DX LISTENING DIGEST 3-071, April 22, 2003 edited by Glenn Hauser, ghauser@hotmail.com Items from DXLD may be reproduced and re-reproduced only if full credit be maintained at all stages and we be provided exchange copies. DXLD may not be reposted in its entirety without permission. Materials taken from Arctic or originating from Olle Alm and not having a commercial copyright are exempt from all restrictions of noncommercial, noncopyrighted reusage except for full credits HTML version of this issue will be posted later at http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldtd3d.html HTML version of late March issues: http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldtd3c.html For restrixions and searchable 2003 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn NEXT AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1178: RFPI: Wed 0100, 0730, 1330 on 7445 WJIE: M-F 0730 on 7445 and/or 13595 [unconfirmed] WWCR: Wed 0930 9475 WRN ONDEMAND http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO: Check http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html [Low] (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1178.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1178.ram [High] (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1178h.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1178h.ram (Summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1178.html FIRST AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1179: Wed 2200 on WBCQ 7415, 17495-CUSB Thu 2030 on WWCR 15825 Fri 0730 on WJIE 7490 [maybe] Sat 0130 on RFPI 7445 UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIAL I Got a Grundig YB400PE about a month ago and I found your program just by flipping through the channels. Your program is insightful and helpful, just flat out great. Thanks for doing what you do I know I fully am grateful. Also I am interested in knowing how much it costs to sponsor a program. Thanks very much keep up the good work. Grace be with you (Matt Roquemore, Ponca City OK, April 21) April 20, Hello Mr. Hauser, I am at work reading your website. I am very new to shortwave so please have patience with my ignorance. I was delighted to see your statement for a radio station, "no preachers". I smiled when I read that; very refreshing. It is a terrible feeling to start off in shortwave with a portable, and to think the only reception one might get is someone selling Christ by the pound! It is a pleasure to visit your site. Thank You (Joe Ciarrocca, Brunswick, Maine, where the only problems...are man-made) ** ALASKA. ANTENNA PRODUCTS CORPORATION AWARDED CONTRACT (BW)(TX-PHAZAR-CORP/BAE)(ANTP) FORT WORTH, Texas -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- April 18, 2003 -- PHAZAR CORP announced today that Antenna Products Corporation in Mineral Wells, Texas, a wholly owned subsidiary, was recently awarded a $6,227,008 contract from BAE SYSTEMS ATI for the production of 132 crossed dipole antennas plus the antenna support structures and ground screen items. This equipment will be manufactured at Antenna Product Corporation's plant in Mineral Wells, Texas and is scheduled to be delivered in approximately 15 months. The equipment will be shipped to the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) ionospheric research site near Gokona, Alaska, the site of the Development Prototype array of 48 crossed dipole antennas built by Antenna Products Corporation in 1994. . . http://tinyurl.com/a2ur (via Jilly Dybka, TN, DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. AUNTY GETS A SEVERE DRESSING DOWN --- April 1 2003 The new ABC building lacks the dignity, light and space promised on paper, writes Elizabeth Farrelly. . . http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/03/31/1048962695640.html (via Jill Dybka, TN, DXLD ** AUSTRALIA. RADIO AUSTRALIA A03 schedule, as received on request from westland.john@abc.net.au, and re-typed from Excel worksheet: Radio Australia A03 All SW transmissions via Shepparton 100 kW expect "b"-Brandon 10 kW; 21820 Shepparton 70 kW. In brackets: bearing in degrees Asterisk * marks Sports program on Saturday/Sunday English 0000-0030 9660b(010) 12080b(080) 15240(353) 15415(329) 17580(030) 17795(050) 21725(329) 0030-0200 9660b(010) 12080b(080) 15240(353) 15415(329) 17580(030) 17750(329) 17795(050) 21725(329) 0200-0400 9660b(010)* 12080b(080)* 15240(353) 15415(329) 15515(070) 17580(030)* 17750(329) 21725(329)* 0400-0430 9660b(010)* 12080b(080)* 15240(353) 15415(329) 15515(070) 17580(030)* 21725(329)* 0430-0500 9660b(010)* 12080b(080)* 15240(353) 15415(329) 17750(329) 15515(070) 17580(030)* 21725(329)* 0500-0530 9660b(010)* 12080b(080)* 15240(353) 15415(329) 15515(070) 17580(030)* 21725(329)* 0530-0700 9660b(010)* 12080b(080)* 15240(353) 15415(329) 15515(070) 17580(030)* 17750(329) 21725(329)* 0700-0800 9660b(010)* 12080b(080)* 15240(353) 15240(090) 15415(329) 17580(030)* 17750(329) 21725(329)* 0800-0830 5995b(010) 9580(030) 9710(353) 12080b(080) 15240(090) 15415(329) 17750(SaSu only)(329) 21725(329) 0830-0900 5995b(010) 9580(030) 9710(353) 12080b(080) 15240(090) 15415(329) 17750(329) 21725(329) 0900-0930 9580(030) 11880(329) 17750(SaSu only)(329) 21820(329) 0930-1100 9580(030) 11880(329) 17750(329) 21820(329) 1100-1200 5995b(010) 6020(030) 9475(329) 9580(070) 11650(030) 11880(329) 12080b(080) 21820(329) 1200-1300 5995b(010) 6020(030) 9475(329) 9580(070) 11650(030) 11880(329) 21820(329) 1300-1400 5995b(010) 6020(030) 9580(070) 11650(030) 11660(329) 21820(329) 1400-1500 5995(030) 6080(005) 9580(070) 11650(030) 11660(329) 1500-1700 5995(030) 6080(005) 9475(329) 9580(070) 11650(030) 11660(329) 1700-1800 5995(030) 6080(005) 9475(329) 9580(070) 9815(030) 11880(065) 1800-1900 6080(005) 7240(030) 9475(329) 9580(070) 9815(030) 11880(065) 1900-2000 6080(005) 7240(030) 9500(329) 9580(070) 9815(030) 11880(065) 2000-2100 6080(SaSu only)(005) 7240(SaSu only)(030) 9500(329) 9580(070) 9815(030) 11880(065) 12080b(080) 2100-2130 7240(030) 9500(329) 9580(070) 9660b(010) 11880(065) 12080b(080) 17715(030) 21740(070) 2130-2200 7240(030) 9660b(010) 11880(065) 12080b(080) 17715(030) 21740(070) 2200-2300 15230(329) 17715(030) 17795(050) 21740(070) 2300-2330 9660b(010) 12080b(080) 15230(329) 17715(030) 17795(050) 21740(070) 2330-2400 9660b(010) 11695(329) 12080b(080) 15230(329) 15415(353) 17715(030) 17795(050) 21740(070) Indonesian 0000-0030 17750(329) 0400-0430 17750(329) 0500-0530 17750(329) 0800-0830 17750(329) (Mo-Fr only) 0900-0930 17750(329) (Mo-Fr only) 2130-2330 11695(329) 15415(353) Mandarin Chinese 1300-1500 9475(329) Tok Pisin 0900-1100 5995b(010) 6020(030) 9710(353) 12080b(080) Mo-Fr only 2000-2100 6080(005) 7240(030) BBC Relay 2200-2300 9660b(010) 12080b(080) "Offshore" transmissions 0000-0130 17775 English ("ex DAR") 0800-1130 15240 English ("ex LineY") 2200-2400 13620 English ("ex LineY") WRN: 0000-0030, 0700-0800, 1100-1200, 1500-1530, 1900-1930 all English ISDN3: 0000-0030 Indonesian, 0400-0430 Indonesian, 0500-0530 Khmer, 2300-2330 Khmer, 2330-2400 Vietnamese "PAS 8" transmissions RA1 24hrs English RA2 English except: 0030-0100, 0400-0430, 0500-0530 Indonesian, 0530- 0600 Vietnamese, 0800-0830 Mo-Fr Indonesian, 0900-0930 Mo-Fr Indonesian, 0900-1100 Tok Pisin, 1300-1500 Chinese, 2000-2100 Mo-Fr Tok Pisin, 2130-2330 Indonesian, 2330-2400 Vietnamese (probably feeding Singapore/Tinian/Taiwan relays) (Eike Bierwirth, 04317 Leipzig, DL, April 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Find the current overall shortwave schedule on http://www.eibi.de.vu/ ** AUSTRALIA. Re this in 3-057: ``What`s going on with RA streaming? Caught last part of Feedback, in English until 2130 UT Fri April 4, in which I believe Roger Broadbent said there were no significant A- 03 frequency changes, but at 2130 RA went into Indonesian! What if you only want to listen in English? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)`` Answer, as determined Apr 18: there are two streams, one of which is all-English, the other various languages and partly English. Somehow I had favoritized the wrong one (gh, DXLD) ** AUSTRIA. Here is the URL of the ROI page dealing with the Marconi Day, probably nowhere linked because all references to Intermedia were already deleted: http://roi.orf.at/intermedia/marconi/welcome.html (Kai Ludwig, Germany, April 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRIA. Dieter Kritzer, OE8KDK (HF-Contest Manager), informs OPDX that the Austrian Radio Amateurs and the Austrian Government Radio stations will do a national EMERGENCY TEST on the 1st of May. Activity will be from 0500-0800z and 1400-1700z on the 80 and 30 meter bands and they will be using the CW and SSB mode. The following stations are expected to be active: OEC State Department OEP213 Ministry of Interior OEY??? Military OEH??? Red Cross The Government Stations have no permission to make international QSOs, but SWL reports are available via the Austrian QSL-Bureau (OPDX April 21 via John Norfolk, OKCOK, DXLD) ** AUSTRIA. 17875, Austria R. Afrika Int'l, 1513-1532 04/19, English/French. OM talk at tune-in, ID in French with police siren. Diverse mix of music, English Afropop, techno instrumental, French ballad and English dance music. Good at best with fades (Scott Barbour, NH, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) ** BAHRAIN. Bahrain Radio started transmission as the first broadcasting station in the Arab Gulf region when it went on air in 1941 during the second world war but was closed down in 1945. However, the official Bahrain Broadcasting Station was inaugurated on 21st July 1955, in Manama. During the sixties transmission hours were increased to 12 hours daily. In 1974, the transmission hours were extended to 18 hours daily upon carrying major development in the equipment available at the time. However, 1981 was the turning point in the development of radio, when the station was moved into its new building at the ministry of information complex in Isa Town. The new building housed 9 fully equipped studios with state of the art audio equipment. The new transmission station also housed two 100 kW AM transmitters, transmitting two programs on the medium wave band. In 1990-1991 Bahrain Radio extended its transmission hours to 24 hours daily. Later in 1991 worldwide broadcasting started on two short wave frequencies (Website via Olle Alm, April ARC Info Desk via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. Believe all these are silent: 4409.70, Radio Eco, Reyes 4600.10, Radio Perla d Acre, Cobija 4731.85, Radio La Palabra, Santa Ana de Yacuma --------- 5580.46, Radio San José, San José de Chiquitos: May be on 0100 to 0230, weak tentative signal here, from time to time. 73's (Bob Wilkner, FL, Apr 21, Sony 2010, Drake R-7, Icom R-75, NRD 535D, long wire and noise reducing antennas, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. Desde Tefé (AM), o biólogo e dexista Paulo Roberto e Souza envia novas informações sobre a reativação da Rádio Baré, de Manaus (AM), em 4895 kHz. A identificação é "Nova Rádio Baré". A programação está a cargo da agência de propaganda Proclip. É transmitida entre 2000 e 1200, com muita música, informação e prestação de serviço para os ouvintes do interior amazonense. O telefone é o seguinte: (0xx) 92 234.0161 (Célio Romais, Panorama, @tividade DX Apr 20 via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 760 | R. Uirapuru, ZYH588, Fortaleza, APR 18 0031 - inspirational talk by man & woman in Portuguese, then reverberated announcement that may have been advertising; dominant over a pile of others. 1100 | R. Globo, ZYK694, Sao Paulo, APR 18 0105 - frenetic Portuguese talk with reverb; dominant, slight het from something on 1100.7 and from the 1098 TA's. (Mark Connelly*rw-MA = Rowley, MA (GC= 70.829 W / 42.745 N) (Stackyard Road / Parker River - Nelson Island wildlife refuge: salt-marsh) Receiver: Drake R8A Antenna system: car rooftop cardioid array with broadband loop, active whip, Superphaser-2 phasing unit, hard-core-dx via DXLD) More: VENEZUELA ** CHAD. 6165, Radiodiffusion Nationale, 2220-2231* Apr 18, lively highlife vocal. Man with French language sign off announcements followed by orchestra national anthem. Fair with some Arabic language QRM - CRI? (Rich D`Angelo, PA, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) ** CHINA. Xinjiang PBS is back to its summer schedule. No transmissions in the tropical bands and full time on 41 m. Some frequencies were noted having a satellite delay, maybe the new 100 kW rigs. Afternoon-evening frequencies: (* = closing early) Uighur direct: 7195, 11885, *13670 Uighur satellite: 6120, 7175 Chinese direct: 7310, *9600, *11770 Chinese satellite: 5960, 7155 Mongolian: 6190, 7230 Kazakh: 6015, 7340 Kyrgyz back on 11975, heard at 1215 in parallel with 9705 (Olle Alm, Sweden, Apr 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COLOMBIA. 6035 often, 2245 LV del Guaviare with "Buenas tardes, campesinas" - a progam with mostly Mexican music - at 2258 the Colombian National Anthem was played - then news followed. Why play the National Anthem in the middle of the evening every day? I have had good help from BM in Quito to solve this what I first noted as the Ecuadorian National Anthem. Many thanks goes to BM for his patience and support in this and other problems. TBV (Tore B. Vik, Norway, SW Bulletin Apr 20 translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DXLD) Already answered in 3-070. The show really for women only? ** COLOMBIA. Escuchada en los 4975 kHz, el 15/04, a las 2256 UT, desde Florencia, Caquetá, los indicativos HJKA. Indicativos HJAU, para los 1130 kHz de la OM. Fuera del aire luego del himno nacional, a las 2302 (Adán González, Catia La Mar, Venezuela, Apr 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Daytimer ** CONGO. Noted Congo activated on 4765 this morning our time. 2000 UT Easter Sunday with interview then Q&A session on politics, economy and democracy in the Congo. Cheers (Chris Martin, Australia, April 21, ARDXC via DXLD) ** CUBA. A programação em português acaba de lançar mais um concurso entre seus ouvintes. O tema é o mesmo, ou seja, os ouvintes devem escrever artigo citando alguns atos terroristas perpetrados pelos governos dos Estados Unidos nos últimos 40 anos". Participações para: Rádio Havana Cuba, Caixa Postal 6240, Havana, Cuba. E-mail: portugues@r... [truncated] Desde 14 de abril, a programação, em português está sendo irradiada no seguinte esquema: das 2200 às 2230, em 17705 kHz, com reprise meia-hora mais tarde. Também às 2300, em 15230 kHz, com repetição meia-hora mais tarde. O sinal é excelente (Célio Romais, Panorama, @tividade DX Apr 20 via DXLD) So apparently RHC finally issued an A-03 schedule around April 14, but long outdated one still on their website April 19. Checking out another recent item, RHC French at 2140 April 21 on 11760, and actually announced correct frequency at 2200* --- so that indicates English also there at 2030-2130; muffled. Yes: even more muffled Tue Apr 22 at 2110 when Arnie had a guest from Germany. ``Cuba --- último territorio esclave en América --- Patria o suerte, ¡pensaremos!`` (gh, DXLD) ** CUBA [non]. CUBAN EXILE GROUP SAYS IT BROADCAST TV PROGRAMMING INTO THE ISLAND --- By ERIK SCHELZIG, Associated Press Writer Article published Apr 21, 2003 http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20030421&Category=APN&ArtNo=304210859&Ref=AR&cachetime=5 A Cuban exile group is seeking to encourage dissent by beaming independent television broadcasts onto the island, a move which comes as the Cuban government and president Fidel Castro conducts a crackdown on dissidence there. Brothers to the Rescue founder José Basulto announced Monday that his group made its initial hour-long broadcast using amateur equipment from a Cessna flying in international airspace 29 miles north of Havana in February. Another broadcast is planned for May 20, he said. Basulto said the broadcasts would become increasingly important given the Cuban government's recent crackdown on dissent, which include the arrest of several dozen independent journalists, librarians and human rights activists. "We're giving a clear message of support for those jailed for seeking a nonviolent change in the Cuban government," he said. The broadcasts seek "to open for Cuba a window to the alternatives for a better life that would become available within the island, should the dictatorship come to an end," he said. For more than a decade, Brothers to the Rescue pilots patrolled the Florida Straits looking for fellow Cubans trying to make the voyage to Florida in rubber rafts. But in February the group suspended its flights and urged Cubans to stay home to promote political change from within. The exile group's first broadcast came on the seventh anniversary of the shoot-down of two Brothers to the Rescue airplanes by Cuban jet fighters. Basulto was the lone survivor. The U.S. government operates TV Martí, which is broadcast nightly into the Havana area from the Florida Keys. But those television signals are mostly jammed by the Cuban government. "A broadcast-quality signal is delivered over the air every night, but as soon as it reaches Cuba its jammed," said Joe O'Connell, spokesman for the International Broadcasting Bureau, the U.S. government agency that runs TV Martí. "It's easier to jam a TV signal because it has a lower power output [sic!!] than radio, though the Cubans manage to jam Radio Martí as well." The United States is bound by International Communications Union regulations not to broadcast from airplanes operating in international airspace, O'Connell said. "They have ways of going around the jamming, but they won't," Basulto said. "It's very difficult to jam a signal that is broadcast from a moving airplane. If it's possible for a small group like us, you can imagine what a government could do." The Federal Communications Commission is investigating the broadcasts and has asked Brothers for the Rescue to explain why they believe their broadcast was legal. "I did not make an international transmission," Basulto said, making the distinction that his broadcast was available in the Florida Keys. "I made a radio amateur transmission from international airspace. I'm sorry Cuba didn't like it." An FCC official declined comment. (via Ulis Fleming, Brock Whaley, and David Crawford, FL, DXLD) BROTHERS TO THE RESCUE SAYS IT WILL BROADCAST ANOTHER MESSAGE OF SOLIDARITY TO CASTRO'S OPPONENTS IN CUBA Cuba News / The Miami Herald Posted on Mon, Apr. 21, 2003 in The Miami Herald. via http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y03/apr03/21e3.htm By Elaine De Valle Brothers to the Rescue will take to the skies again next month -- on the anniversary of Cuba's independence and President George Bush's promise to bolster TV Martí -- to broadcast a television signal to Cubans on the island. José Basulto, the group's founder, announced the broadcast Monday. It would be the second such transmission. The first came on Feb. 24, the seventh anniversary of the shootdown that killed four Brothers Fliers. Like the first transmission, the message will be an expression of solidarity with the internal opposition to Fidel Castro's regime. ''This should constitute a good incentive for our brothers on the island to seek on their own the necessary changes to their present situation,'' Basulto said. He and a group of Brigade 2506 Bay of Pigs veterans urged President George W. Bush to honor a promise he made last May -- during a celebration of Cuba's centennial in Miami -- that TV Martí would be seen by Cubans on the island. The transmissi [sic, something cut off] The federally-funded TV Martí, which is intended to provide island residents an alternative to state-run media, is jammed by the Cuban government. ''It's time for President Bush's promise to be fulfilled,'' said Jorge García-Rubio, a Brigade member. Basulto said the ''communications missions'' are a natural evolution for Brothers, which started as a search-and-rescue organization and moved into a position of encouraging civil disobedience after the Clinton administration changed U.S. policy on Cuban migrants in 1995 – making the search missions obsolete. (via David Crawford, DXLD) BROTHERS TO THE RESCUE PLANS ANNIVERSARY FLIGHT BY ELAINE DE VALLE --- Posted on Fri, Feb. 14, 2003 http://www.hermanos.org/docs/tmh021403.html [illustration shows two guys with a TV screen displaying KB4HPV [illegible] VOLVEREMOS] [Caption:] TAKING TO THE AIR: Brothers to the Rescue founder José Basulto, left, and Osvaldo 'Tito' Pla, the organization's ham radio guru, demonstrate how Cubans can pick up their planned TV signal. JEFFREY BOAN/EL NUEVO HERALD Brothers to the Rescue will mark the 1996 shooting down of two of its planes by Cuban MiGs on Feb. 24 with the prayers, commemorative flight and other memorial gestures made each year -- and something new: a televised message to the Cuban people. The organization will send three planes along the path that three planes followed Feb. 24, 1996, when only one returned. They will toss flowers into the sea, say the names of the four volunteers who died -- Armando Alejandre, Carlos Costa, Mario de la Peña, Pablo Morales -- and utter a prayer. Brothers founder José Basulto, who piloted the third aircraft on that day seven years ago, said the organization will try to do something different on this flight -- transmit a UHF TV signal they hope will be seen on the island. ''We are going to tell them that we are remembering our brothers who died that day there. We are going to tell them how dangerous the Florida Straits are,'' said Basulto, who announced this month that the group would no longer respond to calls for service from South Florida relatives of missing migrants. ``The message isn't finalized. Maybe we'll have something recorded. One thing we are going to express is the significance Carlos, Armando, Mario and Pablo have had in the labor of the nonviolent struggle.'' The message should be available on Channel 58 of any cable-ready television, Basulto said Thursday. Osvaldo ''Tito'' Pla, the organization's ham radio guru, said he has sent TV transmissions before. ''We already contacted a radio aficionado, and he is making antennas,'' Pla said. The TV campaign is called Operation Leonardo Bruzón Avila, named for a Cuban dissident imprisoned since Feb. 23 for planning commemorative activities on the island. The State Department and Amnesty International, which said in its last report that 'dissidents' efforts to commemorate the anniversary are often repressed by security forces,'' are concerned about Bruzón's health because of considerable weight he lost in a hunger strike and repeated denial of independent medical care. ''We are indebted to him. He is one of the few who took it upon himself to demonstrate openly in memory of our fallen pilots,'' Basulto said. (via Crawford, DXLD) Another previous story: VIDEO CONTAINS TAPED MESSAGE TO DISSIDENTS NBC 6 Reporter Hank Tester NBC6.net Web Exclusive: Basulto TV POSTED: 6:37 p.m. EST March 6, 2003 UPDATED: 7:21 p.m. EST March 6 http://www.nbc6.net/hanktester/2024622/detail.html MIAMI -- On Feb. 24, 2003, Jose Basulto and amateur radio operator Oswaldo Pla transmitted a television signal toward Cuba. They did this as they flew a flight in remembrance of four Brothers to the Rescue members who were shot out of the sky by a Cuban Mig 29 seven years ago. Basulto is not sure anyone in Cuba saw the signal broadcast on UHF channel 58. What he does know is the technology works. He has video proof of reception in Marathon while his aircraft was well into the Florida Straits. A news crew from Miami's Channel 41 documented the transmission of the taped message to Cuban dissidents and included a memorial to the fallen Brothers to the Rescue aviators. Why would Brothers to the Rescue get into the somewhat risky business of broadcasting into Cuba? The answer is Basulto and a growing number of Cuban exiles are not sure the U.S. government, which operates TV Marti, is doing all it can to blow through the jamming signals the Castro government uses to keep TV Marti out of sight in Cuba. "We are questioning today the resolve to act. They (the U.S. government) have not acted in the past and the fact that TV Marti has not entered Cuba is not because of a lack of technical ability but because of lack of will," is how Basulto explains why he launched the transmission. On the surface this would put Basulto and a growing number of exiles in the corner of the longtime critics of TV Marti. Over the years, more than a few U.S. representatives and senators have claimed TV Martí was nothing more than a white elephant created to pacify Miami's politically potent exiles. Only hardball moves by powerful South Florida exiles and lawmakers has saved TV Martí from having the financial plug pulled on the station's $10 million a year operating budget. Persistent reports from the island indicate that especially in Central Havana the TV Martí signal is jammed. No one seems to have a true handle on how many Cubans ever see the anti-Castro programming that is beamed toward the island from a balloon anchored south of Marathon, Fla. But critics say if the U.S. government really wanted to "juice up" TV Martí it could be done. Basulto says he is not aligned with those who want to kill off TV Martí, he just wants it to fulfill the station charter to broadcast into Cuba. Basulto says it is critical that a TV signal get into Cuba now that there is a legitimate dissident movement budding on the island. He is well aware of the power of television images. He knows what those pictures might mean to a Cuban audience, which is restricted to viewing the nation's government-run and programmed TV stations. "We know it is easy to send TV signals into Cuba and that is what we intend to do ... to prove it can be done. If a few radio amateurs can do it the government of the United States with all its resources should have done it along time ago," is how Basulto puts it. TV Martí has been broadcasting for 13 years. It has always had critics but never has there been much criticism from the exile community till now. It has been a sacred cow of sorts but questions are being asked, especially now that more exile groups are shifting focus to concentrate on encouraging dissidents on the island. They want TV Martí to work. They want pictures and words to shore up the dissidents` activities. TV Martí and Basulto's attempt to broadcast into Cuba is getting notice on Miami Spanish language radio and TV. Maybe Basulto's TV signal found an audience and that audience might be on this side of the Straits of Florida where it could make difference. Hank Tester often reports on the exile community. (via David E. Crawford, Titusville, Florida, Apr 22, DXLD) So it`s an ATV setup, presumably within legal power limits, on cable (not broadcast!) channel 58. Per the handy reference http://www.chem.hawaii.edu/uham/catvfreq.html that converts to 427.25 MHz video, well below the lowest UHF broadcast channel 14, which is at 471.25 MHz. Presumably this is within an authorized ATV band. One wonders how many Cubans have cable-ready TVs or VCRs, and will have a suitable antenna into the cable input. But this is all about making a statement, just like TV Martí, rather than really reaching an audience. The US should never have signed on to that silly regulation against broadcasting from aircraft --- certainly didn`t stop Comando Solo. But hams can`t ``broadcast``, even if it`s TV, can they? Even if its over I.W.? Especially if it`s over I.W.? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR. Hola Glenn... Saludos desde Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA. Me enteré este pasado sábado, al oir DX Party Line, que las emisiones en inglés de HCJB para Norteamérica, cesarán el próximo 31 de mayo. Por ende, el excelente programa DX Party Line, dejará de ser emitido. Lamentable noticia (Adán González, Apr 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I feel like an era is rapidly coming to a close. And not just of shortwave, but for all of the over-the-air broadcasting systems as we know them. The shift to digital and other "piped" broadcasting (internet, satellite, etc.) is seriously changing the nature of how we communicate. While there have been some benefits, I feel like there have been equal or greater negatives -- a gut feeling only. All the more that information will only go to those who can "pay" (afford the connection, afford the new receiving sets, etc.). Where is "community" and "public" in all this? The hardest for me to accept is the feeling of being powerless in all this change. Depressed in Iowa, (Kevin Anderson, Apr 21, swprograms via DXLD) I would appreciate knowing your questions and comments. Please send them to me and I'll try to get as many answers as I can as soon as I can. As I said in the chat room, there are many unanswered questions yet as the changes were just announced to us a week ago today, Tuesday. Thanks to everyone for your support. We're all still a bit in shock here in Quito, so please be patient was we work through this all too (Allen Graham, Ecuador, April 22, EDXP via DXLD) FORMER HCJB WORLD RADIO PRESIDENT ABE VAN DER PUY DIES AT AGE OF 83 http://www.hcjb.org/displayarticle320.html (HCJB April 7 via DXLD) A lot of HCJB retirees are dying off, as in the list of press releases. Perhaps this also says something about the current situation (gh, DXLD) ** EL SALVADOR. 17835.4, presumed R. Imperial, Spanish talk around 1240 April 21, atop 17835.0 station with het. BTW, re my previous report of blockage by RCI in French in the 2200 hour on 17835, it turns out this is really a relay via Japan, not Sackville (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 17835.48, Radio Imperial (presumed), Sonsonate, 2333+, April 19. Spanish transmission. Many songs (children`s chorus). A man talk about the Bible. 24432 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, hard-core-dx via DXLD) Progressively drifting upward? (gh, DXLD) ** FRANCE [non]. Hi Glenn, Just on a "point of order" in your DXLD #3-070. The item: ``There's a new RFI outlet on 5925 (French) in period 1900-2000 whose location escapes me. I think this may be the new relay which is being set up in Dakar for enhanced African coverage (Rob Wagner, Australia, EDXP Apr 17)`` This item was not from me and has been incorrectly credited to me by Wolfgang. It had been either taken out of context or mis-read from an email that appeared in EDXP from another contributor. I have already spoken to Wolfgang about it and he has apologised for the error. Cheers (Rob Wagner, Australia, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RFI on SW via Dakar seems a stretch; source for that idea? (gh) Frequency changes for RFI via MEY effective from April 16: 1900-2158 NF 5925 250 kW / 355 deg in French, ex 5985 1600-1658 NF 15160*250 kW / 328 deg in English, ex 15255 to avoid VOA English 0700-0758 NF 15170 250 kW / 328 deg in French, ex 15410 1100-1158 NF 17720 250 kW / 355 deg in French, ex 17685 to avoid RFE Pashto/Dari 1200-1358 NF 17720 250 kW / 328 deg in French, ex 17685 to avoid VOA Pashto/Dari *strong co-channel Radio Liberty in Turkmen (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, April 21 via DXLD) ** GEORGIA. R Hara via Dusheti 4875 at 1615 tune in on 21 Apr (Monday). Music and talks, sounded like two different languages, so presume in Georgian and Abkhaz. Signal strength was good, but audio distorted. At 1632 ID by female as "Radio Hara" and close down at 1633. Jari Savolainen Kuusankoski Finland ** GERMANY. The German AM-radio service MEGARADIO is since April 4th, 2003 11 o'clock UT not in the air any more! The German speaking radio MEGARADIO transmitted pop music on several AM-frequencies from which the most powerful were 1431 kHz (Dresden-Willsdruff), 1440kHz (Marnach, Luxemburg, MEGARADIO used the transmitter of RTL. This transmitter is the only one used by MEGARADIO on the air after April 4th, 2003 11 o'clock UT! It broadcasts the programme of RTL) and 1575 kHz from Burg near Magdeburg. A complete list of all frequencies used by MEGARADIO is here: Schwerin-Wöbbelin 576 kHz 250,0 kW Königslutter-Scheppau 630 kHz 100,0 kW (day) / 16,0 kW (night) Berlin/Zehlendorf 693 kHz 200,0 kW Stuttgart-Hirschlanden 738 kHz 5,0 kW Regensburg 819 kHz 5,0 kW Munich 945 kHz 1,0 kW Nuremberg 945 kHz 1,0 kW Geyer near Chemnitz 1116 kHz 5,0 kW Würzburg 1386 kHz 5,0 kW Wilsdruff 1431 kHz 250,0 kW (day) / 150,0 kW (night) Marnach (Luxemburg) 1440 kHz 300,0 kW (only 6-19 o'clock local standard [sic] time) Burg 1575 kHz 10,0 kW (day) / 500,0 kW (night) (The transmitter at Berlin/Zehlendorf was new built and replaced the old one at Berlin-Koepenick, which is now demolished. The transmitter Stuttgart-Hirschlanden had to be updated for the usage of 738 kHz, because it was just designed for 1143 kHz. In Nuremburg, Munich and Regensburg wires spanned at telecommunications towers were used as aerial. Transmitter sites were not already existing AM transmitting sites! MEGARADIO had no more money to run its service any more. But this is no wonder, MEGARADIO transmitted only very rarely commercials and so I asked often myself how this radio service is financed! On the other site MEGARADIO did not make much advertisement for its programme and so the transmitter was unknown for much people! (I heard MEGARADIO via the AM-transmitter Hirschlanden on 738kHz --- an AM-frequency never used in the area of Stuttgart before ---, where also the programme of AFN Country is transmitted on 1143 kHz. There were no advertisements for MEGARADIO in the area of Stuttgart!) If you are interested in the history of MEGARADIO than go to http://mitglied.lycos.de/JanBalzer/mega1.htm There you will find its history (in German language) If you want to hear the end of MEGARADIO go to http://www.kuhlimuh.com/kuh/megaradio_ende.wav (From Harald_der_Grosse@gmx.de on http://www.lwca.org/mb/msg/2915.htm via Mike Terry, DXLD) ** GUAM? AWR is back on 15275 kHz from 1300-1400 with Bengali & English programme. Changed effected for a single day only. May be testing. 73s (Swopan Chakroborty, India, April 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUYANA. Believe this is silent! 3291.20, Voice of Guyana, Georgetown (Bob Wilkner, FL, Apr 21, Sony 2010, Drake R-7, Icom R- 75, NRD 535D, long wire and noise reducing antennas, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. Dear friends, The new official schedule of AIR External Service is now available at: http://allindiaradio.org/schedule/fqsch1.html (Jose Jacob, Kerala, April 22, dx_india via DXLD) ** INDONESIA. 4869.96, RRI Wamena reactivated. Phone-in program 0815, re-tune 0858 when had Islamic music, ID 0908 as "RRI Wamena programa satu", time check, frequencies (MW, SW & FM stereo). Good on 22/4, but very irregular operation (Craig Seager, Bathurst, Australia, R&S EK-890, horizontal loop, ARDXC via DXLD) ** IRAN [non]. FRANCE(non): Voice of Iran in Persian via ISS 500 kW / 090 degrees effective from April 14 1530-1730 NF 17525 (55555), ex 17510 in A-02 (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, April 21 via DXLD) ** IRAQ [non?]. Have you noticed that information radio on 4500 now signs on around 1700 UT, not like when I heard them a bit earlier that that? I used to get them as early as 1530! All the best, (Tarek Zeidan, Cairo, Egypt, Apr 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAQ. RADIO STATION "VOICE OF NEW AND FREE IRAQ" GOES ON THE AIR BAGHDAD, April 21. /RIA Novosti correspondent Pavel Davidov/. The radio station "Voice of New and Free Iraq" went on the air in Baghdad on Monday. In its first broadcast the radio station called on all Iraqis for cooperation with the "troops that have liberated the Iraqi people and who had come to help us to turn Iraq into a united and free country." Its first broadcast also contains a call for putting an end to plundering, which "humiliates Iraq in the eyes of the whole world, obstructs carrying out humanitarian aid programs and delays the process of Iraq's restoration, including resumption of electricity and water supply. Plunders, the radio address says, are robbing the coming Iraqi generations of hopes." The new radio station asked Iraqis to display patience and to work "together with the allied troops." The Voice of New and Free Iraq is the first Iraqi radio station after the fall of the old regime. Television still does not function in Iraq, and not a single national newspaper comes out (via Mike Terry, DXLD) WTFK???? How come so-called journalists don`t include basic info in their stories? Are you tired of my mentioning this? So am I. But as long as I have to, I shall. And another!: (gh, DXLD) ** IRAQ. NEXT, IRAQ'S CULTURAL REGIME CHANGE By Gail Russell Chaddock | The Christian Science Monitor . . .On April 15, the US Department of Defense began broadcasting the "The Voice of New Iraq" from an AM radio station in Umm Qasr. It's the first in a series of new services by the Iraq Media Network, an operation based in the Pentagon. Programming is in Arabic and staffed by Iraqi journalists. Both the BBG and the Pentagon will be starting additional new TV broadcasts this year - the first all-Arabic programming controlled by a Western nation. (One BBC effort lasted only a week.) . . . http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0421/p01s01-woiq.htm (from the April 21, 2003 edition via Jill Dybka, TN, DXLD) ** IRAQ. In DXLD 3-070, Andy Sennitt wrote, "Is this the beginning of a concerted campaign by Christian broadcasters to try and convert Iraqis from Islam to Christianity? As a Christian myself, I sincerely hope not." As a rational thinker (that is, an atheist) myself, I'm bewildered by Andy's statements. Iraq already has a Christian community ranging (depending upon the source you consult) of 5% to almost 10% of the Iraqi population. Former deputy minister Tariq Aziz, for example, was an Iraqi Christian. Thus, Christianity is hardly a foreign influence being introduced into Iraq. Moreover, why is religious diversity a thing to be applauded and encouraged in Western nations but to be strictly avoided in the Middle East? Is Andy implying that the Arab mind is so fragile and easily inflamed that exposure to new religions (and, presumably, other new ideas) can only have catastrophic impacts? I'd argue the exact opposite, namely that the vast majority of the Middle East's problems can be traced to the intellectually stultifying nature of Islam (a religion so rigid and absolutist it makes even Christian fundamentalism seem like spineless equivocation) and the solution to the ills of the Middle East lies in breaking the stranglehold Islam has there. The people and nations of the Middle East need even more Western influences (whether Christianity, MTV, McDonalds, Eminem, or Wal-Mart) if they are ever to escape their Islam-based quasi-medieval culture --- one which treats women as items of chattel property and stones gay people to death, let's not forget --- and finally join the twenty-first century (Harry Helms, AK6C/7, Las Vegas, NV, DM26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Yes, but the evangelists just want to replace one set of nonsense with another, albeit somewhat more benign. What you advocate could well underlie Bush administration motives, but they dare not acknowledge it, paying lip service to Islam, as a great, peaceful religion (gh, DXLD) ** IRAQ [and non]. A TALE OF TWO FRIDAYS April 20, 2003 By MAUREEN DOWD WASHINGTON - The Pentagon, a k a the International Trust for Historic Preservation, has once more shown the world its deep cultural sensitivity. Franklin Graham, the Christian evangelist who has branded Islam a "very wicked and evil" religion, was the honored speaker at the Pentagon's Good Friday service. After Kenna West, a Christian singer, crooned, "There is one God and one faith," Mr. Graham told an auditorium of soldiers in camouflage, civilian staffers and his son, a West Point cadet: "There's no other way to God except through Christ. . . . Jesus Christ is alive because he is risen, and friends, he's coming back, and I believe he's coming back soon." When Muslim groups complained that the Pentagon was "endorsing" his attacks on Islam, Mr. Graham asked for a photo op with Muslim Pentagon employees. They declined. Muslims suspicious that America is on a crusade against Islam were inflamed to learn that Mr. Graham is taking his missionary act to Iraq. They are still scorched by his remarks to NBC News after 9/11: "It wasn't Methodists flying into those buildings, and it wasn't Lutherans. It was an attack on this country by people of the Islamic faith." He wrote in his last book that Christianity and Islam were "as different as lightness and darkness," and recently told the Sunday Times of London, "The true God is the God of the Bible, not the Koran." Workers from Mr. Graham's Christian relief organization, Samaritan's Purse, were in Jordan, waiting to inveigle Iraqi infidels with a blend of kitchen pantry and Elmer Gantry. Treating Operation Iraqi Freedom as a lucky break for Jesus, Mr. Graham told the religious Web site Beliefnet: "We are there to reach out to love them and to save them, and as a Christian I do this in the name of Jesus Christ." The 50-year-old son of Billy Graham has close connections to the president, who was in charge of evangelical outreach during his father's '88 campaign and who pressed war in Iraq by calling liberty "God's gift to humanity." Both scions "recommitted" to Jesus Christ after periods of rebellion. Franklin Graham gave the prayer at W.'s inaugural. The president said Billy Graham "planted a seed in my heart" to stop drinking and embrace Jesus. In Baghdad, it was Bad Friday. On the Islamic holy day, thousands of Iraqis marched through downtown, shouting for America to "leave our country." Looters, continuing their rampage, stole vials of polio virus from a public health laboratory and set the Information Ministry on fire. Mullahs were happy to talk - and balk - after suffocating under Saddam. "You are masters today," Sheik Ahmed al-Kubeisy lectured America in one Baghdad mosque. "But I warn you against thinking of staying. Get out before we force you out." (Isn't this how Osama got started?) Back here, the neo-cons and war planners were too busy gloating to worry about the ambient sound of civilizations clashing. Rummy, once a Bechtel Iraqi pipeline booster and now busy planning to load American military bases into Iraq, seemed almost perversely determined to act as though the vandalizing of relics of the birth of civilization was insignificant, something only sissies could cry over. "It's the same picture of some person walking out of some building with a vase," he said, "and you see it 20 times and you think, my goodness, were there that many vases? Is it possible that there were that many vases in the whole country?" The Pentagon could easily have saved the national museum and library if they had redeployed the American troops assigned to guard Ahmad Chalabi, the Richard Perle pal, Pentagon candidate and convicted embezzler who is back in Iraq trying to ingratiate himself with the country he left 40 years ago. Instead of hectoring those who expressed any doubt about the difficulty of occupying Iraq, the conservatives should worry about their own self-parody: pandering to the base by blessing evangelical Christians who want to proselytize Muslims; protecting their interests by backing a shady expat puppet; pleasing their contributors by pre-emptively awarding rebuilding contracts to Halliburton and Bechtel; and swaggering like Goths as Iraq's cultural heritage goes up in flames. Talk about a baptism by fire. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/20/opinion/20DOWD.html?ex=1051946966&ei=1&en=cf72f4c969db0c5c Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company (via Franklin Seiberling, IA, DXLD) But how does she really feel! I am steamed not only by the apparently not understood inadvisability of engaging in a crusade, but the blatant violation of separation of church and state being perpetrated by the illegitimate Bush regime (gh) ** IRAQ [non]. 6295, 29.3 2130 XXX, Radio Baghdad Modulation was the joke from a British pirate. Lots of rude and unsuitable jokes about Iraq and Saddam Hussein. S 2-3 BEFF (Björn Fransson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Apr 20 translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DXLD) ** IRAQ. MEDIA BEHAVIOUR ROUND-UP 1630 GMT 21 APR 03 [excerpt] No new Iraqi media sources have been reported during the reporting period. There is no evidence yet of returning state-run media, all reports are of replacement media sources or pre-existing media. Voice of the Liberation of Iraq jointly identifies as Voice of International Coalition for the Liberation of Iraq Radio. It is being heard by BBC Monitoring on 657 kHz medioumwave and 88.8 MHz in northern Iraq from 0400-2000 gmt. The broadcast begins with a few minutes of popular music, followed by the opening announcement in Arabic: This is the Voice of the Liberation of Iraq, Voice of the International Coalition for the Liberation of Iraq (Arabic: huna sawt tahrir al-iraq, sawt al-tahaluf al-duwali li tahrir al-iraq and Kurdish: Era Dengi Rzgarkrdni Iraqa). The radio plays Kurdish, Arabic and Turkish music and songs, with the opening announcement repeated every now and then. There are occasional talks on a good future for Iraq after liberation. Source: BBC Monitoring research in English 21 Apr 03 (via DXLD) ** IRAQ. RADIO SUMER REPLACES RADIO TIKRIT A station identifying as Radio Sumer was heard in place of Radio Tikrit from 1910 to 2100 gmt on 21 April. Radio Tikrit could not be traced, although it had been heard by BBC Monitoring the previous day, on 20 April. The name Sumer is the ancient name for the land and early civilization of the southern region of what is now Iraq, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The location of the studios and transmitters of Radio Sumer and Radio Tikrit is unknown. Radio Tikrit was named after the city of Saddam Husayn's birth, which was also a stronghold of the former regime. It was first heard by BBC Monitoring on 7 February 2003 pursuing a pro-Saddam Husayn line but had changed by 15 February 2003 to an anti-Saddam line. The programming of Radio Sumer was in the same style as Radio Tikrit and would appear to be a direct replacement. It included a satirical song in a rap-style, which had previously been aired on Radio Tikrit. In addition to the mediumwave transmission on 1584 kHz, Radio Tikrit had recently been traced on a Eutelsat Hot Bird satellite at 13 degrees east. That signal was replaced by Radio Sumer on 21 April. Following is a summary of what was apparently the first broadcast by Radio Sumer: at 1910 gmt on 21 April 2003: 1. Song 2. Announcement: "Dear listeners, we salute you from Sumer Radio and now the news bulletin": a. Saddam's son-in-law Jamal Abdallah Sultan surrenders to coalition forces b. Former Iraqi higher education and scientific research arrested by US troops c. Gen Jay Garner makes first tour of Baghdad d. US says does not recognize Baghdad civilian authority set up by Muhsin al-Zubaydi . . . Source: Radio Sumer in Arabic 1910 gmt 21 Apr 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** IRAQ [non]. IRAN URGES IRAQIS TO "FIGHT THE AMERICANS" ON HATE RADIO STATION --- Analysis By Nick Grace, CRW Washington CLANDESTINE RADIO WATCH April 21, 2003 [April 21] As Operation Iraqi Freedom transitions into a humanitarian nation-building endeavor, the propaganda war over the airwaves has taken a sinister turn with the appearance of an Iranian-sponsored "hate" radio station that calls for attacks on American troops, rebellion against the planned interim administration and anti-Israel programming. Between traditional Shi'ite music and "analysis" that the U.S.-led coalition seeks to replace the regime of Saddam Hussein with "a gardener," the Voice of Mujahideen (Sawt al-Mujahideen) on April 18 attempted to incite violence against members of the U.S. military, according to Cairo-based monitor Tarek Zeidan. "My dear Iraqi brothers," an announcer shouted, "Fight those unbelievers! Fight the Americans! Allah Akbar!" Zeidan heard the calls for violence at 1635 GMT. The station, BBC Monitoring (BBCM) reports, also broadcasts body counts of dead and wounded coalition soldiers and has led its news program with news reports on American casualties. During its April 17 program the station reported the death of three U.S. soldiers searching an ammunition depot and news of clashes between coalition forces that resulted in "a number of (Iraqis) killed." An announcer later encouraged listeners to oppose the "hirelings, liars, hypocrites, and traitors... Enough bitterness and defeats Let us not continue to alienate our rights... Let us stop being slain and skinned like sheep and to die unsung and unlamented." The Voice of Mujahideen promotes the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), a Shi'ite group known for its strong ties with Tehran that refuses to participate with the coalition in reshaping the Iraqi political landscape. Positive reports about SCIRI, in fact, dominate the station's programming and speeches by and interviews with members of the organization are often broadcast. Many of the news items broadcast, BBCM notes, mirror the content of the SCIRI news Web site http://www.majlesaala.com SCIRI, which has been courted by Washington to play a role in Iraq's future, recently boycotted talks among opposition groups mediated by the U.S. and U.K. in the Iraqi city of Ur on April 15. "We cannot be part of a process which is under an American general," a SCIRI spokesman referring to retired General Jay Garner, who will head the interim administration, told Reuters. The radio station, which broadcasts on 720 kHz - a frequency known to have been used by Iranian state radio - between 1400 and 1800 GMT also airs anti-Israel propaganda. One such song that has aired includes the lyrics "Our stones will be from hell and our faith will restore to us our land, the land of Palestine. The rights will be restored to their owners, the territory belongs to the sincere." News of a Palestinian "martyred by Zionist bullets" in the Gaza Strip and claims that "Zionist Rabbis" are encouraging Israeli troops to pray in Western Euphrates, which could refer to Iraqi, Syrian or Turkish sovereign territory, have also been also broadcast. The broadcasts appear to have replaced the Voice of Islamic Revolution in Iraq, which was one of two stations run by SCIRI and transmitted by Tehran. The Voice of Islamic Revolution in Iraq, Clandestine Radio Watch reported on March 25, blamed both Saddam Hussein and the U.S. for the military conflict and sought to promote an Islamic government based in the Iranian model. Its broadcasts have not been heard in approximately two weeks. The Voice of Islamic Revolution in Iraq, which recently broadcast on 6135, 7100 and 9535 kHz between 0330 and 0530 GMT, was the subject of a radio jamming campaign by Saudi Arabia. Iran and Saudi Arabia, according to Iran expert Rob Sobhani of Georgetown University during an appearance on Foxnews April 19, are vying for influence of internal Iraqi politics. The new radio station joins Resistance TV, an Iranian outlet hastily organized to counter the coalition's Towards Freedom television broadcasts. BBCM reported on April 15 that Resistance TV's first program was inaugurated by SCIRI spiritual leader Ayatollah Hakim. The content and nature of the television programs are unknown. What is clear, however, is the effort Tehran is making to weaken the position of the coalition and the significance of the planned interim administration and pro-democracy politicians, such as Achmad Chalabi and Ayad Allawi, who have returned to Baghdad after years of exile. The existence of the hate radio broadcasts, which would not be broadcast from Iran without approval from the country's leadership, suggest that Tehran will use SCIRI, which has its own armed guerrilla contingent, to maintain the instability in Iraq and possibly to engage coalition forces in a protracted conflict with potentially high American and civilian casualties. Indigenous clandestine radio broadcasts, meanwhile, continue in Northern Iraq. Clandestine Radio Watch has noted the following stations and frequencies active in the 0300-0500 GMT time frame: 3900.0v Voice of the Iraqi People (Iraqi Communist Party) 3900.0v Radio Freedom (Communist Party of Iraqi Kurdistan) 4025.0v Voice of the People of Kurdistan (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) 4090.0 Voice of Iraqi Kurdistan (Kurdistan Democratic Party) 4245.4 Voice of Kurdistan Toilers (Kurdistan Toilers Party) 4370.8 Voice of Communist Party of Iran (KOMALA) 4380.9 Voice of Communist Party of Iran (KOMALA) 4610.0 Voice of Komala (Revolutionary Organization of Toilers of Iranian Kurdistan) 4615.0 Voice of Komala (Revolutionary Organization of Toilers of Iranian Kurdistan) The Voice of the Communist Party of Iran and Voice of Komala, which are in opposition with Tehran, are heavily jammed by Iranian "bubble" transmitters (CRW via DXLD) ** IRAQ [non]. HAM RADIO OPERATORS CONNECT WITH TROOPS IN IRAQ By CHUCK HAGA, Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune, April 20, 2003 - Say the baby has arrived, healthy and yowling, and you want to share the happy news immediately with her father. But he's a gunnery sergeant hunkered down in an Iraqi desert or in a village without power, let alone Internet access or a satellite phone. Think radar - as in the Radar O'Reilly character on "M*A*S*H," who put the Korean War on hold to crank up a short-wave radio and ask Sparky to patch Col. Potter through to his wife, Mildred. Jay Craswell s a Radar for these times, one of maybe 30 ham radio operators in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn., area trained to use military lingo and frequencies to connect families with their troops in the field - way in the field. "If you're on top of a hill in Afghanistan or in some town in Iraq that doesn't have power restored yet, we can get a message through," Craswell said. He's been doing it - as a volunteer - since the Marines went into Lebanon in 1983. The Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) opened forward areas in Iraq to ham-assisted messages just last week, Craswell said. The messages, up to 50 words, are relayed by ham operators through military gateway stations to almost any military address, or APO. The final relay might be a Pvt. Radar O'Reilly-type passing along greetings from home over a crackling field set. If the radio connection doesn't succeed initially, the message may be put into the Military Postal System and delivered like a telegram in a couple of days - or walked over to a soldier whose unit is nearby. "It's a free Western Union," Craswell said, "but without any singing. We don't do singing." A local ham operator looking to contact a service member checks into an assigned military network with his call sign and objective: "I'll say, 'I have one message for APO xxx,' and net control contacts the gateway station on the East or West Coast," Craswell said. He identifies the sender and the number of words, then reads the message. The network control operator teletypes it to the gateway, which transmits it over short-wave radio to Iraq, where it can be relayed to operators in a truck, a tent or whatever field station is closest to the addressee. "It's quicker than mail," he said. "And it's a lot safer than going to Iraq." And MARS works both ways. A soldier who can get to a radio, even in the boonies, can try to call home through a ham operator. "Out in the desert, a soldier might say, 'I want to talk to Minnesota.' They'll connect with someone like me to make the patch," Craswell said. "We check in once or twice a day to see if there are any military messages to deliver locally." Sunspots and other factors can affect the quality of patched telephone conversations. "I'm used to listening through static and pops and whistles," he said, "but Grandma may not be." During the 1993 conflict in Somalia, Army MARS (there are separate programs for the Air Force and Navy/Marines) handled about 5,000 "MARSgrams" and 8,000 phone patches. Craswell said he made hundreds of connections during the first Gulf War and U.S. military involvements in Haiti, Bosnia, Somalia and elsewhere. "It's pretty rewarding," he said. "We're not doing so much, but these people are really appreciative." No 'Dear John' No political or commercial messages are allowed. A MARSgram can't be an initial death notice, and other potentially disheartening news is discouraged. "It's a cardinal rule we don't repeat anything we hear, but most of the messages we pass along would make the Waltons beam," Craswell said. "We did have one person a few years ago who was trying to do a divorce through a MARS message, but we won't do that. "This is supposed to be for lifting the morale of the troops, and a 'Dear John, I'm sick of you so find a new place to live when you come home' - that wouldn't be a good thing." Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** ITALY [non]. INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING TO MIDDLE EAST, EUROPE, AFRICA, ASIA AND THE AMERICAS Dear Sir, A few weeks ago I wrote you with information on our high power broadcasts on Shortwave radio. The recent events in Iraq have been triggering an overwhelming amount of enquiries to cover this and other parts of the world. Shortwave receivers can be small, cheap, battery operated, and are still the best mean to convey a message to remote areas in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, even when electricity and other forms of communications are not possible or extremely difficult. Shortwave broadcasts may also be of great advantage and very cost-effective to reach relief operators and their organisations working in any remote area. NEXUS-IBA is a non profit, strictly non-commercial, volunteer based organization whose aim is to share these powerful and state of the art broadcasting facilities among those who have a message to spread across the world. We make available 100, 250, 500 and even a new 1 Giga Watt transmitter, all connected to the Internet. This infrastructure is able to cover most effectively, and cost wise, any part of the world with highly directional antennas. I take this opportunity to inform you that if you are based in the USA, our founder and CEO Mr Alfredo Cotroneo will be in the West Coast at the beginning of May, and he will be more than glad to answer any question you may have by phone, e-mail or possibly visit you. If you are interested in learning more, please send us an email at: info@nexus.org, and please provide a contact for us to reach you. Please also visit http://www.nexus.org or https://secure.nexus.org for more information online. Thank You and best regards from Milan, Italy. -- Ron Norton, NEXUS-IBA support, PO Box 11028, 20110 Milano, Italy ph: +39 02 70606603 - fax: +39 02 70638151 e-mail : ron@nexus.org http://www.nexus.org (Ron Norton, April 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) One has the impression Nexus has not signed up a single new customer yet for this service; or do they keep that as secret as the transmission sites? (gh, DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH. RADIOS DROP KIM IL-SUNG'S NAME FROM SIGN-ON Korean Central Broadcasting Station in Korean and Pyongyang Broadcasting Station in Korean have dropped mention of former President and founder of the state Kim Il-sung's name in their early morning sign-ons since 15 April 2003, the late Kim Il-sung's birthday. The sign-on prior to 15 April was: "Long Live the Revolutionary Thought of Great Leader Comrade Kim Il- sung!" "Long Live the Glorious Korean Workers' Party!" The sign-ons since the morning of 15 April, and up until 21 April, have been verified as being: "Long Live Our Glorious Fatherland, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea!" "Long Live the Korean Workers' Party, the Organizer and Guide of All the Victories for the Korean People!" Source: Central Broadcasting Station, Pyongyang, in Korean 1511 gmt 21 Apr 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) Hmmmm. . . ** KURDISTAN [non]. NORWAY/UZBEKISTAN: New schedule for Denge Mezopotamiya in Kurdish from April 7: 0400-0800 NF 15675* KVI 250 kW / 110 deg, ex 11530 KCH 500 kW / 116 0800-1600 on 11530# KCH 500 kW / 115 deg, ex 0400-1600 * ONLY CARRIER on April 19, 20, 21 # strong co-ch WYFR in French till 0845 (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, April 21 via DXLD) The Kurdish station Denge Mezopotamya (Voice of Mezopotamia) has opened its own website: http://www.denge-mezopotamya.com For contacts, the website gives the email address in-@denge- mezopotamya.com [truncated]; and phones +32 (53) 648827-29 & Fax: +32 (53) 680779 in Belgium. The website lists the current schedule as 0700-1100 LT (0400-0800 UT [sic: isn`t there a 4 hour difference for DST now? -- gh]) on 11675, 1100-1900 LT (0800-1600 UT) on 11530 kHz (which corresponds to the schedule announced by the airtime provider TDP). (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, April 22, EDXP via DXLD) ** KUWAIT. Radio Kuwait has resumed English broadcasts on shortwave after a few weeks of relaying its Arabic service on the frequencies. English confirmed during spot checks on 11990 at 1815 on 19 April and at 0545 on 15110 kHz on 20 April. The full schedule is believed to be: 1800-2100 on 11990 and 0500-0800 on 15110 Some, if not all, of the English programming on SW is relayed from the domestic network: it announced local frequencies in Kuwait as 963 kHz medium wave and 96.3 MHz FM (Dave Kenny, April 20, BDXC-UK via DXLD) War == no English; no war = English. Logical (gh, DXLD) ** LESOTHO. 4800, LNBS Maseru, 0410 Apr 22, presumed, woman in vernacular (Sesotho), at 0412 joined by a man. Poor signal. Grey line more or less over location with Botswana also coming in but with a better, readable signal and news in English (Piet Pijpers, The Netherlands, Lowe HF225E, ALA330, hard-core dx via DXLD) ** LIBYA [non]. In addition to Voice of Africa programming in Arabic, news in English and French is scheduled at approximately 1140, 1735, 1820, 1920, 2030 and 2120. There may also be speeches etc in African languages. The domestic service of Libyan Jamahiriyah Broadcasting in Arabic may also be relayed at certain times. At the time of editing there appears to be no shortwave broadcasts from Libya's own Sabrata transmitter site (500 kW - last heard frequency 15435 kHz at 1045- 0400) (BDXC-UK website via DXLD) Fleshed out: I have been checking Libya's "Voice of Africa" over the past couple of weeks and can confirm that it is now carried regularly via the hired French relay transmitters. In the past the Libyan domestic service was often carried via these French relay transmitters instead of the external Voice of Africa service. Voice of Africa has several news summaries in English which I have confirmed at the following times: 1140-1145 on 15610 17695 21675 21695 1730-1735 on 15660 17635 17695 17880 1820-1825 on 15205 15660 17635 17695 1920-1925 on 15205 15315 2030-2035 on 11635 2120-2125 on 11635 It appears that none of the shortwave transmitters based in Libya itself are currently active (these were previously heard on 15235, 15435 etc). However, Voice of Africa is still transmitted on mediumwave from Libya, reportedly on 648, 711 and 1251 kHz. The news summaries in English follow on from the main Arabic news bulletins, the duration of which may vary slightly from day to day, so timing is a little variable. English is followed by a short bulletin in French. In the past there were also English news summaries at 0020, 0130, 0215, 0310, 2220 and 2330. However as there are no longer any shortwave transmitters in operation at these times, it has not been possible to confirm if these bulletins still exist. It is possible these bulletins are still carried on the Voice of Africa mediumwave outlets. Can anyone in the Mediterranean/North Africa area who is able to hear these mediumwave outlets confirm if English is still carried at these times? On one occasion (2030 on 10 April) I heard Voice of Africa announce contact details in English. They gave their postal address as "PO Box 4677 or 2009, Tripoli, Great Jamahiriyah" fax number 4449875, telephone 4449106, 4449206, 4449872, 4440112. They rarely mention Libya by name - usually referring to the country as "the Great Jamahiriyah". (Dave Kenny (BDXC-UK), April 21 via DXLD) ** MALI. CHINA RADIO INTERNATIONAL RELAY STATION Address: China Radio International, Beijing, China 100040. Transmitter Site: Bamako - 50 kW transmitters Times/UTC Days Language Target Frequencies/kHz 0830-0900 Daily Hausa Af 7170 1300-1400 Daily French Af 13685 17880 1400-1500 Daily English Af 13685 15125 1500-1600 Daily English Af 13685 15125 1600-1700 Daily Arabic Af 13685 17880 1700-1730 Daily Swahili Af 13685 15125 1730-1800 Daily Hausa Af 11640 13685 1800-1830 Daily Hausa Af 11640 13685 1830-1930 Daily Arabic Af 11640 13685 1930-2000 Daily Portuguese Af 11640 13630 2000-2100 Daily English Af 11640 13630 2100-2130 Daily English Af 11640 13630 2130-2230 Daily French Af 11975 15500 2230-2300 Daily Chinese Af 11975 15500 2300-0000 Daily Chinese Af 7170 11975 (BDXC-UK via DXLD) ** MEXICO. 6104.88, "La Candela," reactivated, apparently via XEQM transmitter. Heard from 0842 Apr 20 with program of romantic and pop SP male vocals, telcon with someone at 0848, more music; many brief "Candela" IDs and promos, bigger ID at 0903, "Transmite las 24 horas . . . XEMH, 970 . . . en Mérida, Yucután . . . Candela, Candela . . ." Signal strength pretty good, tho fady, and heavy QRN and general noise. Still going at 1000. Not hrd on checks at various times the previous few days. Lists show their FM as 95.3, XHMH (Jerry Berg, MA, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) 6105, XEQM "Candela FM" -- Por fin, logré identificar la señal que retransmite esta emisora; estuve monitoreándolo hasta el viernes santo, donde pude ver que toda la noche estaba transmitiendo, por lo que deduzco que su transmisión son las 24 horas del día. En la madrugada es cuando pude sintonizar bien a la emisora y escuchar su identifcicación. Alrededor de las 0800 UT del jueves santo, 17 de abril escuché: "... Candela FM la que suena... XHMH 95.3 y XEMH 970, Candela la que suena ... Sistema RASA delegación Yucatán..." Candela es un sistema COMBO; la señal del 95.3 es transmitido en paralelo en 970 y es la señal que se está emitiendo a la vez por la XEQM 6105. El viernes en la noche noté que disminuyó la señal de esta emisora... seguiré sintonizándolo. Saludos (Héctor García Bojorge, DF, Apr 21, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS. RADIO NETHERLANDS TO JOIN DRM’S INAUGURAL BROADCASTS ON JUNE 16, 2003 --- For Immediate Release: April 22, 2003 Geneva --- Radio Netherlands will commence its live, daily Digital Radio Mondiale( (DRM() broadcasts on June 16th, 2003. Its transmissions will début in conjunction with DRM’s Inaugural Broadcasts event in Geneva, during the International Telecommunications Union`s (ITU) World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC 2003). The precise moment of the world`s first DRM broadcasts will be marked at a spectacular reception at Geneva’s Château de Penthes. ``As a founding member of DRM, Radio Netherlands has been involved in the on-air system`s development from conception to the current test transmissions phase,`` says Jan Hoek, Radio Netherlands` Deputy Director General and CFO/CTO, and DRM Vice Chairman. ``In June, we will proudly step into the next phase of DRM – daily, live broadcasts.`` Radio Netherlands has been a member of the DRM consortium since its inception in 1998. Radio Netherlands will broadcast 37 program hours per week in English and Dutch to Australia, New Zealand and target regions in Europe. From the 5th of July until the 27th of July 2003, Radio Netherlands will broadcast `Radio Tour de France` for 4 hours per day. Deutsche Welle has also announced its participation in DRM`s Inaugural Broadcasts event. In the coming weeks, more of the world`s best-known broadcasters and network operators will confirm their participation in DRM`s historic moment. DRM is the world`s only non-proprietary, digital system for short- wave, medium-wave/AM and long-wave with the ability to use existing frequencies and bandwidth across the globe. With clear, near-FM quality sound that offers a dramatic improvement over analogue, DRM will revitalize the broadcasting bands below 30 MHz. With its inaugural broadcasts two months away, the DRM consortium`s membership is higher than ever – 81 members from 30 countries. DRM reached an important milestone in January 2003, when the International Electrotechnical Committee (IEC) gave the DRM on-air system its highest stamp of approval – International Standard. Commercial DRM-capable receivers are expected to be available in markets worldwide in the next few years (Siriol Jane Evans, DRM Press Office via DXLD) ?? Not only has DW been doing daily regularly scheduled DRM for some months on 6140, but so has BBC, 6010 Sackville at 0000-0100 & 0400- 0500, at least. So what is all this hype about it all starting, ``world`s first`` June 16? Who are they trying to fool? And why? This hardly speaks well for DRM`s credibility (gh, DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS. All the pirates in Holland keeping a low provile as DTI (our Agency Telecom) are raiding every day a few pirates in Holland and the fees that must be paid are very high, so almost no Dutch pirate on air. We are also not so active as we would like to be (Alfa Lima via Jem Cullen, April 21, ARDXC via DXLD) Certainly ALI is less active than it was, but I thought it might have been them I heard at the weekend on 15070, low level around 0600 (Sunday, I think). (Craig Seager, ibid.) ** NEW ZEALAND. Frequency change for Radio New Zealand Int in English effective April 19: 0506-0705 NF 11820 (54454), ex 11825 to avoid VOA in Albanian/Serbian till 0600 (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, April 21 via DXLD) ** NORWAY. Ever since NRK Ingøy (153 kHz) took over transmissions for the Northern Norway region, the old transmitter and antennas at Vadsø (702 kHz) has been silent. Yesterday, Thursday April 3rd 2003, the two 125 meter high masts were blown up. Despite that historians and preservationists wanted the landmark to be kept, NRK and Norkring were determined to put the masts down, as they did not want to continue paying for maintenance of antennas they couldn't use. Two pictures on NRK Finnmark's website: http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/nrk_finnmark/2663279.html A sad ending to a longstanding radio service! The masts were erected in 1949, initially broadcasting on 347 kHz, changed to 701 kHz in 1950, then to 702 in 1978 (Bernt Erfjord via MWC e-mail news 4.4.2003 via ARC Info Desk via DXLD) ** PAKISTAN. 15065, R. Pakistan *1558-1616* 04/19 English. IS, Classical music intro, OM in Vernacular, YL with English ID, News re gov't dialogue with political parties, aid to Iraq, relations with Sri Lanka, economic development. OM with commentary re India's efforts to occupy Sri Lanka. Immediately off after commentary without ID or announcements. Fair at sign-on, tho propagational QRN and fading increased during broadcast. Best Pakistan reception to date! (Scott Barbour, NH, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) ** POLAND [non]. RUSSIA/POLAND: New evening schedule for Radio Mariya effective from April 11: 1500-1930 (ex 1500-1830) on 12010 ARM 250 kW / 290 deg 1930-2200 (ex 1830-2200) on 7380 SAM 250 kW / 285 deg (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, April 21 via DXLD) ** POLAND. SPECIAL EVENT. A team of SP4KSY club members will be active as HF650O to celebrate 650 years of Olsztyn city. The station will be active from May 1st to July 31st, on CW, SSB, RTTY and PSK. QSL via SQ4NR, bureau or direct to: Grzegorz Gawel, ul. Herdera 16/14, 10-691 Olsztyn POLAND (OPDX April 21 via John Norfolk, OKCOK, DXLD) ** PORTUGAL [non]. RTPI OFFERS DIFFERENT VIEW OF WAR By JOÃO FERREIRA, Standard-Times staff writer Madalena Pata likes the way American television has reported on the war. However, when pressed, she conceded that when she wanted the full story, she tuned in to RTPi. RTPi stands for Radio Televisao Portuguesa Internacional -- the spin-off international channel of Portuguese public television that local immigrants fought to have broadcast here. Anyone who has watched the Portuguese-language channel during the last month got a different perspective on war news. . . http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/04-03/04-20-03/b01lo047.htm (Massachusetts via Andy Sennitt, DXLD) ** ROMANIA. 9690. 17.4 2130. Radio Tirgu Mures with local ads and jingle surprised but it was only Radio Romania International with some sort of broadcast from different regions in the country. 4 CB (Christer Brunström, Sweden, SW Bulletin Apr 20 translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DXLD) ** RUSSIA. New transmission for Voice of Russia in Arabic: 1500-1600 on 12005 (55555) S.P 100 kW / 145 deg 15405 (55555) SAM 200 kW / 185 deg 15460 (44433) SRP 250 kW / 135 deg (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, April 21 via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. Some frequency changes for Voice of Russia: 1000-1100 Korean NF 11935* ex 7330 * totally blocked by BSKSA HQ Arabic 1100-1200 Chinese NF 11935* ex 7330 * totally blocked by BSKSA HQ Arabic 1300-1400 Chinese NF 15490, ex 15605 1300-1400 Japanese NF 11935* ex 7330 * co-ch Radio Taipei Int in Russian 1300-1400 Russian WS NF 7390, ex 7340 (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, April 21 via DXLD) ** RUSSIA [non]. GERMANY/RUSSIA: New updated schedule for Voice of Russia via DTK: 0600-0800 17670 JUL 100 kW / 100 deg to ME in English World Service 1400-1500 17705 JUL 100 kW / 115 deg to Eu in Russian Commonwealth 1900-2100 5985 JUL 100 kW / 115 deg to ME in Russian World Service 1900-2100 9405 JUL 100 kW / 115 deg to ME in Russian World Service 2000-2100 6170 JUL 100 kW / 110 deg to ME in Russian World Service 2100-2200 6170 JUL 100 kW / 110 deg to ME in Commonwealth | deleted 2200-2300 6170 JUL 100 kW / 100 deg to ME in Arabic addit txion (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, April 21 via DXLD) ** SAUDI ARABIA [non]. NORWAY: Frequency change for Voice of Reform in Arabic via KVI 200 kW / 120 deg to ME, 1800-2000 NF 12025 (55544), ex 1830-2128 on 7590 (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, April 21 via DXLD) ** SIERRA LEONE. The most funny QSL (until now): Radio UNAMSIL, Sierra Leone-6137. Long letter in English from v/s: Sheila Dallas, hoping that the improvements done on the 1 kW-transmitter will lead to better reception during spring - summer. She also sent a copy of the station's decal with logotype + a very nice and big T-shirt with various UNAMSIL-messagaes! 10 m. BEFF (Björn Fransson, Sweden, SW Bulletin Apr 20 translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DXLD) Funny? ** SLOVAKIA. Radio Eslovaquia comenzó emisiones en español a finales del mes de marzo pasado. En el primer programa de cartas, emitido el 14/04, se acusó recibo de 28 cartas, provenientes de países como Brasil, Argentina, Perú, Uruguay, España y Venezuela. ¡No está nada mal para ser el comienzo! 73's y buen DX... (Adán González, Catia La Mar, Venezuela, Apr 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOMALIA. RADIO BANAADIR Transmitter Site: Mogadishu Times/UTC Days Language Target Frequencies/kHz 1600-1900 Daily Somali Dom 7002v Note: schedule subject to confirmation. RADIO BAYDHABO (pro-Rahanwein Resistance Army) Transmitter Site: Baidoa 1500-1800 Daily Somali/Rahanwein Dom 6810v Note: schedule subject to confirmation. RADIO HARGEISA (Voice of the Republic of Somaliland) Address: Radio Hargeisa, PO Box 14, Hargeisa, Somaliland. or: Ex-Indian Club, Tima-Cadde, near the Main Street, Hargeisa, Somaliland. Transmitter Site: Hargeisa. 0400-0600 Daily Somali Dom 7530v 0900-1200 Daily Somali Dom 7530v 1500-2000 Daily Somali Dom 7530v Note: schedule subject to confirmation. RADIO GALKAYO Address: Radio Galkayo, Galkayo, Somalia. Transmitter Site: Galkayo. 1000-1215 Daily Somali Dom 6985v 9615v 1600-1715 Daily Somali Dom 6985v 9615v Note: Schedule subject to confirmation. 9615 is low power relay in Boosaaso. RADIO KISMAAYO Transmitter Site: Kismaayo Note: inactive - operated on 6900v in the past. (BDXC-UK website via DXLD) ** SOUTH AFRICA. Frequency change for Channel Africa in English/ Portuguese/ English/ French, 1700-1857 NF 15265 MEY 500 kW / 320 degrees, ex 17735 to avoid AWR Arabic till 1800 (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, April 21 via DXLD) ** SRI LANKA. 15745, Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, *0025-0112 Apr 19, open carrier followed by drums at 0027 and group singing. 5+1 time pips at bottom of the hour followed by a woman announcer with ID and opening announcements in English. After brief news read by a man, there was non-stop English pop music standards played until tune out. Poor signal with deep fades but was fair. Reports for 15445 being active weren't true this night (Rich D`Angelo, PA, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) I suspected 15445 was a typo (gh, DXLD) ** SWITZERLAND. Sottens to transmit DRM on 1566 from mid-June: N`abend. Zum Abschluss der Feiertage noch ein Osterei aus der Schweiz: Ab Mitte Juni wird ein DRM-Signal die Frequenz 1566 kHz (Sender Sottens) zieren. Gruß, (Harald Kuhl, A-DX via Kai Ludwig, DXLD) ** TAIWAN [non]. TAIWAN VIA ESTADOS UNIDOS - Ouvir um programa em espanhol da Rádio Taipei Internacional, via transmissores da emissora religiosa Family Radio, de Okeechobee, Flórida, é uma aula de repetição. Freqüentemente, em 15130 e 15215 kHz, há problemas técnicos. De acordo com o Oséias Fantinelli, de Jacutinga (RS), sempre que algo ocorre, a programação retransmitida volta ao início. Desta forma, o boletim de notícias é repetido várias vezes. Um pouco mais e o hino nacional de Taiwan também será decorado pelos ouvintes, pois é tocado logo no começo das emissões! (Célio Romais, Panorama, @tividade DX Apr 20 via DXLD) ** TAIWAN. http://www.cbs.org.tw/French/index.htm Radio Taipei International Changement de friquence [sic] ! Changement de friquence pour la 1hre diffusion de nos programmes. A compter du 27 Avril, notre diffusion entre 19h et 20h TU vers l_Europe sera sur la friquence 6045 KHz. Central Broadcasting System No.55 Pei An Road Taipei, Taiwan. R.O.C. http://www.cbs.org.tw (via Daniel Say, BC, DXLD) ** TATARSTAN. RUSSIA/TATARSTAN: Summer A-03 schedule for Radio Tatarstan: 0400-0500 on 11665 SRN 150 kW / 070 deg 0600-0700 on 9690*SAM 250 kW / 060 deg * strong co-ch DW Ge and RRI Romanian 0800-0900 on 11925 SAM 100 kW / 310 deg (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, April 21 via DXLD) ** THAILAND. R. Thailand in the clear on new 9860 for English at 1230 April 21; news interrupted in mid-sentence at 1259:30 as usual for IBB transmitter change. This is the rule rather than the exception for R. Thailand, never able to coördinate program timings with shortwave frequency usage. If anybody at the studios ever monitored their own broadcasts, they might catch on. Or if there were any two- way contact between Udorn and Bangkok and-or Washington (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TURKEY. 12000. Voice of Turkey. 04/20/2003, *2200-2210. YL with sign-on announcements, frequencies, and skeds. News of Greek PM and Turkey's desire to help rebuild Iraq. Music program starting at 2209 featuring Turkish composers. G-VG (Wood, TN, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) So this replaces scheduled 11960? \\ 9830 (gh, DXLD) Frequency changes for Voice of Turkey effective April 20: 0400-0555 Arabic NF 9690*(53443), ex 9560 to avoid CRI English & YLE R. Finland * co-ch RRI in Romanian 2200-2250 English NF 12000 (55444), ex 11960 (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, April 21 via DXLD) ** TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS. 1020: Probably a recent reappearance, since they mentioned they were running transmitter tests. Judging from their signal last night, they should be quite widely heard, so there would likely have been other reports if they'd been back for long. I poked around the web a bit, but didn't find any recent info on them. When I first heard them around 0025Z, playing tunes like "Midnight Train to Georgia", I was convinced this was a domestic, though I couldn't figure who it might be. Really floored me when they IDed at 0102 (Barry McLarnon, ON, April 19, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** U K. VLF Station GBR closes (more) The giant VLF station at Rugby, England, which served The Royal Navy from Rugby for 77 years, 3 months, made its last transmission on 16 kHz at midnight on 31 March, ending more than three quarters of a century of service. British Telecom had operated the station for the Royal Navy since the dismantling and privatization of the British Post Office, which formerly operated and/or regulated all telecommunication facilities in the UK. The antenna farm, presently surrounded by sheep pastures, appears destined for real estate development. Authorized by Parliament in 1910 to help link the Empire with reliable radio communication, it was not until 1926 that everyone was satisfied with all the plans, the station was actually completed, and operation began from the 910 acre site. Additional LF and HF stations were located there over the years, as well. Other shortwave and longwave telegraphy transmissions from the site have long since ended, but Rugby is still the home of the MSF time and frequency signals. BT has a contract to operate those for the National Physics Laboratory until 2007, but it is a subject of some speculation whence those signals will originate when the Rugby antenna farm comes down. Some believe recent transmissions on 55.5kHz may have been tests by BT of a new transmitter and antenna system for the 60kHz MSF service (LWCA via Mike Terry, DXLD) ** U K [non]. Checked http://www.laserradio.net April 21 for any news of resuming SW via Latvia, WBCQ, or somewhere --- but no news at all about this, tho one page still claims to be using Latvia. How long can it take to find a clear frequency on 31m? And why blow off their North American service just because they are having problems in Europe? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K [and non]. U.K./UZBEKISTAN/RUSSIA: BFBS updated schedule as of April 11: 0300-0400 7260 (55544) via MERLIN 15795 (35433) via TAC 100 kW / 236 deg 0400-0600 11975 (45444) via MERLIN 15795 (35433) via TAC 100 kW / 236 deg 0600-0700 15425 (55555) via MERLIN 15795 (45444) via TAC 100 kW / 236 deg 1400-1600 13860 (55555) via SAM 250 kW / 188 deg 17895 (55555) via MERLIN 1600-1700 13860 (55555) via SAM 250 kW / 188 deg 17635 (55555) via MERLIN 1700-1800 13860 (55555) via SAM 250 kW / 188 deg 15150 (55555) via MERLIN >>> not 17635 1800-2000 6015 (55544) via SAM 250 kW / 188 deg 13760 (55555) via MERLIN (Ivo and Angel! Observer, Bulgaria, April 21 via DXLD) ** U S A. WBCQ BEING RELAYED BY PIRATE IN MARYLAND? I am listening to the WBCQ Live 365 webcast and I used a packet sniffer to get the address so I could run it on WinAmp. Any way, on WinAmp the stream identifies itself as Tobor Relay Broadcast (FM 87.9 Mount Airy, MD) (Joel Rubin, NY, Apr 21, swprograms via DXLD) WBCQ itself doesn't run the live365.com relay. It is set up by Scott Becker who runs the wbcq.com website. The engineer on duty at WBCQ simply dials in to the server, wherever it may be. This explains why there are so many drop outs on the live365.com relay. I have no idea what MP3 sending client they are using but the relay server is set up so that when WBCQ drops the line automated fill music comes on. Live365.com does not offer that kind of fill in service. For all I know FM 87.9 could be an FM-10 or CCrain unit, or that ID is just up there to confuse anyone who decides to sniff it out. Becker is the kind of person who likes to keep things private, if you get the idea. The wbcq.com website is actually located in Kansas, not Maryland (Steve Coletti, ibid.) And not Maine ** U S A. WSAI TeSSSSSting IBOC: 5 AM and on the road to WKDK. 1520 and 1540 absolutely totally hosed with the digital sidebands. OH PAUL JELLISON!!! (Powell E Way, SC?, April 20, NRC-AM via DXLD) Seems they're keeping the IBOC on all night too... still on as of 2330 EDT, and creating considerable havoc on 1520/1540 here. In a word: ugh (Barry McLarnon, Ottawa, Ont., NRC-AM via DXLD) Yikes. It's sure eating a hole in 1540 here. That said, I *can* null it and get something else. (probably KXEL. Normally CHIN is the dominant signal on 1540 here, but WSAI is on pretty much the same heading so I think I can say goodbye to CHIN...) I think someone on 1520 is running daytime facilities. WSAI-HD is pretty much non-existent on the lower side - and someone else with a religious program is nearly local quality. Since I'm in the mutual nulls of WWKB and KOMA, I usually don't hear anything very well on 1520. Upside is at least on my YB400PE, the digital sidebands aren't harming the 1530 audio any (Doug Smith, Nashville TN, ibid.) Couldn't kill the digital interference on 1520/1540 regardless of the radio/antenna. Worse than the WOR signal on WGN last year. Wonder what it did to the KXEL signal in Iowa? (Gerry Bishop, Nicenighthereville, FL, ibid.) ** U S A. 1153.35 and 1166.65 | WSKW, Skowhegan, ME, APR 18 0016 - Red Sox baseball on strong distorted spurs +/- 6.65 kHz from center frequency of 1160 (Mark Connelly*rw-MA = Rowley, MA (GC= 70.829 W / 42.745 N) (Stackyard Road / Parker River - Nelson Island wildlife refuge: salt-marsh) Receiver: Drake R8A Antenna system: car rooftop cardioid array with broadband loop, active whip, Superphaser-2 phasing unit, hard-core-dx via DXLD) ** U S A. Follow-up to the "WNPG" (daytime only) on 1640, as reported by one Jim Gill in Bradenton: This is almost certainly WMGG, the Largo station on 820. Their harmonic on 1640 is audible all over the Tampa Bay area, including northern Manatee County (as I confirmed last weekend). And they are 50 kW daytime, dropping to 1 kW nights at which point the harmonic is mostly gone. Below is from http://www.100000watts.com: WMGG 820 kHz Format: Spanish tropical "La Mega" ID: Largo FL/Tampa FL Owner: Mega Communications Co-owned: WLCC Facilities: 50000w/1000w Transmitter: 27 54' 30" N 82 46' 51" W Visit my "Florida Low Power Radio Stations" at: http://home.earthlink.net/~tocobagadx/flortis.html (Terry L. Krueger, Clearwater, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. While on 1610 this morning looking for TIS stations, I was hearing a Spanish language broadcast station fading in and out between 1130 and 1200 UT. It was too weak to decipher much, but heard both man and woman speaking at various times. Any suggestions? Well, the next day reception was a bit better and the answer presented itself. Turns out the TIS for Chief Joseph Dam in Washington State has gone bilingual. This TIS has been around for 20 years, but I've never heard Spanish until now. For that matter, I've never heard Spanish on any of the TIS stations I've heard from the States. Is it used in areas with significant Hispanic populations? 73, (Nigel Pimblett, Medicine Hat, Alberta, (though currently DXing from Lamont, AB), April 22, IRCA via DXLD) Chief Joseph Dam 1610 gets out very well and is a pest here on the Oregon Coast. Thanks for passing the info along. 73s, (Patrick Martin, Seaside OR, ibid.) ** U S A. 2900, (2 x 1450), ESPN Radio, 0550 22 Apr, Nice 2nd harmonic with good signal strength and audio quality. I heard the fundamental faintly in the crowd on 1450. There were absolutely no local references, strictly a network feed much like Radio Disney. No station call letters were given at the top of the hour or quarter hour. There are a number of these ESPN Radio affiliates on this frequency (David Hodgson, TN, harmonics yahoogroup via DXLD) ** VENEZUELA. 699.65 | R. Sur, YVPQ, Puerto Ordaz, APR 18 0033 - fast Spanish talk; splittable from equal strength jumble on 700. (Mark Connelly*rw-MA = Rowley, MA (GC= 70.829 W / 42.745 N) (Stackyard Road / Parker River - Nelson Island wildlife refuge: salt-marsh) Receiver: Drake R8A Antenna system: car rooftop cardioid array with broadband loop, active whip, Superphaser-2 phasing unit, hard-core-dx via DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ EMISIONES INTERNACIONALES EN ESPAÑOL HOLANDA - Finalmente saiu a lista atualizada de emissoras internacionais que emitem no idioma espanhol, editada pela Rádio Nederland. Baixe em: http://www.rnw.nl/informarn/html/lista.pdf (Célio Romais, Panorama, @tividade DX Apr 20 via DXLD) AFRICA SW LIST - BY COUNTRY (covering Africa-wide domestic, external and opposition broadcasts) http://www.users.waitrose.com/~bdxc/africa.rtf AFRICA SW LIST - BY FREQUENCY (summary of sub-Saharan African domestic SW frequencies) http://www.users.waitrose.com/~bdxc/africafreq.rtf GUIDE TO DX/MEDIA PROGRAMMES http://www.users.waitrose.com/~bdxc/dxprog.htm These files have been fully updated on the British DX Club web site: http://www.bdxc.org.uk - see Articles Index page The Africa by Country list is very up to date and exhaustive, WRTH- like; examples below under MALI, SOMALIA tho the originals are rich text (gh, DXLD) REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCSTING, DXLD MAGAZINE COLLECTIONS FOR AUCTION http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3516035397&ssPageName=ADME:B:LC:US:1 (via Harold Sellers, ODXA via DXLD) RECEIVER NEWS +++++++++++++ BANKRUPTCY THROWS SHADOW ON GRUNDIG'S HISTORY OF INNOVATION 15.04.2003 Grundig, a star of Germany's postwar economic recovery, declared itself bankrupt on Monday. It could be the sad demise of the company that gave many Germans their first televisions. Monday was a sad day for all those who could remember the boom times for German electronics company Grundig AG when the company filed for bankruptcy after reporting losses for two straight years. The company, one of the biggest European manufacturers of video cameras, DVD players --- and high-quality television sets, joins a high-profile list of German corporate collapses, headed last year by the Kirch media empire, construction company Phillip Holzmann, aircraft manufacturer Fairchild Dornier and airship developer Cargolifter. The ominous final straw for Grundig came after possible investors Beko, a Turkish electronics company and Taiwan's Sampo decided against a stake in the firm. The company posted losses of E?150 million ($161.8 million) in 2001, and is expected to post losses of 75 million in 2002. Analysts say there's still hope Grundig can turn its fortunes around under bankruptcy administrator Eberhard Braun. Braun is expected to take up talks with Beko again this week, according to a report in the Financial Times Deutschland. If Grundig does indeed go under this time, it will be the end of a company that represented the resolve of the German people after the end of World War Two and the healing of a war-torn economy that currently faces dark times. Founded by Bavarian radio dealer Max Grundig in 1945, the Nuremberg- based company began as a radio repair and testing business. It soared to new heights during the time of post-war growth in Germany. Grundig's radio repair equipment proved popular in keeping precious pre-war radios going at a time when production remained impossible. Radio innovation helped economic recovery Grundig's reputation for innovation began to grow when he cleverly concocted a tubeless radio to evade restrictions imposed by occupying Allied authorities. His pretext was that a receiver without tubes didn`t count as a radio. The Grundig company then went on to make its name by producing build-it-yourself "Heinzelmann" radio kits for the recovering German population. As Germany`s economy continued to revive, Grundig scored a hugely marketable hit with one of the first portable consumer radios, the "Grundig Boy", in 1949. According to his biographer, Christa Bronnenmeyer, Max Grundig's dream was to make "a radio for every man, at a price every man could afford." [warum nicht Volksradio?] A radio for everybody "Max Grundig awoke the consumer dreams of an entire generation, and to a large extent was able to fulfill those dreams," said Bronnenmeyer in the book Max Grundig: Made in Germany. By the beginning of the next decade, the company was the largest producer of radio sets in Europe. And in 1952, with the advent of television, Grundig changed tack, entering the market by making Germany's first high-quality television sets. As Germans became more affluent throughout the 1950s, Grundig's decision to follow the new technology paid off and propelled the company towards further growth. The company also expanded into other areas of the consumer electronics market, developing tape recorders, record players and short-wave radios. One of first color television makers Grundig then became one of the first companies to build color television sets in the late 1960s and, at its zenith in 1979, Grundig employed around 38,000 staff at 30 different factories all around the world. By the 1980s, it had sales offices in France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Taiwan. However, by then, it was also feeling pressure from Japanese companies who had been catching up in the technology market by churning out competitive products at lower prices. Grundig soon began to lose market share to these low- cost rivals from Asia and slipped into the red in 1980, slashing thousands of jobs. In a bid to keep the company's head above water, Grundig negotiated an investment deal with Dutch electronics giant, Philips in the 1990s. But the partnership ended badly with Grundig resisting pressure from Philips to cut costs. Recognizing that it had no future as an independent company, Grundig began courting potential buyers. But these attempts to save the company foundered when potential buyers began digging through Grundig's red-ink-stained books. End of tech boom innovator? From being one of the icons of the early technology upsurge, riding Germany`s post-World War II boom, and the family-owned business that sold many Germans their first television set, Grundig seems to have finally bowed to pressure from global giants such as the Sony Corporation and Samsung Electronics. Some analysts predict that the company could be broken up, as its brand name and sales network still have value, but it appears to be the end of the line for the one-time driving force in innovative technology. Autor: http://www.dw-world.de © Deutsche Welle The end comes for Grundig. Surely a sad day for all radio enthusiasts! (Curtis Sadowski, DX LISTENIN DIGEST) Not exactly BARLOW-WADLEY SITE Hi all! From yesterday BARLOW WADLEY site is again online, with a new domain: http://www.barlowwadley.it Sorry for the long blackout period, but I haved many trouble with old domain renew, until someone pick up to do nothing with it (probably to do cybersquatting). Barlow Wadley HP is not intended as a commercial site, so I prefer to change domain, instead. For this reason, please update your bookmarks, thanks! New hosting itself is more usable to add some interactive parts to site (like forums and online chats), so prepare to new and interesting features to the site. 73-51 Francesco Caizzi (via Costa Constantinides, Cyprus, DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ BIG TV DX OPENINGS G'Day List, Very interesting early evening here in South East Queensland with northern propagation arriving via F2 as well as ES. Switched the trusty old IC-R7000 onto FM88.0 and had rock solid 1 watt LPON from Richmond Far North Qld run by western visitor radio (also noted 4TAB on 87.6). Then flicked over the memory banks to 49.75 it was running at 20dB over 9, flick to 56.25 oh yes audio from CCTV1, flick to 48.25 best video carrier from Thailand yet, flick to 53.75 poor distorted audio here, flick to 55.25 Filipino video carrier and poor audio on 59.75. At one stage I had audio on 55.25 ! I see this is an audio channel for European E-2A so don't know where that might have come from. My 6 meter beam was actually aimed east thru all this. The 6 meter hams were running hot. One ham said he had been going for 2 hours with some pretty good DX. This was at 0700UT. Cheers (Chris martin, Australia, Apr 22, ARDXC via DXLD) And there was a big sporadic E opening from Mexico Tuesday morning, up at least to channel 5. One quickly IDed at 1551 UT was on channel 2 thanks to a bug in the lower right with CANAL / 2 / AGS i.e. Aguascalientes: the CANAL and AGS formed semicircles above and below the numeral (Glenn Hauser, OK, Apr 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###