DX LISTENING DIGEST 3-131, July 23, 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 1192: WWCR: Thu 2030 15825, Sat 1030, Sun 0230 5070, 0630 3210, Wed 0930 9475 RFPI: Fri 1930, Sat 0130, 0800, 1400, 1730, 2330, Sun 0530, 1130, 1830, Mon 0030, 0630, 1230, Tue 1900, Wed 0100, 0730, 1330 7445 and/or 15039 WRMI: Sat & Sun 1800+ 15725 WINB: Sun 0030 12160 WBCQ: Mon 0445 7415 WRN ONDEMAND [from Fri]: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also for CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL]: Check http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html [Low] (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1192.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1192.ram [High] (Download) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1192h.rm (Stream) http://www.k4cc.net/wor1192h.ram (Summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1192.html [from Thu] ** AUSTRALIA. `AM` FOUND TO BE UNBIASED BY THE ABC'S COMPLAINTS REVIEW EXECUTIVE The ABC has responded to the 68 complaints lodged by Communications Minister Richard Alston about alleged bias in the AM program by upholding only two out of the 68 concerns . . . http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2003/s906924.htm (transcript and audio links, via Bill Westenhaver, QC, DXLD) ABC 'BIAS' LARGELY IN ALSTON'S MIND --- 24 July 2003 THE irony of those well-publicised complaints from the Communications Minister, Richard Alston, that ABC Iraq war coverage contained "numerous examples of one-sided and tendentious commentary" is that Alston – who claims the one-sidedness took the form of anti-US bias – emerges from the latest round of the argument accused of being at least equally one-sided and tendentious. Full story is available at: http://theaustralian.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,6793565%255E7582,00.html (via Bill Westenhaver, DXLD) BY ANY MEASURE, ALSTON BOMBS OUT -- 24 July 2003 THANK goodness Richard Alston is Australia's communications minister and not the bloke who programs the smart bombs for the US military. The strike rate for his hit list of complaints against alleged ABC bias during the war on Iraq was a mere 2.9 per cent. Full story: http://theaustralian.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,6793462%255E12280,00.html (via Bill Westenhaver, DXLD) In light of recent government criticisms involving the BBC and (perhaps unknown to most) ABC Australia, here's a Radio Australia/ Radio National program that intends to address the issues: THE MEDIA REPORT with Mick O'Regan - "Public Broadcasting in the Spotlight". In Australia the Communications Minister, Senator Alston, remains unsatisfied by the ABC's response to his criticisms of bias, and in the UK, the BBC is at the centre of the controversy over sources and reporting. How should public broadcasters deal with politically sensitive news, and is the line between reportage and analysis too often blurred? Available beginning Thursday on demand from http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/mediarpt/ Also broadcast by Radio Australia Thu 0130, 1030, 1530 on shortwave and online, on WRN-NA and Sirius stream 115 1130, and by Radio National online Wed 2230, Thu 1005. There are also these RA-broadcast programs with a focus on radio: BUSH TELEGRAPH with Alicia Brown - "Radio in Rural Afghanistan". Rural Afghanistan is home to 80% of the population. Only one quarter of the people have access to mostly state-owned local radio. Up to twenty new stations will be launched within the next year to help Afghanistan's reconstruction. What kind of information will they broadcast, and how will they actually help rural people get back on their feet? Available on Thursday on demand from http://www.abc.net.au/rn/telegraph/ Also broadcast by Radio Australia Thu 1130 and 1605 on shortwave and online, on WRN-NA and Sirius stream 115 1505, and by Radio National online Thu 0105. FEEDBACK with Roger Broadbent - For the past two weeks on Radio Australia’s Feedback the focus has been on digital radio in Australia - the available technologies and what lies ahead as this country considers its options. This weekend we find out what it all means for the broadcasters. A complete mindset change it appears and we'll need to become multi-media specialists. Steve Ahearn, Head of Radio at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, has spent the past two years teaching his students about digital radio broadcasting - the technical, the creative and the marketing side of this new technology. Broadcast by Radio Australia on shortwave and online Fri 2105, Sat 0605, Sun 0305, on WRN and Sirius stream 115 Sun 0705. Available on demand from early next week (John Figliozzi, NY, July 23, swprograms via DXLD) ** AUSTRIA [non?]. Dear Robin, you tell your readers, in RA, May 2003, that the external service from Austria relays a.o. "sundry Ethiopian clandestine broadcasters." This is not only untrue, it is insulting. We provide some air space to broadcasters of a humanitarian nature, programmes sponsored by the United Nations, the European Union etc. to provide unbiased and uncensored information for countries where the local regimes do not allow freedom of expression. We would never give access to "sundry clandestines." Please inform your readers accordingly. BTW it seems to me you have bad luck whenever you report from Austria. Last time you discriminated an Austrian politician whose name you could not even spell, hi. 73 de Wolf Harranth OE1WHC, DX Editor ex-Radio Austria International http://www.qsl.at --- a site you might want to check (via Harwood, DXLD) Am I in trouble or not? Wolf seems to think I goofed in saying that Austria relays "sundry Clandestine Ethiopian Broadcasters". Now I have seen references to these in Clandestine Radio Watch. They classify them as clandestine. As for the reference to an Austrian politician, I don't have any idea what he is on about (Robin L. HARWOOD, Norwood, Tasmania, "Spotlight on SWLing-Amateur Radio" DX LISTENING DIGEST) It`s GERMANY, DTK i.a. that relays `Sundry Ethiopian clandestines`; I can`t think of any via Austria. Which ones exactly do you think are transmitted by Austria? And CRW will be quick to disclaim that everything they cover is really clandestine (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRIA. OE1M - QSLS - INTERNATIONAL MARCONI DAY Ich habe heute die letzten OE1M-QSLs zum Internationalen Marconi-Tag zur Post gebracht. Wer in angemessener Zeit also noch immer auf seine QSL wartet, sollte sich direkt bei mir melden. Es war ein grosses Stueck Trauerarbeit mit viel Abschiedsschmerz. So viele bekannte Namen - und mit vielen verbinden sich Erinnerungen: An wertvollen Hinweisen fuer unsere Sendungen, an persoenliche Begegnungen... So viele unbekannte Namen - und alles Stammhoerer, die sich erst jetzt melden: Man sendet ins Nichts und ahnt nicht, wie gross die Familie ist. Allerdings gibt's da auch die Schattenseiten: Da hat uns einer stundenlang auf einer Frequenz gehoert, auf der wir nie gesendet hatten. Kein Wunder, dass er kein einziges Programmdetail nennen konnte. Da weiss jemand genau, dass wir 0.45 kHz nenben der Nominalfrequenz gesendet haben. Sein Empfaenger ist geeicht (unser Sender ist es offenbar nicht). Da hat wieder jemand flott alle Berichtsdetails erfunden... Am aergerlichsten: Bei gut einem Drittel der Berichte fehlten der Adressaufkleber/das Rpckkuvert und/oder der Portoersatz. Das hat dann auf dem Postamt 100 Euro gekostet. Ich erwaehne das nicht, um mich zu ruehmen, sondern zu erinnern: Nicht in jeder Rundfunkanstalt wird die QSL-Post aus der Portokasse bezahlt. Wenn die QSL-Politik Frucht des Idealismus eines Mitarbeiters, einer Mitarbeiterin ist, diese(r) aber immer tief in die eigene Tasche greifen muss, darf man sich nicht wundern, wenn der Ruf der Hoerer nicht der beste ist und die QSLs eines Tages ausbleiben. 73 de Wolf Harranth OE1WHC (via A-DX July 22 via Wolfgang Büschel, DXLD) ** CANADA. CJRS Radio Montreal -- http://www.cjrsradio.com Nouveau sur le webb demande special accepté (July 23 via DXLD) Web-only station? Can`t find it in FM Atlas or M-Street 2000y Directory. Non-commercial? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. I came across few different jamming transmissions this morning, July 23, in 0400-0500 UT time slot 2 - 11760 around 0435 UT. 3 - 9805 against Radio Martí around 0440 UT. as .MP3 file. Different jamming of the Cuban type heard at same time on 11760 and 9805 kHz. I think, 11760 jamming is an AUDIO mixup at the la Habana Bauta site --- heard on co-channel RHC Spanish service. 9805 kHz is both, a US Radio Farda Kavalla channel earlier in the morning, as well as a US Radio Martí channel (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, July 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also IRAN ** CZECH REPUBLIC. CZECH MINISTER SAYS HOSTING RFE/RL RADIO FREEZES CZECH TRADE WITH IRAN | Excerpt from report in English by Czech news agency CTK Prague, 23 July: The Czech Republic will somehow contribute to the removal of the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) from the Prague centre, Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda told BBC today. "The form is yet to be debated," Svoboda said. [passage omitted] The RFE/RL cannot interrupt broadcasts and it would have to function at two places simultaneously. The moving's costs are estimated at more than 500m Czech korunas. [passage omitted] "It can be just a contribution. We contribute to the USA just by having it here. All our trade relations with Iran are frozen," Svoboda said. [passage omitted] [One dollar equals 28.39 Czech korunas.] Source: CTK news agency, Prague, in English 1722 gmt 23 Jul 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** EGYPT. Queridos Radioescuchas, les enviamos nuestra hoja de programación, esperamos les ayude a seguir más facilmente nuestras emisiones. Un abrazo. RADIO EL CAIRO, EMISIONES EN LENGUA CASTELLANA HOJA DE PROGRAMACION CORRESPONDIENTE AL SEGUNDO SEMESTRE DEL ANO 2003 HORARIO 0045-0200 TUC Horario de Verano Tiempo local de el Cairo: 3:45-5:00 am Horario de Invierno Tiempo local de el Cairo: 2:45-4:00 am ***** Onda corta: 25 ms. 11755 y 11790 KHZ Transmisión Via Satelite: NileSat programa 7, Frecuencia 11766 Ghz, Polaridad Horizontal, Simpo 27500, 7 grados oeste. E/mail: radioelcairoespa@y... [truncated] Direccion Correo Postal: Radio El Cairo, Programas en Español, Apartado Postal 566, El Cairo, Egipto. Programas Fijos (tiempo local de El Cairo): [UT + 3!!!] 3:47 Musica Oriental, 3:48 Resumen Noticioso, 4:00 Noticiario a Detalle, 4:50 Noticias de Última Hora Programas Diarios (tiempo local de el Cairo): Lunes Martes Miércoles 3:50 Mensaje del Islam, Tarjeta Postal, Compañeros P[ara?] Mohamed 4:10 Comentario Político, Luces Sobre Oriente Medio, Comentario Político 4:15 Tema Semanal, Cancionero Egipcio 4:20 Panorama Egipcio 4:30 Amplie sus Conoc[imientos?]. Jerusalén, Deporte en una Semana 4:35 Papel y Lápiz 4:40 Rincón Filatélico, Preguntas y Respuestas 4:45 Charla Variada Jueves Viernes Sábado 3:50 Crónica Literaria, Exégesis del Corán, La Mujer Egipcia 4:10 Comentario Político, Comentario Político, Semanario de Prensa 4:15 Canción Árabe 4:20 Micrófono en la calle, Patrimonio Cultural, Música de América Latina 4:35 Perspectiva Latinoamericana, El Cairo Contesta 4:40 Historia de la Civilización Árabe 4:45 Capitales Históricas de Egipto Domingo 3:50 Luces Sobre Nuestra Vida Cotidiana 4:10 Comentario Político 4:15 El Cairo Contesta 4:35 Egipto al Vuelo 4:45 De aquí y de allá /////////////////FIN////////////////////// RADIO EL CAIRO EN ESPANOL --- DIR. SANAA MAKLED; LOCUCION: VERONICA BALDERAS, ASSIA LAMARTY; SUPLENTES: MAHMOUD, MOHAMED; SUPERVISION: IMAN, NAGLAA; REDACCION: NANCY, RANA. -------------------------------------------------- (via Pedro Sedano, Madrid, España, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** GERMANY. Tiere --- WALROSS-DAME "ANTJE" IST TOT [illustrated!] Die berühmte Walross-Dame "Antje" ist im Hamburger Tierpark Hagenbeck gestorben. "Antje ist in der Nacht sanft entschlafen", sagte Zoodirektor Claus Hagenbeck am Donnerstagmorgen. . . http://www.ndr.de/ndr/regional/hh/20030716/antje.html Click to the VIDEO on the rightmost corner BELOW: http://stream.ndr.de/bb/redirect.lsc?stream=ndr/media//vs/20030716_155446_tv_trailer_antje_walross.rm&content=content&media=rm and you will get the video stream of the mascot interval signal (video+audio signals on Real Player). 73 wolfy (via Wolfgang Büschel, WORLD OF RADIO 1192, DXLD) ** GERMANY. Re: DXLD 3-130 GERMANY. The Kiel-based Power Radio Here in Copenhagen I still hear Power Radio today, July 23, around noon LT, on 612 kHz (Erik Køie, Copenhagen, DX LISTENING DIGEST) While reading the above story I tuned into 612 kHz here in Central Denmark and found the usual strong signal (9+20dB) from Power Radio and the usual dance-music format here at 0830. The distance from my QTH to Kiel is 250 km (155 miles). (Stig Hartvig Nielsen, Denmark, July 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Power Radio on 612 is again on air; reportedly they stated that an excavator tore apart a cable to the transmitter. If so this would be the STL circuit rather than the main power supply, considering the reported open carrier. This brings up some nostalgia: Back in 1992/1993 also an excavator cut the cable with the audio circuits to the Wilsdruff transmitter (this cable was placed along the highway from Leipzig to Dresden; it is meanwhile retired in favour of a digital STL via either microwave link or fibre optic cable). As a result the MDR Life network was transmitted on 1044 by means of Ballempfang (FM pick-up) while the DT64 studio signal vanished into nowhere. But they continued to, let's say narrowcast, and the results were so amusing that some excerpts from the aircheck tape were later broadcast for real (Kai Ludwig, Germany, July 23 2112 UT, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GREENLAND [non]. Re: DXLD 3-128 + a geography lesson: The three programs are now available as ONE 30 min. 45 seconds program at: http://www1.dr.dk/pubs/nyheder/html/programmer/kortboelge/meta/haagensen.ram But please note that the interview is entirely in DANISH, with some recordings of e.g. US Stations + air communication. His first experiences in Greenland were in 1949 in Peary Land (the Northernmost part of Greenland which is a peninsula with Cape Morris Jesup, at 83 39 North, as Greenland's northernmost point). Later at Station Nord (=North) from it was built in 1952. See a map of Greenland at: http://www.dmi.dk/vejr/gron/index.html - then click left on 'Observationer'. (Erik Køie, Copenhagen, Denmark, July 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Erik, tnx for availablizing this. I listened to the entire show, altho I don`t understand Danish! There were several non-English clips included at 07:31, 08:19, 10:19; Nord Radio in English, 2-way weather info, at 17:03 and again in the next minute; and also at 22:37. Brief KFAB clip at 21:36; KING at 21:50 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** HAWAII. Glenn, Letter from Joseph Brasier states: "The frequency change is for KWHR Angel 3 in Naalehu, Hawaii. We were signing off at 1630 UT on 9.930 MHz at 285 degrees. As of Friday July 11, 2003, we began signing off at 1700 on 9.930 MHz. We are also changing directions from 285 to 300 degrees at 1600 until sign off at 1700. This change will be effective all 76 days". (via Gayle Van Horn, Monitoring Times Frequency Manager, DX LISTENING DIGEST) To accommodate a new clandestine client??? (gh, DXLD) ** INDONESIA. 4869.97, RRI Wamena, 1035-1102 July 23. Noted simply typical music with man in comments between tunes. At tune in the signal was poor, but by 1100 with a beautiful sunrise in progress here in Florida, the signal of Wamena was at a good level (Bolland, Chuck, Clewiston, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL. The letters and numbers in my logs such as (E3, E4, E10, V2a) are ENIGMA assigned station identifiers; they are used to help identify what spy numbers station you are listening to. Here is a link to a website explaining this and a list of ENIGMA station identifiers and their names: http://www.spynumbers.com/enigma.html Here is another website that give information about some of the stations: http://www.spynumbers.com/profiles/enigma.html ENIGMA is the European Numbers Information Gathering and Monitoring Association, is a non-profit making association of listeners who monitor and gather information on 'Numbers Stations' and other related radio transmissions. If you are intrested in being a member of ENIGMA, you can find the Yahoo groups' ENIGMA 2000 Website at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/enigma2000/ 73, (Chris Acuff, shortwavelistening yahoogroup via DXLD) ** IRAN. I came across few different jamming transmissions this morning, July 23, in 0400-0500 UT time slot. Attached three examples 1 - 15420 around 0425 UT. [see also CUBA] Usual strong Iranian jamming against 15290 US Radio Farda Kavala in Persian. DIFFERENT fast machine 'ditting' oscillating jamming also on 15185 and 15420 kHz, most likely also Iranian type, seemingly a 24 hrs operation like against Mojahed broadcasts. On 15185 kHz co-channel is another US Radio Farda Kavala operation in Persian. But the 15420 kHz channel is used widely by BBC Oman in Persian and Pashto during daytime, and extended transmission time on Thursdays and Fridays; 0700-1300 UT. 15420 kHz BBC Seychelles from 1400-1630 in Somali and Swahili (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, July 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAQ. A leading press watchdog called on July 22 for U.S. and British authorities to ease media restrictions in Iraq quickly and draw up liberal media laws to replace the straitjacket that Saddam Hussein imposed. The country's new freedoms could be at risk if resistance to U.S. and British forces grew, Paris-based Reporters Without Borders warned in a report entitled "The Iraqi media three months after the war: a new but fragile freedom". Saddam's fall in April has spawned boisterous new media, including at least 85 newspapers and magazines, dozens of internet cafes as well as radio stations and satellite television channels, the group said. "Reporters Without Borders calls for work to begin very soon on drafting liberal and democratic media regulations and laws to fill the present void and replace the harsh legislation of Saddam Hussein's era," the report said. It criticised rules imposed by Paul Bremer, the U.S. civilian administrator in Iraq, that ban incitement to violence against U.S. and British forces and empower their commander to decide what constitutes incitement. Bremer's order also bans incitement to ethnic and religious hatred, but the media group said the wording was vague enough to allow the U.S.-led authorities to crack down on local media. The authorities have nine grounds for closing media outlets, powers already used to suspend the Voice of Baghdad radio station and a Shi'ite Muslim newspaper in the holy city of Najaf, the seven-page report said. It said the powers of the Iraqi Media Network, acting as an interim body to replace the former Iraqi information ministry, were ill-defined and should be quickly spelled out. Journalists needed better legal protection, while the recent deaths of two journalists underlined security problems, it said (Reuters via SCDX/MediaScan July 23 via DXLD) ** IRAQ. THE IRAQI MEDIA THREE MONTHS AFTER THE WAR : A NEW BUT FRAGILE FREEDOM A wind of freedom has gusted through the Iraqi media for the past three months. For nearly 30 years, it was assigned the single task of glorifying the regime and its leader, President Saddam Hussein. Today, newspapers are springing up in Baghdad and all over the country. Radio and TV are not as prolific and lively, but genuine diversity and openness is now possible. But daily lawlessness and instability, the large amount of weaponry in people's hands, squabbles between political groups and the US and British occupation mean complete freedom is not guaranteed for journalists, who are practising self-censorship. Criticism and different opinions can now be voiced however. The future of the Iraqi media is largely in the hands of the US-British Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) and, to some extent, the Iraqi Transitional Governing Council appointed on 13 July. . . http://www.rsf.fr/article.php3?id_article=7583 (long, illustrated, Reporters Without Borders article, via Kim Elliott, WORLD OF RADIO 1192, DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH. An envelope of goodies arrived today from the Voice of Korea, replying to my 5th of June request for information on a project I'm working on. They sent no less than: a personally typed letter, the 50 year history of North Korean broadcasting leaflet (circa 1995), broadcast schedules for all 8 foreign language services, 2 copies of the English language "Pyongyang times" newspaper, a Radio Pyongyang pennant and a Voice of Korea pin badge (obviously a new addition due to the recent name change.) Sadly no programme guide, but then you can't have everything! Interestingly, in the letter from them, they mention that since April 11 2003, Voice of Korea has been available 24 hours a day on the Taicom 3 satellite, 3424.5 "ohm". [?] As uptodate schedules for the station are hard to find, I've scanned each of the 8 schedules and put them on a quickly thrown together webpage. I'll add scans of the newspapers and other information shortly. Judging by my monitoring this evening, the English schedule to Europe at least is accurate. http://www.eurobahn.co.uk/~media/vok/ (My correspondence with the DPRK may have blown my chances of ever being recruited by MI6, but there's nevertheless still something special about receiving post from distant lands, which these days is quite a rarity!) (Daniel Atkinson, England, July 22, swprograms via DXLD) And gh herewith transcribes and rearranges into time order the English portion, shown as one hour each, frequencies in the order given; looks like carbon copy on old manual typewriter: 0100 CAm 15180 11735 13760 0100 NE China 7140 9345 6195 0200 SEAs 11845 15230 0300 NE China 7140 9345 6195 1000 CAm 9335 11710 1000 SEAs 11735 13650 1300 NAm 11710 9335 1300 WEu 15245 13760 1500 WEu 15245 13760 1500 NAm 11710 9335 1600 ME/NAf 11735 9975 1900 WEu 15245 13760 2100 WEu 15245 13760 (via Glenn Hauser, WORLD OF RADIO 1192, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LIBERIA. HUNDREDS OF LIBERIANS SEEK REFUGE AT ELWA AS FIGHTING ESCALATES --- Posted by: newsdesk on Monday, July 21, 2003 - 12:41 PM Hundreds of refugees have sought shelter at Radio Station ELWA in the Liberian capital of Monrovia as the political situation in the country continues to deteriorate. ``We are again calling upon you to join us in prayer for Liberia,`` wrote SIM-Liberia Director Rick Sacra in an e-mail report sent Sunday afternoon. ``The news from the last few days has not been good. Lurd rebels have again attacked from the North and West, starting on Friday, again reaching the Freeport area on Saturday and coming close to the city center. Mortar shells are again being dropped in heavily populated areas. Reports indicate that the rebels are also moving toward Paynesville from the Freeport area. This could bring fighting closer to ELWA.`` Despite the unrest, ``things are still quiet at the ELWA campus,`` he wrote. However, more than 500 persons have arrived at the facility as the fighting spreads. The ministry`s radio station and hospital continue to operate as long as diesel fuel is available to run the generators. The spokesman urged prayer for safety and a permanent resolution to the conflict. HCJB World Radio works in partnership with ELWA, a ministry founded by SIM in Monrovia in 1954, to air the gospel across the country and West Africa. The radio station was destroyed twice by civil war, first in 1990 and again in 1996. ELWA went back on the air in 1997 with a small FM transmitter. Then in 2000 HCJB World Radio provided a low-power shortwave transmitter, again enabling the station to cover the region. ELWA broadcasts the gospel in 10 languages and plans to add more as resources become available. . . http://www.hcjb.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=593&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 (HCJB Press via WORLD OF RADIO 1192, DXLD) ** MYANMAR. 5985, Radio Myanmar: No data form letter QSL from v/s Ko Ko Htway stating, "We are pleased to verify your reception of Radio Myanmar". Also enclosed was a program schedule and Media Index. I have been pursuing this one for over 5 years, with numerous follow-up letters, faxes, and fresh reports. Really glad to finally have this one in the collection (George Maroti, NY, July 23, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** NEW ZEALAND. MEDIA: CROSBIE TO LEAVE RADIO NZ Radio New Zealand chief executive Sharon Crosbie has confirmed she will step down at the end of the year. . . http://www.nbr.co.nz/home/column_article.asp?id=6580&cid=1&cname=Media (via Jill Dybka, DXLD) RADIO NEW ZEALAND HEAD TO STEP DOWN --- 23.07.2003 5.30pm From: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3514250&thesection=news&thesubsection=general Radio New Zealand chief executive Sharon Crosbie will step down at the end of the year. RNZ board chairman Brian Corban said today Crosbie had advised him she would leave her position as chief executive and editor in chief at the end of December. Mr Corban said Crosbie would leave the company in good heart at a time when there was a revival in government support for public broadcasting, a new funding agreement, and a positive conclusion to recent pay negotiations. RNZ would immediately begin an international search to fill Crosbie's role, he said. "The company will undertake a normal search and recruitment exercise for a senior appointment of this nature." Mr Corban said Crosbie had made a significant contribution to public broadcasting during her eight-year tenure in the positions. "There have been outstanding contributions from many fine broadcasters over the years and Sharon Crosbie stands with the best of them... she has made a significant contribution to the heritage of public broadcasting in this country." In recent times Crosbie has made news due to a prolonged employment dispute with RNZ's head of news Lynne Snowdon. Snowdon has been absent from work for seven months after a falling out with 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 stressful work environment. In June, the Employment Relations Authority ordered RNZ to take Ms Snowdon back and pay her $3000 in compensation. RNZ appealed, arguing Ms Snowdon should first undergo a psychiatric assessment. This month the Employment Court ordered the parties to negotiate over the assessment (via Ulis Fleming, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** OMAN. Radio Sultanate of Oman: I got a folder QSL with full data, (except there was no date) veried by Director of frequency, Radio. it was for my report on 15355. Ironically, I just sent a follow-up, before this one arrived. Two beautiful stamps on the envelope have since gone to my stamp collections. Return address on the folder was given as Sultanate of Oman, Ministry of Information, P.O. Box 600, postal code 113. Muscat. Kindest regards, (Emmanuel Ezeani, P.O. Box 1633, Sokoto, Sokoto State, Nigeria, July 23, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** PERU. 4855 kHz, Radio La Hora, full data "Radio La Hora" card, v/s Carlos Gamarra Moscoso, Director De Frecuencias, in 1 month after assistance from a Peruvian friend, 3 months total, received pennant. Address on envelope: Av, Gercilaso No 411, Wanchaq-Cusco, Peru. Thank to my Peruvian friend for making this my 1st Peruvian QSL possible! (Joe Talbot, Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, July 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SWEDEN. RADIO SWEDEN--Coming up on Radio Sweden: Thursday: S-Files Friday: Our weekly review Saturday: Studio 49 Sunday: Sounds Nordic We're changing one of our frequencies to East Asia and New Zealand for the broadcast at 1230 UT. Beginning this Sunday July 27, the frequency of 17505 kHz will be replaced by 13580. However, 17505 will continue from another transmitter to South Asia and Australia, and we'll continue to use 17840 for the 1230 broadcast to North America (Anders Backlin, Radio Sweden, SCDX/MediaScan July 23 via WORLD OF RADIO 1192, DXLD) ** UGANDA. DEFENCE MINISTER SAYS ARMY TO START RADIO SOON | Text of report by Ugandan newspaper The New Vision web site on 23 July The UPDF [Uganda People's Defence Forces] is to open a 200m shilling radio station this financial year, Defence Minister Amama Mbabazi said in a policy statement to parliament. The army spokesman Maj Shaban Bantariza yesterday said, "Certainly we will start up a radio this financial year. It will be located centrally, but will be reaching all our forces wherever they are." He said: "The radio will do what all the other radios are doing, inform, entertain, and the rest." Bantariza said: "There isn't adequate information concerning the army. By the time the information reaches the public, it is third or forth hand. Currently, the facts are misrepresented." He said they could not use Radio Uganda for their purpose because "Radio Uganda collapsed, it is ineffective like most of government departments." He said he started Radio Freedom in northern Uganda, but was taken over by Radio Uganda and "it fell victim to their problems". Bantariza said the radio would reinforce the UPDF web site which is currently operational, adding 0.6bn Ugandan shillings had been budgeted by the Ministry of Training for selected soldiers in IT applications. The Defence Ministry has also budgeted 500m Ugandan shillings for the re-establishment of the army shop and 1.2bn shillings for an assurance scheme for soldiers, Bantariza said. Source: The New Vision web site, Kampala, in English 23 Jul 03 (via BBCM via WORLD OF RADIO 1192, DXLD) WTFK? FM? Possibly SW for the wide coverage envisaged (gh, DXLD) ** U K. THE BBC MUST NOT BE A CASUALTY OF WAR By Chris Smith, Financial Times, 23 July 2003 Published: July 22 2003 19:26 | Last Updated: July 22 2003 19:26 All of us in the Westminster village - politicians, government officials, journalists - ought to be ashamed of ourselves. All too often we treat the political debate as a game: who's up, who's down, who said what to whom, who can be tripped up with what. Then reality intrudes, in this case in horribly tragic fashion. It ought to bring us up short, to remind us of what truly matters, to concentrate our minds on the big questions. Yet within hours we are at it again, with a parade of apologists for one side or the other being dismissive or triumphalist in turns. For what it is worth, I suspect that Andrew Gilligan did amplify what he had been told by David Kelly, in order to make it sound more dramatic - though the concerns Mr Kelly had about the government's published statements were real enough. I suspect that Alastair Campbell, the prime minister's director of communications, did indeed put added emphasis and gloss on to the raw intelligence material presented to the government - although I do not believe he inserted anything that was not there in the first place. I suspect that the Ministry of Defence did put Mr Kelly's name into the public domain, believing that this would help the government's "case" against the BBC. I suspect that Greg Dyke, the BBC's director-general, and Gavyn Davies, the chairman, were delighted to have a chance to show their independence from a Labour government - though they also wanted to stand firm in not revealing journalistic sources. And I suspect that the board of governors of the BBC accepted a little too readily the version of events set before them by their executives. It is something they are wont to do and they always need to remember their responsibilities as regulators, not just as managers. I hope that Lord Hutton will search diligently through all of this undergrowth and establish clearly where the truth lies. It is important, of course, that he does not artificially limit the scope of his inquiry. If the logic of his investigation takes him into broader issues, unravelling exactly why we went to war and the validity of the stated reasons given at the time, that is what he should examine. He should realise that he is in an impregnable position. The government cannot place artificial barriers on his work, however much it may want to. He must have a look at whatever he thinks is necessary to get at the truth. In all of this, however, there is one thing of which I am sure. Public service broadcasting itself must not become a casualty of the conflict. The BBC is the most important of our public service broadcasters. It is a fundamentally important part of the life of the nation. It is of greater value than any individual politician. It also has great responsibilities. And it does not always get everything right. But it cannot and should not become a victim to be threatened, scapegoated and kicked around by whoever wants to gain a momentary upper hand in the media war that - sadly - has now restarted. I have been particularly alarmed in the past few days to hear some of my parliamentary colleagues talking about the future of the BBC's status and licence fee income, in the light of the 2006 review of its charter. This is little short of blackmail; and to make an explicit link between the events of the recent past and the BBC's overall future would be outrageous. Any decisions about how the BBC is funded and governed, and what the shape of our public service broadcasting landscape should be, must be taken at the appropriate time on their merits. They should not be influenced by any pique about a particular argument or spat, however controversial. Of course the BBC is going to be robustly independent. Of course it is going to "defy" the sitting government from time to time. Even if it sometimes gets that defiance slightly wrong, it must continue to criticise. That is what it is there for. I remember when I was talking with China's minister for broadcasting, a few years ago, and he complained about the BBC's critical reporting about Tibet, I told him that - as minister in charge of broadcasting in Britain - I myself was regularly criticised by the BBC. He could not believe we would allow such a state of affairs. But I am proud to live in a country that not only allows such things to happen but also insists on it. There are entirely legitimate issues to be discussed, as we approach the charter review, about the way the BBC is governed and regulated. I for one have been arguing for some time that the back-stop regulatory power over the BBC governors should rest with Ofcom rather than with the secretary of state: it is important to take it out of the realm of politics. But that point should not get mixed up in a general assault on the BBC, its decisions, its journalism and its ability to be awkward, just so that one side of a current argument can gain ground over another. A period of reflection is certainly needed, not just about the events that led up to Mr Kelly's tragic death but about the decisions that led to war, the political judgments made since and the importance of independent public service broadcasting in a democracy. Bashing the BBC's fulfilment of this role may be an easy option for some. But in reality it serves the nation ill. --- The writer was secretary of state for culture, media and sport 1997-2001 (via Kim Elliott, DXLD) THE BBC IS A WORLD, NOT A LAW, UNTO ITSELF By Janet Daley (Filed: 23/07/2003) I work for the BBC. There - I've said it. In spite of everything I have written in the past and am about to write now, you should know that a proportion of my income comes from the very news and current affairs operation that is taking a deserved hammering in the print media. . . http://www.opinion.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2003/07/23/do2302.xml&sSheet=/opinion/2003/07/23/ixopinion.html (via Jill Bydka, DXLD) WITCH HUNT AGAINST THE BBC - COLUMN LEFT by Robert Scheer, The Nation In England, they shot the messenger. True, the death of British biological weapons expert David Kelly was a suicide. But if the reserved scientist took his own life, it was in response to the British Ministry of Defense outing and reprimanding him as the alleged whistle-blower behind the BBC's controversial report that the government "sexed up" its intelligence information to make the case for war. The BBC charge against the government in this instance was quite mild, because what Tony Blair did was not merely hype the case for preemptively invading Iraq. Rather, he deliberately lied to his public about the certainty of his claims to frighten the people into sending their children off to war. . . http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20030804&s=scheer20030722 (via Kim Elliott, DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. VOA Director David Jackson in India: http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_314823,000600010001.htm (via Jilly Dybka, Kim Elliott, DXLD) ** U S A. US STATE DEPARTMENT SAYS `HI` TO ARAB YOUTH Monthly Arabic magazine aims to counter anti-Americanism, win hearts and minds of region`s largest demographic group. . . George S. Hishmeh special to The Daily Star http://www.dailystar.com.lb/features/22_07_03_c.asp 73 (via Kim Elliott, DXLD) ** U S A. On 13720 WSHB in French produced a heavy buzzy noise underneath, not filtered from their main power unit, at 0400-0457 UT. 73 de wolfy (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, July 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Re "Beer for the Homeless" in July 17 report You added a comment saying there was no mention of the charity on WGOW's website. Well, that's because they created their own website, you guessed it, http://www.beerforthehomeless.com/ Secularly yours, (Tom Flynn, Editor, FREE INQUIRY Magazine, Published by the Council for Secular Humanism http://www.secularhumanism.org DX LISTENING DIGEST) Features beer babes. Why not give the homeless radios fix-tuned to public station? ** U S A. A new report discusses the future of WNCW-FM in Spindale, N.C., according to the Asheville Citizen-Times. http://cgi.citizen-times.com/cgi-bin/story/news/38744 In the report, administrators at Isothermal Community College, the station's owner, tell their board that other broadcasters want to buy or manage WNCW. They also suggest changes to the station if the board decides not to sell. Earlier coverage of WNCW in Current: http://www.current.org/cm/cm0202fest.html (Current July 22 via DXLD) ** U S A. REBUILDING UPN: NOT IN A DAY, NOT IN A YEAR By Lisa de Moraes, Wednesday, July 23, 2003; Page C07 HOLLYWOOD, July 22 "Rome wasn't built in a day," CBS and UPN chief Leslie Moonves informed TV critics today at Summer TV Press Tour 2003, giving them another valuable cliché for the next round of Press Tour Bingo... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31835-2003Jul22.html (via Kraig Krist, DXLD) ** U S A. WBBM-DT - From Bob Ross at CBS: "When WBBM [-DT] started operating from their new permanent DTV antenna, we learned we were causing interference to many Comcast Cable subscribers. WBBM was operating in accordance with FCC rules but decided to return DTV operations to the old antenna. This will give Comcast time to modify their cable systems. We expect to return operations to our new broadcast antenna later this summer." (Bob Cooper in NZ, WTFDA via DXLD) Y'know, I'm not really fond of the phrasing "...we were causing interference..." It implies WBBM was doing something wrong, that their transmitter was somehow operating outside authorized parameters in such a way as to cause interference. In fact, Comcast's (and their subscribers') equipment is what's deficient. They're allowed to use channel 3 to send programming from the cable box to the subscriber's TV *provided* they don't interfere with any licensed channel 3 station and *provided* they accept any interference they may receive from a licensed channel 3 station. WBBM-DT is licensed to operate on channel 3 - Comcast isn't. —(Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66, ibid.) Doug as usual is correct. Alas, Comcast is a "biggy" and their system delivers WBBM analog and they certainly hope one day it will (with the APPROVAL of Comcast management) also deliver WBBM-DT. And for the moment it is up to NEGOTIATIONS between the TV broadcaster and the cable company to work that out. An UNCOOPERATIVE TV station (WBBM) in this matter would make their NEGOTIATING position with Comcast a dead end. So WBBM-DT caved in and did what management thought best for their long term interest. A sad commentary on which end of the dog is now wagging (Bob Cooper in NZ, July 19, WTFDA via DXLD) This isn't the first time CBS-owned WBBM-DT and the cable outlet have clashed. The first time WBBM-DT's original Channel 3 antenna (the one being used again, and itself a retuned spare for analog Channel 2) was switched on, it knocked out every cable box within six miles of the Hancock Center, as I recall. AT&T owned the system then. WBBM, having already coaxed AT&T (and its various previous owners) into putting its analog signal on cable 3 to avoid ghosting on cable 2, first cranked down the power, then shut the antenna off completely. Of course, the digital transmitter didn't just knock out the carriage of its analog channel on 3, but every channel. While legally WBBM was in the right, tell that to potentially angry viewers who can't get your and other channels via cable. The prudent thing was to shut down. Meanwhile, unknown to lawyers and other executives for both sides, the engineers huddled and put WBBM-DT's signal on cable in every AT&T- cable system. No digital cable box was needed, just the cable hooked up to the DTV box. There was no publicity - PR people for the station and cable outlet had no clue and no answer when told about it - but the signal was there if you lived in the right town. Meanwhile still, the cable company went about shielding and/or replacing boxes, connections, coax, you name it, within the affected area so it could feed on cable 3 when WBBM-DT went back on the air. Meanwhile besides, CBS' lawyers tried to trade DTV channels with the City Colleges of Chicago, swapping their 3 for WYCC's 21 (I think; it's been a while since I was tod the story). WYCC, its digital facility only a rumor, would have gained millions to build one, and WBBM-DT could go on the air on UHF, where every other Chicago DTV is. No dice. Finally, AT&T was ready, and WBBM turned its old antenna back on last year, first at one-quarter power, then one-half, and so on, all the while working closely with AT&T / Comcast. Out here, 20.6 miles from the transmitter, and shielded by forested terrain, the signal was intermittent. Great some days, hash or the dreaded "no signal" indicator the next. Or the next hour. You never knew. (It probably didn't help me that I'm essentially aligned with Kalamazoo's analog 3 as well, and any kind of enhancement will probably interfere with WBBM-DT, especially at lower power.) While all this was going on, WBBM was also rebuilding its antenna facility on the Hancock. The new analog on the top of the east tower went on the air last year, to applause from fringe viewers (and a big ad campaign on Channel 2 and WBBM-AM). The new digital, higher than the old digital, where the old analog was on the tower, finally was switched on. (I hadn't noticed myself, sorry to say, so can't say if I get 100 percent reception.) And the boxes went blooey once more. So here we go again. And with the reception of CBS affiliare WCIA impaired - is it in WCIA's "protected" coverage area or outside it? - the price of poker may have gone up again. I just hope the latest problem is solved by football season. FYI: Comcast already offers WBBM-DT (plus the digital NBC, ABC, Fox and PBS affiliates, along with HBO and Showtime's HD feeds) on virtually all of its cable systems. For more, check various threads, old and new, on AVS Forum. (Tim Cronin, Worth, IL, ibid.) Hi Tim, The complaints were centered in Iroquois, Livingston and Ford counties. I assume part of this should be in the protected area. Chicago television ignores nearly everything happening outside the city and the collar counties, so folks in the country, starting at about 65 miles out, have their antennas (both on home and cable systems) turned to receive the stations in Champaign, Decatur, Bloomington, etc. When I drive up Route 45 to visit my mother in suburban Chicago, I have an ongoing game with the kids: the first one to find an antenna on a farmhouse turned towards Chicago wins. Usually, this doesn't happen until within twenty miles of Kankakee. WBBM-DT does regularly impinge on my WCIA reception, but not to any great degree. The whole thing will be moot eventually anyway, once stations re-align after the big switchover. The funny thing about this DT business is WBBM-TV is seldom seen this way. Supposedly, according to local lore, a ridge in Ford county blocks Chicago television this way. I haven't seen anything that should block it, but that's the story. I'm more inclined to think that for the most part, I live in a zone Chicago skip bounces over, except for that DT signal on 3. When the first televisions were brought Downstate in 1948 (according to newspaper stories), they wholly relied on DX from Chicago stations, which could be received 50-70% of the time. The story was about conditions in Champaign-Urbana, 25 miles South of me, apparently, some intrepid folks there wanted television and didn't want to wait until it eventually reached there locally in 1953 (after a considerable delay occasioned by the Korean War). Those DX reception percentages sound about right, from Rantoul, I can get VHF Saint Louis stations in at about that percentage, and they're even further away than Chicago. (Curtis Sadowski, Paxton, Illinois, ibid.) Protection, for TV, is based on the table of allocations - it's pretty much what the FCC says it is |grin|. The 47dBu Grade B service contour of WCIA extends 102.4 km (a bit over 60 miles) from the transmitter. I've not run the numbers but I would expect the Grade B contour of WBBM analog to be just a bit greater. The 28dBu "noise-limited service area" of WBBM-DT extends 105.7 km. (maybe a bit less in some directions as WBBM-DT is directional. It isn't very directional though: [is this actually an URL? Paste it together] http://www.fcc.gov/cgi- bin/polarplot?temp=41634&rotate=0.00&p0=****&p10=.980&p20=.933&p30=.88 0&p40=.846&p50=.846&p60=.880&p70=.933&p80=.980&p90=****&p100=.980&p110 =.933&p120=.880&p130=.846&p140=.846&p150=.880&p160=.933&p170=.980&p180 =****&p190=.980&p200=.933&p210=.880&p220=.846&p230=.846&p240=.880&p250 =.933&p260=.980&p270=****&p280=.980&p290=.933&p300=.880&p310=.846&p320 =.846&p330=.880&p340=.933&p350=.980) I might guess WBBM's analog service contour is the same as the digital. (WCIA's antenna is 13m lower than the maximum. WBBM's is well above the maximum, so its power is reduced below 100kw to compensate. One would presume they're running the maximum power available for their antenna height.) The Korean War was a small (really non-existent) part of the TV freeze. Basically the FCC learned in the late 1940s that VHF TV signals propagated considerably better than believed. (understandable as there had been no widespread use of VHF until 1947) They faced several issues when deciding what to do about it. They'd hoped to stick more VHF stations onto the dial to provide coverage to smaller cities, but the problems of the 1940s proved that wasn't going to work. It was going to be necessary to use UHF. Should *ALL* television be UHF? What about color? The CBS system was incompatible with black-and-white; should stations run B&W on VHF and color on UHF? Or should they just obsolete all existing TVs and run CBS color on VHF? How far apart do we have to keep stations on the same channel? It took a few years to resolve the issues. As for DX, in one of the TV service trade magazines in the early 1950s, there was a story of a radio/appliance store owner in Colorado who bought a TV and put up an antenna in 1950. Denver was late to get on the TV bandwagon (kinda like DTV today) so at the time the nearest TV station was in Kansas City! His goal was to use Es openings to learn how to operate a TV set, so he'd be ahead of the game when a station came to Denver. In the long term interference from WWMT (and in the NW suburbs, WISC) is going to be a big issue. I don't think they're *ever* going to fix that problem. Because much of the problem isn't the boxes. It's subscribers' TV sets and VCRs and the cabling between them. IMHO the only way to fix it is to switch the cable boxes to output on channel 4. (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66, ibid.) Anyone who has ever had to switch VCR RF output between 3 and 4 should have anticipated this problem (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. IBIQUITY ON DIFFERENT IBOC CODECS Will they or won't they? They're not saying: http://www.radioworld.com/dailynews/one.php?id=3623 (Harry Helms W7HLH, Las Vegas, NV DM26, July 23, NRC-AM via DXLD) For some reason I smell a shell game coming. BTW, did anyone see the article in Radio World about CAM-D. It said that KKDS will start testing with it. It will be interesting to see how well these tests work out (Fred Vobbe, OH, ibid.) Fred, I'm shocked! Sure we differ from Ibiquity's position on IBOC, but that's no reason to be so suspicious of their motives! (Harry Helms W7HLH, Las Vegas, NV DM26, ibid.) Jezzz, Harry. I'm appalled that you find question with my suspicions. It's not like any testing was misrepresented, or that someone said a station was not testing when folks in the list heard/reported the signal. Giving the benefit of doubt, the noise could have been generated by the right-wing performed Sonata in A major by alien listeners to Coast to Coast that were urged by disgruntled Canadian Postal workers to use a Mr. Microphone to transmit on superheterodyned 9-kilohertz split channels at various PSSA levels in order to simulate a faulty photocell buzzing in our neighborhoods. Then again, I just think the modulation scheme was like a Hoover vacuum. It just _____ed. Got to go. Got to take my boy over to train club in my safety approved Ford Pinto (Fred Vobbe, ibid.) ** U S A. I'm sure the current FCC "Deregulation" will be one of the topics when Terry Gross and guests discuss CC's ownership of 1200 stations on tomorrow`s "Fresh Air" on NPR. Check your local listings. I catch it on WNYC-FM at 3PM EDT or WNYC 820 at 7PM. (Steve Coletti, July 22, swprograms via DXLD) It should also be available at http://www.waer.org at 7 P.M. EDT (2300 UTC); 88.3 FM for those in the Syracuse/Central New York area. If that doesn't do it, try http://freshair.npr.org which has the current show and many archived shows. 73, (Marie Lamb, NY, ibid.) i.e. the Wed July 23 FA; first airing is at 1600 UT: http://freshair.npr.org/day_fa.jhtml?display=day&todayDate=07/23/2003 (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. 'BIG' ISN'T 'BAD' -- By BOB WRIGHT The Wall Street Journal July 23, 2003 COMMENTARY Unfortunately, public discourse on important issues sometimes becomes untethered from fact and reason. Such is the case with the response to the Federal Communications Commission's expansion of the national television station ownership cap, which would allow a single entity to own stations that have a potential reach of 45% rather than 35% of the national TV audience. Rep. David Obey (D., Wis.) expressed the sentiments of many recently when he said: "I don't want ownership factors to get in the way of districts like mine from being able to have their own cultural attitudes." But the FCC's modest adjustment of ownership rules does not mean the silencing of local voices under the weight of monolithic media companies. On the contrary, the record shows that local voices, as measured by the amount and quality of local news and public-affairs programming, increase when networks such as NBC take operating control of television stations. * * * Views such as Rep. Obey's reflect a politically convenient populism that equates "big" with "bad." There are a number of mistaken assumptions at work here: 1) that the corporate parent of a broadcast station dictates its point of view or "cultural attitude"; 2) that the alternative to a station's being owned by a broadcast network is ownership by a mom-and-pop enterprise with offices above the five-and-dime on Main Street; 3) that such a small owner is better able to present a distinctive "voice" in the community than is a large media company. In fact, the location of a media company's home offices has nothing to do with its "voice." Station owners are in the business of appealing to their local audiences. They do that by serving their communities the best way they know how. In NBC's case, this means providing a local station with superior newsgathering and technical resources that enable it to enhance and extend its local programming. This is good for the community, and it is good business. A smaller owner, with more limited resources, is all too often forced to jettison expensive local news coverage in favor of less expensive programming imported from national syndicators. Moreover, if a broadcast network is prohibited from owning a station in a desirable market, the owner is unlikely to be a small, locally based company. It will instead be a large, diversified media company like Belo, Gannett, Hearst-Argyle, Scripps, or the Washington Post. It defies logic to claim that, in the name of "localism," the $6 billion Gannett Co., the Arlington-based owner of 100 daily newspapers and 22 television stations, should have freedom to expand its TV stations business but NBC, ABC, CBS, and Fox should not. One more point that is lost in this debate: The FCC's rules are based on theoretical audience reach -- measured by each station's antennal signal coverage -- not actual viewership. This is like measuring Ford's market share by the percentage of Americans within driving distance of a dealership -- regardless of how many cars Ford actually sells! According to the FCC, NBC has a theoretical national reach of 34% of the nation's households. But our actual national viewership, during prime time, when we have the largest audience, is less than 3% -- nowhere near the 40% market share that is the normal threshold to trigger market-concentration worries. An expansion of the national cap to the FCC's 45% limit would, at best, allow us to increase that by a point or two. This is hardly a big move. But it is significant, particularly for viewers. Because one thing it would allow us to do is purchase additional stations for our Telemundo network, thus adding many hours of Spanish-language newscasts in key markets that currently underserve their Hispanic residents. The be-all, end-all of local broadcasting is forging a connection with a particular community's distinctive audience. The general managers in charge of our stations wake up every day committed to that mission. To us, it's the only way to run a television station -- and the feedback we get in the form of ratings tells us that the public thinks we do a good job. Nonetheless, big media makes an attractive target. Unable to resist, some members of Congress are jumping on a populist bandwagon and seeking to keep the FCC's new rules from taking effect. However, it would be a disservice to their constituents for Congress to restrict business activity that has such demonstrable public benefits. Who controls the public airwaves is a legitimate area of congressional interest. But as with any important issue, Congress should base its actions on fact, not fiction. Mr. Wright is vice chairman of GE, and chairman and CEO of NBC. Copyright 2003 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U S A. HOUSE MAY BLOCK PART OF FCC'S MEDIA PLAN CAP ON TV STATION OWNERSHIP WOULD REMAIN UNCHANGED By Jonathan Krim and Christopher Stern Washington Post Staff Writers, Wednesday, July 23, 2003; Page E01 The House moved closer last night to blocking the Federal Communications Commission from allowing television station ownership to be concentrated in fewer corporate hands. The vote, expected today, would be a slap at the House leadership, which had struggled to keep its members in line and support the FCC. But the Republican majority, with help from many Democrats, thwarted an effort to derail the FCC's plan to allow more newspapers and television stations in the same locale to be owned by the same company. The result is that the most dramatic and controversial changes in media-ownership rules in a generation are likely to be scaled back, though probably not as much as an array of citizen groups and several Democrats had sought. Still, an outcome that scraps any part of the new FCC rules would be a rare defeat for the disciplined GOP and the White House, which had hoped the new rules pushed by the Republican FCC chairman, Michael K. Powell, would sail through.. . http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31469-2003Jul22.html (via Kraig Krist, WORLD OF RADIO 1192, DXLD) ** U S A. "Marketplace" on Monday had some comments from Marty Kaplan, dean of the Annenberg School of Communications at California's USC. Marty's angle was all about the loss of public accountability for the airwaves since the early 1980s. Worth a listen -- talks about the steps stations used to have to go through in order to renew their licenses. See http://www.marketplace.org (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA, July 22, swprograms via DXLD) ** U S A. FCC OPINION BOLSTERS FEDERAL PREEMPTION OVER RF INTERFERENCE MATTERS An FCC Memorandum Opinion and Order (MO&O) released earlier this month bolsters the doctrine of federal preëmption over local efforts to regulate radio frequency interference (RFI). The ARRL had commented in the proceeding, WT Docket 02-100, which could have implications for Amateur Radio. The proceeding stemmed from efforts by Anne Arundel County, Maryland, to require telecommunication service providers to certify their facilities would not interfere with the county's public safety communication system. "We find that federal law preempts provisions of the Anne Arundel County, Maryland, zoning ordinances involving radio frequency interference," the FCC declared in granting Cingular Wireless' Petition for a declaratory ruling and denying the county's motion to dismiss. ARRL had supported Cingular's position in the proceeding. Cingular asserted in its petition that Congress had established a "pervasive regulatory scheme" that grants the FCC exclusive jurisdiction to regulate RFI, and that the Anne Arundel zoning amendments conflicted with the Commission's rules regarding resolution of RFI cases. The FCC also said it expected all parties to continue cooperating to resolve remaining RFI issues. Anne Arundel County in January 2002 adopted zoning amendments requiring commercial telecommunication providers to demonstrate that their facilities would not degrade or interfere with the public safety radio system. The amended ordinance gave the county the authority to revoke a zoning certificate if such interference or degradation occurred or if telecommunication service providers did not certify their systems to be in compliance with FCC standards and guidelines. The FCC said it found that the county's zoning provisions went beyond traditional zoning functions and attempted to regulate RFI. The FCC Memorandum Opinion and Order is available on the FCC Website http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-03-2196A1.doc (ARRL Letter July 18 via David Hodgson, TN, DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. When a call sign is used in another service (television or AM for example) doesn't the FM have to use the "-FM" suffix in the legal top of hour ID? Example I'm hearing... WHOG 1120 Hobson City, AL. Actual call in use. WHOG 95.7 Ormond-by-the-sea, FL (Daytona) would be required to use "WHOG-FM, Ormond-by-the-sea..." or did that requirement get dropped. I heard on a message board that it did, but will take that with a grain of salt... Just wondering. WHOG-FM got WHOG's consent to use the call. Hog as in Harley, in Daytona, fitting for a classic rocker. The AM is an Urban formatted station. I know the owner. Formerly owned 1570 in Fernandina Beach, FL, and that used to be WHOG in the 80s (Ron Gitschier, Palm Coast, FL, NRC-AM via DXLD) Calls cannot be duplicated in the FCC's database, and AM calls never take a suffix. So 1120 in Hobson City is just plain "WHOG." 95.7 thus has to be "WHOGFM," which in common use is represented with a hyphen and becomes "WHOG-FM." On top of that, you could also have a WHOG-TV, WHOG-DT, WHOG-CA and WHOG-LP (which could be either an LPTV or an LPFM; the FCC stupidly decided to allow the "-LP" suffix to be used for either.) The rules for adding suffixes to base calls are pleasantly arcane, and they go like this: Until the mid-eighties, any given base call could be used by only one owner in only one area. So if CBS owned KCBS 740 in San Francisco (common convention is to append the type of service in parentheses to the base call if it's not otherwise suffixed, so we can call this KCBS(AM), even though the FCC would recognize it only as "KCBS"), it could also own a KCBS-FM and a KCBS-TV *in* San Francisco, but no other station anywhere else could use those calls. The rule was liberalized around 1984 to allow CBS to change the calls of what was then KNXT (again, convention would allow us to call it KNXT(TV), though its official FCC call was simply "KNXT") in Los Angeles to KCBS-TV; eventually, KNX-FM in LA would become KCBS-FM as well. By a similar token, Gannett could have a WUSA-FM in Tampa and a WUSA-TV in Washington. At that point, though, calls still couldn't cross between owners, so if CBS sold KMOX-TV in St. Louis, which it did, and kept KMOX(AM), which it did, then one or the other had to change calls (KMOX-TV became KMOV(TV), as it happened.) By the late eighties, that rule too had been liberalized, and calls could be shared among owners as well, as long as they weren't duplicated within a service. Who decides whether a base call can be duplicated? The rule here is even more arcane - whoever's had the call in use on a single service the longest. So if someone DOES want to do a WHOG-TV or a WHOG-LP, they'd have to get permission from WHOG 1120 to use the call, since it's used "WHOG" as a base call longer than WHOG-FM in Ormond Beach. If Hobson City ever changed calls, the "rights" to the WHOG base call would then go to Ormond Beach, which would have first say about anyone wanting to use WHOG on AM or LPFM or TV. (Often, in that case, Wxxx-FM will pay the $55 to drop the suffix from its calls, just to make it absolutely impossible for anyone to then use them on AM without the FM's permission, since the AM can't be suffixed and calls can't be duplicated.) Many stations don't get this right at ID time. It's not uncommon (especially, for some reason, among public radio stations) to hear an ID of "WXXI-AM Rochester," which can't be correct because the call is "WXXI," not "WXXIAM." It's equally common to hear an ID of "WHOG Ormond-by-the-Sea," when it should be "WHOG-FM." And I've driven myself insane trying to explain to the local paper that our channel 13 here in town is NOT "WOKR-TV" but simply "WOKR" (or "WOKR(TV)" if you insist...) It really didn't help my cause that the station itself now IDs as "WOKR-TV/DT Rochester" at the top of the hour! The FCC has traditionally turned a blind eye to "WXXX AM and FM, Somewhere City," or the variant, "WXXX, WXXX-FM, Somewhere City" for some reason - even back in the day when it enforced such rules at all. I don't know why...I guess it's a relic of the days when there were so very many AM/FM simulcasts. Canada is much more sensible in this regard; EVERY FM there carries a "-FM" suffix as a matter of course, and every TV is "-TV." This causes confusion only on rare occasions, such as the existence of both a CJBC-2-FM (an FM relay of CJBC 860 Toronto) and a CJBC-FM-2 (an FM relay of CJBC-FM 90.3 Toronto) in different spots in Ontario. And of course Mexico uses XE- calls for AM (and a handful of grandfathered FM and TV calls) and XH- calls for FM and TV only. s (Scott Fybush, NY, ibid.) The FM suffix is required only if the callsign was already in use by another service when the FM call was assigned. For example, if there's a WGSR (AM), and someone applied for an FM with the same callsign, then the assigned callsign would be WGSR-FM. If you look at the list of FCC callsign changes that I compile for Pop' Comm, you'll see that some FM stations are listed with, some without, the FM suffix. Furthermore, when searching the FCC CDBS, if the FM suffix is part of the callsign, then it is required in the search by callsign. It will come up empty without the suffix. AM does not use a suffix (Bruce Conti - Nashua NH, ibid.) ** U S A [and non]. WHAT TO DO ABOUT MORSE? CODE REQUIREMENT REMAINS ON THE BOOKS IN US, CANADA NEWINGTON, CT, Jul 22, 2003 --- World Radiocommunication Conference 2003 (WRC-03) made optional the requirement to prove the ability to send and receive Morse signals to operate below 30 MHz. While a Morse code exam element remains on the books in the US, Canada and elsewhere, some countries already have moved to drop their Morse requirements. In the US, however, Morse will not go away that easily, since the FCC appears unlikely to act on its own motion to make that happen. ``There isn`t an exception in the Administrative Procedures Act that I am aware of that would permit the Commission to issue an administrative fiat changing the license structure or exam-requirement rules,`` said an FCC staffer who`s closely involved with Amateur Service rules. Other countries can do this because they have different laws and procedures, the FCC staff member observed, adding that even if it could be done here, ``that still leave unanswered the fundamental question: What do you want the new rules to be?`` As for where the FCC stands, the Commission itself may have tipped its hand slightly in its December 1999 Report and Order restructuring the Amateur Radio licensing system. ``We believe that an individual`s ability to demonstrate increased Morse code proficiency is not necessarily indicative of that individual`s ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art,`` the FCC said in dropping the 20 and 13-WPM Morse code elements from the testing regime. While the FCC in 1999 minimized radiotelegraphy as ``just one of numerous diverse modes of radiocommunication,`` it stopped short of revising the Amateur Service rules to sunset the Morse examination requirement automatically if WRC-03 deleted Morse proficiency from the international Radio Regulations. At the same time, the FCC acknowledged ``a clear dichotomy of viewpoints`` on the Morse code issue within the amateur community. Switzerland apparently has become the first country to delete its Morse requirement for HF operation. The Swiss Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) recently granted all Swiss ``no-code`` licensees access--albeit provisional--to the HF bands using their current call signs. Citing the recent WRC-03 decision, OFCOM said the temporary permission to use the HF bands would suffice until the rule could be changed. USKA--the Swiss International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) member-society--wished ``good DX`` to present no-code licensees on HF. The First Step in a Potentially Long Journey The first move on the Morse code question in the US would be for someone in the amateur community to file a Petition for Rule Making with the FCC seeking the change. That apparently has not happened yet. No Code International (NCI) http://www.nocode.org has long spearheaded the battle to eliminate the Morse requirement and is the most likely organization to file such a petition. As of late last week, NCI was still studying the matter. ``NCI has not yet made a final decision on a plan of action, though we are discussing it amongst the Board of Directors and have sought the advice of acquaintances at several well-regarded Washington communications law firms on how to best approach the matter,`` said NCI Executive Director Carl Stevenson, WK3C. Stevenson --- an ARRL member --- says it`s his personal hope that the League would join NCI in actively encouraging the FCC to eliminate the Morse test element as soon as possible. ``I think the League will do itself a great disservice if it continues to seek to impose Morse testing in the US rules as other countries around the world drop Morse testing en masse,`` he said. Stevenson said the League ``does many, many things that are very valuable to the US amateur community,`` and he believes the ARRL`s stance on the Morse issue has diluted or even negated some of the goodwill it`s established. NCI`s and Stevenson`s hopes for a quick resolution to the Morse question could be wishful thinking, however. Once a petition to drop Morse is filed, the FCC will put it on ``public notice`` by assigning an RM number and soliciting comments. If more than one such petition is filed, the FCC is obliged to put each on public notice and invite comments. When that process is completed, the FCC may determine that a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) is in order. The Commission at that point could incorporate all Morse-related rule making petitions into a single proceeding. The NPRM would get a docket number, and the comment process would begin anew. Further complicating and extending the process, the FCC most likely would incorporate other pending Amateur Radio-related issues into the same NPRM. That`s how it`s tended to handle amateur regulatory matters in recent years. At the end of the comment and reply comment periods, the FCC would issue a Report and Order (R&O) that includes its decision on the Morse code requirement and the other issues it may have incorporated into the proceeding. The whole process could take a couple of years, perhaps longer. US Senate Ratification? Some believe that because the Morse code requirement was, in effect, a treaty obligation, its deletion requires ratification by the US Senate before the FCC can act. This is not the case. According to a footnote in a Government Accounting Office (GAO) report, ``Telecommunications: Better Coordination and Enhanced Accountability Needed to Improve Spectrum Management,`` released last September, the US Department of State has yet to submit the Final Acts of the World Radiocommunication Conferences of 1992, 1995, 1997 or 2000 to the US Senate for ratification. ``Department of State officials said that the agency is preparing to send all of these Final Acts to the Senate as one package,`` the GAO report said, ``and that ratification is not necessary for the United States to implement the agreements.`` Ahead of the Curve The United Kingdom`s Radiocommunications Agency (RA) http://www.radio.gov.uk recently proposed dropping the 5 WPM Morse requirement for access to amateur bands below 30 MHz and merging the Class A and B license classes. The Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) says it`s learned from the RA that a Gazette Notice -- the equivalent of an FCC Report and Order -- will be published shortly to announce the end of the Morse requirement for access to the HF bands by UK amateurs. ``From the date of the Gazette Notice all Full and Intermediate Class B amateurs will automatically have Class A privileges,`` the RSGB said this week, ``and will be allowed to operate on the HF bands with their existing call signs.`` The RSGB has been ahead of the curve in the effort to oust Morse as a requirement. Last year, the society convinced the RA to adopt the new Foundation license in Great Britain`s to further the RSGB`s campaign -- begun in 1998 -- to have the IARU reconsider its support at that time for mandatory Morse code testing for HF access. The Foundation ticket requires a simplified Morse code ``assessment`` instead of an exam. In 2001, the IARU announced that it was setting aside ``any previous relevant decisions`` and henceforth would ``support the removal of Morse code testing as an ITU requirement for an amateur license to operate on frequencies below 30 MHz.`` That same year, the ARRL Board of Directors reiterated the League`s policy that Morse ``should be retained as a testing element in the US.`` That policy continues. Following its January 2001 Board meeting, the League said Morse code was ``deserving of continued support as an important operating mode including providing for the protection and maintenance of sufficient spectrum in band planning.`` At its July 19- 20 meeting in Connecticut, the Board affirmed its interest in reviewing input from members on this and other possible revisions to Part 97 that arose from WRC-03. Morse North of the Border The Industry Canada Amateur Radio Service Centre http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/SSG/sf01862e.html#servicecentre and Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) http://www.rac.ca have received numerous inquiries about the status of Morse examinations north of the border and the qualifications required for HF operation. ``Canadian radio amateurs are advised that Basic and Morse Qualifications are still required for operation below 30 MHz,`` the RAC said, ``and that this requirement will remain pending a review by Industry Canada of the impact of the WRC-2003 regulatory changes on the Canadian radio regulations, policies and procedures.`` RAC said it would work with Industry Canada to review the impact of the WRC-03 decisions. It advised Canadian amateurs to send comments on the topic of Morse code as a licensing requirement to their RAC regional directors. Copyright © 2003, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved (via John Norfolk, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** URUGUAY [and non]. Re TIN's "Certificados de Visita", 3-130 PERU Dear Glenn, Estimado Glenn, I think that these "certificados de visita" that TIN collects from those stations are more than souvenirs! Think that they well could be useful as a sort of safe-conduct in case of eventual trouble or annoying interrogatory with/by police or other administrative body, who knows! The excellent DX job that wellknown friend TIN has performed in searching deep Latin America radio may have its risks in so troubled zones like Perú or Central America. It should be remembered that that kind of research could be useful to guerrillas and spies, too; or at least, may awake some kind of suspicion: a stranger so interested by radio technical issues, collecting and annotating addresses, transmitter and even cassette recorders and decks data. The word "Diexista" (DXer in Spanish) rhymes with Comunista (commie) :). All of us who know of TIN's excellence as a DXer and person do not need major explanation, but for unaware people... Once when I was visiting ANDEBU's headquarters (one of the private broadcaster associations in Montevideo) searching for updated station data for WRTH, I presented myself to the young officers explaining that I was making an investigative report. They didn't take very well that term, and had to explain further what I was trying to get! I once also had problems at RAMI (another Uruguayan association) where my queries were not very well received by the Secretary's assistant. Only later, when mentioned that I was member of the staff helping Antonio Tormo's vintage radio museum, they agreed to supply the info. Sometimes you have to be "somebody" to collect info from radio stations! If you don't believe here is a final anecdote: once I got a solid contact with an officer inside the Uruguayan broadcasting bureau at old Dirección Nacional de Comunicaciones (now URSEC and, at that time, belonging to the Ministry of Defense, imagine that in times of dictatorship), in order to avoid bureaucratic relationship in favor of direct chat by telephone, or non-delayed face-to-face meeting, always searching for some station data for our hobby. This worked fine, but once I felt obliged myself to gratify the officer with a box of assorted chocolates!! :)) That person still works there, but was unfortunately was moved to another section, some time ago. I`ve seen those "Certificados de Visita" personally, when I met TIN visiting Uruguay in 1996 or so. Cheers TIN if you are reading this, too! and congrats for the fine work all these years at Relámpago DX!!!! 73 (Horacio A. Nigro, Uruguay, Jul 22) UNIDENTIFIED. Amigos, pediria auxilio na identificação de 2 estações que transmitem em 1680 KHz AM, em CW, e que foram ouvidas em São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, Brasil (à beira da represa Billings) com sinais muitissimos fracos, mas audiveis, que identificavam-se como V7B, e uma outra que se identificava como ZO (também em CW). Gostaria de ouvir a opinião dos colegas das listas. Poderia ser algum beacon em base australiana na Antártida? (Mera pergunta, dado que V7 é inicial de indicativo australiano). Poderia ser alguma plataforma petrolífera 'emprestada' de outro país que estivesse instalada em algum local das águas brasileiras? E ZO? Poderia ser alguma co-irmã de ZZ que é ouvida em 1645 AM? Ou de algum outro país? Realmente, muito curioso, entrando em 1680 o V7B e alternando o fading com ZO, ambos sinais extremamente fracos, mas perfeitamente audiveis com o 'fone grudado no cérebro' (via ouvidos!!!). Ambas sintonizadas no Riacho Grande, São Bernardo, à beira da represa Billings. Um belo espelho d'água. Alguém teria alguma lista atualizada de beacons? Ou algum contato com dexistas estrangeiros que ouvem sinais deste tipo? Muito curioso. (Rudolf W. Grimm, São Bernardo, SP - B, http://www.radioways.cjb.net via DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++ 9º ENCUENTRO DE CLUBES DIEXISTAS MEXICANOS Y OYENTES DE LA ONDA CORTA TIZAYUCA 2003 (31 de julio, 1, 2 y 3 de agosto de 2003) Hola amigos de México y el mundo: Muchos ya nos conocemos, sin embargo estas son épocas en que nos reunimos quienes tenemos un buen hobby y que más que eso creo que es la forma de aprovechar el tiempo en adquirir mas conocimientos que atesora la cultura individual y por supuesto que esta no será la excepción, por tal motivo me es grato hacerles una "CORDIAL INVITACIÓN" a que asistan y participen con temas relacionados con la escucha de emisoras internacionales y otros medios de comunicación a largas distancias (Diexismo). Este evento tendrá por nombre: "9º Encuentro de Radioescuchas y Diexistas en Onda Corta" Tizayuca 2003; como algunos saben han sido ocho etapas transcurridos mismas que han tenido lugar en diferentes partes de México y en consecuencia ya estamos con los preparativos por lo que agradeceré que sus opiniones y participaciones sean dadas a conocer al suscrito a la dirección electrónica: mnhajz@p... [truncated], además un numero telefónico 779 79 60200 de las 1600 horas a las 2300 México centro (22:00-05:00 utc [sic, no DST??]) ó bien a la dirección postal: Zempazuchitl 69, fraccionamiento Nuevo Tizayuca, Tizayuca, Hidalgo 43800, México. Sin más por el momento estoy a la espera de sus comentarios y sugerencias. Atentamente. Martín Herrera Jiménez INFORMACIÓN BÁSICA El 9º encuentro se celebrará en la ciudad de Tizayuca, situada en el estado de Hidalgo, que se encuentra localizado a unos 60 km al norte de la Ciudad de Méjico y a unos 40 km de Pachuca, también en Hidalgo. PROGRAMACIÓN JUEVES 31 DE JULIO 2003 16:30 a las ..:00 horas: Registro de asistentes y bienvenida al evento (se ofrecerá bocadillos típicos de la región), se aprovechara para que las personas que asistan de otros lugares se hospeden en la localidad o bien se trasladen a la ciudad de Pachuca por ser más segura que para el Distrito Federal se contara con transporte cortesía de una empresa de transporte local. Este evento estará amenizado por la "RANDALLA MAGISTRAL DEL ESTADO DE MÉXICO". VIERNES 1º DE AGOSTO 2003 10:00 horas: Inauguración del ENCUENTRO por personalidades locales y estatales. 10:30 horas Intervención del ballet folklórico de la casa de la cultura de Tizayuca en este espacio se presentara un pequeño espectáculo de danzas y bailes regionales de diferentes partes de México así como la presentación de grupos corales de la institución universitaria. 12:30 horas visita a la empresa ILUSION, SA DE CV con una duración aproximada de 2 horas 14:30 horas Receso. 16:30 horas Introducción al tema de la escucha de emisoras internacionales, Dxismo, frecuencias, forma de propagación, presentado por MARTÍN HERRERA JIMÉNEZ 17:30 horas HISTORIA DE LA RADIO EN ONDA CORTA EN MÉXICO (1920-1940) tema presentado por PEPE GONZÁLEZ. 18:30 horas Presentación del video sobre la DXPEDITION a la "ISLA DE ENMEDIO" misma que fue realizada del 20 al 27 de Marzo de este año en dicho lugar del estado de Veracruz, México editada por ENRIQUE GARCÍA MUNIVE, XE1LWY, con duración de 90 minutos que incluye tiempo para preguntas y respuestas. SABADO 2 DE AGOSTO DE 2003. 10:00 horas Presentación del video del congreso de la HFCC organismo mundial el uso de las frecuencias de onda corta que tuvo lugar en JOHANNESBURGO, SUDÁFRICA presentado por JEFF WHITE director general de RADIO MIAMI INTERNACIONAL. 11:00 horas. "LA RADIO UN MEDIO PARA APRENDER IDIOMAS" tema presentado por JOHN KILLIAN. 12:00 horas RADIO DIGITAL MUNDIAL "DRM" tema presentado por el ING. CESAR FERNÁNDEZ DE LARA (sociedad de ingenieros radioescuchas del puerto de Veracruz) 13:00 horas Intervención del ING. RAFAEL GRAGEDA (sociedad de ingenieros radioescuchas del puerto de Veracruz) con el tema: estaciones utilitarias. En estas emisoras de radio se agrupan radio faros, estaciones horarias, satelitales, etc. Siendo su finalidad emitir a un sector especifico siendo diferentes los modos de transmisión-Recepción. 14:00 horas Receso. 16:00 horas. Presentación de RADIO HABANA CUBA, Historia y programación de la emisora, presentación del programa "EN CONTACTO" por Manolo de la Rosa. 17:00 horas. Rifas, premios, regalos y reconocimientos a los diexistas que por cantidad de tarjetas QSL presenten del año 2002-2003, habrá tres primeros lugares. 18:00 horas elaboración de antenas receptoras y filtros de acoplamiento para lograr mayor calidad de recepción, presentado por MARTÍN HERRERA JIMÉNEZ. 21:00 Horas. Noche Dxista pendiente por confirmar el lugar. DOMINGO 3 DE AGOSTO DE 2003 7:00 horas Se recomienda una visita a la zona arqueológica de Teotihuacán que esta a 30 minutos de Tizayuca y el tiempo de visita es de aproximadamente de 90 minutos y los domingos la entrada es gratuita para los mexicanos con credencial oficial mexicana por lo que los que no la presententen o sean extranjeros el costo es de $ 37 pesos ($ 4 dólares) 12:00 Horas. Foro de emisoras en esta espacio participaran representantes de radio difusoras que transmiten en Onda Corta en el que de manera general informan su fin, cambios de programación entre otros asuntos, se dispondrá de tiempos para preguntas y respuestas. 13:30 horas Clausura del 9º Encuentro y propuesta para el próximo encuentro Dx. De igual forma se confirma la asistencia de RADIO SHACK del distrito federal en donde estarán a la venta receptores de onda corta CONFIRMADO Asistencia por primer ocasión de RADIO UNAM pendiente por confirmar el tema que expondrán. Se tendrá la asistencia de un distribuidor de RadioShack en donde podrán adquirir radios con recepción de ONDA CORTA a la medida de todos los bolsillos, asimismo para los coleccionistas de radios antiguos habrá exposición de receptores antiguos. PENDIENTE POR CONFIRMAR También se tendrá asistencia de un vendedor de antigüedades quien exhibirá radios de onda corta. Pendiente de confirmar participación de la familia Mauleón Tolentino con algún tema. DATOS PRÁCTICOS Transporte: De la ciudad de México se aborda en la central del norte los autobuses flecha roja pidiendo en la taquilla con destino a Tizayuca siendo el tiempo de trayecto de aproximadamente una hora teniendo un costo de $ 18.00 pesos, solicite al operador de la unidad que los deje en el centro de la ciudad; Si viene de Pachuca en la misma línea de transporte o también sale de la central de Pachuca los autobuses ómnibus de Tizayuca igual solicitan al operador que los deje en el centro el costo de boleto es de $16.00 Pesos y el trayecto es de 45 minutos, en ambas direcciones la salida de los autobuses es cada 10 minutos. Para los extranjeros considere que para esta fecha el tipo de cambio de dólar es de $ 10.50 (diez pesos 50/100) Clima estacional Templado / seco. Temperatura media de 28º C. Lugar: Salón de eventos "La Cascada" Ubicación: Plaza Himno Nacional en el centro de esta localidad a unos pasos de la avenida principal lugar en donde hace parada el bus (transporte de pasaje que sale de la central de autobuses del norte. Temas: Los relacionados a la escucha de la onda corta, radioafición, satélites, etc. Más info en http://www.aer-dx.org/encuentro/ -------------------------------------------------- Pedro Sedano, Madrid, España, COORDINADOR GENERAL (via Conexión Digital via WORLD OF RADIO 1192, DXLD) INVITATION FOR EUROPEAN DX CONFERENCE 2003 Invitation to all DX Clubs --- Hello DX friends, we invite to the European DX Conference 2003 in Germany, the conference for far distance listening 15-17.8.2003 in Königstein near Frankfurt. Information, program and registration at http://www.edxc-konferenz2003.org (engl./dt) EDXC Conference 2003 will be held at Königstein near Frankfurt (Germany) at the Dresdner Bank Communication Center. The Rhein-Main- Radio-Club is organizing this meeting with friendly support of Bosch, Rohde & Schwarz and WRTH. We expect radio stations and Far distance Listeners from all over europe and abroad. The Rhein-Main-Radio-Club (RMRC) is one of the leading DX-Clubs in germany using drm, digital FM, worldspace and Internetradio. One of the major themes of this conference will be DRM (digital radio mondiale), and the future of shortwave listening. Lessons will be held by Wolf Harranth (ROI), Adrian Peterson (AWR), St. H. Nielsen (WMR) and many more interesting lessons about shortwave, FM reception, private radio, tropical band reception. Everybody can listen drm and analog KW reception at different receivers. There will be a Quiz, a tombola and a flea market for all things dxers need. Everybody can bring and offer something with for the flea market. But the best is to meet the DX friends from all over Europa, sitting over a glass of beer or wine and talking with friend about there experience with DXing. Come and see and take part at this DX meeting! There will be also a special broadcast on SW analog and DRM for this event from ADDX over Jülich with special QSL-cards. 1900-1929 UTC analog on 3965 kHz, 1930-1959 UTC digital (DRM) also on 3965 kHz Additionally, the Rhein-Main-Radio-Club started a ``Who is Who`` of the DXers worldwide with pictures from the Dxer and many details. Whoever will take part in the ``DX Who is Who`` can win each month one of three World Radio and Television Handbooks, sent free of charge to the winner. You will find it at http://www.dx-who-is-who.org or at the conference homepage. Good luck, hope to see you and greetings from Germany (Harald Gabler, RMRC Vorstand, EDXC Conference 2003 DrGabler@t-online.de DX LISTENING DIGEST) RECEIVER NEWS ++++++++++++ MPR DUMPS RDS I notice that MPR has dropped the RDS from their stations all over the state. Most of the new SUVs and fancy pickup trucks being sold have receivers that are RDS capable. I hope that MPR will re-instate the RDS soon. It is great. Wisconsin Public Radio is running RDS on all their stations, and now has added RDS to their translators, too. Thanks for your attention (Paul LaFreniere, Grand Marais, MN, July 22, to MPR, cc to WTFDA via DXLD) Thank you for contacting Minnesota Public Radio. We have tested the various RDS systems and have found them all to be lacking in performance. All of them will produce a deterioration of the audio quality of the main channel, despite what the manufacturers say about this equipment. When they are operated to manufacturer's specs, they all produce whining noises in the audio, and will often interfere with our Radio Talking Book Service (RTBS) for the blind. When they are adjusted so that they no longer interfere with normal programming, and the RTBS, then the useful range of the RDS is very small, and not really worth the effort to maintain. Operated under any conditions, the RDS signal will make the effects of multipath worse, something that we try to eliminate as much as possible. With respect, Robin Johnson, Member Listener Service, Minnesota Public Radio, 800-228-7123 (via La Freniere, ibid.) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ ANOTHER TRANS-ATLANTIC FM DX CATCH BY MULTIPLE SPORADIC E Hi guys, last night I had a station in French on 88.5 at 0215 local time while TA TV carriers were present up to A5. I wonder can anyone tell me --- maybe Charles in Quebec, does SRC have a classical music programme Sunday nights at 10;15 pm in the Maritimes, 9:15 EST?? I heard a classical show with a male announcer in French. Signal was up for a good ten minutes but all the speech I heard was about 10 seconds. Fading always knows when to strike! Nothing else coming in except Iceland on 92.4 (my first signal from there) and strong Icelandic TV on 62.25. Today TA TV up to A6 but no FM logged. Any help would be very helpful. Location: 54 15 N, 7 27 W in IO64GF Low VHF Skip and Scanner page http://www.geocities.com/yogi540 Regards (Paul Logan, Lisnaskea, N. Ireland, July 21, WTFDA via DXLD) Congratulations, Paul (again)! What you got was CBAF-FM 88.5 Moncton NB, the only one possible. CBAF 88.5 is part of "La Première Chaîne", Programming on this network consists of both classical and popular music. And the show on Sunday night is hosted by a man, Serge Bouchard. CBAF-FM is 50 kW and located: 46:08:41N 64:54:14W. CBAF is the only French one on 88.5 in the entire country! At 23:00 EDT was getting Newfoundland on TV. Did I miss possible TA by a couple of hours???!!! Darn! 73, (Charles Gauthier, St-Lambert, Québec, ibid.) FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 23 JULY - 18 AUGUST 2003 Solar activity is expected to be at low to moderate levels, with the possibility of some high intervals. Regions 410 and 412 have the potential for M-class events until they rotate beyond the west limb on 26 July. There is a slight chance of a major event from Region 410. Old Region 397 (N12, L=032) is due to return to the visible disk on 24 July and is expected to have M-class potential. This block of active longitudes currently on the visible disk (L = 190 – 205) will return by mid August and may produce moderate solar activity levels. There is a slight chance of a greater than 10 MeV proton event at geosynchronous orbit early in the period. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux is expected to reach high levels on 30 July – 04 August, 09 - 11 August, and again on 12 –17 August, due to recurrent coronal hole high speed streams. The geomagnetic field is expected to range from quiet to major storm levels during the period. A large, recurrent coronal hole high speed stream in expected to become geoeffective on 28 July – 03 August, and produce active to minor storm levels. Coronal hole effects are expected again on 7 - 9 August and again on 11 – 17 August and occasional minor storm periods are possible. Isolated major storm periods are possible with these high speed steams, but will be mostly confined to high latitudes in local nighttime hours. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2003 Jul 22 2211 UTC # Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Environment Center # Product description and SEC contact on the Web # http://www.sec.noaa.gov/wwire.html # # 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table # Issued 2003 Jul 22 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2003 Jul 23 150 12 3 2003 Jul 24 150 12 3 2003 Jul 25 145 12 3 2003 Jul 26 135 15 3 2003 Jul 27 130 15 3 2003 Jul 28 130 15 3 2003 Jul 29 130 15 3 2003 Jul 30 135 15 3 2003 Jul 31 140 20 4 2003 Aug 01 140 20 4 2003 Aug 02 130 25 5 2003 Aug 03 135 25 5 2003 Aug 04 135 15 3 2003 Aug 05 125 10 3 2003 Aug 06 120 10 3 2003 Aug 07 120 25 5 2003 Aug 08 120 20 4 2003 Aug 09 125 15 3 2003 Aug 10 125 15 3 2003 Aug 11 125 25 5 2003 Aug 12 130 25 5 2003 Aug 13 135 20 4 2003 Aug 14 140 15 3 2003 Aug 15 145 15 3 2003 Aug 16 150 15 3 2003 Aug 17 150 15 3 2003 Aug 18 145 15 3 (http://www.sec.noaa.gov/radio via WORLD OF RADIO 1192, DXLD) ###