WORLD OF RADIO #1258, produced December 22, 2004 by Glenn Hauser [for full credits please listen to the program or consult DX Listening Digests from the preceding week] *New Mundo Radial now available, on WWCR 9985, Fri 2215, Tue 2230, Wed 2200, also via http://www.worldofradio.com/espanol.html *R. Ukraine International changing most frequencies Dec. 22: ENAm 0000-0500 5910 ex-7440; 0900-1400 WEu 15675 ex-15620; 1800-2200 WEu 5840 ex-7555; 2200-0100 still 5840. English at 2200, 0100, 0400, 1200 *IRRS Milano, Italy, special Xmas broadcasts with 100 kW (via Bulgaria?), Dec 25 0800-1300 on 13840 starting with Media Line; some of them repeated Dec 26 2000-2300 on 5775, 100 kW too; also heard Fri Dec 17 at 2215 with Free Speech Radio News, 2230 UN Radio *Time running out for R. Slovakia International on SW? Reprieve was to expire at yearend. Again asking for listener support in Spanish, so English would be RSI_English @ slovakradio.sk *Hamburger Lokal Radio special Xmas and NY broadcasts Dec 25 and Jan 1 at 1000-1600 on 5925, besides every Saturday 1000-1100 on 6045; also via Latvia 9290 Sun Jan 2 at 1300-1500 *DW says nothing special for Xmas on Deutsche Welle in English, but in German music specials repeated 4-hourly starting at: Sat Dec 25 Xmas Concert from Bonn, 0910-1000; Sun Dec 26, DW Choir Xmas at 0710- 0800; New Year Concert, Sat Jan 1 0830-1030 *More European MW changing to DRM, including 693, Zehlendorf, Germany, ruining reception of BBC Radio 5 Live at night in Netherlands *Luxembourg already testing DRM on 1440, for regular broadcasts from Jan 1; heard in daytime in UK, and at 0200 in Sweden; new 600 kW AM/DRM transmitter will run at 240 kW when in DRM *Frans Vossen of RVi Radio World is on vacation, but plans to retire in March rather than be downgraded to writing internet news; only a really faint hope that RVi could be rescued *Queen`s Xmas message on BBCWS, Sat Dec 25 at 1505 worldwide; also 0805 to Au/EAs *BBC Radio 3 repeating some of last summer`s Prom Concerts, Dec 24-Jan 7; times pulled together in DXLD 4-188 *R. Mali missing from 4835, but weak on 4787 varying to 4783 *RTV Gabonaise, reactivated on 4777, but very irregular, sometimes no modulation or no carrier *R. Bata, Equatorial Guinea, reactivation on 5004 or 5005, no longer heard *R. Peace, Southern Sudan, relayed by Merlin? from a stronger site, on same frequency, 4750, at 0330-0400, 1630-1700, 1900-1930 *V. of Eritrean People, via UK, 1730-1830 Sundays only? [WTFK? 13690!] *V. of Liberty, Eritrea, via Russia, 15675, 0600-0700 *Kol Israel situation: director general did not have authority to end SW transmission, so extended for one more quarter-year to March 31; to be decided by Broadcasting Authority. Two storm-damaged antennas to be repaired this week; 6280 at 2000 was lo-gain rhombic at 324 degrees, instead of hi-gain curtain at 315 toward New York *17785 at 0800-0957 from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was carrying Bahrain Radio, Cooperation Council for a few days *BSKSA launched seasonal Pilgrimage (Hajj) Enlightenment Broadcasts, until February 9, in 10 languages, on FM, and MW 594, 1017 *Hit Shortwave, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on new 6030 at 1600-1627 in Farsi with Christian music; ex-4050 *E-QSL from Defence Forces Broadcasting Unit, Taunggyi, Myanmar, 5770, with JPEG of prepared card, in English, inviting visit. Came from sny @ mandalay.net.mm *Standard disclaimer *The media magazine your monitor with your mind, World of Radio 1258, http://www.worldofradio.com including access to DX Listening Digests; P O Box 1684, Enid, OK 73702, USA; or woradio at yahoo.com *Thanks this week for financial support go to Gerry Bishop *V. of Korea, English at 1600 on new 9990.1 ex-9975.1; 11545.1 ex- 11535.1 *Frontline Soliders Radio in North Korea, 3025.5, closing varies around 1030* *Sound of Hope, clandestine for Mainland China, believed via Taibei, 11765 at 1600, 9635 at 2200; also 2300 on 7310, maybe Irkutsk. Referred to as KVTO [actually that is a US callsign, 1400 in Berkeley CA, whence the program apparently originate] *Radio Que Me, new clandestine from Uzbekistan to Vietnam, is Sat only 1200-1230 on 15385, also on satellite; clip at David Kernick`s http://www.intervalsignalsonline.com Alternate frequencies in case of jamming are: 15235, 15695, 15755 *R. Australia from Dec 20 to Jan 14 at 0730-1100 is relaying ABC internet music channel `dig`--- http://www.abc.net.au/dig *RCI special holiday programming in DXLD 4-188, much of it internet and satellite, not necessarily SW; includes Dec 25 at 1800 Montreal Sing-in on 15140, 13790; and at 2100 on 5850, 9770; Alan Maitland reading ``The Shepherd`` Xmas eve on As It Happens, including UT Dec 25 at 0130 [0230?] on 6190, 9755, 9810; Sat Dec 25 15180 at 20-23 I Hear Xmas Music, and Vinyl Cafe Xmas Concert; UT Dec 26 at 0100 Joy to the World; 2100 La Grande Fete, 400 Years of L`Acadie *Kim Elliott again hosting VOA Talk to America Jan 1 on future of international broadcasting, at 1600-1700; in North America try 13600, 15240, 15445, 17895 or live webcast. Maybe Kim will put the audio somewhere. Note this is a Saturday when TTA normally does not air [correxion! It is *Friday Dec 31* per Kim`s new website http://kimandrewelliott.com ] *Jonathan Marks visited Praha, posted several illustrated items on Media Network blog, including that from Jan 1, RFE/RL will abandon its liberty-bell logo, thought to be too ``Christian, suggesting crusading``! New style will be orange *Not only Guatemala around 4050, but pirates, and it`s the 3rd harmonic of 1350: KWMO, Washington MO heard in MI at 1055 *WHKE 1290 Hickory NC, boosted from 5 to 50 kW, but article does not say how, by increasing direxionality, or buying out other stations? *WSRF 1580 Fort Lauderdale, once 50 kW with 7-tower direxional pattern, is toast, only 270 watts on the WFLL-1400 tower. Lease ran out on site and all 7 towers are gone, nowhere to replace? *X-band pirates heard at Bronx Zoo: 1620 WMLR, East African music; 1630 and 1680 gospel; also TIS NY traffic 1640, Zoo itself on 1690 *A Haitian pirate on 1710 in Dorchester, MA; R. Nouveaute on 1640 *SpecLab showed at least six carriers on 1710, not just Lubavitcher *New at UIUC Urbana IL, on 1660, Latino Radio Service, claims to be legal Part 15 but heard a sesquimile away, English announcements, Spanish programming from VOA and others from internet. See http://faculty.ed.uiuc.edu/g-cziko/lrs *Cessna crashed into KFI 640 tower in Los Angeles/La Mirada, Dec 19, killing two in plane, collapsing 750-foot tower. Back on an hour later with backup tower, 25 kW. May possiblize some other DX on frequency tho skywave may have increased. May not be able to rebuild at present site as surrounded by buildings. Tower could have fallen on buildings: liability. Initial story and later photos at: http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/news/121904_nw_plane_crash.html http://www.kfi640.com/hosts/jesuschrist.html http://www.earthsignals.com/Collins/0020/index.htm http://www.earthsignals.com/images/kfi/index.htm http://www.oldradio.com/archives/warstories/ *New World Radio TV Handbook has arrived; including Greenland still listed on SW, tho unheard elsewhere, 3815-USB, 200 watts to omni- direxional cage antenna at 1500-1615 and 2100-2215; now the time to hear it if ever, mid-winter *St Lucia inactive on 660; St. Vincent off 705 in 2002, but plans to resume in 2005 on 700 or 710 *Henrik Klemetz comments on taping audible QSLs from station greetings on the air, preferable to e-mail replies *Propagation outlook from Boulder, December 21; flux range 105-85-95 *With seasonal greetings, Glenn Hauser, concluding World of Radio 1258 ###