DX LISTENING DIGEST 6-087, June 17, 2006 Incorporating REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING edited by Glenn Hauser, http://www.worldofradio.com Items from DXLD may be reproduced and re-reproduced only if full credit be maintained at all stages and we be provided exchange copies. DXLD may not be reposted in its entirety without permission. Materials taken from Arctic or originating from Olle Alm and not having a commercial copyright are exempt from all restrictions of noncommercial, noncopyrighted reusage except for full credits For restrixions and searchable 2006 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn NEXT SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO Extra 68: 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 NOTE: Your editor has been taking a few days off, so this issue covers some info going back almost a week, as we catch up (gh) ** ALGERIA [non]. Saludos cordiales, estoy escuchando con excelente señal tanto en 7150 y en paralelo por 9710 a locutor en árabe con comentarios y música folklórica árabe. Según se publica en DX LISTENING DIGEST 6-086 se trata de Argelia. 73 (José Miguel Romero, Spain, June 16, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Via UK Re: "Seemingly TDA means RTA Algiers?" and "I don't know what TDA mean, I guess it means Telediffusion Algerienne." The list of Frequency Management Organisations that participate in HFCC is in the file fmorg.txt that's contained in a06allx2.zip that can be downloaded from http://www.hfcc.org In fact, the correct name of the organisation is Télédiffusion d'Algérie (Andy Sennitt, Netherlands, ibid.) see unID ** ANTARCTICA. ANTARCTICA`S KC4AAA TO BE ON THE AIR FOR FIELD DAY (June 16, 2006) --- KC4AAA at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica, http://www.nsf.gov/od/opp/support/southp.jsp has announced plans to participate in ARRL Field Day 2006. The stations Satellite Communications Technician Robert Reynolds, N0QFQ, will head up the effort. Operations from KC4AAA will commence at 1800 UT on June 24 and continue through 2100 UTC on June 25. Experience has shown that best opportunity for North and South American stations to contact KC4AAA appears around 2300 UT on the Eastern Seaboard, moving westward with time until the window closes around 0400. Given South Pole`s location right under the auroral oval, propagation can make South Pole intercontinental HF radio communications a challenge, so listen carefully! The primary operating frequency will be on or about 14243 kHz. KC4AAA operators will monitor and exploit other bands, but 20 meter SSB will be the primary operating mode. South Pole will operate as a ``home`` station with supplied power (Class 1D). Reynolds plans to have a team of up to 10 operators staffing the station, most of whom are in a ham radio licensing class at the station. KC4AAA will be running 1 kW and will mainly use a pair of log-periodic antennas aimed toward the US. KC4AAA plans to upload its Field Day log to Logbook of The World (LoTW). QSL cards will be sent later in the year. For more information, contact Nick Powell, NH6ON nick.powell @ usap.gov (ARRL main page via John Norfolk, dxldyg via DXLD) ** ARGENTINA. 6215, R. Baluarte, sometimes audio from them is terrible, like at late evening on Jun 16. Recheck on morning following day, shows them better (Horacio A. Nigro, Montevideo, Uruguay, June 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. Re 6-084: Raul, I'm at work this morning without my handy little globe to look at but I think an azimuth of 80 degrees from Brandon would put most of the power across Central America. I don't know what type of antenna is in use at Brandon (or the gain) but the effective radiated power in your direction might be as much as 10 to 15 times greater than the 10 kW from the transmitter. Some of the big curtain arrays have power gains of 100 but they also have very narrow beamwidths. 15415 is beamed toward SE Asia so there might be several million watts aimed at Singapore but only a few thousand watts headed to the east toward the Americas (Jerry Lenamon, Waco TX, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) DX Atlas and GEOCKWIN software shows 80 degrees main lobe from Brandon towards Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara, Mexico. 145 antenna code means 45 HR(S)6/4/0.5 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) ** AZERBAIJAN. Re External service on 6110v: Seems to be irregular as usual: today the carrier was switched off some time after 1500 and didn't come back. (later) Weak audio now at 1400 on the 2nd harmonic of 12221.61 kHz (Mauno Ritola, Finland, DXplorer May 31 via BCDX via DXLD) 12221.7, Voice of Azerbaijan on second harmonic of 6110.85 from 1700 tune to 1755 tune out on 6/1 via DX Tuner Rommele and 090 EWE. Weak, but got a good recording. The primary 6110.85 channel was barely workable with het and co-channel QRM. Tnx to Mauno Ritola for this one! Mostly woman announcer sometimes with interspersed short instrumental music; vocal/instrumental Azerbaijani music with female singer 1723.5-1729.5 and 1745-1749. Only heard a man announcer. Threshold level with SINPO 1- 2/5/5/3/2 (Bruce W. Churchill-CA-USA, DXplorer June 2 via BCDX June 13 via DXLD) ** BELARUS [and non]. Re: Hmmm, spoken like a true Red Russian ;-\ (gh, DXLD) Hmmm, commented like a true McCarthy-era American :))) (Sergei Sosedkin, IL, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Surprised you misunderstand (?) this. In this sense, of course, I meant red in the sense of great, i.e. non-White, nothing to do with Communism (Glenn, to Sergei, ibid.) Another reader took me to task for this. Aside from the deplorable politics in Belarus, it seems to me that the country is entitled to give preference to its own language rather than Russian. I suspect the Regular Russians look down on the White Russians and their `dialect`. And the Russians appear to have infiltrated White Russia thanks to the long dominance of the USSR (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOLIVIA. 4545, R. Virgen de Remedios, Tupiza. Don't know if their power was already known. WRTH 2006, doesn't mention it; but I heard announcer mentioning their 500 watts, on Jun 12, 0030, when reading reception reports from Asunción, Paraguay and Buenos Aires (Horacio A. Nigro, Montevideo, Uruguay, June 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. Re 6-086: Com relação à informação sobre a Globo, a mesma foi dada por pessoa ligada ao departamento técnico da emissora, o que não desqualifica a informação do Célio Romais, que vem respaldada por fonte de primeira. Só ressaltamos que esta promessa de melhoras nas emissões precárias das ondas curtas da Globo já se arrasta há anos e não é de agora. Esperemos que para o bem do radio brasileiro e dos milhares de ouvintes ela se concretize pela importância da Rádio Globo (Escafura swl py10130, Noticias DX via DXLD) ** CANADA. 89.9 CJLR La Ronge, Saskatchewan --- Yesterday during the crazy E-skip, I logged a couple stations from Canada, but can't verify who they are. Any help appreciated! 1419 mdt, 89.9 MBC net' affiliate in Saskatchewan. I've looked up their website, but I can't find an affiliate list. As a matter of fact, the menu on the left of the first page does not 'interact' with my browser, as in, it does nothing when I click on any of the links. The below information is from their webpage: Missinipi Broadcasting Corporation "brings the people to the people", 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 60 communities and growing! MBC Network Radio, MBC TV, the Missinipi Youth Foundation - we preserve, protect and enhance the aboriginal cultures and languages of northern and central Saskatchewan. Explore the site and learn more. http://www.mbcradio.com/index3.html (Jim Thomas - wdx0fbu, Milliken, CO - 40 mi N of Denver, June 11, WTFDA via DXLD) Wayne Plunkett, a Toronto DXer, has been in their Saskatoon sales office a few years ago and had a long conversation with them about their operation. They also have a main office in La Ronge, where CJLR is their initial and main station, operating at 216 watts. Almost undoubtedly all the others are all under 50 watts each. CJLR1 89.9 is 8 watts, for example. They're the main Native broadcaster in SA. (Saul Chernos, ibid.) ** CANADA [non]. CBC SLIDESHOW: REPORTING FROM AFGHANISTAN Ever wondered how journalists report stories in far-flung locations? It can be very complex, especially since they must carry hundreds of kilograms of gear – such as cameras, radio recorders, bulletproof vests, electric generators and satellite dishes – along with them. The CBC’s David Common reports to The National from Kandahar. http://www.cbc.ca/news/photogalleries/flash/kandahar_reporters.html?gallery=kandahar_reporters (via Ricky Leong, DXLD) ** CHINA [non]. CRI to NAm in English UT Tue June 6 at 0100: 6020 // 9570 [Albania] with same programming. 9580 [Cuba] & 9790 [Canada] parallel with same programming. So they do run two different shows. ``Hipper`` contents I`ve noticed on the first two --- American pop, Eric Clapton, showbiz gossip on US so-called stars; also bits on China`s movie directors, movies, pop music, etc. They quickly reviewed Da Vinci Code. Monday`s China Drive had all that and more (Bob Thomas, Bridgeport CT, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. 6000.0, R. Progreso, La Habana; 0837-0910, fair on 5/3. Cuban music. ID at 0859 ``Radio Progreso, cadena nacional, la onda de la alegría, transmitiendo desde La Habana, Cuba, primer [territorio] libre en América.`` Then into program ``A Primera Hora`` and news ``Noticias de la 5`` in this program. Probably extra transmission via RHC transmitter (Takeshi SEJIMO, Japan, Radio Nuevo Mundo June 6 via DXLD) ** CYPRUS Northern. 6150.03, R Bayrak, 0328, Jun 11, National Anthem which I recognized from 3 years ago when I last heard them, English female ID and frequencies, usual pop music. Audio weak and distorted but audible while Gene Scott (consistently on 6149.97) is off (Martien Groot, Schoorl, Netherlands, DSWCI DX Window June 14 via DXLD) ** CZECH REPUBLIC. Summer A-06 schedule of Radio Prague: CZECH 0130-0157 6200 7345 0230-0257 7345 9870 0830-0857 11600 15710 0930-0957 9880 21745 1100-1127 11665 15710 1230-1257 6055 7345 1330-1357 13580 17540 1530-1557 5930 17485 1730-1757 5930 17485 1930-1957 5930 11600 2100-2127 9410 11600 2330-2357 7345 9440 ENGLISH 0000-0027 7345 9440 0100-0127 6200 7345 0300-0327 7345 9870 0330-0357 9445 11600 0700-0727 9880 11600 0900-0927 9880 21745 1030-1057 9880 11665 1300-1327 13580 17540 1600-1627 5930 17485 1700-1727 5930 17485 2000-2027 5930 11600 2130-2157 9410 11600 2230-2257 7345 9415 GERMAN 0630-0657 5930 7345 1000-1027 6055 9880 1200-1227 6055 7345 1500-1527 5930 1630-1657 11825 ARM FRENCH 0600-0627 5930 7345 0730-0757 9880 11600 1630-1657 5930 17485 1830-1857 5930 13580 2200-2227 7345 9415 RUSSIAN 0400-0427 9445 11600 1130-1157 11665 15710 1430-1457 9410 13580 1800-1827 7350 NVS SPANISH 0000-0027 11665 ASC 0030-0057 7345 9440 0200-0227 6200 7345 0800-0827 11600 15710 1400-1427 11625 13580 1800-1827 5930 13580 1900-1927 5930 13580 2030-2057 5930 11600 2300-2327 7345 9415 (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, June 13 via DXLD) Why now? Does this entail some changes since March 26? (gh, DXLD) ** ECUADOR. Pifo update --- HCJB at Quito asked for some clarification of the statements made a week ago at a listeners meeting in Vienna: In fact the dismantling work at Pifo came to a halt only because the first step has been completed. The next step is scheduled to start in January 2007 and includes the removal of the steerable antenna. It remains to be seen if the airport project will make progress by then. So far it is preliminary if not misleading to say that it has been stopped. PS: This is the referenced steerable antenna [egg-beater]: http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/dxld/photos/view/60b4?b=10 (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 17, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA ECUATORIAL. 15190, Radio East África, 1045-1055, escuchada el 17 de junio en inglés a locutora con comentarios y locutor con ID "Radio East Africa" en fin de emisión, SINPO 44444 (José Miguel Romero, Spain, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. VOICE OF OROMIA INDEPENDENCE LAUNCHES WEEKLY BROADCAST TODAY This is just published in the Media Network Weblog, but in view of its timeliness I am also posting it here so some of you may be able to catch the inaugural broadcast: Media Network has been advised that, starting today, a new radio station called the Voice of Oromia Independence is beaming a weekly programme to Ethiopia on Saturdays at 1500-1530 UT on 15650 kHz. Broadcasts will be via a T-Systems facility in Germany. The group producing the programme says it is not affiliated with any of the existing Ethiopian/Oromo programmes on shortwave, but we don't have any more information yet (Andy Sennitt, Media Network, Radio Netherlands, June 17, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Heard here at 1500 sign on on 15650 with English announcements at the beginning. Weak, and some local QRM here (Steve Lare, Holland, MI, USA, ibid.) Desde Burjasot en Valencia, 17 Junio, 15650 Voice of Oromia Independence, ID en inglés, "Radio Miami...", "Radio Voice of Oromia Independence", ID en amhárico, segmento musical. 1500, SINPO 45444. (José Miguel Romero, Spain, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Saludos cordiales, hoy 17 de Junio se ha producido la inauguración de esta nueva emisora clandestina para Etiopía; se trata de Radio Voice of Oromia Independence, transmitiendo via Alemania en Amharico, con un programa semanal los sábados de 1500-1530 por la frecuencia de 15650. Se puede escuchar el audio completo de ésta emisión en: http://valenciadx.multiply.com/music/item/142 73 (José Miguel Romero, radioescutas via DXLD) Starts with Jeff White`s intro in English; 30 minutes Solar-terrestrial indices for 16 June follow. Solar flux 75 and mid- latitude A-index 10. The mid-latitude K-index at 1500 UTC on 17 June was 3 (29 nT). No space weather storms were observed for the past 24 hours (SEC via DXLD) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. BELGIUM(non) Some TDP changes: Voice of Oromo Liberation in Oromo: 1700-1730 NF 11840 SAM 250 kW / 188 deg to EaAf Mon/Thu, ex 12120 Voice of Ethiopian People in Amharic: 1700-1800 NF 11840 SAM 250 kW / 188 deg to EaAf Tue/Sat, ex 12120 Voice of Ethiopian National United Front in Amharic: 1700-1800 NF 11840 SAM 250 kW / 188 deg to EaAf Fri/Sun, ex 12120 Dejen Radio in Tigrigna: 1700-1800 NF 11840 SAM 250 kW / 188 deg to EaAf Wed, ex 12120 (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, June 13 via DXLD) ** EUROPE. NAME THAT STATION, NAME THAT TUNE with Mark Savage Come on now, be honest. What were you doing on the evening of 20th May? Earnestly wandering round the bands with your fingers in search of some far off country? Or were you, like over a billion listeners in the member countries of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) following the bands of The Eurovision Song Contest on some frequency or other? The annual pan-continental festival of (vaguely) musical delights and dirges has now been entertaining or irritating, enthusing or enraging for fifty years, depending as much on national allegiances as cultural tastes. For the regular international listener, though, there’s added appeal: particularly during the voting, it’s a rare on-screen chance to see as well as hear some of the familiar English-speaking voices of nearly forty national broadcasters, from this year’s host ERT to the ever-expanding number of nations of the new Europe. It will be interesting to see what Finland’s got in store for us next year in Helsinki after Lordi, looking like refugees from the set of Dr Who, emerged victorious in Athens last month. With the weird and wonderful national interpretations of what passes for a good tune these days though, it’s comforting to hear a Eurovision constant every May. Tedious though the show may sometimes be, the theme music is anything but: it’s the prelude to the dramatic and joyful TE DEUM , a sacred motet by MARC-ANTOINE CHARPENTIER, one of the greatest composers of late seventeenth-century France. Charpentier has been described as the ``quintessentially Catholic composer``. With the original meaning of `catholic` as `universal`, maybe that`s one reason the founders of the EBU, the largest professional organisation of national broadcasters in the world, adopted the Prelude as its theme tune in the 1950s. Post-war hopes of unity and co-operation in Europe may have taken a long time to get off the ground in political affairs, but in broadcasting the EBU has been a vital force in the growth of programming and technology which transcends national interests and borders for nearly sixty years. The EBU, founded in February 1950 by Western European broadcasters, merged with OIRT, its equivalent in the former Eastern bloc, in 1993. While chiefly known to the average viewer just for the annual songfest and maybe the New Year`s Day concert from Vienna, Eurovision today serves an important role in TV news; most ``actuality`` pictures from the European area pass through Eurovision`s satellites. However, Dxers might not know that the EBU operates an equally important co- ordination and exchange facility for radio, the Euroradio network, which each year relays over two and a half thousand concerts- including many of those heard during the small hours on BBC RADIO 3. EBU’s radio department also co-ordinates the transmission of 440 sports fixtures, and 120 major news events. If you’d like to read more about their fascinating activities, you`ll find plenty more information at: http://www.ebu.ch/en Even in the Cold War, mind you, the classical music of one European nation interacting with another transcended the barriers of ideologies and a divided Europe, particularly with some of the then Communist-led stations’ signature tunes. One of the best known examples comes from RADIO BUDAPEST. Although their interval signal has recently changed, Hungary`s voice on shortwave and the net continues to start up with the HUNGARIAN MARCH NUMBER 1 by BERLIOZ. Written originally as a separate piece based on a on a Hungarian national theme (Rákóczy- indulo), the official Hector Berlioz website reports that it had an ``electrifying`` effect at its first performance in Budapest. As a result, the French composer subsequently included it in his ``legende dramatique`` (not an opera) The Damnation of Faust. An appropriate if surprising choice, though, given that Hungary itself has a noble musical tradition and has produced many world-famous composers and performers, particularly in classical music and jazz. You can regularly hear more of that on Radio Budapest, no doubt, or read more at https://secure.magyarorszag.hu/angol/orszaginfo/kultura/zene/zene_a La DX: douze points! (Mark Savage, June BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** FRANCE. English from RFI? Try 17800 at 1200 UT (Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Issoudun, not Ascension, it seems (gh, DXLD) ** FRANCE. Saludos cordiales, el encuentro de fútbol del campeonato del mundo entre la República Checa y Ghana, está siendo retransmitido en francés por RFI en paralelo por: 1600 F Radio France Int. F NAf 13675 15300 17620 17850 (José Miguel Romero, Spain, 1708 UT June 17, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also LIBYA ** FRANCE. 25 YEARS OF JEWISH RADIO IN FRANCE PARIS (EJP) --- Four ministers and several presidential candidates attended in Paris the 25th anniversary dinner of the French Jewish radio station Radio J and declared their attachment to the Jewish media. Radio J, one of France's four Jewish radios, last Monday celebrated its 25th birthday with a fancy gala dinner in Paris with several national leaders and about 500 guests. . . http://www.ejpress.org/article/news/9137 (via Zacharias Liangas, Greece, DXLD) ** GERMANY [non]. Some Deutsche Welle changes: 0400-0430 5945 SIN 250 kW / 040 deg Belorussian, new sce from Aug 1 2200-2400 11935 KIG 250 kW / 105 deg German, deleted effective June 5 2200-2300 9855 TRM 250 kW / 085 deg Indonesian, deleted June 5 (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, June 13 via DXLD) ** GERMANY. European Music Radio will be on air via Jülich on Sunday (June 18), 1200-1300 on 6045. Apparently they arranged (this) transmission(s) via T-Systems facilities because Ulbroka-9290 is no longer available at present (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 16, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: Radebeul, 16.6.06. Hallo, Listenhörer, EMR (European Music Radio) ist am Sonntag, den 18.06.06 von 1200 bis 1300 UT erstmals auf 6045 kHz via Jülich zu hören. Best 73, (Klaus Führlich, June 16, A-DX Liste via Ludwig, DXLD) see also LATVIA [non] ** GERMANY. By the way, while trying to find out (without success) I found another story: T-Systems runs the Stuttgart-Hirschlanden transmitter for AFN (1143), and they borrowed the AFN audio for test runs of the new Truckradio rig there (738) in January 2005. Well, it was no BBG audio, otherwise I would not tell this in detail here (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 16, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. Speaking about soccer: The German ministry of defence is going to rent satellite capacity for feeding coverage of the registered trademark to the soldiers just sent to Kinshasa. Critics quote comments from insiders who said that it is rude how much money they are throwing out of the window for Radio Andernach operations in Kosovo (and certainly this applies to Afghanistan as well), especially since just the heaviest increase of taxes since 1945 has been pushed through. Discussion in German: http://forum.mysnip.de/read.php?8773,420006 (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 17, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GHANA/KENYA. 4915, GBC Accra in Vernaculars, 1950 UT, Sinpo very weak 1-2 533 1-2. At 2037 UT like a 5 kW station. Co-channel user Kenya not heard at this time span (wb df5sx, on whitsuntide holiday on Mallorca Isl Spain, wwdxc BC-DX June 7-8, BCDX via DXLD) v4915 Kenia and Ghana co-channel, side by side. Resumen of some discussion in A-DX newsgroup, by Wolf-Dieter Behnke-D and Thorsten Hallmann-D: 4914.98 seems Kenia, fade in before or around 1800 UT, starts nx in En at 1900 UT. Irregularly close-down around 1900-1905...1920 UT. Buzzy modulation. 4914.94 / 4915.01 seems Accra, Ghana, fade-in much later around 1840 UT. More African vernacular talk and music. Station ID at 1915 and 1930 UT "Radio Ghana, Accra". (wb, wwdxc BC-DX June 2) Am 31.05.2006 um 2119 schrieb Wolf-Dieter Behnke: 31.05.06 staerkere Station auf 4914.98 um 1900 nx in engl. 1903 afr. Sprache schwaechere Station auf 4914.94 um 1900 afr. mx Unterstellen wir, dass es Kenia und Ghana sind, dann ist Kenia auf 4914.98 und Ghana 40 Hz tiefer. Diese Unterstellung basiert auf der Beobachtung, dass gegen 1830 nur die 4914.98 auf dem Spektrum war, die tiefere qrg fadete erst gegen 1845 ein. 1. Rx NRD 545 2. Antenne Tropenbanddipol 3. Frequenzmessung mit Spektrum Lab Die Spektrum-Messung -hier schon oefter lang und breit besprochen- bedarf "nur" eines Computers und des Spektrum-Programmes. (Wolf-Dieter Behnke-D, A-DX June 1, ibid.) Beobachtung von vorgestern: 1815 unid vn, mittleres Signal, kraeftig moduliert, mit unregelmaessigem Brummen ab ca. 1845 Station mit Popmusik taucht drunter auf und wird recht flott staerker 1900 kein Audio auf dem staerkeren Sender ausser dem Brummen, das brummen samt dem Rest dieses Signal verschwindet um 1901, der andere hat weiter Popmusik im Angebot. 31.05.06 staerkere Station auf 4914.98 19.00 nx in engl. 1903 afr. Sprache schwaechere Station auf 4914.94 1900 afr. mx Unterstellen wir, dass es Kenia und Ghana sind, dann ist Kenia auf 4914.98 und Ghana 40 Hz tiefer. Diese Unterstellung basiert auf der Beobachtung, dass gegen 1830 nur die 4914.98 auf dem Spektrum war, die tiefere qrg fadete erst gegen 1845 ein. Guten Abend, meine Vermutung von gestern, bezueglich der beiden Stationen kann bestaetigt werden. Heute wurde Kenia von 1800-1820 UTin Engl., danach in anderer Sprache gehoert. Sendeschluss war 1906 UTC. Die qrg 4914.95. Danach war die Station, die heute auf 4915.01 kHz ist, in einer Landessprache zu hoeren. Gegen 1915 und 1930 UTC erfolgte jeweils eine Stationsansage "Radio Ghana, Accra". Schoen, also ein ganz stabiles bild in letzter Zeit, der sign-off von Kenia variiert nach unterschiedlichen Meldungen etwa zwischen 1900 und 1920, wobei es keine einheitliche prozedur dazu gibt... (Thorsten Hallmann-D, A-DX June 2, all via BCDX via DXLD) ** GREECE. VOG on 15650: Glenn: At 2300 UT Sunday, June 11, I was checking Voice of Greece, and the SINPO's were like so: 5865 at 00000, 7475 at 25331, and 9420 at 55455. At 0000 UT Monday, June 12, the SINPO's were: 5865 at 00000, 7475 at 00000, and 9420 at 55555. I wondered where 7475 was and I started checking VOG's other frequencies. I found that 15650 was fading in and out with SINPO at 25332 with the same program that was on 9420; now at 0130 it has faded out completely (John Babbis, MD, June 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GREECE. Re 6-086: Glenn Hauser wrote: ``So they still have the multilingual service, but on MW only. Makes sense to take it off SW, right?`` Makes sense when it is of highest priority to have Greek for Europe on two frequencies all day long, not to speak about the Thessaloniki relay which during daytime still occupies one transmitter of only three ones left. Unnecessary luxury under the circumstances I would think, but apparently these relays are untouchable. Otherwise a pragmatic solution would be to put this 1300-1900 program block on 9420. Could probably give this frequency more listeners than it has now (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 16, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Greece/Radio Filia --- Glenn, Re the items about Greece "Radio Filia 665 kHz" in DXLD 6-086. Just to point out again that the correct frequency is of course 666 kHz. 665 was the old pre-1978 Geneva plan frequency. I'm sure this transmitter has been on channel, i.e. on 666 kHz, for at least the past couple of decades. It`s puzzling why after so many years even the Voice of Greece engineering schedule still incorrectly refers to it as 665 (Dave Kenny, UK, June 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** HUNGARY. R. Budapest music: See EUROPE ** INDONESIA. 4604.9, RRI Serui returned my Prepared Post Card (PPC) (filled out, stamped and signed) along with a letter in English from v/s M. Yawandare, Manager Siaran, in 7 months (it looks like reply was at least 2 months in transit from station). This for report in Bahasa Indonesia, mint stamps (not used) and postcard. I mailed my report to: Jalan Pattimura Kotak Pos 19, Serui 98213, Papua, Indonesia. Frankly, I was not expecting this! (John Herkimer, NY in Dxplorer via, DSWCI DX Window June 14 via DXLD) 4869.94, RRI Wamena not heard since late May. Hope they have not un- reactivated (John Wilkins, CO, Dxplorer via DSWCI DX Window June 14 via DXLD) ** INDONESIA. 9525, VOI, June 12, 0821-0900, in English; program ``Getting to Know Indonesia``, canned ID, pop Indonesian songs, business news (gives capital expenditures for oil and gas production, new economic zone proposed, Customs and Excise to generate more revenue, etc.), 0855 ``News in brief`` (national news: status of foreign aid for the Indo. earthquake, etc.), ends English segment with V.O.I. ID and frequencies (9525, 15150 and 11785), but I only heard 9525, fair. Enjoyed hearing this English portion of their broadcast (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, Etón E5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. Re. RTL TV (German) via Eutelsat Hotbird: Indeed they yesterday encrypted this signal in Cryptoworks (acc. some reports only the video while the audio was still FTA) due to lacking rights for ballgame spectacle transmissions via Hotbird, and indeed some cable headends, specifically those run by small companies, were not ready to decode the signal. By the way, FIFA just decided to close the stadium roofs (where they exist) during afternoon matches after the contrasts between sun-lit and shady areas were considered as unreasonable for TV. Must become quite funny on days with hot weather there (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 12, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. Sirius seems to be doing well; XM seems to have internal woes, setbacks, less profits, etc., NYC tabloids biz sections report (Bob Thomas, Bridgeport CT, June 7, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN. IRIB German on 7540 --- Since today IRIB uses for German 1730-1830 new 7540 in addition to 11855 and 15085, asking for reports on the performance of this frequency because they need to know for economical reasons (I gather from this wording that this is a test and they are not able to keep three frequencies indefinitely, hardly a surprise when considering that they were already off shortwave entirely). See original message below, received via Volker Willschrey. Here 7540 is in fact the best signal. On 15085 I note a loud squeal, difficult to make out in a hurry whether it is of local origin or generated by the transmitter itself. The audio processing on 7540 differs considerably from 11855 (bass range below ca. 120 Hz suppressed only on 7540), making me wonder about the site. 11855 is Sirjan (the new 10 x 500 kW Telefunken plant), so 7540 appears to originate from elsewhere (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 10, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Re. DXLD 6-085, IRIB English 1930-2030 on new 7540, ´´Ex-what?´´: I guess the same applies here than for German 1730-1830, i.e. this is an additional transmitter, no frequency change. The message from the German service editors about this new frequency suggests that IRIB engineering is trying out something here to improve reception in Europe, and so far it works quite good, at least here in Germany. Hence I wonder about the site of 7540 (which also carries French 1830- 1930) and even suspected whether it could originate from a site abroad, but there are no any indications that would support this wild guess. By the way: Read by original remark about the audio low-cut applied to the 7540 modulation as rather 200 or at least 150 Hz (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 12, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISLE OF MAN. IOMBC - "VESSEL READY FOR LONG WAIT RADIO STATION" http://www.iomonline.co.im/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=870&ArticleID=1559505 The glory days of Radio Caroline could be recaptured when the Island's latest broadcasting venture launches. Isle of Man International Broadcasting, the firm behind the as yet unnamed long-wave radio station, is planning to begin transmitting from a ship in Ramsey bay. It will echo the golden days of radio in the mid-1960s, when pirate station Radio Caroline steamed into the bay and brought the Island worldwide attention. It will also mark the start of broadcasting by the long-awaited long- wave station, which has been beset by delays and problems. This website has learned IoMIB has acquired a radio vessel called St Paul, which until last year was the base for Radio 603. For 18 months it broadcast from the coast of the Finnish Aland islands. The vessel is now in Denmark, preparing to come to the Island. IoMIB will use the vessel as a temporary broadcast platform while the long-wave station proves its economic viability. The company has permission to create a permanent transmission platform, but it is understood the company wants to show the business will work before investing several million pounds in the platform. The ship is expected to be moored in the same position as the permanent platform was intended for. IoMIB founder Paul Rusling said he isn't a position to comment in detail on the station's plan, but confirmed all the technical equipment needed to begin broadcasting has been secured and the antennae has been tested and is 'working well'. The launch is now expected in July, after the Communications Commission granted another two-month extension. Mr Rusling admitted there has been a 'minor setback' relating to finances, but that shouldn't take long to resolve. He added launching in July is 'certainly still do-able'. It was hoped the station would be launched early last year, but technical and financial problems have seen the start date pushed back. That has been a theme throughout the project, which battled for several years to gain planning permission for a transmitter at Cranstal before plumping for an offshore platform. IoMIB is also hoping to announce several big names in its launch line- up, including former Radio Caroline North DJs Mick Luvzit, Emperor Rosko and 'Ugli' Ray Teret, former BBC Radio 1 DJ Mike Read and 'at least one Manx Radio personality'. (via Mike Terry, June 13, dxldyg via DXLD) ** KENYA. Splitting hairs on 4915: see GHANA ** KURDISTAN [non]. Re 4675, Voice of Free Kurdistan, 1730-1830*, Jun 7 --- When checking on Jun 10 and 11, I was unable to hear the station, but there was a jamming station on 4670 (Jun 10) and 4675 (Jun 11) during the same timeperiod (Anker Petersen, Denmark, DSWCI DX Window June 14 via DXLD) ** LAOS [non]. 15260, Hmoob Moj Them (presumed), via Taiwan, *0200- 0230*, Fr Jun 02 and We Jun 07, on with singing, into non-stop talking, SE Asian language, some music, signal fluttery and only fair. (Howard in Shanghai). They verified an e-mail report in only 3 hours with a no data e-mail from info @ mojthem.com thanking me for the reception report and indicating "the quality of the broadcast is not as good as expected." Subsequent e-mails established I was dealing with the receptionist at the station (Rich D'Angelo, PA, DSWCI DX Window June 14 via DXLD) ** LATVIA [non]. EMR / MV Baltic 6045 or internet --- European Music Radio relay 6045 kHz --- Please note the new frequency. Sunday 18th June 2006, 1200 to 1300 UT, 6045 kHz [via GERMANY, q.v.] This programme will also be broadcast via the internet service at http://bereik.net:9290/listen.pls and will be broadcast at 1200-1300, repeated at 1500-1600, 1800-1900, 2100-2200 UT. Please note you will require a broadband connection to listen to our internet service which is available 24 hours a day. Good Listening 73s (Tom Taylor, EMR, June 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LATVIA. The closed shortwave relay service on 9290 is due to return with a new owner in autumn. The relay license of Krebs TV (51% owned by Jan Telenský, also the owner of Radio Tatras International) expired. New license owner is Raimonds Kreicbergs (who also is minority co-owner of Krebs TV). Kreicbergs is planning to install his own, small SW transmitter (probably 10 kW; DRM-ready) at the Ulbroka site during the summer and to resume the relay service for low-budget program producers in autumn. This will substitute the previously used 100 kW transmitter. The background: Since the Latvian state transmitter operator LVRTC (owner of the Ulbroka site) shock-raised the prices for transmitter lease in the beginning of the year, the rates for 100 kW airtime are no longer affordable by the typical customers of the relay service. The old 100 kW transmitter will remain available for clients who are ready to pay the higher prices (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, June 12, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LIBYA [and non]. AMAL AND THE AFTERNOON VISITORS 10 Junio --- A las 1200 inicia emisión de La Voz de África por las frecuencias de 17660 y 17670 con identificación en inglés, locutora con titulares y boletín de noticias en francés, la emisión musical de La Voz de África en 17665. Sawt Al-amal se escucha en 17690, pero a las 1203 cesa la emisión en 17660 y aparece en 17690 además una señal de burbuja; a las 1300 Sawt Al-amal cambia a 17695 y a las 1323 cesa emisión en 17670 y pasa a 17695 en paralelo por 17690. Hoy no hubo emisión de música afro-pop. 11 Junio --- Similar situación que la de ayer, a las 1200 emisiones en paralelo por 17660 y 17675, emisora musical en 17665, Sawt Al-amal en 17695, a las 1210 cesa emisión en 17660 y aparece en 17695; por otra parte se observa que las emisiones de La Voz de África en Hausa y emitiendo en paralelo por 17610 y 17625 están en portadora, estos servicios no se activaron hasta las 1217. A las 1300 Sawt Al-amal cambia a 17690, a las 1314 se inicia en esa frecuencia la emisión jammer musical y a las 1320 cesa emisión en 17670 y pasa a 17690 en paralelo con la de 17695. 12 Junio --- Curioso la situación de hoy, a las 1200 comienza emisión de La Voz de África sólo en 17660 y la emisión musical en 17665, Sawt Al-amal en 17625, así durante la primera hora de emisión, a las 1300 Sawt Al-amal cambia a 17620 con fuerte colisión de RFI y a las 1305 regresa a 17625 en colisión con CRI en Mandarín, la emisión de 17660 cesa y aparece en 17625. 13 Junio --- Hoy no sé lo que pasó con Sawt Al-amal, desde las 1200 a las 1300 emisión musical de La Voz de África en 17665 y emisiones en árabe en 17660 y 17670. La misma situación desde las 1300 a las 1400, sin embargo a las 1342 aparece la emisión jammer musical en 17675 en colisión con La Voz de África en esa misma frecuencia (José Miguel Romero, Spain, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) LIBIA//FRANCIA. Si quedaba alguna duda de la implicación de Francia en las actividades de interferir a Sawt Al-amal, creo que se pueden disipar: lo ocurrido hoy 17 de junio es significativo. A Sawt Al-amal no se la escuchó ni el 16 ni el 17 de Junio; por otra parte La Voz de África tampoco transmitió en 17660 ni en 17670 en sus emisiones en árabe, tan sólo transmitió su emisión musical en 17665. Sin embargo hoy 17 de Junio, a las 1200 se inicia en 17665 la emisión musical, RFI en francés por 17620 y en paralelo por 17610; ¿qué pasó con la emisión de La Voz de África en Hausa en ésta frecuencia? Su emisión en paralelo por 17725 en portadora, mi pregunta, ¿qué hace RFI en 17610? (José Miguel Romero, Spain, June 17, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) SAWT AL AMAL --- Today the jamming situation around Sawt Al Amal was unusually chaotic. At 1200 Amal opened on 17620 interfering with RFI. The Libyan relays as usual opened on 17610 / 17660 / 17665 / 17670 / 17725. Due to feed problems all Libyan frequencies via France at first had long periods of silence. After some time the RFI feed was put on 17610 and 17660, parallel to but a couple of tenths of a second in advance of 17850 / 17620 / 15300. 17670 and 17725 remained silent. At 1214 17660 went off and a silent carrier appeared on 17620. At 1221 RFI audio was switched on, creating an echo with the normal RFI signal. At 1216 17670 went off and a silent carrier appeared on 17625. At 1300 Amal went to 17630 (a 10 kHz shift instead of the usual 5 kHz step), interfering with ANO. At 1310 the Afropop station went on and the jammer that had been on 17625 also piled up on 17630. At 1313 Swahili from Libya was on 17610 and 17620 while Arabic was 17630 and 17725. At 1327 this had been corrected with Arabic on 17620 and Swahili on 17725. Just before 1400 I noted Amal back on 17620. At that time RFI had already left. The Libyan relay left at 1400 sharp and Amal at about 25 seconds after the hour (Olle Alm, Sweden, 17 June, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALAYSIA. 5965, Nasional FM via RTM, June 13, 1303-1310, news in vernacular, // 7270 (Wai FM via RTM), many IDs for ``Radio RT`` and ``Radio RT Kuala Lumpur`` during and after the news, 1310 // with music but Wai FM broke away briefly for their local ID and then continued // till 1312, when they started their own programming and 5965 continued with several more Radio RT and Radio RTM IDs and pop songs, 1318 & 1322 finally noted Nasional FM IDs. Had suspected that some of the news programs were parallel, but this is first time I was able to hear them for sure. Is also the first time I heard all these Radio RT and Radio RTM IDs. Both fair (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, Etón E5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MOLDOVA. [Pridnestr Moldova Republic] new 5965 kHz - Radio Pridnestrowja war am Monday, June 5th, 1620-1640 UT mit O=4 auf 5965 kHz zu empfangen. Stoerer CRI auf 5970. In vielen Listen sind noch 5910 und 5960 kHz eingetragen (Herbert Meixner, Austria, A-DX June 6 via BCDX via DXLD) Radio DMR Pridnestrovye heard on new 5965, 1605 tune in to 1640 off June 13th, English to 1620, French to 1640, fair signal but interference from China 5970, thanks Herbert Meixner, Austria A-DX via BCDX for the tip off (Mike Barraclough, Letchworth Garden City, UK, June 13, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MONGOLIA. VOICE OF MONGOLIA CONTEST The VOM is announcing a quiz "Who knows best the history of Mongolia" in commemoration of the 800th anniversary of the foundation of the Great Mongolian State. If you want to participate in it, there will be 4 questions: 1. When and where the Great Mongolian State was declared to be founded? Would you please give the year and name of the place were the Great Mongolian State was declared to be founded? 2. What do you know about the generation of the Great Chingis [sic] Khan of the Great Mongolian State? 3. What do you know about the heroic deeds and conquers of the Chingis Khan? 4. Do you know any books and films about the Chingis Khan? Would you please name them? You [are] asked to post or e-mail your answers to the Voice of Mongolia in English before the 1st of August 2006. The first 5 listeners who've sent the correct answers would be given special prizes. All those who participated in our quiz will receive Mongolian souvenirs (DSWCI SW News May-June via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS. NEW MEDIA NETWORK WEBLOG NOW ACTIVE Despite soaring temperatures here in the Netherlands, we've had a very busy day at Radio Netherlands. Amongst other things, we've successfully migrated the Media Network Weblog to its new home at http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/ For those of you who wish to subscribe to the RSS feed, it's available at http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/?feed=rss2 Anyone clicking on a link to the old site will be automatically transferred to the new one, but I do advise those of you who have it in your favorites (or favourites if you prefer the Queen's English) to update the link, as I can't guarantee how long the old site will stay online. One of the things I'm looking forward to is pressing the "delete this site" button :-) Then Blogger will be just a bad memory instead of a daily reality. We still have a bit of cleaning up to do. The date format isn't quite right, but I need a technical colleague to update the template for me. Also, when importing from Blogger, some of the accented characters were replaced by garbage. But the site is fully functional, and you can post comments. A couple of people have already done so (Andy Sennitt, Radio Netherlands, June 13, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEW ZEALAND. New Zealand RNZI Temporary schedule due to antenna switching problem at Rangitaiki, 11 to 25 June 2006 (from RNZI website 12 June). 0650-1650 7145 AM 6095 DRM 1650-1850 7145 AM 6095 AM 1850-2235 15720 AM 13730 AM 2235-0650 15720 AM 13730 DRM I wondered why 13730 and 15720 were at different times last weekend from the posted schedule 4 June to 2 Sept on website, Some excellent reception here on these two frequencies recently (Bernie O'Shea, Ottawa, Ontario, June 12, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Carlos Gonçalves sent a similar version which we put on the yg June 12; adding that all transmissions are at 0º as the 35º & 325º beams are not operational (gh, DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA [and non]. Re 6-085, ´´the Content Depot from NPR will replace much of which came via satellite´´ and ´´So is NPR abolishing all networking by satellite?´´: I assume this "Content Depot" is just a database with individual pieces. Such database systems frequently replaced individual feeds via satellite / audio circuits now, but are of course no replacement for live broadcasts (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 12, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAKISTAN. 5023, R Pakistan, Quetta, 1803-1811.5*, Jun 01, via DX Tuner Johannesburg. Vernacular news, 1806 Call to Prayer, 1809 ann, choral anthem with sudden carrier off at 1811.5. SINPO 35533. Quetta seems to use 5023 for their night broadcast and 5027 for their morning broadcast! No QRM from R Rebelde at this hour (Bruce Churchill, Fallbrook CA, DSWCI DX Window June 14 via DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 3345, R Northern, Poppondetta, 0954-1200, Jun 01 and 07, pleasant island music, over a minute of dead-air at 1000. Then own news from the studio, nice ID mentioning Poppondetta during the news at 1106 and at least one mention of R Northern in the stories. Fair but fading. 3355, R Simbu, Kundiawa (presumed), 0900-1000, Jun 06 and 07, apparently this is back on the air after many months (Dave Valko, Dunlo PA, DSWCI DX Window June 14 via DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 3205, 1210-1216, R. West Sepik, Jun 10. Very good signal of PNG pop music and male announcer in Pidgin with mentions of Vanimo, Papua New Guinea, and Sandaun. Phone interview at 1215. I did not do a formal bandscan of PNGs, but the following were also noted in passing: 3260 R. Madang; 3325 R. North Solomons; 3355 R. Simbu (weak- tentative); 3385 R. East New Britain; 3905 R. New Ireland; 4960 Catholic Radio Network; and 7120 Wantok Radio Light (see separate logs on these last two). 4960, 0845-1005, Catholic Radio Network Jun 10 Mellow acoustic guitar music and Christian vocals at tune-in. Into Catholic mass at top of hour without break or ID. I reviewed the recording of this station later, and noted that the Vatican Radio interval signal was heard at 1002 UTC, followed by a weak 'Catholic Radio Network' ID by man in English. Poor to fair signal at best. 7120, 0805-0940, Wantok Radio Light Jun 11 Very impressive and strong signal tonight. Sermon in Pidgin by native pastor; a cappella vocals in English; Christian contemporary music selections. Female announcer in English with time check '15 mins past seven o'clock' and Wantok Radio Light ID; introduction to local gospel music group with song 'Hosanna, Hosanna'. At 0900, into relay of NBC (Port Moresby) news. At 0910, an interesting PSA for malaria treatment was heard; the text from my recording: 'Every year in Papua New Guinea, there are more than one million reported cases of malaria. That means about one quarter of Papua New Guineans suffer from malaria each year. But malaria can be treated by sleeping under treated mosquito nets every night. The mosquitos that spread malaria only breed at night. Treated mosquito nets are safe for you and your family, and enable everyone to get a good night's sleep. Mosquito nets do protect against malaria. Pregnant women and children under five are at most risk of dying from malaria, and must sleep under a treated mosquito net every night. Be sure to have enough net for the whole family; the more people protected by mosquito net, the greater the level of protection for the whole community. They come in a range of sizes single, double, and extra large, and are available at the grocer or your local store. Get more information from your provincial health office; buying treated mosquito nets is the best investment you can make to protect your family from malaria. Malaria can be treated and cured. Sleep under a treated mosquito net every night, and together we can beat malaria.' (Wow...more than a million cases each year in PNG alone? Why are a few cases of bird flu getting all the Western press? Third world issues always take a back seat, it seems.) Click on the links below to hear a DX audio recording made with the E1 (Wantok Radio Light, 7120 kHz, with talk & ID): http://www.guyatkins.com/files/sdr/wantok_r_light_7120_11_jun_2006_e1.mp3 (Guy Atkins, Grayland WA, DXplorer June 13 via BCDX via DXLD) ** PHILIPPINES. FEBC in English again on short waves as follows: 1000-1030 on 15325 BOC 100 kW / 323 deg, very poor signal in BUL 1430-1500 on 12130 BOC 100 kW / 293 deg, very good signal in BUL (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, June 13 via DXLD) Another item first brought to light in DXLD (gh) ** POLAND. Re 6-085, IBOC in Poland: I assume they intend to test it on FM. At least the mentioned activities in Switzerland are definitely in the FM band, see http://www.hdradio.ch And I do not see how this system should work under European conditions. No such things than "first adjacents" (if this term applies to FM as well) on +/- 0.2 MHz exist here, instead frequencies are coordinated in 0.1 MHz steps (in Italy even 0.05 MHz). (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 12, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ROMANIA. RRI, English at 0100 on 6130 poor to fair, fades, sizzle background; // 9690 a bit better (Bob Thomas, Bridgeport CT, June 7, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. INTERNATIONAL RELAYS TO EXPAND IN MOSCOW --- Starting June 17, 2006 WRN starts broadcasting in Moscow, Russia on 738 kHz (0200- 2000 UT, 5-kW transmitter in Kurkino, the NW outskirts of Moscow). WRN program schedule includes live and pre-recorded relays of the Russian- language broadcasts from UN Radio, YLE Radio, Radio Prague, RRI, Radio Georgia, Radio Polonia, RCI, RSI, CRI and KBS. The new service from WRN will be competing with R. Liberty, BBC, VoA, DW and RFI that have had their own frequencies on Moscow's AM dial for over a decade (Sergei Sosedkin, June 16, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Really new? WRN via Kurkino-738 was already listed in WRTH 2005, edited in summer/autumn 2004. On the other hand WRN itself has a notice about 738 to be introduced soon at http://www.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=63 Could it be that 738 so far carried some other WRN feed and they will just switch it to Vsemirnaya Radioset tomorrow? Or did they hold the licence already since 2004 but not use the Kurkino transmitter until now? (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 16, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Muscovites will soon be able to tune into a new radio station; a station that will take them on an international journey around the world from their homes and cars. The station, World Radio Network, features daily programmes in Russian from international radio stations from all over the world. Each station will bring its unique view of the world to listeners in Moscow and broadcast stories about day to day life in their particular country. The frequency for World Radio Network in Moscow is 738 kHz http://www.wrn.org Frequency 738 kHz. QTH - Kurkino ( near Moscow). 5 kW. Translations have begun June, 17, 2006. (Editor) (Rus DX June 18 via DXLD) ** SLOVAKIA. Summer schedule of Radio Slovakia International: ENGLISH 0100-0127 5930 9440 0700-0727 9440 15460 1630-1657 5920 6055 1830-1857 5920 6055 GERMAN 0800-0827 6055 7345 1330-1357 6055 7345 1600-1627 5920 6055 1800-1827 5920 6055 FRENCH 0200-0227 5930 9440 1700-1727 5920 7345 1930-1957 5920 6055 RUSSIAN 1300-1327 7345 9440 1500-1527 7345 11715 1730-1757 5920 9485 SLOVAK 0130-0157 5930 9440 0730-0757 9440 15460 1530-1557 5920 6055 1900-1927 5920 6055 SPANISH 0230-0257 9440 11990 1430-1457 9440 11600 2000-2027 6055 11650 Radio Slovakia International should cease its shortwave broadcast as of June 30 (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, June 13 via DXLD) ** SUDAN [non]. Re Darfur Salaam transmitter sites: 15515 1700-1730 38E,39 WOF 300 128 -12 G BBC MER 17585 1700-1730 38E,39SW,48NW ASC 250 65 0 G BBC MER (Wolfgang Büschel, BCDX June 13 via DXLD) And what about the 0500? ** TAIWAN [and non]. RTI dropped the direct transmission of its German service from Taiwan (1800-1900 on 9955) as of June 1 because reception was always unsatisfactory. They suggest as substitute a new relay via Issoudun, 2100-2200 on 3965, introduced already on March 26 but slipping by my attention so far. Must be the first German-language transmissions from this site since 1996, when RFI kicked its German service off shortwave. Checked the new relay last night: Huge signal, the ATS 909 produced a "plopp" when the carrier came up at 2058. Audio somewhat distorted, probably especially obvious here due to the very aggressive audio processing on the new ALLISS units at Issoudun (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 12, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. VT COMMUNICATIONS OPENED NEW CENTRE FOR DEFENCE HIGH FREQUENCY COMMUNICATIONS ON 12TH JUNE 2006 Rear Admiral Rees Ward, Chief Executive of the Defence Communication Services Agency (DCSA), has opened the hub of a rationalised and enhanced High Frequency (HF) communications service for the UK’s Armed Forces at Forest Moor in North Yorkshire. The refurbished Defence High Frequency Communications Service (DHFCS) Network Control Station (NCS) is at the centre of a multi-million pound investment by VT Communications as part of a 15-year PPP (Public Private Partnership) contract valued at £220 million. The DHFCS contract was awarded in 2003 to modernise the HF beyond line of sight communications capability for UK armed forces and other authorised users. The contract has enhanced the quality, availability and reliability of the worldwide network of HF communications assets used by all three UK armed forces, with a programme of improved operational arrangements and new technology introduced by VT. This includes new transmitters, receivers, antennas, and an integrated control system to provide new data services offering Automatic Link Establishment (ALE), Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) and Automatic Link Management (ALM). Admiral Rees Ward commented: ``The opening of the Network Control Station marks another major step towards the delivery of the new DHFCS but more importantly demonstrates the strong partnership between the MoD and VT Communications. This successful relationship helps to promote the DCSA's Vision of Industry/MoD partnering to deliver assured, integrated information services to the UK's Armed Forces." VT Communications Managing Director Doug Umbers added: ``DHFCS has produced considerable benefits for the users by streamlining and modernising the use of HF communications for ships and aircraft and other users. ``The programme is a great example of industry and Government working together. Our partnership with the Defence Communications Services Agency (DCSA) and, in particular, the Strategic Terrestrial Radio Systems (STRS) Integrated Project Team has delivered one of the most advanced HF communications systems used by any military in the world.`` VT has achieved significant cost savings by utilising modern technology. This has led to the rationalisation of the number of UK sites delivering the service from 14 to six, allowing the return of surplus land. Overseas, four sites provide services to both air and surface platforms. In addition, the global rationalisation programme has led to the release of approximately 200 military personnel to other higher priority duties Under DHFCS, Terrestrial Air Sea Communications (TASCOMM) is available for use by RN, RAF and the Army. TASCOMM is a ground-air-ground, ship- shore and ground-to-ground HF radio communications service designed for NATO and National use. Previously known as STCICS, TASCOMM has its control centre at the NCS at Forest Moor with an alternative network control centre (ANCS) located at RAF Kinloss. Both the NCS and ANCS will control, transmit and receive assets around the world to provide an efficient and responsive service to the users. Combined with the introduction of new RAF and RN platform HF communications equipment supplied under separate contracts, DHFCS will take full advantage of the modern high-speed waveforms to provide rapid data throughput, eventually including HF email. ALE, ARQ and ALM techniques both simplify and speed up the process of establishing HF communication channels (VT Communications press release June 13, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. Re 6-086, Sawa on SW via Tinian? These are all supposed to be RFA[sia]. I sure hope it's not still going on! Sawa is NOT on shortwave (Bill Whitacre, IBB, June 16, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Once you check into it, would be interesting to know how this happened and how long it did go on (gh to Bill, via DXLD) All these frequencies are indeed supposed to be on air from Tinian --- but with RFA in Tibetan (Kai Ludwig, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Kai, 13625 Should be Tinian site but in RFA - KOREAN, 73 (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) ** U S A. RE YANKEE DOODLE DANDY PROJECT The YDD theme is ONLY played before/after a VOA transmission (when Quick Starts and DCIs don't make it impossible. You know that VOA is a subagency of IBB, but probably don't know that the individual subagencies such as VOA, Radio Martí, RFA, RFE, RL and SAWA are effectively as distinct as BBC and Radio France International. So a Radio Martí program wouldn't be prefixed by YDD except by operator error. Charlie (Charles A & Leonor L Taylor, Greenville, North Carolina, June 13, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. Note that the message from Drita Cico about VOA cancelling transmissions via Fllaka refers to the programmes in Albanian and Croatian but does not mention another, still listed transmission in Serbian, 0530-0545 on 1458. Just missed out or really to be kept also after July 1? If the latter, does this probably mean that VOA radio services in Albanian and Croatian will be cancelled altogether as of this date? (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 12, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. Re AFRTS, 6-086: The ´´shuffled music offerings´´ refer at least to the recent reformatting of AFN Europe´s former Z-FM which has been renamed into ´´The Eagle´´ and carries a Jack format now. (Rerun of comments on their unbelievably poor audio quality snipped.) (Kai Ludwig, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) But...but... Didn't I just recently read a story telling us that some consultant hired by AFRTS has recommended that country music be relegated to a second tier worldwide satellite feed and that localized services like this one be sharply curtailed or eliminated? The point I was making is how much money was wasted on that study? We kept hearing over and over that AFN couldn't afford to pay rights fees for soccer, but the government had enough money to hire some high- priced consultants (John Figliozzi, NY, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) I would say AFN behaves just like civilian broadcasters, at least German ones. Or almost like German broadcasters, since they did in the end not willingly introduce what the consultants recommended for much money (Kai Ludwig, ibid.) ** U S A. Frequency change for WEWN in English: 0000-0500 NF 5810*EWN 500 kW / 020 deg to NoAm, ex 5035 0000-0500 NF 5810*EWN 500 kW / 285 deg to CeAm, ex 5035 *from September on same frequency Radio Ukraine International to NoAm!!! (DX Mix News, Bulgaria, June 13 via DXLD) First in DXLD ** U S A. Re 6-086: WWAA call sign/format change --- Hi Glenn, Prompted by an item in recent DXLD, I managed to obtain a prepared QSL card from WWAA on third follow-up report just before they switched to new call sign. I'm glad to have that one. Now I'm trying to verify WHLY in South Bend the same way even though they changed call signs a couple of months ago. 73s, (Jim Pogue (back in Baton Rouge again, then transferring to New Orleans on June 30), DX LISTENING DIGEST) Correxion: I did hear CBS Radio news at 0900 Eastern on WMLB 1690. I also heard music and another news feed at the same time, so who knows? (Brock Whaley, Lilburn, GA, June 12, DX LISTENING DIGEST) AIR AMERICA LOSES ATLANTA By RODNEY HO The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 06/09/2006 http://www.accessatlanta.com/news/content/entertainment/stories/0609airamerica.html Most of the liberal radio talk show network Air America, featuring the likes of Janeane Garafalo and Jerry Springer, will be off the Atlanta AM dial starting Monday. Only comedian and author Al Franken, heard from noon to 3 p.m. weekdays, will remain on WWAA-AM/1690, which has aired Air America programming since the fall of 2004. The rest of the time, new owner Joe Weber will use his "voice of the arts" format, an eclectic mix of folk, rock, jazz and classical music currently heard on his other station, WMLB-AM/1160. A former bakery magnate, Weber bought WWAA for $12 million in March from Florida-based Intermart Broadcasting in order to move his music programming to the new station, which has a stronger night signal and less interference in Buckhead and Midtown. "I never wanted to own two signals," Weber said. "I didn't want to get this deep into it. This was supposed to be between a vocation and avocation. The fun part for me is writing comedy, doing opera narratives, picking the music." "Voice of the Arts" is geared to a 40-plus crowd, playing acts ranging from Benny Goodman to Bach, James Brown to Billy Joel, Patsy Cline to Jimi Hendrix. By keeping Franken, Weber said he hopes to transition some of Air America's fans to his music format as well. XM satellite radio subscribers will still have access to Air America, and anybody with an Internet connection can hear the programming online. Jon Sinton, Atlanta-based president of Air America, said he's seeking a replacement station in the area but doesn't have a deal with anybody yet. In the meantime, Jeff Davis, general manager for 1690 and 1160, said 1160 will air business-oriented talk. In 2004, a group of liberal investors created Air America as a counterpoint to the conservative talk show hosts that dominate the airwaves such as Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and Laura Ingraham. Besides well-known nonradio types such as Franken and actress-comic Garafalo, Air America offers acerbic Randi Rhodes and former WSB-AM talker Mike Malloy, an Atlantan who is heard at night. The network struggled through financial and management problems in its first year and is not yet consistently cash-flow positive, Sinton said. "Having started a bunch of radio stations, I know you need at least 36 months to build a business," he noted. Michael Harrison, editor of trade publication Talkers magazine, said Air America isn't necessarily thriving but is doing OK. "Every syndicator loses stations and has market difficulties here and there. It comes with the territory," he said. "The fact they're still out there and expanding their lineup is a good thing." Nationally, Air America has about 88 affiliates, reaching two-thirds of the American population, up from 48 percent a year ago. It draws more than 3 million listeners a week. Its strongest cities include Portland, Ore.; Miami; Boston; Los Angeles; and Denver, where major radio companies such as Clear Channel, Entercom and CBS that offer Air America programming are able to promote the network, Sinton said. Sinton said he was disappointed that Intermart didn't really advertise Air America during its ownership. "I was happy with the signal, but I was never happy with the marketing," Sinton said. Intermart partner Bill Brown said he and two other partners were willing to promote Air America, but a fourth partner wanted to sell out. In fact, Intermart was hiring a sales person and implementing a marketing plan when Weber approached them last fall, Brown said. WWAA-AM ranked 28th in the most recent spring Arbitron book, tied with conservative talk station WGKA-AM/920. Air America drew about 41,000 listeners a week, compared with 790,000 for the market's No. 1 news/talk station, WSB-AM (via Craig Seufert, DXLD) ** U S A. FCC CHIEF FACES HARD FIGHT ON MEDIA MERGERS By Stephanie Kirchgaessner Thursday Jun 8 2006 17:10 At first glance, it is hard to fathom how Kevin Martin, the soft- spoken, media-shy Harvard Law graduate who chairs the Federal Communications Commission, has built a reputation as one of the savvier political operators in the administration of US President George W. Bush. But since his move to the top job 15 months ago after years as an FCC commissioner, the man one campaigner has dubbed the "Clark Kent" of the regulatory agency has undergone a Superman-style transformation. By championing conservative yet populist issues he has earned the fealty of some powerful players in the media and telecommunications industry – and the implacable enmity of others. Yet his capacity to find friends on both sides of the ideological divide attests to the skill with which he has steered a course between the two factions which compete for dominance of the Republican party: its big-business and "moral majority" wings. Indeed, in an unusually polarised era for American politics, few have framed positions on issues as adeptly as Mr Martin – often by building a consensus with Democratic colleagues. . . http://us.ft.com/ftgateway/superpage.ft?news_id=fto060820061722412257&page=2 (Financial Times via Gerald T. Pollard, DXLD) ** U S A. Re 6-086, WBAA no license renewal: I note that WBAA-101.3 West Lafayette, Ind. was cancelled last week. As was WBAA-AM 920 and two or three other non-commercial stations, and a LPFM. At least in WBAA's case, news reports indicate the cancellation was because the FCC believes the station failed to file a renewal application on time. And at least in WBAA's case, the station is quite confident a proper timely renewal *was* filed. (station executives told the newspaper they have printouts of the pages from fcc.gov where the renewal was submitted. Today, *most* broadcast applications are filed electronically.) These will be interesting to follow... – (Doug Smith W9WI Pleasant View (Nashville), TN, June 16, WTFDA via DXLD) Interesting story, Doug. WBAA-AM (Purdue University)is the second oldest radio station in the state of Indiana. It signed on in 1922. The oldest being WSBT-AM, South Bend (1921). (Steve Rich, Indianapolis, ibid.) I'm pretty certain this will all turn out to be much ado about nothing. The very worst that would happen is that WBAA would get its licenses renewed with a $7k or $10k penalty (times two licenses) for untimely filing and unlicensed operation. If the story is as WBAA claims it is (and I've met the folks in charge at WBAA - they're straight shooters, and I believe them), the FCC will acknowledge that its system was at fault (it's happened before) and the licenses will be reinstated without penalty. I know one of the rival commercial broadcasters in the market has been pushing this story hard to the various trade publication editors, trying to claim that WBAA will be forced off the air completely. I'm not buying it... s (Scott Fybush, NY, ibid.) ?? How can a commercial station be a rival of a public radio station? Apples & oranges (gh, DXLD) From the Journal and Courier (Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN). "WBAA operating without FCC license since 2004" --- To view this article on The Journal and Courier Web site, go to: http://www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200660613006 I listened for them last night at Paxton, towards sunrise enough enhancement came up for me to pull it in (Paxton is roughly 75 miles from West Lafayette). Also, both WBAA AM and FM heard on the way from Paxton to Rantoul this morning, the FM gave a full station ID announcement while I had them in. I assume they were able to get an STA to remain broadcasting until the license muddle is worked out. (Curtis Sadowski, at Rantoul, Illinois for the day, ibid.) I would *strongly* suspect they indeed have a STA. This kind of thing has happened before (though generally with lower-profile stations) and been resolved reasonably quickly. As Scott says, in cases where the evidence shows the station indeed failed to renew, a modest fine is issued and the license renewed. In cases where the station can show it was the Commission's mistake, there is of course no fine... – (Doug Smith, W9WI, Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66, ibid.) ** U S A. 1249.78, WKBR, Manchester NH, APR 16, 0700 UT, Legal ID, still off-frequency putting a horrible het on 1250; SINPO 23432 (Bruce Conti, Newfoundland DX-pedition, NRC IDXD June 10 via DXLD) Is WKBR still off frequency? (gh to Bruce, via DXLD) I'm listening right now as I write this, and WKBR (relaying 900 WGAM Fox Sports Radio) is still off frequency, producing a low frequency het against 1250 WARE (Bruce Conti - Nashua NH, 1927 UT June 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WFNX-AM: Brandcasting new way forward A Boston-based rock station are pioneering a new marketing concept known as 'brandcasting'. WFNX AM have dispensed with its commercial breaks and have instead invited a sole sponsor for an exclusive 6-week promotion at a cost of $2m. Snapple, a concert and events company, have taken the bait and will be mentioned exclusively on the station for 40 days (Radiowaves via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) WTFK? Call is not listed in the 2005-2006 NRC AM Log cross reference, nor can it be found in the FCC AM Query. Spurious story, or wrong calls? [Later:] It is 101.7 *FM* in Lynn MA. AM, FM, what difference does it make? (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. It sounds like a Haitian pirate has fired up on 107.7. I can hear it about 5 miles NE of Providence. Muddy audio, transmitter dropping off occasionally. Not fading a bit - outside of when their transmitter dumps off. With a class B on 107.9 in Boston, it can't be from too far to the north. I didn't think Providence had that big of a Haitian community, but.. Heard 4:50-4:55 pm [EDT = 2050-2055 UT] in the truck (Craig Healy, Providence, RI, June 17, WTFDA via DXLD) ** U S A. WPEB, *88.1, Philadelphia PA, 1 watt vertical, 21 m, dropping horizontal and direxional antenna. Being sold for $70,000 from West Philadelphia Broadcasting Fund to Scribe Video Center, with site change to 48th Street and Baltimore Avenue, closer to the Drexel campus. Had been silent ``to deal with interference concerns``. WFAQ-LP, *92.9, Mukwonago WI, re plus other musics [sic]. ``WFAQ-LP will be stereo. . . Our primary programming is more accurately described as rock and ethnic,`` Renee, director. WAMJ, 102.5, Mableton GA, st [soul/talk]. It has dropped music in middays in favor of two syndicated Afro-American talk shows, those of Michael Erle Dyson and pastor Al Sharpton. Dyson is on 10 am to 1 pm and Sharpton, a former Democrat presidential candidate, is on 1 to 3 pm [EDT = UT -4 = 1400-1700, 1700-1900]. Both are heard on 20 stations nationally, but Atlanta is unusual in that the pair are on an FM station there. KKAW, 107.3, Albin WY, j[azz], parallel to KJCD 104.3 Longmont-Denver CO. ``CD 104.3``. ``I don`t ever hear an official KKAW ID. For the longest time they broadcast 99.1 KAUD, `K 99`, Windsor-Fort Collins and I never once heard them give a KKAW ID! Frankly, I don`t know how the FCC allows a full-power FM to rebroadcast another signal without giving a top of the hour ID.`` [unID contributor] KAPU-LP, *104.7, Watsonville CA, ``the only all-Hawaiian station anywhere on the mainland.`` The city is 80 percent Hispanic, and members of that group charged that KAPU-LP made a verbal commitment to program Spanish. In disagreeing, the FCC said ``the Commission will not substitute its judgment for that of the station regarding programing matters.`` It then granted the station license. WILL-FM, *90.9, Urbana IL, to go IBOC. It will multicast WILL 580 AM, which has a null to the west to protect WIBW 580 Topeka KS. This results in a poor signal in Decatur and Springfield, which is further reduced to 100 watts at night. Its nighttime signal is poor in southwest Champaign, which is a population growth area. It`s possible other AM stations with poor signals in areas experiencing population growth will seek to simulcast their programming on FM-HD channels. WSOU, *89.5, South Orange NJ – former manager Mike Collarzo is charged with embezzling over $500,000. WINS (AM) New York reports the former director of Seton Hall University`s non-commercial station has been arrested and charged with money laundering and theft by deception. He`s also charged with allowing two different groups to use the WSOU subcarriers, EIES of New Jersey on the 67 kHz, and a Haitian group on 92 kHz. It is not known if the blind or the Haitian services will be discontinued. He was let go two years ago, and WINS says he`s currently a flight attendant with Continental Airlines. Dallas, TX --- could a frequency shift be in the works? Covenant Educational Media would love a commercial spot on the dial in place of *91.7 for its KVTT, and the City of Dallas might be willing to trade frequencies for its WRR 101.1. Deal would include up to $50 million to the City. Earlier, the city backed down on a proposal to acquire KRNB 105.7, A Dallas rim-shotter from Decatur TX [which I heard recently in the car NW of OKC, instead of much closer KROU --- gh] KILI, *90.1, Porcupine SD, off the air since April 23, after a storm April 15 damaged its antenna and transmission line. May be off until mid-June [so can anyone confirm if they are back now? This is a Lakota/Catholic station --- gh] WDAE, 620, Tampa FL, lost its two huge Blaw-Know self-supporting towers to the corrosive effects of being near the Gulf of Mexico. They were unique in that they straddled the Gandy Boulevard Causeway. Those towers are replaced by one shorter tower on one of the tower footings. To compensate for the shorter tower, the FCC is allowing WDAE to up its power slightly, from 5 to 5.5 kW and 5.6 kW nights. But because of Cuba interference, WDAE is allowed to time-beingly use up to about 10 kW power (info from Radio Journal online) WQMA, 1520, Marks MS, deleted by the FCC [the station once run, DX- tested and lived in by young entrepreneur and DXer Paul Walker --- gh] KRSN, 1490, Los Álamos NM, silent, and the FCC denied its application to move to the larger market of Santa Fe. Has been silent since September, when its parent company went into bankruptcy. KDIX, 1230, Dickinson ND, is being evicted from its tower site. It wants the FCC to act quickly on an application to move to a 61-m tower at a site near the Burlington Railroad tracks east of town, remaining at 1 kW day and night. Perchance the track will help the signal propagate better? (all from Bruce Elving`s FMedia! for June via DXLD) ** U S A. SPANISH LANGUAGE RADIO BUILDS IN MINNESOTA by Marisa Helms, Minnesota Public Radio June 11, 2006 DJ El Vaquero broadcasts on La Invasora, a Spanish-language radio station in Minneapolis. (MPR Photo/Marisa Helms) You've got to work a little to hear Spanish language radio in the Twin Cities. There's a smattering of programs on community stations. But, if you know where to look, there are now two 24-hour Spanish language stations going head to head for listeners. One station has dominated Twin Cities Spanish language radio for the past quarter century. "This is Radio Rey, La Ley, 63WDGY Hudson, St. Paul, Minneapolis," booms a recorded ID spot. "Radio Rey. It's La Ley." . . . http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/06/07/mexicanradio/ (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) I don`t see any calls or WTFK for La Invasora in this article (gh) ** U S A. I`m not sure what`s more disturbing --- that this incident occurred or that so few seemed to know what to do, or even reacted to it. If this had been a real emergency --- RADIO MISTAKENLY BROADCASTS VOLCANIC WARNING FALSE ALARM OF LAHAR FROM MOUNT RAINIER CONTINUED FOR AN HOUR Thursday, May 25, 2006; Posted: 9:38 p.m. EDT (01:38 GMT) http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/05/25/lahar.false.alarm.ap/index.html TACOMA, Washington (AP) -- An emergency radio station mistakenly warned that a massive volcanic mudflow was headed from the flanks of Mount Rainier and that listeners in the valley below should rush to higher ground. The emergency lahar warning was broadcast Wednesday for nearly an hour on the 1580 AM frequency in the suburban Pierce County town of Puyallup. A lahar is a massive flow of water and rock down the side of a volcano, according to the United States Geological Survey Web site. Lahars have the consistency of wet concrete, and can travel miles from a volcano, crushing everything in their path. On November 13, 1985, lahars flowed more than 60 miles from the Nevado del Ruiz volcano in Colombia, killing more than 23,000 people, according to the USGS. Authorities had no estimate how many people heard Wednesday’s broadcast on the weak radio frequency, or how many evacuated. Nancy Eldred heard it while driving in the Puyallup Valley and called her daughter, Renee Hutchinson, in Tacoma. ``I was in tears,`` said Hutchinson, whose 17-month-old son, Ethan, was in the car with his grandmother. ``I was shaking.`` After Hutchinson warned co-workers, about 30 people started frantically calling loved ones. Some called their children at schools in the Puyallup Valley and told them to leave immediately. Emergency officials in communities around Mount Rainier routinely test the system that would, in the event of a real lahar from the volcano, activate 24 sirens around the valley and broadcast a radio alert. But on Wednesday, 1580 AM picked up the test signal as real and said the lahar was coming. The prerecorded radio message apparently was triggered by a software error. Puyallup Fire Chief Merle Frank said the problem should be taken care of in the next few days (via Fred Waterer, Programming Matters, June ODXA Listening In via DXLD) ** U S A. PIRATE RADIO STATION BUSTED IN NORTH MIAMI-DADE Ileana Varela Reporting Jun 7, 2006 8:20 pm US/Eastern (CBS4 News) NORTH MIAMI-DADE Law enforcement officers made their latest pirate radio bust Wednesday in a rented backroom owned by a corrections officer in North Miami-Dade, where Radio Energy 90.7 FM was transmitting from. . . [includes video] http://cbs4.com/topstories/local_story_158191350.html (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) ** U S A. Re: Oops --- WALB tower falls along with damaged tower next to it --- http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=5006920 Includes videos and follow-ups. Now, please tell me again, why the two towers were not far enough apart so one could not possibly hit the other? O well, off-the-air reception hardly matters any more (Glenn Hauser, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) It does seem dumb to locate the towers so close together but it's not uncommon. Tower sites are sometimes difficult to enlarge and in some cases they can't be moved. So, they put up two or more towers on a small bit of real estate and hope for the best. Approval from the FAA is much quicker also. Unless the tower itself is a radiator the close spacing is usually not a problem for the RF. In the case mentioned here what seems really dumb is the way they took the old tower down. Unless there was a structural defect the old tower could almost surely have been disassembled while standing with very little danger to the neighboring tower. They were probably trying to save a few bucks on disassembly (Jerry Lenamon, Waco, Texas, ibid.) ** U S A [and non]. GRUPOS LATINOS COMPRARÁN UNIVISIÓN La cadena de televisión venezolana Venevisión informó que se ha integrado a un consorcio de empresas financieras privadas y al gigante de medios de comunicación mexicano Grupo Televisa, con el fin de adquirir las acciones de la cadena estadounidense Univisión, que trasmite programación en español. Venevisión y Televisa son accionistas mayoritarios de Univisión, con sede en la ciudad de Los Angeles, además de que son sus principales proveedores de programación. La división de inversiones de Venevisión, la firma Venevisión Investments LLC, desarrollará una propuesta conjunta con Televisa y las cinco empresas financieras privadas, señaló Gustavo Cisneros, presidente y director ejecutivo de la empresa matriz de Venevisión, el Grupo de Empresas Cisneros. El banco de inversiones Bear, Stearns & Co. asesorará a Venevisión Investments, indicó la empresa venezolana. Las empresas que completan al grupo de inversionistas son: Bain Capital Partners LLC; Blackstone Management Associates V LLC; Carlyle Investment Management LLC y otros. Fuente: Listin Diario / http://www.listin.com.do/cuerpos/espectaculos/esp3.htm (via Dino Bloise / EEUU, dxldyg via DXLD) Venezuelan control of a major US TV network? Anyway, IIRC Venevisión is not a supporter of Hugo Chávez but on his shitlist (gh, DXLD) ** URUGUAY. I have just met with Juan Brañas, owner of R Universo, Castillos, Dept. of Rocha (remember planned 6055, never heard elsewhere ?), a few hours ago, in an event held in Montevideo, by RAMI (Red de Emisoras AM del Interior), to commemorate the Día de la Radiodifusión del Interior (inland Uruguayan broadcasting day). Also a prize was given to founder and curator of the Radio Museum here, of which I am the President of the Support Commission. Well, he said that despite not being heard, as I warned him, R Universo had effectively been broadcasting in the past on their assigned 6055, 0000-0100 with a 400 Watts transmitter. But, currently inoperative due to transmitter site move to Rocha, the capital city, a long delayed project he told me about the first time I visited him at the station some years ago. I asked next time he would be kind enough to drop me an email with the resuming of transmissions, so we could check it in Montevideo. So this station is still in the limbo. By the way, except for irregular transmissions from 9650 Emisora Ciudad de Montevideo, occasionally reported in Brazil, there are no current SW broadcasts nowadays. To worsen things the country is facing a power shortage and authorities are asking people to save energy. If minimal savings are not obtained, we could face obligatory power cuts. (Horacio Nigro, Uruguay, Dxplorer, Jun 08 via DSWCI DX Window June 14 via DXLD) ** VANUATU. 3944.8, 0945-1115, R. Vanuatu Jun 10 Lengthy sermon in presumed Bislama at tune-in; nice sing-sing music by choir and acoustic guitar. Conch shell and drums at 1000, and into news items. A mix of contemporary Christian and pop music was played up until 1111 when a female announcer gave ID and full sign-off announcements including MW, SW, and FM frequencies, and mentions of Port Vila. Into anthem and sign-off 1115*. Good signal level, and very enjoyable on both the SDR-1000 and the Eton E1 with a Beverage antenna. http://www.sdr-1000.blogspot.com Flex-Radio SDR-1000 / mod. ICOM R-75 / Eton E1 SW, W, and NW Beverage antennas 800-1000 ft. long; PA0RDT Mini-Whip antenna at 30 ft. height. Click on the links below to hear a DX audio recording made with the E1 (R. Vanuatu 3945 sign-off with IDs, announcements, and anthem): http://www.guyatkins.com/files/sdr/r_vanuatu_signoff_3945_10_jun_2006_e1.mp3 (Guy Atkins, Grayland WA, DXplorer June 13 via BCDX via DXLD) 7259.52, R Vanuatu, Emten Lagoon, 1001-1116*, Jun 01, seems to be alternating with 3944.7 daily now!! News, ID 1009: "Radio Vanuatu". Mentions of New Guinea, Rabaul, Province. News ended at 1015, instrumental music, talk, mentioning "messages". Conch shell blowing and nice clear ID, upcoming program notes, a political sounding interview, 1045 canned announcement, pop ballads including "You Lift Me Up". 1054 TC, 1057 R Thailand came on; instrumental NA at 1116. Good (Dave Valko, Dunlo PA, DSWCI DX Window June 14 via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED [non]. For a week now I have been hearing a station on 9710 from 2100 to 2300 UT in Arabic (presumed) with what seems like frequent calls to prayer, especially during the first twenty minutes or so. Thought it might be Saudi Arabia but not parallel to any of its frequencies. Opens with short national anthem (presumed). A strong signal most of the time (Bernie O'Shea, Ottawa, Ontario, June 12, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9710 also had that Merlin test heard a few days ago until 2300; perhaps related (gh, DXLD) These items predated ALGERIA [non] in 6-086 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++ HFCC B06 CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN ATHENS, GREECE The B06 High Frequency Coordinating Conference (HFCC) will take place in suburban Athens, Greece August 28-September 1, 2006. The host for the conference is ERT Hellenic Radio and Television, which operates the overseas service Voice of Greece. Shortwave frequency planners from around the world will take part in this meeting, which is designed to coordinate shortwave frequency usage and eliminate potential interference before it happens. As usual, the NASB will participate as part of the FCC delegation. NASB recently became a member of the HFCC. The new NASB President, Jeff White, will attend the meeting. Early information is that member stations KTWR-Guam and KNLS-Alaska will also have representatives in the FCC delegation. Some other NASB members and associate members also attend as part of other delegations to the conference. More details will soon be available on the HFCC website http://www.hfcc.org and will be published in the next editions of the NASB Newsletter (NASB Newsletter, June via DXLD) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ AMBITIOUS NEW "HISTORY OF WIRELESS" PUBLISHED History of Wireless, by Tapan K. Sarkar, Robert Mailloux, Arthur A. Oliner, Magdalena Salazar-Palma and Dipak L. Sengupta Published 2006 for the IEEE Press by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 0471718149 --- 680 pages - US$59.95 From the back cover: "Premised on the idea that one cannot know a science without knowing its history, History of Wireless offers a lively new treatment that introduces previously unacknowledged pioneers and developments, setting a new standard for understanding the evolution of this important technology. "Starting with the background - magnetism, electricity, light and Maxwell's Electromagnetic Theory - this book offers new insights into the initial theory and experimental exploration of wireless. In addition to the well-known contributions of Maxwell, Hertz and Marconi, it examines work done by Heaviside, Tesla and passionate amateurs such as the Kentucky melon farmer Nathan Stubblefield and the unsung hero Antonio Meucci. Looking at the story from mathematical, physics, technical and other perspectives, the clearly written text describes the development of wireless within a vivid scientific milieu. "History of Wireless also goes into other key areas, including: The work of J. C. Bose and J. A. Fleming German, Japanese and Soviet contributions to physics and applications of electromagnetic oscillations and waves Wireless telegraphic and telephonic development and attempts to achieve transatlantic wireless communications Wireless telegraphy in South Africa in the early twentieth century Antenna development in Japan: past and present Soviet quasi-optics at near-mm and sub-mm wavelengths The evolution of electromagnetic waveguides The history of phased array antennas "...Written in a clear tone with a broad scientific audience in mind, this exciting and thorough treatment is sure to become a classic in the field." [Thanks to RF Cafe for the pointer.] http://www.openspectrum.info/news-jun06-019.html (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) GRAPHIC GAFFES AND AUDIBLE ATROCITIES +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DDR LIVES ON IN ITALY Hello, perhaps you will remember how CNN got caught with a horribly wrong map of Europe a few years ago. Now take a look at this: http://de.geocities.com/lukas_vonderlippe/Italia1.jpg This picture of the weather forecast on Italia 1, a leading commercial station in Italia (needless to say that it is as such a Berlusconi outlet), is described as being made just five days ago. Probably they did not realize yet that a few things have changed during the last 16 years? Highlight to me are the Allied flight corridors over the GDR to West Berlin . . . (Kai Ludwig, ex-Germany East, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ THICK FILM DIELECTRIC ELECTROLUMINESCENT TV HANGERS TUBE MUCH! By DON KAPLAN --- June 13, 2006 -- OUT of the blue, reseachers have developed a new technology that could put big-screen, high-definition TVs within reach of just about every wallet. The technology, from Canadian tech firm iFire, would allow manufacturers to create super-sharp TVs less than two-inches thick that could hang on the wall - and cost less than $1,000. . . http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/print.php?url=http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/tube_much__entertainment_don_kaplan.htm (via Brock Whaley, DXLD) DIGITAL BROADCASTING ++++++++++++++++++++ IBOC/HD PIONEER HAS AN EPIPHANY Dr. Robert Conrad is owner of Cleveland's WCLV-FM, a classical music station. Dr. Conrad was an early adopter and promoter of IBOC/HD, beginning IBOC/HD transmissions over WCLV-FM back in August, 2003. Now Dr. Conrad realizes the emperor has no clothes. http://www.audiographics.com/agd/061206-1.htm (Harry Helms, futureofradio blog Posted on June 12, 2006 via DXLD) DRM AND FADING / POWER CONSUMPTION [see also LATVIA; NEW ZEALAND] Evidence from DXers who have tested some of the early DRM prototype receivers is that in reality DRM needs a VERY strong and stable signal to work properly. Any fading and the audio just cuts out. With an analogue fade at least you can still hear the audio - but this is not the case with DRM. This cutting out of the audio can make listening to shortwave DRM a painful experience and not one that many listeners would put up with. DRM might work technically on medium wave and FM but, in my opinion, the unacceptable price for this would be to make millions if not billions of existing analogue receivers redundant. Also, in considering any (questionable) power savings on the transmission side, you need to take into account the huge increase in power consumption of digital receivers (both DAB and DRM) compared to their analogue equivalents (Dave Kenny, UK, June 13, BDXC-UK via DXLD) RADIO PHILATELY +++++++++++++++ DON'T THROW AWAY THOSE OLD IRCS! Glenn, K2FF, points out to OPDX readers that the date on the current IRCs that reads "31 Dec 06 is an expiration date which simply means they can't be SOLD to customers AFTER that date. However, they can be redeemed forever. Hams simply need to be armed with the copy of the right pages from the International Mail Manual (IMM). Glenn states, "This is right out of the 2006 edition of the International Mail Manual..." Please note the last sentence in very first paragraph: 372 International Reply Coupons 372.1 Description a. The sender of a letter may prepay a reply by purchasing reply coupons which are sold and exchangeable for postage stamps at post offices in member countries of the Universal Postal Union. The period of exchange of international reply coupons issued by the Universal Postal Union on or after January 1, 1975 is unlimited. Glenn states, "I still redeem the little old IRCs at my post office here on the MS Gulf Coast!" (KB8NW/OPDX/BARF80 via Dave Raycroft, ODXA via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ GEOMAGNETIC INDICES - GEOI Phil Bytheway - Seattle WA - phil_tekno @ yahoo.com Geomagnetic Summary March 14 2006 through June 6 2006 Tabulated from daily email status Date Flux A K Space WX Aurora Index 3/14 73 1 2 no storms x 15 74 2 0 no storms 4 16 74 3 2 no storms x 17 72 7 1 no storms 1 18 72 7 0 no storms x 19 72 22 6 moderate 9 20 75 33 3 moderate 7 21 77 25 3 minor 7 22 77 26 3 no storms x 23 76 11 2 no storms 6 24 77 11 1 no storms 3 25 76 2 1 no storms 6 26 76 3 1 no storms x 27 74 5 2 no storms 7 28 74 5 2 no storms x 29 79 5 0 no storms 5 30 82 5 0 no storms 2 3/31 84 2 1 no storms 5 4/ 1 86 4 1 no storms 8 2 87 1 0 no storms 2 3 91 1 0 no storms 1 4 100 1 1 no storms 4 5 100 7 3 x x 6 99 24 2 minor 6 7 99 24 2 no storms x 8 95 4 2 no storms 3 9 91 5 1 no storms 5 10 89 26 3 moderate 10 11 89 30 2 minor x 12 90 5 1 no storms 4 13 81 1 0 no storms 3 14 80 10 2 no storms 6 15 79 45 4 strong 6 16 78 22 3 minor 8 17 77 13 2 no storms 7 18 78 7 2 no storms 5 19 74 4 0 no storms 6 20 75 4 2 no storms x 21 79 3 1 no storms 5 22 79 4 4 no storms x 23 82 15 1 no storms 5 24 87 8 1 no storms 3 25 93 7 1 no storms 3 26 95 6 1 no storms 4 27 100 4 1 minor 3 28 101 4 1 moderate 6 29 100 19 2 minor 5 4/30 101 1 1 no storms 3 5/ 1 100 1 1 no storms 2 2 93 3 1 no storms 2 3 89 6 2 no storms 4 4 89 5 1 no storms x 5 92 12 2 minor 6 6 87 16 0 no storms 3 7 87 16 4 no storms x 8 86 19 2 minor 6 9 85 8 1 no storms 4 10 83 3 1 no storms 4 11 78 2 1 no storms 7 12 76 5 2 no storms 7 13 76 18 2 no storms x 14 74 13 2 no storms 5 15 72 9 2 no storms 5 16 72 9 0 no storms x 17 72 4 1 no storms x 18 72 1 3 no storms x 19 73 19 3 minor 8 20 75 7 2 no storms 4 21 76 10 2 no storms 5 22 78 5 2 no storms 7 23 83 6 2 no storms 5 24 84 5 0 no storms 3 25 84 6 1 no storms x 26 84 5 x x x 27 82 1 0 no storms 5 28 83 1 1 no storms 2 29 85 5 1 no storms 1 30 81 2 1 no storms 6 5/31 80 13 3 no storms 8 6/ 1 78 5 1 no storms 4 2 77 15 3 no storms 7 3 75 10 1 no storms 4 4 76 3 0 no storms 3 5 76 3 0 no storms x 6/ 6 78 5 1 no storms 5 ********************************************************************** (IRCA Soft DX Monitor June 10 via DXLD) ###