WORLD OF RADIO #1268, produced March 23, 2005 by Glenn Hauser [for credits listen in or consult recent DXLDs] *Standard disclaimer *Week of confusion is upon us, March 27-April 3 as most shortwave broadcasters start new schedules a week before we shift to DST, so we may not hear at same times and frequencies as before *Affects World of Radio on WWCR, WBCQ and WRMI, one UT hour earlier from April 4, but on same frequencies *Always think in terms of Universal Time as used on this program; know how it relates to your local clock before and after DST *Transformation Media International, Albany OR, applies for shortwave construction permit at Lebanon, Oregon, with four USB transmitters, programming variety, to Asia and Americas in 7 languages; attended HFCC Mexico *Radio Free Asia issued its 5th QSL card, only in March, for SWL Fest; report via http://www.techweb.rfa.org *Acting Pres. Bush appoints another Republican to head Federal Communications Commission, Kevin Martin; opens new slot *FCC freezes for six months new low power FMs and translator applications after complaint that religious groups are trafficking in translator licenses, preventing LPFM; also considering giving LPFM priority with capability to bump off translators *WRFN-LP, Radio Free Nashville, will have barn-raising April 1-3 at 8920 Griffith Road, Pasquo, TN; plus radio production workshops. See http://radiofreenashville.org *Special 6-minute MW DX test from WIMA 1150, Lima, OH, April 4 at 0600 UT with tones, Morse IDs *Yosemite-Sam-like transmissions again heard, on 3890 *SCTV, classic sketch comedy series is back, on TV Land, early Sats 12-2 am ET and PT, 4 episodes each for at least three weeks *RCI issues separate schedule for Week of Confusion while its European broadcasts have already shifted one UT hour earlier; no Sackville at 1800 to Africa but 15325 at 2000 to Europe, audible back here *Greenland 3815-USB from KNR is actually relay via OZL, coastal PTT station, and shifting March 27 to 1400-1515 and 2000-2115 making it harder to hear at a distance, with increasing daylight *XEYU, R. UNAM reported to be coming back in a couple months with 10 kw on 9600; has been inactive after transmitter conked out *DW abandoned Antigua, now relayed via Bonaire to North America in German: from 2200 15410, 0000 11955, 02-06 9735 *Guyana 3291 silent for some weeks following flood damage *R. Quito, Ecuador, reactivated on 4918.98 at 0251 *R. Fuerza Democratica is Peruvian political program on WRMI 9955, UT Sun 0130-0145, one hour earlier from April 10 *On 4949.96, IDL Radio, a program via R. Madre de Dios, Puerto Maldonado, Peru, Instituto de Defensa Legal *R. San Miguel, Bolivia, now varying around 4900, at 1000-1040 on 4900.13, another day on 4899.94; at 0146 on 4900.29; 2225 on 4900.4 *Two Uruguayans reactivated, but probably daytime only, 1721 UT: R. Sarandi Sport on 6045; R. Oriental, 6140, 1100-2000 for bike race only thru March 27 *Ham DXpedition to Kerguelen Island, Indian Ocean, March 20-April 1, FT5XO, no website, pilot and little publicity to make it a challenge *DXLD 5-051 has almost complete SENTECH A-05 schedule from South Africa, not including SW Radio Africa, V. of Biafra International; Meyerton confirmed as R. Okapi site, 0400-0600 in French on 11690, 500 kW, great improvement over its own 10 kW *China to be relayed from South Africa too, 1500-1900 UT on 6100 *SW Radio Africa jammed by Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe, as in latest DXLDs; 1600-1900 check 3230, 3300, 4880, while 6145 continues; also via UK at 1600 on 11845, 1700 on 11705, 1800 on 11995; 0300-0500 on 3230, MW 1197 steadily being refurbished and power bumped up *Reports of jamming hit world press, not very good PR for Mugabe *in the midst of World of Radio 1268, P O Box 1684, Enid, OK 73702, USA: or woradio at yahoo.com *Thanks this week for financial support go to Pete Bentley *Djibouti back on SW; same frequency as years ago, 4780, but much more than previous 4 kW, now 50 or 100 thanks to US aid; since March 18 at 1725 to 2002*; and as early as 1620, some utility interference; NW America heard at 0417; opens at 0300, fades after 0400 in Venezuela *New Somali clandestine via TDP: Radio Horyaal, 1730-1800 on 12140, Sat thru Thu, probably via Armavir or Samara Russia, 250 kW, 188 degrees; apparently changing to 12130 at 1700-1830 from March 29 *R. Nacional, Bata, Equatorial Guinea, 5005, staying on later, 1930- 2133; tough to QSL *Final details on BBC`s remaining transmissions to Western Hemisphere, from March 27: Bonaire 12-13 on 15190 to SAm; 13-14 15190 is via French Guiana, 295 degrees across Mexico, as well as: 10-11 6195, 11-13 11865, 21-22 15390, 22-01 5975, 02-03 5975 at 255 degrees; 03- 04 5975 via US, probably Delano with good reception; see recent DXLDs for dicsussion of BBC`s abandonment of its SW listeners *BBC overall cutting 2050 jobs, 13 percent of its workforce; unions not happy *BBC Radio 3 to broadcast 20 minutes in Latin, Sat March 26 at 2240 *DTK/T-Systems A-05 relays via Germany include R. Miami International: with Minivan Radio, for Maldives, 16-17 on 12015; R. Free Syria, Sun 1800-1859 on 13650 *YLE Radio Finland looking into using SW relays elsewhere once contract with Pori, Finland expires at end of 2006y *Ex Polish President Walesa to sue R. Maryja over accusations he cooperated with Commies *Brest, Belarus, 6010 heard in UK on 2nd harmonic 12020 around 0800 *R. Ukraine International, A-05 English: 00 & 03 on 7440 as already in use; 21 on 7420; 11 on 15675 *R. Bulgaria A05 English: 0630-07 11.6 13.6 MHz; 1130 11.7 15.7; 1730 9.5 11.5; one hour: 21 5.8 7.5; NAm 23 & 02 9.7 11.7 *R. Varna, Sunday 21 to Monday 03 on 7.4 *With WRMI off 15725, IRRS Italy using it, Sat 09-16 form 26th with Radio Mi Amigo; suspect from Bulgaria or Romania *Swissinfo supposed to be high-tech replacement for SW from Switzerland; now 80 jobs and 8 languages cut, leaving reduced English only as government ends funding *Bob Zanotti still provides http://www.switzerlandinsound.com *Kol Israel makes timeshift on April 1; until then, English one hour later than: 0330-0345 7545 9345 17600; 0930-0945 15640 17535; 1730- 1745 15640 9345: 1900-1925 15640 15615 11605 *IBB via Kuwait A05 250 kW 70 degrees to Afghanistan, includes new 15090 in aero band, alternating Pashto and Dari, VOA and RFA, 0930- 1830 *Al-Jazeera maze for web users; satellite TV channel`s site is http://www.aljazeera.net But three others are not related: a news service in English, http://aljazeera.com --- http://al-jazirah.com in Arabic from Saudi Arabia; and from Dalton, Georgia, http://aljazeerah.info = http://aljazeerah.us [latter no work] *Bangladesh Betar admits 7185 is only frequency, including English 1230-13, 1815-19 and V. of Islam 1745-1815; special independence day programs March 26 *Recent DXLDs have a lot of discussion about merits of CRI vs VOA, BBC and others. Connor Walsh comments on foreign workers at CRI; cost of FM relays includes middlemen ``polishers`` *RNZI has registered DRM frequencies for A-05: 7145 9615 11675 13730 *Prediction that next solar cycle will be least active in 100 years; see: http://solar.uleth.ca/news/05Mar2005/index.php *Propagation outlook from Boulder March 22: flux range 75-95 *Glenn Hauser, concluding World of Radio 1268