DX LISTENING DIGEST 6-107, July 22, 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 1322: Sun 0230 WWCR3 5070 Sun 0530 WRMI 9955 Sun 0630 WWCR1 3215 Sun 0830 WRMI 9955 [from WRN] Sun 2230 WRMI 9955 Mon 0300 WBCQ 9330-CLSB Mon 0415 WBCQ 7415 Wed 0930 WWCR1 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 ** ARGENTINA. Glenn, re your comment in 6-104, ``TDP has this listed as a Harris SW-100 of 1977 so something must have "occurred" to make it non-tunable. The other two 50 kW units date back to 1947. [and what about 9690, their fourth frequency? --- gh]`` The WRTH summer schedule for RAE shows only three transmitters on air at any one time, so I assume that the two 50 kW units switch between 6060, 9690 and 11710 if, as Roberto states, the Harris 100kW is fixed on 15345 (Noel R. Green, England, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ARGENTINA. 5400, 0338 3/6, LTA, Armed Forces Service, Poor/Fair LSB in Spanish, discussion, ads, variety of music, (including US pops) `Argentina` references, World Cup report, programa político, TCs KVB === Logging of the month is awarded to Kelvin Brayshaw for LTA Armed Forces Service, 5400 kHz, ARGENTINA, at 0338 UT (July NZ DX Times via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. R. Australia`s 9590 transmitter was running continuous Waltzing Matilda instead of regular programming, July 22 when checked at 1320, 1337 and 1419. Other frequencies, 9580 (until 14), 9560 and 6020 were normal. Both 9580 and 9590 are Shepparton, so what`s the problem getting the same programming on both? Different feed circuits, I suppose, and one of them broke down, but that`s no excuse. I also checked 6080, and as usual all I could hear was ABC NT relay not // 6020 or other RA frequencies, and no Singapore audible under. At 1342 July 22 the DJ mentioned abc.net.au (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BENIN. EXTENDING THE REACH OF GOD`S WORD --- TRANS WORLD RADIO RECEIVES BROADCAST LICENSE FOR NEW STATION IN WEST AFRICA http://www.twr.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=593&Itemid=141 Cary, NC, July 17, 2006 --- Moving one step closer to airing the good news of Jesus Christ into spiritually needy West Africa, international Christian broadcaster Trans World Radio (TWR) has received the official broadcast license for a powerful 100,000-watt AM transmitter in the country of Benin. Government officials in Cotonou, Benin, granted TWR the license at a special ceremony on July 4. ``My heart was full of joy to see that the prayers of the whole family of TWR around the world are answered,`` says the Reverend Abdoulaye Sangho, TWR-West Africa director, who represented the Mission at the ceremony. The new facility, which is still under construction, is scheduled to begin broadcasting in April 2007. It will become TWR’s 15th major international transmitting location. Broadcasts to West Africa will be transmitted in a way not seen since a civil war resulted in the destruction of Radio ELWA in 1990. Once the Benin site is completed, TWR’s programs will provide sound biblical teaching and discipleship training. Additionally, plans call for broadcasts for children, nonreaders and those affected by HIV/AIDS. According to Operation World (21st Century Edition), nearly half of West Africa’s 241 million people belong to another major world religion. Most of the West African nations have numerous unreached people groups without an established indigenous evangelical church. Radio, then, is one of the most effective and cost-efficient ways to share Christ’s love with this vast region. In late 2002, TWR began discussions on the possibility of a new transmitting site in Benin. In June 2003, then President Kerikou, a Christian, began the process which today has resulted in a license to broadcast from near Parakou, Benin. Rev. Sangho shares that “partnerships are being formed with several individuals, churches, missions and organizations that have been waiting and praying for this opportunity to come and air the Word of God through radio.” A group of African writers are already hard at work on scripts and translation, preparing programs for the new Benin station. FM stations can be heard in several large cities of West Africa, but often the signal fades just outside suburban areas. The new AM outlet will fill the gap. ``I want to express my personal appreciation to all of you who have been praying for this project in Benin,`` says Stephen Boakye-Yiadom, TWR international director for Africa. Please pray for the installation of an AM antenna, completion of the building and shipping and installation of the transmitters. More on this: [already linked in 6-104] TWR-Africa's Web site http://www.twrafrica.org/0083.asp For more information: David McCreary, 919.460.3778 This station will use 1566 kHz, but it appears from this press release that reports that it was already tested were somewhat premature. According to the last paragraph the aerials and building have not yet been completed and the transmitter not yet delivered (Dave Kenny, BDXC via DXLD) ** CANADA. CFRX ALIVE & WELL --- There was some discussion here a couple of weeks ago whether CFRX was still on the air. I was in the neighborhood on Sat. July 15 and verified that it was, on 6070 kHz, with programming parallel to CFRB 1010. In the files section I have posted a picture, cfrx-antenna-2006-07-15.jpg (Peter Lanting, July 21, ODXA via DXLD) Available to members of the ODXA ygroup. Well, CFRX really was off the air for a few days; and how well is it? At a distance we find it weaker than before (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** CHINA. Firedrake on 17350 instead of CNR-1 programming, July 22 at 1344, no doubt jamming Sound of Hope, or where SOH is thought to be, since never a trace of it here. This Firedrake was precisely in synch with // 9780 which is always on at this hour to jam RTI Taiwan in Mandarin, another completely inaudible victim in these parts. Looked around 14 and 18 MHz and did not find any of the other SOH jammed frequencies. At 1412 recheck 17350 was vacant. I should point out that getting China direct on 17 MHz at this time of day seems to push propagational theory. We`re at solar min and a month past solstice now, but I suppose there is enough residual ionization over this semi- dark northerly path, not to mention wasted wattage, to sustain 17 MHz, altho not every day. Or maybe long-path (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Dear OM, The Chinese Jam, it changed to music Jam!! (Chinese Opera music [Firedrake]) on July 20 at 0005 UT. 14 MHz cannot receive from July 3. It was tried on June 22 to July 2. 17 MHz and 18 MHz are used now. de (S. Aoki, NDXC-HQ, controler: S.Hasegawa, July 22 via Wolfgang Büschel, DXLD) The music jam is carried to the transmitter station via satellite. One cycle about 62 minutes are received by the satellite on Sep 11, 2005. http://www.ndxc.org/audio/china/050911_035842.m3u (Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) That`s a 64 minute file, I guess to prove the 62- minute cycle; lots of distortion, so really off SW? But very loud. Now we never need to listen to it again on SW (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** CUBA. 5025, Radio Rebelde, 0618-0630, 18-07. Sin duda la emisora de las bandas tropicales que llega aquí con más potencia, especialmente en horas del amanecer y con bonitos programas musicales. Programa "A esta hora", música caribeña, identificación: "Llueva, truene o relampaguee, escuche la señal de Radio Rebelde". "Dos con veinticuatro minutos, Radio Rebelde te presenta en la madrugada una revista de música cubana, A Esta Hora". Excelente señal. 45444. (Manuel Méndez, escucha realizada en Camping de Reinante, costa del Mar Cantábrico, 90 Km. N de Lugo, Grundig Satellit 500 y Sony ICF SW 7600 G, antena de cable, 10 metros, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EGYPT. Radio Cairo have been difficult to obtain verifications from over recent years but recently I tried again and did get a nice friendly e-mail reply from Marwan Khattab at Radio Cairo thanking me for my reception report for 7270 and promising that a QSL card will be sent soon. His address is egyptianoverseas_english @ hotmail.com (Ian Cattermole, July NZ DX Times via DXLD) ** ETHIOPIA. See NIGER ** GUAM. TWR-GUAM SUFFERS DAMAGE; PROGRAMS OFF THE AIR http://www.twr.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=590&Itemid=2 The following story appeared on the July 13, 2006, edition of Mission Network News (MNN). TWR is a Great Commission partner of MNN. July 13, 2006 Guam (MNN) --- Trans World Radio is asking people to pray and to give to help put Christian programming back on the air from the island of Guam. Last Friday, part of one of their antennas fell during what they're calling "heavy weather." While the towers weren't damaged, the antenna hanging between them was. That's forced some programming off the air for four days. What's amazing is TWR needed extra help. A visiting church from the United States had been on Guam for other work, but became available to assist with the reconstruction work. Yesterday, TWR reported that half of the antenna was back on the air, while the rest of it was expected to be fully restored by today. This stresses the importance of needed on-going financial support of TWR for unexpected repairs. TWR Update on 7/14/06 --- Most of the work on the damaged antenna is complete and it is back on the air. Mike Sabin from Guam wrote: "TX3 is back on the air. We tested all the channels and the readings were very good. Thanks for your prayers. There will be some touch up work next week, but the hard work is done." We appreciate the hard work of TWR's team on Guam over the past several days to make this possible–and we are very grateful to the Lord that our listeners will once again be able to tune in to our programs (TWR via DXLD) ** HAWAII. Hilo, Hawaii has a fifth AM broadcasting station (not counting talking houses and the like). URH, University Radio Hilo, 1640 was noted for the first time July 9 and announces at 24 hr. NSP, with a format of alternative rock. All in English, no Hawaiian language, accent or music. Typical ID's and promos are: "Hilo's URH AM 16-40", "East Hawaii's music alternative, University Radio Hilo", "You are listening to University Radio Hilo, broadcasting worldwide 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We are University Radio Hilo", "East Hawaii's leading rock radio", "Don't forget folks, listen to University Radio Hilo, URH, Hilo, Hawaii", "The morning show 6 AM to 12 noon on 16-40 URH worldwide, East Hawaii's music alternative", and "You are listening to University Radio Hilo, worldwide, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, we are URH". (REW-HI) (Note: Richard asks ye Broadcasting Info editor what is the license status of this station, and are complete calls KURH)? Ye editor found the following on a Hawaii newslink website: LOW POWER AM FROM UH HILO: The University of Hawaii has its first radio station. Low power AM radio station URH (UHH Radio) at 1640 on the AM dial started broadcasting this spring. The non-profit radio station features a format of free form music similar to what is offered at KTUH at the UH Manoa Campus. The volunteer disc jockeys pick the music. A station spokesperson said that they aim to go to 3KW like their UH Manoa counterpart in the future. The station is also streaming their content at their website: http://radio.uhh.hawaii.edu/# Station is not listed on radio-locator.com, so not an 'official' call- letter type station but a low power college station). (Robert Wien, CA, IRCA Soft DX Monitor July 22 via DXLD) 1640 HAWAII, Hilo, URH. Attention Richard Wood! Per local website http://www.hawaiiradiotv.com and the station's website, the UOH at Hilo launched a low power Part 15 radio station in late March. Known as "URH". The station operates with a power of 100mw (.1 watt) from an antenna at the nearby Hawaii Community College theater and the signal covers most of UHH and HCC and nearby areas of Hilo. The station is student run and has a freeform format, with plans to put up a 3 kW operation on regular AM or FM in the future (Dale Park, Oahu, ibid.) 1640, HAWAII, Hilo, KURH? 0428 7/9, a total surprise a new AM local here. This is my 5th, not counting talking houses. Format is Alternative rock, all live DJ shows with male announcers. Seems non commercial, no PSAs, etc. (Richard E. Wood, Keaau, BIHI, ibid.) Would not have been total surprise if REW had read DXLD 6-059 of April 6, where we had all this info about it and asked if he could hear it? Unfortunately, REW refuses to avail himself of the Internet (gh, DXLD) ** INDONESIA. Voice of Indonesia, 15149.8 kHz, July 22/06. Tune in at 1800 with IS and sign on announcements for the German program. Nice signal. At 1900 they went into French and at 2000 in English with the news. By 2000 the signal was deteriorating quickly and sever QRM from WYFR S/on at 2000 on 15155. HF-2050, KLM 7-30 MHz log 73 (Mick Delmage, AB, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** JAMAICA [and non]. DXing on Jamaica --- Jaroslav Bohac As my "one-man show" company (I am director and the only employee) had a successful business year 2004, in the following February I decided to visit the Caribbean because this region was quite promising to hear some interesting stations that can hardly be heard in Europe. I took my new Sangean PT-80 that came from Universal Radio just few days before my departure and lists of MW stations from the N.& C. America and the Caribbean. Due to known bad reception conditions in low latitudes I could not expect any MW reception from South America. Jaroslav Bohac writing a reception report [caption] My investigations in the SW band were rather disappointing, I expected more that a few stations from Cuba (R. Rebelde 5025), Guatemala (R. Cultural Coatán 4780) and the USA (WWRB 5050 and 5085 and WWCR 5075 [sic]). Results on the FM band were much better, although I heard only domestic stations there. I liked Irie FM, undoubtedly the best music station in Jamaica, playing excellent reggae for almost 24 hours a day. I could hear perhaps all active FM stations and the most interesting phenomenon was their frequency allocations. As the island is quite small (about 200 km long and 50 km in the widest part), five stations are sufficient to cover the entire island. Therefore each station has mostly five frequencies allocated within one megahertz band, e.g. 101.1, 101.3, 101.5, 101.7 and 101.9 MHz. As for their programmes, except short talks and commercials you can listen almost exclusively to very nice reggae music that can be listened every day from early morning to late evening. As I expected, the most interesting situation was on medium waves. My QTH was on the northern coast (Ocho Rios) and listening was therefore limited to the northern sector, because a high mountain ridge runs across Jamaica in the west-east direction. Reception was naturally possible from sunset (1800) to approx. 0900 local time. Again, I verified instability of reception conditions close to the equator; strength of signals was varying in the course of few minutes and stations heard one day were not on the dial the next day. My first station was R. Visión Cristiana from Turks & Caicos on the beginning of the dial (530 kHz, 100 kW) that, to my surprise, I could hear all the day. However, the most powerful station was ZNS1 from the Bahamas, also appearing for 24 h every day as well as TWR Bonaire on 800 kHz. Another exotic station was WDHP from the US Virgin Islands on 1620. In addition to many Cuban station that appeared almost every 10 kHz, there can be listened to many stations from the USA, in particular from Florida and east coast (North and South Carolina), also from Nashville (WSM 650), New York (WFAN 660 and WCBS 880), Chicago (WBBM 780) or Louisiana (KWKH 1130). Every day I heard a mystery station "Vietnam Radio" in Vietnamese on 1440 that was not mentioned in WRTH. Later I found that it was a "Little Saigon Radio", Vietnamese Christian Broadcast from Orlando, Florida. Many US stations were not identified because of their weak signals; also identification of Cuban stations needed a lot of time and my holiday on this island was limited to two weeks. When I set out for a trip to local mountains one day, I noticed a big billboard of Radio Irie FM close to the road so that I made a short stop there when my taxi went back to the hotel. Unfortunately, the Murphy’s Law also acts unfailingly in DXing – nobody was present, all just went for a dinner. I got at least a business card of a DJ from the receptionist and made a photo of the billboard. It is very important to get at least a name of anyone from the radio station because if you want to get a QSL card or a verification letter (I am in doubts that anyone asked them for such document in the entire history of that station), it is very good to address a particular person. An interesting piece of knowledge in conclusion. As there is 110V voltage on Jamaica and sockets are US types, I had to rely on new rechargeable AA batteries 2400 mAh. I was charging them for more than 24 hours before my trip to Jamaica; they served minimum four hours every day until the last evening when they kneeled (July 2006 DSWCI SW News via DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. Finally heard Shiokaze myself now that it`s at a waking hour, July 22 on 9485 at 1322 in Japanese. Was narrative with musical background, not a listing of the victims; ID at 1329 just before closing made clear it`s pronounced Shiókaze, not Shiokáze as I had been saying. Why didn`t anybody clue me in? I try my best to pronounce names properly; having Spanish as my first foreign language leads to such misaccentuation tendencies. Did not hear any jamming, but could have been masked by high local noise level. Must remember to listen other mornings for English version, especially Tuesday (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LATIN AMERICA. ACTIVE LATIN AMERICANS IN 2006 --- Below you will find a list of domestic SW stations in Latin America which all have been heard in 2005. It is derived from the latest updated Domestic Broadcasting Survey edition 8, edited by Anker Petersen and published by DSWCI. Some of the frequencies mentioned have been corrected and adjusted with decimals during listening in Denmark in May-June 2006. 2380 B R. Educadora, Limeira, São Paulo 2390 MEX R. Huayacocotla, Veracruz 2460 B Súper R Alvorada, Rio Branco 2490 B R 8 de Setembro, Descalvado, São Paulo 3172.6 PRU R Municipal, Panao, Pachitea 3220 EQA HCJB, Pifo 3234.9 PRU R Luz y Sonido, Huánuco 3235 B R Guarujá Paulista, Marília, SP [back to R. Clube de Marília] 3249.69 HND R Luz y Vida, San Luís, Santa Bárbara 3255 B R Educadora 6 de Agosto, Xapuri, Acre 3279.52 EQA La Voz del Napo, Tena, Napo 3289.9 EQA R Centro, Ambato, Tungurahua 3291.1 GUY Voice of Guyana, Sparendaam 3300 GTM R Cultural, Guatemala City 3310 BOL R Mosoj Chaski, Cotapachi [sic; should be Cochabamba] 3325 B R Mundial, São Paulo, SP 3329.6 PRU R Ondas del Huallaga, Huánuco, Huánuco 3340 HND La Voz de Misiones Int., Comayagüela 3344.6 BOL R. Ayopaya, Independencia, Cochabamba 3350 CTR R Exterior España, Cariari de Pococí 3365 B R Cultura, Araraquara, São Paulo 3375 B R Educadora, Guajará Mirim, Rondônia 3375.1 B R Municipal, São Gabriel da Cachoeira 3375.1 PRU R San Antonio, Padua de Callalli, Arequipa 3385 B R Guarujá Paulista, Marília, SP 3390.3 BOL R Emis. Camargo, Camargo, Chuquisaca 4052.46 GTM R Verdad, Chiquimula 4300 PRU R Bella, Tingo María 4409.77 BOL R Eco, Reyes, Beni 4485.94 PRU R Frecuencia VH, Celendín, Cajamarca 4498.1 BOL R Estambul, Guayaramerín, Beni 4555.94 BOL R Paititi, Guayaramerín, Beni 4600.3 BOL Perla del Acre, Cobija 4620.5 PRU R Espacial, Otuzco, La Libertad 4650.22 BOL R Santa Ana, Santa Ana del Yacuma, Beni 4684.6 BOL R Paitítí, Guayaramerín, Beni 4716.76 BOL R Yura, Yura, San Antonio de Quijarro, Potosí 4733 BOL R Virgen de los Remedios, Tupiza, Potosí 4746.83 PRU R Huanta 2000, Huanta, Ayacucho 4752.8 B R Educação Rural, Campo Grande, MS 4761.7 BOL R Guanay, Guanay, La Paz 4763.1 BOL R Chicha, Tocla, Nor-Chichas, Potosí 4765 B R Rural, Santarém, Pará 4765 B R Integração, Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre 4774.97 PRU R Tarma, Tarma, Junín 4775 B R Congonhas, Congonhas, MG 4779.97 GTM R Cultural Coatán, S. S. Coatán, Huehuetenango 4781.4 BOL R Tacana, Tumupasa, Inturralde, La Paz 4781.6 EQA R Oriental, Tena, Napo 4785 B R Brasil, Campinas, São Paulo 4785.2 B R Caiari, Pôrto Velho, Rondônia 4790 PRU R Atlántida, Iquitos, Maynas, Loreto 4790.29 PRU R Visión, Ortiz, Chiclayo, Lambayeque 4796.42 BOL R Mallku, Uyuni, Potosí 4799.79 GTM R Buenas Nuevas, San Sebastián, Huehuetenango 4805 B R Difusora do Amazonas, Manáus, Amazonas 4810 MEX XERTA R Transcontinental de América, DF 4814.9 EQA R El Buen Pastor, Loma de Carbocillo, Saraguro, Loja 4815 B R Difusora, Londrina, Paraná 4819.14 HND HRVC La Voz Evangélica, Tegucigalpa 4824.4 PRU La Voz de la Selva, Iquitos 4825 B R Canção Nova, Cachoeira Paulista, São Paulo 4825 B R Educadora, Bragança, Pará 4826.48 PRU R Sicuani, Sicuani, Cusco 4835.46 PRU R Marañón, Jaén, Cajamarca 4845 B R Meteorologia Paulista, Ibitinga, São Paulo 4845 BOL R Norteño, Caranavi, La Paz 4845.25 B R Cultura Ondas Tropicais, Manáus, Amazonas 4855.75 PRU R La Hora, Cusco 4865 B R Alvorada, Londrina, Paraná 4865 B R Verdes Florestas, Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre 4865 B R Missões da Amazônia, Óbidos, Pará 4865 BOL R Centanario, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Santa Cruz 4869.9 EQA R Dif Católica Cultural, Macas 4876.33 BOL R La Cruz del Sur, La Paz 4876.2 B R Difusora, Boa Vista, Roraima 4885 B R Clube do Pará, Belém, Pará 4885 B R Dif. Acreana, Río Branco, Acre 4885 B R A Voz do Coração, Inmaculado, Anápolis, Goiás 4886.6 PRU R Virgen del Carmen, Huancavelica 4890.1 PRU R Macedonia, Arequipa 4890.2 PRU R Chota, Chota, Cajamarca 4895 B R Baré, Manáus, Amazonas 4895 B R Novo Tempo, Campo Grande, MS 4902.5 BOL R San Miguel, Riberalta, Beni 4905 B R Araguaína, Araguaína, Tocantins 4905 B R Nova Relógio, Rio de Janeiro 4909.29 EQA R Chaskis, Otavalo, Imbabura 4915 B R Difusora, Macapá, Amapá 4915.04 B R CBN Anhanguera, Goiânia, Goiás 4919 EQA R Quito, Quito 4924.9 B R Educação Rural, Tefé, Amazonas 4925 B R Difusora, Taubaté, São Paulo 4935 B R Capixaba, Vitória, Espírito Santo 4939.66 VEN R Amazonas, Puerto Ayacucho, Orinoco Province 4940 PRU R San Antonio, Villa Atalaya, Ucayali 4944.9 B Emissora Rural, Petrolina PE 4945 B R Difusora, Poços de Caldas, MG 4950 PRU R Madre de Dios, Puerto Maldonado 4955 PRU R Cultural Amauta, Huanta, Ayacucho 4960 EQA R Federación Shuar, Sucúa, Morona Santiago 4960.4 DOM R Global Internacional, Santo Domingo 4965 B R Alvorada, Parintins, AM 4965 PRU R Santa Ana, Santa Ana, La Convención, Cusco 4965.7 PRU R Santa Mónica, Cusco 4974.8 PRU R del Pacífico, Lima 4975 B R Mundial, Osasco, SP 4985 B R Brasil Central, Goiânia, Goiás 4989.95 SUR R Apintie, Paramaribo 4990.1 PRU R Ancash, Huaraz, Ancash 4995.6 PRU R Andina, Huancayo, Junín 5000 BOL R Virgen de los Remedios, Tupiza, Potosí 5005.8 PRU Radio LTC, Juliaca, San Román, Puno 5009.8 DOM R Cristal Int’l, Santo Domingo 5014.5 PRU R Altura, Cerro de Pasco, Pasco 5015 B R Pioneira, Teresina, Piauí 5019.9 PRU R Horizonte, Chachapoyas, Amazonas 5025 CUB R Rebelde, Bauta [sic] 5025 PRU R Quillabamba, Quillabamba, Cusco 5030 PRU R Los Andes, Huamachuco, La Libertad 5035.02 B R Aparecida, Aparecida, SP 5035.1 B R Educação Rural, Coari, AM 5039.2 PRU R Libertad, Junín, Junín 5040 EQA R Dif. Católica Cultural, Macas, Morona Santiago 5045 B R Guarujá Paulista, via R Pres. Prudente, São Paulo 5050 PRU R Integración, Abancay, Apurímac 5054.6 CTR R Faro del Caribe, Santo Domingo, Heredia 5055 B R Difusora, Cáceres, MT 5055 B R Jornal A Crítica, Manus, AM 5070.7 PRU R Ondas del Suroriente, Quillabamba, Cusco 5265 PRU La Voz de Chiriaco, Chiriaco, Imaza, Bagua 5400 ARG Argentine Armed Forces, Buenos Aires 5460.3 PRU E Emisora Bolívar, La Libertad 5470.8 PRU R San Nicolás, San Nicolás, Rodríguez de Mendoza 5486.7 PRU La Reyna de la Selva, Chachapoyas, Amazonas 5544.66 PRU R San Andrés, Cutervo, Cajamarca 5580.33 BOL R San José, San José de Chiquitos 5637 PRU R Perú, San Ignacio, Cajamarca 5678 PRU R Ilucán, Cutervo, Cajamarca 5680.7 BOL R San Rafael, San Rafael, Cochabamba 5699.8 PRU R Frecuencia, San Ignacio, Cajamarca 5699.8 PRU R Triple SH, San Ignacio, Cajamarca 5745.2 BOL R Virgen de Remedios, Tupiza, Potosí 5910 CLM Marfil Estéreo/LV de tu Conciencia, Lomalinda 5926.8 BOL Radiodifusoras Minería, Oruro 5939.29 PRU R Melodía, Arequipa 5940 B R. Guarujá Paulista, São Paulo 5950 PRU R Bethel, Arequipa, Arequipa 5952.5 BOL R Pío XII, Siglo XX, Llallagua, Potosí 5955 B R Gazeta Universitária, São Paulo, São Paulo 5955 GTM R Cultural, Guatemala City 5964.9 B R Transmundial (TWR), Rio Grande do Sul 5967.87 BOL R Nacional de Huanuni, Huanuni, Potosí 5969.7 B R Itatiáia, Belo Horizonte, MG 5980 B R Guarujá, Florianópolis, SC 5983.7 BOL R Cooperativa, Centro Minero Huanuni, Oruro 5990 B R Senado, Brasília, Distrito Federal 5999.3 EQA R Difusora, Católica Cultural, Lago Agrio, Sucumbíos 6000 B R Guaíba, Porto Alegre, RS 6010 MEX R Mil, México 6010.13 CLM La Voz de tu Conciencia, Lomalinda, Meta 6010.2 B R Inconfidência, Belo Horizonte, MG 6010.4 URG Em. Ciudad de Montevideo, Montevideo 6019.64 PRU R Victoria, Lima 6020 B R Gaúcha, Porto Alegre, RS 6025 BOL R Illimani, La Paz 6025 DOM R Amanecer Int., Santo Domingo 6030 B R Globo, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 6035 CLM La Voz del Guaviare, San José del Guaviare 6037.8 BOL R Dif. Trópico, Trinidad, Beni 6040 B R Clube Paranaense, Curitiba, PR 6044.95 MEX XEXQ R Universidad, San Luis Potosí 6045 URG R Sarandí Sport, Rivera 6047.1 PRU R Santa Rosa, Lima 6050 EQA HCJB, Pifo 6054.4 BOL R Juan XXIII, San Ignacio de Velasco, Santa Cruz 6060 ARG LRA1, R Nacional, Buenos Aires 6060 B R Tupi, Curitiba, Paraná 6060 CUB R Reloj, Bauta [sic] 6061 PRU R Sinaí, Cercado, Huánuco 6079.96 BOL R San Gabriel, La Paz 6080 B R Novas de Paz, Curitiba, Paraná 6080 B R CBN Anhanguera, Goiânia, Goiás 6080 EQA HCJB, Pifo 6089.96 B R Bandeirantes, São Paulo, São Paulo 6090 CHL R Esperanza, Temuco 6105 B R Cançáo Nova, Cachoeira Paulista, São Paulo 6105 B R Cultura Filadélfia, Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná 6105.5 BOL R Panamericana, La Paz 6114.9 PRU R Unión, Lima 6120 CUB R Rebelde, Bauta 6120 B R Globo, São Paulo, São Paulo 6125 EQA HCJB, Pifo 6125 URG S.O.D.R.E., Montevideo 6134.79 BOL R Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz de la Sierra 6134.9 B R Aparecida, Aparecida, SP 6139.79 CLM R Líder, Santa Fé de Bogotá 6140 CUB R Rebelde, Bauta [sic] 6140 URG R Monte Carlo, Montevideo 6149.8 B R Record, São Paulo, São Paulo 6155 BOL R Fides, La Paz 6160 B R Boa Vontade, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul 6165 BOL R Logos, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Santa Cruz 6170 B R Cultura, São Paulo, São Paulo 6172.9 PRU R Tawantinsuyo, Cusco, Cusco 6180 B R Nacional da Amazõnia, Brasília, Distrito Federal 6184.96 MEX R Educación, México 6188 PRU R Oriente, Yurimaguas 6193.43 PRU R Cusco, Cusco 6214.5 ARG R Baluarte, Puerto Iguazú, Misiones 6249.4 PRU R La Voz de Andahuaylas, Andahuaylas 6329.1 PRU R Sallique, Sallique, Jaén, Cajamarca 6520.34 PRU R Paucartambo, Paucartambo, Cusco 6536.1 PRU R Comercial Huancabamba, Huancabamba, Piura 6585.3 BOL R Nueva Esperanza, El Alto, La Paz 6819.5 PRU R La Voz de las Huarinjas, Huancabamba, Piura 6895.4 PRU R la Voz del Campesino, Huarmaca, Huancabamba 8098 ARG LTA Argentine Armed Forces, Buenos Aires 9504.8 PRU R Tacna, Tacna 9504.9 B R Record, São Paulo, São Paulo 9505 CUB R Rebelde, Bauta [sic] 9515 B R Novas de Paz, Curitiba, Paraná 9530 B R Trans Mundial (TWR), Rio Grande do Sul 9550 B R Boa Vontade, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul 9565 B R Tupi, Curitiba, Paraná 9585 B R Globo, São Paulo, São Paulo 9600 CUB R Rebelde, Bauta 9600 MEX XEYU R UNAM, Ticomán [never reported active yet --- gh] 9615 B R Cultura, São Paulo, São Paulo 9620.6 URG S.O.D.R.E., Montevideo 9625 BOL R Fides, La Paz 9630 B R Aparecida, Aparecida, São Paulo 9645 B R Bandeirantes, São Paulo, São Paulo 9665 B R Marumby, Florianópolis, SC 9675 B R Canção Nova, Cachoeira Paulista, São Paulo 9684.8 B R Gazeta, São Paulo, São Paulo 9695 B R Rio Mar, Manaus, Amazonas 9715 B R Guarujá Paulista, Osasco, SP 9720 PRU R Victoria, Lima 9725 B R Clube Paranaense, Curitiba 9736.9 PRG R Nacional del Paraguay, Asunción 9745 EQA HCJB, Pifo 11133 ARG LTA Argentine Armed Forces, Buenos Aires LSB/USB 11655 CUB R Rebelde, Bauta 11690 EQA HCJB Pifo 11710 EQA HCJB Pifo 11724.9 B R Novas de Paz, Curitiba, Paraná 11735 B R Transmundial (TWR), Rio Grande do Sul 11749.85 B R Marumby, Florianópolis, SC 11760 CUB R Rebelde, Bauta [sic] 11765 B R Tupi, Curitiba, Paraná 11780 B R Nacional da Amazônia, Brasília, Distrito Federal 11785 B R Guaíba, Porto Alegre, RS 11805 B R Globo, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 11815 B R Brasil Central, Goiânia, Goiás 11829.9 B R CBN Anhanguera, Goiânia 11855 B R Aparecida, Aparecida, São Paulo 11895.1 B R Boa Vontade, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul 11915 B R Gaúcha, Porto Alegre, RS 11925 B R Bandeirantes, São Paulo, São Paulo 11935 B R Clube Paranaense, Curitiba, PR 11960 EQA HCJB Pifo 12000 EQA HCJB Pifo 15325 B R Gazeta, São Paulo, São Paulo 15476 ATA R Nacional Arcángel, Base Esperanza, San Gabriel 15820 ARG LTA, Argentine Armed Forces, Buenos Aires 17815 B R Cultura, São Paulo, São Paulo 20276 ARG LTA, Argentine Armed Forces, Buenos Aires (Bjarke Vestesen - DSWCI-1925, July DSWCI SW News via DXLD) NOTE: the above list has not been altered as to frequencies or contents, but gh made numerous correxions to accentuation and some to spelling,, plus a few bracketed remarx. Thus it is a different, and in fact improved document than originally in SWN. Except I have not realigned the columns manually, which would require a lot more time. Those copying it for publication elsewhere MUST indicate that it came VIA Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST. I shouldn`t have to tell fellow editors this, but there have been other obvious cases of ``skipping`` this intermediate source, which often has entailed a lot of work on my part to fix something up or even reformat! If this is unacceptable, then go back and get the original from SWN (Glenn Hauser) ** MEXICO. [Referring to an audio clip on the WTFDA.info forum, on 90.1, July 21 at 1105 local time] I believe this is likely XHW La Paz BCS (I do hear "en La Paz" on the clip), but would like some confirmation if at all possible. I don't believe it's XHUA, XHGNS, or Radio Sonora, all of which I've had recently. It just doesn't sound like them. La Paz is 1517 [statute miles] from here making for yet another long single. Adding to the mystery: there was an SS on 90.9 around the same time that couldn't possibly have been XHAHC Chihuahua which is my only single-hop Mexico target. The format was simply wrong. Any help would be appreciated. There's a pretty unique "news jingle" in here. JimT or Randy Zerr will probably recognize it instantaneously (Dave Williams, Redmond, OR, WTFDA via DXLD) Dave, I definitely hear "Novente uno en La Paz" (90-1 in La Paz) but the jingle is "Multimedios primera en noticias" - (first in news) Multimedios is a Mexican radio station network but does not list XHW as one of their stations. http://www.multimedios.com.mx/english/?id=radio It does have 90.1 XHRYS Reynosa, TAMPS as an affiliate. But I think this would be even further. I wasn't paying attention to where the Es was going at the time. I'm not 100% positive but I'd say you have La Paz. I'll let Jim take over from here (Randy KW4RZ Zerr, Florida, ibid.) Very useful info. Skip was going, well, nowhere when I had this. There was zero 6m activity on the map and sporadic TV skip on channels 2, 3, and 4, rarely at the same time as each other. Since TV is a LOUSY indicator for me of Mexican Es, I turned on the tuner and there it was. (I have had Mexican FM Es with no TV Es at all - Baja stations are almost all low-powered on TV). Thanks! (Dave Williams, ibid.) I may be wrong about the Multimedios affiliation. Their news might be broadcasted on stations they don't own. I hear that liner often with Mexican DX. The only thing that I am suspicious about is since this is a news broadcast if the female announcer is simply "talking" about 90.1 La Paz. That's where a fluent SS or maybe Jim can come in and clear up. I have not seen much of Jim on here lately. I was hoping he could help with my mess of Cubanos. Rumour has it he's got a list. (Randy Zerr, ibid.) I think it`s La Paz. Here`s what I hear: they are giving hi and lo predicted temps, first 43 and 21. Immediately after 21 (veintiuno, not 90.1) she says La Paz, meaning the following temps are for there, 41 and 25; and then Los Cabos, 37 and 24. I was thinking there is a place by that name, but I don`t find it on my maps or indices; there is Cabo San Lucas down the peninsula from La Paz and a few other towns around the tip could add up to ``Los cinco municipios``. Los cabos could be a collective name for them reflecting the station`s coverage area. I don`t hear Multimedios mentioned, but instead ``Notimer -- primero en noticias``. Very nice catch. 73, (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, ibid.) Thanks Glenn. "Los Cabos" is indeed the collective area for the southern tip of Baja. Cheers! (Dave Williams, ibid.) ** MYANMAR. 5770, 1330 [no date], Defence Forces Broadcasting station in Shan State. Opens around this time with some interesting local music. Poor to fair signal (John Durham. Tauranga, JRC 535Db with a Eavesdropper trap dipole antenna, July NZ DX Times via DXLD) ** NIGER [and non]. Glenn, Surely the attached is relevant re the reappearance of Voix Du Sahel. Yes, My correspondence with the Africa List compiler is now 5 months old - but I was saying exactly the same as the monitors today. It really seems that both Ethiopia and Niger MUST be currently active!! 73's (Dan Goldfarb, Brentwood, England, July 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: Thorsten, Vielen Dank! All I heard was a fair but increasingly weak signal of a man reading news in French with a slight African accent. My monitoring could only last 15 minutes before fadeout and I did not copy any ID. The language which I speak with reasonable fluency was FRENCH so I must have heard Niamey. I have not heard it again. The signal strength was only acceptable during the first few minutes. I have heard the Ethiopian again twice with fair to weak reception - I even once heard light Western music rather than the usual Horn of Africa type I expected! 73's (Dan Goldfarb, Feb 22, 2006, to Thorsten Hallmann, via Goldfarb, July 22, DXLD) Hi again, hmmm. what I suspected when I read your mail was that, if the frequency was 9704.x, it could have been R. Ethiopia in French, beginning at 1700 on 7165 and 9560 normally, the technicians might have just confused the feed or the intended frequency, and there it is... French with African accent. However: News in F at 1700 are usually very short on R.E., followed by music (of any kind) already at 1703 or so. On the other hand: if the frequency was 9705.x, it is more likely to be Niamey, as Ethiopia is almost always below 9705, while Niamey was usually drifting upwards. So you can't be really sure... 73s (Thorsten Hallmann, to Dan Goldfarb, Feb 23, 2006, via Goldfarb, July 22, DXLD) I think, Jari is right with the 9704 item. On July 20th unlike all other days there was nothing on 9705 but long after (2030+) presumed sign-off of Ethiopia I heard a signal on 9704.0 seemingly Niger. Ethiopia should have been slightly higher (Thorsten Hallmann, Germany, July 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. Re 6-106: Do they still run "Time For Highlife"? I used to try to listen to that show, even though the audio was often atrocious. The presenter played lots of the classics from the highlife period and you could learn a lot from his commentaries, if you could understand them through the audio artifacts. The show is still listed on their schedule, but then again the program schedule on their web site has not been updated for TWO YEARS! (Scott Walker, New Cumberland PA, USA, swprograms via DXLD) Got a short reply for E-Mail to englishvon yahoo.com via the same way, saying letters and emails were received and passed to the responsible people for frequency planning, also giving listeners' letters new time slot, sat 0505, and asking for music requests for VON Linkup (sun 1805). Signed by Carl Erukaa, Senior Producer. 15120 signal often suffering from low audio again. 73 (Thorsten Hallmann, Germany, July 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) You can often hear him on African Safari (Hallmann, dxing.info via DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 4961.07, 0838 15/6, Catholic Radio Network with religious talk in Tok Pisin. Poor signal, much reduced in quality these days (Bryan Clark, Mangawhai, Northland with AOR7030+ and 100 metre BOG antennae, July NZ DX Times via DXLD) Don`t recall seeing them reported so far off-frequency before (gh, DXLD) ** SLOVAKIA. Nowadays I am getting such news from RSI. Are you getting regularly?? Regards (Swopan Chakroborty, India, July 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: -----Original Message----- From: RSI english news RSI_english_news @ slovakradio.sk Sent: Friday, July 21, 2006 5:50 PM Subject: News from RSI Here is today's news from Radio Slovakia International. Have a great weekend --- RSI Team News 21. 07. 2006 Compiled from Slovak Press Agencies TASR and SITA CULTURE MINISTER WANTS SHORTWAVE BROADCASTING TO CONTINUE Culture Minister Marek Madaric, speaking at a news conference in Bratislava on Thursday after meeting President Ivan Gasparovic, said that foreign broadcasting is very important and he wants shortwave broadcasting to restart. There is more from the Culture Minister in the Topical Issue (via Chakroborty, DXLD) That`s just the first item. Then other news of Slovakia. Please keep forwarding anything concerning the future of RSI (gh, DXLD) ** SOUTH AFRICA. THE SABC - 70 YEARS OF BROADCASTING By: Gab Mampone via Alokesh Gupta, India There are few mediums other than radio that have done more to advance the concept of the global village over the last 100 years. From the wireless telegraph invented by the father of radio, Guglielmo Marconi, at the beginning of the 20th century, major technological and scientific developments have today entrenched radio firmly in the space age, with extraterrestrial satellite transmissions, Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM), web casting, as well as broadcasting to visual radio instead of traditional FM (Frequency Modulation) broadcasting. Historical firsts and the origins of the SABC From the first use of military wireless in the world by the army of the Transvaal Republic in the Anglo-Boer War in the 1900s, radio was revealed for the first time to the general public at the Great Empire Exhibition in 1922. The country's first radio station, 'JB Calling', began broadcasting in Johannesburg on the 1st of July 1924, followed by a second Cape Town-based station in 1924 and another in Durban in the same year. These three stations later combined to form the African Broadcasting Corporation on the 1st of April 1927. In 1936, the African Broadcasting Company was dissolved and the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) was established by an Act of Parliament as the new public service broadcaster which in 2006, will proudly celebrate 70 years in broadcasting. Stations across the nation In the early 1940s the first direct transmissions in African languages were made by telephone line and by the early 1950s, Springbok Radio - the country's first commercial radio station - ushered in a new age of radio entertainment with its shows, dramas and comedies. The 1960s saw new regional radio stations in the Cape and Natal, while Radio RSA started broadcasting as an official world service. In the mid 1970s, the SABC took over Mozambique-based LM Radio [Lourenço Marques, now Maputo --- gh], relaunching it as Radio 5 and later as 5fm. As a response to several non-SABC stations based in the so-called 'independent' homelands, Radio Metro - which later became Metro fm - was launched as a commercial music-oriented radio station catering for the progressive Black middle classes of the 1980s. Three language-based radio stations - isiSwazi, isiNdebele and Indian speaking - were also established in the same decade. To replace the original English and Afrikaans as well as Springbok Radio, at midnight on the 31st of December 1985, Radio South Africa (now called SAfm), Radio Suid Afrika (now RSG), Radio 2000 as well as three new regional stations in Pretoria, Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth took to the air. Adapting for the new millennium As the state broadcaster, the SABC was created with a monopoly on the provision of broadcasting services that emphasized racial and ethnic divisions under the previous regime. The IBA Act ended the broadcasting system monopoly, opening up radio and television markets to competition. It transformed the state broadcaster into a public broadcaster, and made possible the introduction of community radio for the first time. The new democratic government led by the African National Congress (ANC) has freed the airwaves by restructuring the state broadcasting monopoly with a broadcasting dispensation that meets the needs of all South Africans, offering a choice of services and content ownership. The early 1990s saw a major restructuring of the SABC as a national broadcaster. The corporation's radio and television portfolios were completely revamped, and it started to explore satellite transmission and opening the airwaves to other broadcasters. The Radio Data System (RDS) on FM services was launched in 1992 and in 1995, the SABC launched the transponder spaces on the PAS-4 satellite, making its services available nationally to people who had satellite receiving equipment. The SABC sold its six regional radio stations to private enterprise and re-launched its radio portfolio in September 1996, when Radio RSA was also rebranded as Channel Africa. The first community radio stations came on stream in 1995 and the first private independent radio station in 1997. In the 21st century and beyond the door to 'micro radio' is opening, which could lead to the birth of many low power radio stations, operated by individuals, neighborhood groups or community organizations for example. The SABC today... SABC radio is divided into Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) and Public Commercial Services (PCS). The PBS is represented by nine indigenous South African language radio stations, with the Khoi and San languages also represented under this portfolio via the X-K FM station, as well as English and Afrikaans. SABC 1 and SABC 2 respectively fall within the PBS portfolio of television stations catering for the aforementioned markets. Built on a global perspective of economics, social and political infotainment, PCS stations provide entertainment and sports broadcasts as well as a mix of up-to-date urban contemporary and information to their target markets - the young, urban adults. The SABC 3 television station which falls within the PCS portfolio provides a similar service. .. and tomorrow. Currently reaching 90% of South Africa, radio is the leading medium and primary source of information for many people as it reaches every part of the country - rural, urban, metropolitan, small towns and villages. Deregulation has led to increasing competition in the market. Currently, there are 18 SABC radio stations, six greenfield radio stations, nine independent radio stations and more than 60 community radio stations competing for the same market with five television stations, over 500 magazines and more than 100 newspapers. With two new television stations and more than eight radio stations more likely to be operating before 2008, the SABC remains committed to delivering exclusive programming mandated by ICASA. This consists of children's programmes, documentaries, live sports, the opening of parliament, education, and indigenous languages including Afrikaans, current affairs, drama, disability programmes, youth programmes, and those that uphold culture. New commercial radio licenses will also have an impact on the current commercial radio stations as there is only so much available market to target, forcing the programming format to be focused on specific programme genres for example such as youth, jazz music, and R&B music. Depending on the number of FM frequencies available this might create an opportunity for satellite radio that has seen listening to radio via television in the United Kingdom (UK), increasing to levels of 35%. This creates an opportunity for radio to utilize television as a marketing platform (July DSWCI SW News via DXLD) ** TAIWAN. RADIO TAIWAN INTERNATIONAL Speech by Chiu Bihui at the EDXC Conference 2005 in Prague I`m very glad to have the opportunity to speak to you now. Firstly, may I introduce myself? My name is Chiu Bihui. I come from Taiwan and was in charge of the German program of Radio Taiwan International. For seven months I have been living with my family in Bonn, Germany, and I will stay there to August this year. My husband is doing research in the university of Bonn and I work temporarily for the Deutsche Welle Chinese program. 10 years ago I worked for the DW Chinese program as a freelancer. This time, I have being working there for six months. I will return to Taiwan in four months and will resume my work at Radio Taiwan International. I am a program maker, but I am also interested in DXing, and that is why I am here. Radio Taiwan International is the International radio service of the Central Broadcasting System of the Republic of China on Taiwan. CBS is the national broadcaster and was founded on August 1st 1928 in Nanjing, China. It was relocated to Taiwan after World War II. The call sign ``Voice of Free China`` was first used when CBS resumed its International broadcasting from Taiwan in 1949. The ``Voice of Asia`` was added in 1979; it provided a different program format with more music and entertainment, and attracted many listeners from South East Asia and Mainland China. CBS was reorganised on January 1st, 1998. ``Radio Taipei International`` and the ``Voice of Asia`` were first used as the station call signs. The ``Voice of Asia`` was dropped on January 1st, 2002 and ``Radio Taipei International`` was the only call sign used until July 1st, 2003, when it was replaced by ``Radio Taiwan International`` Now CBS/RTI is an independent government-funded radio station. It is not an official government institution, but most of CBS/RTI budget comes from the government. In 2005 CBS has a budget of about 19.7 million USD. Like most of the government-funded radio stations in the World, RTI also has financial problems. The RTI budget has to be passed every year by the parliament. Only a small portion of the budget comes from services RTI provides in cooperation with other entities and contributions. These services include program production, technical assistance and the lending of RTI facilities. Because many Members of the Parliament don`t support International broadcasting, the RTI budget has been shrinking year after year, causing staff dismissals. RTI strives to serve listeners worldwide by providing information about Taiwan in an objective and professional manner. RTI currently broadcasts in 13 languages around the World. They include: Mandarin Chinese 3 Chinese dialects – Amoy, Hakka and Cantonese 4 other Asian Languages – Indonesian, Japanese, Vietnamese and Thai 5 European languages: - English, French, German, Russian and Spanish RTI operates 9 shortwave and medium wave transmitters around the island. It has 15 medium-wave transmitters (10 medium frequencies) totalling 39 medium and shortwave transmitters and 78 medium- and short wave frequencies with a total power of 15,050 kilowatts. RTI broadcasts more than 1.800 hours a week to listeners around the world. In addition to broadcasting its signals from the sites in Taiwan, RTI also transmits its programs via its partners` shortwave relay facilities in the United States and Europe. RTI currently employs around 370 personnel at its headquarters in Taipei and 9 transmitters all over the island. Most programs are produced at the headquarters in Taipei. Most of the RTI personnel work there in the building in Taipei, which has 29 radio studios. In 2004 RTI received about 154.000 letters and 123.000 emails and faxes from around the World. RTI also plans to develop DRM technology. Technically, the RTI is ready to broadcast in DRM. At the moment RTI relays an hour of English language programming in DRM technology to Europe daily via Merlin in London. We hope to be able also to air our German programming in DRM to Europe in a few months from now. RTI is now waiting for the right time to broadcast more programs per DRM. As you know, the DRM market is not yet mature, because DRM receivers are still too expensive. RTI will broadcast soon to the home audience, starting with 5 languages. They include: English, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indonesian and Thai. Because many foreigners from the USA, Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand are living in Taiwan. RTI and the government would like to offer them a service on FM. These broadcasts are planned to start July 1st, 2005. Mrs. Chiu Bihui of Radio Taiwan International (July DSWCI SW News via DXLD) ** U S A. THE MYSTERY OF THE DIXON VOICE OF AMERICA RELAY STATION from Merrill Stevenson, KG6AMW on June 30, 2006 My interest in radio goes back many years and as a youth I would experiment with simple wire antennas and attempt to tune in distant AM stations on my father’s old cathedral radio. Later I used a Hallicrafters S-120 shortwave radio along with a trap antenna to listen to the BBC, Radio Australia and the Voice of America "VOA". Recently I was talking an old friend who is an avid shortwave listener and the subject of VOA programming and history came up. We both agreed that at some point the VOA operated a relay station in northern California near the town of Dixon, but were unsure of its current status. I began to reflect back and wondered whatever happened to Dixon VOA. . . http://www.eham.net/articles/14253/ (via Ian Baxter, July 22, shortwavesites yg via DXLD) One of a huge number of replies to the post: The site is currently occupied by Globe Wireless and ARINC, according to: http://lists.contesting.com/_towertalk/2001-07/msg00609.html Seemingly confirmed by the map at http://www.globewireless.com/network_networks.php (Dan Ferguson, SC, K4VOA, July 1, ex-IBB, ibid.) ** U S A. Hi Glenn: I have been listening to you for maybe 25 years. Thanks for your efforts. You probably know most of this, but.... On July 10th 2006 I visited the old WRNO Worldwide transmitter site near my hometown of New Orleans with a friend. No one was home at the site as expected. It is apparent that no RF can emit from this location as the feedline from the transmitter building to the log periodic antenna was broken and lying on the ground. This damage appears to have existed before hurricane Katrina. I took many photos of the site and listened to the radio for any transmissions from this site. I also went to the WRNO web site and discovered that the web site has not been updated in a few years (their photo gallery of a dinner to raise money for a new transmitter was posted in 2001). A recent July 16th 2006 TV story by Tiani Jones from KTVT states they are broadcasting to the middle east at this time. I believe this story is erroneous when it states they are on the air. The FCC web site does not state any other transmitter sites for the Good News World Outreach group, and omits any transmitter information. I am interested in any current and historical information on this station as well as old audio and photos. For more information, see: http://www.wrnoworldwide.org http://cbs11tv.com/topstories/local_story_197233011.html http://www.fcc.gov/ib/sand/neg/hf_web/xwrno21.txt (Dan Brown, W1DAN, Natick, MA, July 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Dan, Excellent. Nothing beats a visit to the transmitter site. I notified KTVT that their story was all wrong, but heard nothing back from them. They should do a follow-up / correction, but I`m not holding my breath (Glenn to Dan, via DX LISTENING DIGEST) When I was there, I saw: The feedline damaged and on the ground. No one home. No blowers operating. Grass overgrown, but may have been mowed more than a month ago. An RF unit (high power cavity, filter or something) lying on the ground outside the rear of the transmitter shack --- probably part of the old Harris SW-100 transmitter. I also saw the old WRNO studio STL feedline draped over a tower guy line as they must have removed the [STL] antenna when the station was sold. The [SW] antenna only seems to need minor repairs. Almost ready to hook up a ham rig! I wish I paid more attention to WRNO when Joe Costello owned it and I lived there. I'd like to see the transmitter site and antenna being used again, but my guess is the new owner does not have anywhere near the amount of money needed to get it back on the air (Dan Brown, ibid.) And if he does, will be nothing like Costello`s WRNO (gh) ** U S A. I ask this question every few months in other forums, but I admit I haven't yet heard the answer I'm really seeking. Is there a technical reason for why 41-meter band reception would be poor in California? In some of their radio manuals, Grundig/Eton points out that 41-meter reception will be better on the east coast than on the west coast. Possible causes for this: * ionosphere conditions * broadcasting practices / targeting * broadcasting strength / station proximity * myth! I would love to hear any viewpoints on this subject. I'm in the San Francisco bay area and my primary interest in the 41-meter band is WBCQ in Monticello, Maine on 7415 kHz (yes I know, 40.45853 meters (Eric Weatherall, July 22, dxing.info via DXLD) WBCQ is a fairly long haul from the other side of the continent. It is aimed at Nuevo Laredo at 245 degrees, so is pretty far offbeam for you. I suspect but don`t know for sure it has a fairly hi take-off angle, which means better strength at the first hop, closer range to Maine. You might take a look at the VOACAP animated coverage map on the WBCQ website, keeping in mind that that is just theoretical. http://www.wbcq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=113&Itemid=48 Signals over a more northerly path are at a disadvantage due to auroral effects, and you can`t get a more northerly path in the conterminous US than from Monticello, Maine. In the summer, in addition, you are not getting a full darkness/night path. Also, WBCQ signs off weeknights (tho later on weekends) at 8:30 pm PST, altho it would have a better full night path for you if it stayed on later. 50 kW (nominal) for WBCQ also doesn`t match the 100 or 250 or even 500 kW so many other SW stations use, in the US and out. So you have several factors working against you for receiving that particular station well. Grundig must have been referring to reception from Europe being better on the east coast on 7 MHz, but that also applies to other bands. This is not only due to proximity, but since the paths don`t have to penetrate the auroral zone, or not so much of it. Conversely, you should have better reception from Asia (in the mornings) on 7 MHz. Regards, (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) ** U S A. The following is the Tentative 29 October 2006 to 25 March 2007 B06 High Frequency Schedule for Family Stations, Inc., WYFR. (kHz) (UTC) Az Zone(s) Power 5745 0500-0800 44 27 100 5745 0800-1000 160 14 100 5745 2000-2300 44 27 100 5950 0300-1200 285 10 100 5950 2100-0300 355 4,5,9 100 5985 0445-0700 315 2 100 5985 2000-0445 181 11 50 6000 0500-1000 181 11 50 6000 1000-1200 160 14 100 6065 0100-0445 355 4,5,9 100 6085 2245-0100 355 4,5,9 100 6085 0945-2000 181 11 100 6105 0800-1100 142 15 100 6855 0300-0900 355 4,5,9 100 6855 0900-1300 355 4,5,9 100 6855 1945-2245 44 27 100 6890 0900-1300 355 4,5,9 100 7455 0700-1100 315 2 100 7520 0100-0400 142 13 100 7520 0400-0800 44 27 100 7570 0045-0400 160 15 100 7780 0300-0745 44 27 100 7780 1045-1345 315 2 100 9355 0400-0800 44 27 100 9355 1845-2300 44 27 100 9495 0500-1000 222 11 100 9505 0000-0445 315 2 100 9525 0100-0400 285 10 50 9555 0800-1400 160 16 100 9575 0900-1200 160 15 100 9605 0800-1100 142 13 100 9605 1100-1300 222 12 100 9680 0145-0800 315 2 100 9680 0800-1100 140 13 100 9690 2145-0045 142 13 100 9705 1100-1245 285 10 50 9715 2345-0100 285 10 50 9715 0400-1100 285 10 50 9985 0100-0500 151 15 100 9985 0500-0900 87 46 100 11530 0500-0800 44 27 100 11530 1200-1400 160 13 100 11565 1345-1700 315 2 100 11565 2000-2145 44 27 100 11580 0400-0900 87 46 100 11665 1945-2300 44 27 100 11720 2245-0145 142 13 100 11725 1100-1600 222 11 100 11740 2145-2345 315 2 100 11740 0145-0500 222 11 100 11740 0800-1600 151 15 100 11825 0045-0300 160 14 100 11830 1100-1300 140 13 100 11830 1300-1700 315 2 100 11855 1300-1700 355 4,5,9 100 11855 2000-0500 222 11 100 11885 2300-0145 140 13 100 11970 1145-1345 285 10 100 13615 1200-1600 160 15 100 13695 1300-1945 355 4,5,9 100 15115 1700-2100 87 46 100 15130 1245-2345 285 10 50 15170 2245-0045 160 15 100 15210 1400-1600 160 14 100 15215 2300-0400 160 16 100 15355 1245-1400 222 12 100 15355 1400-1600 142 13 100 15400 2300-0100 151 15 100 15440 1945-2100 355 4,5,9 100 15440 2145-0300 285 10 100 15565 1800-1945 44 27 100 15565 2100-2245 87 46 100 15665 1600-1700 44 27 100 17535 1700-2200 315 2 100 17555 1400-1600 160 13 100 17555 1700-2145 285 10 100 17575 1700-2245 140 13 100 17690 1600-1945 87 46 100 17760 1345-1700 285 10 100 17760 1700-2000 44 28 100 17845 2300-0045 160 14 100 18930 1600-1845 44 27 100 18980 1600-1945 44 28 100 21455 1600-2000 44 28 100 21525 1945-2245 87 46 100 21745 1600-1745 44 27 100 (via Evelyn Marcy, WYFR, July 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Due to HFCC coordination deadlines, most other stations should now have early version of their tentative B-06 sked ready (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. TIS UPDATE FOR WESTERN STATES I have updated my recent TIS report to include information gathered on my second car trip, from San Diego to Corpus Christi and back. The update now covers about 120 TIS/HAR/Part 15 stations from Montana to Texas, some of which can be heard for several hundred miles at night. You can read the update in Excel or Word: http://members.cox.net/tim_hall_dx/Radio2006.xls http://members.cox.net/tim_hall_dx/Radio2006.doc These URLs are case-sensitive. If you're on dialup, choose the Excel version, since it is only 47K vs. about 124K for the Word doc. I recorded about 50 of these stations as I was driving thourgh their coverage areas (I held a miniature digital recorder up to the car radio speaker). As soon as I can find the time, I hope to post the recordings to my web page as well. Most are reasonably good recordings, given the poor audio quality of most TIS/HAR stations. 73, (Tim Hall, CA, IRCA via DXLD) Tim, Excellent work. I see you still have as unID the 1610 NM DOT HAR talking about fire danger. As I previously posted here, I know there is such a station in (near) Santa Rosa, and not in Clayton, as of last year. Will certainly try to reconfirm this as I expect to visit both towns again this year. 73, (Glenn Hauser, OK, ibid.) Glenn, Thanks very much! Thanks for your earlier reply too. Your idea about "District 4" makes a lot of sense. I'll have to replay my tapes a few times and see if I can adjust the tone a bit. If I can find a few sentences in a row with reasonable audio, I'll try to post a .wav file to my web page. I'm looking forward to hearing what you find out on your trip later this year. 73, (Tim Hall, Chula Vista, CA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. (Per verification dated 7/3/06): A short note here to let you know that KMPH 840 Modesto is now on the air; 5000 watts day and night with different directional patterns day and night. Programming is soft R&B for the moment. The old KTRB 860 format of talk, CNN News and infomercials should return in a few weeks. KTRB-860 is off the air until the new transmitter sites are built for San Francisco. 860 should return to the air by the end of the year. I will let you know when that happens (Steve Dresser, KMPH-TV/AM, KFRE-TV, KTRB-AM, via Dr. Richard E. Wood, HI, IRCA Soft DX Monitor July 22 via DXLD) ** U S A. Photo of the KTRS site before the storm: http://www.fybush.com/Tower%20Site/011121/ktrs-twrs.jpg See also: http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/2D925478F15FBD32862571B20014C663?OpenDocument KSLG affected: The storm also knocked all-sports station KSLG (1380 AM) off the air. It was not immediately known when it will return. (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) also via (Earl Higgins, St. Louis, Missouri USA) who points out that the story was in the sports section, of all places. Does KTRS have no value now other than as a silly ballgame transmitter? From Fybush` photo of KTRS: There were four self-supporting towers, no guys (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) Powell Way remarked that he was amazed that KTRS had been granted an STA to run 1250 W ND at night until replacement of its two downed towers. I'm surprised also. Clearly, the 1250 W power must have been granted in response to the station's claims of irreparable financial harm and lost service to its listeners if its STA were to limit its night power to what its night directional pattern normally sends to the east. The night pattern equivalent ND power to the east is about 50W to protect WKRC and to a lesser extent, WGR. (The pattern protects WDEV as well, but that station is probably too far away to suffer much from KTRS's temporary operation.) At 1250 W ND, KTRS's night field strength will be just half of its daytime ND field strength (Dan Strassberg, July 21, IRCA via DXLD) ** U S A. WVKO BATTLE CONTINUES By Tobi Oluwa Contributing Writer Columbus Post [OH; date?] With WVKO-AM officially in the hands of its' creditors, D.B Zwirn (DBZ), the battle over the future of the station is even higher. Officially acquiring the station during a May 31 auction, Bernard Radio LLC, a subsidiary of DBZ, is actively seeking to erect four transmission towers located at 2708 Morse Rd., but that effort is currently on hold by Columbus City Council. Former station owner Percy Squire defaulted on a $12 million loan made by DBZ. Federal court has issued a stay on all activities and appeals until a status conference can be held on July 7. Squire has challenged the legality of the auction and numerous procedures in the bankruptcy court. In the meantime, DBZ continues to accuse Squire of having "a history of wasteful legal pleadings" and acts of "gross misconduct" in his business dealings. Court papers, documenting DBZ's response to all of Squire's previous attempts to prevent the acquisition of WVKO-AM by the lending and investment company, accuse Squire of being "an insolvent, serial litigant." The documents also contain several additional allegations against the former radio station owner. The court documents state, "Because he has lost everything, Squire continues to waste an inordinate amount of time, money and judicial resources in an effort to derail a bankruptcy-approved sale, which was unopposed by any creditors and approved by the bankruptcy court. As a result of blatant self-dealing, gross mismanagement, breaches of fiduciary duty, a tax evasion scheme, other stunning misconduct and insolvency, Squire lost the business that he helped start over 15 years ago." Squire, on the other hand, has referred to D.B. Zwirn as nothing more than a predatory lender with bad intentions for the future of the radio station. "Regardless of what they say about our leadership team, we kept the station on the air" said Squire in a recent interview. "They (DBZ) are the masters at foreclosing on distressed assets," said Squire. "Their whole objective is to make a huge profit on the transaction. These arguments about us not having done anything and so forth are just false." Squire said that DBZ had plans from the beginning of taking the station off the air and reselling it for a profit. DBZ accuses Squire of withholding payroll taxes from employee's paychecks and not remitting them to the federal government, or to the local taxing authorities. The company claims that the IRS is one of the largest creditors in Squire's bankruptcy and they have a claim of nearly one million dollars. Squire retorts, "We know that we were losing money but the fact that WVKO was still on the air shows you that our team was subsidizing the radio station, and the fact that we were putting our own money in, should count for something. For them to come around now and say that it was this poorly run operation, the fact of the matter is, it was on the air." Regarding allegations of tax evasion, Squire says, "That's not true, WVKO was only a part of our company. WVKO's employees worked for a company called Associated Radio Inc., and I think if you check the creditors of Associated Radio Inc. I don't think one of them is the IRS." Squire says that employee salaries were affected due to the expensive litigation that DBZ forced upon them and that's why there was no money. " Zwirn spent over two and a half million dollars in legal fees trying to get hold of this radio station and (Brad) Scher's own lawyer has spent close to half a million, and we had to respond to that. We had to pay our own lawyers and bring in experts to defend against these bogus allegations," said Squire. DBZ also alleges that Squire put liens on the property without their consent and that there were no reliable books and records being kept and that checks were being bounced. DBZ states that Squire greatly overestimated income from election ads, which he stated would be used toward the repayment of the loan. Ad revenue estimates were in the neighborhood of $890,000, according to DBZ. Instead the station only took in $176,000. The lack of income eventually led to grave consequences and bankruptcy and the eventual acquisition of the station. According to DBZ and court documents, it was also discovered that Squire had directed a company that leased airtime to one of his stations, WVKO-FM, and had instructed them to pay money directly to him instead of to the company. Copies of the checks paid directly to Squire, which never made their way into the company's account, were made available in court. Since Squire was also undergoing a personal bankruptcy, the arrangement led to even greater suspicion. "I have never indicated that my business operations were pristine," said Squire. "But the fact that I didn't have a pristine business operation and that our company was in financial distress, is the reason we had to deal with an unscrupulous, underhanded, and predatory lender, like D.B. Zwirn. If our business practices had been more conventional, we could have gone to a mainstream banking institution.” "D.B. Zwirn knew what kind of operation we were when they made this loan," continued Squire. "So don't turn around and say to me, that because you are a financially distressed company, that has to engage in unorthodox methods, in order to keep your operation viable, that now, all of a sudden, it is a basis for us to want to foreclose...When you're a bottom feeder don't complain that I'm a snail." Concerned listeners can make input regarding this case number: BAL/BALH -20060301 addressed to the attention of the Chief of the Media Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, 445 126th St. SW, Washington D.C. 20554 (via Mike Corcoran via Charles Adkins, Voicecorps, July 18 via DXLD) ** U S A. REPORT ON LOS ANGELES SBE MEETING WITH FCC'S CATHERINE DEATON Jim Sensenbach, Chairman, SBE Chapter 47, forwarded the following notes on the SBE's July 11 get-together luncheon with Catherine Deaton, District Director of the FCC's Los Angeles Enforcement Bureau Office. Here now is his report: "What I got from Catherine, besides some pretty good stories from her early days in drug enforcement, was: 1 -- The FCC usually inspects a broadcast station only after a complaint is filed because the Commission has a very heavy public-safety communications case load. FCC's enforcement efforts toward broadcasters are primarily aimed at EAS, tower, public inspection file, and studio location compliance. 2 -- On the studio location issue, Class A FM and Class A LPTV stations are coming under particularly close scrutiny. 3 -- Pirates are given a high priority, but they are not much of a problem for the Los Angeles office thanks to excellent tips from licensed broadcasters and a responsive FCC staff. 4 -- While your DFing a pirate or other rule violator is helpful, remember that the FCC has to do its own DFing and monitoring to build a case. 5 -- Part 15 gear is considered very closely before being granted marketing authority through OET. 6 -- Anyone with Mexican issues needs to talk with Bill Zears at the San Diego FCC field office. His shop is tightly connected to their Mexican counterparts. 7 -- Obscenity issues are handled by Washington." Mike Tosch (SBE Chap. 47 Secy.) adds that this year's meeting with Catherine Deaton had an attendance of 24 including a large group from CBS Radio. Most in attendance were Radio people with only two or three from TV. Last year's attendance was 17 (CGC Communicator July 19 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) ** U S A. DEATH BY DMCA --- The Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA") threatens to drown whole classes of consumer electronics and will have a profound effect on the broadcast industry. Read this important Opinion article in the June 2006 IEEE Spectrum magazine. http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/jun06/3673 (CGC Communicator July 19 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) ** U S A. NAB WANTS FM TRANSLATORS FOR AM STATIONS The NAB wants the Commission to let AMs use FM translators. According to Radio World, "Under NAB's proposal, no portion of the 60 dBu contour of the FM translator may exceed the lesser of either the 2 mV/m daytime contour of the AM station or a circle with its center at the AM transmitter site and a radius of 25 miles." More info at the URL below. http://www.rwonline.com/dailynews/one.php?id=9366 (CGC Communicator July 19 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) NAB Cites Interference to AMs in Translator Petition Date posted: 2006-07-19 We now have more details on NAB's petition that the FCC allow AMs to use FM translators: Electromagnetic interference to AM stations is increasing, says NAB. Such "interference generated by power lines, computers, traffic signals sensors, electric motors, fluorescent lighting, RF from cable TV lines, and certain kinds of medical equipment often disrupt the strength and clarity of AM radio signals. In particular, power utility poles made of metal, which are rapidly replacing wooden poles, can radiate AM signals, creating distortion and nulling a station's signal in parts of the intended coverage area." Underground sensors that trigger traffic signals have also become a problem. The 50,000 watt signal of WSM(AM), Nashville, Tenn., is wiped out at the busiest intersection in the entire State of Tennessee, located in Murfreesboro, because of interference from an underground traffic sensor, states the trade group. Several NAB members with AM stations report coverage area losses of 80% to 95% at night when they must protect clear channels. This will become worse starting in 2007, when Daylight Saving Time will begin three weeks earlier in March of that year. "Consequently, many AM stations, and particularly daytime-only services, will completely lose an entire hour of early morning drive-time programming or be forced to operate at very low power during that vitally important hour," states NAB in its petition. NAB realizes the commission has rejected the notion of allowing AMs to use FM translators before, citing previous similar requests and FCC rejections in 1981 and 1990. One such request that remains pending came from the defunct AM owner group ACAMBA in 1999. NAB opposed that, arguing it wasn't the right time to delve into the issue since the commission had just launched the proceedings to establish IBOC and LPFM. Now is the time to reconsider the request, says NAB, as IBOC service will soon be available in 50 markets, including 42 of the top 50 and AM stations are "encountering more interference problems as a result of an increase in ambient noise." NAB believes its petition is consistent with FCC's efforts to help AMs, such as allowing some facilities to migrate to the expanded AM band to ease congestion in that service. "Allowing AM radio stations to license and/or operate FM translators would be a consistent, logical extension of this long-term effort," states the trade group. AM radio formats often focus on "local, community-responsive issues to distinguish themselves in an increasingly competitive market." All- news, all-sports, 24-hour talk radio and religious programming formats are common and 91.5% of news/talk formats are on AM, according to NAB. AM ownership is diverse. According to BIA there are approximately 4,814 AM radio stations licensed in the United States. These stations are owned by some 2,452 different owners (Radioworld newsbytes via Bruce Portzer, IRCA via DXLD) That article is the biggest load of cock n bull s**t I've ever read. The NAB and FCC are proving every day they no longer care about the small town broadcaster. I'd bother writing them a letter and expressing my thoughts if I thought it'd be worth it, but they'd just laugh and use it as toilet paper (Paul Walker, ND, IRCA via DXLD) Paul, After attending several NAB conventions, I realized very quickly that the NAB is for the money. The small market station went out with the horse and buggy as far as the NAB and FCC. If they cared, would we have IBOC? The comment early on that with IBOC many stations would have to close down. We are not talking about the big boys. we are talking about small market radio that cannot compete with the big stations. Money is the driving force that rules the roost. 73, (Patrick Martin, OR, ibid.) Gee, I thought that all or most of the things that are creating interference are supposed to comply with FCC regulations pertaining to interference. I don't think that the NAB and FCC are particularly for the big boys. It`s just that the big boys have their hands way too deep in the NAB/FCC guy's pockets (Michael Hawkins, ibid.) Actually, I think it's a good idea. I've wondered for a long time why the FCC wouldn't allow it. When we talk about interference, it's not just the overcrowding of the AM band that is the problem. It's all the noise on the band - which IMHO - is a more severe problem. The WSM story in the article is a good example. There is so much hash on the band from electrical sources that coverage has suffered dramatically. When I first got into broadcasting back in the late 60s, it was normal to consider one's coverage area to be the 0.5 mV/m contour. Even today this is the standard contour used on most coverage maps. However, the noise situation has really made that standard obsolete. Now, it is often much more practical to consider somewhere between 2-5 mV/m as being about the extent of a listenable signal - unless, of course, one is out in the middle of nowhere, where electrical noise is minimal. From my own long term experience, looking at WNTP's coverage between twenty-five years ago and now, I can see a dramatic difference. Sure, there's a lot more nighttime skywave "interference", but that is not the major issue we face. The problem is that in a region the size of Philadelphia, the electrical noise is just overwhelming in some locales. A great example of this is an intersection that is less than two miles from both our site and KYW's. At this corner the electrical noise is so bad that there is not a station on the AM band that can be listened to - including WNTP, KYW, and WFIL - all of which place signals well over 350 mV/m at that location. We have tried to get PECO to inspect their system in that area, but have had little luck. At the risk of sounding overly pessimistic, it seems that AM is dying a slow death due to technical issues. IBOC is indeed a problem. Nighttime skywave interference in many cases is also a problem - although we depend on that wonderful skywave for our hobby. But it is, I believe, electrical noise that will be the hand that nails the final spike into the coffin. As I have noted before in this forum and many others, AM broadcasters would be much better off if a new VHF or UHF band were created that is strictly digital and for the sole purpose of providing relief to AMs. To create such a band would require about 20-25 mHz of spectrum. It could be handled much the same as the expanded band, giving the broadcasters a 5 or 10 year overlap. Whether or not to move to the new band would be voluntary. The advantages: no more electrical interference; no more skywave issues; the digital audio would place the migrated AMs on a par with their FM counterparts; and the AM band becomes less crowded. I think those four reasons, in and of themselves, would provide a major impetus to move. It seems like it would be a win-win proposition. Of course, it will never happen because the FCC more than likely wouldn't have the backbone (Rene F. Tetro, Lansdale, PA, USA, W2FIL, WPXG816, WPXU288, ibid.) One possibility would be to expand the existing FM band when the analog TV channels are abandoned in 2009. Some or all of channels 2-6 could then be reallocated to existing AM broadcasters or new stations. There would then be a contiguous radio band for all terrestrial broadcast services, which would be nice from a technical standpoint. Some existing radios already tune down to 76 MHz (the Japanese FM band), though this would only be an advantage if analog FM were used in that part of the band. I don't know if the FCC has decided what to do with the analog TV channels once they are abandoned, other than generalities about Public Safety users (police, fire, etc.). I very much doubt they would want that part of the spectrum due to things like skip interference, antenna size, noise, etc. (most such users abandoned the 30-50 MHz band years ago for exactly those reasons). (Bruce Portzer, ibid.) Bruce Portzer writes: "An interesting idea but it would be hard finding enough usable channels in the larger metro areas." I recall reading somewhere, when LP-FM was proposed that there was no way that an LP station could be assigned to the Dallas-Fort Worth market. Since that time, there have been several rim shotters move closer to DFW, both on FM & AM. The NAB quote "interference generated by power lines, computers, traffic signals sensors, electric motors, fluorescent lighting, RF from cable TV lines, and certain kinds of medical equipment often disrupt the strength and clarity of AM radio signals" strikes me as the height of hypocrisy, considering NAB's stand on IBOC. Trash I hear on 610, 630, 760, 780, 1070, 1090, 1150, 1170, 1300, 1320, tops the trash I hear from the noisiest rural powerline. IBOC might work when all analog transmissions cease and hundreds of millions of radios are obsolete and have to be junked. But if the tree falls in the forest and nobody's around to hear it, does it really make a sound? The pernicious punster from Manawhozis Key may have the most accurate forecast of the medium wave broadcast band's future. (I hesitate to use the term "AM" since my increasingly feeble brain embraces the concept that the amplitude will no longer be modulated.) Newton Minow's famed reference to the vast wasteland may apply to medium wave, at least for those of us who won't find the programming to be a sufficient enticement to replace our junked radios. Power lines, computers, traffic signals sensors, fluroescent lighting, RF from cable TV lines and certain kinds of medical equipment - not to mention garage door openers and touch-tone lamps - even today make listening to AM radio the equivalent of walking through a briar patch. In the background as I type, my television sound system is relaying XM Track No. 4, featuring big band sounds from the '30s and '40s ... I get all the XM music channels through my DIRECT-TV dish, and I find the playlists on this channel and Frank's Place to be considerably larger than, say, that of Music of Your Life. Right now, I'm hearing "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree With Anyone Else But Me" by the Andrews Sisters. Heaven, it is! When's the last time you've heard the Andrews Sisters on FM? My goodness ... "Rubbly-ubb-dub, the Boogie Woogie Washer Woman" ... I can hear all this music without worrying about where the troops from Japan and Germany are located ... heaven! I'll even put up with the occasional Guy Lumbago piece. Or even Lawrence Whelp. And yet ... and yet ... I sympathize with the broadcasters who are trying to salvage something from BCB. But the Canadians and the Europeans have the better idea ... phase out medium wave! Couple that with the opening of a new UHF band with enough channels to fill the metropolitan area's market for all the niche formats that we now get for a moderate fee via satellite and broadcast might yet survive. Since only us geezers are interested in local news anymore and we can still read our newspapers, the demise of local news on radio ain't that bad. We can all monitor the two-meter ham band for severe weather data, until all the hams die off. BCB's passing will be mourned only by a handful of us DX'ers. Now y'all know why I am: The Krumudgeon (John Callarman, Krum, Texas, (Seeking forgiveness for the above.), IRCA via DXLD) John, I know of very very few people that still listen to AM around here. In fact people listen to CDs in their cars more than anything else. People don't want to hear fading, noise, constant chatter that goes on and on. Some listen to NPR or other listener supported radio where the DJ patter is low but that is on FM. Sometimes I think us DXers are the only ones that listen to AM. hi. In the case of KGO 810, many of their listeners hear the station online. That is getting more and more popular. C Crane now just sells an online radio you can hook up to DSL or a Cable Modem. I considered buying one, but it will not work on dial up. With my big dish and also the Dish Network, I have hundreds of audio services and radio stations. Most are ad free too. Serious is available for music on Dish, XM on Direct. The Andrew Sisters on radio? Yes, there are a few that still play Big Band. We have one on 680 in the Olympia WA area. But not many these days. In fact they play Flapper Music from the 20s at times. AM has a lot of competition out there and AM is not winning. 73, (Patrick Martin, OR, ibid.) Something else I've noticed - it seems like a constant source of electrical noise for the FM band is a Walgreens store, and they're cropping up like weeds around here. And don't get me started about banks - don't try to listen to anything but the strongest AM or FM locals in a bank parking lot (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA ( 360' ASL ) [15 mi NNW of Philadelphia], ibid.) Russ I get the noise from a Walgreens store here in Prescott Valley also! (Bill Block, AZ, ibid.) Rene, Yes, I totally agree. AM is dying, but it does have to do with the QRM. A station right here on the Oregon coast could not cover its listeners a few years back, even with 10 KW days, so they had to boost to 50 KW to get over the noise floor. This is powerline noise. It can be very bad on the coast in certain areas. Not bad right here, but other areas it can wipe out locals. Too bad the FCC did not take up the job to require all of electronics to have good filtering in it. Allowing light dimmers, touch lamps, computers, etc., that run so much RF. No wonder AM radio has problems. Plus there are a lot of power companies that do not have a crew to repair bad powerlines. If powerlines were underground more that also would help. I drive around Portland and I have a 1-5 KW station on the car radio, and in places the buzz is so bad to totally wipe the signal out. How can a station compete if you can't even hear it? IBOC is just going to make the noise worse. Sometimes I get the feeling that some want AM to die off so the band can be used for something else. 73, (Patrick Martin, ibid.) UNIDENTIFIED. Alguem sabe informar que rádio transmite em 6090 e 6150, interferindo na Bandeirantes e na Record? É uma voz estranha, um sotaque diferente. Pode se notar durante todo o dia. De manhã, se percebe melhor (ISAAC ROSA, CRATEÚS - CEARÁ, July 14, radioescutas yg via DXLD) Se falar inglês com voz estranha, vai ser o defunto Dr. Gene Scott, em 6150 via Costa Rica, 6090 via Anguilla, mas de noite... 73, (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Hoje, 22/07, fiquei escutando 6090 de 6hs e 20mn até 7hs e 10mn, hora de Brasilia; de 9hs e 20mn até 10hs e 10mn TMG, e observei o seguinte: Às 6 e 32, 9e32 TMG, tocou uma música que parecia se Cautrin ou da cantora Cindy Lauper; às 6e48, 9e48 TMG, tocou a música BLUE SUEDE SHOES, DO ELVIS PRESLEY; e às 7e3, 10e3 TMG, uma música cauntrin. Com todo o sotaque diferente, ouvi bem duas palavras: Christian e celebration. Acho que vem a ser mesmo esse Dr. Gener. Havia esquecido de dizer que, tenho notado isso não é de agora mais, já está com uns 5 anos que notei. E não é só de manhã cedo não. É de madrugada também e nos horários favoráveis a 49 metros. Quem morar longe de SP, tente escutar 6090 e 6150. Nesta é mais fraco o sinal. Falo distante porque, que está perto de SP, a Bandeirantes e a Record não vão deixar. (Isaac Rosa, Crateús - Ceará, July 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Isaac, O programa de DGS 24h toca música jazz y pop, além de predicação. Para verificar que seja isto, só procurar freqüências paralelas. 6090 de Anguilla troca-se aos 11775 às 1000 TU, mas variável, e 11775 aos 6090 kHz às 22. Também em 5935 via WWCR, trocando aos 13845 às 12. Também em KAIJ, Texas, 5755, trocando aos 13815 às 14. Também em horas muito variáveis via Costa Rica em 5030, 6150, 7375, 9725, 11870, 13750. O que quer dizer ``cautrin/cauntrin`` -- country? 73, (Glenn Hauser, July 22, ibid.) Das três palavras, vai ficar uma e acho que é a última. Ela se refere ao estilo de música norte americana que aqui no Brasil conhecemos como sertaneja. Acho que o erro foi meu ao escrever. Voçê mora nos Estados Unidos? se sim, em que parte? é natural daí ou foi ou de outro país e foi morar aí? Explique um pouco suas mensagens para o grupo. Não entendo bem elas. Em que parte dos Estados Únidos fica essa rádio do Dr. Genner? Se tem mais de uma pessoa que fala nela - isto é se for ela mesmo - as vozes são muito mais muito parecidas (Isaac Rosa, Crateús - Ceara, Brasil, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Isaac, Sou natural dos EU, e moro no estado de Oklahoma. Disculpe que não falo português como nativo brasileiro. Vou aprehendendo mais e mais, espero. Sempre é problema para mim não mezclar com o espanhol, mais um idioma não nativo. A palavra é country, mas acho que a maior parte da música nesta emissora pertence mais ao jazz. Chama-se Dr. Gene Scott, morto em Los Ángeles. Sua viúda prossegue com o ministério. A voz masculina sempre é dele, miles de horas gravadas (excepto locutor com endereço, etc.), e a feminina é da viúda Melissa. Mas as emissões são dos países citados. Confira: http://www.drgenescott.com/home.htm 73, (Glenn to Isaac, via DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ NAB SMARTBRIEF CGC highly recommends a new publication called NAB SmartBrief. It is delivered by e-mail each business day and is far above the quality of most other broadcast publications. Best of all, NAB SmartBrief is free and available to all. For a sample copy, click on "Archive" atop the signup sheet at the URL below. http://www.smartbrief.com/nab/ (CGC Communicator July 19 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ OVER ONE-THIRD OF PODCAST USERS SAY THEY LISTEN TO LESS RADIO July 21, 2006 --- A new study from Nielsen Analytics says that approximately 9 million Web users, or just over six percent of U.S. adults, have downloaded podcasts over the past thirty days. Over 1,700 people were surveyed on the podcast usage. Roughly six percent considered themselves regular listeners to podcasts. Most notably, approximately 38 percent of podcast listeners said they are now listening to radio less often. "The incredible popularity of podcasting is the latest demonstration of consumers' willingness to take control of their media experiences," said Larry Gerbrandt, GM/SVP of Nielsen Analytics. "While essentially still in nascent form, podcasts offer free audio and video content that is inexpensive to create, easy to access and on a portable platform that has already reached mass distribution. This exciting new medium has only just begun to stretch its legs." Other data gathered from the Nielsen study found that the most popular podcasts are being downloaded up to two million times a month. While podcasting has yet to becoming a truly profitable enterprise, it may take even longer, as 60 percent of respondents said they "always" fast-forward through any commercials in podcasts, with 67 percent of women saying they skip past ads. However, advertisers are finding less intrusive ways to fit their products into podcasts to combat this. Additionally, Nielsen found that the average podcast is 44 minutes long. Also, 72 percent of those surveyed said they average between one and three podcasts a week, with ten percent saying they download eight or more podcasts per week. Nielsen is currently developing a new initiative, as part of its Anywhere Anytime Media Measurement (A2M2) project, to better measure podcast usage. (FMQB via Brock Whaley, DXLD) Note the commercial fast forwards (Brock Whaley, DX LISTENING DIGEST) COMMENT ON "ARE THE SAN DIEGO RADIO BANDS BEING JAMMED?" [Per the story on possible wideband radio interference in San Diego (CGC #749)], have you been mobile on either 6 or 10 meters lately? Every time I drive past one of the new LED stoplights the noise goes up from S-0 to S-7 on my S-meter. Could this BE THE PROBLEM? If so, the FCC needs to do something about it. In Carlsbad there is a LED flasher in the Carlsbad Woods. It goes on and off. S-meter responds accordingly. To find the flasher, go south on El Camino to the stoplight north of Elm Street (Carlsbad Village Dr.), and go west. The flasher is a warning of the second stoplight (Don Johnson, WD6FWE, donald (at) bext.com, CGC Communicator July 19 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) COPPER THEFT DETERRENT I had a copper theft problem in Albuquerque and solved it by spraying the copper with gray primer after installation was complete. If it doesn't catch their eye, chances are they'll leave it alone. Thanks for doing a great job on the newsletter (Jerry Susoeff, EMF Broadcasting, Grand Junction, CO, CGC Communicator July 19 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) IMPROVING TV PICTURES Pretty interesting. Seems to do wonders for weak video. Check the photos (Mike Bugaj, WTFDA via DXLD) Viz.: For a long time I dreamed of a solution to improve weak TV reception by a noise reduction scheme that takes several consecutive frames and averages them in order to remove the noise. Well, I now found it in DScaler. And the result is really remarkable! I recorded a 1TV Es reception from St. Petersburg in raw format (unfiltered). Then I ran it thru DScaler and played with its filter settings. Turn on "Noise Reduction Adaptive" and set the values of "Noise reduction" to 130 and "Spatial Smoothing" to 114% As long as the picture does not move too much, most of the noise is removed and the picture gets quite clear. Especially static areas like logos get very clear. Here are two examples: (for some unknown reason the screenshots made by DScaler always get quite dark) At this raw scene the logo is unvisible http://xfer.3sdesign.de/raw1.jpg http://xfer.3sdesign.de/proccessed1.jpg This raw one came in better but still looks bad as a screenshot http://xfer.3sdesign.de/raw2.jpg http://xfer.3sdesign.de/proccessed2.jpg Play with the parameters and you'll be amazed what can be achieved while the picture still looks sharp. Especially text in commercials get clear. For example Paul Logan's Canada TV images could have looked excellent since a newsreader-scene is just the steady raw image that has the best chances for improvement. Despite fading the filtered picture still looked good. Unfortunately my TV card does not run with the DScaler, so I can't watch live TV with it. Also the main obstacle is the synchronisation, if the raw picture collapses than nothing can be improved afterwards. So I try to find a way to make that more reliable. Unfortunately the filter uses the harddisk constantly; I wish this could be prevented. (Jurgen Bartels, Germany, This message has been brought to you by the Skywaves FM & TV DX Group, with 401 members, British FM & TV Circle homepage and membership information: http://www.skywaves.info via Mike Bugaj, wtfda via DXLD) Thanks, Mike, for forwarding this! I downloaded it tonight and have been playing with it for the last couple of hours. It loaded very easily, and it apparently detected my WinTV-D card settings as I didn't have to change anything. I set the filter settings like Jurgen did and it does improve VCR playback compared to viewing thru the WinTV-D tuner. My first attempt was to see if I could improve the Canadian weather map captures I posted in the Forum, but it was only marginally better. I think the problem is it's too unstable. But after reviewing some other DX from the past week (some more stable stuff), it definitely improves the picture quality while viewing, and even photo captures have more detail as mentioned. And unlike Jurgen, I can watch live TV with it. With the spatial smoothing filter on, normal TV looks kind of fuzzy and motion is delayed, almost like watching those old NASA videos from space. But like I said, DX video, as long as it's stable, gets smoothed out nicely. I'll have to play some more with it this weekend and read up on the comments on the DScaler forum. I highly recommend this and think this will be the next greatest toy DXers will be playing with. Unfortunately, this will obviously not help improve DTV reception. But if you've got a lot of old Es tapes lying around, you may want to give them a second look with this! (Jeff Kruszka, LA, WTFDA via DXLD) DIGITAL BROADCASTING ++++++++++++++++++++ DRM RADIO RECEIVER WILL LAUNCH IN EUROPE IN OCTOBER Sangean has announced its DRM Radio receiver will be launched in Europe in October. It is also supposed to include analog AM shortwave, FM, and DAB, and can play MP3 files. "SANGEAN introduces the DRM RADIO in Europe in October 2006 The DRM-40, THE FIRST DRM RADIO will be launched in Europe by SANGEAN in Oktober 2006. The model is fully equipped and receives DRM (the digital alternative for the wavebands AM/SW/LW), and DAB (the digital alternative for the FM waveband). But off course also the existing analogue bands FM/AM/SW/LW can be received and does the radio have RDS. Therefore this nicely designed radio has all a radio needs today and is also completely ready for the future. Off course all in our well known SANGEAN-quality. Further the DRM-40 has many possibilities like USB-connection and SD- Card slot. With this it plays MP3 Files and also it records in MP3- format directly from the radio. All in all a radio to get into your home" http://www.sangean.nl/English/?opt1=News&opt2=DRM_RADIO&opt5=70 (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) more DRM: SOUTH AFRICA; TAIWAN For photo, price and additional details, see the Media Network Weblog http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/ (Andy Sennitt, ibid.) IBIQUITY IS REJIGGERING THE FM HD RADIO EMISSIONS MASK iBiquity, in a last minute move, has changed the IBOC FM RF mask. iBiquity seems to be purposely changing "specs" .... before the Rules are finalized. Note the 250-600 kHz changes from near -80db to - 74.4db, plus average weighting changes. Anon. http://tinyurl.com/mg4vs (CGC Communicator July 19 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ SOLAR ERUPTION Space Weather News for July 21, 2006 http://spaceweather.com Yesterday on the sun, a magnetic filament snapped. The resulting explosion hurled a CME into space and sent beautiful waves of energy surging through the sun's atmosphere. Although the CME is not heading directly for Earth, the outskirts of the cloud might brush against Earth's magnetic field on July 23rd, causing a mild geomagnetic storm. Visit http://Spaceweather.com to view movies of the eruption and for updates about the approaching CME (Via Art Blair, IRCA via DXLD) ###