DX LISTENING DIGEST 3-077, May 4, 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/dxldtd3e.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 1180: RFPI: Mon 0030, 0630+, 1230+, Tue 1900, Wed 0100, 0700+ 7445, 15039? WBCQ: Mon 0445 7415 WWCR: Wed 0930 9475 WJIE: M-F 0730 7490, 13595? 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/wor1180.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1180.ram [High] (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1180h.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1180h.ram (Summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1180.html ** AFGHANISTAN. As a comparison I will mention the station earlier on 8700 kHz. This station has never transmitted from an aeroplane even if some people still claim this (Stig Adolfsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin May 4, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DXLD) More under IRAQ ** ARGENTINA. 10490.00, Radio Continental, Buenos Aires. April 2003. Up to 0100 UT a 60 minute newscast called "Servicio Informativo Continental". (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, SW Bulletin May 4, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) SSB?? ** AUSTRALIA. SHEPPARTON ANNIVERSARY Soon after the onset of the European Conflict in 1939, discussions took place between the imperial leaders in London and the government leaders in Canada and Australia. These discussions focused on the setting up of large international shortwave stations for use as a possible backup for the BBC Empire Service in England. Work moved ahead in both countries, and two large shortwave bases were established; Sackville in Canada for Radio Canada International and Shepparton in Australia for "Australia Calling". Site surveys for the Australian shortwave station were conducted in many areas of south eastern Australia, and finally the decision settled upon a grassland location of 600 acres in the fertile fruit- growing Goulburn valley of central Victoria. This site was reasonably accessible to the three major cities, Canberra, Sydney & Melbourne, and it was suitable propagationally for a large shortwave station. The main transmitter hall was completed in February 1943, and even though it was designed to contain three transmitters, yet none could be found. Finally, an agreement was reached with the United States, and a 50 kW RCA transmitter, originally allocated to the "Voice of America", was diverted for installation at Shepparton. The agreement between the American and Australian governments included a provision that this lendlease transmitter should also carry a relay of programming from the "Voice of America". Thus it was, that the 90 minute daily program, the "Philippine Hour", was heard on relay from "Australia Calling" in Australia for a year or two. This new lendlease transmitter from the United States was installed at Shepparton and it was inaugurated on May 1, 1944 with programming co- ordinated in the ABC studios in Melbourne and fed by landline to the shortwave transmitter at Shepparton, a distance of 120 miles. Two additional transmitters at 100 kW were manufactured in Sydney as a joint effort between AWA & STC and these were installed at Shepparton under the callsigns VLA & VLB. A total of 19 antennas were erected at Shepparton, mostly curtains with passive reflectors. Transmitter VLA was inaugurated on August 15, 1945, and just four days later, VLB was inaugurated. All three of these transmitters incorporated two channels of programming access. In preparation for the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, two new transmitters were installed at Shepparton. Another American made RCA unit at 50 kW was designated as VLD, and an Australian made STC unit at 10 kW was designated as VLY. Soon afterwards, during a modernization program, one of the channels in each of the three transmitters at Shepparton was split off and incorporated into a new transmitter. The newly derived transmitters were activated with the callsigns VLC, VLE, and VLF. However, the callsigns in use at Shepparton became so complicated that they were abandoned at the end of October 1961. These days, there are seven transmitters at 100 kW carrying exclusively the international programming of Radio Australia. One of these units propagates a remarkably good signal across the Pacific into North America around the sunrise hour on 9580 kHz. Over the years, many very picturesque QSL cards have been issued to verify transmissions from the Shepparton site and many of the earlier editions are now collector's items. The current QSL card features the Australian kangaroo in a sunset scene. Just last Thursday, May 1, Radio Australia Shepparton was remembering its 59th anniversary (Adrian Michael Peterson, AWR Wavescan May 4 via DXLD) VI 13630: see UNIDENTIFIED non ** BAHRAIN. Re DXLD 3-070: The Radio Bahrain carried on 6010 kHz with suppressed lower sideband is in fact their 2nd Programme [barnamaj al- thani], though it may be in parallel with the General Programme on 9745 kHz for certain news bulletins. Identification announcements for both services can be heard on the Interval Signals Archive at http://www.intervalsignals.net Regards, (Dave Kernick, May 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOLIVIA. Cf. DXLD 3-076. As mentioned in DXLD 3-025, Radio Illimani has streaming audio on the web. This service was in operation also during the February riots. Further info about their webcasts can be found at http://www.comunica.gov.bo/illimani/indice.html In their top of the hour announcements they often mention 6025, but this frequency has been silent now for quite some time. On the air, and on the web, they refer to themselves as "Red Illimani, La Voz de Bolivia". (Henrik Klemetz, May 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOLIVIA. 6080.00, unID Bolivia. April 2003 - 1040 UT. Thanks Arnaldo Slaen in Argentina who in a report to HCDX solved this ``mystery`` for me. The morning transmissions from HCJB in Quichua are heard unbelievably lousy and therefore I could hear this Bolivian. I thought I heard a "Panamericana" ID but according to Slaen it is Radio San Gabriel, La Paz which has moved. Might have been a relay from Radio Panamericana, also situated in La Paz. The program changed between Spanish and Indian languages (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, SW Bulletin May 4, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. RADIO ANNOUNCERS NEED INUTTITUT TRAINING, AVATAQ SAYS Group wants TNI, CBC announcers to attend language workshops ODILE NELSON May 2, 2003 In a bid to end what it is calling the "misuse of Inuttitut" on public radio, the Avataq Cultural Institute may move its next language workshop to Salluit – headquarters of Taqramiut Nipingat Inc., the regional public broadcaster. Avataq completed the first of two biannual interpreter-translator workshops in Kuujjuarapik on April 15 and had planned to host the second meeting in Quaqtaq next September. But Minnie Amidlak, Avataq's language programs coordinator, said this week the organization may switch the fall meeting's location to allow Salluit-based TNI announcers to attend the workshop. Amidlak said Avataq is considering the move because, since the organization took over the language initiative from the Kativik School Board in the late 1990s, workshop participants have questioned TNI and CBC about their announcers' use of Inuttitut. "They [public radio announcers] have a great influence and a lot of people are listening to them. The elders and everybody, mainly people who are able to understand perfectly in Inuttitut, there is a great concern that they are not using the right words," Amidlak said. Avataq's language workshops recover neglected Inuttitut words and develop Inuttitut equivalents for new English terms. These words are then entered into two databases. The workshops also train interpreters and raise concerns about Inuttitut. A few weeks before the latest workshop, Amidlak said, Claude Grenier, TNI's general director, asked Avataq to consider moving the next meeting so TNI could send all its broadcasters for training. Though TNI television reporters have attended the workshops in the past, no radio announcers from TNI, CBC or local FM stations have attended the meetings. Grenier confirmed he requested a change in venue for the fall workshop so TNI's announcers could attend. "For a number of years now we've been trying to get specific terminology training for our staff in Salluit. But it's always very difficult for our radio people to attend these workshops, because if they do that [go to another community] we can't do our radio programming," Grenier said. Grenier also said he does not share concerns that radio announcers are blatantly misusing Inuttitut. "I see it completely differently and so does our board of directors. There are different dialects from one community to the other and it's not because it's different from one community to another that the language is not proper," he said. But Amidlak said it is not simply a question of different dialects. She said previous workshop participants worry radio announcers are propagating the misuse of Inuttitut altogether. Still, she praised Grenier for taking the initiative. "We would like to see the CBC staff have the same attitude as TNI," she said. William Tagoona, a radio announcer with CBC's Kuujjuaq station, said he had not heard any criticism.He said he would consider attending a language meeting but, since the Kuujjuaq station has only two people on staff, he would not likely participate if it were held in Salluit or Quaqtaq. http://www.nunatsiaq.com/news/nunavik/30502_04.html (via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) CBC spells it Inuktituk ** CHINA. Re silent transmitters, 3-076: Sorry I did not specify clearly: it's the old 50 kW site in the Beijing area. The exact location is not known. Insert Beijing after 50 kW in the first line of the note. 73 /Olle Alm, Sweden, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COLOMBIA. Hola Glenn, Saludos desde Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA. - Reactivada Radio Caracol en la onda corta. Pude captarla el 01/05, a las 2205 UT, en los 5960 kHz. SINPO 34222. Muchísimo ruido de las líneas de alta tensión y acentuado desvanecimiento. Con ID's como Radio Caracol y Cadena Caracol, transmitía un partido de fútbol y al mismo tiempo se daban pases a otro estudio, para comentarios sobre la liga colombiana. Narrador rapidísimo, que alternaba las maniobras de los jugadores con los anuncios publicitarios. Ya a una hora más tarde, había desaparecido de la frecuencia y se escuchaba un servicio en francés de Radio Canada (Adán González, VENEZUELA, May 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Caracol Villavicencio used to be on 5955v. Is this it? (gh, DXLD) ** COLOMBIA. Russell Martin Stendal, manager of La Voz de tu Conciencia, operating on 6010, from Lomalinda, Meta, writes in an email: "We are currently proceeding with the paper work to license 5910 as our alternate short wave frequency. I expect to be conducting a test for 48 or 72 hours on 5910 in a month or so." This alternate frequency will be used for programming in English beamed to North America during local nighttime hours (Henrik Klemetz, May 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Dare we hope for anything secular, like a comprehensive objective newscast about Latin America, in the absence of HCJB? I believe we already have enough evangelism (gh, DXLD) 6009.72, Alcaraván Radio, Puerto Lleras. April 2003 – 1045 UT. With a program called "Despertar campesino". "Alcaraván Radio" – IDs mentioning three frequencies: MW 1530, SW 6010 and FM 88.8 MHz. 1100 UT the Colombian National Anthem and ID: "Están en sintonia del sistema Alcaraván Radio". Gave telephone number as: 6 52 42 03, or from abroad 06(03?) 326 01 16 (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, SW Bulletin May 4, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COSTA RICA. Tho heard on Fri May 2, RFPI`s 15039.1 not heard on Sat or Sun, so guess they are still working on it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CROATIA. 13830, Tentative, Radio Croatia, 0459-0520 fade out, May 4/03, time pips to TOH, OM with talk, YL reading English news, OM talk with music bridges. Weak signal and no ID heard. // 6165 dominated by Radio Netherlands. Tip from this evening`s World of Radio (Joe Talbot, Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [non]. EXILE GROUP URGES BOOSTING CUBA BROADCASTS BY MARIKA LYNCH, Posted on Fri, May 02, 2003 The Cuban American National Foundation met with Bush administration officials Thursday to advocate boosting the signal power of TV and Radio Martí and giving more money to assist dissidents in the wake of the recent crackdown. But the prominent exile group lobbied against further restricting travel or remittances that families send to the island. The Bush administration has weighed limiting remittances and travel as a way to pull money away from Fidel Castro's government as a punishment for the jailing of 75 activists and journalists. At least one other group, the Cuba Liberty Council, has advocated suspending all remittances and travel to the island. But foundation members said the U.S. should strengthen its pro-democracy programs already in place. ''Our policy should be our policy, not a reaction to Castro's,'' foundation spokesman Joe García said. ``We have a defined policy. We're promoting democracy in Cuba. . . . We are boosting civil society in Cuba. That policy is working. The events that have occurred in the last months and a half would not have occurred, but for the backing of the dissident movement in Cuba.'' Cuban Americans should on their own limit the amount of money sent back to the island, and make remittances solely for necessary goods, he said. In March, the Bush administration announced new rules that increased the amount of money travelers can bring to families on the island -- raising the cap to $3,000 from $300. The increased amount is intended to benefit more households, per traveler. The rules also will allow more Cuban Americans to travel to the island, but restrict other groups that have been involved in ''educational'' exchange. Pepe Hernández and Dennis Hays, the foundation's president and executive vice president, advocated their positions Thursday at the White House with Otto Reich, the administration's special envoy to the Western Hemisphere, and later with State Department officials. García said U.S. officials are still considering options, but the foundation's recommendations were well received. ''We received clear assurances that they are not going to be reacting, that they are going to use this new opportunity to further promote human rights in Cuba and civil society,'' García said. ___________________________________________________________________ (c) 2003 The Miami Herald and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** DEUTSCHES REICH [non]. CANADA MOVES CLOSER TO DEPORTING HOLOCAUST DENIER OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada said on Friday it had declared a German man who denies the Holocaust to be a national security risk, a move which will make it easier to deport him to Germany. The move against Ernst Zundel must be confirmed by a federal court within the next few days. If Ottawa gets court approval it can immediately deport Zundel, who is wanted in Germany to face charges linked to possible incitement of hate. "We took action...when we feel there's a threat to Canada's security, that's what we (do)," Immigration Minister Denis Coderre told reporters. Zundel, a German citizen, lived in Canada until 2001 when he left for the United States after becoming involved in a legal fight over complaints he was distributing anti-Semitic literature. He also ran a Web site denying that the Nazis had killed around six million Jews in World War Two. After overstaying his U.S. visitor's visa he returned to Canada in February this year and was arrested. The Canadian counter-intelligence service says if Zundel stays in Canada, he could incite his followers to commit acts of violence. The Canadian Jewish Congress applauded Ottawa's move against Zundel, saying in a statement that "this man has been sullying our shores long enough." 05/02/03 16:50 ET (AOL Canada news via Fred Waterer, DXLD) ** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. 6025.05, Radio Amanecer Internacional, April 2003 - 1130 UT. A station seldom on air but has been heard quite well for a while but with distorted audio and mostly religious programming. Very frequency stable one year ago noted on exactly the same 100-part (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, SW Bulletin May 4, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR. 5800.14 harmonic, Radio Calidad, Riobamba. May 2003 - 1115 UT. More common on its 2nd harmonic 2900.08 kHz. Harmonic from MW 1450 kHz (4 x 1450.04). (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, SW Bulletin May 4, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR. I have just got this reply from the station after emailing to them to say how sad it was they were ending all English broadcasts to Europe and North America from Quito. "Hello Mike, Thank you for writing. Yes the announcement is true. Broadcasts in English from Quito to Europe and North America will be ending 31 May. Recently HCJB has restructured and reevaluated its radio ministry here in Latin America. As a result, the decision was made for our Quito facility to focus on Latin America, and to allow our other offices around the world to reach their regions. It was a difficult decision, but after much consideration, prayer and study this is the direction the mission has decided to go. Thank you for your inquiry, Jeff Ingram" (via Mike Terry, DXLD) Let`s not be too sad about HCJB`s withdrawal. While it may well have been the best of the sorry lot, sugar-coating its real agenda of pushing creationism and other wacky ideas just made it that much more a deceitful enterprise. I do, however, have nothing but respect for Allen Graham who has remained most friendly and tolerant despite difference of opinion on such issues. I caught part of the May 3 DXPL, when there were vague mentions of some options being studied for continuing the program? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ICELAND. AFN Keflavik, 13855: see USA [non] ** INDIA. Here are some news on AIR: AIR Delhi is now identifying its different Home Service channels as Rajadhani Channel and Indraprasta Channel. On April 25, 2003 AIR Aligarh was noted on 9647.0 instead of 9470.0 at tune in around 0430 to sign off at 0530. On April 29, 2003 AIR Kuresong was noted on 4885 instead of 4895 for the evening transmission from tune in around 1330. From April 29, 2003 AIR Thiruvanathapuram has restarted its evening broadcast on SW 5010. (Earlier it was available only on MW 1161). The sked is 1115-1735 (a little early on Sundays, 1030?). Reports on their SW transmissions may be sent to Mr. Radha Krishna Menon, Station Engineer at the following email: tvm_airtvpm@sancharnet.in (This station also operates on 7290) Radio Kashmir Srinagar is now noted with their summer sign on schedule with sign on at 0025 (ex winter 0120 on 4950.) 73 (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS/AT0J National Institute of Amateur Radio Box 1555, Somajiguda Hyderabad 500082, India, dx-India via DXLD) Jose- Perhaps my memory fails me, but wasn't Srinagar on 4830 now? Has it gone back to 4950? (Hans Johnson, WY?, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL. There is an article in The New York Times of Sunday May 04, 2003, focusing on ham radio. It's at http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/04/arts/television/04SALA.html [registration required] With illustrations of QSL cards, the piece is centred on a new book to be published this month called "Hello World: A Life in Ham Radio". JSG (John Grimley, ODXA, via Mike Terry, DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL INTERNET. REFLECTIONS ON THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF SPAM In fact, the earliest documented junk e-mailing I've uncovered was sent May 3, 1978 -- 25 years ago this Saturday. (It was written May 1 but sent on May 3.) And in a surprising coincidence just a month ago marked the 10th anniversary of March 31, 1993, the first time a USENET posting got named a spam. . . http://www.templetons.com/brad/spam/spam25.html (via Jill Dybka, MSIS, DXLD) ** IRAQ. 4500, often at 1830, Radio al Maulumat, "Information radio" heard every day, sometimes disturbed by Russian SSB-traffic. As you all know by now the program is transmitted from an airplane, a modified Hercules; on board you will find a among others a 10 kW SW- transmitter from a very well known radio company in the USA. I can measure the Doppler effect when the aeroplane moves. The shift effect is about 4 Hz which indicates a speed of just above 500 km/h. A month ago she flew over a small limited area but today they fly almost 20 minutes on a steady course. The flight area is of course expanded in the same rate as the underlying terrain has been secured. As a comparison I will mention the station earlier on 8700 kHz [Afghanistan]. This station has never transmitted from an aeroplane enen if some people still claim this (Stig Adolfsson) 11291.9984, Always: This frequency is still covered by a carrier without information. Has drifted downwards about 0.7 Hz in 5 weeks. From a reliable Finnish source it is claimed that this is land mobile (vehicle) station with 1 kW output effect (Stig Adolfsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin May 4, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DXLD) ** IRAQ. After several days of following that matter, I reckon that V. of the Iraqi Liberation is NO LONGER on the air. I haven't heard them since 25th of April! Is anyone still catching that baby of Mika??? In the meantime, V. of Kurdistan People is still on the usual timeslot; they drifted from the usual 4025 kHz to 4023 kHz! All the best guys (Tarek Zeidan, Cairo, Egypt, May 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAQ. MY WAR: THE FORCES DJ Jonathan Bennett has been the voice of British Forces radio throughout the war. He is the Station Manager for BFBS in the Middle East and has been broadcasting messages and music to troops and their families from Kuwait and now from Um Qasr inside Iraq. . . http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2983287.stm (via Jill Dybka, DXLD) ** IRAQ [non]. Re DXLD3-074/075: Regarding the supposed connection between Radio Sumer and WRN: The same satellite transponder that carries Iraqi clandestine Radio Sumer (Hotbird 13 deg east 12597 MHz V) also carries Voice of Tibet at 1215-1300 and Voice of Democratic Burma at 1430-1530 (Dave Kernick, UK, May 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Altho little publicised, WRN are involved in satellite distribution of various clandestines to SW transmitter sites (gh, DXLD) ** IRELAND. RTE DIRECTOR GENERAL STEPS DOWN Business & Finance 01 May 2003 Bob Collins is to step down as director general (DG) of RTE before his term of office is due to expire, according to the chairman of the RTE Authority, Patrick Wright. . . http://www.online.ie/business/latest/viewer.adp?article=2003752 (via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) ** JAPAN. TIME TO RECONNECT? HOME IS WHERE THE HEARTS ARE http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?fl20030503a1.htm Profile of Valerie Koehn who spent eight years with the English service of NHK (I guess Ian knows her). (Andy Sennitt, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** JAPAN. JAPANESE CULT SEEKS NEW SANCTUARY AFTER POLICE RAID by Gary Schaeffer in Tokyo 02 May 2003 A caravan of vehicles belonging to a New Age group that had been parked on a mountain road in western Japan for almost a week left yesterday after it was searched by hundreds of police who warned it was breaking traffic laws, an officer said. The group, Panawave, had been camped on the little-travelled two-lane road in western Gifu prefecture since last Friday, seeking sanctuary from electromagnetic waves that it claims are being generated by left- wing guerrillas in Japan as part of a conspiracy to destroy Panawave's leadership. It has also draped surrounding trees with white cloths which are meant to neutralise the effects of the waves. . . http://news.independent.co.uk/world/pacific_rim/story.jsp?story=402301 (via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) ** KASHMIR. See INDIA ** KOREA NORTH. A LOFTY PLAN TO GET NORTH KOREANS IN TUNE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PASTOR WANTS TO AIRDROP RADIOS BY BALLOON. [Caption:] REACHING IN: Douglas Shin, an Artesia pastor, is planning to send radios into North Korea via balloon to bring unfiltered information to the closed country. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER _________________________________________________________________ By JOHN GITTELSOHN, The Orange County Register, Saturday, April 26 Come summer, when the southwest winds blow across the Yellow Sea, helium balloons could soar high above the artillery and barbed wire that divide North and South Korea. The balloons would carry radios, delivering news, music and religion to North Korea, where the only permitted broadcasts are the propaganda of one of the world's most repressive regimes. "North Koreans are like people without an ear," said the Rev. Douglas Shin, 48, a pastor from Artesia whose fanciful vision is to liberate the land often called the "Hermit Kingdom" with fleets of balloon-borne radios. "I want to give them their ears back." U.S. and North Korean diplomats met in Beijing this week to discuss North Korea's nuclear program. The talks did not touch on human rights in North Korea, where people have been executed for attempting to defect or listen to foreign radio broadcasts, according to the State Department. Shin has spent years trying to help oppressed people in North Korea, a land his father fled during the Korean War. He was arrested twice in Mongolia in 2000 for smuggling North Korean refugees into that country. In 2001, he assisted refugees seeking asylum in foreign embassies in China. In January, he helped organize a flotilla of North Korean boat people who were intercepted by Chinese authorities at sea. Now, Shin wants to help North Koreans by breaking their information blockade. "We aren't talking about invading," he said. "We are talking about giving them freedom of choice." Shin said he needs a few thousand dollars to launch the first balloons. So far, his Korean Peninsula Peace Project has received a trickle of donations - under $100 apiece - and fielded inquiries from people as far away as Japan and France. Ultimately, Shin hopes to get U.S. government financing. Rep. Ed Royce, R-Fullerton, a key congressional sponsor of the government's Radio Free Asia broadcasts to North Korea, said Shin's plan sounds intriguing. "There's a demand for radios (in North Korea) and one idea is to flood the market there, so the government can't control what people are hearing," said Royce, who visited South Korea last week. "I think information is one of the keys to helping people there." Shin plans to launch helium balloons from South Korea or ships offshore. A small pinprick would let the gas seep out slowly so the balloons touch down softly. If he raises enough money, Shin would like to buy a remote-control aerial drone that could drop the radios by parachute over a designated spot rather than rely on the wind. For decades, both North and South Korea used balloons to float propaganda leaflets across the DMZ. This summer, the Voice of the Martyrs, a U.S.-based Christian missionary organization, plans to release 50,000 balloons packed with prayer tracts and Bibles to North Korea. "We have had numerous reports of the success of this program, including one underground church that hung a scripture balloon in the rafters of their building," said Todd Nettleton, a spokesman for the Oklahoma-based group. With his radios, Shin plans to include prayer tracts and a 500-won North Korean note, equal to about $1. "Even if they don't want the radio, people will take the money," Shin said. He is still searching for the ideal radio - light enough to ride a balloon, solar-powered so it won't need North Korea's scarce electricity, cheap enough to send by the thousands. One possibility is a matchbook-size model used by La Mirada-based Far Eastern Broadcasting Corp. But it needs batteries, a luxury in North Korea. Another possibility is a solar-powered radio made for Christian missionaries by a Canadian company called Galcom. The drawback is it only receives a single channel. "We don't want people who get these to listen to rock 'n' roll," said Allan McGuirl, Galcom's international director. But Shin wants radios that let people listen to all kinds of stations - religious or profane, South Korean, American, Chinese or Japanese. He said substituting Christian radio for North Korea's official broadcasts is like "replacing one dictator with another." North Koreans call their official radio sets "the speaker" because they are built to receive a single channel that airs pronouncements of the regime of Kim Jong Il. This week, North Korea's official news blasted foreign efforts to use radio, movies and the Internet to deliver outside news as the "imperialists' ideological and cultural poisoning ... a crafty and vicious method of aggression, interference and domination without gunfire." Foreign broadcasters, such as Radio Free Asia and Christian radio stations, have beamed alternative programming into North Korea for years. Ahn Jae-hoon, director of Korean-language Radio Free Asia, said his listenership has increased significantly among North Korea's elite, based on interviews with defectors, who said they used smuggled radios or modified the North Korean models to change the channel. "They know government propaganda isn't true," said Ahn, a former Washington Post reporter. "Anything that gets into a closed society is eye-opening." A native of Seoul, Shin moved to the United Stated 30 years ago. He was ordained at Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa. He lives in a one-bedroom apartment, supporting his wife, Mi-Kyung, and two children, ages 3 and 2, on donations and work as a Korean-English translator. Shin devotes most of his time to helping North Korea, which he visited once, in May 1997 at the height of a famine that killed 2 million. He went from China with a church group to deliver food aid, but North Korean officials seized the cargo and, Shin suspected, kept it for themselves. Back in China, Shin met North Koreans who had risked their lives crossing the Tumen River to escape starvation and repression. "They were literally dripping from the river they crossed," Shin recalled. "They were so pure, like a time capsule of people I remembered in South Korea 30 years ago. I think I heard God's voice telling me to help them." Shin concedes that radios can't fill empty stomachs. But he believes they can provide hope, opening minds with news from outside the Hermit Kingdom. "It will change North Korea, something coming from the sky," Shin said. "They will keep their heads up." Watching and waiting for balloons. _________________________________________________________ Copyright 2003 The Orange County Register (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** MADAGASCAR [and non]. Hi Glenn, Springtime is very favorable for African stations in the tropical bands here in Finland. Yesterday evening I was listening to RTV Malagasy from Antanarivo on 5010 kHz. Nice reception and pretty exotic music, too. They closed down 1907 UT. Also noted RTV Gabonaise on 4777 kHz 1845 UT. Signal strength was even S9 +10dB! 73s (Jouko Huuskonen, Turku FINLAND, May 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALAYSIA. Hi Glenn, Two stations from Malaysia noted yesterday Fri May 2: the first one was coming with quite strong signal around 1730 UT on 4845 kHz in the 60 meter tropical band. It´s the Tamil service of Radio Malaysia. "Suara Malaysia", the Voice of Malaysia heard in Malay with very nice reception at 1810 UT on 9750 kHz. Good and and strong signal on both frequencies. 73 (Jouko Huuskonen, Turku FINLAND, May 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. Border X-bander checks: [timezones not clarified] TRH-AZ Tim Hall, on the road in Arizona TRH-AZ2 Ajo TRH-CA On the road in California ICF-2010, Kiwa Loop, Toyota car radio 1620 MEXICO (CP) San Luis Rio Colorado, SON APR 24 1640 - No trace of any station testing here yet (TRH-CA/AZ) 1630 MEXICO (XEUT) Tijuana, BCN APR 24 1400 - Station was off the air this morning. No OC noted (TRH-CA) 1650 MEXICO (CP) Puerto Peñasco, SON APR 28/29 - No trace of any station testing here yet (we were about 100 miles north in Ajo, AZ). (TRH-AZ2) 1660 MEXICO (CP) Agua Prieta, SON APR 25 1640 - No trace of any station testing here yet (TRH-AZ) 1690 MEXICO (CP) Mexicali, BCN APR 24 1615 - No trace of any station testing here yet (TRH-CA) 1700 MEXICO (CP) Tecate, BCN APR 24 1350 - No trace of any station testing here yet (TRH-CA) 73, (Tim Hall, Chula Vista, CA, May 3, amfmtvdx via DXLD) http://www.inetworld.net/halls/dx/index.html ** MEXICO. LA RADIO GAY: DEL LIGUE A LA DESMITIFICACIÓN 28-Abr-03 "Hasta ahora la tendencia en México ha sido la de ridiculizar al gay, presentándolo como una loca cómica, con peluca, tacones inmensos. Miguel Ángel Herlo, Renato Henkel y Eduardo Iniesta son los conductores del programa Triple G, que se transmite los martes por WFM en el Distrito Federal. Cuál es el tamaño ideal de un pene? ¿Es mejor penetrar o mantenerse pasivo durante las relaciones homosexuales? ¿Se debe "jotear o no jotear", es decir, volverse demasiado amanerado? Éstas son sólo algunas de las preguntas que se expresan en lo que día con día crece como una alternativa real: la radio gay. De un año y medio a la fecha, la radio se ha convertido en opciones para quien desee conocer el mundo homosexual: Triple G, que se transmite todos los martes a las 22 horas por WFM en el 96.9 de Frecuencia Modulada, o GDL Gay Radio, de Guadalajara, que es la primera radiodifusora gay por internet en América Latina que transmite las 24 horas , y próximamente El clóset, que saldrá al aire en el mes de mayo por Radio 13, 1290 de Amplitud Modulada, bajo la conducción de Rodrigo Fernández. Una cercanía lejana de la mofa, el ridículo y el exceso de los programas cómicos de la televisión, donde el homosexual es representado en sus formas más extremas para causar risa. "Hasta ahora la tendencia en México ha sido la de ridiculizar al gay, presentándolo como una loca cómica, con peluca, tacones inmensos, ropa de colores chillantes, bastante neurótica, muy amanerada, débil y cuya profesión, en el mejor de los casos, es costurera o estilista", como refiere Miguel Galán, director de GDL Gay Radio http://www.gdlgayradio.com Personalidades fabricadas y alejadas de la realidad, deformadas también por la proliferación de comentarios en torno a su descarada promiscuidad e infidelidad, pues como explica Renato Henkel, uno de los conductores de Triple G, el 77 por ciento de la causal de divorcio a nivel mundial es la infidelidad de algunos de los cónyuges, es decir, que en todas partes se cuecen habas. Por lo mismo, tanto los conductores de Triple G, como para Miguel Galán estas emisiones radiofónicas se proponen "despejar las telarañas mentales y culturales en torno a la comunidad gay, acusándola de promiscua, prostituta, infiel, portadora de enfermedades y males sociales". Tampoco les interesa, aseguran, tapar los temas por incómodos o difíciles que sean. "Nosotros lo planteamos como una realidad. Decimos las cosas como son. Si vamos a hablar de prostitutos, como ya lo hemos hecho, referimos todo: precios, medidas del pene y qué incluye el servicio", aclara Henkel. Ni jotos ni maricones, simplemente gays Es martes. Son las 10 de la noche y una de las cortinillas del programa Triple G (Generación de Gente Gay) da pie al inicio de la emisión: "Ni jotos ni maricones, simplemente gays". Los teléfonos enloquecen a partir de ese momento y del otro lado de la línea alguien grita: "soy gay", otro quiere cambiarse el sexo, alguien más tiene miedo de salir del clóset o desea saber de los sitios donde puede encontrar gente con su misma preferencia sexual. Hay quien desea informar a sus padres que es homosexual y no sabe cómo hacerlo. Renato Henkel, Eduardo Iniesta y Miguel Ángel Herlo, conductores de Triple G, atienden las llamadas. Algunas salen al aire, otras se debaten en el estudio y muchas más guían la temática del siguiente programa semanal. "También recibimos correos electrónicos con sugerencias, peticiones, felicitaciones y uno que otro mensaje agresivo, como el típico: ¡pinches putos!", recuerda con humor Iniesta. En el lapso de las dos horas que dura el programa se ventilan todo tipo problemáticas: casos de hombres y mujeres desesperados, algunos cercanos al suicidio porque la familia no los aceptan, o que enfrentan severos sentimientos de culpabilidad ante la religión profesada. Pero no todo es drama. Hay martes consagrados a la diversión, fiesta y reventón, a sugerir técnicas de ligue y coqueteo, a mantener encendida la pasión de la pareja, a ser infiel con protección y a colgarse lo último en la moda. Desde agosto del 2001 Triple G comenzó a transmitirse, y de acuerdo con los conductores han llegado a tener hasta 28 puntos rating, es decir, más de 2 millones de escuchas, ya que cada punto equivale a 140 mil personas, y esto, cuentan, sólo en el Distrito Federal, porque además este programa pasa por el canal 108 de televisión del sistema Sky. Por lo demás, en el DF existen alrededor de 4 millones de homosexuales, y curiosamente el programa no es únicamente escuchado por gays, sino por un amplio público heterosexual interesado en ayudar a su amigo, hermano, hermana o algún familiar gay. De Cocula es el mariachi, de Jalisco son los gays Miguel Galán, director de la radiodifusora GDL Gay Radio, menciona que Jalisco puede considerase la capital gay de México, debido a que ahí tiene lugar la mayor concentración gay. "No hay, por supuesto, un censo serio sobre la población, pero si partimos del hecho de que aquí hay 52 bares gays, tomando en cuenta que hay alrededor de 7 millones de habitantes, contra los 42 localizados en la ciudad de México, poblada con más 20 millones de personas, pues la diferencia es evidente". Por eso a nadie le extrañó la aparición de GDL Gay Radio, emisora que cumple una función social y da voz a la comunidad gay de manera abierta y respetuosa. Y en ese sentido, dice, la red les permite llegar al público de la ciudad de México, España y parte de América Latina, y decidir con entera libertad el rumbo de la estación. "No dependemos tanto de los patrocinadores, operamos con menos de 35 mil pesos mensuales, algo impensable para las radiodifusoras convencionales". Además, abunda, internet les facilita abordar cualquier circunstancia y decir lo que quieran, sin temor a recibir una sanción por parte de la Secretaría de Gobernación. "Nosotros vigilamos el contenido de los programas, tratamos de ser muy coherentes y respetuosos con todo el público por tratarse de una emisora incluyente". Cuentan con programas como "Cuerpo a cuerpo", orientado al sexo, placer y sexualidad; "El rincón oscuro de la gorda", dedicado a la comedia y sátira política; "Feed fish", espacio para la alta cocina; "Fusión G", pensado en los universitarios gays, "Generus verus", donde compiten géneros musicales, y pronto se integrará "Carmelo on line", en el que un heterosexual interpreta a 15 personajes cómicos distintos. Manifestaciones artísticas y culturales, avances tecnológicos y científicos, moda y salud, música tecno y electrónica, forman también parte sustancial de la barra radiofónica, y algunos de ellos llegan a retransmitirse por Radio Universidad de Guadalajara. De igual manera la radiodifusora desea contribuir a erradicar la paranoia que impera en el seno de la comunidad homosexual la cual, comenta, si bien ha sido humillada y atacada, también suele repetir vicios como el hacerse la víctima e incomprendida, de catalogar todo de homofobia. Una mina de oro sin descubrir La comunidad gay es una microsociedad diversa y con recursos económicos. Sin embargo algunos patrocinadores y empresarios han preferido mantenerse al margen, pese a que el 25 por ciento de la riqueza mundial está en manos de homosexuales, de acuerdo con una investigación de la revista Forbes. "Generalmente en una pareja gay trabajan los dos y no tienen una familia que mantener. Su poder adquisitivo es muy alto y por ello suelen invertir su dinero en restaurantes y bares. Hay países de Europa que sí entienden la capacidad económica de la comunidad y que anuncian sus productos a través de parejas homosexuales", menciona Miguel Galán. Pero dicha apertura no se ha dado en México. Según Renato Henkel, empresas como Corona y Cuervo invierten en campañas gays millonarias en Estados Unidos y Australia, pero aquí no se atreven a patrocinar porque "es demasiado riesgo". Y aunque los homosexuales no son ricos ni acaudalados en México, menciona Henkel, pueden gastar en una noche de reventón de 300 a 350 pesos por persona, mientras que un heterosexual por mucho desembolsa 100 a 200 pesos. "Box, que es la discoteca más grande de México gay, vende en una nocheel total de cervezas que venden en un fin de semana todas las discotecas instaladas en Cancún durante un fin de semana. Estos datos hablan del poder adquisitivo de los homosexuales, pero los empresarios lo ignoran", añade. Blanca Valadez - Milenio (via José Alba Z., Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** MOLDOVA. In the official Moldovan view, Russian spelling rules don't apply here, because the state language in Moldova is Moldovan (Romanian). Moldovan uses the Latin alphabet and in this alphabet the town is written simply "Grigoriopol". Naturally, ethnic groups use their own spelling, and the Russian population in Moldova is using "Grigoriopol`" in Cyrillic letters. 73s, (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS. RAIDS IN THE NETHERLANDS UPDATE As Earlier news brought to you , Lots of pirate radio stations have been taken out by the Dutch Agency Telecom. Score by now in only one month of time is around 50 to 60 stations. The last few that were taken out were stations that transmitted with various powers between 0. and 5 kW and were broadcasting on the FM broadcasting bands between 88 and 100 MHz. The last 6 were not transmitting when the raids took place and at one place there was no one at home so they forced their way in. They took transmitters and various other equipment. Also at several places the police and AT (agency telecom) acted very rough and sprayed several people with pepper spray and used the stick to enter the houses of the stations to take possession of the equipment. Spokesmen of AT are determined to clean the Dutch airwaves and say that this action called Etherflits (etherflash) will go on for a year but if necessarily they will do so for much longer. Also the Dutch Pirates are organising an action called Tegenflits which means, freely translated into English, opposite-flash and have organised a strike against Etherflits and AT on the 10th of May at Den Haag in the city park Mallieveld. Due to the AT actions, Alfa Lima International has cleaned out their transmitter room and brought all broadcasting equipment to a secret hidding place as we believe several times there have been people standing on guard at the studios of Alfa Lima International and we can only think of the option that it was AT holding watch. So No Alfa Lima International in the very near future on those regular frequencies 15070 kc and between 6.2 and 6.3 MHz, but they will come back, that's for sure. Updates and other information on this topic will be placed at the webpage of Alfa Lima International http://www.alfalima.net Also for questions email to info@alfalima.net or just give us a call between 0700 and 2200 UT on the number + 31 619 508 938. Greetings from Alfred Zoer (Alfa Lima Int) Our email address info@alfalima.net Huge webpage related to short-wave http://www.alfalima.net _____________________________________ SW pirates group!!! Receive the latest SW-Pirates info Simply subscribe by sending a blanc email to: SWpirates-subscribe@egroups.com More info at: http://www.egroups.com/group/SWpirates _____________________________________ Contact info: Alfa Lima International P O Box 663 7900AR Hoogeveen, the Netherlands ("Alfa Lima Int, Dutch free radio." May 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. I heard the following last night, May 2nd: 11770, Voice of Nigeria 1728-1958*: 1728 in French, 1735 the usual VON tune used at sign-on/off and change of service, then headlines in (presumed) Swahili, VON tune again at 1740, continuing in west African language. Same procedure at 1745, 1750, 1755... Lost into QRM at 1800, heard again 1828 in French and 1955 in French, mentioning Olusegun Obasanjo, then the VON tune again and abrupt off. Not heard any // or other service last night (all usual frequencies blocked until 2100) or this morning. They should look for a completely new set of frequencies. On 11770 there was co-channel VOA Russian until 1900, later VOA news now. Also Beijing on 11765 (French) and 11775 (Balkan languages) causing problems. But 9690 at that time would be worse (Thorsten Hallmann, Münster, Narodna Respublika Niemecka, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. OVER-COMMERCIALISING RADIO NEWS TALK Vanguard (Lagos) OPINION Posted to the web April 30, 2003 Harry Nwana Sometime ago, I recall, I had cause to draw the attention of Radio Nigeria to what I thought were its shortcomings. Although its initial reaction tended towards a mild resentment, I note that over time, improvements have followed in its news out put. A number of the old familiar voices were recalled to enliven news broadcasts; but of course some of those voices had lost their allure, not being as transfixing as they used to be. But it was delightful to hear those voices again, being good reminders of the good old days of Radio Nigeria. . . http://allafrica.com/stories/200304300675.html (via Jill Dybka, TN, DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Re Goroka reactivated on 900 kHz: This should be possible DX target in northern North Island and around Canterbury with a loop at 1100-1200 UT. NBC 585 (10 kW) is sometimes heard on transistor with built in aerial here in Wellington around 1200 (David Ricquish, Wellington via Greylinedx via David Onley, Australian MW Group web site (4/5-2003) via Ydun`s MW News via DXLD) ** PERU. Is something ``going on`` in Chiclayo? 4757.32, Radio Imperio, Chiclayo, la provincia de Chiclayo, el departamento de Lambayeque. April 29 2003 - 0100 UT. After being off air for a week or so on the frequency of 4389.92, this one jumped up with good strength on 4757.32 kHz. It was there for three days but just now back on its permanent frequency. Until 0100 UT "usual" program. Then "La Voz de la Salvación". A temporary visit or is something ``going on`` in Chiclayo? Might be wise to check those two frequencies. Info from "Ventanaperú": Provincia de Chiclayo, cuya capital es Chiclayo. Sus distritos son: Chiclayo, Chongoyape, Eten, Puerto de Eten,José Leonardo Ortíz, Lagunas, La Victoria, Monsefú, Nueva Arica, Oyotún, Picsi, Pimentel, Reque, Santa Rosa, Saña; con una población total de 625,183 hab. 5005.72, UNID LA, probably Juliaca, Perú. April 22 2003 - 2340 UT. The religious program "La Voz de la Liberación" broadcast from Juliaca in southern Perú. No ID but presumably Radio L.T.C? (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, SW Bulletin May 4, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. ONDAS DEL PACIFICO, 6783. Con grata sorpresa encontré en mi Apartado una carta del Colega TIN [Takayuki Inoue Nozaki, Japón] en la cual adjunta una carta de verificación de la emisora Ondas del Pacífico; TIN me comenta que durante su visita a esta estación durante finales del año pasado encontró mi reporte y la verificación fechada desde el 27 de septiembre del 2001, que el dueño no había podido enviar por falta de dinero. Quiero a través de este medio (ya que no tengo contacto directo con él) hacerle llegar mis gracias al colega por la molestia en hacerme llegar este "QSL absolutamente raro" como él lo llama. Cabe anotar que de tiempo atrás tengo grabado saludos musicales que el director me envió a través de la emisora, a solicitud mía ya que es una realidad que la mayoría de emisoras peruanas no contestan los reportes, ésta es una forma que utilizo para obtener un bonito recuerdo de las mismas (Rafael Rodríguez R., Bogotá, Colombia, May 4, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** ROMANIA. Al menos tengo una emisión del espacio DX de Radio Rumanía Internacional, los lunes universales. Es un segmento dentro del programa de cartas y es emitido a las 0025 UT -aproximadamente- en los 11730 kHz. 73's y buen DX... (Adán González, VENEZUELA, May 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SLOVAKIA, R. Slovakia Int. Thought I'd check the frequencies in use at 0100 UT on May 4, 2003. Not too good. 5930 SIO 422 with QRM from WWCR on 5935; 6190 SIO 433 with QRM from unidentified station on 6185; 9440 SIO 433 with QRM from Universal Life, Germany on 9435. 73, (-.. . Kraig Krist, KG4LAC, VA, May 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOUTH AFRICA. People's SABC? May 2, 2003 By the Editor The SABC remains the powerhouse of African broadcasting. Yet it finds itself in an increasingly invidious position as it straddles critical responsibilities to the public, the community and advertisers. . . http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=225&fArticleId=139847 (via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) ** U K. WAR ACROSS THE AIRWAVES By Lesley Chamberlain; Published: May 1 2003 17:25 May 1945. In a former stately home in the English countryside a thick- set man in his thirties, with a high forehead and an intense gaze, listens through earphones to German radio. . . http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1051389661123 On the early history of BBC Monitoring (via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) ** U K. BROADCASTING'S 'BATTLE FOR BRITAIN' By Ollie Stone-Lee, BBC News Online political staff A diet of Disney alone is not good for children, say Lib Dems British identity is at stake when peers debate plans to shake-up broadcasting laws on Tuesday, says a leading Liberal Democrat peer. . . http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/2982953.stm (via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) ** U K [and non]. US MEDIA CHIEF URGES REGULATION A leading media figure in the US [Barry Diller] has attacked the media deregulation plans that could allow foreign firms to buy UK TV channels. . . http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2996909.stm (via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) ** U K [non?]. 4050, 2.5 2313, Laser Hot Hits with address and commercial for Radio Review in // with 6219 (Lennart Weirell, Västerås, Sweden, EDXP via DXLD) ** U K. THE FUTURE OF BAND I Following the demise of 405-line TV in the UK in 1985, Band III was opened up to PMR (Private Mobile Radio) and later DAB (Digial Audio Broadcasting) at the upper end of the band. Over a decade ago there were plans to re-engineer the upper half of band I (55.75-68.00 MHz) to provide a dedicated band for mobile communications networks. There are no user assignments at present, but 380 pairs of 12.5 kHz channels are available for PMR and CBS (Common Base Stations). With the 27 MHz Citizen Band slot becoming vacant in 2003/4 in the UK, there are fears that this may prompt the take-up of new services to the upper part of Band I. The 70 and 80 MHz sub-bands are currently used by the Fire Service in England and Wales, but should be vacated in 2007 when European- approved channel re-alignment can take place to pave the way for new users. Regional allocations may become available from around 2004. Some DXers feel their hobby is under threat by the possibility of new users but we need to put things into perspective. Many veteran DXers will recall the nightmare days when Band I supported five BBC TV channels. The sound carrier of Channel B2 shared the same frequency as Channel E2 vision at 48.25 MHz, so imagine how difficult DXing was, particularly if you lived with in the reaches of the Holme Moss transmitter for instance! (Keith Hammer & Garry Smith, DX Television, March SW Magazine via DXLD) http://www.pwpublishing.ltd.uk/swm ** U K. CALL TO PRAYER Has anyone been monitoring the `Call to Prayer` stations in the UK? In case you were not aware, there are a large number of frequencies between 454 and 455 MHz that are allocated to mosques here in Britain. The mosque then transmits the CTP to the worshipers via radio instead of a generally audible summons being issued via a loud hailer from the roof of the mosque, thus avoiding annoying non-Muslim neighbours. There are a number of companies that supply these systems to mosques and they generally sell scanning receivers to the mosque members in order to receive the transmissions. It would be much more cost effective for the intended recipients to be able to purchase converted hand-held transceivers, set up on the local channel and programmed to operate only on receive but this does not seem to be happening at the moment. Most of the transmissions are either in Arabic or other languages common in Pakistan or other dialects of that region of the world. Some, however, have been heard in English together with other transmissions not necessarily concerned with calling the faithful to prayer. The controversial Finsbury Park mosque transmits on 454.275 MHz. The frequency is shared with other London mosques. If you live in any town there may well be a CTP channel in your area. Interestingly, one such mosque seems to scramble its transmissions in the London area. Try listening for them on 454.700 MHz. In all cases the mode is NBFM (Dave Roberts, Scanning Scene, March SW Magazine via DXLD) Hmmm, there are plenty of mosques in the US, and the number is increasing. I wonder how they handle the CTP. Are there *any* traditional muezzins and minarets on the `air` in such neighborhoods? If radial, what frequencies/bands? (gh, DXLD) ** U S A [or non]. Glenn, Has anyone else noticed clear signals here in Europe on 13858 USB of AFRTS during UT afternoons (approx 1000- 1600)? Regards and 73's (Dan Goldfarb, Brentwood, England, May 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) News to me! Thanks; wonder whence (gh) A station heard on 13855 SSB-USB heard carrying American commercial show "The Car Show" at tune in 1515. ID at 1600 was "You're listening to AFN" then AP Network News, followed at 1606 Special Assignment. Signal is strong and 5 kHz spacing from BFBS 13860. 73s (Noel R. Green, Blackpool - UK, May 3, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) Noel, nice tip, thanks. On 3 May at 1758 heard this 13855 USB with usual AFN stuff. BFBS 13860 signed off around 1800 and then no splatters from them. Around 1803 an ute-station came on the frequency with "CQ DE OXT" and later with presumed facsimile broadcast. Guess that's located in Denmark. But AFN continues. Here the signal is rather fading and weaker than BFBS was on 13860 (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, ibid.) HFCC schedule has the entry "NEW", so probably Keflavik? 73, (Mauno Ritola, Finland, ibid.) What HFCC schedule?? HFCC A-03 I see only has Jülich on 13855, and only at 1800-2100. But didn`t ISBS use 13855 before? (gh) Hi Mauno, Yes, maybe you are right !!!! A German DXer Horst from Frankfurt told me that he contacted Wilhelm Herbst in Northern Denmark immediately, where he spent two weeks DXpedition in past winter. Wilhelm has 20 Beverage antennas at his disposal on his house near the NorthSea beach: he narrowed the azimuth towards 300 degrees from Denmark (Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Moderator note: AFN Keflavik is still audible with good reception on 13855 usb as of 0945 UT Sunday (BDXC-UK May 4 via DXLD) AFRTS is audible here on 13855 USB, 0950 UT with a rather stupid talkshow on cars. At 1000 AFN ID and into AP Network News. Fair signals on a clear channel, might be a reactivation of the Keflavík station on Iceland. Greetings, (Martin Elbe, Germany, May 4, dxing.info via DXLD) ** U S A [non]. The items [3-076] for VOA Okinawa, Thailand and Philippines are interesting. But, the Bangkok VOA 1000 kW transmitter was never a Collins. Initially it was a Continental Electronics (CEMCO) CE-105B. The 105B was made of two 500 kW units, built together as one. It was replaced by a Harris fully solid-state transmitter. Okinawa used a similar Continental transmitter. Philippines also had a million watt Continental transmitter. It was replaced by a Harris solid-state, same as Bangkok. Philippines still has the old unit as a standby, while Bangkok's old one was junked. I don't know where the Bangkok transmitter was kept during the years in question, but I really doubt that anyone would install it somewhere and then later try to move it. I've seen it and it is huge. Bangkok is on 1575, Philippines on 1143. Both signals are heard over a very large range including the U.S. (anon., DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. The i.e. America Radio Network - produces programs for radio stations & audiences that want to hear show hosts with a different perspective. 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[M-F 1300-1600 UT] The Thom Hartmann Show - his show uncovers corporate lies, deception by mega-media, and rampant confusion in the offices of our politicians. Thom takes on pop (and not-so-pop) culture, democracy, and the news of the day. He brings listeners ``uncommon`` sense. Thom calls for a rapid and radical return to ``The Old Values That Made America Great`` - the values of democracy on which this country was founded. Thom Hartmann began his radio career in 1968, and is also an internationally known author, commentator, and media personality. Thom`s message: ``There is a great future for our nation and the world if we revitalize American Democracy.`` [M-F 1600-1800 UT] The Peter Werbe Show - join Peter daily with producer Juline Jordan for lively discussions, strong interviews, and special daily features including Jim Hightower. His show features news and analysis from the progressive point of view. Peter is an advocate of civil liberties, civil rights and work rights - his show creates a lively forum for public debate. Peter, along with producer Juline Jordan, encourages listeners to think about issues relating to social change. [M-F 1800- 2100 UT] Listen to Jim Hightower`s commentary [week]daily at 2:30pm ET [1830 UT] on the Peter Werbe Show Family Talk - hosted by Dr. Mike Riera, is a daily two-hour program dedicated to matters concerning parenting and the family. With a strong focus on parents dealing with teens, the program includes family adolescent issues, school, social life and parental interaction. Experts and teens add stimuli to the program and help make this ``must listen`` radio for parents! This program is produced by Icicle Networks and distributed by i.e. America Radio Network. [M-F 2100-2300 UT] All American Talk Radio - hosted by Peter B. Collins and Peter Laufer is an open national forum, bringing together the issues at hand from all sides. ``All American Talk Radio`` is the show that is inclusive for all listeners, reaching to the core values that America was built on. This program is produced by Icicle Networks and distributed by i.e. America Radio Network. [M-F 2300-0100 UT Tu-Sa] The Mike Malloy Show - stand back because Mike is a hard edged progressive talk radio show host with a straightforward style, independent facts, and intelligent conversation. Mike Malloy seeks the truth – fueled by logic and hard facts, and isn`t afraid to expose the hypocrisy in the current administration. He was named one of ``Talkers Magazine`s Heavy Hundred`` talk hosts in 1999, 2000 and 2002! Voted ``Best Evening Talk`` In Chicago, Mike`s TSL was higher than Limbaugh at WLS. Truthseekers listen to Mike at night! [Tu-Sa 0100-0400 UT] Encourage your local radio station to contact Ron Metzinger to air our programs in your market. Call Ron at 313.957.2715 or email us at info@ieamericaradio.com http://www.ieamericaradio.com i.e. America Radio Network delivers daily newscasts and Labor News – The Workers Independent News Service to stations at the top and bottom of each hour, everyday. Hear us daily at http://www.ieamericaradio.com or Sirius Satellite stream 145 Sirius Left, or call Renee Scarponi for a station near you - 800.397-8255. http://www.ieamericaradio.com/Media%20Kit%20Web%20Pages/Show%20Host%20Overview.htm#two Schedule grid in UT-4: http://www.ieamericaradio.com/schedule_c.asp shows a variety of specialty programs on weekends. Guess what: no affiliate listings are available. Why isn`t any of this on a SW station? I remember Malloy when he was on WLS and WSB, but have never run across any of them on any domestic station I can hear (via Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WITH SALE OF JAZZ STATION, WBEE OWNER CALLS IT QUITS May 2, 2003 BY ROBERT FEDER SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST It's the end of an era for the station billed as "Real Jazz Radio in Chicago Since 1955" and for the longest-serving top broadcast executive in the market. After 30 years as general manager of WBEE-AM (1570) -- and the last 17 years as its owner -- Charles Sherrell agreed this week to sell the south suburban Harvey jazz station for $1.775 million, pending government approval. The new owner, Detroit-based Great Lakes Radio, is expected to turn WBEE into an all-gospel outlet. Sherrell, 66, cited stagnant revenues and invisible Arbitron ratings for deciding to sell his only radio property. "Truth be told, we haven't grown any," he said Thursday, just before announcing the sale to his staff. "It's all but impossible to get dollars from advertising agencies if you don't have ratings. The market is becoming more and more competitive to the point where if you don't have ratings, you can't even get local retailers [to advertise] anymore." To support WBEE's jazz programming during the day, Sherrell had been forced to accept paid gospel programming between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. daily as well as several time-brokered talk shows. "When you put that kind of stuff on, you know you're going to lose people who normally would be listening for jazz," he said. "But when you're not making any money on jazz, that's what you have to do." Although he has championed the format for 30 years, Sherrell acknowledged the inevitable: "If you're a small AM station like WBEE -- with only 1,000 watts of power that can only be heard on the South Side of Chicago and in the south suburbs -- and if you're programming an art form like jazz, which is only appreciated by a small percentage of the listening public, you cannot expect to get ratings. You're just not going to get the numbers." Nevertheless, Sherrell hopes to acquire another station in the market- -preferably on the FM band--within a year. "I know I can make it with jazz," he said (via Brock Whaley for DXLD May 2, 2003) ** U S A. Yesterday I heard an announcement on our local graveyarder, KRSN-1490, that they will soon be installing a "booster antenna" in town in order to improve signal levels. I have an email sent off to the station asking for more details of the scheme, which I'll share if I get a response. Currently, the KRSN transmitter site is on Lab property in White Rock, several miles away from the main Los Alamos townsite, and is quite unlistenable here in town after dark. [Later:] Here's the answer I got back from the radio station regarding the "booster antenna". It looks like it's going to be almost literally in my backyard, as the golf course is right behind my house! Nuts! Also, it's interesting they're waiting for approval from the county, but no mention of getting approval from the FCC..... "We don't need no Steenking CP!" (Mike Westfall, Los Alamos NM, NRC-AM via DXLD) [I assume this is Mike`s remark, not KRSN`s --- gh] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: Booster Antenna info request From: "KRSN" krsn@losalamos.com Date: Fri, 2 May 2003 14:05:18 -0600 Thanks for your inquiry, Mike. We are planning to put up a 50 foot tall pole at the golf course and use a low power (250 +- watt) transmitter. We will be on the same frequency and will adjust the power to regulate where the zone of destructive interference falls. I'm just waiting for tech drawings from my engineer and approval from the county. We're also in a fund raising mode to create enough cash to do the project. Thanks, again. (Mark M. Bentley, KRSN, via Mike Westfall, NRC-AM via DXLD) These are synchronous repeaters and can be used to supplement coverage as long as all interference rules are met. WAPA 680 in Puerto Rico has a 500 watt synch in Arecibo; WISO 1260 has a 500 watter in Mayagüez. KLSQ-Laughlin ran a 1 kw synch in E. Las Vegas, for a while WFTL in Ft. Lauderdale ran a 1 kw synch in Pompano Beach. KOB runs a night synch in Santa Fe for null fill. There are quite a few more. Under new rules, these are part of the originating station license, not separate stations. In the past, they were counted against ownership caps, and not common. WBZA 1030 in Springfield on 1030 was a synch with WBZ. Westinghouse closed it down when they wanted to buy a 7th real AM. WBTA in Shelby was the same for Jeff-Pilot; they killed the 1 kw null fill station to buy a 7th real AM. 1400 in Lowell/Lawrence, MA, was the original synch, I think (David Gleason, ibid.) Funny I see this... WLLH is a station very near and dear to my heart, having grown up in the shadow of it's Lowell, MA studios and tower. I also by coincidence was flipping through my radio station info files in my file cabinet and had the foresight to print out some of WLLH's website from back around 1998... its history section. Quoting from this defunct webpage... "On April 24, 1936, WLLH was granted special temporary authority (S.T.A.) to install a new synchronized booster station at Lawrence, MA, nine miles distant, with a power variable from 10 watts to 100 watts on 1370 kilocycles at a site to be determined. The authority was to expire July 1, 1936, but was later extended. On March 1937, WLLH's authorization for a booster station at Lawrence was reaffirmed; the new station was to be synchronized with WLLH on (then) 1370 kilocycles with a power of from 10 to 100 watts. On August 10, 1937, WLLH was granted special experimental authority for a satellite station at Lawrence, which was installed in the Cregg Building, utilizing a 100 foot Lingo vertical radiating tower. (It still stands today at the Cregg Building in Downtown Lawrence, MA. Antenna is top loaded i.e.: guys at the top appear to be bonded to the flagpole antenna.) WLLH's booster went on the air December 1, 1937 with a power of 100 watts, duplicating the WLLH program schedule. In 1938, the power of the station and its booster in Lawrence was increased to 150 watts full time in January 1940. Antenna tower in use at Lowell by 1940 was one 150 foot Lehigh vertical radiator. On March 4, 1941, WLLH was granted on a regular basis a license to cover operation of a synchronous station at Lawrence, MA (replacing its former S.T.A.). This license specified a power from 10 to 100 watts, although at this time WLLH at Lowell was using 250 watts. In the NARBA frequency reallocations on Saturday, March 29, 1941, WLLH and its repeater) was assigned to operate on 1400 kilocycles in lieu of the previously authorized 1370 kilocycles. By 1943, an auxiliary studio was maintained by WLLH in the Cregg Building, Lawrence. In Late 1963, the station was authorized to raise day power(s) from 500 watts to 1,000 watts, nights remaining 250 watts. Power was increased to this level in early 1964. Kind of lengthy of a quote, but the actual paper is about three pages. I would be pleased to type the whole paper for posting within the NRC site since this is what I'd say, a somewhat unique station. To me it was a great Top 40 station. This small market station definitely had a big market sound for about two decades. The Jingles, The Personalities, the community commitment/involvement, The Music... I miss the old station. It is now run in a simulcast with 1150 AM in Boston, LA Mega or somesuch with Spanish/Latin contemporary music. Sincerely, (Ron Gitschier, N.E. Florida... a long way from my hometown of Lowell, MA, ibid.) ** U S A. OHIO MOMENTS --- WLW BECOMES WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL STATION In 1921, Cincinnatian Powel Crosley Jr. began selling radios and received a license to broadcast at 20 watts. The next year, he was assigned the call letters WLW and began transmitting with 500 watts. In 1928, Crosley ordered a 50,000-watt transmitter built in Mason. He began building a 500,000-watt facility in Mason in 1933. On May 2, 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt pressed a golden key in the White House that signaled the WLW radio transmitter in Mason to beam its signal with 500,000 watts of power. Suddenly the most powerful radio station in the world, WLW could be heard from coast to coast and as far away as London. At 9:02 p.m. on that May 2, listeners heard the president say, "I have just pressed the key to formally open Station WLW." The streetlights in Mason dimmed. Downtown at a gala at the Netherland Plaza Hotel, Crosley received congratulatory telegrams from Roosevelt and Guglielmo Marconi, inventor of wireless communication (Rebecca Goodman, Cincinnati Enquirer May 2 via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) ** U S A. BIRDS GET TOP PRIORITY AT FCC By Mark Rockwell May 1, 2003 news@2 direct WASHINGTON -- The FCC has birds on its mind these days. More specifically, rules to keep birds from running into wireless towers. FCC Chairman Michael Powell told reporters here today that determining the correlation between bird fatalities and towers is a priority, and he kicked off a new 'Environmental and Historic Preservation Action Plan,' which includes consideration of possible new rules regarding radio frequency exposure. The RF exposure rules aren't looking at the biological standards for RF exposure but are related to types of exposure found in workplaces, according to an FCC staff official. The official said the commission isn't looking to get involved in setting biological standards for RF exposure in humans-an issue that has received much attention in courts and various studies. Commanding most of today's attention were the FCC's efforts to address the migratory bird issue. 'I'm not saying there's a problem with the towers. I'm saying there's a problem' with the interaction between birds and the towers, Powell said. The issue of dead migratory birds at wireless communications towers has been brewing since the Friends of the Earth last year petitioned the FCC to do retroactive environmental reviews of thousands of towers in the Southeastern United States. The FOE has continued to push the FCC to investigate the issue as well as to stop granting construction permission for planned towers until the issue is resolved. Today, Powell said the commission would work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to find out why birds may be attracted to the towers and will issue a formal inquiry into the matter in the coming months. In addition, the FCC has hired a biologist to work with the Fish and Wildlife Service. The FCC also has hired an historic preservationist and is developing a memorandum of understanding with tribal governments concerning building towers on historic lands. All this, according to Powell, is being done to compensate for long overdue environmental rules that address the increasing number of wireless towers and to work collaboratively with the pertinent government agencies, including the National Telecommunications & Information Administration. Industry groups continue working on the migratory bird issue, which has the potential of costing wireless companies billions. CTIA, PCIA and the National Association of Broadcasters--groups that are typically at odds on a lot of wireless issues-- have filed comments at the District Court of Appeals in Washington D.C. supporting the FCC. In February, Friends of the Earth filed a challenge to how the commission is handling the issue, saying the FCC was in violation of National Environmental Protection Act, The Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Endangered Species Act. PCIA, CTIA and NAB all said the FCC wasn't in violation because those laws don't impose 'mandatory' actions by the commission (Wireless Week via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) ** U S A. OCEAN SEEKING TO REBUILD TOWER STRUCTURE PLAYED ROLE IN EARLY LONG-DISTANCE RADIO COMMUNICATIONS By Carolyn O’Connell, Staff Writer, Greater Media Newspapers (NJ) http://atlanticville.gmnews.com/news/2003/0502/Front_Page/001.html Part of Ocean Township`s history has fallen down. A communications tower, one of five built in 1929 by AT&T that were used for ship-to-shore telephone and communications with Europe, collapsed and can be seen in the center of what is now Joe Palaia Park, near a driveway off Whalepond Road. The governing body is attempting to have a tower rebuilt that resembles the fallen tower, but doing so is complicated by the location of the tower. The park where the tower stood was purchased by the town with funding from the state’s Green Acres program. Therefore, there are restrictions on the type of structures that can be built on the property, formerly known as the Deal Test Site. The governing body must submit a request to the State House Commission if it is to restore the tower, according to Township Manager David R. Kochel. "This is a unique situation," said Kochel. "The towers are an integral part of the history which will be lost." A resolution adopted during a council meeting on April 23 states that the township is requesting the removal, replacement and commercial leasing of collapsed tower No. 1. The tower would be built to resemble the original lattice design, with a base platform, equipment housing and ancillary wireless telephone and radio support equipment. "If the township is able to lease the tower, the revenue generated would be used for maintenance of the four remaining towers, signs on walking trails [indicating the history of the site] and general maintenance for the park," Kochel said. The other towers, he noted, are not sound enough to be leased. If permission is granted and the tower is rebuilt, the tower could be leased to cell phone companies, for pager systems and amateur radio clubs, and the township could use it for its communications networks for the public works, fire and police departments. Township officials are quite aware of the type of revenue such a tower can generate. According to Kochel, a 250-foot communications tower erected in the industrial section of the town near the Seaview Square Mall by Bell Atlantic, now owned by Crown Castle Atlantic, generates $60,000 in revenue for the township. Kochel said that it is a good deal, since the township did not pay to have the tower erected and uses the tower for township communications. The latter company also owns the 400-foot tower, which is no longer operational, built to replace the existing tower. The 400-foot tower is expected to be imploded within the next 30 days, according to Kochel. According to the township, the park was originally called the Foxburst Farm, a 63-acre tract which is now the southern portion of the park. It was purchased by Western Electric, a manufacturing arm of AT&T, in 1919. The remaining 145 acres were purchased by AT&T in 1927. As the importance of global communication grew after World War I, AT&T chose the park to conduct ship-to-shore experiments in which communications were sent as far as 300 miles off the New Jersey coast. Three more towers were erected in a triangular pattern and used to broadcast speech and music for a range of 1,000 miles. In 1921 the same company built a two-story white building, which was used for a laboratory and dormitories for the engineers. Because of these early experiments, AT&T was able to operate a commercial short wave radio telephone service to England. Research continued through the 1930s in conjunction with Bell Labs, to create shorter wave lengths, which led to the development of the microwave radio systems used to carry long distance calls. In 1953 the test site was sold to developers in Jersey City, who leased the property to the U.S. Army Signal Corps for tracking satellites. A 28-inch dish antenna on a 40-foot tower near the Bicentennial Oak Tree was used to pick up signals from Russian satellites Sputnik I and II. In the 1960s the Army transmitted the first photograph via facsimile ("fax") to Puerto Rico from the site using the Courier satellite. (via Kim Elliott, Jill Dybka, DXLD) ** U S A. COLUMBIA [MARYLAND] COMPANY HELPS LAUNCH DIGITAL RADIO IN CHICAGO Digital radio has debuted in Chicago, as two Windy City stations owned by media giant Clear Channel Communications Inc. have begun broadcasting using technology developed by Columbia-based iBiquity Digital Corp., the company said Friday. Smooth jazz WNUA (95.5 FM) and "V-103" WVAZ (102.7 FM), an urban adult contemporary station, are now broadcasting from a new transmitter atop the John Hancock Center, simultaneously sending analog and higher- quality digital signals. . . http://baltimore.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2003/04/28/daily45.html (via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) ** U S A. National Public Radio will find some new "companions" in the Texarkana region soon as the Texarkana College-based Texarkana Public Radio, KTXK-FM, boosts its transmitter to 100,000 watts from its present 5,200 watt output. . . http://www.texarkanagazette.com/articles/2003/04/27/news/news01.txt (via Jilly Dybka) ** U S A. AMATEUR RADIO SPECTRUM PROTECTION ACT TO GET PUBLIC AIRING from The ARRL Letter, Vol 22, No 18 Website: http://www.arrl.org/ on May 3, 2003 The chairman of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet has agreed to hear testimony on the House version of the Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act of 2003, HR 713, at a public hearing later this spring. Rep Fred Upton (R-MI) this week assured the bill's sponsor, Rep Michael Bilirakis (R-FL), that the hearing--which will be convened to address public safety spectrum needs--will include an opportunity for a member of the Amateur Radio community to appear before the panel. Upton also told Bilirakis that he shares his interest in protecting Amateur Radio. "That indeed is good news!" said ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP. "A hearing is exactly what we'd like to have in order to state our case, and I think we can state a good case, too." The date of the hearing has not been set. Upton's willingness to hear testimony on the bill is considered critical to providing it with the credibility it needs as it moves through the legislative process. It also marks a major step toward getting HR 713 through this Congress. The agreement, during a meeting of the full House Energy and Commerce Committee, came after Bilirakis asked to speak prior to consideration of another piece of spectrum legislation, HR 1320, the Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act, which Upton sponsored. During his comments, Bilirakis spent about five minutes discussing the importance of Amateur Radio to the committee, chaired by Rep Billy Tauzin (R-LA). The newest cosponsors of HR 713 include representatives Jerry Moran (D-KS), John Olver (D-MA), Mike Ross, WD5DVR (D-AR), and Walter Jones, Jr (R-NC). The Senate version of the Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act, S 537, recently got a boost when the chairman of the Senate Communications Subcommittee, Montana Republican Conrad Burns, signed on as a cosponsor. His cosponsorship indicates that the measure now has his attention and could convince others to follow suit. Bilirakis filed HR 713 on February 12, while Idaho Sen Michael Crapo introduced S 537 on March 6. The legislation would amend the Communications Act to require the FCC to provide "equivalent replacement spectrum" to Amateur Radio and the Amateur-Satellite Service in the event of a reallocation of primary amateur allocations, any reduction in secondary amateur allocations, or "additional allocations within such bands" that would substantially reduce their utility to amateurs. Bilirakis and Crapo, both Republicans, have twice before sponsored similar legislation at the League's recommendation. The bills point out Amateur Radio's volunteer role in providing emergency communication during disasters and emergencies. Haynie continues to encourage ARRL members to urge their senators and representatives and to cosponsor the bills. "Letters and e-mails are the key to getting legislation passed," Haynie says. Sample letter is available on the ARRL site http://www.arrl.org/govrelations/arspa.html Those writing their lawmakers are asked to copy their correspondence to the League via e-mail specbill03@arrl.org (For additional information, see "Communicating with Congress," by Derek Riker, KB3JLF, QST May 2003, p 46.) The text of HR 713 and S 537 is available via the Thomas Web site http://thomas.loc.gov/ Source: The ARRL Letter Vol. 22, No. 18 May 2, 2003 (via Mike Terry, John Norfolk, DXLD) ** U S A. JOURNALISTS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN 2002 .c The Associated Press The 31 names added Friday to the Freedom Forum Journalists Memorial in the Washington suburb of Arlington, Va. They are grouped by the countries where they died, with the location of their news organizations in parentheses, followed by dates of death or disappearance in 2002: (via Fred Waterer, DXLD) UNITED STATES: David Gerdrum, KRTV (Great Falls, Mont.), Jan. 12 Jennifer Hawkins Hinderliter, KRTV (Great Falls, Mont.), Jan. 12. Robert I. Friedman, freelance (New York), July 2. Along with hotspots around the world, three entries came under the USA; apparently you don`t have to run into terrorists to be KIA, but be involved in a 12-vehicle pileup in a dust storm, certainly tragic but seemingly in a different category than `Freedom Forum` would be dealing with. I hadn`t heard of the Great Falls matter, so I looked up the http://www.krtv.com website and found a link in the upper right labeled `in loving memory`. http://www.krtv.com/inmemoryofjenanddave.htm which further links to press reports about what happened. But does this mean they were the only journalists in the US killed in traffic accidents in 2002y? And if not, shouldn`t all the others be honored in the same way by Freedom Forum? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Subject: [AMFMTVDX] TIS news from Dallas area. Conditions were lousy on this quick 2-day trip, but I noted a few interesting TIS stations: TRH-TX Irving, TX (business trip), ICF-2010, internal antenna, Delco car radio. TIS and OTHER: [we`re not sure what timezone(s) TRH is using for his travel DX reports] 890 TIS TX De Soto - 4/21 1946 - City TIS with fair signals. I haven't found De Soto on any maps but it must be near Dallas (TRH-TX) 1250 WPHG284 TX Duncanville - 4/21 0142 - City TIS, mentioned city web site at http://www.duncanville.com (TRH-TX) 1620 WPMV714 TX Lewisville - 4/21 0111 - City TIS with news about city projects and local public access TV station "LVTV". Slogan "WPMV radio 16-20 on your radio dial." (TRH-TX) 1640 (WPLR660) TX DFW Airport - 4/20 2300 - Airport TIS not noted while I was in town. 1680 station is still on, no signs noted. (TRH- TX) 1670 WPIW244 TX Farmers Branch - 4/21 0742 - "Farmers Branch information radio" here now, ex 690, with weather and other info. (TRH-TX) 1680 TIS TX Dallas - 4/21 1030 - New TIS for Downtown Dallas Improvement District, mentioning events in downtown Dallas. Surprised they would put this station on the same channel as the big airport TIS (TRH-TX) ICF-2010, Kiwa Loop, Marantz tape recorder, Intermatic timer, lousy Toyota car radio TRH-AZ On the road TRH-AZ1 Tombstone, AZ TRH-AZ2 Ajo, AZ 1400.3 KCHS NM Truth or Consequences - 4/26 0951 - Local ads, still off frequency about 300Hz. Remember when we used to have an FCC that woke up every few years and took care of stuff like this? (TRH-AZ1) 1570 KAMP AZ Tucson - 4/26 1925 - Pretty good signals as we drove near the ASU Campus. Mostly hip-hop music (TRH-AZ) 1610 KOJ793 AZ Why - 4/29 0850 - Organ Pipe Cactus NM TIS with information about the scenic loop drives and highway 85. Doesn't get out particularly well (TRH-AZ2) 1610 WPSE479 CA Needles - 4/28 2154 - CalTrans HAR with road conditions for I-40 in the Needles area. Note: Message format and woman's voice are identical to WPSG912 Mountain Pass, CA, that many of us have been hearing lately. The only real difference is the substitution of "I-40 in the Needles area" for "I-15" (TRH-AZ2) 1610 WPBE828 UT Panguitch-Red Canyon - 4/27 2327 - Station is running a full tape loop again, mostly mentioning Bryce Canyon and highway 12. Note: It is especially easy to mistake this station for the Bryce Canyon station (KOP798) because it now mentions the other Bryce station on 1590. Mixing with westernmost Zion NP station (Virgin-La Verkin, UT). (TRH-AZ2) 1660 – AZ Tucson - 4/26 1926 - "Warrior Radio 16-60 AM, Blues School" is located at the Pueblo Magnet High School, where students are learning to use state-of-the-art radio automation equipment. Blues music and PSAs (stay in school, etc.). Good signal covering most of the city (TRH-AZ) (Tim Hall, amfmtvdx via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 3180, 1.5 0045, Spanish Latin American on this QRG harmonic which corresponds to 1590 kHz. Some Andean music, but couldn't hear much more. Also cx-buzz on 3100 and 3060, those will be audible when the cx improves [both cx = conditions?]. Nobody else noticed these harmonics from high end of MW? 1-3 RÅ (Roland Åkesson, Sweden, SW Bulletin May 4, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED [non]. With reference to the unID station reported by Mr. Noel Green on 13630 at 0600-0800, it is Voice International, Australia in Hindi. It can be easily mistaken for AIR with its Hindi songs and even Delhi weather etc. By the way recently AIR Bangalore also conducted some tests on this 13630. ===== 73 (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS/AT0J, Hyderabad 500082, India, dx_india via DXLD) Due to midday transmission (office hours in India) could not log this but today I could check 13630 and it's Christian Voice from Darwin (identified as THE VOICE ASIA) --- the same program broadcast at 0100- 0400 on 11850 via Tashkent. The program is in Hindi with a mix of Urdu and Punjabi language. Signal is rather weak here in CAL and it seems that the transmission is at 0500-0900 but announcing Indian Standard Time. The address mentioned on the air: The Voice, P. O. Box 1, KANGRA, HIMACHAL PRADESH, INDIA. Email : mail@thevoiceasia.com (Alok Dasgupta, Kolkata, ibid.) Yes, but both 11850 and 13630 are the Tashkent relay of VI (Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RECEIVER NEWS +++++++++++++ NEW SYSTEM WOULD ALERT MOTORISTS OF EMERGENCY VEHICLES 56K | High Speed [Video was/is? available] JACKSONVILLE, FL - Emergency vehicles sometimes are forced to weave their way through traffic and deal with cars that don't get out of the way. A delay or a motorist failing to yield could mean that someone somewhere could die. But now a breakthrough in technology should help emergency vehicles have a clear path and help save more lives. . . http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/news-article.aspx?storyid=1014 (WTLV via Jill Dybka, DXLD) Not explained is how the system works. Does it transmit on all local radio frequencies people are likely to be listening to? Or absolutely all AM & FM broadcast frequencies? Or come in by transmitting on the IFs? Does any enabling need to be done at the receiver end, or is it totally involuntary, raising thorny legal issues --- or it ought to. I don`t recall the Jax area being called First Coast before --- is this a channel 12 gimmick or broader? Guess it derives from St. Augustine as initially `discovered` by the Spanish (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) COMMENTARY ++++++++++ QSLing BELLABARBA Martin Schöch: Hello Thomas, yes, the statement from Dario is correct. In 97 (?) I started my special page about the Bellabarbas, one pages with copies of his reports (I run a pirate radio drop box, so I get some of these) and one page with his QSL logs from Play DX. In Dec 2002 I redesigned my QSL info pages, they are now based upon an excel-work-sheet. Now it was too much work to keep a separate list for the Bellabarbas. Thus all information is now in the same place/in the same lists. Advantage a - less work for me. Advantage b - much more interest/discussions about 'such techniques' from other DXers and among other DXers Advantage c - I don't like the image that QIP is the final judge what contributor is correct and which isn`t (there are several other DXers mentioned on the Bellabarba page). When seeing the results (logs and copies) everyone has to come to his own conclusions (at least this was what we were demanding from the US before the Iraq war) Point d - it`s equal to the Bellabarbas if I publish the logs or not, they don`t do it for the public I believe Further discussions are welcome ! Yours Martin -------------------------- Reply from Thomas Nilsson, SWB: Martin! Thanks for mail. I will with pleasure reply to your views. Fake QSL:s upset the whole DX-world. QSL cards are by no means like collecting postcards. A QSL card is a proof of listening and reporting the station. Thus it is extremely important as editor to at least try to sort out and not publish material from people that by most DX-ers are known or even regarded as unserious. In my opinion no listings at all containing this type of material shall be published. You make it very easy to say it gives you less work and that you are not the judge. But as editor you have that responsibility. With the help of Excel it is easy to use the sheets as a database and sort out the fake material. You also have to think twice about the intention with your QIP site. What is the effort worth if other people have a negative view of your site and never pay a visit? So please leave all the unserious people out in the cold by not publish this type of material. There is absolutely nothing positive in referring to such people. It will also create much less work for you and your site will recover respect again. Regards Thomas Nilsson, editor of SWB ------------------ Reply from Martin Schöch, May 01-2003: Hello Thomas, since it is a holiday today I have the time to write to you. Yesterday I updated The 'Giovanni Bellabarba' QSL Page at http://www.schoechi.de/bellabar.html I created a special page where all the latest discussions from the lists and DXLD have been added. (|Thus it is extremely important- ) It 'should be' a proof. Unfortunately it isn't any longer. See the new story 'Relative value' by H. Klemetz at the Bellabarba-page. (|Easy to say it gives you less work- ) I have of course ethical standards, but I think in the case of Bellabarba (and other suspects) my task is fulfilled by the webpage with the copies of their 'reports'. As far as I know I'm the only one who ever did something (establishing public attention by making a webpage is something I guess) 'against' him, all other knew him and said something about him but did not do something. (|With the help of Excel it is easy- ). Yes, that's true. (|What is the effort worth if other- ) I changed the layout of my pages in December 2002 and with the layout change I added the Bellabarba QSL-logs. Since January 2003 I had more than 7000 visitors (acc. to the agecounter), I guess including several visits of the same person etc. that are perhaps 500 different people. No-one complained about that the logs have been added. From all these discussions in last weeks I only got two letters, one from you and one from Italian who said 'fun to read about Bellabarba'. (| So please leave all the unserious people out in the cold…) So until now I did not note any other critical comments about my site in mails to me or in the mailing lists. As it seems the either the content of my pages is more important than Bellabarba or the readers do not care if these logs are there or not. (|You also have to think twice about the intention with your QIP site…). The aim of QIP is not the question. The aim of the Bellabarba- page is the question. And the 'public attention' is still the best way to cope with such things, better than forbidding or hiding something. Especially the fact that no-one wrote to me (supporting either me or you) shows that the question if-or if not is not so important. The conflict about Bellabarba has been going on between 'Norden' and 'Italy'. We others simply watch. And I guess that some Nordic DXers take DXing too seriously (I never saw a list of QSLs about 'first one from Germany' but a lot of 'first from Sweden') and that some Italian DXers do not take it seriously enough (it makes me crazy when they all write KHZ or khz but not kHz). That`s all for today, all the best to you from Martin [Schöch] (all: SW Bulletin May 4 via DXLD) There was additional discussion from Rolf Wikström in Swedish, but I hesitate to ask Thomas Nilsson to translate it all (gh) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ Kp Index still quiet, (but I suspect not for much longer), I see that the RSGB are forecasting an Optimum Working Frequency (90% Chance of Success) of only 16 MHz to North America, during the coming week; this shows that, although we have had some high sunspot readings in the last few days, the overall trend is a very definite drop (Ken Fletcher, UK, 4th May 2003, 1249UTC=1349UTC+1, BDXC-UK via DXLD) ###