DX LISTENING DIGEST 3-067, April 17, 2003 edited by Glenn Hauser, ghauser@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 later at http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldtd3d.html HTML version of late March issues: http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldtd3c.html For restrixions and searchable 2003 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 NEXT AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1178: WJIE: Fri 0730, Sat 0930, Sun 0200, 1030, 1630 on 7445 and/or 13595 RFPI: Sat 0130, 0800, 1400, 1730, 2330, Sun 0530, 1200, 1830 on 7445 WWCR: Sat 0600, Sun 0230 5070, 0730 3210, Wed 0930 9475 WRN: rest of world Sat 0800, Europe Sun 0530, North America Sun 1400 WRN ONDEMAND http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO: Check http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html [Low] (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1178.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1178.ram [High] (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1178h.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1178h.ram (Summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1178.html WORLD OF RADIO, CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL BROADCAST SCHEDULE EFFECTIVE APRIL 17, 2003 RFPI: 15039 is currently off the air, but 7445 is 24 hours, altho not audible beyond Central America in daytime. Some programming may be pre-empted for Pacifica war coverage. Some new times are in place as of April 16. RFPI fine print advises that programs after 0600 UT actually air half an hour later than shown! WJIE: check for tests on 13595 duplicating programming on 7490. Schedule changed completely April 14. For latest updates see our Anomaly Alert page: http://www.worldofradio.com/anomaly.html Days and times here are strictly UT. Wed 2200 WOR WBCQ 7415 17495-CUSB [first airing of each edition] Thu 0730 WOR WJIE 7490 Thu 2000 COM RFPI 7490 Thu 2030 WOR WWCR 15825 Fri 0200 COM RFPI 7490 Fri 0730 WOR WJIE 7490 Fri 0800 COM RFPI 7490 Fri 1400 COM RFPI 7490 Fri 1930 WOR RFPI 7445 Fri 2115 MR WWCR 15825 [or as early as 2110] Fri 2300 WOR Studio X, Momigno, Italy 1584 1566 87.35 96.55 105.55 Sat 0130 WOR RFPI 7445 Sat 0600 WOR WWCR 5070 Sat 0730 WOR RFPI 7445 Sat 0800 WOR WRN1 to Eu, Au, NZ, WorldSpace AfriStar, AsiaStar, Telstar 12 SAm Sat 0855 WOR WNQM Nashville TN 1300 Sat 0930 WOR WJIE 7490 Sat 1330 WOR RFPI 7445 Sat 1530 WOR WMQM Memphis TN 1600 [week delay] Sat 1730 WOR RFPI 7445 Sat 1828 WOR WPKN Bridgeport CT 89.5 [week delay] Sat 2130 COM RFPI 7445 Sat 2330 WOR RFPI 7445 Sun 0200 WOR WJIE 7490 [unconfirmed] Sun 0230 WOR WWCR 5070 Sun 0330 COM RFPI 7445 Sun 0430 WOR WRN Europe only; http://www.nyhedsradioen24-7.dk/ Sun 0530 WOR RFPI 7445 Sun 0630 WOR WWCR 3210 Sun 0930 COM RFPI 7445 Sun 1030 WOR WJIE 7490 Sun 1130 WOR RFPI 7445 Sun 1400 WOR WRN to North America, also WLIO-TV Lima OH SAP Sun 1530 COM RFPI 7445 Sun 1630 WOR WJIE 7490 13595 Sun 1830 WOR RFPI 7445 Sun 1930 WOR Studio X, Momigno, Italy 1584 1566 87.35 96.55 105.55 Mon 0030 WOR RFPI 7445 Mon 0330 WOR WSUI Iowa City IA 910 [week delay] Mon 0445 WOR WBCQ 7415 Mon 0630 WOR RFPI 7445 Mon 0730 WOR WJIE 7490 Mon 1230 WOR RFPI 7445 Tue 0730 WOR WJIE 7490 Tue 1900 WOR RFPI 7445 Wed 0100 WOR RFPI 7445 Wed 0700 WOR RFPI 7445 Wed 0730 WOR WJIE 7490 Wed 0930 WOR WWCR 9475 Wed 1300 WOR RFPI 7445 Wed 2100 MR WWCR 15825 Latest edition of this schedule version is at: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html An expanded schedule also showing local times: http://www.worldofradio.com/wormast.html Internet on demand: see Our Current Audio page for availability: http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html Webcasts at times shown are available from all stations except WWCR, WNQM, WMQM, Studio X. WRN: http://live.wrn.org:8080/ramgen/live/wrnengnaeu.smi or http://live.wrn.org:8080/ramgen/live/wrnengnaus.smi RFPI via SW feed: http://www.boinklabs.com/ifpi.html RFPI direct webcast: http://195.210.0.134:8004/listen.pls [suspended] WJIE: http://www.wjiesw.com WPKN: http://www.wpkn.org WSUI: http://wsui.uiowa.edu ** AFGHANISTAN [non]. RADIO FREE AFGHANISTAN LAUNCHES NEW WEB SITE Radio Free Afghanistan, launched in January 2002 and part of the US government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, has launched a web site carrying news, features and live and archived audio content. The site can be accessed at http://www.azadiradio.org The English page was launched on 16 April. Content in Pashto and Dari will be added the following week. Source: BBC Monitoring research 17 Apr 03 (via DXLD) ** ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS. India, 4760, AIR Port Blair, full data "Minar, Delhi" card, v/s A.K Bhatnagar, in 7 weeks, IRC Rp. (Joe Talbot Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, N: 52-16-18 W: 113-48-46, Grid: DO32cg. Rx: Rockwell Collins HF-2050. Antennas: 7 Slinky - 92'(28m). 14'(4.26m) x 29'(8.83m) Flag. T2FD Centered On 90m (3300 kHz). 65'(20m) Coil Loaded Sloper. MFJ 1026 With Vertical. 64' (19.5m) Tower, hard-core-dx via DXLD) ** AUSTRIA. There is no chance whatsoever to save RAI, but a good opportunity to say goodbye will be Sat 26 April, International Marconi Day, when there will be ham radio special station OE1-Marconi [actually OE1M, I assume --- gh] from premises of RAI round the clock; will honor every reception report for either ham station or broadcasts on that day, or both, with special combined qsl. IRC or rp required. A final thing after which the office will be closed (Wolf Harranth, RAI, on RVI Radio World Apr 13, notes by gh for WORLD OF RADIO 1178, DX LISTENING DIGEST) No details; maybe somewhere on their unfriendly website? ** BAHRAIN [and non]. Re previous report: This is Voice of the Mediterranean, on 12060 kHz 2000-2100! As it happens though, Radio Bahrain is indeed back on shortwave; perhaps they got their old 9746 kHz transmitter out of mothballs for the Iraq war. For the past couple of weeks I've been hearing their General [Arabic] Programme on 9745 kHz, apparently round the clock; transmission mode is AM with suppressed lower sideband. No sign of their English service on 6010 kHz though! (Dave Kernick, England, April 16, WORLD OF RADIO 1178, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Click your way to the Interval Signals Archive http://www.intervalsignals.net ** BARBADOS. VETERAN BROADCASTER KILLED IN BARBADOS | Text of report by Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) news agency 14 April Bridgetown, Barbados: The broadcasting fraternity in Barbados has reacted with shock to news of the passing of veteran broadcaster Carl Scott aged 50. Police are treating his death as an apparent case of murder. His partially clad body, bearing two stab wounds to the throat and chest, was found lying at the side of the Spring Garden Highway, just outside the capital, on Sunday [13 April] night. Scott's car was parked off the road, mere feet away, facing north. Police, who were Sunday night questioning a male suspect in connection with the death, say blood was also found at Scott's home not far away, suggesting that he was attacked there and then transported to the highway. Scott, whose broadcasting career spanned over three decades, started off at the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). He also worked for a short stint as a news anchor for the Barbados-based Caribbean News Agency (CANA) [this news agency] but spent most of his professional life at Barbados Rediffusion Services Limited, which is now known as StarCom Network Inc. At the time of his death he was a Senior Programme Assistant at StarCom. In a statement of condolence, the company's CEO Vic Fernandes described Scott as "one of the finest news readers in Barbados and the region", while noting that "his voice was always heard on air". He also paid tribute to Scott as an outside broadcaster, adding that he produced many programmes, which brought a great deal of pleasure and happiness to many people. "'Yours truly Carl' has been his most recent product but Carl Scott, above all, was a colleague, he was someone that we cared for. He worked with us, he worked very closely as part of our team and we are all deeply saddened," said Fernandes, in expressing deepest sympathy on behalf of the Board, Management and Staff of the company. Julius Gittens, Programme Director of the Caribbean Environmental Reporters Network (CERN), also issued a statement in which he described Scott as "a friend of CERN" and "a consummate professional broadcaster and a veteran of three decades. He was one of this country's (Barbados') finest, most authoritative and credible news presenters. His was a gift of flawless delivery, affable manner and subtle shading of tone and colour. When Carl Scott read the news you listened," Gittens said. Source: Caribbean Media Corporation news agency, Bridgetown, in English 1615 gmt 14 Apr 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. 6080, Radio San Gabriel (presumed), La Paz, New frequency! 0910-0935, April 17. Aymara and some announcements in Spanish. Interview to a countryman from Cabaña La Esperanza. He said about the vegetables and strawberry production. Announcement "Centro Naturista Makitani, en Avenida Tumusla 422, Galeria Metropoli, a dos cuadras de la plaza.....la primer persona que llegue, reclame una fricción totalmente gratis de uña de gato...". Government announcement: "El 9 de Abril el Presidente Gonzalo Sánchez de Losada ha promulgado la ley de trabajadoras del hogar...". Very nice Andean music. Ann. or ID: "San Gabriel, sistema de educación de adultos a distancia". Strong QRM from Radio Novas de Paz, Curitiba, Brazil in same frequency. 42422 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, hard-core-dx via DXLD) 6080, Radio San Gabriel (presumiblemente), La Paz, Nueva frecuencia! (ex 6085v), 0910-0935, Abril 17. Transmisión en aymara y algunos anuncios esporádicos en español. Entrevista a un productor rural de la from Cabaña La Esperanza, quien habla acerca de la producción de hortalizas y frutillas que se realiza en dicha explotación agropecuaria. Anuncio comercial: "Centro Naturista Makitani, en Avenida Tumusla 422, Galería Metrópoli, a dos cuadras de la plaza... la primer persona que llegue, reclame una fricción totalmente gratis de uña de gato...". Anuncio del gobierno boliviano: "El 09 de Abril el Presidente Gonzalo Sánchez de Losada ha promulgado la ley de trabajadoras del hogar.....". Muy bonita musica andina. Anuncio o ID: "San Gabriel, sistema de educación de adultos a distancia". Fortísima QRM de Radio Novas de Paz, Curitiba, Brasil en la misma frecuencia. 42422 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, Conexión Digital via DXLD) Arnaldo, Radio San Gabriel, La Paz está transmitindo nestes dias em 6080 kHz; algumas vezes tem problema no transmissor, melhor esperar uns dias para ver se é definitivo a troca de freqüência. 73 (Rogildo Fontenelle Aragão, Cochabamba, ibid.) Es verdad, Rogildo. Es lo más prudente. Personalmente, recepcionaba mejor la emisora [antes] en los 6085.3v ya que la interferencia de la emisora brasileña en los 6080 es fortísima y, desde las 0930+ UT ya la señal se pìerde totalmente. Gracias por tu opinion y muchos saludos (Arnaldo Slaen, ibid.) ** CANADA. The folks at the CHUM stations in Windsor (CKWW, CKLW, CIMX, CIDR) say they're looking into *adding* IBOC to their existing Eureka service in order to make sure they don't lose their audience in Detroit. They wouldn't stop running Eureka, and it wouldn't affect the rest of Canada (though I suspect a couple of the Niagara stations would do the same down the road). s, who wuz there (Scott Fybush, NV, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** CANADA. FACE IT: ON RADIO, WE'RE ALL GORGEOUS Robin Summerfield, Calgary Herald, Wednesday, April 16, 2003 More often than not, the face you picture behind the radio or telephone voice doesn't jibe with reality. . . http://canada.com/national/story.asp?id=86F06C4E-D5A9-498B-8F10-5A00E55DC5A2 (via Jilly Dybka, KF4ZEO, DXLD) ** CANADA. It's about time GeoMapIt's about TIME By H. David Matthews and Mary Vincent [see original for maps] http://www.cangeo.ca/magazine/so98/geomap.htm WE ARE A COUNTRY of chronic lawbreakers. From east to west, Canada is neatly divided into six time zones. But many Canadians choose to make their own time and ignore the time zone boundaries. And the rule that clocks spring forward on the first Sunday in April and fall back on the last Sunday in October? In some parts of Canada, the times are never a-changin': we all know that Saskatchewan doesn't use daylight savings, but other pockets of the country don't bother with it either. And while Alberta's time-abiding citizens strictly follow Mountain Time - violators can be slapped with a $25 fine - these maps illustrate Canada's time zone anomalies. The Northwest Territories has four time zones and no shortage of time zone quirks. The Canadian Forces station at Alert uses Eastern Time while the handful of residents at the Eureka weather station skip daylight savings. Baffin Island, which is crossed by the Central, Eastern and Atlantic Time zones only uses Eastern Time. Gjoa Haven, Taloyoak and Pelly Bay all use Mountain instead of Central Time and Southampton Island is not required to use daylight savings. Time stands still around the British Columbia communities of Fort St. John and Dawson Creek. Residents are on Mountain Standard Time year round, meaning Mountain Time in the winter and Pacific Time in the summer. The East Kootenays are an hour or so ahead of their time: from Cranbrook to Golden, they follow Mountain Time while Creston ignores daylight savings, putting the town on Mountain Time in the winter and Pacific Time in the summer. Canada's border city Lloydminster, which straddles the Alberta- Saskatchewan divide, has a special charter permitting the use of Mountain Time with daylight savings. Residents of Denare Beach and Creighton break Saskatchewan's anti-daylight savings law by putting their clocks ahead during the summer to keep up with their neighbours in Flin Flon, Manitoba. Right on the time zone boundary, Pickle Lake and New Osnaburgh do not bother with daylight savings and, despite being east of the 90th meridian, Big Trout Lake follows Central Time. To keep up with the big city of Thunder Bay, Upsala and Shebandowan break the rules and use Eastern Time, while Atikokan ignores daylight savings, meaning residents use Eastern Time in the winter and Central Time in the summer. Quebec's far eastern North Shore is supposed to use Atlantic Standard Time year round with no daylight savings, but residents as far east as Natashquan use Eastern Time like the rest of the province. And while Labrador should follow Newfoundland Time, most parts, with the exception of the southeast corner, use Atlantic Time (as of 1998y I suspect from URL, via Eric Flodén, BC, April 16, ODXA via DXLD) ** CAPE VERDE. Glenn, concerning the beginning of broadcasts of Trans World Radio to the Republic of Cape Verde, your remarks are right. How can TWR say that only 1 % of the Cape Verdean population is Christian? In fact, this figure is near 100%, the great majority of the population being Roman Catholic! The African beliefs that are said to be fused with Christian ones are not strong. Take a look at the following CIA web page: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/cv.html 73 (Fernando de Sousa Ribeiro, Oporto, Portugal, radioescutas via WORLD OF RADIO 1178, DXLD) ** CHILE. 6010, Radio Parinacota, Putre, 0850-0905, April 17. Spanish transmission. Romantic music. Complete ID as: "Transmite Parinacota, en 94,5 Megaciclos, FM y 6010 kilociclos, banda regional de 49 metros". After, local folk music.c23432 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, hard-core-dx via DXLD) ** CHINA. TUNNELING THROUGH THE GREAT FIREWALL OF CHINA ZDNet reports that the US International Broadcasting Bureau has commissioned software that lets Chinese Web users circumvent the Chinese government’s Internet censorship. The software enables PC users running Windows XP or 2000 to set up a simple version of what's known as a circumvention Web server. It uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), to allow the person who installs it to set up a miniature Web site through which a firewall-restricted surfer can access the rest of the Web. The software also creates anonymity by covering the Web user's tracks and leaving no record of what sites he or she visited beyond the miniature Web site. The IBB hasn't yet figured out exactly how it will distribute the software, or how it will get the word out to people who are prevented from hearing the IBB's message in the first place. One possible solution is to tap dissident Chinese expatriate communities that maintain ties to China. The full story is at http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1105-997101.html (Andy Sennitt, RN blog via DXLD) ** CYPRUS TURKISH. Just received nice snail-mail verification letter and other things from R Bayrak, Lefkosa, TRNC. The letterhead gives their address as: Bayrak Radio & Television Corporation PO Box 417 Lefkosa Mersin 10, Turkey The letter was signed by Ulfet Kortmaz, Head of Bayrak International. First name "U" has two top dots. This for my Feb 2003 e-mail report on 6150 kHz. Same report was also earlier verified with e-mail by Halil Balbaz, transmitter manager (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. About Ethiopian station on 7520. I heard it on Sunday at 2050-2100*, but I wasn't able to catch it on Monday and Tuesday. Does it broadcast only by weekends? And is this broadcasting direct or relay? (Artyom Prokhoov, Moscow, Cumbre DX via DXLD) The Ethiopian is just on Sundays. It is a relay, seemingly from Norway. This is brokered by TDP which has issued QSL cards for its clients in the past. You can find contact info at http://www.broadcast.be (Hans Johnson, ibid.) ** GERMANY. The world's first-ever daily, live DRM broadcasts will occur on June 16th, 2003 during the WRC 2003 in Geneva. Deutsche Welle is the first broadcaster to announce its participation -- with more to come. Please see attached press release for more information. If you are interested in an interview about this upcoming historic event for broadcasting, please let me know at pressoffice@drm.org or +44 1481 268246. Best regards, (Siriol Jane Evans, Director, Press & Communications, Digital Radio Mondiale, Apr 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) DRM`S INAUGURAL BROADCASTS SLATED FOR JUNE 16, 2003 Deutsche Welle Becomes the First Broadcaster To Sign Up Geneva – The world`s first Digital Radio Mondiale(DRM) broadcasts will be transmitted across the globe on June 16th, 2003. The precise moment of DRM`s inaugural broadcasts will occur during the International Telecommunications Union`s (ITU) World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC 2003) in Geneva, marked by a spectacular reception at the Château de Penthes. Germany`s Deutsche Welle (DW) was the first broadcaster to announce its participation. Says DW`s Director-General, Erik Bettermann: ``We congratulate DRM on the official start on June 16th. We will do everything possible to help DRM become a success for millions of our listeners around the world. And in turn we expect the receiver- manufacturing industry to be just as committed by developing suitable receivers.`` The DRM consortium has been led by Peter Senger, DW`s Executive Director of Marketing, Distribution and Technology, since its inception in 1998. ``In the coming weeks, many of the world`s best- known broadcasters and network operators will also confirm their participation in DRM`s historic debut,`` says Mr. Senger. ``This joint commencement of daily DRM broadcasts by media organizations worldwide will forever alter the industry landscape.`` Deutsche Welle will broadcast 12 program hours per day in German and English to target regions in Europe. DRM is the world`s only non-proprietary, digital system for short- wave, medium-wave/AM and long-wave with the ability to use existing frequencies and bandwidth across the globe. With clear, near-FM quality sound that offers a dramatic improvement over analogue, DRM will revitalize the broadcasting bands below 30 MHz. The DRM consortium`s membership is higher than ever – 81 members from 30 countries. DRM reached an important milestone in January 2003, when the International Electrotechnical Committee (IEC) gave the DRM on-air system its highest stamp of approval – International Standard. Commercial DRM-capable receivers are expected to be available in markets worldwide in the next few years. About DW Deutsche Welle (DW) is Germany`s international broadcasting service offering German and foreign language programs on DW-TV and DW-RADIO as well as the website DW-WORLD.DE. Tasked with presenting news from a European and German perspective, DW offers both hard news and cultural highlights from all over the world. Editorially independent, DW presents events around the globe in well-researched and impartial reporting both within its news formats and in magazines and documentaries. The website DW-WORLD.DE offers a well-integrated multimedia spectrum of content. The publicly funded institution in Germany is one of the five largest international broadcasting services in the world. About DRM DRM`s founding members joined forces in 1998 to create a digital system (also called DRM) for the broadcasting bands below 30 MHz. DRM information and audio samples are available online at http://www.drm.org DRM Members DRM`s members are Commercial Radio Australia (Australia); Nautel Ltd., Radio Canada International/CBC (Canada); Academy of Broadcasting Science of China (China); RIZ Transmitters (Croatia); HFCC (Czech Republic); ESPOL, HCJB World Radio (Ecuador); Digita Oy, Kymenlaakso Polytechnic (Finland); Atmel ES 2, CCETT, Radio France, Radio France Internationale, TéléDiffusion de France, Thales Broadcast & Multimedia (France); ADDX, APR, Coding Technologies GmbH, Deutsche Welle, DeutschlandRadio, DLM, Sender Europa 1, Fraunhofer IIS, Georg-Simon-Ohm – University of Applied Sciences Nuremberg, Innovationszentrum Telekommunikationstechnik GmbH IZT, IRT, Medienanstalt Sachsen-Anhalt/Digitaler Rundfunk Sachsen-Anhalt, Micronas GmbH, Robert Bosch GmbH, Sony International Europe, SWR Südwestrundfunk, TELEFUNKEN SenderSysteme Berlin AG, T-Systems MediaBroadcast, University of Applied Sciences - FH Merseburg, University of Hannover, University of Ulm, VPRT (Germany); Antenna Hungaria, Communications Authority Hungary (Hungary); All India Radio (India); Basamad College, Tehran (Iran); Hitachi Kokusai Electric Ltd., JVC Victor Company of Japan, Ltd., NHK (Japan); Libyan Jamahiriya Broadcasting (Libya); Broadcasting Centre Europe (Luxembourg); Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (Malaysia); Nozema, Radio Netherlands (Netherlands); Radio New Zealand International (New Zealand); Voice of Nigeria (Nigeria); Telenor/Norkring (Norway); Radiodifusao Portuguesa (Portugal); RTRN/The Voice of Russia (Russia); Arab States Gulf Cooperation Council (Saudi Arabia); Universidad del Pais Vasco, (Spain); Radio Sweden International (Sweden); EBU, International Committee of the Red Cross, ITU (Switzerland); Arab States Broadcasting Union (Tunisia); BBC, Christian Vision, VT Merlin Communications, QinetiQ, RadioScape Ltd., Roke Manor Research Ltd., WRN (U.K.); Dolby Laboratories Incorporated, Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation, Harris Broadcast Corporation, IBB/VOA, IDT Continental Electronics, Kintronic Laboratories, Inc., National Association of Short-wave Broadcasters, Sangean America, Inc.,TCI, a Dielectric Company, Via Licensing Corporation (U.S.A.); and Radio Vaticana (Vatican City). (via Siriol Jane Evans, DRM, April 17 via DXLD) WTFK?????????? DEUTSCHE WELLE ANNOUNCES DAILY LIVE DRM BROADCASTS | Text of press release by Deutsche Welle on 17 April Geneva - The world's first Digital Radio Mondialei (DRMi) broadcasts will be transmitted across the globe on June 16th, 2003. Germany's Deutsche Welle (DW) was the first broadcaster to announce its participation. Says DW's Director-General, Erik Bettermann: "We congratulate DRM on the official start on June 16th. We will do everything possible to help DRM become a success for millions of our listeners around the world. And in turn we expect the receiver- manufacturing industry to be just as committed by developing suitable receivers." The DRM consortium has been led by Peter Senger, Deutsche Welle's Executive Director of Marketing, Distribution and Technology, since its inception in 1998. The precise moment of DRM's inaugural broadcasts will occur during the International Telecommunications Union's (ITU) World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC 2003) in Geneva, marked by a spectacular reception at the Chateau de Penthes. "Deutsche Welle is delighted to announce that its daily, live DRM broadcasts will begin on June 16th," says Mr. Senger. "In the coming weeks, many of the world's best-known broadcasters and network operators will also confirm their participation in DRM's historic debut. This joint commencement of daily DRM broadcasts by media organizations worldwide will forever alter the industry landscape." Deutsche Welle will broadcast 12 program hours per day in German and English to target regions in Europe. DRM is the world's only non-proprietary, digital system for short- wave, medium-wave/AM and long-wave with the ability to use existing frequencies and bandwidth across the globe. With clear, near-FM quality sound that offers a dramatic improvement over analogue, DRM will revitalize the broadcasting bands below 30 MHz. With its inaugural broadcasts two months away, the DRM consortium's membership is higher than ever - 81 members from 30 countries. DRM reached an important milestone in January 2003, when the International Electrotechnical Committee (IEC) gave the DRM on-air system its highest stamp of approval - International Standard. Commercial DRM-capable receivers are expected to be available in markets worldwide in the next few years. Source: Deutsche Welle press release, Cologne, in English 17 Apr 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) But --- isn`t DW already daily with DRM on 6140 at least? (gh, DXLD) Dear Mr. Hauser, I have recently read about DRM technology and RDI's initial startup tests of this new mode of transmission on shortwave. My personal concerns on this matter do not relate to how well this new technology might make shortwave transmissions sound (as I understand it, it should be on par with that of 'mono' CD quality), but rather the implications involved should it be deemed as worthy to force a technological switchover worldwide by means of international regulation: will the dual conversion superhets of now be able to support this new technology, or will everyone (particularly those in 'third world' countries with very limited incomes) have to buy a $700+ dollar receiver and interface it with a $1000 computer to receive the broadcasts? What could this mean for the future of uncensored 'pirate' radio, in, say, ten years? Could this amount to technologic sabotage from the international corporate conglomerates? Please comment and/or recommend sites dealing with this issue to Dann, Septuagint73@Yahoo.com (Sydney Dann Marlboro, Apr 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GHANA. 4915, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation Radio one (1) is back on air (15/4/2003) after two month of being off the due to the breakdown of the transmitter which uses valves. With Radio one back on air, Radio 2(two) its sister station that broadcasts in only English on two frequencies of 3336 (at 0530-0900 UTC AND 1700-2330 UT) and 6130 (0900-1700 UT)is off the air that same day. This presupposes that parts of Radio 2 transmitter may have been taken to repair the Radio one transmitter. Radio 1 broadcasts in six of the Ghanaian local languages as well as news bulletin in English (Charles Wompiah, PO BOX 750, Obuasi, Ashanti Region, Ghana, Apr 16, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** GUINEA-BISSAU. DISMISSED EDITOR OF STATE RADIO VOWS TO FIGHT FOR PRESS FREEDOM | Text of report by Portuguese newspaper Diario de Noticias web site on 12 April A month ago Ensa Seidi was dismissed from his job as editor-in-chief and told to leave the offices of [state-owned] Guinea-Bissau Radio Nacional. No charges were laid against him and he was therefore not given an opportunity to defend himself. He was allegedly dismissed because the Guinea-Bissau secretary of state for information, João Manuel Gomes, did not want him to broadcast a story on the return to the country of former prime minister, Francisco Fadul. In a statement to Diario de Notícias, Seidi, who has not been allowed to work since 8 March, admits he will probably be reinstated only after the legislative elections, scheduled for 6 July, are held. On the day he was dismissed from the radio's offices, Gomes accused the journalist of not supporting President Kumba Yala and his party, the Social Renewal Party (PRS). According to Seidi, the secretary of state is "a frustrated person" who is merely "trying to safeguard his place in the government". The only problem is he does not have a place in society, which creates continuous confusion that does great harm to the PRS. The Rádio Nacional editor-in-chief says he is a "professional" and will continue to fight for the rule of law in Guinea-Bissau. "A decision to remove me from the radio," he said, "will not discourage me. I will continue to fight for the freedom of the press in Guinea-Bissau, even if it costs me my life." Seidi, who has only now broken his silence on the dismissal, did not spare any criticism of the secretary of state for information. Seidi alleged he was completely unaware of an order issued by Gomes, prohibiting any reports on the former prime minister and Social Democratic Union Party president's return to Bissau. "I wasn't aware there was a statement," he said. "On the other hand, I had spoken to my director for information, Ricardo Semedo, on how we were going to cover Francisco Fadul's rallies during his stay in Guinea-Bissau. Rádio Nacional's director, Lamine Djata, also saw and read the report before it was broadcast", added Seidi, who is appalled by their silence. Even if they say they understand, "both are concerned about upholding their relationship with Kumba Yala's government." At any rate, he thinks it is strange that both Djata and Semedo had received the dispatch prohibiting any reference to the former prime minister's return and had failed to say anything. According to Seidi, something is not right about what Gomes and the two radio directors are saying. Source: Diário de Notícias web site, Lisbon, in Portuguese 12 Apr 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** HONDURAS. Radio Litoral; 4832 kHz; 0330 - 0400 UT April 14, 2003; long sermon in Spanish, station ID at 0357; they switched to English programming at 0400; SINPO 44122; ICOM R71A; 114-foot inverted-L (John Sandin, Merriam, KS, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** HONG KONG. Reminder, RTHK special weather broadcasts are underway: Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) returns once again briefly on shortwave for a boat race. Weather forecasts intended for boats participating in San Fernando Race will be aired on 3940 kHz as follows: April 17-20 at 1003 UT; Apr 18-27 at 0003 UT (from http://www.dxing.info via WORLD OF RADIO 1178, DXLD) Did anyone hear the first transmission on 3940 kHz at 1003 UT (1803 HK time)? Here in New York, Radio Tampa on 3925 had SINPO 33333 at that time. Even what I presume was ZLXA on 3935, had pieces of audio. Is it possible the transmission times changed? 73 (George Maroti, NY, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) 1800 local in HK should be about an hour before sunset this time of year, hardly ideal for low-frequency propagation (gh, DXLD) ** INDONESIA. Tentative, 2960, Manggarai, Ruteng, RPDT2, presume the very weak Indo talk by female, barely above the noise level. Listed as 300w; at 1225 UT 4/14. I would like to get a solid log on this one! Drake R8 14 Meter vertical EWE Antenna (Patrick Martin, Seaside OR, hard-core-dx via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL. Next Saturday, the 26th of April, is 'International Marconi Day'. This is a 24-hour event held annually to celebrate the birth of Guglielmo Marconi on the 25th of April 1874. International Marconi Day is not a contest - it is an opportunity for amateurs around the world to make contacts with historic Marconi sites and to gain an award for working a specific number of participating stations. At least 35 special event stations will be on the air from around the world, including around 15 from UK sites associated with Marconi such as Poldhu in Cornwall, Alum Bay on the Isle of Wight and Chelmsford in Essex. In addition, GB2MD will be on the air from RSGB headquarters in Potters Bar. Other stations include VO1IMD from Signal Hill, Newfoundland, and IY4FGM from Marconi's birthplace near Bologna. Further information about International Marconi Day, including a full list of participating stations and the requirements for the award, can be found on the IMD website http://www.gb4imd.co.uk/ (RSGB via Mike Terry, DXLD) see also USA ** INTERNATIONAL INTERNET. WARBLOGS -- More and more readers are discovering Warblogging.com, http://www.warblogs.cc/ and the scores of similar sites as they look for a fresh and unfiltered perspective on current events as well as a forum for debate. Blogs -- Net speak for Web logs -- are a brand of grassroots journalism that has taken off since war began in Iraq last month with amateurs and professional journalists alike joining the movement. But so far, bloggers have experienced many of the same headaches as big media -- long working days, mounting costs, the occasional enraged reader, hack attacks -- plus a few new twists that underscore the complexity of blogging the news. CNN cameraman Kevin Sites, on assignment in Iraq, was asked by his employer to cease updating his blog site http://www.kevinsites.net for the time being to avoid potential reporting conflicts. BBC producer Stuart Hughes' blog http://stuarthughes.blogspot.com/ went quiet for four days last week while he recuperated from a land mine injury in Northern Iraq. Most blogs, however, come from ordinary people voicing their opinion, from the safety of their homes or offices, about a war thousands of miles away. Their exploits can be found by typing in "warblogs" on index sites such as Daypop, http://www.daypop.com/search?qwarblogs&ta The explosion in popularity is due to the viral nature of blogging. Bloggers promote the best and brightest writing samples of fellow bloggers by adding links to their works on their own Web sites. This fraternal connection explains how sometimes a rather obscure blog site can suddenly attract a global audience and become a small force in influencing public opinion. Traffic to Warblogging.com has exploded, growing from dozens of readers last summer to an average of 60,000 per day and nearly 120,000 on March 20, the first full day of the war – an increase that made access to the site spotty at the outset (Reuters via SCDX/MediaScan Apr 16 via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. RUPERT FINALLY SCORES -- Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. Ltd. has struck a deal to take control of DirecTV for about $6.6 billion in cash and stock, giving media mogul Rupert Murdoch his long-sought foothold in the U.S. satellite television market. The transaction rounds out Murdoch's effort to build a diversified U.S. entertainment conglomerate, which now includes everything from film and television assets to a satellite distribution platform that currently stretches from Europe to Latin America to Asia to Australia. Immediately after the transaction, News Corp. will transfer ownership of Hughes to Fox Entertainment Group Inc., its majority-owned entertainment conglomerate that holds its U.S.-based entertainment assets like the Fox television network and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Murdoch said on a conference call "For Fox, a direct-to-home platform capable of delivering our content to American satellite viewers represents an invaluable outlet for our television products." Antitrust attorneys don't expect News Corp. to encounter the same objections that sank EchoStar's bid for Hughes. Unlike EchoStar, News Corp. is not currently in the U.S. pay-TV business, so the acquisition would not lead to further concentration in the industry, experts said. However, the FCC and the Justice Department may have questions about whether the acquisition of DirecTV would allow Murdoch to use TV programming as a club against cable companies and EchoStar. Housing DirecTV within Fox may cause regulators to seek assurances from News Corp. that it would not withhold key programming EchoStar needs to compete, experts said (Reuters via SCDX/MediaScan Apr 16 via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. RUSSIA'S RTR PLANETA NOW STATESIDE The Russian equivalent of a major broadcast network is now in the United States. RTR Planeta, an international Russian-language channel created by Russia’s largest broadcasting company RTR, is available to viewers in the United States. RTR Planeta will be distributed to private homes and apartments nationwide by Russian Media Group (RMG), a U.S. company operating in Fort Lee, N.J. On March 15, RMG launched its own platform on Loral's Telstar-6 satellite, and has begun distributing a package of three Russian-language channels. The company said it reaches roughly 100,000 viewers. In Russia, RTR has two national television channels (RTR and Cultura), 89 regional television companies, and national and local radio stations. More than 200 million viewers in Russia and the former Soviet Republics get RTR’s content (From SkyReport.com via Joe Buch, Mike Terry, DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACCUM. Shuttle fleet could be back in service before year's end: NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe told a congressional panel this week that the nation's shuttle fleet could return to flight before the end of the year. The space agency head thinks the independent investigation board looking into the shuttle Columbia disaster is just weeks away from recommending hardware and procedural improvements necessary to make the remaining three space shuttles safe to fly. O'Keefe said NASA managers and engineers are pursuing solutions to failures the investigation board already has pinpointed. A Russian Soyuz vehicle will transport a new two-person crew--Yuri Malenchenko, RK3DUP, and Ed Lu, KC5WKJ, to the International Space Station later this month. The current all-ham crew will return via the Soyuz that's now attached to the ISS. NASA's shuttle fleet remains on the ground as the space agency continues the Columbia investigation. The February 1 tragedy claimed the lives of seven astronauts, three of them Amateur Radio licensees.--AMSAT News Service; NASA (ARRL April 16 via John Norfolk, OKCOK) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. SPACE STATIONS BUILT BY RADIO By Charles Q. Choi UPI Science News From the Science & Technology Desk Published 4/12/2003 1:00 AM The best way to build future outposts in deep space could be with force fields produced by a variation of the same energy that powers Earth-based radio stations, NASA-funded researchers predict. http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20030405-032902-5181r (via Jill Dybka, TN, DXLD) ** IRAN. DIRECTOR OF IRANIAN EXTERNAL TV SERVICE IN ARABIC OUTLINES AIMS, POLICIES | Text of report by Iranian newspaper Iran web site on 16 April In the heat of America's war in Iraq, Iranian citizens encountered a new emblem and designation on their TV screens that brought news of the emergence of an Arabic-language network. Political observers beyond our borders, who were monitoring [Persian: radyabi] the news policies of the Islamic Republic on the war with curiosity, became aware of the emergence of this new member of the Jaam-e Jam family much more quickly than Iranians, since Al-Alam - by choosing the title "[in Arabic:] war of mastery" for the biggest military event in the region and selecting reporters with Iraqi accents - had drawn people's eyes to itself. Discussions and debates about Al-Alam and its line gradually heated up in view of its particular images and reports on the war. We discussed the questions and ambiguities about Al-Alam and its line with Hoseyn Beheshtipur, the network's managing director. [Iran] On what pillars have Al-Alam's news policy and information delivery objectives been founded? [Beheshtipur] Al-Alam considers itself a network of the world of Islam and sees its sphere of duty as the delivery of positive and negative information to Islamic countries. It believes that it can invigorate self-belief within the world of Islam. The network's coverage area is the entire globe, apart from southern African and southern America. It is broadcast via the Asiasat, Arabsat, Telstar5 and Hotbird3 satellites. But the network's specific audience is Islamic countries, whether Arabic speaking or non-Arabic speaking. Our main news objective is accurate, fast and timely information delivery. Al-Alam tries to fill the vacuums in the media arena and to inform the public of news that media-owning countries do not want to disseminate for whatever reason, and to act as a bridge between Islamic countries. [Iran] But your audience is limited by the fact that Al-Alam is an Arabic-language network. How successful do you think this network is in attracting viewers? [Beheshtipur] In this respect, for the time being, we are broadcasting news in Arabic and we use English subtitles. Soon, there will be an English-language section as well. In order to become acquainted with our audience, have appropriate programming and undertake news coverage in keeping with today's international standards, we have worked to the best of our ability in terms of a young, newly-established network. In this connection, the news software and hardware available to the network, which are being applied for the first time in Iran, have made it possible to strive to attain our aims with a broader scope. But, for the long term, we have a lot to do. [Iran] But it seems that your audience is not as big as those of the region's other Arabic-language networks. [Beheshtipur] Al-Alam has a big audience in its own terms. Our proof is that Reuters and some other news agencies carry reports citing Al- Alam. In Iraq, our news can be received with ordinary aerials. Seven thousand people have visited our web site and we have received 30,000 e-mails so far. [Iran] What will you do to ensure that you can continue to operate in view of the competition from other media, especially in the region? [Beheshtipur] We will try to present information in an unbiased way and to reflect different viewpoints on Al-Alam. [Iran] But, in the war in Iraq, which coincided with the start of your activities, the assessments were that you did not act in an unbiased and comprehensive way. [Beheshtipur] The Al-Alam network has tried to broadcast all-sided news on America's war against Iraq. We were one of the few networks that showed images of Baghdad being targeted. We broadcast both the effects of the war on Iraq and news provided by America itself. Alongside this, we also covered news about the opponents and proponents of the war, as well as the Iraqi opposition. [Iran] Why did you use Iraqi reporters and reporters from Al-Jazeera? Does this not harm your objective to be `comprehensive'? For example, it has been said that you used the employees of Iraq's publicity office? [Beheshtipur] Why shouldn't we receive reports from Iraqi reporters? We would tell these reporters what our aims were and what we wanted, then, we would use their reports. We used six reporters in Arbil, Baghdad, Sulaymaniyah, Dohuk and southern Iraq. Al-Alam's reporter was the first reporter in Faw when it was liberated. We have now used reporters from 18 countries who have done news work professionally not as trainees. [Iran] But this may lead - as some people are suggesting - to Al-Alam taking on an Arab identity, more than an Iranian identity; an example of this is the use of the term "Al-Muhamarah" instead of Khorramshahr and the term "Al-Khalij"? [Beheshtipur] This is not the network's policy. Of course, I have not watched all the news in recent days, but I will look into this. Let me add that the presenters are not by any means allowed to use terminology of this kind. But, if someone whom we had invited for an interview or contacted via a link up, used terminology of this kind, we would not show any sensitivity over it. [Iran] But it is being said that these contrived terms were used in the subtitles in your programmes. [Beheshtipur] They [TV's staff] were totally duty bound to use correct terminology, unless it was a direct quote. [Iran] Do the Foreign Ministry and the relevant bodies approve of your policies? [Beheshtipur] Ask them. [Iran] But some circles think Al-Alam's broadcasts fall outside the framework of the system's policies. What do you think? [Beheshtipur] Which circles? [Iran] Some media [newspapers], for example. [Beheshtipur] This is not at all the case. Of course, it is not our duty to promote the Islamic Republic. This is Sahar TV's duty. We `take into consideration' the system's policies. [Iran] But it seems that this creates problems for our foreign policies and interferes with them. [Beheshtipur] I don't think so. We support the policies. [Iran] As the last question: Was Al-Alam established on the Voice and Vision's initiative or that of other bodies? [Beheshtipur] It was the Voice and Vision's initiative, but other bodies support it. (via BBCM via DXLD) ** IRAQ [and non]. RADIO FOR THE FUTURE OF IRAQ by Mika Mäkeläinen As US troops tore down a statue of Saddam Hussein in Central Baghdad yesterday, clandestine radio station al-Mustaqbal, "The Future", celebrated victory in its hideout in Amman, Jordan. Today al- Mustaqbal resumed its campaign to move into Iraq as soon as possible to establish a radio station there. Al-Mustaqbal is the mouthpiece of the Iraqi National Accord (INA), one of the many opposition groups vying for power in post-war Iraq. According to a source in the INA, several hundred core supporters of the organization are already moving back to Iraq, where they once escaped from. Now the plan for broadcasting, in cooperation with other opposition movements, is to restore electricity and to get transmissions on the air as soon as possible, first from southern Iraq. There is not only a power vacuum in Iraq, but a vacuum for information, as Coalition troops have destroyed nearly all Iraqi radio transmitters, and programs by US Information Radio still leave room for programming produced by the Iraqis for the Iraqi people. Opposition groups, until now confined to operating clandestine stations in Kurdistan or beyond the borders of Iraq, are racing to get their voices heard in post-war Iraq. Sandstorm blocks INA broadcasts Though the outcome was expected, the war didn't go exactly as planned for Al-Mustaqbal, the radio voice of the opposition Iraqi National Accord. Originally, al-Mustaqbal had a bold plan to hijack the airwaves over Iraq by 24-hour blanket broadcasting as soon as the war would begin. The broadcasts would have been aimed at persuading the military to defect to the opposition while they still can. The target group has been clear from the start. Military and intelligence officers have always been the most important support base for the INA. However, instead of increasing airtime, new programming actually decreased when the war began. A strong sandstorm, which brought US ground forces to a standstill in Iraq, also severely damaged a satellite receiving antenna at the clandestine office of al-Mustaqbal in the Jordanian capital Amman. The station survived only with outside help. Broadcasting from the shadows Al-Mustaqbal is run from a secret location in Amman. Tight security has been a must. For many years, this has been a highly sensitive operation; trying to overthrow the regime of Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, while based in the only country which until the end still more or less got along with the government of Saddam Hussein. To the relief of the Jordanian government, the burden has been shared with other neighbors of Iraq. From Amman the signal is transmitted to a satellite and downloaded in Kuwait, from where it is beamed to Iraq. Mohammad Ribar, chief technician for al-Mustaqbal, confirms to DXing.info that a 50-kilowatt transmitter in Kuwait is used for the broadcasts. The transmitter is located at the US International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) relay station in Kuwait - used for Radio Sawa programming to Iraq - but the particular transmitter airing al- Mustaqbal is said to be administered by the CIA. When al-Mustaqbal first began broadcasting on April 21, 1996, a transmitter in Saudi Arabia was used, Ribar says. Nowadays the Saudi intelligence service supports another faction of the Iraqi opposition running a station called Republic of Iraq Radio, Voice of the Iraqi People. The station has studios and offices in Jeddah, using the powerful shortwave transmitters of the Broadcasting Service of Saudi Arabia (BSKSA) to reach its audience in Iraq. A fake Saddam on the air Back in Amman, programs have been produced by some 40 full-time and 20 part-time employees. Before the war, they used to prepare a wide range of programs from commentaries outlining the future political system of Iraq to satirical radio plays. "We don't have dry articles. We present our ideas in dramatic plays, radio plays, with the accent of the common people," Ribar explains. "We even have a person who imitates Saddam. The show is called A picture of the leader of the necessity," referring to one of the titles given to Saddam, Ribar says. Ribar is confident that their programs (a sample station ID: http://www.dxing.info/audio/clandestine/1575-Mustaqbal.rm ) do indeed reach Iraq, up to the point of having irritated the government and Saddam's son Uday, who has been in charge of much of the country's government-controlled media, and has complained about the programming of Radio al-Mustaqbal. The fact that the station has been vilified by the government media makes Ribar very happy, because al-Mustaqbal couldn't have hoped for a better promotional campaign among the Iraqi audience. Up to the war, the staff produced two 3-hour feeds per day, and were said to be prepared to be on the air 24 hours a day as soon as military action would begin. The 3-hour feed is broadcast at 2130- 0030 UTC on the frequency of 1575 kHz mediumwave, and another 3-hour feed, containing partly same material, is broadcast at another time in the early morning hours. "We have been guaranteed a minimum of six hours per day," Ribar says. Keeping in touch with its audience has been difficult for a clandestine station, but all along al-Mustaqbal has had contacts with Iraqis who have visited Jordan. Unknown bedfellows sponsored by the CIA? Politically al-Mustaqbal is affiliated with the Iraqi National Accord (INA), an opposition group of military and security officers who have defected from Iraq. INA was created by the British intelligence MI6, but has received extensive support from the CIA since the mid-1990's, after the United States shifted its support away from the Iraqi National Congress (INC) and placed its bets with the INA. The United States had hoped that the INA would have been able to instigate a military uprising against Saddam - despite an unsuccessful coup attempt in 1996. There has been intense speculation about the ties between al- Mustaqbal and two other stations seemingly originating from the same transmitter, Twin Rivers Radio (Wadi al-Rafidayn), just one step down the dial at 1566 kHz, and Radio Tikrit, one step up at 1584 kHz. Prime broadcasting time between the three is shared so that Twin Rivers Radio is on the air at 1600-1830/1900 UTC, Radio Tikrit at 1900-2100 UTC and al-Mustaqbal after that. Ribar says that transmission times are "politically coordinated" between different stations, but he says that he doesn't know who produces the programming heard on the other two stations, and he says he hasn't heard of Radio Tikrit before discussing the issue with DXing.info in mid-March. Until early March, INA, headed by Ayad Allawi, had its headquarters in London, with other offices in Germany, Jordan, in the autonomous Kurdistan inside Iraq, Syria and Turkey, but the main office was moved to Amman when war against Iraq looked imminent. Now everyone has already set their eyes on post-war Iraq, where the station hopes to establish a permanent presence next week. As contact information keeps changing, the best way to contact the station is by email. "It is unbelievable how many people are approaching us and offering their help," says Mohammad Ribar at Radio al-Mustaqbal. INA turns down a mobile transmitter offered by the US Two weeks ago the US military offered Radio al-Mustaqbal a mobile transmitter, but INA turned down the offer, because "the situation is changing so fast". The transmitter would have been a system called SOMS-B (Special Operations Media System-B), which is a combined radio and television broadcasting station packed in two Humvee military vehicles and a trailer. At least two SOMS-B units have been broadcasting Information Radio programming from Kuwait since mid-December, and moved inside Iraq soon after the first Coalition ground troops entered Iraq. The transmitter power of SOMS-B is only 1 kW, which is very little in a country the size of Iraq, and may have been one reason why the INA rejected the offer - after all, currently they still have 50 kW just across the border. However, INA says that it is seeking cooperation with other political movements, and doesn't insist on having a station of its own in Iraq. "We don't need to leave our fingerprints," Ribar says, "We just hope things will be peaceful now, that is the most important issue." While the future of Radio The Future is more uncertain than ever, some clarity may emerge after a planned meeting of the opposition, which is to be held on Tuesday, April 15, in Nasiriyah. INA is one of the opposition movements sending its representatives to the talks. In the meanwhile, ambitious news reporting on Radio al-Mustaqbal has been replaced by reruns of Oriental evergreen music. Rulers in Iraq may come and go, but the appeal of the music remains forever. (published on April 10, 2003, dxing.info via DXLD) ** IRAQ. THE MEDIA ENVIRONMENT IN IRAQ --- By Kathleen Ridolfo With the collapse of the regime of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, issues of postconflict reorganization assume a new immediacy, particularly in the face of widespread calls for a speedy transition to native Iraqi administration. One aspect of the country's infrastructure that will need considerable attention is its media system, which initially must serve to disseminate information about security and policing issues and the distribution of aid, but which will soon be called upon to facilitate the transition to a transparent and democratic political system. Ideally, "free and fair" media will relatively soon be called upon to play a leading role in "free and fair" elections in a country rife with ethnic and religious divisions. Like virtually all other aspects of the Iraqi state and society, the media were completely incorporated into Hussein's totalitarian structure, a reality that was symbolically represented by the fact that Hussein gave his eldest son, Uday Hussein, responsibility for it. Under the Hussein regime, there were two official state television channels, Iraqi Television 1 and 2. These were indubitably the main sources of news and information -- all prepared by the state- controlled Iraqi News Agency -- for the Iraqi population. In addition, Uday Hussein ran a third channel, Youth TV, which offered situation comedies, films, and music. In a controversial move that was criticized by Western media groups, forces of the U.S.-led coalition against Hussein's regime targeted Iraqi television beginning on 24 March in an effort to knock it off the air, an effort that was largely successful despite intermittent Iraqi efforts to broadcast from mobile transmitters. State-run Iraq Satellite Television was produced exclusively for consumption abroad and is generally not available domestically, although there have been some reports that some Iraqis are able to view it. Satellite dishes were illegal in Iraq for many years, but in 1999 the government announced that it will allow some access to satellite broadcasts through a state-controlled subscription mechanism. However, it took three years to turn that announcement into reality. Last June, "Alif Ba" reported that 14 Arab and other foreign channels would be offered via satellite to Iraqis for 110,000 dinars ($60) per year. In addition, however, subscribers would have to buy decoders for about $150 each, a considerable sum considering the average Iraqi income is estimated at about $600 a year. Al-Jazeera reported that the government's package of satellite channels is "confined to artistic, sports, cultural, musical, and adventure channels." Undoubtedly, the purpose of such restrictions was to limit and control the perceptions of average Iraqis about the outside world, and the longer-term consequences of these limitations will make themselves felt as post-Hussein Iraq opens up. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq Satellite Television carried a range of broadcasts from government-spun updates on the fighting to summaries of headlines and editorials from the state-controlled domestic press. It focused strongly on official statements, reports of meetings held by Saddam Hussein, and announcements of awards offered by the regime to those willing to fight against coalition forces. It also carried footage of international antiwar protests, played patriotic songs and video clips, and featured poetry exalting Hussein's virtues. As late as 6 April, it continued broadcasting and as of 10 April there were still indications that it could resume in some limited capacity. According to U.S. government estimates, in 1998 there were 19 AM stations in Iraq (of which five were inactive), 51 FM stations, and four shortwave stations. However, it is important to note that many Iraqi stations have operated only intermittently or have ceased broadcasting altogether since the 1991 Gulf War. In mid-October, there were reports of Iraqi plans to maintain state-radio broadcasts in the event of war by using mobile transmitters. In fact, Iraq Radio has continued to operate throughout the conflict, but according to reports from inside Iraq, its signal has been weak and sporadic. In terms of content and style, Iraq Radio follows the same pattern as Iraqi state television. It has broadcast official pronouncements on the fighting, mixed with Iraqi government statements and pro-Iraqi pronouncements by foreign leaders. It has also doled out generous helpings of patriotic music and other inspirational material. RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq (RFI) was established in 1998 in an effort to bring independent and balanced information to the Iraqi people. With correspondents embedded with coalition forces, and based in northern Iraq, Kuwait, and neighboring Arab states, as well as London and Washington, RFI provides a wide range of coverage that simply cannot be compared with the fare of Iraqi state media. Its coverage includes summaries from the Iraqi, Arab, and Western press; international news; interviews with opposition figures and political and military analysts; economic reports; and reports on human rights issues. There are five major Arabic-language dailies in Iraq and nine major weeklies, all of which are under state control and several of which are run directly by Uday Hussein. Economic sanctions have resulted in newsprint shortages, leading to print-run limitations since 1993. However, in February 2002, Uday's daily "Babil" doubled its format from 12 pages to 24. Reports on the status of the Iraqi press since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom have been limited, but there are indications that papers have continued to appear, and Iraq Satellite Television has regularly reported on news and opinion pieces appearing in Iraqi dailies. The state has also maintained a total monopoly on printing facilities and the press-distribution mechanism. Internet access in Iraq, which was only launched in 1997, was severely restricted by the Hussein regime. In 2001, the U.S. government estimated that there were just 12,500 Internet users in Iraq, which has a population of more than 26 million. Internet services in Iraq are provided by a telecommunications network in Syria and there are frequent interruptions. In November, for instance, service was cut off for about 10 days due to "a halt in the service of the supplying satellite," according to one report. The country has one, state-controlled Internet service provider and two portals. The Iraqi State Company for Internet Services http://www.uruklink.net hosts all Iraqi government sites and those of all the country's dailies except "Babil," which is hosted by the Iraqi National Olympic Committee http://www.iraq2000.com That site also hosts the sites of the Iraqi Journalists Union, the National Union of Iraqi Students, and the General Union of Iraqi Youth. Both portals have been inaccessible since the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Private Internet access is forbidden, and modems are banned. In 2002, the Iraqi State Company for Internet Services announced a plan to open Internet cafes in Baghdad, but it is not known if it actually did so. As of the onset of Operation Iraqi Freedom, there were an estimated 50-70 Internet centers in Iraq, located in places such as luxury hotels, universities, state ministries, and research and industrial facilities. A 26 January 2002 article in "Al-Ittihad," reported that the State Company for Internet Services was offering Internet browsing for 1,000 dinars per hour ($0.50, according to black-market rates), and e-mail for 250 dinars per message sent and received. Again, to the average Iraqi citizen, this is costly, and there is no information about how popular these services are. Internet subscriptions are reportedly only granted to corporations at an annual rate of between 1 million-6 million dinars ($500-$3,000). "Alif Ba" ran a feature article in May 2002 on e-mail availability in Iraq that quoted an annual subscription fee of 100,000 dinars ($50) or a daily rate of 250 dinars. In addition to the fee, applicants were required to "produce a photocopy of [their] personal-status identity card and their residency card, [and] the subscriber must specify his user name and choose a password so that his messages remain confidential," "Alif Ba" reported. The article noted that 5,000 Iraqis had signed up for e-mail access. Contrary to Iraqi reports, other sources estimate that e-mail subscriptions run about $80 per year. Providing information to the Iraqi public that is not filtered through the Hussein regime has been an important aspect of Operation Iraqi Freedom since even before the beginning of military operations. U.S. Brigadier General Vincent Brooks, deputy director of operations at U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), told reporters during a 1 April briefing that the United States has been conducting radio broadcasts into Iraq 24 hours a day since around 17 February via five frequencies. The United States is also operating one television station. In addition, Brooks noted, British forces have recently launched radio broadcasts in southern Iraq. "Recent captures of enemy prisoners of war say that the broadcasts are readily accessible and they are also very popular," Brooks said. In addition to the radio and television broadcasts, CENTCOM is continuing its leaflet campaign, adjusting messages to the Iraqi people as warranted, Brooks said. Asked why the broadcasts have not led to high-ranking military defections, Brooks replied on 1 April: "The regime is still present in many areas, and it is the regime and the brutality of the regime keeps many people from taking the steps that they would like to take. This is a very high-risk proposition for military leaders who would decide they're not going to fight for the regime, or civilians that would rise up against the regime." British military spokesman Colonel Chris Vernon explained the British broadcasts to a press briefing in Kuwait City on 3 April. "We are running radio stations, which are transmitting into Basra," Vernon said, according to an RFE/RL report. "It's a mixture -- its all in Arabic, of course. There's a mixture of Arabic and, indeed, Western music, with the broad message that our argument is not with you, the people of Basra, it is with the regime and, particularly, the Ba'ath Party officials in Basra who support that and the militia whom they are controlling, the irregulars." At the Pentagon on 5 April, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Victoria Clarke told reporters: "The communications and what people in Iraq can see and not see or hear and not hear is up and down. Sometimes it's on. Sometimes it's off." Clarke added that she was unsure of what Iraqis were actually seeing on Iraqi television. U.S. Army Major General Stanley McChrystal -- vice director for operations, J-3, Joint Staff -- told reporters at the same briefing that the Iraqi regime has a "very redundant system" in place, "starting with fixed sites, [and including] mobile vans that it uses to put out its signal." McChrystal added that coalition forces have degraded the regime's ability to communicate, adding, "We believe that it is sporadic, at best." Meanwhile, Major General Victor Renuart told reporters at CENTCOM on 5 April that it appeared that Iraq Television -- by which he presumably meant Iraq Satellite Television -- had purchased broadcast time from a number of satellite companies. Renuart added that coalition forces were broadcasting to the Iraqi people on Iraq's Channel 3 television. He added that the coalition was working to assist liberated Iraqis in broadcasting over satellite television. "We're beginning to see many more leaders in the communities of Basra and Nasiriyah, Samawa, Najaf, even now toward Karbala, become much more supportive, openly supportive of the coalition forces as they see the threat from these other irregular troops go away," Renuart said. "And some have expressed interest in helping to get that message out.... And so we're sensitive to try to create the opportunity for Iraqis [to] broadcast on their network." U.S. Brigadier General Brooks told reporters at CENTCOM on 6 April that CENTCOM is broadcasting "nonstop" over the radio. Messages include instructions for approaching coalition checkpoints and warnings to the Special Republican Guard and special security forces to "surrender, flee, or fight and face certain destruction." The broadcasts also advised Iraqis to avoid dangerous areas such as Baghdad International Airport. "We do know that radio is the most common and popular medium that is used by the Iraqi population," Brooks said. Kathleen Ridolfo is the editor of "RFE/RL Iraq Report." (RFE/RL Media Matters Apr 14 via DXLD) ** IRAQ. MEDIA BEHAVIOUR ROUND-UP 1600 GMT 16 APR 03 The US/UK airborne TV service Towards Freedom is being received in Baghdad, although with power cut in most of the capital, only those with generators are able to tune in, Reuters news agency has confirmed. US Information Radio continues to be heard by BBC Monitoring. Another source presumed to be on the air is UK-run Radio Nahrain near Basra. However, despite reports that Iraqi domestic radio transmissions were due to resume on 15 April, no such broadcasts had been observed by BBC Monitoring at the time of publication of this round-up. News agencies reporting from Iraq have not reported that Iraqi radio or TV stations are actually back on the air. The following is a round-up of BBC Monitoring's media observations on Iraq and related reports as of 1630 gmt on 16 April: IRAQIS GET THE MESSAGE FROM US-UK TV STATION - REUTERS REPORT BBC Monitoring has noted what it believes is the first report from a major international news agency that US-UK broadcasts from the new TV station Towards Freedom are being watched by Iraqis in Baghdad. In a dispatch from the Iraqi capital datelined 15 April, Reuters news agency said the new channel had been on the air "for at least two hours" that evening. The broadcast included statements by George W. Bush and Tony Blair, who promised that their troops would leave Iraq as soon as a new government was in place. Reuters recalled that the new channel had been officially launched on Thursday 10 April. "But with power cut in most of Baghdad, only those with generators are able to tune in - and, initially, viewer figures were hard to come by," the agency said. The report added: "`We saw it but it was not very clear,' said Kamal, 70, who did not give his second name. `There was news and statements. They said: Don't go out with weapons. That kind of thing.' But locals said the signal was very weak and they still depended for news on international radio stations like the BBC's Arabic service, US- broadcast Radio Sawa and Radio Monte Carlo." The new Arabic network is being broadcast by US Commando Solo aircraft on frequencies formerly used by state-run Iraqi domestic TV. US-run Information Radio US-run Information Radio continued to be heard on shortwave 4500 and 9715 kHz shortwave and 756 kHz. Voice of the Liberation of Iraq Voice of the Liberation of Iraq was heard at 1730-1930 gmt as scheduled, on 1206 and 4025 kHz. According to reports which BBC Monitoring cannot confirm, the Voice of the Liberation of Iraq is operated jointly by various Iraqi opposition groups in Sulaymaniyah. The station has not announced any contact information or given any direct indication of its political affiliation. RADIO TIKRIT NEWS AND PROGRAMME SUMMARY 1900-2100 GMT 15 APRIL 2003 Station announcement: " Huna Radio Tikrit, this is Tikrit Radio, for the whole of Iraq and for all the Iraqis" , repeated several times. 1. Presenter identifies himself as Ibrahim al-Nasiri, welcomes listeners 2. Reading from the Holy Koran 3. Religious commentary 4. Song 5. News a. US officials said today that US forces have begun distributing pamphlets in Baghdad urging Iraqi citizens not to leave their homes at night in an attempt to curb crimes and to avoid any further street fighting. b. US forces are trying to restore law and order to the streets of Baghdad after the spread of looting and destruction. c. Our correspondent in Tikrit has just informed us that Coalition forces have captured a car carrying all the ingredients need to make a bomb in Tikrit. d. Powell promises that the US is committed to trace and find the artefacts stolen from Iraqi museums and to repair any broken ones. e. An official from the ICRC said today that Iraqi medical staff have resumed their work in hospitals which have not been looted. f. The ICRC has expressed its hope that water will return to the eastern region of Baghdad. e. An official from the UN World Food Programme said that they have bought hundreds of thousands of tonnes of food aid for the Iraqi people. f. This news comes to you from Radio Tikrit. g. The leadership of a unit of 16,000 Iraqi soldiers in the governorate of al-Anbar, west of Iraq has surrendered to the US troops. h. The US army says the last of the burning oil wells has been put out. g. US officials say they believe that Saddam's first wife Sajida has escaped from Iraq to Syria, while other reports say she may have gone to another country. AL-MUSTAQBAL (THE FUTURE) RADIO PICTURE BULLETIN 2322 GMT 14 APRIL 2003 Al-Mustaqbal (The Future), the radio of the Iraqi National Accord, was heard on 14 April around 2322 gmt on 1575 kHz making the following announcement: "Al-Mustaqbal Radio, the Voice of the Iraqi National Accord." It was followed by patriotic song on the love of the homeland. - Music. - "Urgent appeal": "O zealous sons of Iraq; O lofty sons of al- Rafidayn; O members of our heroic armed forces; This is your awaited day, the very moment you have been very eagerly waiting for - a new and pleasant dawn. This is your day O steadfast, compassionate and lofty ones; O sons of the Tigris and Euphrates; O sons of Zab, Al-Khabur, Al-Gharar, Shatt al-Hillah, al-Ahwar which is crying, and dear old Shatt al-Arab. "Today is the moment to carry out a real act of national heroism, as well as heroic epics by hitting at every den of evil and criminality - dens that have created havoc and mayhem in our country lately. "This is your day O free men of Iraq. The day which God Almighty has chosen for you as a rendezvous with the dawn of your freedom, the very freedom which the tyrants and his henchmen suppressed during their gloomy rule. "O lovers of freedom and emancipation who want to rid themselves of the shackles of Saddam's stupidity and slavery; God has sanctioned you should seek vengeance for what has happened to you, to your families, to your heroes, and to your martyrs and victims who had been annihilated by the antagonistic and hideous machine of the tyrant. "God has sanctioned that we should seek vengeance on these glory days from the tyrant of the modern era, from Saddam, his executioners and criminal thieves - those who battered carelessly battered the homeland and its sanctities... "Do not let this opportunity slip away this time. Your homeland and future generations are looking at you to deliver Iraq from the filthy Saddamist gang which is about to collapse forever." - Music, patriotic songs and anti-Saddam chants. - Talk: "Saddam, the enemy of humanity." Report on Saddam's "criminal" activities in Baghdad, highlighting the degradation of daily life in the capital under his rule. - Music - Anti-Saddam chants - Talk: "The fall of Saddam and his regime: a historical inevitability." Reviewing the peaceful efforts made by several Arab countries to convince Saddam to relinquish power and seek asylum somewhere else. But it was to no avail, because megalomaniac Saddam refused as he never cared about Iraq and its people. - Music US TROOPS IN IRAQ FIND MOBILE AM RADIO STATION | Text of report in English by Radio Netherlands "Media Network" web site on 16 April A report in today's Washington Post says that civilians outside the Iraqi railroad yard told coalition soldiers there was a suspicious trailer inside one of the warehouses. Soldiers pried open the large trailer and found a mobile AM radio station. The equipment was new and appeared never used. (via BBCM via DXLD) ** IRAQ. MEDIA BEHAVIOUR ROUND-UP 1600 GMT 17 APR 03 A US newspaper has reported that the USA is sponsoring a new AM radio station in Iraq called the "Voice of the New Iraq". The new radio station marked the birth of the "Iraq Media Network", which would eventually include newspapers and TV stations run by returning Iraqi exiles, the report added. Voice of the Liberation of Iraq, a station believed to have hitherto been operated jointly by various Iraqi opposition groups in Sulaymaniyah, has been monitored on a mediumwave frequency formerly used by Republic of Iraq Radio's Kurdish service, and is also reported to be broadcasting on FM in Baghdad and Kirkuk. The US/UK airborne TV service Towards Freedom and the UK-run Radio Nahrain near Basra are also presumed to be on the air. US Information Radio continues to be heard by BBC Monitoring. In a dispatch from Baghdad at 1440 gmt on 17 April, Reuters news agency noted: "The sense of disorder is exacerbated by the breakdown in communications. Telephones don't work and the only local television on air is broadcast by US and British forces. It promises freedom but few details about what that means." The following is a round-up of BBC Monitoring's media observations on Iraq and related reports for the 24-hour period up to 1600 gmt on 17 April: New broadcasts reported inside Iraq The US newspaper Wall Street Journal on 16 April reported that the USA was sponsoring a new radio station in Iraq called the "Voice of the New Iraq", featuring a mix of pop music and promotional ads. The new radio station marked the birth of the "Iraq Media Network", which would eventually include newspapers and TV stations run by returning Iraqi exiles, the report added. The Wall Street Journal report stated: "Beamed nationwide from a new 20-kilowatt transmitter in the port city of Umm Qasr, the US- sponsored "Voice of the New Iraq" went on air for the first time Tuesday [15 April] with a mix of pop music and promotional ads... The new radio station at Umm Qasr marks the birth of the US taxpayer- funded Iraq Media Network, which US officials say will soon include a nationwide TV channel and an independent newspaper, all run by previously exiled Iraqis along with journalists recruited from within the country... "IMN, as it is already known, is the handiwork of the Indigenous Media Project, an offshoot of the Pentagon's Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance, run by retired Lt-Gen Jay Garner... The network's technicians have deployed to the Baghdad International Airport to set up mobile TV transmission gear... Project director Robert Reilly used to run Voice of America, but has been in Kuwait for weeks to set up the network... An IMN newspaper and TV station could be months away..." Voice of the Liberation of Iraq was monitored in Arbil on 17 April from 1000-1700 local time [0700-1400 gmt] on 657 kHz mediumwave (a frequency formerly used by Republic of Iraq Radio's Kurdish service). According to reports which BBC Monitoring cannot confirm, the Voice of the Liberation of Iraq has hitherto been operated jointly by various Iraqi opposition groups in Sulaymaniyah. The station has not in the past announced any contact information or given any direct indication of its political affiliation. Voice of the Liberation of Iraq was also reported on 17 April to be broadcasting on 88.8 MHz FM for Baghdad, and 89.5 MHz FM for Kirkuk. BBC Monitoring has so far not been able to confirm these FM broadcasts. At a US Central Command Operation Iraqi Freedom briefing in Qatar on 16 April, Brig-Gen Vincent Brooks announced, among other things: "...At this point, all coalition land units are conducting humanitarian assistance assessments throughout their areas. Coalition forces report that looting has dramatically reduced throughout the area of operations, and normal activities are starting to occur. "Loudspeaker teams and radio broadcasts are helping to discourage looting, as well as to reduce the tolerance of looters. Distribution of leaflets and handbills like the one that's shown here, focused on discouraging looting, are also having a favourable effect at this point. Emerging leaders have also joined in the call for looting to cease.... "We continue to communicate with the Iraqi people through a number of different media. Our radio broadcasts are reaching all of Iraq. Television broadcasts are ongoing from airborne broadcast systems, and we'll soon broadcast from ground stations. More Iraqis will have access to these programmes as power is restored. "Leaflets, like these that are currently shown, are being distributed to inform the Iraqis that the former regime is gone, and that Iraq is now on a path to the future that they will choose..." US-run Information Radio During the reporting period US-run Information Radio has continued to be heard at various times on shortwave 4500 and 9715 kHz shortwave and 756 kHz. FORMER IRAQI SERVICES Iraq Satellite Channel has not been observed since 1618 gmt on 7 April. Colour bars have been observed on the channel's satellite frequencies since 1024 gmt on 9 April. Arabsat has been reported as saying it will not resume Iraqi TV transmission without Arab League authorization. Republic of Iraq Television: No video or audio from the main domestic TV channel has been observed by BBC Monitoring. Youth [Shebab] TV has not been reported on the air since shortly after the start of air attacks on Baghdad. No news sources have reported any Iraqi TV services on the air in Baghdad. Republic of Iraq Radio Main Service was untraced by BBC Monitoring on its usual frequencies in the reporting period. No news sources have reported any Iraqi radio services on the air in Baghdad. Voice of Youth radio, operated by Uday Saddam Husayn, was last heard by BBC Monitoring at 0430 gmt on 25 March. BROADCASTS TARGETING IRAQ Voice of the Iraqi People picture bulletin 2359-0059 15 April 03 The Voice of the Iraqi Republic, the Voice of the Iraqi People has been broadcasting against the Iraqi regime since January 1991. The radio station had been heard before the fall of Saddam Husayn carrying appeals to the Iraqi people and army to rebel against the his regime. [Broadcast monitored in progress] "News Follow-up": Translation of a statement made by an identified official, speaking in English in the background, on the situation in the aftermath of Saddam's fall with superimposed Arabic translation. Music "News Round-up": Report on Colin Powell's latest news conference on the developments inside Iraq in the wake of the Nasiriyah meeting which was attended by Saddam's former opponents. Report on the resistance of Iraqis in one of Baghdad's neighbourhood, Al-Adhamiyyah, and why the residents, mostly Sunnis, felt they should put up a fight against US troops, quoting a number of residents on why they felt fighting was worth it. The talk emphasized that although people want to get rid of Saddam, they did not want US occupation as a replacement. Music. An anti-Saddam talk on the inevitability of the fall of his regime - People felt it was his fight and not theirs. Putting squarely the blame on Saddam who should have seen the writing on the wall and left Iraq before the invasion took place. Music. News in the vernacular: - Baghdadis had arrested Arab fighters and turned them over to the Americans. These fighters should have never supported a corrupt regime. - Iranian spokesman says Iraqi Ba'thist officials will be arrested and tried if they try to enter Iran. - Talk criticizing countries, not named, which might give safe haven to Saddam and his cronies. - Al-Nasiriyah meeting has ended with Jay Garner stressing the need for Iraqis to govern themselves. - Iraqis must be allowed to choose their own representatives, USA should not try to impose its men on the country. Music Latest news - AFP says 10 people died in Mosul yesterday when US troops opened fire on protesters. - Armed clashes took places between Arabs and Kurdish gangs who went to the city to steal. - US special forces stormed underground hideout in Baghdad; They were looking for Saddam's Fidayeen. - US says three US soldiers have died in central Iraq, two in Baghdad in a grenade attack. Source: BBC Monitoring research 17 Apr 03 (via DXLD) ** IRAQ. US NETWORKS AGREE TO SERVE AS PENTAGON PROPAGANDA TOOL IN IRAQ American "free press" in action --- By Henry Michaels, 15 April 2003 Having served unofficially as a propaganda arm of the White House and Pentagon before and during the war on Iraq, the major US media networks, with the exception of CNN, have agreed to make their function official. In the name of providing Iraq’s people with a taste of a “free press,” ABC, CBS, Fox and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) have decided to provide content for a Pentagon- controlled television service in Iraq. . . http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/apr2003/med-a15.shtml (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) ** IRAQ. WORLD SERVICE TO HELP REBUILD IRAQI MEDIA Julia Day, Wednesday April 16, 2003 The BBC World Service is sending a team to Iraq to assess how the broadcaster can help local people set up independent media in the country. . . http://media.guardian.co.uk/radio/story/0,12636,937908,00.html (via Jilly Dybka, KF4ZEO, Bill Westenhaver, Daniel Say, DXLD) ** IRAQ. Hi guys, got some news for you. was listening to the BBC Arabic section today and I was lucky enough to hear a report about the return of Radio Baghdad. They were interviewing a guy called professor al'aa Sadek I think. He's responsible of the media and he mentioned that Radio Baghdad restarted broadcasting on 1170 kHz from 2100 p.m. till 1.00 a.m. [1700-2100 UT] and the programs mainly music and announcements that this station will start broadcasting regularly on this frequency and welcoming reports. He also mentioned that this transmission is covering all Iraq. (well, I doubt it! Tarek) Baghdad time is UT + 4. Some words as well about having some private radio & TV stations but not in the near future. Well, that will keep you busy tonight guys ;) All the best from Cairo (TAREK ZEIDAN, Cairo, Egypt, April 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hmm, that's not one of their listed frequencies, so could be from one of the mobile transmitters - either a US one or the one they found inside a container in Baghdad the other day. Or maybe the 50 kW transmitter in Kuwait? Or airtime hired from somewhere else? Strange time of the day to choose - perhaps they don't want to clash with Information Radio and Towards Freedom TV :-) I assume that's Baghdad time, so would be 1700-2100 UTC. (Andy Sennitt, April 17, RN blog via DXLD) ** IRAQ. Radio Baghdad back on Thursday? A report in Thursday's Sydney Morning Herald quotes the new US-backed mayor of Baghdad as saying broadcasts by Radio Baghdad were to resume 'this evening', which would permit the population to be informed of the new leadership and "give legitimacy" to the new administration. On Tuesday the same gentleman said that broadcasts would resume later that day, but he's new to the job so might have got a bit mixed up :-) I'll be glad when they do get back and we know the frequencies. A man can only take so much of monitoring unmodulated carriers. After a while you start hallucinating and imagine you can hear Arabic voices, only to discover when taking the headphones off that it was a couple of people chatting in the corridor (Andy Sennitt, Apr 16, RN blog via DXLD) ** IRAQ. DXCC to accept YI/ operations approved by commanding officers (Apr 15, 2003) -- ARRL Membership Services Manager Wayne Mills, N7NG, says the League will accept for DXCC credit YI/ operations from Iraq by US or British military personnel provided the operator has written permission from his or her commanding officer. "There is precedent for this," Mills said, citing an operation during the 1991 Gulf War. "These operators will need written authorization to operate from their commanding officers until an interim Iraqi government is in place," Mills said. After that point, operators would need documented permission from Iraqi authorities. The Daily DX [at] http://www.dailydx.com/ has reported that several hams with the US military in Iraq have been showing up on the air in recent days. Mark Smith, NG5L, of North Carolina, has been active from near Nasiriya as YI/NG5L on SSB, usually around 0500 UTC near 14.195 MHz. He's also been spotted in Europe and North America on other 20-meter frequencies and at other times of the day. Jim Dunkerton, YI/KT4CK, has been active on 15-meter SSB between 1430 and 1600 UTC. Bob Furzer, 9K2ZZ/K4CY, has apparently crossed into Iraq from Kuwait and has been on the air as K4CY/p or K4CY/m (ARRL April 15 via John Norfolk, OKCOK, DXLD) ** IRELAND. RTE Radio One 252 kHz: My receiver has been put back into use and a makeshift 100 metre wire has been put up in the garden. On turn-on at 1705 Norwegian Time I note that currently RTE Radio One is blasting through with a strong signal on the Drake SPR-4 on 252 kHz with a +9dB above 0 signal in //to Tullamore 567 kHz. Algeria Chaine Trois notable below, therefore I suspect only 100 kW? Good to hear 252 again. Wish RTE welcome on LW and all success to them (Svenn Martinsen, Western Norway, Apr 15, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** ISLE OF MAN. Manx Radio has a history which makes it unique in broadcasting within the British Isles. It first went on air in June 1964, long before commercial radio became part of everyday life in Britain. This was made possible because the Isle of Man has internal self-government: it is a Crown Dependency and is not part of the United Kingdom. But Manx Radio did need a licence from the UK authorities and this was eventually agreed to with reluctance, suspicion and not a little alarm. Remember these were the heady days of pirate radio ships anchored just outside the 3 mile limit! When the station went on air it was on FM only, 89.0 MHz in stereo. The programmes came from a caravan parked on a hilltop in Onchan, near to the capital Douglas. The single cramped studio was linked to the transmitting mast which was just outside the door. Being situated on a headland and exposed to high winds the station was prone in those days to needles skidding off records and the occasional bout of staff sickness from the rocking motion! In October 1964 the station gained its first medium wave/AM channel: 188 metres. And the first commercial was broadcast, for a Douglas jeweller's shop. 1965 saw the caravan abandoned for studios on the Douglas seafront. A second medium wave/AM channel was allocated -232 metres (1295 kHz) - but this was limited to daylight hours only. Then in October 1969 the radio station moved to Broadcasting House, a former Royal Navy radar training establishment built during the Second World War on top of Douglas Head. The station added a second FM channel, 91.2 MHz to cover parts of Douglas not reached by 89.0 MHz, now transmitting from Snaefell Mountain. A general realignment of radio frequencies throughout Europe in November 1979 led to both 188 & 232 metres being replaced with 219 metres/1368 kHz. Shortly after, a new FM service was opened on 97.3 MHz to provide improved stereo coverage for many parts of the Island from Richmond Hill, later realigned to 97.2 and transferred to Carnane. Finally a Northern transmitter was added on 103.7 MHz to extend full FM stereo coverage across the whole of the very hilly Isle of Man. (From http://www.manxradio.com/ via Mike Terry, DXLD) ** ISLE OF MAN. NEW COURT BID OVER PLANNED IOM RADIO STATION An attempt to block plans for a long wave radio station in the north of the Isle of Man will be heard by the High Court. Bride resident Nick Cussons has been told his petition of doleance against the decision by the Communications Commission to grant Isle of Man International Broadcasting a full licence can go ahead. Former Deemster Cain allowed Mr Cussons' petition which claimed the commission's decision was 'unreasonable, unfair and biased' to proceed to a hearing in a judgment delivered in December. The commission and IMIB appealed against the decision, claiming Mr Cussons didn't have the legal standing to bring a petition against the commission. However, after a one-day hearing on Wednesday, the staff of government division dismissed both appeals and made a provisional ruling that both appellants should bear Mr Cussons' costs. The petition will now be listed for a directions hearing. The news is the latest twist in a long-running saga, which has already seen IMIB's plans to site a radio mast on land at Cranstal, Bride, rejected by the Council of Ministers after a lengthy planning battle. IMIB returned with a proposal to site the mast four kilometres off the coast at Cranstal, which was approved by the Department of Transport's territorial sea committee. A petition by Bride Commissioners against the DoT's decision was thrown out by Acting Deemster Storey in February, and last week the Examiner revealed the commissioners had been ordered to pay IMIB's legal costs for its part in that particular petition (From http://www.iomonline.co.im/fullstory.asp?storyid=1 Apr 16 2003 via Mike Terry, DXLD) ** ITALY [?]. Fw: [playdx2001] Radio Due Rai su 6275 KHz Hi Glenn, The 6275 kHz now is repeating RAI 2 programs.... this should confirm it's someone testing a transmitter...no ideas who is doing this (Dario Monferini, April 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: Ciao Dario, ti prego, controlla anche tu la frequenza "incriminata" 6275 KHz questa sera ore 22.09 (16-04-2003) ci sto sentendo Radio Due Rai, la stessa cosa che trasmettono sulle Onde Medie. Arriva con molto fading.. ma si capisce abbastanza bene a momenti. Strano... (Mirco Rippolo, Radio Tre) Ciao Mirco, scusa il ritardo il tuo messaggio mi è arrivato con ritardo... interessante la tua segnalazione, sarebbe la riprova che è qualcuno che sta provando un trasmettitore sulle onde corte.... Per tale motivo invito tutti a monitorare 6275 kHz sopratutto in ore serali. Dario Monferini Translation in Monferinglish : Hallo Dario, please control also yourself the frequency "guilty" 6275 kHz in this moment 16 April at 2209 Italian time (2009 UT) I am listening RAI 2 program in parallel with mediumwave. There is phading in my place (Poggibonsi) but the signal has good peaks. Really strange indeed. Mirco Rippolo Reply : Hallo Mirco, sorry but your message arrived later in my computer... Very interesting information, this should be the proof someone in your area is testing a transmitter with RAI 2 relay (unauthorized) on short wave.... For this reason please all the readers of this message are kindly invited to monitorate the 6275 kHz channel in the coming evenings (Dario Monferini PLAY-DX 2001 LIST via DXLD) ** KASHMIR [non]. The broadcasts under the slogan ``Radio Sadayee (sa-DAR-yee) Kashmir`` are thought to emanate from a transmitter at one of the Delhi locations. The frequencies in use are 6100 & 9890 kHz (Adrian Michael Peterson, AWR Wavescan Apr 20 via DXLD) Wonder why he keeps intruding Rs into his pronouncers? (gh, DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH. P5/4L4FN QSL address: The correct (and only) QSL address for the North Korea (P5) operation of Ed Giorgadze, 4L4FN, is via Bruce Paige, KK5DO, PO Box 310, Alief, TX 77411 USA. Paige said those requesting P5/4L4FN cards must include the ZIP code. The US Postal Service has returned some card requests from stations outside the US because no ZIP code was provided (ARRL April 16 via John Norfolk, OKCOK, DXLD) ** LITHUANIA. Today on 16 April the relays of China Radio International will start via Sitkunai 1557 kHz (150 kW ND). The schedule: 1900-2000 Russian, 2000-2030 Polish, 2030-2100 English, 2100-2200 Chinese (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, MW-DX via WORLD OF RADIO 1178, DXLD) ** MALTA. BROADCASTING IN MALTA SET TO EXPAND FURTHER, by Noel Grima One would have thought that the Maltese media has reached the outer limits of its expansion over the past years, but recent developments have shown that the number of broadcasting organisations have continued to increase, that the presence of the newcomers has made a major difference in the development of the mediascape in Malta and that possibly the liberalisation in the field of telecommunications will also lead to a difference in quality. http://www.independent.com.mt/daily/newsview.asp?id=17052 (via Jilly Dybka, KF4ZEO, DXLD) ** MEXICO. 6105, XEQM, 1050-1200, 16 de abril del 2003 UT. Hoy escuché nuevamente a la emisora; antes de las 1100 estaban hablando de un tema religioso, a las 1100 el Himno nacional mexicano y empezó el noticiario "Radio Noticia". Pero inmediatamente tuvo gran interferencia de parte de la BBC que transmite en 6110, el servicio latinoamericano. Terminando la interferencia a las 1130 y a las 1200 se intensifica la interferencia de la emisora china. Así que no pude indentificar qué emisora del Sistema RASA de Yucatán, es la que está retransmitiendo. Pasado de las 1200 mejoró la recepción. La dirección del Sistema RASA es Edificio Publicentro Calle 62 #508 Entre 63 y 65 97000 Mérida, Yucatán Tienen un apardato postal: Apartado 217 97000 Mérida, Yucatán (Héctor García Bojorge, DF, Conexión Digital via WORLD OF RADIO 1178, DXLD) [continued as DXLD 3-068!]