DX LISTENING DIGEST 6-149, October 6, 2006 Incorporating REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING edited by Glenn Hauser, http://www.worldofradio.com Items from DXLD may be reproduced and re-reproduced only if full credit be maintained at all stages and we be provided exchange copies. DXLD may not be reposted in its entirety without permission. Materials taken from Arctic or originating from Olle Alm and not having a commercial copyright are exempt from all restrictions of noncommercial, noncopyrighted reusage except for full credits For restrixions and searchable 2006 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn NEXT SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1331 = 11-cubed: Sat 0800 WRN 13865 DRM via Bulgaria Sat 1300 WRMI 9955 [ex-1230] Sat 1430 WRMI 7385 Sat 1600 WWCR3 12160 Sun 0230 WWCR3 5070 Sun 0630 WWCR1 3215 Sun 0800 WRMI 9955 Sun 1530 WRMI 7385 Mon 0300 WBCQ 9330-CLSB Mon 0415 WBCQ 7415 [time varies] Wed 0930 WWCR1 9985 Latest edition of this schedule version, including AM, FM, satellite and webcasts with hotlinks to station sites and audio, is at: 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 ** ANTARCTICA. Re 6-148: ``Maurits keeps getting LRA36, but how about other Europeans? (gh, DXLD)`` Hi Glenn, what you main about other Europeans?? Gr[eetings] (Maurits Van Driessche, Belgium, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I was just wondering if other people in Europe are hearing Antarctica as well or as frequently as you are. If so, they are not reporting it, so I am encouraging them to do so. Regards, (Glenn to Maurits, via DXLD) Glenn, yes, my friends from DX Antwerp receive Antarctica, no problem, not so strong as I, but good. I live in a green place, no industry, no electricity or something; noise on my receivers is 0%. My two antennes working verry good, now with the MFJ1026, 30% better signal. So I have no problem for stations on the 49 mb like Peru, Colombia, Brazil, etc., also on the 31 mb (see my last logs on the weekend ) Many Gr.... from (Maurits in Belgium, Oct 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ARMENIA. Radio Armenia: Game over --- Gist of postings by Paul Gager and Sandro Blatter to the A-DX list: No German transmission from Radio Armenia on Monday, nothing on Tuesday either. A letter from Radio Armenia, received a few days ago, mentioned something about "to be made available via Internet only, nothing but your response can change this". So it appears that they indeed pulled the plug now, effective October 1st. Good night (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Oct 4, WORLD OF RADIO 1331, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: -----Original Message----- Date: Tue, 03 Oct 2006 21:02:56 +0200 Subject: AW: [A-DX] Radio Armenien haben fertig? Hallo Paul, ``Am MO den 2. Oktober war auf 9960khz gegen 1850 UTC von Radio Armenien nichts zu hören.`` Wie hat es doch im Brief geheissen, den ich vor ein paar Tagen erhalten habe: '...ausschliesslich nach dem Internetregime verfügbar zu machen (...) Nur Sie sind fähig, mit Ihrer aktiven Resonanz hier etwas zu ändern'. Auf KW nichts, die hätten um 1850 Uhr UT beginnen sollen. Interressanterweise auch auf 4810 kHz nichts. Das lässt noch hoffen. Die Internetseite hat auch nichts in Deutsch, als einzige Fremdsprache Englisch. Dieses Programm und die Musik würden mir fehlen. Gruss, (Sandro, Schwerzenbach (bei Zuerich), ADX via Ludwig, DXLD) Perhaps some of our Europeans could confirm that Armenia is really off the air at 1830-1930+ on 4810, 9965? Tnx, (Glenn, Oct 4, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 4810 ended at 1829 with the Arabic programme; 9960 and 4810 silent from 1830 UT. Regards (J M Aubier, France, ibid.) Saludos cordiales, Glenn, cuando son las 1833 sin señal en 4810 y 9965, el servicio en francés de La Voz de Armenia no está en el aire. 73 (José Miguel Romero, Spain, ibid.) Nothing on 9960 kHz at 1835 UT, and I guess 4810 also is silent, 73, (Erik Køie, Copenhagen, ibid.) 11510, 17-19, V of Russia, English, via Gavar-Yerevan still heard on Oct 4th, S=6 to Ea and SoEaAF. Wb (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, ibid.) 4810, Public Radio of Armenia, 1810-1812, escuchada el 5 de Octubre en árabe con emisión musical, señal muy pobre y acompañada de mucho ruido, SINPO 24232. Tentativa a las 1832 sin señal en su emisión en francés, lo mismo ocurre en la frecuencia de 9960, a las 1835 sin señal. Los peores presagios se hacen realidad y casi se puede afirmar que la Public Radio of Armenia ha dejado de transmitir sus servicios internacionales en la Onda Corta (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot, (Valencia), España, SANGEAN ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A-108, ibid.) Except for Arabic, still going on 4810 you say; how come? (gh, DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA [and non]. LIFE AND DEATH ON THE AIR --- WAS TOKYO ROSE'S CONTROVERSIAL AUSTRALIAN COLLABORATOR A TRAITOR OR A WAR HERO? Lachlan Colquhoun reports. --- Date: October 6 2006 IVA TOGURI, the Japanese-American woman best known to the world as Tokyo Rose, would never have had her controversial radio career without the intervention of an Australian, Major Charles Cousens. It was at Radio Tokyo in 1943 that Cousens plucked Toguri - who died last week at the age of 90 - from the typing pool and made her the presenter of the infamous Zero Hour program which was beamed across the Pacific aimed at Allied troops. At Toguri's treason trial in San Francisco in 1949, Cousens took the witness stand in her defence, confirming that he had written all her scripts and coached her delivery with the intention, he said, of subverting the broadcasts and making them useless as pro-Japanese propaganda. "Major Cousens was only interested in my loyalty to the Allied cause," Toguri wrote in 1986. At her voice test, she said, Cousens told her Zero Hour was to be a "straight entertainment program". "He said, 'I have written it and I know what I am doing. You will be doing nothing against your own people [the Allies]. I will guarantee that personally."' By the time of Toguri's trial, Cousens himself had been charged with treason, and his 1946 committal in Sydney was a sensation which divided the country. . . http://www.smh.com.au/text/articles/2006/10/05/1159641462849.html (via Dan Say, Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. RA, 6020, otherwise excellent talk show at 1230 UT Oct 4, as I was sorting it out from Vatican-via-Philippines collision, kept referring to one Russell ``Feinberg`` of Wisconsin, instead of Feingold as a possible Democratic challenger to Hillary (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. Splatter reigns --- That is why DXing becomes so treasured! 11695, a combined service from RA from 2100 to 2130 English and the remainder till 2130 to 2230 Indonesian. Kind of a triumph to get RA in such a low frequency here in Tiquicia for my local 1500 to 1630. The only drawback was the huge splatter from HCJB Spanish on 11690 (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, Oct 4, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA [non]. Aussies will be pleased to know that the weatherman on OETA, Oklahoma public television, Ross Dixon, has ``Waltzing Matilda`` as his cellphone ringtone, as it went off --- and on and on --- during his broadcast at 2355 UT Oct 4. Or someone on that show; only the weather graphics were on screen at the time, but no one else`s mike should have been open. No one said anything about it (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BHUTAN. 6035 Heard at 0000-0600; English at 0500-0600, 0900-1000, 1400-1500 (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, National Institute of Amateur Radio, Mussorie (close to Himalayas), India, Oct 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOTSWANA. Hey, have you ever heard anything about VOA Botswana? Still not picking up anything on their sked English frequencies 0300- 0500. Will Have to try for other frequencies and other languages later in the day, too (Alex Vranes, Jr., WV, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Alex, Haven`t had any word about Botswana. Are you looking for 4930 at 03-06? (Glenn to Alex, via DXLD) Yes, 4930, and also 7340 and I think it's 9885. Have the sked at home, and haven't heard any of the Botswana sites (Alex Vranes, Jr., ibid.) ** BRAZIL. R. Educação Rural, Tefé, 4924.89, *0958-1015+ Sept 29, sign-on with ID, anthem, 1001 Portuguese news, ads, jingles. Poor in noise (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. Based on an accurate automatic timesignal at 0515 Oct 6, I might have guessed I was monitoring Nepal, but it was on 11925 and in Brazilian Portuguese monolog, so must have been R. Bandeirantes, São Paulo, which is 24 hours. Why would they have a timesignal on the quarter-hour? Do they every 15 minutes? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Anna Maria Tremonti on The Current, CBC Radio One, has come up with a new mnemonic for the CBC Toronto postal code M5W 1E6. For years we have had to make do with the rather unsatisfying ``My five wives, one every sixth (night)``, but now we have ``Mangle five words, I enunciate six``. Well, almost, as heard at 1329 UT Oct 4 via RCI 13655, 9515 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I always liked Arthur Black's version (used on his old "Basic Black" show Saturday Mornings). Make 5 Wieners. I'll eat 6 (Fred Waterer, Ont., dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hee hee; yes, but we need to get that ``I`` back into a one (gh, DXLD) ** CANADA. RCI on wrong frequency again! Oct 6 at 1323 found The Current about women in Israel crossing the wall between secular and orthodox in both direxions --- on 9490 instead of 9515, // 13655. I wonder if the RCI French broadcast before 1300 was also on 9490. In the morning, 9490 is scheduled only for the Radio Sweden relay at 1130-1200, so maybe that was on 9515! I e-mailed Moncton master control at 1405, kept monitoring, and finally at 1425, 9490 went off; around 1428:30, one sesquihour into the transmission, 9515 came on with CBC/RCI. So if you find a Sackville frequency absent, don`t assume it is really off the air (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Re: Changes at RCI? Minor update: The RCI website now has archived editions of the interim 1-hour "Canada Today" and "Maple Leaf Mailbag" (once the 1-hour version goes to air). The last edition for each of the now-defunct programs is now shown under "Archived Programs". Still no info on what happens as of last of October. Bill Westenhaver of Audience Relations has no details as of yet (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA, Oct 3, ODXA via DXLD) I sampled the Tuesday edition of "Canada Today: In Transition". Catchy title. The program appears to be half music, half magazine reports – the first two stories I listened to had no direct tie-in to news of the day, though the themes were relatively topical. Artists featured were Canadian artists (certainly helps with the CanCon rules...). The host acknowledged receiving a bunch of e-mails and mentioned that both Lynn Desjardins and Jim Craig were "...at work on the new programs that will begin at the end of October". Wojtek Gwiazda -- the third host of "Canada Today" wasn't mentioned, nor were the hosts of other RCI programs. I'll listen to more of the program later -- each edition is available for streaming / download for day (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, Oct 4, ODXA via DXLD) It would appear that RCI have despatched some of their announcer- producers, unfortunately. Perhaps this site will come to life once again: http://www.geocities.com/rciaction/ (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RCI has also got the green light to produce programmes/websites for ethnic minorities in Canada, following the lines of Radio Sweden (Jonathan Marks, October 4th, 2006 at 16:12 Media Network blog via DXLD) Still listen every week and will send in anything I have to contribute. Sure hope RCI picks a frequency I can hear for their 20-22 UT transmission with the new season. For the past several weeks 17765 is simply not heard here in eastern Ohio. I'm about half-way between Wheeling, WV and Cádiz, Ohio near a small town called Harrisville on US 250. Thanks (Dale Rothert, Oct 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Probably go back to usual winter channel 15180, and shift to 21-23 UT. That may be too high for you too (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Regarding the item on CBMT Montreal: Glenn, I fondly remember that video clip. I remember watching it very often in my early teenage years. IIRC, back then, CBMT only began its broadcast day at 7 a.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. on weekends. Fans of the CBC Radio program Jazz Beat will find the narrator's voice familiar. Katie Malloch who introduces the montage and reads the very, very long callsign list of repeater stations at the end. As it happens, she is currently heard daily about 4:57 a.m. ET following the national anthem on CBC Radio One in Quebec, announcing the technical parameters of CBME and CBVE, then reading a very, very long list of repeater frequencies. (Déjà vu!) 73, (Ricky Leong, Calgary, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA [and non]. Is anyone else getting a carrier on 18127? I was at 1940 Oct 6, fading a little, and also audible outside in the yard, so doubt it is from some device in the house. At times seemed to be traces of modulation on it. While pondering this I heard SSB QRM on the side from hams, including at 1944 on 18123, CQ 17 from VE7DQA. He mixed phonetic systems, with the D sometimes Denmark, sometimes Delta; the A sometimes America, sometimes Alfa. But Q was always Queen --- apparently could not bring himself to say ``Québec``, hi. Also had someone on 18125, I think from Italy (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA [non]. CRI relays via Merlin-VT brokery in B-06 season: 6100 1500-1800 CRI Meyerton 100 0 English S AF 6100 1800-1900 CRI Meyerton 100 0 Chinese S AF 9745 0000-0100 CRI Bonaire 250 290 Spanish C AM 15540 1100-1200 CRI Santiago 100 45 Portuguese S Am 15540 1200-1300 CRI Santiago 100 45 Chinese S Am 15540 1300-1400 CRI Santiago 100 45 English S Am 17645 2100-2200 CRI Santiago 100 45 Portuguese S Am (via ADDX, Andreas Volk-D, wwdxc BC-DX Oct 3 via DXLD) ** CHINA [and non]. NORTHERN MARIANAS: 11785, Radio Free Asia (Tinian). 9/22, 2003-2100. First log of this station & country. Oriental music with strong percussion line and wind instrument that sounded like the chanter from a set of Highland pipes which made some of the songs sound strangely Scottish! Mostly instrumental music with no announcements of any kind until TOH when a YL in vernacular made a brief statement & back into music. Fair (Joe Wood, TN, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) That`s not RFA, but the Chinese jammer, except for the TOH announcement. Word about Firedrake is spreading so slowly despite our efforts; I am sure many other uninformed listeners think they are hearing the victim instead of the jammer. Most RFA services, and all of them concerning China, are heavily and constantly jammed, and the jammers usually have much stronger signals over here (we fear, in China too), so it`s up to DXers to prove they are really hearing the target of the jamming and not just the jamming! For one thing, RFA is not wasting time playing nonstop music. It has spoken information to propagate (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. Re Firedrake, 6-148: Ah! Both 13970 and 14600 heard in Los Angeles, in the 2300 UT hour on October 3; 13970 barely making it above the noise floor. Nothing heard on 10400 (GREG HARDISON, CA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Firedrake against Sound of Hope, Oct 4 at 1310 was very poor on 14600, much better on 10400 with flutter. Also Oct 5 at 1339, 10400 stronger than 13970 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 10400 NO ID, 1532-1536, escuchada el 5 de Octubre con emisión de música China; se percibe con pobre señal y acompañada de mucho ruido, SINPO 24232 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, SANGEAN ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A-108, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA [and non]. 7270.0, PBS Nei Menggu (presumed), Oct 5, *1000- 1020, in assume Mongolian, on with 5 + 1 pips, children singing and several selections of traditional Chinese music. Fair-good, with no het. Wai FM (Sarawak/Malaysia) was clearly heard under them (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, RX340, with T2FD antenna, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CONGO DR. Ascolto fatto a Pescia (Pistoia); rx: TenTec/GW RX231 - ant: 30 m wire: 6210, 27/9 1650, Radio Kahuzi, Bukavu, Congo. Talks in an African language, mentioning Bukavu. ID at 1700 also with some words in French. Then music, disappeared after 1715 (noise or off?). poor/fair. Nothing the day after (Giampiero Bernardini, Milano, Italy, bclnews.it via DXLD) This is not in the Congo, but in the Congo DR, a completely different country (gh, DXLD) 6210.00, R Kahuzi, Bukavu (presumed), 1630 fade in -1715*, Fr Sep 29, Vernacular talk by several people with short musical interludes, orchestra music at close down, heard best in USB due to splashes from VOIRI in Azeri on 6200 13121 (Anker Petersen, Denmark, DSWCI DX Window Oct 4 via DXLD) Strange they can operate on exactly 6210 but do not always; or was it really measured to that precision? (gh, DXLD) 6209.7, R. Kahuzi attractive, full data computer-generated card received in 8 days from Believers Express Service Inc. (BESI) Secretary, Barbara Smith. Card included a computer-generated map showing transmitter and receiver sites. Card was delivered by the BESI President Harold (Smitty) Smith while I was sitting in his barber chair! This will rank among my most unusual veries, if not THE most unusual! Barbara and the station manager Richard McDonald are brother- sister. If anyone has problems getting a QSL from the station, I can help as they are sent from my local area (I will just get another haircut!). I believe the station may extend its evening hours to broadcast VOA programs received via satellite. The station uses satellite feeds quite extensively for program content. The shortwave transmitter has been operating since Feb 2001 with a nominal power of 1 KW, but with actual power varying from 830 to 870 watts depending on local electrical supply (Bruce Churchill, Fallbrook CA, in Dxplorer, Sep 26 via DSWCI DX Window Oct 4 via DXLD) ** CUBA [non]. Another new exile program on WRMI bumps WOR: see U S A ** DENMARK. Long time DXer and contributor to DXLD, Erik Køie of Copenhagen has been working for DR - the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (Radio Denmark) for more than 40 years. Eight more employees from DR – out of the 3,400 employees – have also reached this remarkable achievement. Erik and the eight others were recently honoured by the Director General Dr Kenneth Plummer with a decoration given for meritorious services (Stig Hartvig Nielsen, Oct 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST) & Erik is about to retire (gh) ** DENMARK. Re 6-148: Björn Fransson wrote Oct 2: "Anyone out there having an idea about 4965 kHz, "Marine Rönne", Denmark heard today at 0816 UT with weather reports and 2-way communication. Address? Email?" Possibly the Danish Naval Home Guard from the local base on the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea http://www.hjv.dk/Org/HHV/TFRK/Det+Bornholmske+Hjemmev%c3%a6rn/HVF+471+BORNHOLM/forside.htm I don't know the frequencies used, when communicating ship to shore. 73 (Ydun Ritz, Denmark, Oct 4, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** DJIBOUTI. R. Djibouti, 4780, 2135-2200* Sept 29, Arabic talk, horn of Africa music, sign-off with instrumental music. On late for Ramadan? Fair (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. Oct 6 at 1926, found lo-fi monolog in uncertain language on 15565. Background noise from time to time as if not recorded in a proper studio, and sent over phoneline, still going past 1932. 1954 recheck, cutting to vocal music, also lo-fi; 1956:30 YL mentions democrasi and Ethiopia, addresses in Amsterdam and Los Angeles 9000-something, website, but fade between www and .org! A few seconds before 1959 went into theme song or anthem, but cut off abruptly at 1959*. I knew I would be able to identify this later, as in EiBi: 15565 1900-2000 We,Su CLA V.o.Dem.Path Eth.Unity AH EAf /D-w 15565 1900-2000 Fr CLA V.o.Dem.Path Eth.Unity AH EAf /D-j So, non-abbr`d, it is Voice of Democratic Path of Ethiopian Unity, in Amharic, and on this Friday via Jülich, Germany, while on Wed & Sun it is via Wertachtal (the sites subject to change, I imagine) (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FAROE ISLANDS. Laut einer Empfangsbestaetigung (von 2006) sendet Utvarp Foroya ab 2006 nur noch sonntags von 1000-1900 UT auf 531 kHz mit 200 kW (Matthias Arndt-D, via Dr. Hansjoerg Biener ntt Sept 25 via BCDX Oct 6 via DXLD) ** FRANCE. While 13m was open as far as SAUDI ARABIA [q.v.], Oct 4 at 1405 I tried to hear RFI as scheduled on 21620 in English, but no trace of it. Nor could I hear Libyan relay on 21695, tho the latter had been barely audible earlier at 1344 with hum, Swahili // 17610. Spain barely managed carriers on 21570 and 21610, so I am still not absolutely convinced France is absent from 21620 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FRANCE [non?]. After trying for several years, I finally obtained a QSL for RFI via the transmitter operator TDF. In recent years RFI have neglected reports mailed directly to them. It is better trying to verify directly from TDF (T. R. Rajeesh, Report from India, Oct World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** GABON. I really must tune the 18-21 MHz range more often, even tho it is mostly empty. Oct 6 at 1934 I found a rather strong steady signal on 19160, with only slight fading, peaking at 20 over 9 --- but considerably undermodulated and with some ``generator hum``. Hilife music, quickly confirmed as Africa Number One by // 9580, where the signal was much inferior. 1946 ANO ID and put phone caller on the air briefly in French, 1948 back to music; 2000 four-pip timesignal, ID, news with stingers every few seconds. This second harmonic seems to entail considerable power, 500 kW being the rating on the fundamental, so if it`s only 1 percent that would still be 5 kW, e.g. Suspect the MUF was just right and signal was riding the OWF, but you`d never know it from the almost dead 21 MHz band. Some African relay sites were also coming in well on 17 MHz, however. I didn`t recall this ever being reported from North America, so searched DXLD for previous hits on 19160 --- there are five of them, all from 2006, and all from various parts of Europe, in 6-147, 6-137, 6-112, 6-074, 6-069. So in the style of Mediumwave Circle, I can attempt to claim a ``North American first``. Now they`ve been tipped, many others should hear this easily. 9580 is supposed to be on the air straight thru from 05 to 23 so you can pick the MUF peak time for your path. This was a bit surprising, as late as 20 UT, 21 local in Gabon, well after dark (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY [non]. Has anybody already checked out the B06 schedules published by Deutsche Welle in regard of the three registrations I picked out below? At present they make a real fuss about shutting down shortwave to North America, discussing it on air again and again, setting up a dedicated page at http://www.dw-world.de/nordamerika But if these frequencies are indeed to be used they in fact *will* still have German on shortwave to NAm! Do they consider it as unintentional overspill of frequencies meant for LAm, thus not communicate these frequencies, just to maintain the principle? DWL in B06 season. 20 hours daily AM to the Americas. 6040 1000-1200 8,10E,11,12N SAC 250 212 daily Ge CAN 9545 0000-0200 4,8,9,11 SIN 250 260 daily Ge POR 9655 0000-0200 8S,10,11,12N KIG 250 295 daily Ge RRW (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Oct 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 4, 8 and 9 cover NAm east of the meridian 90, all the way up into the Arctic, which is very strange for an azimuth of 260 from Portugal! There must be a mistake here (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUAM [and non]. ADVENTIST WORLD RADIO PLANNING MORE ASIAN LANGUAGES ON SHORTWAVE Adventist World Radio says it plans to add Lao, Thai and Hmong to its roster of languages. Programmes in Lao will be broadcast both on shortwave from AWR`s station on Guam and from FM stations located in Thailand across from the capital city of Vientiane, Laos. Thai programmes will be aired on shortwave from Guam and on two FM stations in Bangkok. Hmong-speaking people are scattered throughout southern China and the northern areas of Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Programmes in this language will be broadcast on shortwave from Guam (Source: Adventist World Radio) (October 4th, 2006, 14:06 UTC by Andy, Media Network blog via DXLD) ** INDIA. Monitoring observations in Himalayan region --- Dear Glenn, I am in Mussorie (Close to Himalayas) after providing amateur radio communications For the trekking teams in the Himalayan area for 10 days. I will be back in my home at Hyderabad next week. Please note my monitoring observations of interest during my trip. Yours sincerely, Jose Jacob [unfortunately the original was color-coded with some times in red denoting changes] 4760 Leh s0130/w0213-0400/0413, 1200-1700 4880 Lucknow 0025-0430(Sun 0415) 4960 Ranchi 0025-0445, 1100 (Sun 1130)-1741 5985 Ranchi 0630-1000 (Sun 1130) 6000 Leh 0700(Sun 0630)-0930 6020 Shimla 0700(Sun 0630)-0930 6110 Srinagar 0225-0509 (Sun 1115), 0600-1115 7105 Lucknow 0700(Sun 0415)-1000, 1005-1006 73 (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, National Institute of Amateur Radio, Mussorie (close to Himalayas), India, Oct 4DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. Sirius and PRI: Was it PRI who pushed? See this link for a comment attributed to PRI in Radio World. Perhaps increased invective should be directed at PRI (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, Swprograms mailing list via DXLD) Viz.: PRI, SIRIUS PART WAYS --- Date posted: 2006-10-03 Sirius is no longer airing the Public Radio International channel. The public radio program distributor had its own channel on the satcaster, a relationship begun in 2002. In a statement provided to RW Online, PRI said that the landscape has changed dramatically since it entered into an agreement with Sirius to provide a full 24/7 PRI channel with a global news focus, the BBC World Service and BBC Mundo. "After careful evaluation, we have made a strategic decision to change our relationship with Sirius," stated PRI. http://www.rwonline.com/dailynews/one.php?id=9827 (via DXLD) Indeed! It's quite amazing how closed mouth both entities have been through this. From what I can tell from the pertinent discussion lists, Sirius isn't even responding to customer complaints on this issue. In addition, perhaps PRI has been ingenuous in its cryptic message on its web site urging its listeners to complain to Sirius. As usual, it's the loyal listener/subscriber that's left in the lurch (John Figliozzi, Halfmoon, NY, swprograms via DXLD) ** IRAN. STATE MEDIA CONTROL EXTENDS TO PROVINCES, AIRWAVES By Bill Samii An Iranian man fixes his satellite dish as his sister looks on the roof of their apartment bloc in Tehran, 17Dec2002 [caption] Despite periodic government crackdowns, satellite dishes are common in Iran (epa) WASHINGTON, October 2, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- Iranian government efforts to steer public perceptions through media restrictions are not limited to mainstream newspapers in the capital. Provincial publications and journalists face mounting official pressure -- especially among those dealing with minority affairs. Official provincial television broadcasts are changing, too, in a campaign that coincides with a national campaign to curb access to foreign satellite broadcasts. President Mahmud Ahmadinejad's administration is hardly an innovator in trying to limit Iranians' access to information. During predecessor Hojatoleslam Mohammad Khatami's eight years in office, more than 100 press outlets were shut down; there were frequent complaints regarding the hard-line preferences of broadcast media; and, in 2003, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) used powerful transmitters in the capital to block shortwave signals. Events at that time were mostly connected with factional domestic disputes. But these most recent developments could be part of an effort to direct reporting on the nuclear controversy and influence upcoming elections to the Assembly of Experts and municipal councils, scheduled for December 15. The Periphery Press closures and official persecution of journalists occurs in the outlying provinces as well as in the capital, Tehran... [illustrated] http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticleprint/2006/10/cf9dac68-f4c4-4668-a9cf-df4b051a5904.html (RFE/RL via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** JORDAN. Re 6-148, R. Jordan on 11960 instead of 11690 one day only: Perhaps I transposed the digits in my mind when announced (Dan Srebnick, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15290, tentative, Jordan R in Arabic noted around 1200-1206 UT close- down. 1030-1200 scheduled. S=8 signal. But nothing noted on scheduled 13630 kHz, 0900-1300 scheduled. 11810 eastwards to ME, has a back lobe into EUR at S=6-7 level, 0400-2200 UT. 11690 -- Oct 4th, Jordan in English, pop music, was on air, when switched on my receiver at 1258 UT, news at 1300 UT, car bomb in Baghdad, 75 victims wounded in Iraq-US war today. Huge S=9 +30 dB signal in southern GER. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) JORDANIA, 11690, Radio Jordan, 1315-1325, escuchada el 4 de Octubre a locutor en inglés presentando programa musical con temas de disco occidental y pop en árabe, SINPO 45444. Emitiendo en paralelo por internet: AMMAN FM 96.3 http://www.jrtv.jo/rj/index.php (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, ibid.) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. Shiokaze, 9485 via Taiwan, Wed Oct 4 at 1311 unseemed English at first due to poor reception and heavy accent, but finally decided it was English, with news items rather than roster listing. Inaudible Fri Oct 6, partly tnx to RCI being on wrong frequency 9490 during this semihour; see CANADA (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, Also heard Oct 4 (Wed.), from 1320-1330*, in English, with names of abductees and details of abduction (age of the person taken, the date and location of abduction, etc.); brief musical selection between items (not piano music); ID ``This is Shiokaze, Sea Breeze, from Tokyo, Japan``, sign-off announcement over the usual piano music. Poor-fair. (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, RX340, with T2FD antenna, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LIBYA [non]. Big signal on 11835 at 1911 Oct 4 with hum, barely audible modulation. What could it be? Hausa service from Libya via France, of course! While the Libyan feed may be at fault, if I were TDF I`d try to do something about it if for no other reason than embarrassment to be transmitting such a shoddy signal --- but then, TDF is probably counting on the casual listenership being unaware this axually emanate from France, as there are no giveaway announcements on-air to that effect. O yeah, France is also involved in jamming on behalf of Qaddhafi, so they`re actually in favor of shoddy, shady signals. Could this really be their penance for the jamming, allowing V. of Africa itself to be unlistenable? Naaah (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) V. of Africa, 17850 via France, *1400-1557* Sept 29 & 30, English with local music, IDs, news about Mid-east conflict. Programs about African women. Overview of the African Union. Readings from the ``Green Book``. Good signal, but with weak hum; // 21695 very weak (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) LJBC has been audible today (04/10) from 0750 tune in and still on air at 0905 on 17750. There were several breaks in transmission around 0800 - and one unfortunately occurred on the hour when clock chimes began to strike - the sort used by Libya. When transmission resumed news was being broadcast. This lasted until c0815 when an ID was heard that included the word 'Ozma'. An entertainment programme followed with some of what I would call typically Libyan style music. ID mentioning Ozma once again at c0853 and now more music. The signal is at only weak to fair strength and with splash from a strong Radio Farda 17755, and there are traces of a co-channel station from time to time - I think CRI in English after 0900. So is this a new(?) relay or a reactivated transmitter I wonder. [Later:] I suppose now at 0935 it is off? Or very weak. I think I hear CRI in English but no other station. Interesting, this might be from Libyan soil. Additional RAMADAN outlet? At 0943 UT only the Chinese station on channel. It was still on air at 0915 when I had to leave the radio - a re-check at 1000 revealed no signal on 17750. Yes, there was a mention of "..Qur`an... Karim..." at least twice, but the programme heard seemed to be of a general entertainment style (Noel R. Green (NW England), dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LIBYA [non]. BBC MONITORING OBSERVATIONS ON LIBYAN OPPOSITION RADIO SAWT AL-AMAL 8-19 SEP 06 Shortwave broadcasts from the Libyan opposition radio Sawt al-Amal (Voice of Hope) were monitored on the following dates and times: 8 September at 1200 gmt (for 90 minutes), 11 September at 1300 gmt (60 minutes), 14 September at 1100 gmt (90 minutes), 15 September at 1145 gmt (90 minutes), 18 September at 1200 gmt (120 minutes) and 19 September at 1200 gmt (120 minutes). Programmes The station broadcasts religious and patriotic songs, Koranic verses, political poetry, commentaries and discussion programmes, in addition to Libyan opposition statements. The station was not observed to carry news bulletins. Discussions and commentaries The topics of these are exclusively political in nature. Most of them dealt with recent speeches by the Libyan leader, Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi, and his son, Sayf al-Islam. The following is a selection of discussion programmes and commentaries and their content: - "Today's commentary": Discussed a speech by Al-Qadhafi. It started by saying: "The illusion has fallen, so when will the statue [Al- Qadhafi] fall?" The commentary said change was impossible in Libya while Al-Qadhafi was in power. It called on "our people to stand united in the face of injustice and tyranny". It added that "our people are capable of engaging in the experiment of change, reform". (1200 gmt 8 Sep 06) Another commentary criticized the system of government in Libya. (1200 gmt 18 Sep 06) - Statements by the opposition: A statement was broadcast to mark the 37th anniversary of the 1 September coup which brought Al-Qadhafi to power. It talked about people's "rejection and direct confrontation" and "the 17 February uprising in Benghazi". The statement attacked the "plundering" of billions of dollars in Libya under the current regime and the collapse of the economy. It said that the Libyan system of government was based on family and tribal connections. It said that change could take place only once Al-Qadhafi stepped down. The statement was dated 30 August 2006. (1300 gmt 8 Sep 06) - "Meetings": A discussion programme that hosted opposition members who commented on recent speeches by the Libyan leader and his son. The head of the follow-up committee of the national opposition congress, Burayyik al-Suwaysi, said that Al-Qadhafi was still rejecting reform in Libya. He said that what happened in Libya 37 years ago was not a revolution but a military coup d'etat which saw Al-Qadhafi take over power and "rule Libya ever since with iron and fire". He also said that anyone who disagreed with him was considered an agent of US intelligence. The presenter of the programme agreed with this opinion. Al-Suwaysi accused Al-Qadhafi and his sons of "embezzlement" and of "looting" Libya's wealth. Regarding the role of the opposition abroad, Al-Suwaysi said that it was working to increase pressure on the Libyan government through "intensifying political contacts" and exposing what was happening in Libya with "all available peaceful means in order to put an end to this situation". (1300 gmt 11 Sep 06) Another edition of the programme hosted political activist Jumu'ah al-Qammati to discuss Al-Qadhafi's speech. He also said that nothing would change in Libya under "absolute rule". He warned that, if the Libyan people did not act, they would be faced with "the catastrophe of this tyrannical regime continuing for generations to come". He stressed the need for "peaceful, comprehensive change of all aspects of the state" in Libya. He also talked about the "danger of making rule in Libya hereditary". The programme hosted other figures of the opposition in other editions who shared the same views on the Libyan leader and system of government. The general coordinator of the follow-up committee of the national Libyan opposition congress, Miftah al-Tayyar, talked about using the press, political contacts and contacts with human rights organizations to put pressure on the Libyan government. A member of this follow-up committee, Miftah Samlum, said that even those close to the government were "feeling that the end was near". He also said that Al-Qadhafi feared a military coup more than any other threat. He added that it was young Libyans aged between 20 to 25 who were most opposed to the regime. He urged people in their 40s and over to organize the youth into an effective internal opposition. He said that the regime must not be pushed towards change but towards its end because, he said, "the regime will not change". He urged Libyans living abroad to "hurry in bringing down this regime with one thing, that is by joining the ranks of the Libyan opposition, supporting it, uniting" and establishing contacts inside Libya. He also asked for material support from Libyans abroad and ruled out asking help from foreigners. (1330 gmt 18 Sep 06) Many of the programmes were repeated two or three times. Source: BBC Monitoring research in Arabic Sep 06 (via DXLD) Sawt Al-Amal, emitiendo en 17600 --- Saludos cordiales. 4 Octubre: En el día de hoy comienzo a chequear a Sawt Al-amal a las 1215 y la encuentro en la frecuencia de 17675; estaba con buena señal y sin interferencias. A las 1305 estaba en la frecuencia de 17685 y a las 1311 cambia a 17680. Desde Valencia no se aprecia ninguna emisora, ni señal de interferencia hacia Sawt Al-amal. 5 Octubre --- Hoy comienzo a chequear a las 1207 y encuentro a Sawt Al-amal en 17615, excelente señal pero ligeramente interferida por una señal de burbuja que al poco desaparece y reaparece otra en forma de sirena y luego otra vez la señal de burbuja. Sawt Al-amal está emitiendo un fragmento del canto del Corán, luego cuña de identificación y un locutor con comentarios, SINPO 54454. Sin embargo a las 1217 está señal tipo sirena coge fuerza y consigue atorar a Sawt Al-amal, SINPO 42442. Un chequeo posterior, a las 1306 me lleva a encontrar a Sawt Al-amal en 17605, en esos momentos con un SINPO 45444. A las 1321 cambia a 17600. Hasta esos momentos no se apreciaba señal de interferencia alguna. Dejo chequear a las 1330, Sawt Al-amal continua en 17600 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, SANGEAN ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A-108, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hello DXers, Libya [non] checking Sout Alamal today on 16 m I noticed that they signed on 17635 kHz with the usual intro music around 1200 UT, followed by the recitation of the holy Qur`an, followed by the usual ID, then news commentary talking about Col. Ghaddafi, followed by a program about fasting in Ramadan. An Interview with a guy from Benghazi, a famous Libyan city, followed by ID, followed by OM talking about religious verses and comparing these verses with the situation in Libya and the ruling of Col. Ghaddafi. Followed by an ID then OM welcoming the listeners and talking about the month of Ramadan. QRM from the VOIRI in mandarin on the same frequency but no trace of Libya jamming on the band whatsoever which is a good thing, but on 17610 a very over modulated V. of Africa with OM in Swahili I think with ID as Voice of Africa from the Libyan Jamaheriya, followed by African music. At 1300 UT they moved to 17645, and around 1307 a heavy BJ started on the same frequency, while having the recitation of the holy Qur`an. Then it became impossible to hear anything. All the best (Tarek Zeidan, Cairo, Egypt, ibid.) Sawt Al-amal y extraña música a las 1230 y 1330, 6 Octubre --- Comienzo el chequeo a las 1218 y encuentro a Sawt Al-amal en la frecuencia de 17635 con una sorprendente señal, SINPO 54444; me llama la atención una linda canción que se viene repitiendo en los últimos días, me dispongo a grabarla. A las 1301 cambia de frecuencia a 17625, tengo dificultad para escucharla, colisiona con China Radio International [vía CHILE] en su servicio en inglés. Poco después desaparece y encuentro en 17645 una tremenda señal en forma de sierra y otra en 17650 en forma de sirena que hacen imposible escuchar nada en esas frecuencias. A Sawt Al-amal la encuentro en 17655, muy buena señal y libre de interferencias. A las 1320 escucho otra vez esa bonita canción, parece acompañarla últimamente en todas sus programaciones a la misma hora. Como curiosidad se puede escuchar casi al final de la grabación una extraña música que dura unos segundos y que en los últimos días se la escucha a las 1230 y a las 1330; en principio creía que se trataba de un nuevo elemento de interferencia, pero descartada esa posibilidad. Creo pueda tratarse de un elemento decorativo a la transmisión, aunque muy mal colocado ya que ese adorno no está bien insertado e interfiere un poco. [audio:] http://valenciadx.multiply.com/music/item/200 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, SANGEAN ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A-108, ibid.) ** MALAYSIA. 7295, Traxx FM (RTM), Oct 6 (Fri.), 1340-1400 DJs Mary and Constantine with Traxx Chart Toppers (scheduled for Fri., 11-14 UT), (played #3 song by Fort Mire ``Petrified`` and #1, Duncan James with ``Amazed``); ToH 2 pips, into ``10 PM news update``; sports news; program ``Rocket It, every Thursday and Friday at 10PM, with Maya and Navsta``. Many IDs ``T-R-A-X-X FM, experience the excitement, Traxx FM``. Fair (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, RX340, with T2FD antenna, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also SARAWAK ** MAURITANIA. 4845, Radio Mauritania, 1941-1945, escuchada el 5 de Octubre en árabe a locutor con comentarios, probablemente por su tono con lectura coránica, señal fuerte de portadora aunque con audio muy bajo, segmento de música árabe, SINPO 34433 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, SANGEAN ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A- 108, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. Awake earlier than usual Oct 4, so checked R. Educación, 6185, at 1137, and they were still on past their nominal 6 am (1100 UT) sign-off, with rustic band music; 1140 into commentary about a government massacre of demonstrators on 2 October 1968, with a long list of people and entities who should be punished (``pido castigos``, from the PRI then in power on down to the press who didn`t expose what was happening at the time). Rather serious stuff, but pulled the plug abruptly in the middle of it at 1142 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO [and non]. XEXQ, 6045, with classical music around 1215 Oct 4, and still there more than a sesquihour later at 1351 check. Better reception of classical music tempts one to listen to nearby Nikkei 6055, Japan, instead (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Co- channel QRM to XEXQ, 6045 around 1300 has been traced to an unlisted transmission from V. of RUSSIA, q.v. ** MEXICO. INFORME DE RENDICIÓN DE CUENTAS POR PARTE DEL INSTITUTO Hola: En el ``Informe de Rendición de Cuentas de la Administración Pública 2000 – 2006 Primera Etapa`` del Instituto Mexicano de la Radio (IMER). Se pueden apreciar las mentiras que están en dicho documento para tratar de ocultar las verdaderas ganancias que se obtuvieron con la venta de los activos de IMER por parte de la actual directora y su grupo desde el año 2002. Entre ellos destacan la venta del terreno en donde esta ubicada la planta transmisora de XEMP-AM, así como también la eliminación de tres estaciones que pertenecían al IMER entre ellas XERMX-OC. Entre otras cosas. Solo léase la página 20 de dicho documento en la siguiente dirección: http://www.imer.com.mx/informe_rendicion_cuentas_imer.pdf Si esto solo es la primera etapa, ¿Cómo será la segunda etapa del informe? Con respecto a lo anterior me da coraje e impotencia lo que dice dicho documento se da a conocer. Por lo anterior, hay que darle seguimiento a las 17 estaciones del IMER que todavía sobreviven. Saludos cordiales, (Roberto E. Gómez Morales, Oct 4, playdx yg via DXLD) ** MEXICO. RADIO WAVES INCITE REBELLION IN OAXACA By Diego Cevallos, Oaxaca, Mexico, October 5 2006, IPS "Compañeros, the enemy is the State." That was Thursday's wake-up call to its listeners from La Ley, a private radio station taken over by activists in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, which is fuelling social unrest that has the state government backed into a corner. Taking over a communications outlet by force "is a serious crime, we know that, but they left us with no alternative," "Selvis", a teacher who is running the radio station, told IPS. The radio station is guarded by about 300 demonstrators who are encamped around it, surrounded by defence works built of sandbags, wiring and burnt-out buses. "If the government decides to send in the troops, we know that the radio station will be attacked first. They know that La Ley helps us to maintain the struggle, and that it's strategic for us," said the teacher, who uses an alias because he fears for his life. La Ley, which belongs to the private Oaxaca Radio Programmes company, has been under occupation since Aug. 21 by the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca (APPO). . . [much more] http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=35010 (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) ** MICRONESIA. Micronesia shortwave --- PMA - Pacific Missionary Aviation, Pohnpei Micronesia shortwave. Nob Kalau of PMA in Pohnpei told me today that the shortwave will be 500 Watts "tropical wave". They just start pouring the foundation for the tower and the foundations that the 40' container radio building will sit on. The first tip about this shortwave project was published by Glenn Hauser in DX Listening Digest a while ago (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, Oct 5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) WTFK??? ** MONGOLIA. Recently Voice of Mongolia conducted a quiz contest on the 800th anniversary of the foundation of Mongolia. The questions are related to Genghis Khan. I won the second prize and they informed me that I will receive a Mongolian traditional music CD (T. R. Rajeesh, Report from India, Oct World DX Club Contact via DXLD) And I believe Swopan Chakroborty said he won first prize; what was that? (gh) ** MOROCCO. RTM, 15345, Oct 6 at 1924 with muezzin, and for once, no het from Argentina, either off or not propagating. 1925 pause for YL announcement, more muezzin, and still singing past 1932; good signal (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEPAL. 5005, R Nepal, Khumaltar, 0042-0053, Sep 21, seems back in business in a big way, Nepali vocal instrumental music, time pips at 0045, best ever signal level: 44534. Heard via DX Tuner SE, Rommele (almost the southernmost town in Sweden) with the multi-array EWE/R- 75. This reception used the 090 degrees array (Bruce Churchill, Fallbrook CA, in Dxplorer, via DSWCI DX Window Oct 4 via DXLD) ** NEPAL. Not heard on 1143 kHz MW. 73 (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, National Institute of Amateur Radio, Mussorie (close to Himalayas), India, Oct 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEW ZEALAND. I wonder why the ham community are not making a stink about 10+ kHz of the 40m band being wiped out by RNZI`s DRM on 7145, as noted around 1130 Oct 4. Hams can cope better with AM broadcasts sharing the band, running SSB a few kHz on the side, or even zero- beating if the AM is weak enough, but they can forget about making any use of 7140 thru 7150 while this is on. Seems to me this is just as big a threat, if not more so than Firedrake jamming Sound of Hope. They should insist that RNZI move this stuff out of the hamband. There was also a complaint about this from Europe in 6-144 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGER. La Voix du Sahel, 9705, 2150-2301* Sept 29, French talk, local music. 2253 Qur`an, 2259 choral NA. Fair level but co-channel QRM from India at their 2243 sign-on in English. Both India and Niger in at equal levels (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Splatter reigns --- That is why DXing becomes so treasured! 9705, La Voix du Niger [sic] with poor signal at 2130 with vernacular chants, that were more perceptible once Aretha Franklin filled with ``Think``, one of those brakes for DGS Cahuita transmitter coming from some 180 miles east from my QTH in Tres Ríos, Cartago province. That splatter originating 20 kHz up, 9725, which is the best frequency in the daytime for TIRWR (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, Oct 4, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. KFAQ heard in New Brunswick --- Thanks to tip from Barry McLarnon on the NRC DX Tip List wondering if WWVA 1170 KHz was off the air. They certainly appear to be as I just logged KFAQ 1170 KHz from Tulsa, OK at 0330 UT Oct 5, 2006. Fair signal at times with ad mentioning Oklahoma, "Talk Radio 1170", Fox News and KFAQ Sports (Wade Smith, New Brunswick, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Wonder if KFAQ knew WWVA was off and so did not have to go to night pattern protecting Wheeling? (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. Just before sunrise is the best time to find MW harmonics in the 2-3 MHz area since: day- or at least pre-sunrise increased power often starts at 6 am local, which is now well before SR and night-time propagation is still working; and odds are that the man- made and natural noise level will be lowest. Theoretically, but certainly not the case here Oct 4. Nevertheless, I tuned 1710 past 3200 looking for harmonics. I might have had better luck starting at 1100 UT, 6 am Central, or even 1000 UT, 6 am Eastern, over fully-dark paths, but it was too late for that. All I came up with after 1200 were the local Enid harmonics and external mixing products, which I should put on the record here for once, even tho no one very far from Enid is going to hear them. First of all, we have only two MW stations inside Enid, KGWA 960 and KCRC 1390. Their transmitter sites are a couple miles apart on the NW and N side of town, so I assume their mixtures are some kind of re- radiation from metal objects somewhere in the area, perhaps between them. (The other station, KFXY 1640 is located several miles SE and altho day power is 10x that of either of the others, is probably not going to interact with them, and I have never heard it on 3280, fortunately for Napo.) 1820 kHz is one I don`t recall noticing before, with KCRC audio, altho it is a leapfrog of 960 over 1390 (430 kHz separation), 1222 UT, ``ESPN Radio 1390 KCRC`` ID 1920 = 960 x 2 2350 = 1390 + 960 2780 = 1390 x 2 2880 = 960 x 3 3310 = 2350 + 960 with 960 audio 3740 = 2350 + 1390 with 1390 audio 4170 = 1390 x 3 I have heard before but not today with noise level (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. Dear OETA and PBS: thank you, so very very much, for allowing us to see the horribly mutilated bodies of people executed by the Taliban, on Frontline Oct 3, without pixillation, and in prime time at 8 pm!!! This is so much more shocking than the nude art you kept us from seeing glimpses of on the Marie Antoinette show (Glenn Hauser, Enid, UT Oct 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also AUSTRALIA [non] ** PAKISTAN. Seems there are some changes in tropical band frequencies used by R. Pakistan. Noted a weak signal after 1600 on 5100 instead of traditional 4790. At the same time and later, 5025 was used in vernacular on new 5035. Maybe some technical problems? (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria, script for R. Bulgaria DX Program 1 Sept, by p-mail, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAKISTAN. 5022, R. Pakistan, Quetta, 1600, Sep 09, news in English // 11570 and also with demodulated [undermodulated?] audio on approximately 9400. But the traditional Saturday discussion programme in English at 1530-1600 on 4790 and 5080 was not on the air (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria, DSWCI DX Window Oct 4 via DXLD) ** PAKISTAN. [see INDIA] Noted on the following unlisted MW channels: 1134, 1170, 1332. SW HS Noted as follows: 5034v Quetta 0045-0410 (Fri 0345) 1200-1800 5080v Islamabad 0200-0400 1300-1800 6065 Islamabad 0430-0515 0530-0615 7150.3 Quetta 0600-1145 The following not heard: 5055 0045-0215 1230-1400 1420-1428 1615-1700 5860 0600-1115 5925 0800-1200 7220 Peshawar 1100-1400 Azad Kashmir Radio: 4790 0045-0215 1445-1815 4790 0230-0428 1335-1430 7265 0900-1215 Voice of Jammu Kashmir Freedom: 5990.5 0245-0415 7230 0745-0848 5102v 1300-1430 External Service: 7495 (ex 7445) 0045-0200 Assami, Bengali, 0215-0300 Hindi. 73 (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, National Institute of Amateur Radio, Mussorie (close to Himalayas), India, Oct 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAKISTAN [non]. Checked for Deewa Radio Oct 6 at 1303; only fair on 11510 via Sri Lanka transpolar, but JBA on 15645 Morocco, which as far as I could tell, was not in synch, as one would expect from two separate IBB sites. Talk presumably in Pashto, mentioning Pakistan, and 1306 ID in passing, seemed to be pronounced Dee-WAH RAY-dee-o. At 1339 I thought I heard a bit of English, perhaps something about to be translated (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 4889.9, NBC-Port Moresby; 1154 SIO-212, pop music, mentions of PNG by man at 1157, 1 Oct, Hooked on a Feeling, kookaburra I/S and ID at 1200, then PNG news (Karl Racenis, Caro, MI, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) Can`t imagine NBC airing the kookaburra unless they are relaying R. Australia; WRTH 2006 does not go into such details, in fact skips station 1) but claims 4890 signs off at 1200; seems to me it is always on until 1400, local midnight (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. Re 6-148: 2880, Radio Imperial II (2), armónico 2 por 1440 kHz / 0114 22 Set, SINPO 24332, Lima (Héctor Álvaro, Lima lado Sur, Perú. . .) This station is in Lima too, so the harmonic may only have local range. Reports should differentiate between local and skywave- propagated harmonics; cf OKLAHOMA. WRTH says it varies to 1441, so I wonder if the harmonic was axually on 2882? (gh, DXLD) ** PORTUGAL. RDPI putting in best signal by far from Europe on 13m, Oct 6 at 1329 on 21655, better than another of theirs on 21830 aimed elsewhere, just as they were opening a special transmission mentioning this and numerous other frequencies, in anticipation of joining Antena-1 at 1345 for live coverage of Russia vs Portugal first round play-off, I guess referring to futebol. Then some nice Portuguese music to warm up. If RDPI would spend 1% of the resources it spends broadcasting stupid ballgames all over the world, they could at least resume a small external service in foreign languages, like 5 minutes of news in English. But, no! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. Making my usual attempt to hear XEXQ on 6045, Oct 6 at 1259 I finally got a lead on the perpetual fast SAH co-channel interference. Unmistakably, ``Great Gate of Kiev``, the V. of Russia IS, and after 1300 it sure sounded like Chinese language. Rechecking all the online and offline references, no listing whatsoever of any VOR transmission on this frequency. It might be a recent addition, except I have been hearing the same SAH for many months. (Of course, if XEXQ is the one off-frequency, as is likely, the SAH would also appear with any other 6045.00 collision.) Going by the listings, one would have to conclude that the QRM comes from Inner Mongolia, Hohhot, which operates long hours on 6045. But I have never been able to nail that down for sure, and now even if we hear Chinese, it`s not necessarily that. Unless Hohhot is relaying VOR? Unlikely. Hunting for VOR`s current schedule in Chinese, I found no such language, but instead ``Peking Dialect`` -- how`s that for a put down? http://www.vor.ru/Peking.htm But no mention of 6045: 1200-1300 13590, 7300, 12000, 1251, 585 1300-1400 13590, 7300, 1251, 801, 585 Could it be some other dialect? No, VOR language list does not include even ``Canton Dialect``. WRTH renames the above ``Mandarin`` but it could be argued that this is not politically correct either, harking back as it does to imperial times. How about Han, or Standard Chinese, or Gyo-yü? These names seem to be out of fashion for some reason. When referring to the spoken language, ``Chinese`` is just too ambiguous and should not be conceded to the Pekingese --- er, Beijingers (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SARAWAK/MALAYSIA [and non], 7270.0, Wai FM (RTM), Oct 5, 0940-1020, YL DJ playing pop songs and ballads (one in English: ``I Will Always Love You``), ToH begins QRM from stronger PBS Nei Menggu. Into news, then YL DJ again with music and several on-air phone conversations. Last heard Wai FM a few months ago, before PBS Nei Menggu came on frequency (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, RX340, with T2FD antenna, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SAUDI ARABIA. BSKSA making it on 21600 at 1403 Oct 4 with Qur`an, 1408 into French presumably starting with translation of that Kor`an excerpt. Weak but fair on peaks. Other Saudi channels in Arabic were there but less audible, 21640, 21505, 21460. All were far too weak to audiblize every conceivable mixing product among them (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SCOTLAND [non]. Radio Six International --- Just for the avoidance of doubt, here are the transmission times of our October shortwave broadcasts. Saturday 14th October (second Saturday of the month) from 0830 to 0930 GMT on 9310 kHz and at http://www.radiosix.com Sunday 15th October from 0700 to 0800 GMT on 9310 kHz and at http://www.radiosix.com (from this month this transmission is parallelled on the web feed - it wasn't before) Thursday 19th October from 1900 to 2000 GMT on 5775 kHz and at http://www.radiosix.com (Last month's exclusion from the web feed was an error.) The broadcast will include "Saturday Sounds" for the first 40 minutes, then Judy Gruber's "Letter From America" and the final quarter hour will be devoted to the October edition of "DXtra". Regards (TONY CURRIE, Programme Director, radio six international, Glasgow, Oct 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) SW via IRRS via BULGARIA (gh) ** SUDAN [non]. UAE: 15205, Southern Sudan Interactive R. Instruction via UAE, Sep 29 *0630-0659* 35443-35433 English, 0630 sign on with IS, ID, Chorus, I study in a quiz form 15205, Southern Sudan Interactive R. Instruction via UAE, Sep 29 *0700-0706 34433 English, 0700 sign on with IS, ID, Chorus, I study in a quiz form. 15205, Southern Sudan Interactive R. Instruction via UAE, Oct 04 *0630-0642 45433 English, 0630 sign on with IS, ID, Chorus, I study in a quiz form (Kouji Hashimoto, Japan, Japan Premium via DXLD) ** TAJIKISTAN. Tajik Radio has a broadcast in English, received regularly from 1645 on 7245. Also regularly in the past few days on 4635 used for domestic service of Tajik radio, observed Iranian type jammer (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria, script for R. Bulgaria DX Program 15 Sept, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TATARSTAN. RUSSIA. R. Tatarstan or ``Tatarstan Wave`` is on the air in TaTar and Russian: 0410-0500 15110 0610-0700 9690 0810-0900 11925 QSL address: P O Box 134, Kazan 420136, Tatarstan, Russia. Two IRCs required (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria, script for R. Bulgaria DX Program 1 Sept, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TURKEY. LIVE FROM TURKEY --- This is a call-in program of the Voice of Turkey, It is presented on Tuesdays in the 1830 UT transmission, and on Thursdays in the 1230 UT transmission. It is about 35 minutes long. You phone them and give your number, and they call you back and put you on air. You do not have to tell them in advance what you will talk about. You can talk about 20 minutes about anything you like. Trouble is, there are too few callers. I don't know why. This really is free speech. You can talk about Turkey and you can say bad things about Turkey - provided you believe they are true. Please don't try to sell anything for profit, because the Voice of Turkey is entirely non- commercial. You can try to boost your DX club, because it is not-for- profit. Politics is welcome. Bear in mind that the people in the Voice of Turkey studio are risking their jobs by putting you on the air. Use some common sense. But these limitations are mine - the Voice of Turkey lets you say anything. Careful about copyright! There are lots of pirate radio operators, who risk going to prison to broadcast with 100 watts. You can broadcast in Live from Turkey, without fear, using 500 kilowatts on Tuesdays and 1,000 kilowatts on Thursdays. You can broadcast anything you want. The Voice of Turkey is daring. They conduct an annual essay contest, and the winners get ten days in Turkey and transport to Turkey and back. This year, they even allowed a chef to be a winner. The winners get ten days of Turkish food, which is very good. We will see what becomes of this chef. [Christopher Lewis, England] I believe the Voice of Turkey gives a true picture of Turkey, because there are occasional glitches, but everyone has good intentions. The Voice of Turkey broadcasts in many languages, and most programs are prepared in the central programming department in Turkish, and then translated. Turkey has a lot to offer. The English department produces a DX-program and a Letterbox; these have a more personal character. Reception quality can change from one day to the next. Listening can be enjoyable and can be difficult, QSL cards and program schedules are available. Return postage is never needed. I have found the Voice of Turkey to be the most interesting station I have ever met (David Crystal, Israel, WDXC Member #2527, Oct WDXC Contact via DXLD) Dozens, scores, maybe hundreds of club members perhaps didn't realise that there was free air time available on VoT and so possibly some may wish to take the opportunity of have a go backed by the knowledge that there is a good chance of being selected for as David has said there are too few callers. Think about it and if you want a subject to chat about, let`s say, World DX Club (Arthur Ward, WDXC ed, ibid.) Prompted by David`s monitored appearances on LFT, we have frequently mentioned this availability in DXLD. Tuned in a bit late after 1305 on Oct 5, but did not hear him this week (gh) ** TURKMENISTAN. R. Turkmenistan heard from 1500 to 1510 with news in English on 5015; it is daily except Sundays. The other broadcast in English at 1640 on 4930 was not on the air, but replaced by talks in vernacular language (Rumen Pankov, Sofia, Bulgaria, script on manual typewriter for R. Bulgaria DX Program 15 Sept, DX LISTENING DIGEST) A later revision of this as broadcast 2 weeks hence was in 6-147 (gh) ** UGANDA. Uganda relaying SABC??? Hi Kathy, Any idea what is going on with SABC IDs reported on 4976 Uganda, unusually running overnight as in last two DXLDs? 73, (Glenn to Kathy Otto, SENTECH, Oct 4, via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, This doesn't sound right to me. The ID is suspect - ("This is SABC - South Africa") - not one of the SABC's radio stations would identify itself like that as far as I'm aware. The SABC has 18 different radio stations and each one has its own unique ID, as has each of the SABC's 3 television stations. Sorry I can't be more helpful. Kind regards (Kathy Otto, ibid.) 4975.97, R Uganda, Kampala, 2314-0247, Sep 30-Oct 01, for some reason, this was still on, obviously all night, pops and local music with chatty man DJ in Vernacular sometimes talking over the music. IDs like: "...Radio UBC, Radio Uganda..." and "...listening to Radio UBC, your number one in Kampala Uganda...". Heard well but lots of static from local storms (John Herkimer, Caledonia NY and Dave Valko, Dunlo PA, DSWCI DX Window Oct 4 via DXLD) ** UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Radio Asia noted on 648 kHz (ex 1557) in Malayalam (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, National Institute of Amateur Radio, Mussorie (close to Himalayas), India, Oct 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. B-B-C chimes at 1259 Oct 4 on 15330, and into Central Asian language I could not quite identify, tho it had some Slavic influence. That fits for Uzbek, as in EiBi at 1300-1330 via Rampisham (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. BBC was observed on September 9 with new special programme on 5875 from 1930 with relay of the annual summer Promenade Concert. Usually at this time is on the air the programme of BBC in Russian (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, script for R. Bulgaria DX program Sept 15, by P-mail, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I think this item did not appear on the air in the DX program. This was of course the Last Night of the Proms, always on a Saturday in early-mid September. Why wasn`t there any advance publicity about this year`s SW relay? First I`ve heard of it. In the good old days of ``London Calling`` we would know all about it (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** U K [non]. BBC relay service towards Caribic via Merlin-VT brokery in B-06 season: 5875 1100-1130 .mtwtf. Furman 250 173 English 5875 1100-1200 s.....s Furman 250 173 English 5875 1130-1200 .mtwt.. Furman 250 173 English 5875 1130-1200 .....f. Furman 250 173 English 5975 2200-2300 smtwtfs Montsinery 250 295 English 6110 0300-0400 smtwtfs Furman 250 173 Spanish 6130 1100-1130 .mtwtf. Montsinery 250 295 English 6130 1100-1200 s.....s Montsinery 250 295 English 6130 1130-1200 .mtwt.. Montsinery 250 295 English 6130 1130-1200 .....f. Montsinery 250 295 English 9660 1200-1230 .mtwtf. Furman 250 173 English 9660 1200-1300 s.....s Furman 250 173 English 9660 1230-1300 .mtwtf. Furman 250 173 English 9660 2100-2130 .mtwtf. Furman 250 173 English 9660 2100-2300 s.....s Furman 250 173 English 9660 2130-2300 .mtwtf. Furman 250 173 English 9750 1200-1230 .mtwtf. Montsinery 250 295 English 9750 1200-1300 s.....s Montsinery 250 295 English 9750 1230-1300 .mtwtf. Montsinery 250 295 English (via ADDX, Andreas Volk-D, wwdxc BC-DX Oct 3 via DXLD) ** UNITED NATIONS [non]. Relays via Merlin-VT brokery in B-06 season: 7170 1700-1715 UNR Meyerton 100 76 Non-Specific S AF 7170 1730-1745 UNR Meyerton 100 5 Non-Specific E AF 7260 1830-1845 UNR Rampisham 500 168 Non-Specific N AF 7260 1830-1845 UNR Rampisham 500 105 Non-Specific ME 9565 1700-1715 UNR Skelton 300 180 Non-Specific N AF 9565 1730-1745 UNR Rampisham 500 105 Non-Specific ME 11715 1700-1715 UNR Meyerton 500 330 Non-Specific S C AF 17810 1730-1745 UNR Ascension 250 65 Non-Specific W C AF [all] Mon-Fri only [English is non-specifically at 1730 --- gh] (via ADDX, Andreas Volk-D, wwdxc BC-DX Oct 3 via DXLD) ** U S A. Poynter Online Updated at 6:25 p.m. ET Romenesko --- Your daily fix of media industry news, commentary, and memos. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2006 http://poynter.org/column.asp?id=45&aid=111686 151] Hiassen told the Herald: I'll quit if my Martí column is killed NPR.org --- Carl Hiaasen discusses Miami Herald publisher Jesús Díaz Jr.'s resignation with David Folkenflik and brings up his September 17 [152] piece on the Radio/TV Martí flap: "I was told that my column was going to be fuel on the fire. My response was, 'Who cares?' Since when do I worry about what the circulation numbers are? That's a problem with the business side. When they told me my column wasn't going to run, my response was, 'You'll have my resignation in the morning.'" The column ran. [153] Earlier: Díaz tells readers he was tempted to hold two columns (MH) Posted at 6:28:48 PM References Visible links http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6189886 http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/15529495.htm 153. http://poynter.org/column.asp?id=45&aid=110612 (via Dan Say, DXLD) ** U S A. US EXPANDS BROADCASTING TO AFGHANISTAN, PAKISTAN At the end of September the Voice of America launched two new services for the Afghanistan/Pakistan region. TV Ashna (Friend) consists of two 30-minute news programmes in Dari and Pashto, the two main languages in Afghanistan. The bulletins are carried on the state-owned National Television Afghanistan. A VOA press release said that the broadcasts will offer a new source of regional and world news and feature interviews with Afghan and American policymakers and political, economic and security analysts. In its first broadcast, on 30 September, it was noted that the two female presenters, unlike local Afghan presenters, did not wear headscarves. VOA's radio transmissions to Afghanistan in Dari and Pashto are known as Radio Ashna. Together with Radio Azadi (Radio Free Afghanistan), which is produced by the Prague-based Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, they provide 24 hours a day broadcasts in the two languages. Radio Azadi provides local news, while Radio Ashna supplies news about events around the world, according to an RFE/RL press release of December 2005. It said that a recently-commissioned nationwide survey had found that 75.3 per cent of Afghan radio listeners tuned to the service at least once a week. The second new service is called Radio Deewa (Light). This has programming in Pashto specifically designed for the Afghanistan- Pakistan border region. VOA director David Jackson said that this was an area facing "significant challenges... so it's critical for them to have access to accurate and unbiased news and information". Initial programming consists of an hour-long news bulletin from 1300 gmt, with 10-minute news bulletins at the top of the hour for the next four hours. The remainder of the round-the-clock broadcasts are currently made up of contemporary Pashto popular music. But VOA says it intends to expand to six hours of daily news programming. Radio Deewa broadcasts on shortwave and on 100.5 FM in "select" cities. VOA radio broadcasts in Urdu were rebranded in early 2004 as Radio Aap ki Dunya (Your World). The move towards a more youth-oriented programming with music echoed VOA's introduction of the Arabic- language Radio Sawa and Farsi-language Radio Farda. An arrangement to rebroadcast Radio Aap ki Donya on FM in Pakistan was cancelled after only six months. It now broadcasts via mediumwave and shortwave. VOA TV also produces an Urdu-language TV programme "Beyond the Headlines". This is a 30-minute news and current affairs programme broadcast five days a week. It is carried by the private, Dubai-based Geo TV, which is one of the leading Pakistani TV channels and seen mainly via cable networks. Source: BBC Monitoring research 6 Oct 06 (via DXLD) ** U S A. The VOA Greenville transmitter carrying the Andean service in Spanish on 9535 is developing a squeal, as noted Oct 4 at 1155. Not too bad yet, but certainly noticeable. Regarding my previous observations of various spurs involving R. Martí 11930 Greenville. Now that we know that 11720 Hausa at 2030 is really Greenville too, it all falls into place, leapfrogging to produce the spur on 12140 at 210 kHz separation; just as the 11965 spur results from mix with Creole on 11895 at 35 kHz separation; and 12015 from two Martí frequencies, 11845 leapfrogging 11930 at 85 kHz (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Greenville as site for 11720 would be quite interesting, since trans-Atlantic transmissions from there are quite rare now. One has anyway to wonder about the future of the remaining B site (or is a return of site A to operation still possible as well?) when considering that six out of eight transmitters there are more than 40 years old. Here are some pictures from site A: http://hawkins.pair.com/voanc1.shtml I think it is no exaggeration to say that it looks in parts just like a museum. Judging from this report the appearance of site B is very similar, with identical old transmitters 1...3 (Continental 500 kW) and 4...6 (General Electric 250 kW). Only real difference would be the new transmitters 7 and 8; at Greenville B these are a Telefunken and an Asea Brown Boveri instead. This is because at this time a sample had been ordered from the leading manufacturers of 500 kW transmitters for evaluation purposes, with no success for Telefunken as they pointed out in a chronicle of their company, with this single S4005 at Greenville-B remaining IBB's only Telefunken transmitter. Or have they recently put up some ex-Glória and/or ex-Holzkirchen transmitters at Greenville? Just speculation, but did we hear of a new home for all these rigs? I don't think so (Kai Ludwig, Germany, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Since I have been unsuccessful in hearing WBCQ on 18910-CLSB for quite a while, I should note that on Oct 6 at 1930 it was inbooming louder than WYFR on 18930 or 18980, with monotonous YL preacher (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [and non]. WYFR announced in English that it wants to hear from Tamil-speakers, presumably to start up another service in that language; of course they would need to buy in to Harold Camping`s wacky Protestant theology. This was around 1129 UT Oct 4 on WOOB 7780. Per website, they already have Urdu, Hindi and Bengali, none of which would be transmitted directly from Okeechobee (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Another new Cuban program on WRMI beginning this weekend. The producer, Alfredo Cepero, worked at VOA for over a decade, I believe (Jeff White, WRMI, Oct 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: RADIO NUEVA NACION --- Comenzando el sábado 7 de octubre, escuche todos los sábados a las 8:30 AM, hora estandar de el este, LA NUEVA NACION, órgano oficial del Partido Nacionalista Democrático de Cuba, a través de RADIO NUEVA NACION, en los 9955 Kilohertz, banda de 31 metros. Por internet puede escucharlo desde el enlace de nuestra página http://www.pndcuba.org o visitando http://www.wrmi.net (Alfredo Cepero, alfredocepero @ bellsouth.net via Jeff White, WRMI, DXLD) He says it will be at 8:30 AM EST, but I suppose he means EDT and doesn`t understand the difference, i.e. 1230 UT when WOR has been airing (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Jeff, So that replaces a World of Radio airing, right??? Please update us on WOR and all other DX program times. 73, (Glenn to Jeff White via DXLD) Glenn: It looks like we could just move WOR a half-hour later, to 1300-1330 on Saturdays. But that would be a temporary solution, because when B06 begins, we'll be on 7385 going north from 1300 to 1600 instead of 1400-1600 as it is at present. I'll keep looking. [later:] Yes, I'll move it to 1300 immediately, and we can look for a better solution between now and the end of the month (Jeff White, WRMI, Oct 5-6, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WWCR 12160 crosstalk gone? Was finally OK here in West Virginia. Hope problem is now solved (Alex Vranes, Jr., Harpers Ferry, Oct 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) i.e. during WOR Sat 1600+ ** U S A [and non]. On WOR Saturday night Sept 30 you mentioned WBOH 5920. I used to listen to this station weekly at 11 pm Friday night west coast time, and daily at 10:30 pm Sunday-Thursday WCT. But beginning the day DST kicked in this last time, I have been unable to hear it – because of heavy co-channel interference in Russian at night, at least past 10 pm WCT. Why is this? Maybe you can help find out (John Young, Baldwin Park CA, by P-mail, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ILG showed R. Rossii, Magadan as the only other 5920 station, and on the air long hours from 17 to 13 UT. 05 UT would roughly be sundown there now, but at that latitude it varies widely. However, HFCC shows this at those same hours as Petro-Kam, 15 degrees, 100 kW, quite a distance from Magadan. PWBR agrees site is Petro-Kam, as Kamchtaka Radio, and in use only during summer season, so that would explain its sudden appearance last March/April, and you may look forward to its vanishing at end of DST; but why would anyone axually want to listen to 50 kW WBOH? It doesn`t help that it aims 170 degrees from North Carolina, so you are way off its azimuth and intended target of Caribbean, South America (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. RED RIVER RADIO GENERAL MANAGER ARRESTED ON SEX CHARGES October 4, 2006 By Adam Kealoha Causey http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061004/NEWS03/610040337/1062 The general manager of Red River Radio Network [KDAQ] is accused of soliciting sex from an undercover officer who he thought was a 14- year-old girl in Bossier City. Roy E. Gerritsen, 57, of the 400 block of Persimmon Drive in Shreveport was arrested Monday night on charges of computer aided solicitation of a minor and attempted carnal knowledge of a juvenile, according to city spokesman Mark Natale. Investigators with the Northwest Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force said Gerritsen chatted with an undercover officer on the Internet. He was booked into the Bossier City Jail then transferred to the Bossier Parish Maximum Security Prison in Plain Dealing, Natale said. He thought he was meeting the girl at a house, Natale said. Gerritsen was still in the parish prison as of 5:50 p.m. Tuesday on bond set at $75,000, Bossier sheriff's spokesman Ed Baswell said. Gerritsen has been the local NPR affiliate's general manager since May 2005, according to Times archives. He still held the position as of 5:20 p.m., according to LSUS spokesman Greg Trusty. Red River Radio is housed on the campus. Conviction of computer-aided solicitation of a minor carries a fine of up to $10,000 and two to 10 years in prison without benefit of parole, Natale said. Attempted carnal knowledge of a juvenile carries a sentence of $2,500 and/or five years in prison. The Northwest Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which led the investigation, includes the Bossier City marshal's office, the Bossier City Police Department, the Bossier Parish sheriff's office, the Shreveport Police Department, the Caddo sheriff's office, the Webster Parish sheriff's office, the Louisiana attorney general's office, Louisiana state police, the U.S. marshal's office and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (via Brock Whaley, DXLD) ** U S A. TX, Shamrock, KBKH 92.9 --- the FCC designates for hearing as to whether or not Terry Keith Hammond`s license should be revoked. Hammond is a convicted felon, found guilty June 4, 2004 of stealing $1500. He lied to the FCC more than once, including concealing that he built the station on a site 8 km away from where it was supposed to be. Its EAS equipment was found not to be operational on May 28, 2003. If the license is renewed, he faces a fine up to $325,000 (Oct FMedia! via DXLD) There is a very different side to this matter, from Hammond himself. Remember that ``Monster FM`` KBKH case in Shamrock, TX? We`ve had several items about it, most recently in 6-036. Rechecking the websites, we are now led to http://www.shamrockjustice.com/ Where there is a LOT of info alleging horrible miscarriage of justice: ``Terry Keith Hammond, the legal and rightful owner of KBKH 92.9-FM, has been falsely accused and found guilty of stealing from the radio station that he, as an individual, owns. (Click here for proof of ownership as provided by the only agency in the United States authorized to determine radio station ownership.) Mr. Hammond is appealing the conviction based upon, among other things, the fact that his federally issued broadcast license was maliciously misrepresented to the jury as a "known forgery" by the prosecution when his case went to trial. Further, during the "joke trial", the prosecution was so brazenly involved in the pursuit of a personal vendetta against Mr. Hammond that she actively engaged in covering up several facts . . .`` (via Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. INDICTMENTS IN AIR AMERICA SCANDAL from the non right wing [sic] WCBS: http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_278135950.html Glenn: The Associated Press has also picked up the story about the indictments in NY City --- one of the major city papers picking up the AP's version was the Boston Herald http://news.bostonherald.com/national/view.bg?articleid=160906 Meanwhile, Air America superstar host Al Franken's movie is bombing at the box office: http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/2006/0AFGS.php (via Craig Seufert, DXLD) Well, what do you expect? the movie is only on 5 screens nationwide. Corporate-controlled movie exhibitors are obviously trying to keep the movie down. I`ll bet many of the theatres where it is showing are alternative or art outfits, which by their nature have smaller BO. And with a few notable exceptions, docus don`t make much money. As for AA, they paid back the ill-gotten gains long ago, the people responsible are long gone, but AA detractors keep beating this story (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VATICAN [non]. VR IS on 6020 Oct 4 at 1229, 1230 bells of St. Pete and opening Chinese, bad mixture via RVA Philippines with R. Australia. Apparently none of these stations consider this a problem in their target areas (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VENEZUELA [non]. RNV via Cuba, 6060, Oct 4 at 1147 with the seventh in a series on Francisco Miranda. At 1159 I tuned to 11705 to confirm the start of the latest-discovered repeat. Carrier came on at 1159:50, but no IS until played once at 1201, and sign-on as Radio Nacional de Venezuela, Canal Internacional. These Cult of Chávez broadcasts start out with a lie that they are ``directamente`` from Venezuela tho we all know they are Cuban relays. Apartado 3979, Caracas 1010 address keeps getting announced. Has anyone tried to contact them lately and received any response, let alone QSL, or is the postal mail still being bounced by the PO? Same question about their announced e-mail address (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Radio Nacional. Checked from 2000 to 2100 UT on Wed. October 4 but only one frequency heard. Excellent signal on 17705. Nothing on 13680 or 9550 where I had heard RNV earlier in the A-06 season. 9550 is occupied by FEBA in Arabic to 2030. From 2300 to 2400 UT excellent reception here on 15250 and 13680 (Bernie O'Shea, Ottawa, Ontario, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VIRGIN ISLANDS US. 1620, WDHP, Frederiksted, St. Croix (17 43'N 64 53'W), SEP 25, 0600 - ID by a woman with a U.S. mainland, not West Indian, accent: "This is WDHP Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, 1620 kilohertz, simulcasting with WRRA 1290 kilohertz Frederiksted on the... Radio Network," into middle of the road music. First time noted without BBC World Service. May have dropped BBC. If so, it would be a shame because BBC was interesting and very easy to identify. Good, some KSMH (Richard E. Wood, BIHI, NRC IDXD via DXLD) Jointly owned, but why in the world simulcast? Temporary? Does anyone have working E-mail for WDHP? The one via WRRA bounced (gh, DXLD) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. ARGELIA, 7425, R N Saharaui, 1925-1930, escuchada el 5 de Octubre a locutora en árabe con titulares y referencias al ramadán acompañadas de música, SINPO 45444 (José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, SANGEAN ATS 909, Antena Radio Master A-108, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 4835.5 kHz, heard something unusual on Fri. 10/6 when I checked 60-m.b. around 0512 UT. First thought maybe Mali on early, but noticed that talk by man was in Spanish. Never heard any ID or anything that gave a clue as to location. Nice carrier, about S9 on FRG-100B, although audio was a bit low. Audio went off mid-song 0520, and carrier went off about 5 minutes later. Nothing was heard on this frequency when I checked the band around 0115. R. Marañón in Perú usually a bit lower in frequency than this, and usually with signal not as strong as this one was. Did put up new 200- foot dipole w/nice solid enameled copper wire and this time insulated from trees (instead of just tossed over branches!) and hung higher than old multi-strand longwire at about 20 feet above the ground, with 50-ft. coax for lead-in, but I did hear Marañón since then in both morning after *1000 and eves, and never this strong or this clear. Anybody else hear this? Possibly new station testing? (Alex Vranes, Jr., Harpers Ferry, WV, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 9673v; 9/26, 2255-2305. YL/OM in Spanish or Portuguese with what sounded like relay of a local station. Long string of frequencies at TOH. No clear ID. Possible mention of Amazonia & Pacifico. Into Latin American music at TOH followed by more talk. Fair (Joe Wood, Greenback TN, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) Well, there`s Perú`s Radio del Pacífico on nominal 9675. WRTH 2006 had them inactive, but scheduled at 14-23 (gh) UNIDENTIFIED. Right now (2300 UT, October 6), I am getting an unID Spanish station on 13363.4 USB. Romantic SS ballads by male vocalist on acoustic guitar, low-key SS male announcer with comments in between songs. Any ideas on who this could be? 73 (J. D. Stephens, Hampton Cove, AL, HCDX via DXLD) One of the Argentine LTA feeders? (gh, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 15372, Oct 4 at 1302, SSB inside the 15 MHz SWBC band outstix like a sorethumb, 2-way in Spanish from 1302 to 1307; heard both sides equally well, but could not make out what they were discussing, much less anything identifiable. Standard suspicion is that these are poachers or narco-traffickers, but I wish native speakers would monitor and understand what they say. Such conversations involving codewords, dialect, poor enunciation, are a far cry from a newscast by a polished professional announcer (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. Radio Farda, 25870, 1552 UT 5/10 --- Hi Glenn, this is an odd one, it seemed to be propagation on Sporadic E, so I guess it must be from somewhere in Europe? (Tim Bucknall, UK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Yes indeed it is [odd]. Could not be a regular harmonic from a lower frequency. Was it on regular AM, or FM (or DRM)? Did it match some SW frequencies on the R. Farda schedule, or did you just get an ID on 25870 only? Maybe they are running this in Prague for some reason. (Glenn to Tim, via DX LISTENING DIGEST) It was AM, no //, just IDs; wouldn't like to guess at the language, wasn't Arabic, maybe Kurdish but I'm not too familiar with that either! All the best (Tim Bucknall, UK, ibid.) If it`s the real Radio Farda, it would only be in Persian, I think. (Well, some music happens to have Spanish and English lyrics). Were they mainly playing music? Were you hearing them for more than a minute at 1552? Might check again today. The listed frequencies for Farda during that hour are 13870 Sri Lanka, 15170 Morocco, and 17745 Biblis, Germany. They probably are not precisely synchronized with each other but if you can hear 25870 and any of them, you might at least get a match there. I have looked for possible mixing products with other frequencies from the same sites, but not come up with anything. 73, (Glenn to Tim, via DXLD) Ah Persian! makes sense, yes mainly music, a couple of ID's then weird/elaborate bells/chimes on the hour. I had it for about 10 minutes before it faded out, no sign of the signal yet today, but will be looking (Tim Bucknall, UK, 1529 UT Oct 6, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [slightly later:] Hi Glenn, at the time of writing this (1536 UT) I can hear a DRM-type signal on 25870; no AM signal present yet, will keep listening (Tim Bucknall, ibid.) Nothing on the DRM schedules for 25870; but a transmitter testing DRM there might also test with AM, pulled off some satellite (gh, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 27450; 9/27, 0036. YL/OM in Spanish with talk. No ID, music or place names heard. Very strong signal. VG (Joe Wood, Greenback TN, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) This is possibly a studio relay. There have been several reported over the years on about 26500 to 27500, but they seem to have gotten scarce in recent years. Maybe 2 x 13725? (Harold Frodge, MARE Ed., ibid.) Which would be RCI, sked in Spanish on 13725 at 00-01. Fits; listening longer should have got something identifiable. Was there a sporadic E opening then? Unlikely this time of year, but always possible. Should have checked for // 13725. If extremely strong, might have been receiver-produced harmonic (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thanks again for all your hard work with DXLD. It truly is the most up-to-date information around and certainly the most accurate, plus your enlightened comments provide us with informed insights. Wish you continued success (Ron Howard, CA) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ NEW ITU MONITORING REPORT FOR THIRD QUARTER Saludos cordiales, la ITU ya tiene disponible un nuevo listado de frecuencias monitorizadas, periodo 1-07-2006 a 30-09-2006. Este listado puede obternerse en formato pdf en: http://www.itu.int/ITU-R/terrestrial/monitoring/files/pdffiles/311.pdf 73 (José Miguel Romero, Spain, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) And now they will start on a new one, 312, and eventually availablize it as a work in progress long before the quarter is finished (gh) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ CHINESE OTH RADAR TEARS UP LOWER HAM BANDS IARU Monitoring System seeks over-the-horizon radar reports (October 5, 2006) --- IARU Region 2 Monitoring System Coordinator Bill Zellers, WA4FKI, says Amateur Radio stations on the West Coast and as far east as Arizona have reported hearing over-the-horizon radar signals on the low bands. VE7BZ in British Columbia recorded the radar`s signal October 1, 1353 UTC, on 3795 kHz. The radar, apparently located on Hainan Island, Peoples Republic of China, has shown up on 160, 80 and 40 meters and sometimes is quite strong. ``We`re talking about signals 40 over 9!`` Zellers told ARRL, adding that the radar is obliterating 160 meters in the Far East. On 80\75 meters it appears as high as 3.8 MHz, while on 40 meters, it`s showing up on the lower 25 kHz or so. Typically there are about 50 seconds between signal pulses. He said the radar signals are strongest on a heading of between 285 and 320 degrees from California or Arizona. Zellers requests reports from stations hearing the over-the-horizon radar signals as well as any other signals that do not appear to belong on the Amateur Radio bands. He suggests the following format when reporting: Your call sign, time in UTC, frequency, emission type, signal strength, propagation and signal bandwidth in kHz. Send reports to Zeller via e- mail wa4fki @ nc.rr.com This story: http://www.arrl.org/?artid=6850 (via John Norfolk, dxldyg, DXLD) CANADIAN CODAR SHUT DOWN? Re 6-148: I thought the CODAR transmissions were up around 10m wavelength. Are they also on lower frequencies? I just checked and the yoink-yoinks are still going strong on the 60m band. If these sigs are from the Canadian surface wave radar system then they haven't been shut down yet. 73 (John VE3CXB, ODXA via DXLD) I'm not saying the 4815 transmission is the Canadian one; as you say, it's probably the CODAR from the US east coast. I've been hearing it in this neighborhood for several years. But at least it's good news that some of the noise is getting shut down. Hugh Stegman's Utility World column in MT Dec 2004 (page 34) identifies the CODAR as the sweeper around 4.5 MHz. It also says the "surveillance version" being tested in Canada is between 10 and 18 MHz. And it mentions new and proposed Raytheon sites but does not give frequencies Oh, yeah, Glenn Hauser's Global Forum in MT April 2002 (p 36) confirms that CODAR is around the 60m band, "if not also above 12 MHz". :-) Has anyone here heard it around 10 MHZ or higher? (Pete Lanting, ibid.) Sure, heard Oct 6 at 1922 peaking around 12130, and heard just about any day around 13550 too (Glenn Hauser, OK, ibid.) DIGITAL BROADCASTING DRM: see NEW ZEALAND; UNIDENTIFIED 25870 ++++++++++++++++++++ PROPAGATION +++++++++++ The geomagnetic field ranged from quiet to minor storm levels. Solar wind speed ranged from a high of about 650 km/s early on 25 September to a low of about 300 km/s late on 29 September. The period began under the waning influence of a high speed coronal hole wind stream. Though wind speed was elevated to near 650 km/s, the IMF Bz was weak, not varying much beyond +/-4 nT. These conditions persisted through late on 29 September. During this period, wind speed gradually decayed to about 300 km/s, and as a result, the geomagnetic field was quiet to unsettled at all latitudes. By early on 30 September, wind speed increased to near 450 km/s, the IMF Bz fluctuated between +15 to -10 nT, and both density and temperature increased, all indicative of a co-rotating interaction region in advance of a coronal hole high speed stream. By 30/0600 UTC, the geomagnetic field was unsettled to active and further increased to minor storm levels early on 01 October. The period ended with wind speed decaying to near 500 km/s and the geomagnetic field at unsettled to active levels. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 04 - 30 OCTOBER 2006 Solar activity is expected to be at very low levels. No greater than 10 MeV proton events are expected. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at high levels on 04 – 07 October, 15 – 20 October, 22 - 26 October, and 28 – 30 October. The geomagnetic field is expected to be mostly quiet to unsettled for the majority of the forecast period. Recurrent coronal hole high speed wind streams are expected to rotate into geoeffective positions on 14 – 15 October, 21 October, and 28 October. Unsettled to minor storm periods are possible on those dates. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2006 Oct 03 2354 UTC # Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Environment Center # Product description and SEC contact on the Web # http://www.sec.noaa.gov/wwire.html # #27-day Space Weather Outlook Table # Issued 2006 Oct 03 # #UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2006 Oct 04 80 8 3 2006 Oct 05 80 5 2 2006 Oct 06 80 5 2 2006 Oct 07 80 5 2 2006 Oct 08 80 5 2 2006 Oct 09 80 5 2 2006 Oct 10 75 5 2 2006 Oct 11 75 5 2 2006 Oct 12 70 8 3 2006 Oct 13 70 8 3 2006 Oct 14 70 15 3 2006 Oct 15 70 20 4 2006 Oct 16 70 12 3 2006 Oct 17 75 8 3 2006 Oct 18 75 8 3 2006 Oct 19 75 5 2 2006 Oct 20 75 10 3 2006 Oct 21 75 20 4 2006 Oct 22 75 10 3 2006 Oct 23 70 8 3 2006 Oct 24 70 5 2 2006 Oct 25 75 5 2 2006 Oct 26 75 5 2 2006 Oct 27 80 10 3 2006 Oct 28 80 20 4 2006 Oct 29 80 12 3 2006 Oct 30 75 10 3 (http://www.sec.noaa.gov/radio via DXLD) Posted too late for WOR 1331, so I had to go back to the previous week`s edition (gh) SOLAR CYCLE TRENDS September 30 ended the third quarter of 2006, so now is a good time to review quarterly averages of daily sunspot numbers and solar flux, to examine the current solar cycle`s downward trend. From the first quarter of 2004 through the third quarter of 2006, the average daily sunspot number was 72.9, 71.3, 69.3, 61, 46.1, 55.7, 58, 36, 18.1, 39.7 and 23.5. The average daily solar flux for the same period was 111.1, 99.5, 111, 104.8, 96.4, 93.1, 93.6, 84.5, 78.5, 82.1 and 77.5. That still looks like a steady downward slope as we end Sunspot Cycle 23. The Space Environment Center (SEC) forecast still predicts a low point for sunspot numbers during the March-April time frame next year. This is based on a smoothed sunspot number, so those daily values are averaged over six months to produce a smoothed value centered in the middle of the period. So when we finally get there, it may not be immediately apparent that we have reached the bottom of the cycle because of daily variation. But if it is anything like the last minimum --- 10 years ago this month --- we should observe at least several weeks of no sunspots at all. Earlier this year we discussed the predictions of researcher Mausumi Dikpata, who said that Cycle 24 may be a big one. She used observations of the Great Conveyor Belt, a huge circulating current of hot plasma inside the sun, which takes about 40 years to complete a full rotation. The speed of this belt seems to correlate well with solar activity some 20 years in the future. The movement has slowed considerably, leading NASA solar physicist David Hathaway to predict weak activity for Cycle 25, peaking around 2022. You can read about it at http://www.physorg.com/news66581392.html (The K7RA Solar Update http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/10/05/100/?nc=1 via John Norfolk, dxldyg via DXLD) TIPS FOR RATIONAL LIVING ++++++++++++++++++++++++ TONIGHT'S SPECIAL COMMENT ON LYING Another terrific anti-Bush rant by Keith Olbermann, a Special Comment concluded Countdown on MSNBC Oct 5. Go get the bastards, Keith! Preview link at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15146500/ and archive link with free video at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15147009/ (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###