DX LISTENING DIGEST 3-129, July 20, 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/dxldtd3g.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 1191: RFPI: Mon 0030, 0630, 1230, Tue 1900, Wed 0100, 0730, 1330, 7445 15039 WBCQ: Mon 0445 on 7415, 5100-CUSB? WWCR: Wed 0930 on 9475 WRN ONDEMAND: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also for CONTINENT OF MEDIA]: Check http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html [Low] (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1191.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1191.ram [High] (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1191h.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1191h.ram (Summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1191.html WORLD OF RADIO ON WRMI --- WOR 1191 confirmed on IBC Radio via WRMI, Sat July 19 on 15725, starting at 1804. Also scheduled Sundays at 1800, started July 20 at 1801, but quite distorted, taking webstream and much worse than I hear it myself (Glenn Hauser, KS, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WORLD OF RADIO ON WJIE --- Reconfirmed Sunday July 20 at 1630 on 13595 -- WOR #1179, now three months old (gh) UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS I listen weekly to your program and being a long time {1954} SWL and welcome your info (Sheldon Newman) I enjoy it [DXLD] very, very much. Thanks, (Serafin Pagan, Nicaragua) SOLICITED TESTIMONIALS Re: Time to evaluate WOR affiliates Glen[n] - I listen to WOR on WWCR at 0230 UT Sunday. It comes in very well here in Park Ridge, Illinois (Chicago area). Thanks for all of the great work you do! (Phil Chapleau) Hello Glenn! You want reaction from your listeners. Yes, I was listening in with pleasure to WOR last night on 7445 kHz [RFPI]. Good signal with fast fading (Björn Malm, Ecuador) G'day mate, Glen here from Victoria, BC, Canada. I am listening and have been for years, although I now listen via the internet to your program via World Radio Network. Cheers, mate, (long time short wave listener and amateur radio operator, Call VE7SDX, Glen Tate) Hi Glen[n], I found a picture of you in an old 1968 or 69 WRTH. I wonder what you look like now! Real high school photograph. Anyway I think I have quite possibly been listening to you shows since your No. 1, OK I haven't sent in any information as I simply haven't had any of interest to forward to you to my point of view. Somebody by the way is putting our your shows a week late on a pirate station in Ireland on shortwave and if I miss getting you on a Saturday morning on World Space Radio I normally get your show the following week from this shortwave pirate; obviously you cannot acknowledge that this is happening but personally I would say the more listeners the better by any means. Keep up the good work. Best wishes PS: What has happened to the trains and their shunting? (Mike Evans, UK) If you are referring to train sounds on WOR tapes, the studio is still not soundproofed against sounds from outside such as trains on sidetracks not far away. That seems not to have been a problem lately, perhaps because of time of day I usually record, although if such sounds, or Vance AFB training jets do intrude, WRN have prevailed upon me not to let them be heard, in the interests of professionalism, so I pause the tape and wait for them to go away (gh) ** AFRICA. Sorry Folks! There were quite many errors in the latest version of Africalist, so I replaced it again today. http://africa.coolfreepage.com/africalist (Thorsten Hallmann, Münster, Germany, July 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA [and non]. Dear Alokesh, Greetings from HCJB, Ecuador. I have been working on getting some webpages created for HCJB Australia on the http://www.hcjb.org website. You may be interested to look at the webpage: http://www.hcjb.org/Sections+index-req-viewarticle-artid-210-page-1.html This page has the HCJB Australia Broadcast Schedule from 21st of July. You can also see the programme schedules by selecting on the links on that page. The current schedule can be found at the end of the "International Shortwave Broadcast Schedule" page: http://www.hcjb.org/Sections+index-req-viewarticle-artid-6-page-1.html Please forgive me if you already have this information, but I trust that knowing where the official broadcast schedule for HCJB Australia is will be helpful to you and many other DXers. 73 Best regards (Dave Yetman, Engineer, HCJB -------------------------------------------------------------- Ing. David G. Yetman (Kiwi in exile) HCJB WORLD RADIO Plantel de las Antenas Av. Interoceánica y Amazonas Pifo, ECUADOR HCJB Australia - The Voice of the Great South Land HCJB Ecuador - The Voice of the Andes .... That all may hear -------------------------------------------------------------- (via Alokesh Gupta, India, DXLD) DXPL airs on the evening releases only, to SAs unchanged Sat 1430, then on 15390, but the Pacific airing moves to Tuesdays! At 0830 on 11750. If I am not mistaken, Allen Graham did not give the new DXPL time on his July 19 show, tho he did give the new frequency schedule. BTW, now than Ken MacHarg is doing it, TFRL seems to be running longer; this week I timed it at 5.5 minutes, plus intro and outro. 11765 and 11750 are 50 kW at 120 degrees; 15420 and 15390 75 kW at 307 degrees from Kununurra. Some of the other semi-secular sounding titles: Regional News, daily 0900 on 11750, 1400 on 15390 followed until 0915, 1415 by Commentary weekdays, Focus weekends Destination Au/As/NZ/Pac, M-F [does this really mean UT Sun-Thu??] 1800-1830 on 11765; M-F 0200-0230 15420 Music of Au/As/NZ/Pac, M-F 0800-0830 11750, 1230-1300 15390 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOLIVIA. 6036.68, Radiodifusoras Trópico (presumed), 0915-1002 July 17. Noted Spanish comments from a man with some music. Signal faded in and out and was covered at times with splatter. Signal last heard at 1002. Overall the quality was threshold (Chuck Bolland, Clewiston Florida, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6037.5, R. Em Trópico 2330 to 0005* on 17/18 July (Bob Wilkner, FL, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Any IDs? ** COSTA RICA. I have had another UTC -6 station moving around. 3rd harmonic 4230 (from 1410 kHz) and 4260 (from 1420 kHz). It was Radio Pampa, Costa Rica. Björn Malm, La Prensa 4408 y Vaca de Castro, Quito, Ecuador (+593 2) 2598 470 JRC 535 – HF 150. MFJ 616 – MFJ 1025. 12m LW + 24m LW + Longwire Magnetic Balun 73s from (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [non]. PROGRAMAS ESPECIALES EN HONOR A CELIA CRUZ Noticias de WRMI Sábado, Julio 19, 2003 En Miami esta tarde, miles de personas están participando en varias misas y celebraciones en honor a la cantante cubanoamericana Celia Cruz, quien murió el pasado miércoles. Casi todos los programas cubanos en Radio Miami Internacional están preparando ediciones especiales para honrar a Celia Cruz este fin de semana. Estos incluyen: 2300-2359 UTC sábado: Foro Militar Cubano 0000-0030 UTC domingo: Conversando entre Cubanos 0030-0045 UTC domingo: La Hora de Chibás 0100-0200 UTC domingo: Radio Revista Lux 1015-1030 UTC domingo: La Hora de Chibás 2300-2359 UTC domingo: Radio Revista Lux 0030-0130 UTC lunes: Radio Oriente Libre 0130-0200 UTC lunes: Conversando entre Cubanos 1030-1130 UTC lunes: Entre Cubanos Todos estos programas se transmiten en 9955 kHz. DENUNCIAN INTERFERENCIA CUBANA A WRMI El siguiente informe del corresponsal cubano Carlos Serpa en la Isla de Pinos/Juventud aparece en la edición de Julio 19/20 del programa Radio Revista Lux en Radio Miami Internacional: "Héctor Pachá García, delegado de la Confederación Obrera Nacional Independiente de Cuba, CONIC, en Isla de Pinos, denunció a la corresponsalía de Lux Info Press que el régimen de Fidel Castro interfiere las transmisiones de Radio Revista Lux, órgano radial de la Federación Sindical de Plantas Eléctricas, Gas y Agua de Cuba en el Exilio. El programa que sale todos los sábados a las 9 de la noche [hora de Cuba] y domingos a las 7 de la noche por la frecuencia de Radio Miami Internacional en 9955 kilohertz, banda de 31 metros, en emisión especial a Cuba y el mundo de habla castellana, está acompañado de un ruido que impide captar con calidad la emisión. En Nueva Gerona, capital municipal de Isla de Pinos, la CONIC ha hecho un monitoreo de las transmisiones radiales, captándose la señal, pero con mucha dificultad. La corresponsalía Lux Info Press, efectuó un sondeo en la localidad rural de La Majagua, donde confirmó que la señal, a pesar de sufrir una interferencia, es escuchada por los vecinos del lugar. "El régimen de Castro le preocupa el mensaje que envía Radio Lux. Por eso, hoy mas que nunca, es necesario que su mensaje sea escuchado. Es propósito nuestro enviar una carta al Gobierno de los Estados Unidos solicitándole potenciar las transmisiones de Radio Miami Internacional," precisó Pachá. La Confederación Obrera Nacional Independiente de Cuba realiza actualmente una campaña de divulgación entre los habitantes de Isla de Pinos sobre la labor informativa que realiza Radio Revista Lux como tribuna de denuncias a los abusos y desmanes que realiza la dictadura castro-comunista contra los trabajadores y la población en general." Jeff White, Gerente General, WRMI Radio Miami International 175 Fontainebleau Blvd., Suite 1N4, Miami, Florida 33172 USA Tel +1-305-559-9764 Fax +1-305-559-8186 E-mail: radiomiami9@cs.com http://www.wrmi.net (via DXLD) ** CUBA. U.S. THINKS CUBA JAMS RADIO WAVES TO IRAN By HARRY DUNPHY, Associated Press Writer July 18 http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030718/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_cuba_jamming_4 WASHINGTON --- The United States has called in Cuban representatives and asked them to investigate whether jamming of broadcasts to Iran originates on or near the island, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Friday. He said the meeting took place in Washington on Thursday. A senior State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity said, "We are giving them the chance to find it and close it down." Boucher said, "We raised the jamming with the government of Cuba. The interference with Loral Skynet commercial satellite transmissions appears to emanate from the vicinity of Cuba and does appear to be intentional." Iran's Islamic government has accused U.S.-based satellite stations of stoking pro-democracy protests by providing unfiltered information in the country. While Cuban authorities have long jammed U.S. government broadcasts to their own country just off the coast of Florida, blocking transmissions to a third country in a distant hemisphere would be unprecedented, a U.S. official said earlier this week. In Ciego de Ávila, Cuba, Ricardo Alarcón, president of the Cuban National Assembly, denied the accusations as an anti-Cuban ploy of the United States. "You never know what they'll come up with to justify aggression against the island," said Alarcón, a top adviser to President Fidel Castro on U.S. affairs. Alarcón's comments were distributed by the Cuban news agency, Prensa Latina. Kenneth Tómlinson, who oversees the Voice of America, as chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, said Wednesday "this has ominous implications for the future of international satellite broadcasting." Iran itself can't block the programming because the signals must be jammed over the Atlantic Ocean where the satellites are positioned. U.S. officials believe Iran contracted with Cuba to do the job this month, on the eve of the four-year anniversary of large-scale student protests, "to block the flow of news in a time when they obviously thought they were going to loose control of their own people," Tomlinson said. He said an interference signal jamming the satellites has been tracked to a facility near Havana — a claim based on information provided by the satellite service providers. (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) The LA Times jamming story also (via Sydney Morning Herald via Rob Williams, DXLD) CUBA RECIBE UNA QUEJA DE ESTADOS UNIDOS POR INTERFERIR EN LAS SEÑALES DE SATÉLITE El departamento de Estado estadounidense pidió formalmente al gobierno cubano que investigue acerca de las interferencias de la señal de satélites estadounidenses que difunden en dirección de Irán, ya que dichas interferencias provienen de Cuba. El portavoz del Departamento de Estado, Richard Boucher, indicó asimismo, que solicitó al gobierno cubano poner fin a estas prácticas. El martes, la BBC indicó que el origen de estas interferencias se localizaba cerca de La Habana y que estas obstrucciones de la señal impiden a los iraníes, quienes poseen un satélite de televisión, recibir programas estadounidenses en Irán. RCI CyberJournal 18/Jul/2003 (via Elmer Escoto, Honduras, DXLD) ** CUBA. CUBA DENIES JAMMING BROADCAST The Cuban Government has denied that it is intentionally jamming an American satellite TV broadcast to Iran. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3080891.stm "Cuba has never undertaken nor will it ever undertake these types of interruptions in US television satellite transmissions," a Cuban Foreign Ministry statement said. However, officials promised to bow to US requests that they investigate whether signals originating in Cuba could be unintentionally interfering with the broadcasts. Last week the US said it was investigating a rogue signal detected from Cuba. Click here to see how jamming works http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3080891.stm The jamming was first discovered on 6 July when the government-funded station Voice of America launched a daily Persian-language programme aimed at Iran's domestic audience. The Los Angeles-based Iranian television network National Iranian TV (NITV) - which promotes reform in Iran - has also had its signal blocked. The foreign ministry statement did admit that Cuba routinely does block some broadcasts - notably the US-funded Radio and Television Marti, beamed to Cuba itself. "Cuba, within its rights, has interfered, interferes and will continue to interfere only the illegal transmissions of radio and television that the government of the United States makes to our country," the statement said. "We do so with the sovereign right to defend our broadcast air space from the subversive radio and television aggression that, violating international law from the first years of the revolution, have been carried out by the American government," it added. Iranian crackdown On Friday US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said that the interference appeared to be intentional. The signal is thought to come from a monitoring complex outside Havana set up by the Soviets during the Cold War to eavesdrop on the US. Iran saw widespread demonstrations last month against the conservative clerical establishment. Hundreds of reformers have been arrested and there has been a crackdown on the free press. US officials say Cuban President Fidel Castro could be in league with the Iranian government to stop Iranians from receiving satellite television. President of NITV Zia Atabay told the BBC that when Iranian students and writers come out of jail, the first thing they do is grab the phone to do an interview with the station, and invariably criticise their government (via Kim Elliott, DXLD) Loral SpaceNet just filed for bankruptcy. I talk to those guys every day doing news uplinks back to the network (CBS). Friday (7/18) I talked to one of their operators and he said he got paid but he wasn't sure if the check was good (LOU KF4EON Johnson, July 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CZECH REPUBLIC. RFE/RL RADIO WAITS FOR US MONEY TO MOVE FROM PRAGUE CENTRE - RADIO SPOKESWOMAN | Excerpt from report in English by Czech news agency CTK Prague, 17 July: The planned moving of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) from the Prague centre cannot be carried out in haste, RFE/RL spokeswoman Sonia Winterova told CTK today. [passage omitted] Winterova said that the transfer of RFE/RL is an expensive matter and, in addition, the money for it must be first approved by the US Congress. "Concerning the time, one cannot push the US Congress to hurry up - they (the congressmen) have their own pace, their rhythm, and this is not under our control," she added. [passage omitted] On Tuesday [15 July], [Czech Foreign Minister Cyril] Svoboda also explained that the contract on the lease of the building of the former Czechoslovak Federal Assembly expires in December 2004 so there is a time pressure for an action. Winterova, however, said she did not consider this an obstacle as, in her opinion, there was no problem to ask for the contract extension. [passage omitted] The US-funded RFE/RL was established in 1949 in order to spread news to and support democratic values in countries behind the Iron Curtain, including the then communist Czechoslovakia. Originally seated in Munich, it moved to Prague in 1995. [passage omitted] Source: CTK news agency, Prague, in English 1709 gmt 17 Jul 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) RADIO FREE EUROPE FINALLY PICKS NEW SITE Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda has confirmed the relocation of Radio Free Europe from the center of Prague. The move was agreed during Svoboda’s meeting with his U.S. counterpart Colin Powell. The U.S. party has not disclosed the new address. (HN 4) . . . From http://www.pbj.cz/user/article.asp?ArticleID=182424 (Prague Business Journal 18 July via Mike Terry, DXLD) ** EASTER ISLAND [non]. SOUTH AMERICAN PIRATES --- Times UT RADIO COCHIGUAZ will be active hoisting the pirate flag, on its NEW frequency of 11430 kHz USB, relaying on this opportunity to RADIO MAHUTE, a PHB (Polynesian Heritage Broadcasting) group production, in charge of Motu He, which has the function of being the general producer and dj. All vernacular IDs are and will be, in Rapa Nui language. Sat, 19 July 2003, 2100-2200 Radio Mahute Sun, 20 July 2003, 0230-0330 Radio Mahute For reports write to: (Please add return postage) Radio Mahute, Casilla 159, Santiago 14, CHILE. email: mahuteradio@yahoo.fr V= QSL Radio Cochiguaz, Box 159, Santiago 14, CHILE. FFFR, ;-) Cachito, Radio Cochiguaz op. http://www.geocities.com/rcochiguaz (via hardcore dx via DXLD) Now at 2115 UT surprisingly good readable signal of Radio Cochiguaz with its Rapa Nui program on 11430 USB vy73 (Harald Kuhl, Alemania July 19, ibid.) Amigos de la lista, Estoy escuchando ahora com muy buena señal la Radio Mahute via R. Cochiguaz en los 11430 kHz modo USB con muy bonitas músicas polinesias. La condición de recepcion és local. Un gran saludo, (Samuel Cassio Martins, São Carlos, Brasil, July 19, Conexión Digital via DXLD) PIRATE (South American) 11430U, Radio Mahute via Radio Cochiguaz, 0228 tune-in with Interval Signal (Flute) with the Condor Pasa and IDs in English, Spanish and Quechua. Radio Mahute sign-on at 0230 with Polynesian and up-beat South Pacific flare. Between songs managed to catch IDs as "Radio Mahute" and "Ici Radio Mahute". Initially the signal was quite good, but gradually deteriorated to poor after 0305 hours (Edward Kusalik, VE6EFK, Alberta, July 20, DX'er since 1965, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** ETHIOPIA. Hei Glenn, Voice of Tigray Revolution noted this Friday evening 1805 UT only 6350 kHz. 5500 kHz kept silent, no signal at all. Radio Fana excellent on 6940 kHz, very poor copy on 6210 kHz. Question is: how to hear the External Service of Radio Ethiopia?! I´ve heard them only once on 9560 kHz, 16 UT in English. Voice of Turkey had problems with their transmitter, I suppose. Really nothing to do with reception conditions. 73´s (Jouko Huuskonen, Turku, FINLAND, July 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) El Servicio Nacional de Radio Ethiopia (100 kW), posee el siguiente esquema de emisiones en Amárico, Oromo y otras lenguas locales: HORA UTC KHZ 0300-1100* 5990, 7110, 9704.2 1100-1400 5990, 7110, 9704.2 (Sáb y Dom) 1500-2000 5990, 7110, 9704.2 Nota: (*) Un segmento de noticias locales en inglés se irradia de Lunes a Viernes de 1030 a 1045 UT. Buena recepción en Argetina a partir de las 0400 UT en 7110 KHz. QTH: Audience Relations, Radio Ethiopia, P. O. Box 654, Addis Ababa, Etiopia (Marcelo A. Cornachioni, Argentina, Conexión Digital July 19 via DXLD) ** GABON [and non]. Hi Glenn, Africa No. 1 was heard today with strong signal on 15475 kHz, 18 UT with programme in French in parallel with 9580 kHz. This frequency is poor for Finland. The outlet of 15475 kHz is really interesting, used at least by three international broadcasters: Africa Numéro 1, LRA36 from Antarctica and Voz Cristiana from Chile. I can enjoy all of them in lovely light summer evenings like this around 18-21 UT. It has been pretty hot here in former capital of Finland, today 31 degrees. The highest temperature ever in Finland dates back to 1914. It was 35,9 degrees and it was in Turku! 73´s (Jouko Huuskonen, Turku, FINLAND, July 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) We are hitting 40+ routinely past fortnight daily (gh, Enid, DXLD) ** GUYANA. 3291.12 GBC / VOG 0843-0920 subcontinental music mixed with country and western, "Good morning the time in Georgetown is... Congratulations to Mr and Mrs ....on the ...anniversary.. Good morning to all of our wonderful listeners ..very happy Birthday to ... and his family in Orlando Florida..... (Robert Wilkner, FL, July 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 3291.2, 19/07 0255, Voice of Guyana, Georgetown, E, talk OM, music instrumental, talk OM, mx pop 24432 RFA (Rogildo Fontenelle Aragão, Cochabamba, Bolivia, radioescutas via DXLD) ** HONDURAS. Quito 19/07/2003 10:57:31 a.m. 2859.98, unID Radio Cultura (Radio Futura??), unknown QTH. Mark Mohrman had an unID on 2860 kHz. Checked the channel, 2859.98 kHz, at 0230 UT and there it was: Radio Cultura-IDs by female, sometimes just ``Cultura`` or ``La nueva cultura``. I´m not 100% sure it is ``Cultura``, could also be ``Futura``. Close down 0300 UT with ``14-30 amplitud modulada`` and TCs UT –6. ``Radio Cultura (Futura?) número uno en el valle de....`` Not very strong signal. Later: 19/07/2003 11:03:54 p.m. Hello again Amigo Glenn! 2859.98H, HRSJ Radio Futura, Tocoa (Honduras). 19th of July 2003 - 0200 UT. I have just finished listening to Mark Mohrmann`s (and others in USA) unID on 2860 kHz Saturday evening. 3 hours with quite bad reception with moments of fair to good signal. 3 hours with mostly latinamerican "funk" and "rap" music, a phone-in program with telephone number 4 46 21 21. After 0230 UTC "Música de recuerdos". Close down 0300 UT with prefix. It is my opinion that the name of the station is "Futura" not "Cultura". ID 0200 UT: "...oyentes. Muy buenas noches, Radio Futura HRSJ que transmite en su frecuencia ...de 1430 amplitud modulada... haya sido [de su] más completo agrado. Hemos oferecido a Ustedes la más... programación musical, educativa, cultural, deportiva e informativa. ...gracias a nuestro fuerzo, a la voluntad de dios y a la confianza del comercio, a la industria... Radio Futura... muy buenas noches". Ex-Radio Mundial. Harmonic from 1430 kHz 73s from (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador. ARC – SWB América Latina bjornmalm2003@yahoo.com Björn Malm, La Prensa 4408 y Vaca de Castro, Quito, Ecuador (+593 2) 2598 470 JRC 535 – HF 150. MFJ 616 – MFJ 1025. 12m LW + 24m LW + Longwire Magnetic Balun DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. Voice of Indonesia can be reached via voi@rri-online.com email id. URL http://www.rri-online.com 73s, (Swopan Chakroborty, Kolkata, India, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM [non]. ESA TO BUILD A DEEP SPACE GROUND STATION IN CEBREROS (Spain) http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=12120 (via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) ** IRAN. NEWSPAPER ACCUSES STATE RADIO OF GIVING RADIO BANDS TO PRIVATE COMPANY | Text of report by Iranian newspaper Iran web site on 16 July; ellipses as received throughout: The Voice and Vision [radio and television] has given one of its radio bands to a private company offering pager services. According to the Iran correspondent, the Ministry of Post, Telegraph and Telephone handed the supply of pager services to the private sector in accordance with the implementation of item 124 of the Third Development Plan. Along the same lines Estiman San'at, Setareh Tala'i based on Kish Island and Ertebatat-e Sayyar started setting up a national pager network. Sorush Computer, Faramin San'at and Sima Rasana started a network in Khorasan, Gilan and Kerman provinces. The above-mentioned companies went through the legal process and obtained permits from the Ministry and have invested a great deal of capital into the venture. Last year a so-called private company called ... in Mashhad printed advertisements in the newspapers in an effort to sell pager services. This company did not have a permit for this activity. Investigations by the Ministry of Post, Telegraph and Telephone indicated that the Voice and Vision had undertaken an illegal act handing over its 88-108 megahertz band, which is solely for radio broadcasts, to ... company for the purposes of providing pager services alongside radio usage. Permits to allow usage of radio frequencies are issued to companies by the Ministry of Post, Telegraph and Telephone by specifying the kind of service to be provided. As part of this process the Voice and Vision has obtained this Ministry's permission to use some bands for radio frequencies. The Voice and Vision's illegal activity has caused the Ministry of Post, Telegraph and Telephone and the Khorasan Communications Office to lodge a complaint against the Voice and Vision. A court has issued an order halting .. company's activities. . Despite this verdict and court order ... company has printed another advertisement in one of Khorasan province's newspapers. This time it is trying to sell pager services as part of a joint venture with the Voice and Vision. One informed source told the Iran correspondent: "The Voice and Vision has a huge budget and is illegally competing with private companies, which has put in danger investment in those private firms." Source: Iran web site, Tehran, in Persian 16 Jul 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** IRAN [and non]. LUGAR: IRAN DEMOCRACY ACT NOT SUPPORTED BY WHITE HOUSE --- An Eye for Iran --- Not all lawmakers are quiet about the protests in Tehran. By Jim Geraghty, National Review Online June 18, 2003 http://www.nationalreview.com/geraghty/geraghty061803.asp (via Nick Grace, CRW via DXLD) more on satellite jamming: see CUBA ** IRAQ. IRAQ MEDIA NETWORK BROADCAST FROM ARBIL | Text of report by Monitoring research on 19 July Iraq Media Network broadcasts from Arbil, northern Iraq, for one hour (1500-1600 gmt) daily on 11137 MHz, horizontal polarity, via Hotbird satellite - same frequency as Kurdistan Satellite TV of the Kurdistan Democratic Party. The programme is repeated the following day at 0800 gmt. The broadcast is carried by Kurdistan Satellite, still using the old logo which consists of a circle around the map of Iraq with "Iraq Media Network" outside the circumference of the circle. The IMN broadcast begins with information on broadcast information as detailed above, and gives the following contact numbers: 0088 216 7744 3275 and 0044 702 864 6132. The programmes include local news, music and national news in brief (teletext), mostly on coalition activities, including news from Basra and other southern governorates. Source: BBC Monitoring research in Arabic 19 Jul 03 (via DXLD) ** KOREAS. SOUTH KOREAN BROADCASTER TO HOLD AMATEUR SINGING CONTEST IN PYONGYANG | Text of report in English by South Korean news agency Yonhap Seoul, 16 July: South Korea's state-run KBS television will hold an amateur singing contest in Pyongyang next month jointly with North Korea's Korea Central Television, KBS said Wednesday [16 July]. KBS said 20 residents in the North Korean capital and singers from both Koreas will take part in the two-hour programme on 11 August to be emceed by South Korean entertainer Song Hae and a North Korean female broadcaster. The South Korean broadcaster said the event will testify a real inter- Korean broadcasting exchange as about 70 North Korean entertainers and technical staff are expected to support the event while the North will mobilize broadcasting equipment for it. KBS and the North Korean broadcaster have agreed to air the programme simultaneously in the afternoon of 15 August, the anniversary of Korean liberation from the Japanese colonial rule in 1945. The amateur singers are expected to show off their singing ability with Korean folk songs and other song titles on inter-Korean reunification. KBS plans to dispatch a 20-member staff and two singers to Pyongyang on 5 August to prepare for the event. The upcoming singing contest will likely pave the way for broadcasters of the two Koreas to resume inter-Korean broadcasting exchanges, which have stalled amid the North's standoff against the United States over its nuclear weapons programme. Last year, KBS and the North Korean broadcaster aired live a performance of the KBS Orchestra and the North's state-run orchestra from Pyongyang and the South Korean MBC television held a performance of South Korean singers in Pyongyang. Source: Yonhap news agency, Seoul, in English 0029 gmt 16 Jul 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** KURDISTAN [non]. Radio Mesopotamia, émission du 11-07-2003: L`écoute a été effectué de 0850 à 0905 UTc sur 11530 kHz, jusqu`à 0900 que de la music Kurde qui ressemble étrangement à la musique Turque. A 0900 UTc annonce du nom de la station avec adresse et une émission commence (Mohamed Kallel, July 17, France?, Tunisia? DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. 6045, XEXQ Radio Universidad (tentative). Been trying for this station for weeks during the 1200 hour, which is just after sunrise. There is usually a strong carrier on the frequency and sometimes I can hear a Chinese language station, although it is weak. Got a bit closer today. Classical music at 1215-1230, then the Chinese faded in. I thought at first it might have been the Chinese with the classical music, but I heard what I thought were the two of them mixing at 1240. The music was a bit weaker by this time. Just bits of pieces of classical fading in by 1247, nothing like the weak, but steady, reception I had had at 1215. I had a look at their website http://www.uaslp.mx/rtu/ which gives the contact address published elsewhere. They did have a bit on the MW which gives an idea of the programs they run on shortwave: Radio Universisdad XEXQ 1460 kHz. Esta estación se encarga de difundir diversos programas educativos y cultruales, entre los cuales destacan programas de la RAI italiana, La Voz de Alemania, En Concierto, Titanes de la Música, Actualización Magisterial, etc.... Esta estación también transmite por Onda Corta, en 6.045 MHz, Banda internacional de 49.62mts. The studio number is listed as 4 (8) 26-13-48 and their fax number is 4 (8) 26-13-88 (Hans Johnson, WY, Jul 19, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) Me too, trying for it, that is. July 19 at 1238 a quick check of 6045 had some classical(?) music, but atmospheric noise level too high. Should make it with quiet conditions, and later sunrises, China permitting (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Heard here also this morning (7/19), with XE anthem right at 1200 UT, then YL talk until 1210, then into classical music. Fair/poor with a noisy band at 1200, but improved nicely to peak around 1225. QSL'ed this one in 1989 (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Drake R-8, 100- foot randomwire, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** MEXICO. 690, XEN was blasting in loud and alone Monday morning at about 3:57 AM Central time [0857 UT]. Full call ID, "La 69" several times, phone number, website, more. Interesting in that Fresnillo is the usual Mexican on this frequency for me. XEN had never been this loud before, and the only other audible Mexican at this time was XEX - -- power increase or odd atmospherics? (Eric Loy, Champaign IL, July 15, Corazón DX via DXLD) XEN is advertising new 100 kW power. True or hype, I don't know. (David Gleason, CA, July 16, ibid.) ** NETHERLANDS. R. London to test from Flevo 1008 kHz: see UK [non] ** NETHERLANDS. ANOTHER FINE MESS Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs, Laurens-Jan Brinkhorst, has announced the setting up of a task force to find solutions to the reception problems affecting public broadcasters since the introduction of the Zerobase FM frequency plan. The task force - comprising representatives from the Ministry, the broadcasters and the transmitter operators - has been given until 1 October 2003 to come up with solutions. But how did we get into this situation? http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/features/html/ned030718.html (Andy Sennitt, Media Network newsletter July 18 via DXLD) THAT RADIO SONG Dutch radio went through a shake-up recently. Now that the dust has settled, we identify the changes and take a look at the new and some of the old players in the industry. Aaron Gray-Block writes. http://www.expatica.com/index.asp?pad=34,35,&item_id=32844 Good overview of the complicated Dutch broadcasting scene. 73 (Kim Elliott, DXLD) ** NEW ZEALAND. RADIO BOSS AND RNZ TOLD TO TALK --- 18 July 2003 Radio New Zealand and its head of news Lynne Snowdon have been ordered back to the negotiating table over her ongoing employment dispute. Ms Snowdon has been absent from work for seven months after a falling out with RNZ chief executive Sharon Crosbie over budget and staffing issues. She has been on sick leave since January after her doctor diagnosed she was suffering from depression triggered by a very stressful work environment. In June, the Employment Relations Authority ordered RNZ to take Ms Snowdon back and pay her $3000 in compensation. RNZ then appealed, arguing Ms Snowdon should first undergo a psychiatric assessment. . . http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2572551a11,00.html (Dominion Post via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. PNG Updates and Journals On June 5th 2003, Life Radio Ministries, Inc. President Joe Emert, began his trip to Papua New Guinea to meet with EBM President Gerald Bustin and HCJB Engineer Sam Rowley and his wife Grace. Together they are to meet with the official of the PNG government to finalize plans to put a short wave station on the air. In addition to meeting with the government officials, this team will meet with Ron Cline, CEO of HCJB and President of HCJB, Dave Johnson. Rev. Bustin and Ron Cline will hold two Radio Rallies to thousands at the coliseum in Port Moresby. here are some of Joe's thought's and pictures from that trip. http://www.wmvv.com/png%20updates.htm Links to 8 journals follow, the last of which including: Journal # 8, Wantok Radio Light, Papua New Guinea Trip Journal of Joe Emert, President, Life Radio Ministries, Inc. Wednesday, June 18, 2003 Dear Friends, This will be my final Journal from this trip to Papua New Guinea. My e-mail capability was down for a few days but I’m back on-line now. I’m in Honolulu, working my way back home, and will arrive Thursday afternoon. Our final workday in PNG was Monday. We had an excellent final meeting with the `Pangel` officers. You may recall that `Pangtel` is the government regulatory agency for broadcasting. They reconfirmed two very important items for the PNG Christian Broadcasting Network… 1. They reconfirmed that they are granting a short-wave license with which we can broadcast to the entire Nation. Because it is short-wave, governments around the world share information and the nearby countries to Papua New Guinea must `sign-off` on the frequency we have been granted so as to insure we will not interfere with a station in another country. This could take another month. 2. They indicated that they wish to assist us by immediately reserving all 26 (or more) of the FM stations around the country! This will effectively `lock-in` these frequencies for our use. Other broadcasters are rapidly learning the power of radio in this country and are rushing to seek licenses. Just like in the United States, listeners prefer to listen on FM due to its high quality. However, the short-wave will fill in where FM cannot reach. . . (Joe Emert, Wantok Radio Light via DXLD) Elsewhere the SW is specified as tropical band From a previous journal, #6 of June 14: There is so much to do yet to finish the job of bringing Christian radio to 5.3 million people. Unbelievably, M-TV, the USA based sexy, raunchy, music video service is offered here in Port Moresby and at other locations in the country. The cataclysmic media changes forced on these shy, private, precious people, (whose Pidgin word for `kissing` is `no no` and is only between husband and wife behind closed doors) is damaging their family structures, lifestyles, and very health. Is the Christian radio alternative needed here? Yes! A thousand times yes! If we can enjoy it in the United States then we must share it with others who so desperately desire it (ibid.) ** PERU. 5486.69 La Reina de la Selva 1016-1045, Julio 15, música peruana, muchos anuncios de la hora por OM. Se repite en numerosas identificaciones la expresión: "La Reina", se indica una lista de números telefonicos. Llega con excelente señal (Roberto Wilkner, Estados Unidos, Conexión Digital via DXLD) Como ya se ha informado en DXLD, la palabra es un apellido deletreado REYNA (gh) ** PERU. Hola amigos, aquí algunas noticias sobre las emisoras peruanas en onda corta. Escuchas del día 17 de julio del 2003. Radio SAN MIGUEL desde Sondor en Piura al norte del Perú. Escuché por los 6538 kHz con buena señal a las 0110 hasta las 0230 con música folklórica, ID a las 0130 ``disfrutan RADIO SAN MIGUEL DESDE SONDOR,`` anuncios, ``estamos en la onda corta.`` Tengo entendido que Radio difusora Huancabamba transmitía por los 6535.9 pero ya no está en aire. Radio VIRGEN DEL CARMEN desde Huancavelica. Escuché por los 4885 a las 1130 UT con señal de débil a buena, su programa de 6to aniversario; coincide con la fiesta de la Virgen del Carmen. Llamé por teléfono y mi saludo salió al aire y me prometieron verificar mi reporte de recepción por medio de carta. Noticias, ID Radio VIRGEN DEL CARMEN en sus tres frecuencias desde Huancavelica, Perú. Radio PERU desde San Ignacio – Cajamarca. En los 5637. Programa musical a las 0100 con saludos de cumpleaños y anuncios varios, ID a las 0120 ``Saludos a los que están en sintonía de Radio Perú desde san Ignacio``. Radio SANTA MONICA desde el Cuzco – Perú. Transmite por los 4965 khz con mejor señal que Radio La hora en 4855 khz, programa musical a las 0030 ut. ID entre temas musicales, "Santa Monica". (CESAR PEREZ DIOSES, CHIMBOTE –PERU, July 18, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** PERU. PANAMERICANA TV TAKEN OFF THE AIR BY THE GOVERNMENT | Text of report by Radio Programas del Peru web site on 18 July Panamericana, the country's main television station, went off the air at exactly 1200 (1700 gmt), after the government decided to temporarily suspend its transmission license. The signal was suspended after Gunter Rave, host and journalist of the television station ended an interview with Francisco Diez Canseco, president of the Peace Council. It must be said that the government decision went into effect today after the management`s disputing control of the television station were duly notified. Television viewers who were watching the Panamericana programming first saw the channel's logo and then heard a sound that indicated that the order had been finally obeyed and that it was going off the air. Source: Radio Programas del Peru web site, Lima, in Spanish 18 Jul 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** PHILIPPINES [and non]. Changes at the IBB site in Poro: new frequency since 19 July is 1170 kHz with VOA in English at 1900-2200, beamed at 332 degrees. (Source: IBB online schedule) (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, July 20, MW-DX via DXLD) And 1143 remains in use at earlier hours, 1100-1800; Strangely enough, IBB is now using both 1143 and 1170 from more than one site: Philippines 1143: 1143 1100 1200 VOA R CHIN PHP A 332 1143 1200 1230 VOA P ENGL PHP A 332 1143 1300 1330 VOA S VIET PHP A 262 1143 1330 1500 VOA T1 CANT PHP A 332 1143 1600 1700 VOA P ENGL PHP A 332 1143 1700 1800 VOA P ENGL PHP A 332 12345 [M-F] Dushanbe 1143: 1143 1200 1230 VOA AFG DARI DB B 999 1143 1230 1300 VOA G UZBE DB B 999 1143 1300 1400 RFE RL13 UZ DB B 999 UAE 1170: 1170 0000 2400 FRD FRD PE DHB A 000 Philippines 1170: 1170 1900 2200 VOA P ENGL PHP B 332 Note that Philippines 1143 is the A transmitter, and 1170 is the B transmitter – even tho the times do not overlap; is B not the megawatt? (IBB online scheudle July 20 via Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SAO TOME. VoA at Pinheira is still kicking. Dear Wolfgang, Thanks for your long message re the various reports on STP, which, of course, have been on our TV stations too, mainly on RTP of course. As I write, 2210, 1530 kHz is putting a very strong signal with some QSB and occasional stronger QRM de CVA, but the K9AY is "taking care" of the situation! I tried 4950 yesterday at around dinner time, and it was working too, so suppose it was on today. Some 45 tourists are reported to be "stuck" in the islands, and the Portuguese government is considering the evacuation of Portuguese nationals, if necessary. I suppose Anker Petersen of the DSWCI is happy for having planned his trip back in March, hi! Best 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, BC-DX via DXLD) 530 STP is fine --- as is the rest of the station and staff. The 'coup' was relatively 'peaceful' and occurred a couple of days ago. If you want a 'hoot', take a listen to the RA cuts at this URL: http://africa.ibb.his.com/RMSPlayer/cgi-bin/PlayerCGI.acgi?brd=VOA&loc=LUAN&lng=ENGL&frq=1530&day=1&btm=0000&etm=2400&sound_da=yes [make sure you get ALL of the URL -- it's long and it'll probably 'wrap' in most email clients] It's a bunch of 20 seconds samples taken from our Luanda, Angola remote monitoring system -- propagation across the seawater path between STP and Luanda is pretty good! (Bill Whitacre, IBB Monitoring, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** SPAIN. Spanish DX club AER inform you that the new update of "Spain on MW" list ("España en onda media") was uploaded at http://www.aer-dx.org/listas/eaenom.htm This list is 3 free PDF files sorted by frequency, location and station name and is updated by our member Martín Estévez, ee@aer- dx.org The data of every station are: kHz, station name, network, KW, transmitter location, postal address, QSL info, phone and fax, local programs New in this update: RNE-R1 San Sebastián with 25 kW, RNE-R5 San Sebastián with 10 kW Address of both stations: Paseo de los Fueros 2, 20006 San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa. Spain. phone of both stations: 943427305, fax of both stations: 943428128; e-mail of both stations: emisora.ss.rne@rtve.es. Till next one! -------------------------------------------------- Pedro Sedano, Madrid, España, COORDINADOR GENERAL -------------------------------------------------- AER http://www.aer-dx.org info@aer-dx.org (via hard-core-dx via DXLD) ** SWITZERLAND. Please check your satellite feed for the 11905 transmission. The audio is being broadcast twice due to a satellite delay. It is difficult to listen to (Bill Harms, Maryland, July 16, to swissinfo, cc to DXLD) Glenn, this is in response to a reception problem on Radio Swiss International's transmission at 2200. I heard and echo (Bill Harms, Elkridge, MD, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Dear Mr Harms, Thank you for your email and bringing this to our attention. Our technical department has checked the studio output and satellite link and found no irregularities. The cause of this delay might be because the signal is sent out from both Sottens and Montsinéry at the same time. As the signal must first be sent to Montsinéry (2 x 36,000 km) this causes a delay of several milliseconds, which makes listening to a programme very difficult. This can also happen at one station, when the distribution of a signal is on several layers, i.e. wave lengths, thus creating a second signal similar to an echo. As these signals are not intended for North America, it is difficult to say how this can be improved. However, should you notice this on 11905 KHz (Montsinery relay) again, please give us the date and time (in UT). We will have someone look into this problem. Sincerely, (swissinfo/Swiss Radio International English Department, Nancy Hartmann, July 18 via Harms, DXLD) Hi Glenn: SRI was absent from 9885 2330-0000 7/19. They were good with a little flutter on 11905. I wonder if there is a connection between their being off of 9885 and the earlier "echo" problem (Bill Harms, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAIWAN. R Taiwan Int's Mailbag Time's Global Exchange segment is a fun and interesting way to exchange ideas and experiences from various cultures. Every month, we pose a new question to listeners, and every week we choose a few listener's answers to read in Mailbag Time. These listeners will receive souvenirs from RTI and some answers will be shared in Taipeiwave, the English Service newsletter. So join our global exchange and write us at natalie@cbs.org.tw Here is our topic for August: Share your hottest memory! Where, when and what were you doing during that ultra hot experience? Broadcast Time: Mailbag Time can be heard every Saturday in Hour Two and on Sunday in Hour One. (RTI web site via Swopan Chakroborty Kolkata, India, DXLD) ** TAIWAN. CBS BOARD PICKS NEW CHAIRMAN The Taipei Times Tuesday, July 15, 2003 Lin Fung-cheng beat out incumbent Chou Tian-rey, whose term finished last month following a stormy three years in the radio station's hot seat . . . http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/Weekly2003/07.15.2003/Taiwan4.htm (via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) ** U K. Another year to develop it has brought little improvement in BBC Proms (video) webcasting. For the first night of the Proms, July 18, the video feed finally came alive at 1830, at 45 kbps, but the audio portion sounded like about 8, unlistenable --- so we had The option of seeing some jerky pictures and awful audio, or no pix and decent 44.1 kbps audio on the BBC Radio 3 stream. The choice was made even easier by the loss of video after the first selexion, replaced by a permanent slide, so we never got to see the pianist in action. Back to the video for the interval interviews and features, which were mainly talk. Video kept working for Ivan the Terrible music, and it would have been nice to stay with it for the subtitles, not to mention all the action by the narrator, in the choruses and orchestra, but to get anything out of the music, it was back to audio-only. Last year`s host with the loud shirts, Charles Hazelwood, was not to be seen, so there was less of a loss there. As I switched back and forth, it appeared that radio and TV versions had the same host, Stephanie Hughes, instead of different ones as last year. And the two feeds were more or less simultaneous instead of half an hour offset. I missed the Saturday live cast, and a quick check of the video for the early Sunday once again found the Proms slide up --- does this mean no one is getting it, or just those of us too late to get in on the available capacity at the moment? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. TRUST ME, I'M BRITISH --- By Tim Burt Published: July 17 2003 16:41 The reception area at White City, the BBC's sprawling television complex in west London, is eerily silent and almost deserted. At this time of night, there is only one other visitor: Ben Bradshaw, the government minister. The Labour politician has cycled from Westminster for a grilling on Newsnight, the BBC's current affairs flagship. He removes his bicycle clips and helmet, collects his security pass and sits in the corner, eyes closed, preparing for the ordeal ahead. Bradshaw, a former BBC presenter, has spent the past few weeks lambasting his one-time employer. The young minister --- perfectly groomed for the studio --- has emerged as a government rottweiler: condemning the BBC's coverage of the war in Iraq, attacking presenters for lack of impartiality, demanding abject apologies over the "dodgy dossier". As a result some BBC executives would prefer Bradshaw to keep out of the studios. But the assistant producer smiles when she arrives to collect him, ensuring his safe passage along the maze of corridors, up stairs, past empty cafeterias to the studio. If Bradshaw took a wrong turning he would miss Newsnight altogether, ending up in BBC World's cramped newsroom. There, BBC World journalists and editors are still digesting the government's criticism of its war coverage. Before the furore, the international newsroom was basking in plaudits from around the world - particularly from the US. Ratings in America have soared. BBC presenters such as Mishal Husain have a cult following. Whatever Downing Street's view, the BBC has become a valued news source for liberal America. . . http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1057562483416&p=1012571727132 (via Larry, DXLD) ** U K [non]. Glenn, Here's some exciting news for us in the UK (Mike Terry, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RADLON MEDIA LIMITED, PO BOX 7336, FRINTON-ON-SEA, ESSEX, CO13 0WZ ENGLAND PRESS RELEASE 002 Embargoed until 12.01 - 20th July 2003 "RADIO LONDON TEST BROADCAST" Radio London will conduct further engineering tests at 12.00 (UK Time) [1100 UT, 1300 CEDT] on [Tuesday] 22nd July, 2003 for approximately two hours on 1008 kHz from the Flovoland [sic] transmitting site in the Netherlands. The transmitter will be operated at 400 kilowatts with 95% peak modulation using an Optimod 9200 processing. This will enable our engineers to ascertain coverage in the UK. The current aerial pattern produces a figure eight pattern pointing NE - SW and our study will enable us to work on plans to alter the antenna pattern to produce a better signal into our target areas. Radlon Media Limited would welcome reception reports from anywhere in Europe. We are mainly interested in reports from listeners using standard domestic equipment, i.e. Hi-fi units, portable radio's and car radio's rather than full sinpo reports using communications equipment and long wire aerials. Please either post them to the address at the top of this press release of e-mail them to bigl@radiofab.com All reports will be acknowledged. PROGRESS REPORT We have received an enormous amount of correspondence, mainly by e- mail, many questions have been asked, and at your request, we are happy to give the following progress report:- FUND RAISING Our fund raising has been rather slow. This time of year many people are away on vacation and we have lost a few weeks because of this. However, response has been very encouraging, despite what are difficult times for the radio industry. We now need to start closing deals and this is what our team are currently focusing on. Opportunities to invest in this project are still available with investments starting at £10,000. Anyone interested should contact us ASAP. ENGINEERING On Thursday 17th July, 2003, our engineers made a full appraisal of the transmitter site at Flavoland on the Netherlands. The site also transmits the Dutch public broadcaster Radio 1 on 747 kHz so any changes that we may wish to make have to be compatible with their requirements. From our findings we can now evaluate the aerial patterns and work on commissioning a full report on the antenna and recommend changes. We also evaluated the suitability of the AEG Telefunken 600 kilowatt transmitter, which is 20 years old and may not be capable of producing positive peak modulations now used by many commercial broadcasters in Europe. So we need to await the full report in order to make our final deliberations. The tests next Tuesday will also give our backers an indication of our signal strength, when engineering adjustments are made at a later date, our engineers are confident that a further 6db of signal will reach the UK. It is also our plan to broadcast in AM stereo (although not on our current tests) and we will watch the progress of DRM, which looks set to revolutionize the AM dial. PROGRAMMING The Radio London & Big L brands will be used to launch our Gold format. Much in attitude has changed since Radio London last attracted a significant audience and the station sound needs to be tuned to current market trends. Commercially, it is important to attract and please an audience, of hopefully 1 or 2 million listeners and not a minority group, so emphasis will be on the music and presenters whilst retaining some of the magic and fun that the original station produced. WEBSITE There is no official Radio London website at the moment, although we are working on this at the moment. In order to avoid confusion, please ensure that all correspondence regarding the re-launch of Radio London is addressed to the contact phone numbers, fax and e-mail in this press release. FOR FURTHER COMMENT OR CLARIFICATION PLEASE RING RAY ANDERSON 01255 676252, FAX: 01255 850528, E-mail: bigl@radiofab.com (via Mike Terry, DXLD) Next Tuesday UK time 12 (midday) to 3.00 pm is the planned time for tests, from a source at the station. Not sure what power though. Will 400 kW propagate well over the UK? It`s a clear channel here in Bournemouth so I live in hope (but with some doubt about the project for reasons probably best kept to myself). I shall miss it as I have to be at work (work gets in the way of a lot of things I would like to do - but is necessary to pay for most of them!). [Later:] I now have seen definite reports of tests last Thursday afternoon; the signal was on and off and weak in London, playing oldies music for about an hour only. I am starting to feel more optimistic about the project from seeing other postings. I wish it success as it may be a breath of fresh air (Mike Terry, UK, BDXC-UK via DXLD) RADLON MEDIA TO TEST 1008 KHZ ON TUESDAY Dutch media site http://radio.nl reports that a test transmission on 1008 kHz is scheduled for Tuesday 22 July at 1100 UT in preparation for the transmissions of commercial broadcaster Radlon Media, which plans to broadcast to the UK. Media Network understands that the duration of the transmission may be about one hour. The test will be made using the directional pattern previously used for Dutch public network Radio 1, but will be made at the full power of 400 kW (Radio 1 used 180 kW). A low power test was already conducted on Friday afternoon, according to radio.nl. Quality Radio, the Dutch partner of Radlon, is also busy preparing the other mediumwave frequencies it won in May. Radio 10 FM is currently using 1395 kHz with reduced power. Transmission provider Nozema is carrying out maintenance on the antenna for 828 kHz, while a new radio ship has to be found for 1224 kHz, since the Communicator has been sold to a new owner in the UK and is now undergoing repairs in Ijmuiden (Media Network blog July 20 via DXLD) I thought they'd re-engineered Flevo MF to make it omni directional? Seems a little strange to run a service targetting a UK audience if you're pointing the signal *away* from the target area (as Flevo MF was in its Radio 1 days as I understand it) ... Still, I'll have a listen. Radio 1 was audible here in N.W. England during daytime, albeit weakly (Ray Woodward, 7/20/03; 3:33:48 AM, ibid.) MONEY THE STUMBLING BLOCK FOR "RADIO LONDON" A press release issued today by Radlon, the company which plans to launch the commercial station Radio London broadcasting to the UK from Flevo on 1008 kHz, suggests to me that it could be a very long time before we hear any regular programmes. Confirming the upcoming test transmission on Tuesday, Radlon concedes that: "Our fund raising has been rather slow. This time of year many people are away on vacation and we have lost a few weeks because of this. However, response has been very encouraging, despite what are difficult times for the radio industry. We now need to start closing deals and this is what our team are currently focusing on. Opportunities to invest in this project are still available with investments starting at £10,000. Anyone interested should contact us ASAP." Note the complete absence of any information about firm commitments to invest so far. The language is deliberately vague. When I was involved in the past with two attempts to get commercial radio stations on the air --- albeit shortwave ones --- there was lots of "encouraging response" but very little hard cash. A small group of us invested, and lost, our own money while most "supporters" were content with buying a T-shirt. Call me cynical, but I've been there. At the moment, the minimum figure of £10,000 suggests that Radlon is looking beyond the anorak community for investment, and that's a wise move. As has been shown by the experience of Radio Caroline over the years, these people are often prepared to help in a practical way --- many of them are frustrated would-be broadcasters who hope to make useful contacts --- but they tend to be tight-fisted when it comes to parting with their money. Indeed, Radlon realises that it needs to look beyond the anoraks for its audience if it's going to be commercially viable: "Commercially, it is important to attract and please an audience, of hopefully 1 or 2 million listeners and not a minority group." The problem is that now is not the time to be launching new media projects from scratch in Europe, especially if you're a small company. The media industry is consolidating: recent deals have strengthened the position of the European media giants like Sky and SBS. Economies of scale help to sustain the industry through tough times. A newcomer with no proven track record is not going to be seen as a wise investment by many people. I'd love to be proved wrong, and for Radio London to be a success --- if only because there's something inherently unsatisfactory in good Dutch broadcasters being unable to secure frequency space while a high power transmitter capable of national coverage sits idle (Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog July 20 via DXLD) ** U K. The [former Radio Caroline ship] Ross Revenge has moved to Rochester, not a stone's throw from the historic Castle and Cathedral, and is open for visitors in her new location on August 2nd and 3rd. The point of embarkation is Strood Pier, in the centre of Rochester just by the road / rail bridges over the river. Trips start from 11am. The boarding charge, including the short boat trip, is £5.00, and merchandise will be available on the ship. If you would like to visit the Ross Revenge, please call the trip organiser, Vaughan on 07890 279049. Please only call during evenings or at the weekend. We need advance bookings so we know how many people we must accommodate. (announced on air by Roger Day, also on Radio Caroline website: http://www.radiocaroline.co.uk/news.htm (via Alan Pennington, BDXC-UK via DXLD) ** U K. HF BANDS FOR CLASS B LICENSEES SOON The RSGB has learned from the RA that a Gazette Notice will be published shortly which will announce the end of the Morse requirement for access to the HF bands in the UK. From the date of the Gazette Notice all Full and Intermediate Class B amateurs will automatically have Class A privileges and will be allowed to operate on the HF bands with their existing callsigns. Watch the RSGB website at http://www.rsgb.org for the latest news (Radio Society of Great Britain GB2RS News Script for July 20 via John Norfolk, DXLD) ** U S A. US CONGRESS APPROVES MIDDLE EAST TV NETWORK The US House of Representatives has approved the creation of a US- funded Middle East TV network. House International Relations Committee Chairman Henry Hyde said that the new network will "greatly contribute to an enhancement of our efforts to combat the misinformation and propaganda that contribute to the rising anti-American sentiment in the region." Funding for the network will come out of the $1.3bn allocated to international broadcasting. Congressional officials said it would broadcast 24 hours a day, delivering a mix of news and entertainment. However, there could be delays in getting the green light as the proposal forms part of a $30 billion foreign aid bill which still has to pass Senate. That's by no means a foregone conclusion due as Senate disagrees with the Bush administration's decision to drop a measure supporting the UN Population Fund, and may block the passage of the bill (© Radio Netherlands Media Network 18 July 2003 via DXLD) see also PHILIPPINES ** U S A. Glenn, Regarding the DX Programs list problems mentioned in the latest DXLD just posted. The Real Amateur Radio Show on WBCQ is only on every other week, alternating with the Piss and Moan Net, another of TimTron's shows. I have no way of getting in touch with the author of the query or I would contact him directly. Can't help you with the DXing With Cumbre problems as I don't know when it's on either! Hope this helps (John H. Carver Jr., Mid-North Indiana, July 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [and non]. I heard WBCQ this morning (19 JULY) between 0400- 0500 UT on 9330 kHz (exactly 9329.74) in LSB relaying Christian Media Network in English, being accompanied by jammers. After a final announcement at 0459 the station closed down one minute later. Also the jammer closed down at the same time but resumed and closed several times after that. WBCQ is no more heard on 5100 kHz after short appearance on this frequency around 14 JULY. GOOD DX, (Karel Honzik, the Czech Republic (Czechia), hard-core-dx via DXLD) Hard to believe someone would be deliberately jamming CMN/WBCQ (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. WMLK PLANS TO BROADCAST IN PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH Hi Glenn: I thought you might be interested in the following item: I noticed that in the June 2003 issue of the Assemblies of Yahweh publication, The Sacred Name Broadcaster, Elder Jacob O. Meyer mentions the following in his Radio Message article titled, "Yahweh's Created Beings - Part 5", concerning future short wave broadcasts in the Pennsylvania Dutch tongue over WMLK: "I already have one or two other volumes of Pennsylvania Dutch New Testaments, but I wanted this particular volume because I will soon be speaking in this dialect (or language, if you please) over our newly enlarged WMLK shortwave radio transmitter." Can anyone explain how Pennsylvania Dutch relates to the Low German, or Plautdietsch, dialect currently broadcast over HCJB to Mennonite groups around the world? Thanks (Michael W. Enos, Tallmadge, OH, July 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. PIRATE, United Patriot Militia Radio, 6925. 7/19/03 0209- 0229. Most fair signal with lots of thunderstorm cracks. Request for donations for a Bingo Ball machine, Bingo numbers read, winner on on- line, parody? of Steve Anderson, parady of militias, and mention of a "last chance Bingo." (Bill Harms, MD, hard-core-dx via DXLD) ** U S A. A long letter from manager Deborah S. Proctor on WCPE`s 25- year struggle as The Classical Station: http://wcpe.org/news.shtml (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Hello All -- a quick check of my "bellwether" frequencies on the commute this morning turned up someone on 99.7 playing a cover version of the Stylistics "Stone in Love With You", IDing as "Jukebox Radio". My first thought was "Oh crap, the old folks home near me put in a closed-circuit FM system and it's leaking like a sieve -- -there goes 99.7." There is a satellite delivered old-time programming service that some rest homes subscribe to that features about 4 different channels of programming, including nostalgia, old radio programs, and a couple of other formats, then they rebroadcast it on open FM channels, supposedly in the building, but I know of one in Havre de Grace MD that leaks so bad you can hear it from one end of town to the other --- they're on 99.9, 107.1, 102.3, and one other channel, and darn near drove me nuts trying to ID, until I finally looked up the slogan in Yahoo and found this service. Drove up to the nursing home building, and sure enough, signal was wall to wall! I've found one in NE Baltimore, too. But, after an internet search, I now believe I caught "Jukebox Radio" WJUX 99.7 from Monticello, NY. Format seems right on. Was in mono. NEW ONE! Heard in York, PA on Sony XR- C6100 car radio. 6,000 watts ERP---Nothing else unusual on other channels, and after a few minutes, it was gone. Will check the freq again when i go home tonight past the nursing home, just to be sure. Hope it's empty! 73 and good DX, (Bruce WB3HVV Collier, York, PA, amfmtvdx at qth.net via DXLD) ** U S A. LIGHTNING KNOCKS OUT 3 RADIO STATIONS BY PHILLIP CASTON Of The Post and Courier Staff Story last updated at 7:18 a.m. Saturday, July 19, 2003 Three local radio stations have shut down temporarily after a lightning bolt destroyed 95 percent of the broadcasting company's equipment Friday afternoon, the program director said. At about 2:15 p.m., a bolt of lightning struck Kirkman's Broadcasting Inc. radio tower at 60 Markfield Drive, Program Director Stew Williams said. Williams said he was in a meeting during the thunderstorm when he heard a loud snap, then felt the charge moving across the roof of the building. The bolt fried many of the electrical wires in the building, and small electrical charges were coming out of employees' keyboards, Williams said. "I heard all three radio stations go off the air, and I thought, 'This can't be good,' " Williams said. The following radio stations, according to Williams, will be off the air for one to two weeks as a result of the blast: WWJK 950 AM, WQNT 1450 AM and ESPN Radio WQSC 1340 AM. A rough estimate of the total damage is $100,000 to $150,000, Williams said. No one was injured, and there was no fire in the building, he said. "It's scary to think that in a blink of an eye, Mother Nature can do so much damage," Williams said (Charleston SC Post & Courier, via Artie Bigley, DXLD) ** U S A. IBIQUITY FIRES GLYNN WALDEN --- Supposedly for cost reasons, and I'm certain it has absolutely, positively nothing to do with IBOC's technical problems: http://www.radioworld.com/dailynews/one.php?id=3589 (Harry Helms, W7HLH Las Vegas, NV DM26 NRC-AM via DXLD) This is quite surprising, as Glynn Walden has been a central figure in IBOC development since day one. He is, or was, basically "Mr. IBOC". He was also the one who was preparing Ibiquity's long-delayed report to the FCC on the AM IBOC nighttime tests. Maybe he couldn't figure out a way to put a positive spin on the results, and that was the last straw? Interesting times in IBOCLand (Barry McLarnon, Ont., ibid.) That's why I found the news of his abrupt departure so remarkable and a strong indication that IBOC still has big, perhaps unsolvable problems. IBOC = DOA??? (Harry Helms, W7HLH, Las Vegas, NV, idid.) ** U S A. Center for Public Integrity has a searchable database to find out who really owns your local media outlets: http://www.openairwaves.org/telecom/analysis/default.aspx (via Wisconsin Public Radio, DXLD) ** U S A. FCC'S MEDIA RULING TARGETED --- THE WASHINGTON TIMES [Moony] A bipartisan group of 35 U.S. senators introduced legislation Tuesday to override a decision last month by the Federal Communications Commission to loosen restrictions on media ownership. The FCC last month voted to ease ownership restrictions that some called outdated in an era of fast-changing technology - despite complaints that the action would concentrate media power in a few hands. The changes would lift the national broadcast "cap" - or reach of any single company - to 45 percent of the national market from 35 percent, and let TV, radio and newspaper companies buy each other more freely. The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee voted last month to overturn the FCC decision, and to reinstitute the 35 percent cap and limit cross-ownership deals in all but the smallest markets. Feeling the need for a more emphatic expression of their displeasure and hoping to force a speedy Senate vote on the matter, the senators agreed to sponsor the one-paragraph resolution. It says that "Congress disapproves the rule submitted by the Federal Communications Commission relating to broadcast media ownership." Lawmakers said at a press conference they hoped to bring the matter to a vote by the end of the month. "I think that the FCC in this case clearly made a decision that's going to lead to more concentration, less diversity, fewer choices in the opportunity for people to view or hear or read ... the news," said Sen. Trent Lott, Mississippi Republican, one sponsor of the resolution. The relatively unusual tactic of introducing a resolution means that the FCC-rules changes will come up for a quicker-than-usual vote before the full Senate, possibly as early as the end of the month. "It'll force the FCC to redo it. It doesn't leave you without any rules, it just says ... we disapprove of these rules, and the FCC has to do it again and get it right," said Sen. Byron L. Dorgan, North Dakota Democrat. "We are moving to roll back one of the most complete cave-ins to corporate interests I've ever seen by what is supposed to be a federal regulatory agency," Mr. Dorgan said. Twenty-eight Democrats and seven Republicans, including Mr. Lott of Mississippi and Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, signed the petition. Under the rarely used 1996 Congressional Review Act, which was pushed by then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich, only 30 senators' signatures are needed to force a full Senate vote, Mr. Dorgan said. The FCC, led by Chairman Michael Powell, approved rules June 2 that make it easier for companies such as Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. to acquire newspapers and TV stations. The rules, which were opposed by groups as disparate as the Consumers Union and National Rifle Association, got more than 1 million letters of criticism from individuals. An FCC spokesman declined to comment. Mr. Powell has said the new rules adapt to a media landscape that now includes competition from the Internet, hundreds of cable operators and satellite broadcasters. "The sponsors have a good chance of getting it passed in the Senate," said former Rep. Thomas Bliley, Virginia Republican, who was House Commerce panel chairman from 1995 to 2001. "But I don't see anything passing the House because of opposition from the leadership and the fact it's not that much of a hot-button issue out there." Sen. John McCain, Arizona Republican, is leading the other Senate push to roll back the FCC media-ownership proposal. The Senate Majority Leader, Tennessee Republican Bill Frist, has not said when the full Senate would consider the panel's bill, if at all. "The McCain committee legislation could sit on the calendar forever, if Frist didn't want to bring it to a vote," said Mr. Dorgan's spokesman, Barry Piatt. "But the full Senate has to consider our congressional veto." The Senate is likely to consider the resolution by September, Mr. Piatt said. If the Senate passes the veto, it automatically goes to the full House for a vote, he said. President Bush, whose administration has endorsed the FCC rules, would have to sign the congressional veto for it to become law (via Fred Vobbe, July 17, NRC- AM via DXLD) HOUSE PANEL OKS OWNERSHIP CAP ROLLBACK In a major defeat for the TV networks, the House Appropriations Committee voted 40-25 Wednesday to approve a rider to an appropriations bill that would roll back the cap on the national TV ownership to 35 percent. In its controversial June 2 vote, the Federal Communications Commission's GOP majority raised the cap to allow broadcasters to acquire TV stations reaching 45 percent of the nation's TV homes. But the rider, offered by Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., the appropriation's committee's ranking minority member, would knock the cap back by barring the FCC from spending any money to authorize acquisitions that would exceed the old limit. The committee vote crossed party lines, with such leading Republicans as Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., voting in favor of the measure. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bill Young, R-Fla., voted against the amendment, warning that White House officials had threatened to recommend a presidential veto of the appropriations bill if the cap amendment were attached. Before taking its historic roll- call vote on the cap issue, the committee rejected by voice vote an amendment offered by Rep. Anne Northrup, R-Ky., that would have extended the rollback to resurrect an FCC rule that bars broadcasters from acquiring daily newspapers in their markets. Rep. Obey said that while he personally supports the idea of overturning all of the FCC's media ownership deregulation, he believes that widening the rollback beyond the cap at this point would kill the rollback rider altogether. "My head overruled my heart when I found out where the votes were," Rep. Obey said. "The way to win this argument is to take this on a piece at a time." Like several of his committee colleagues, Rep. Obey argued that a rollback is crucial to preserve local media diversity. "We're in danger of shutting off the blood supply to democracy," Rep. Obey said. In their debate on the measure, some committee lawmakers made clear that they had scores to settle with major media companies. Rep. Wolf, for instance, said he was upset that NBC "literally shut us out" when the Peacock Network announced a short-lived initiative to run hard liquor ads a couple of years ago. "I can't believe the level to which commercial television has sunk," added Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio. "It's literally a garbage pit." Leading the charge for the networks at the session was Rep. Jim Kolbe, R-Ariz., who argued that the regulations were unwarranted in the face of the diversity of sources of information now available to the public on TV and the Internet. "We have almost unlimited sources of information today," Rep. Kolbe said. The committee vote came as a vicious slap to House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Billy Tauzin, R-La., who was reportedly lobbying Appropriations Committee members personally to kill the amendment before the vote, in part on grounds that media ownership issues are under the jurisdiction of the Commerce Committee. Rep. Obey said Rep. Tauzin had made clear that he would block any effort to roll back the FCC's deregulation, even though a majority of his Commerce Committee members have publicly endorsed rollback initiatives. The Appropriations Committee vote was also a blow to the National Association of Broadcasters, which recently announced that it had joined forces with the networks to fight any rollback legislation. NAB, which previously supported a rollback to 35 percent, said it feared that so much sentiment had built up against the ownership deregulation on Capitol Hill that it wouldn't be able to prevent lawmakers from approving rollback legislation that included provisions targeting elements of the FCC's deregulation moves that NAB's members support. Despite NAB's bailout, the Network Affiliated Stations Alliance, representing 600 affiliates of ABC, CBS and NBC, has continued to support legislation to reinstate the 35 percent cap. Rep. Obey cited the group's position while arguing in favor of his rider amendment. In the wake of the vote, Fred Reynolds, president of the Viacom Stations Group, said that because of the way the rider was written, it might not require his company to divest any TV properties-even though Viacom currently holds stations reaching about 40 percent of the nation's TV homes. He also said it appeared clear that the broadcast networks were getting hurt by the grudges that Republican lawmakers harbor against CNN news coverage and Democrats hold against Fox News Channel. "This issue is very confusing because a lot of people don't understand where your cable system ends and TV station begins," Mr. Reynolds said. Before the appropriations bill can become law, it must be approved by the full House and the Senate and signed by the president. The leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee have already publicly endorsed rollback initiatives. In an alert Wednesday afternoon, Legg Mason Equity Research said the Appropriations Committee vote "markedly increases the chances that some form of the legislation will ultimately be enacted." Added the firm, "We are skeptical the president would veto the spending bill over this amendment, given that support seems to be spreading like a prairie fire." In the wake of the vote, Ken Johnson, a spokesman for Rep. Tauzin, said the lawmaker would continue to fight. "This limits our options but does not eliminate all of them," Mr. Johnson said. "This fight is far from over. Unfortunately to some people this was more about settling old scores than it was on setting a sound telecommunications policy for America. This was their chance to use the networks as a punching bag." Dennis Wharton, a spokesman for the NAB, said, "Given the actions already taken in the Senate, our concern remains that it is unlikely, if not impossible, to limit congressional re-regulation of broadcasting to a 35 percent rollback of national TV ownership rules." (from http://www.tvweek.com via Shoptalk Magazine 7/17/2003 via Fred Vobbe, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** U S A. BROADCAST BAND UPDATE, by Greg Hardison This could be the beginning of a new era of Bipartisan Camaraderie up on the Hill, as eleven Republicans (including the infamous wannabe- Klansman Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi) have joined the Democratic efforts to reverse the June 2 FCC ruling. Sadly interesting that the two main bones of contention seem to be A) Co-ownership of Newspapers, with co-market Broadcast outlets, and B) Television Program Content. Regarding Point A) Such co-ownership situations literally date back to the beginning of Broadcasting, with many such scenarios alive and well in many major U.S. markets. The Chicago Tribune has been under the same corporate roof as WGN Radio and TV since approximately the Mesozoic Era; anyone familiar with the 3rd largest market knows it ain't dominated by NO one company! The Trib owned KTLA(TV)/Channel 5 in Los Angeles for several years prior to it's purchase of The Los Angeles Times; so far the Tribbies have been in no hurry to gobble up electronic media outlets in either burg. For more than fifty years, Cox Enterprises has "dominated" the Atlanta market, owning both daily fishwrappers (The Atlanta Journal & The Atlanta Constitution), along with WSB AM & FM Radio (AM 750 historically ate the Ratings alive all through the 1960's --- and has returned to doing just that, here in the latter-day Millennium), also WSB-TV (the South's first regularly-licensed TV station) --- and nowadays, also owns three other FMs, all having been moved into Atlanta from smaller cities within a 60 mile radius. In recent years, Atlanta has grown into a top-ten market in terms of Broadcast revenues, with strong numbers being raked in by Clear Channel (1 AM and 5 FM- Radio outlets), Infinity/CBS (2 FMs and 1 AM), Jefferson- Pilot (in the market since the late 60's, with one-each, AM & FM, both strong performers), Gannett (30-year owners of WXIA-TV) and Fox (WAGA- TV), with myriad smaller independent broadcasters emphasizing such formats as Gospel/Religion (and Salem's just sort of hanging on there, incidentally, with two AMs and one VERY expensive FM relocated from Athens). All of this accomplished as Cox ADDED to their Atlanta media stable. Remember, the first nails were driven into that stable in the 1940's! Now just to add to the mudlike clarity of the situation, comes this from the July 12 edition of The Los Angeles Times: "Clear Channel must cut stations --- The firm's San Diego setup, which includes outlets in Mexico, exceeds new FCC limits. By Jeff Leeds, Times Staff Writer Radio giant Clear Channel Communications Inc. will have to bid adiós to much of its clout along California's southern border. Under provisions in the fine print of last week's federal order establishing new media ownership rules, the San Antonio-based company must reduce the number of stations it owns or controls in the San Diego listening area over the next two years, either by cutting ties to some of its five affiliated Mexican stations or selling some of its seven U.S.-licensed stations. The Federal Communications Commission's recent regulatory overhaul lets broadcasters keep clusters of radio stations whose reach exceeds the limits of new marketplace boundaries. But regulators didn't extend that protection to Clear Channel's exotic affiliate agreements — in which the company bulked up its San Diego presence by making side deals with Mexican stations that broadcast north of the border. The arrangements created one of the biggest radio powerhouses ever built in a U.S. market. Clear Channel captures an estimated 44% share of San Diego's $165-million radio market. That is the company's biggest slice of any of the nation's 20 biggest cities and roughly triple the share its nearest rival holds in San Diego, according to research firm BIA. Clear Channel probably will have to shed at least four stations to comply with the changes." -- San Diego is another market with strong performers owned by Jefferson- Pilot (KIFM, KSON and an AM brokered to Multicultural Broadcasting Co.), Infinity (KYXY and KPLN), as well as Midwest Television Inc. (who?? think KFMB AM/FM/TV, together for several decades), and relative newcomer Hispanic Broadcasting (proprietors of KLNV & KLQV) - -- not to mention the strong influence of L.A. radio outlets; KFI, KNX, KLAC, KABC and KSPN all slam near-City grade signals into SD. Hmmm... it may appear that NO ONE uniform strategy will adequately apply, as different markets exhibit different strengths and weaknesses, dictated by (among other issues) Geography (what else is seen and heard by market-dwellers?), Demographics (how OLD is the market? Has it been a huge city since the early days of electronic media, such as NYC or Chicago? Is market growth relatively new, as in the case of post-WW2 San Diego --- or, as in Atlanta example, has mega-growth occurred as a product of 1960's prosperity? Or, as a third model, Los Angeles...where urban growth has pretty much chronologically paralleled the rise of airwaves-usage, through the 20th Century?) Which "model" should the FCC cater its policies to? There's evidently an abundance of circular-thought going into the overall issue, not necessarily aided by Congressional mud-heads, or highly paid and produced Corporate Lawyers-who-would-be-Policy-Makers. I don't pretend to have the answers --- perhaps you do? Any and all comments are welcome, and will be duly reprinted unless requested otherwise), obscenities and all. WHILE WE'RE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD: San Diego market gorilla Clear Channel has come to the res-Q. CC outlet KPOP will soon share its single non-directional broadcast tower with Salem's KCBQ, a market veteran which was faced with the loss of its license due to the sale and upcoming development of the Santee land, on which its multi-towers have been situated for many years. KCBQ has always suffered from an extremely-directional signal, designed to protect co-channel stations in San José (at all times), and Tulsa (at night). The mighty Q will most likely be forced to reduce its daytime 50,000 watts to a lower level, as well as its nighttime 1500 watt allocation, in order to avoid having to use directional transmission patterns. Two ironies jump out of this pile: A) In the "glory" days of Top-40 Rock, these two outlets were intense rivals, with KCBQ/1170 running PAMS jingles and slightly-accelerated turntables (I KNOW I'm not the only one who remembers that!), and the old KGB (now KPOP/1360) doing the SD version of the Drake Format, leached down the coast from KHJ. Clear Channel is generally being lauded for its engineering generosity; no doubt an exchange of Dollars is the primary consideration here --- space rented on the KPOP stick, and bucks saved by Salem's not having to purchase expensive tower-site land in America's Finest City. The other irony is a bit more perplexing: despite the trumpeted Sharing Of The Stick, the FCC files (as of July 18) show KCBQ at its present, ill-fated transmitter site --- and also with a Construction Permit to transmit from a site just a few miles to the West, near San Vicente Reservoir --- with an increased nighttime power of 4500 watts. WANNA BUY A STATION? --- Smith Broadcasting of Santa Barbara has announced that its mostly-syndicated News-Talk outlet KEYT/1250 is on the block. Smith, while retaining KEYT-TV Channel 3 (the Central Coast ABC affiliate for many decades), says it's losing too much moolah in the Radio operation. Also for many decades, 1250 was the parking spot of KTMS, the South Coast's traditional News-Talk facility, formerly associated with ABC Radio News and ABC Talkradio (back when ABC was a real network --- ah, nostalgia!) Smith picked up the Radio facility in the early 1990s; shortly thereafter the KTMS "intellectual property" was nabbed by Clear Channel, which received usage of the venerable call-letters for its 990-AM Santa Barbara outlet. Nowadays, one will hear much of the syndicated Clear Channel/Premiere roster on KTMS/990, while KEYT/1250 features much from the AP News Net, as well as ABC's last credible vestige, Bob Brinker, and his weekend financial show. Innuendo has it that Salem wants 1250 for more Christian/Conservative Talk; another rumour has the facility going Spanish, under one of several possible buyers. This comes on the heels of Clear Channel taking over the marketing for the city's oldest broadcaster, Classical-format KDB (on FM 93.7 only, since about 1990 or so), in lieu of the outright sale of the station to God-knows-who. Something smells fishy from a Management angle, if one observes the long-term: what is preventing these two outlets from being economically viable, in a relatively-affluent market, today versus thirty years ago? Broadcasters' wages have not gone up significantly --- only proportionally --- in Santa Barbara. Competition has come in the form of the aforementioned KTMS/990, and for KDB, only in the guise of USC's Classical relayer, KFAC/88.7 FM. Again, I don't pretend to have the magical solutions --- but basic gut tells me some folks have dropped the Marketing ball, somewhere along Hwy. 101. DIGITITIS RELAPSE: Still no clear direction anywhere regarding Digital Broadcasting --- and it's inherent engineering/adjacent-channel reception problems exhibited on both AM and FM. But, an interesting idea has emerged from (of all places) the U.S. International Broadcasting Board, the bureaucratic collective designated to oversee the Voice Of America, and various psy-ops facilities targeting audiences in Cuba, Iraq, Iran and the former Soviet bloc. A number of prominent Shortwave broadcasters worldwide are participating in DRM, which digitizes these transmissions, returning almost FM-quality sound response (as many claim) to listeners thousands of miles away. Of course, most SW broadcasts are in AM mode --- thus leading to many of the same adjacent-channel hash problems noted in domestic broadcasts. But the idea of utilizing a little-used section of the Shortwave band, from 21 to 26 Megahertz, for low-to-medium power domestic Digital broadcasts has been born amongst the discussion-maelstrom. If eventually implemented, the plan would open up an entirely new Broadcast band for high-plus-fidelity Radio service, which would in- turn reduce the controversies surrounding Low Power FM, and its effects on established higher-powered commercial broadcasters. Yeah, it would take some marketing, but the idea would also open up a completely new market for receivers, which could be manufactured in all-Digital mode. No "in-band" combining of Digital and pre-existing Analog signals would be required --- as there ARE no "pre-existing" domestic Analog signals on this band. Currently-strained allocations for Low Power FM stations would be relaxed. Seems like a great idea; I'm sure it'll never happen. Until the next, Peace and Prosperity -- GREG HARDISON (via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. There seems to be a Spanish voice station, broadcasting music and voice (unable to secure ID) that comes in most evenings (local) around 0200 UT till ? on 10 MHz interfering with WWV/WWVH. I can only assume it is a pirate broadcast of some form as I doubt any country would authorize that frequency for a broadcast station (Bob Combs, New Mexico, hard-core-dx July 18 via DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ LMEE Te informo en nombre de la AER que la LISTA MUNDIAL DE EMISIONES EN ESPAÑOL que mantiene en su sitio web es actuaziada contínuamente. Como se sabe se ofrece GRATIS en tres listados PDF, ordendos por hora de emisión, por emisora y por radio país. http://www.aer-dx.org/listas/lmee.htm Además, como complemento a esta lista, la AER te ofrece también GRATIS la LISTA DE DIRECCIONES POSTALES DE EMISORAS INTERNACIONALES QUE EMITEN EN ESPAÑOL. http://www.aer-dx.org/listas/direcciones.htm En la sección LISTAS del web de la AER se ofrece GRATIS otras listas de interés para el radioescucha: http://www.aer-dx.org/listas/ Un saludo (Pedro Sedano, Madrid, España, COORDINADOR GENERAL, July 18, Conexión Digital via DXLD) DRM +++ Hi Glenn, In answer to your question in DXLD: We shall be dropping the Media Network version of the DRM schedule ASAP and incorporating Klaus' version, as he is encouraging other Web sites to do also. One definitive version of the schedule should benefit all of us :-) 73, (Andy Sennitt, RN, DX LISTENING DIGEST) For some time now we've been trying to maintain an accurate schedule of DRM transmissions on our Web site. Now Klaus Schneider in Germany has voluntarily taken over the task, and we've slightly reorganised the DRM dossier so you'll find the current schedule on a separate page at http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/html/drm_schedule.html Through a simple piece of Javascript code, what you see on this page actually resides on a Web server in Germany. If you have any observations, corrections or amendments, please send them directly to Klaus using the E-mail link at the top of the schedule page (Media Network newsletter July 18 via DXLD) [drm-se] MEXICAN NATIONAL SHORTWAVE MEETING JULY 31-AUGUST 3 Dear Jeff, As I mentioned before in a previous e-mail Bonaire doesn't have a "Mexico" antenna connected to the DRM transmitter. But we would like to support your festival and we have decided to perform the following DRM transmission from Bonaire. 31 July - 3 August 2330-0030 UTC 15525 kHz Programme: RNW Spanish We will cancel our regular DRM transmission to the USA during these four days and do this transmission instead. BUT: as Mexico is only in the sidelobe of the USA antenna the signal won't be very strong so you really need a good outdoor antenna to get something useful. Also we will transmit in a robust mode (Mode B, 16QAM, 14 kbps). This will not give the best audio quality but there's a higher chance of success. Alternative AM frequencies with the same Spanish RNW programme can be found on: 9895 kHz from Flevo to the Northern part of South America + Carribean 11720 kHz from Flevo to the Eastern part of South America 15315 kHz from Bonaire to the Southern part of South America So you can compare AM to DRM. We would like to receive some feedback of reception quality preferably via the logfile which can be created with the software receiver. Hope this will do. Kind regards (Jan Peter Werkman, Radio Netherlands, PO Box 222, 1200 JG Hilversum The Netherlands, Tel: +31-35-6724449, Fax: +31-35-6724429, GSM: +31- 653116538, E-mail: JanPeter.Werkman@rnw.nl http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/html/drm.html (via Jeff White, DXLD) TRANSMISIONES ESPECIALES EN DRM DE RADIO NEDERLAND-BONAIRE Radio Miami Internacional y la Asociación Nacional de Radiodifusoras de Onda Corta (NASB) de los Estados Unidos están organizando una demostración del nuevo sistema de onda corta digital, DRM, durante el Encuentro Nacional de Diexistas Mexicanos en Tizayuca, Hidalgo, México, del 31 de julio al 3 de agosto. Durante los cuatro días del evento, que será asistido por oyentes de onda corta de todo México, Estados Unidos y otros países, la planta transmisora de Radio Nederland en Bonaire, Antillas Holandesas, transmitirá el programa en español de dicha emisora diariamente de las 2330 a la 0030 UT en 15525 kHz en DRM con 10 kilovatios. Normalmente, se transmite el programa en inglés para los Estados Unidos durante este horario. Se realizarán pruebas con variaciones en la modulación durante estas transmisiones en español para ver cómo llega la señal en el centro de México. El mismo programa en español de Radio Nederland se puede escuchar simultáneamente en forma analógica en 9895 y 11720 kHz desde Holanda, y en 15315 kHz desde Bonaire (Jeff White, Gerente General, WRMI Radio Miami International, 175 Fontainebleau Blvd., Suite 1N4, Miami, Florida 33172 USA, Tel +1-305-559-9764, Fax +1-305-559-8186, E-mail: radiomiami9@cs.com http:/www.wrmi.net (via DXLD) CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++ WORLDWIDE TV-FM DX ASSOCIATION For those of you who were able to be part of the WTFDA 2003 experience --- and those who missed it --- I've just finished putting up three pages' worth of pictures and stories from last weekend's convention. Check it out (and send me your pictures, too!), right here: http://www.fybush.com/wtfda2003.html (And thanks again to everyone who helped make the convention a success!) s (Scott Fybush, NRC-AM via DXLD) RECEIVER NEWS +++++++++++++ HOBBY BECAME HUGE ENTERPRISE Eimac's tube-building company took off during WWII, grew with advent of TV. HAM radio enthusiasts Bill Eitel and Jack McCullough started out making vacuum tubes for themselves and other hobbyists . . . http://www.sanmateocountytimes.com/Stories/0,1413,87~11268~1519492,00.html (via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) PROPAGATION ++++++++++++ CUMBRE PROPAGATION REPORT Flare activity has been quite low over the past week, in the last couple of days there has been only a barely noticeable C class flare. The earth was under the effect of a coronal wind stream until July 14, which with a southward bias to the magnetic field led to storm conditions in the first part of July 13. We entered another wind stream on July 15 with major storm activity noted for a period on July 16. This effect is in the process of easing. Depressions of 15 to 30% are being observed in some of the Southern Australian/NZ sites so far today (UT Day) due to coronal hole high speed solar wind stream effects. Lower than normal MUFs may be observed in these regions for the rest of the day today and after local dawn tomorrow. Note that the Northern Australian region MUFs have remained near normal. MUF forecasts are for slight depressions possible at times for mid-high latitudes otherwise mostly near predicted monthly values. Prepared using data from http://www.ips.gov.au (Richard Jary, SA, July 18, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ###