WORLD OF RADIO #1239, produced July 21, 2004 by Glenn Hauser

*Standard disclaimer
*New edition of my monthly Spanish DX report Mundo Radial now
 available via http://www.worldofradio.com and also thrice weekly
 on WWCR 15825, from July 23, Fridays 2115, Tuesdays 2130, Wednesdays
 2100; this one includes Bjoern Malm`s recording of WDHP 1620 Virgin
 Islands relaying Radio Marti
*Seeing it on TV would be preferable, but people ask me about Olympic
 coverage on SW. Voice of Greece foregoes golden opportunity to
 increase language services, suspending them all during August, with
 ERA only carrying the SPORT network in Greek
*Radio Netherlands special Olympic programming only in Dutch, August
 14-29 including relays of NOS` Radiolympia, SW schedule to Europe
*BBC World Service is best hope for English speakers, every night
 during Olympics from 1800 UT for 1.5 or 2 hours; not to Americas,
 but on web. Try frequencies to ME, Europe or Africa, such as 17830
*Longwave station proposed for Isle of Man, could revive the name
 Radio Caroline, which they have registered; 279 kHz from next year
*European MW DXers lamenting the end of their best open MW DX
 frequency, 1350, as R. Orient, Nice, France, has gone on the air
 with at least 300 kW, tho authorized for as much as 2500 kW, mostly
 in Arabic, ``Idha`at al Sharq``; blocks low-power AMs in Britain on
 1350 and all other DX, but is it 24/7?
*Bob Zanotti, two years after retiring from Swiss Radio International,
 is launching his own `unplugged` multimedia website from August 1,
 http://www.switzerlandinsound.com  Introduced with a special one-hour
 show reminiscing with Bob Thomann
*But SwissInfo is starting a special farewell series of English
 programs from August 1, the first about the evolution of Swiss SW
 Service into SwissInfo; suspect this `radio` program is only on the
 net via http://www.swissinfo.org
*US to finance construxion of a new building for RFE/RL so it can move
 out of the center of Prague for security reasons; pending USG and
 Congressional approval
*ITU SW site list has just added a new one in Kuwait, at 29N31, 47E41,
 so IBB SW transmitters planned since 2001 may now be materializing;
 look out for tests, new frequencies. This is NW of Kuwait City, not
 at previous Kabd site south of the city; see DXLD 4-108 and 4-110 for
 speculation about what became of Kuwaiti SW transmitters with the
 Gulf war
*BBC Monitoring issued another comprehensive update on Iraqi media,
 excerpted in DXLD 4-109, and entire including non-broadcast press
 material, at http://www.w4uvh.net/mediraq.txt
*Includes Republic of Iraq Radio with English news at 1100-1105 within
 music block in English, at 1032-1120, on MW 603, 1026, 1071, FM 98.3
 in Baghdad area, when there is no nighttime propagation
*V. of Turkey provides excellent free-speech opportunity in more ways
 than one, Live from Turkey, Tuesdays 1850-1920 on 9785, but few
 participate. Anyone may phone in and talk about what they like after
 VOT calls them back at station expense, over 500 kW transmitter
 audible mainly in Europe. Call 90 312 491-2008
*V. of New Sudan, our lead item last week, from southern Sudan, about
 to test on 9310: delayed until July 23 at the earliest. Check during
 local morning and afternoon hours. Still confused about local time
 there, UT+2 or UT+3
*Strike at Africa Number One, Gabon, began July 15 with news replaced
 by music on 9580, 17630. Threatened to cut off RFI and NHK relays too
 if no settlement by July 20 when heard at 2006 with continuous pop
 music [strike was settled by July 22]
*Winter solstice DXpedition in New Zealand pulled in R. Mauritania,
 4845 at local noon, 0012 UT; probably mostly via south polar region
*Catholic Radio Network, 4960, heard as early as 1940 past 2000; is it
 actually on air 24 hours?
*Nuesto Sello, classical music from Spain at 1400 on 17595 heard here
 with no interference, tho R. New Horizon, Chan Tro Moi, clandestine
 via Germany for Vietnam is scheduled on same at 1330-1430. Is it
 really there?
*Bangladesh frequencies 9550 and 15520 not in use as of June 28
*The media magazine you monitor with your mind, World of Radio 1239,
 P O Box 1684, Enid OK 73702, USA; or woradio at yahoo.com
*Thanks this week for financial support go to Jennifer Ellis, Maine
*At least four mistakes on last week`s program. Albania in English to
 North America is daily except UT Mondays; service to Afghanistan is
 InterNews, not InfoNews; new frequency from Pakistan is 15070, not
 11570 which is an old one continuing; Dominican Republic x-band
 frequency omitted: 1640
*Mark Tully denounces Prasar Bharati, public service broadcasting in
 India, as serving only interests of government, listeners are idiots
*Group in UK, Friends of Maldives planning to set up independent radio
 station for the islands, probably from outside via SW. Details when
 we have them
*Radio Aap ki Dunya, the VOA Urdu station for Pakistan, has to make
 compromises in content, such as avoiding news about Pakistan or India
 on the FM relays, tho this continues on sites outside the country
*Khalid Hassan, Pakistani correspondent in Washington, analyzes VOA
 situation: jokers sold its governors ridiculous ideas. And whoever
 picked the name `Aap ki Dunya` should be paraded around Washington
 and Islamabad on a donkey back to front. Deal for FM-101 network
 coverage made with Clarity Communications even tho everyone knows it
 is owned by R. Pakistan
*RFA Guild Unit concerned that Radio Free Asia Cantonese service will
 be maintained only by hiring people in Hong Kong to run it
*WRMI looking for replacement frequency in 7 MHz area due to
 continuous interference on 7385; Christian Media Network cut back on
 15725, so WRMI is filling four more hours M-F on 15725 with World
 Radio Network relays, at 1200-1600. Stations benifiting from this are
 Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, Belgium, Romania, Korea
*FCC denies Clear Channel application to move WWVA from Wheeling WV to
 Stow OH, following pressure from public and WV members of congress
*Clear Channel says it will reduce proportion of advertising to
 programming on its radio stations
*KNFT, Silver City NM, pulls one-hour liberal talk show off the air,
 Radio Free Silver, due to extreme pressure from local advertisers
*John Plimmer, South Africa, DXed and verified KVNS 1700, Texas, 14
 megameters away with 880 watts
*Real reason for closure of R. Mexico Internacional June 1: such was
 recommended to IMER by a US firm, Mercer Management Consulting, after
 a 7.5 megapeso study in December
*Beware of R. La Hora, Peru, 4855, putting out spurs, the latest being
 5062.35
*R. Virgen de Remedios, new Bolivian testing on 5500, 5945.2, says its
 authorized frequency will be 3330, at 0000-0200 only, once antenna is
 ready; run by Bolivian and Polish padres
*R. Piranha Internacional, deep South America pirate, testing all
 night lately on 6307.2 variable; DXed in New York between 0900 and
 1000 despite power of only 13 watts. Another marathon from July 23
 until 26 [before closing down indefinitely]
*CBC Radio will be on Sirius satellite, and available to U S as well
 as Canadian subscribers
*Quite a flap in Canada over CRTC denying license renewal to CHOI in
 Quebec, while authorizing Al-Jazeera to be carried on cable and
 satellite --- but its content must be monitored, an impossible task
*Al Jazeera has put forward its new code of ethics; see DXLD 4-109
*Upcoming DX meetings: International Radio Club of America, July 23-25
 in Boise at Rodeway Inn, irca2004 @ aol.com  July 30-August 1,
 Worldwide TV FM DX Association in Omaha NE, Park Plaza Regency Lodge
 http://www.amfmdx.net/WTFDA2004/  And July 29-August 1, 10th annual
 National Mexican DX Meeting in Veracurz, Hotel Meson del Mar; if you
 still might go, hurry to get details from Jeff White, info @ wrmi.net
*Look out for auroral conditions, due to solar flare July 20 at 1230
 causing blackout; solar flux shot up and 21 MHz open next day
*Propagation outlook from Boulder July 20: flux range 170-110
*That`s World of Radio 1239; Glenn Hauser inviting you to hear me
 again next week  ###