editor at Discovery Communications, recently left ABC News, where his reporting took him across the world and to Somalia. This kicks off Koppel`s regular on-air presence across NPR shows, focusing on topics ranging from national security, values, privacy, health and the media to world affairs (KOSU This Week, June 6 via DXLD) ** U S A. In NEW JERSEY, a Seton Hall University audit uncovered what appears to be a long pattern of embezzlement by former WSOU (89.5 South Orange) station manager Michael Collazo. He was arrested Thursday and charged with money laundering and theft by deception, which could lead to as much as 10-20 years behind bars if he's convicted. The university says Collazo, who ran WSOU from 1984 to 2004, set up a shell company in 1991 called "Warren Sound Options Unlimited," which spells out "W.S.O.U." Collazo is accused of diverting $550,000 in underwriting revenue and subcarrier lease payments from the station's own account to his phony "W.S.O.U." account. Collazo had been working as a flight attendant since he was fired from Seton Hall two years ago, when problems with the station's accounts began to surface. The university says its insurance has repaid the missing money to the proper WSOU accounts. CONNECTICUT Public Radio - a.k.a. "WNPR" - has pulled the last of its weekday music programs off its schedule, becoming a fulltime news-talk outlet. The latest changes at the network (which includes WPKT 90.5 Meriden/Hartford, WNPR 89.1 Norwich, WEDW 88.5 Stamford and WRLI 91.3 Southampton NY) take effect Monday, replacing morning music and the noon "Lunchtime with Mozart" with a new 9-10 AM news/talk show called "Where We Live," followed by WBUR's "On Point" and NPR's "Fresh Air" and "Day to Day." Evening and overnight music is replaced by rebroadcasts of daytime talk programs and BBC World Service; some music remains on weekends with Metropolitan Opera broadcasts, the "Sunday Spotlight" show and "Pipedreams." Listeners in much of southern Connecticut will continue to hear classical music on the WMNR (88.1 Monroe) and WSHU (91.1 Fairfield) networks, while some parts of northern Connecticut can hear WFCR (88.5 Amherst MA) and the ever-shrinking classical portion of the WGBH (89.7 Boston) schedule (Scott Fybush, NE Radio Watch June 5 http://www.fybush.com/support.html via DXLD) ** U S A. LIMBAUGH DECEPTION --- Limbaugh admitted to airing call from phony liberal-bashing Lt. Col. in Iraq but continued to hold out hope officer was real Summary: On his radio show, Rush Limbaugh admitted he had aired a phone call from a purported Air Force officer in Iraq who the military says "[d]oes not exist." The apparently phony officer, who Limbaugh said identified himself as "Lieutenant Colonel Luke Fitzpatrick" of the "336th Tactical Air Wing," delivered what Limbaugh described as a "profound" and "mov[ing]" message. But despite acknowledging that Pentagon officials and the Air Force told him they have no record of a "Luke Fitzpatrick" or a "336th Tactical Air Wing," Limbaugh nonetheless continued to float the possibility that the caller was in fact an officer in Iraq. A transcript at: http://mediamatters.org/items/200606050007 (via Brock Whaley, GA, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. Colegas! Alguém poderia me ajudar a identificar: 5810 kHz, 0137 UT em inglês 06/06/06. Não encontrei identificação nem no ILG nem no Eibi. Gracias! 73 (Antônio Louzada, AOR 7030, Sony 7600GR, Kenwood R2000, Grundig Satellit 800, LongWire 25m Balun, PY8ELO-WB61, PORTO ALGRE - RS, Brasil, radioescutas yg via DXLD) Used to be US station there, and maybe again? I would of course point to the Colombian mixing product if it were not in English (gh, DXLD) Preziado Antonio, Creo que ud escutou a Family Radio, emitiendo en inglês. La escuté este fin de semana con programas religiosos y muchas canciones religiosas. Atte, (Héctor Frías, Radioescutas de Chile FEDERACHI http://www.federachi.cl ibid.) WYFR not currently scheduled on 5810 or any frequency below 5950 (gh) UNIDENTIFIED. Someone running a strong open carrier on 15515, causing a pronounced SAH of about 5 Hz with RFI via Guiana French, around 1345 June 6 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DIGITAL BROADCASTING DRM: see AUSTRALIA; CANADA; NEW ZEALAND ++++++++++++++++++++ RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ RADIO SHACK CLEARING SHELVES Radio Shack is in the process of refocusing their marketing strategy nationally. They are closing many of their smaller, and under- producing, stores. According to an article I read a few months ago, they want to go into the electronic boutique and mega store type operations. As a general rule, electronics stores run their Manager's Specials, at this time of the year, to clear out inventory for new electronics and back to school sales in August. In the closing Radio Shack stores everything is getting blown out, even the storage bins and display cases. Many technies in this area are getting in and purchasing coax, connectors and things at below flea market prices. So keep an eye on the RS stores in your area in case some "sales" pop up (Pete, KZ1Z, Kemp, June 4, NRC-AM via WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DXLD) I wonder how this attempt differs from their last attempt? The last group of RS megastores were called Tech America. They had one here in the Denver area (in Glendale). It was about 20 times the size of a typical RS and had a lot of high end consumer electronics such as professional mobile DJ equipment. It was a great store reminiscent of many pre-RS local electronics shops. You could spend hours browsing it. I think they only opened about 1/2 dozen of these nationally. They only survived for a couple years (Patrick Griffith Westminster, CO, ibid.) Brett Saylor out in Central PA and I have each made a few visits to stores in the closing mode. The one I went to was selling the $75 rotors at half price, so I picked one up for myself and one for Brett. I also picked up some coax and various connectors/adaptors, the latter at 60% off. I'll be visiting another soon-to-close store during my business trip this week up to Wilkes Barre, since there's one about 4 miles from the office. (Russ Edmunds Blue Bell, PA ( 360' ASL ) [15 mi NNW of Philadelphia], ibid.) I wonder how this will affect the independantly owned franchise stores? We have one here in Los Alamos. Amazingly, in this high-tech town, RS is the only place to get electronic parts (Mike Westfall, N6KUY, WDX6O Los Alamos, New Mexico, ibid.) The single RS in Enid assures me they will not be closing; shux? (gh) HIGH-TECH "GODPOD" --- June 05, 2006 via Dxers Guide [a S Asian blog] Radio is a wonderful way of bringing the gospel to people in far-flung areas, but it also has certain limitations. Signals can only be picked up in specific areas, the reception may sometimes be unclear, and broadcast hours are always limited by available funds. AWR is planning to implement a pilot project in South Sudan and North Africa that will bypass these challenges and make many hours of programs instantly available to listeners. The device that makes this possible is called the MegaVoice Ambassador. It is a self-contained digital audio player that can hold up to 160 hours of content. Features include a solar panel with rechargeable batteries, a power jack for recharging, a speaker, an earphone port, and controls for volume and pausing. "We are very excited about this project," says AWR Europe region director Bert Smit. "The devices can hold the equivalent of a whole year of half-hour programs. In addition, we can load audio Bible lessons, which are invaluable for nurturing new believers where there are no established Adventist churches." Listeners may listen to the recordings multiple times as they study the Biblical concepts, which is particularly useful for people who are illiterate. When they are ready for new content, they can bring their devices to a central location, such as an AWR studio or Bible school, where staff will load a fresh set of programs. "AWR sees great potential in this new technology," says AWR president Ben Schoun. "We are starting this pilot project with 500 units, which cost approximately $25 each and are much cheaper than tape recorders or MP3 players. There are many more territories that could benefit from these devices, and sponsorship from churches or individuals could enable AWR to expand this outreach in the near future." (http://dxersguide.blogspot.com/2006/06/high-tech-godpod.html via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) The next generation of the fix-tuned radio! Sure, why bother with transmitting on SW, like Colombia para Cristo tries to do, and all the problems that entails, if you are not going to broadcast any time- sensitive secular info, anyway? And if you are going to hand out devices to individual victims, anyway, might as well make it one of these instead of a fix-tuned radio. Also no risk of their hearing some other station if your frequency breaks down, or if the fix-tuning drift. Consarned control freax (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) USSOCOM SEEKING AIR TETHERED BALLOON FM RADIO PLATFORM The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) is seeking information from sources that feel they are capable of providing off the shelf FM radio transmitter systems that would be deployed on a tethered balloon and dropped from a fighter aircraft. The tethered balloon broadcast system must be suited for use under an existing cloud base or in darkness, and must have the ability to stay aloft and broadcast untended for at least 5 days. The FM broadcast system can weigh no more that 1.5 kg and must be able to transmit on any channel in the FM broadcast frequency band (87-105 MHz). The information sought supports USSOCOM requirements for broadcasting messages into denied areas. Further details of technical requirements http://www.fbodaily.com/archive/2006/06-June/04-Jun-2006/FBO-01061905.htm # posted by Andy @ 12:18 UT June 6 (Media Network blog via DXLD) CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++ DAYTON PHOTOS Once again Tom, K8CX, has announced for DXers/Contesters to visit his famous Photo Web site and see the "Dayton 2006 Photo Gallery" at: http://hamgallery.com/dayton2006/ This year's gallery has 214 photos (KB8NW/OPDX/BARF80 June 5 via Dave Raycroft, ODXA via DXLD) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ INTERESTING WEB PAGE TO VISIT Willy, ON4AW, informs OPDX that at the beginning of this year 2006, he has been licenced for 52 years as a Radio Amateur. He succeeded in passing the exams in 1954. He has collected some interesting QSLs, photos of 4U1ITU and from ON4UB at the International Exhibition (1958) in Brussels. Please visit his Web page at: http://blog.seniorennet.be/paintinghistory/archief.php?ID=40 If clicking on the Morse key (image) at the upper left of the page, you will go to a different link which will provide a lot of radio- amateur information (in English), photos of older radio-amateur receivers and transmitters, and hundreds of quite rare QSL cards (KB8NW/OPDX/BARF80 June 5 via Dave Raycroft, ODXA via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ SPORADIC E CONTINUES TO BE QUITE SOLID Glenn: The last 10 days or so have seen quite a bit of strong e layer skip. It seems almost continuous, though of course the MUF shifts up and down. I continue to hear the KOA studio link at all times of day and night, including this morning around 4:20 am CDT. The E layer skip has also been providing very nice adjacent state skip on the 20 meter ham band as well as near vertical skip on 40 meters when the f layer skip zone has been hundreds of miles (David Hodgson, KG4TUY, Nashville, TN, June 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also USA E-SKIP TO JAPAN The following is a message from the editor of the VHF column (The World Above 50 MHz) in QST magazine. Apparently there was e-skip. Was it on 6m, 50 MHz) to Japan (Saul Chernos, WTFDA via DXLD) Viz.: From: Eugene Zimmerman To: "VHF Contesting Reflector" Date: Mon, 5 Jun 2006 13:40:23 -0400 Subject: [VHFcontesting] JA opening yesterday June 4/5 There was a massive JA opening yesterday from all parts of the U.S. I am looking for reports for the World Above 50 MHz in QST, particularly from stations as far east as possible. Heard reports are fine even if you didn't work any JA's. Lists of contacts would be useful. Please send any information to: w3zz @ arrl.org (via Chernos, WORLD OF RADIO 1318, ibid.) More unusual Es catches under USA THIS MIGHT CREATE SOME RADIO WAVES The two biggest storms in the solar system are about to go bump in the night, in plain view of backyard telescopes. FULL STORY at http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/05jun_redperil.htm?list52776 Check out our RSS feed at http://science.nasa.gov/rss.xml (NASA Science News for June 5, 2006 via Ira Elbert New III, GA, IRCA via DXLD) Jupiter spots converging (gh) The geomagnetic field ranged from quiet to unsettled levels with isolated intervals of active conditions on 01 June. Solar wind speed ranged from a low of about 300 km/s early in the period to a high of near 600 km/s early on 02 June. The period began with wind speeds very low and the Bz component of the IMF weak, not varying much beyond +/- 5 nT. These conditions persisted through midday on 30 May. As a result, the geomagnetic field was quiet. Thereafter, and through early on 02 June, wind speed began a gradual rise to near 600 km/s, while the IMF Bz fluctuated through +/- 10 nT as a recurrent coronal hole wind stream became geoeffective. The geomagnetic field responded with mostly quiet to unsettled conditions at middle latitudes with quiet to active conditions at high latitudes on 30 May. Quiet conditions were observed at all latitudes on 31 May. By midday on 01 June, an isolated minor storm period was observed at high latitudes while middle latitudes remained at quiet to unsettled levels. By midday on 03 June, wind speed began to decrease while the IMF Bz relaxed, not varying much beyond +/- 3 nT. During this period, the geomagnetic field was quiet at all latitudes. The period ended with a wind speed around 380 km/s. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 07 JUNE - 03 JULY 2006 Solar activity is expected to be at very low to low levels. No greater than 10 MeV proton events are expected. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at high levels on 08 – 13 June. The geomagnetic field is expected to be mostly quiet to unsettled for the majority of the forecast period. Recurrent coronal hole high speed wind streams are expected to rotate into geoeffective positions on 07 – 08 June, 14 June, and again on 28 June. Active to minor storm conditions are expected on 07 – 08 June while unsettled to active periods are expected on 14 and 28 June. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2006 Jun 06 2124 UTC # Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Environment Center # Product description and SEC contact on the Web # http://www.sec.noaa.gov/wwire.html # # 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table # Issued 2006 Jun 06 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2006 Jun 07 80 20 4 2006 Jun 08 80 15 3 2006 Jun 09 80 10 3 2006 Jun 10 80 8 3 2006 Jun 11 80 5 2 2006 Jun 12 80 5 2 2006 Jun 13 80 5 2 2006 Jun 14 80 10 3 2006 Jun 15 80 10 3 2006 Jun 16 75 10 3 2006 Jun 17 75 8 3 2006 Jun 18 75 8 3 2006 Jun 19 75 5 2 2006 Jun 20 75 5 2 2006 Jun 21 75 5 2 2006 Jun 22 75 5 2 2006 Jun 23 75 5 2 2006 Jun 24 75 5 2 2006 Jun 25 75 5 2 2006 Jun 26 75 10 3 2006 Jun 27 75 10 3 2006 Jun 28 75 12 3 2006 Jun 29 75 10 3 2006 Jun 30 80 10 3 2006 Jul 01 80 8 3 2006 Jul 02 80 8 3 2006 Jul 03 80 5 2 (from http://www.sec.noaa.gov/radio via WORLD OF RADIO 1318, DXLD) ###