DX LISTENING DIGEST 6-159, October 26, 2006 Incorporating REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING edited by Glenn Hauser, http://www.worldofradio.com Items from DXLD may be reproduced and re-reproduced only if full credit be maintained at all stages and we be provided exchange copies. DXLD may not be reposted in its entirety without permission. Materials taken from Arctic or originating from Olle Alm and not having a commercial copyright are exempt from all restrictions of noncommercial, noncopyrighted reusage except for full credits For restrixions and searchable 2006 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn NEXT SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1333 Fri 2030 WWCR1 15825 Sat 1300 WRMI 9955 Sat 1430 WRMI 7385 Sat 1600 WWCR3 12160 Sun 0230 WWCR3 5070 Sun 0630 WWCR1 3215 [and 0730?] Sun 0900 WRMI 9955 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 ** ALBANIA. RADIO-TV COUNCIL MEMBER URGES DIRECTOR TO RESIGN | Text of report in English by Albanian news agency ATA Tirana, 25 October: The member of Radio-Television [RTSh - Albanian Radio-Television] Steering Council, Mero Baze, asked today the resignation of the Director General of RTSh, Artur Zheji. "As a new member of the RTSh Steering Council, I have observed a degradation of public profile of this institution, its professional authority and a lack of perspective unless rapid and radical reforms are launched to turn it into a competitive operator in the media market," Baze says in a public letter addressed to the RTSh Steering Committee. Source: ATA news agency, Tirana, in English 2001 gmt 25 Oct 06 (via BBCM via DXLD) 26 Oct 2006 --- The ARTV Council dismissed today in the afternoon the ARTV General Director Artur Zheji, according to high corruption of ARTV Management, bad Management of ARTV and very low low audience of ARTV. Zheji will be on duty for a fortnight until the new General Director will be elected by the ARTV Council - told me today in the evening around 1900 LT the Secretary of General Director. This news was broadcasted in the afternoon also on several National and private TV news, also in the ARTV news edition in the evening. Zheji gave an interview on ARTV, expressing his pity for his dismission, by mentioning several political and journalistic successes of ARTV since he was ARTV General Director, Oct 2002. Zheji complained about the procedure of his dismission calling it like a military procedure! The expected 'earthquake' in ARTV Management has just started. We will see what will happen next. Let's hope and wish for better. Best wishes from Tirana and have a good night everywhere you are, (Drita Çiço, Albania, Oct 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. 4835, VL8A, Alice Springs NT, 0754-f/out, 17 Oct, English, phone-ins, songs; 45332. 4910, VL8T, Tennant Creek NT, 0753-f/out 0805, English, talks, songs; 35321 (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Long path! ** BELARUS. R. Minsk, 1170 kHz, QSL card made of plastic material. V/s: Larissa Suárez. Her surname is Spanish but she doesn't speak my language. R. Grodno (or Hrodna), 6040 kHz, regional station, QSL card full of info with a picture of Grodno's New Castle and a pocket calendar. Ul. Horkaha 85, 230015, Hrodna, Belarus (Juan Antonio Arranz S., Spain, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. When will Brasil start participating in HFCC? See CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES. Collision averted on 6170: see U S A [non] ** BRAZIL. 11780(85) Resposta da Nacional --- Informei a Engenharia da Nacional da Amazonia DA SUBIDA EM MAIS DE TRÊS PONTOS DA ONDA CURTA DE 25 METROS E EIS A RESPOSTA. Sr. Isaac, Foi sanado o problema da frequência da R. Nacional; realmente estávamos acima 3.2 kHz. Agradecemos o seu contacto, e caso volte a ocorrer o problema, pedimos a gentileza de nos contactar. Paulo/Noé (Paul Duarte Texeira, RNA via Isaac Rosa, Crateús - Ceará, Oct 25, radioescutas via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. Radiodifusora de Congonhas, 4775 kHz, 1 kW, very nice letter, some stickers and tourist info. Congonhas is known as "Cidade dos Profetas". I sent my report to congonhasam @ conett.com.br V/s: Lucio Coimbra. Rádio Clube Do Pará, 4885 kHz, QSL letter and a postcard. V/s: Camilo Centeno, Director General. Av. Almirante Barroso 2190, Marco, Belém (Pará), CEP 66095-000, Brasil Rádio Difusora Londrina, 4815 kHz, e-QSL with letter for print. V/S Oscar Simões da Costa, Gerente Administrativo. I had to wait only 10 minutes. E-mail: Radiodifusora690 @ aol.com (Juan Antonio Arranz S., Spain, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** CANADA. 25/10 --- I noticed about a week ago that CHNS [960] had pulled the plug on the AM transmitter. I'm sitting in the shadow of the towers, but have not yet had time to try to DX. I am hoping that finally I'll be able to hear something without all-band crud at S-9 (Jean Burnell, Halifax NS, MWC via DXLD) ** CANADA [and non]. It seems we have managed to head off the DentroCuban Jamming Command and Radio República moving to CHU`s 7335 at 23-04 UT weeknights as planned. T-systems thought they had to leave A-06 frequency 5910 because of Ukraine in B-06; however, RUI will not actually be on 5910 but 5820! RR could just stay on 5910 but may go to 5970 instead (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See CUBA [non] ** CANADA. On 5775 and 6330, leapfrogging spurs from Sackville, 0020- 0059* Oct 21: 5775 a weak spur from 6145 R. Japan in English; 6330 a fair spur from 5960 CRI in Chinese, 185 kHz separation. On 6200, 5960, leapfrogging spurs from Sackville, 1100-1120+ Oct 21: 6200 weak to fair spur from 6040 CRI in English; 5960 poor with co- channel QRM, spur from 6120 R. Japan in English, 80 kHz separation (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA [and non]. I was waiting on 7310, Oct 25 at 1600 for RCI test as reported the last two days, this time with my main receiver and all the noise sources off. But nothing. So I tuned up to 7320 and listened to a MARS net on SSB for a while, checkins from NM and AZ; but back to 7310 at 1604 and RCI was then on, in French, peaking 10 over S9, but undermodulated and no comparison to the // 17765. 7310 was soon losing out to an increasing noise level. At 1557 I had found CHU JBA on 7335. Strange there have not been more reports of Sackville`s monumental entry into the 7 MHz band (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Radio Canada International is still "testing"(?) on 7310 (see DXLD 6- 158) as of today Thursday Oct. 26. Transmission in French starts shortly after 1600 UT (1 or 2 minutes after) and is booming in here. Parallel to 17765. Off at 1636 today (Bernie O'Shea, Ottawa, Ontario, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Did not check for it here Oct 26. If I had run across it first, might have figured it was something from the FE, so weak is it out here (Glenn Hauser, OK, ibid.) ** CANADA. RCI B06 ENGLISH SCHEDULE Transmitter sites and other technical data not listed 0000-0057 to S.E. Asia, 9880 Mo: Maple Leaf Mailbag Tu-Sa: The Link #2 Su: Blink 0000-0159 to Americas, 9755 Mo: World This Weekend / Wiretap / Maple Leaf Mailbag Tu-Sa: The Link #1 & #2 Su: The World This Weekend / Afghanada / Blink 0100-0157 to India, 5840, 5970 Mo: The Maple Leaf Mailbag Tu-Sa: The Link #2 Su: Blink 1200-1259 to Asia, 7105, 9665 Mo: Writers & Company Tu-Sa: Ideas Su: Quirks & Quarks 1400-1659 to Americas, 9515, 13655, 17820 Mo-Fr: The Link #1 & #2 / Sounds Like Canada Sa: Blink / Vinyl Cafe / Quirks & Quarks 1430-1459 to Europe, 7240 DRM Mo: Maple Leaf Mailbag Tu-Sa: The Link #2 Su: Blink 1500 to 1557 to India, [WTFK? 9635, 11870, 11975] Mo-Fr: The Link #2 Sa: Blink Su: Maple Leaf Mailbag 1800 to 1859 to Sub-Saharan Africa, 7185, 11875, 13650, 15365, 17740 Mo-Fr: The Link #2 Sa: Blink Su: Maple Leaf Mailbag 2100 to 2159 to Europe, 5880, 9770 Mo-Fr: The Link #2 Sa: Blink Su: Maple Leaf Mailbag 2100 to 2259 to Americas, 15180 Mo-Fr: Freestyle Sa: Definitely Not the Opera Su: Cross Country Checkup 2200 to 2259 to Americas, 9800 DRM Mo-Fr: The Link #2 Sa: Blink Su: Maple Leaf Mailbag 2300 to 2359 to Americas, [WTFK? 6100] Mo-Fr: World at Six / As It Happens Sa: The World This Weekend / Afghanada Su: The World This Weekend / Wiretap (from PDF via Bill Westenhaver via Ricky Leong, Calgary, Alta., Swprograms mailing list via DXLD) I asked for descriptions of "The Link" and "Blink" but Bill hasn't responded to the request yet. These appear to be two new RCI-produced series. "Afghanada" is a domestic CBC production: "War through the Eyes of Canadian Soldiers: They expect to be peacekeepers but instead are sent into battle. CBC Radio proudly presents Afghanada... a 12-episode fictional drama that probes the war in Afghanistan through Canadian Soldiers' eyes. the 30-minute episode begin Friday, November 3 at 11:30 am and run to January 19, 2007." Note that in North America we'll get these two new programs [on SW], but we appear to only get the first half hour of "As It Happens". (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, swprograms via DXLD) Updating: From Bill Westenhaver: "The Link" is a revamped "Canada Today" for the 21st Century. "Blink" is short for "Best of 'The Link'" -- a week-in-review compilation of the highlights (however defined) from the prior week's daily editions (Richard Cuff, Allentown, PA, ibid.) To air The Link in the mornings, RCI will be depriving us of excellent CBC programs The Current and half of Sounds Like Canada! On weekends, The House is gone, and the first hour of Sunday Edition, skipped in the version above for 1400-1659: SAT: Blink / Vinyl Café / Quirks & Quarks SUN: The Maple Leaf Mailbag / The Sunday Edition Back to the CBC webcasts for me (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Oh really ... we never find this stuff out. Well I suppose you have the Web and also our podcasts to keep you in the loop. That's too bad. Thanks for this! Take care, (Lisa Ayuso, The Current, replying to Dan Say`s forwarding of above info, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Segments of The Current are available in Real Audio, usually later the same day of the program. You can find our website at: http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent For copies of interviews heard on The Current, please contact Bowden's Media Monitoring at: Bowdens Media Monitoring Limited 190-2206 Eglinton Avenue E. Scarborough, Ontario M1L 4T5 Canada Tel: 416-750- 2220 Toll Free: 1-877-BOWDENS E-Mail: sales@bowdens.com *Please be aware that there is a fee for this service (via Ayuso, DXLD) ** CHILE. CVC Collision on 6170 with Brasil averted: see U S A [non] ** CHINA. Re 6-158, CRI and metre bands: Metre bands? The Russian service is the most important (neighbouring and geopolitical) one of CRI, and they have always used metres. Just because the Anglo-American world uses Hertz, doesn't mean the rest of the world does, always (Dan Say, BC, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Surely only very old broken-down radios still exist calibrated only in metres. Time to encourage those few still using them to get with frequencies, which are not an Anglo-American standard but a world standard. Meters (two digits) as a general reference to bands I can live with, but specifying metric shortwavelengths to two decimal places and mediumwaves to three decimal places is ridiculous, implying much greater accuracy than can possibly be calibrated. Every radio station transmits on a frequency, and any wavelength is merely an approximate conversion, depending on whether you use 300 or 298.5 or whatever factor. BTW, this is a unique case where ``going metric`` is not progress. It`s Hz and its multiples which are actually metric. There is no digital display radio which shows `exact` meters instead of kHz/MHz; it isn`t feasible (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. Most likely a Chinese jamming station with Firedrake music and CRACKLING broadband signal of 46 kHz between 9517 and 9563 kHz crackles the 31 mb portion this night, 1735 UT. 9540, RFA Mandarin Tinian-MRA 1700-1900 UT. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Firedrake on 10450, Oct 25 at 1416, good with flutter. This must mean that Sound of Hope has been keeping to this frequency for quite a while now. Ditto before 1400 Oct 26 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. Xinjiang PBS, 4500 kHz, QSL card with a seal, program schedule in Chinese and a very nice post card. Urumqi, 84 Tuanjie Lu, Xinjiang 830044, China (Juan Antonio Arranz S., Spain, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** CUBA [non]. Radio República frequency selection via RMI via Germany: If there is some problem with 5970, and if we see that Ukraine is not on 5910 after B06 starts, 5910 could be a backup plan. Then maybe we could go back to 5910 for A07. Anyway, Republica has already recorded the new frequency announcements, so I hope there are no more changes necessary for a while! (Jeff White, RMI, Oct 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also CANADA [non] ** CUBA [non]. ANUNCIA DIRECTOR DE OCB INICIO DE TRANSMISIONES DE TV MARTI A CUBA --- 24 de Octubre de 2006 COPIADO DE _Martí Noticias_ http://martinoticias.com/ocbstory.asp?MediaID=39383 Las transmisiones de Televisión Martí hacia Cuba se realizan a partir de este martes desde una moderna plataforma aérea. El director de la Oficina de Transmisiones a Cuba, doctor Pedro Roig, hizo el anuncio durante un acto realizado en Cayo Hueso, en el extremo sur de Estados Unidos. Al informar sobre el envío de la señal televisiva con equipos de alta calidad, Roig dijo que TV Martí transmitirá en vivo todos los juegos de la Serie Mundial de pelota, que los cubanos pueden disfrutar en sus hogares por el Canal 20. Añadió que esta histórica transmisión marca el inicio de la programación regular de Televisión Martí en vivo, seis días a la semana, en las horas de mayor audiencia. El doctor Roig precisó que las transmisiones serán de lunes a sábado, de 6:00 p.m. a 11:00 p.m., y que incluyen dos noticieros. De esta manera, TV Martí contribuye a la misión de romper el monopolio de la dictadura sobre la información que recibe el pueblo cubano, enfatizó el director de la Oficina de Transmisiones a Cuba. Palabras del doctor Pedro Roig director de la Oficina de Transmisiones a Cuba durante el anuncio de la nueva plataforma. (via Oscar de Céspedes (Miami, FL), Oct 24, condig list via DXLD) So what is this ``platform?`` The Gulfstream? It`s not new any more. Got the aerostat back up? Or what? (gh) TV MARTI DESEA ROMPER BLOQUEO INFORMATIVO CON UN NUEVO AVION Máximo Tomás, Dept. de Investigaciones La Nueva Cuba, Octubre 26, 2006 http://www.lanuevacuba.com/nuevacuba/notic-06-10-2670.htm Con el propósito de transmitir información y programas en directo a Cuba, Televisión Martí dispone ahora de un nuevo avión del Gobierno de EEUU que pretende eludir las interferencias de La Habana. 'La transmisión desde este moderno avión es un esfuerzo para que TV Martí pueda romper el bloqueo informativo de la dictadura cubana', dijo el martes Pedro Roig, director de la Oficina de Transmisiones hacia Cuba (OCB). Se trata de un avión bimotor Gulfstream G-1, equipado con un equipo de alta tecnología, que puede 'recibir señales en vivo desde un satélite y transmitir' a los hogares de Cuba, dijo hoy a Efe Alberto Mascaró, jefe de personal de las estaciones. La gran ventaja de esta nueva aeronave respecto al avión militar C-130 que opera actualmente es que el primero 'transmite en vivo' y la 'señal va directamente a las casas, que no necesitan antena especial', declaró Mascaró. La aeronave volará dentro de territorio estadounidense y efectuará las transmisiones televisivas seis días a la semana en horario de tarde y noche, entre las 18.00 horas (2200 GMT) y las 23.00 horas (0300 GMT). [BTW, http://www.timeanddate.com/time/dst2006b.html indicates that unlike last winter, Cuba will be going off DST of UT- 4 Oct 29, the same night as in US & Canada, back to UT -5. Does not yet show a date for DST to resume in first half of 2007, but that date has not usually matched NAm, as I recall --- gh] El martes se produjo la primera prueba de emisión desde la nueva aeronave, con la transmisión de un 'noticiero y unas palabras del secretario de Comercio de EEUU, Carlos Gutiérrez,' detalló Mascaró, quien informó también de que se había transmitido 'un juego de la Serie Mundial de pelota (béisbol)'. El nuevo avión Gulfstream G-1, bautizado Aeromartí, transmitirá por el canal 20 la señal de TV Martí 'a la zona central y oeste (hasta Pinar del Río) de Cuba', pero no cubrirá el este de la isla. 'El pueblo cubano podrá ver la realidad gracias a esta ventana abierta al mundo libre', subrayó Mascaró. El coste operativo anual de la nueva aeronave ascenderá a cuatro millones de euros. El proyecto de Radio y TV Martí se creó mediante la Ley estadounidense de Transmisiones Radiales para Cuba de 1983, durante la presidencia de Ronald Reagan, y Radio Martí comenzó a transmitir en mayo de 1985 desde Washington. TV Martí empezó a principios de agosto las transmisiones televisivas diarias hacia Cuba desde un avión C-130, y, a manera de prueba, emitió un mensaje de la secretaria de Estado, Condoleezza Rice, al pueblo cubano para garantizarle que podía contar con el apoyo incondicional de Washington en su lucha por la democracia. Terra Actualidad - EFE (via Oscar de Céspedes (Miami, FL), Oct 26, condiglist via DXLD) Let`s try it in English: RADIO AND TV MARTÍ BEGIN AIRCRAFT BROADCASTS --- BY PABLO BACHELET Posted on Thu, Oct. 26, 2006 RADIO AND TV http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/15849856.htm WASHINGTON - Radio and TV Martí have officially launched their new aircraft-based broadcasts with a program sure to please their Cuban audiences -- baseball's World Series. The new G1 twin turboprop, based in Key West, is to be airborne between 6 and 11 every night except Sunday in an attempt to bypass Cuban government jamming of the stations' previously stationary broadcasting facilities. After several weeks of testing, the aircraft officially began beaming the regular Martí broadcasts Tuesday, starting with Game 3 of the World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Detroit Tigers. Although Cubans could rarely view the previous land-based broadcasts because of the government jamming, anecdotal evidence suggests some have been receiving the airborne transmissions, especially outside the Havana area, said the stations' chief of staff and spokesman, Alberto Mascaro. ''We did have some reports in the last few weeks of reception,'' he said in a telephone interview during a trip to Washington. The Bush administration hopes the aircraft, which replaces broadcasting blimps once tethered in the Florida Keys but destroyed by hurricanes, will prove a more robust platform for defeating the Cuban jamming. Some Cuban-American activists have long lobbied for the shift to aircraft. But the aircraft is still restricted to flying within U.S. airspace to avoid violating international broadcasting regulations. Some Cuban- American lawmakers are pushing the administration to let the plane fly in international airspace, which would make it even harder on the Cuban jammers. The Cuban government has argued that all Radio and TV Martí broadcasts are illegal. Last week, Cuba's acting ambassador before the United Nations, Ileana Núñez, told the General Assembly that on Aug. 11, Cuba detected simultaneous broadcasts from two aircraft in the 213 MHz frequency that interfered with island stations. Mascaro said the new aircraft is broadcasting on TV's Channel 20 frequency and will not broadcast Radio Martí on the FM frequency. The plane is also capable of broadcasting live Martí signals (via kimandrewelliott.com via DXLD) ** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. QSL: Radio Juventus Don Bosco, 1640 kHz MW, República Dominicana. 37 days via e-mail. V/S Padre Luis Rosario. Radiojuventusdonbosco @ yahoo.com (Juan Antonio Arranz S., Spain, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** EUROPE. Ciao a tutti, Pochi minuti fa, dalle 0640, su 6275 kHz ho risentito Laser Hot Hits con il suo solito segnale. Qualcosa a dire il vero avevo già notato ieri mattina, poi però all'improvviso il trasmettitore è stato spento (Luca Botto Fiora, SITO RICEVENTE Rapallo (Genova), RICEVITORI R7 Drake, Oct 25, bclnews.it via DXLD) Are they back, or someone else relaying? (gh) ** EUROPE. Pirates: 6294.8, Cupid Radio, 2355-2358* Octt 20, just caught the end of the broadcast with IDs and address. Poor in noise. 15074.87, Cupid Radio, 1435-1600+ Oct 21, variety of pop music, ballads, techno-pop dance music. Acknowledged listeners` reports, IDs. Weak. 6260, R. Borderhunter, 2355-0030+ Oct 20-21, pop music by Madonna, the Eagles, and others. 0029 ID. Mostly continuous pop music. Announced frequency as 6210 but heard on 6260. F-G but some occasional noise. Reception just as good as Mystery Radio on 6220 (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FINLAND. It's not just Nuntii Latini; it seems as if all of Finland is Latin crazy. 73- (Bill Westenhaver QC, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: FINLAND MAKES LATIN THE KING --- Finland has an obsession with the Latin language, the BBC's Jonny Dymond reports. . . http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/europe/6079852.stm (via Westenhaver, DXLD) Did Nuntii Latini ever come back on SW after summer break? Have not run across it, but easy to miss (gh) ** FRANCE [non]. The one day I am not listening at 1400 to rereconfirm RFI in English on 6120, something else happens. Oct 25 I did not tune in until 1418, and instead of regular RFI English programming, there was a continuous variety of pop music, some with English lyrics, interrupted occasionally, such as at 1426 by a brief YL ID as ``RFI`` pronounced in French. At 1422 I think IDs were in other languages, and at 1442 ``RFI Music without frontiers``. And so it went until abruptly off without so much as an au-revoir at 1455* I suspect this is fill music played from transmitter site when the program feed is lost, or maybe from studio when there is a strike; seems I have run across similar behavior before. This is the transmission on the schedules supposedly in Vietnamese via Japan. Will it be back to English the next day? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Agence France Presse reports RFI programming was interrupted because of a strike by unions protesting a reorganization project. Warnings of two more possible strikes -- 24-hour strike on October 29 by the CGT and one by the CFDT beginning November 6 of undetermined length. The CFDT union said about half of the programming to Africa was affected and foreign-language services were hard hit. RFI was scheduled to present to the press a reorganization plan intended to give news a higher priority over magazine programming, AFP said. "We can't believe the competition for listeners should come at the expense of our magazine shows and turning the station into an Africa-World news station in French," said the FO union (Mike Cooper, Oct 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) So that explains the music fill I was hearing this morning on 6120 (gh, ibid.) This was apparently RFI Musique, cf. http://www.lyngsat.com/freeradio/France.html (because one could gather from http://www.rfimusique.com that this is a webcast only, but it goes out via satellite as well). Either this shortwave relay is related to the reported labour action, or KDDI (the operator of the Yamata transmitter site) ended up with the next wrong satellite channel when they tried to finally put Vietnamese on 6120 (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Oct 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RFI, 6120, was back to usual English broadcast Oct 26; already at 1359 I could make out English announcement giving their website, and in the clear with opening and news after Singapore closed at 1400. No mention in the first few minutes that a strike had disrupted programming the day before, as Mike Cooper has found out from AFP (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FRANCE. MINISTER OUTLINES FUTURE FOREIGN-BROADCASTING PLANS Excerpt from address by the Minister-Delegate for Cooperation, Development and Francophony, Brigitte Girardin, to the Senate Cultural Affairs Committee on draft Finance Law 2007, published by French Ministry of Foreign Affairs website on 24 October [Passage omitted covers efforts to promote the French language as instrument of French influence in the world] Our major international radio and television operators, TV5 and RFI, also play a fundamental role as relayers of our cultural and linguistic influence. In deciding to launch France 24, which will start broadcasting programmes in a few weeks' time, the government put a stop to the relative stagnation which had, up until 2006, marked France's budget outlay on foreign radio and television broadcasting. When you add to Programme 116 - which supports France 24 - Programme 115 - which finances TV5, RFI and CFI - plus the contribution of the licence fee to RFI (and marginally to TV5), the total public resources devoted to foreign radio and television broadcasting are going to exceed 305m euros, an increase of 17 per cent between the budget executed in 2006 and the 2007 draft finance law. This clearly demonstrates the government's determination to have French foreign radio and television broadcasting draw closer to the level of financing of the international media of the other major developed countries. I will add to this remark that France will in 2007 devote for the first time more public appropriations to foreign television than radio. This development merely reflects the fact that everyone can note, namely that, with the exception of Sub-Saharan Africa for a few more years, it is television which has everywhere become the dominant medium, on which we must now concentrate our efforts. That is why I believe that France must, if it wishes to promote its ideas, culture, and language in the world, have both TV5 Monde, a French-language general-interest television channel built up over 20 years with our French-speaking friends, and France 24, a multilingual news channel that permanently monitors world current events. TV5 Monde and France 24 will be complementary and will lend each other mutual support through close coordination in terms of distribution and promotion but also programmes. The fact that France 24 will be broadcast on two channels - one in French, the other giving a very large amount of room to English and gradually other major languages in order to reach the largest number of viewers possible - will only reinforce this natural complementarity. It should also be stressed that, at the beginning and for several years, TV5, which will benefit in 2007 from a 4 per cent increase in allocation from the Foreign Ministry (65.27m euros), will remain the sole French television presence in Asia and, for the most part, America. RFI, for its part, if it wishes to remain in the future the high- quality cross-border broadcasting medium which it has managed to become, must develop in thoroughgoing fashion towards a "bimedia" role in which the internet will play a role at least as important as traditional terrestrial radio broadcasting. This is an ambition project which must be launched without delay: the government is determined to support RFI through the signing of a contract of aims and means which will reflect the need for this revolution. For 2007, given a 500,000 euros increase in subsidy to RMC Moyen-Orient and a 2.5m euros decrease in subsidy to RFI, and, moreover, an annual saving of 5m euros following the renegotiation of its shortwave contract with TDF, the RFI Group will enjoy stable resources compared with 2006. RFI will, however, in this very constrained context, have to continue the money-saving policy which the government has been encouraging it in it for several years. [Passage omitted covers brief concluding remarks] Source: French Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, Paris, in French 24 Oct 06 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** GERMANY [non]. DW English, 9700 via Rwanda, had lengthy feature on Greenwich, Oct 26 after 0530, but this frequency cut off abruptly at 0557 before it was finished. T-systems schedules do specify certain frequencies as closing a few minutes early, but apparently DW ignores this in the studio, and leave their listeners hanging instead of wrapping up programs early enough to match actual transmitter usage (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I think I reported recently a similar observation for a Sines transmission. This is an old practice at Deutsche Welle, I think years ago it even went as far as cutting off frequencies up to 10 minutes early, specifically for German. Presumably they consider it acceptable because other frequencies are supposed to stay on until the program really ends. At least the transmission in question is shown in a schedule distributed by DW as follows: ----- ZENTRAL- und SUEDAFRIKA, ENGLISCH 0500-0600 9630 31 POR SINES 9700 31 RRW KIGALI 15410 19 MDC TALATA-VOL. 17800 16 UAE DHABAYYA (Kai Ludwig, Germany, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GOA. AIR Goa, 11740 kHz, direct e-mail QSL from V/s: S. Jayaraman, Suptdg. Engineer and later I got a QSL letter from Delhi (Juan Antonio Arranz S., Spain, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** GUAM. Much more music from AFN on USB: Oct 26 at 1250, 5765 was playing C&W. Why are they doing this, when there is so much talk radio that they can only squeeze in fractions of various talk shows under the best of circumstances on the talk stream, which is much better suited to USB on SW? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** HAWAII. CW DEAL WITH KHON WILL BRING 'GILMORE GIRLS' BACK TO HAWAII After being shut out of the local market, the new network CW will debut in the islands === By Erika Engle http://starbulletin.com/2006/10/24/business/story02.html The upstart network CW finally has found its way to Hawaii, via a digital channel of KHON. To mark the deal, the local station is scheduling special broadcasts of some CW shows for all viewers, starting tonight. The CW, formed by a merger of the WB and UPN networks, had been shut out of the Hawaii market since its season began Sept. 20. Yesterday, it announced it will begin bringing its shows to KHON-TV's digital arm starting on Monday. But tonight and tomorrow night, four CW shows will air on KHON beginning at 7 p.m., instead of the "Oprah" and "Dr. Phil" shows pre-empted by baseball games earlier in the day. KHON is not pre-empting FOX network programming to air CW shows. Episodes of "The Gilmore Girls" and "Veronica Mars" will air tonight, while "America's Next Top Model" and "One Tree Hill" will air tomorrow night. All of the CW's regularly scheduled programs will premiere on KHON's digital channel, or KHON-DT, beginning at 3 p.m. on Monday. A channel assignment with Oceanic Time Warner Cable is pending, according to KHON President and General Manager Joe McNamara. Officials at Oceanic did not respond to Star-Bulletin inquiries by press time. "We assume they'll find a position for us, by the time we get to Monday," McNamara said. Time Warner "has cleared the CW in every market that I know of," either on the digital tier or the analog tier, which is something McNamara would eventually like to see for Hawaii. McNamara would like to air the shows as sequentially as possible, since the station will not be allowed any reruns once an episode airs in Hawaii. The programming also will be viewable without a digital-cable subscription. But doing that will require a TV with a built-in HDTV tuner or a digital set-top box, which can be purchased at several retailers, such as Sears and Circuit City, said Kenny Alcock, KHON director of engineering. However, as it stands now, the programming will not be viewable by satellite television subscribers. KHON is carried on DISH Network and is working out a deal to get on DirecTV. KHON is also working to get the CW, via KHON-DT, carried by both satellite broadcasters. The CW's Elizabeth Tumulty, senior vice president of distribution, was "thrilled" to make the announcement after a long negotiation with KHON and Oceanic Time Warner Cable, each trying to win the affiliation. "There were number of reasons" for the delay in the selection, she said. "In Honolulu, all of the other over-the-air broadcast stations have long-term contracts with other networks. It was just going to take some time to try to do something different, and it did take some time to put this together," she said. Oceanic did not offer a full- time channel for CW programming, Tumulty said. "They offered to carry some programming." "But this will be the CW, it will be branded 24/7 as the CW Network," she said of the KHON-DT agreement. McNamara plans to cross-promote the CW on KHON, as well. The CW shows, targeting an 18-to-34 year old audience "complements our strong Fox lineup and opens up new sales, promotion and marketing opportunities for both of our stations and for our advertisers," he said. Terms of the affiliation agreement are confidential, but McNamara said, "it has tremendous value, especially because it is one of the major networks. UPN had a value, the WB had a value. When you combine the two of them and they've really risen to the top," McNamara said (via Brock Whaley, DXLD) Not that we care about The Gilmore Girls, but things like this are happening in other markets too in our wonderful DT age (gh, DXLD) ** HAWAII. As of 10/1, KORL-690 and KHCM-1180 Honolulu have switched frequencies, KHCM is now on 690 with C&W oldies and such ID`s as ``The songs and artists you love, all weekend on AM 6-90, AM 6-90, KHCM``. KORL is on 1180. Format is ethnic including Chinese, Filipino, Japanese and Samoan. Some segments of the Filipino programming are presented in English and include non-Filipino music (Richard E. Wood, BIHI, IRCA DX Monitor Oct 28 via DXLD) ** INDIA. AIR, Tamil Service DX program, 15050 kHz and 15770 kHz. They sent me the smallest QSL all over the World, 3.5 x 6 cm. They included a sticker and a pleasant letter from V/s: N.G. Gnanaprakasam, Program Executive. Mylapore, Chennai 4, INDIA. He asked for books, logs or other DX material. That QSL cost me about 1500 ? for a square meter!!! (Juan Antonio Arranz S., Spain, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** INDONESIA. Today`s problem with RRI/VOI, Oct 25 on 9525: at 1352 found a mixture of audio from two programs, Suara Indonesia on top, but not far below another RRI service in Indonesian. The usual VOI sign-off procedure concluded a little early with the NA over at 1357, allowing the other program to be heard in the clear, but soon mixed with CRI Russian service musical warmup. Instead of going off, or going to open carrier, Indonesia kept right on programming past 1400 with a few breakups in audio at first, and mostly atop CRI. At 1402, they mentioned Jakarta, and satu, which identifies Program One. Did not try to listen the rest of the hour after 1413, but at 1517, 9525 was still going with M&W DJs, music, call-ins, in the clear again. At 1528 a YL ID in English over continuous gamelan orchestral music, ``From Jakarta, you are listening to the Voice of Indonesia``. This music went on, with the same ID repeated 24 times (I counted them) thru 1549; sometimes the IDs were 2 minutes apart, sometimes 2 or 3 in a single minute. At 1540 it seemed there were going back to the phone-in program, with hello? But that did not last long. The transmission cut off abruptly at 1551*. It`s so nice to have VOI ID for us in English, but it would be even nicer that instead of wasting time like this, they would actually put the one-hour English broadcast on 9525 at a time we can hear it! Such as 1300 or 1500. At least today I did not hear their ID referring us to website, which checked at 2005, was still inaccessible, http://www.rri-online.com (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I see they were also doing this two sesquidays earlier: 9525, Voice of Indonesia, 1554, 10/22/06 in English. Musical interval signal and woman announcer repeating "From Jakarta, you are listening to the Voice of Indonesia"; Arabic ID at 1600; very short music bridge and into Kor`an chanting; fair (Jim Ronda, OK, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) Suara Indonesia, 9525, Oct 26 at 1324 again with crosstalk from another RRI service, presumably Prosatu as the day before. Around 1340 one of them was doing Qur`an briefly. Busy with other things after 1400 so did not check whether the same pattern as the day before repeated. I fear that instead of fixing the mix, they will close down the transmitter again for a month or more (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. Parts of PRI resurfacing on Nov 6 on XM's XMPR I found an interesting News Release that I found from XM Satellite Radio at: http://xmradio.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=press_releases&item=1371 It is entitled, ``XM EXPANDS XM PUBLIC RADIO LINEUP WITH AWARD-WINNING NEWS PROGRAMS FROM PRI`` It seems to be another flip-flop of exclusivity from Sirius to XM. XM and Sirius are, of course, competitors, but I wish they would maintain some sort of consistency as to what to expect on either. NASCAR will being going from XM to Sirius in 2007. I think that the NHL (during the strike) used to belong to Sirius, now it is in contract with XM. It seems the only way to get it all, is to get `em both (Jason R. Gardner, Oct 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN [non]. Today I got a very nice picture QSL card from the Iranian exile Radio Zamaneh (6245 kHz), Amsterdam, The Netherlands for my eRR. Full detailed QSL without location of the transmitter. A very nice surprise; the QSL rate of these exile radio stations is not really a good one here. Great ! 73, (Tom Rösner, Germany, Oct 26, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN [non]. 3880, V. of Communist Party of Iran, Iraq (presumed location), 1745-1814, 21 Oct, Farsi, talks; 43432, jammed. 4375.3 kHz, V. of Communist Party of Iran, Iraq (presumed location), 1747-1804, Farsi, talks; 32441, jammer slightly off frequency but still disrupting reception. 4870, V. of Iranian Kurdistan (tentative), Al-Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, 1625-1632*, 21 Oct, Kurdish (tentatively), songs, announcements; 32441, jammed (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAQ. A TV COMEDY TURNS AN UNCONVENTIONAL WEAPON ON IRAQ`S HIGH AND MIGHTY: FAKE NEWS --- By MICHAEL LUO October 24, 2006, NY Times BAGHDAD, Oct. 23 Nearly every night here for the past month, Iraqis weary of the tumult around them have been turning on the television to watch a wacky-looking man with a giant Afro wig and star-shaped glasses deliver the grim news of the day. In a recent episode, the host, Saad Khalifa, reported that Iraq`s Ministry of Water and Sewage had decided to change its name to simply the Ministry of Sewage because it had given up on the water part. In another episode, he jubilantly declared that Rums bin Feld had announced American troops were leaving the country on 1/1, in other words, on Jan. 1. His face crumpled when he realized he had made a mistake. The troops were not actually departing on any specific date, he clarified, but instead leaving one by one. At that rate, it would take more than 600 years for them to be gone. The newscast is a parody, of course, that fires barbs at everyone from the American military to the Iraqi government, an Iraqi version of The Daily Show With Jon Stewart. Even the militias wreaking havoc on Iraq are lampooned. Debuting last month during Ramadan, while families gathered to break their fast after sundown, the show, Hurry Up, Hes Dead, became the talk of Baghdad, delighting and shocking audiences with its needling of anyone with a hand in Iraqis` gloomy predicament today. . . [registration required] http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/24/world/middleeast/24show.html?pagewanted=print (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** ISRAEL. IBA B-06: Also available via: http://www.israelradio.org/ in UT format. http://israelradio.org/winter06.htm (Steve Lare, Holland, MI USA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** JAPAN. ``Sur le Pont d`Avignon``, Oct 25 at 1514 on 6190 made me wonder if I had found another RFI relay, but that was just the music break on R. Japan in English; 1515 on to Asian Top News. Fair signal, rather late in the morning, especially since it`s aimed west, 280 degrees from Yamata (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See FRANCE ** KAZAKHSTAN. KAZAKH LEADER PROPOSES SWITCH TO LATIN SCRIPT President Nursultan Nazarbaev told a session of the Assembly of the Peoples of Kazakhstan in Astana on October 24 that the country should consider switching the alphabet for the Kazakh language from Cyrillic to Latin, Interfax reported. Noting that "Latin print dominates today in the communications area," Nazarbaev said, "I think we should return to the issue of rendering the Kazakh alphabet into Latin." Nazarbaev gave experts six months to produce specific proposals on the issue. He also expressed the hope that the next generation of Kazakh citizens will be trilingual. Nazarbaev said that "they should fluently speak the Kazakh, Russian, and English languages. Multilingualism has become commonplace in Europe, and we likewise must adopt this." He stressed, however, that "knowledge of the state language [Kazakh] should be a must for Kazakhs." (RFE/RL NEWSLINE, 25 October 2006 via Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH [non]. Shiokaze, 9485 via Taiwan, has not been very audible lately, but Oct 26 at 1326 made out an ID in Japanese, so apparently the semihour was not in English this Thursday. Maybe Friday (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA SOUTH. 1566 kHz, FEBC station HLAZ, Jeju, has been audible most evenings, e.g. 19 Oct, 1736-1803, Russian, talks, songs; 34342, QRM de G, but quite better reception on occasions. It's also pretty audible later in the evening mixed with the 2 very low powered UK stations (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) A long overland haul, and rather northerly path (gh) ** KYRGYZSTAN. Re: DXLD 6-158: ``TAJIKISTAN. 6030, 21/10 1605, R. Maranatha - Bishkek, Tagico talk OM suff (Roberto Pavanello, Italy, via Roberto Scaglione, bclnews.it via DXLD)`` I think that Bishkek is located in Kyrgyzstan, not in Tajikistan... 73, (Moisés Knochen, Montevideo, Uruguay, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Of course; the misplacement was reinforced by the reported language which I suppose was really Kyrgyz, however you say that in Italian, and I fell for it (gh, DXLD) ** LIBYA [non]. V. of Africa, 17850 via France, 1408-1510+ Oct 21, tune-in to Arabic programming with talk and Arabic music. Good, strong, No hum and *No* English; // 21695 very weak. Heard next day, Oct 22 in English at 1405-1445+ on both but 17850 with very low modulation (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LITHUANIA. Re IRIB B-06 relays, clarifying: IRAN [non]. Relay schedule of IRIB (VOIRI) via Sitkunai 100 kW in B06: 0630-0730 Italian on 7545, 1430-1530 Russian on 6250, 1730-1830 German on 6250, 1830- 1930 French on 6250, 1930-2030 English on 6250, 2030-2130 Spanish on 6250. All broadcasts are transmitted with a 259 degree beam, except for Russian which has a 79 degree beam (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6250 --- Hmm... Not a very good frequency choice. There will be co- channel interference with Pyongyang. 73! (Sergey Nikishin, Moscow, Russia, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hey, Axis of Evil vs. Axis of Evil! (gh, DXLD) ** MADAGASCAR. 5010, R. Nasionaly Malagasy, Ambohidrano, typically a hard catch here, putting a formidable signal this time, viz. 1737- 1820, 21 Oct, Malagasy, talks in some phone-in program, then very poor by 1815; 34443. Their signal was carrier+usb, termed as A3H, I suppose (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO [and non]. XEXQ, 6045, Oct 26 at 1252, ending William Tell Overture, mixing with SAH, but atop something in Chinese. 1259 recheck, Voice of Russia IS, and 1300 seemingly more in Chinese. This usage of 6045 by VOR is not on any schedule I can find. We can only hope it goes away in B-06 so we can finally hear XEXQ in the clear; but not counting on it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MICRONESIA. What service will the PMA use the frequency for? I guess aviation usage? Also do you know what frequency and when they will be on air Jari? (Robb Wise, HRi Radio, Oct 25, dxing.info via DXLD) No info about the frequency here yet. No aviation, it will be broadcasting. They'll probably simulcast their FM station (under construction) for the outer islands. 73, (Jari Savolainen, Finland, ibid.) ** MOLDOVA. Moldavia, RMI eliminado de internet. En la web de Radio Moldavia internacional han eliminado las transmisiones internacionales que tenían bajo demanda; primero se fueron de la Onda Corta y ahora de internet. http://www.trm.md 73 (José Miguel Romero, Spain, Oct 25, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Well, you can still read a lot of stuff in Romanian --- without accents or cedillas; is that a Moldovan thing? There is still an ASCULTA LIVE link at the upper left, but it gets an error message. That doesn`t necessarily mean listening has been permanently eliminated. There is another link labeled DOWNLOAD PROGRAMUL RADIO but that goes to a .doc, strangely enough, which I can`t open. BTW, I appreciate JMRR`s tolerance of my replies in English to his posts, which are to help non-Spanish-speaking readers catch up on what is being discussed, without making full translations (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) Saludos cordiales, respecto a la web de Radio Moldavia, se aprecia una gran remodelación con respecto a la que había anteriormente; ahora no se puede elegir el idioma en el que se quiere escuchar la emisión. Según comentan los compañeros, se escucha en inglés y francés, correspondiendo a los horarios habituales; parece ser integrado dentro del mismo programa. Casualmente he podido escuchar los últimos minutos del programa vía internet, el cierre a las 2100 UT; en la web se aprecia unos testos en Moldavo, probablemente Ruso, Inglés y Francés, nada en español. Probablemente en la nueva remodelación el servicio afectado sea el español y se sigan manteniendo el resto de los idiomas, aunque también han eliminado el horario de programación, un problema para posibles nuevos escuchas, que no conozcan el horario exacto de las transmisiones en los diferentes idiomas. Por otra parte Glenn, es lógico que me escriba en inglés, dxld es un foro en inglés; lamentablemente es un idioma que desconozco, por lo tanto yo soy el intruso. Debo aceptar y comprender que se me conteste en inglés; algunas veces he utilizado traductores mecánicos, pero traducen mal, ya es bastante que no sepa escribir en inglés como que encima me dediqué a destrozarlo. Me siento mal en tener que contestar en español, por lo tanto pido disculpas; también siento que alguien pueda sentirse molesto por mantener estos diálogos en los dos idiomas. Un saludo, atentamente (José Miguel Romero, Spain, ibid.) Glenn, The live audio link is working perfectly. French is expected at 1930 UT. Regards (Jean-Michel Aubier, France, 1910 UT Oct 25, ibid.) Just tried the Asculta Live, and does give audio here in Copenhagen, 16 kbit. Their web page has changed considerably since I last visited it. Like José points out. They used to have English on demand + live English at 1200-1230 UT. 73, (Erik Køie, Denmark, 1924 UT Oct 25, ibid.) [Later:] French OK here in Copenhagen. Shall try to remember to listen for their English tomorrow at 12 UT. 73, (Erik, Oct 25, ibid.) http://www.trm.md/ has English here at 12 UT. Click left on Asculta Live. The link Download programul radio gives the day's schedule, although I cannot find anything about this broadcast in English. 73, (Erik Køie, Copenhagen, 1208 UT Oct 26, ibid.) ** NETHERLANDS [and non]. R. Netherlands B-06 schedule English 0000-0057 NAM 6165bo 0100-0157 NAM 6165bo 0500-0557 NAM 6165bo 0700-0757 EU 7300fl/DRM 1000-1057 AS/FE 12065ir 6040pe 9795kh 1200-1257 NAM 11675bo 1400-1557 sAS 15595ma 12080ma 9345ta 1800-1857 sAF 6020ma 1800-1959 c+eAF 11655ma(-1957) 9895fl 1900-2057 w,c+sAF 7120ma 17810bo 1900-2100 NAM sa-su 15525bo(-2057) 15315bo 17725sa 2000-2057 wAF 11655ma 2130-2200 NAM 9800sa/DRM 2200-2257 NAM 15425mo/DRM Dutch 0400-0457 C+NAM 6165bo 5975bo 0600-0657 NAM/NZ/EU 6165bo 9625bo 5955ho 9850fl/DRM 0600-0757 EU 9895fl 0700-0757 EU/seAS 7125fl 6015ho 9625bo 0700-0857 EU 6035fl 0700-1600 EU 5955fl 0800-0857 EU 11935fl 7240fl/DRM 0800-1657 EU 9895fl(mo-fr:-0857) 0900-1100 EU 6035ho 0900-1059 EU 7240fl/DRM(sa-su) 6015fl/DRM (mo-fr) 0900-1557 EU sa-su 13700fl 0930-1015 SAM mo-sa 6020bo 1100-1157 s+seAS 21560dh 1100-1257 EU 15605fl/DRM 1200-1257 eAS 21480ma 1300-1357 AS 17815ma 17580ma 5910pe 1600-1657 EU/eAF 9895fl(mo-fr) 9895fl 6035fl 7240fl/DRM 13840ma 11655ma 1600-1757 EU 5955ar 1700-1757 EU/AF 6010fl 9895ma 6020ma 11655ma 2100-2157 AF/SAM 11655ma 15315bo 17810bo 17895bo 7120ma 2100-2300 EU/AF 6040gr 9895ma 2200-2257 AF/SAM 11730bo 15315bo 2300-2357 AM 9525sa 6165bo Indonesian 1100-1158 Indon. 17580ma 21480ma 9795sn(-1157) 1200-1257 Indon. 9795sn 15640ma 17580ma 2200-2258 Indon. 7380ma 11955ma 2200-2357 Indon. 6120sn 9590ma 9940ma Spanish 0000-0157 C+SAM 9895ma 15315bo 0200-0357 CAM 6165bo 9895bo 1100-1127 C+SAM 6110bo 6165bo 1130-1157 CAM 9715bo 1200-1227 SAM 6110bo 2300-2400 SAM 15315bo Transmitters: ar = Armavir; bo = Bonaire; fl = Flevo; gr = Grigoriopol; ho = Hörby; Ir = Irkutsk; ma = Madagascar; mo = Montsinéry; pe = Petropavlovsk Kamchatski; sa = Sackville; sn = Singapore; ta = Tashkent (RNW website, thx to tip by Paul Gager in BDXC-UK mail list, re-typed and re-arranged by Alan Roe, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEW ZEALAND. RNZI was back again on 7145 analog, Oct 25 at 1349 with reports on sports in Fiji, poor signal. From B-06, their overnight analog frequency is to be 5950, which will be even harder to hear here. RNZI analog audible again on 7145, Oct 26 at 1403 with weather around the country. On air two days in a row! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NORTH AMERICA. USA PIRATES: 6875,04, The Crystal Ship, 1425-1515* Oct 21, pop music, IDs. Belfast NY mail drop. Theme song from the old ``Slinky`` commercial. F-G. 3200.7, MAC Radio, 0120-0211* Oct 21. Rock music, pop music, Elvis tune, IDs, gave e-mail address. Sign-off with NA. Poor in noise (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) And see next: ** NORTH AMERICA. I tuned after WBCQ AWW, Friday, 20 Oct 2006 - so, 0124 UT Sat, the 21, heard, 0124 to 0215 on ~ 3225? 3335? "Dr. Who Hallowe`en Special", transmitter, "M A C shortwave" located halfway between Genesis / WWCR station and next, equal signal strength above it, station. M A C shortwave was 10 % (- 20 dB) of the strength of the two straddlers. Then next program same station, 0215 to (0249 0250 1 minute signoff) heard, Dixieland music (excellent blue amberol cylinders sound?), "Hal Roach` Komedie Kids" (off excellent original Victor disks). Best programming all week. Signoff came 5 minutes before tune-in, bells of " - (missing word?) World Radio London", very weak. - W R L, tuned on the air without warming up their transmitting crystal, and drifted upward (most txs downward) in frequency 500 cycles during first 5 minutes. Note, signal nature, and available programming seem to hint that M A C sw is 2-300 miles from me in the East. Glenn, that`s my news. Fred - signal, m a c. rst = best quality imaginable! (Fred Jodry, Oct 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I guess he means 3200, like in preceding report on a different date, halfway between WWRB 3185 and WWCR 3215, as there are no US SWBC stations above 3215; and not [likely] to be confused with TWR Swaziland which starts at 0300 on 3200 (gh, DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. Re 6-158, WWLS: I think you're thinking of a call-and- format swap that involved WWLS-FM, which was on the 104.9 Bethany OK facility but is now on the 97.9 Edmond OK facility. ("Wild" KKWD-FM went the other way, from 97.9 to 104.9.) WWLS(AM) is still on 640. I think Adam was hearing KYAL 1550 Sapulpa OK, which is on the "Sports Animal Radio Network," based at WWLS. s (Scott Fybush, NRC-AM via DXLD) KYAL-1550 Sapulpa, OK simulcasts WWLS- 640 The Sports Animal. Their transmitter is only 3 miles from my house (Bruce Winkelman, Tulsa, OK, ibid.) ** OMAN. It`s tough to hear the only English hour from R. Sultanate of Oman here, but Oct 25 at 1422, 15140 had some fluttery music, presumably this, with some splatter from overpowering WYFR 15130 in Spanish, 285 degrees (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Likewise: 15140, R. Sultanate of Oman, 1406, 10/19/06, in English. Continuous instrumental music to IS, ID, and news at 1430, then Western pop songs. Heavy splatter from WYFR in Spanish on 15130. Poor (Mark Schiefelbein, MO, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) R. Sultanate of Oman, 15140, 1408-1500+ Oct 21, continuous variety of Arabic pop, US pop, lite instrumental music. 1431-1439 English news, ID and back to continuous music. 1457 Arabic talk. Good, strong. Good audio but with slight hum. Irregular; last time I heard these guys was back in late August (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ROMANIA. RRI SPECIAL LISTENER`S DAY PROGRAMME Dear Friend, We repeat our invitation for you to participate in our special Listener’s Day programme, on November the 5th, on the topic ``Tolerance and Intolerance``. We are looking forward to your reply BY E-MAIL, if possible this very week, so that we may include the most interesting views expressed by you in this programme. We have a quite serious topic this year; we’re looking at things like international terrorism, the relationship between the West and Islam. But more particularly we’re trying to find out what makes a young man educated in the West or America become a terrorist? 1. We saw that in the case of major terrorist attacks like September the 11th, the perpetrators have attacked a system from within. In the case of the London subway bombings the some of the perpetrators were British citizens born and educated in the UK. What makes immigrants or even their descendants turn against their adoptive society? 2. Do you think the Western world has been successful in assimilating immigrants? If not? What went wrong? 4. Is there a difference between America and Western Europe in dealing with immigrants. a) Perhaps touch upon the riots in Paris this year. 3. Assimilation or acceptance? What do you think is the right thing? Frustrations, racism, discrimination at work in society in general. 5. Do you feel that the so-called terrorist threat has affected everyday human relations? Do you feel threatened in any way? The English Service of RRI (Radio Romania International) see also http://www.rri.ro/index.php?lmb=4&art=17089 email engl @ rri.ro or eng @ rri.ro (via Mike Terry, Oct 24, dxldyg via DXLD) ** ROMANIA. 6175, R. Romania International. I tried 6175 at 2000 and could just barely hear Romania's IS before the hour, only to have it wiped out by a French station opening at the same time (RFI listed in EiBi). Per the Bulgarian "DX Mix News" reprinted in BC-DX and received from Bueschel-Germany, the sked of the Saftitza, 50 kW transmitter at times feasible for ECNA, winter B06, is: Ukrainian at 1900-1926 on 6135, Serbian at 1930-1956 on 7260 kHz., and Aromanian at 2000-2026 on 6175 (Jerry Berg, MA, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. The 7200 transmitter in Yakutsk is ailing again; Oct 25 at 0539 Russian choral music with warble, previously thought to be jamming. And guess what, STILL audible with the warble when rechecked at 1419, when there may have been some other interference. On 11645 at 1557 Oct 25, a familiar classical piece jazzed up, 1558 Arabic announcement and VOR IS. Per EiBi this is 15-16 only from St Pete to ME (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SAINT HELENA. Change:: QSL Manager for Radio St Helena -- urgent -- Hello Everyone, PLEASE TELL SWL's and DXers around the world the following CHANGE regarding reception reports to Radio St. Helena :: Reception reports by regular mail only and including 3+ IRC's or "Greenstamps" are to be sent ONLY to the following NEW QSL-MANAGER for RSH and the RSD broadcasts: Radio St. Helena P. O. Box 24 Jamestown St. Helena Island STHL 1ZZ South Atlantic Ocean We are on target for 04. November !! Look at: http://www.news.co.sh (way down at the bottom of the page) and http://www.sthelena.se/radioproject Many thanks and good listening, (Robert Kipp, Radio St. Helena Revival 2006 Project, at Radio St. Helena, Oct 25, shortwave yg via DXLD) ** SAUDI ARABIA. Remarkably, Oct 25 at 1538, BSKSA on 15435 with Qur`an and --- NO BUZZ! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SLOVAKIA. RADIO SLOVAKIA INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHES ITS SHORTWAVE SCHEDULE Radio Slovakia International, which recently announced that it was returning to shortwave, has published its frequency schedule that will be effective from Sunday 29 October. The station will be on the air in six languages at 0100-0300, 0700-0830, 1400-1500, and 1530-2130 UTC. The complete schedule is available on the station`s website. http://www.slovakradio.sk/inetportal/rsi/core.php?lang=2&mainpage=maincontentfull&page=frequencies (October 26th, 2006, 12:35 UTC by Andy, Media Network blog vi DXLD) We`ve already published a few versions of this; have not cross checked for identity (gh, DXLD) ** SPAIN. Esquema de frecuencias y horarios "completo" de Radio Exterior de España para el período de invierno, del 29 de Octubre 2006 a 24 de Marzo 2007. Recibido de Antonio Buitrago, realizador del programa diexista "Amigos de la Onda Corta" de REE. Para bajar en formato PDF: http://telefonica.net/web2/radioescuchadx/REEb06.pdf Si desea conocer los programas: http://www.rtve.es/rne/ree/OndaCorta/0607.htm (José Bueno, Córdoba - España, dxldyg via DXLD) ** SUDAN [and non]. Re 6-158: It is now 0050 UT [Oct 25] and I have been monitoring 1296 since about 0011. I have been getting alternating Spain and what I presume to be Sudan with Arabic sounding talk and African type music. WRTH shows the SW // of 7200 from 0300, so I will have to wait for a positive ID. The only potential fly in the ointment is the UK station (Radio XL, Birmingham) on frequency. I have been fooled before with ethnic programming on domestic channels, but at 10 kW I don't think it would be taking over the 600 kW Sudan station. As I write, African sounding music still predominating (Chris Black, N1CP, Cape Cod, WTFDA-AM via DXLD) At 7:26 P.M. [2326 UT Oct 24] on 1296 was a little of Spain along with what I presumed was Sudan with stringed instruments like a Sitar. I would think that along with some Auroral activity it would be easier. The K and A index now favor a more Northerly route. A little while ago a few Germans were heard at a good level. OLD ROY (Roy Barstow, Cape Cod, ibid.) I checked back at 0300 for the SW parallel on 7200, but by then 1296 was not cooperating. Also there was no SW on 7200, just some Amateur QSO in progress (Chris B, ibid.) ** SYRIA. 783 kHz, R. Damascus, Tartus, flattening all the audible stations on this frequency, 1825-1847, 26 Oct, Russian program, pops, ID prior to 1830 newscast followed by feature "Totchka Vremya", piano tunes and an international politics magazine; 54444 (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Yes, their Russian external service to Europe is only on MW 783 and 1125, 300 and 200 kW resp. per WRTH 2006, 1830-1900 (gh) ** TURKEY. VOT, 15450, Thu Oct 26 with Live from Turkey. No phone calls today, unless before I tuned in at 1301. The two hosts conversed, and played a brief interview with the newly-appointed US Special Envoy to Counter the PKK, Joseph somebody. He said no country had supported Turkey more than the US against the PKK, tho the Turks have found that support wanting. 1307 and 1312 played two musical pieces. Never heard a phone number mentioned or invitation for anyone to call. 1317 one of the hosts plugged his Sunday VOT program ``The Language of Music``, which goes into the complexity of Turkish music, and how poetry and literature relate to it, founded on the ``Ottoman language``, very powerful. Then mentioned that supermodel Naomi Campbell has visited Turkey, and was arrested for some misbehavior, tho she was being paid big money on a modeling assignment (I later heard she had been charged with assault in the UK). 1320 wrapping up and into a few runs of the IS. Usual fair reception with some flutter and hard to catch every word. From next week, will be Thursdays at 1350-1420 instead and on 12035, 11735. Another Live from Turkey is on the Tuesday 1830 broadcast on 9785, which I did not try to hear Oct 24, but brought up the webcast. One way to find it is under VOT at http://www.publicradiofan.com/cgi-bin/statsearch.pl?country=Turkey (I am usually engrossed in the wonderful BBCR2 music shows at this time, The Music Goes Round, and The Organist Entertains, but this time I remembered LfT and paused BBC on the Real Player.) On this edition, hosts said that unusually, the phone was ``ringing off the wall``; nevertheless, the only caller on the air was Christopher Lewis from UK, whom they had not heard from for quite some time, and were glad to contact again. (He won a trip to Turkey in August.). Main topic there was how low minimum wages are in the UK, and elsewhere, immigration problems, etc. I suspect the hosts have mixed feelings about doing a call-in/out show at all, since one said the architecture of the VOT building requires them to run down the hall to another room to answer the phone! On neither show did I hear them give a phone number or encourage calls, tho quite possibly they did it once at the opening, which I usually miss. They seem to be clueless about how to run a real call-in show and encourage participation. Like giving the phone number frequently, or e-mail address, in each case spelled out very clearly --- if they can even get e-mail while live on the air. The could announce a topic of discussion for starters, not always about current events or politics, something funny or novel. Anyhow, they plan to keep doing the LfT shows, and from B-06 the Tuesday edition will be at 1950-2020 UT on 6055, even less likely to be audible in NAm. Another nice thing about listening to the webcast is that the ``transmitter`` stays on during the 10 minutes of the lovely piano-variations IS which follows (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. As VOA Director David Jackson prepares to take his leave, two names have been mentioned as being in the running to assume top positions in the organization, as Director and another position involving TV. This is from a bio of Russ Hodge of 3 Roads Communications: Russ Hodge is the Founder and President of 3 Roads Communications, Inc. a television programming, video production, and strategic communications firm with offices Frederick, MD, and New York City. He is also President of Three Roads Media Partners, which provides wide- ranging services in the worlds of publishing, television and digital media, finance, print and public relations. During the past eighteen month alone, the two firms have launched, produced, and/or distributed six separate television programs or series for public television, the Discovery Networks and for international distribution. Mr. Hodge has played pivotal roles in the creation and production of a variety of programs. He began his career as a producer at WNBC Radio and TV in New York City. Mr. Hodge then moved to Oliver Productions in Washington, DC, where for three years he produced John McLaughlin's One on One program and The McLaughlin Group. Mr. Hodge also created, and was the Senior Producer for Mr. McLaughlin's nightly CNBC talk show. Fox TV then hired Mr. Hodge to be the creator and producer of their young-skewing political talk show, Off the Record, which launched the careers of, among others, Susan Molinari and Tony Snow. Mr. Hodge won an Emmy Award for Off the Record. He has been a producer/consultant to Politically Incorrect for Comedy Central, to Fox News Sunday and to the Fox News Channel. His other clients have included CBS News and the America's Voice cable network. Mr. Hodge was Director of Special Communications Projects for the Bush-Quayle Campaign in 1992, specializing in satellite-delivered television outreach. Mr. Hodge has substantial experience in the international television arena as well. Working for the International Foundation for Electoral Systems and for the International Republican Institute, he developed and produced political talk shows on-site in Moscow and Kiev that targeted younger viewers. He has produced dozens of television programs in international locales ranging from Pakistan, Costa Rica, South Africa, London and Moscow. Mr. Hodge has consulted with Voice of America to launch successful television programming for their Persian, Mandarin, Ukrainian, and Indonesian Services. The New York Times praised News and Views, a Persian Service offering that Mr. Hodge helped to launch. And Congressional Quarterly recently wrote that News and Views "delivers a fast-paced news report with production values that rival top-rated U.S. shows." There had been no announcement as of late Tuesday, however another name mentioned by sources is that of Danforth Austin, a former Dow Jones executive, as possibly the leading candidate for VOA director. Austin, however, appears to have no TV experience, so Hodge -- who has connections within the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) -- may end up playing that role. http://cache.zoominfo.com/cachedpage/?archive_id=0&page_id=315078552&page_url=%2f%2fwww.ottaway.com%2faustin.html (VOA sources, Oct 24, WORLD OF RADIO 1333, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Later: VOA DIRECTOR APPOINTED --- Director of VOA Television also announced The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) is pleased to announce the appointment of Danforth W. Austin as the Director of the Voice of America (VOA). He will have the overall responsibility for the planning, organization, direction and policy application of all VOA broadcasting activities. Austin will replace David Jackson who will be returning to the private sector. The BBG also announced the appointment of Russell Hodge as Director of VOA Television. In making the announcement, the BBG said it looks forward to the leadership and vision that Mr. Austin and Mr. Hodge will provide in developing a strategic plan to implement VOA’s increased use of 21st Century technologies to reach its worldwide audience, including satellite television, the Internet as well as FM and AM radio. Mr. Austin is a news media executive with a business and journalism background. He has served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ottaway Newspapers, Inc., the community media subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co., with 3,000 employees in nine states, overseeing both operating and support functions, including news, advertising, circulation, Internet development, production, technology, finance and human resources. Mr. Austin also served in a number of senior positions with the Wall Street Journal, including Vice President and General Manager, where he was responsible for U.S. advertising, circulation, marketing and production operations. His other positions included Deputy National News Editor, Editor, Wall Street Journal Reports and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Bureau Chief. Mr. Jackson is one of the longest serving Directors in VOA history, having served since September, 2002, and made significant contributions to its reputation and its future. These include the merging of Worldnet Television with VOA, the exceptional increase in VOA’s broadcast audience in television and on the Internet, and VOA’s remarkable expansion of broadcasting to crisis regions of the world in response to the War on Terrorism. The members of the Board of Governors join all members of the Voice of America in extending their sincere appreciation for his contributions and their best wishes for the future. Mr. Hodge will serve as the Director of all VOA television programming and advise the Director of VOA on the editorial, production, program development, talent and day-to-day operations of all television programming produced or broadcast by VOA. He will also provide guidance to VOA’s Associate Directors for Language Programming, Central Programming, and Operations with regard to the development and production of television programming. Mr. Hodge is the Founder and President of 3 Roads Communications, Inc., a television programming, video production, and strategic communications firm. He is also the President of Three Roads Media Partners, LLC, an affiliated company that focuses on domestic and foreign acquisition and distribution. Mr. Hodge is an Emmy Award – winning producer with more than two decades of experience in news, public affairs and documentary production and programming. His credits include projects for HBO, PBS, NBC, CNBC, CBS, Fox and Comedy Central. He has produced dozens of hours of television programming for network, Cable and Public Television and numerous foreign broadcasters. He has received more than three dozen awards, including an Emmy, Cable ACE, Telly, Aurora, Addy, Communicator, Aegis, and several other broadcasting awards (VOA press release Oct 25 via DXLD) ** U S A. Escutei em 5745 - 26/10/2006 - 0012 - USA, WWRB Manchester - EE PX - OM, AUDIO ESTRANHO PARECENDO FM COM LARGURA DE BANDA DE 6 kHZ (Saul, PY7EG, Brasil, radioescutas via DXLD) ** U S A. 3185, WWRB, Manchester TN, observed until fading out completely, 0731-0825, 26 Oct, English, preacher; 45433. 3215, WWCR, Nashville TN (a name that reminds me of that old series called "Green Acres"...), 0734-f/out 0830, 26 Oct, English, advertisements, newscast, mostly finance stuff; 45433. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) So on UT Sunday you could hear WORLD OF RADIO on 3215, at 0730, probably still 0630 this week – or both? With the time shift an hour back at 0700 (gh, DXLD) ** U S A [non]. ITALY [sic], 5775 kHz, IRRS, Program Reformed Bible Church of Southern California. This is the answer that Pastor Alfred J. Chompff, manager sent me: ``Dear Juan, We do not know what a QSL verification card is. We are not broadcasting for fun or for playing games. We are broadcasting that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back to judge the earth. It is a matter of eternal life, or eternal death. Sincerely yours, in Christ, Pastor Alfred J. Chompff`` (Juan Antonio Arranz S., Spain, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** U S A [non]. Amigos, Embora o site da CVC continue informando que a programação dos 49 m estará sendo transmitida pelos 6170 kHz, a notícia que José Romero nos traz é de que a freqüência a ser utilizada será a de 6050 kHz. 73, (Rudolf Grimm, São Bernardo, SP, radioescutas via DXLD) CVC. B-06 Zonas Idioma Horario UTC Frec. (kHz) México, América Central y El Caribe Español 0100-0400 11970 Norte de Sudamérica, América Central Español 0100-0800 11805 0800-1000 6185 1100-0100 17680 Brasil Portugués 1000-2300 15410 2300-0800 11745 0700-0900 6050 Cono Sur Español 0000-1200 6070 1200-0000 9635 Proporcionado por (Hector Frías, FEDERACHI, radioescutas via DXLD) A tentative schedule we had showed 6170, colliding with R. Cultura São Paulo, would be used at 10-15 UT, nothing like the above. However, I have my doubts about the above sked, as it shows overlaps and gaps which don`t make sense; wrong time conversions? (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. The Capitol Steps Hallowe`en special is already starting to appear Oct 26 on public radio stations. Some local times are listed here: http://www.capsteps.com/radio/ and many of them webcast (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. ARRL PRESIDENT AIRS CONCERNS ABOUT REQUIRED RED CROSS BACKGROUND CHECKS NEWINGTON, CT, Oct 25, 2006 -- ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, is urging Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and other ham radio volunteers to tread cautiously when submitting information for background checks the American Red Cross (ARC) now requires. The ARC, with which the ARRL has a Statement of Understanding (SoU), this summer notified local chapters that volunteers and staff members must submit to criminal background checks by October 31. Harrison says the requirement extends to ARES volunteers who support Red Cross disaster relief efforts. In a statement October 24, Harrison said the League recommends that anyone submitting personal information for a background check very carefully read what they are giving the ARC permission to collect. . . http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/10/25/1/?nc=1 (via Bill Smith, W0WOI, DXLD) ** U S A. Interesting FCC ruling --- The FCC has conditionally approved KYRS-LP (Spokane, Wash.)'s application to move from 95.3 to 89.9. The LPFM is about to be bumped by a power increase and tower move at full-license station KPND-95.3 Sandpoint, Idaho. Normally, 89.9 would be off-limits for a LPFM at KYRS's site, as it's badly short-spaced to full-license station KEWU-89.5 Cheney, Wash. KYRS has requested a waiver to the rules. They've shown that the interference area doesn't extend off the premises of their transmitter site; that they will use vertical polarization to further minimize any possible interference; and that KEWU has agreed not to object to the KYRS application, provided KYRS clears up any interference that actually appears. In the original FCC LPFM rules, there were no limits on the use of third-adjacent channels for LPFM. Shortly thereafter, in 2000, Congress passed and induced President Clinton to sign anti-LPFM legislation that forced the FCC to limit third-adjacents and prohibited the Commission from waiving third-adjacent protection rules. However, the Commission ruled, Congress did NOT prohibit the FCC from waiving the *second*-adjacent rules the FCC had already established. (which arguably could create more interference than third-adjacent waivers...) Bizarre things happen when lobbyists can overrule engineers (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66, http://www.w9wi.com Oct 25, WTFDA via DXLD) This particular Ruling is more an issue of lawyers than of lobbyists, although the distinctions between the two can often blur. But, whatever happened to the Congressionally-imposed interference study that The Radio Preservation Act of 2000 required? Were any findings ever published? (Peter Baskind, J.D., LL.M. N4LI Germantown, TN/EM55, ibid.) ** U S A. KTNN blasting the car radio --- Most of us Midwesterners have logged KTNN numerous times but 1) I have never heard them this loud 2) never heard them at LSR and 3) never on the car radio. I was parking the van and doing some dial scanning before going to the office. 680 was covered by what I guess was WLW's IBOC (WSCR's not on, yet) and WV underneath. 660 was very loud with what I thought was a SS religious ballad, but then realized it was Native American. Then a promo for a reaching potential listeners in New Mexico and finally an ID by a gal in EE. The sound processing was powerful. Sounded like FM stereo. It was splattering the heck out of 650 WSM (and WSCR to a much lesser extent). No NM on 770 and only what I could assume was CBK on 540. KFI also noted on 640 but nowhere as good as KTNN (too many other, closer stations on day power @ that time). If you need KTNN - midnight LT to LSR maybe a good bet! 660, KTNN, AZ, Window Rock, 10-25 0755 [EDT = 1155 UT], Strong signal, great audio with Native ballad, station promo and ID. Splattering WSM something fierce and a little bit against WSCR. Never noted this close to LSR. DH-IN. Time EDT, 2002 Ford Windstar factory receiver (Dave Hascall, KC9KDY, Indianapolis, IN, Oct 25, WTFDA-AM via DXLD) KTNN, which stands for The Navajo Nation, is supposed to have a big null toward New York during the night. Shouldn`t that be KTDN? (gh) YAHOO! I finally heard an ID from KTNN 660. 10/25/ 0700 [EDT = 1100 UT]. Heard a male with a TOH ID "KTNN Window Rock," into what sounded like news. New State #44 here. I thought I heard Tempe on 1580 many years ago, but I can't find the record of it. I am happy, it is off to work now (Bill Harms, Elkridge, Maryland, IRCA via DXLD) ** U S A. 860, KTRB, CA, San Francisco is testing with a very strong open carrier 1358 PDT / 2058 UTC 10/25 (Albert Lehr - Livermore, CA, IRCA via DXLD) Also with a female voice ID at 1455 PDT, then back to OC (Mike Hawkins, ibid.) I should HOPE it's a very strong signal in Livermore! Presumably, they are testing the night pattern and the night site is IN Livermore. They might even be running at full power -- 50 kW. If that doesn't produce a strong signal at your location, what would? When they get the day signal on the air, it won't be as strong in Livermore -- will come from quite a good distance to the north (Dan Strassberg, AC707, ibid.) Can someone refresh my memory on this? I seem to recall that KTRB was on 860 in Modesto, then managed to get their move to San Francisco approved. Later, KMPH was approved on 840 for Modesto, sort of a 2 for the price of one deal - where do I go to get a deal like this? A full- time 50 kWer in a major market, and you get to keep the old signal too??? Wow. Anyhow, so now they're testing the S.F. transmitter - is 860 in Modesto still on the air, or have they shut down in anticipation of the move? Is 840 completely up and running yet? I saw it reported by Don K. a while back, but I'm curious whether they're fully online on 840. It seems to me they'd want to be up on 840 (and telling 860 listeners to switch over) before starting to test on 860. (Brian Leyton, Valley Village, CA (GMT -0800 [sic]), DX-398 / RS Loop, ABDX via DXLD) Brian, 840 Modesto is on the air, KMPH. Format is more or less Adult Contemporary. Signal is fairly good here in San Francisco night & day altho there are times when they can be blown away. 860 San Francisco is testing today. 860 KTRB Modesto left the air several months ago and the frequency has been very nice here. I don't think (but could be wrong) that there is any connection between the 840 & 860 stations. (Don Kaskey, S.F. CA, ibid.) KTRB/Modesto shut down on 6/19/06. Today is (I believe) their first day of testing with references to San Francisco. KMPH/840 came on the air in Modesto on 6/25 or 6/26 of this year. They are still in CP stage (I believe) but doing regular programming. It is varied, some talk shows, some music, some Asian programming. They are somewhat like KTRB was, but then again not. I don't listen to KMPH much, but I haven't heard any references there to KTRB. Then again, there hasn't been a KTRB for listeners to switch to either. Another thing --- in the Central Valley, there is a lot of disdain for San Francisco and the Bay Area. The businesses in the Northern San Joaquín Valley feel like they are getting screwed by people who live there and spend their money in the Bay Area. People spend their money where they spend most of their time. Wages are 50-100% higher in the Bay Area and prices for goods are cheaper in the Bay Area as well. Central Valley businesses want to open at 10, close at 6, and the world should beat down their doors. Not!!! I don't know that KMPH would mention KTRB. For that matter, KTRB rarely mentioned their own area because Pappas (the owner) was running all talk and news came from his Fresno TV station. That left KTRB with no local identity. Both are owned by Pappas. He had been trying to get KTRB into a major market for a long time, and in order to do it, he had to essentially replace KTRB in the smaller market. KMPH calls are also used by his TV station in Visalia/Fresno, which had been the only non-satellite identity that KTRB had (Mike Hawkins, ibid.) It's been a few years since I was in Fresno on business, but back then I seem to recall KTRB having a somewhat local flavor - news/traffic, etc. Maybe that was just morning drive-time from the TV station. I kind of understand the complaints. It's not much different from what you see all over the west, where Californians cash in their overpriced real-estate, and move to more rural areas, putting up mini-mansions, and causing real-estate prices to go up. The Central Valley - at least some parts - are losing their rural flavor as they become bedroom communities for the long-distance commuters. The pasture gives way to miles of carbon-copy tract homes, and the new occupants start complaining about the smell of manure, the smoke from weed-burning, or whatever else they never thought of when they moved to "the country", but which had been going on long before they came to town. Of course there will be friction between the old-timers and the newcomers. To put this back on a radio track, I tried for both stations on the way home tonight. 840 was all KXNT, not a peep from KMPH. 860 was so covered in splatter from my local KRLA, that it was impossible to listen to. I didn't have time to try it with the DX-398, I'll hopefully give that a shot later (Brian Leyton, ibid.) ** U S A. WMRO 1560 kHz, Gallatin, TN DX Test. Date(s): Midnight to Five AM Central Time, October 30th thru November 13th. (Two Week Test.) [apparently means each and every night at that time] Time: Midnight until 5:00 AM Central Time [0600-1100 UT]. Modes of Operation: "Inventory Insert" 60 Second Long Test. 0.003 kW [THREE WATTS] Non-Directional. (One night may include a brief full daytime power test. [1000 watts]) Programming: Morse Code ID's, Sweep Tones, 60 Second Long "Inventory Insert" during local breaks. Notes: Transmitter audio chain testing. Exact times of the inserted spots will be given closer to the test time period. In general, look for the test to run near the Top of the Hour (TOH.) The extreme low power of this station at night should make this one a nice challenge! Reception reports are desired via e-mail (first choice) and snail mail (only if e-mail is not available). Station would prefer to receive recordings of the test (MP3, CD, or cassette). Submit reports to: les @ highnoonfilm.com Please put "WMRO DX Test" in the subject line. All standard mail reports should go to: Les Rayburn, High Noon Film, 100 Centerview Drive Suite 111, Birmingham AL 35216. Please include a SASE for reply. Our thanks Scott Bailey of WMRO, who's always been very DX Friendly! And also to Paul Walker, who helped to arrange yet another test for all of us (IRCA DX Monitor Oct 28 via DXLD) ** U S A . KTCT-1050 San Mateo, CA is heard ID`ing as ``KNBR`` not just the ``KNBR2 1050`` given in NRC Log 26th Edition. ID`s as ``KTCT`` or even`` ``KNBR2`` are rare. This is similar to KBJD-1650 Denver, CO which often ID`s as ``KNUS`` (KNUS is on 710). IRCAn`s should watch out for such ID practices (Richard E. Wood, BIHI, IRCA DX Monitor Oct 28 via DXLD) ** VENEZUELA [non]. Ciao, alcuni ascolti da Milano Lambratel --- 11670 2015 21/10 R. Nacional Venezuela, Via TX R. Habana, ID, "revolución bolivariana", SS. Good (Michele D'Amico, playdx yg via DXLD) 11670 previously known only for the 22 UT broadcast. I hope this is not another erroneously reported time (gh, DXLD) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. CLAND., 1550 & 7425 kHz Polisario Front's station, Tindouf, Algeria, now 0700-0900 (Fri. till 1000), but same menu evenings, i.e. 1700-2400, with the last hour for Castilian program. 1550 kHz remains the only alternative here after dark as we get into the skip area for 7425 (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** YEMEN. Radio Yemen, English Service, 9780 kHz, qsl card. V/s: "Ali Tashi" ali_tashy @ yahoo.com (Juan Antonio Arranz S., Spain, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) ** ZIMBABWE [non]. SW Africa (Zimbabwe's Independent Voice), 4880 kHz, 1700-1800 UT. E-qsl, they include a .pdf file for printer. V/s: Keith Farquharson, Technical Manager, keith @ swradioafrica.com He said that they´ll send me a QSL card. SW Radio Africa Ltd : PO Box 243, Borehamwood, Herts, WD6 4WA, United Kingdom. Tel 020 8387 1406 : Fax 020 8387 1416 : e-mail tech @ swradioafrica.com WEB: http://www.swradioafrica.com (Juan Antonio Arranz S., Spain, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 5730, some kind of utility pulsing noise, which might be taken for jamming, mixed with occasional ``birdcalls``, 1250 UT Oct 26 Any ideas? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 6005, Oct 26 at 1257 heard familiar hymn theme aside Cuba 6000. I think it was ``Gott sei die Ehre`` and then a few words maybe in Russian, off at 1300* Poor reception. Nothing likely on current or future schedules. A new WYFR relay? Sri Lanka with Protestant show? This frequency has been active there only in local mornings (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Me lo sono chiesto ieri leggendo la mia dose ormai quasi quotidiana di notizie assemblate da Glenn Hauser per il suo DX Listening Digest, una fonte sempre più stupefacente per ricchezza e capacità di approfondimento (Andrea Lawendel`s blog as referenced in last issue about Word to Russia, via DXLD) CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++ SIZING UP THE AUDIENCE --- WHY REACHING THOUSANDS CAN HAVE MORE IMPACT THAN MILLIONS --- by Kim Andrew Elliott --- 26-10-2006 CIBAR - the Conference on International Broadcasting Audience Research - is taking place this week at Radio Australia in Melbourne. About 20 audience research professionals will attend this annual meeting. This may not seem like a large number, but audience research is a highly specialized corner of international broadcasting. It also can be an awkward job. Audience researchers may not always be seen as "team players", because their job is to provide estimates of the size and makeup of the audience, even if that information is not always favourable. Audience research is not a useful management tool unless it is accurate. Audience researchers ensure that the samples used in their surveys are representative of the population of the target country. And, during the survey period, the output of the international broadcaster must be typical: no extra transmissions or extraordinary publicity spurts. Processing the numbers After the research is conducted, the data are tabulated. BBC World Service and US international broadcasting can count their audiences in the millions, but these millions are not always as impressive as they would seem. . . http://www.radionetherlands.nl/features/media/0610226cib (RNW via DXLD) PARA QUANDO A PARTICIPAÇÃO DO BRASIL NA HFCC...? Prezados. Penso que urge que o Brasil se faça representar urgentemente nas reuniões semestrais da HFCC - High Frequency Co-ordination Conference ou por intermédio da RadioBrás, como representante de todas as emissoras publicas e privadas que emitem em Onda Curta ou mesmo pela ANATEL nas reuniões desta organização cívica. Como sabemos, muitos dos problemas de interferências seriam evitados pela simples presença e representatividade de um destes organismos aquando das reuniões. Relembro que na ultima conferencia preparatória para a época B-06 tanto a REE-Radio Exterior de Espanha como o RDPi-Radio Difusão Portuguesa Internacional e outros, apelaram mais uma vez para que existam representantes da América do Sul e em especial do Brasil devido á sua dimensão continental. Não deveriam ser os radioescutas a ter de agir á posterior para evitar estes sempre lamentáveis acontecimentos, como foi mais uma vez o que se passou com a CVC (João Costa, CT1FBF, radioescutas yg via DXLD) See also USA [non] and my previous comments pointing out to them that as far as HFCC is concerned, Brazilian SW stations don`t exist (gh) LANGUAGE LESSONS ++++++++++++++++ Re 6-158, U S A [and non], Andrea Lawendel`s blog on the gay-bashing FSU immigrants in Sacramento, spurred on by KFBS and FEBC, the title of his piece is ``Dalla Russia con livore`` which I figure is a play on words for ``From Russia with Love``, but online translators Google and Altavista don`t know what livore means! So I ask Andrea (gh, DXLD) Livore means essentially "hatred", "bitter resentment". It comes from the same Latin word ("livor) as your ("livid") and that's the sense, when you feel extremely bitter or rancorous against someone or something, or deeply angry, and your face turns pale. Mine was a word play, of course. Remember James Bond in "From Russia with love? Well, in Italian it's "Dalla Russia con amore". Substitute "livore" for "amore", which is exactly the opposite in a way, and you have the perfect pun. I simply couldn't resist! When I read the story you had related, I immediately thought after all a shortwave transmission *can*, or at least could have an impact on people's lives. Too bad it's not very clear what kind of programming is currently aired from WtR via FEBC or others. For FEBC, their Web site stream carries Radio Teos. Perhaps, now that most of their audience lives close to the production facilities, most of if goes through the local stations. The LA Times picture, the one with the babas on the bench, was extremely funny. You know, being part Slavic (my father is Warsaw-born) means I use to know my Russian chickens. 73s (Andy Lawendel, Italy, DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also KAZAKHSTAN DIGITAL BROADCASTING DTV: see HAWAII ++++++++++++++++++++ DRM FOR NON-BROADCAST PURPOSES Hi Glenn! Re DXLD 6-158: ``I agree with Patrick about this - there is megahertz of empty space available outside of the BC bands. There is another transmission on - I think - 9660 between 0700 and 0730 not shown on the DRM pages. Could it be the same data type of transmission? Both are very strong and seem wideband transmissions and are causing much noise and interference to adjacent stations at my location (Noel R. Green (NW England), dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)`` I checked that this morning at 0700 UT. The frequency today was 9665 kHz and Noel was right with his thoughts: it was a VTC Sea Trial Data Service too. 73, (Patrick Robic, Austria, Oct 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Because, I suppose, VT`s primary business is shipbuilding. Why don`t they use marine bands? (gh) see also CANADA; NETHERLANDS DRM 40 DELEAYED AGAIN Questi sono i messaggi originali che sono transitati su drmrx.org From Radiostore: Sangean will not deliver the DRM 40 before end of December. The reason is a poor reception quality with the Radioscape module. New modules are available now and are actually tested by Sangean. If this test is successful, the production line will start in December. The morphy Richards is on stock now, but the DRM quality is very poor. Radiostore e.K. From Sangean: Dear Mr. York, Thank you for your interest in our DRM radio. Unfortunately, the production is delayed to dec./jan. 2007. So we will not have stock before Febr. 2007. By then, Roberts will sell DRM-40 in England and Ireland. For more info, please go to: http://www.robertsradio.co.uk Best regards, Anke Markusse, Sangean Europe bv, Ankerkade 20, 5928 PL Venlo, The Netherlands (via Andrea Borgnino IW0HK, http://www.mediasuk.org/iw0hk http://www.mediasuk.org/archive http://www.biciurbana.org bclnews.it via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ Is it rare at all for E-skip near the end of October??? In the 18 years or so I've been watching for E skip, normally October is one of the worst months to observe it. Especially, strong skip. I've noticed the last 4 days there has been many openings around the planet. On Oct 22 I had E skip reaching into FM for around 5 hours out of the day, at times holding strong at over 107 MHz. That is very rare. In the last 2 weeks of January and first week of February 2006 there was an unusually high level of E skip to the south and southwest from here. This is also a normally "dead" time of the year for E skip. Check out Pat Dyer's charts on his website. He's been watching E skip since the 1950's: http://home.swbell.net/pjdyer/index.html (Randolph Zerr, KW4RZ grid EM60qk, Fort Walton Beach, Florida, WTFDA via DXLD) The geomagnetic field ranged from quiet to minor storm levels. The period began under the waning influence of a coronal hole high speed stream. Solar wind speed at ACE was decreasing from approximately 515 km/s while the IMF Bz was fluctuating between +/- 3 nT. The geomagnetic field was quiet to unsettled at middle latitudes while high latitudes observed a few active periods. Solar wind speed continued to decline to a minimum of 300 km/s late on 19 October. Geomagnetic conditions were quiet during this time. Early on 20 October, density, temperature, and wind speed increased; all indicative of a co-rotating interaction region in advance of a coronal hole high speed stream. The IMF Bz began fluctuating between +/- 10 nT and the geomagnetic field responded with quiet to unsettled conditions at middle latitudes with quiet to active conditions at higher latitudes. Solar wind speed continued to increase to approximately 670 km/s by midday on 21 October while the IMF Bz had calmed, not varying much beyond +/- 3 nT. The geomagnetic field at middle latitudes was quiet to unsettled with quiet to minor storm conditions observed at high latitudes on 21 October. By 22 October, solar wind speed was still elevated, but decreasing. Unsettled to active levels were observed at middle latitudes while quiet to minor storm conditions were observed at high latitudes. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 25 OCTOBER - 20 NOVEMBER 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 25 – 26 October, 28 October – 03 November, and 10 – 20 November. 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 28 October, 09 – 10 November, and again on 17 November. Unsettled to minor storm periods are possible on those dates. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2006 Oct 24 2054 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 24 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2006 Oct 25 75 5 2 2006 Oct 26 75 5 2 2006 Oct 27 70 10 3 2006 Oct 28 70 20 4 2006 Oct 29 70 10 3 2006 Oct 30 70 5 2 2006 Oct 31 70 5 2 2006 Nov 01 70 5 2 2006 Nov 02 70 5 2 2006 Nov 03 70 8 3 2006 Nov 04 70 5 2 2006 Nov 05 70 5 2 2006 Nov 06 70 5 2 2006 Nov 07 70 5 2 2006 Nov 08 70 5 2 2006 Nov 09 70 20 4 2006 Nov 10 70 15 3 2006 Nov 11 70 10 3 2006 Nov 12 70 8 3 2006 Nov 13 70 5 2 2006 Nov 14 75 5 2 2006 Nov 15 75 5 2 2006 Nov 16 75 10 3 2006 Nov 17 75 18 4 2006 Nov 18 75 10 3 2006 Nov 19 75 5 2 2006 Nov 20 75 5 2 (http://www.sec.noaa.gov/radio via WORLD OF RADIO 1333, DXLD) TIPS FOR RATIONAL LIVING ++++++++++++++++++++++++ SPECIAL COMMENT: ADVERTISING TERRORISM The key to terrorism is not the act — but the fear of the act Oct. 23: "Countdown" host Keith Olbermann discusses images of terrorists in recent Republican campaign commercials. Updated: 9:40 p.m. ET Oct. 23, 2006 With FREE VIDEO: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15392701/ (via DXLD) ATHEIST EVANGELIST --- IN HIS BULLY PULPIT, SAM HARRIS DEVOUTLY BELIEVES THAT RELIGION IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL --- By David Segal, Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, October 26, 2006; C01 NEW YORK There are really just two possibilities for Sam Harris. Either he is right and millions of Christians, Muslims and Jews are wrong. Or Sam Harris is wrong and he is so going to hell. . . http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/25/AR2006102501998_pf.html (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ###