DX LISTENING DIGEST 2-199, December 19, 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 1161: WWCR: Thu 2130 9475, Sat 0700, Sun 0330 5070, Sun 0630 3210, Wed 1030 9475 RFPI: Fri 1930, Sat 0130, 0730, 1330, 1800, Sun 0000, 0600, 1200, 1830, Mon 0030, 0630, 1230, Tue 1900, Wed 0100, 0700, 1300 on 7445 and/or 15039 WJIE: M-F 1300, daily 0400; Sun 0630, Mon 0700, Tue 0630 on 7490 WBCQ: Mon 0545 on 7415 WRN: Rest of world Sat 0900, Eu Sun 0530, NAm Sun 1500 ONDEMAND http://www.wrn.org/ondemand/worldofradio.html [from Fri] [High] (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1161h.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1161h.ram [Low] (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1161.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1161.ram (Summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1161.html [from late Thu] ** AUSTRALIA. FROM YOUR EDITOR. GET WELL SOON, CHRIS. I wish to advise that my long-time friend, EDXP member, and radio monitoring hobbyist of 38 years, Chris Hambly, of Mont Albert, the same suburb in which I live, is currently in the high-dependency ward of the Box Hill Regional Hospital, in Melbourne's east. Chris was admitted on Thursday December 12, and until his condition is stabilised, he is not permitted any visitors or contacts, including his immediate family. Relatives, neighbours, associates and friends of Chris have been asked to desist from contacting the Hospital for information about his condition, which will not be made available. We wish Chris a speedy and full recovery, and get-well messages may be sent care of his mother, Mrs. Barbara Hambly, 47 Chessell St, Mont Albert North, Victoria 3129. E-mail messages may be sent to me, and I will forward them to Mrs Hambly. Everyone who knows Chris, either directly or indirectly, whether in Australia or overseas, as well as past workmates from the Victorian Railways from which he retired three years ago, wish him a speedy and full recovery. We look forward to Chris's return to the monitoring community in the very near future (Bob Padula, EDXP Dec 19 via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. DIGITAL RADIO BROADCASTING IN AUSTRALIA The Australian Government had indicated in 1998 that digital radio services would commence in 2001, and that the Eureka 147 system would be used, to replace conventional FM broadcasting. It had been proposed that the digital radio services would operate in the L-band (UHF) in urban and suburban areas, and VHF used for rural locations. It was also announced that community radio broadcasters would be able to convert to digital, but being required to simulcast for a period in analogue. Digital Tests are currently being carried out in the Sydney area in the L-band. In reviewing these proposals, the Australian broadcasting Authority has advised that no firm decision has as yet been taken for the official commencement of digital radio. The Government has not yet decided if the migration to digital radio would be on the same basis at that being adopted for the introduction of digital television. It is believed that access to digital radio may be different, and may allow new entrants to community radio whilst maintaining existing analogue services. Access may also enable sharing of multiplex facilities, which may permit community broadcasters to concentrate on content or services, rather than the transmission infrastructure. Details about community broadcasting services and FM radio planning can be found at http://www.aba.gov.au An excellent technical paper titled "Community Radio FM Broadcast Planning in Australia", written by Russ Morris, ABA, was published in the Sep/Oct issue of the Technical Review of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union - ISSN 0126-6209. It's well worth studying if you can secure a copy. (Bob Padula, Dec 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. There has been some speculation that "Melbourne Radio 1629AM", using 1629, is now "Radio 2". The station's ownership is unchanged, and it is now carrying feeds from "Radio 2", Sydney's Western Suburban XB station - also known as 2WS, using 1611. That is why Sydney announcements have been heard recently! The Sydney relay is intended to be between 6am-6pm local time in Melbourne - 1900-0700 UT - and commercial spots are featured, with little music. At other times, 1629 carries its usual musical program with the occasional announcement. 1629 has advised that it proposes to relinquish ownership to a Chinese language broadcaster. This would complement the existing Chinese language station in Geelong, using 1341. Interestingly, 1341 is a HPON (High Power Open Narrowcast) broadcaster, 5 kW, serving primarily the Geelong/Bellarine Peninsula area, and giving good coverage into most of Melbourne. 1629 is limited to 400 Watts, with a service area not extending beyond 10 km, even though it is widely heard during daylight hours as far west as Ballarat, north to the Macedon Ranges, south-east into the Mornington Peninsula, and east to the Dandenong Ranges. Due to these changes, I will shortly be concluding technical and/or business support services to 1629 (Bob Padula, Mont Albert, VIC, mwaus via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. - 120 METRE BAND. Licences are currently active for these operations in the frequency range 2345-2410:: 2349.5 Brambles Australia, Whyalla, SA, 100 Watts, land mobile, 2349.5 Dept of Roads and Transport, Port Augusta, SA, 100 Watts, land mobile, 2349.5 Dept of Planning and Infrastructure, Rottnest Island, 100 Watts, land mobile 2376 Dept of Defence, ACT, Australia-wide, 2 kW, land mobile 2387.5 Dept of Defence, ACT, Australia-wide, 2 kW, land mobile 2387.5 Dept of Defence, RAAF, Berrimah, NT, 1 kW, point to multipoint 2400 La Trobe University, Bundroora, Victoria (Radio determination, 2 kW, Space Physics)... also registered for 1780 2816 3399 4455 5480 15000 15902 2400 Dept of Defence, Australia-wide, ACT, 100 Watts 2408 Dept of Defence, Australia-wide, 100 Watts Various modulation types and bandwidths are represented in the above. The frequencies indicated are nominal carrier frequencies. No approved registrations for 2368.5 kHz! (Bob Padula, EDXP Dec 19 via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA [non]. EDXP NEWSPLUS: AWR "Wavescan" updated schedule Here is the latest schedule for "Wavescan", broadcast on Sundays UTC dates, in English, from Adventist World Radio facilities worldwide. "Wavescan" includes the monthly EDXP reports: "The Australian Radio Scene" and "Global DX Report", alternating fortnightly. Special EDXP full-detail QSLs are offered for correct reception reports for the EDXP features, which should be sent to: EDXP QSL Service, 404 Mont Albert Road, Mont Albert, Victoria 3127, Australia. Return postage is necessary: in Australia - A$1.50, elsewhere - 1 IRC/US$1. 0030-0100 6035 Al Dhabbiya SAs 0100-0130 9835 Moosbrunn ME, 17630 KSDA SAs 0400-0430 9650 Meyerton EAf, 1630-1700 9850, Moosbrunn Eu 0430-0500 12080 Meyerton EAf 9890, Al Dhabbiya SAs, 15160 Al Dhabbiya CAs, 11980 KSDA SAs 0500-0530 6015 Meyerton EAf 1730-1800, 9385 KSDA ME 0600-0630 15345 Meyerton CAf 1000-1030 11705 KSDA SEA 1300-1330 17870 Al Dhabbiya CAs 1330-1400 11755 KSDA NEAs, 15295 Meyerton CAf, 15385 Al Dhabbiya SAs 1600-1630 11560 KSDA SAs, 6055 Al Dhabbiya SAs, 15495 KSDA SAs 1800-1830 5960 Meyerton CAf 0830-0900, 9660 Moosbrunn Eu, 6095 Meyerton EAf, 17820 Moosbrunn WAf 1830-1900 11985 Meyerton EAf 2000-2030 7160 KSDA NWAs 1030-1100, 11900 KSDA NEAs, 11700 KSDA NWAs 2030-2100 5955 Rimatska Sobota Eu 2100-2130 9660 Moosbrunn WAf, 15660 KSDA SEA 2130-2200 11960 KSDA NEAs, 11980 KSDA NEAs Transmitters: Al Dhabiyya (United Arab Emirates), Moosbrunn (Austria), KSDA (Guam), Meyerton (South Africa), Rimatska Sobota (Slovak Republic) Additional broadcasts are carried to a variable schedule over WRMI, Miami, Florida: on 9955 1100-1130, 15725 1400-1430 and 2200-2230. Please tune in to the EDXP segments; let us know how you are hearing us and request our QSL! Regards! (Bob Padula, 404 Mont Albert Road, Mont Albert, Victoria 3127 Australia, Dec 18, via DXLD) ** CUBA. RHC does not participate in the HFCC, and, thus, frequency coordination with other broadcasters is not of a high order. The latest available schedule, provided by the station, shows: SSB transmissions: 9830 0500-0700 English to Eu 11705 2100-2300 Spanish to Eu, 0100-0500 English to Eu 13660 2000-2200 French/English to Eu 13 MHz operations: 13660 2000-2200 French/English to Eu (SSB) 13680 2000-2300 Portuguese/Arabic/Spanish 13750 1930-2230 French/English/Spanish (Bob Padula, EDXP Dec 19 via DXLD) As recently reported in DXLD, the above info totally out of date (gh, DXLD) ** CYPRUS TURKISH. R. Bayrak, 6150: Mustafa Tosun is Head of the Transmission Dept. and has this e-mail address: mustafa.tosun@brtk.net (Ed. Anker Petersen, DSWCI DX Window Dec 18 via DXLD) ** EL SALVADOR. 17835.33, R Imperio [sic], Dec 10, best between 2230 and 2330, has made it all the way here recently, meaning probably some improvement in power or antenna as there was no trace of this station here until recently. Poor and very weak signal (Vaclav Korinek, RSA, DSWCI DX Window Dec 18 via DXLD) ** ETHIOPIA. 9561.5, R. Ethiopia, Dec 11 *1600-1612, 34433, English, 1600 s/on with IS. ID. Music and talk. //Dec 12 9560.8 kHz. 9704.2 R. Ethiopia, Dec 11 *1459-1507, 34333, Amharic, 1459 s/on with IS. ID. Tree gong. News by man (Kouji Hashimoto, Yamanashi, Japan, Japan Premium via DXLD) ** ETHIOPIA. 6940, R Fana, full data QSL received from v/s: Woldu Yemessel, General Manager. R Fana was founded on Nov 20, 1994 and now transmits 73 hours a week in Amharic, Oromiffa, Afar and Somali. Schedule: 0330-0430 Amharic (Mon-Fri) 0430-0530 Oromiffa (Mon-Fri) 0900-1000 Amharic (Mon-Fri) 1000-1100 Oromiffa (Mon-Fri) 1500-1700 Amharic (Mon-Fri) 1800-2000 Oromiffa (Mon-Fri) 0330-0530 Oromiffa (Sat-Sun) 0530-0730 Amharic (Sat-Sun) 1200-1500 Oromiffa (Sat-Sun) 1500-1800 Amharic (Sat-Sun) Frequencies: 6210, 6940 and 1080 MW. Address: Radio Fana, P.O. Box 30702, Addis Abeba (Bruno Pecolatto, Italy, DSWCI DX Window Dec 18 via DXLD) Afar and Somali may be on MW only (DSWCI Ed., ibid.) ** FRANCE. 25755, 6.12 1200 TDF-CCETT via Rennes is sort of test transmitter heard very well in the afternoons. Alternating French and English programs for tourists. Seems to have the same program every day. S 3-5. BEFF (=Björn Fransson, Sweden, SW Bulletin via Thomas Nilsson, DXLD) Means 25775 where previously reported? (gh, DXLD) ** GERMANY. Schedule of German Telekom transmitting station Juelich B02 period (27/10/2002 - 29/03/2003) B02web04.TXT Gesamtplan 05.12.2002 [from-to dates are 271002 - 300303; days of week are 1234567 u.o.s.] freq start stop ciraf ant azi type day from to 6120 0000 0100 7,8,9 105 295 216 LRT Backup 5975 0700 1500 28 406 60 106 23456 DRM 5975 0915 1500 28 406 60 106 17 DRM 15715 0900 1700 28,18 308 20 216 DRM 9435 2330 0030 49,41 208 80 218 DVB 6045 0958 1100 27,28 401 ND 926 1 EVR 6015 1830 1859 27 406 200 106 3 070103 300303 EVR* 6015 1830 1859 27,28 401 ND 926 4 271002 080103 EVR* 6015 1830 1859 27,28 401 ND 926 45 090103 300303 EVR* W-tal 125kW 15670 1700 1759 38,39,48 305 145 217 1346 SBO 5985 1000 1059 27,28 104 115 206 1 CHW 15275 1600 1629 48 305 145 217 47 TIS 13855 1830 2000 46,47 305 175 217 RSA 9710 0500 0530 38,39 105 115 217 IBR 9470 2000 2100 37,38 405 175 106 IBR 5840 1645 1715 39,40 111 75 217 IBR 13840 1900 1930 37,38,46 307 200 217 271002 311202 IBR* 13840 1900 2000 37,38,46 307 200 217 010103 300303 IBR* 15120 1730 1745 47,48 106 130 217 IBR 11840 1830 1859 52,53 211 155 216 5 RRP 15275 1600 1629 37,38 406 175 106 1 UNL 9435 0100 0129 41 110 90 217 1 UNL 6015 1730 1759 27,28 401 ND 926 345 UNL 11840 1800 1829 46,47,48 211 155 216 1 UNL 9470 1900 1929 39,40 102 115 217 1 UNL 13810 1300 1400 38,39 103 115 217 TOM 5975 1200 1300 27 406 290 106 TOM 6110 1500 1654 27 406 290 106 7 TOM 6110 1654 1759 27 401 ND 926 7 TOM 9490 0357 0559 47,48,52,53 306 160 216 23456 RTB 9490 0527 0559 47,48,52,53 306 160 216 17 RTB 17580 0600 0812 47,48,52,53 303 160 216 23456 RTB 17580 0600 1059 47,48,52,53 303 160 216 7 RTB 17580 0600 0906 47,48,52,53 303 160 216 1 RTB 21565 1057 1306 47,48,52,53 301 160 216 23456 RTB 21565 1100 1217 47,48,52,53 301 160 216 7 RTB 21565 1157 1217 47,48,52,53 301 160 216 1 RTB 17570 1557 1816 47,48,52,53 303 160 216 123456 RTB 17570 1657 1816 47,48,52,53 303 160 216 7 RTB 5975 0800 0915 27,28 406 290 106 17 071202 300303 BVB 13810 1630 1659 47,48 106 130 217 271002 231202 BVB* 13810 1630 1659 47,48 106 130 217 124567 241202 300303 BVB* 13810 1600 1659 47,48 106 130 217 3 241202 300303 BVB* 13810 1659 1729 47,48 106 130 217 4 080103 300303 BVB* 21590 0900 1000 38,39 305 130 217 6 131202 300303 BVB* 15715 1330 1430 49,50 202 70 218 VOH 15775 1330 1535 40,41 110 90 217 011102 300303 VOH 9860 1530 1729 38,39 105 115 216 011102 300303 VOH 13720 1700 1800 37,38 406 165 106 YFR 9595 2000 2100 39,40 105 115 216 YFR 9815 0400 0559 46,47,52,53 304 160 216 UMC 11690 0600 0800 37,46 305 190 217 UMC 13820 1700 1859 38,48,53 304 145 217 UMC 11735 1700 1859 46,47,52,53 306 160 216 UMC 9925 0000 0159 11-16 202 230 218 HRT 9925 0200 0359 6-10 112 300 216 HRT 9925 0400 0559 2-10 119 325 216 HRT 9470 0600 0759 59,60 202 230 218 HRT 13820 0800 0959 55,58,59 208 270 218 HRT 15680 1430 1530 41,43,49 218 75 217 GFA W-tal 250kW 15425 1530 1630 40,41 214 90 217 GFA W-tal 250kW 9490 0030 0130 40,41 221 90 217 111102 300303 GFA W-tal 250kW 9765 2300 0030 41,43,49 104 75 217 101102 300303 GFA W-tal 250kW 9470 1900 2000 39,40 119 120 216 7 071202 300303 BVB W-tal 250kW 9470 1900 1930 39,40 119 120 216 6 030103 300303 BVB* W-tal 250kW 7315 0030 0100 41 201 95 216 234567 021202 300303 BVB NAU 250kW FMO (Frequency Managing Organizations) 6140 0600 1900 27,28 405 175 141 DWL 6045 1127 1325 18S,27,28NW 401 ND 926 271002 300303 DWL(RNW2) 13685 0557 0756 27,28,37-40 103 115 217 271002 300303 DWL(VRT2) 5985 0757 0826 27,28 406 265 106 VRT 2 13650 1827 1956 27,28,37-39 111 120 216 VRT 2 5910 1857 2056 27,28 401 ND 926 7 VRT 1 9885 0500 0600 28E 102 115 217 AWR 9840 0600 0730 37,38W 308 200 216 AWR 15195 1000 1100 28W 106 145 216 17 091102 300303 WR 5840 1730 1759 28E 104 115 206 123456 AWR 5840 1730 1759 28E 211 110 216 7 AWR 12015 1800 1900 28E 104 115 206 AWR 11845 1900 2030 37,38W 406 200 106 AWR 13790 0555 0800 37S,38W,46 307 200 216 SRI 9885 0555 0800 37S,38 302 160 216 SRI 9755 1625 1815 28,38E,39 102 115 217 SRI 13790 1625 1815 38,39 103 115 217 SRI 9755 1825 2130 37S,38W,46 308 200 216 SRI 15485 1825 2130 38,48,53W 106 145 217 SRI 13660 1825 2130 47,52,53,57 302 160 216 SRI SOT 17665 0555 0800 47,52,53,57 301 160 216 SRI SOT 21770 0825 1030 47,52,53,57 301 160 216 SRI SOT 15555 1625 1815 38,48,53W 106 145 217 SRI SOT 9885 2155 2400 13-16 202 240 218 SRI SOT 7340 1127 1200 28 111 105 216 7 TWR 5945 1327 1345 28 104 130 206 TWR 5850 1657 1745 28 104 115 206 7 TWR 7180 1657 1745 28 101 125 11 7 TWR 11875 0400 0600 39,40 107 115 217 IBB 6180 1600 1659 39,40 205 70 211 IBB 6055 1500 1600 29,30 111 75 216 IBB 7105 1600 1659 29,30 204 70 212 IBB 17555 1230 1300 29,30 109 80 218 IBB 9785 1800 1900 39,40 110 100 217 IBB 12110 1600 2030 39,40 208 100 218 271002 301102 IBB * 12110 1700 2000 39,40 208 100 218 011202 300303 IBB * 6010 0230 0430 40 108 90 216 IBB W-tal 500kW 21690 0630 1030 40 123 90 217 IBB W-tal 500kW 21690 1230 1430 40 123 90 217 IBB W-tal 500kW 12140 1630 1830 40 111 90 217 IBB W-tal 500kW 5910 2230 0030 40 222 90 216 IBB W-tal 500kW NAU = DTK T-systems Nauen W-tal = DTK T-systems Wertachtal * changes + active on demand # momentary not active AWR Adventist World Radio BVB Bible Voice Broadcasting CHW Christliche Wissenschaft DTK Deutsche Telekom DVB Democratic Voice of Burma DWL Deutsche Welle DLF Deutschlandfunk DLR DeutschlandRadio EVR Evangeliums Radio Hamburg GFA Gospel For Asia HRT Hrvratska Radio Televizija IBB International Broadcast Bureau IBR IBRA Radio Sweden LRT Radio Vilnius Lithuania RNW Radio Netherlands World Service RRP Radio Reveil Paroles de Vie RSA Radio Salama RTB Radio Television Belge de la communaute Francaise SBO Sagalee Bilisummaa Oromoo SRI Swiss Radio International TIS Tigrean International Solidarity for Justice and Democracy TOM The Overcomer Broadcast TWR Trans World Radio UMC The United Methodist Church UNL Universelles Leben VOH High Adventure Ministries - The Voice of Hope (ex HAM) VRT Vlaamse Radio en Televisie (ex RVI) YFR WYFR Family Radio (05 Dec 2002) (via Wolfgang Bueschel, Dec 18, DXLD) ** INDIA. "FM radio cities to be doubled, SW to be phased out". This story by Nivedita Mookerji in New Delhi, in the "Financial Express", contributed by Alokesh Gupta: "As recommended by the Tenth Plan Working Group, shortwave radio would be phased out in the country. It is in keeping with the global trend of doing away with short wave radio in the analogue mode. To fill in the gap, FM service would be introduced in 125 more cities during the Tenth Plan, according to a senior All India Radio (AIR) official. This is subject to the government's approval of the Tenth Plan. With the FM radio present in 128 cities now, there are plans to double the number of FM cities during the Tenth Plan period, the official said. The medium wave service, which has been the most popular band till the time FM took off in India, would also be expanded, but only in the border areas. High-power medium wave stations would be launched in the border areas of the country during the Tenth Plan period, again subject to its approval. Such high-powered stations would be able to catch the medium wave frequency of other countries as well, thereby making it a very meaningful service for the border areas. Talking of short wave stations, the official said, these would not be shut down right away. Short wave stations would continue to operate as long as their transmitters last, but no new short wave station would be introduced now. Incidentally, the life of a transmitter for short wave and medium wave radio is 15 years, while the FM transmitter lasts for around 10 years. Interestingly, even the private FM radio players have a 10-year licence for operating their service in the country, after which both parties may mutually agree to extend the licence. Similarly, even AIR has signed an MoU [Memorandum of Understanding, I think --- gh] with the private FM operators for sharing of infrastructure for a period of 10 years. This, perhaps, is in keeping with the 10-year life of an FM transmitter. The Tenth Plan Working Group had earlier pointed out that short wave radio broadcasting services in analogue mode should be phased out. Expansion of medium wave, the report of the Working Group had said, should be taken up only for strategic border areas and difficult hilly terrains. Also, FM radio coverage should be achieved for 60 per cent of the population by the end of the Tenth Plan, it had stated." (via EDXP Dec 19 via DXLD) ** IRAQ [non]. 11292U: checking at 1505 on a javaradio in Europe, nothing, anyone hearing it? (Hans Johnson, Dec 18, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) Yes, a very faint DSB signal with Arab music at 1530, a bit better than yesterday. 73, (Mauno Ritola, Finland, ibid.) I'm monitoring 11292 USB from Milano but nothing, as yesterday afternoon. Only some usb civil air messages on 11291 kHz giving some splatter Ciao (Giampiero Bernardini, Avvenire, Milano, Italy, ibid.) No trace on it direct here, from checking before 1500 past 1630. At least two stations were on 9715, hard to tell what. HFCC shows (only those entries before or during this time period]: 9715 1500 1800 19,20,29N,31,32 WER 500 045 1234567 271002 300303 D RUSSIAN D DWL DWL 3301 9715 1500 2100 29S,30 WER 500 075 1234567 271002 300303 D RUSSIAN D DWL DWL 3302 9715 1200 1500 41,49 TAC 240 130 1234567 271002 300303 D UZB UZB GFC 3307 9715 1600 2200 39,40 S.P 240 145 1234567 271002 300303 D RUS VOR GFC 3308 (via gh, DXLD) Hi, Hans. Information Radio in Arabic heard on 9715 at 1741 while a female voice reading a 3 minuets commentary followed by ID 1752 "Antom tastameon eli masdar ma'lomatikum, Izaa't Radio al-Ma'lomat". SINPO/33232 co channel? Tashkent (Mahmud Fathi, Germany, Dec 18, Cumbre DX via DXLD) Hi all, wasn't Information Radio on 8700U via Commando Solo much easier to hear than this? Javaradio in Sweden can't match Mauno's setup; still no joy at 1715 on 11292 (Hans, ibid.) In this moment 1945 UT on 9715 I am hearing a program with Arabic music mixed with on in Russian (maybe Deutsche Welle). Till few minutes ago it was covered under the other broadcast; now it is growing up. Ciao (Giampiero Bernardini, Avvenire Milano, Italy, ibid.) Very strong here Dec 18 at 1930 on 9715U with music, IDs and infos. Nothing on 11292 (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, ibid.) ** IRAQ [non]. SUMMARY OF INFORMATION RADIO BROADCAST Clandestine Radio Watch December 18, 2002 By Takuya Hirayama, CRW Japan [Dec 18] U.S. psyop station Information Radio was monitored today broadcasting on both 9715 and 11292 kHz to southern Iraq. Broadcasting with one female and two male native Iraqi announcers the station aired popular Arabic music, including songs by Iraqi and Lebanese artists, and also Western music, including the song "Titanic" by Celine Dione. The music did not immediately appear to carry subversive undertones. Psyop announcements followed the transcripts released by U.S. Central Command on Monday. There did not appear to be new or different announcements. The station identifies in Arabic as "Idha'at Radiyo Al-Ma'ulumat," and occasionally as "Masdar Ma'ulumatikum, Idha'at Radiyo al- Ma'ulumat" (Your Source of Information, Information Radio). Reception on 9715 kHz was better in Japan and various European locations as monitored on JavaRadio.net than 11292 kHz. Summary of transmission: 1502- Iraqi Pops 1505- Another Iraqi pops 1510- ID Announcement Message in Arabic read by a male: "With the passage of UN Security Council Resolution 1441, the International Atomic Energy Agency, better known as the IAEA, has been mandated to conduct inspections in Iraq. The goal of the inspection program is to determine the extent of Saddam Hussein's nuclear weapons program with the aim of completing the disarmament process established by UN Security Council Resolution 687.... [transcripts truncated for DXLD; complete at:] http://www.schoechi.de/crw/crw122e2.html 1513- ID Announcement / Iraqi Pops 1519- Western Pops (Female Vocal) 1522- ID Announcement by a female "Idha'at Radiyo Al-Ma'ulumat" / Iraqi Pops 1527- Announcement ready by a male "United States defense officials reported on the biennial military exercise 'Internal Look.' The exercise moves the command and control elements of United States Central Command to the Middle East Region in order to test its readiness for deployment. Its operational concept is focused on joint battle staff war fighting at the strategic and operational level. According to GEN Franks, Central Command Commander, Internal Look is simply an exercise that 'gives us the opportunity to deploy that command post. And the purpose of it is command, control, communications, to be sure that we have the right bandwidth lined up, to be sure that we can talk to our components-by that I mean air component, land component, maritime component and special-operations component.' He also stated that: over the last year 'Central Command has built a deployable command and control capability.' And, 'what that actually means is containers of communications gear, very large communications pipes that we're able put in the back of an airplane, fly it a long ways, land it on the ground and then set up a command-and-control complex.'... 1530- ID Announcement / Iraqi Pops 1538- ID Announcement / Iraqi Pops "Habbaitak" 1542- ID Announcement by a male / A message read by a female "Dear Listeners, the following program is a re-broadcast of remarks given by President George W. Bush and United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan on the 8th of November 22, 2002, in the White House Oval office regarding the unanimous acceptance by the United Nations Security Council regarding U.N. Resolution 1441, and the return of weapons inspectors to Iraq. These remarks are being re-broadcast in their entirety.... 1547- Iraqi Pops with male vocal 1552- American Pops with male vocal 1554- ID Announcement by a male / Iraqi Pops with female vocal 1558- Transmission break 1600- A Message read by two announcers (male and female) Female announcer : "Dear listeners, the following program is a broadcast of the articles of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1441, which was unanimously approved by the United Nations Security Council on November 8th, 2002. The intent of UNSCR 1441 is to provide Saddam Hussein's regime a final opportunity to comply with the disarmament obligations established by UNSCR 687, in 1991. The following are the articles of UNSCR 1441 in their entirety."... 1614- Iraqi pops (female vocal) 1619- ID announcement by a female / Message read by a male (but not audible) 1620- Iraqi Pops (female vocal) 1626- Theme song of "Titanic" 1630- ID announcement by a female "Your source of Information, Information Radio" (Masdar Ma'ulumatikum, Idha'at Radiyo al-Ma'ulumat) 1631- Iraqi Pops (male vocal) 1637- ID announcement by a male Another message ready by a female "People of Iraq. Throughout the history of the world, mankind has shown a desire to progress and expand. Great leaders have built vast civilizations and empires that spanned continents. These leaders have sponsored education programs, paved vast roads, and built housing for the less fortunate. The leaders of the past have turned deserts into arable land, and created innovations which made life easier for their people. The great leaders of the past are known for their generosity and charity towards their own people, as well as their neighboring lands. In Afghanistan, once the Taliban was removed from power, the standard of living drastically improved. Relief aid is pouring into Afghanistan and is appropriately distributed. Schools are open and people all across Afghanistan are better off. "However, there have been leaders who were not moved by charity and good will. These leaders were motivated solely by greed and power. Josef Stalin was one such leader. Stalin was set on world domination, and it was his regime that began nearly a half-century of brutal domination through Eastern Europe. Stalin oppressed his people as he ruled over his country with an iron fist. During his reign as a dictator, Stalin killed and imprisoned millions of his own people. Millions of others were forcefully displaced and ended up living many miles away from their own homes. This dictator cared nothing for his own people, he merely sought to exploit them to perpetuate his regime and flawed ideology. "In the end, the world has paid a higher price for not stopping men like Stalin when they had the chance. Many millions of people have lost their lives needlessly under these oppressive regimes and in wars started by these leaders. The loss of life and the needless suffering could have been minimized had action been taken sooner. History has shown that appeasement of brutal domineering regimes only brings greater tragedy. Saddam too has a lust for power, and the world will stand up and put an end to the terror he imposes on others, before he destroys Iraq and crushes the hopes of its proud people." 1639- Iraqi Pops (female vocal) (Clandestine Radio Watch extra Dec 18 via DXLD) My take on this: One questions the need for a Commando Solo airborne operation to Iraq. Unlike Afghanistan, Iraq is already served by numerous US-controlled transmitters nearby, notably in Kuwait, which could carry out this mission from the ground. But since it *can* be done, it *must* be done, even limited to Kuwaiti airspace, which is rather limited? Tho of great interest to us DXers, these two little shortwave transmitters would seem to be even less needed, to reach Iraq. But then this gives the military an opportunity to say what it wants to say, rather than US government-sponsored civilian outlets (Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1161, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Another copy of the story, this one illustrated with leaflet about fibre optic cables: http://www.brunei-online.com/bb/wed/dec18w31.htm (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) BBC news version: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/not_in_website/syndication/monitoring/media_reports/2583893.stm (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) PENTAGON PROPAGANDA BROADCASTS TO IRAQ MONITORED IN HILVERSUM Both shortwave frequencies advertised for the Pentagon's Information Radio service to Iraq were monitored in Hilversum on 18 December. The signal on 9715 kHz was clearly audible co-channel with Deutsche Welle in Russian. The signal on 11292 kHz was weak, and the modulation level was extremely low, although it improved briefly just before 1600. The station uses the Arabic ID "Idha'at Radyo al-Ma'ulumat." Transcripts in English of the messages broadcast by the station can be found here: http://www.centcom.mil/News/Misc/radioscripts.htm The programming also includes both Arabic and US pop music. Listen to Information Radio as monitored in Hilversum on 18 Dec at 1635 UTC, 9715 kHz (3'12") http://www.omroep.nl/cgi-bin/streams?/rnw/medianetwork/iraq021218.rm The Pentagon launched the much-anticipated broadcasts on 12 December from EC-130E Commando Solo aircraft of the US Air Force. However, news of their existence only became public on 16 December. Leaflets dropped over Iraq: http://www.centcom.mil/Galleries/Photos/leaflets/Iraq_Leaflets/20021216.htm on 16 December give the times of the broadcasts as 1800-2300 (1500- 2000 UT), and mentions the additional frequencies of 693 and 756 kHz mediumwave (both are also used for Iraqi domestic services) and 100.4 MHz FM. US officials said that the Commando Solo aircraft are flying "outside the country." Thanks to Nick Grace and Alan Pennington for helping with research (© Radio Netherlands Media Network 18 December 2002 via DXLD) IRAK - NON. Information Radio, the American military propaganda radio that we heard on 8700 kHz in Afghanistan, is now broadcasting on 9715. I heard it from 1945 to 2000 yesterday 18 December 2002 in Arabic with poor to very good signal. Better in USB. At 2000 disappeared and I could hear DW in Russian. I heard Arabic songs, talks about America, UN, and the "Rais", an announcement at 1958, then song till the end 73, (Giampiero Bernardini, Avvenire, Milano, Italy, Dec 19, hard-core- dx via DXLD) ** KASHMIR. Radio Kashmir, Jammu heard from sign on at 0025 on 4830. The transmitter was noted going off air several times in between the transmissions. 73 (Jose Jacob, dx_india, WORLD OF RADIO 1161, DXLD) Previously reported schedule including 1030-2310: Anker Petersen, DSWCI DX Window, suggests the end time 2310 may be in IST instead of UT, which should read 1740 (gh, DXLD) e-mail is: airjammu@yahoo.co.in and airjammu2002@yahoo.co.uk (Jose Jacob, dx_india via DSWCI DX Window Dec 18 via DXLD) 4830: On Dec 15 & 16 1520-1702* a very weak signal was heard with talk in unidentified language and fading out in strong atmospheric and local noise. The carrier signed off at 1702 and a heterodyne disappeared. China Huayi Broadcasting Corp. is also scheduled here at that time (Anker Petersen, Denmark, DSWCI DX Window Dec 18 via DXLD) ** KOREA SOUTH. 6015, Liberty-1 (presumed), Dec 15, 0749- peaking around 0830, Korean male and female voices and also sentimental style songs over jamming. Usually only the jamming is audible. Signal fair at best (Noel Green, England, DSWCI DX Window Dec 18 via DXLD) ** KURDISTAN [non]. 3902.94, 5.12 1830 Voice of Komala in Kurdish and with several IDs, spoke a lot about "azadi" (which means freedom both in Persian and Kurdish), Iran and Irak. Komala is as well the name of a former Iranian ?Kurdish Communist Youth Movement, which helped setting up an independent Kurdish republic in Mahabad in the northern Iran in 1946. The republic was set up with The Red Army as the godfather but existed only for a year before being slaughtered in a big political deal with Russia and Great Britain. S3 BV (=Bjarke Vestesen, Denmark, SW Bulletin Dec 15, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DXLD)) ** LIBYA [non]. FRANCE/LIBYA. According to the TDF, the Voice of Africa, LJB, Tripoli, Libya is broadcasting via Issoudun, France, in Arabic, but with some newscasts in English and French with this schedule since Dec 11: 1000-1100 - 21695 1100-1230 - 17695, 21485, 21675, 21695 1230-1400 - 21695 1400-1500 - 21675 1600-1700 - 15220, 15615 1700-1800 - 15220, 15615, 15660, 17880 1800-1900 - 9415, 11635, 11715, 15615, 15660 1900-2030 - 11635, 11715 2030-2130 - 11635 (Erik Køie, Denmark, DSWCI DX Window Dec 18 via DXLD) ** MALDIVES. [internet] The President says the internet broadcasting service by the V. of Maldives provides to Maldivians living abroad a reliable link to the country. The President calls upon the media to become an edifying and socially responsible instrument. The President today said that the internet broadcasting service of the VOM would be a very prompt and reliable link to the country for Maldivians living abroad. The President made the statement while speaking at the function held this morning at the premises of the VOM to inaugurate its internet service. The President noted that the beginning of the service marked a new step forward being taken by the VOM with the aid of modern technology. He added that the service would be a valuable and reliable resource in enabling Maldivians living abroad to keep in touch with the news and developments in the country. Further, the President said that the service would help Maldivian families residing abroad and students living overseas to maintain and reinforce their links with the nation. Speaking about the central objectives of the media, the President referred to a parable in the Holy Qur`an in verses 24-25 of Sura Ibrahim, and said that the metaphor highlighted what would be the most appropriate motto for the VOM and other media in the country. The President explained that in the verses that he had referred to, a good word is compared to a shady tree whose root is firmly fixed and whose branches reach to the heavens, bringing forth its fruit at all times by the leave of the Almighty. He added that as the parable made it plain, statements that are good must have their roots firmly fixed in the ground, in that they must be based firmly and fairly on the truth. The President emphasised that the media in an Islamic country cannot be based solely on the profit motive, but that they must fulfill a more edifying and socially responsible role. He observed that such a role required that the media focused on national progress and reform, especially on setting the habits, the modes of thinking, and the actions of the people on the path of national progress and reform. The President noted that the media was based on reporting and pointed out that such reporting must be accurate based on the truth and be of abiding benefit to the society and the nation. The President expressed his appreciation to the Minister of Information, Arts and Culture, Mr Ibrahim Manik for his efforts to develop the services of the Voice of Maldives, and to disseminate as widely as possible, accurate news and information and other programs of the service. The President also thanked the management and staff of the VOM for their services. The welcome speech at the function was delivered by Senior Programme Organiser of the Voice of Maldives, Ms. Moomina Ibrahim. She noted that the guidance and the support extended by the President to the efforts to develop and improve the services of the VOM greatly motivated the development of the service. A vote of thanks was proposed by Senior Programme Organiser of the Voice Maldives, Ms. Najma Hussain. She said that the genesis of the internet relay service of the VOM lay within the framework of the strategies to implement the Maldives Vision 2020 formulated by the President. She also thanked the President, on behalf of the management and staff of the VOM for accepting the invitation to inaugurate the VOM internet broadcasting service (via Sarath Weerakoon, Sri Lanka, BC-DX Dec 6 via DXLD) What`s the URL, Sarath? ** MALI. If you live in Europe, get up at 0600 and tune into 4835, it's brilliant! But nothing heard this morning on //4783. At 0800 9635 is usually fair, but compared to earlier this year, modulation has definitely improved (Thorsten Hallmann, Muenster, Schroeder's dark empire, Dec 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MAURITANIA. 7245, RTM, Nouakchott, has been heard regularly during the past week. Most days, it replaces 4845 at a variable time around 0800 - sometimes before - sometimes after - and is audible at very good strength until fading around 0930. However, on Friday, Dec13, I did not note 4845 before 0800 (Noel Green, England, DSWCI DX Window Dec 18 via DXLD) Heard as late as 1150-1410 on Dec 07 here in Portugal with Arabic recitations, tribal songs, 1200 Vernacular news and 1400 French news. 35443 (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, ibid.) ** MOLDOVA. R. Pridnestrovye, Tiraspol, 5960, noted on recent Wednesdays *1659-1730*, English program, "Here is Tiraspol, the capital of the Dniester Moldavian Republic", heavily disturbed by R. Netherlands on 5955. Moldova was an Autonomous Republic in the former USSR, but got its independence in 1991. The narrow region between the river Dnestr and the eastern border towards Ukraine is mainly populated with Russians. In 1990 they declared independence from the rest of Moldiva which is closely related to Romania, but the "Trans-Dniester Moldavian Republic" (TMR), or "Pridnestrovskaya Moldavskaya Respublika" (PMR) as it is called in Russian, has never been recognized internationally. Heavy fighting in 1992 was followed by a peace agreement in 1997 with a Russian Peacekeeping Force placed between the parties. The official radiostation is Radio Moldova which broadcasts from the capital Kishinev (Chisinau) on MW and FM. Its external service Radio Moldova International uses SW transmitters in Galbeni, Romania for program in five languages. The former USSR built a powerful SW transmitter in Grigoriopol` which is located east of the river Dnestr and still controlled by Russian authorities. Airtime is rented out, such as o Deutsche Welle and TWR. Thus Radio Pridnestrovye is a separatist radiostation which some people regard as a Clandestine. It uses a 150 kW MW transmitter in Maiac on 1467 and a FM transmitter in Tiraspol. Since last month it has also had an external service in Russian from Maiac on 999 MW (500/1000 kW) and English on 5960. It is unclear whether the latter broadcast comes from Grigoripol` (Anker Petersen, Copenhagen, EDXP Dec 19 via DXLD) ** NIGERIA. Where are they? I haven't heard 15120 for a while, when I checked at 1900 (19m quite dead) but also at 2200, 0600, 0800... (Thorsten Hallmann, Muenster, Schroeder's dark empire, Dec 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. 15120, V. of Nigeria, Dec. 14 [Sat] 0640-0710, 34343 in English. Talk and 'Letter Box'. (ISHIZAKI Kyoshiro, Mie, JAPAN, Japan Premium via DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. CITADEL GETS WKY/OKLAHOMA CITY IN $7.7 MILLION DEAL http://www.radioandrecords.com/Subscribers/TodaysNews/homepage.htm WKY [930] had been owned by Gaylord Entertainment since its on-air debut in August 1928 until it was recently placed under the control of OPUBCO Communications, an entity in with Gaylord enjoys a majority vote. An asset sale agreement for WKY made its way through the FCC on Monday, and as a result Citadel gets a seventh property in Oklahoma City; the company already owns WWLS-AM & FM, KATT, KKWD, KQBL & KYIS in the market. WKY is presently being operated by Clear Channel via an LMA with OPUBCO. It is not known if the LMA will continue once Citadel closes on the station (via Brock Whaley, Dec 18 for DXLD) ** PHILLIPINES. FAR EAST BROADCASTING COMPANY'S HMONG BROADCASTER PASSES AWAY December 17, 2002, La Mirada, CA - On the evening of December 7, 2002, Far East Broadcasting Company's (FEBC) Hmong broadcaster, John Lee, passed away. The cause of death was apparently a massive heart attack. It was Lee's gospel programs that helped create a large Christian movement within Hmong villages across Southeast Asia, particularly in Vietnam and Laos. He brought thousands to the Lord and helped them escape the bondage of animism that reigns in their culture. "The Hmong community worldwide has lost a great spiritual leader," stated Jim Bowman, president of FEBC. "John loved the Hmong people dearly and his dedication to sharing the gospel with them is both commendable and monumental. I am saddened by the lost of such a dear friend who gave his life and embodied the very essence of what FEBC exists to do - share the hope of Jesus Christ by radio." Lee, along with his wife Pai, served the Hmong people by radio for the past 24 years. Since 1979, they have produced, broadcasted and personally responded --- either by letter or on the air --- to the Hmong listener letters that pour into their office every week. Many of these Hmong listeners, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, refer to him as their pastor. In recent times, Lee's role as programmer and pastor has escalated due to severe persecution that has increased among the Hmong people in Vietnam and Laos. The following is a letter dated November 2002 from a listener in Vietnam that represents the impact that John's gospel programs have had in Hmong villages: "Because of His loving kindness we have come to believe in Him through your radio broadcast. After becoming a Christian we are so happy to get out from the bondage of evil spirits. We don't have to live in fear, but do in peace, joy and contentment through the love of Christ each day. "Our government does not understand what we believe in. They have come to chase all of us out of our homes. They have even arrested many of us and put us in jail. "Pastor, we are human beings. We need freedom to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. We need all of your prayers to strengthen our daily walk with Christ each day. We want to let you know that your radio broadcast is the only message that all of us can rely on. Keep on sending God's Word to us." Lee was born in Laos and grew up listening to FEBC's Hmong short wave programs, and was encouraged by his mother to aspire to be a broadcaster for FEBC and to share Christ with the Hmong people. Those aspirations came true, and John and his wife have seen many come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through their radio ministry. The first news of any response among the Hmong of Vietnam to the gospel programs came through a surprising source - an article in a Hanoi newspaper in 1992 written by a communist cadre lamenting the fact that many Hmong were becoming Christians. Christian broadcasts from Manila were blamed as attempts by the U.S. government to "undermine the revolution." The contents of the programs were described, and it was apparent FEBC programs were the target. In response to Lee's programs, the Hmong were selling their livestock, going out and buying radios, and tuning in to Christian broadcasts from Manila. More than that, they were turning to the "God of Heaven" and becoming Christians. Government officials estimated that 250,000 Hmong, out of 560,000 in North Vietnam, had become Christians. The Hmong people wrote to FEBC's broadcasters themselves and reported that 300,000 of them had come to faith in Christ in North Vietnam alone. John is survived by his wife, Pai, and four children. Far East Broadcasting has been producing programs for the Hmong people since the mid 1950s, broadcasting 11 hours per week in two dialects - White and Blue. The programs broadcast to Hmong villages throughout China, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. For more information, visit FEBC's website at http://www.febc.org Far East Broadcasting Company, with its United Kingdom-based sister organization, Feba, produces and broadcasts 600 hours of programming daily in 157 languages. Listener response averages more than 84,000 letters, calls and faxes per month (via Hans Johnson, Cumbre DX via WORLD OF RADIO 1161, DXLD) There are other choices besides animism, communism and christianity (gh) ** RUSSIA. R. Gardarika will be on SW again according to this schedule: December 20-December 31, 2002, 2000-2300 UT daily 5920 kHz (Mikhail Timofeyev, St. Petersburg, Dec 18, hard-core-dx via WORLD OF RADIO 1161, DXLD) ** SAUDI ARABIA. B-02 for Broadcasting Service of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia/B S K S A MAIN PX in Arabic HOLY KOR`AN in Arabic 0600-0900 17760 21505 21705 0300-0600 11820 15170 15435 21495 0900-1200 21505 21705 0600-0800 15380 17620 17895 1200-1500 17585 21505 21705 0800-0900 15380 17620 1700-1800 15315 15435 0900-1200 11935 17615 21495 1800-2300 9555 9870 1200-1300 15380 17760 17895 21600 SECOND PX in Arabic (irr. on air) 1300-1400 15380 17745 17760 17895 21600 0300-0600 9578.9 1400-1500 17745 17760 17895 0600-1700 11854.9 1500-1600 11785 13710 17745 17760 1700-2200 9578.9 1600-1800 11785 13710 15205 17560 CALL OF ISLAM in Arabic 1800-2100 11820 11915 11950 15230 1500-1700 15315 15435 2100-2300 11820 11915 15230 FOREIGN SERVICES Bambara 1700-1800 17775 Persian 1400-1600 11745 Bengali 1600-1700 15345 Somali 0400-0500 17760 French 0800-1000 21600 Swahili 0500-0600 17760 1400-1600 21600 Turkish 0400-0600 15275 Indonesian 1000-1200 21670 Turkmen 1400-1600 9730 Pashto 1600-1700 9810 Urdu 1200-1400 15345 (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, Dec 18 via DXLD) ** SAUDI ARABIA [non]. 7590, Voice of Reform, Dec 9, 10, 15, 16, *1900-2100*. On Dec 9, I heard only an open carrier (QSA 3) on 7590 except for a few seconds at 2021 when very weak voices were heard. But on Dec 10, 1940-2057* a strong signal was heard with test messages by a man continuously talking in Arabic with a few words and numbers in fluently English, at times distorted, but most times very clear. He had a few phone talks with other people. Sa`udi Arabia was mentioned. 44544. Already slightly jammed by Sa`udi Arabia from Dec 10. It ceases at 2102*. On Dec 15 the broadcast opened already at 1858 with Arabic talk, Arab songs, the Saudi Arabian jammer was on already at 1854. The program is all talking. No IDs heard (Anker Petersen, Denmark, DSWCI DX Window Dec 18 via DXLD) ** SWEDEN. Radio Sweden International in Swedish eff. from Dec. 16: 0500-0600 Mon-Fri on additional NF 5840 (55555) \\ 6065 and 17505 (17504.2 on Dec.16) (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, Dec 18 via DXLD) ** SYRIA [non]. 9950, Sout al Watan, Voice of Homeland (Cf. DX-Window No. 207), QTH: Bashir Kyle, P. O. Box 7897, Oslo, Oslo 01673, Norway. E-mail: bkyle@post.com which I tried, but it was incorrect (Masato Ishii, Japan, DSWCI DX Window Dec 18 via DXLD) ** TAJIKISTAN. 7245, R Tajikistan, Dec 7, *1645-1700*, IS, ID, music, and news. Rather poor reception (Masato Ishii, Japan, DSWCI DX Window via DXLD) In English, I assume, when scheduled (gh) ** THAILAND. Greetings Messages - World Scout Jamboree Thailand From http://www.radio.gov.uk/ The 20th World Scout Jamboree will take place in Thailand from 28 December 2002 to 7 January 2003. An Amateur Radio Station will be set up on the Jamboree site, Call sign E20AJ. Normally greetings messages are not permitted to Thailand. For this special event, permission is granted for Full licensees (individual and club) to permit greetings messages in accordance with Clause 1(8) (a) and (b) to be sent to and received from the Jamboree Station E20AJ. Additional information on the frequencies used can be found from http://www.home.zonnet.nl/worldscout/Jota/frequencies.htm. This is similar to TDOA and JOTA arrangements. The Jamboree web page is http://www.worldscoutjamboree20.org It is understood that the Station will be operational for the duration of the Jamboree, 24 hours a day on phone, CW, SSTV and packet. The web site with latest information will be www.qsl.net/e20aj.htm although the site was not operational at the time of posting this notice (via Mike Terry, DXLD) ** TIBET [non]. Voice of Tibet in Tibetan and Mandarin Chinese noted on Dec. 15: 1430-1517 on NF 12145+Chinese music jammer, ex 12025, re- ex 11550, re-re-ex 11975 (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, Dec 18 via DXLD) Another day, another frequency, tnx to Chicom jamming (gh) ** TURKEY. 6900, Turkey Meteorological R., Dec 17 1600-1643 s/off 44444 Turkish lang. Non-stop local pops. Suddenly s/off without any announcement. Heard in its QTH, Ankara (Oguma Hironao, Cairo, Egypt, Japan Premium via DXLD) ** U K. Additional frequency for BBC in Uzbek: 1700-1800 on 11985 (55544) \\ 9915 jammed by China with Chinese music 9575 strong co-ch Radio Medi1 in Arabic 7385 jammed by China with Chinese music (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, Dec 18 via DXLD) ** U S A. Radio Farda, a new 24 hours Farsi service from the U.S. is scheduled as follows: 1539 & 1593 kHz MW 24 hours SHORTWAVE FREQUENCIES FOR RADIO FARDA EFFECTIVE FROM 0030 UTC DECEMBER 19, 2002 TIME (UTC) FREQUENCIES ----------------------- 0030-0400 9515 9585 9795 0400-0600 9585 9795 12015 15290 0600-0800 9585 15290 17675 0800-0830 9585 13680 15290 17675 21475 0830-1400 13680 21475 1400-1700 9435 13680 15410 1700-1900 11705 11845 1900-2000 6140 11960 11985 2000-2130 9785 11960 11985 (Dan Ferguson, IBB, Dec 18, SWBC via DXLD) Not quite identical to: New tentative 24h schedule for RFE/RL Radio Farda in Persian: 0000-0400 9515 9585 9795 0400-0430 9585 9795 0430-0600 9585 12015 15290 0600-0800 9585 15130 15290 17675 0800-0830 9585 13680 15130 15290 17675 21475 0830-1400 13680 15130 21475 1400-1700 9435 11730 15410 1700-1900 11705 11845 1900-2000 6140 11960 11985 2000-2100 7165 9785 9835 11960 11985 2100-2300 7165 9835 11765 11970 2300-2400 11765 11970 73 from (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, Dec 18 via DXLD) ** U S A. Hi Glenn: The Broadcasting Board of Governors responds to the Washington Post op-ed by Jackson Diehl at .... http://www.bbg.gov/_bbg_news.cfm?articleID=51&mode=general (No BBG response to the WSJ Jesse Helms op-ed, same day.) The BBG's stratgeic plan for U.S. international broadcasting, "Marrying the Mission to the Market," is available at ... http://www.bbg.gov/bbg_plan.htm 73 (Kim Elliott, DC, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Happened across a live appearance on C-SPAN (1) by Charlotte Beers, Undersecretary of State for Public Affairs and Public Diplomacy, from the National Press Club ballroom (but not an NPR luncheon), in which she exhibited the how-great-it-is-to-be-a-Moslem- in-the-US commercials which ran in Indonesia and elsewhere, and defended present policy, including Radio Azadi changing into Radio Farda. She had been criticised for failing to appear as scheduled previously at the NPC. This started at 1830 UT and ended about 1945. It also repeated the following evening. Check C-SPAN website for possible repeats later in the following few days or weekend (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Glenn, The FCC has posted a new "Final Winter '02 (Schedule) Version 0" this is available at http://www.fcc.gov/ib/sand/neg/hf_web/hfff0w02.txt This is as of 12-16-2002. There are many corrections and changes from the previous "Tentative Winter 02 Version 1". The ones I caught are: KFBS 9855 replaces 9485, 12065 new KIMF 5835 will now begin at 2200 KSDA (when they resume) about half the schedule changed, many new frequencies including 7160 and 13790 KTWR (when they are fully on) delete 9445, 9870, and 11900. Add 9500 and 15365 WBCQ 7415 extended to 1100, 9335 to 0600, 17495 to 2300. 9335 and 17495 now noted as SSB [and 11660 no longer mentioned –gh] WBOH still not on Schedule WHRA new 17560 WHRI replace 6040 with 9840 WINB add 9320, schedule does not match website, which has incorrect UT WJIE was WJCR on old schedules WWBS now listed as SSB WWCR 15685 deleted, 7560 and 15825 now on schedule WWRB was WGTG on old schedules. now shown at 65 kW, no mention of SSB. new 5050 frequency. 9320 and 12170 now on at 1300 (Schedule still does not show actual 12172) WYFR delete 9705, add new 9725, 15115, and 15400 (Donald Wilson, Dec 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. Monday, December 16, 2002 MILITARY RADIO HAD ITS BEGINNINGS IN THE DAYS OF THE DOUGHBOYS By Rick Chernitzer, Stars and Stripes Stripes Sunday magazine, December 15, 2002 Although American Forces Network Radio has officially been on the air for 60 years, listeners began tuning in at the end of World War I. A Navy lieutenant in France broadcasted information and live entertainment to troops accompanying President Wilson to the 1919 Paris Peace Conference. Radio was a novelty then, and little equipment was given to overseas military broadcasting until the United States started gearing up for World War II. Bored soldiers in Panama and Alaska created makeshift transmitters and aired records, according to an Armed Forces Radio pamphlet. The U.S. military was unaware of the broadcasts until celebrities wrote asking how to send the stations recordings. During the first days of the U.S. entry into World War II, Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s staff members set up military radio stations in the Philippines. Their success paved the way for the Armed Forces Radio Service. In May 1942, the Army commissioned broadcasting executive Tom Lewis as a major and assigned him to create a viable military radio network. Its primary goal was to keep morale high, a daunting task when the enemy already was broadcasting to Allied troops, in the personas of the infamous 'Axis Sally' and 'Tokyo Rose.' Playing popular American music, they tried to demoralize troops with talk about missing home. On July 4, 1943, the Armed Forces Network went on the air, using the BBC’s London studios. With British and Canadian radio stations, it formed the Allied Expeditionary Forces Program. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower wanted to ensure the stations worked together and all allies were getting the same message. To boost morale, AFRS headquarters in Los Angeles produced shows such as 'G.I. Jive,' shipping them to stations on special 'V-Discs.' By early 1945, about 300 Armed Forces Radio Stations worldwide were broadcasting. Then came peacetime. By 1949, just 60 stations were operating. But broadcasters who remained in Europe with the occupying forces took on a new role. Music and information were broadcast from Bremen to Berlin — giving many Europeans their first exposure to American culture and music. AFN brought jazz, blues, rock ’n’ roll and country and western to audiences starved for music. The shows were so popular that when the leftist Greens Party urged Germany to quit NATO in the 1980s and called for U.S. troops to leave, it made one exception. 'The U.S. military should go home, but leave AFN behind,' a Greens leader demanded. When the Korean War started in 1950, AFRS leased several portable trailers and followed the troops as 'Radio Vagabond.' The American Forces Korea Network was established in Seoul later that year. While the organization changed its name to the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service in 1954, the focus remained on radio. The American Forces Vietnam Network (AFVN) was established in 1962, during the Vietnam War, mostly for numerous military advisers there. It served as the backdrop for the 1988 movie, 'Good Morning, Vietnam!' But broadcasting to the troops as the war heated up was no day on a Hollywood set. During the Tet Offensive, AFVN studios in Hue City were attacked. The staff fought off the Viet Cong for five days before the station manager and several others were captured. They spent five years in a North Vietnamese prisoner-of-war camp. Recently, Armed Forces Radio quickly mobilized for operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. A mobile broadcasting van deployed to Saudi Arabia, where the American Forces Desert Network was established in 1991 and broadcast for the first time from Kuwait shortly after the Iraqi occupation ended. Since then, it has become a fixture throughout the region. Tech. Sgt. Mark Hatfield, 36, was 'out in the middle of nowhere -- at a secret base detached from civilization' as a structural maintainer on F-15s, with the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing (Provisional) during Desert Storm. About a month after he arrived, AFDN went into operation. 'I remember when they came on line -- I had my little transistor radio, and sure enough, there it was,' he said. Someone also bought a radio for the hangar. 'We cranked it because news was coming out left and right about the war,' Hatfield added. 'It was good because that was our only source of real information. You get out in the middle of nowhere, you don’t really hear it from the U.S side of things -- uncensored, coming in from the U.S.' Hatfield, now a broadcaster, said hearing news from The Associated Press at the top of every hour was important. `It`s not like you`re hearing the company line from some sergeant or specialist in the field,' he said. Today, American Forces Radio and Television Service operates about 300 radio and television outlets, serving an audience of 1.3 million listeners and viewers on every continent and U.S. Navy ship at sea. Setting up broadcasting operations in Afghanistan and other areas involved with Operation Enduring Freedom has been discussed, but no firm plans exist, said Air Force Master Sgt. Tracie Adams, operations superintendent at AFN Tokyo. 'That’s driven by the fact that operations are not expected to be long term,' she said. Broadcasters could move in once peacekeeping operations begin, as in Bosnia, she said, where U.S. radio and TV have existed since 1995. 'When we landed there, we used what we call `radio in a box,` our mobile radio system,' Adams said. 'Now, we have a permanent building, and people rotate through on four-month tours.' She said some staff members from Tokyo and Okinawa have been sent to Bosnia, where operations will continue until the last servicemember leaves. 'As long as there’s military there,' she said, 'we’re going to be there.' (via Kim Elliott, DXLD) Another AFN story under JAPAN, 2-198 ** U S A [and non]. Hi Glenn: This article compares certain Web sites to some shortwave clandestine stations of WWII. 73 (Kim Elliott) http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?Category=26&ID=75454&r=0 (might not work) Canton (Ohio) Repository ROGUE WEB SITES SPREAD THREATS By JIM HILLIBISH, Repository new media editor Your computer has become a front line in the worldwide Islamic terrorism campaign. Al-Qaida now is using rogue Web sites to spread their terrorist threats to the media and anyone else who can find them on the Net. The sites enable propagandists to reach an audience directly, without filtering by governments or the news media. They are similar to World War II German and Japanese short-wave radio propaganda that directly reached audiences in Allied nations. The drill is to build a site on a host offering free or low-cost public service. Threats then are posted until the Internet provider realizes what's happening and deletes the site. Recently, two sites appeared, their warnings made news stories and then the sites went down. The sites are relatively easy to find with Web searchers and are monitored by news reporters and authorities. Some of the sites use sophisticated Web programming to stream audio of what is purported to be messages from Osama bin Laden. Web surfers should realize that anybody can post a site. Its authenticity cannot be guaranteed. The average surfer does not possess the background intelligence information that may confirm or deny the information. As happened in World War II, governments may offer disinformation to counter the propaganda using the same delivery system. The Net is just another way to reach an audience, although in this case, the audience potential is huge, interested and readily available. In the last six months, an apparent al-Qaida site has appeared on Internet provider servers in Malaysia, Texas and Michigan. The FBI investigated and viewed the site as authentic and a component of bin Laden's terrorism propaganda campaign. One of the messages warned Americans to convert to Islam or face death. Al-Qaida is taking advantage of a network technology that's the foundation of the Internet. The Net was devised by the U.S. military in the 1970s as a way to keep communications links open in the event of nuclear war. The ability to easily shift information between servers and keep it live despite servers’ going down was the result. Al-Qaida sites sometimes last for days, sometimes for minutes or hours. When the providers or governments find them, they are shut down. Then al-Qaida simply sets up a new site and issues more threats. In one case, an Associated Press reporter found a site and reported it to the FBI. The same server-switching technique has been used by Web child pornographers and purveyors of other illegal schemes, such as financial scams and personal information gathering. Al-Qaida’s Web sites may go beyond threats. Some include e-mail systems and could be used to contact cell members in the United States and elsewhere and send coded messages. The threat texts themselves may include secret wording that's being passed through the news media. The Web may be used to transfer encrypted data that is difficult or impossible for authorities to decode. A technique called steganography enables the embedding of secret messages inside common e-mail that is invisible to readers who do not know it is there. The software costs $22. Rogue sites are set up anonymously or through misuse of organization names, such as the ``Center for Islamic Studies and Research.`` It has appeared for the past six months on Web servers in Lansing, Mich., Bedford, Texas, and Malaysia. Each time, the Web provider, realizing what was happening, shut down the site and informed authorities. Within hours, it appeared again, elsewhere. There actually is a Center for Islamic Studies and Research. It is the title of a Saudi Arabian cultural site posted under the name of King Faisal. On Dec. 6, in an Associated Press story, our Repository Web site, cantonrep.com, posted an al-Qaida story with a terrorist threat from http://www.mojahedoon.net That site soon went down. Word wars on the Web are becoming more common. On April 1, 2001, a U.S. Navy spy plane was forced to land in China after a collision with a Chinese fighter. This sparked dueling Web sites in China and the United States. Palestinians in Israel also mount Web sites pressing their side in the conflict with the Israelis. In any case, Web surfers should view this information as they would any other information they receive. They must consider the source before drawing any conclusions. Still, it’s compelling to find a Web site that may have an Islamic terrorist furiously typing away on the other end. http://www.cantonrep.com (via Kim Elliott, DXLD) ** U S A. VOICES OF WORLD WAR II: EXPERIENCES FROM THE FRONT AND AT HOME - KMBC RADIO The project (under development) will demonstrate best practices and standards for digitization of archival sound materials selected from the Marr Sound Archives and access to bibliographic information for 100 digital objects by creating metadata (Dublin Core, CORC) and MARC cataloging records in the MERLIN/MOBIUS Missouri online library consortia systems, and in the OCLC international online information system. The proposal was submitted by Marilyn Carbonell, Assistant Director for Collection Development, and Robert Ray, Special Collections Librarian. The $11,000 award covers an eight-month period, January-August 2002. The project content will be delivered in a Website created to focus on World War II and will be based on 100 rare and fragile transcription discs (16-inch glass & metal acetate discs) from the Arthur B. Church-KMBC Radio Collection. The nucleus of the project will be these unique archival sound recordings supplemented by manuscript materials, including still images and oral histories, to showcase how WWII was experienced in Kansas City through the popular media - KMBC radio - the local CBS affiliate station. Plans for the Website include seven sections: 1939-1941: Rumors of War - The War before Pearl Harbor. Pearl Harbor: Day of Infamy - December 7th, 1941. Europe & D-Day: D-day and the War in Europe. Home Front: How America Heard the War. Pacific Theater: War in the Pacific. Post War World: Looking Ahead: The Post-War World. The Project: Project Information and Sources for Further Study, including Links to Resources and Programs at the Truman Presidential Museum and Library. The Truman Presidential Museum and Library will partner with UMKC by contributing public programming and archival research materials. The project, "Voices of World War II: : Experiences from the Front and at Home - KMBC Radio,`` is funded in part through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Missouri State Library, Secretary of State's Office. Five pilot projects in Missouri libraries were funded in 2002. These pilot projects are intended to improve the public's access to cultural heritage collections and to gather experience that can provide the State Library with models for future replication and support. The grant awards, funded under the federal LSTA will demonstrate best practices and standards for the selection, digital capture, storage, and Web-delivery of documents. The UMKC Libraries project planning team includes: Marilyn Carbonell, Brenda Dingley, Jennifer Eigsti, Mike Harrell, Chuck Haddix, David Lazarus, Moses Ong, Robert Ray, Wendy Sistrunk, and Kathleen Schweitzberger. Dr. Ted P. Sheldon is the Dean of the University Libraries, University of Missouri-Kansas City. Dr. Michael Devine is the Director of the Truman Presidential Museum and Library. The Harry S. Truman Library, the first Presidential Library to be created under the provisions of the 1955 Presidential Libraries Act, was established to preserve the papers, books, and other historical materials relating to former President Harry S. Truman and to make them available to the people in a place suitable for exhibit and research. Another facet of the Library's activities is its museum exhibit program. The Library has about 35,000 objects in its museum collection. Though its public programs unit the Library attempts to reach a diversity of people and organizations by sponsoring conferences and research seminars, by conducting special tours of the Library's museum for school classes and educational groups, and through a wide range of other activities, including extensive web delivery of information. The Truman Library is one of ten presidential libraries operated by the Federal government. See also http://www.umkc.edu/lib/spec-col/ww2/index.htm (via Kim Elliott, and Mike Terry, DXLD) KMBC was on 980, but many years ago now, changed to KMBZ while the original calls stayed on TV channel 9 (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. AFR mad at FM Atlas Is American Family Radio trying to intimidate? I e-mailed Joh Riley in Tupelo saying that I did not believe K214AX *90.7 Jamestown ND did not properly ID, and that instead of carrying any ID of the primary station, WAFR *88.3 Tupelo MS, the Jamestown translator covers the ID period with local fill music. This I contended, in messages to several churches in Jamestown, might be illegal under FCC rules. Now Patrick J. Vaugh, general counsel, American Family Network e-mails from Tupelo: "I recognize that interests of your hobby and business you prefer that broadcast stations give audible station identification. However. . . AFR employs an encoded translator identification announcement, as allowed by FCC rules. Your e-mail. . . contains the admission that you contacted several churches in Jamestown ND and 'left the message that I believe not carrying the ID of the primary station, WAFR Tupelo MS, might be illegal under FCC rules'. As you are aware, AFR is a Christian ministry that depends on the trust and support of churches and the Christian audience for its existence. Your slander of AFR to churches by suggesting that AFR operates illegally is causing damage to this organization that we will not continue to tolerate. "Dr. Elvig (sic), you must cease and desist from slandering the American Family Association, Inc. and American Family Radio. Please respond in writing within 10 days providing assurances that you will no longer allege to churches that AFR is operating illegally by using encoded translator identification. Failure to provide such assurances will require AFR to seek the protections from slan der and deframation provided by law." Now, I turn to you, dear readers. How would you respond? I honestly feel that AFR is operating their translator in Jamestown, and possibly other locations, illegally as a network feed of AFR, not as a translator of WAFR Tupelo MS. And must I take their word that they have a legal (but not audible) ID? I have about 15 minutes of their translator programming (with lack of ID) recorded before and after 1 p.m. on a Friday, ready to send to the FCC, but told AFR I would wait for their response before doing so. I am not one to walk away from a good fight, and think that I could win on this point with the FCC. It is not my intention to harm the AFR ministry, but I should point out in fairness to DXers on this list, many of whom are gays, that AFR is very opposed to homosexuality, and you can read their publications or discover from their website how they are fighting "rights" the government otherwise tries to protect. (Brucey Elving, amfmtvdx et al. via DXLD) I say . . . "Give 'em Hell, Harry!!!" It sounds as if they are trying to intimidate you with 'lawyer speak'. Can they legally ID using this method? I must plead ignorance on the subject of "encoded translator identification" as have never heard of this. How does anyone know it's working if you can't hear it?? (Bill Hale in Fort Worth, ibid.) My reactions are as follows: 1) This is a hobby, and not a crusade, IMHO 2) Sexual orientation has nothing whatever to do with ID'ing of translators and raising it only weakens ( and cheapens ) whatever case you have 3) You had better have some solid evidence that what they claim is legal is not 4) There are far further right-wing Christian broadcast groups than AFR 5) I don't know what good the statements of other DX'ers would do your case, this seems to be single-threaded - either their ID practises comply with FCC rules or else they do not. 6) Given that legally, you instigated this fight, I agree with Mike that you probably need a lawyer (Russ Edmunds, PA, ibid.) Here are the FCC rules ******************************************************************** Sec. 74.1283 Station identification. (a) The call sign of an FM broadcast translator station will consist of the initial letter K or W followed by the channel number assigned to the translator and two letters. The use of the initial letter will generally conform to the pattern used in the broadcast service. The two letter combinations following the channel number will be assigned in order and requests for the assignment of particular combinations of letters will not be considered. (b) The call sign of an FM booster station will consist of the call sign of the primary station followed by the letters ``FM'' and the number of the booster station being authorized, e.g., WFCCFM-1. (c) A translator station authorized under this subpart shall be identified by one of the following methods. (1) By arranging for the primary station whose station is being rebroadcast to identify the translator station by call sign and location. Three such identifications shall be made during each day: once between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., once between 12:55 p.m. and 1:05 p.m. and once between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Stations which do not begin their broadcast before 9 a.m. shall make their first identification at the beginning of their broadcast days. The licensee of an FM translator whose station identification is made by the primary station must arrange for the primary station licensee to keep in its file, and to make available to FCC personnel, the translator's call letters and location, giving the name, address and telephone number of the licensee or his service representative to be contacted in the event of malfunction of the translator. It shall be the responsibility of the translator licensee to furnish current information to the primary station licensee for this purpose. (2) By transmitting the call sign in International Morse Code at least once each hour. Transmitters of FM broadcast translator stations of more than 1 watt transmitter output power must be equipped with an automatic keying device that will transmit the call sign at least once each hour, unless there is in effect a firm agreement with the translator's primary station as provided in Sec. 74.1283(c)(1) of this section. Transmission of the call sign can be accomplished by: (i) Frequency shifting key; the carrier shift shall not be less than 5 kHz nor greater than 25 kHz. (ii) Amplitude modulation of the FM carrier of at least 30 percent modulation. The audio frequency tone use shall not be within 200 hertz of the Emergency Broadcast System Attention signal alerting frequencies. (d) FM broadcast booster stations shall be identified by their primary stations, by the broadcasting of the primary station's call signs and location, in accordance with the provisions of Sec. 73.1201 of this chapter. (e) The Commission may, in its discretion, specify other methods of identification. [55 FR 50699, Dec. 10, 1990] ********************************************************************** You may not be able to identify the translator when IDed buy some of these methods, but the FCC can (Bill Frahm, ibid.) I used to ask stations questions or tell them that they left the power and antenna on day pattern for a week. For it I got ripped much the same way that Dr. Elving did. Now I just send off an email to some people I know at the FCC and let them handle it. It doesn't pay to be nice to some of these people. All the AFR guy had to say is that we do a subcarrier digital ID as allowed by FCC regulation and if he wanted to be nice, quote the Part 73 paragraph. Then he could have said, thank you for your question as it`s one we get all the time. Well, they didn't and now its all over the net and AFR lost a few more people who were at least neutral towards them. I can understand why Dr. Elving asked. Heck, I have asked because most satellators NEVER audibly ID. I would love to see the subaudible ID done away with unless it`s RDS (Kevin Redding, ibid.) ** U S A. From the Chief Engineer at WCCO Happy Holidays, and greetings from the frigid North I did a "Partial Proof" field study this fall, and it appears that although there is a slight decrease in the ground wave field from measurements made in 1987, the decrease is fairly insignificant about 5%. I am beginning to think the problem, may be more of a ground system deterioration problem resulting in higher vertical radiation angle, If the vertical angle has increased, the skywave will land at different location. From the comments, it appears that the problem is folks not receiving it in locations where it used to be fairly consistent. To support my theory, it would be interesting to see some comments from areas that are now receiving WCCO where it has never been useable in the past. We still get calls at night from all over the country (Doug Campbell, WCCO, via Mark Durenberger, Out West NRCAM via DXLD) ** U S A. WMQM 1600 Memphis: Check site for more details. New target is Saturday Dec. 21, 2002. Testing is complete. Just the railroad crossing turning on when on 50 kW. Working with the railroad repair contractor (George McClintock, TN, Dec 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Re IBOC discussion: GCA does contract work for Ibiquity. They produced a report last January, commissioned by Ibiquity, that made the amazing claim that "conversion of 100% of the AM stations to the IBOC AM system would result in negligible impact on the ability of listeners to continue to receive conventional analog AM on existing receivers". You can download it from. I've read it, and in my opinion, it is flawed on many levels... or to sum it up in two words: totally bogus. The ball is currently in Ibiquity's court to present new data from night testing (which, at last word, would not be completed until sometime in 2003) to make the case for night operation. It would be astonishing for the FCC to suddenly turn around and short-circuit that process... but then again, nothing surprises me these days (Barry McLarnon, Ont., Dec 14, NRC-AM via DXLD) I also received the 21-page petition, tables, graph, and 7-page service list of commenters' names and addresses. Like the FCC Report and Order, it'll require a few re-reads to grasp, but here are the highlights: All expanded band stations should be given immediate authorization for nighttime IBOC operation, as they all conform to new nighttime operation standards and thus no expanded band station would cause interference. Details of various criteria (referred to as the five-rule test) for approving nighttime IBOC operation over the rest of the band follow. This includes detailed night studies of 610 WFNZ, 1320 WJAS, and 790 WMC. Applying the nighttime criteria, 610 WFNZ would operate full power IBOC, 1320 WJAS would reduce IBOC by 6 dB, and 790 WMC would only be able to operate IBOC on the lower side. (This suggests IBOC modes in which both sideband would not be necessary to receive the digital signal.) Stations that wouldn't meet the criteria would still be able to enter mutual-interference agreements (Bruce Conti, Nashua NH, ibid.) ** VENEZUELA. Listo sabotaje a señales de TV en Venezuela CONFLICTIVIDAD // La acción se asignó a Compañía de Comunicaciones del Ejército Listo sabotaje a señales de TV. Las antenas de transmisión de CMT, Televen, RCTV, Venevisión, Globovisión, Meridiano Televisión y Supercable corren el riesgo de ser tomadas, asaltadas y desmontadas por la Compañía de Comunicaciones del Ejército. Este plan secreto de sabotaje da instrucciones para neutralizar la señal por tres horas. Lista para su ejecución se encuentra la toma, control y sabotaje de la estación El Volcán, donde funcionan las antenas de transmisión de los canales Televen, Globovisión, CMT, Meridiano Televisión y Supercable. Un documento secreto del Ejército obtenido por El Universal da cuenta de que la operación ha sido asignada a la 3431 Compañía de Comunicaciones de Combate, al mando del teniente (Ej) Hugo Pacheco Salazar, con la participación de 22 soldados y tres sargentos técnicos, cuya misión consiste en someter a los vigilantes y guardias nacionales encargados de la custodia, violentar el acceso, retirar la alimentación eléctrica, invertir los cables de audio y video y colapsar por completo las transmisiones.... http://buscador.eluniversal.com/eudcontent/viewArticle.do;jsessionid=buscador.eluniversal.com-28cf%3A3e020ce5%3A4ad4bd28d05c8ad7?articleId=1168140 (El Universal Dec 13 via Jorge Garcia, Venezuela, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 4695, 13.12 2125, unID in English language with news and features. A mail address sounded the same as Radio Sawa`s. They also were called National Broadcasting.... and with an address for a P.O box. Music sounded as coming from Balkans. Closed at 2200 after a pause signal. The call sounded like 7125 and 9570 among others. An international station and probably a mixing product, heard on different antennas both on the NRD and ICOM. QSA 1-2 and lots of splatter. JE/RFK (=Jan Edh/Ronny Forslund, Sweden, SW Bulletin via Thomas Nilsson, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. (Ethiopia/Niger): Observing 9705 +/- 1 at around 1800, there is often a het plus weak signal(s) from Africa. Seems that Ethiopia and Niger transmitter are heavily fighting out who's stronger. Maybe they don't really like to but in Niamey they are unable to move their only and unstable transmitter to a more suitable frequency? (Thorsten Hallmann, Muenster, Schroeder's dark empire, Dec 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ FREQUENCY PLANNING [non] ++++++++++++++++++ ANALOGUE BROADCASTING ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FREQUENCY MOVEMENTS. The B02 season is barely six weeks old, and there continue to be major changes to scheduled frequencies by many international broadcasters. This is due, in part, to flawed frequency coordination and planning processes, brought about by administrations attempting to set up schedules months in advance, by using dubious computer propagation modelling programs which are highly theoretical, and of little practical benefit! That software relies heavily on accurate projected solar activity forecasts, where that data is subject to constant fluctuation and churn. The frequency planning whole process is further affected by the obvious ignorance by some administrations of practical, real-life propagation situations. Many people, with no formal technical or engineering qualifications or background, declaring themselves to be "Frequency Planners" fail to understand that HF signals do mot travel in straight lines (like the Lines of Nazca Plains or laser beams!). For the current season, there are hundreds of avoidable frequency incompatibilities, mainly due to the incorrect use of a given frequency by two or more broadcasters, servicing the same general target area, at the same time. Furthermore, it is not readily understood that transmissions on the same frequency for DIFFERENT target areas often cause severe interference! In August 2002, frequency managers of the world's three coordination groups - the ABU-HFC, ASBU, and HFCC met in Bangkok to coordinate their B-02 schedules. There was an incredible array of managers attending, representing 57 broadcasters, which is about 85% of the world's SW broadcasters. This group endeavoured to coordinate frequency requirements of over 7600 daily transmissions, over a five-day working period. The results of that work were revealed in a reduction of up to 15% of frequency incompatibilities, and one mast surely ask what happened to the other 85%? Other outcomes of the meeting included: - the need for Heads of Engineering of ABU members to enhance their level of participation in coordination activities - a new group was set up to consider issues related to providing greater autonomy to the coordination process - development of a new frequency incompatibility system taking into account REAL interference effects, - development of enhanced technical tools Study of the HFCC Public and Internal operational files for B02 shows an enormous number of frequency assignments which are not in use! Thus, these various coordination meetings are trying to coordinate frequency assignments for imaginary operations, where some administrations are putting up requirements for a range of channels, which they will never use. That of course is one reason why some frequencies in the international bands are "vacant", yet others suffer from mammoth congestion! The situation is exacerbated when it is known that several large government broadcasters do not participate in the meetings, such as North Korea, Taiwan, and Cuba. As a communications engineer myself, I would have great trepidation in hiring or sub-contracting unqualified/non-engineering people to drive the technical planning process of any broadcasting enterprise. Neither would I prepare, or endorse frequency allocation requirements based only on a "general purpose" propagation software modelling program, without validation that key operational requirements had been satisfied. Until the entire process is improved, customers of international broadcasters (meaning listeners) will continue to be aggravated by trying to tune in to HF channels which are either not propagationally suitable, or are buried under transmissions for the same or other target areas. The continual variation of frequency usage, due, so we are told, to "poor propagation" is a weak excuse for failure of administrations to professionally and efficiently take into account all key parameters when setting up advance schedules; the simple expedient of typing in a few numbers into a software program is only the first stage of what ought to be a highly iterative process - not the final outcome! Should the customer's needs come first - perhaps not for international broadcasting...! (Bob Padula, EDXP Dec 19 via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ MUF/LUF CHART Henry and Glenn, I managed to find and repair a MUF/LUF Chart Java Applet I wrote a long time ago [1996]. I put it on the web at http://www.superlink.net/~pec/muflufjava.html (Pete Costello, NJ, Dec 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) MUF, OWF AND FOT For those who have wondered what the abbreviations, "MUF," "OWF" and "FOT" mean, here's a bit of an explanation. You may find the current FOT (OWF) predictions between some common points on the Earth at my OWF table http://hfradio.org/latest_chart.html - and you may also see the predicted Smoothed Sunspot Numbers for 2003 at http://prop.hfradio.org/#FOT There are two definitions for the abbreviation, "MUF." The International Telecommunications Union ITU-R (Recommendation P.373-7 10/1995, in force) recommends two definitions for MUF: 1. Operational MUF (or just MUF) is the highest frequency that would permit acceptable operation of a radio service between given terminals at a given time under specific working conditions (antennas, power, emission type, required S/N ratio, and so forth), and, 2. Basic MUF, being the highest frequency by which a radio wave can propagate between given terminals by ionospheric propagation alone, independent of power. The difference in frequency between operational MUF and basic MUF is in practice from ten to thirty-five percent. In most prediction software and in amateur radio and shortwave listening references the MUF refers to the first definition. On each day of the month at a given hour, there is a maximum observed frequency (MOF) for a mode. The median of this distribution is called the MUF. In other words, the MUF is the frequency for which ionospheric support is predicted on 50% of the days of the month, i.e. 15 days out of 30 days. So on a given day communications may or may not succeed on the frequency marked as the MUF. To ensure a good communication link between two locations, the operating frequency is typically chosen below the predicted MUF. A commonly used formula for finding the optimal operating frequency for a given path is to calculate between 80 to 90% of the MUF. Depending on what model you use for determining MUF and OWF, this percentage of usable days may be 50% or 90%. VOACAP uses 50%, for example. Synonyms for the optimal operating frequency are FOT (frequency of optimum traffic), OTF (optimum traffic frequency or optimum transmission frequency), and OWF (optimum working frequency). So, as an example, if you find that the MUF is 23 MHz on a day with a Smoothed Sunspot Number of 130, over a path between you and some far off point, you would find the OWF as between 18.4 MHz and 20.7 MHz. You might be able to work 15 meters to that distant point. Most likely, you would find better conditions on 17 meters. There are more factors involved in finding the "right" frequency to use between two points. These include absorption by lower regions (like the D layer), the "take off angle" of the radio signal from the originating antenna, and so forth. The ionosphere is made up of several regions. The ionosphere is that part of the atmosphere, extending from about 70 to 500 kilometers, in which ions and free electrons exist in sufficient quantities to reflect and/or refract electromagnetic waves. These regions are the F2 region (250 to 400 km above the Earth), the F1 region (160 to 250 km), the E region (95 to 130 km), and the D region (50 to 95 km), under which is the Troposphere and so forth. When a radio signal (an electromagnetic wave) propagates into the ionosphere, it might be absorbed, attenuated, refracted, or it might shoot right through and out into space. If a signal makes it through the lower regions, a redirection will occur for those signals whose frequencies are at or below a "critical" frequency (that being the frequency just below those that punch through the F regions and out into space). The redirection is a bending by a complex processing involving reflection and refraction. Depending on the angle of the radio wave (or, "angle of incidence") as it enters the region where it is redirected, the signal will be "reflected" back to the Earth at some variably distant point. Think of a flashlight beam that you shine at a mirror. When you shine on the mirror straight on, you have the beam of light coming almost straight back at you, but if you angle the light beam, the reflected light will move further away from you. The amount of radio wave bending depends on the extent of penetration (which is a function of frequency), the angle of incidence, polarization of the wave, and ionospheric conditions, such as the ionization density. The Lowest Usable Frequency (LUF) is that frequency in the HF band at which the received field intensity is sufficient to provide the required signal-to-noise ratio for a specified time period, e.g., 0100 to 0200 UTC, on 90% of the undisturbed days of the month. The amount of energy absorbed by the lower regions (D region, primarily) directly impacts the LUF. If a signal at 5 MHz is totally absorbed by the D region, but a signal at 6 MHz makes it through without a lot of loss, and the E or F layer refracts the 6 MHz signal, the LUF will be near that 6 MHz part of the spectrum. The MUF might be 12 MHz. The OWF (optimum working frequency) will be somewhere between 6 and 12 MHz, probably around 10 MHz. Frequency of Optimum Transmission (FOT): In the transmission of radio waves via ionospheric reflection, the FOT is the highest effective frequency (or best working frequency) for a given path that is predicted to be usable for a specified time for a percentage of the days of the month. You may find more about propagation at my propagation page http://prop.hfradio.org and in my monthly columns in CQ Magazine and Popular Communications. For those who might be interested, I was interviewed by Hap of the RAIN REPORT. The interview is split into two parts. Part one is now available this week, and part two will be available Friday, this week. You can find the Rain Report at http://rainreport.com/ In the interview, I talk a bit about this current Solar Cycle. 73 de (Tomas, NW7US // AAR0JA, Hood, swl via DXLD) FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 18 DECEMBER 2002 - 13 JANUARY 2003 Solar activity is expected to be low to moderate. M-class activity is possible during the first half of the period from Regions 224, 226, and 229. These regions are also due to return to the visible disk late in the period resulting in M-class potential after 08 January. There is a slight chance of a greater than 10 MeV proton event during the forecast period. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geo- synchronous orbit is expected to reach event threshold on 21-22 December and again on 28 - 29 December due to recurring coronal holes. The geomagnetic field is expected to be at quiet to active levels during the forecast period. A positive polarity coronal hole is due to return to a geo-effective position on 18-19 December and is expected to result in active to isolated minor storm conditions. A weaker recurring coronal hole is expected to return on 25-28 December resulting in unsettled to isolated active conditions. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2002 Dec 17 2211 UTC # Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Environment Center # Product description and SEC contact on the Web # http://www.sec.noaa.gov/wwire.html # # 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table # Issued 2002 Dec 17 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2002 Dec 18 200 20 4 2002 Dec 19 200 20 4 2002 Dec 20 195 15 3 2002 Dec 21 195 15 3 2002 Dec 22 190 15 3 2002 Dec 23 190 12 3 2002 Dec 24 185 12 3 2002 Dec 25 175 12 3 2002 Dec 26 170 12 3 2002 Dec 27 160 12 3 2002 Dec 28 155 12 3 2002 Dec 29 150 10 3 2002 Dec 30 150 10 3 2002 Dec 31 150 12 3 2003 Jan 01 150 8 3 2003 Jan 02 150 10 3 2003 Jan 03 150 15 3 2003 Jan 04 155 10 3 2003 Jan 05 155 12 3 2003 Jan 06 160 12 3 2003 Jan 07 155 10 3 2003 Jan 08 155 10 3 2003 Jan 09 165 10 3 2003 Jan 10 170 10 3 2003 Jan 11 180 10 3 2003 Jan 12 185 10 3 2003 Jan 13 185 10 3 (from http://www.sec.noaa.gov/radio Dec 17 via WORLD OF RADIO 1161, DXLD) ###