DX LISTENING DIGEST 2-188, November 30, 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 NOTE: As of Nov 30, updated through 2-184 ******** 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 1158: RFPI: Sun 0600, 1200? 1830?, Mon 0030, 0630, 1230?, Tue 1900?, Wed 0100, 0700, 1300? on 7445 and/or 15039 WWCR: Sat 0700, Sun 0330 5070, 0730 3210, Wed 1030 9475 WBCQ: Mon 0545 on 7415 [ex 0515] WJIE: M-F 1300, daily 0400; Sun 0630, Mon 0700, Tue 0630 or 0700, 7490 WRN: Rest of world Sat 0900; Europe only Sun 0530; N America Sun 1500 ONDEMAND http://www.wrn.org/ondemand/worldofradio.html [High] (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1158h.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1158h.ram [Low] (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1158.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1158.ram (Summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1158.html CIRAF ZONES http://members.chello.at/erich.besau/erich/akronyme/ak_c.htm CIRAF - Centre (ancien nom : conseil) International de Recherches en Agro-Foresterie; nothing found on the ITU Génève term. 73 wb (Wolfgang Bueschel, Germany, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ARGENTINA. RAE, Radiodifusión Argentina al Exterior emite hasta el 30 de Marzo del 2003 -además de su habitual esquema semanal- en español los dias sábados solamente, de 2000-2200 en las frecuencias de 6060, 11710 y 15345 khz. 73's GIB (Gabriel Iván Barrera, RAE, Nov 29, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** BANGLADESH. 9550, Bangladesh Betar, 30 Nov 1230 W with ID and schedule in English. Brief dead air, then M with news beginning with ID as "You're listening to Bangladesh Betar. The news read by ??". Weak with severe co-channel QRM from presumably China Nat. R. 7185 is always blocked by a Ham net and some sort of buzzing (possibly local) QRM on 7183 at this time (Dave Valko, PA, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** BERMUDA. At 5:50 PM EST - Logged ZBM (94.9), Hamilton, Bermuda - "Power 95". Long talk set with male and female announcers, taking requests, many mentions of area, gave time (Atlantic Standard Time), into "power 95" liner, into top-40 song. Got it recorded! When I have seen WUND (2) [Columbia NC] via Es in the past, I have tried for ZBM, but never had any luck. Finally! (Girard Westerberg, Lexington, KY, Nov 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. Guaíba e Rádio Romênia Caro Glenn, Como fui o redator das notícias mencionadas pelo Flávio Archangelo, publicada pelo Atividade DX, edição de nº 213, de abril de 2002, sinto-me na obrigação de repassá-las. Em seguida, faço alguns comentários. Eis as informações: "BRASIL - Mais uma emissora poderá ser retransmitida pela Rádio Guaíba: a Rádio Romênia Internacional. Na edição de 16 de março do programa Estúdio dos Ouvintes, da RRI, o apresentador Lucian Popescu informou que a emissora de Porto Alegre manifestou interesse no intercâmbio. Vale lembrar que a Guaíba já recheia sua programação com matérias da BBC de Londres, Rádio Internacional da China, Nederland e Voz da Rússia, entre outras. Aos domingos, Rui Strelow apresenta o programa "Mundo na Guaíba", às 1000 UT, em 720, 6000 e 11785 kHz. "BRASIL - A Rádio Guaíba vai mesmo retransmitir a programação da Rádio Romênia Internacional. A emissora de Porto Alegre receberá autorização, por escrito, da RRI, conforme informação divulgada por Lucian Popescu, na edição do Estúdio dos Ouvintes, de 23 de março. A Rádio Guaíba emite, aos domingos, o "Mundo na Guaíba, às 1000 UTC, em 720, 6000 e 11785 kHz, com apresentação de Rui Strelow." Comentários: 1) Até hoje, não sei se a Guaíba colocou no ar algum programa da Rádio Romênia Internacional, pois, ao que me consta, o Departamento de Língua Portuguesa não tem respondido as cartas e informes dos ouvintes, e conseqüentemente o pedido de autorização da emissora porto-alegrense, por falta de tempo e condições. Isso foi admitido pelo apresentador do Estúdio dos Ouvintes, Lucian Popescu, que já pediu desculpas aos ouvintes brasileiros, em diversas oportunidades. 2) Conforme a notícia do Atividade DX nº 213, não se trata de um "relay", e sim de "um intercâmbio com o programa Mundo na Guaíba". O que o produtor e apresentador deste programa, Rui Strelow, faz? Ele pede uma autorização, por escrito, a algumas emissoras internacionais, para retransmitir alguns programas. Primeiro ele escuta o áudio do programa, no sítio da emissora. Depois, coloca no ar, aos domingos. Inclusive, chegou a pedir aos ouvintes que mandem, por e-mail, sugestões de programas, para o seguinte endereço eletrônico: ruistrelow@radioguaiba.com.br 3) Considero perfeitamente normal a utilização de um excelente programa, feito por uma emissora de outro país, por qualquer emissora brasileira. Em nada estará atentando à legislação vigente. Para se obter um canal de radiodifusão, no Brasil, é necessário passar pelo processo licitatório, onde os quesitos de pontuação são os seguintes: a apresentação de programas jornalísticos, educativos e informativos e o tempo destinado a eles e se são produzidos na localidade da emissora. Portanto, a emissora poderá perder pontos se não produzir seus programas em casa. Mas não é proibida de buscar lá fora. O que deve haver é um bom senso. Não usar uma manhã inteira para transmitir uma programa feita no exterior, sem dar a temperatura da nossa localidade. Por último, acredito que é melhor ouvir, em algumas horas dominicais, bons programas culturais da Rádio Nederland, pela Guaíba, do que ligar o rádio em programas que escracham o ser humano. 73s! (Célio Romais, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil, Nov 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [Doesn`t know if the deal was ever consummated. Not really a relay, but had requested permission, perhaps not really necessary for excerpts of RRI programs via webcast on a Guaíba program] ** CANADA. DAB in Canada: For that to work, a new part of the radio spectrum had to be allocated to DAB, and the very high-frequency "L Band" (1452 to 1492 MHz) was chosen. This is divided into 23 1.5 MHz channels, called "pods", each of which can carry five separate stations, occupying 300 kHz of space. That bandwidth is adequate partly because Musicam uses a 6:1 compression ratio, and because the presence of a number of stations on a single pod means that a signal that momentarily places a heavy demand on the bit rate can usually borrow some from another station. One advantage of digital transmission is that there can be several separate versions of the same signal on the same frequency, either intentionally or inadvertently, and the receiver will lock onto the strongest and ignore the others. That means multipath-free reception in the city and also permits the use of supplementary transmitters to reach areas where the main signal fades. Broadcasters can use such transmitters, if necessary to duplicate their analog radiation pattern, without further licensing. Down the road, a combination of satellite and terrestrial delivery is possible, as is a continuous cell-phone-like network along the major highways, which would allow uninterrupted listening as you travel, the receiver jumping seamlessly from transmitter to transmitter. One environmental benefit of digital radio is energy conservation. While conventional analog stations put out tens of thousands of watts of power, the digital transmitters at the moment deliver just over 600 watts. When the system is operating at its full capacity, that will rise to about 800. The cities that now have digital radio account for about 35 percent of the country's population (Brian Smith, Ont., NRC- AM via DXLD) The DAB transmitter for Windsor is located SE of the city and has a directional pattern to the NW... and it's only running 150 W or so at the moment. It puts a pretty good signal into Detroit, though. The Toronto main transmitters are also directional to the north (from the CN Tower) and thus don't send much RF across the lake to WNY. The Montreal main site (Mont Royal) is omni and probably hits NY and VT to some extent, but not any major populated areas. The Vancouver main sites are on Mt Seymour and are directional to the south, so they would cover WA to some extent, but possibly not as far as Bellingham (I think the antennas are downtilted to concentrate the signal on the Canadian side of the border). (Barry McLarnon, Ottawa, ibid.) ** CANADA. WLADISLAW ALFRED ZBIK X-URL: http://www.globeandmail.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/PEstory/TGAM/20021129/LIVES29/Headlines/headdex/headdexFeatures_temp/3/3/3/ Friday, November 29, 2002 - Page A30 by Eve Drobot -- Wladislaw Alfred Zbik. Lawyer, diplomat, broadcaster, Righteous Gentile. Born June 1, 1913, in Krakow. Died Oct. 8 in Montreal, of pneumonia, aged 89. When Alfred Zbik was born, Krakow was still part of the Austro- Hungarian Empire. A touch of Franz-Josef's court stayed with him throughout his life: He dressed in perfectly cut suits, greeted women with a kiss on the hand and told risqué jokes in French, German, Polish or English -- sometimes all four at once. Pre-war Krakow, where Alfred's father Stefan ran a successful printing business, was a cosmopolitan city, its Catholics and Jews totally integrated. The Zbik apartment on Berek Joselewicz Street was around the corner from Kazimierz, the Jewish district, which the Nazis would turn into a ghetto. At 6, Alfred entered the neighbourhood Dietel General School, along with his Jewish and Gentile playmates. He eventually earned a law degree from the Jagellonian University. In the late 1930s, the Polish government posted him to its consulate in Lille, France, which served many expatriate Polish coal miners. He was there when war broke out, and returned home in 1941. In September, 1943, his parents answered the door in the middle of the night to a terrified former schoolmate of their son. Edward Nabel and his young wife, Krystyna, had escaped from a concentration camp by disconnecting the wires in the electrified fence and making a break for the woods. They were followed by other prisoners and machine gun fire. The couple stumbled and found themselves at the bottom of a heap of corpses, where they lay until the safety of darkest night. The Zbik home was the only haven they could think of. Alfred, his parents Stefan and Stefania, and sisters Helena and Jadwiga hid them for two months. Alfred helped Stefan trick out false documents, and got them jobs: as a cook and chauffeur in the home of a Nazi official in Berlin. More of Alfred's childhood friends showed up, and each was met with the same kindness and protection. Stefan was once arrested for printing illegal ration coupons, but the family's anti-Nazi activities, which could have cost them their lives, were never discovered. When war ended, Alfred scrambled by, tutoring students in French. One was Jadwiga Anna Stawicki, whom he married in 1946. Their daughter Vivien was born the same year. He returned to diplomatic service and was posted to Ottawa. In 1950, Alfred and Anna won refugee status. As newcomers, Alfred sold carpets and Anna worked as a cleaning woman. They moved to Montreal in 1952 when he joined Radio Canada International, the newly created shortwave service of the CBC, as a German broadcaster. When the service expanded, he became the founding head of the Polish section, where he remained until his retirement in 1978. His daughter Vivien, her husband George Lapa, and Alfred's grandsons, Alex and Michael, always lived nearby. In 1984, at the urging of Montreal's Polish community, Edward Nabel submitted testimony to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Authority, nominating the Zbik family as Righteous Gentiles, for their heroism, stipulating their actions were purely humanitarian and not for financial gain. A year later, with the Nabels and other childhood friends present, Alfred received a medal and honorary Israeli citizenship at a ceremony in Montreal. An olive tree was planted in the Zbik name in the Alley of the Righteous on the memorial grounds in Jerusalem. It grows there still. -------------- Eve Drobot's father had a lifelong friendship with Alfred Zbik, beginning when both were four years old (via Daniel Say, DXLD) ** COSTA RICA. Pleased to hear RFPI once again in the morning, after many weeks of reduced schedule, evenings only. Sat Nov 30 at 1400 check on 15039, WOR 1158 had started a few minutes earlier (nominal time 1330, repeating from 0130, 0730); and 15039 was still on at 1735 recheck with [non]COM (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. Odd spur or transmitter noted on 6195 at 0655-0658 UT on Nov. 29 and 30th. Strong carrier but weak, distorted, audio of west coast NAm English program. After RHC sign off and anthem, weak domestic Radio Reloj audio heard until carrier cut at 0658. No mention of any 49 meter band frequency during s/off announcement (Brock Whaley for DX LISTENING DIGEST, Atlanta, Nov 30) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. CLANDESTINE (GERMANY TO ETHIOPIA) 15275, R. Solidarity, 30 Nov *1600, Previous program ended at 1558, dead air, then 1600 sign-on of R. Solidarity with very brief instrumental music, then short ID by W in presumed Tigrina, more Horn of Africa flute music, and ID opening announcement mentioning meterband, music bridge, and same W announcer again briefly, and start of programming with long talk. Very good signal (Dave Valko, PA, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** INDONESIA. 15149.82, V. of Indonesia, 30 Nov 1953-2010, "Karma Chameleon" by Culture Club at tunein, another Rock song sounding like "Owner of a Lonely Heart" by Yes, then W announcer with IDs and announcements. 2000 instrumental Indo music with W announcer voice- over, and cont. [continuous? Continental?] music. Dead air from 2001 to 2003. 2003 English ID by W "This is the V. of Indonesia from Jakarta", then Indo Lagu music with W announcer again giving ID and meterbands. 2004 M announcer with news headlines in English, news program intro by W, then news in detail. Dead air at 2115 on recheck. Poor to fair signal and clear. Frequency drifted about 30 Hz or so (Dave Valko, PA, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH. Ed, P5/4L4FN, the only radio amateur operating legally from North Korea, has had to close down. According to the website of Bruce, KK5DO, on the evening of the 22nd of November, Ed was called into a meeting with the North Korean Radio Regulation Board. Without any explanation he was politely asked to stop all transmissions and to pack up all his radio equipment. Ed spent the following day disassembling his antennas and packing boxes. That afternoon government officials sealed all the boxes and Ed has been told to take everything out of the country when he leaves North Korea for a two- week holiday on the 10th of December (RSGB via Mike Terry, Nov 30, DXLD) ** KURDISTAN [non]. CLANDESTINE, 11530, V. of Mesopotamia, 30 Nov 1329-1345, Arabic-like instrumental music, ID by W with presumed Kurdish announcements over instrumental percussion music. Brief talk by W, then into very exotic vocal by M accompanied by percussion. W announcer again taking a phone call from W. Did mention Iraq once. Fairly good and clear (Dave Valko, PA, Cumbre DX via DXLD) W = woman, M = man. I can`t help but wonder if the gender of every speaker heard be that significant; maybe in non Kurdistan (gh, DXLD) ** KYRGYZSTAN. Re Dmitry Mezin's comments in DX Signal on the Bishkek transmitters: the new one on 4795 kHz has 15 kW according to official info from October 2002; this is not the 100 kW which used to be on 4050 kHz (with formerly Kyrgyz Radio 2). That is another reason why the unID on 4050 kHz might indeed be the 100 kW in Bishkek. It also seems that the transmission times on 4050 were moved one hour ahead when CIS countries changed to winter time on 27 October. In Central Asia, only Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan have DST during the summer months (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, Nov 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Previous issue under UNIDENTIFIED ** LEBANON [non]. Today 11515 was from a CIS site with pips up to 1558. The carrier came on very early. Before the Moscow master control pips I heard the normal Samara procedure (Olle Alm, Sweden, 29 Nov, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Here a record of today`s 11515 transmission with the finale of the anthem and the Aoun speech beginning. Apparently they broadcast the very same Aoun record every day. Regarding the site: Nothing appears to contradict the report which said this would be Samara (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Nov 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST) After a bit of anthem(?), rather informal speech including a big throat-clear; modulation: somewhat mushy; reception: slow fading with quite a bit of noise (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** PALAU. Glenn, Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving holiday. Listened to 9965 on 11/28 1223-1234 and again; 11/30 1118-1132. Same format both days, male and female in Mandarin; religious music and IDs at bottom of hour, tho different each day. "KHBN" ID at 1230 ,11/28. 11/30 ,1130 had Fanfare and 2 long IDs ending in "Diantai", which I believe means "station". No call-sign as previously noted. This station gets more confusing each time I listen! (Scott R Barbour Jr, NH, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. 6193.46, Radio Cusco 0945-0955 incredibly beautiful Peruvian music, M announcer, one ID (Bob Wilkner, Margate, South Florida, Nov 30, NRD 535D, Modified Noise Reducing Antenna On the ground 10 meter longwire, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** POLAND. MULTIPLE INVESTIGATIONS INTO ROMAN CATHOLIC RADIO STATION COMMENCE | Excerpt from report by Polish international satellite TV service on 28 November [Presenter] Treasury services together with the authorities of the Redemptorist Order are to determine the legal status of Radio Maryja. The first effect of the film broadcast on [public] Polish Television [TVP] and the articles in the Gazeta Wyborcza and Rzeczpospolita dailies will thus be the determination of what exactly the Torun-based radio station is in legal terms. Both the Revenue Police and the National Prosecutor's Office are checking whether there were not infringements of taxation and revenue regulations. The prosecutor's office is checking the four [previously] discontinued investigations into Radio Maryja. The faithful listeners of the radio station are against all proceedings. They today supported Father Tadeusz Rydzyk [the radio's director] by demonstrating before the prime ministerial chancellery. The bishops deliberating at the plenary conference of the Polish Episcopate at Jasna Gora do not want to return to the subject of the broadcaster, stating that everything was said in yesterday's statement. [Reporter] There is a discussion about Radio Maryja at the top. At the grassroots, there are the faithful listeners supporting their broadcaster. Around 300 people prayed in support of Radio Maryja. For them, the radio is a sacred thing. They believe it and they are faithful to it. They promise to remain loyal to it... But the joint prayers and agitation are deflecting neither the revenue services nor the prosecutor's office. The four sets of proceedings which were discontinued will be checked again. They concern obtaining under false pretences, the falsification of documents and the taking of cash abroad without the required permits. [Karol Napierski, National Prosecutor] I have given an instruction that an analysis be carried out of those proceedings that were conducted, mainly from the angle of the regularity of the substantive decisions that were made in the course of these. [Reporter] As a voluntary sector and missionary broadcaster, Radio Maryja maintains itself from gifts. It thus does not pay tax. It does not even appear in the lists of tax-payers. The reservations of the revenue authorities are aroused by the direction by Father Tadeusz Rydzyk of the Our Future [Nasza Przyszlosc] Foundation. [Waclaw Ciesielski, deputy minister of finance, treasury revenue audit inspector] Revenue audits have shown serious infringements on three occasions of the regulations of taxation law, with consequences in a serious reduction, of significant value, of the taxation revenues due to the state. [Reporter] The deputy minister of finance is not able to say what amount this was. Radio Maryja appealed to the Supreme Administrative Court [NSA]. There is still no ruling, but already today Radio Maryja journalists and listeners are accusing the deputy minister of bias. They feel that someone who publishes his articles in the anti-clerical weekly Fakty i Mity is not capable of being objective in his assessment of a [Roman] Catholic radio. [Ciesielski] These matters were not called forth by Fakty i Mity, only by Rzeczpospolita. They were widely reported in Gazeta Wyborcza and they were shown in a television report. [Reporter] The activity of the radio is also being examined by the National Radio and Television Broadcasting Council [KRRiT]. There are no complaints against the station's programme content. [Juliusz Braun, KRRiT chairman] We will be checking all these reports that are associated with the financial reports. [Reporter] Today, the bishops who are deliberating at Jasna Gora did not discuss the Catholic media and broadcasters. although these had been the plans. [Bishop Leszek Slawoj Glodz, chairman of the episcopal team for pastoral concern for Radio Maryja] We are just being spiritual, for the time being. We are not discussing any matters, whether media, structural or Church-related. [Reporter] The bishops are saying that they issued a statement yesterday. They will not be speaking [on this subject] any more. [Bishop Piotr Libera, secretary of the Polish Episcopate] I think that not any more, since, quite simply, there are now other subjects on the agenda. And I do not think that it will come back [onto the agenda]. [Reporter] In the statement yesterday, the bishops wrote that they support the activity of Radio Maryja and are disturbed by the strengthening campaign against Church institutions. Source: TV Polonia, Warsaw, in Polish 1830 gmt 28 Nov 02 (via BBCM via DXLD) RADIO-OWNING MONASTIC ORDER HAS NO COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY - STATEMENT | Text of report by Polish news agency PAP Warsaw, 29 November: Neither Radio Maryja nor the Redemptorist Order conduct commercial activity, the Warsaw province of the Redemptorists has stated. The statement is a reaction to the Thursday [28 November] press conference during which Deputy Minister of Finance Wieslaw Ciesielski reported that revenue bodies would be speaking with the Redemptorist Order to determine the [legal] force of their decision that Radio Maryja was to have become "a separate entity for purposes of taxation". The conducting of a taxation inspection at Radio Maryja depends upon the result of these talks. He stressed that Radio Maryja did not appear in the list of tax-payers, but recent media reports had signalled that Radio Maryja did conduct commercial activity that was subject to taxation, which requires the clarification of Radio Maryja's status as a tax-payer. In a statement passed to PAP on Thursday [29 November], the Redemptorist Fathers stressed that Ciesielski's statement "lacked specific information on the results of interpretations of Polish taxation law [now] in force". "It is necessary to ask the question: who in Poland pays income tax? The reply is straightforward. In accordance with article two, section one, of the law on commercial activity, "in the understanding of this law, commercial activity is remunerated manufacturing, trade, construction or services activity and also the seeking and exploitation of natural resources made use of in an organized and continuing manner," the fathers write. "It transpires from this that we do not conduct commercial activity, and that is why we are not an enterprise and the fathers working at Radio Maryja cannot be called entrepreneurs or businessmen, since in accordance with the law they would have to undertake and carry out commercial activity. The [deputy] minister was not good enough to give any example of the alleged commercial activity, in the understanding of the legal definition in force, of the Warsaw Province of the Redemptorist Order that runs Radio Maryja," the statement reads. According to the document, "in accordance with the law on corporate income tax, article seven, income tax is paid by those entities which have an income, irrespective of the kind of inflows from which this income was derived. Section two of this law defines income as the excess of the amount of inflows over costs borne for the purposes of acquiring those inflows. It also transpires from these definitions that the Warsaw Province of the Redemptorist Order, running Radio Maryja as a voluntary sector broadcaster, does not fulfill these criteria either. In accordance with article 55 of the law on the relations between the state and the [Roman] Catholic Church in the Polish Republic, Church legal entities are dispensed from taxation in consequence of their incomes [arising] from non-commercial activities. The fact that we are a Church legal entity is determined by article eight, section one, point seven of the cited law," we read in the Redemptorist Father's statement. "These state laws are universally known to every revenue official, as also to the journalists who created this campaign of defamation, since they are people with a few dozen years of experience in their work and who have at their disposal experienced professional helpers who clarify all issues for them. There thus arises a justified hypothesis that this legal state of affairs was consciously kept hidden from viewers and readers. There also arises a justified doubt as to the intentions of this press conference, since the [deputy] minister did not use it to educate society about taxation through the citation of the regulations given above, that undoubtedly constitute criteria for the evaluation of the evangelizing activity of our monastic province and the cooperation therein of our listeners who are the donors for the construction and development of Radio Maryja," the statement reads. Source: PAP news agency, Warsaw, in Polish 1700 gmt 29 Nov 02 (via BBCM via DXLD) POLAND INVESTIGATES CATHOLIC RADIO RADIO MARYJA UNDER INVESTIGATION http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2530571.stm (Ulis Fleming, Cumbredx mailing list Nov 30 via DXLD) ** ROMANIA [non]. See BRAZIL ** RUSSIA. * Narrator: AWR ON THE AIR IN RUSSIA For an extended period of five years, Adventist World Radio was on the air shortwave from a total of a dozen different transmitters at six different radio facilities located throughout Russia. These external relays began in 1992 and they were finally terminated in 1996. In addition, AWR was on the air internally in Russia at the same time over a network of almost 1,000 stations; longwave, tropical shortwave, international shortwave, and cable radio. Today`s story is about the AWR international broadcasts that were on the air from shortwave stations located in Russia and Siberia. The first AWR relay from a Russian shortwave station began on March 1, 1992 from a huge shortwave complex located near Novosibirsk in Siberia. Some of these transmitters had been in use during the Cold War as jamming transmitters in an attempt to discourage listeners in Russia from tuning in to radio broadcasts from foreign countries. Initially, the AWR programming was heard over a single 100 kW transmitter, though two weeks later, a second unit at 100 kW was also brought into service. At first, the two transmitters were synchronised on the same channel, though two years later, the two units were operating on separate channels. At the height of usage, AWR was on the air 23 hours daily from Novosibirsk in Siberia. The final AWR broadcast from Novosibirsk in Siberia was aired on October 28, 1994. Two months after the inauguration of the AWR relay from Novosibirsk, three more locations in Russia were brought into service for the relay of AWR programming. These stations were designated as Samara, Yekaterin`burg and Moscow. However, through the research of Olle Alm in Scandinavia, it was later discovered that the station designated as Moscow was in reality three widely separated transmitter sites. These facilities were located at Kurovskaya (KEW-ROFF-SKY-a), Taldom and Lesnoy, all clustered around Moscow. All three of these stations carried AWR programming utilizing transmitters at 250 kW. Throughout the year 1993, the AWR usage of the relay stations in Russia was phased out, until Samara was the only one left that was still carrying the AWR programming. This AWR relay continued for another two years until this also was closed out on October 25, 1996. The AWR programming for broadcast from the Russian stations was co- ordinated by Peter Kulakov in the large four storeyed Adventist Media Center in Tula, half a day`s journey south of Moscow. You will hear an interview with Peter later in this program and he will tell you about his personal experience regarding the AWR relays from the radio stations located in his country. Adventist World Radio was the first Gospel station to go on the air from shortwave stations in Russia and that was on March 1, 1992. We were closely followed two days later by FEBC Manila, and they took out a relay over a 20 kW transmitter that had been on the air previously as a jamming facility. On one occasion, the AWR relay via Samara contained a special announcement in English for the Nordic DX Championship on September 10, 1994. They issued a special QSL for this particular broadcast. These days, AWR QSL cards verifying our relay from the six transmitter sites in Russia are quite rare and they have become collector`s items. The rarest of them all is the QSL card confirming the reception of the Moscow relay via Lesnoy, which was in use for only a few days, beginning March 27, 1993. The specific transmitter in use at that time is designated as RV193, a Russian made transmitter with a power of 250 kW. Olle Alm in Scandinavia tells us that this actual transmitter is pictured on a QSL card issued by Radio Netherlands. They were also on the air during that era with a relay of their international programming from the same transmitter, RV193. AWR ON THE AIR IN RUSSIA -- TIME LINES ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Location Year Date Transmitters Events ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Novosibirsk 1992 Mar 1 1 @ 100 kW AWR relay began 1992 Mar 15 2 @ 200 kW Increase in power 1994 Sep 25 2 @ 100 kW In parallel 6165 @ 12055 1994 Oct 28 2 @ 100 kW Last broadcast Samara 1992 May 3 1 @ 250 kW Service began 1994 Jun 12 1 @ 250 kW Now only AWR relay 1996 Mar 31 2 @ 100 kW Combined, 250 kW also 1996 Oct 25 2 @ 100/250 kW Final broadcast Yekaterin`burg 1992 May 3 2 @ 100 kW Service began 1994 Jan 24 2 @ 100 kW Service ended Lesnoy 1993 Mar 27 1 @ 250 kW On air a few days Moscow 1992 May 3 4 @ 250 Began 10 hours daily 1994 Jun 12 4 @ 250 Dropped in favor of Samara Taldom 1992 May 3 2 @ 250 kW AWR relay began A and B 1992 Sep 27 3 @ 250 A, and B & C combined 1994 Jan 24 3 @ 250 AWR relay ended Kurovskaya 1993 May 3 1 @ 250 kW AWR relay began 1994 Jun 12 1 @ 250 AWR relay ended (Adrian Michael Peterson, AWR Wavescan Dec 1 via DXLD) ** SRI LANKA [and non]. LTTE SUPREMO VELUPILLATI PRABAKARAN SPEECH ON VOICE OF TIGERS RADIO The 'Voice of Tigers 'radio lively broadcasted the 25 minutes ''heroics day'' speech of its leader Mr. Velupillai Prabakaran on 27- 11-2002 from 1210 to 1235 UT. The heroics day is celebrated by Tamils in northern and eastern Srilanka [Tamil Eelam region] every year for the rememberance of Tamil militants who lost their life against Srilankan imperialsam and aggression. Several Tamil radio and TV stations like IBC-TAMIL, BBC-TAMIL, RADIO VERITAS, TTN TV, CTBC RADIO, GEETHAVANI RADIO-CANADA, Inba Tamil Radio-Australia, etc. and also, first time in the history of Srilanks, SRILANKAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION [SLBC] were relayed this speech and covered this celebrations extensively (D.PRABAKARAN, Tamil Nadu?, Dec 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAIWAN. From: http://www.cbs.org.tw/english/index.htm 27 Nov 2002 To celebrate CBS's 75th Anniversary, we are holding a "CBS Mascot" design contest. All listeners are welcome to enter their creative designs! 1. Design Categories a. The following subjects may be used: a flower, animal, mascot, or cartoon character. b. Lamb: You can also use a lamb as the subject. Next year is the Year of the Lamb on the Chinese Lunar Calendar. The Chinese word for "lamb" is also similar to the word for "lucky". 2. How to Participate a. Mail Your Entry : *You can mail your design including your name and address to the following address : P.O. Box 24-38, Taipei, Taiwan 106 ROC * Use a B5 size paper to present your design. Please use simple, clean, and dynamic colors. Use 100 words or less to describe the concept behind your design. b. E-mail Your Entry : * Use Word to write your name, address and a simple description of the concept behind your design (100 words or less) * Design specifics: Use JPG, 1000x1000(pixels). The file should be no more than 500KB with a resolution of 300dpi or more. * E-mail to lucky@c... [truncated] 3. Contest Deadline Your entry must be postmarked January 15, 2003. 4. Special Legal Implications a. The copyright of the selected entries belong to CBS. b. CBS reserves the right to edit selected entries. c. Entries will not be returned to the participant. d. Participants cannot copy the work of others or use other illegal methods in this contest. The participant will be fully responsible for any consequences of their illegal activity. Contest Prizes 1st Prize : 1 winner of US$500 (including tax) 2nd Prize : 1 winner of US$300 (including tax) 3rd Prize : 1 winner of US$200 (including tax) 4th Prize : 1 winner of US$100 (including tax) 5th Prize : 5 winners of a Digital Multi-band Radio with 45 station memory Souvenir : 50 winners of CBS's 75th Anniversary T-shirt Central Broadcasting System, No. 55 Pei An Road Taipei, Taiwan. R.O.C. http://www.cbs.org.tw (via Alan Pennington, BDXC-UK via DXLD) ** UKRAINE. RUI, Kiev seems to have its high power transmitters active. I caught North American service at 0100 and 0400 in English on 9810. A little tough at 0100 due to 9800 Martí splash. At 0400 a jammer comes on/off 9805 and splashes. I`ve been following it since 11/17. It may have come on earlier. Not best propagation out of Europe lately. I hope they keep it on, not like in past (Bob Thomas, CT, Nov 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. Heard BBCWS mention that they would have a big 70th anniversary celebration on Sun Dec 15; what time? (Ron Trotto, IL, Nov 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST) BBC On Air says 1700-2000 UT, apparently on all streams preëmpting other programming ---- perfect timing to avoid having any SW frequencies on air to North ---ooops – Central America. I expect the two-sesquihour show will be rather self-congratulatory (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. BBC NIXES EDITORS WRITING OPINION PIECES John Plunkett, The Guardian, Friday November 29, 2002 The BBC has issued a moratorium on programme editors writing newspaper columns in a bid to avert a repeat of the "Liddlegate" affair. Former Today programme editor Rod Liddle resigned from his post on the flagship Radio 4 show in September after he attacked the Countryside Alliance in the Guardian. Corporation bosses are attempting to draw a line under the incident by banning programme editors from ever writing a newspaper column again. Presenters such as John Humphrys and correspondents including Andrew Marr will still be able to contribute to newspapers, but editors have been singled out by the BBC News hierarchy because of the need to appear "impartial". "Programme editors are not allowed to enter into new arrangements with newspapers," said a spokesman. "But there is a distinction between editors and presenters. Editors edit the programmes and as such they have to be impartial. The ultimate responsibility for impartiality lies with the editor, and not with the journalist." Liddle was accused of "blatant bias, animus and even party allegiance" by the Daily Telegraph after his controversial column, and even provoked the ire of lyricist Tim Rice in the Daily Mail. He stepped down from Today after bosses ordered him to choose between his Guardian column and the programme. Earlier this year the BBC tightened its gag on staff talking to the press after a string of embarrassing rows involving some of its biggest presenters. It drew up guidelines banning staff, freelancers and presenters from talking about the BBC "without prior agreement" from their bosses. And it warned producers, editors and presenters not to write articles which may "undermine the BBC's impartiality". The BBC director general, Greg Dyke, has issued a thinly veiled threat to sack presenters who criticise the corporation. In an email last year, following embarrassing outbursts by Kate Adie and Nicky Campbell, Mr Dyke said it was "not acceptable for certain people to think it is OK to go on public platforms, or into the press, and criticise the organisation." (via Bob Wilkner, FL, DXLD) ** U K. BBC TO SAVE UK'S GREATEST DERELICT BUILDING By Marianne Brun-Rovet and Gautam Malkani Financial Times; Nov 27, 2002 After Great Britons, great buildings. Hard on the heels of the unexpected ratings success of its poll to identify the nation's most distinguished son or daughter, the BBC is working on a new series that will allow viewers to vote to save a historic building. Restoration is being produced for BBC Scotland by Endemol UK, the production company behind Changing Rooms and Ready Steady Cook. Ten one-hour programmes will each be devoted to an area of the UK, featuring buildings at risk within it, ranging from castles to railway stations and chapels. At the end of each programme viewers will be able to nominate the building they would most like to see restored. A shortlist of 10 will then be compiled. The series is being produced in conjunction with English Heritage and other conservation bodies, and is due to be broadcast next summer. The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings and Save Britain's Heritage have drawn up their own wish-lists of great buildings that could benefit from the public largesse. They say contenders for "Britain's greatest derelict building" could include Apethorpe Hall, Northamptonshire, Manningham Mills in Bradford and the Battersea power station in London. Apethorpe Hall, a 15th century Grade I-listed manor house, has been the subject of a long-running English Heritage campaign, backed by Baroness Blackstone. It entertained Stuart and Tudor royalty but has fallen into disrepair. In June, Tessa Jowell, the culture secretary, served notice of a compulsory purchase order. English Heritage has now submitted its own application for listed building consent - on behalf of Ms Jowell - specifying £6m worth of essential repairs. The SPAB lists the 16th-century Staley Hall in Staleybridge, Greater Manchester; Westenhanger Barns in Kent with its 15th-century hammerbeam roof; Elmswell Hall in Yorkshire and Cardigan Castle as "important cases" requiring attention. But following Isambard Kingdom Brunel's success in Great Britons - he was runner-up to Winston Churchill - it is likely that industrial buildings will feature prominently in the new series. There are dozens of dilapidated old mills and factories in the north of England, which are striking reminders of Britain's past industrial might. One possible contender is Manningham Mills, one of the world's biggest Victorian textile mills. Meanwhile, Save Britain's Heritage favours the spectacular wind tunnels at the former Royal Aircraft Establishment site in Farn-borough, Hampshire, where research into aerodynamics and materials was carried out in the 1930s. Battersea power station, which stands out on the London skyline with its four white smokestacks like the legs of an upturned table, might also be a contender (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U K [non] BBC'S NEW VOICE OF AMERICA By David Rennie (Filed: 29/11/2002) How do you market BBC News in North America? Make it sound too British, and you risk all sorts of distracting associations. In the US, a plummy British voice means quaint and old as much as it means worldly. Also, thanks to Hollywood, a British voice can simply mean "villain". From Seinfeld to Braveheart, the drawling Englishman has become a walk-on bad guy, his strangulated vowels a prelude to some act of colonial oppression, cold snobbery, or scrounging effeminacy. America is also changing - Churchill, the Battle of Britain or the "Special Relationship" mean little to many of its citizens, not least the millions with their roots in Latin America, Asia or Africa. However, among those with an interest in world affairs the BBC maintains a reputation for truly global coverage in an age when the main networks are focusing ever closer to home. The solution, it seems, looks and sounds a lot like Mishal Husain, a 29-year-old news reporter sent to Washington this autumn to be the BBC's first US-based "news anchor".... http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/11/29/nmed29.xml (Telegraph via Bill Westenhaver, DXLD ** U S A. VENTANA A CUBA: UNA REFLEXIÓN Manuel David Orrio, CPI LA HABANA, noviembre / http://www.cubanet.org - Ventana a Cuba, programa de noticias de la isla que la Voz de los Estados Unidos de América (VOA) transmite los domingos a las ocho de la noche, hora de La Habana, acaba de anotarse un logro no carente de importancia. Bajo la dirección y locución de Angélica Mora, Ventana a Cuba aspira a la fidelidad a un principio de ética periodística: en situación de conflicto, reflejar en sus noticias los criterios y pareceres de las partes involucradas. Así sucedió en la edición del 10 de noviembre. Entre los acontecimientos de la semana de Cuba, el programa de la VOA informó sobre la decisión del gobierno estadounidense de declarar personas no gratas a varios diplomáticos cubanos destacados en la nación del Potomac, por presuntos vínculos con la ex funcionaria de inteligencia estadounidense Ana Belén Montes, quien admitió su culpabilidad en espiar para el gobierno de Fidel Castro, por lo cual fue condenada a 25 años de cárcel. Ventana a Cuba, además de informar sobre los hechos, transmitió una entrevista realizada a un funcionario de la Oficina de Intereses de Cuba en Washington, quien tuvo así la oportunidad de aportar a los oyentes el punto de vista del gobierno que representa. No está confirmado, pero se considera primera vez que, tratándose de Cuba, logra la VOA entrevista de tal naturaleza, habida cuenta del diferendo existente entre los gobiernos de ambos países. No es motivo de asombro que Angélica Mora haya hecho lo posible por ser fiel a ese principio de ética periodística. Años atrás, cuando trabajaba para Radio Martí, consta cómo en tales o más cuales ocasiones sus esfuerzos se vieron frustrados por políticas de la emisora. Lo novedoso, lo positivo, es la decisión de la Oficina de Intereses de Cuba en Washington de aceptar que uno de sus funcionarios fuera entrevistado, pues no cabe la menor duda de que el diplomático actuó previa autorización de sus superiores. Poco importa la veracidad de las afirmaciones del entrevistado, o el acuerdo o no con sus opiniones. Lo importante, ahora, es mantener abierta, y ensanchar, esa vía de comunicación. Si Ventana a Cuba logró establecer el precedente y lo hace costumbre todos ganarán en la comprensión de los asuntos cubanos, muy particularmente los oyentes continentales esperables para el programa radial, lo cual invita a la reflexión. Una de las mayores dificultades para el ejercicio de su labor que experimentan los periodistas independientes cubanos es la de la imposibilidad de lograr entrevistas a funcionarios gubernamentales. Las excepciones son la confirmación de la regla, por lo general bajo el compromiso de protección de fuentes, sin contar las quejas de colegas que, aún disponiendo de acreditación para reportar desde la isla, chocan constantemente con una suerte de pared de censura y autocensura, son sin dudas los ladrillos mejor colocados de esa pared, cuyo valor concreto en los presentes escenarios cubanos es la aparición de unos cuantos perdedores, primero de los cuales es el gobierno de Fidel Castro, por cuanto echa por la borda numerosas oportunidades de que su "lado de la colina" sea reflejado, sin poder evitar que las noticias sean publicadas, lo cual es particularmente agudo tratándose del periodismo independiente de Cuba. Muchas veces se ha acusado a este movimiento de parcialidad a favor de los Estados Unidos, pero sin informar bajo cuáles circunstancias se produce una "impresión de parcialidad". Nadie puede forzar a un funcionario a aceptar una entrevista, pero tampoco parece posible obligar al silencio a los reporteros alternativos isleños que, apuntado sea de paso, son a las claras hecho consumado e irreversible. En ese equilibrio de fuerzas, a los efectos informativos, pierde quien calla, o quien pretende ignorar la terca realidad de los hechos consumados. Por ello, si Ventana a Cuba logra con su ejemplo hacer comprender a la oficialidad cubana esa arista de su problema, habrá realizado un aporte notable al ejercicio de las libertades de expresión e información en la isla. Ventana a Cuba ya probó en las etéreas ondas su vocación de objetividad periodística. Toca a la prensa oficiosa cubana demostrar su voluntad de colaboración con el deseo de la mayor parte de los periodistas independientemente de tales o más cuales filiaciones: ser objetivo. Compréndase de una vez por todas, además de la ventana, las puertas están abiertas. Esta información ha sido transmitida por teléfono, ya que el gobierno de Cuba no permite al ciudadano cubano acceso privado a Internet. CubaNet no reclama exclusividad de sus colaboradores, y autoriza la reproducción de este material, siempre que se le reconozca como fuente. 73's (via Oscar, Miami, DXLD) ** U S A. Tuned in about 2203 Fri Nov 29 expecting to hear the latest DXing with Cumbre on WHRA 17650, but instead there was Xmas music with Joe Brashier for `Xmas week` and I think he mentioned 1996 – i.e. quite an old tape. As I recall, it is not WHR policy to explain or apologise for missing programs, so we can only wonder if this first airtime for DWC be permanently gone. Normally when a new edition fail to arrive on time – as may well have happened thanks to Thanksgiving – they keep replaying the previous DWC (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. PULASKI MAN INDICTED ON FEDERAL WEAPONS CHARGES FORMER KY. MILITIA MEMBER CAPTURED IN N.C. LAST WEEK ASSOCIATED PRESS --- Steve Anderson, the Pulaski County fugitive arrested last week in the North Carolina mountains, was indicted yesterday on federal weapons charges in Kentucky. The indictment claims that Anderson, 55, of Somerset, possessed a firearm during, and in relation to, a crime of violence and that he possessed unregistered firearms. Weapons listed in the indictment included a machine gun, a sawed-off rifle, a semi-automatic assault rifle, a firearm with silencer, two bombs, six pipe bombs and 25 other unspecified destructive devices. Anderson had been on the run for more than a year until his arrest in western North Carolina on Friday. Anderson fled into the Eastern Kentucky mountains on Oct. 14, 2001, after allegedly shooting at a Bell County deputy during a traffic stop. Deputy Scott Elder was not injured, but his cruiser was hit more than 20 times by rifle fire, authorities said. Anderson is a former member of the Kentucky State Militia. He also has ties to the Christian Identity Movement, a group that considers white Christians superior to non-whites and Jews. The militia said it dismissed Anderson because he made inflammatory comments about the U.S. government, blacks, Jews and immigrants over an unlicensed radio station he operated from his Pulaski County home. Federal agents arrested Anderson in rural Cherokee County, N.C. A tipster had called investigators after producers of the television show America's Most Wanted profiled Anderson recently (Lexington Herald-Leader Nov 28 via DXLD) ** U S A. Harry Shearer honed his comedic skills with some of the best troupes in the business as a veteran of SNL, Spinal Tap, and The Simpsons. It's his solo work as the mind and voice behind KCRW's Le Show, however, that has become his labor of love. Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, the program is also where Shearer gets out much of his anger-at CEOs, politicians, musicians, and other miscreants. Ending up on Shearer's show is rarely a good thing. Think he's laughing with you? Think again RADIO HEAD by RJ Smith Harry Shearer's made comedy history, and his radio show is celebrating its 20th birthday. but if you think he's about to mellow, you've got to be joking.... http://www.lamag.com/cover2.htm (via Tom Roche, DXLD) Highly recommended long article; Le Show is one of our must-hears every week – if not live, then from the KCRW/Le Show Dome archive by Monday, usually. Also on WBCQ 7415, UT Mon 0000. Most Le Show airtimes are listed in our MONITORING REMINDERS CALENDAR. I don`t see any previous issue archives online at http://www.lamag.com so get this while the December issue be current (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Back Fire --- By D. J. Wilson GIVEN THE BOOT, CHARLES JACO DUMPS ON KMOX FOR DUMBING DOWN http://riverfronttimes.com/issues/2002-11-27/news.html/1/index.html As listeners sort through the reasons KMOX-AM general manager Karen Carroll whacked radio news-talk host Charles Jaco last week, the main question that lingers is not so much why it happened but why it took so long. Not that über-newshound Jaco deserved to be sent packing from the area's most listened-to station, but it's clear that management viewed Jaco as more nuisance than newsman, a clubhouse lawyer who too often was always pitching a fit. Even more troublesome than his habit of sticking up for fellow staffers was this: The former CNN correspondent and prolific author had what KMOX (1120 AM) has pretended to have for years -- a sense of news. When Carroll bumped him from his afternoon shift to evenings earlier this year, it was a distant early warning. "They felt the programming was too intellectual for the audience, that's it was too hip for the house, too intellectual -- 'People don't get it, the ratings stink,'" says Jaco. According to Jaco, Carroll wanted "warmer and fuzzier" topics and told people, "Nobody cares about hard-news programming." Jaco didn't see the end coming, though as he looks back at his on-air performance and his off-air skirmishes with management, he sees that the clues were there. "I never cared about ratings, and I guess I should have. And I've never made a point of suffering fools gladly," Jaco says. "I produce quality work. I do what I do, and I do it very well. This came out of nowhere; it literally came out of nowhere." Yes, Jaco is a talented man -- just ask him. Jaco's bravado may have rubbed some listeners, and management, the wrong way, but it is a trait Jaco shared with other KMOX hosts ranging from Rush Limbaugh to Jim White, who retired in 1999. Even when Jaco apologizes for one of the stated reasons he was canned, he can't help hurling one more insult as he confesses to sending an "intemperate" response to a listener's critical e-mail. "I should have walked away from it," Jaco says of the e-mail he received. "It was immature; it was bad judgment on my part. It was uncalled-for. Never get into a battle of wits with someone who is unarmed." In addition to the e-mails, there was apparently a newsroom face-off between Jaco and news director John Butler on October 24, during a spate of technical difficulties in the transmission of the Jean Carnahan-Jim Talent debate from Columbia, Missouri. Butler had crossed swords with Jaco on other occasions over the guests and topics Jaco pursued. Having covered the world for CNN, Jaco tended to come off as a policy wonk big on hard news and analysis. He saw criticism of him as a symptom of what ailed the station. "The dumbing-down of KMOX has been evident," says Jaco. "Let's face it. Listen to the station. How does it sound to you? There has been a deliberate dumbing-down of the product simply because you have people like John Butler making comments like 'We've got a racist right-wing conservative suburban audience, and they won't tolerate fill-in-the- blank,' whether it's stories about the St. Louis public schools or anything else like that. And 'We've got to pitch to these demographics and the ZIP codes where our listenership is the greatest, in St. Charles and Affton and a couple of other places. So screw what's going on in the city.' To me, that's wrong." Even in its gilded age, KMOX was never as good, or broad-minded, as it was dominant. When its morning drivetime attracted a 33 percent share of the audience and the average quarter-hour share was a whopping 22 percent, no one with any sense would have described hosts Bob Hardy, Jim White and Rex Davis as freethinkers. They all fell somewhere to the right of the middle, as did KMOX icon and head honcho Bob Hyland. Now that the audience is dwindling, it's not surprising that the station appears to be tightening its grip on its conservative roots. Last year, the average quarter-hour share was 13.1 percent. This summer, it's 12.1 percent. That's still at the top of the heap, but it's clear that the self-described "Voice of St. Louis" is losing its stranglehold on local radio ratings. Whatever news quality it possessed is also slipping. Calls to Butler and Carroll to respond to Jaco were not returned. KMOX management refuses to comment on the particulars of Jaco's firing, other than to state that it was done in response to "gross misconduct." Jaco made $122,000 per year and was under contract until next September. He's studying for a doctorate in international studies at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and has published two novels, Dead Air and Live Shot. His most recent book is The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Gulf War, and he is writing the soon-to-be-published The Complete Idiot's Guide to Oil. None of that seemed to mean much to KMOX's Carroll. "Out the gate, Karen Carroll and Jaco didn't get along," says one former KMOX employee. "Jaco was always bucking the system but bucking the system for a cause when he saw things he didn't think were right or when he saw they were trying to get around the rules of our AFTRA [American Federation of Television and Radio Artists] union contract." Jaco fought management's plan to jack up parking fees and advised news staffers not to respond to certain management requests without seeking the advice of the union. Several spats Jaco had with management had to be mediated. "Tom Langmyer, the program manager, has always been able to go to bat for Jaco and deflect Karen's ire," says one insider. "Tom knows radio. Karen Carroll knows how to sell radio, but she doesn't know squat about programming." Jaco believes that the e-mail he sent to a listener and the face-to- face argument he had with Butler were merely triggers for a firing that would have happened anyway. He sees it as a "transparent anti- union move that is purely vindictive." "It's a vendetta," says Jaco. "It's a very, very personal vendetta. I would have thought better of them, that no matter what disagreements with me or my style of doing things, they would not have resorted to something this transparent." Jaco says he's grateful for the hundreds of e-mails, letters and calls he's received in support, including one from newly elected U.S. Senator Jim Talent. There's even a petition circulating to get him back on the air. Jaco is adamant that he wants KMOX to drop the charge of "gross misconduct" because, he says, it sounds as if he was "smoking crack in the bathroom." But the station's insistence on enforcing a six-month noncompete clause is the real problem. "It's so fucking medieval," says Jaco. "We tried to get rid of that thing for three years in the state Legislature. How can people fire you, give you no severance and then say, 'P.S., you're not allowed to earn a living to support your family'?" Tim Dorsey, general manager of KTRS (550 AM), is looking for a replacement for George Noory, who leaves the station December 31 to take Art Bell's place on the national Coast to Coast AM syndicated show. Dorsey, a former KMOX executive, has spent the last six years trying to create a semblance of KMOX's self-styled image of "Mid- America's Most Trusted News Source" at his station. Dorsey wants to hire Jaco and is baffled as to why KMOX signed Jaco to an eighteen- month contract so recently if they weren't happy with him. "I just don't get it," says Dorsey. "It's not that they didn't know what they had. They know him personally. They know what he does professionally. What's the mystery? It seems like they were looking for a reason to get rid of him. I don't get it." Once Jaco's noncompete clause expires, or the minute it's shortened, Dorsey will be waiting with a contract for Jaco. "He makes us smarter," says Dorsey. "That's what I like about people like Jaco. He's a very bright guy. Wherever he goes, he makes the whole place look smarter." Sometimes Jaco came off as pompous, but his fellow news staffers appreciated him. Staffers loved it when Jaco went to bat for them, arguing against higher parking fees, excessive management directives and a decrease in 401(k) matching funds supplied by CBS. "We all liked Jaco, but you always found the time to hate him and the time to love him," says a former KMOX co-worker. If Jaco gets a waiver from KMOX, he could show up at KTRS just in time for the next Gulf War (Riverfront Times Nov 27 via Brock Whaley, Bill Westenhaver, DXLD) ** U S A. NATION GETS TASTE OF FLORIDA'S ECLECTIC MUSIC HISTORY http://www.tampatrib.com/FloridaMetro/MGAB5RY059D.html TALLAHASSEE - Tampa reggae band Rocksteady@8 has built a strong following in Florida, performing its authentic Jamaican- style selections as far away as Destin and Key West. Now, with help from the state Division of Historical Resources, the band and more than 100 other Florida folk musicians soon could be enjoying national attention. ``Music from the Sunshine State,'' an eight- part radio documentary produced by the Florida Folklife Program, is being made available free of charge to public radio stations across the United States. The series presents a sampling of Florida's cultural music in eight hourlong programs. Producers singled out Rocksteady@8 because of its efforts to remain true to reggae's roots. ``What we try to do is expose people to a lot of traditional Jamaican music that gets lost in the shuffle,'' drummer Jonathan Priest said. ``A lot of bar bands play watered-down, cruise- ship reggae, but we really go back to early Jamaican music and do it in a traditional way and put our own stamp on it.'' Other traditional and folk genres featured in the state-produced program include Haitian konpa, Irish fiddling, bluegrass gospel, Hawaiian slack-key guitar, Dominican merengue, Sephardic Jewish ballads and vintage blues. ``This series really presents, for the first time, a pretty broad brush of vernacular music of the people of Florida,'' said series producer and Florida Folklife Program outreach coordinator Bob Stone. ``Everything from old-time fiddling to Latin jazz is presented for the first time fairly comprehensively. It represents more than 60 years of work by folklorist record producers and the artists themselves.'' Music selections range from seldom-heard archival recordings from the 1930s to digital recordings made in the artists' communities, along with a few commercially released songs you might recognize. Ambient background sounds, such as a musician making a steel drum while he talks about learning how to play it, also are included. ``The range of music is tremendous,'' Stone said. ``There are almost 100 featured pieces plus the background music, the music in between the narration and interviews, that all add up to 150 to 200 pieces of music.'' Each program in the series focuses on one musical genre. Interviews with the musicians highlight the cultural connections to their art. ``The Hawaiian culture is pretty much scattered,'' said Kai Brandon, a Hawaiian woman and Tampa resident whose chants are featured in the ``Pacific Island'' segment. ``But my mother and grandparents have still nurtured our culture. Our traditions have passed down through the family. My grandmother taught me to chant when I was quite young.'' Among the better known musicians included in the program are pianist Ray Charles; Cuban singer Gloria Estefan; fiddlers Vasser Clements and Chubby Wise; blues vocalist Ma Rainey; and mambo-inventor Israel ``Cachao'' López. Some bands are represented in the program by tracks that were commercially released. Rocksteady@8 contributed a song from its latest CD, which was released this year. The radio series, in production for two years, originally contained 13 segments, but was cut to eight for final release. ``It was like cutting off my arms to cut the five that we cut,'' Stone said. ``We started out trying to represent everyone but of course we had to be realistic about what we had to draw from: what archival material we had on hand, how we could gather the stuff we didn't have, and what cultural contacts we had already.'' State funding and a $20,000 National Endowment for the Arts grant paid for the program. Because use of the series is voluntary, producers have no idea how many radio stations might use it. The first program of the series, ``Fiddling Traditions,'' will be made available to public radio stations via satellite download Monday. Other installments will follow for the next seven weeks. Musical samples from each segment are available online at http://dhr.dos.state.fl.us/folklife/radio.html (via Terry Krueger, DXLD) ** U S A. Calvary Chapel is one of the absolutely worst offenders at taking advantage of any opening they can find or create to import out- of-market signals into everywhere else. They are a strong example of everything that's wrong with religious-oriented radio today! (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA NRC FMTV via DXLD) Amen! When the FM translator service was first created, translators were required to pick up the primary station directly on FM (or via another translator). At some point it was decided to allow translators *within the protected coverage area of the primary station* to use other means of pickup. However, translators outside the protected coverage still had to pick up directly off-air. Then, Moody Bible Institute asked for permission to feed translators outside the protected area by other means. Permission was granted, but only for translators of non- commercial stations and only for translators operating within the 88- 92 reserved band. And, for some reason satellite-fed translators must be owned by the same firm that owns the primary. The result has been a defacto LPFM service with all programming required to be satellite fed. Actually, Moody Bible hasn't really built a whole lot of satellite-fed translators! - Family Stations (KEAR) and American Family (WAFR & WAJS) and Calvary Chapel (KAWZ & KEFX) seem to be the primary winners in this move. Unlike the actual LPFM service, 2nd and 3rd adjacents seem to be unlimited for translator use. A construction permit exists for a translator on 90.7 within 20 miles of the WPLN-FM 90.3 (80 kw Class C1) tower. An application has been filed for another one on 89.9 *ON THE WPLN TOWER*. You can count on a grant of this petition to create a lot of clutter. IMHO it'd be far more harmful to FM DXing than LPFM. I think the fix for this problem would be simple. Reverse the ownership requirement. Require that satellite-fed translators NOT be owned by the primary station. If American Family can scare up enough people in Pleasant View willing to kick in to build and operate a WAFR translator, let them (Doug Smith, TN, ibid.) *IF* the words "public airwaves" meant anything, and we absolutely all know that they don't and that they are a once quaint idea, the FCC would rule that the church must have a branch, congregation or parish in the area served. I have nothing against these stations being LPFM or Class A 100W because the rules are different, but the above mentioned stations are an absolute blight on the FM band now and are out of hand. Strange that I absolutely and completely support LPFM and absolutely reject the SATELLATORS FROM HELL (Kevin Redding, AZ, ibid.) ** U S A. ENFORCEMENT: ATT FINED FOR TOWER VIOLATIONS The Federal Communications Commission has released an order imposing a $117,000 fine against AT&T Wireless Services, Inc. for safety- related violations of the Communications Act and the Commission's antenna structure rules. This action follows routine antenna structure inspections and related investigations conducted by Commission field offices throughout the country. Before issuing the fine the FCC determined that AT&T Wireless committed seven separate violations of the antenna structure requirements as outlined under Part 17 of the Commission's rules. Included were failure to register, light, and paint antenna structures, and failure to post antenna structure registration numbers at the base of the antenna structures (FCC via Amateur Radio Newsline Nov 30 via Mike Terry, DXLD) ** U S A. Even its most ardent proponents have never claimed that FM IBOC is "totally transparent to the analog listener". For example, look at the NRSC report on FM IBOC http://www.nab.org/SciTech/Fmevalreportfinalfinal.pdf --- even though it is essentially a pro-IBOC whitewash, it admits that there will be an impact on analog listeners. Look at the comments on p. 26, and in the sections on analog impact starting on p. 47 (and try to ignore the obvious spin doctoring). Even though the tests were performed on a laughably small sampling of only 4 receivers (the same is true of the AM IBOC tests, BTW), all of the receivers showed degraded analog performance from IBOC on the host station or on an adjacent channel. The Sony portable had a 16 dB drop in SNR when IBOC was added to the host FM, the two car receivers were severely affected by IBOC on first adjacents, and the Technics "hi-fi" receiver had big problems with IBOC on second adjacents. If you can read the reports and still claim with a straight face that IBOC (either flavor) will have zero impact on analog reception, then you should apply for a job as an FCC commissioner. :-) Seriously, I would be astonished if there are no complaints from listeners once IBOC gets rolling... of course, few listeners are likely to realize where the interference is coming from, and they may tend to shrug it off rather than complain (Barry McLarnon, Ont., Nov 30, NRC-AM via DXLD) Well, KROQ, LA's second or third most listened to station with a cume of around 1.5 million has been IBOC for over 2 months now. It is tightly fit between a metro station on 107.1 and a San Diego allocation on 106.5. I have a vested interest in 106.5, as it is one of "our" stations. Considerable monitoring has been done to make sure not a single potential listener has been lost. My belief is that Alex Roman, CE of KLYY and its simulcast partners on 107.1 in Ventura and Fallbrook has done his homework too. In fact, KLYY has a booster not more than a mile from the KROQ transmitter. KROQ has not had, to the best of anyone's knowledge, complaints about any form of signal degradation. A station billing $50 million with so many listeners is not going to take any chance with them. However, the understanding is that KROQ, a really advance and cutting edge station musically and formatically, wanted to be able to say that they were the first HD or digital station as this is going to be of significance to their listeners, mostly 18-34 males of the very trend-setting variety. And I've heard them switch between the IBOC equipped transmitter and the aux, with nary a difference that can be heard on a high-end tuner and on a desktop mini-component. That's not to say that DXers won't find something there, but the average listener will not. If there were something wrong with the system that would degrade the listening experience (as opposed to paper stats), KROQ would not do it. They are one of America's finest radio stations, and haven't made a significant mistake in a decade. The report you mention I believe refers to differences in switching between IBOC and analog on IBOC designed receivers. I can hear no difference in KROQ on existing analog only legacy receivers, and I don't think the other million or so listeners have either, as the station has actually increased listenership since putting HD on the air (David Gleason, CA, ibid.) David, I listened to the KJZZ/KBAQ testing here in Mesa. There is a DEFINITE buzzing artifact on analog FM radios. If you want to check on it, in one of the back issues of the DX Audio Service, there is a recording of this BUZZ. IF you want to go further, ask the boys on the WTFDA list. I am sure they will bury you in recordings of the BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ that apparently is transparent to you but not the rest of us. IBOC FM is a problem but nowhere near the problem it is on the AM band (Kevin Redding, AZ, ibid.) Talk to Joe Fela in S. Plainfield NJ. He's in the NRC, I think. He uses an MR-78 and when WNEW was testing IBOC on 102.7 it completely covered 102.5 and 102.9. Find yourself a December VUD and read Joe's comments on IBOC. If we had as many FM DXers in Los Angeles as we have in the NYC metro area we'd be hearing IBOC complaints. I know this is an AM list. Sorry for mentioning FM here :) (Mike Bugaj, CT, ibid.) ** U S A. Here in eastern Massachusetts, newer stations often wind up putting towers in ridiculously RF-inefficient sites in built-up or rocky/sandy areas having poor ground conductivity. These aren't sites I'd even use for listening. If such stations were allowed the use of coastal salt-marsh areas, they'd have much louder signals that could overcome manmade RFI and penetrate buildings much better. FM is all about height and you can put that anywhere. AM stations rely on the physical characteristics of the ground near the towers to a much greater extent. When WBZ built its currently-used antenna array at the shore in Hull, MA in 1940, it was much easier to build such a first- class facility. Stations built around here since the 1970's, even if running 50 kW, don't have half the range of WBZ. That's largely due to the inferior types of tower sites chosen. When I go out to DX from the car, I choose sites that are superior radio locations to 90% of those used by local broadcasters. If the Rowley, MA salt-marsh location near Plum Island had a 50 kW station in it, that station would likely be the loudest thing out of this area. Instead we have a bunch of stations that can barely get out of their own backyards and are trashed by the first computer, light dimmer, DSL line, or TV in their path. Coastal property that is not environmentally protected is just too expensive. Developers look at closed-down old facilities like Chatham's WCC (maritime commo station) and Scituate's WRUL/WNYW/WYFR (SW broadcaster) and lick their chops anticipating multimillion dollar condominium clusters by the sea. Once one of these sites is surrendered from radio use, it is not likely to be used for a similar purpose ever again (Mark Connelly, WA1ION - Billerica, MA, Nov 30, NRC-AM via DXLD) ONE REPORTER'S OPINION: THE ORIGINS OF TELEVISION, PART II ALLEN B. DU MONT AND THE CATHODE RAY TUBE George Putnam, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2002 It is this reporter's opinion that as we rush from one generation to another, we all but overlook those who have, by their inventions and knowledge, made our lives easier and more productive. Recently we spoke of the birth of television and how we have all but forgotten those who brought it about. We discovered it was not Vladimir Zworykin, RCA's chief engineer; it was not Armstrong or Du Mont or any other; it was Philo T. Farnsworth, who, as a 14-year-old Idaho farm boy, became obsessed with inventing television... http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/11/27/155732.shtml For more information about Allen B. Du Mont, go to: http://chem.ch.huji.ac.il/~eugeniik/history/dumont.html (NewsMax.com via Jeff Kadet, WTFDA via DXLD) ** U S A. LUBAVITCH PIRATE SATURDAY MORNING ON 1710? It's a bit weak but the sing song intonation seems typical of a Lubavitch background of talmud discussion and I'm fairly sure I heard "HaShem" (the name) for God. (to avoid taking the name of God in vain) Of course, manually operating a transmitter (or receiver) would violate the laws of Sabbath. The observant are not supposed to start a fire and switches generate sparks, large or tiny. However it's OK if the switches are operated by timers or by non-Jews who are paid by the Jews (Joel Rubin, Queens, Nov 30, swprograms via DXLD) ** U S A [non]. Adventist World Radio has announced a new schedule for October 27, 2002 - March 30, 2003. Please click here to view schedule: http://www.dxing.com/awrsked.htm (DXing.com Newsroom via gh, DXLD) I also have it but reformatting with all those tabs is a nuisance; I see DXing.com didn`t get all the kinks out either, but it`s readable, both in frequency and time order (gh, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. During the Newfoundland DXpedition I noted a station in Standard Chinese on 1431 kHz. This was at 1828 UT on 9 November, 2002. Does anyone have an idea of who this was? I was using a Beverage antenna aimed at Europe, so a European source is probable, although I don't see anything in Herman Boel's EMWG list that looks reasonable. I could E-mail a RealAudio or .mp3 clip to anyone who might be interested in hearing this (Jean Burnell, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, Nov 30, MWDX yahoogroup via DXLD) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ RECEIVER NEWS +++++++++++++ WINDSHIELD ANTENNAS I found a very interesting web site concerning a state-of-the-art windshield that is available for cars. It's called the Sungate® made by PPG. In addition to superior solar control it also has a superior AM & FM antenna incorporated into it's perimeter. It is described as an "annular slot" antenna. It can also incorporate antennas for use in garage door and automated toll collection systems, cellular, and GPS antennas. The info is at http://www.ppg.com/gls_autoglass/sungate.htm (Patrick Griffith, CBT, Westminster, CO, USA, NRC FMTV via DXLD) PLASMA TV --- MOTHER OF ALL RFI PRODUCERS Have you noticed the big sales push by Best Buy (and others) of those plasma TV screens? You know, the ones whose prices have 4 digits in them. There are even payment plans where the price is spread over months or years to help you afford them. Many of these are going to be sold this holiday season. Unfortunately, no one is mentioning the horrendous RFI that these things put out on HF. I recently installed a CCTV system to keep an eye on my toys. The security company, ADT, suggested a Panasonic 42" Plasma TV/CCTV monitor since the light output was high enough that the pix could be viewed in broad daylight. The morning after the installation of the plasma screen, I noticed a huge digital signal about 7.001 MHz and a few other places on the same band. Next, I checked 20 meters, then 15 meters. Same signal but a little weaker as I went up in frequency. Then, I looked at 80 meters - a gigantic noise at 3.505 MHz and other frequencies in the band. 160 meters was the same. What was this! ... [long article, graphics, forum follows...] http://www.eham.net/articles/4285 (via Dave Zantow N9EWO, Janesville, WI, DXLD) SLOW RADIO Sunday, December 1, 2002 at 06:30 JST TOKYO Victor Co of Japan (JVC) will put on the market in early December a radio that can slow down parts of broadcast speech so that older listeners and foreign-language students can more clearly catch each sentence, JVC officials said Saturday. The device has been jointly developed by JVC and NHK Science & Technical Research Laboratories, and is expected to sell for around 35,000 yen, the officials said (Kyodo News via Kim Andrew Elliott, DXLD) WATCHING HAUPPAUGE DIGITAL TV I got my Christmas present Wednesday. The Hauppauge Win-TV-d card came in the mail and my son and I set it up Wed. evening. Some random comments on the install and DTV reception in general: Installation went OK. The card, because of all the components on it, was a little fatter than the others in the computer and we found one slot where it would fit without hitting something, and just barely. Software got loaded without a hitch. We did have to get a newer video card beforehand because the original wasn't compatable with the WinTVd card. The tuner seems to be sensitive. VHF sensitivity seems to be the same as my Sanyo 13" portable. UHF video sensitivity seems to be about the same or just a tad less than my Sanyo, but audio sensitivity was much better with audio from the Boston Vs (80mi) and audio from the Bridgeport Us (70 mi)on 43 and 49 excellent despite poor video. The card has two "F" fittings for inputs. One is DTV input and the other is cable input. In reality, one is for DTV and the other is for analog TV. You can do an auto scan for each mode and the tuner picks out whatever stations are on the air. You add the rest manually. Each channel can be fine-tuned. This is a great feature and I had to use it many times. Once you have your channels programmed in, you can go to ch2 and work your way up the channels. As you do, you will receive analog channels along with the digital channels. Because you have two antenna inputs, I found I had to take my main input and, using a splitter, split it into both the DTV and cable inputs to be able to see both sets of channels. So here is a bandscan with the Hauppague card: 3 WFSB Hartford 8 WTNH New Haven 10 WTNH-dt New Haven (50mi) 11 WWLP-dt Springfield 18 WUVN Hartford 19 WCDC N. Adams, MA 20 WTXX Waterbury 22 WWLP Springfield 24 WEDH Hartford 26 WHPX New London 27 WUNI Worcester (fair) 30 WVIT Hartford 33 WFSB-dt Hartford 34 WHPX-dt New London (60 mi) 40 WGGB Springfield 55 WGGB-dt Springfield 57 WGBY Springfield 58 WGBY-dt Springfield 59 WCTX New Haven 61 WTIC Hartford 65 WDMR (or is it RDM, can't remember) Springfield Only WTNH-DT has more than one program. Pgm 1 is the main ABC channel, Pgm 2 is NWS weather plus a map of Southern New England like you'd find on the TNH website and pgm 3 is just sports scores scrolling on the bottom of the screen. I never understood "virtual channels" but now I understand having finally seen it. Kinda neat. Wednesday night I watched the Paul McCartney concert on WTNH with me switching between ch 8 and ch 10. Most of the time I stayed on ch 10 (the DTV). The difference is clear. The fine tuning was needed to let me see WPRO-12 without interference from WWLP-dt 11 and to open up ch9 without the WTNH-dt 10 garbage. and it also helped down at the low end of the UHF band where all my locals are crammed. Antenna position is more critical than with analog TV. With stations like WFSB-dt 33 and WWLP-dt 11 you can be off the heading by some degree and the signal will still lock, but with stations like WHPX-dt 34 (which must be transmitting from the ch 26 tower on Rt 85 in Waterford) you just go a few degrees off the heading and your screen goes black. And this takes getting used to. Enough signal = perfect signal. Not enough signal = black screen. Then there is a slight "grey area" where the signal will partially lock/freeze and look like a jigsaw puzzle put together wrong. There are also some bells and whistles with the Hauppauge card that will help in DXing, like freeze frame and screen captures with one click. Plus stereo sound, a diagnostics screen (which is really the only way I can find of telling whether a DTV station is really on the air or not and small screen or full screen (full works better for viewing and DXing). The card I bought seems to be a recent model with an 8/2002 list of currently available DTV stations included). I'm not sure at this point how to configure this thing for DXing tropo openings. I suppose I could program each available channel for both analog and digital and then check them both during tropo openings. If there is a better way, somebody please tell me. Anyway, this is my take on the Hauppauge Card. I paid $139 on eBay for mine. The seller was a guy named Mike located in Providence. If you are interested in one, check ebay and look for him because he won't take your money and run :) BTW...equipment. For UHF, a P5 parabolic with CM AC-4990 and for VHF a Winegard PR-5030. Nothing super fancy. The dish is up around 30 feet and the VHF antenna about 25 feet under my Probe-9 (Mike Bugaj - Enfield, CT USA, Nov 29, WTFDA via DXLD) I've added a list of low-band DTV stations to my website, on http://www.w9wi.com/articles/lowbanddtv.htm With the growing number of WTFDAers with DTV reception capability, sooner or later someone is going to see a DTV on Es. Also... for those of you with general-coverage DTV receivers like the R-7100... We got a new piece of test gear at work last week. While poking around, the manual reminded me of a part of the DTV standard. There's a pilot carrier... 310 kHz above the bottom of the channel. It's relatively weak - without the documents I can't recall how much power is used or why it's transmitted - but it's there. About S6 on 192.31 MHz from WSMV- DT, (the WSMV analog carrier pins the needle) also noted on 476.31 MHz from WZTV-DT (harder to measure because the TH-F6 will only do AM or FM above 450 MHz, no SSB.) This using a TH-F6 hand-held with rubber duckie antenna. Point being, if you have a general-coverage receiver like this, you might be able to at least detect the presence of DTV stations this way. It should be noted a few DTV stations are required to offset this pilot carrier to reduce adjacent-channel interference with an adjacent analog station. These stations were marked with a "c" in the table of allocations at one time - unfortunately I've not been able to find this version of the table again. Nor can I remember whether this happened when the analog was adjacent above, or below, the digital channel. Anyway, some DTVs' pilot carriers may be either 300 or 320 kHz above the bottom of the channel. There aren't many. Finally, I might add that when Girard Westerberg reported receiving WSMV-DT and posted a few screen captures, I forwarded them to my boss. Who (somewhat to my surprise) expressed interest at the distant reception. I've also received an expression of interest when I emailed a reception report to WPSD-DT. Station engineers may well be interested in hearing about DTV reception at unusual distances. (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View (Nashville), TN, WTFDA via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ I saw a reference to MUF prediction. While not a forecast I have used the "Near-Real-Time MUF Map" page of the Space Weather web site to help with DXing. http://www.spacew.com/www/realtime.html (Pete Costello, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Solar conditions were low to moderate early in the week, with the solar wind speed being elevated as well around Nov 21. This was associated with active to storm levels of the geomagnetic field. A flare and CME on Nov 24 caused another period of storm conditions on Nov 26. More C class flares and an elevated solar wind speed have kept the geomagnetic field mildly southward for the past few days causing some degradation to HF conditions. The HF conditions are expected to show minor to mild degradations during the next three days -especially at mid- and high-latitude locations. These degradations are expected due to a favourably placed coronal hole. Geomagnetic field is expected to be between quiet & active, possibly storm levels at times. Prepared using data from http://www.ips.gov.au (Richard Jary, Australia, Nov 30, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) TRANS-EQUATORIAL FM DX YYYEEEEAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!! Tai a coisa que vem sido divulgada durante um bom tempo! Todos os anos entre meados de setembro e meados de março é só procurá-las que lá estão as emissoras caribenhas em FM. O fascinante é além de ouvi-las, escrever para elas e receber as confirmações. Tenho algumas apenas, mas o Claudio Rotolo de Moraes, Florianópolis-SC, tem algumas dezenas (Uma carta confirmatória do Caribe está na RadioWays http://www.radioways.cjb.net sob QSLs recebidos - América Central... e assim por diante). O registro de escutas das emissoras de FM do Caribe nos mostra que elas são sintonizadas no norte da Argentina, Rio Grande do Sul, litoral (e agora interior) de Santa Catarina, há registros do interior do Paraná e litoral de São Paulo (Ilha Comprida, onde o Julio Baldim ouviu e teve confirmação de algumas delas). Se não estou enganado, foram ouvidas também em São Carlos-SP. A receita básica: Sempre das 2330 à 0100 UT (diariamente, entre setembro e março), em locais onde as emissoras locais não predominam. Talvez mais alguns de nossos amigos da lista possam indicar a presença destas emissoras desta região, quando podemos estabelecer um parametro referencial melhor. Mera sugestão, a quem desejar se engajar nesta pesquisa. Um abraço, (Rudolf W. Grimm, São Bernardo, SP - Brasil, http://www.radioways.cjb.net Nov 26, radioescutas via DXLD) Caro Al e amigos, Como disse o Rudolf em outra mensagem, a exploração do Caribe em FM pela propagação transequatorial ainda pode ser bastante estudada; seria muito interessante que mais colegas participassem desta experiencia. Estas recepções em Caraguatatuba (poucas, com certeza muita coisa mais poderia ter sido ouvida; infelizmente tive pouco tempo para DX, aliado a outros problemas) jogaram a possibilidade destas escutas mais para o Norte. O Local que estive estava aproximadamente nos 23.7 graus Sul, um pouco abaixo do trópico de Capricórnio, que passa em Ubatuba. Em Ilha Comprida, onde escutamos várias emissoras em 2001, no local que estivemos, a latitude aproximada era 24,7, um grau a menos. Mas o amigo Caio Fernandes Lopes fez algumas escutas em Itajubá-MG, local este já nos 22, 3 Sul, mais ou menos. Acredito ser este o local mais ao Norte com escutas deste tipo registradas. Aqui em São Carlos a latitude é de 22.01 Sul e nada ouvi até agora do Caribe por aqui. Tenho apenas uma escuta do Nordeste em FM, R. Verdes Mares de Fortaleza, que pode ser um indicio de possibilidade. Mas creio que esteja no limite ou acima dele para as recepçoes do Caribe por aqui, continuarei tentanto. Um abraço, (Samuel Cássio, Brasil, radioescutas via DXLD) Samuel, suas escutas são realmente incentivadoras. Lembre-se que a latitude geográfica não é a mesma da magnética, mas elas são semelhantes embora que relativas. Parabéns pelas escutas no interior. Elas são relevantes. E apenas corrigindo, mudei meu 'nickname' para Ark. Alguns QSLs de radioamador eram enviados ao PY2ZX, operador ALvaro, ALberto, etc, HI! Volto ao meu trabalho. Até mais! (Flávio Aurélio Braggion "Ark" Archangelo, PY2ZX - PX2X. Ex-PS0S, PS2V, PQ2A ...., Caixa Postal 1292 - CEP 13202-970.,Jundiaí - SP - Brasil, radioescutas via DXLD) Ari, Este tipo de recepção está concentrado entre os meses de Setembro e Abril de cada ano, normamente entre 2330 e 0200 UT. A causa certamente é a propagação transequatorial (para o Caribe) nesta época do ano. Até onde sabemos estas recepçoes têm ocorrido numa faixa que vai dos 34 aos 23 graus de latitude Sul. É justamente isto que queremos saber, os límites destas recepções. Para isso, seriam necessárias mais observações. Mas parece que o pico está mesmo entre os estados do Paraná e Santa Catarina e agora também no litoral de São Paulo já temos alguns registros. Não são necessárias antenas muito complexas para estas recepçoes; a propria antena telescópica do receptor é suficente. É muito importante um local onde mesmo com muitas estações locais e regionais recebidas, o direcionamento da antena permita a atenuação destes sinais.Não tenho muita experiência em recepções do Caribe; apenas em 2001 em Ilha Comprida e agora em Caraguatatuba pude sintonizar emissoras daquela região. Em minha região (São Carlos, centro do estado de São Paulo), recepções a longa distância em FM observadas vieram do Chile (mais frequente), Argentina, Uruguai, Paraguai, estados do Paraná, Santa Catarina, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul no Brasil e o mais distante, Ceará; já numa condição de propagação talvez semelhante às do Caribe. Nos casos do países vizinhos e estados brasileiros próximos, o horário não fica restrito ao acima citado. Argentina e Uruguai já foram observados entre 19 e 23 UT e tambem pela manhã (mas, mais comumente entre 0000 e 0230 UT); estados do Paraná e Santa Catarina, pela manha e noite adentro por horas seguidas. Quando falo que antenas externas não são muito importantes nestes casos, digo isto pois as emissoras distantes chegam muitas vezes como se estivessem aqui por perto, inclusive, muitas vezes, "passando" por cima de emissoras vizinhas que são dominantes nas frequências. O que faço é ir virando o receptor para os lados e para cima e para baixo, mas muitas vezes nem isto é necessário. Se percebe uma boa condição de recepcão à distância em FM quando os sinais em geral parecem "flutuar", as emissoras locais atenuam e parece haver um "sopro" nos sinais distantes. A previsão destes sinais aqui não é tão fácil; já foram observadas com sol, calor e céu claro, tempo nublado, etc. O Bom seria todos os dias tentar a escuta, o que pode ser cansativo e trabalhoso. Já no caso do Caribe, outros colegas como o Rudolf Grimm, Cláudio de Morães poderiam passar mais coisas; são pessoas com muita mais experiência no assunto do que eu. Posso dar o exemplo do que ocorreu em Caraguatatuba. Neste local, na práia, se recebe normalmente sinais do Rio de Janeiro e São Paulo com sinais locais ou quase e muito do espectro é ocupado; tive dificuldade, mesmo girando a antena, de atenuar certos sinais. Fui para um local, já a 200 metros do mar, quase atrás de um morro. Isto bloqueou muito dos fortes sinais da práia e então após as 233O UT pude receber alguns sinais. Simplesmente apareceram em méio às emissoras locais e regionais. Os sinais não eram fortes de nenhum lado e apenas girando a antena e o receptor foi possível até boas recepções. Infelizmente não tive tanto tempo disponível para mais observações. Era isto; espero que mais colegas possam falar sobre o assunto. Um abraço, (Samuel Cássio Martins, DX Clube do Brasil, São Carlos SP, Nov 29, radioescutas via DXLD) ###