DX LISTENING DIGEST 6-110, July 26, 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 1323: Fri 2030 WWCR1 15825 Sat 0500 WRMI 9955 Sat 0800 WRN 13865 DRM via Bulgaria Sat 1230 WRMI 9955 Sat 1430 WRMI 7385 Sat 1600 WWCR3 12160 Sat 1732 WRMI 9955 [from WRN] Sun 0230 WWCR3 5070 Sun 0530 WRMI 9955 Sun 0630 WWCR1 3215 Sun 0830 WRMI 9955 [from WRN] 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. 15345, R. Nacional, July 23, 2243-2310, Spanish programming, seem to be talking about futbol. Fair. 15345, RAE, July 25, 2059-2110, IS, multi-language IDs for RAE, into German programming. Fair (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, Etón E5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Off frequency really, I suppose (gh, DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. ARDS, back on the air with stronger signal than before, heard with ID in English at 1858 July 25 on 5050 (Chris Hambly, Victoria, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. VL8A, Alice Springs is back on 4835, heard UT July 26 at 2130. I have been looking for it every day. Now maybe that can close down the relays via Shepparton (Chris Hambly, Victoria, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Unless they are just testing, not ready for full service (gh) ** AUSTRALIA. Re RA with continuous Waltzing Matilda: Hi Glenn, July 26, noted a similar occurrence, but more prevalent. At random times between 0940-1400, I checked different frequencies and heard continuous W.M. on 5995, 6020, 9560, 9580 and 9590; 6080 had usual programming; after 1400 UT noted 5995 // 6080 with RA programming, 6020, 9560 and 9580 off the air, 9590 continued on with non-stop Waltzing Matilda. July 25, 11880, RA heard with fair reception in English, 2051-2058*, off in mid-song, with no sign-off announcement (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, Etón E5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. After quite a few months off air (no idea why) Radio Two has came back on air on 1620 to Hobart with regular programming (Robb Wise, HRi Radio, July 25, ARDXC via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. Pessoal, A Gazeta de São Paulo, 5955, deve estar com problema no seu transmissor, desde 5870 passando pelo máximo em 5905, ela emite um espúrio bem forte. O interessante, é que a maioria destas emissoras que emitem esta bigodeira nas faixas, não se preocupam em resolver o problema. Receptor Yaesu FRG - 100, Antena Dipolo 20 metros (Wilson Rodrigues, Itaúna MG, July 26, radioescutas via DXLD) ** CANADA. We had a couple items about the foul-mouthed ham, VE7KFM, who subsequently made all kinds of threats against us, claiming he was being maligned, so we removed the items, at least temporarily. Afterwards we received testimonials from many hams that the accusations against him were true and verifiable. Rather than go into all that here and now, we refer you to this website which covers it all, for those who are concerned; a really appalling case: http://host.picturewizard.com/2005%2D7/357648/madera/ (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. Dear friends, These days, The China Authorities are just playing some temple music type with gongs, drums and instruments of percussion type, in an endless tape [Firedrake]. No pops of China or any other music or talking is observed. All these are of course on 18180 kHz, which is an out of band frequency to us. Even today at 0300 UT, it was going on very strong. Those who propound an inter modulation theory, can always get combinations (of the many frequencies) which the Chinese use, to create an 18160 kHz spur. But, that will not be a 5,9 plus 20 to 40 dB signal. Hi. All the very best to you and your group, dear Uli, wolf and all. Best 73 de (Arasu vu2urm, India, Regional MS Coordinator of IARU R3. July 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. SW alert: July 26, Anniversary of the Cuban revolution. Castro on shortwave at 1300 UT, 5025, 6000, 9505, 9550, 11760, 11805, 12000 kHz. 12000 not a harmonic. Stronger then 6000 with different audio quality (Brock Whaley, GA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 12000 has been in use for quite some time, as a fundamental. Look out for extended broadcasts, preëmptions of regular scheduling today (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) ** CUBA. Re ``So this confirms it is an external service of R. Rebelde, accounting for the programming non // 5025 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1323, DX LISTENING DIGEST)`` Worthy of additional listening. Regarding paralleling, don't forget that Rebelde FM is a separate stream, and occasionally shows up on MW (or SW), or I suppose v. vs. could happen with the standard Rebelde audio on FM. Also, I've heard Rebelde introduce programs (usually music-based) as being for Central America & Caribbean listeners. Then there was the "La Voz de Cuba" program (how long ago did it presumably cease?) that was aired overnight, essentially aimed at Latin America/Caribbean. While at it, does anyone remember the good old pre-Gorbachev USSR days, when you could listen to Russian language lessons on MW (was it Progreso or Liberación? I forget). (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Later: Maybe they're up to something new after all. Compete with RHC's own Spanish programming? Odd (Krueger, ibid.) Viz.: Pardon me if this is old news, but "Rebelde Centro América", Cuba is booming in on 11655 at 1 PM EDT, 1700 UT. Nice, clean signal. Good modulation. No fading. Thanks to a tip from Mike Cooper (Brock Whaley, GA, dxflorida via Krueger, DXLD) The 11655 service has been around for a good while, but not sure when they began designating it for CAm. Probably has been upgraded with new transmitter/antenna (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. 10330, AIR Bangalore, July 26, 1410-1429*, in vernacular, several musical jingles ending with ``India``, ads (``Super mileage from Indian Oil``), pop songs, off in mid-sentence. Fair (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, Etón E5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA [and non]. Re 6-109, AIR Nagpur 1566: Anyone with a PC can easily and cheaply record quality audio from any radio with an audio output by using the excellent software "Total Recorder" which can be ordered via http://www.highcriteria.com Glenn, please pass this on in answer to Adam Brower's question. Total Recorder includes a scheduler, and is well under $20 (Russ Edmunds Blue Bell, PA, IRCA via DXLD) So he got India on 1566 at 3:30 PM local time (he was using UTC) on the shortest night of the year. I think he heard India, all right, but he heard it while listening on DX Tuners... 73 KAZ (Neil Kazaross, IL, IRCA via DXLD) We'll have to disagree here [doesn`t refer to item immediately above]. (1) The history of DX is well populated with DXers that claimed receptions that were not possible. Often they are new to the hobby, don't know what is very unlikely and what is possible. (2) This particular reception had hours of sunlight in its path. (3) This fellow thinks there is a chance to hear Brazil on 1570 from northern Illinois. That alone tells me he's chasing pipe dreams. His response: "I didn't claim any reception" but that's not the issue; to think you could do that tells me he doesn't know MW DXing at all. To hear Brazilians on a domestic channel in the middle of the country is not going to happen these days. (4) He thinks the R390A is a super machine with its "awesome sensitivity". In reality, it's on a par with many other receivers of today and gives him no special edge over the current Drakes, ICOMs, etc. He's recently moved up from a portable and thinks his 390A has superpowers. (5) He's not heard any other international MW DX. To think his first international DX reception would be a station on the other side of the world that others away from the New England coast or Newfoundland have not had a trace of is - to me - so extremely unlikely as to make this a reception that can't just be swallowed hook, line and sinker. (6) Easier receptions on paths towards that same area of the world (UAE, Iran, SA) haven't occurred anywhere near his location at this time of year. (7) The antenna in use was just a single sloping wire and that's not an antenna that could give this kind of amazing, unduplicated performance. (8) There were no real details presented. (9) There's no recording. Now none of these things by itself makes the claim impossible. There are known (extremely unusual) cases of receptions on paths with this much sunlight. A non-DXer with no experience could turn on a radio and tune it to the right frequency and catch that miracle daylight path signal. All the domestic interference could amazingly have been at record low levels, allowing a weak signal from the other side of the world to be heard. At the same time, propagation could have been extremely poor to all other areas where people were listening, resulting in no other receptions. Add up all of these "almost miracles" and the odds are one in a billion. The reception is not absolutely impossible, but I can't just accept the log without BIG reservations. Yes, I've read about others' unexpected receptions and usually have faith that a lucky break occurred. But I've never seen this large a claim and so many strikes against the claim. The combo is unprecedented in my book (Chuck Hutton, WA, IRCA via DXLD) If Adam Brower claims that he heard enough details to confirm that it was AIR, that's good enough for me. We all know what we hear and we're not competing with anyone else. So unless there's some reason to doubt a DXer's truthfulness (Barabella, maybe?), we should take him at his word and be very, very envious (Dave Hochfelder, Highland Park, NJ, ibid.) Chuck, Very well said. I might add, also in the cases of rare receptions. All of us veteran DXers have had them. But they are the exception, and in all my cases, the reception could always be explained. Normally Fall conditions, darkness path, or close to it, propagation to that part of the World, etc. But in this case, I see no possible reception here. The middle of Summer is not the time to hear India from North America. Also hearing India from Illinois with a sloper in broad daylight is not believable. 73, (Patrick Martin, OR, ibid.) If the fellow heard it, then let him claim it. It can't be verified, and none of us are diminished one iota because of it. He may in fact have shown us that DX can be a more unpredictable thing than we are comfortable with. There are a heck of a lot less DXers than there used to be. Periodically, some issue comes along that twists someone's tighty- whities in a knot. Things are written, and inevitably people drop out. The whole clatter over some NRC things comes clearly to mind. People walked away from the NRC, and in some cases from the hobby due to that. It simply didn't need to happen. It's fine to question the possibility of a logging. When it gets to the point where a person's integrity is questioned, then that's a bit much. Sure, there are people who thrive on BS loggings. That guy in Italy is a classic example. Put them in a niche, and leave them alone. I have been making a scheduled and serious attempt to hear Alaska for three years now. It's a greyline path experiment. If I were to hear KFQD-750, would people claim I had doctored the MP3? Would they make the claim simply because they didn't think it possible? I have a month's worth of MP3's to peruse, so who knows? As I said before, perception and public relations are key elements in a shrinking hobby. Those who put forth contentious and dividing statements are simply wounding the whole DX community. Adam has endured a lot from people who don't know him from, well, Adam. Why? (Craig Healy, Providence, RI, IRCA via DXLD) Unfortunately he is claiming reception of a station 8000 miles away at 3:30 PM local time on the shortest night of the year, and across a path that is almost in total daylight. This is very contrary to what has been observed in over 85 years of BCB DXing by countless people!! If he had heard it in the winter at an appropriate time, his claim would be at least somewhat credible. If you catch KFQD some early morning I'll believe you, even though, I don't think Greyline does much to enhance low AM band DX, because you are an experienced credible guy. But if you claim them at 11 AM EST, well, you might have some doubters. I hope you understand my point !?! Nibi-Nibi anyone ... 73 KAZ (Neil Kazaross, IL, ibid.) R-390's, R-390A's and R-388's all junk. Have several of each, useful only for keeping iguanas warm during monsoon season, which we're having instead of hurricanes thank goodness. Never buy an R-390 or variant - trash, flawed design, iBLOC of its era. Art Collins? What he know? He thought skywaves existed! Sillly person. Should you find R-390, ship here freight collect, will dispose of properly. Not just meters, whole set toxic. A Danger to The Children. Thank you. This public service announcement is brought to you by R-390 Watch Worldwide =Z.= (PVZ MK FL ibid.) Quoting Glenn Hauser 25 July: "My email to you did contain one grievous typo, though. The date was 7/21, not 6/21." It's a small point, but since this correction appeared, a couple of references to "shortest night of the year" have appeared on this list. If someone is seriously investigating this reception in the future, they will want to have the right date (Nick Hall-Patch, ibid.) Is it at all possible that there's some other broadcaster somewhere on 1566 relaying AIR? (I'm not a TP DXer, and would be thrilled to even get any TA action here in Inland RF Hell, so this is just wondering out loud...) s (Scott Fybush, ibid.) At 3:30 PM local time? I also checked what is around here (Mendota is 67 miles SW) on 1560 and 1570 and there's nothing that would be relaying AIR to my knowledge! KAZ (Neil Kazaross, ibid.) If UTC is involved here, I'd assume he logged 1566 via Dx Tuners at 2130 (Mauno Ritola, Finland, ABDX via DXLD) Well, Bellabarbas happen every single day of this hobby and personally I'm not taking anything without strong documentation (details and recording). Looking back at Alvestad's records for July 21, the A index was very, very low. At my latitude, very unusual receptions might happen above 1500 with exactly opposite conditions, but on different paths. From very northerly bearings things may be different. Take Mark Hattam's Hawaii log in Scotland. With a decent Beverage, perfect space weather, in full winter solstice and with the Sun very low on the horizon. What I'm trying to figure is the general listening environment in Illinois around 3 pm in July. I'd say it was pretty like Milan, same period, same time. Illinois must actually lie at even lower latitude. I would be barely able to pick up Nice 1557 without a sea path enhancement and I'd have to forget about virtually any sky wave I might think (or dream) of. Boys, the sun is huge at 3.30 pm in July here; you could slice your D layer with a knife. 73s (Andy Lawendel, Italy, ibid.) Oh yes, I didn't read the later messages; at 2130 it is probable from Rommele, almost daily, but not from Illinois in the afternoon. But speaking about conditions, John Faulkner in the UK just logged KXEL 1540 last Monday at 0230, so that's not bad ... But both places in darkness. Has Iran 1566 kHz EVER been logged in North America? It should be possible, but maybe mixed with India. 73, (Mauno Ritola, Finland, ABDX via DXLD) Yes, 1566 Iran has been logged commonly by coastal area DXers in eastern N. Am. It's easy in Nfld., and usually much easier than India. It's less easy in the coastal US, but it is heard and is much more commonly reported than India. 73 KAZ (Neil Kazaross, IL, ibid.) Someone relaying AIR without authorization? Possibly a pirate in Chicago? (though you'd think Kaz and a few other folks would have heard such a pirate) - Someone using AIR audio as part of a news story? (remember, there was a terrorist attack in Mumbai recently so the country's been in the news more than usual) - A domestic ethnic station mentioning AIR? http://www.kile1560.com/schedule.htm --- I note the 1560 station in the Houston area has a considerable amount of South Asian programming on its schedule (Doug Smith W9WI Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66, NRC-AM via DXLD) Doug, That would be possible. A pirate running AIR on 1566 in the US. I never thought of that. What a novel idea. Someone would think they heard AIR on 1566 if that is the case. Just because others have not heard it, doesn't mean anything. I have heard pirates not reported by others through the years. Especially on MW or FM as they may run low power. It reminds me of a story a friend told me once about his girlfriend. She flew into Seattle WA in the 60s, and had her transistor portable with her. She was trying to find something to listen to, and while she was tuning across the dial, she came up to KIRO 710. The ID came out of the speaker "This is KIRO Radio". She said "I've got Cairo on the radio!" 73, (Patrick Martin, IRCA via DXLD) I think folks need to be careful to make a distinction here. It is entirely possible to believe that he is/was mistaken about what was heard and/or that there may be some 'other' explanation and to also believe that this is not some great fraud nor even an attempt to deceive anyone. We've all been mistaken in our DX careers, especially near the start of them, and we've all probably been convinced at some point that we heard something which we may really not have. Any receiver, if not well-aligned, could produce images. So could a mis-matched antenna. This also reminds me of what I'd thought at the time was my first TA -- which turned out to have been a spur, likely generated within my receiver/antenna combination, which resulted in an SW image of Saar showing up right on 1421! (old band plan, in 1969). I became quickly convinced (for several reasons) that this was about as unlikely a first TA as there could be given the location, receiver and antenna combination I had. Stuff happens! (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA, ibid.) If this reception report is indeed true, then BRAVO! Well done. The operator that made that catch has to realize that if: he's got one heck of an antenna, DX location, sixth sense for propagation, or just plain lucky, then he's got some big shoes to fill and we're (I'm) expecting more great loggings in the future. BUT, bring on all the details and (please), set up some recording equipment ... because we want to hear it too !! 73, (John K9RZZ, Milwaukee, ibid.) In 50+ years of DXing I have very seldom recorded anything. But I guess we have reached a point where I probably should so that if I should happen to log some good domestic [or foreign] station, I can have some backup to answer the inevitable questions of those that do not want to believe what I heard. It's a sad world we live in (Paul LaFreniere, Grand Marais, MN, ibid.) Without a lot more detail and a worthy mp3 audio clip from the DXer, I'd have a hard time believing the log of India-1566 from Illinois at this time of year. I do believe that during autumn or winter such a reception could happen, but even at that I feel that he'd need a better antenna (Beverage) and location such as the MI upper peninsula or somewhere in WI on a hilltop overlooking a lake view in the desired direction. I have received India-1566 twice, both times from the salt-marsh in Rowley, MA where all TA signals are much stronger than even at my home QTH less than an hour's drive inland, let alone somewhere 900 miles to the west. My receptions were in October and November around 2330 UT using two phased verticals spaced about 200 ft. apart. Ben Dangerfield (PA) and George Hakiel (NY) have also logged it here in the east and, "coming the other way" Pat Martin has bagged it (and another Indian on 846 I think) out in OR. In all cases, receptions were from sites within 100 miles of the ocean. Brazil on 1570? That's a stretch here on the East Coast, never mind in the Midwest where XERF is bound to be much worse. Best Brazilians here are generally the Fortaleza-Natal area guys at sunset (690, 760, 1010, a few others) and then stuff from São Paulo and Rio once darkness has set in. These would be your basic blasters on 700, 840, 860, 1000, 1040, 1100, 1130, 1220, and 1280. The best are 1000 and 1100 which can be pretty much depended-upon at the seashore even when it isn't auroral. Speaking of which, if it's auroral enough to be "surfing" Brazil on 1570, it certainly isn't going to be looking very good for a transpolar route such as India-1566. Maybe the listener confused the DXTuners Sweden "dial" on his PC screen with the dial on his radio ... hmmm? Neil, you should take a roadtrip out there to see this guy's set-up. Maybe it's a superlocation sitting on top of some kind of magical mineral deposit (Mark Connelly, WA1ION - Billerica, MA, NRC-AM via DXLD) Mark, India is not all that common here, living about 1 km from the ocean. The other one I logged was Shillong 864. That was 1992. That station is way over in NE India, a lot closer than the rest of the country too. That also may have been a factor, running 100 kW. But like we all have said, without some audio, I also have my doubts on his logging. June is not a month for India on MW from anywhere in North America. Anytime I have logged it has been in October. 73, (Patrick Martin, Seaside OR, ibid.) C'mon, Adam, you know you didn't really hear this station in broad daylight in the middle of the summer! Maybe it was in on DX-Tuners Swedish receiver if it got through the UK stations on that frequency. Even when I logged Nagpur in 1999 the ID was barely readable and then it was late November at Nagpur sunrise. I have been an NRC member for nearly 48 years and have noted numerous cases of inexperienced DXers jumping to what turned out to be erroneous identifications made without regard to limits of possible reception and some of our members have gotten burned. And that was before DX-Tuners. Beside DX-Tuners there is also the use of SW parallels (Ben Dangerfield, Wallingford, PA, ibid.) If I may add my two cents. If we cannot prove he did not hear it, let's stop slandering him with all sorts of theories of what he might have heard by mistake. These theories are no more credible IMO than his report. They are only conjecture. I move we give him the benefit of the doubt and put this to bed (Alan Dunn, K1UCY, ibid.) We live in a wonderful world, but, in this case we have someone unknown to BCB DXers claiming an 8000 mile Trans Polar reception on the longest day of the year at 3:30 PM his time !! At least 6000 miles of the path is in broad daylight at that time. Now we have 85+ years of BCB propagation experience which would state that such an occurence is simply not possible. We also have, Adam, who certainly seems to be a nice gent and who lives about 67 miles SW of me. He has little BCB DXing experience and claims to have made this reception. Now I will publicly state that the earth is more likely to be hit by an extinction asteroid or comet than Adam is to have heard India on 1566 at 3:30 PM in the summer from IL. So what did he hear? Maybe some weird spur? Perhaps a pirate? Who knows --- and please note that he insists he heard something, and most likely did since I don't think he's lying, but it certainly wasn't Nagpur on 1566. 73 KAZ with what will be my absolute last word on this matter (which should please some of you!) (Neil Kazaross, IL, ibid.) As the one who brought it up, I suggest we put an end to this discussion. If I had known in the first place that the time of the report was 2035 UT rather than CDT, when it might have been remotely possible, I would have passed it up. Wracking my brain for some other explanation, however, how about being tuned to SW by mistake instead of MW? But AIR does not use 15660, for example, nor are any two SW frequencies going to produce an image on 1566. An image from SW somehow getting into an R-390? Unlikely. AIR does not use any relays, so even a SW signal at that hour would be weak in North America. Worse, it so happens that at 2030 UT, AIR external service is taking a 15-minute break between transmissions. One can`t tell from the WRTH whether the national domestic service would have an English newscast at that hour in the middle of their night. Adam is entitled to have his latest response circulated, however, and that has to come thru me, since he`s not on the three lists I have forwarded his previous comments to. Again, I suggest we wrap it up since this is not going to be resolved and is degenerating into hard feelings. The horse is dead, as he says (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: 1566 Nagpur addendum Hi Glenn... I'll answer just a couple of points in some of the extremely (and, it seems to me, unwarrantedly) snarky notes in response to my unintentional "report" of receiving AIR Nagpur on 1566. I'll leave it to you to decide what's fit for DXLD. you're the editor, so you get to say when the horse is dead, but since google has changed our world, I risk being known as "the guy who pretended to hear AIR Nagpur in Illinois in broad daylight in the middle of summer," so I feel compelled to add point to counterpoint. When I wrote of using dxtuners to "verify" my logging, I meant only that I consulted their database to see whether the station had been logged on that frequency. Mr Cooper's misunderstanding is hard to follow. I've read his note several times, and I'm still not sure what nefarious intent he imputes to me. I heard the station, then went to dxtuners to see whether anyone else had ever logged AIR there. This seems utterly banal to me. As it turned out, someone else there WAS listening to the same broadcast at approximately the same time, but that was serendipity. Neil's right about one thing: I did choose to hunt Brazilians around 1570 based on archived reports, some of which may well have been his old Newfie DXped ones. I don't see anything controversial about that. I was testing the performance of an antenna on a known low-power station which was unlikely to be received. If Radio Familia del Maule had come booming in, I'd be a bloomin antenna wizard. It didn't, and I'm not. He is, and in these matters, I have no doubt that he's usually right. He's wrong about the peace pipe, though - the sun was still above the yardarms. His disputation is wrong, too. Twenty hops, long path, daylight propagation - whatever the explanation, as the bumper sticker says: "things occur." Patrick Martin has "seen outlandish claimed receptions and of course without any recordings," but that of course approaches post hoc ergo propter hoc. Not everyone records; the lack of a recording does not establish falsehood, and some of those outlandish claims may well have been true, although I certainly understand that without an accompanying recording they could not pass editorial muster. Bill Bergadano's response struck just the right note. given no evidence of previous mendacity (and I'm pretty well-known in some circles as someone whose word is worth something). I think it behooves us to say with him that "even in broad daylight, something can occur." In this case, something did, and rest assured that I will have a whiz- bang recording setup before I ever again mention any reception (even in passing, as in this case, to someone who I never imagined would "submit" it for review to an authoritative journal.) In closing: I've been away from the hobby for a long spell. Has everyone always been so grumpy and pedantic, and I simply forgot? As we say on IRC: "furrfu!" Regards, (Adam Brower, IL, July 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See http://www.furrfu.com/furrfu.html (gh) ** ISRAEL [and non]. ANALYSIS: ISRAEL STEPS UP "PSYOPS" IN LEBANON | Editorial analysis by Peter Feuilherade of BBC Monitoring on 24 July 2006. http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/290/1574/640/DSC06600.jpg From mass targeting of mobile phones with voice and text messages to old-fashioned radio broadcasts warning of imminent attacks, Israel is deploying a range of old and new technologies in Lebanon as part of the psychological operations ("psyops") campaign supplementing its military attacks. According to US and UK media outlets - including The Guardian, the Los Angeles Times and Time magazine - Israel has reactivated a radio station to broadcast messages urging residents of southern Lebanon to evacuate the region. Some reports have named the station as the Voice of the South. The Army of South Lebanon, a Christian militia backed by Israel, operated a radio station called Voice of the South from Kfar Killa in southern Lebanon in the 1980s and 1990s. The station closed down in May 2000 when Israeli forces withdrew from southern Lebanon. Website offers cash for tip-offs The Israeli paper Ma'ariv on 23 July reported the appearance of a website called All 4 Lebanon http://all4lebanon.org which offered payment for tip-offs from Lebanese citizens "that could help Israel in the fight against Hezbollah". According to Ma'ariv the site, with content in Arabic, English and French, had been set up by "Israeli intelligence units". "We appeal to everyone who has the ability and the desire to uproot the sore called Hezbollah from your heart and from the heart of Lebanon..." the paper quoted the website as saying in Arabic. On its English-language page, the site says: "Whoever is able and willing to help Lebanon eradicate Hezbollah's evil and get back its independence, freedom and prosperity is hereby invited to contact us at one of the addresses listed below: Telephone 00-88-16-214-65627. Email: info @ all4lebanon.org " It adds: "For your own safety, please contact us from places where no one knows you." The Arabic wording is identical to that on leaflets which Israeli aircraft have been dropping over Beirut and the south of Lebanon. The leaflets called on people to "remove the sore known as Hezbollah from the heart of Lebanon". According to Reuters news agency, an Israel Defence Forces spokeswoman said the rewards "could be a range of things, such as cash or a house". It was not clear how such items would be delivered or exactly what information Israel wanted, Reuters noted. Mobile aggression On Friday 21 July, residents of southern Lebanon reported receiving recorded messages on their mobile phones from an unknown caller. The speaker identified himself as an Israeli and warned people in the area to leave their homes and head north. Dubai-based news channel Al-Arabiya TV reported that the recorded messages also "held the Lebanese government responsible for the abduction of the two Israeli soldiers, and called on Lebanon to set them free." Inquiries by Lebanon's Communications Ministry revealed that the calls had come exchanges in Italy and Canada, but had originated in Israel. According to the US magazine Time, Israel has been targeting SMS text messages at local officials in southern Lebanon, urging them to move north of the Litani river before Israeli military operations intensified. The London Guardian newspaper said mobile phone users in Lebanon were regularly receiving messages to their phones which purported to be news updates, attempting to discredit Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah or his party. Satellite warfare next? As Israel broadens its psyops activities, it also continues to attack media targets using conventional military means. Air raids on Saturday 22 July hit transmission stations used by Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV, Future TV and the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC). A technician working for LBC was reported killed. On 23 July, a convoy of journalists from Lebanese and pan-Arab TV channels was attacked by Israeli planes while on a tour of southern Lebanon; no injuries were reported. According to an unconfirmed report by Egypt's Middle East News Agency (MENA), Israel managed on 23 July "to intercept the satellite transmissions of Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV channel for the third successive day, replacing it with Israeli transmissions that reportedly showed Hezbollah command sites and rocket launching pads which Israel claimed it has raided". Replacing a TV station's picture with output you want the audience to see is more difficult to achieve than jamming. Al-Manar TV has three satellite signals, one on Arabsat 2B at 30.5 degrees east, one on Badr 3 at 26 degrees east and one on Nilesat 102 at 7 degrees west. On Badr 3 and NileSat, Al-Manar is broadcast alongside other TV stations in a multiplexed or combined digital signal. While it would be technically feasible to replace one station's output, all the other stations in the multiplex would be taken off the air too. The technical parameters of the original station would need to be exactly duplicated by the interloper. Source: BBC Monitoring research 24 Jul 06 Posted: 25 Jul 2006 (kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) ** JAPAN. NHK SHORT-WAVE RADIO PROGRAMS TO BE PARED Wednesday, July 26, 2006 http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20060726a7.html NHK said Tuesday it plans to cut its radio programs in Italian, German, Swedish and Malay and shift its emphasis to television programs for its international services. The cut, the first-ever reduction to the number of languages the public broadcaster uses in its programs, will take effect in October 2007. Currently, NHK transmits short-wave radio programs in 22 languages. Short-wave radio programs for Europe, excluding Russia, and for North America and Hawaii, will also be trimmed, according to NHK. French programs will be limited to audiences in Africa and those in Spanish restricted to Latin America, it said. The move comes with a decline in demand for short-wave radio programming as the popularity of TV and the Internet grows, according to NHK. More than 100 million yen will be saved as a result of the reductions and those funds will be used to increase programs in English (Japan Times via Zacharias Liangas, Dan Say, gh, DXLD) ** LATVIA. Re 6-108: Radio Tatras Int. 1350 --- Dear friends! I did not spread spam, I am not spreading spam, and I will not spread spam! This is from the Netherlands: "Today, 6 July, will be the last day of RTI being on 1350AM. The digital satellite service of RTI, even in areas where 1350 can be heard, is already outperforming the 1350AM service. RTI is committed to the digital age and will be announcing further digital offerings soon and/or services that will transform from analogue to digital in a suitable time frame." Source: http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/?p=5523 Kind regards and vy 73s! (J. Hofstadt, Germany, MWC via DXLD) Sorry, I was not accusing *you* specifically, but everyone who quotes it is in fact spreading spam, which was clearly the intention of the mischief maker who wrote it. The message contains a claim which may be libellous, as it accuses a named individual of not paying his bills. The normal way to handle such disputes is via a lawyer, not in an E- mail sent to hundreds of people. Clearly the intention is to discredit Radio Tatras International. I felt it my duty to point this out, that's all. BTW thanks for the link to my Weblog. We're always happy with a free plug :-) (Andy Sennitt, ibid.) Hi Steve, Sorry about raising the issue of this E-mail about RTI, but the message quoted is all over the place and seems to have been sent to hundreds of people whose E-mail addresses appear in Anorak forums. There is a dispute going on between RTI and the people in Latvia, and quoting this badly-written message in mailing lists and on websites is exactly what the person who wrote it hoped people would do. So members of MWC, amongst others, are being used in a dispute between two other parties. I don't like that, and I'm sure you don't. The sad thing is, when I point this out other people get offended. Please be assured I have no connection with RTI, but I am concerned for the reputation of MWC. 73, (Andy Sennitt, ibid.) Andy, You were right to raise the issue. I had my suspicions but you got to the keyboard first :-) Let's consider the topic closed for now unless news appears that can be verified. 73s (Steve Whitt, ibid.) ** LITHUANIA. From 1 August, Radio Baltic Waves International (RBWI) will provide a rebroadcast of Radio Racja (Poland) in Belarusian on Sitkunai 666 kHz (500 kW ND) from 1700-1900 UT. The lease is possible, since Lithuanian Radio 1 uses 666 kHz only until 1700 (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, MWDX yg via DXLD) ** MALAYSIA. RTM. Found some good audio streaming at their updated website: http://www.rtm.net.my/radio/html_bi/index.html They have both the SW stations Traxx FM (7295 kHz), in English, and Nasional FM (5965 kHz), in vernacular, but Asyik FM (6050 kHz) is not functioning now, nor do they list Wai FM (7270 kHz). Enjoyable listening, for when we cannot hear them via SW (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, Etón E5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO [and non]. U.S./MEXICAN HIGH-LEVEL NEGOTIATIONS COMPLETED, PROTOCOL SIGNED The Eighth Meeting of the United States-Mexico High Level Consultative Commission (HLCC) on Telecommunications was held in Washington DC on July 17. This was a "very big" meeting with the highest ranking communications officials from both countries in attendance. The two sides signed a protocol governing a critical spectrum band (138-144 MHz) used by U.S. military installations along the border for tactical and training operations, amended an existing agreement to permit cross-border security communications and developed the final text of a new agreement for public safety and commercial services. The HLCC delegations also noted that their negotiators had developed a text for an agreement to share the 698-806 MHz band (currently TV Channels 52-69) in the border area and expressed their intent to conclude that agreement as soon as possible. The HLCC delegations also indicated their intent to review and update existing telecom and broadcast agreements in order to accommodate technological advances and the introduction of new services. The first URL below takes you to six "clickable" links to U.S. State Department documents dated 7/20/06 covering different aspects of the Meeting. Of particular interest is the third link that takes you to the Directory of Bilateral Issues. Here, the work laid out for the U.S. and Mexican negotiators for the next two years is itemized, and specific items concerning broadcasting are mentioned. The second URL links to a photo of the five principals just after they signed the 138-144 MHz protocol. Congratulations to all on a successful outcome, and to the many behind-the-scene workers on both sides of the border who labored tirelessly on some very complex issues. http://www.state.gov/e/eb/cip/c17046.htm (six clickables) http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/pix/b/69430.htm (synopsis & photo) (CGC Communicator July 26 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) ** PERU. Estimados Amigos DX: Acabo de recibir la tarjeta QSL numero 001 de Radio Universal del Cusco (6089.1); tal cual me indica el gerente Luis Villasante, tienen web page: http://www.radiouniversalcusco.com Asimismo el banderín de Radio La Hora (4855) firmado por el Sr. Carlos Gamarra. 73s (Alfredo Cañote, Perú, July 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SLOVAKIA. See LANGUAGE LESSONS ** SOMALIA. RADIO JOURNALIST PHYSICALLY ABUSED http://www.garoweonline.com/2004pro/index.php?id=3745 The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) is today condemning: The brief detention and harsh pounding of Radio Shabelle Reporter, Ms Maryan Mohamud known Maryan Qalanjo, in southwest town of Baidoa, the headquarters of Bay region. The Radio reporter was assaulted two times by militias loyal to Rahanweyn Resistance Army (RRA) of the Digil and Mirifle ethnic group, who have power over the south-western regions of Bakool and Bay. Initially, the journalist was attacked in the Baidoa airport while she was in the Taxi that took her from her hotel to cover the arrival of the Speaker of the Transitional Federal Parliament Sharif Hassan Sheik Adan from Galka'yo of Puntland. "The militiamen opened her door and directed towards her their guns by saying 'get off the car' but she refused and the Taxi driver drove her back to her hotel" a witness told NUSOJ who asked anonymity. The second show of aggression happened at the journalist's hotel by the same militias. She was removed from her room forcibly and was hit several times and taken to Baidoa police station, according to reliable sources at the scene. "I was detained at 12:30hrs (Local time) but freed at 15:30hrs" Maryan Qalanjo told NUSOJ. "I am feeling pain at the head, kidney and the spine" she added. The Organising Secretary of NUSOJ Ali Moallim visited her at the cell in the police station. "I saw Maryan crying as a result of ache of the maltreatments" Ali added. "She really suffered substantial abuse and her face seemed changed". However, the Minister of Farming Colonel Hassan Mohammed Nur, nicknamed Shatigadud, who is at the same the acting Minister of Interior of the Transitional Government, issued decree ordering her release, but as well banned to carry out her journalistic work in Baidoa. Apart from the ministerial post, Shatigudud is a member of the parliament and the chairman of one of the RRA factions. Government officials told NUSOJ that they were disturbed by disinformation that Radio Shabelle is reporting on government leaders particularly the speaker of the parliament. The officials claimed that the Station aired a falsified report which reasoned the trip of the speaker of the parliament to Puntland was to take billions of counterfeit money. But the speaker's trip was to settle dispute between Premier Ali Mohammed Ghedi and Puntland Authority on production of oil in Puntland regions, according to major local media reports. Again, the TFG was annoyed by a Radio Shebelle report on the agreement the speaker of the parliament signed with Puntland president Gen. Adde Muse of resolving the political conflict between TFG and Puntland. But the Radio report stated that the speaker has the work of the legislative body (parliament) but not the work of the executive organ (the government) such as the agreement with Puntland. "This is hard-hearted and premeditated attack aimed to hurt Maryan bodily and her job" said the NUSOJ Secretary General Omar Faruk Osman. "We appear our complete solidarity for our colleagues who are carrying out their work energetically and objectively". "We call the TFG to lift the ban on Maryan's journalistic work immediately and unconditionally". Daily operations of the Radio in Baidoa were briefly suspended on 22 May by infuriated militias who belong to Digil and Mirifle ethnic group. Radio Shabelle is Mogadishu based FM station (garoweonline.com via Z. Liangas-GRC Jun 2, 2006 for CRW June 15, just published, via DXLD) SHABELLE RADIO FEMALE JOURNALIST SERIOUSLY ILL AFTER TORTURE Shabelle Media Network (Mogadishu) Posted to the web June 2, 2006 June 2, 2006, Mustafa Haji, Mogadishu http://allafrica.com/stories/200606020944.html Health situation of Shabelle Radio female journalist in Baidoa is critical after been tortured by militiamen loyal to Somalia transitional Federal Government. Maryan Mohamoud, Shabelle correspondent in Baidoa has been beaten and drugged on the ground before she was snatched and thrown into jail by armed militiamen leaving her severe injuries yesterday. Shabelle Chairman Abdulmalik Yusuf said this morning he reached Maryan on the phone in a bid to take her to Mogadishu for treatment but could not be possible. "She was on bed this morning and could not wake up for the injuries, so that we have decided to look for other options to bring her to Mogadishu where she can get special treatment" Abulmalik said. "Ordinary civilian buses could not be used to take her according to injuries part of her chest, Ambulance might be better like this time but unfortunately we couldn't reach Ambulances in Baidoa" he added. Meanwhile, Local Radio Stations authorities have condemned the inhumane action against Maryan Mohamoud by Some security men of Somalia Speaker. "This incident is clear violation against Freedom of Expression, how could they dare tortured and imposed job restriction on her" director of Banadir Radio Axmednur said. Parliamentarians have also criticized the act saying humiliations against Journalist will be discussed in front of the sessions (allafrica.com Jun 2, 2006 via Z. Liangas-GRC for CRW June 15, via DXLD) ** SOUTH AFRICA. SOUTH AFRICA'S TALK RADIO 702 TO CLOSE DOWN ON MEDIUM WAVE Another medium wave transmitter is to close down here in South Africa. According to a report in the press yesterday, Radio 702 is to close down its AM transmitter on 702 kHz. The station has already commenced broadcasting on 92.7 MHz to greater Johannesburg. Radio 702 will also begin broadcasting on 106 MHz in Pretoria. There will be a 12 month window period where the station will be allowed to broadcast on both mediumwave and FM frequencies, but will retire its AM transmitter on 702 kHz sometime next year. Sister station 567 Cape Talk, from Cape Town, will continue to operate on 567 kHz (Gary Deacon, Fish Hoek, South Africa, July 26, MWC via DXLD) ** SYRIA [and non]. Saludos cordiales Raúl y Arnaldo, desde aquí en Valencia como en Castellón, (España). A Radio Damasco en 9330 con fuerte señal, S 5 y en 12085 con S 4, se aprecia una fuerte portadora que hace que la modulación sea muy mala, la señal de lo que se escucha es muy baja, a veces inapreciable sobre todo en 12085. La audición en esas condiciones no es agradable; este problema se aprecia tanto en español como en el resto de los servicios de Radio Damasco. Otro problema similar se aprecia con Radio Cairo, tanto en español cómo en muchos de sus servicios; también con La Voz de Turquía, se aprecia fuerte señal, pero la señal de la portadora es menor y no molesta tanto. También se aprecia un problema parecido con algunas frecuencias de La Voz de África, sobre todo en sus transmisiones en Swahili, de 1200-1400 en 17610 y 17725, aunque también en otros horarios y frecuencias. Es curioso, todas las emisoras mencionadas son de paises árabes; supongo que no tiene nada que ver, pero parece al menos chocante. 73 (José Miguel Romero, Spain, condig list via DXLD) ** U S A. A bit of radio trivia (Radio Free Europe) Hi All, Tonight I was listening to an Old Time Radio program from 8 Oct 1950 (Eve Arden as "Our Miss Brooks") in which the subject was a student's home-made shortwave radio (shop class) and how they mistook a hurricane warning from "Bombay Radio" for a local storm warning, setting everyone into a panic, closing the school etc. (they were already in the midst of a heavy rain-storm). HOWEVER, while the above is (remotely) on subject for this mail reflector, the "closing radio ad" for Radio Free Europe was the clincher. Apparently it started out as a privately owned station operated by the "Crusade For Freedom" and was headed up by Gen Lucious Clay (sp?), with Eve Arden soliciting for donations to support it. 73 de (Phil, KO6BB Atchley, DX begins at the noise floor! Merced, Central California, swl at qth.net via DXLD) It wasn`t really private, but a front for the CIA. Whether they actually needed donations from individuals is questionable, with all the secret government funding behind it. 73, (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Thank you Glenn, I rather wondered if it mightn't have been a "covert" operation that the ads trying to make look private. 73 de (Phil, KO6BB, ibid.) ** U S A. FCC MEDIA OWNERSHIP DOCKET (AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS) Hello, The FCC has posted its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Media Ownership. It is on the top of the home page for the FCC: http://www.fcc.gov and it is in a pdf file at the following URL: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-06-93A1.pdf The previously listed docket number for this proceeding was apparently incorrect. Comments are due in September so speak up now. Have a good day (Nick Leggett, N3NL, July 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) FCC Commissioner Adelstein on 06-121 --- This is important. STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER JONATHAN S. ADELSTEIN CONCURRING IN PART, DISSENTING IN PART Re: 2006 Quadrennial Review & 2002 Biennial Regulatory Review ­ Review of the Commission¹s Broadcast Ownership Rules and Other Rules Adopted Pursuant to Section 202 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Cross- Ownership of Broadcast Stations and Newspapers, Rules and Policies Concerning Multiple Ownership of Radio Broadcast Stations in Local Markets Definitions of Radio Markets, Notice of Proposed Rule Making We are required by law and by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals to launch this proceeding. It is entirely necessary that we do so. Congress requires a quadrennial review of all of our media ownership rules, and we must respond to the Third Circuit remand of our 2003 ownership decision. Appropriately, this broad inquiry responds to both requirements. Unfortunately, the manner in which the Commission is launching this critical proceeding is totally inadequate. It is like submitting a high-school term paper for a Ph.D. thesis. This Commission failed in 2003, and if we don`t change course, we will fail again. The large media companies wanted, and today they get, a blank check to permit further media consolidation. The Notice is so open-ended that it will permit the majority of the Commission to allow giant media companies to get even bigger at the time, place and manner of their choosing. That is the reason I have refused to support launching this proceeding until now, and it is why I am dissenting from the bulk of this Notice. This Notice is thin gruel to those hoping for a meaty discussion of media ownership issues. In particular, this item lacks commitment to three basic building blocks of a successful rulemaking on media ownership ­ an issue that affects the daily lives of every single American. First, the process does not commit to giving the public an opportunity to comment on specific proposals before any changes to the rules are finalized. Second, it does not commit to completing the localism proceeding and rulemaking before changing the ownership rules. Finally, it does not commit to making any final decision in a comprehensive manner. Given the history of this proceeding, these failings are astonishing. Our ill-fated June, 2003, decision was rejected by Congress, the courts and the public. The United States Senate voted on a bipartisan basis to reject the bulk of Order and have us start from scratch. The court found that the Commission fell ``short of its obligation to justify its decisions to retain, repeal, or modify its media ownership regulations with reasoned analysis.``[1] <#_ftn1> Three million citizens, from right to left and virtually everyone in between, weighed in to oppose our decision. It is my sincere hope that we can avoid failing the test again, but doing better will require a commitment to openness and the democratic process that is largely absent from today`s Notice. It is all the more inexcusable in the wake of the unprecedented rejection of the Commission¹s 2003 decision that we launch such a shallow process today. The Third Circuit gave us explicit suggestions on how to meet the challenge, which we ignore today at our own peril. In its opinion, the court specifically decided to remand, in part, to give the Commission ``an opportunity to cure its questionable notice.``[2] <#_ftn2> In clear and certain terms, the court said ``it is advisable that any new `metric` for measuring diversity and competition in a market be made subject to public notice and comment before it is incorporated into a final rule.``[3] <#_ftn3> I believe success or failure of this proceeding will depend to a large extent on the Commission¹s willingness to listen to American people. Consequently, I am deeply troubled by the majority`s refusal to provide assurance that the public will have an opportunity to comment on specific proposals before new rules are finalized. The Court, common sense and simple fairness all demand that we allow public comment on the specific rules that are likely to change the media landscape for generations to come. If the Commission had released its proposals in 2003 for further public comment, as I advocated at that time, we could have avoided many of the problems that led to the Court`s rejection of our rules. This time, we have no excuse. This time, we have been warned. We cannot slip rule changes through quietly, based on a vague notice, to avoid controversy. It is too late for that. Our process for deciding these rules should be open and transparent. The goal of this proceeding should be to do the job right ­ not ``pull a fast one`` on the American people. Second, it would be unacceptable to finalize any decisions regarding media ownership until we complete our localism proceeding, which began in 2003 in direct response to the millions of Americans who expressed outrage at the Commission`s relaxation of media ownership rules. Then- Chairman Michael Powell said the Commission ``heard the voice of public concern about the media loud and clear. Localism is at the core of these concerns.``[4] <#_ftn4> Unanimously, the Commission launched the localism proceeding because we had failed to use the structural media ownership rules to address the public`s concerns. Now, three years later, the localism proceeding has languished in the bowels of the Commission. We have failed to complete the field hearings we promised the American people. We have failed to complete important research studies on the extent to which there is sufficient coverage of local civic affairs, music and programming on radio and television. We have failed to produce final rules on any aspect of localism, including minimum public interest standards or license renewal processing guidelines. Simply put, we have failed to protect the interests of the American people. Third, the rules are intended to work together, regulating the ownership of media assets in all urban, suburban and rural markets in the United States. On this point, I am profoundly disappointed that there is no commitment to handle any final rule changes in a comprehensive manner. It is especially discouraging that this Notice does not specifically seek comment on how all the media ownership rules work together, in tandem. . If the Commission decides to allow further consolidation in one field, such as newspaper/broadcast cross- ownership, we need to know at the same time how we might move on, for example, the duopoly rule. To split them, and operate in a vacuum, is to willfully ignore our responsibility to regulate the number of outlets a single owner can control in any given community. Moreover, the courts have asked us to ensure the consistency of our rules, and we cannot do so without a comprehensive final order. Any attempt to modify the rules individually may be good politics, but it would be poor public policy and a great disservice to the American people. There are many other infirmities in this Notice. Given the circuit court`s admonishment that there must be a ``rational connection between the facts found and the choice made,``[5] <#_ftn5> there is an urgent need for the Commission to complete research papers and reports, which provide professional and objective information about current market conditions, trends and future expectations of the radio, television and newspaper sectors. The urgent need for this research is much more pronounced in light of the compelling public interest in promoting diversity and localism the media marketplace. There are many key issues that deserve their own separate hearing, including the impact of media consolidation on minorities, children, the elderly, Americans with disabilities, and those who live in rural areas. We should also hold hearings on the potential effects of rule changes on indecency and family-friendly fare, religious broadcasting, independent programming, coverage of campaign and community events, music and the creative arts and the growth of the Internet, to name a few. It was my hope that by issuing this Notice today the Commission would seriously endeavor to review the media ownership rules, in accordance with the statutory mandate to promote diversity, localism and competition. Instead, we seem to be repeating past mistakes. Regrettably, this Notice contains major flaws that could set the stage for another destructive rollback of consumer protection rules. The task ahead requires transparency, leadership, bipartisanship, consensus building, thoughtful deliberation, and genuine participation by the American people. Fortunately, there is still time to get it right. I remain hopeful the Commission will change course and conduct a process that fulfills our legal responsibilities and reflects the best interests of the public. The American people deserve nothing less. [1] <#_ftnref1> Prometheus Radio Project v. FCC, 373 F. 3d 373, 436 (3rd Cir. 2004), cert. denied, 73 U.S.L.W. (U.S. June 13, 2005). [2] <#_ftnref2> Id. at 411 [3] <#_ftnref3> Id. at 412 (emphasis added). [4] <#_ftnref4> FCC Press Release, ``FCC Chairman Powell Launches Localism in Broadcasting Initiative``, August 20, 2003. http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-238057A1.pdf [5] <#_ftnref5> Prometheus, 373 F. 3d at 390 (quoting Burlington Truck Ones, Inc v. U.S., 371 U.S. 156, 168 (1962)). (via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER MICHAEL J. COPPS, CONCURRING IN PART, DISSENTING IN PART Re: 2006 Quadrennial Regulatory Review & 2002 Biennial Regulatory Review --- Review of the Commission’s Broadcast Ownership Rules and Other Rules Adopted Pursuant to Section 202 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Cross-Ownership of Broadcast Stations and Newspapers, Rules and Policies Concerning Multiple Ownership of Radio Broadcast Stations in Local Markets Definition of Radio Markets (MB Docket Nos. 06-121, 02-277, MM Docket Nos. 01-235, 01-317, 00-244) One thing we can probably all agree on is the need to start this proceeding. It has been two years since the Third Circuit sent back to us the misguided handiwork of the previous Commission. We owe the court a response to its instruction to revisit this proceeding and to do it right this time. Additionally, Congress instructed us to review all our media ownership rules in a quadrennial review, which by statute must commence this year --- another reason why we should proceed. Meanwhile, the rush to consolidation continues. Since we last voted on this issue three years ago, there have been more than 3300 TV and radio stations that have had their assignment and transfer grants approved. So even under the old rules, consolidation grows, localism suffers and diversity dwindles. For these reasons, I agree that we need to start this proceeding now. But in Washington, things aren`t always what they seem. In fact, this innocuous-looking document initiates the single most important public policy debate that the FCC will tackle this year. Don`t let its slimness fool you. It means that this Commission has begun to decide on behalf of the American people the future of our media. It means deciding whether or not to accelerate media concentration, step up the loss of local news and change forever the critical role independent newspapers perform for our Country. It`s tempting to see this debate as important only to giant media moguls. Some companies want the government to make the decision to rush into more media concentration behind closed doors in sequestered Washington bureaucracies. But I believe that Americans need to know what the FCC is doing and that we have a solemn obligation to encourage public participation in the decision. It`s important because if we make the wrong decision our communities and our country will suffer. This debate will have far reaching implications for the credibility of information Americans get from the media—for the vitality of the civic dialogue that determines the direction of our democracy—and for whether TV and radio offer entertainment that is creative, uplifting and local or degrading, banal and homogenized. Let`s review some history. We all know that in 2003 the FCC tried to eliminate important safeguards that protected media diversity, localism and competition. A majority of Commissioners approved stunning --- there is no other word for it --- rules that would allow one corporation to own, in a single community, up to three TV stations, eight radio stations, the cable system, the only daily newspaper and the biggest Internet provider. How can it be good for our Country to invest such sweeping power in one media mogul or one giant corporation? Three years ago the FCC tried to inflict this massive wave of further consolidation onto an already highly concentrated media industry. The majority of the Commission voted to do so without seeking adequate input from the American people, without conducting adequate studies and without even revealing to the country what the new rules would be before forcing a vote. I pleaded with the majority to do more comprehensive research, to ask the tough questions and to halt the blind rush to more consolidation. My pleading fell on deaf ears. A public, transparent process was not what was wanted. Instead, our far- reaching review of critical media concentration protections was run as a classic inside-the-Beltway process with too little outreach from the Commission and too little opportunity for public participation. The Commission`s stealth process three years ago and the ownership rules that resulted from it galvanized Americans all across this country. In response, millions of Americans from right and left, Republican and Democrat, concerned parents, creative artists, religious leaders, independent businesses, civil rights activists and labor organizations united to protest the Commission`s actions. Senators and members of Congress from both parties and from all parts of the country called for those rules to be overturned. Commissioner Adelstein and I traveled the country attending hearings on this issue. On media consolidation, there are no red or blue states—there is only an all-American, grassroots issue about what government proposes to do to the people`s airwaves. The Senate voted twice to overturn the rules and the House, it was clear to all, would have done so if permitted to vote. In time, the court held that the FCC`s ownership rules were legally and procedurally flawed, sending them back to the FCC to begin again, which brings us to today. All of that is wrapped up in this little document. Don`t underestimate it. We have a choice to make. Will we repeat the mistakes of the past? Or will we work for a process and an outcome that respect the millions of Americans that care deeply about their communities` media and what their kids watch, hear and read? We`ll soon know what choice the FCC makes. We`ll undoubtedly have some hearings and some research this time—I think at least that part of the lesson has been learned. But Americans know the difference between a fig leaf and a real commitment. If you see hearings in your hometown, instead of a just a few preselected cities, you`ll know. If you see FCC Commissioners come to listen to your point of view personally, instead of expecting you to hire a $500 an hour lobbyist to get heard, you`ll know. If the FCC contracts for independent, well-funded studies and seeks public comment on those studies, instead of buying a few-half hearted, time- crunched papers that slide into the record without comment, you`ll know. And, critically, if the FCC shows you the specific rules that will reshape the American media before forcing a vote, instead of rushing from this short document to a final vote, you`ll know. You should expect your government to do more this time. We ought to be able to work together and do better. I hope we can. The answer will become apparent in the months ahead. The process we are launching will have to be watched and validated every step of the way. To be successful in this effort, we will need to work really hard, get around the country, look at various markets, collect the data and reach out to build an adequate record. Good, sustainable rules are the result of an open public process, a serious attempt to gather all the relevant data and a commitment to transparency. Bad rules and legal vulnerability result from an opaque regulatory process and inadequate data. Public Process: This time we need to include the people in our process instead of trying to exclude them. We need to hear from anybody who has a stake in how this is resolved. And everyone has an interest and a stake. I asked for some dozen themed hearing around the country, so we could examine the impact of media consolidation on such topics as minorities, senior citizens, religious broadcasters, family- friendly programming, jobs, independent programming, those with disabilities, campaign coverage and payola. We couldn`t get agreement on these. But we will monitor closely any hearings that are held under Commission auspices and if they fall short of true openness and inclusiveness, I will do my part to make that known. Good hearings must include all sides of the debate and be held in diverse communities around the country. Last time, I learned fifty times more about what is going on in various media markets at grassroots hearings and town hall meetings than I ever could have learned by isolating myself in my office inside the Beltway and reading formal comments. And citizens have a right to expect direct access to decision-makers at the FCC. When a regulatory agency is charged by the law with important public policy matters, it has the obligation to reach out, explain and solicit citizen input. A handful of generalized FCC hearings are not themselves enough. I hope citizens in hundreds of communities across this country will gather to discuss the future of the media. These issues deserve to be discussed in every community because they are going to affect every community. For my part, I stand ready to attend as many of these community hearings as I can. Research and Data: This time, we also need better research and a willingness to ask the tough questions. We need independent studies on the impact of media concentration in a variety of markets so that the FCC can base its decisions on a more solid foundation. Last time a number of in-house studies were undertaken, but they didn`t ask most of the questions that needed to be asked and both their methodologies and conclusions received widespread criticism. We are talking here about understanding a mega-billion dollar industry, and a few studies done on the cheap just are not going to tell us what we need to know. What we need instead are independent researchers to produce some real data on important questions like the impact on independence when newspapers and broadcasters are owned by the same conglomerate, the impact of increasing consolidation on minorities and the correlation between media concentration and broadcast indecency. These are only a few of the questions we need to understand before we vote. I, for one, would be reluctant to vote on final rules unless and until we have the information and analysis needed to inform our votes. Transparency: This time, we need a transparent process that ensures we understand the full implications of our decisions—both the intended consequences and the unintended ones. Such a process makes inevitably for better policy. It also makes for better buy-in from the people. And it would enhance the sustainability of Commission decisions in court. A transparent process is especially critical for issues of this magnitude when the Notice asks broad, general questions. Let`s remember the beating the Commission took in court for failing to inform the American people of its proposals last time before we were required to vote. I am deeply disappointed that this Notice does not contain a specific, up-front commitment to share proposed media concentration rules with the American people in advance of a final vote. I do not see how we can be transparent and comply with the dictates of the Third Circuit without letting the American people know about and comment on any new standards of measurement that we adopt in developing our ultimate decision. I frankly fear that in the absence of a Further Notice and lacking a commitment to a comprehensive final Order incorporating all of the ownership rules, an attempt could be made to split off one or two rules and ram them through the Commission. This must not be allowed to happen and I dissent in part because such protections for the people are lacking in today`s proposal. Finally, there are two other aspects of this item that should give us all pause. I am disappointed that localism is not front-and-center in this proceeding. For decades the Commission has interpreted the Communications Act to require broadcasters to be responsive to local concerns and to represent a diversity of views and opinions. Localism and media ownership are inextricably linked. Ownership interests have a duty to air programming responsive to the needs and interests of their communities. But if we really want our local stations to be accountable to our local community, why should citizens who want to dial up local station owners have to call from one end of the Country to another? Is it really good for our Country for distant powers in New York or Los Angeles to dictate so much of what we see, hear and read in our hometown? These are important questions that go right to the heart of this proceeding. But you won`t find them asked here. Instead, the Commission goes to great lengths to isolate our stalled localism proceeding from today`s media ownership proceeding. The most this Notice does is commit our staff to compiling a summary of the dated record we have in our localism docket. Though there is bipartisan support for completing our localism proceeding before revving up media ownership, the Commission will apparently choose to leave localism stuck at the starting gate. I am also disappointed that this item fails to commit to specific efforts to advance ownership by minorities. The Third Circuit took the Commission`s earlier decision to the woodshed for sidelining proposals to advance minority ownership. Despite this, all we can muster up here are a few questions about this glaring challenge. Why won`t we commit to studying the state of minority media ownership in this country and the impact that consolidation has had? Are we afraid of what the facts might show? It is no excuse to argue that many of the nation`s broadcast licenses were given away decades ago when women and people of color were unlikely to obtain them. Those sins of omission need to be excised and new strategies to encourage diversity in ownership and jobs and programming need to be put in place. While people of color make up over 30 percent of our population, they own only 4.2 percent of the nation`s radio stations and 1.5 percent of the nation`s TV stations! More recent statistics suggest that even these numbers are in free fall. I believe the ownership of our media should look more like the diversity of our people. But if all the Commission does is ask a few pat questions and then sweep this issue under the rug one more time, we are not laying the groundwork for progress. Let me conclude with a challenge to our nation`s media to take up this issue, highlight it, give it the attention it merits, inform the debate and spark a national conversation on these issues all across this broad land of ours. With relatively few exceptions, the media—big media especially—failed the test last time, and failed it badly. I hope that was not because some very important media enterprises have financial interests riding on the outcome of the ownership proceeding. Major media companies are at pains to assure us their newsgathering operations are independent of their corporate interests. Here is an excellent opportunity to test that proposition. Because ignoring the issue of media concentration is not going to make it go away. Launching this proceeding is the easy part. Now comes the hard work. So much hangs in the balance. If we are serious about it and do not treat this proceeding as business-as-usual, if we approach these issues with receptivity on all sides to hard facts and compelling evidence and if we reach out—really reach out—to people all across this land, I believe the Commission can arrive at a decision that will withstand judicial and Congressional scrutiny and more importantly, the scrutiny of the American people. I for one am ready to roll up my sleeves and work with my colleagues to get the job done and done right this time. The American people have a right to expect more from this Commission than they got from the previous one (via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) The comments by Commissioners Adelstein and Copps are, indeed, must reading for anyone with an interest in the future of American media. Can you provide either a link or the text of the majority report on 06-121? I am looking at putting together a synopsis of the FCC's proposal, either a copy in full or at least a link, my own synopsis and observations, in a package to address to the editorial page editors of several area newspapers. It would be helpful to have the full package, not just the dissenters, so perhaps we can encourage print to see that what's left of their own independence is severely threatened if giant broadcast chains buy the newspapers, instead of the reverse. We're all in this hand basket together (John Callarman, in a serious rather than satirical mode, ABDX via DXLD) If you don't want CCU to own everything... Go here: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/ On the right side of the page, click on: Submit a filing Enter this proceeding number: 06-121; Make your comment (Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) Basic questions: § Should the Commission revise the limits adopted in the 2002 Biennial Review Order on the number of stations that can be commonly owned in one market, or is there additional evidence or analysis available now upon which the Commission can rely to further justify the limits adopted then? § Similarly, in order to address the court’s concerns, should the Commission revise these numerical limits or is additional evidence available to further justify them? § How should the Commission address radio/television and newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership issues?`` (excerpted by gh) Of course they pay no attention to DXers. Why would anyone think a few thousand hobbyists make a difference about anything? But they do pay attention to things that generate a lot of media coverage and provoke comments from the general public. The media ownership issue got pretty big time, and the fact that they are re-looking at the issue means they were forced to by the sheer volume of feedback. If you care, you might as well add another drop to the feedback stream and look for ways to join up with others (Chuck Hutton, IRCA via DXLD) Yes, this is a very important proceeding. Yes, it's important to comment. But the scope of the proceeding is much bigger than just Clear Channel, and painting it as the "give it all to Clear Channel folks thing" is missing a much bigger picture (Scott Fybush, ibid.) The possibility that the current FCC is going to do anything other than ignore the opinions of DX'ers on this or almost any subject before them, let alone one the big boys and the NAB support is little more than wishful thinking. After all, they paid no attention at all to those comments by credentialed and experienced people in the field such as Barry McLarnon! (Russ Edmunds, ibid.) See DIGITAL BROADCASTING ** U S A. WBAA 920/101.3 "undeleted" --- In today's Public Notices, the FCC noted: Petition for Reconsideration filed 7/13/06 by ("Purdue") License application was inadvertently cancelled and callsign deleted on Public Notice Report 46255, released 6/13/06. -- (via Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** U S A. FORMER PIRATE BROADCASTER CHARGED WITH DJ'S MURDER A former pirate radio operator presently in prison has been charged with the murder of a prominent club DJ and hip-hop producer in 2001, according to CBS affiliate WFOR-TV (CBS4)/MIAMI. DARNEN FABIAN WATSON has been charged with murdering ALBERT "DJ UNCLE AL" MOSS"; police say WATSON mistakenly blamed MOSS for stealing his transmitter. MOSS was an influential and prolific producer on the MIAMI music scene, releasing several albums on ON TOP RECORDS. An annual music festival, the "DJ UNCLE AL PEACE IN THE HOOD FESTIVAL," was held for the last four years in MIAMI's LIBERTY CITY neighborhood (allaccess.com via Brock Whaley, DXLD) Viz.: ALLEGED RADIO PIRATE CHARGED IN DJ UNCLE AL MURDER Jul 25, 2006 9:20 pm US/Eastern http://cbs4.com/topstories/local_story_206181053.html (CBS4 News) MIAMI It’s taken almost 5 years, but police finally know who silenced popular Miami DJ Albert ``Uncle Al`` Moss, and investigators say it was an angry pirate who pulled the trigger. Police have charged Darnen Fabian Watson, an inmate at the Coleman federal prison, with gunning down the DJ September 10th, 2001. Leads in the case had gone cold until 2005, when investigators got a tip Watson was talking in prison about the murder. Police say Watson confessed to the killing to two fellow inmates, and they moved to get an arrest warrant. Watson, who was serving a 12 year sentence on a drug charge, was moved to Miami Monday, and Tuesday, appeared on bond court on a charge of First Degree Murder. Police say Moss`s murder can be blamed on a fight between two stations competing for the same frequency in Miami`s underground pirate radio scene. Watson who allegedly operated an illegal Jamaican-themed pirate station, reportedly told the inmates he thought Moss was the person who stole his radio transmitter, putting the station off the air. Police believe he killed Moss in retaliation. 99 JAMZ radio personality `Big Lip Bandit` told CBS4`s Tina Varona it is a relief knowing police believe they have solved the case. ``It was just a horrible feeling,`` he said. ``Just to think that anybody could be killed tragically, the last person you`d think of would be Al, because to know him was to love him.`` Even though police believe Moss was killed in a pirate radio dispute, they believe the killing was especially tragic, because it appears Moss was shot in a case of mistaken identity. (© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) (via Harry Helms, DXLD) ** U S A. There`s something different about our CNN correspondents, deployed to Lebanon and Israel --- what is it? They just don`t look the same – Christiane Amanpour, John Roberts, even Wolf Blitzer. I know, no makeup! Or so it seems. We are seeing the real mccoy now as it is too much trouble to bother with makeup, not to mention studio- quality lighting, in a war zone. But --- not much change in Mr. Omnidirexional. I expect this apply to other networks as well. Also happens when you see well-known faces at some academic forum on C-SPAN (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Glenn: I regret that anyone with any involvement in this hobby would call you a "dickhead." Your decades of hard work, attention to detail, fairness and attentiveness surely deserve better. The (lack of) sophistication of Mr. Padula's name-calling speaks volumes (Mike Cooper, GA, Jul 26, DX LISTENNG DIGEST) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ The 2006 DX Clams report is uploaded on the BADX website. I've uploaded a fresh BADX home page with a link to the report, but for some reason it's not taking immediately, so here's the direct URL: http://www.naswa.net/badx/dxclams.htm (Bruce Conti - Nashua NH via Mark Connelly, NRC-AM via DXLD) WALT SALMANIW UPON THE QUEEN CHARLOTTES Illustrated report on his latest DX visit; most logs already in DXLD. http://www.dxer.ca/content/view/36/ (via Colin Newell, BC, IRCA, via DXLD) LANGUAGE LESSONS ++++++++++++++++ Hi Glenn, re the Slovak names: Madaric has no hooked c, but Gasparovic has and the s is hooked here as well. The hooked c will show up properly in the DXLD file when selecting the right encoding options in the browser. On IE (at least 5.5) it is View -> Encoding, I just tried "Central European (Windows)" and it works. I know no way for plain text files to circumvent the need of using the proper encoding options. For HTML pages Unicode provides a solution. My standard reference is http://unicode.e-workers.de/ As an example: Small hooked s is š , small hooked c is c and so one has to put Gašparovic into the source code to display the name properly. (Probably you will just see the proper characters instead of the Unicode when viewing this message.) Of course this is more work than just typing "Gasparovic", but I consider it as necessary because it can make a huge difference. In fact I was baffled when I had to familiarize myself with Polish pronunciation and found that e with Ogonek (e) is kind of "eng" and a crossed l (l) almost a German w, ending up with "Koschengzin", "Tschengstochowa" and "Biawystok" in my script, in good faith that the result would still be a heavy German accent but at least not an entirely wrong pronunciation (which would be unavoidable when rendering these places into "Koszecin", "Czestochowa" and "Bialystok", respectively). (Kai Ludwig, Germany, DX LISTENING DIGEST) If various Slavs cared about having their names pronounced correctly they would respell them according to English phonetics when included in English-language text (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) DIGITAL BROADCASTING ++++++++++++++++++++ Re: IBOC, one thing I fear... ``There's one very obvious way that those who have an interest in IBOC succeeding could force us to participate - by having our fine, fine government mandate the shutdown of analog transmission modes on AM and FM (a la DTV) by a certain date.`` That will simply force people away from radio altogether. In the wings are some truly amazing things, such as iPods and cell phones that can connect to an internet stream. That capability is just a minor part of what these things do. Why would someone buy a one-trick pony like an IBOC receiver, when they can buy a device that does way more for the same money? HD Radio is already obsolete, and it's not even out of the box. ``If it was merely the NAB that stood to profit from this I wouldn't worry too much about such a thing happening. However, when I think about who else stands to profit from digital audio streams (and the controls that can thereby be put on them) I come up with a very nasty four letter word/acronym - the RIAA.`` The RIAA has to fight tooth and nail even to survive. When these third world countries get greater internet awareness and capability, there will be a mass migration of servers to them. It will be a huge cash cow for these places, and they will have no real desire to toe the line on the MPAA and RIAA when it affects their bottom line to a negative degree. Politics and money trump everything. IBOC has money, but these places have more. I was in a taxi yesterday, and the driver had an iPod connected to the taxi audio system. He got the music direct from Jamaica, and he didn't pay a cent for it. There just isn't anything on terrestrial radio that holds his interest. He's not alone out there. The RIAA isn't going to file any suits in Jamaica. A huge US company picking on a single Jamaican citizen in their own country simply won't happen. Politics and perception. ``I'm worried that the next muffled thump I hear may be that other shoe dropping...`` Nope. It's the old paradigm falling over dead. I can see radio as it's currently done going the way of vinyl records and vacuum tubes. Sheet music used to be a huge moneymaker a hundred years ago. That was the major source of entertainment back then. Today it's of use to historians, collectors and musicians. The world always changes. The people who survive are those who perceive it and react accordingly. There will always be radio signals of a sort for DXers to sniff out. We have to change to follow the times. I've enjoyed DXing since I was a little kid. I'll ride this horse until it falls over dead, then move on to something else - if I'm still alive (Craig Healy, Providence, RI, IRCA via DXLD) Car ads? No HD. Like you, no new car me. Meanwhile, back at Reality Ranch, XM/Sirius/CD/ etc.? Stick in car, play thru FM w/88 meg 20-buck block. Passing laws does not a customer create. Argument re millions riding on it cuts no weight, much cheese. Millions ride on everything. In Today's Tapeworm Economy, millions are chump change. You hit another HD fatal flaw: 'inevitable digital future - get over it' approach. Wal-Mart employs Pull Marketing, determines what customers want at what price. W-M next tells vendors what to make & what to charge. HD employs Push marketing - outdated, stuff of shuttered factories & empty stores. HD tells wholesaler/retailer/customer what they will - will? buy at 'magic price' of $200. Really? Worse, HD cheats free market, short-circuits process in its favor. How? Need we say it again? Oh, let's! Jamming. Jamming circumvents the free market. Flood the spectrum with steam-dog-dump noise and customers will 'demand' HD radios? Are they serious? HDingbats render all analog radios worthless via jamming and they expect not only to control radio but engender public good-will? What are they smoking? They most certainly do pay attention to comments from anyone, not just DX'ers. Why else has this bunch of digi-sneaks kept their wonderful 'inevitable digital future' so secret from the public whom they stupidly expect to buy it? Let 'em hear it. Thugs, like insects, really don't care for light. =Z.= (Paul Vincent Zecchino, Manasoviet Key, FL, IRCA via DXLD) Barry: Re: http://tinyurl.com/h93g8 Your article in RW was far from a "diatribe." It was a calm, rational, factual (as far as I can see) discussion. You mentioned that the DRM system occupies 10 kHz. Actually - in at least the shortwave version I worked with - it is even tighter than that. It is only 9 kHz. But the rolloff of the stuff on each side is absolutely remarkable and is down something like 80 or so dB at +/- 5500 Hz from carrier. I don't think the IBOC people are looking at a silver lining. They are looking at pockets filled with money. If lawsuits prevail we have got ourselves one helluva mess thanks to our dear FCC and the NAB (Jim Tonne, July 25, NRC-AM via DXLD) Unlike the iBiquity system, DRM is a veritable toolbox, with many different modes and parameters to meet different needs. The bandwidth can be set to 4.5, 5, 9, 10, 18 or 20 kHz, and there's many other things that can be tweaked (Barry McLarnon, VE3JF, Ottawa, ON, ibid.) Do these execs really think that the masses will buy digital AM sets, and actually will prefer to listen to even a strong local digitally for music, when they'll have numerous wonderfully sounding digital FMers? (Neil Kazaross, ibid.) As a writer for RW for a while and attending several NAB conventions, my feeling is that the NAB calls the shots and the if the NAB tells the FCC to jump, they do. There are millions and millions resting on IBOC, be it AM or FM. They are going to try and shove it down our throats any way they can. But again, people have to buy the radios, let alone the zillions of lawsuits. I sure hope there are plenty of them too. 73, (Patrick Martin, OR, ibid.) Fear not, lawsuits a' comin'. The Feckless Chamberpot of Cronies jigs to NAB's cloven-hoof tune only as long as there's no public outcry or congressional offers to trim their corkscrew tails. Ironic, RW features Mr. McLarnon's beautifully expressed 'inevitable digital truths' along with write up on FCC assiduously investigating ix from Part 15 FM gadgets used to relay Stern. Seems people are upset. They can't hear their PBS FMs. Isn't criminal incompetence always larded with irony? If people are upset now, can NAB dullards imagine their outrage when iBLOC commences full-time micturation all over the spectrum? Neil - Yes, you are dead on the money. The Feckless Chamberpot of Cronies displayed - in insipid 90s scamspeak - the 'right mix' of incompetence and complicity. 'NAB's Executive Thunderjug' went along with 'if we jam them they will come' - to HD. The 'public-private partnership' crowd covets our wealth yet they believe we acquired it by behaving as stupidly as do they. Why should we or anyone else buy HD sets, pigtails and all? Right, no one is buying them. Many astutely note most stations do well to air one 'channel' of compelling programs and still they can't fully sell it. How will they sell multiple channels, the 'killer-app'? And when will call bullshale on this 'killer-app' dog-plop prattling wafting downwind from TeamBLIGHT's executive thunderjug? Right, someone just did. Does this mypopic claque of strange little gluttons really believe life is all about 'killer apps'? What? Chocolate cake stinks unless it has a 'killer-app'? Why must we forfeit good analog service and billions of existing radios? To indulge the 'killer app' pipedreams of slobs so gluttonous even their brains are clogged with suet? Oh, how 'bout that? We aren't. =Z.= (Paul Vincent Zecchino, Manasota Key, FL BT, ibid.) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ FM RADIO BINOCULARS Well, since there already are binoculars with built-in digital cameras, why not develop a pair of binoculars that come with an FM radio? The idea sounds rather weird at first glance, but it is ideal for sports fans or those who attend the races each weekend. You can get a great view of all the action on the pitch or track while tuning in to a running commentary on radio. This will work very well, assuming the commentary is in real-time or you might suffer from a very confusing experience instead. Other features include a compact integrated LCD screen with clock, alarm, and radio tuning. The FM Radio Binoculars costs $79.95 and is powered by a couple of AAA batteries. http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2006/07/fm_radio_binoculars.html (via DXLD) RFID TAGS Plans to put RFID tags in dollar bills and Euro notes came a step nearer recently with the announcement of Hitachi`s new RFID chip. It`s just 0.15 mm square and 7.5 microns thick! It`s already been used as an anti-counterfeit measure in tickets for a Japanese exhibition and it could be incorporated in some banknotes. If you thought you could remain anonymous by using cash instead of a credit card --- it might be time to think again. Philips Electronics are working on printable RFID tags that will be cheap enough to use on food packaging. If they are successful, it could lead to new refrigerators being introduced with built-in RFID scanners. They would be able to keep track of your supplies, let you know when food is going out of date and, if connected to the Internet, even order replacements for you. If you`d prefer to shop for yourself, there`s talk of `smart` fridgettes that you can log onto over the Internet or via your cellphone to see what you have in stock so you know what you need to buy on your way home from work. Add just a little computing power and you could have one that will tell you which dishes you can make from the ingredients you already have (Newshound, July Radiouser [UK] via DXLD) EDIBLE RADIOS Well, maybe not, but there is currently an exhibition running at the Science Museum in London that showcases some new technologies. Highlighted in the latest Engineering & Technology magazine, these technologies are designed to assist with the disposal of the increasing number of waste electronic products, specifically mobile phones. They allow product parts to be made from biodegradable material that will break down harmlessly when buried. Examples include mobile phone cases made from corn and kenaf, a relative of the hibiscus plant, and a lasagne-based circuit board. One wonders what would happen if it gets wet? To assist in the dismantling of end-of-life products, fasteners made of ``smart metals`` will help the product to take itself apart although, personally, all the phones I`ve had seem quite capable of accomplishing this already! So there it is, if you`re stuck on a remote mountain with no coverage to call for help, you can at least suck on your phone for nutrition, assuming of course, that it hasn`t already dismantled itself! The `Dead Ringers` exhibition runs until 31st August. ``DEAD RINGERS -- - we`ve got to stop trashing the planet with old mobiles`` Note: from July 2006 the RoHS directive also bans the use of tin/lead solder in all new domestic electronics (Newshound, July Radiouser [UK] via DXLD) ###