DX LISTENING DIGEST 3-074, April 27, 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 1179: RFPI: Wed 0100, 0700 or 0830 on 7445 WJIE: M-F 0730 on 7490, 13595 [maybe; anyone confirm??] WWCR: Wed 0930 on 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/wor1179.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1179.ram [High] (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1179h.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1179h.ram (Summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1179.html FIRST AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1180: Wed 2200 on WBCQ 7415, 17495-CUSB Thu 2030 on WWCR 15825 Sat 0130 on RFPI 7445 GET WELL WISHES +++++++++++++++ WOLFGANG BUESCHEL Hi Tarek and Glenn, my Daddy is ill. Have been in hospital since Easter Saturday. Another infarct, heart attack again. Will keep hospital room in coming days. Cardiac problem again. Regards (Christian and Daddy, April 28) My Daddy is ill. Has been in hospital since Easter Saturday. Another infarct, heart attack again. Will keep hospital room till tomorrow April 29 (Christian and Daddy, via Noel Green) Hi Everyone, here I'm again back on the hobby scene. 73 de wolfgang (Bueschel, April 29) WILL MARTIN Our friend in St. Louis went in for multiple bypass surgery, but is now home and says he is recovering well. Afterwards in the ICU, Will says he was surprised to be able to hear some SW on the cheap Bell & Howell receiver, despite someone knocking it off a table; not too much noise. Too bad it doesn`t cover the bands it is supposed to. Later in rehab, Will demonstrated his loyalty by stepping outside and picking up World of Radio five days after his procedure (gh) SEARCHING WOR/WEB Hi Glenn, When I need to find something on your website/DXLDs, I go to google, type it in, followed by site:worldofradio.com It searches your site fast. I think it turns out the results in recent date order. I saw your note on webpage about searching big DXLD files. It seems to me you are wasting your time converting these things into big HTML files. You are amazingly productive even without doing that. :-) Years ago, I would do a multi-file search of DXLDs on my hard- drive, but I no longer download DXLD. I have not found the time to read them (Larry Russell, MI, trying to save you some time) Yes, I am falling further and further behind on the HTML monthly (no longer quarterly) files. The thing is, at the same time I put in correxions and cross references, and I myself prefer to refer to the html archives which are in bold, and with hotlinks, unlike the original individual .txt issue postings. I could just do individual issues only in html rather than text, but some readers very much prefer text. Of course, one could easily save these html files back to text if needed. What should I do? (Glenn) ** AFGHANISTAN. A few [amateur] stations have been active from here over the past couple of weeks. Last week, Roberto, YN1BB, showed up as YN1BB/YA from Kabul on 15 meters (usually around/between 21260- 21275 kHz after 1145z as last as 1630z). Also, active last week was Nick, G4KUX, as YA4F on 6 meters CW/SSB. Watch around 50.108-50.111 MHz between 1445-1630z. He will be here until April 2004. QSL via his home callsign. Hiro, JA1CQT, was heard the week before as YA1CQ on 17/15/12 meters. Watch around 18153, 21320 and 24955 kHz after 0730z and as late as 1600z. QSL via JA1CQT. "The Daily DX" reportedly states, Hiro, is in Kabul as part of the Basic Human Needs (BHN) contingent. He has been granted temporary permission to operate as YA1CQ until the end of May, but expects to be in Afghanistan for 12 months. The BHN is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that helps with humanitarian relief efforts. Others associated with the BHN team include Ito "Dan" Sadao, JA1PBV. YA1JA is the BHN club callsign (KB8NW/BARF-80/OPDX April 28 via John Norfolk, OKCOK, DXLD) ** ANTARCTICA [non]. 15475, Voz Cristiana, Santiago, 2100-0100, Apr 18, also new frequency for Portuguese // 15365, antenna 45 degrees, 100 kW, to eastern SAm and southern Africa, 2100-0100. Good signal. Bad luck for the Argentinian Antarctic station which appears occasionally on 15475 in same time period (Padula in EDXP via DSWCI DX Window Apr 27 via DXLD) LRA36 usually closes shortly after 2100, but it was extremely insensitive of VC to grab the frequency. Perhaps the conosuristas can persuade them to move (gh, DXLD) ** ARGENTINA. EL GOBIERNO ARGENTINO INAUGURO SU SITIO SOBRE MEDIOS http://www.medios.gov.ar es la denominación de la flamante página web de la Secretaría de Medios de la Presidencia, que cualquiera podrá consultar a partir de ahora. Tiene una construcción prolija y muy amplia. A través de ella se puede acceder a los medios oficiales como Télam, Radio Nacional, Canal 7 y a Radiodifusión Argentina al Exterior, además de la historia y objetivos de la secretaría, también se puede pasar a medios privados. En la Sala de Periodistas, donde estuvo presente http://www.eneldial.com y 20 colegas se hizo la primera prueba para escuchar Radio Nacional. Una forma de achicar distancias desde el ofrecimiento de la información oficial y de la noticia en general. (extraido de http://www.eneldial.com.ar/ via Arnaldo Slaen, Apr 25, Conexión Digital via DXLD I don`t see any link to RAE at http://www.medios.gov.ar/enlaces.html so it remains one of the few ISW stations without a known website (gh, DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. I am already in discussions with HCJB-AUS here in Melbourne about a regular DX news/information segment over HCJB-AUS, following the planned termination of DXPL at the end of May. The new feature would be produced under the EDXP banner. As soon as I know more I will let everyone know! Regards (Bob Padula, EDXP ADMIN, April 27 via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. 531 kHz ACTIVATED FROM ADELAIDE. Jeffrey Burford, Port Augusta, advises that 531 kHz in Adelaide, previously used by 5UV and offered as a Narrowcast licence, has become active. The station appears to have an Italian format, with slogans such as "Radio Italiano" and "Radiotelevision Italy" heard. It's thought that the transmitter site and power are the same as for the old 5UV broadcaster, which has now moved to FM (Bob Padula, World Broadcast Magazine Apr 29 used by permission, http://edxp.org via DXLD) ** AUSTRIA. Glenn, I recently received the Radio Austria International program schedule for the period March 30 to June 30, 2003. Following is a quick check of the English broadcasts. The printed schedule must not match the actual broadcasting schedule. Note the ORF German broadcast at 2305 UT. April 27, 2003 1143 UT 6155 not heard, 13730 SIO 252. 1235 UT 21780 not heard. 1342 UT 6155 not heard, 13730 not heard. 1535 UT 9870 not heard, 15515 hearing a German language station on 15515. Is this ROI? 1835 UT 6155 not heard, 5945 not heard. 2135 UT 6155 not heard, 5945 not heard. 2305 UT 9870 ORF German program, 13730 ORF German program. April 28, 2003 0135 UT 9870 SIO 554, 15515 not heard. 73, (-.. . Kraig Krist, KG4LAC, VA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) So not surprisingly, the only English broadcasts you did hear were at 1130 on 13730, right, and to NAm at 0130 on 9870. You could hardly expect to hear the 5 and 6 MHz outlets in the daytime. They keep publishing the same confusing nonsense that they have for a few seasons now --- not making clear that 9870 is the frequency at 0130, and 15515 at 1530, not both at both times! 15515 is indeed Austria, relayed via Canada, and as we remarked recently, getting the English half hour on at the scheduled time of 1530 (winter 1630) has always been a difficult feat for them to accomplish. Perhaps they are no longer even trying (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) On Sundays My Music, hosted by Paul Catty, is broadcast 0805-0900 on 6155 13730 and 1605-1700 on 1476. Hopefully this programme will continue after the re-organisation; on April 27th it started with Johann Sebastian Bach, a guitar piece by Keith Jarrett and some Mahler sung a cappella by a choir. As always Paul was knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the music he played (Mike Barraclough, May World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** BAHRAIN. 9745 heard regularly here around 2130 with good signals. (Mike Barraclough, England, May World DX Club Contact via DXLD) See also UNIDENTIFIED ** BOLIVIA. R. Illimani cleared 6025: see DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ** BOUGAINVILLE. Re 3-073: Quite right Glenn, I haven't heard it for some time either. This QSL was for a follow up on a reception from last summer. (I'd inadvertently used an incorrect address the first time around.) 73, (Nigel Pimblett, AB, Apr 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BULGARIA I recently received the Radio Bulgaria program schedule for the period March 30 to October 26, 2003. Following is a quick check of the English broadcasts. April 26, 2003 2328 UT 9400 SIO 555, 11900 SIO 444 QRM from Swiss R. Int on 11905. April 27, 2003 0205 UT 9400 SIO 555, 11900 SIO 555. 1135 UT 11700 not heard, 15700 SIO 333 QRM probably from R. Denmark on 15705. 1735 UT 9400 not heard, 11900 barely hear, useless. 2105 UT 5800 not heard, 7500 SIO 353. 73, (-.. . Kraig Krist, KG4LAC, VA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Fred Vobbe is conducting an experiment for his forthcoming All Radio Magazine that will deal with the quality and reception of AM stations and needs a recording, from your DX location, of a certain selection. ``The song will be `Nobody Does It Better` by Carly Simon, and it will be played on CHWO 740 Toronto, Wednesday, April 30 between 9 and 10 pm [EDT = May 1 0100-0200 UT],`` Fred said. Recordings can be sent in minidisc, CD, MP3 160 kbps or better/mono, reel-to-reel at 7.5 or 15 ips, or cassette, only if using a GOOD new tape (direct recording from radio to tape; no mikes propped in front of a speaker, please). Sorry, no Real Audio files. ``I only need the audio, starting about 1 minute befor the start of the song to 1 minute after, so you can edit it down once it`s recorded,`` he added. ``I can`t use any recordings where your recording starts after the song starts. I need the whole song. Now the hook. If you send in a recording that I can use, I will send you a WLIO St. Jude Children`s telethon crew T-shirt!`` Mail the recordings to Fred Vobbe at P O Box 5031, Lima OH 45802-5031. Any broadcaster who would like to repeat this test should contact him (Paul Swearingen, NRC DX News April 28 via DXLD) You mean CHWO will be playing it over and over for a full hour? Would a recording from me of KRMG blocking the whole thing be pertinent? (gh, DXLD) ** CANADA. Glenn, I recently received the program schedule for the period April 6 to October 26, 2003 in the postal mail. Following is a quick check of the English broadcasts. April 24, 2003 2330 UT 9505 SIO 555, 13670 SIO 555 April 25, 2003 0000 UT 9640 Deutsche Welle on 9640, RCI not heard, 15205 not heard. 0100 UT 9755 SIO 555, 15170 SIO 454, 15305 SIO 252. 2036 UT 5850 not heard, 5995 not heard, 11690 RTTY QRM on 11690, RCI not heard, 11965 SIO 424 QRM probably R. Romania Int on 11970, 12015 not heard, 15325 SIO 353, 15470 not heard, 17870 SIO 151. 2102 UT 5850 not heard, 7235 not heard, 13690 SIO 222 what sounded like wind blowing was causing interference, 15325 SIO 252, 17870 SIO 222 once again the wind blowing noise causing interference. 2200 UT 9590 SIO 555, 11920 SIO 433 Saudi Arabia on 11915 causing QRM, 13670 VOA on 13670, RCI not heard, 15170 SIO 252, 15455 SIO 152, 17880 SIO 252. 2230 UT 9590 kHz SIO 555, 13670 kHz SIO 353, 15455 kHz SIO 353. 2305 UT 9590 SIO 555, 13670 SIO 353, 15455 SIO 353. April 27, 2003 1200 UT 9660 not heard, 15190 BBC World Service on 15190, RCI not heard. 1300 UT 9515 SIO 555, 13655 SIO 555, 17800 SIO 353. 1400 UT 9515 SIO 555, 13655 SIO 555, 17800 SIO 454. 1500 UT 9515 SIO 454, 13655 SIO 555, 17800 SIO 454. 73, (-.. . Kraig Krist, KG4LAC, VA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. NATIONAL RADIO NOW USING 75 METRES. In a surprise move, China National Radio commenced using the 75 mb for A03 for the first time for its Second Network. One frequency is in use, 3985, from a transmitter at Qinghai. Schedule is 2100-0000, and 1200-1600. The same transmitter is used on 7149 for local daytime broadcasting: 0000-0300 and 0800-1230. Noted on 3985 at good level here in Melbourne for both the morning and evening periods (Bob Padula, World Broadcast Magazine Apr 29 used by permission, http://edxp.org via DXLD) ** CONGO DR. CONGO-KINSHASA. 6828.37, RTNC-Bunia, noted sporadically on steady frequency recently, mainly between 1600 and 1800 UT, seems to s/off normally sometime after 1800. But noted on Apr 8 past 2100, obviously with an extended prrogram (soccer match with political analyses at the half-time) and on Apr 21 at 0450-0510 fadeout. Whenever I listened the program was in French, so this language is probably used most of the time. Reasonable signal here, I would say at least 1 kW, possibly more (Vaclav Korinek, RSA, DX-plorer via DXLD) ** COSTA RICA. In celebration of 75 years of amateur radio in Costa Rica, look for Costa Rican stations to operate using their callsigns with the special prefix TE75 from May 1 to 31 (2003). This will take place on all authorized bands and modes. The official list of authorized TE75 stations can be found at the Radio Club of Costa Rica (RCCR), Web site at: http://www.ti0rc.org QSL routes: All TE75 stations share a common QSL route, which is the Radio Club of Costa Rica (TI0RC). QSL cards are welcome both via direct mail and via the IARU bureau service. Diplomas and awards: The official list of diplomas and awards available will be published by RCCR once the operation has concluded. A minimum of six authorized TE75 stations as well as the official station TE75RC will be required for any diploma (KB8NW/BARF-80/OPDX April 28 via John Norfolk, OKCOK, DXLD) ** CROATIA [and non]. Voice of Croatia said they were expanding to 24 hours a day from April 28th. On April 29th I heard them via Julich on 9470 9925 and 13820 at 0650. At 0700-0740 only 13820 continued but it was in parallel with the Deanovac transmitters on 6165 and 13830, though running a couple of seconds behind. There was no English news at 0705 as previously. At 0840 recheck 13820 had music, not parallel to speech programme on 6165 and 13830. (Mike Barraclough, May World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** CUBA. Contrary to the previous night, RHC English was missing from 11760 around 0515 check April 28; but also missing from 9820, 6000. Power failure? Then April 28 at 2123 check, 11760 was in Spanish instead of English, which it had been just recently at 2030-2130. Station seems to be a total mess. After 0500 April 29, only 9820 was audible (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi gang! Just want to let you know that Toronto area ODXA member and AM/FM/TV DXer Saul Chernos is on Radio Havana Cuba's "DX'ers Unlimited" tonight. Check usual frequencies 6000 and 9820. 73 (Bob Chandler, VE3SRE, Tue Apr 22, ODXA via DXLD) Thanks to Bob for posting this, as I was unable to access my e-mail, I asked Arnie to ask Bob... Cuba was quite the trip. There is a lot going on down there, some good, some not. I think my ultimate feeling is that the people there -- government and citizens -- have a lot of work to do if they are to maintain anything to the left of democratic socialism. The situation is highly complex and this list isn't the place to hash it out. However, I do think travel does go hand-in-hand with SWLing and DXing, because one gets to see things first-hand rather than having the information mediated by third parties (media). Meeting Arnie, and seeing Radio Havana Cuba in action was something else. I also met a journalist who oversees the English news service there, and I have a lot of thoughts about how Canadian DXers and an organization like ODXA might play a more involved role with stations such as this. Anyhow, believe it or not, I couldn't hear the broadcast from my hotel just outside Havana. There was a storm so ferocious that we ended up with a half inch of rain inside the room, on the second floor. Most of it came in through a crack above the air conditioner, which faced the ocean. This was accompanied by a power outage, and though I tried my old Sony portable all I got was static and lightning QRM. I don't even know if the station was on the air -- the storm had incredible winds. Did it get out? Did anyone tape it? (Saul Chernos, Ont., April 27, ODXA via DXLD) ** CUBA. Dear Glenn: Last night (April 27th) I was monitoring Radio Habana Cuba on 6000. For some reason they started top of the hour news at 0355 UT. Are the station's clocks all running fast? Announcer gave synopsis of speech Castro gave on Cuban TV. According to Castro the recent crackdown on journalists was caused because the journalists were agents of a foreign power (USA). And stern measures were needed to combat thugs who would hijack Cuban boats and planes. Recent skyjacker was executed. The U.S. encourages this kind of illegal immigration --- according to Castro. After this rundown of speech woman announcer says: "If you're interested in 5 Cuban political prisoners being held in U.S. jails then go to web site...." Does she realize how stupid and ridiculous that sounds how that 30 or more Cuban journalists are looking at 30, 35 and 40 year prison sentences for criticizing Castro? (Tom Risher, Perris, California, Apr 28, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Guess not ** CUBA [non]. Posted on Tue, Apr. 29, 2003 GROUP SHOWS SOLIDARITY WITH CUBAN INTERNAL DISSENT FROM THE AIR BY ELAINE DE VALLE, Knight Ridder Newspapers NEW YORK -(KRT) - Their mission is to show solidarity with internal dissent, so twice in the mid-1990s, Brothers to the Rescue planes buzzed above Havana rooftops and dropped leaflets that encouraged civil disobedience. Their action violated Cuban airspace and drew complaints from both the Cuban and U.S. governments. The Cuban government later cited those violations to justify its shoot-down of two Brothers aircraft and the deaths of four group members. Today, the organization is still trying to reach the Cuban people - but its methods have changed. And it is still drawing complaints from Cuba and pressure from Washington. On May 20, the 101st anniversary of Cuba's independence and a year after President Bush promised to bolster TV Martí's broadcast signal, José Basulto, Brothers' founder, will broadcast an expression of solidarity with Cuban dissidents from his airplane. The broadcast will be the second one. The first - made after several U.S. government agencies urged the group not to do so - was on Feb. 24, the seventh anniversary of the shoot-down of the Brothers planes, made when Basulto's plane was 29 miles north of the island. . . http://www.aberdeennews.com/mld/aberdeennews/news/nation/5742091.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp (Miami Herald via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** CYPRUS TURKISH Northern. 6150, R Bayrak, Yeni Iskele, 0230-0310, Apr 22, British pop songs, ID in English: ``Bayrak International on Shortwave and 105 FM``. It was fighting heavily with Radio One, Singapore and University Network (// 5029) [COSTA RICA} both also in English. Result: Gene Scott said ``Listen to what the Prophet said`` and in the background Hard Rock from Bayrak and The Beatles from Singapore! 32432 (Anker Petersen, Denmark, DSWCI DX Window April 27 via DXLD) Also heard 0329-0357, Apr 16, English frequency announcement, program preview into ``Breakfast Show``. Audio only mediocre, in the clear that morning because usual co-channel Gene Scott was off. Wiped out as soon as ORF appeared on 6155 at *0357. 24332 (Martien Groot, Netherlands, DSWCI DX Window April 27 via DXLD) ** DENMARK [and non]. DENMARK/NORWAY. The number of SW frequencies made available by Norkring to NRK and R Denmark for their broadcasts to compatriots abroad from the transmitters at Kvitsoy and Sveio has been reduced considerably during recent months. The result is a deteriorated coverage of the broadcasts in Norwegian and Danish in the target areas. Instead the frequencies are used for the following, mostly clandestine broadcasts, as heard here during Easter: R Afghanistan, Mo-Sa 1430-1730, Su 1400-1700 on 18940 in Pashto and Dari. (Merlin) R International, Mo-Sa 1630-1715 on 13800 in Farsi. (Merlin) Voice of Komala, Su 1700-1800 on 7560 in Kurdish and Farsi. (TDP) Voice of Eritrean People, Su 1730-1800 on 9990 and 1800-1830 on 7530 in Tigrinya. (Merlin) R Yaran, Mo-Sa 1800-2100 on 7525 in Farsi. (Merlin) Voice of Reform, Daily 1830-2100 on 12025 in Arabic. (TDP) Furthermore, R Denmark is right now considering to cease all its SW broadcasts by the end of 2003 when the present contract with Norkring terminates. I know by personal experience that the reception of the broadcasts from Norway is good at specific hours throughout the world and that many Danes on travel highly appreciate the news broadcasts twice daily from Denmark. In an attempt to avoid closure of the SW service, a letter of protest has been sent from the DSWCI to the Minister of Culture in Copenhagen (Anker Petersen, DSWCI DX Window April 27 via DXLD) ** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. [unID in 3-073] 6025, Radio Amanecer Internacional, Santo Domingo, 0915-1010, Abril 27, con transmisión en español. Yo escuché una serie de temas musicales cristianos "non stop" [sincesar?] hasta que a las 0940 y hasta las 0954 un locutor leyó una charla religiosa cristiana. Luego de otra pieza musical, a 1000 se irradió una ID completa la cual desafortunadamente, no pude comprender dado que la señal era cada vez más débil debido al desvanecimiento de la misma. Lo único que sí pude comprender claramente fue cuando el locutor anunció al final de la ID: "...banda internacional de 49 metros". A continuación siguió la música. 33422. A raíz de un pedido de ayuda que hice en diferentes listas DX, diferentes colegas como Björn Malm, desde Ecuador; Ron Howard de Monterey, California, Estados Unidos; Artiom Projorov, Moscú, Rusia, etc., etc. [no leyó DXLD 3-073?], opinaron y fundaron las razones por las cuales me dijeron que la emisora escuchada debiera ser la dominicana. Incluso Ron Howard, la reportó con la misma programación a la misma hora en que yo la sintonicé. Mis dudas acerca de la estación escuchada se fundaban en que jamás pude antes escuchar esta emisora en la frecuencia, incluso luego de la salida del aire de Radio Illimani. Además, no es fácil escuchar emisoras de Centroamérica y el Caribe en esta parte del mundo. A propósito, digamos que la salida del aire de Radio Illimani, la cual no puede escucharse desde hace muchos meses, dejó libre este interesante canal (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** EL SALVADOR. Last night (29 April) Vittorio De Tomasi and I got, here in Milano, with a weak but really readable signal, Radio Imperial on 17835.2 kHz. The best reception was from 0010 to 0105 UT. From 0020 started a religious program in Spanish that ended at 0048 with an address in USA and an announcement. Later we heard songs. The best frequency for getting voice audio was 17835.2 in USB, but for music at 0010 was 17835.33. At 0050 the signal was good, and also better, in LSB too. The signal peak was at sunset in El Salvador. Vittorio used both Collins 390A and Drake R7 with DSP and a dipole, I used AOR AR5000 with a T2FD 15 meters long. 73 (Giampiero Bernardini, Avvenire Milano, Italy, hard-core-dx via DXLD) But what was the carrier frequency? (gh) Last night Vittorio De Tomasi and I heard Radio Imperial 17835.2 here in Milano, as I posted today. If you want to listen to the recorded announcement (at the end of the clip) you can go to this URL: http://www.detomasi.it/files/ysda2.wav It was recorded by Vittorio with his excellent Drake R7. Ciao (Giampiero Bernardini, Avvenire, Milano, Italy, ibid.) Lo más reciente sobre Radio Imperial, Sonsonate, El Salvador. A partir del sábado pasado, y esporádicamente he escuchado que incluye en su identificación: "17835 kc. Onda Corta", lo que confirma de que no se trata de alguna 'retransmisión', como yo lo sospechaba antes (JESUS MARTINEZ MIRANDA, Uruapan, Michoacán, México, April 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hola Amigos: He visto muchos reportes sobre R. Imperial, El Salvador, he aquí su número de fax: +(503) 4500189. La emisora no tiene aún correo electrónico, y según he observado hay una buena posibilidad de que responda mediante un "fax QSL", si se le provee de un número al cual corresponder. En algunos casos puede resultar más barato el fax que el correo normal, dependiendo la hora, una llamada de un minuto desde El Salvador a Estados Unidos puede costar tan poco como 12 centavos de dólar. Desafortunadamente todavía no he podido visitar la estación. Saludos (Humberto Molina, San Salvador, El Salvador, Apr 28, http:/www.geocities.com/hmolina.geo DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. Hi Glenn! This link takes you to a description (in German) and picture of the stamp being issued to mark the 50th anniversary of Deutsche Welle: http://philatelie.deutschepost.de/philatelie/css2/shop/produkt.jhtml?id=prod800023&navAction=push&navCount=18 73- (Bill Westenhaver, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Rather unimaginative ** GERMANY. SENDER FREIES BERLIN BECOMES HISTORY On 1 May 2003, Sender Freies Berlin will cease to exist after almost half a century. The station, which began broadcasting western programmes into the former German Democratic Republic in 1954, is merging with Ostdeutschen Rundfunk Brandenburg to form a new broadcasting organisation called Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB). In the short term, nothing much will change apart from the name and logos of the two stations. But full integration is planned for further down the line, and that could lead to significant job losses. For the moment, especially since a Director has not yet been appointed for RBB, it's business as usual (© Radio Netherlands Media Network 29 April 2003 via DXLD) ** INDONESIA. 4870, RRI Wamena - No sign of them this morning (28 April) during 1140-1210 spot checks (John Wilkins, CO, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) RRI Wamena 4869.92 appears to occur irregularly -- as you mention there was no sign this morning (April 28) but they were on April 27, as well as three times last week (weekdays). (Don Nelson Oregon, ibid.) 4869.93, RRI Wamena, Presumed, 1035 Apr 29. Noted only music at this time. Signal is popping out of the noise. At 1044 however, the signal improved slightly still with music (Chuck Bolland, Clewiston Florida http://www.orchidcitysoftware.com DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN. VOIRI, 3985, 0016-0034, April 29, Arabic. Male with Kor`an chants at tune in, different male at 0020 with more singing/chants, brief talk at 0025 (ID?) followed by instrumental fanfare and talks between 2 speakers. Still going at 0034. Weak with co-channel "ham" chatter, though reception improved using the RS longwire. Presumed, tho all sources I checked (WRTH, HFCC, ILG) point to Iran (Scott R Barbour Jr, NH, Sangean ATS 818, RF Systems MLB-1, RS longwire w/ RBA balun, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN. Chris Hambly tells me that he too was phoned by VOIRI for an interview on issues of the day, and Don Rhodes says it is expected to air this Sunday about :45 into the broadcasts, such as 2215, and UT Mon May 5 around 0115 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAQ [non]. IRAQ/IRAN: VOICE OF THE MUJAHIDIN BACKGROUND - ANTI- US, PRO-IRAN MESSAGES Voice of the Mujahidin in Arabic, first monitored on 17 April, appears likely to be operated by the Iranian-backed Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI). The station opposes the US presence in Iraq, while favourably portraying Iran's concerns. It reflects its support for or ties to SCIRI by regularly highlighting statements by the organization's leaders. The radio's coverage of the pilgrimage to Karbala featured protesters chanting "No to colonialism, no to occupation" and "Death to America, death to Israel" (22-23 April). In its commentaries, the radio has contrasted the US-led presence with the popularity of Iraqi leaders who "merge with the people [and] do not have guards and protectors like the tyrants," noting that the Iraqi people will oppose the "hirelings, liars, hypocrites and traitors" (17 April). On 19 April, the radio warned that the Iraqi people would teach the "usurper Americans" a lesson; it stated two days later that "cooperation with the invading forces is prohibited and rejected". The new station frequently leads its news summaries with positive items on Iran's relationship with Iraq. The lead item in the 18 April bulletin reported a "cable of gratitude" from Abd al-Aziz al-Hakim, chief of SCIRI's Jihadist Office, to Iran's Supreme Leader Khamene'i for "his call to the Iranian people to stand by the Iraqi people and extend assistance to them". Voice of the Mujahidin carries statements by SCIRI leaders on the situation in Iraq, frequently leading its bulletins with remarks by SCIRI chairman Muhammad Baqir al-Hakim (19, 21-23 April). On 22 April, the station broadcast Al-Hakim's call for "establishing a regime that is elected by our people in which full freedom, perfect independence and real justice are realized for all the Iraqis under the banner of great Islam". A different SCIRI-backed station, Voice of Rebellious Iraq, on 711 kHz mediumwave, is also heard by BBC Monitoring from 2030 to past 0000 gmt. Voice of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, also SCIRI-backed, on 7100 and 9535 kHz shortwave has not been heard recently. Source: BBC Monitoring research 28 Apr 03 (via DXLD) ** IRAQ [non]. Clandestine to Iraq, Voice of the Iraqi People (presumed via Sa`udi transmitters) was noted on 29 Apr at 2010 in parallel on 4785, 9563, 9570 and 11710 in Arabic. ID was "Sawt al shaab al Iraqi". (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAQ. While U.S. military officials said Tikrit remained a "stronghold" for fighters loyal to Saddam, U.S. airstrikes in recent days have targeted sites around the city. Among the places hit were a Special Republican Guard barracks; a broadcast center used to jam international radio signals; and a "VIP retreat house" used by top Iraqi officials, said McChrystal at the Pentagon (CNN via Ormandy in DXplorer, Apr 11 via DSWCI DX Window April 27 via DXLD) Could it have something to do with the disappearance of the clandestine Voice of Mojahed whose secret transmitter may have been collocated ? (DSWCI Ed Anker Petersen, ibid.) 4500, Information R. via Commando Solo flying near Baghdad, 1910- 2200*, Apr 18 and 22, prolonged broadcast in Arabic, messages by man and woman about the ``liberation of Iraq``, U.S. and Arab pop songs, IDs. Reports from Jay Garner’s visits to Iraqi cities. Still heard very strongly: 45434. In April 2002 Lieutenant Edward E. Shank, Chief of Public Affairs, 193rd Special Operations Wing, did issue QSLs on similar Command Solo flights over Afghanistan, so it is worth sending him your reception reports to edward.shank@paharr.ang.af.mil (Anker Petersen, Denmark, DSWCI DX Window April 27 via DXLD). Also heard Apr 11 (Bruno Pecolatto, Italy, ibid.) [4500], 2025-2125 Apr 22, caught me on my heels with ID right while I tuned in, then your retired general talked very weakly under Arabic translation. Signal faded --- sometimes quite strong, sometimes weak. Only talk and some very short western music interludes. Seemingly another Arabic-linked language at 2100, seemingly 2125 when Arabic again, still at 2135. Nothing on 11292 nor 9715 when checked. At 2039 I noticed possible Arabic shouting from another Arabic station (very weakly) on same frequency for a few minutes, then disappeared. Definitely not same station, but if one of the "jumpers" I couldn't find it. Will give it more try (Finn Krone, Denmark, DX-plorer via DXLD) 9715, Information R heard 2027-2058, Apr 12, Arabic female vocal, but soon into all-talk format by man and woman. Very choppy signal, many ups and downs, building but not strong overall. Blocked when R Liberty transmitter (scheduled Holzkirchen) came on at *2058, and the frequency was empty when R Liberty went off at 2158*. Something there after 0200 Apr 13 as well, but not enough to work with (Jerry Berg, MA, DSWCI DX Window April 27 via DXLD) ** IRAQ. US TROOPS HANDING OUT RADIOS IN BAGHDAD | Text of report in English by Radio Netherlands "Media Network" web site on 28 April US psyops troops attached to the Army's 2-70th Armoured Battalion are walking the streets of Baghdad handing out Chinese-made AM/FM radios worth $2.99. Captain Curt Barker of the psyops unit says "It worked in Bosnia, and Kosovo, and it can work here too." Barker said his soldiers are urging Iraqi civilians to tune in to three AM frequencies for information on where to find food, drinking water, medical care and other necessities. In the coming weeks, he says, there will be information about the installation of a new government. Kalid Abdul Malik Mohammed, a father of two, was among the first to receive a radio. Under Saddam Husayn, he told an interpreter, radios often were not available in stores, and most of his neighbours do not own one. Source: Radio Netherlands "Media Network" web site, Hilversum, in English 28 Apr 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** IRAQ [non]. Today 28/4/03 tuning in to Two rivers radio on 1566 kHz around 1800 UT, I noticed a special message to the Iraqi people. "Iraq belongs to you. The Americans changed the dictatorship regime for you to enjoy your freedom. Don`t let anyone rule you. Don`t let a country like IRAN interfere with your business; it's your country. Don't change the dictatorship of Saddam for the dictatorship of Iran." Further I heard that same guy who used to have a long chat to the listeners with some religious shi'ite and patriotic thoughts saying a very interesting phrase "My dear Iraqis, the Americans are here for a reason. They can never occupy Iraq. Even though we can handle the Americans, we can deal with them if they wanted to stay in Iraq!!!!!" Who are `we`?? And I still remember the same guy with the same kind of message some time ago saying that "if America decided not to give the Iraqis their freedom and switch Iraq to a democratic nation just like they did with Japan and Germany after WWII, I swear to God, Iraq will be their grave!!! Supposed to be a station funded by the CIA? What kind of message are they trying to send to the people? Ironically, I recorded that announcement, but with so much things to record, I lost them! :( all the best from Cairo, (TAREK ZEIDAN, Cairo, Egypt, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAQ [and non]. Yesterday while trying to record the ID of Radio Sumer on the HotBird 13 East (12597 V 27500 3/4) I noticed something funny before the beginning of the transmission at 1900 UT. They kept on playing the musical theme used on the introduction of the transmission for both Radio Tikrit and Radio Sumer for almost 10 minutes non stop; but I noticed that on the frequency in the background there was the French section of World Radio Network!! I was really curious to find out what's going on, so I recorded a file with the ID and you can clearly hear in the back ground the ID of WRN in French and German. Wonder what's the connection??? Thanks to Andy Sennitt from RNW for helping me to upload the file with a readable format on the net. If you are interested to hear the file you'd find it on that link, but it's not a stream, so you have to download it. http://www.agsmedia.nl/sumer030428_56.rm More to come (Tarek Zeidan, Cairo, Egypt, April 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAQ. Glenn, Interesting story on the appetite for media in post- war Iraq. Note the last four paragraphs, especially the popularity of the Fox News Channel and the dislike for Al-Jazeera. 73, (Harry Helms, NV, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Headline: FREE MEDIA BLOSSOM IN IRAQ CITY Byline: Ilene R. Prusher, Staff Writer of The Christian Science Monitor -- Date: 04/29/2003 (KIRKUK, IRAQ) Seven years ago, a customer walked into Falah Abdulrahman Mohamad Salih's television store and insisted on a barter: One of your televisions for one of my satellite dishes. Under Saddam Hussein, who kept an almost Orwellian lid on information, satellite dishes were banned. So Mr. Salih tried to hide the round, white saucer inside some laundry lines. A few days later at 4 a.m, security police came to his door and, with his wife and children crying, hauled him off to prison. The six grueling months there in 1996 makes these days all the sweeter. Salih was the first shopkeeper in Kirkuk to line up the large white dishes in front of his store, less than 48 hours after the Iraqi dictator's regime withered away... Click here to read this story online: http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0429/p06s01-woiq.html (via Harry Helms, DXLD) ** IRAQ. VETERAN TV ANCHORS PUSH TO BECOME THE VOICES OF A NEW IRAQ By JANE PERLEZ BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 27 --- Two of Iraq's prominent television news anchors turned up at their war-ruined studios today in their sartorial best --- suits, pressed blue shirts, red ties --- ready for the cameras to roll again. . . http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/28/international/worldspecial/28TELE.html?ex=1052107200&en=d6e1dc9be8621c65&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE (via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) ** ISRAEL. KOL ISRAEL - STOPPING SHORTWAVE AND OTHER NETWORKS In today's Ha`aretz, they mention that, due to monetary concerns, the IBA will stop all radio networks which aren't supported by advertising or don't break even. Which means that the they'd remove all of the IBA radio networks besides Reshet Bet (2nd network - news), Reshet Gimmel (3rd network - music), and 88FM. Cuts will start in September 2003. This includes the removal of Reshet Hey, Reshet Alef and REKA which broadcast all of the foreign language transmissions. The networks wouldn't be available domestically or internationally. Yesterday, I was told that the cuts will include ALL shortwave broadcasting. This would include stopping the rebroadcasting of the Hebrew Reshet Bet network. I had been waiting to receive a list of people to contact to protest this action. When I receive the information I'll pass it along. Tonight (Monday night) and Tuesday is "Holocaust Rememberance Day." Expect special programming. The Ha`aretz article about the cuts is below: (Daniel Rosenzweig, DX LISTENING DIGEST) http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=287962&contrassID=1&subContrassID=4&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y [another version:] http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=288076&contrassID=2&subContrassID=1&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y 73- (via Bill Westenhaver, DXLD) [another2 link:] http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/287962.html (via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) Last Update: 28/04/2003 14:27 IBA TO LAY OFF 500 EMPLOYEES, CLOSE 6 ISRAEL RADIO STATIONS By Ronny Koren-Dinar The Israel Broadcasting Authority will be firing some 500 employees and shutting down six unprofitable Voice of Israel radio stations, after the government decided to gradually reduce the annual charge for radios in cars from NIS 131 to NIS 38. At a meeting of the IBA administrative committee, IBA's general manager, Yosef Barel, described the ramifications of reducing the charge. The first cut, in September 2003, will be by 40%, followed by a 30% cut in each of the following two years. The drop will reduce the IBA's revenues by NIS 90 million during that time, Barel said. The stations facing closure are all ones not financed by advertising, or which cannot break even – in fact, all the IBA stations except for Reshet Bet, Reshet Gimmel, and 88FM. The ones slated for the can are Kol Hamusika (classical music), Reshet Aleph, Reshet Heh (short-wave broadcasts to overseas audiences), Radio Olim (new immigrants) and Reshet Moreshet, Barel said. Reshet Daled, which broadcasts in Arabic, will be merged with the IBA's Middle East station, he said. The IBA administrative committee resolved to ask the government and Knesset Finance Committee to reopen debate on the IBA's future under the treasury's new economic program. The IBA claims that the treasury's budget department misled the government, in that the economic program was based on erroneous figures. They say that the cost of producing Voice of Israel radio broadcasts in Hebrew and Arabic is NIS 341 million a year, not NIS 255 million as the treasury says. Meanwhile, the IBA has entrusted its Radio Committee to look at alternative ways to implement budget cuts. "The government resolution is a mortal blow to public broadcasting," said the committee chairman, Avraham Nathan, "but the authority must take necessary steps of streamlining, reducing manpower, and eliminating unprofitable radio stations." The plan to reform the IBA was brought to the government a month ago, by the finance minister and the minister of industry and trade. They proposed to gradually reduce radio and television fees over three years, while separating the accounts of the radio and television units. At first the treasury had proposed to entirely abolish television tax, which today stands at NIS 515 a year. That will be lowered by 10% come September, and lowered to NIS 260 within three years (via Daniel Rosenzweig, DXLD) [BDXC-UK Moderator note: Every year there is a threat to close Israel Radio's external service, but it always gets a reprieve at the last minute...] Yes, but is that any way to run a radio service? I`ve had it, getting yanked around by the Israelis on this. Just turn it off and forget it (gh, DXLD) Please don't get me wrong, but I for one am getting a bit tired of the seemingly yearly threats to close down Kol Israel. Have they cried wolf maybe once too often? Every year the SWL community loudly protests, just like we did with RCI when it repeatedly was threatened with closure, only to get a last minute reprieve. What would happen if no one noticed? Is it just about playing politics in the Knesset? Sorry, but I'm all tuckered out from the various letter writing campaigns from years past. For me, the loss of HCJB will far greater impact my SWL life than will Kol Israel (Walt Salmaniw, BC, hard- core-dx via DXLD) Being the [occasionally irrational] optimist, I saw the article as somewhat of a "shot across the bow". It would appear this is part of the give-and-take with the license fees for car radios (now there's an idea I hope doesn't catch on elsewhere) and television: The government said, "drop the license fees", and the IBA said, "OK, the programming has to be cut to balance the budget." I would not wait for names to be identified. The Israeli Embassy to the USA is at http://www.israelemb.org/ See contact information at http://www.israelemb.org/about_us.html I'd start there. Will complaints sent there have a difference? Our track record with the BBC wasn't positive, but at least it's a place to start (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA, swprograms via DXLD) ** ISRAEL [and non]. The Eurovision Song Contest will be taking place May 24, 2003 in Latvia. It will be broadcast live in many countries around the world, and on the Internet. http://www.eurovision.tv Israel's entry into the contest - lyrics, audio and video: http://www.eirovizija.lv/public/23320.html I don't see any website for this year's Kdam Eurovision (Israel's Pre- Eurovision). But here is the URL which contains previous years, including some sample songs going back to 1973: http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Arena/2013/ (Daniel Rosenzweig, April 28, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** JAPAN [non]. RADIO JAPAN REDUCES EXTRA IRAQ CRISIS TRANSMISSIONS Radio Japan's special 24-hour Japanese-language service to the Middle East and North Africa, which was introduced because of the war in Iraq, will be reduced to 16 hours a day from 0100 UT on 1 May. The extra Arabic and French language services to the Middle East and North Africa will end as of 1600 UT on 30 April. The new schedule for Japanese to the Middle East and North Africa from 1 May will be: 0200-0400 on 9570 kHz (Rampisham) 0400-1200 on 15480 kHz (Dhabbaya) 1200-1400 on 15165 kHz (Rampisham) 1400-1800 on 17860 kHz (Rampisham) (© Radio Netherlands Media Network 29 April 2003 via DXLD) ** KOREA SOUTH. Glenn, One of the better SW websites, IMO, is R. Korea Int. See http://rki.kbs.co.kr Very easy to navigate. RKI makes it easy to get frequencies, including relay info and programming information. 73, (-.. . Kraig Krist, KG4LAC, VA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Well, I just tried to listen ondemand to the latest Worldwide Friendship, but it wouldn`t connect (gh, DXLD) ** KURDISTAN [non]. IRAQ: KURDISH RADIO STATION REPORTEDLY TO BROADCAST IN ARABIC "SOON" | Text of report headlined "Kurdish radio to broadcast in Arabic and languages of minorities" published by London-based newspaper Al-Sharq al-Awsat on 25 April Baghdad/London: A Kurdish official confirmed to Al-Sharq al-Awsat yesterday [24 April] that a Kurdish radio station is expected to start broadcasting in Arabic from Baghdad soon. Sa'dun Fayli, deputy minister for human rights and victims of the Anfal [Iraqi government's campaign against the Kurds in 1988] in the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan [PUK], which is based in Sulaymaniyah, said in a telephone conversation from Baghdad that the radio station will also broadcast in Kurdish. Then at a later stage, time will be allocated to Turkoman and Assyrian programmes and programmes in the languages of other ethnic minorities in Iraq. The PUK, which is headed by Jalal Talabani, runs a radio and television station with two local channels and a satellite channel in the area it controls in Iraqi Kurdistan, as does the Kurdistan Democratic Party [KDP] headed by Mas'ud Barzani. According to Fayli, the PUK is studying the possibilities of launching a television station in Baghdad. Source: Al-Sharq al-Awsat, London, in Arabic 25 Apr 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** MALAYSIA. Voice of Malaysia heard 4th April in English on 15295, 0733 tune in to 0825 sign off, weak at tune in but faded up, not heard for some months. (Patrick Travers, Sheffield, May World DX Club Contact via DXLD) Regular here last month, often surprisingly good signal strength. (Mike Barraclough, ibid.) ** MEXICO. XEYU - OC: Radio UNAM el pasado sábado 26 de abril del 2003, pude sintonizar en la ciudad de Querétaro, a Radio UNAM en su frecuencia de onda corta, 9600, aunque lo sintonice mejor en 9599 con una intensidad de la señal media, pero una muy mala modulación, el audio un poco distorcionado y muy bajo, casi audible, como a las 16:00 hora del centro de México (2100 UT). Ayer, domingo 27 de abril, aqui en la ciudad de México, en la colonia Portales, lo sintonicé con muy buena intensidad de la señal, pero sigue bajo el audio, pero más entendible en comparación de lo que escuche en Querétaro, retransmitinedo la programación de XEUN - AM 860. Saludos (Héctor García Bojorge, DF, Conexión Digital via DXLD) Thought they had given up on SW (gh) ** MOLDOVA. There is only one SW transmitting centre in the country. In WRTH 2003, you find the info on page 653: "MAI" Maiac with exact coordinates. The centre is located near the village of Maiac in the very East of the country, directly at the Ukrainian border. Grigoriopol is the next larger town, that is why this name is used by some sources. This is like calling the German SW site "Lampertheim" - "Mannheim" (it is north of Mannheim). But nobody calls it "Mannheim", so I would not call "Maiac" as "Grigoripol". "Kichinev" is a word from the time when Moldova was part of the USSR. It should not be used anymore at all, for several reasons: 1. The capital is spelled "Chisinau" (Kichinev is English transcription of the Russian word), 2. Maiac is far away from Chisinau, 3. Maiac is located in the self-proclaimed Dniester Moldavian Republic and is not administered by Chisinau. Only the HFCC still uses "KCH" for the Maiac registrations, this abbreviation is used (registered by USSR authorities with the ITU) since at least the 1970s, I think. One reason is that the coordination is still done by Moscow, another reason is that the HFCC software is not "user-friendly" in regard to changes of codes, so they are hesitating to implement these changes. To summarize, I would recommend to call the site "Maiac", that is also what the WRTH is doing (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, DSWCI DX Window April 27 via DXLD) Thank you, Bernd, for this excellent and thorough explanation. I suggest that well-informed DX-ers of the present century follow this recommendation! (DSWCI Ed) I continue to assume Grigoriopol` really has a myakiy znak by analogy with Simferopol`, etc., right? Or is that being too Russian (gh) ** NIGERIA. VON again in unscheduled French at 0515 check April 28 on 7255; but unlike the previous night, 15120 was on and propagating at the same time and it was in English. Nothing found on 11770 or 9690, so I suppose still only two transmitters running, but not in parallel. 24 hours later, only 7255 was audible, in French (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Noted that 4890 Port Moresby was absent last night (28/4). Wonder if this has anything to do with the proposed shift to 41m. It is supposed to go 24 Hours on proposed frequencies of 7120 and 7180 kHz. Just had a listen at 2340 and nothing is there. Appears to be smack bang in the centre of the amateur frequencies. That will please our ham friends (David Onley, Myrtleford - Victoria, Australia, Apr 28, hard-core-dx via DXLD) Only in the Americas does the hamband extend above 7100, but thanks for thinking of us. Or are you implying some Oz hams exceed 7100? From Johno Wright`s previous cryptic item it was not clear whether it was NBC which would use these frequencies, or some new station, like `KBBN` as there have been plans for private/religious SW outlets here for some time. Why would NBC want to increase the skip zone for a national service? Or a compromise with the inactive daytime 9 MHz frequency (gh, DXLD) ** PARAGUAY. Recibí un correo electrónico de Adán Mur, de Radio América, de Paraguay. Me contó que está trabajando para mejorar todas las condiciones en la planta de Villeta y que han tenido una infinidad de problemas que se están solucionando uno a uno. En este momento, están en el aire en los 7370 kHz, frecuencia dirigida hacía Buenos Aires. Existen algunas deficiencias en el equipo de 19 metros, y está revisándolo. Los 15185 están fuera del aire por el momento, pero la idea es poder retomar las transmisiones en la frecuencia hoy mismo. Es decir, hoy, martes, esperan tener las dos frecuencias en marcha: los 7370 y los 15185 kHz. Finalmente, Adán nos pide a los diexistas que monitoreemos las frecuencias. 73's (Arnaldo Slaen, Apr 29, Conexión Digital via DXLD) Adán Mur from Radio América told me a few minutes ago they have many problems in the transmitter site. Now, they are on air on 7370 and hope for the reactivation of 19 meters frequency, on 15185, in next hours. 73's & 55's (Arnaldo Slaen, Apr 29, hard-core-dx via DXLD) ** PERU. Noted at 0823 on 4890, an English (American accented) preacher with everything being translated into Spanish. Presume this is Macedonia back on. Signal was fighting it out with PNG though generally dominant and stronger than previously heard. Cheers, (Paul Ormandy, ZL4TFX, EchoLink Node 87378, Host of The South Pacific DX Report, http://radiodx.com April 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SERBIA & MONTENEGRO. R. ``Yugoslavia`` English to NAm remains active on 9580 at 0000, slight splash from 9575. They are still giving out the winter sked and frequencies. Haven`t found the west coast NAm transmission (Bob Thomas, CT, Apr 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) As always during DST, it`s at 0430 on same frequency, but as we recently pointed out, not really for the west coast (gh, DXLD) ** SEYCHELLES. LOCAL RADIO IN THE SEYCHELLES ISLANDS In our program last week, we presented the story of FEBA Seychelles during its 35 years of broadcast history from 1969 to the end of March this year. On this occasion here in Wavescan, we present the story of the other radio and wireless stations in the Seychelles, including their local station on shortwave and mediumwave. The first wireless facility in the Seychelles was established by the British navy in the era soon after the end of World War 1. This station was on the air with navy communications under the callsign BZH. Back nearly 50 years ago, there were two other communication stations active in the Seychelles Islands. One was the Cable & Wireless station with the callsign ZCQ, and the other was a NASA tracking station with the callsign AFE. We should also remember the BBC relay station, with its two Marconi transmitters at 250 kW and its six curtain antennas, which was opened on September 25, 1988. This BBC shortwave relay station is located on a tidal mangrove swamp on the western edge of Mahe (MAH-HAY) Island. The first local radio station in the Seychelles Islands was a shortwave operation using a low powered transmitter under the callsign ZCQ3. The first known reference to this station is found in two radio magazines of that era, suggesting that the station was launched around the middle of the year 1951. The station was on the air with programming provided by the government Education Department and a transmitter provided by Cable & Wireless. The original channel was 5770 kHz, the power output was somewhere between 100 & 150 watts, and the station was on the air twice a week in English & French for an hour on Wednesdays and Sundays. Some time around the year 1956, the transmitter power was listed as 40 watts and the operating channel was changed to 4990 kHz. A QSL letter to a listener in Cyprus shows that the programming was still prepared by the government Education Department, though we could guess that the transmitter in use was now an amateur transmitter. Shortwave station ZCQ3 was also heard in Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand at this low power rating. The important move to mediumwave was made on July 20, 1965, just 15 years after the original launching of the shortwave service in 1951. The first mediumwave transmitter was a 500 watt unit on 1336 kHz, though this was upgraded to 1 kW a couple of years later. These days, station ZCQ at Mahe in the Seychelles Islands is on the air with 10 kW on 1331 kHz and a small network of FM transmitters. A QSL card with a silhouette scene in black & white was issued in 1974 at the time when they increased power from 1 kW to 10 kW, This QSL card is still available, if ever you happen to hear this exotic local station located on a distant island (Adrian Michael Peterson, AWR Wavescan April 27 via DXLD) ** SLOVAKIA. Glenn, Today, Monday, April 28. 2003, I received the R. Slovakia Int March 30 to October 26, 2003 schedule in the postal mail. Here is the English portion. 0100-0130 5930 (N. America), 6190 (C. America), 9440 (S. America). 0700-0730 to Australia, Oceania 9440, 15460, 17550. 1630-1700 to Western Europe 5920, 6055, 7345. 1830-1900 to Western Europe 5920, 6055, 7345. Monday is devoted to a joint program of Radio Slovakia International, Radio Austria International, Radio Prague, Radio Budapest and Radio Polonia. Tuesday covers news, a topical issue, reports and news about tourism, environment and history. Wednesday is the day of business, the series "Economy and Ecology", business news, and a currency update. Thursday is culture day which complements reports, interviews and features about Slovak film, theatre, music, art and literature. Friday covers news, a topical issue, and a mix of features on education, science, health and Slovak folklore music. The program is concluded by regional news. Saturday brings news and the best of the week where we re-run the most interesting features of the past weeks. Sunday a weekly newsreel starts the program, followed by the Listeners' Tribune - the Mail Box From Around the World interspersed with Slovak folk music. 73, (via -.. . Kraig Krist, KG4LAC, VA, DXLD) RADIO SLOVAKIA INTERNATIONAL HAS BEEN PROMOTING THE COUNTRY ABROAD FOR A DECADE --- Slovakia on air for the world, By Saša Petrášová, Spectator staff CELEBRATING its 10th anniversary this year, the international branch of state-run Slovak Radio - Radio Slovakia International (RSI) - has increased its broadcast languages from five to six by adding a Spanish section. . . http://www.slovakspectator.sk/clanok.asp?vyd=2003016&rub=spect_cult&cl=12607 (via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) ** SPAIN [non]. Glenn: Tonight (between 0555 and 0601) I am receiving a good signal, and logged an ID, from Radio Exterior de España on 3350; it's not listed under "Spain" in the International Broadcast Station section of WRTH, but is given under Costa Rica. I'm curious about this; does a regional coverage tropical band station in Costa Rica simply simulcast REE for part of the day? I have never rec'd this before at the particular frequency (Steve Waldee, San José CA. R75 + 350 foot dipole, April 27, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Steve, For quite some time REE has had its own relay station in Costa Rica, at Cariari de Pococí, operating on a number of frequencies up to the 17 MHz band. This is just one of them. 73, (Glenn, DXLD) ** SWEDEN [non]. UNIDENTIFIED. 15780: Does anybody know this station: in Swahili (tent.), heard from before 1800 until 1830 often mentioning "Arusha, Tanzania", then English language program "wireless communication" until closedown at 1845, on 15780 kHz on 26 April, 2003. SINPO here in Leipzig/DL was 45343. The English program announced its address as P. O. Box 1706, Grand Rapids, 49501 USA, but their website http://www.radio.english.net only has outdated schedules. The used to hire airtime at FEBA, TWR Africa and HCJB. 73, (Eike Bierwirth 04317 Leipzig, DL, hard-core-dx via DXLD) I think it was IBRA R. from Juelich (Roberto Scaglione, Italy, ibid.) [Later, April 29:] Yes it was IBRA, this is their schedule as found on their website http://www.ibra.se IBRA Radio, SW/MW excerpted: ** April 2003 ** DR Congo: Su 0600-0630, Tu 1400-1430, Sa 1430-1500 LOCAL TIME Radio Goma: Swahili FM & SW UTC DAYS LANGUAGE KHZ S. T. HOST STATION 0015-0030 Sa,Su Kannada 882 CLN IND TWR 0045-0100 Mo,Tu Hindko 9465 MOS PAK FEBA 0100-0115 Fr,Sa Punjabi 9465 MOS PAK FEBA 0115-0130 Su Urdu 9465 MOS PAK FEBA 0200-0215 Th-Su Pashtu 11995 MOS AFG FEBA 0500-0600 Arabic 15715 JUL ME 1130-1145 Fr Arabic 15530 ARM ME 1130-1145 Mandarin 1566 KOR CHN HLAZ/FEBC 1200-1215 Mo Arabic 15530 ARM ME 1200-1330 Mandarin 9450 P.K CHN 1245-1300 We,Fr Khmer 7480 PHL CMG FEBC 1300-1315 Su Kangri 15605 ARM IND FEBA 1330-1345 Su Telugo 882 CLN IND TWR 1345-1400 Su-We Bengali 15605 ARM BGD FEBA 1345-1400 Sa Oriya 882 CLN IND TWR 1400-1430 English 15715 JUL SAs 1415-1430 Fr-Su Hindi 15605 ARM IND FEBA 1430-1500 Farsi 15715 JUL IRN 1500-1515 Mandarin 6120 PHL CHN FEBC 1500-1530 Urdu 15715 JUL PAK 1515-1530 Su Kinyarwanda 6055 KIG RWA Radio Rwanda 1530-1600 English 15715 JUL ME 1530-1600 Pashtu 9415 ARM AFG 1545-1600 Th,Sa Makonde 11885 MEY EAf FEBA 1600-1615 Mo,We,Fr Uighur 11580 FBS CHN KFBS 1600-1630 Dari 9415 ARM AFG 1600-1630 Farsi 15715 JUL ME 1629-1658 Amharic 11885 MEY ETH FEBA 1630-1645 Hazaragi 9415 ARM CAs 1645-1700 Tu-Th Turkmen 9415 ARM CAs 1645-1700 Fr-Mo Uzbek 9415 ARM CAs 1645-1715 Pashut 11610 WER AFG 1718-1748 Tu,Su Yao 7265 MEY EAf FEBA 1728-1757 Tigrinya 11690 KIG EAf FEBA 1730-1745 Somali 15770 WER EAf 1730-1830 Swahili 15780 JUL EAf ********* 1830-1845 English 15780 JUL Eaf ********* 1900-1915 Mo,Tu Bambara 12140 JUL WAf 1900-1915 We-Su Fulfude 12140 JUL WAf 1900-1930 Turkish 1170 ARM ME 1900-2030 Arabic 9835 SAM ME 1915-1930 Su-Tu Hausa 12140 JUL WAf 1915-1930 We,Th Zarma 12140 JUL WAf 1915-1930 Fr,Sa Tamajeq 12140 JUL WAf 1930-1945 Su,Mo Moore 12140 JUL WAf 1930-2000 Tu-Th Songhai 12140 JUL WAf 1930-1945 Fr,Sa Malinke 12140 JUL WAf 1945-2000 Fr-Mo Joula 12140 JUL WAf 2000-2100 Arabic 9605 JUL NAf 2000-2130 Arabic 1170 ARM ME [not \\ 9835?] 2100-2115 We Arabic 1233 CYP ME TWR 2115-2130 Mo Arabic 1467 RML NAf TWR 2115-2130 Tu Arabic 12020 SKL NAf HCJB [should be 12025] 2130-2200 Su Arabic 12020 SKL ME HCJB " 2200-2215 Mo Arabic 12020 SKL NAf HCJB " 2200-2230 Tu,Fr Arabic 12020 SKL NAf HCJB " T. = Target Area S. = Transmitter Site ARM Armavir (Krasnodar region), Russia CLN Trans World Radio, Sri Lanka CYP Capo Greco, Cyprus FBS KBFS, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands JUL Juelich, Germany KIG Kigali, Rwanda KOR HLAZ, South Korea MEY Meyerton, South Africa MOS Moosbrunn, Austria P.K Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskij, Russia PHL FEBC, Philippines RML Roumoules, France SAM Samara, Russia SKL Skelton, UK WER Wertachtal, Germany 73, (Eike Bierwirth, 04317 Leipzig, DL, hard-core-dx via DXLD) Find the current overall shortwave schedule on http://www.eibi.de.vu/ ** SYRIA [non]. 7510, The Arab R, *0330-0400*, Apr 21, Arab music and ID: ``Al Idha`at al Arabiyyah``, choir by men followed by an Arab song, 0331 ID again, schedule and website, comments against Syria with mentions of Iraq and Kuwait, closed with ID and choir by men. 35434 (Anker Petersen, Denmark, DSWCI DX Window April 27 via DXLD) ** TAIWAN. Hola amigo: Vengo a anunciar una nueva actividad para el Dia de la Madre. Visite: http://www.cbs.org.tw/Spanish/index.htm y encuentre un nuevo espacio disenado para dedicar unas palabras a su querida mami. Diviertase mucho! Agradezco por cualquier divulgacion de esta actividad que nos puede hacer. Muy pronto: Se viene otro Concurso de Pregunta con la posibilida de llevarse una camiseta. El anuncio saldra en los proximos dias. Saludos, Bonnie Cheng, SECCION ESPANOLA DE RADIO TAIPEI INTERNACIONAL E-mail: cbs@cbs.org.tw esp@cbs.org.tw Pagina, Chat y Libro de Visitas: http://www.cbs.org.tw/Spanish/index.htm DIRECCION POSTAL: P.O. BOX 24-38, TAIPEI, TAIWAN 106, R.O.C. (necesitamos unos 10 dias para procesar y contestar los emails) 1. Incluya su nombre y direccion cada vez que nos escriba. 2. Si desea hacer amistades por via e-mail, escriba su nombre, e-mail y pais a esp@cbs.org.tw 3. Utilice la etiqueta y las hojas del informe que le adjuntamos en el sobre de RTI si envia su carta por correo tradicional (via George Maroti, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) So when is Mother`s Day in Taiwan? I believe the date also varies in Latin countries ** TAIWAN [non]. Frequency change for Radio Taipei Internationale in French effective April 27: 1900-2000 NF 6045* SKN 250 kW / 175 deg, ex 3955 but 6045 is co-channel AIR HS Hindi till 1930 (Observer, Bulgaria, Apr 29 via DXLD) ** TAIWAN. The weak-voiced Andrew Ryan of Radio Taipei English service narrates a 13 minute video at: http://www.cbs.org.tw/realaudio/special/aboutus/aboutusE01.ram on the various language services. The visual is only a postage stamp size to save bandwidth (Daniel Say, BC, April 28, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. Glenn, Whilst it was heartening to read that Greg Dyke has defended the principle of impartiality, I feel strongly that he should look carefully at the BBC's own output on Iraq as well as attacking the obvious bias of American media outlets such as Fox and Clear Channel. Bias comes in many forms. It is not just a question of suppressing or distorting certain facts. I have no doubt that, subject to external censorship, the BBC does its best to present all the facts in the conflicts that it covers. But there is another, more insidious, type of bias: that of perspective. Whenever an allegedly impartial station starts using terms such as "we", "us" or "our" in its news reporting the alarm bells should start ringing, for such language implies that there is a community of interests and values between broadcaster and audience which, in most controversies, simply does not exist. In Britain hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to oppose their government's actions in Iraq. One of their main slogans was "Not in my name!" As one of the many who opposed the war I did not feel that the "we" artificially constructed by the BBC represented either me or the interests of millions of other citizens. Nor do I agree with the BBC assumption that once British troops are involved in a conflict it is the duty of the nation and its broadcasters to support their actions. Such a view amounts to the tail wagging the dog. Our armed forces exist to serve our interests, not the other way round! Many people, including me, believed that the best way genuinely to support our troops, was to stop them being deployed in a war that was not in our national interests. This legitimate view was simply not given the airtime that it deserved. Finally, I wish that more listeners (and viewers) to BBC domestic broadcasts were shortwave listeners. Then they might understand that much of the terminology used by BBC journalists is, in reality, partisan, biased and propagandistic in tone. I lost count of the number of times I heard BBC presenters refer to the "Saddam regime", "the Iraqi regime" or "the Baghdad regime" when they could just as easily have opted for the impartial terms "government" or "administration" or neutral phrases such as "the Iraqi authorities". I expect to hear references to "the Washington regime" on Radio Habana Cuba but I would only be prepared to acknowledge the legitimacy of such terminology on the BBC if it had the guts to admit that, whatever fine words may be written in its Charter, it is as biased in its international coverage as many other stations that don't make such a hypocritical song and dance about their alleged impartiality (Roger Tidy, UK, Apr 28, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. And for the BBC veteran responsible for marketing the broadcaster's portfolio of eight digital TV channels and digital radio, it also represents something of a mountain to climb if the standard analogue signal is to be switched off by the government's target date of 2010. . . http://www.sundayherald.com/33311 (via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) ** U K. Write On shows in a new BBCWS schedule folder just received: UT Sat 0345, 0845, 1345, 2345, following Pick of the World at 0305, 0805, 1305, 2305, which has been expanded, minus the news headlines interrupting on the half hour (Will Martin, MO, April 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 1345 is on Am stream only ** U S A. BUSH AND BENITO The Dixie Chicks have been banned from many country music FM stations after one of its members, Natalie Maines, said she was ``ashamed`` of President Bush. She later made an apology, but that did not satisfy many of the nation`s radio station managers and program directors. Stations refusing to air their music include KILT-FM 100.3 Houston and KRMD-FM 101.1 Shreveport LA. An AP photo showed children attending a KRMD-FM ``Dixie Chicks Destruction`` stomp, where they were stamping on CDs by the group. Said Boston-based radio historian Donna Halper, ``the downside of media consolidation is that we now allow a few people`s over-reaction to become policy. It opens up a very dangerous can of worms.`` ``I haven`t heard of an artist being banned by an entire chain before,`` said radio consultant Clark Smidt, speaking of a decision by Cumulus to ban the group. This subjugation of art to politics smells of the worst of the McCarthyism era of the 1950s, in which people who did not agree with the former Wisconsin senator were often branded as communists. Reportedly, there are stations that have taken the apology of Maines seriously and are back to playing the group`s music --- or perhaps they are courageous stations who understand the need for a healthy dissent in this so-called ``free` country. Indeed, it was the subject of a syndicated column by Paul Krugman. He said that Clear Channel, with its 1200 radio stations, has unique clout with the Bush administration. Clear Channel was found to be backing many of the pro-war rallies around the country. ``When Bush was governor of Texas [vice chairman of clear Channel Tom] Hicks was chairman of the University of Texas Investment Management co., called Utimco, and Clear Channel`s chairman, Lowry Mays, was on its board. Under Hicks, Utimco placed much of the university`s endowment under the management of companies with strong Republican Party or Bush family ties. In 1998 Hicks purchased the Texas Rangers in a deal that made Bush a multimillionaire.`` In response to Krugman`s article, CC spokesman John Hogan says there`s no corporate mandating of pro-war rallies. The religious overtones in Bush`s speeches have alarmed American Christians concerned about separation of church and state, as well as Europeans. No less than the German president, French prime minister and Belgian foreign minister have joined religious leaders in expressing concern about Bush`s beliefs and place of religion in U.S. politics. Is Bush truly born-again? After all, Iraq is an Arab country that allows freedom of religion. For example, German President Johannes Rau, a protestant preacher`s son with a strong faith of his own, said, ``George Bush has got a completely one-sided message. I don`t think a people get a sign from God to liberate another people. Nowhere does the Bible call for crusades.`` War with Iraq hearkens to the flawed thinking that began with World War I, all the way to the Vietnam War. The present conflict is what the nation gets after the hijacking of the presidency by the U.S. Supreme Court n favor of George W. Bush that occurred in 2000 (I State this as a person who is not a Democrat). It has been reported that many of the protesters to the Dixie Chicks are not regular listeners to their music or the stations offering their music, but to talk show hosts. I heard Rush Limbaugh vehemently scolding the Dixie Chicks, for example. It is a similar war situation to when the restless Benito Mussolini in the 1930s showed his muscle to the Italian people by invading and conquering Ethiopia. And, should the war last a long time, it will reveal the vulnerability of being sucked into an unwinnable conflict like Vietnam. Let the Dixie Chicks and others not be forced into an insincere apology when society may be better served by the naïve wisdom of their words. Broadcasters, both public and commercial, should have the courage to air music that serves both their audiences and the artists involved without fear of political retribution (Dr. Bruce F. Elving, FMedia! Feb-Mar-Apr via DXLD) ** U S A. Adam Buckman in his column in The New York Post reports the five hours of nightly U.S. news programming that began airing in Iraq last week is merely a prelude to a much larger U.S. government- sponsored TV blitz in the Middle East. A 24-hour, American-based satellite network that should be up and running region by year's end is the centerpiece of a U.S. plan to compete head-on with the region's government-controlled media, including the Arab news channel Al-Jazeera. Tentatively named the Middle East Television Network (MTN) the new satellite service is shaping up as the most ambitious such TV effort ever undertaken by the U.S. government. MTN will be made up primarily of news and information programming broadcast in Arabic. Negotiations are also underway with U.S. movie studios and TV program suppliers for subtitled or dubbed entertainment programs, says Norm Pattiz, the American broadcaster who heads the Middle East committee of the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors. Congress has OK'd $62 million in funding for MTN for its first two years. Pattiz is the chairman of Los Angeles-based Westwood One, the leading radio program supplier in the U.S. It's unlikely that MTN will pick up news programming from U.S. TV networks in the manner of the abbreviated service that began last week. That service, called Iraq and the World, beams 51/2 hours of news programs to Iraq only (MTN, by contrast, will be available in 22 countries). For the current service, Pattiz secured permission from NBC, ABC and CBS to carry dubbed and subtitled versions of their evening newscasts. Iraq and the World also carries Brit Hume's nightly newscast on Fox News Channel and public TV's "NewsHour with Jim Lehrer." (From tvspy.com (Shoptalk) via Brock Whaley for DXLD) ** U S A. STEVE ANDERSON'S SAGA SOMERSET, JEFF NEAL A trial date has been set for white supremacist Steve Anderson, the Somerset short-wave radio operator who allegedly shot up a Bell County deputy sheriff`s cruiser and then eluded authorities for over a year. Anderson`s trial date is set for July 28 in United States District Court in London. U.S. Judge Danny Reeve will hear the case, while Assistant United States Attorney Martin Hatfield will prosecute. Somerset attorney David Tapp is representing Anderson. Tapp said on Thursday there will be a pretrial conference, with Reeve presiding, held on May 30. He added that all motions in the case must be filed by May 1. Motions will be heard at that time. At present, no motions have been filed in the case other than ``a competency issue,`` according to Tapp. Anderson was taken to Lexington for a psychological evaluation last month. A federal grand jury handed down an indictment of 18 weapons-related charges against Anderson last November. It alleges that on Oct. 16, 2001, Anderson ``knowingly and unlawfully`` possessed a machine gun, two destructive devices (bombs), a silencer, a sawed-off rifle and 25 other weapons not registered. It further stated that Anderson possessed a machine gun and a firearm with a silencer in ``furtherance of crimes of violence.`` It also alleges that on Oct. 14, 2001, in Bell County, Anderson ``used, carried, brandished and discharged a semiautomatic assault weapon and possessed six other destructive weapons (pipe bombs)`` which were not registered to him. If convicted, the maximum potential penalties are life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and supervised release for a period of three and not more than five years for forfeiture of the listed firearms. The charges stem from an incident near Middlesboro, where Anderson allegedly fired on Bell County Deputy Scott Elder after fleeing during a routine traffic stop. Elder and his girlfriend, who was in the cruiser at the time, were not injured in the shootout. Anderson was arrested last November in Cherokee County, N.C., by the ATF and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation after being a federal fugitive for 13 months. The case has received national attention due to its exposure on several episodes of FOX-TV`s ``America`s Most Wanted.`` Authorities were acting on a tip garnered from a Nov. 2, 2002, episode of AMW when Anderson was arrested. Anderson was a member of Kentucky`s militia until April 2001, when he was expelled from the group for being too bombastic with his views. He also has ties to the Christian Identity Movement, a group which considers white Christians superior to non-whites and Jews. The militia said it dismissed Anderson because he made inflammatory comments about the U.S. government, blacks, Jews and immigrants over an unlicensed radio station he operated from his Pulaski County home on Elrod-Martin Road. Radio for Peace International, A Costa Rica-based group which monitors short-wave radio broadcasts, labeled Anderson as ``the world`s most hateful broadcaster`` last year. Anderson`s exploits were brought to light locally after a series of articles on hate by the Commonwealth Journal. During one of his radio shows, Anderson made a veiled threat toward a CJ editor. He often threatened to shoot federal agents if they dared ``raid`` his property (Somerset KY Commonwealth-Journal April 11 via DXLD) An earlier, similar story March 31: http://www.somerset-kentucky.com/search.cfm?search=detail&ID=2723 (via gh, DXLD) ** U S A. NY WFUV-2 *90.7 will have its facility atop the Riverside Church in Upper Manhattan. That`s the spot WKCR *89.9 wants to move to. WFUV-2 is said to be under construction. It will ``amplify the signal from the Rose Hill campus of Fordham University in the Bronx and improve reception for myriads of WFUV`s listeners in mid- Manhattan and sections of Queens and Brooklyn. Installation is expected to be completed in the spring of 2003,`` writes Ralph M. Jennings, director. ``For years we`ve had complaints from listeners that they couldn`t hear us in lower Manhattan. That`s because our tower is in the Bronx. Even when it`s finished it won`t be tall enough to transmit a clear signal to that densely-populated portion of our licensed coverage area. The booster antenna will broadcast on a narrow, highly directional path, like a flashlight aimed down Manhattan.`` However, the plan has met with resistance. Both WHCR *90.3, ``Harlem Community Radio``, and WFMU *91.1 East Orange NJ have protested. They claim the second-adjacent interference will swamp their signals in the densely-populated area of Manhattan they try to serve. At 600 watts, for the booster, they contend the booster is too strong --- but there are other boosters in the country with high power, some as high as 20 kW. WFMU has petitioned the FCC to deny the booster permit, and has spent about $30,000 in its effort to stop the booster. WHCR contends that the 100 dBu contour of the booster would entirely encompass the 8-watt station`s 60 dBu signal area. But WFMU`s Jennings contends there will be no interference to second- adjacent stations, and is prepared to help in cases where interference might result. The booster project is costing WFUV $100,000, and is unrelated to the station`s problems with its partially constructed tower across the street from the New York Botanical Garden. It has moved its transmitter to the uncompleted tower and is running about half of its permitted 50 kW power, according to an article by Randy J. Stine in Radio World. Fordham officials claim the tower had to be removed from its old location atop Keating Hall, where radio-frequency radiation to students and staff was a concern (Bruce F. Elving, Fmedia! Feb-Mar-Apr via DXLD) ** VENEZUELA [and non]. Saludos querido Amigo Glenn Hauser. Espero se encuentre bién. El motivo de este correo es para informarle que acabo de publicar mi página web donde se encuentran archivos sonoros de emisoras venezolanas en AM y FM, así como otras referencias relacionadas con la radio y el diexismo. La dirección es: http://www.angelfire.com/music5/sintoniadx/ Atte. Su Amigo (José Elías Díaz Gómez, April 28, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Estamos de plácemes... Qué belleza de página la tuya, José Elías. Que los colegas no dejen de visitarla para disfrutar, entre otras cosas, del lindo archivo de audio que contiene. Felicidades, amigo José Elías (Henrik Klemetz, Suecia, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** VENEZUELA [and non]. Hola!!! Estimados Amigos de (((AMERICA EN ANTENA))) En la oportunidad de dirigirme a ustedes, deseo hacer de su conocimiento que ya está disponible en internet nuestra página, cuya dirección electrónica es: http://www.americaenantena.8k.com Dicha página, aunque actualmente está en construcción, diseñada por Jean Gutiérrez y Jean Carlos Pereira; dispone de un primer archivo sonoro que ustedes pueden escuchar titulado "QUE ES EL DIEXISMO Y QUE SE REQUIERE PARA PRACTICARLO". Su duración es de 25 minutos aproximadamente y contiene explicaciones sobre nuestra afición- ciencia, además de innumerables señales e identificaciones de estaciones de radio de los 5 continentes. Dicho archivo puede ser descargado y retransmitido para darlo a conocer a su audiencia a través de los diferentes programas dedicados al hobby del Diexismo, para lo cual están desde ya autorizados. Agradezco sus críticas y sugerencias así como me ayuden a dar a conocer el contenido de esta página entre sus amigos y oyentes. Reciban un cordial 73 desde Venezuela! (Ing. Santiago San Gil González, Apartado de Correos No. 202, Barinas 5201-A, Estado Barinas, V E N E Z U E L A (via Arnaldo Slaen, Conexión Digital via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. On 27 Apr I tried around 9740 at 1655 and there were tuning tones on 9742. And at 1700 VO Russia started in English on 9742 (checked against parallel 1494). The signal on 9742 is rather weak, so I presume it's some kind of mixing product at the transmitter site (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski Finland, hard-core-dx via DXLD) Hi Jari and HCDX-ers, Thanks for the help. I also tried again, but today Sunday. Nothing on 9742, but on 9745 at 1650-1700 there was an Arabic speaking, which I think mentioned Bahrein. Was heavily splashed and at 1700 it disappeared (closed???). It must have been Russia I heard in English and the program content points to that as well, because there was a lot of talks about the Russian oil production! So, thanks to you and all other helpers solving my ID- problems! 73 from (Björn Fransson on the island of Gotland, Sweden, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE NEXT DAY`S CZECH LESSON +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Hi Glenn, The 'ova' is unstressed, but is pronounced. Martina Navratilova actually likes the final syllable of her name to be stressed, and she originally did this as a defiant gesture when she left what was then Czechoslovakia. The point I was making was that, in Czech, the surname of every female adds 'ova', (e.g. Barbara Bushova) but when Czech is translated into English this ending is normally dropped if the name is not native Czech. Clearly the name Winter isn't a Czech name. It's no big deal, because normally common sense would tell you what's appropriate. 73, (Andy Sennitt, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Since all stress in Czech is initial, of course any suffix would be unstressed. I guess -ova could be thought of as a feminine genitive, i.e. belonging to the father or husband from whom the name stems? I know in Russian, declensions are normally imposed on foreign names, necessary, I suppose for the smooth flow of that language (gh, DXLD) Hi Glenn, Yes, that's precisely what it is (Andy Sennitt, DXLD) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ SHORTWAVE GUIDE Nicholas Hardyman, Managing Director of WRTH Publications Limited says that 'The Shortwave Guide' - Volume 2 at 224 pages on 100 gsm matt art paper printed in full colour throughout and dated June 2003 will be available from the beginning of that month. Price £12.50 The new book will follow the pattern of the previous one although 12 languages will be identified by a distinctive colour and the reference section has been expanded. It will include the summer (A03) international shortwave schedules; a simple guide to shortwave listening; domestic shortwave broadcasts; contact details for all international broadcasters and other useful material (May World DX Club Contact via DXLD) CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++ INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING, THE WAR, THE PEACE, APRIL 29-30 The world's leading television and radio broadcasters, together with supporting companies from satellite, transmission, production and manufacturing, meet in London this week. The AIB Global Media Business Conference is their meeting place, and it's the first time that the whole international broadcasting industry has gathered since the fall of the Iraqi regime. The conference will examine coverage of the war, journalist safety, perceptions of bias and the use of the electronic media by governments. The two-day conference opens on 29th April, with more than 150 senior executives from the broadcasting industry in Europe, North America, Africa, the Middle East and Australasia taking part. . . Keynote addresses are being given by Mark Byford, Director of BBC World Service and the newly-formed Global News division, and David Lowen, until last week Managing Director of EuroNews, the pan- European television news channel. Full details of the two-day conference are available online at http://www.aib.org.uk - and you can also find a list of attendees there (AIB April 28, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RECEIVER NEWS / DRM +++++++++++++++++++ All you fellers relax now... this'll blow over soon. Seriously, though -- the way IBOC's -- actually "HD Radio Hybrid" mode is constructed, it piggybacks the existing AM signal, but takes up a much wider bandwidth. The idea is that EVENTUALLY the AM signal will go away, leaving only the digital signal. When something like 85% of all listeners have IBOC radios, then stations would be turning off the AM (or FM signal, this applies there too). TV is supposed to go all digital in 2006. That's 3 years off. Do I have a HDTV? Do you? I'll bet not. And TV stations can stay analog until 85% have digital receivers. The HD Radio system is also proprietary, designed by Ibiquity Corp. So the FCC deliberately did NOT put in a deadline for this, nor are any stations REQUIRED to sign on to HD Radio. IBOC will add a significant cost to the receivers, and it's a simulcasted signal. Can't be otherwise, because it'd designed to drop into analog mode when the digital signal can't be detected. So we probably have 20 years of "hybrid" mode to deal with if it continues at all. On the other hand... there's also DRM, a competing digital format which doesn't cause quite the commotion to existing radio (it sits within the existing 9 or 10kHz profile) but is digital only. It's testing right now as well, on MW and SW. And last but not least, Motorola has released a chipset called "Symphony" that is supposed to make a radio go up about $5 in price and give much better fidelity with more robust long distance reception (!!!) to AM and FM radio without costing the broadcasters lotsa (any?) $$$. Note that in the trades, it's reported that Clear Channel has not shown a very warm response to HD Radio. Another strike against it is that Ibiquity wants royalties from every station that uses it. Not many are happy about that. Craig, any station that shut off the analog signal next year or so would be committing financial hari-kari. My money is that HD Radio has less than an even chance of making it, but not without causing lots of interference to existing signals (but that's another issue, stations don't care about DX signals). However, consumer HD Radios are coming this summer. So we'll see how the public responds. Car radios are another year off. More stations are starting to broadcast in HD Radio Hybrid mode. Yet AM stations cannot use it at night, because it doesn't seem to work well with skywaves. (DRM took more care on this issue.) I started to write an article about all this, but I've been too swamped with work and getting DX Monitor out every week to finish it. Maybe later... Charlie, the Canadians aren't doing well with their version of digital radio (not IBOC, in-band on-channel, but rather OOBOC, out-of band off channel), with the Eureka 147 system in the "L" Band, around 1490 MHz. It's flopping in Europe too. People don't see the value of the same service for extra cost. GM put L-Band radios in Canadian models, then quietly dropped them. Like VHS over Beta, it just wasn't THAT much better.... if people buy XM Radio it's because they like the huge variety of services, just like we buy cable or satellite instead of relying on the dozen or so "free" local VHF-UHF signals many get. (How many of you noticed that BBC World Service cut their SW service to us around the time they went on XM Radio? They cut off their nose to spite their face, hi... and later quietly restored some service to North America on 5975 and 11835 evenings.) There's a lot on the Web regarding HD Radio and DRM, and some info on Symphony. All interesting reading (Rich Toebe, Davis CA, IRCA list via DXLD) POWERLINE COMMUNICATIONS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ ``BROADBAND OVER POWER LINE`` POSES HF INTERFERENCE THREAT The FCC soon will invite public comment on the concept of using existing electrical power lines to deliver Internet and broadband service to homes and offices. The Commission initiated a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) in ET Docket 03-104 when it met April 23. What the FCC calls ``Broadband over Power Line`` (BPL) is a form of carrier- current technology typically known as power line communication (PLC). Whatever its name, the technology is raising serious interference concerns within the Amateur Radio community, since BPL would apply high-frequency RF to parts of the power grid. One aspect of the NOI is to gather information on potential interference effects on authorized spectrum users. ``Entire communities will be affected, so every amateur in that community could have part of the radiating system `next door` on the power wiring on his or her street,`` cautioned ARRL Lab Supervisor Ed Hare, W1RFI. Hare chairs the PLC Work Group of the IEEE C63 Accredited Standards Committee on Electromagnetic Compatibility http://c63.ieee.org/ The complete NOI has not yet been released, and until that happens, the FCC will not formally accept comments in the proceeding. The ARRL will be among those expected to submit detailed comments in ET 03- 104. So-called ``access BPL`` would use medium-voltage (1 kV to 40 kV) power lines to deliver Internet and broadband applications. Hare says access BPL is likely to be a more significant interference source than in-building PLC technology ``because overhead electrical wiring is a much better antenna than the electrical wiring within a building.`` ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, editorialized on the subject of PLC in ``It Seems to Us . . .`` in the October issue of 2002 QST. ``Is it possible to do power line communications without causing interference to over-the-air communications?`` Sumner asked. ``Count us among the skeptics. What may be a fine transmission line at 60 Hz looks more like an antenna at HF.`` Hare said his own computer analyses of interference potential from access BPL/PLC suggest ``a significant increase in noise levels`` from deployed systems. The FCC appears enthusiastic about BPL, however, saying it has the potential to ``provide consumers with the freedom to access broadband services from any room in the house without adding or paying for additional connections.`` The Commission also touted BPL as ``a competitive alternative to digital subscriber line and cable modem services.`` New digital power line designs use multiple carriers spread over a wide frequency range --- from 2 MHz up to 80 MHz --- and capable of high data rates --- up to 20 MB/s, the FCC said. In addition to viewpoints on interference potential, the FCC also has requested comments on the current state of high-speed BPL technology, test results from BPL experimental sites, appropriate measurement procedure for testing emission characteristics for all types of carrier-current systems, changes that may be needed in Part 15 technical rules, and the equipment approval process to foster the development of BPL. Tests of BPL are under way in several states, including Alabama, Maryland, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Hare says ARRL Lab personnel will visit some of the test cities this spring to take field measurements to quantify the potential for interference to Amateur Radio operations. BPL/PLC technology already has been deployed in some European countries, and amateurs there have complained about interference. Japan--responding in part to concerns expressed by its amateur community --- decided last year not to adopt the technology because of its interference potential (ARRL Letter April 25 via David Hodgson, John Norfolk, DXLD) How about us poor SWLs??? FCC NOI ON BROADBAND OVER POWER LINE Today's FCC daily digest contains at http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-03-100A1.pdf Inquiry Regarding Carrier Current Systems, including Broadband over Power Line Systems ET Docket No. 03-104 NOTICE OF INQUIRY Adopted: April 23, 2003 Released: April 28, 2003 I. INTRODUCTION 1. The Commission is initiating this inquiry to obtain information on a variety of issues related to Broadband over Power Line (BPL) systems. BPL systems are new types of carrier current system that operate on an unlicensed basis under Part 15 of the Commission’s rules. BPL systems use existing electrical power lines as a transmission medium to provide high-speed communications capabilities by coupling RF energy onto the power line. This is a 21 page document dealing with proposals to utilize power lines to carry high speed data. Interference to broadcast signals is one of the concerns mentioned in the document (Donald Wilson, CA, April 28, DX LISTENING DIGEST) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 30 APRIL - 26 MAY 2003 Solar activity is expected to be at low to moderate levels. Region 349 is expected to have M-class potential early in the period as it continues to grow and develop in magnetic complexity. Activity is expected to decrease to low levels after 06 May when Region 349 rotates beyond the west limb. Region 338 is due to return to the visible disk on 11 May and represents M-class potential for the remainder of the period. No greater than 10 MeV proton events are expected during the forecast period. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux may reach high levels on 01 – 10 May, and again on 16 – 23 May due to returning coronal holes. The geomagnetic field is expected to range from quiet to isolated major storm levels. Unsettled to major storm levels are possible early in the period, 29 April – 02 May, due to a coronal hole high speed flow. Multiple returning coronal holes are expected to rotate into geo-effective positions during the latter half of the period, and are expected to produce unsettled to minor storm conditions. On 13 – 14 May, isolated major storm levels are possible with the return of a large coronal hole high speed flow. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2003 Apr 29 2211 UTC # Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Environment Center # Product description and SEC contact on the Web # http://www.sec.noaa.gov/wwire.html # # 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table # Issued 2003 Apr 29 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2003 Apr 30 150 15 3 2003 May 01 145 25 5 2003 May 02 135 25 5 2003 May 03 130 15 3 2003 May 04 120 12 3 2003 May 05 115 12 3 2003 May 06 110 15 3 2003 May 07 105 20 4 2003 May 08 105 20 4 2003 May 09 105 10 3 2003 May 10 100 12 3 2003 May 11 100 15 3 2003 May 12 100 20 4 2003 May 13 100 25 5 2003 May 14 100 25 5 2003 May 15 110 20 4 2003 May 16 115 20 4 2003 May 17 120 15 3 2003 May 18 125 20 4 2003 May 19 130 20 4 2003 May 20 130 15 3 2003 May 21 130 20 4 2003 May 22 135 20 4 2003 May 23 145 15 3 2003 May 24 150 15 3 2003 May 25 150 15 3 2003 May 26 150 12 3 (from http://www.sec.noaa.gov/radio via WORLD OF RADIO 1180, DXLD)###