DX LISTENING DIGEST 3-068, April 17, 2003 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. [continued from 3-067] ** OKLAHOMA [and non]. KC3RE employing APRS during CelebrateLifeRun: Concert pianist Martin Berkofsky, KC3RE, is equipped with Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS) hardware, so APRS aficionados can track his progress on his 860-mile CelebrateLifeRun from Tulsa to Chicago on the Internet. Visit the site http://www.findu.com to see how Berkofsky's doing. A cancer survivor, Berkofsky, 60, is making the run to raise money for cancer research. John Chamberlain, AC5CV, reports that he provided Berkofsky with an APRS-GPS tracker. Berkofsky is not carrying the gear as he runs, but he does send out his position at the end of each day's jog. Chamberlain said the tracker package includes a 12-V battery pack, converted Rand McNally GPS receiver, TinyTrak II, Yaesu FT-1500 and a 2-meter roll-up J-pole antenna. In getting APRS-ready, Berkofsky also had assistance from Gregg Wonderly, W5GGW, and Larry Bush, W5NCD. Chamberlain said getting Berkofsky set up with APRS turned into a learning experience. ``There is amazing power available to the average ham at findu.com to glean APRS information from all over the country,`` Chamberlain said. ``For example, in a few minutes I learned how to use one of findu.com's cgi programs to produce a breadcrumb track showing the previous four days of position data transmitted by the tracker and heard by various APRS digipeaters.`` All proceeds from Berkofsky's run and benefit events go to the Cancer Treatment Research Foundation. Details are on his CelebrateLifeRun Web site http://www.celebrateliferun.com Cancer Treatment Centers of America http://www.cancercenter.com is tracking Berkofsky's progress on its Web site (scroll down and click on ``CTCA News``). (ARRL April 16 via John Norfolk, OKCOK, DXLD) ** QATAR: AL-JAZEERA NET EDITOR SAYS US COMPANIES REFUSING TO HOST WEBSITES | Text of report in English by Qatari newspaper The Peninsula web site on 13 April Doha: The Al-Jazeera Net (AJN), Qatar's first web-based news portal, which faced repeated hacker threats has now come under new attack: from US-based lobbyists who are pressurising server owners there against hosting these websites. AJN is the web-portal owned by Qatar's pioneering Al-Jazeera Satellite Channel (JSC). Its Arabic website http://www.aljazeera.net has been functioning for over three years while the English version, http://english.aljazeera.net was launched only last month, shortly before the Iraq-war. Both these websites came under severe hacker attacks soon after the US-led strikes on Iraq and the English one was destroyed. The sites have since bounced back into action. Speaking to The Peninsula yesterday, Abdulaziz Al Mahmoud, chief editor of AJN said, with a large number of American companies refusing to host the two websites, the network has made "alternative arrangements" to ensure that they would be available to Internet users worldwide. He, however, did not disclose these arrangements. Abdulaziz explained that several lobbyists in the US were opposed to AJN and hence, had stepped up their efforts to ensure that it was denied facilities such as host servers. It may be recalled that JSC, from which AJN often derives its news, had come under criticism in the US for its unbiased and balanced coverage of the US-led war on Iraq. According to Abdulaziz, AJN has also entered into an agreement with a foreign firm that owns thousands of servers around the globe, to host the two websites. As a result, any attempts to hack them and render them inaccessible, would be defeated, he said. "We are not worried about the smaller hackers since they cannot do much damage. What bothers us are the attempts to block the bandwidth frequency and the Denial of Service attacks which are apparently being launched by some large organizations," he said. Source: The Peninsula web site, Doha, in English 13 Apr 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** SEYCHELLES. It was back in the year 1969, soon after we were transferred from Australia to Pakistan, that I heard the first test broadcasts from the new shortwave station FEBA in the Seychelles Islands off the coast of Africa. Construction work on this new facility began two years earlier, and on October 8, 1969, they made their first test broadcast beamed in the 13 metre band to London in England. The low power signal from FEBA across the ocean often came in strong and clear. Their first transmitter was a 3 kW communication unit made by Collins and modified for broadcast usage. The antenna was a rotatable log periodic erected at their studio location which was perched 600 feet above the picturesque coastline two miles south of the capital city, Mahe (Mah-HAY). Another temporary transmitter was installed at their transmitter location 2.5 miles north of Mahe. This was a 30 kW Press Wireless transmitter, also modified for broadcast usage, and it was activated less than a year later, in June 1970. Both transmitters, 30 kW & 3 kW, were on the air in parallel for a period of several months. Three years later, their first transmitter at 100 kW, was installed. This was a new Harris-Gates unit. Then, in 1982, a second unit at 100 kW was installed. This was a Continental unit and funding was provided by the Lutheran Church following the nationalization of their shortwave station, ETLF, in Ethiopia. Their third transmitter at 100 kW, made by Harris, was activated in 1989. Earlier this year, FEBA announced that they planned on closing their shortwave station in the Seychelles, due to rising costs and aging equipment. At first, no date was given, then it was suggested maybe mid year, and then a few weeks ago, the closing date was given as the end of March. I was one of their very first monitors in mainland Asia, and I tuned in to their programming on a regular basis for thousands of hours extending over a period of nearly five years while we served in Pakistan. It is with a tinge of sadness that I report the closing of this station which served Asia and Africa so well. However, thirty four years later and with 130 QSLs to prove it, we say goodbye to FEBA Seychelles. But wait, this is not really the end of the radio history for FEBA. Yes, they have indeed closed their shortwave station in the Seychelles, but they are now on the air from several different relay sites in the Asian and African arena. You can still hear their familiar style of prgramming, and you can still hear their same tuning signal, ``What a Friend we Have in Jesus`` FEBA Seychelles Time Lines --------------------------------------------------------------------- Facility Year Date Event --------------------------------------------------------------------- Studio 1967 Construction began at San Souci 2 miles south of Mahe 1969 Oct 8 First broadcast 1970 May Regular programming began 1970 Jul 6 Officially opened by governor, Sir Bruce Greatbatch 2003 Mar 30 Final broadcasts Transmitter 1969 Oct 8 First broadcast 3 kW Collins at studio Building-1 location 1971 Retired from active service Transmitter Temporary transmitter building next Building-2 to new building Transmitter 1967 Construction began 2.5 miles north of Building-3 Mahe 1970 Jun Modified 30 kW Press Wireless transmitter activated 1974 Mar New 100 kW Harris Gates transmitter activated 1982 New 100 kW Continental activated, after closure ETLF 1989 New 100 kW Harris activated 2003 Mar 30 Station closed =========================================================== (Adrian Michael Peterson, AWR Wavescan April 20 via DXLD) ** SLOVAKIA. Radio Eslovaquia Internacional ha sido captada en idioma español a las 1430 UTC en la nueva frecuencia de 11715 kHz sustituyendo a la anterior de 11600 dirigida hacia Europa Occidental y Sudamérica (Ramón Vázquez Dourado, España, April 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SWEDEN. Coming up on Radio Sweden: Thursday: In "HeartBeat" we visit Sweden's first men's clinic and a reproductive medical center following the legalization of egg donations here Friday: Our weekly review Saturday: Umeå's Queer Culture festival in "Spectrum" Sunday: In "Sounds Nordic" a hiphop special Easter Monday: The "new spirituality" -- are miracles essential, and where's the Swedish Church going after parting with the State? (SCDX/MediaScan Apr 16 via DXLD) ** SYRIA. ANALYSIS: SYRIAN PRESS ON HOLD | Text of editorial analysis by Chris McWhinnie of BBC Monitoring's Media Services With the war in Iraq over, media around the world - from right-wing US talk shows to state TV in the Middle East and beyond - speculated on the increased diplomatic pressure being brought to bear on Syria. The US approach was overt. US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld charged that Syria was engaged in "hostile acts" by delivering military equipment to Iraq. On 10 April, US deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz said: "We need to think about what our policy is towards a country that harbours terrorists or war criminals", and on 13 April US President George Bush restated the accusation that Syria is developing chemical weapons. The assertions were taken seriously by six key pro-Western Gulf states which called on the US to stop threatening Syria. Syria had indeed taken a more radical anti-American line on the Iraqi war than other Arab states. The Syrian media provided its population with only parts of the story. On 10 April the frequent news bulletins on state radio were selective in their reporting. State radio failed to report Donald Rumsfeld's remarks about Iraqi leaders fleeing into Syria, but it did report his warning about difficult days ahead for the US-led forces. On the same day, the official Tishrin newspaper web site accused the US of attempting to muzzle reporters by targeting them inside Iraq. Al-Thawrah newspaper on 4 April said: "We must salute the steadfastness of the brave Iraqi people and the splendid display of unity reflected in their resistance to invading forces." As Saddam's statue toppled in a central Baghdad square on 9 April, Syrian state TV, in common with Algerian, Moroccan and Tunisian TV, turned its back on the global TV event. It aired a programme on Islamic architecture instead. Memories of the December 2002 sackings of the Syrian Satellite Channel and state TV and radio chiefs may have been a factor. The US ambassador to Damascus had been allowed on national TV criticizing, or as the Jordanian paper Al-Sabil put it, "threatening" Syria's leaders and calling for an end to support for Hezbollah and Palestinian factions. This selective version of events followed Syrian TV's otherwise valiant attempt to cover events on the ground in Iraq as "the war of aggression against the people in brotherly Iraq" (Syrian TV, 31 Mar 03). Pictures of the fallen statue were undoubtedly seen in Syria via pan- Arab TV stations, which stuck with the live coverage. Ruling out direct action The temperature has lowered and The Guardian, London, reported on 15 April that Donald Rumsfeld's contingency plans for a war on Syria had been ruled out by The White House. The UK also appeared to distance itself from such action, but Foreign Secretary Jack Straw still warned Damascus that it had "serious questions" to answer but sent a minister for what were to be tough talks. UK Prime Minister Blair and Spanish Prime Minister Aznar both stated Syria was not a military target (Guardian, Spanish Radio, 15 April), while Italian Foreign Minister Frattini said the goal was to lead Syria to be more cooperative (La Repubblica, 14 April). The Iraqi question had clearly vexed Syria before the war, for it had voted with the rest of the United Nations Security Council on resolution 1441 of November 2002. Syria then drew international condemnation in December 2002 for the arrest of Ibrahim al-Humaydi, chief of the London-based Arabic Al-Hayat paper's Syrian bureau. His crime was to report that Syria was making plans to receive Iraqi refuges and he is still under arrest. However there were also arrests of writers who expressed overt support for Iraq. Syria then opposed the US and UK's abortive efforts to gain another UN resolution over Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction. Press pressure eased Pressure on the press in Syria isn't new. There were unrealized hopes of press reform shortly after Bashar al-Asad was swept to power following rapid constitutional changes when his father died in June 2000. Satellite dishes start to proliferate, an Internet cafe opened on a 2000-year old Damascus street, Lebanese FM music stations such as Radio Strike and Voice of Tomorrow started to appear on the dial. A few new papers were published and old ones carried fewer front page pictures of the president, a Committee for the Protection of Journalists' (CPJ) briefing reported. It wasn't long however, before the young president's willingness to reform seemed to run out of steam. Entrenched traditionalists in the Ba'th Party may have stalled the reforms and recreated the previous climate of overt state control and self-censorship, which had been in place since the 1963 Ba'th Party coup. There are three main newspapers; Tishrin (Arabic: October) - there is a flavour of similar staid output in the English-language Syrian Times at http://www.teshreen.com/syriantimes --- Al-Ba'th (Ba'th Party paper) and Al-Thawrah (Arabic: the revolution). They don't run to many pages - a result of a dearth of debate, analysis and dependence on the official Syrian news agency SANA http://www.sana.org There were new press laws in 2001. But while they permitted independent publications, they also spelt out the penalties for crossing the political line. New papers Sawt al-Shaab and Al-Wahdawi are pro-government and lack a critical edge, said CPJ. An independent, and at times satirical voice was Al-Domari (Arabic: The Lamplighter), edited by sacked Al-Thawrah cartoonist Ali Farzat. "Although we are an experiment and in terms of popularity it has been a success, we face many official obstacles. But what we have done is break the barrier of fear," said Farzat. However, Information Ministry rules limited its distribution, and the state advertisers' slice of the profits and pressure to censor some of the content led to the suspension of the paper, reported the World Press review web site and Reporters Sans Frontières. Pressure renewed By January 2001, press relaxation had ended and media reform and reporting was confined to economic, not political, change. What has continued is a tolerance of criticism from outside, even from Syrians, in the pan-Arab press and lately on pan-Arab TV. "Contesting the state media monopoly: Syria on Al-Jazeera TV" is a report by Najib Ghadbian, assistant professor of political science, University of Arkansas. He has some insights into the effect of the Qatari TV station on Syria. The Syrian government is sensitive to some of its political programming. Syria is authoritarian and controls its own media, which it uses to mobilize support for itself. There is an information gap: A click of the TV remote reveals Syria being forced to field representatives on political talk shows and callers from Syria reacting to previously unthinkable questions. It is possible that Syria is influenced by being challenged in front of some of its citizens about taboo subjects - democracy, human rights, the legitimacy of the government and Islamic sectarianism. On the other hand, Al-Jazeera and its Arabic imitators have appealed to the Syrian population and the government because of the TV stations' stance on Palestine, Israel and a critical portrayal of the US-led invasion of Iraq. Now TV is the most important medium. Improvements in the three state TV channels and pan-Arab news and entertainment channels have built ever-greater audiences. But there is still the powerful influence of US-run Radio Sawa (ex-Voice of America Arabic), BBC Arabic radio and the most listened to of all, French-backed Radio Monte Carlo Middle East, all of which boom into Syria and which balance the state fare. Syria is also the target and home of some clandestine radio. It hosts the pro-Palestinian Al-Quds Radio, which has in the past been critical of Yasir Arafat. There is also incoming opposition radio: "The Arabic Radio" with the slogan "Syria Arab Free Nation" condemns the Syrian government and its human rights record in its twice daily shortwave broadcasts. It probably only reaches a handful of listeners. A population otherwise used to the party line doesn't necessarily appreciate this plurality. Al-Jazeera can be exciting and the radio stations may be comprehensive, but some viewers and listeners are conservative. They don't think the views which so contradict the previous "truths" should be aired and Najib Ghadbian's report said that some programmes left the Syrian audience more confused than illuminated when the state line was challenged. Electronic media - possible influence The printed word is influential in Syria but is clearly controlled, radio and TV cross borders more easily, but there is part of the electronic media which has yet to make an impact in Syria. The Internet isn't widely available and is censored but there is some growth: In December 2001 60,000 people were estimated to be online in Syria. The Internet has yet to deliver new media to younger sections of society. Syrian media is the way in which the ruling party communicates with its population and the means by which the Syrians judge their governance. The story of Syria is reported somewhat differently even in Syrian-influenced Lebanon and more so across the Middle East. As pan-Arab media, which serve a region, culture and language-group all at once, rise in stature and gain more freedom, this form of the media is will increasingly reach into Syria. It is possible that the force of new media, some internal dissent, direct US and UK pressure and the new reality of a non-Ba'thist neighbouring Iraq will prompt a media re-think, but restrictions were only eased slightly for few months in 2000 - a short period in 40 years of censorship and control. Source: BBC Monitoring research 17 Apr 03 (via DXLD) ** THAILAND. I was bandscanning the 31 meter band this morning (April 17th) and caught the 1230 UT broadcast from Radio Thailand with a good signal on 9860 ex-9700 which was just changed from 9810 last month. Your guess is as good as mine whether this change will stick for a while (Mark Coady, ON, ODXA via DXLD) ** UKRAINE. Glenn, more problems for RUI. Checking 12040 kHz at 2350 UT Apr 15, I hear RUI and another station. At 2359 I hear a R. Sawa, positive ID, on 12040. R. Sawa ends broadcast at 0000, but what sounds like a wind blowing noise remains on 12040. Perhaps the R. Sawa carrier is still on and mixing with RUI? RUI ident signal barely heard. I can eliminate the wind blowing noise using either ECSS LSB or PBS -2.05 kHz. Noise remains on 12040 during the hour I monitored making the RUI broadcast useless. RUI is looking for a different frequency to replace 12040. I was asked to check 9810 (QRM from AWR on 9810 and R. Farda on 9805 make 9810 useless) and 7150 (SSB transmissions on and around 7150 make 7150 useless). Doesn't sound good for RUI in A03. 73, (-.. . Kraig, KG4LAC, Krist, VA, WORLD OF RADIO 1178, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. World Service to help rebuild Iraqi media: see IRAQ ** U K. BBC WORLD SERVICE IMPACT IN SOME COUNTRIES "AS GREAT AS RADIO 2 IN UK" | Text of press release from BBC on 14 April; subheadings as published: The BBC World Service has as great an impact in some countries as BBC Radio 2 - Britain's most listened to station - has in the UK, according to new audience figures released today (Monday 14 April 2003). The international broadcaster's programmes in Nigeria, Kenya and Tanzania have a weekly reach of over 30 per cent of the nation. This is an equivalent impact, in UK audience terms, of BBC Radio 2 - which has a 27 per cent reach of the nation. In the increasingly competitive radio markets of Pakistan and Bangladesh, the BBC's 16 per cent reach is the equivalent, in UK audience terms, of the combined weekly reach of BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM. Listening in Romania, with a weekly reach of 12 per cent of the nation, is equivalent to the UK impact of Radio Five Live - which reaches 13 per cent of the UK. Kabul city survey The new figures follow an earlier city-wide survey in Kabul that showed an unprecedented 82 per cent of Afghans surveyed in the capital Kabul listen to BBC World Service broadcasts in Persian and Pashto every week. This was the first media survey in that country since the Taleban left power in 2001. That survey, conducted by independent market researchers last year, showed that BBC World Service is the leading broadcaster in the Afghan capital, beating all local and international broadcasters on both radio and television. It is an unprecedented level of market penetration for an international broadcaster. Impact in USA In the new global figures, audiences in the USA via FM rebroadcasters are at their highest level ever. This has increased by 70 per cent in the last two years up from 2.3 million in 2001 to 3.9 million in one of the world's most competitive markets. The surveys show that an average of 22 per cent of opinion formers in Boston, New York and Washington listen to the World Service each week. In Boston the figure reaches 26 per cent. These figures were compiled before a major surge in US stations carrying the BBC World Service as a result of the build-up to the Iraq conflict. Around 332 stations are now carrying BBC World Service programming, compared to 265 in March 2002 - a 21 per cent increase in one year. BBC global reputation - trust and objectivity A separate group of surveys of 10 selected markets around the globe reveals that the BBC World Service is the most trusted and objective international broadcaster compared to its main competitors in each market. "These are extraordinary figures that graphically show the impact of the BBC World Service in other countries," says Mark Byford, Director BBC World Service & Global News. "Even more important are the surveys that show we are the most trusted and objective international broadcaster. These are fundamental values for the BBC. "As the fall-out from the Iraq war continues, it is vital that our audiences can rely on BBC coverage of events which is scrupulously impartial, fair, accurate, balanced, and independent; and covers a wide range of opinion from all levels of society. "The trust of our audiences is vital. We have no intention of betraying that trust, especially at this critically important time." Audience figures The figures show that BBC World Service remains the world's best known and most listened to international radio broadcaster. BBC World Service is the clear global leader, significantly ahead of its nearest international broadcasting competitor. This is despite fierce competition from other international broadcasters, an explosion in listener choice, deregulation of markets and huge changes in technology. - At least 150 million people around the world listen to BBC World Service every week, the same figure as last year. - The audience for English language broadcasts has increased by three million to 45 million listeners a week over the last year. The majority of the increase has occurred in Kenya, Nigeria and USA. - The BBC World Service attracted increases in Colombia (+1.3 million), Sudan (+1.4m) and USA (+1m). - However it also recorded falls in Pakistan (-2.5m), Poland (-1m) and Russia (-1m). Indirect broadcasts - An extra three million listeners are now listening through rebroadcasting partners than last year - that's 47 million listeners, over 31 per cent of the total audience. Direct broadcasts - Direct broadcasts via FM frequencies licensed to the BBC have risen by four million to 12 million. - However, shortwave and mediumwave listenership has declined by five million to 110 million. UK listening There are 1.2 million analogue listeners in the UK, despite BBC World Service only being available in daytime hours on mediumwave in the south-east of England and overnight on Radio 4, Radio Ulster and Radio Wales. Although it is not possible at present to measure digital audiences, there is anecdotal evidence that many people now listen to BBC World Service online or via channel 865 of Sky Digital satellite, Freeview channel 80 or cable systems and digital radio. "With listening through digital television, digital radio and online, as well as Radio 4 overnight, its never been easier to hear the World Service in the UK," says Mark Byford. "Ethnic communities around the UK can now access BBC news about their region of origin in 43 languages via the Internet whether in Urdu, Hindi, Greek, Chinese, Turkish, Somali, Persian, Arabic, the Balkan languages or news from the Caribbean." Survey The new World Service global audience estimate is derived from a comprehensive programme of independent audience research - the largest ever commissioned by the World Service - and incorporates new data from 38 countries. It includes data on people listening to World Service directly via shortwave, MW and FM or via local broadcasting partners on MW and FM. The surveys are carried out by independent market research groups and comply with international standards of audience research. It does not include estimates for countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia where market research cannot be carried out but anecdotal evidence indicates high listenership. Any variations in figures that can be attributed to "crisis listening" from events like the Iraqi war are not added to the global estimate. Source: BBC press release, London, in English 14 Apr 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** UK. "SILENT FILM" PROMOTES BBC WORLD SERVICE IN THE UK | Text of press release from BBC on 15 April A silent film is to inform people in the UK of the many different ways in which they can now listen to BBC World Service. Starting on Good Friday (18 April 2003), the film is part of a four-week promotional campaign via trails on BBC radio, television and online. It is the first ever campaign in the UK to promote the World Service. The campaign will highlight the added availability of the international broadcaster's English language service in the UK, including the increasingly popular method of accessing it through digital television sets. It is now possible to listen to the World Service in the UK via Freeview (digital terrestrial television - channel 80); on Sky digital satellite (Channel 865) and cable channels; as well as online and via digital radio. The television trails depict different scenes - logging in the Amazon rainforest; babies being innoculated in a South East Asian clinic; African township children on a school bus; couples enjoying themselves in a Caribbean style club; and a businessman in Europe being led away by a protesting woman - all without sound. In each scene one of the characters mouths the phrase "can you hear?" and then the answer, "yes." Only the end message, voiced by Notting Hill actress Gina McKee, is audible: "BBC World Service Radio - now available throughout the UK." Mark Byford, Director, BBC World Service & Global News says: "Most people in the UK know of the World Service but fewer have actually listened to it. "Until recently it's been easier to hear BBC World Service in Damascus, Dhaka or Delhi than in Donegal, Doncaster or Dundee - unless you're a night owl, tuning into World Service programmes on Radio 4, Radio Ulster or Radio Wales. "With many new ways to listen, even more of the people who fund us, taxpayers in the UK, can benefit from and enjoy the service." Viewers of BBC television will be able to see the trails between 18 April and 9 May. There will be separate trails on BBC network radio and the BBC Asian Network between 19 April and 2 May, and the campaign will be accessible online on BBCi. The radio ads feature sounds from outside and inside the UK. They can be heard between 19 April and 2 May on Radio 2; Radio 3; Radio Five Live; the Asian network and some local radio stations. Aimed at people interested in international perspectives, the trails are designed to be thought provoking and challenging, encouraging people to find out more about what the World Service has to offer. There's an information line for people to call to receive an information leaflet detailing the different ways to access BBC World Service. Source: BBC press release, London, in English 15 Apr 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** U K. BBC FACES LATEST LICENCE FEE ACTION From The Guardian Monday April 14, 2003 The latest high court challenge to the BBC's licence fee began today with a 60 year old Oxfordshire man claiming the annual charge is a breach of his human rights. Jean-Jacques Marmont, who was prosecuted for licence fee evasion in 1992, has launched proceedings against the BBC, representing a group of licence-fee payers. He argues the licence fee breaches the European convention and UK Human Rights Act and amounts to harassment and an infringement on his private and family life. But his action is just one of several legal rows the BBC is facing over the £116 fee. His effort joins at least three other court actions, including one involving Sunday Times columnist Jonathan Miller. All of the legal actions argue that the licence fee contravenes article 10 of the European convention on human rights. But Mr Marmont believes the BBC should find an alternative source of public funding and suggests this could come from a mix of general taxation, advertising, subscription and commercial revenues. This case joins a separate legal action being fought by Miller, who is facing preliminary court proceedings for non-payment of his licence fee. The BBC is also preparing its argument for the licence fee in a separate case prompted by the refusal to pay the fee by the so-called "Liverpool six" - five single parents and an asylum seeker. The solicitor representing the Liverpool group claims the licence fee is an unfair tax that targets poorer people disproportionately. A full hearing of this case is not expected before June. In a fourth legal protest, former Soviet dissident Vladimir Bukovsky claims the BBC is breaching its royal charter by showing bias in favour of European integration. Mr Bukovsky has launched a campaign to enlist 5,000 licence fee refuseniks. The BBC faces more opposition than ever to the licence fee and is stepping up its campaign to put the case in favour of the charge in the run up to charter renewal. The corporation refused to comment on Mr Marmont's case while the proceedings were continuing (via Mike Terry, DXLD) ** U K. JOHN NEWELL by Peter Beer Wednesday April 16, 2003 The Guardian (London UK) John Newell, who has died aged 70, was editor of the BBC World Service science unit from 1982 to 1993, and the author of several books on science. He had a gift for explaining complicated scientific ideas with brilliant clarity; his rumpled tweeds and booming voice concealed an acute intelligence that could fillet an academic paper in Nature or the Lancet in minutes - and make it accessible to non- specialists. Born in Derbyshire, where his father was headmaster of Repton school, John was educated at Bryanston and Emmanuel College, Cambridge. After taking his degree in botany and zoology, and doing national service, in 1959 he joined the BBC as one of its first specialist science writers and broadcasters. After a short spell in television, he moved to Bush House, where he remained happily until retirement in 1993. With the late Arthur Garratt, he was largely responsible for developing Science And Industry, the first World Service weekly science magazine programme, which, through its successor, Science In Action, has continued to the present day. Almost every edition included a piece by John on the mysteries of cosmology or molecular biology, or espousing one of his enthusiasms - recycling rubbish, geothermal energy or space exploration. In 1969- 70, a highlight was the live coverage of all the Apollo moonshots, which John shared with his small team, often staying all night to update the programme. Working with John could be a rollercoaster experience. Get it even slightly wrong and he would leave you - and anyone else in earshot - in no doubt about it; good work, however, would earn lavish praise. John was also a prolific scriptwriter, his reports being translated into many of the nearly 40 languages in which the BBC broadcasts. First as assistant editor, then as editor, he was responsible for the unit which produces all these daily scripts, as well as several radio programmes each week. In retirement, he became a visiting lecturer in science communication at Imperial College, London. He is survived by his long-time companion Rosalind. John Newell, writer and broadcaster, born January 30 1933; died February 19 2003 http://www.guardian.co.uk/Print/0,3858,4649058,00.html (via Daniel Say, DXLD) ** U K [and non]. BFBS fights it out on 17895 from *1400 UT in a collision with Riyadh's Holy Qur`an service to NAf, already in progress (to 1500*), and generally wins with the stronger signal and some multipath echo. The sound of British and American pop music mixing with the muezzin chanting underneath is an ironic statement on the clash of cultures in the current Middle East situation. Parallel 13860 very weak (John Cobb, Roswell, GA, April 16, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. GBR RUGBY CLOSES WITH FAREWELL MESSAGE TO LISTENERS As many listeners will now be aware, GBR, the Rugby VLF station on 16kHz, closed down on the 31st of March. Bob Harrison, G4LMF, sent us the text of the final transmission. The following message was sent at 2400UTC on the 31st of March: "VVV DE GBR VVV DE GBR. After 77 years, three months of almost continuous operation, the GBR 16kHz service from BT Radio Station Rugby ceases today. A thank you to our customers, mainly the Royal Navy, without whom the service would not have been required and whose co-operation has enabled the service to run so smoothly. A big thank you must go to all of those who over the years have been involved in the design, construction, maintenance and operation of GBR. They can feel very proud of providing a consistent high level of reliable service and a job well done. This is the final transmission and GBR will now be shut down for the last time. DE GBR GBR QRT." (RSGB via Mike Terry, DXLD) ** U S A. New Updated Website now in operation WJIE International Shortwave Apr 16, 2003 We have a new updated web-site for your review. Please visit http://www.wjiesw.com and check it out. I would appreciate feedback on items/features to add. Also, we are looking for churches and ministries that would like to broadcast on international shortwave. Please give us a call at 502- 968-1220 or email wjiesw@hotmail.com. There is no charge...you simply receive a love offering for us once a month and send it in. Until next time, God bless! In Christ, (Doc Burkhart, General Manager WJIE International Shortwave, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I see they again have a Contact page showing P-mail address (gh, DXLD) Últimas escutas feitas em Jaraguá do Sul/SC com SONY ICF-SW7600G e antena telescópica: WJIE, Estados Unidos, 13595 Khz, 15.04.2003, 02:05 UTC, Programa Christian Media Network. A WJIE está chegando com excelente sinal aqui na freqüência de 13595 kHz, durante a noite, a partir das 23:00 UTC. Em 7490 Khz o sinal é bastante ruim. Até a próxima! (Márcio Polheim, Jaraguá do Sul/SC, Brasil, radioescutas via DXLD) ** U S A. Re Rev. Jim Renfrew`s March 19 comments on Harold Camping: Years ago I phoned Dr Gene Scott`s number, more out of curiosity than anything else. Scot had been chewing out his staff; the guy who answered the phone seemed less than happy. I couldn`t really tell if he was mad, embarrassed, chastised, but he was clearly reacting to the remarks from the `Doc`. Camping seems from what I`ve read, and I hasten to add that I have not heard him for some time, to be sounding more and more like Herbert W Armstong toward the end of his life. You would think that his, shall we say, eccentric views, might really start to hurt his ministry income, unless they appeal to a broader demographic than one would think (Fred Waterer, ON, Programming Matters, April ODXA Listening In via DXLD) ** U S A. The long time leader of the National Alliance, William Pierce, ``went to Valhalla`` in the last year. Kevin Alfred Strom had been a somewhat effective spokesman as host of the porgram in the early nineties but for some reason, Pierce had taken over the role of program host for several years --- his voice and style were less polished, less subtle, more strident. For some time apparently, Mr Strom has resumed hosting the program; not really sure if he or someone else is heading the Alliance, since Pierce`s death. I`ve listened to a few programs via the internet. Strom disappoints me on one level, and gives me hope on another. His style leaves one in no doubt where he stands on questions of race, among other issues. Of late he is ranting on ``this Jewish war``. He has lost his subtleness, his smooth almost persuasive speaking style. It was almost a pleasure (almost) in earlier days, to listen to his attempts to make palatable the unpalatable. I am cheered by the fact that his style and vocabulary have been dumbed down, and appeal to baser emotions. No doubt his views are thus less appealing (Fred Waterer, ON, Programming Matters, April ODXA Listening In via DXLD) ** U S A [non]: Frequency changes for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (A-03 vs A-02): 1900-1930 Albanian NF 11910, ex 11875 0400-0600 Arabic NF 11930, ex 12030 1700-1800 Arabic NF 9865, ex 9575 1700-1900 Arabic NF 17690, ex 17610 2000-2200 Arabic NF 11885, ex 7155 0200-0300 Armenian NF 9585, ex 6170 1400-1500 Armenian NF 11680, ex 9785 1600-1700 Armenian NF 9505, ex 9620 1900-2100 Belorussian NF 7115, ex 9530 0600-0630 Bulgarian on 11975 cancelled 1000-1030 Bulgarian on 15115 cancelled 1400-1530 Bulgarian on 15115 cancelled 0400-0500 CeAs langs* NF 11780, ex 11760 *Russian/Avari/Chechen/Cherkassi 1700-1800 CeAs langs* NF 9805, ex 9810 *Russian/Avari/Chechen/Cherkassi 1300-1400 Kazakh NF 17870, ex 15455 2300-2400 Kazakh NF 9615 and 9865, ex 9625 and 9660 1400-1500 Kyrghyz NF 15265, ex 15345 1500-1600 Kyrghyz NF 15265, ex 15340 and DEL 11980 0230-0430 Pashto/Dari NF 15730, ex 15690 and DEL 9615 0630-0830 Pashto/Dari NF 13710, ex 17690 and DEL 21680 0830-1030 Pashto/Dari DEL 21680 1230-1430 Pashto/Dari DEL 15370 and 21680 1630-1830 Pashto/Dari DEL 11705 2230-0030 Pashto/Dari DEL 13810 0800-1400 Persian NF 21530, ex 21650 effective from April 12 1500-1530 Romanian NF 11770, ex 11950 1600-1700 Romanian NF 9870 and 11770, ex 9505 and 9725 1800-1900 Romanian NF 7115 and 11835, ex 7165 and 11715 0200-0300 Russian NF 7255, ex 7245 0400-0500 Russian NF 5995 and 11710, ex 6000 and 11885 1500-1600 Russian NF 9815, ex 7220 1500-1700 Russian NF 9725, ex 11770 1900-2100 Russian NF 9530, ex 7115 2200-2300 Russian NF 9615, ex 9665 1300-1330 Serbocroat NF 9555, ex 9625 1800-1900 Serbocroat NF 15160, ex 13635 1400-1500 Tajik NF 17670, ex 17855 0500-0600 TatarBashkir NF 11990 and 15245, ex 9725 and 15425 1500-1600 TatarBashkir NF 11990, ex 11995 0300-0400 Turkmen NF 7185, ex 7175 1400-1500 Turkmen NF 15345, ex 15265 1800-1900 Ukrainian NF 7165, 11715 and 11875, ex 7115 11660 11835 1900-2000 Ukrainian NF 3995, 11875 and 15115, ex 7145 11660 11835 0200-0400 Uzbek NF 21770, ex 15445 1600-1700 Uzbek NF 11815, ex 9840 (Observer, Bulgaria, Apr 15 via DXLD) ** U S A [non]. Summer schedule for AWR's DX px "Wavescan" on Sundays 0030-0100 9720 DHA to SoAs 1600-1630 11560 SDA to SoAs 9810 DHA to SoAs 15215 SDA to SoAs 0200-0230 9820 MOS to SoAs 15235 SDA to SoAs 0330-0400 15160 DHA to CeAs 1630-1700 11975 SDA to SoAs 0500-0530 3215 MEY to CeAf 17630 DHA to SoAs 3345 MEY to EaAf 1730-1800 9385 SDA to ME 0600-0630 15105 MEY to EaAf 12015 SDA to ME 0730-0800 9775 MOS to WeEu 1800-1830 3215 MEY to CeAf 0830-0900 17780 MOS to WeAf 3345 MEY to EaAf 1000-1030 11560 SDA to NoEaAs 1830-1900 9520 MEY to EaAf 11930 SDA to SoEaAs 1930-2000 7130 RSO to WeEu 1300-1330 17740 DHA to CeAs 2030-2100 15385 WOF to EaAf 1330-1400 11980 SDA to NoEaAs 2130-2200 15130 MOS to WeAf 15275 SDA to SoEaAs 15320 DHA to SoAs DHA=Al-Dhabayya RSO=Rimavska Sobota MEY=Meyerton SDA=Guam MOS=Moosbrunn WOF=Woofferton 73 from Ivo and Angel! (Observer, Bulgaria, Apr 15 via DXLD) ** U S A. New station on 1610; and 1640 Received this evening radio station WKQV in Coral Springs, Florida on 1610 kHz. Format at the time was "Golden Oldies". Heavy fading was experienced. They signed off at 00:15 AM, EDT. Signal strength was S- 9+5 at the peak. Receiver here was a Drake R-8B using a 150' long wire, 50 foot above ground, running east/west. Also, on 1640 kHz., WNPG is operating daytime only from Tampa, Fla. In Spanish. Their Signal was a S-9+20 at peak. My location is 55 miles south of Tampa. Good DX to All (Jim Gill, Bradenton, Florida, April 16, hard-core-dx via DXLD) Isn`t `KQV` a pirate of some tenure? And WNPG too? (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. The narrowly targeted broadcasting is a form of telecommunications dubbed "highway advisory radio." This will be the first such FM version of it in Florida, said DOT telecommunications coordinator Nick Adams. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-cpradiogladesapr14,0,433929.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines (via Jilly Dybka, KF4ZEO, DXLD) ** U S A. ETHNIC PRESS --- From Spanish-language newspapers to Farsi- language radio programs, millions of Americans received news about the war in Iraq from the nation's growing number of ethnic media outlets, often more critical than mainstream news organizations. The war was in many ways a watershed event for the nation's foreign- language newspapers, radio stations and television networks. It raised their profile among their own communities while highlighting differences in how they present the news. In New York, for example, "El Diario/La Prensa" published startlingly graphic photographs of slain soldiers and journalists. "War is a nasty, ugly, life-taking action that humans engage in. You must present all sides," said Gerson Borrero, editor in chief of the 88,000-circulation Spanish-language daily. He said the paper's coverage has been more objective than mainstream media, which he likened to "spokespersons" for the Pentagon and White House. Non-English media flourish in cities with large immigrant communities such as New York, Miami and Detroit. Three years ago, New York's Independent Press Association listed 198 magazines and newspapers of 52 ethnic and national groups publishing in 36 languages. Foreign-language media relied heavily on wire service stories and photographs from Iraq, using their own reporters to profile families or detail the effects of war. Many of their editorials and commentaries were largely critical of the U.S.-led war. In Lawrence, Massachusetts, the 25,000-circulation Spanish-language weekly "Siglo21" has tried to keep its focus on local and regional news but also includes opinions about the war - most of it opposed. On April 9, it quoted Samuel Johnson: "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel." Many foreign-language outlets also were critical of the mainstream media's placement of reporters with U.S. troops. In "La Opinion", Los Angeles' largest Spanish-language newspaper, Editorial Page Editor Rafael Buitrago said embedded reporters created a solidarity with the military that "eliminates all distance between the correspondents and the soldiers." Nowhere does ethnic media thrive more than in California, where 26 percent of the state's 34 million people were born outside the United States and no single ethnic group comprises a majority. The state's ethnic media includes some 700 newspapers, radio programs and television shows, publishing and transmitting in Spanish, Farsi, Arabic, Swahili, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Filipino, Cambodian, Hmong, Hindi, Urdu and other languages. Publications geared toward California's Southeast Asian communities have reported on whether the war in Iraq could be a precedent for India to invade Pakistan, using cross-border terrorism as a reason to launch its own pre-emptive strike (AP via SCDX /MediaScan Apr 16 via DXLD) ** U S A. EMBATTLED CHANNEL SEARCHING FOR CLEAR DAYLIGHT April 12, 2003 By Abigail Rayner, The Times http://www.timesonline.co.uk EVEN if you have never heard the name Clear Channel Worldwide, the chances are that you've encountered it without realising it. The billboards that you pass on your way to work, the annoying song that you can't get out of your head, the tickets for Westlife that you bought for your teenagers - it's quite likely that they were all brought to you by Clear Channel. Clear Channel is a communications company with more than 1,200 US radio stations, 39 US television stations, 775,000 billboards and thousands of venues, including about 30 in the UK. Its size and reach has long rattled the music industry, triggered regulatory alarm bells and provoked a torrent of negative press. As criticism of the company reached fever pitch this week, Clear Channel responded to accusations of "payola" - accepting payment from independent promoters to play certain songs, without revealing the deals to audiences. Clear Channel pledged to "cut ties with independent promoters" in an effort to reduce a practice that "gives the appearance of 'pay for play'". The company repeated its claim that its radio choices are driven by consumer demand. Music industry pressure groups - to whom the company is known as "The Great Satan" - as well as prominent members of Congress have long claimed that Clear Channel is strangling the growth of new music by forcing radio DJs to play certain artists while freezing out others. "We have zero tolerance for 'pay for play', but want to avoid even the suggestion that such a practice takes place within our company," Mark Mays, the company's chief operating officer, says. His father, Lowry, is Clear Channel's chairman and chief executive. Tift Merritt, a folk singer based in North Carolina who has sold about 50,000 copies of her debut album Bramble Rose, hopes the move means that her fans will hear more of her music. "I think it's great," the artist says. "It means that musicians who are speaking up about this are finally being heard." Merritt reports that after she opened a show near North Carolina for Willie Nelson, fans called their local radio stations to request her music. "The DJs said they had to wait for management to change the programming," she says. Jenny Toomey, executive director of Future of Music Coalition, an artists' pressure group, welcomed Clear Channel's announcement, but said that payola was just one of many "salacious and anti- competitive business practices" that Clear Channel was alleged to have taken part in. The company's dominance in so many areas of communication gives it a clear advantage in the marketplace. A Denver-based promotions company called Nobody in Particular Presents, which has organised local concerts for Pearl Jam, Sarah McLachlan and the Beastie Boys, has filed an antitrust lawsuit against the company, accusing it of using monopolistic, predatory and anticompetitive business practices and claiming that it threatened to gag artists who chose a competing promoter. The case is still pending. "With the rules of the US, which some people criticise, (Clear Channel) has accumulated so much market power that people should be concerned about anti-competitive behaviour," Rick Morris, associate professor at Northwestern University, says. Clear Channel remains on a growth path that is likely to be advanced when UK and US regulators review rules on radio ownership this year. The company's strategy has been to spread a wide net over a range of musical genres within the same geographical market, attracting large amounts of advertising while saving on costs. If the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the US regulator, relaxes rules governing television ownership, Clear Channel will doubtless seek to adopt a similar technique in television. NBC - owned by General Electric - CBS or Tribune could also embark on a shopping spree. It could be more alarming in the case of Clear Channel than these other broadcasters, however, because of allegations that its radio stations have helped to organise and sponsor pro-war rallies. The accusations stem from a series of "Rallies for America" hosted by Glenn Beck, a talk show host whose syndicated programme goes out on more than 100 stations in cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Dallas, Washington, Atlanta and Tampa. Beck claims the rallies are not "pro-war" but merely an expression of support for the troops. It is easy to see, however, how such events can be hijacked by the pro-war lobby. Some argue that there is nothing wrong with radio taking a political view, just as many newspapers do. However, the US airwaves are public property. Under FCC rules, radio is expected to serve in the public "interest, convenience and necessity". Companies are required to apply to the federal government for a licence, although most are already taken and very few new ones are issued. The Rallies for America have triggered suggestions that Clear Channel is trying to gain sympathy from the Bush Administration towards lifting restrictions on the industry. Beck denies the allegations. Glen Robinson, an FCC commissioner who teaches law at the University of Virginia, also shrugs off such claims. "That would just be silly, it would not influence the FCC," he says. It is more likely that Clear Channel, which has grown rapidly in the past few years, has not itself yet fully realised the power and responsibility that come with being an industry Goliath. The company dates from 1972, when Lowry Mays, an investment banker, and Red McCombs, a car dealer and financier, formed the San Antonio Broadcasting Company, paying $125,000 for the local radio station. After growing at a steady pace, the company suddenly mushroomed after 1996, when Congress repealed rules on the number of radio stations that a company operating at national level could own. The company expanded internationally, buying stakes in radio stations in Australia, New Zealand and Mexico. Clear Channel was ranked as the fifth best-performing stock of the 1990s. The controversy over alleged payola offers hope that greater transparency will be brought to the industry. However, the Republican Administration is widely supportive of a move to relax, not tighten, rules governing media ownership, and a challenging environment for media has also put pressure on regulators to ease the rules. Some say that the FCC could do better job. "The FCC has a mandate to license this vital marketplace," says Jenny Toomey who voiced concern that it has taken until now for the matter to be dealt with. (more on website) (The Times, UK, via Mike Terry, DXLD) ** U S A. H'WOOD STARS TO BOYCOTT WKTU? By JOHN MAINELLI April 16, 2003 A Hollywood boycott against four radio stations here is being planned against Clear Channel. The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) yesterday OK'd a potential strike at the radio giant's Lite FM (106.7), WKTU (103.5 FM), Q104 (104.3 FM) and Power 105 (105.1 FM). AFTRA also urged a boycott of the stations' programs by its TV members and announced that the Screen Actors Guild has asked its members to do likewise. "Clear Channel is an 800-pound gorilla and the solidarity of all performers is needed in our fight against them," AFTRA's Peter Fuster told The Post. "There are competing stations in the market that [celebrities] can make their appearances on." Fuster said a "major issue" in the long-running negotiations is protecting DJs from the recent Clear Channel practice of "voice tracking" - piping in lower-paid, out-of-state announcers to replace higher-paid local DJs (NY Post via Bill Westenhaver, DXLD) ** U S A. Truth-Telling EVERY NEWS ORGANIZATION, and every reporter, makes difficult, morally ambiguous decisions when working in a totalitarian state. There are no hard and fast rules about where to draw the line between legitimate cooperation with authorities and outright collaboration. Some of the time it is right to let readers and viewers make intelligent inferences, as long as a sentence stating that "this reporter was operating under the rules of local censorship" is inserted into an article or broadcast report. Sometimes it is better to continue publishing news from a place, if the choice is between taking an unpleasant official from a corrupt regime out to lunch or producing no news at all. Having said that, the case of CNN's coverage of Iraq over the past few years raises special issues. Last week, Eason Jordan, the network's chief news executive, wrote an article in the New York Times in which he described some of the things he had learned but not reported during the 13 trips he made to Iraq over the past decade, while lobbying the government to keep CNN's Baghdad bureau open. At one point, a CNN cameraman, an Iraqi citizen, was abducted and subjected to electroshock torture. At another point, CNN learned of an armed attack planned on the organization's headquarters in northern Iraq. Mr. Jordan gives other examples -- and goes on to explain that CNN chose not to report the information to protect other Iraqi employees and out of "fear of endangering our staff in Baghdad." This tale would be disturbing enough on its own, but it is especially worrying because of CNN's special position in the Middle East. In the past, the network has been watched avidly in the region, and nowhere more so than in Baghdad. It is widely perceived around the world as a voice of the United States. If CNN did not fully disclose what it knew about the Baathist regime, and if CNN deliberately kept its coverage bland and inoffensive, that would help explain why the regime was not perceived to be as ruthless as it in fact was, in the Arab world and elsewhere. In fact, over the past few days, Baathist atrocities have been revealed ad hoc, as U.S. and British troops discover them. When the systematic investigation of Saddam Hussein's Iraq begins, the stories may grow worse. It is difficult to make judgments in retrospect, but some CNN reporting did seem deliberately unprovocative, given the true nature of the regime. An election last autumn, which Saddam Hussein won with 100 percent of the votes, was interpreted as a "message of defiance to U.S. President George Bush," for example. If the network had also told its viewers that Mr. Jordan dealt with an Iraqi official whose teeth had been pried out for upsetting his boss, Uday Hussein, then those watching the electoral story might have felt differently about that report, about the election result and about a regime that terrified its citizens into proclaiming their unanimous support. To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26640-2003Apr14.html (via Harry Helms, NV, DXLD) ** U S A. CABLE'S WAR COVERAGE SUGGESTS A NEW 'FOX EFFECT' ON TELEVISION --- April 16, 2003 By JIM RUTENBERG The two commentators were gleeful as they skewered the news media and antiwar protesters in Hollywood. "They are absolutely committing sedition, or treason," one commentator, Michael Savage, said of the protesters one recent night. His colleague, Joe Scarborough, responded: "These leftist stooges for anti-American causes are always given a free pass. Isn't it time to make them stand up and be counted for their views?" The conversation did not take place on A.M. radio, in an Internet chat room or even on the Fox News Channel. Rather, Mr. Savage, a longtime radio talk-show host, and Mr. Scarborough, a former Republican congressman, were speaking during prime time on MSNBC, the cable news network owned by Microsoft and General Electric and overseen by G.E.'s NBC News division. . . http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/16/international/worldspecial/16FOX.html?ex=1051536155&ei=1&en=7a9bfd19fb86396d (via DXLD) ** U S A. Short Takes: April 17, 2003 --- FCC WON'T DELAY VOTE Thanks, but no thanks. That was the behind-the-scenes response of Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell to a request from key lawmakers that the agency put a temporary hold on its media ownership proceeding to let Congress and the public comment on the precise regulatory changes Mr. Powell has in mind. In an April 9 letter, a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers-including Sens. Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., and Trent Lott, R-Miss.-said it believed it "virtually impossible to serve the public interest in this extremely important and highly complex proceeding without letting the public know about and comment on the changes you intend to make to these critical rules." But in an April 11 letter of response that was not released to the press, Mr. Powell said the FCC is still planning to act on the regulations in early June. "I firmly believe, based on where the commission is today, that further and more specific notice is unwarranted in light of the full record before us and weighed against the pitfalls of further delay," Mr. Powell said. Among the lawmakers who have urged Mr. Powell to stick to his announced plan to vote on the regulations June 2 is Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich. (via Shoptalk, & http://www.tvweek.com via Fred Vobbe, NRC FM-TV via DXLD) ** U S A. I do not have a particular problem with FM IBOC and I feel it is a starter. Modern radios have decent enough front ends and I-F systems to work into the mid to low 40's. There was a recent translator frenzy that netted over 8,000 FM translator applications. What that means is that there will be many useful signals servicing outside their coverage area being made no longer listenable. By a 250 watt translator wedged into a channel. I found several of these in Ohio and West Va. That will have a lot bigger impact on FM listening than FM iboc (Paul Jellison, WLW, Clear Channel, April 15, NRC-AM via DXLD) Already have for years here in Enid ** U S A. New Broadcast Band? FCC FILING MORE THAN ROUTINE INTEREST On March 26, the Citizens Broadcast Band Discussion Group filed remarks in the Matter of Petition for Notice of Inquiry (NOI) Regarding the Establishment of a New Broadcast Band. No details are available in the following FCC announcement. http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-233037A1.doc (Via: CGC Communicator VIA Fred Vobbe, NRC-AM via DXLD) Quoted from: http://eiko.animaljuice.net/ New Broadcast Band Discussion Group This site is intended to be a central point for discussion and research into a new radio broadcast service. What exactly is your idea? The specific goal of this discussion group is to research the possibility of starting a new radio broadcast band exclusively for low power radio services (as in, roughly, radio stations with a 20 mile receiving radius or less). If it is determined that such an idea is technically feasible, then work will begin on designing equipment that will make the idea work. Why are you doing this? There are many problems with the current broadcast bands that justify the creation of a new broadcast service. First off, they are very crowded, a problem that will only get worse when the FCC switches to digital radio. Secondly, all attempts to bring low power radio to the existing broadcast bands get squashed by groups like the National Association of Broadcasters, who attempt to maintain the monopoly they currently have on radio. A new broadcast band is the solution to both these problems. Not only will this open up more frequencies for broadcasting, but it also eliminates any claims corporate broadcasters have regarding control of radio licenses. Politically, the argument for a new radio service needs little base. Communication is imperative to the vitality of our democracy. The founding fathers of the United States Constitution knew this well when they wrote the basic principles of our freedom. The way we communicate has changed with the advent of Radio, Television, and Internet, but the basic principles surrounding our freedom of speech have not. I think most people will agree that the biggest problem with applying concepts of free speech to services like radio is the lack of real estate dedicated to radio services. If there are fewer radio frequencies than there are radio stations, freedom of speech is hampered, simply by physical constraint. By starting our own radio band, we are relieving this fundamental problem with the current broadcast bands, thus creating a new hope for the thousands of groups and individuals that wish to start a radio station, and improving the degree of free speech in America. What would be the result of a new radio service? An amazing proliferation of culture, entertainment, and information would result from this service. Musicians, DJs, community leaders, churches, activists, and regular citizens alike will join together to form a highly diverse radio band where people of different musical tastes, political affiliations, and cultural denominations would be able to thrive. Imagine a broadcast band where anyone can start their very own radio station for only the cost of the broadcasting equipment! Current Status of the project: On March 08, 2003, the Citizens Broadcast Band Discussion Group completed a Petition for Notice of Inquiry, which has been sent off to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This petition asks the FCC to take our ideas for the creation of a new broadcast band, and move them into a nation-wide public commentary, where more technical details and information can be worked out by participants. We thank everybody that has contributed to the project over the last several months, and wish the best of luck for the petition. The petition lays out the ideas and technical details more exhaustively than this web page does, and I recommend anyone interested in the project take a look at it. The docket number the petition receives will be posted to this web page as soon as it is known, and I encourage everyone that has interest in the project add their own comments to that docket! Click here to view the Petition for Notice of Inquiry, in Microsoft Word format. Click here to view the Petition for Notice of Inquiry, in Adobe PDF format http://eiko.animaljuice.net/fcc-noi.pdf Thanks for your interest! -Kyle Drake vmalloc@usinternet.com (via Andy Lawendel, Italy, ibid.) [Lotsa luck: should this come to pass, no doubt the gospel huxters will find a way to dominate it too --- gh] Pretty much what I proposed 20 years ago in a Monitoring Times column I wrote then. I suggested that a couple of frequencies could be set aside for low-power stations constrained to broadcast ONLY locally- originated programming, with a minimum of pre-transcribed programming (take the mini-recorder out to the local flat-picking contest and let it run; allow pre-recorded commercials and PSA's; record city council and board of education meetings and re-broadcast them, etc.); and allow local preference, rather than FCC license, to determine times of operation and coverage (something like 250 watts ND), with share- time being revived. Locally-originated programming ... what a concept! How would those spoiled on voice-tracking survive? -pls (Paul Swearingen, KS, NRC-AM via DXLD) And proposed again in the LPFM proceedings - even the Commission itself proposed the allocation of newly-available spectrum. The use of TV channel 6, after the digital transition, was one popular suggestion. Obviously it didn't happen during the LPFM proceedings. I *strongly* suspect this new proposal will be promptly quashed as rehashing arguments already made while considering LPFM. There are two major problems with allocating new spectrum for community broadcasters: 1- What do you do with the existing users of that spectrum? All bands that are usable for broadcasting are already occupied. (yes, this includes the VHF TV channels which are no longer slotted for removal from service after transition) 2- Who will buy a radio just to listen to community stations? Existing radios won't pick up the new spectrum. Even if you do get the FCC to mandate coverage of the new band in new radios, it will take *decades* to replace the old equipment. The 1610-1700 kHz band was probably the last golden opportunity to allocate new spectrum for community radio (Doug Smith, ibid.) One idea I've had for a while is allowing expanded one-way transmitting (de facto broadcasting) privileges for hams. There are large sections of the six meter band, such as 53 to 54 MHz, that are totally dead except for a few repeaters that get "kerchunked" every six months or so. Allow Techs and higher hams to use that band for direct transmissions intended for general reception. You could start modestly by limiting power and the duration of transmissions (say 100 watts and no more than one hour out of a four hour period), permit transmissions of tones and data as well as voice, etc. With a foot in the door, you could expand it to include longer hours of operation, music, more power, etc. Most scanners cover 50-54 MHz in FM, so there would be a base of potential receiving devices. Yeah, I know this would be "different" and therefore induce heart attacks in Newington and Riley Hollingsworth and has no chance whatsoever of happening, but it doesn't hurt to dream (Harry Helms AK6C/7, Las Vegas, NV DM26, ibid.) Of course this proposal has one fatal flaw right up front - namely that there are neither readily-available receivers nor transmitters for it. As we saw with AM $tereo and are seeing and will see with IBOC, this is a major hurdle even for established commercial ventures, muchless community organizations and/or individuals. Unless they're planning to re-allocate the old Citizens Band (27 MHz) |g|. It's actually a reasonable idea. And the idea of Newington being against it would automatically make many others jump on board for that reason alone. |evil grin| (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA, ibid.) Sounds just like a carbon-copy of Community Access TV, available today on channel 20 (for me, anyway) and no further than the remote controller in my hand. And, with few viewers. AND, it is already subsidized through your cable TV bill. This would not even have the visual excitement of seeing what kind of outfit White Chocolate is wearing tonight. Sorry, I am not impressed. Not unless they can re-capture some of the existing space to re- allocate. Even then I have doubts (Bob Foxworth, FL, ibid.) Or going to give up some VHF or UHF territory for AM use and people will listen on scanners (Kevin Redding, AZ, ibid.) I'm all for allocating spectrum for low-power radio with easy licensing requirements, for at least two reasons. (1) The spectrum is a public resource, and space should be available to the public. As it stands now, the spectrum is almost entirely a corporate-owned resource. (2) Furthermore, it's a 1st Amendment issue to me. Allowing individuals and community groups to operate low-power stations would be of great benefit to civil society and the public sphere, and would provide an outlet for diverse viewpoints and programming. That's why I love pirate radio so much, even though the programming is uneven. The AM band is crowded on either side of it, but I wouldn't mind an expanded FM band, if that's possible. There's also got to be a lot of unused or sparsely used real estate in the shortwave spectrum. I'm a ham, but I wouldn't mind giving up some of our spectrum for this if it came to that. Of course, it won't happen: neither the FCC nor the media corporations have the slightest wish to see the spectrum opened up. To paraphrase former Chicago alderman Paddy Bauler, the FCC ain't ready for reform (David Hochfelder, NJ, NRC-AM via DXLD) Fact is, for a variety of reasons, ham radio will continue to cede spectrum. If it isn't used for this, it'll keep on going to those who already have plenty (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA, ibid.) Ham radio is ceding spectrum? I think not! They've gained whole new bands over the last 20 years (and expanded others) while the number of hams has declined (Chuck Hutton, WA, ibid.) Hold on Harry. My 6-meter repeater gets a lot of use back here in Ohio. In fact, it out-talks the 2-meter machine 3:1. Its output is at 53.63. |Most scanners cover 50-54 MHz in FM, so there would be a base of potential receiving devices.| Same could be said for the 420 to 455 band (ham or RPU), and the nice thing about those frequencies is that they don't propagate on band openings like 6-meters does. UHF would be ideal for community broadcasters. 6 can propagate. I had a ham check in and talk for 20 minutes one night from Tennessee (Fred Vobbe, Lima OH, ibid.) Ham radio will ultimately have to cede frequencies/bands because too many simply are painfully under-utilized, and because ham radio, like so many other aspects of radio, is becoming less relevant to non- participants. As the spectrum auctions by the government indicate, space is valuable, and people are willing to pay big bucks for it. The ham population has declined, is declining and will continue to decline along with many of the 'traditional' hobbies. It will be increasingly difficult for hams to retain frequencies worldwide as demand grows. Similarly, it will become increasingly difficult for a batch of reactionaries in Newington to continue to hold on in this country (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA, wb2bjh, ibid.) But how true is that nationally? And how active are the various radio control segments of six meters? There is a LOT of dead air on the VHF/UHF ham bands --- even most of two meters is now quiet. There is even more dead air in the 420-450 MHz ham band, and that would be a prime region for reallocation to other services if not heavily used by hams (which it isn't, at the moment). Please note I wasn't suggesting reallocating these for community broadcasting, only that hams be given expanded, more liberal one-way transmitting privileges. Over time, it could become a de facto community broadcasting service (much like CB radio, which started as a two-way mobile radio service and eventually became a de facto "unlicensed ham radio" service). Getting expanded one-way transmitting privileges for hams would seem to be a much easier, more achievable goal at this stage than a new community broadcasting band. I don't think any overt attempt at a new community broadcasting band/service would have a chance. For example, our friendly monopolists making up the NAB want the FCC to ban XM and other satellite services from offering local traffic reports. Corporate monoliths who try to get the government to protect them from competition really suck, ya know??? Oh yes, I know six can propagate well. I was thinking like a DXer when I suggested six as a good spot for expanded one-way transmitting privileges for hams! But I know I'm daydreaming. What I'm suggesting would require the ARRL and FCC to engage in radically new thinking about what ham radio is. They see ham radio as two-way communications and that definition is set in stone in their minds. The people at the ARRL and FCC --- and, to be fair, the clear majority of hams --- are badly frightened by the "threat" of change and innovation. They would rather be consistent and slowly die rather than change and survive (Harry Helms AK6C/7, Las Vegas, NV DM26, ibid.) Oh boy! Then ham radio would be a vast waste land that would put CB radio to shame. Certainly allowing broadcasting in a two way radio service would certainly change the face of ham radio and furthermore would render the bands useless, prohibiting emergency communications as well. As far as a new broadcast band, licensed or unlicensed, don`t hold your breath on this one, folks. The NAB would put a choke hold on this faster than anyone could say mercy. Plus the international front would have to get in on this as well if it involves frequencies in the HF region. Also on a practical matter, if, say, some two way communications frequencies in the UHF or VHF region were to be opened up to "community broadcasting", how many people out there already have the radios to listen? Who would want to try and listen on a radio that isn`t to conventional so to speak compared to what the average "Joe" uses now? Seems to me that this "new band" idea has a lot against it already (Bob Carter, KC4QLP, Operations/Engineering--Max Media Radio Group, ibid.) I guess you've never listened to 75 meters at night, some nets on 20 meters, or numerous repeaters in metro areas! There are already plenty of jerks in ham radio. Exactly why would liberalized one-way transmitting privileges lead to greater disregard of rules and regulations than we have now? I'd take your argument more seriously if you could advance reasons more specific than a generalized fear of the new and unknown. Not every change leads to anarchy and chaos; some changes produce a distinct improvement (Harry Helms AK6C/7, Las Vegas, NV DM26, ibid.) Every segment of the population has its jerks. Ham radio has had them for years. Further the ham bands, particularly VHF, have plenty of non-ham jerks operating too. But many would have a problem with the idea of a sort of citizens radio service which required a ham license. I don't think that would fly with anyone. And I doubt that anything on a separate band could generate a critical mass of listeners. But bottom line, I don't care where you put it, the type of service under discussion would have few listeners and probably be mostly a 'vanity service' anyway (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA, ibid.) I have listened to and talked on 75 and 20 meters...and yes you do have pockets of chaos and jerk operators. I have listened to some of the not so pleasant repeaters in metro areas. Thankfully though all of that chaos is not in the majority of the type of operations on the ham bands. Here is something for you all to think about. As we all know, it only takes a few bad operators to make all of the ham bands and ham operators look bad. Certainly quite a few need to reread part 97 again and again and again....but if you give these hand full of wantabe broadcasters (otherwise known as the chaos gang on the bands) the "privilege" to broadcast (mind you operating with radios that could transmit on any frequency you could imagine), what makes anyone think that these "boys" will follow the letter of the law of broadcasting in certain parts of the bands? They are not following the rules in most cases now. Next thing you know QSO's will be bombarded by the 5 minute broadcast blast! Of course it happens even now --- but it would more than likely become more of a common place. Further more with the push to either move SW broadcasters out of the upper end of 75 meters and nearly all of 40 meters and or allows hams a new HF band that is not over run by SW broadcasters. I hardly think based of that information alone that hams would want an amateur broadcaster blasting away some number of kc's away when he or she is trying to carry on a QSO. As far as not every change not leading to anarchy or chaos, hahahaha! There are very few changes in the radio world that do not lead to that sort of idiotic, non productive, not in the public interest and criminal activity (Bob Carter, ibid.) ** U S A. DISNEY RADIO TOWER DECISION DELAYED - 04/16/2003 http://www.monroenews.com/display/inn_news/news05.txt [Michigan] Ash Township is weighing requests from ABC at a time when residents are still seething about interference from new radio towers for another station. By DEAN COUSINO ASH TOWNSHIP - Ash Township residents are concerned that a new set of radio towers, this time owned by ABC, will only lead to more interference in their home telephones. ABC, which is owned by Disney, wants to build a new station at 910 AM that would offer 24-hour programming for young children. The eight towers are being proposed for construction on 51 acres of property bordered by Matthews St., Maxwell Rd. and the CSX Railway. More than an hour of questions about interference and other concerns caused the Ash Township Planning Commission Chairman Sidney Stumpmier Tuesday to delay making a recommendation and, instead, setting another hearing for next month. The planners ultimately will make a recommendation to the township board, which has final say on the project. WXYT recently erected towers near Sigler and N. Telegraph Rds. for its CBS-affiliated station. Those towers, area residents say, have caused interference in wall-mounted telephones. Some in attendance Tuesday questioned if similar disruptions would result from the additional towers. When told by several residents about problems they are having with phones in their homes, Michael D. Fezzey, president and general manager of WJR-AM Radio, which is owned by ABC, said the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires companies to pay for and install tiny filters in plug-in sockets to remove the interference. The FCC requires the companies to do that for up to a year, but ABC has pledged to do it for five years and beyond if need be. "It's our intent to be a member of this community," the WJR executive told about 50 people present. "We have demonstrated we will answer these problems … It's our responsibility." Township planning consultant Zak Branigan and citizens asked why the Ash Township site was chosen instead of a site further north in, say Oakland County. He said the firm would have to justify the location as part of its permit review. Mr. Fezzey, said he has been looking for several years for a suitable site west of I-75 for the towers. "We zeroed in on this property because it provides as much (wide open spaces) and natural screening as possible," he said. Glen Clark, a consulting engineer for ABC who designed the WXYT towers for CBS Radio, said the criteria for selecting a site for towers is complex and takes in many variables. The company seriously looked at three sites in nearby Exeter Township - off Haggerty Rd., the "S" curve at Oakville-Waltz and Exeter Rds. and on property just south of the Carleton Farms landfill in Sumpter Township. However, the sites were limited to a "very narrow strip" due to an 80-foot-tall berm at the landfill, cellular phone towers and DTE Energy power lines in the area. All of these could have partially blocked ABC's plan to send its 50,000-watt signal north, Mr. Clark said. Mr. Clark said there were "engineering constraints" and it was "technologically impossible" to broadcast to the south. He unveiled two maps, one showing a large service area targeting "all of Southeast Michigan" and a smaller circle outlining possible interference with telephones and electronic equipment if the signal is broadcast to the north. "It's impossible to turn that model upside down and broadcast south," he said. Also, there was "no way" WJR's existing tower in Riverview could be used to broadcast the new signal, he noted. The site would have access from a gravel path off Matthews. Several people asked how close the towers would be to Maxwell, Matthews and Ash-Carleton Park. Mr. Clark said no tower would be any closer than 380 feet from a property line. Mr. Fezzey said eight towers are needed to "shape" the signal and make it go in one direction (north). The site is about 400 feet from the park and would be partially hidden and buffeted by trees. It would not hurt property values and "doesn't discourage people from building expensive homes," he said. In fact, there are several million-dollar homes built near the Riverview tower, he added. The planning commission's next public hearing on the topic will be at 7:30 p.m. May 20. That meeting will be after a township zoning board of appeals hearing May 6 on the same subject. The variance is needed because the proposed 380-foot-tall antennas exceed the township limit of 150 feet on agricultural land. The new WXYT towers in Ash Township could be activated in a matter of days, boosting the radio station's signal from 5,000 to 50,000 watts. Some local residents, including a woman speaking at Tuesday's planning commission meeting, say their homes and a local tavern were having a "terrible time" with interference from the WXYT towers. Georgeann Herbert, operations manager for both WXYT and WWJ-AM, said she has received about a dozen such complaints recently about interference. Residents can call her at (248) 455-7350 about their concerns. She added that the WXYT towers are ready to be activated "within 10 days" if authorized by the FCC. WWJ also broadcasts a 50,000-watt signal from five towers in Berlin Township (via Brock Whaley for DXLD April 16,2003) Far-flung fans who followed the Tigers and Red Wings when they were carried on WJR (AM 760) should note that WXYT's directional pattern and dial position will work against the kind of coverage 'JR provided. An irony --- WXYT powers up just as the Red Wings are knocked out of the playoffs, while the Tigers are off to a woeful start (Harry van Vugt, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, DX LISTENING DIGEST, who also relays the following) WXYT BOOSTED: IT'S AT 50,000 WATTS By Detroit News staff reports and wire services Thursday, April 17 The radio voice of the Tigers and Red Wings, WXYT 1270, has moved into the big leagues. At 5 p.m. Wednesday, the station was boosted to 50,000 watts from its new transmission facility in Monroe County. WXYT had been a 5,000-watt station. After acquiring the rights to the Wings and Tigers two seasons ago, the station received complaints from Wings and Tigers fans that its signal was too weak. "Infinity Broadcasting made an extraordinary commitment two years ago to our audience to build Michigan's most powerful sports radio station," said Rich Homberg, the station's vice president and general manager. "We're thrilled to be able to deliver on that promise." From the WXYT Web site: Effective at 5:00 pm Wednesday, April 16, 2003, AM 1270 The Sports Station began broadcasting at 50,000 watts from its new transmission facility in Monroe County. The signal upgrade will blanket the Detroit metropolitan area and provide improved coverage in Livingston, Washtenaw and Monroe counties, as well as Wayne, Oakland and Macomb. "Infinity Broadcasting made an extraordinary commitment two years ago to our audience to build Michigan's most powerful sports radio station," said Vice President and General Manager Rich Homberg. "We're thrilled to be able to deliver on that promise." "I am excited for Red Wings, Lions, Tigers and MSU fans who can now hear Detroit's best Sports Talk and play-by-play throughout Southeast Michigan on Detroit's ONLY full-time 50,000 watt sports station," commented AM 1270 Program Director Gregg Henson. AM 1270's new signal is part of the company's comprehensive plan to develop the best sports radio station in Michigan - a plan which began in the fall of 2000 when the station acquired the broadcast radio rights for the Detroit Tigers and the Detroit Red Wings, in addition to the Detroit Lions. AM 1270 became the Detroit broadcast home of the Michigan State Spartans beginning in the 2001 football season. Owned and Operated by Infinity Broadcasting, WXYT-AM 1270 is the 50,000 watt radio home of the Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions and Michigan State Spartans. Visit AM 1270 on the web at http://www.1270sports.com Infinity Broadcasting in Detroit also owns radio stations WKRK-FM, WOMC-FM, WVMV-FM, WYCD-FM, and WWJ-AM. (Relayed by Harry van Vugt, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, from the Detroit News and also from the WXYT Web site, DXLD) ** U S A. K6KPH on the air for International Marconi Day: The Maritime Radio Historical Society's K6KPH will participate April 26 in the annual International Marconi Day commemorative event. International Marconi Day takes place each year on a weekend close to the birthday of wireless pioneer Guglielmo Marconi. The event is organized by the Cornish Amateur Radio Club, which will offer awards to stations in various categories. Details are on the club's Web site http://www.gb4imd.co.uk K6KPH uses the original transmitters, receivers and antennas of famous former RCA coast station KPH on the West Coast. The transmitters are located in Bolinas, California, at the transmitting station founded in 1913 by the American Marconi Company. The receivers and operators will be at the KPH receiving station about 20 miles north at Point Reyes, California. K6KPH operating frequencies will be 7050, 14,050 and 21,050 kHz. K6KPH also may use 3545 kHz if conditions warrant. K6KPH will begin operations on April 26 at 1700 UTC. Commercial practices and procedures will be used as much as possible to give amateurs the experience of working a real coast station. K6KPH QSLs and reception reports go to Denise Stoops, PO Box 381, Bolinas, CA 94924-0381. KPH and K6KPH are operated by the Maritime Radio Historical Society http://www.radiomarine.org in cooperation with the Point Reyes National Seashore, part of the US National Park Service (ARRL April 16 via John Norfolk, OKCOK, DXLD) ** VENEZUELA. Saludos desde PUEBLO LLANO ESTADO MERIDA VENEZUELA. Le escribo sólo para informarle que acá en PUEBLO LLANO hay dos estaciones de radio en FM: VOZ DE PUEBLO LLANO 96.1 Y FRAILEJON 107.1 FM. Actualmente estas dos emisoras desde hace dos años están interfiriendo la señal de entrada de señales radiales de algunas emisoras que acá recibimos de los siguientes estados de VENEZUELA: APURE, BARINAS, COJEDES, PORTUGUESA, TRUJILLO Y ZULIA. Pues dicha interfererncia nos contamina los receptores, bien sea Analógicos o Digitales. La potencia es muy baja de dichas estaciones de radio y no cuentan con antenas que en realidad contribuyan con las demás señales radiales. Cabe destacar que PUEBLO LLANO se encuentra a 2100 metros sobre el nivel del mar y la topografía pues permite la entrada de las ya menciondas señales de radio por lo que hacemos un llamado a CONATEL, ente gubernamental encargado de vigilar por los medios de comunicación existentes en VENEZUELA (HENRRI GONZALEZ SANTIAGO, CLUB DIEXISTAS DE LA AMISTAD INTERNACIONAL 0211, April 16, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Not clear if the stations he is complaining about are pirates, or even Colombian transborder clandestines (gh, DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MUSEA +++++ BIG BROADCAST BOOTY FOR MUSEUM OF TELEVISION & RADIO Wed, Apr 16, 2003 12:51 PM PDT LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - The Museum of Television & Radio hit the motherload, announcing on Tuesday (April 15) that the museum has acquired a treasure trove of rare materials from the early days of television and classic days of radio. http://tv.zap2it.com/news/tvnewsdaily.html?31058 (via Jilly Dybka, KF4ZEO, DXLD) I have ALL EIGHT of my AM QSLs on line! They're at http://www.gentoo.net/mike/radio/mwdx (Mike Westfall, NRC-AM via DXLD) I've got some of my AM QSLs from the 70's up as follows: AM - US: http://voa.his.com/qsl/mw/us/ AM - Canadian: http://voa.his.com/qsl/mw/canada/ AM - Caribbean: http://voa.his.com/qsl/mw/other/ All these are for reception in Lansing, MI. There's also some shortwave ones up ... from 1980-2, Dallas, TX: http://voa.his.com/qsl/sw/ (Bill Whitacre, ibid.) I've added another page (8 QSLs) to may gallery. Two pages more must be added later this week. Come to see the cards at http://dxsignal.info/indexen.htm then choose QSL Gallery (Dmitry Mezin, Kazan, Russia, hard-core-dx via DXLD) RECEIVER NEWS +++++++++++++ SHACK Steelworkers say yes to possible strike at Radio Shack [Canada] http://www.newswire.ca/releases/April2003/14/c0826.html (via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS 2003: Future sounding digital Radios to come offer clean sound, rich experiences By MATTHEW CROWLEY, REVIEW-JOURNAL http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2003/Apr-14-Mon-2003/business/21077924.html (via Jill Dybka, MSIS, DXLD) RADIO FREQUENCIES BLAST BACTERIA IN FRUIT JUICE By Jim Core March 27, 2003 Radio waves may be invisible, but they enrich life in many ways. Without them, radios, televisions, cellular phones and global positioning systems wouldn't be possible. Now, an Agricultural Research Service scientist is using them to make fruit juice safer. http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2003/030327.htm (via Jilly Dybka, KF4ZEO, DXLD) HARRIS CORP.'S FUTURE LOOKS GOOD By Brian Monroe FLORIDA TODAY MELBOURNE -- It is no secret why Harris Corp. beat analyst expectations for sales and profits, say experts who follow the Melbourne-based communications-equipment company. http://www.floridatoday.com/!NEWSROOM/moneystoryA49709A.htm (via Jilly Dybka, KF4ZEO, DXLD) GRUNDIG German electronics firm Grundig files for bankruptcy http://www.canada.com/ottawa/story.asp?id=D188E096-332B-49B6-858E-A91D2FC0F813 (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) Here are a couple of links to a.o. articles by the BBC and the Guardian: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/business/2945815.stm http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,3604,936622,00.html (Jens Søndergaard, Randers, DENMARK, hard-core-dx via DXLD) Andy: Who is Eton and where did they come from? I was under the impression (apparently erroneous) that Eton was a creation of Lextronics and that the latter was transitioning some of its products (but not the shortwave radios) to that name brand (John Figliozzi, ODXA via DXLD) Yes, you're partly right. I seem to have been misinformed by a normally impeccable source :-) We have published a clarification by Kim Elliott in our Media Newsdesk page. http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/html/medianews.html I'll write anything to generate some extra page views :-) (Andy Sennitt, ibid.) GRUNDIG SHORTWAVE RADIOS TO CONTINUE This report from Dr. Kim Andrew Elliott of the Voice of America: The bankruptcy of the German electronics company Grundig will not affect the manufacturing and sales of Grundig shortwave radios. The shortwave radios, built in China, are marketed under the Grundig name by Eton Corporation of Palo Alto, California. Eton pays Grundig in Germany a royalty to use the famous Grundig name. Grundig in Germany, though famous for the radios it used to manufacture,now concentrates on televisions and other larger electronics products for the European market. Esmail Hozour, president of Eton, told me that the Grundig shortwave radios are developed by Eton and its partners "99 percent independently" of Grundig in Germany. While Mr. Hozour said that he is saddened by Grundig's financial plight, this development could open up a new market for Eton. Until now, Eton has not had the rights to sell radios in Europe under the Grundig name, but this might change if Grundig goes out of business or is reorganized. Mr. Hozour said that Eton sales for the fiscal year ending March 31 were 78% ahead of the previous year. Increased interest in shortwave during the lead-up to the Iraq war was a factor in this increase. Eton sales may be boosted by the introduction, in August or September, of the Grundig Satellite 900 receiver. Mr. Hozour told me the Satellite 900 will be "XM compatible," meaning that it will be able to receive the channels of XM Satellite radio in addition to shortwave, medium wave, and FM. Information about Grundig shortwave radios is available at http://www.grundigradio.com (© Radio Netherlands Media Network 16 April 2003 via WORLD OF RADIO 1178, DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 16 APRIL - 12 MAY 2003 Solar activity is expected to be very low to low with a chance of isolated M-class activity. Activity is expected to be very low until the return of Region 321 and 324 on 19 and 21 April respectively. These regions are expected to produce low level activity with a slight chance of an isolated M-class event. At the end of the period Region 326 is due to return to the visible disk and is expected to have low level activity with isolated M-class potential. No greater than 10 MeV proton events are expected during the forecast period. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux may reach high levels on 19 - 21 April, 27 – 28 April, 02 – 03 May and again on 08 – 10 May. These high flux levels are all due to returning coronal holes. The geomagnetic field is expected to range from quiet to minor storm levels. Quiet to isolated active levels are possible early in the period until the return of a large coronal hole on 23 April. This coronal hole may produce unsettled to minor storm levels through 27 April. Two weaker coronal holes are due to return to a geo-effective position on 29 April – 02 May and 06 – 08 May with unsettled to active conditions expected. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2003 Apr 15 2211 UTC # Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Environment Center # Product description and SEC contact on the Web # http://www.sec.noaa.gov/wwire.html # # 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table # Issued 2003 Apr 15 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2003 Apr 16 95 20 4 2003 Apr 17 90 20 4 2003 Apr 18 95 15 3 2003 Apr 19 100 20 4 2003 Apr 20 105 10 3 2003 Apr 21 115 8 3 2003 Apr 22 125 8 3 2003 Apr 23 135 25 5 2003 Apr 24 145 25 5 2003 Apr 25 155 25 5 2003 Apr 26 155 25 5 2003 Apr 27 160 25 5 2003 Apr 28 160 15 3 2003 Apr 29 155 15 3 2003 Apr 30 155 10 3 2003 May 01 145 20 4 2003 May 02 140 20 4 2003 May 03 125 10 3 2003 May 04 125 10 3 2003 May 05 115 10 3 2003 May 06 110 20 4 2003 May 07 105 20 4 2003 May 08 105 20 4 2003 May 09 105 10 3 2003 May 10 100 12 3 2003 May 11 100 15 3 2003 May 12 95 12 3 (from http://www.sec.noaa.gov/radio via WORLD OF RADIO 1178, DXLD) A U shaped coronal hole kept the solar wind speed elevated early in the week before calming, then increasing as we hit the other leg of the U. This has led to the geomagnetic field being up to minor storm levels at times especially at higher latitudes with consequent degradation of propagation. Solar flare activity has been low to very low. Geomagnetic conditions should return to normal over the next couple of days, with quiet conditions forecast Apr 20-22, before possibly increasing again around Apr 24. Prepared using data from http://www.ips.gov.au (Richard Jary, SA, Apr 17, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ###