DX LISTENING DIGEST 2-161, October 18, 2002 edited by Glenn Hauser, wghauser@hotmail.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 HTML version of this issue will be posted afterwards at http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldtd02.html For restrixions and searchable 2002 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 WORLD OF RADIO 1152: AIRINGS ON WWCR: Sat 0600, Sun 0230 5070; Sun 0630 3210; Wed 0930 9475 AIRIMGS ON RFPI: Sat 0130, 0630, Sun 0000, 0600, Mon 0030, 0630 on 7445, 15038 AIRINGS ON WBCQ: Mon 0415 on 7415 AIRINGS ON WORLD RADIO NETWORK: Rest of world Sat 0800; NAm Sun 1400 ONDEMAND http://www.wrn.org/ondemand/worldofradio.html (DOWNLOAD) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1152.rm (STREAM) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1152.ram (SUMMARY) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1152.html LATEST DXLD QUICK LINK. Following a suggestion from Jem Cullen, you may now go directly to the latest DXLD from our home page http://worldofradio.com or favoritise it -- that is, http://www.worldofradio.com/dxlatest.txt But if you get in the habit of using this, better check every day in order not to miss one; DXLD normally appears every 2 or 3 days, but sometimes only one day apart, as with this issue. ** AFGHANISTAN [non]. R. Afghanistan via Norway, 18940, before and after 1400 UT Oct 18, was again running that fill music loop, as reported weeks ago, in the absence of any program input! If I didn`t know better, and perhaps I do not, I would think this 24-second broadcast, with numerous repeats, had been running constantly since last I listened. Among the previous reports of it was Sept. 22; see DXLD 2-151 of Sept. 30. Today, good signal but pretty heavy flutter, adding to the mystique, past 1430, when I pulled myself away. Beware, since that music loop can infest your brain (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. EDITORIAL: BALI MASSACRE - AUSTRALIAN DAY OF MOURNING Australians have been encouraged to observe a minute's silence at noon And wear a piece of wattle on Sunday October 20 to commemorate the National day of mourning for the dead and bereaved of the Bali terrorist attack. The prime minister, John Howard, has said activities already planned For Sunday should go ahead but suggests inclusion of a suitable Dedication or act of remembrance. Flags on commonwealth buildings will Fly at half mast. The Melbourne "Age" newspaper devoted eight pages Friday 18 October to continuing coverage of the Massacre, and several Melbourne hospitals are attending to many of the victims. The "Age" headlined the Massacre today as: 'TOLL OVER 100 - NEW TERROR THREAT - PRIME MINISTER ATTENDS SERVICE' It is thought that the Australian loss of life in the bombings is likely to rise to 110, and 40 Australians have already been confirmed dead. Australians have also been urged to leave Indonesia, as it is feared that the Bali bombing was planned as the first in a series of Indonesian attacks launched by groups associated with al Qaeda. ONE MINUTE RADIO SILENCE The Australian Amatewur Radio Scout Radio and Electronics Service Unit is supporting the call for a One Minute's Radio Silence at 0000 UTC, 0000 EAST [I guess he means 1100 EAST?? -- gh] on Sunday 20 October to remember the Australians and other people killed and injured in the recent Bali bombing. As many of Australia's Amateur Radio Operators, Scout Leaders and Scouts will be involved in JOTA/JOTI and other activities, the SRESU calls for these activities to pause for One Minute at 0000 UTC. While this is short notice, the advice is in keeping with the Prime Minister's request for all Australians to remember those killed and injured on Sunday next (APC News, Melbourne via Bob Padula, EDXP Oct 18 via DXLD) Local noon in eastern Australia is 0100 UT; what`s a ``piece of wattle``? (gh, DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. RA English schedule from November [Oct 27?] ABC SOUTHBANK CENTRE, SOUTHBANK BOULEVARD, SOUTHBANK 3006, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA Tel: +61 3 9626 1800 Fax: +61 3 9626 1939 e-mail english@ra.abc.net.au RADIO AUSTRALIA REGIONAL FREQUENCY GUIDE November 2002 ASIA Time (UT) Hong Kong Freq (kHz) 0000-0130 0800-0930 17775 0030-0400 0830-1200 17750 0000-0900 0800-1700 15415 0000-0900 0800-1700 21725 0430-0500 1230-1300 17750 0530-0800 1330-1600 17750* 0800-1130 1600-1930 15240, 11880 0830-0900 1630-1700 17750 0930-1100 1730-1900 17750 0900-1400 1700-2200 21820 0900-1330 1700-2130 11880 1100-1300 1900-2100 9475 1330-1700 2130-0100 11660* 1430-1900 2230-0300 9475* 1900-2130 0300-0530 9500* 2200-0000 0600-0800 15230 2200-0000 0600-0800 13620 2330-0000 0730-0800 11695, 15415 * Sometimes heard in Europe PACIFIC PAPUA NEW GUINEA, SOLOMON ISLANDS, MICRONESIA, GUAM and JAPAN Time (UT) Port Moresby Freq (kHz) 1700-2100 0300-0700 9815 1800-2000 0400-0600 6080, 7240 2100-2200 0700-0800 7240, 9660 2100-0000 0700-1000 17715 0000-0800 1000-1800 17580 2300-0800 0800-1800 9660 0000-0800 1000-1800 15240 0000-0900 1000-1900 21725 0800-0900 1800-1900 5995, 9710 0800-1100 1800-2200 9580 1100-1400 2100-0000 6020, 5995 1100-1700 2200-0300 11650 VANUATU, NEW CALEDONIA, FIJI, TONGA, SAMOA, NORTH AMERICA Time (UT) Suva Freq (kHz) 2000-2200 0800-1000 12080 2100-0000 0700-1000 17715 2100-0000 0700-1000 21740 2100-2200 0700-1000 7240 2200-0200 0800-1200 17795 2300-0900 1100-2100 12080 0200-0700 1400-1900 15515 0700-0900 1900-2100 15240 0800-1100 2000-2300 9580 1100-2130 2300-0330 9580 1100-1200 2300-0000 12080 1100-1700 2200-0500 11650 1400-1800 2400-0600 5995 1700-2200 0500-1000 11880 1800-2000 0600-0800 7240 GRANDSTAND Radio Australia's weekend sports program, Grandstand, is broadcast on English frequencies from 0110-0700 UT on Saturday and Sunday according to the schedule below: Target region Frequency (kHz) south east Asia 21725 south-west Pacific 12080, 17580 Papua New Guinea & west Pacific, Japan 9660, 17580, 21725 RADIO AUSTRALIA VIA SATELLITE Satellite: PanAmSat 8 at 166 E Transponder: 24c Pacific Beam (recommended for Asia & PNG) Downlink Frequency: 4180 MHz Downlink Polarity: Horizontal Modulation Format: QPSK Symbol Rate: 27.5 MS/ps FEC: 3/4 Controlled access: No, smartcard not required Receiver: Any DVB-S compliant receiver For more information about PAS-8 coverage or assistance calculating your dish's alignment, visit the "Look Angle" calculator under the "tools" menu at the http://www.panamsat.com/global_network/pas_8.asp PAS-8 website. Satellite: PanAmSat 2 at 169 E Transponder: 8c Pacific Beam (California Bouquet)(for Pacific) Downlink Frequency: 3901 MHz Downlink Polarity: Horizontal Modulation Format: QPSK Symbol Rate: 30.8 MS/ps FEC: 3/4 Controlled access: No, smartcard not required Receiver: Any DVB-S compliant receiver For more information about PAS-2 coverage or assistance calculating your dish's alignment, visit the "Look Angle" calculator under the "tools" menu at the http://www.panamsat.com/global_network/pas_2.asp PAS-2 website. Program details may be obtained from RA's website which is at http://www.abc.net.au/ra/ RA would appreciate reception reports, however a personal reply may not be possible in all cases. Reports, which should include the listener's postal address, may be sent to: Radio Australia GPO Box 428G or fax: + 61 3 9626 1899 Melbourne VIC 3001 or Open Line + 61 3 9626 1825 AUSTRALIA (via Ian Johnson, Australia, Oct 18, DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA [and non]. B02 SCHEDULES. The new SW transmission period B02 starts on October 27. As in the past, many broadcasters are playing games with their listeners, by refusing to divulge their operating schedules, claiming that this information is confidential! Direct requests by some of us to frequency and program managers for information results in the same shabby treatment. Many broadcasters seek technical or descriptive feedback about their program audibility or reception quality, but have little or no idea of forming and maintaining effective customer (listener) relationships. One would think that the uncooperative attitude of some major broadcasters is deliberate, by intentionally making the listeners' tasks impossibly frustrating, and encouraging us to "hear" their outpourings on our computers via the Internet! The cycle goes round and round, with listeners becoming disenchanted by not knowing where and when to tune, resulting in reduced station feedback, in turn giving broadcasters greater fuel to justify closure or reduction in output of their SW operations! We are urged to listen to this stuff on the Internet, but I get overwhelmed at the magnitude of some of the Web sites, full of flashy, high bandwidth, long download useless graphics. One international broadcaster's Website has over 200 images which have to be downloaded before you even get off the homepage! Then, when you finally burrow into all that rubbish, there is no schedule available! As an example, visit the Website of VT Merlin Communications; while you are waiting for the homepage to come up, go and make a cup of tea - paint dries quicker! Then, when you get to the Menu, go for a walk in the park. The site is atrociously designed, and is almost impossible to use when searching for even the most basic of News Releases! The Radio Australia Website is another example of absurdity: no where there will you find a simple consolidated listing of times, frequencies, languages, and target areas. You WILL find, however, a collection of data which is incapable of interpretation, under each language division, with timings shown as "morning" and "evening" against target areas. The whole thing is meaningless! Is there not anyone in those organisations who can put together basic information about their businesses, such that customers (listeners) can be reliably informed? I think not!!! Some hobbyists have attempted to penetrate the engineering areas of the broadcasters, who are not particularly pleased at these intrusions from the public arena. In many instances, there is strong evidence that the programming/production people have little effective communication with technical areas, a situation which has not been helped by the trend to outsource technical planning operations, and ownership of actual transmitter facilities from the broadcasters to remote consultants (Bob Padula, OAM, EDXP Oct 18 via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. A new $500,000 AUS satellite dish has been installed at Voice International, confirming its long term commitment to broadcasting top quality programs into Asia. Voice is set to become one of the largest radio networks in Asia and multi-lingual program providers in Australia. With the 6 metre dish Voice can broadcast to a potential listening audience of 2.8 billion people living in the Asia Pacific region. Its broadcast footprint has expanded to cover one third of the globe and with the help of affiliate FM stations, Voice has the potential to broadcast worldwide. Planned B02 schedule, with all transmissions at azimuth 216 degrees: 11685 1630 1900 English 11745 1400 1700 Hindi 11935 2330 0000 Indonesian 13635 1100 1400 Indonesian 13660 1300 1800 Indonesian 13685 0900 1300 English 13690 1300 1630 English 15150 1400 1700 Chinese 15165 2200 0100 Chinese 15365 0900 1300 Indonesian 17645 0900 1400 Chinese 17775 0130 0200 English 17820 0600 0900 Indonesian 21680 0530 0600 Indonesian 21680 0430 0500 Indonesian 21680 0030 0100 Indonesian (EDXP Oct 18 via DXLD) ** CANADA. Windsor-based CKLW was a strong musical force in its day. RADIO NIGHT OF EVENTS CELEBRATES THE GLORY DAYS OF CKLW By Susan Whitall / The Detroit News WINDSOR -- If you grew up with the sounds of "Cee-kay-el-double-u, the Mooootor Cit-y" booming out of your transistor radio with all the raw power of 80,000 watts, you'll want to tune in to the Big 8 this Saturday. From 7 to 10 p.m. [EDT; 2300-0200 UT], Detroit-Windsor legend CKLW-AM (800) will revert to its fast-talking, hit-making '60s and '70s identity, with many of its top jocks stopping in to spin records and do those breathtaking 20-second intros. Big 8 vet Charlie O'Brien will anchor the live broadcast, joined by Tom Shannon, Brother Bill Gable, Ted the Bear Richards, Joe Donovan, Johnny Williams, Keith Radford, Randall Carlisle, Mark Dailey, Pat Holiday and CKLW's eye in the sky, traffic 'coptor reporter Jo Jo Shutty McGregor. The original jingles, many of the top records and, of course, highlights from CKLW's wonderfully tabloidesque "20/20 News" will be heard. The reunion will air only Saturday night, although the CK vets are gathering for two days of activities across the river, and the broadcast will be filmed for a documentary. Called "Radio Revolution: The Rise & Fall of the Big 8," the documentary is being produced by Markham Street Films Inc. for History Television in Canada. The film will air in 2003. CKLW is now an AM talker featuring syndicated shows such as Dr. Joy Browne and targets the Windsor market, but back in the '60s, it identified itself as coming from "the Motor City." The station's music director, Rosalie Trombley, was a major influence in not only Detroit's music scene, but the national U.S. charts too as whatever hit on CK would find its way to most North American stations. To honor Trombley and the incredible reach of CKLW into the United States thanks to its massive tower, Bob Seger recorded the song "Rosalie," singing "she's got the tower/she's got the power." (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) 80,000 watts? Maybe in their directional lobe (Brock Whaley, DXLD) ** CANADA. This Sunday at 4pm EDT/2000 UTC, you may hear the CJAD Montreal studio link on 26200 KHz. This is on only during Montreal Alouettes home games. It's 1 watt. It connects the press box announcers with the announcer/s on the field (Liz Cameron, MI, MARE Tipsheet Oct 18 via DXLD) ** CANARY ISLANDS. More info on 6715-USB: The 6715-USB transmission is directly operated by Broadcasting Department of Laspalmas Full Gospel Church. TX POWER = 100 W (= 0.1 KW) TX ANTENNA = Dipole (reverse L type) directional to Western Africa TX starting HOUR = (ALL TIMES IN LASPALMAS TIME) [UT+1, soon UT] Sundays 11:00 Sundays 19:00 Wednesday 20:30 Fridays 22:30 [so look for it today Oct 18 2130-2230v UT! --gh] Info source= Mr.Chung Byoung Sung (the pastor of the church) (via Cho from Korea, Oct 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The target may be Korean ships, but if I am not wrong, the frequency 6715 kHz is not a maritime utility frequency, but designated and used for aeronautical mobile services (in use e.g. by RAF, USAF). 73s, (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, Cumbre DX via DXLD) Not wrong (gh, DXLD) ** ECUADOR. PIONEER MEDICAL MISSIONARY GRANTED ECUADORIAN CITIZENSHIP Oct 11, 2002 From http://www.HCJB.org Dr. Paul Roberts, a former missionary to Ecuador who pioneered HCJB World Radio's medical ministries, has been granted Ecuadorian citizenship in recognition of his "extraordinary labor" to the country. Alejandro Suárez Pasquel, Ecuador's ambassador to Canada, made the presentation at the Ecuadorian Consulate in Toronto Thursday, Sept. 26, before about 40 of Roberts' family members, friends and local officials. He is the first Canadian to receive this honor. "To God be the glory," said Roberts, 79, who arrived in Quito with his wife, Barbara, in 1949 to begin HCJB World Radio's healthcare ministries. "I'm a bit taken aback by this honor." They now reside in Markham, Ontario. The Roberts came to Ecuador in 1949 even though Paul was told he could never get his M.D. in the country. But through persistence and hard work, including writing a thesis in Spanish, he became the first missionary to earn an M.D. from an Ecuadorian university in 1951. After arriving Ecuador, Paul would often travel with a nurse to remote towns and villages to hold medical clinics. "At that time the roads were all cobblestone," he says "Even the Pan-American Highway in Quito was a cobblestone road!" During the Roberts' first year in Ecuador, HCJB World Radio opened its first medical clinic in Quito, reaching out primarily to Quichua Indians. Paul was later instrumental in starting Rimmer Memorial Hospital (now called Hospital Vozandes-Quito) which opened in 1955. He helped raise funds to build the hospital, speaking 72 times each February for seven consecutive years on a Philadelphia radio program called "Morning Cheer." Although the Roberts only served as missionaries in Ecuador for 11 years, they have maintained a close relationship with the country. Every two or three years Paul and a team of doctors from the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine (where Roberts worked for 27 years) have taught postgraduate courses on orthopedic surgery at Central University in Quito. Orthopedic surgeons come from across Ecuador as well as Peru and Colombia for these courses -- the planned to start on Nov. 24. At the last course in April 2000 the Ecuadorian Society of Orthopedics and Trauma made Roberts a full member of the society as a benefactor. He also served as honorary consul for Ecuador's Ministry of External Affairs for 19 years (1967-1986), issuing visas and passports. Recently he was reappointed to this position. As a result of his many contributions, Ecuador's president decorated Roberts in 1990 as a "Knight Commander in the National Order of Merit in Ecuador," the highest honor that the country can bestow on a foreign civilian. "Two years ago the Ecuadorian ambassador to Canada asked what else they could do for me," Paul says. "I said that I would love to be an Ecuadorian citizen. The ambassador said this might be impossible. But after 1½ years of paperwork, a presidential decree made it possible." (via Dr Hansjoerg Biener, DXLD) ** EGYPT. Radio Cairo, B02, plans to use new 17775 (replacing 17595) for English to Asia 1215-1330. Arabic to Australia 2000-2200 remains on 11990 (Ian Banfield, UK, EDXP Oct 18 via DXLD) The 1215 service is generally inaudible here, tho one would expect some trace of it off the back/side. How is the signal and modulation in the target? (gh, DXLD) ** HAITI. 930, R. Cap-Haïtien, Cap- Haïtien OCT 5 0311 - "Radio Cap- Haïtien," male French news, mentioned Senegal, Israel bombings, good signal over domestics. + OCT 6 0332 - Male French vocal, Caribbean music in mix (Erik Stromsted, W1ZBT, Pepperell MA; Yaesu 1000MP, terminated NE long wire and unterminated N/S long wire, NRC IDXD Oct 18 via DXLD) ** HONG KONG. Tried for Hong Kong on the 16th and the 18th of October 2002 on 3940 at the 0933 time. On the 16th I was able to hear what was a whisper of a signal on 3940, nothing much there, but it did sound like a possible weather broadcast. On the 18th, nothing at all heard on the frequency. A disappointment to be sure, nothing at all like the reception had here in the '80's, but then as I recall, the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Race was held in April then, and that may have a big effect on reception conditions (Steve Lare, Holland, MI, Oct 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAQ [non?]. CLANDESTINE from ? to IRAQ Following up on the NY Times story reporting that the Pentagon will start broadcasts to Iraq in a few weeks, I looked at Clandestine Radio to see what frequencies were used during the Gulf War by the Voice of the Gulf station that the US military operated. That schedule was- *0300-2100* 1134 kHz and ?1800-1900* on 8962 kHz. No telling what they will use this time, but these would be good places to start checking (From Hans Johnson WY, Oct 18, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** IRELAND. THE MYSTERY OF IRISH RADIO HISTORY - EARLY MEDIUMWAVE ERA In our continuing quest to determine the authenticity of claims for shortwave broadcasting from Ireland, we take another progressive step as we look at the early history of mediumwave broadcasting in the Emerald Isle. The first mediumwave station in Ireland was launched in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in October 1924 under the auspices of the BBC London. This new station was given the callsign 2BE and it was on the air with 1.5 kW on the wavelength 440 metres, corresponding to 680 kHz. The first station in the Irish Free State was launched a little more than a year later, under the callsign 2RN, reminiscent of ``Eirean``. This was also a 1.5 kW unit operating on 390 metres, 770 kHz. The inauguration ceremonies were relayed by the 25 kW BBC station 5XX at Daventry in England. The studios and transmitter for station 2RN were originally located in a wooden hut next to the police barracks, though soon afterwards, the studios were relocated above the downtown offices of the Employment Exchange. In preparation for the broadcasts of the Eucharistic Congress in Dublin in June 1932, a large 60 kW transmitter was installed temporarily for radio station 2RN. After the conclusion of the Congress, the transmitter was re-installed at Athlone, for nationwide radio coverage. In January 1941, the BBC London donated a new 2 kW mediumwave transmitter to replace the aging 15 year old unit. These days, Dublin is on the air as RTE1. The next radio station to be launched in Ireland was 6CK, a 1 kW unit operating on 400 metres, 750 kHz. This station was inaugurated in 1927 with its own production studios, though it became a slave relay for a period of nearly 30 years beginning in 1930. The Athlone station began with 60 kW in 1933, though this was upgraded to 100 kW in 1955, and more recently to 500 kW when the location was changed to Tullamore. The Athlone station was never allocated a callsign. During the European Conflict, several of the mediumwave stations in Ireland were synchronised on one channel so that they could not be used as radio beacons for invading aircraft and ships (Adrian Michael Peterson, AWR Wavescan Oct 20 via DXLD) ** ISRAEL. ISRAEL MIDDLE-EAST TV NETWORK As of Oct 20 the new Arabic-English Middle East Channel will take over the IBA's Channel 1 VHF TV transmitter network. IBA Channel I will continue on its UHF transmitter network (plus cable and satellite). There was a legal challenge to the recent removal of daily Arabic programming on Channel 1 and putting it on the VHF network has found to be a solution. I've been told that the above info has been covered in newspapers -- although I don't know exactly where --- and we're not sure if they mean the entire VHF network or not. There are some areas where Channel 1 is only available on VHF, and there are no Arab neighborhoods around. The TV channel webpage (Hebrew), has not been update to reflect these changes as of now (Thursday evening ET). http://bet.iba.org.il/tv_teder.html The IBA's website also has not been updated for the Winter SW schedule yet. The URL says Hebrew - but it's the top of the schedule written in English. http://bet.iba.org.il/shortwavws.html#hebrew --------- (Daniel Rosenzweig, NY, Oct 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAEL. Kol Israel B02 - relay of Domestic Service in Hebrew scheduled: 5790 1900-0500 7545 2300-0600 9345 1800-0500 9390 1900-2355 11585 1700-0430 11590 0430-0600 15640 2100-2215, 1900-1950 15760 0500-1900 17535 0600-1900 Arabic: 0400-2225 5915 9310 12150 0400-2215; English to Australia 0500-0515 17600 (via EDXP Oct 18 via DXLD) ** ITALY. RAI-International: B02, only one freq 11895 (replacing 11900) is listed for the morning English service to Japan 2200-2225. The evening service [in Italian] (relayed by Kranji) 1000-1100 remains on 11920, to Au/NZ (Bob Padula, EDXP Oct 18 via DXLD) ** ITALY [non?]. IRRS: The station has just completed several technical upgrades, which are currently being tested on weekends. Transmitter modulation has been digitally-enhanced to support CCM (Carrier Controlled Modulation), DSB (Dual Side Band); the antenna system has been upgraded, and the digital audio link to the transmitter and modulation has been improved. Station would appreciate receiving reception reports for the weekend October 19-20, on 13840, from 0800-1200. Power for these broadcasts will be 10 kW, target area during these times will be Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, with DX reception in the former USSR. There were similar tests on October 12-13 (Bob Padula, EDXP Oct 18 via DXLD) ** JAPAN. Radio Japan changes in B-02 broadcast frequencies as follows. frequency changes : B-02 [old frequency, then new frequency; we must avoid arrows in DXLD] Southeast Asia 1900-0000 (Japanese) 13680 11665 2000-2200 (Japanese) 11665 7225 Southwest Asia 1400-1600 (English) 11730 9845 1600-1700 (Japanese) 11730 9845 Oceania 2000-2100 (Japanese) 17860 11850 2000-2100 (Japanese) 6035 11920 SNG 2100-2200 (English) 17860 11850 2100-2200 (English) 6035 11920 SNG North America 0500-0700 (English) 13630 9835 Central America 1500-1700 (Japanese) 11895 9535 Europe 1030-1100 (Italian/Swedish) 21650 21730 GAB (July 02-) 2100-2200 (English) 6055 6090 U.K. Middle East & North Africa 0230-0300 (Persian) 11930 11875 0830-0900 (Persian) 17820 17675 1500-1520 (French) 11785 7190 (Source : Monitoring Section, Radio Japan) Regards, (via MD. AZIZUL ALAM AL-AMIN, RAJSHAHI, BANGLADESH, Oct 18, DXLD) ** JAPAN. EAGLE FLIES AGAIN IN TOKYO Eagle 810, http://www.yokota.af.mil/afn/radio.htm --- the American Forces radio station in Tokyo, is back on the air after a break of three weeks during which its transmission equipment was upgraded. A new phaser has been installed in the station's 50 kW transmitter. Operations Superintendent, Air Force Master Sgt. Tracie Adams, hopes the improved signal will expand the station's coverage area. At Camp Fuji, for example, the old AM signal could not be received well inside buildings "because they're on the edge of our footprint." The station came back on low power while everything was tuned up, but the signal should be back up to full power by now. Eagle 810 serves an audience of 50,000 American service personnel and their families spread across a number of bases on Kanto Plain. Program Director Master Sgt. John Tway says the broadcasting team has not been idle during the station's three week hiatus. They have been busy recording about 60 new public service announcements. "We want a fresh sound," said Tway. The presenters also participated in four days of "radio boot camp," in which they learned techniques "to make radio more compelling." As a result, there will be some programme and format changes. Music will be reduced in the morning, from 10 to 12 songs per hour to a maximum of eight. "We're allowing the jocks more time for creativity," Tway said. A live local bulletin of military news from the various bases has been added in the mornings. And there's a new station slogan: "Hot news, hit music." (© Radio Netherlands Media Network 18 October 2002 via DXLD) ** KAZAKHSTAN/UZBEKISTAN. The websites of two national broadcasters in Central Asia are no longer working properly: http://www.radio.kz (Kazakh State Radio) has been taken off the net http://www.teleradio.uz (Uzbek State Radio) is showing the same 98 (!) photos since last year already, no mention of the station anymore except in the title, the previous radio-related pages have been removed (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, EDXP Oct 18 via DXLD) ** KURDISTAN. IRAQ/USA: CNN STARTS NEWS OPERATION IN KURDISH REGIONAL CAPITAL | Text of report by independent Iraqi Kurdish newspaper Hawlati on 14 October The television news network CNN has opened an office in Arbil. The network plans to cover news directly should there be an attack on Iraq. The opening of the office coincides with decision taken by the American Congress and the Senate, which gave Bush the authority to use all means possible, including the use of military force, to destroy Iraq's arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. The opening of a CNN office will also help journalists and its staff to come to the liberated region of Kurdistan from neighbouring countries without the need to go through Baghdad. It is worth recalling that CNN is the only news network which sold news without any written contract to all other agencies and television stations around the world during the second Gulf war [as published]. Source: Hawlati, Al-Sulaymaniyah, in Sorani Kurdish 14 Oct 02 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** KYRGYZSTAN? The station on 4050 kHz uses "Hit Shortwave" as identification and "Hit Music on Shortwave"-slogan. International pop tunes & Tajik melodies. I´m quite sure that this broadcast is not coming from Kyrgyz Radio. It can be the same transmitter that carried Radio Pyramid, Biskek broadcasts on 4050 in 1992 (they had 1 kW power according to QSL) and Radio RIK, Almaty broadcasts a year later. Maybe the same transmitter in a new CIS-country (Tajikistan?) (Jari Korhonen, Kitee, Finland, Oct 17, dxing.info via DXLD) I heard the same kind of "ID" on Wednesday. Why couldn't it be from Kyrgyz Radio? At least the power is in the same range (50-100 kW). It plays a lot of Indian film music and, as Bernd Trutenau suggested, could be intended for Afghanistan. 73, (Mauno Ritola, Kiihtelysvaara, Finland, Oct 18, ibid.) ** KYRGYZSTAN. Official info received from Bishkek lists the two SW transmitters of Kyrgyz Radio 1 on 4010 kHz with 100 kW and 4795 kHz with 15 kW. Acc. to the technical director of Kyrgyz State Radio, 4795 kHz was added in July 2002 in order to increase the coverage for Program 1. Both transmitters are located at the transmitting centre Krasnaya Rechka near Bishkek (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, Oct 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALTA [non]. Radio Mediterranean [sic], via Rome transmitters, B02: 6110 0630-0700 Mo-Sa, 9630 0800-1300 Su (Bob Padula, EDXP Oct 18 via DXLD) ** MEXICO. PROTESTS AT PROPOSED CHANGES IN MEXICAN MEDIA LAW Human rights and civil groups in Mexico held protests on Thursday at the government's proposed changes to the country's television and radio law, which has been in force for over 40 years. They fear the proposals would limit airtime for public service announcements. Laura Sala Sánchez, spokesperson for the Mexican Commission for the Defence and Promotion of Human Rights, said that the new law will "damage freedom of expression across the country." The current law requires TV and radio stations to grant the national government at least three hours of airtime daily. Under the proposed changes, this would be reduced to 18 minutes on TV and 35 minutes on radio. The government and the broadcasters say the changes would create more freedom of expression. But the current law allows the government's airtime to be used for public service announcements from independent bodies such as the Human Rights Commission, and opponents of the change argue that these would get squeezed out. But, according to Graciela Ramírez Romero, executive producer at Education Radio "they will use the time only for political ends." (© Radio Netherlands Media Network 18 October 2002 via DXLD) ** NICARAGUA. Arzobispo de Managua censura cierre de radioemisora -- domingo 13 de octubre, 10:34 AM MANAGUA Copyright 2002 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. - El arzobispo de Managua, monseñor Miguel Obando y Bravo censuró este domingo el cierre de una emisora propiedad del ex presidente Arnoldo Alemán, calificándolo de "un golpe a la libertad de prensa". El Instituto Nicaragüense de Telecomunicaciones (TELCOR) cerró la emisora el viernes debido a una solicitud de la Procuraduría General de Justicia, según la cual la concesión realizada en el 2000 era ilegal. La frecuencia había sido concedida por el Estado a la Comisión de Promoción Social Arquidiocesana (COPROSA), la que posteriormente la cedió al ex presidente. Obando y Bravo dijo que hubo una especie de arreglo con la frecuencia con COPROSA, organismo no gubernamental vinculado a la Iglesia Católica. TELCOR canceló la frecuencia porque, dijo, COPROSA nunca se registró ante el Ministerio de Gobernación donde están los registros de todos los organismos no gubernamentales. Juan Navarro, director de la estación radial clausurada, dijo desconocer que COPROSA se haya inscrito en el registro de asociaciones del Ministerio de Gobernación y si tenía potestad para tener una frecuencia radial. Navarro denunció el cierre como un plan del presidente Enrique Bolaños para sacar de circulación a Alemán, ya que éste con frecuencia utilizaba los micrófonos de la estación radial para dirigirse a los radioescuchas. Reconoció Navarro que a través de la Poderosa "se escuchaban algunos exabruptos en contra de muchos funcionarios del actual gobierno", pero dijo que no se debían a motivaciones políticas sino a la espontaneidad que caracterizaba a la emisora. (via Héctor García B., México, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ¿Qué frecuencia?! Finally the story below manages to mention the frequency (ggh, DXLD) LAMENTA ATAQUES DE LOS MEDIOS CONTRA LA IGLESIA A pesar que las conferencias de prensa a los medios de comunicación después de la misa dominical en Catedral fueron suspendidas, Monseñor Eddy Montenegro Avendaño, Vicario episcopal de la Arquidiócesis, concedió -por excepción- responder a las preguntas de algunos medios televisivos y radiales que lo abordaron minutos después de la celebración. El Boletín Arquidiocesano -señaló Su Excelencia- es un medio de respuesta de la Arquidiócesis de Managua, el cual no sólo catequiza y evangeliza, también "es un medio para poder responder a ataques a la Iglesia, los cuales son totalmente fuera de la ética, porque vos podés adversar a alguien, porque no todos pensamos igual, pero muchas veces se usan epítetos, caricaturas, programas que son devastadores en cuanto a los derechos humanos de cada persona". Se le preguntó si consideraba que hay gente que tiene miedo de ayudar a la Iglesia en este contexto: "La Iglesia desde tiempos inmemoriales ha mandado cartas de peticiones de ayuda a personas, laicos, instituciones estatales y privadas para diversas obras que la Iglesia realiza. Pero ahora pareciera pecado que la Iglesia pidiera para este tipo de obras". Le preguntaron sobre el cierre de Radio La Poderosa, con el argumento de que Coprosa no existió legalmente, y por eso era nula la concesión de esa frecuencia, expresó: "Coprosa es una parte del aspecto de la pastoral de la Iglesia, es como la pastoral familiar, como la pastoral de cárceles y enfermos, y la prueba es que allí está Caritas de Nicaragua, que es la misma acción social de la Iglesia, no con los requisitos que tiene una ONG, sino que es parte de la Iglesia Arquidiocesana". Insistieron en preguntarle sobre el caso de la 560 AM: "Lo doloroso en estos casos es la gente que queda sin trabajo, colegas suyos. En todo caso muchas veces estas cosas se resuelven políticamente, eso está probado en la historia de Nicaragua. Las cosas en este país se resuelven muchas veces a nivel de los dirigentes políticos, está en la frontera de lo político. Los periodistas pagan los platos rotos, en la historia de Nicaragua hemos visto que cuando ha habido cierre de medios los que quedan desprotegidos son los periodistas. Es difícil el aspecto humano de este asunto. Se lamenta que algunos periodistas queden sin el sustento y aunque los medios tengan una línea, pero son hombres y mujeres que tienen hijos, indiscutiblemente eso es lo doloroso y siempre queda aquel espectro que se ha temido en Nicaragua, de que la libertad de expresión es muy frágil en un país donde la democracia está en pañales, entonces hay que tener cuidado de alguna manera. Yo pienso que los dirigentes políticos, porque esto lógicamente tiene su tinte político, en Nicaragua casi todo lo tiene, buscarán alguna manera de arreglar el problema". Una periodista le preguntó si consideraba que se estaba volviendo al pasado con los ataques continuos a la Iglesia Católica: "Muchas veces no podemos estar en la misma sintonía de pensamiento, cada quien tiene sus propias ideologías, formas de ver las cosas, es difícil que podás encerrar a todo mundo en una opinión, positiva, negativa, general. Digo que a veces se pasan en algunos medios señalamientos con palabras que lesionan el derecho humano de la otra persona, aunque sea tu adversario tiene que haber respeto, y muchas veces estos medios no contribuyen a la unidad que debe haber entre los nicaragüenses, al final todos vivimos en la misma patria, Dios nos ha regalado este mismo cielo y el mismo suelo, y tenemos que tratar de buscar un punto de equilibrio, no se de que manera, pero tenemos que buscarlo para que pueda haber fuentes de trabajo, y pueda impactarse en los lugares donde hay mucha miseria". Otro periodista le dijo: La libertad de expresión es la base de la democracia ¿es un golpe a la democracia el cierre de La Poderosa?¿Es una debilidad del gobierno del Ingeniero Bolaños? Respondió: "No importa el tinte que se tenga de las cosas, de donde vengan, los dueños que sean, el problema es que es un medio cerrado. En días pasados nos reunimos con el Ministro de Gobernación y él nos explicaba su óptica y también los dueños de la emisora tenían su óptica, por eso digo, tienen que buscar una manera de solucionar esto, no nos toca a nosotros en este caso decir qué es bueno y qué es malo. Yo creo que todo mundo tiene derecho a expresar sus ideas en cualquier medio". [caption?] Monseñor Eddy Montenegro, Vicario de Comunicación de la Curia Arzobispal de Managua tras impartir la homilía dominical ayer en la Catedral Metropolitana de Managua, lamentó la campaña sistemática de calumnia y los ataques contra la institución católica y su clero desatada por los medios de la Carretera Norte como El Nuevo Diario y La Prensa (source? via Héctor García B., México, Conexión Digital via DXLD) GOLPE A LA LIBERTAD DE EXPRESIÓN Los periodistas de Radio 560, La Poderosa, realizaron una protesta ayer en la Catedral Metropolitana de Managua por la medida dictatorial del presidente Enrique Bolaños de cerrar o "callar" la emisora sólo por mantener una posición crítica frente a las acciones de su desgobierno. Trinchera de la Noticia Los directores de los principales noticieros y programas de opinión, portaron pancartas en las que se leía "sólo las dictaduras oprimen la libertad de expresión". Según los trabajadores de La Poderosa, ciertamente la emisora con más cobertura en el país, eso sólo fue el inicio de una serie de gestiones previstas para tratar de recuperar la frecuencia que antojadizamente fue suspendida por Telecomunicaciones y Correos (TELCOR), por orden del Bolaños Geyer, quien se convirtió en el primer presidente que censura un medio de comunicación tras el triunfo de la democracia en Nicaragua en 1990. Las medidas incluyen elevar las denuncias de la censura en todos los organismos de defensa de los derechos humanos, tanto nacionales como internacionales. Los pobladores que asistieron ayer a la homilía dominical, mostraron solidaridad para los colegas periodistas y directivos de Trinchera de la Noticia, que encabezan las protesta en defensa de la libertad de prensa, mientras que Su Eminencia Cardenal Miguel Obando y Bravo condenó la medida de Bolaños expresando que "el cierre de La Poderosa es un golpe a la libertad de expresión". La Constitución Política garantiza la libertad de expresión y el propio Bolaños ha firmado cartas internacionales en las que se compromete a garantizar la libertad de información y prensa, pero todo eso lo tira al piso con su mala voluntad, explicaron los afectados. El Gobierno alega que COPROSA, organización de la Iglesia Católica, no tiene legalmente registrada la frecuencia, que tampoco tiene personería jurídica y que los administradores de Radio 560 no adquirieron la frecuencia como se debe, además, la antena transmisora de la emisora está en una zona inadecuada. Sin embargo, esos alegatos no justifican el cierre, al contrario, muestran la mala intención de Bolaños, porque todos esos inconvenientes se pueden resolver haciendo acuerdos, tal como ha sido una costumbre en el país, donde más un empresario o dueño de medios de comunicación se ha visto beneficiado tras negociar con la parte gubernamental (source? via Héctor García B., México, Conexión Digital via DXLD) Complementando lo informado por el colega Hector Garcia Bojorge, reproduzco a continuación algunos párrafos tomados de la nota publicada en el edición de la fecha del diario nicaragüense El Nuevo Diario. 55's Arnaldo Slaen Comunicaciones Independientes S.A. (COINSA), sociedad administradora de lo que un día fue Radio La Poderosa (560 kHz), emisora de Arnoldo Alemán, se encuentra intervenida por la Dirección General de Aduanas (DGA), por presunto contrabando de equipos que fueron introducidos al país con participación de la familia de Byron Jerez. Como parte del Plan de Fiscalización de la DGA y luego de un sorteo donde Radio La Poderosa salió electa para ser evaluada, ayer a la una de la tarde se hizo presente en esas instalaciones un equipo de oficiales de la Aduana, quienes solicitaron documentación de cada uno de los equipos que allí se encontraban. ``En la revisión, los oficiales pidieron los documentos de importación de los equipos con los cuales operaba la radio, pero sólo les fue entregado un legajo de fotocopias de facturas de cada una de las compras. Todas hechas en Estados Unidos y sin póliza de importación de respaldo``, dijo Fausto Carcabelos, director de la DGA. Todas las compras, que incluyen desde el transmisor de la radio hasta la cinta adhesiva que se utilizó para su instalación, fueron efectuadas a nombre de COINSA, el 28 de marzo del año 2000. La empresa que sirvió de referencia para la compra en Miami, y presuntamente la que transportó los equipos sin documentos de importación, fue ``Nicaragua Line``, propiedad de Gerol Jerez, hermano de Byron. PLAZO FATAL E INCAUTACION PRECAUTORIA Carcabelos, sosteniendo en sus manos estos documentos, explicó que ``esta empresa no se llamaba COPROSA, no se llamaba Carlos Campos Conrado, no se llamaba Radio 560, no se llamaba Radio La Poderosa. Esta empresa en realidad, legalmente, se llamaba Comunicaciones Independientes S.A. (COINSA)``. Señaló que en la revisión, Néstor Castillo se identificó como Gerente Administrativo de COINSA y entregó estos papeles explicando que las pólizas de importación existían, pero no se encontraban en la radio, por lo cual, debían esperar para serles presentadas. ``Ante tal situación y según la Ley 42 -agregó- la DGA les dio un plazo de 24 horas (hasta hoy) para que mostraran la documentación requerida, y por el momento se orientó una Incautación Precautoria``, dijo Carcabelos. ``Esto quiere decir que para salvaguardar los derechos del fisco, la Aduana toma posesión de la mercancía -en este caso los equipos de transmisión- en tanto se demuestran si tienen o no tienen póliza. Pero mañana (hoy) a la una de la tarde se vence este plazo``, agregó. En este sentido, explicó que de abrirse el proceso hoy a la una de la tarde, el Administrador Central de la DGA tendrá el papel de juez en los siguientes 60 días, ``y de acuerdo a las pruebas aportadas y la investigación de la institución, puede condenar o no el acto de importación``. ``Una vez que haya fallado, de ser condenados, los implicados tienen la opción de apelar ante el Subdirector General de la DGA, quien evalúa nuevamente con el administrador y presentan pruebas al director general, es decir yo``, precisó Carcabelos. ``Si yo también los condeno, tienen una última instancia de apelación antes de ir a los juzgados, el Ministerio de Hacienda, de lo contrario, después tendrán que ir hasta el Tribunal de Apelaciones, donde tendrán que entenderse con los juzgados``, destacó el funcionario. Sin embargo, también explicó que este proceso se aplica según la Ley 42, ``si la cuantía del delito excede los cien mil dólares van directo a los juzgados, si no excede esa cuantía los juzgamos aquí en la DGA``, puntualizó, al señalar que los más de 86 mil dólares contabilizados en las facturas de COINSA no es el total a considerar. EVALUARAN HASTA LA ANTENA Remarcó que el total a tomar en cuenta será el que arroje la investigación de la DGA, pues evaluarán cada equipo que encuentren en las instalaciones de la radio, es decir, en las oficinas de la Loma de Chico Pelón y en las antenas ubicadas detrás del Matadero Los Brasiles. De comprobarse el contrabando manifestó que las multas van desde tres veces el valor de la mercadería hasta cárcel de seis a ocho años para los contrabandistas e implicados. ``Las sanciones no sólo son para el importador deshonesto, sino también para la agencia aduanera involucrada y aunque no lo tenemos todavía confirmado, creemos que esta mercancía vino a través del Puerto de El Rama, en los barcos de la familia del señor Byron Jerez``, detalló. El director de la DGA, también dijo que en la inspección en Radio La Poderosa, ``como dato curioso adicional encontramos un carro sin placas y también sin documentos de introducción``. ``Ellos nos entregaron como soporte de este carro unos papeles de auditoría interna, donde encontramos una adjudicación ilegal de un vehículo de la aduana para esta radio emisora, como regalo. Ya buscamos en nuestro archivo y no existe tal adjudicación, así es que será otro caso por defraudación al Estado``, advirtió Carcabelos. El vehículo es un Honda Civic azul año 92, que ``aparentemente fue subastado por Aduana en dos ocasiones y nadie lo compró. Este carro en lugar de adjudicarlo a Bienes del Estado, fue adjudicado a COINSA, algo que según la Ley no se puede hacer``, concluyó el funcionario. ===== (via Arnaldo Slaen, Conexión Digital via DXLD) CHAMORRO PROTESTA POR CIERRE DE EMISORA LIBERAL EN NICARAGUA martes 15 de octubre, 03:45 PM MANAGUA Copyright 2002 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. - La ex presidenta Violeta Barrios de Chamorro manifestó este martes su "profunda preocupación" por el cierre de la emisora liberal La Poderosa que apoya al ex presidente Arnoldo Alemán. La emisora salió del aire el viernes pasado luego que el Instituto de Telecomunicaciones (Telcor) le suspendió el permiso de operación de frecuencia. TELCOR argumentó que la frecuencia estaba a nombre de un organismo católico que carece de personalidad jurídica. "Con independencia de las razones descritas esta decisión tiene consecuencias negativas para el clima del pluralismo y libertad de expresión que con tanto esfuerzo y sacrificio hemos construido en Nicaragua", dijo Chamorro en un comunicado. La ex mandataria alegó que como demócrata "defiendo su derecho (de la emisora) a existir pues la fortaleza de la democracia se basa en la norma de la tolerancia". Recordó que durante su gobierno enfrentó un clima de extrema polarización y violencia política con medios de comunicación radicalmente adversos a su gobierno y a su persona "pero jamás adopté ninguna medida que pudiera afectar los sagrados principios del pluralismo político y libertad de prensa". Chamorro solicitó al gobierno del presidente Enrique Bolaños "adoptar las medidas necesarias para que dicha emisora pueda continuar sus operaciones en el menor tiempo posible". Alemán condenó el hecho y afirmó que "esto indica el inicio de una dictadura nazista del ingeniero Bolaños... y sus temores a la libertad de expresión". Agregó que ni durante la dictadura somocista de 45 años y dictadura estalinista de (el ex presidente) Daniel Ortega se suspendieron frecuencias de radio. Alemán es acusado por fraude al Estado y lavado de unos 100 millones de dólares. Trabajadores de la emisora, acompañados de María Fernanda Flores, esposa de Alemán, protestaron en esta capital por el cierre de la emisora, llevando sus bocas cerradas con cintas adhesivas (via Héctor García Bojorge, Conexión Digital via DXLD) FSLN PROTESTA POR CIERRE DE EMISORA EN NICARAGUA jueves 17 de octubre, 11:24 AM MANAGUA Copyright 2002 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. - El Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (FSLN) condenó el cierre de la emisora liberal La Poderosa y exigió al gobierno del presidente Enrique Bolaños "enmendar esta grave violación a la libertad de expresión". La emisora fue cerrada la semana pasada por el Instituto Nicaragüense de Telecomunicaciones (TECOR) a solicitud de la Procuraduría General de Justicia que alega ilegalidad en la concesión de la radiofrecuencia. El FSLN dijo que "considera inexplicable e injustificado el cierre de la radioemisora, independientemente que todos y todas estamos obligados a ejercer responsablemente el derecho básico de libre información y de libre expresión". Agregó que el cierre de la emisora es "una grave violación a la libertad de expresión e información" que "no abona al clima de respeto, de tolerancia y de convivencia pacífica que necesita nuestro país, ". Durante su gobierno de los años 80, el FSLN cerró diarios y emisoras e impuso una férrea censura de prensa. La Poderosa alegaba la inocencia del ex presidente Arnoldo Alemán, acusado por fraude al Estado y lavado de 100 millones de dólares, y atacaba al gobierno de Bolaños. El cierre de la emisora ha sido condenado por el cardenal Miguel Obando y numerosos medios de comunicación del país. La Asociación de Profesionales de la Radiodifusión Nicaragüense se sumó anoche a las protestas (via Héctor García Bojorge, Oct 17, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** NIGERIA. International DX Club: Hi Glenn, Re your comments on this club, I see Radio Netherlands is mentioned as one of the stations with whom they "maintain regular contact." I can only tell you that, as the person responsible for the media section of our Web site, and the club list therein, I do not recognise the name of the club. They may, of course, be on the mailing list for On Target. I guess it depends how you define "regular contact" :-) I am open-minded about this. We still list the African DX Association, but I don't know if it actually exists any more. Friday Okoloise was certainly genuine, and I still have the pictures he sent me of his family many years ago. 73, (Andy Sennitt, RN, Oct 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAKISTAN. Radio Pakistan B02, to FE/Asia includes To SAs: Assami 11655 15455 0045-0115 (Jan Nieuwenhuis, Netherlands, EDXP Oct 18 via DXLD) Check to hear if the so-called Assami service is still actually (mostly?) in English (gh, DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. PNG GOVERNMENT TAKES TO AIRWAVES TO GET ITS MESSAGE ACROSS | Excerpt from report by Papua New Guinea newspaper The National web site on 18 October, by John Dau The government launched a radio programme with the National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC] in an effort to ensure the people are being informed of about policies. Public Service Minister Puka Temu officially went on air at 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday [16 October] at its opening. The 30 minute programme, called "Meet your Government", would be aired every Wednesday night from 7.30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the national radio service. [0930-1000 UT, on 4890, et al.?] Dr Temu said that he would keep the people informed of all the government policies and how they run the country. "As the minister, I will let you know of what the government wants you to know. Tune in and meet your government of the day," he said. He said that the people had the right to know important government policies so that they are able to see clearly the road ahead of them and contribute to the development of the nation. He said PNG is a beautiful country, very rich in culture and diversity, but the people were isolated from the government because of the geography of the country. As a result, he said that the government has opted to use radio to disseminate information about their development programmes... The programme would be on air every Wednesday night until 18 December, when it would be evaluated. NBC managing director Kristoffa Ninkama, a medical doctor by profession, welcomed this. "In a period where the country is going through very tough economic times, where infrastructure are falling apart, where service are not reaching the ordinary people, and where extension services have come to a halt in the rural communities, the move is timely and highly commendable."... Source: The National web site, Port Moresby, in English 18 Oct 02 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** PERU. De Iquitos, transmite a Rádio La Voz de la Selva na frequência de 4824 kHz. Ela foi sintonizada em Tefé na manhã de 18 de outubro com um bom sinal, entre as 1017 / 1044 levando ao ar música, notícias, propaganda política e avisos (Paulo Roberto Sousa, via Jornalista Célio Romais, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PHILIPPINES. Dear Glenn, Please refer to DXLD 2-158 Oct 13, news on R Veritas Asia, Philippines; the changed frequencies 11705 (Hindi) and 11995 (Bengali) kHz are giving poor reception in domestic made receiver. Perhaps monitors are using quality digital receiver resulting strong signal. This is a common contrast specially in R Veritas Asia (Swopan Chakroborty, Kolkata, India, Oct 16, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PHILIPPINES [and non]. THE FAMOUS ``I WILL RETURN`` BROADCAST BY GENERAL DOUGLAS MACARTHUR IN THE PHILIPPINES It is just 58 years this week since General Douglas MacArthur made his famous ``I have returned`` speech from the shortwave facilities on board three different radio ships at the beginning of the return invasion of the Philippines. The date was October 22, in the year 1944. This is how it all happened. In their concerted drive into the Pacific, the Japanese army landed on the north coast of Luzon Island in the Philippines on December 10, 1941. The American & Filipino troops were slowly pushed southwards until they were concentrated on Bataan (ba-TAHN) Peninsula and on Corregidor (cor-EGG-i-door) Island, near the mouth of Manila Bay. General Douglas MacArthur was on Corregidor Island at the time and he listened to the daily news bulletin every evening on shortwve from KGEI in San Francisco. General MacArthur was ordered by the president of the United States to evacuate to Australia and before leaving, he told his support staff that he intended to return as soon as possible. MacArthur, together with his wife and son, were quietly taken out of the Manila Bay area by small boat to a port in the southern Philippines where they boarded a plane for Australia. Soon afterwards both Bataan and Corregidor surrendered. However, in the meantime, the American forces in the Philippines established a shortwave radio station that identified on air as ``Freedom Radio``. This new station was first noted in Australia in February 1942 using a channel in the 31 metre band. Now, in the era immediately prior to these events, the original Far East Broadcasting Company, station KZRB, operated at least two mobile radio stations on shortwave. It is thought that one of these mobile stations was taken over by the American army and used on the Bataan peninsula for the broadcasts of ``Freedom Radio``. This station was afterwards transferred to Corregidor Island where it was noted until the time of surrender. It is probable that army equipment was also used for the broadcasts of ``Freedom Radio``, both on Bataan Peninsula and on Corregidor Island. MacArthur`s flight to Australia took him across Indonesia and Timor with the intent to land at Darwin. However, because of an air raid at the time, his flight was diverted to Batchelor, some 30 miles further south. Here it was that he made the first of three speeches, re- iterating his promise to make a triumphal return to the Philippines. According to several of his biographies, he made the same speech again at Alice Springs a day later, and a couple of days later again at the railway station in Adelaide, using on each occasion his handwritten notes on the back of an envelope. Radio station KGEI also re-broadcast this information on shortwave to the Pacific. In Australia, MacArthur made his headquarters, at first in Melbourne and then later in Brisbane. Radio magazines of that era state that a railway train was fitted up for use as his headquarters complete with several communication transmitters, though this is not mentioned in any of his available biographies. As the fortunes of war changed, MacArthur again moved his headquarters, to Port Moresby and then to Hollandia, both on the island of New Guinea. At this stage, the radio ship ``Apache``, followed by the smaller radio ship ``FP47``, arrived in Hollandia from Sydney Harbour in Australia. The return invasion was imminent and the American forces sailed for the Philippines, together with the ``Apache`` & the little ``FP47`` trailing at the end of the invasion fleet. This massive fleet arrived in Leyte Gulf on the evening of October 20, the ``Apache`` made a series of inaugural broadcasts on October 21, and MacArthur announced to the world on October 22, 1944, ``I have returned`` in fulfillment of the promise he had made more than two years earlier. The inaugural invasion was made at Red Beach, north of Palo on Samar Island. Here it was that MacArthur waded ashore in preparation for his ``I have returned`` speech. An American army vehicle, a weapons carrier, was fitted up as a mobile communication station and MacArthur made his speech from this location. This mobile broadcast was picked up on the navy vessel, ``Nashville`` and re-broadcast on several shortwave frequencies for reception throughout the Philippines. The ``Apache`` also relayed this broadcast and the ``FP47`` carried news despatches in Morse Code containing the same information. Two days later, MacArthur returned to the navy vessel ``Nashville`` and made a repeat broadcast, this time for all the world to hear. The ``Apache`` relayed this programming to the United States, where it was picked up in California and broadcast to the Pacific via KGEI as well as via other shortwave stations in California. Almost every biography on General Douglas MacArthur makes reference to his legendary radio broadcasts; ``I will return`` and subsequently, ``I have returned``. The date of his first ``I have returned`` broadcast, was October 22, 1944. Interestingly, October 22, 1844 is a very significant date in Bible prophecy and in American religious history. General Douglas MacArthur made his famous ``I have returned`` speech exactly 100 years later to the very day, a fact that is sometimes presented by Gospel preachers on radio and television. This week forms the anniversary 58 years later of these famous radio broadcasts that were carried on shortwave from the transmitters located on three vastly different ships. These ships were the freighter ``Apache``, the U.S. navy vessel ``Nashville``, and the converted fishing trawler ``FP47``. (Adrian Michael Peterson, AWR Wavescan Oct 20 via DXLD) WTFK? KZRB - FEBC Manila 11840 mobile OB Far East Broadcasting Corporation; KZRB mobile heard on 11940 after Japanese invasion; Freedom Radio: 9640 31.12 New Freedom Radio heard; 9645 31.1 close to KZRH channel, morning & evening; 9645 31.1 news nightly at 9:30 pm; I will return speech on KGEI in 1942; Schneider KTAB-KSFO-KWID document 8; 9645 2 sessions daily 7:30 am & 8:30 pm; Freedom Radio closed with evacuation of Bataan; source: R&H (From AMP`s appendix via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. I am writing to inform you of a possible error in the Radio Rossii schedule [DXLD 2-160]. Although the schedule begins next month (I am assuming that), one of the frequencies seems to be in error. The frequency of 17600 from Moscow that is used between 0830 to 1500 UT may be incorrect? Radio Rossii is booming in every morning on 17660 kHz and is nil heard on 17600 kHz. The only other freq audible here in Clewiston in the morning is 13705 kHz. All the others listed are either incorrect or blocked by QRM. I say "incorrect" because with one error already noted, I am wondering how many other errors the list might have? Hopefully there aren't any. (Chuck Bolland, FL, http://www.orchidcitysoftware.com Oct 18, Receivers NRD525, NRD535, NRD545 Antennas: Dipoles and Longwires (who measures?), DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA [non]. RUSSIAN TV COMPANY LAUNCHES NEW VENTURE IN AMERICA | Text of report by Russian news agency ITAR-TASS New York, 18 October: Full-scale broadcasting of a new Russian- language television channel NTV America has begun in the United States. This event was announced at a news conference on Thursday [17 October] given at the Russian permanent representative office at the UN. NTV America is the American version of the international project of the Moscow channel NTV, NTV Mir, which since last December has been broadcasting to Europe, Israel and more recently to Australia and New Zealand. The new channel is specially intended for the Russian expatriate audience in the USA. Broadcasting will be round the clock. Seven news broadcasts will be broadcast during the day, the majority of them from Moscow. But at 2200 local time it will have its own news programme, put together by a team of New York journalists. The provider of NTV America is one of the leading companies in digital satellite television in the United States, EchoStar. It already sends a signal to practically all 50 States where subscribers to NTV America can receive it through "dishes" fixed to their homes. "We plan to show first and foremost the best programmes from the 'big NTV' which set the image of this channel, the general director of NTV America, Grigoriy Antimoni, told ITAR-TASS. These include the principal news programmes "Segodnya", "Freedom of Speech" with Savik Shuster, Leonid Parfenov's programme "Namedni". "But many of our programmes will be different from those that viewers watch in Russia. For showing in the United States, we will buy additional films, serials and several programmes specially made in Moscow for Russians living in America. This applies also to sports programmes. There will be a weekly programme "Football Courier" made for America with news of football in Europe and Russia and also "Chess Review" in so far as there is nothing on American channels about chess," Antimoni said. After the launch of NTV America in the USA, there are now two channels with similar names broadcasting for American audiences. Commenting on this situation, Antimoni said: "Indeed, already for some time Vladimir Gusinskiy's channel NTV International has been working here. However we have reached an agreement with Mr Gusinskiy that from December this year he will stop using the logo NTV and will continue to broadcast under another name. Our audience now has a real chance to chose between NTV America and Gusinskiy's channel." Source: ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow, in Russian 0317 gmt 18 Oct 02 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** SLOVAKIA. Radio Slovakia International, B02, to Australia: 0700-0730 English, 0730-0800 Slovak, both on 13715 15460 and 17550. A NF is 7230, 0100-0200 English and French to the Americas, violating ITU agreements for use of this band for broadcasts to the Americas, to protect the NAm amateur radio service. Somebody tell them? (Bob Padula, EDXP Oct 18 via DXLD) ** SWEDEN. R. Sweden, English to North America at 1330-1345+ Oct 18, captured on my scanners at 37920, 2 x 18960; started checking lowband VHF after France was booming in earlier on 25820 (Ron Trotto, IL, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Great catch; I don`t recall this harmonic reported before. Urge others who can tune 30+ to search for other SWBC harmonics; `tis the season! Indeed, 37920 is not yet on the harmonics by frequency list at http://www.dxradio.co.uk/harmonics.html (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAIWAN. The listeners in South East Asia, CBS (Central Broadcasting System, Taipei, Taiwan) stopped broadcasting on the frequency MW 585 Khz UTC 1100-1200 beginning October 15. All other frequencies will continue as usual. Regards, (MD. AZIZUL ALAM AL-AMIN, RAJSHAHI, BANGLADESH, Oct 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TURKMENISTAN. NEW NAMES OF WEEKDAYS AND MONTHS DXers not seldom are mislead when they hear the word "dushanbe" or similar on the radio and link it automatically with Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. However, "dushanbe" in its various forms means just "Monday" and is used in several languages in Central Asia. This has lead to occasional misidentification of programmes. At least this confusion will no longer happen with programmes in the Turkmen language, Turkmenistan's president Niýazow decreed in August new names for the weekdays and months, as shown below (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, Oct 14, Cumbre DX via DXLD) Viz.: TURKMENISTAN DAILY DIGEST http://www.eurasianet.org From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org) Date: Tue Aug 13 2002 - 10:06:25 EDT --------------------------------------------------------------------- DELEGATES TO TURKMEN ASSEMBLY HAIL PLANS TO RENAME MONTHS, DAYS Delegates to the last People's Council of Turkmenistan have praised decisions adopted by the Turkmen president to rename the months and days of the week. The following is an excerpt from report by Turkmen TV on 11 August. [Presenter] The joint forum of the 12th session of the Elders' Congress of Turkmenistan [council of elders designed as a consultative body to the president], the People's Council [of deputies and presidential appointees] and the National Revival Movement of Turkmenistan [coalition of Turkmenistan's official political parties and public associations], which was held on 8-9 Alp Arslan [new Turkmen name for August] in Turkmenabat [in eastern Turkmenistan], will be written down with golden letters in the history of the Turkmen people. Because our leader Saparmyrat Turkmenbasy the Great [Nyyazow, the Turkmen president] put forward proposals which attach a special sheen to the Turkmen national colour. He consulted with participants and adopted decrees and resolutions with the consent of delegates from all regions. [Correspondent, over video of the meeting] Any deed carried out by our esteemed leader, Saparmyrat Turkmenbasy the Great, is a successful step in the destiny of Turkmenistan and the Turkmen people. [Passage omitted: any decree adopted by the president is of great importance for the Turkmen people; known details of the last People's Council] [Correspondent] Participants in the meeting share their happiness with the decrees adopted. [Unidentified man speaking to camera in Turkmen in a foyer] As you know, before we said Dusenbe [Monday] and we didn't know the meaning of it. Starting from now we will use Bas gun [main day] of the week instead of Dusenbe, the second day [Tuesday] will be Yas gun [young day], the third day [Wednesday] is Hos gun [good day]. The fourth day [Thursday] is, of course, the day for asking for good things from the God, that is why it is Sogap gun [good deeds day], Anna [Friday], the sixth day [Saturday] is Ruh guni [spirit day] and the last [Sunday] is Dync alys guni [holiday]. The decision about new names for the days is very important and I admire greatly our leader's wisdom in this respect. [Passage omitted: an unidentified woman sitting in a hall and speaking to camera in Turkmen praises the decision on changing the names of months and week days] [Unidentified man speaking to camera in Turkmen] Gurbansoltan eje [Turkmen president's mother] is the sacred woman. She gave us the great leader. God granted good deeds to the soul of our leader and they provide their good results in the name of today's destiny of the Turkmen people and in the name of their future. We discussed naming a month after Gurbansoltan eje yesterday. I support the speech by Myratberdi Sopyyew [a farmer from the central Ahal Region, who proposed naming April after Gurbansoltan eje]. [Unidentified women speaking to camera in Turkmen] Our city of Turkmenabat [in eastern Turkmenistan] is to be divided into two districts. I am very glad of the fact that these districts will be named after the parents of our great leader, Gurbansoltan eje and Atamyrat aga. This issue is of great significance for us. I support these decisions with both hands. I will teach them to my pupils. [Passage omitted: correspondent about known details of issues discussed at the meeting] [Correspondent] Nurettin Safak [phonetic], the head of the Central Asian department of the Turkish TV, which has over 700m viewers, says the following: [Uncaptioned man sitting in an office and speaking to camera in Turkish] I admire the ability of our great leader to solve issues following the great traditions of our ancestors. The world states also admire how he adopts decisions. [Passage omitted to end: known details of the meeting; participants in the meeting visiting collective farms of Lebap Region] Source: Turkmen TV first channel, Asgabat, in Turkmen 1600 gmt 11 Aug 02 (via Bernd Trutenau, Oct 14, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** U K. LISTEN WITH MICKEY A digital radio station targeted at kids could be about to get the analogue green light from the Strategic Radio Authority, but with backing from Capital and Disney, it's no Mickey Mouse operation John Cassy, Sunday June 09 2002, The Observer Listening with mother could be about to get a lot more interesting. The Radio Authority will tomorrow award a new analogue licence for the east Midlands region, and, in innovation terms, one application stands out above the others. Capital, the UK's largest commercial radio group, and Disney, the US entertainment giant, have submitted a joint application for Capital Disney, a station that they believe will become the first substantive radio operation targeted solely at children. Research conducted by Capital Disney and BMRB found that children are under-served by radio. Nine out of ten 10 to 16 year olds tune into radio each week, and 70% of teenagers have a radio in their bedrooms. More than 1m kids listened to Radio 4's eight-hour Harry Potter broadcast on Boxing Day, but programming tailored to their tastes is rarely broadcast. "Of the 255 analogue licences in the UK, not one is targeted at under 16s," says James Bethell, a strategist at Capital who gained experience of the youth market at the Ministry of Sound nightclub. "Television has done an excellent job providing tailored programmes for kids through things like Saturday morning TV and various cartoon channels, but radio has been left behind. "There are 17 children's TV channels but Radio 1 has only become their listening by default. There's nothing else out there for them. We're going to provide something much better and more tailored to them." Capital Disney has mobilised strong support for a format that would combine Capital's established music output with Disney's speech and feature products. Importantly for advertisers, it would also provide a route to the pocket money of an increasingly influential but traditionally difficult to target segment of the population. Spending surveys say UK children receive around 1 gigapound in pocket money each year, with parents spending a further 4 gigapounds on non-essential items for under 16s. "The challenge is to build a new commercial advertising market in the UK to target tomorrow's consumers today," says Paul Robinson, senior vice-president of Walt Disney Television. Media buyers including Zenith, agencies such as Leo Burnett, and advertisers including McDonald's and Coca-Cola have expressed their support. "The 15 to 34 age group remains the key market, but younger children are becoming a more attractive advertising group," says Tim McCabe, head of radio at BBJ. "Capital Disney is something new and catering to something different so I don't think it would be too difficult a sell to the right clients." The record of new entrants winning licences in the UK is not good, and Capital Disney's chances of emerging victorious for the east Midlands licence from a list of more than a dozen applicants are slim. Yet win or lose, Capital Disney will go live on digital radio by the end of the month and continue to apply for analogue licences when opportunities arise. The timing of Capital Disney's application could be good. In line with government policy detailed in the recent communications bill it would lead to foreign investment in domestic media, help develop a market that is poorly served, provide a public service function through its educational format and help drive the take-up of digital radio given that children are the most technologically-savvy section of the population. "Kids' bedrooms look like Dixons," says Bethell. "They have radios, PCs, TVs, games consoles and every other electronic gadget you can imagine. They consume a hell of a lot of media." Several recent on-air incidents have also led to concerns about the suitability of mainstream radio for young children. Sara Cox's Radio 1 breakfast show has been censured following swearing by Ali G. Virgin Radio was hit with a record fine after DJ Jon Holmes encouraged a nine-year-old girl to repeat the phrase "soapy tit wank" on a phone-in show. Yet building and making money out of this new market is unlikely to be simple. Capital has been trying for six years to make a go of children's radio, first through a station called Fun and latterly one called Cube, which broadcasts on digital radio in the north-east, north-west, west Midlands and Severn estuary. Neither has set playgrounds alight. The Capital Disney team also admits that targeting a notoriously fickle market that is extremely susceptible to fashion trends and peer pressure makes stable listening figures difficult to deliver. Perhaps most tellingly, not even the relatively cash-rich BBC has got involved in the children's radio market, even though its own charter specifies that it should develop markets that are poorly served by commercial operators. "Children are extremely discerning," admits Kevin Palmer, head of digital at Capital. "They enjoy 'cool' material tailored to 'their' tastes. Anything else is less appealing." A typical Capital Disney playlist is likely to focus on sugary pop, centred around artists such as Atomic Kitten, S Club 7, Gareth Gates and Will Young. Dance and new metal tracks will also be included Bethell says. "This won't be bedtime with mummy, it will be fun and varied listening. However, it won't be as edgy as Radio 1 and certainly won't have shock-jocks or swearing." Terrifyingly, for anyone over school age, none of the music will be more than two years old. "Ronan Keating is a veteran from another time as far as this audience is concerned," says Bethell. It will take advantage of Disney's links to Hollywood and feature regular star interviews, promotions built around new cinema releases and opportunities to meet the stars. There will also be an educational element. "We'll look at everything from bullying and revision to gadget reviews and environmental issues," Disney's Robinson says. "We want kids to be interacting and calling in as much as possible. Very little content will be imported from the US. This is going to be a UK-created venture with a strong regional slant." A "kids' council" will act like a board of non-executive directors, monitoring the content and feeding suggestions back to management on a monthly basis. Bethell expects their tastes to be conservative. "Sure, some 15 year olds are out smoking crack and having sex, but most of them are at school working hard and studying for exams." Despite the fact that kids spend most of their time either in school or asleep, Capital and Disney insist their business plan is viable. Peak hours will be early mornings before 9am, the hours after school finishes and then the time up until 10pm when children are in their rooms either doing their homework or sulking before they go to bed. Weekends and school holidays will also be crucial times. During school hours, content will be aimed at a category marketeers call "young mums with kids". The model already works well for Disney in the US where it is a well- established producer of kids' radio, having bought 51 stations and become active in all the major urban markets. Disney TV in the UK does not carry ads, so it also provides a unique opportunity for advertisers to access children, Robinson adds. Investment analysts are cautiously optimistic about the Capital Disney's prospects but privately express some doubt over how credible the Disney brand is to young teens. "It's a bit Mickey Mouse isn't it?" says one analyst. "Young kids might go for it but children always aspire to be older and cooler so I'm not sure they'll be able to attract the 15 or 16 year olds they're looking for." Robinson concedes: "The Disney brand does start to lose its resonance at 14 or 15. GCSEs are a turning point when kids are free to leave school and start to reject childish things." Early audience growth - with as few as 60,000 digital receivers in use nationwide - is likely to be minimal, although most children will probably tune in to audio streams using internet connections. Robinson insists Disney will not walk away if impact is not immediate. "This is our first radio venture of any kind outside the US. We are in for the long term and devoting significant resources to it." Cue Britney, Christina and S Club 7. Copyright Guardian Newspapers Limited (via Bill Westenhaver, DXLD) DISNEY RADIO AIMS TO CASH IN ON PESTER POWER Julia Day, Tuesday October 15 2002, The Guardian Walt Disney is abandoning the "no advertising" pledge that governs its UK television channel for a new radio station aimed at the nation's children. The company will launch the digital station in a joint venture with Capital Radio tomorrow and plans to advertise to the under-16s through mobile phones and computers. Capital Disney is the first radio station dedicated to children and hopes to cash in on youngsters' love of pop music and cartoons. There may even be room for more cerebral fare. BBC Radio 4's eight- hour Harry Potter broadcast on Boxing Day last year attracted an audience of 1 million children but programming tailored to their tastes is rarely broadcast. Studies have shown UK children receive pocket money worth £1bn in total each year. Parents splash out a further £4bn for non-essential items, such as trainers and CDs, for their children. A main commercial feature of Capital Disney will be a website enabling children to get involved with the shows and play games. The site is expected to add to parents' worries by increasing "pester power". The website, which will tell children to "start saving that pocket money now", will showcase expensive toys and provide links to other sites where they can be bought online. For instance, the "Inspect A Gadget" area features a £199 Nikko camera car and links to the Firebox site where it can be bought. Capital Disney will pump out a mix of chart music, competitions, games and speech-based programmes focusing on entertainment, news, sport and technology. Paul Robinson, the managing director of Disney UK branded television, said: "Capital's expertise and Disney's knowledge of UK children's tastes will help build a radio station that is completely different to the existing commercial and BBC services." TV presenters from the Disney Channel will host the key breakfast, after-school and evening shows on the radio station. Capital Disney will have a potential audience of 25 million listeners. It will broadcast on Capital's Cube digital radio stations in five regions including London, the west Midlands and the North-east. Although there are only 70,000 digital radio sets in use in the UK, Capital and Disney are hoping their new venture will bring more listeners to the medium. Copyright Guardian Newspapers Limited (via Bill Westenhaver, DXLD) ** U K. Re: ``Wouldn`t the 75th anniversary be a more fitting one to celebrate? (gh)`` Maybe they think they won`t be there :P (Fred Waterer, Ont., Oct. 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [and non]. More often that not lately, when I check 7490, WJIE is running open carrier, tho apparently at high power, e.g. after 0500, and Oct 18 at 1225 when I expected to hear yet another play of WOR 1148. And so OC all night, having lost program feed? What a waste. I also point out that Norway B-02 schedule in DXLD 2-160 shows they will continue using 7490, but to the south and east rather than North America, at 2300-0600 and 1630-2200, whilst North American beams will be on 7470 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Re Spanish QRM to WWRB 5050: Glenn, My apologies for not being more descriptive on the source of interference, for my log of 5050 WWRB. As best as I can describe, it was multiple Spanish speaking peoples, I`m assuming amateur radio operators, tho I am not familiar with all the bands and frequencies used for such. 73 (Scott R Barbour Jr- NH, Oct 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) This is definitely not a hamband, but there could be fixed stations of much lower power, one would think, than WWRB is running, and not a significant QRM source (gh, DXLD) 5015, WWRB -- I guess some kind of product generated between 5050 and 5085. I bit weaker than the latter two, but decent signal at 0305 Oct 18 (From Hans Johnson WY, Oct 18, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** U S A. CEA LAUNCHES BATTLE VS. DTV-TUNER MANDATE By Bill McConnell Broadcasting & Cable 10/17/2002 11:33:00 AM The Consumer Electronics Association, making good on a vow to fight the Federal Communications Commission in court, asked the Federal Appeals Court in Washington, D.C., to strike down rules requiring nearly all TV sets to be equipped with digital tuners by 2007. "The vast majority of consumers do not need and will not use these devices in order to receive digital-television programming," CEA attorneys told the court. The CEA argued that the FCC does not have legal authority to require digital tuners. Under rules imposed in August, 50 percent of sets 36 inches and larger must have digital tuners by 2004 and 100 percent of 13-inch and larger ones by 2007. (via Kevin Redding, Oct 17, NRC FMTV via DXLD) ** U S A. http://www.rwonline.com/dailynews/one.php?id=2111 Date posted: 2002-10-14 VOA FRENCH CONTRACTS QUESTIONED Two former VOA employees are asking why the Voice of America "systematically" has given transmitter business to a European manufacturer. In a letter to Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and distributed to others on Capitol Hill, Jack Quinn and Nick Olguín complain about a recent IBB/VOA award for the "Kuwait Transmitting Station Shortwave Expansion" project to French firm Thales Radio Broadcast. "Thales ... is jointly owned by the French government and the Thomson conglomerate," they wrote. "TRB, in effect, is subsidized by the French government. No American broadcast manufacturer has ever won a job in France, nor are they even allowed to participate in the bidding process. Yet, the IBB continues to ignore our procurement laws and regulations by just handing over one project after another to the French." They say the VOA contract is not in the best economic interests of the United States. Further, they call it "unthinkable to award such a large anti-terrorist contract to a French company when their government openly opposes U.S. policy in that region." "The French have been trying very hard to put U.S. manufacturers of radio transmitters, antennas and vacuum tubes out of business, in order to create a monopoly. This attempt to eliminate or restrict competition is in direct violation of our Antitrust Laws (Sherman Act)," they write. The writers also cricitize VOA purchases of "subsidized foreign steel for IBB projects at giveaway prices." (via Benn Kobb, DXLD) ** U S A [and non?]. INSULTINGLY STUPID MOVIE PHYSICS http://www.intuitor.com/moviephysics/ Appalled by the fuzzy science rampant in today's movies, the critical smarty pants behind this site aren't afraid to stand up and educate Hollywood moviemakers. Comprised of scientists and average Joe brainiacs, these critics have come up with a special rating system to catalog physics gaffes: GP=Good Physics, PGP=Pretty good physics, RP=Retch, and XP=Physics from an unknown universe. Their reviews carefully explain why a movie sucked or didn't suck, scientifically speaking, of course (via Yahoo Weekly Picks, via Radio HF Newsletter Oct 16 via DXLD) ** U S A. SPAM RADIO http://www.spamradio.com/ Spam Radio is serving up delicious helpings of spam each hour of every day to all who are hungry. Using a complex arrangement of pipes and funnels we turn the junk mail that we receive into a streaming audio broadcast that can be enjoyed from anywhere on the Internet (via Bob Margolis, Chicago, Illinois, Radio HF Internet Newsletter Oct 16 via DXLD) Has computer voice reading spam with nice musical background; sorta catchy for a change. Into my favorites! (gh, DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. AFN update: Greetings from Sactown once again, Glenn! Just wanted to hip ya where to listen for Armed Forces Network broadcasts! 12689.5 usb is kinda hit-n-miss, as is 10320 usb at west coast twilight! But 6458.5 usb goes past its former 0500 G.M.T. signoff when 6350 usb signs on! It's followed this pattern since 9/11 last year! And A.F.N.'s playing sports once again! I know you hate "silly ball games", but sports is what attracted this young swl hipster to A.F.R.T.S. back in the day (all those network news feeds were a bonus; got to hear Johnny Most, Red Barbour, & Ernie Harwell, amongst the legends on the international ether)! What's interesting about the 6458.5 feed, one evening it broadcast E.S.P.N. Radio's national feed of the National League Divisional playoffs, the next night it was Fox Television's audio feed! Guam's 5765 usb has been coming in surprisingly strong in the early morning recently, with programming like N.P.R.'s Morning News magazine, followed by Ron Barr's "Sports Byline" , then "Sam Donaldson Live"! Hope this signal makes it into Enid! ... 73s from (Sactown-n-Ed Gardner!!! Oct 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, I can hear AFRTS with many NPR and sports programs in my evening at 0900 (1900 local) UT using 5765 USB with some hum always there. The Hum is a definite giveaway that it is Guam. AFRTS Hawaii on 6350 is always jammed by a constant carrier hear in Australia; can sometimes separate by tuning a few kc's the other way with the filter on, but difficult. Deliberate Jamming? 73 (Tim Gaynor, Oxenford Q, Australia, Oct 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [and non]. PAUL HARVEY http://www.paulharvey.com/index.shtml No, no relation to me, unfortunately. Paul Harvey is one of the best known voices on U.S. commercial radio. This web site gives you info on where and when to hear Paul Harvey, plus features this famous broadcaster`s biography. The site also offers up the latest news (via Sheldon Harvey, Greenfield Park, Quebec, Radio HF Internet Newsletter Oct 16 via DXLD) Site supposedly leads to affiliate lists, but the US map section doesn`t go anywhere when I click on several states, and the foreign section says check with AFRTS. Also has links, untested, to audio of his past week`s morning and noon shows (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** UZBEKISTAN. See KAZAKHSTAN ** VANUATU. COURT OVERTURNS RULING ON DISMISSED VANUATU BROADCASTING CORPORATION STAFF | Text of report by Radio Australia on 17 October Vanuatu's Supreme Court has overturned an order to reinstate 30 employees of the country's [Vanuatu] Broadcasting and Television Corporation. The employees were sacked by the media organization in October last year for taking part in industrial action. In May an arbitration tribunal ordered they be reinstated but the broadcasting and television corporation immediately sought a stay on the ruling. The Supreme Court has now overturned the tribunal's ruling, leaving the corporation free to proceed with the sackings. Source: Radio Australia, Melbourne, in English 2000 gmt 17 Oct 02 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** VATICAN. On to Rome. During all of our four-day stay I did not hear Rome-846. It was not on. And the Vatican station formerly on 526 is now on 585. This one put in a very good signal into our downtown hotel near the Vatican so I can presume its transmitter is located within the confines of Vatican City which are about 100 acres. The ones on 1530 and 1611 were much weaker so they are no doubt out in the Italian countryside. 1611 seems to sign off around 2130 GMT but of course they sign on at 0020 GMT. The others are 24 hours. And I also noted a station on 1260 in foreign languages which must be the 4th Vatican AM station. I had read that they were on only during the year 2000. I doubt if either 585 or 1260 could be picked up here, though it might be possible in Newfoundland (Ben Dangerfield, PA, NRC International DX Digest Oct 18 via DXLD) ** VENEZUELA. A Rádio Amazonas de Puerto Ayacucho, foi sintonizada com sinal regular em Tefé no manhã do dia 18 de outubro entre as 0954 / 1022, na frequência de 4939 kHz. Levava ao ar programação musical entremeada pelo slogan, Radio Amazonas, con el pueblo! (Paulo Roberto Sousa, via Jornalista Célio Romais, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. Hi Glenn, Just wanted to let you know that someone must be testing tonight. I heard the following: Victor Bravo Lima To - the first 3 I am very sure I heard and understood but not the "To" 10/18/02 6930 khz 0246-0251 UTC Just wanted to let you know about it. Maybe a pirate was doing a short test there (Petro Giannakopoulos, Atlanta, GA, Oct 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Isn`t VLB2 the call of some spy numbers station? Nothing heard on 6930 after 0300 here (gh, DXLD) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ RECEIVER NEWS +++++++++++++ Radio Place closed recently, 10/4 to be exact! Sactown hams-n-swls lost their main hang-out to exchange ideas, radios, & other tall tales of d.x. past! ... Got their last ICOM IC R-75! It's a great rig! Like one of the ham reviewer's said, it makes a great Yaesu FRG-100 replacement! Better audio via internal speaker-n- tape out through an auld Marantz amp! Wonder what it'll sound like modded! Plan to get Kiwa's synchro-mode mod! Other than the bunk s-am, this is one tight rig! The two pre-amps dig out signals buried in da Century Frog! Also dig having 102 memories, as opposed to only 52 on the Century Frog! E.C.S.S. reception via sideband is crisper with the ability to use a wide filter, so ya get to really hear what those 6.955 Mhz pirates sound like! Same same with those Wednesday evenin a.m.ers on 3.870 Mhz; what dynamite fidelity! Sorry Glenn, but I sold out & sold me soul to that R-75 Cult! Oh well! 73s from (Sactown-n-Ed Gardner!!! Oct 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) DRM +++ DRM LONG TERM TEST TRANSMISSIONS DRM Long Term Test transmissions on short-wave continue from Sines, Portugal (Deutsche Welle), Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles (Radio Netherlands), Juelich, Germany (T-Systems Media Broadcast) and Rampisham, UK,(VT Merlin Communications). On medium-wave Medienanstalt Sachsen-Anhalt is transmitting 24 hours a day in Burg, Germany. The goal of these tests is to prove the reliability of the DRM system over a complete broadcast season. This is the HF test schedule until October 26 2002, daily unless stated otherwise, all intended for Europe: 5975 Julich Germany (T-Systems Media BC 1305-1455 Multimedia 7320 Rampisham UK (Merlin Comms) 1500-1600 BBC-WS Mo-Fr 11655 Bonaire N. Antilles (RN) 0530-0655 RNW-Dutch 15230 Sines Portugal (DW) 0930-1200 DW-English 15425 Bonaire N. Antilles (RN) 0700-0800 RNW-English 15525 Bonaire N. Antilles (RN) 2130-2230 RNW-Spanish 15565 Bonaire N. Antilles (RN) 2030-2125 RNW-English Also on mediumwave: 531 Burg Germany (Medienstalt Sachsen-Anhalt) 24-hrs Multimedia, to Burg region (via Bob Padula, EDXP Oct 18 via DXLD) ###