DX LISTENING DIGEST 3-132, July 25, 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: Sat 1030, Sun 0230 5070, 0630 3210, Wed 0930 9475 RFPI: 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: 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 ** AUSTRIA. Re: Clandestines. Yep, you're right. I have told Wolf I was wrong. I don't know why he is upset about the misspelt Austrian pollie`s name. Here they are down the bottom of the list on a par with used car salesmen (Robin L. HARWOOD, Tasmania, July 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRIA. Message reçu de Radio Afrika Internationale : "Nous avons le regret de vous annoncer que nous avons arrêté nos émissions de la journée vers l'Afrique depuis juin 2003 faute de moyens. (Il nous faut au moins 100 euros par jour). Nous sommes en train de chercher les donnateurs ou/et partenaires pour redémarrer les émissions. Vous continuerez à nous recevoir en France en ondes moyennes et sur internet chaque soir de 21.30 à 23.00 (NDR de 1930 à 2100 TU). Les programmes en francais commencent à partir de 22.15 (NDR: 2015) avec nos nouvelles d'Afrique." (Alexis Neuberg, Radio Afrika Internationale - 16 juillet 2003 (les informations sont issues de http://perso.wanadoo.fr/jm.aubier via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. 4734.8, 0930 July 25, Radio San Miguel, lively pops and IDs, then at 0932 program called "Ciencia y ???". Maybe this is the same station reported recently on 6536v from Huancabamba??? Needs more work. Good signal though some audio distortion. [Later:] 4734.8, presume this to be Radio San Miguel, Riberalta, ex 4930v, although the programming isn't what I would expect, i.e. no religion so far. Between 0932 and 0958, they carried a science transcription program from Radio Nederland (Paul Ormandy, ZL4TFX, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Today, I heard this station with very good signal from Buenos Aires, between 0950-1005 UT, time and ID by male at 1003 73's 55's (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, Cumbre DX via DXLD) Hello Paul! The station is most likely Radio San Miguel, Riberalta that has moved from 4930.37 kHz. I noted the station the 23rd of july with good strength but distorted audio announcing 4730 kHz. The station on 4930.37 is off air. ID as "Radio San Miguel" - "LV del Norte" could be a name of a program. 73s from (Bjorn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, dxing.info via DXLD) ** BOUGAINVILLE. PNG, 3850.00, Radio Independent Mekamui, presumed;. hearing music July 24 from 0915 tune in getting better by 0930 with male announcer and time check, pidgin sounding talk thru severe static - local lightning buildups killed things past 0935. During lulls in static, signal was building quite nicely by 0950. More male pidgin talk and tentative ID, time check near 1000 (Don Moman, Lamont, Alberta, CANADA, 53 44N 112 50W, Ant: 4 el 80m yagi, Receiver: ICOM 756 pro, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. Rádio Clube de Marília (SP), em 3235 kHz Em 25 de julho, a partir de 0130 UT, estava monitorando a faixa de 90 metros quando deparei com bom sinal na freqüência de 3235 kHz. Foram levadas ao ar várias músicas, de autores como Tavito, Roberto Carlos, Djavan e Tim Maia num espaço intitulado "no programa de tudo um pouco, com TJ, o clube dos tempos dourados". Às 0200, TJ apresentou uma série de anúncios comerciais, que iniciou com o Sindicato dos Aposentados de Marília (SP) e finalizou com a Auto Elétrica Renascer. Adiante, o apresentador levou ao ar a identificação da emissora: Rádio Clube de Marília! Também anunciou os telefones do departamento comercial e do estúdio. Fui conferir. Liguei para o estúdio e fui entrevistado por uns 3 minutos. Segundo ele, "fui o primeiro a responder o chamamento feito aos ouvintes distantes". Não entrei em detalhes sobre o fato de a emissora ser nova ou reativada em ondas curtas! Após um bloco de músicas, às 0248, TJ voltou ao ar e agradeceu a minha ligação e pediu "aos ouvintes do Brasil e do exterior que escrevam para a emissora". Deu o endereço: Rádio Clube de Marília, Caixa Postal 326, CEP: 17500- 970, Marília (SP). (Célio Romais, Porto Alegre (RS), Brasil, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** CANADA. Re CJRS: Glenn, I listened to this (station) this morning. Yesterday when I tried it the streaming wasn't working but this morning it worked fine on Real Player here. This is definitely an on- line only operation. (Call letters) CJRS were the old calls for a 1510 kHz. AM operation in Sherbrooke, Quebec, several years ago. It disappeared with the merger of Radio Mutuel and Telemedia stations in Quebec. Seeing as the CRTC in Canada has basically said that they will stay as far away from Internet radio as possible, I guess they wouldn't be too concerned about the call letters being used (Sheldon Harvey, July 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. CFAN, Miramichi-Newcastle, NB will be staying on AM a few months longer than planned. Although the Maritimes Broadcasting System station has had its new 99.3 FM transmitter on the air for several months now, it's having problems with the stereo generator. "The River" expects to keep its 790 AM signal alive through the summer. That facility is running non-directionally, since one of its towers had already been taken out of the directional array in preparation for the move to FM (Robert Wien?, IRCA Soft DX Monitor July 22 via DXLD) ** CANADA. Norman Spector --- By NORMAN SPECTOR From Wednesday's Globe and Mail POSTED AT 7:15 AM EDT Jul. 23, 2003 There was a time when banning the importation of Al-Jazeera, the Arabic news channel, would have been consistent with Canadian values. Indeed, in the early 1930s, a principal rationale for regulating radio was to protect our sovereignty. ''Britannia rules the waves,'' Graham Spry, the leading lobbyist for public broadcasting quipped, ''Shall Columbia (CBS) rule the airwaves?'' Since he and others believed that the choice was between the ''State or the United States,'' CBS and other networks were not permitted to establish Canadian affiliates, and we set up the CBC instead. However, "defensive expansionism" was long ago abandoned as an adequate basis for Canadian broadcasting policy. Soon after its inception, the public broadcaster got permission to carry popular U.S. radio programs -- the rationale being that advertiser revenues would support the production of Canadian programs. Cross-subsidization is now the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission's raison d'etre. Internationally, the Zeitgeist favours the free flow of information. Still, the post-9/11 context should not be ignored, and we must distinguish between friend and foe here (as, too, in our visa and immigration policies). The Americans are at war against "terrorism," and we are their neighbour and ally. Included in Al-Jazeera's target audience are the young, Western passport holders that al-Qaeda is assiduously trying to recruit. It would be disastrous for Canada's well-being if we were ever used as a staging ground for an attack on the United States. The Canadian Jewish Congress and B'nai Brith Canada have labelled Al-Jazeera "virulently anti-Semitic," and they provide some chilling examples. The Canadian Arab Federation counters with the assertion that "the views of the people who make the news should not be confused as the views of the station that airs it" -- though it has never proffered that distinction with respect to Canadian media, and rightly so. Unfortunately, the Al-Jazeera controversy is turning into one of those classic Canadian debates in which one does not so much weigh arguments as choose sides. It need not descend to this level, however. Aside from our experience with similar broadcasting issues, Canadians have a set of values, and a panoply of laws to rely on, including the understanding that the freedom to express ourselves with a picket sign stops one centimetre short of someone else's nose. Media critics have also waded into this debate. Not one of them knows any Arabic. But, understanding what's on the screen seems not to be a qualification for the job. Perhaps that explains why the Toronto Star's Antonia Zerbisias, while conceding that "some of what is said on Al-Jazeera is objectionable," still asks whether it is "any more hateful, say, than what is often uttered on American TV?" And why, though she has always sworn by the objectivity of the CBC's Middle East coverage, she's suddenly discovered a gap in what's available to Canadians on TV that only Al-Jazeera can fill. In these pages, Rick Salutin minimizes the potential impact of Islamic extremists referring to Jews as "apes and pigs." I'm not surprised: His Mideast analyses have always stood on the conceit that growing up Jewish equips one to understand the Palestinian side of the conflict. (Believe me, it does not.) On the other hand, and, as usual, The Globe's television critic, John Doyle, provides some useful perspective, arguing that "a principal Canadian value is the right to judge and decide for ourselves, and use our own laws and courts to determine the response." Unfortunately, there's a huge gap in our law that places Al-Jazeera beyond the reach of Canadian courts. The Broadcasting Act prohibits "any false or misleading news," or "any abusive comment or abusive pictorial representation that . . . is likely to expose . . . an individual or group . . . to hatred or contempt on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion. . . ." However, this only applies to programming services originated by licensees. As carriers, cable operators would not be covered, and it is arguable whether Criminal Code sections that prohibit the "advocacy of genocide," or any communication that "willfully promotes hatred," would apply. What, then, is to be done with the applications to import Al-Jazeera? The model for a solution, I believe, is the "Category 2" licence the CRTC issued to authorize the importation of MSNBC from the United States. Cable operators are required to repackage the American news channel's programs with some local content, and it is then offered to subscribers as MSNBC Canada. (Since the cable companies are applying for permission to provide 15 other ethnic channels, there is no content shortage.) Moreover, as part owner of the service, Rogers Cable is legally liable for the content -- as it or any other successful applicant should be if granted permission to import Al-Jazeera. (c) 2003 Bell Globemedia Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** COSTA RICA. 7/23/03 - RADIO FOR PEACE INTERNATIONAL UNDER SIEGE http://www.diymedia.net/archive/0703.htm#072303 Radio For Peace International, an independent shortwave radio station broadcasting from El Rodeo, Costa Rica, has been surrounded by security guards and its doors chained shut. The reason for the siege is unknown, as is the status of RFPI staff. Radio For Peace International got its start in 1987 with the help of progressives from around the world and has been volunteer-driven and listener-supported ever since. It's seen some fame for its extensive research and reporting on right-wing hate groups, and especially their prolific use of shortwave broadcasting as a propaganda outlet. There have been recent concerns that the violence of Colombia's civil war may be spilling over into Costa Rica, including the possibility of paramilitary groups from Colombia operating in-country. While details remain very sketchy, it doesn't seem they are involved in the RFPI siege; the initial report cites "guards from the University of Peace," where RFPI has its studios. Relations between the University and station are less than peaceful: UPeace Council President Maurice Strong has been trying to evict RFPI from campus for reasons undetermined. However, the station built its own studios, offices and transmitter facilities and the matter is reportedly still wending its way through the Costa Rican courts. The siege is likely connected to this, but disturbing nonetheless. As of this writing an MP3 stream of a receiver tuned to RFPI's shortwave frequency is unintelligible (via Harry Helms, W7HLH, Las Vegas, NV DM26, DXLD) For Immediate Release: For More Information contact: RFPI at email: info@rfpi.org James Latham, General Manager, RFPI: 011 (506) 249-1821 Naomi Fowler, Program Director, RFPI: 011 (506) 249-1821 Emily Morales, Operations, RFPI: 011 (506) 249-1821 US Contact: Jean Parker, Board of Directors: (303) 355-9935 On Monday, July 21, 2003 a University for Peace representative delivered an eviction notice to Radio For Peace International (RFPI) which has been operating since 1987 by mutual agreement on the University campus in El Rodeo, Costa Rica. The Radio station`s access gate was locked with chains and patrolled by armed guards employed by the University for Peace. In addition, the radio station was advised to vacate its facilities in two weeks. Radio For Peace employees made a plea to the armed guards to allow them to leave the locked premises on Monday night, although some have not left the premises since the eviction notice. According to Latham, the unexplained, and legally questionable decision to evict RFPI endangers the livelihood of the station’s employees, and also threatens to silence the voice of peace on international airwaves. ``This is more than an eviction, this is about the right to free speech,`` says James Latham, Chief Executive Officer of Radio for Peace International. ``What is most shocking and sad is that this action comes from an international peace organization.`` University for Peace cofounder, former Costa Rican President Rodrigo Carazo Odio, invited RFPI in 1985 to build and manage its own office and studios on the university’s Costa Rica campus. Consequently RFPI constructed studios and transmitters, and has been broadcasting messages of peace and social justice as well as daily United Nations programming. RFPI is the only listener supported shortwave radio station. Latham says that Monday`s eviction notice represents poor judgment on behalf of the new administration at the University for Peace, a United Nations mandated university established in 1980. ``RFPI has always shown goodwill toward the University for Peace and has worked harmoniously with the previous four administrations. Our shared goals to work toward ending war is what brought our two organizations together, and in the world today there is still much work to be done. Instead of focusing on how to eliminate a fellow peace organization, we need to channel our energy toward eliminating war, poverty and hunger.`` To prevent the silencing of this important voice, we the Committee for the Defense of Radio For Peace International encourages you to write Kofi Annan in support of the radio station at: annan@un.org (via James Latham, CR, DXLD) What a shame it has come to this. For now, RFPI is still heard, on 15039 July 25 at 1510, 1945 checks. The above release plus photos now appears at http://www.rfpi.org (gh, DXLD) RFPI's situation is part of a bureaucratic and personality squabble between the University for Peace and RFPI itself. RFPI has operated out of the UFP facilities since its inception. The founder of the UFP and James Latham of RFPI have long been friends; the new guy running the UFP apparently has ideas of his own. Methinks the Lathams have to come with some $$ and quickly in order to restore their use of the UFP facility. I believe it frankly boils down to money, nothing more (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, July 25, swprograms via DXLD) PEACE UNIVERSITY OUSTS RADIO SHORTWAVE STATION GETS EVICTION NOTICE By Suzanna Starcevic, Tico Times Staff http://www.ticotimes.net/newsbriefs.htm [I suspect this may not be a permanent URL, but valid for week of July 25-31? Illustrated --- gh] With this week's padlocking of its parking lot and a notice to evacuate the building within two weeks, Radio for Peace International (RFPI) has found itself bracing for, rather than broadcasting, political struggle. The radio has promoted international peace, news and information programs, including many from the United Nations, from the University for Peace (UPaz) campus in Ciudad Colón, 25 km west of San José, since 1987, using the land rent-free as an independent, joint project with the UN-backed university. Although the station continues to broadcast, the padlock went on around noon Monday, trapping staffers' cars inside the parking lot until the armed UPaz guard who put it there relented and let them out. [Caption:] HAPPY with Radio for Peace? University for Peace President Maurice Strong (left) met recently with President Abel Pacheco to discuss University's plans. Tico Times/Julio Laínez "The university is just defending its rights to its property," said Luís Alberto Varela, the university's lawyer. "It didn't just give them two weeks to leave; they've had a year and a half." As early as April 12, 2002, past RFPI director Debra Latham received a letter from Rector Martin Lees saying the university would be terminating the 1992 International Cooperation Agreement with RFPI's Oregon-based umbrella organization, World Peace University, Inc. The notice gave the station until July 10, 2002 to leave, amounting to a 90-day informal eviction notice - recourse provided for While no one contests the university's ownership of the land, RFPI CEO James Latham says a cloud of confusion is still swirling around the station as to why the university is trying to remove the station from its two-story building and adjacent transmitter, built through RFPI fundraising. "When [University for Peace President] Maurice Strong first came in 1999, he said he was very happy with Radio for Peace, one of the only independently funded joint projects," said Latham. "The last time I asked them why they were doing this, they said only they did not want us to be here, weren't able to give us the land and wanted us to leave." UPAZ has been criticized since its creation in 1980 by the UN General Assembly as being unproductive, an image the current administration has worked to revise; it recently graduated 24 students from a 10- month Master's program (TT, June 27). The agreement doesn't require reasons for termination, but Varela says there should be no confusion. He cites an outstanding $14,000 debt owed by Radio for Peace to the university for installation of telephone and Internet structure and illegal use of radio frequencies as reasons that have been communicated. "It has fallen on deaf ears," he claims. Latham says an arrangement was in place to repay the debt, incurred in 2001, in the form of cash or radio time for UPaz, but that the radio wasn't given time to provide the services in kind. All attempts to contact other University for Peace representatives were refused and directed to Varela. Although an inquiry into the Radio for Peace use of frequencies listed past unauthorized use of FM frequencies, the report lists no complaints after Strong's review of the university's relationship with RFPI began. Also, UPaz initially arranged the broadcasting frequencies, some of which did not require permits at the time. According to Latham, the shortwave bands the radio is using, 7445 and 15040, are international, registered with the High Frequency Coordination Committee (HFCC), which coordinates frequencies over the world, and open to broadcasters as long as they test for 90 days to make sure they are not interfering. The bands are used by several other broadcasters as well. The National Radio Control disagrees, maintaining the two bands are registered for sole use by mobile aeronautic and mo-bile land communications. Melvin Murillo, director of National Radio Control, agreed that Radio for Peace had taken the steps necessary to register its frequencies with the HFCC, and the mistake was made in the go- ahead. However, he says that upon receipt of a UPAZ letter "revoking" the station's protection (the university holds mission status and is considered international territory), he considers the radio to be under Costa Rican jurisdiction. To get "legal," the station would have to pay Radio Control ¢2,500 ($6.25) per year to test and then use a frequency. He says he has been trying to notify the radio of this for a year and a half, but that it was impossible to find the phone number (which is listed on the RFPI Web site and also in local directory assistance.) Varela says the university had offered to negotiate compensation for the buildings, and keep open future joint projects once the radio had resettled, but that Radio for Peace would negotiate only to stay. Latham's response is that the RFPI board, which consists of members who live around the world, meets only once a year, and it was impossible to negotiate compensation terms without consultation. Arcelio Hernández, lawyer for RFPI, says principles are going to be the radio's defense in future legal action. "The radio entered the premises under an agreement," he says, noting that former Costa Rican President Rodrigo Carazo was one of the founding members of the University for Peace who extended the invitation to the radio in 1985 and is still active on the station's board, as well as President Emeritus of UPAZ. "And it remains that its most recent actions, sending an armed guard to lock the gates so people can't get their cars out, are hostile acts, and don't coincide with the ideas of peace." He says there are legal eviction procedures, and that the university has not used them. Also, RFPI has invested roughly up to $725,000 in the infrastructure, far less than half of which would be transferable to another location, he says. He plans to meet with board members Saturday to plan the defense carefully, and accompany it with a campaign for policy change in the university. Ex-President Carazo will also be at this meeting, and says he couldn't make detailed comments until speaking with the Board. He did forcefully say he was in "utter disagreement" with the university's actions. "They haven't given real reasons for eviction," Hernández says. "We could be looking at repression of freedom of the press." Varela says that's nonsense, and that a letter from the university to Foreign Minister Roberto Tovar stating that the "current activities of RFPI are inconsistent with the international emphasis currently being developed by the university" wasn't a reference to programming, but to the irregularities in frequency operation. "These things came up in other administrations," he said. "They just decided to focus attention elsewhere." Robert Muller, a UPAZ co-founder and the university's Chancellor Emeritus, said he was saddened by the actions. "My ideal was that the University for Peace, Earth Council and Radio for Peace would be the beginning of a new Athens on the hills there, and together be able to give hope to new generations," he said. At 80, Muller is still active in promoting peace, but acknowledges he no longer has influence in decisions made at the university. "I have heard that people at the university have said radio doesn't have a place," he said. "I think it's very important for a developing country." A tired Latham emphasized Tuesday night that the radio bears no ill will towards the university. "We would just like to see this resolved in a win-win situation," he said. "We're all supposed to be working for peace; there's more than enough to do, and enough room for all of us to do it." On Saturday morning Radio for Peace will hold an information event outside the locked gates at 9:30 a.m. For more info, call 249-1821. RFPI members and volunteers are urging people to writing to Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations (annan@un.org) or contribute with checks marked for Legal Defense Fund, sent to Radio For Peace International, P.O. Box 3165, Newberg, Oregon, 97132 (Tico Times via Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** CUBA. 18090: The Havana Gurgler, 8 July at 0100. No one knows what it's jamming (Liz Cameron, MI, MARE via DXLD) (I will bet they know .... :o) (MARE ed. Ken Zichi) I know: it`s the third harmonic of the jammer against R. Martí on 6030 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. 4960.03, 1020-1025, R. Cima, July 25. S8 signal level but a bit over modulated. Male announcer heard at 1020 in Spanish with program information. Music did not appear to be over modulated. Excellent music selections as usual. This station plays some of the better music heard. Slight fades noted. This usually ends my morning DXing when I find clear reception of this station. The music program is very good (Bob Montgomery, PA, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** EASTER ISLAND [non]. SOUTH AMERICAN PIRATE -- Times UTC RADIO COCHIGUAZ will be active hoisting the pirate flag, today night on its NEW frequency of 11430 kHz USB, relaying RADIO MAHUTE, a PHB (Polynesian Heritage Broadcasting) group production, with its antennas beamed to Pacific & Oceania zone (New Zealand & Australia) [UT] Sat, 26 July 2003, 0400-0500 For reports write to: (Pls add return postage) Radio Mahute, Casilla 159, Santiago 14, CHILE. email: mahuteradio@yahoo.fr V= QSL Radio Cochiguaz, Box 159, Santiago 14, CHILE. email: Radio_Cochiguaz@yahoo.com (via HCDX via Gayle Van Horn, MT Messageboard July 25 via DXLD) ** GREECE. Glenn, Voice of Greece has a questionnaire on their web site for listeners to fill out and submit. If you would like to send you fill it out and submit it here is the link: http://www.ert.gr/radio/era5/english/questionary.html (Christos Rigas, Wood Dale, Illinois, July 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUAM. On 24 July at 1900 on 5765U with nice signal noted AFN program. Haven't heard this one (Guam it used to be) for some time. They were off the air due to damages by a hurricane. Active again (maybe have been for some time, just went unnoticed by me). (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Reported also by Roland Schulze, Mangaldan, the Philippines, today around 1500 (Wolfgang Bueschel, Germany, July 24, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** ICELAND. Hi Glenn, I was just listening to AFRTS Keflavik on 13855 kHz in USB mode. Reception is quite readable 1140 UT with "ID": "This is the Morning Edition of NPR News". Really strong and good reception even with my portable Sony ICF- SW7600G. Antenna is simply a five meter reel hanging on an apple tree. It`s still 25 degrees in shade. 73 (Jouko Huuskonen, Turku FINLAND, July 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. 4775, AIR Imphal, Jul 13 1231 - Presumed this with gospel choir music in English. Song 'Blessed Assurance' at 1238. Local sunset in Imphal is 1240, nearly perfect grayline conditions with Grayland. Fair-good until 1254 when it had deteriorated into the noise. No other possibilities on 4775 that I can think of, and I've heard Christian programming on a few Indian outlets before (Guy Atkins, Grayland WA DXpedition, IRCA Soft DX Monitor July 22 via DXLD) ** INDIA. AIR Chennai noted with External Service to Sri Lanka now on 7270 (100 kW). Earlier it was Home Service. The new sked on 7270 is: 1000-1100 English, 1115-1215 Tamil, 1300-1500 Sinhala 73 (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS/AT0J, July 25, dx_india via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. TEHRAN, HAVANA DENY INTERFERING WITH U.S.- BASED SATELLITE BROADCASTS. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Assefi said during a 21 July press conference that Tehran and Havana have not held talks on jamming satellite-television broadcasts originating in the United States, dpa reported, citing IRNA. Cuba's Foreign Ministry denied in a 19 July statement that it is blocking broadcasts from the United States meant for a third country, RFE/RL reported. . . (RFE/RL Media Matters July 25 via DXLD) ** IRAN. Message reçu de la rédaction française : "Nous vous écrivons depuis Téhéran. Les techniciens du secteur technique du service extérieur de la Voix de la République Islamique d'Iran décident d'arrêter la diffusion de nos programmes radiophoniques en diverses langues sur les ondes courtes. Qu'en pensez-vous? Dans l'attente de lire votre réponse, veuillez agréer, cher ami, l'expression de nos sentiments les plus respectueux." (Voix de la République Islamique d'Iran - 17 juillet 2003) NDR : que penser? Procédé plus que maladroit pour "doper" le nombre de lettres ? Voilà maintenant que des techniciens décident eux-mêmes d'arrêter certaines transmissions en ondes courtes! Soyons sérieux! Depuis quelques temps, la station nous envoie régulièrement des courriers électroniques en nous demandant ce que nous pensons de tel événement. Espérons que nous ayons un jour l'explication de ce message des plus curieux que j'aurais tendance à considérer comme un sondage sur les ondes courtes.... (les informations sont issues de http://perso.wanadoo.fr/jm.aubier via DXLD) This echoes a previous report in Spanish. Has VOIRI said anything about deleting shortwave broadcasts in English? (gh, DXLD) ** IRAQ. Iraq back on the Net: The telephone system in Iraq is still in a mess after the coalition takeover, but Iraqis are able to communicate with each other via E-mail. Internet access is one of the few aspects of daily life which have actually improved since the fall of Saddam. In the absence of working landlines, Internet providers use satellites to hook up to the outside world. Although home access is now available, many Iraqis use the rapidly increasing number of Internet cafés to send E-mails, use chatrooms and surf the Web... http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/features/html/iraq-internet020725.html (Media Network newsletter July 25 via DXLD) ** ITALY. ``Studio DX`` new web page On http://www.studiodx.webport.it or http://www.studiodx.mannelli.com there is the new web page of Studio DX, the weekly program devoted to BCL, SWL and Hams broadcast every Sunday at 0900 UT on 11880 kHz, during the Italian language transmission of AWR. You will find the contents of Studio DX, the program in Real Audio and MP3, some news about AWR in Italian and our guestbook. Good listening, Stefano Mannelli IZ5ENH (KC9AJF) (rec.radio.shortwave July 24 via John Norfolk, DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH. Glenn, I noticed you included my post to sw programs in DXLD, so I thought you might want to the satellite information explaining. Taicom as written on the letter turns out to be Thaicom. The following page indicates where to find the Voice of Korea on the satellite: http://www.lyngsat.com/thai3.shtml I assume by 'ohm' VoK meant MHz? (Daniel Atkinson, England, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Compare that version of English schedule, sent by the station but omitting the lower `feeders` 3560 and 4405, to this one: (gh) V. of Korea, P`yongyang in English effective May 6th (one hour duration): 0100 3560, 6195, 7140, 11735, 13760, 15180 0200 4405, 11845, 15230 0300 3560, 6195, 7140, 9345 1000 3560, 9335, 11710, 11735, 13650 1300 and 1500 4405, 9335, 11710, 13760, 15245 1600 3560, 9975, 11710 1900 and 2100 4405, 13760, 15245 (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, BC-DX July 22 via DXLD) ** LAOS [non]. UZBEKISTAN [to LAO P.D.R.] Hmong Lao Radio (St. Paul, MN, USA) opened its own website: http://www.laohmongradio.org (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, BC-DX July 25 via DXLD) ** LIBERIA. 1,000 LIBERIAN REFUGEES FIND SHELTER AT RADIO STATION ELWA Posted by: newsdesk on Wednesday, July 23, 2003 - 01:12 PM More than 1,000 Liberian refugees are now seeking shelter at Radio Station ELWA`s facilities in Monrovia as fighting continues to intensify in the capital city. This number has doubled since the weekend when rebel fighters reached Monrovia. Despite the growing crisis, ELWA General Manager James Kesselly says the situation remains calm at the station which is within hearing range of some of the larger shell explosions. ``There are now more than 1,000 displaced people on the ELWA campus, staying in the gym, the youth camp, and some of the office and school buildings that were not being fully utilized,`` says Kesselly. ``ELWA is still on the air, although on a slightly reduced schedule in order to conserve fuel -- 2½ hours every morning and three hours each evening. They only have enough diesel fuel [to operate the generators] to carry them for about another week on this schedule. ``The ELWA hospital also continues to serve sick patients in the area with 24-hour emergency room service, and the clinic remains open, though few patients are coming in these turbulent days,`` Kesselly adds. ``Transportation is also difficult -- very few taxis on the road -- but people are traveling the roads on the east side of Monrovia where ELWA is located. He urges believers everywhere to pray that many Liberians would respond to the gospel during these turbulent days.`` 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. Boakai Yamah, chairman of the SIM-related church, Evangelical Church Union of Liberia (ECUL) said Tuesday morning that many pastors and church leaders have been forced to leave their homes. ``Some are sheltering at the Samuel K. Doe Sports Complex -- the large local soccer stadium which is only about a mile from ELWA -- along with perhaps 30,000 or more other displaced people,`` he says. ``Pray that God would use our ECUL pastors to comfort and encourage hurting and fearful people and that their faith would remain strong. Also pray as we assist our partners in ministering to the many needs, especially for food and medical care among the displaced people around Monrovia.`` In recent developments, rebels took control of a key bridge in Monrovia Wednesday in fighting that shattered a day-old cease-fire pledge, sending thousands of families fleeing in a city desperately short of food, water and shelter, reported Associated Press. Separately, West African foreign ministers meeting in Dakar, Senegal, promised to deploy two Nigerian battalions to Liberia within days -- vanguard of what ministers said should be a 3,250-strong international force to bring peace to the devastated nation. Explosions boomed in Monrovia on Wednesday, one day after rebel leaders announced a unilateral cease-fire. ``This morning we`re still under attack,`` Defense Minister Daniel Chea said on Wednesday after a night of shelling and gunfire. ``It`s still raining round after round of mortars.`` Three U.S. ships with 2,000 Marines and 2,500 sailors aboard were moving toward the Mediterranean Sea and awaiting orders. Liberian President Charles Taylor, a former warlord indicted for war crimes in Sierra Leone, has pledged to accept Nigeria`s offer of asylum -- but only after peacekeepers arrive to ensure an orderly transition. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell is seeking U.S. intervention to calm the volatile and violent situation in Liberia, reported AFP. Powell told The Washington Times [Moony] in an interview published Wednesday that history obliges the U.S. to help the troubled country. ``We do have a historic link to Liberia, and we do have some obligation as the most important and powerful nation on the face of the earth not to look away when a problem like this comes to us. We looked away once in Rwanda, with tragic consequences,`` Powell said, referring to a 1994 genocide there (HCJB World Radio/SIM via DXLD) ** MEXICO. Hola, saludos, felicidades, por sus páginas. Sólo para comentar que me parece que hay una radiodifusora católica que trasmite en onda corta en México, dirigida por Jesuitas; se encuentra en la comunidad de Huayacocotla, Veracruz, pertenece a la Diócesis de Tulancingo, trasmite en diferentes idiomas. Sería bueno que pudiera poner esta información en su página; yo estuve allá hace algunos años. Soy sacerdote y creo que sigue funcionando hasta donde sé. Ahora estoy en Mexicali; espero que pueda checar la información, y que todavía exista. Sé que era la única en todo México (P. Edgar Chávez to Mike Dorner, Catholic Radio Update, DXLD) That would be R. Huayacocotla, 2390 kHz. Here`s one page about it: http://www.sjsocial.org/Radio/huarad.html And here`s their program grid. Of course, DX propagation only around sign-on and sign-off, better in winter: http://www.sjsocial.org/Radio/rh_prog.html Escucha algunos ejemplos de música de Radio Huaya including two versions of the national anthem in indigenous languages and two singing IDs, neat: http://www.sjsocial.org/Radio/ejemplos.html (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEW ZEALAND. Expect some major changes to the RNZI schedule starting September 1. They have a significantly improved budget and will be adding quite a bit more or their own content. Of course, the other side of this is less National Radio content, which we all enjoy. BTW, do you find the program schedule bulletins I put up for RA amd RNZI of any use at all? :-) (John Figliozzi, NY, July 25, swprograms via DXLD) ** SAO TOME E PRINCIPE. IBB transmitting station São Tomé link: http://lea.hamradio.si/~s50u/html/charles_lewis.htm (incl. photos). (via Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Mainly about the station manager`s background, ham S9SS (gh, DXLD) ** SLOVAKIA. Strange change: the DX program in Russian of DW with DX editor Mrs Tina Krasnapolskaya was closed at the end of April 2003. But Tina, starting May 12th is already editor of DX program of Radio Slovakia International in Russian each Sunday! (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, BC-DX July 22 via DXLD) ** SOLOMON ISLANDS. KILLER HAM RADIO --- Armed supporters of a militant leader in the Solomon Islands recently attacked and burned two villages, driving hundreds of people from their homes and tearing down a radio station put up by foreign ham radio volunteers. The incident took place on June 20th as fighters loyal to Harold Keke razed the two villages in the remote Marasa district. According to published news reports, this was just the latest in an upsurge of violence on the Solomon`s main island of Guadalcanal that has left dozens dead. Officials said that Keke is wanted for a series of murders. Also that his troops attacked the villages because he believed some residents were using the radio station to inform police about his activities (Published news reports, via Amateur Radio Newsline July 25 via John Norfolk, DXLD) ** SRI LANKA [non]. IRAQ ONE ICRC STAFF MEMBER KILLED AND ONE WOUNDED The RSSL [Radio Society of Sri Lanka?] has heard with deep sadness the news of the death of our member Nadisha, 4S7NR in Baghdad today. Nadisha was known to most of our members and served the RSSL in many capacities including positions of editor and web master. At this moment news is sketchy, other than for what is in the web. We will inform members of developments. In the meantime the RSSL is shocked at this untimely passing away of Nadisha. It comes as a great shock to all of us (Victor Goonetilleke, 4S7VK via Wolfgang Bueschel, DXLD) Deepest QSP 4S7NR- Nadeesha expired in Iraq. For more details visit following site (ICRC) http://www.icrc.org/Web/Eng/siteeng0.nsf/iwpList4/7B9B906FF90688DCC1256D6B004C883B 22-07-2003 Press Release 03/53 Geneva (ICRC) --- The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is deeply shocked and dismayed by the death of one of its staff members, Nadisha Yasassri Ranmuthu, an IT technician from Sri Lanka, on 22 July near Hilla, south of Baghdad. Mazen Hamed Rashid, an Iraqi ICRC driver, was wounded in the same tragic incident. Mr Ranmuthu and Mr Rashid were travelling on the main road leading north from Hilla to Baghdad at around 11 a.m. (local time) when they were shot at. Mr Ranmuthu was killed on the spot. Mr Rashid was taken to the surgical hospital in Hilla, where he is being treated. At this stage, the ICRC does not know who is responsible for the attack. The Iraqi police and the coalition forces have been informed. The vehicle in which the two men were travelling was clearly marked with highly visible red cross emblems. The ICRC and its staff are deeply distressed by the death of Mr Ranmuthu and extend their heartfelt sympathy to his family and friends. Mr Ranmuthu joined the ICRC in Sri Lanka in 1992. He was 37 years old, married and father to a three-year old child. He was in Iraq to install communications facilities in the ICRC's offices in the country and help train the Iraqi operators. The ICRC is assessing the implications of this attack with a view to deciding its future course of action in Iraq. The ICRC firmly calls on all armed persons and groups to grant safe passage to all vehicles and staff working under the red cross and red crescent emblems and to allow them to perform their live-saving tasks. The ICRC recently expanded the scope of its activities in Iraq, where it has been present without interruption since 1980. Over 850 staff members are now working in the country and a permanent ICRC office was recently set up in Hilla, bringing the number of such offices to eight. Further information: Nada Doumani, ICRC Baghdad: ++88 2165 1109888, ++873 761 845610, ++1 914 360 9473 Antonella Notari, ICRC Geneva: ++41 22 730 22 82, ++41 79 217 32 80 (via Wolfgang Bueschel, DXLD) ** TOGO. Following may help explain why R. Togo Libre arose in early June, disappeared two weeks later (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) JOURNALISTS RELEASED AFTER FOUR-HOUR TRIAL LOME, 23 July (IRIN) --- Two of three Togolese journalists who have been on a month long-detention on charges of disseminating false information and threatening public order, have been released by a judge. The third was however remanded in jail after failing to pay a fine. The journalists, who held a hunger strike last week, were arrested in mid-June in the capital, Lomé, in the aftermath of Togo's disputed presidential elections. Colombo Kpakpabia of the weekly Echo and Philip Evegno of l'Evenement, were cleared of all charges and released on Tuesday. The editor-in- chief of l'Évènement, Dimas Dzikodo, was found guilty and fined US $863. Judge Kouyou ordered that he stay in jail until the fine is paid. They were arrested at a cybercafé. According to the police, Dzikodo was scanning pictures of alleged victims of police brutality when opposition politicians took to the streets to contest results of the 1 June presidential elections. Incumbent President Gnassingbe Eyadema won the polls. Opposition politicians said the elections were fraudulent, but observers from the African Union said it was a fair and free poll. A retired army general, Eyadema has ruled the small west African county since 1967. He had pledged not to seek re-election in 2003, but a constitutional amendment in December 2002 paved way for Africa's longest serving president, to run again. Opposition politicians however say Eyadema has restricted both political and media freedoms in the country. The opposition Patriotic Panafrican Convergence (CPP) party, which was approached to join a post-election government has so far refused to sit in the government, CPP's spokesman Cornelius Aidam told IRIN. The CPP is led by former OAU Secretary General Edem Kodjo. Other opposition parties, including the Union of Forces of Change, the Action Renewal Committee, the African Convergence Democratic Committee have also so far rejected Eyadema's invitation to join a government of national unity. Meanwhile Togolese authorities were still investigating two explosions last week which targeted the French cultural center and the French school. Only minor damages were recorded. The explosion followed another that occurred before the presidential polls. That explosion damaged a French-owned restaurant, drawing condemnation from the French government. [This Item is Delivered to the "Africa-English" Service of the UN's IRIN humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations. For further information, free subscriptions, or to change your keywords, http://www.irinnews.org If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Reposting by commercial sites requires written IRIN permission.] Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2003 Fuente: U N I T E D N A T I O N S Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN) (via CLAUDIO MORALES, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** U K. Among the mountain of recent articles about the BBC/David Kelly affair, these seem to be the best of the lot.... [some may already have been linked in DXLD] This BBC row is not about sources - it is about power Downing Street and Rupert Murdoch want revenge on the corporation http://politics.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,9115,1004725,00.html Issues that the Hutton inquiry must attempt to answer http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/archive/23-7-19103-0-27-14.html Britain: BBC's Judgment, Accuracy Being Questioned Amid Kelly Inquiry http://www.rferl.org/nca/features/2003/07/22072003154548.asp Does Promise of Anonymity Apply to Dead Sources? http://www.mediainfo.com/editorandpublisher/headlines/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1938793 Radio show faces online criticism http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/story689.html Gilligan's war (letters to the editor) http://politics.guardian.co.uk/kelly/comment/0,13747,1004885,00.html Why the BBC is not really the story http://www.thescotsman.co.uk/uk.cfm?id=800112003 But Andrew Gilligan got it right... http://www.opinion.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2003/07/24/do2402.xml&sSheet=/opinion/2003/07/24/ixopinion.html BBC admits errors on source http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,6799907%255E401,00.html BBC has been annoying British governments for decades http://www.namibian.com.na/2003/july/world/03E5683B55.html Dyke's Tough Stance http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/opinion/articles/5875466?source=Evening%20Standard The BBC is a world, not a law, unto itself http://www.opinion.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2003/07/23/do2302.xml&sSheet=/opinion/2003/07/23/ixopinion.html Witch Hunt Against the BBC http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20030804&s=scheer20030722 (via Kim Elliott, DXLD) ** U K. BBC REPORTER KATE ADIE WINS LIBEL SETTLEMENT LONDON (AP) -- Publishers of The Sun newspaper said Wednesday they will pay damages to British Broadcasting Corp. journalist Kate Adie for falsely suggesting she had endangered Prime Minister Tony Blair. Adie sued The Sun for a report in October 2001 suggesting she had endangered Blair by breaking an embargo on reporting his travel plans. Natasha Peter, a lawyer counsel for News Group Newspapers, said in court that it was wrong to suggest Adie was responsible for the breach of the embargo. The newspaper apologized and agreed to pay Adie damages and her legal costs, Peter said. (rb-mm) (APws 07/23 0703 via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U K [non]. Re previous jamming discussion under CUBA and IRAN: I heard the ditting on 15420 kHz and we DF'ed [direction finding'ed] it to Moscow, so I doubt if it's deliberate interference (Dave Kernick, UK, BC-DX July 24 via DXLD) I tuned 15420 this morning around 0630 and the fast 'ditting', as Dave Kernick calls it, was well audible. I found that it was using only the USB, as I suspected it might be. I wonder what 'Moscow' is sending this for? The one on 11760 was also audible, but less strong, and using LSB. It's the same type of 'ditting' but these dits have a different tone - due LSB? I heard the BBC via A'Seela [OMAN] with BBC IS notes on 15420 at 0657 and opening at 0700 with their Thursday only Persian - Friday same time it will be Pashto. The ditter was causing QRM, but was eliminated by using the LSB. This service is also on 17870 via CYP [fair] - and 11895 via DHA - weak. I wondered what the buzzing was on 11895 and found it spreading from the Sackville DRM transmissn on 11865! Who needs ditters and jamming when we have DRM! (Noel R. Green-UK, BC-DX July 24 via DXLD) ** U K [non]. [Moderator note: Radlon has been sending out the following e-mail in response to reception reports on yesterday's 1008 kHz test transmission] RADLON MEDIA LIMITED, PO BOX 7336, FRINTON-ON-SEA, ESSEX, CO13 0WZ, ENGLAND --- 22th July 2003 "RADIO LONDON TEST TRANSMISSION REPORT" -- A BIG THANK YOU FROM BIG L Radio London today carried out a test transmission on 1008 kHz from Flevoland in the Netherlands. Using 400 kilowatts of transmitter power. We received over 300 reports by e-mail and telephone (mail reports will be delayed, of course). Reports were received from as far away as Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Belgium and France. Plus the Netherlands, of course. Closer to home from Northern Ireland, Scotland and England. These tests and your reception reports will greatly assist us in improving the signal into the UK. From your reports we can now prepare a contour map and compare this with the aerial pattern diagrams we currently have from the transmitter site to confirm and highlight existing black spots in the signal. Early indications show that our signal was good in the East, North and South but the Midlands and West London need to be improved upon. Our engineers will now look at various options available to us. These are likely to include a combination of better processing, higher transmitter modulation and power (note that the channel is cleared for 1000 kilowatts) plus a detailed study of the antenna patterns, which could include a directional beam to the UK. We are hoping to have the engineers report by the end of the first week of August. This report, once implemented will then form the basis of our plans to provide Radio London with the best possible signal into the UK, which is our prime target area. Again, a Big thank you for sending us your reception report and various other comments, which are greatly appreciated. FOR FURTHER COMMENT OR CLARIFICATION PLEASE RING RAY ANDERSON 01255 676252, FAX: 01255 850528 (via BDXC-UK via DXLD) ** U S A. VOA, DX program in Main Street with duration approx. 3 minutes and starting at 50th min at 2, 4 etc. UT (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, BC-DX July 22 via DXLD) No, if you wait until :50 you are likely to miss Kim Elliott`s piece, as its position within the 25-minute magazine show UT Sundays varies widely; sometimes it`s only the second item around :37, or anywhere in between. I try to listen on the archive, but that lasts only 24 hours until the Monday show is up and recently I have been thwarted even in doing that since the latest show isn`t always available. VOA`s Talk to America is another sad case, no longer attempting to post in advance the topics, and way behind on their archiving (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. From the GAO report on US International broadcasting, a very brief excerpt from the 56-page document at: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d03772.pdf REDUCING THE NUMBER OF LANGUAGE SERVICES AND BROADCAST OVERLAP HAS BROAD SUPPORT Our survey of senior program managers revealed that the majority supported significantly reducing the total number of language services and the overlap in services between VOA and the surrogate broadcasters. [footnote 16] Eighteen of 24 respondents said that too many language services are offered, and when asked how many countries should have more than one U.S. international broadcaster providing service in the same language, 23 of 28 respondents said this should occur in only a few countries or no countries at all. Finally, when we asked respondents what impact a significant reduction in language services (for the purpose of reprogramming funds to higher priority services) would have, 18 of 28 respondents said that this would have a generally positive to highly positive impact. The BBG’s annual language service review process addresses the need to delete or add languages. The process prioritizes individual language services based on such factors as U.S. strategic interests, political freedom, and press freedom data. Such assessments have been used in an attempt to shift the focus of U.S. international broadcasting away from central and eastern Europe to allow greater emphasis on Russia and Eurasia; central and South Asia; China and east Asia; Africa; and selected countries in our hemisphere such as Colombia, Cuba, and Haïti. This system has been used to re-deploy resources within the BBG. For example, the Board has reallocated more than $9 million through the elimination or reduction of language services since its first language service review in January 2000. In total, the Board has eliminated 3 language services [footnote 17] and reduced the scope-of- operations of another 25 services since January 2000.18 In terms of the total number of language services, the Board had 91 language services when it concluded its first language service review and 97 language services at the conclusion of this year’s review. Congress has contributed to this situation by authorizing additional language services over the years. However, the Board, through its required annual language service review and strategic plan, is responsible for analyzing, recommending, and implementing a more efficient and economical scope of operations for U.S. international broadcasting. [Footnote 16:] We did not ask program managers for their views on the duplication of roles and target audiences among broadcast entities since this issue surfaced after our survey was released. [Footnote 17:] VOA Portuguese to Brazil was eliminated as a direct result of language service review. VOA Arabic and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Persian service were eventually eliminated as the result of decisions made during language service review and were replaced by Radio Sawa and Radio Farda, respectively. [Footnote 18:] Cutting language services can be challenging due to congressional concerns that the proposed elimination or reduction of language services is not supported by a clear rationale. For example, at OMB’s direction, the Board’s fiscal year 2004 budget request was reduced by $8.8 million to reflect the proposed elimination of broadcasts in nine foreign languages assessed as low priority/low impact services in connection with the Board’s 2001/2002 language service review. However, Senator Lugar, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has expressed the view that the U.S. should not withdraw broadcasting services in certain countries until there is assurance of a free and fair press in those countries. In this regard, that Committee has approved S.925 which contains a provision that would prohibit the BBG from eliminating the foreign language broadcasts proposed for elimination in the BBG`s fiscal year 2004 budget request (via gh, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. R. Caroline via WBCQ 5100 kHz From http://www.earthradio.co.uk/radio_news.htm News report from Tony Christian 23/703 I have been in the driving seat and responsible for programmes and our output to WBCQ in the USA from Radio Caroline for getting on two years now. Our friend out there and main man Alan Weiner who is a lifelong listener and supporter to Radio Caroline and has been from day one kindly allowed us airtime free of charge on one of his Shortwave frequencies, which has been brilliant. There is a brand new frequency for listeners to this service now on Shortwave and on the net, 5.100 MHz. These new programmes from Radio Caroline will commence from July 21st, Mondays thro Fridays 2200-2300 UT. If you have never heard Radio Caroline on Shortwave, you still have the chance by listening on the internet; I can only describe the audio as very close to the sound that relates to the old AM signal, very nostalgic. All you have to do is work out the time difference from the States and log in; I think you will be impressed. I would like to thank at this point the constant support and help of Dave Fox and Paul Douglas, two of our key presenters from Radio Caroline for WBCQ. I have also sent new shows to the USA, so check out WBCQ; it`s a listening experience (via Mike Terry, BDXC-UK via DXLD) 5100 inaudible here that early, e.g. at 2240 UT check July 24. I did notice on Wednesday at 2229 after OR ended on 17495-CUSB, part of an announcement that R. Caroline would be heard next, but that was cut off for that frequency`s closing. It may have been what followed on 7415 (unseemed that on 9330), but reception was poor. News to me if, like 7415, offair pickup of 5100 (if it is even on now) is being webcast. Why don`t we just look it up at http://wbcq.us ? --- That site has been down over a week for updating. Beats me why at the very least accurate program schedules can`t be available at all times (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. COPPS WILL HOLD TOWN MEETINGS ABOUT BROADCAST, CRITICIZES LICENSE RENEWAL PROCESS FCC Commissioner Michael Copps says he'll hold a series of town meetings to give citizens the opportunity to express their views on whether their local radio and TV stations are serving the public interest and should have their licenses renewed. Speaking at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, Copps stated: "As part of the license renewal process, I believe it is important to go out and hear from members of the community. But that hasn't happened for years. ... As we begin the next round of license renewals for radio this fall and for television in 2004, I intend to hold a series of town meetings in regions where renewals are due in order to hear from communities how their airwaves are being used." Copps called the broadcast license renewal process minimal, with no public outreach to local communities (Radio World newsbyte July 23 via DXLD) ** U S A. FCC CHAIRMAN'S STAR A LITTLE DIMMER --- Defeat on Capitol Hill Raises Questions About Powell's Political Savvy By Christopher Stern, Washington Post Staff Writer, Friday, July 25 http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A43044-2003Jul24?language=printer When Michael K. Powell took over as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission three years ago he was considered a young star of the Republican Party. His deregulatory agenda was regarded as a breath of fresh air by the nation's biggest media and telecommunications companies. But this week's 400-to-21 vote in the House in favor of a bill that included language to strike down a FCC decision to allow broadcasting companies to buy more television stations is just the latest example of how Powell's fortunes have shifted. In February, fellow Republican Kevin J. Martin joined two Democratic commissioners to deliver a stinging defeat on rules governing the telephone industry. Now key Republicans in the Senate, including Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.), have signed onto a rarely used "Resolution of Disapproval" that would effectively upend the FCC's work to revise several media ownership rules -- not just the broadcast ownership provision rejected by the House. Even lobbyists for the nation's media and telecommunications companies question whether Powell has the political savvy to deliver on his agenda. After all, the Republican-controlled House voted to block the broadcast ownership rule despite the objections of the House leadership and a veto threat from the White House. "Never before have I seen an FCC chairman's decision repudiated by the House of Representatives so quickly and so emphatically," Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) observed after the vote Wednesday. Powell, who was out of town on vacation this week, was unavailable for comment, a senior aide said. From the beginning of his tenure, Powell has said he wanted to rise above politics and put the FCC's rulemaking process on a more judicious course. The agency needed a new strategy, he argued, because many of its policies had been thrown out by courts that often criticized the agency's rules as "arbitrary and capricious." But Powell's lawyerly approach has not served him well at an agency guided by three Republicans and two Democrats. Colleagues at the commission complain that Powell often refuses to consider their points of view or incorporate their ideas into final regulations. The result is a badly divided agency in which Powell has alienated Martin, one of his two Republican colleagues, and has chilly relations with the two Democrats, Jonathan S. Adelstein and Michael J. Copps. "If there is one fault that the chairman has, it is that he comes to this as a lawyer, not a politician," said one source close to Powell. The source disputed complaints that Powell ignores other members of the commission, saying the chairman goes out of his way to consider other opinions. Powell pushed through the media ownership decision despite a request from the two Democrats that he postpone the vote. It is a longstanding FCC tradition to honor such requests, but Powell refused, saying a delay was not likely to result in any changes to long-held views. Finally, Powell also moved forward with the media ownership rule over the protests of a broad coalition of liberal and conservative public- interest groups. Sources said the FCC received more than 2 million e- mails and comments protesting the decision. Conservative groups argued that the largest media companies have a corrupting influence on the nation's moral values and that allowing them to get bigger would only embolden more licentious programming. Liberal groups argued that the nation's largest media companies already have too much control over the flow of ideas in the United States. Powell defended the FCC's action, noting in a prepared statement this week that the new rules take into account the fact that the major broadcasters now face expanded competition from cable, satellite and the Internet, creating alternatives for programming that did not exist when the rules were originally crafted. But while Powell, serving in an appointive post, could afford to make his case on policy grounds, many lawmakers said he failed to take into account populist concerns about the growing influence of big media. Sen. Byron L. Dorgan (D-N.D.) said he has rarely received more letters from constituents than on the media ownership issue. "People are really upset with this, people get it," Dorgan said. Dorgan said he had no trouble finding 35 co-sponsors for the resolution of disapproval to overturn the FCC's media ownership rules, a total that guarantees him 10 hours of debate on the Senate floor. He plans to introduce the resolution in the first week of September. As the son of Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, Michael Powell, 40, is familiar with many members of Congress on a personal basis. One of his biggest supporters is Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.). "I think he is an American patriot and I am proud to know him," McCain said. Yet McCain is supporting legislation that would force the FCC to change its rule on radio ownership. He said the FCC should not have allowed large companies to keep stations that exceed new limits set by the agency. It would be impossible in Washington to have so much controversy over a public figure without some raising the possibility that he will soon step down. Some published reports have stated that Powell has discussed the issue with his staff. Marsha McBride, Powell's chief of staff, said Powell was well aware that the agency was heading into controversy. "I think the chairman understood that when we were taking on some difficult decisions, it would be a rough year," McBride said. But she said she has not discussed a resignation internally. "The chairman has no current plans to be leaving the commission, and I don't have the understanding that he will be leaving," she said. © 2003 The Washington Post Company (via Kraig Krist, DXLD) ** U S A. HOUSE ROLLS BACK MEDIA OWNERSHIP CHANGES Wed Jul 23, 4:51 PM ET By ALAN FRAM, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - The House voted Wednesday to prevent federal regulators from letting individual broadcast companies own television stations serving nearly half the national TV market, ignoring the preferences of its own Republican leaders and a Bush administration veto threat. By a 400-21 vote, lawmakers approved a spending bill with language blocking a Federal Communications Commission decision to let companies own TV stations serving up to 45 percent of the country's viewers. The current ceiling is 35 percent. Despite GOP control of the White House, Congress and the FCC, the House vote set the stage for what may ultimately be an unraveling of a regulatory policy that the party strongly favors. The fight now moves to the Senate, where several lawmakers of both parties want to include a similar provision in their version of the bill. Top Republicans are hoping that, with leverage from the threat of a first-ever veto by President Bush, the final House-Senate compromise bill later this year will drop the provision thwarting the FCC. In a show of defiance, FCC Chairman Michael Powell issued a written statement before the vote defending the commission's decision. The five-member FCC approved the new rules on a 3-2 party-line vote on June 2. "We are confident in our decision," Powell said. "We created enforceable rules that reflect the realities of today's media marketplace. The rules will benefit Americans by protecting localism, competition and diversity." A statement by NBC lobbyist Bob Okun praised the FCC decision as "a positive and much needed step offering regulatory relief to free, over-the-air television," and called the legislation "extremely disappointing to us." Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., chief sponsor of the provision that would derail the liberalized FCC rules, acknowledged in an interview that a tough fight lay ahead over keeping the language intact in the bill's final version. But he declared victory, for now. "It's extremely rare to be able to reverse a regulatory decision that gives away the store to the big boys," Obey said. With programming power and many billions of dollars at stake, the battle has pitted the big broadcast networks against smaller station owners and an array of groups, from the Christian Coalition to the Consumers Union. "We've been facing a total roadblock on doing anything in the House," said Gene Kimmelman, public policy director for the consumer union. He said the House vote meant "that roadblock will be torn apart." The biggest beneficiaries of the FCC ruling would be Viacom Inc., which owns the CBS and UPN networks, and News Corp., owner of Fox. Due to mergers and acquisitions, both already exceed the 35 percent limit. Opponents of the FCC decision said it would give giant broadcast corporations too much clout, at the expense of communities and a diversity of voices. Supporters of the FCC rule said the older, tighter limits ignore a high-tech era in which cable and satellite TV, plus the Internet, have intensified the competition they face. And they said that with even the largest networks owning less than 3 percent of the nation's 1,300 broadcast stations, the clout of the networks was being exaggerated. Even so, short of support and eager to prevent FCC opponents from using a House roll call to show their strength, GOP leaders didn't even try removing the language from the bill. Instead, they said they would seek to kill it when House-Senate bargainers craft a compromise bill later this year. Hoping to increase their power, some Republicans were seeking House members' signatures for a letter pledging to vote to sustain a veto, GOP aides said. It would take 145 lawmakers, or one-third of the House, to uphold a veto, which would be President Bush's first. Some senators may try including similar language in the Senate version of the bill, which may not be written until the fall. The provision was included last week in a $37.9 billion measure financing the departments of Commerce, State and Justice next year. On Tuesday, a White House budget office statement said the new FCC rules "more accurately reflect the changing media landscape and the current state of network station ownership, while still guarding against undue concentration in the marketplace." The budget office threatened a veto if "this provision or a provision like it with respect to any one of the other FCC rules" is sent to Bush. On a different issue, lawmakers rejected another amendment by 273-152 that would bar the federal government from interfering with 10 states that allow the medical use of marijuana. On Tuesday, the House by 309-118 included another amendment blocking the government from performing "sneak and peek" searches under the USA Patriot Act. That law, enacted after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, allowed such searches without the property owner's or resident's knowledge with warrants that are delivered afterward. The House bill affected only part of the FCC's decision. By 254-174, the chamber rejected an amendment by Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y., to kill the entire FCC ruling, which he said would impede local media control. The June 2 ruling also would make it easier for companies to own newspapers and broadcast stations in the same community, and to own more than one broadcast outlet in a market. SOURCE: Yahoo! News --- 73 and good DX (via Eric Amateur Radio Station N0UIH Bueneman, July 23, IRCA via DXLD) ** U S A. HOUSE BUCKS FCC ON MEDIA OWNERSHIP Votes to overturn key part of rules change By Peter J. Howe, Globe Staff, 7/24/2003 The US House of Representatives, by an unexpectedly lopsided 400-21 vote, moved yesterday to overturn a key provision of the Federal Communications Commission's drive to allow further consolidation of ownership of television stations. . . http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/205/business/House_bucks_FCC_on_media_ownershipP.shtml (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) RECOMMENDED: "TUNING OUT THE FCC" Click here to read this story online: http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0725/p10s03-comv.html Byline: Date: 07/25/2003 Wednesday's House vote to roll back a recent FCC decision expanding the number of TV and radio stations that media companies can own was little more than an expression of populist spite toward big broadcasters. It ignores the fact that the Federal Communications Commission is under a court order to expand the ownership rules. It also ignores the existence of alternative media on cable, satellite, and the Internet. The vote is a blow against deregulation, but not quite the blow that has been reported. The 400-21 vote was for a larger bill funding the departments of Commerce, Justice, and State. And the House voted down a proposal to reject a companion FCC rule allowing a company to own a newspaper and a TV station in the same market, or to own several TV stations in the same city. Lawmakers have a personal interest in the matter. They worry that fewer media voices in their districts will make it harder to get their messages out. They would also prefer to deal with local station-owners rather than companies in New York and Los Angeles, over whom they can have less influence, especially at election time. Unfortunately, this micromanagement of media by Congress may well become law. A similar Senate proposal is even harsher. And while President Bush threatens a veto, he may in the end decide it's not worth taking on so many of his own supporters, including social conservatives. But he shouldn't give up. (c) Copyright 2003 The Christian Science Monitor. All rights reserved (via Jim Moats, DXLD) ** U S A. NPR DEBUTS DAY TO DAY ON JULY 28 I heard mention of this on WDIY-FM locally. It's a new midday newsmagazine that will air locally at 1600 UT -- even though it's produced by NPR's west coast shop. The program will be hosted by Alex Chadwick, a longtime host of All Things Considered and frequent guest host of Morning Edition. The program will begin on July 28th. Quoting the press release on WDIY's site, "'Day to Day will give listeners NPR substance with an twist: smart, funny, thoughtful, quirky material - a great break and refresher in the middle of a busy day,' said Alex Chadwick." It looks like this will replace the deceased "The Todd Mundt Show" for several stations. See an NPR press release at http://www.npr.org/about/press/030512.prslate.html NPR has co-developed the program with Slate magazine. A Google search suggests the program will be picked up by many public radio webcasters, including WOSU, KUOW, KBSU and others (Richard Cuff, swprograms via DXLD) TRY SOMETHING NEW FOR LUNCH -- NPR'S DAY TO DAY KCRW introduces something new in news when it debuts a new weekday newsmagazine from NPR. Day to Day begins airing this Monday, July 28th at noon. Award-winning host Alex Chadwick will engage in conversation with NPR reporters on the scene of breaking stories, and speak with figures from the world of entertainment and music. Day to Day is a real first -- a collaboration between NPR and the online magazine Slate.com, which will provide additional talent to the program. Day to Day will air Monday through Friday at noon on KCRW and KCRW.com [1900 UT]. A note from Alex Chadwick: All of us at Day to Day were delighted that KCRW was one of the first stations in the country to sign on to carry the first new daily NPR newsmagazine since Morning Edition. And the fact that NPR West where we all work is in Culver City, a short ride from KCRW's basement studios in Santa Mónica, is frosting on the cake. Aside from news, we're interested in pop culture and the ideas, beliefs, and behaviors that shape American life today, and we're going to explore them -- how to buy a used car, what a dreamy kid thinks about doing on vacation, how one weighs the supposed health benefits of a glass or two of wine against the far too common tendency to make that four or five glasses. NPR's concept for a new newsmagazine was already an exciting opportunity for fresh ideas and approaches. Slate's participation makes this venture even more intriguing. With founder Michael Kinsley and editor Jacob Weisberg, Slate provides about the sharpest collection of reportage and observation in American journalism today. We've been talking for months now about how our partnership will work; to be honest, we don't have all the answers yet. But we are going to bring some of the smartest, best-informed voices today to public radio (KCRW newsletter July 24 via DXLD) ** U S A. CALIFORNIA --- BIDDERS MAKE A PLAY FOR KOCE By Elizabeth Jensen, [Los Angeles] Times Staff Writer, July 24 2003 NEW YORK [sic] --- Financially strapped Orange County public television station KOCE, on the sales block for more than a year, suddenly has become the object of intense interest, raising the possibility that it could be sold to a religious buyer that would end its PBS and educational affiliation. Alternatively, the station could be headed toward a merger with Los Angeles' dominant public TV station, KCET, or with the San Diego public station, KPBS, both of which probably would mean consolidation of administrative functions but not programming. The KOCE Foundation, a separate nonprofit organization that runs the station's programming, also is making a play for the license. The possible change comes at a time when consolidation among commercial media has been hotly debated, with critics charging that recent Federal Communications Commission rulings relaxing media ownership limits would reduce the number of local voices. But public TV, which has cast itself as the last bastion of localism, is grappling with funding issues as state and local governments, schools and corporate underwriters cut back. KOCE license holder Coast Community College District hired an investment banking firm in February to solicit bids, which were due this month. KCET, KPBS and the KOCE Foundation said they bid; people familiar with the situation said several religious broadcasters also put in bids. The school district is set to name the bidders Friday and then begin discussing the price and terms of payment. The district has been searching for a buyer or merger partner for KOCE since May 2002, citing the high costs of a federally mandated conversion to digital broadcasting. Since then, added financial pressures in the district "make it much more difficult now to take resources away from our core mission of education," spokeswoman Erin Cohn said. The district contributes about $2 million of KOCE's $8-million annual budget. The board hired San Francisco investment bank Media Venture Partners because it "felt it was in the best interest of taxpayers to find out what the market value of this license was," Cohn said. Any buyer would be required to maintain the station as a noncommercial entity but not necessarily as a public station. Bob Brown, chairman of the KOCE Foundation, confirmed that his group put in a bid to "maintain KOCE-TV as an Orange County entity dedicated to education, culture, local issues and news and to maintain the PBS affiliation." He said there was "a lot of concern" among foundation board members about KOCE being sold to a religious broadcaster: "Orange County would lose the only TV available to us for Orange County issues." A successful KCET bid would mean a consolidation of public broadcasting in the Los Angeles area. But KCET President Al Jerome said, "We believe that we could enhance the service provided on public television to Orange County." KPBS, owned by San Diego State University, is "very interested in making sure that there's good public television in our community of Southern California," General Manager Doug Myrland said (via Current via DXLD) ** U S A. San Francisco is one step closer to getting a significant new move-in on the AM dial, at 860. The Pappas family now has the FCC's blessing for one of the bigger AM moves of recent years: the relocation of 50-kw KTRB, Modesto (860) to San Francisco. The FCC has now granted Pappas' application to move KTRB to the big city, where it will operate from a new site in the Sacramento River delta near Antioch, running 50-kw day from two towers and 40-kw night (into a much more directional pattern aimed west at San Francisco) from four shorter towers. It wasn't simple: In order to make the move to San Francisco, Pappas will have to replace KTRB's service to Modesto, which it plans to do with a new CP for 840 that was also granted last week. Pappas had originally applied for 25-kw day, 10-kw night on 840 from the existing KTRB 860 site, but interference concerns with KNCO, Grass Valley (830) forced a modification of the app. As granted, the new 840 will run 4-kw day from a new site, 10-kw night from the existing 860 site (Robert Wien?, IRCA Soft DX Monitor July 22 via DXLD) ** U S A. Olympia-based KGHO-AM (920) has switched the 6 a.m.-6 p.m. [1300-0100 UT] portion of its schedule to all comedy -- sketches, stand-up routines and songs from current and past stars including Monty Python, Jerry Clower, Steven Wright, Woody Allen, Bill Cosby, National Lampoon, Jeff Foxworthy and Bill Engvall. Station manager Sandi Shore says she'll stay away from the more abusive material from performers such as the Jerky Boys. The other half of its broadcast day is devoted to oldies (Pat Martin, OR, IRCA Soft DX Monitor July 22 via DXLD) Now doing part comedy/part oldies from 6 AM to 6 PM, vs all comedy; will add Dr Demento show Monday and Friday (Phil Bytheway, WA, ibid.) ** U S A. TV AND RADIO STATIONS OVERCOME STORM DAMAGE TO CONTINUE REPORTS --- By Tom Walter, July 22, 2003 In an emergency, when the power is off, trees are down and the roads are littered with debris, people turn to old friends: the battery- powered or car radios. Whether out of necessity or by preference, radio becomes our eyes, our road map, our best — sometimes only — source of information. And Tuesday morning, Memphis radio returned the loyalty, providing not only news from official sources, but unmediated reports from listeners in the thick of the storm. In fact, news/talk station WREC-AM 600 provided drama of its own, as news and programming director Nate Lundy was on the phone to the station as bricks from the Gibson building destroyed his car. . . http://www.gomemphis.com/mca/screens/article/0,1426,MCA_511_2127464,00.html (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) ** U S A. CUMULUS CUTS JOBS AT WSM-FM, WWTN By JEANNE A. NAUJECK, Staff Writer Cumulus Media cut about a dozen staff positions yesterday morning from local stations WSM-FM 95.5 and WWTN-FM 99.7, which it recently bought from Gaylord Entertainment Co. Mike Dickey, general manager of Cumulus' local operations, confirmed that ''about 10 to 12'' people lost jobs. . . http://tennessean.com/business/archives/03/07/36483915.shtml?Element_ID=36483915 (via Charles Gossett Jr., DXLD) ** U S A. THE INSPIRATION FOR DR. JOHNNY FEVER Interesting 2 minute clip on National Public Radio today -- worth a listen. http://discover.npr.org/features/feature.jhtml?wfId=1355719 (Click on "Morning Edition audio") (via Ray Robinson via Paul David, swprograms via DXLD) ** U S A. KEDU-LP RUIDOSO NM: A DIALOG http://www.ccbroadcasters.com/julystats.htm Startup problems; has been denied membership in NM Broadcasters Association (via DXLD) ** U S A. COMMISSIONERS OK TV TOWER The Denver Business Journal - July 23, 2003 http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2003/07/21/daily23.html LATEST NEWS 9:46 AM MDT Wednesday The Jefferson County Commissioners unanimously approved the construction of a high-definition TV tower on Lookout Mountain. Lake Cedar Group, a consortium of local television broadcasters, applied to build one 730-foot tower that will replace three towers used by the ABC, CBS and NBC affiliates. The consortium for the new tower includes those three stations and KTVD, a UPN affiliate, which will move from its existing tower on Mount Morrison. Neighbors in the area were concerned about the radio waves that would be emitted by the tower, but Jefferson County Commission Chairman Richard Sheehan said that the frequency levels are 85 percent below the federal standard and the proposal improves the visual impact by reducing the number of towers. The new tower will be used to transmit federally mandated high- definition television signals that have higher quality sound and digital images. Commissioners will formalize the decision on Aug. 19. © 2003 American City Business Journals Inc. (via Patrick Griffith, N0NNK CBT CBNT CRO Westminster, CO, USA, NRC FMTV via DXLD) DIGITAL TV TOWER APPROVED FOR LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN By Charley Able, Rocky Mountain News July 23, 2003 GOLDEN - A group of Denver-area broadcasters has won approval of a hotly contested plan to broadcast digital television signals from Lookout Mountain. Jefferson County commissioners unanimously endorsed the proposal late Tuesday. It will reduce the number of broadcast towers that stud the mountain. The decision brought a swift rebuke from opponents, who fear that radio frequency radiation from Lookout Mountain's antenna farms poses a severe health risk. . . http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_2129328,00.html (via Curtis Sadowski, WTFDA via DXLD) ** U S A. 173.435 MHz, Sound track for Melrose Fireworks and air field announcements for Battle Creek ``field of flight`` balloon fest and Thunderbirds air show. Heard with music announcements and balloon launch info at 2255-2315 July 4, and with the fireworks sound track at 0230-0300 July 5 (UT). The sound track used to be simulcast by commercial FM stations, but they wanted to get more people to pay the $5 gate to get into the field, so they stopped that, but still use NBFM to transmit the audio to their speakers on the field and across the ANG base for military personnel. If you have never seen a fireworks display choreographed to music, you don't appreciate how neat it can be. Definitely worth the trip to BC to see this at least once, but don't forget to bring the scanner! (Kenneth Vito Zichi - visiting Battle Creek, MI, MARE via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. Re 1680 kHz beacons: Olá Rudolf, Agora com a freqüência ficou melhor, pois ZO é realmente uma plataforma petrolífera na bacia de Campos, porém V7B pode ser um navio de apóio na bacia também, mas não tenho plena confirmação, já que o pessoal da DHN da Marinha não tem muito controle sobre estes indicativos como é o caso do ZZ e ZO, que estão operando em caráter experimental "definitivo". A Petrobrás lança mão de muitos navios de bandeiras estrangeiras sem ter que trocar os indicativos das estações; nesta época temos também aqui no hemisfério sul a ativação de alguns auxílios devido a nevoeiros densos e icebergs, como é o caso das estações polares. Devido a época do ano também, não podemos deixar de considerar a possibilidade de ter recebido um NDB da Austrália ou algumas de suas ilhas; a propagação por onda terrestre é algo incrível. 73, (Jorge Jockyman Jr., PY3JJ, July 23, radioescutas via DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++ MEXICO DX ENCUENTRO. In case you are depending on the agenda in previous issue, there have been a number of changes in the `final` version. Try the AER website (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RECEIVER NEWS +++++++++++++ ARRL URGES IMPROVED RFI IMMUNITY STANDARDS FOR CONSUMER ELECTRONICS NEWINGTON, CT, Jul 24, 2003--The ARRL has told the FCC that improved interference standards for consumer electronic devices is the most pressing need as the Commission considers the interference immunity performance of receivers. The League filed comments this week in response to an FCC Notice of Inquiry (NOI) Interference Immunity Performance Specifications for Radio Receivers (ET-03-65), released last March to gather input on the issue. While recommending ``either mandatory receiver immunity standards or at least guidelines`` in most other services, the ARRL said no receiver immunity standards are necessary or practical in the ``essentially experimental`` Amateur Service. ``The real need for receiver immunity specifications is in the area of consumer electronics,`` the ARRL said. ``With the current explosion of consumer electronics and unlicensed devices, the Commission must -- concurrently with consideration of receiver immunity standards in licensed radio services -- establish interference rejection standards for unlicensed home electronic equipment and systems as well.`` At the same time, the ARRL said, development of any receiver immunity standards or guidelines ``should not be used as a means of justifying the overlay of otherwise fundamentally incompatible spectrum sharing partners.`` The League said the FCC has had the authority to require improved RF interference immunity of consumer electronics and systems for many years ``and has failed repeatedly to exercise it.`` The result has been ``many thousands of instances of complaints against Amateur Radio operators and, in some cases, civil and criminal actions being filed,`` the League said. In its 21-page reply to the NOI, the ARRL recited the recent history of legislative and regulatory efforts to come to grips with interference from RF sources, including amateur stations, to receivers used in other services, such as TV and radio broadcasting, and to consumer electronics. ``ARRL continues to believe that receiver immunity should be on the order of 3 V/m for receivers that might be in the near field of an Amateur Radio station,`` the League said. At that distance, a receiver would be immune to an approximately 100-W ham radio transmission into a 0 dBd antenna 100 feet away. The League conceded, however, that such a standard would not address the interference immunity of telephones, computers, alarm systems, audio systems and other consumer electronics that ``constitute the bulk of the instances of interference involving Amateur Radio operators.`` The ARRL suggested the FCC mandate a standard for all consumer electronics or adopt a labeling or grading system that allows consumers to make their own choices about the importance of interference immunity and its value in terms of increased product cost. The League also said software-defined radio (SDR) technology offered the best opportunity to deal with receiver immunity. The ARRL advised the FCC against relying exclusively on manufacturers to agree on how to deal with interference immunity. ``Looking at the history of voluntary standards for RF interference rejection,`` the League said, ``the track record of manufacturers is not exemplary.`` The FCC should establish recommended guidelines for receiver immunity, the ARRL said, but added that these should not apply to unlicensed devices ``which are entitled to no interference protection in the first place.`` In its NOI, the FCC had said it had no plans to reverse its ``longstanding practice of allowing the market to determine the performance of broadcast receivers, with the Commission stepping in only where obvious deficiencies appear`` that could disrupt reception. The FCC`s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) Web site ``consumer facts`` page [at] http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/interference.html takes a somewhat different stance by stating that interference from transmitters to broadcast receivers ``is normally caused by the actual design of the (interfered-with) equipment itself.`` The CGB says many manufacturers ``do not protect internal wiring with adequate shielding or sufficient filtering,`` leaving the consumer equipment susceptible. There`s a similar comment regarding RFI to telephone equipment [at] http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/ixphones.html Such RFI ``is not necessarily a sign that the interference is intentional or that the interfering radio transmitter is illegal but that your equipment has no, or inadequate, protection.`` the FCC says. The ARRL also urged the FCC not to make interference susceptibility of unlicensed devices a determining factor in whether a licensed radio service should be given an allocation in bands in where unlicensed -- and unprotected -- devices are deployed. As a recent example, the League cited the FCC`s recent refusal to allocate a sliver band in the vicinity of 136 kHz ``because of the ill-conceived prior deployment of unlicensed power line carrier [PLC] systems.`` The FCC, in effect, ``refused to make an allocation based on interference susceptibility of unlicensed and unprotected RF devices and systems,`` the League said. ``This is improper spectrum management and the policy should be revisited.`` In March, the FCC ask how it could incorporate receiver interference immunity specifications within its overall spectrum policy and invited public comments on possible methods and means of improving receiver performance. The Commission suggested that these could include incentives, guidelines or regulatory requirements -- or a combination -- in particular bands and services or across bands and services. The Commission said it believes incorporating receiver performance specifications could ``promote more efficient utilization of the spectrum and create opportunities for new and additional use of radio communications by the American public.`` The NOI was a follow-up to the work of the FCC Spectrum Policy Task Force, which looked at ways to improve overall radio spectrum management. The ARRL`s comments on the NOI are available on the ARRL Web site [at] http://www2.arrl.org/announce/regulatory/et03-65/ARRL-ET-03-65-cmts.pdf The March FCC Notice of Inquiry in ET Docket 03-65 is available on the FCC Web site [at] http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-03-54A6.doc Copyright © 2003, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved (via John Norfolk, DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ 13 m BAND SCAN 1330-1400 UT Hi Glenn, I noted upper SW-frequencies were nicely open in this sunny afternoon. So I did kind of band scan in the 13 meter band 1330-1400 UT. Here are the results: 21840 DW Nauen in German 21810 RDP Lisbon with ID 1355UT 21790 DW Wertachtal in German 21705 BSKSA Riyadh in Arabic 21695 R Jamahariya via FRANCE in Arabic signed off 14 UTC 21685 RFI Paris in French via FRENCH GUIANA 21675 R Jamahariya via FRANCE 21665 UNID. Maybe DW Wertachtal broadcasting to Africa. Language unknown. 21640 Two stations: DW SRI LANKA and BBC, WS. 21610 REE Noblejas 21605 UAE Radio in English 21600 BSKSA Riyadh in Arabic 21580 R France International, Issoudun-Allouis in French 21570 REE Madrid (Noblejas) in Spanish // 21540 kHz 21530 R Farda in Farsi or is it Persian. QTH?! 21505 BSKSA Riyadh in Arabic to N. Africa 21500 Voz Cristiana from Chile with programme in Portuguese. Nice surprise to hear this outlet this early. 21480 R Netherlands via Madagascar in Dutch 21470 BBC WS via Ascension to S. Africa. I really enjoy these upper band stations in summer time. It´s daylight DX-ing for me. When the day is shortest in Northern Hemisphere and even earlier, these bands are almost totally empty for us, DX-ers living 60 degrees north. PS. Thanks to Passport 2003 for valuable information. I do love those blue pages! 73´s (Jouko Huuskonen, Turku FINLAND, July 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) It so happens I was checking 13m about the same time, but hardly anything was audible here (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) CUMBRE PROPAGATION REPORT Flare activity has been just about non existent over the past 7 days. A coronal hole wind stream kept the geomagnetic field disturbed for the first half of the week, with sometimes storm levels noted last weekend. High latitude paths were poor at times. A shock in the solar wind around 1400 on Jul 23 caused minor to major storm levels for a few hours at high latitudes only. MUFs are expected to remain near normal early in the week. Periods of minor to mild depressions are possible during the second half of the week due to possible activity by a returning region that produced M-class activity during its last cycle of appearance on the disk. It is to be noted that this region had shown signs of decay at the time of passing behind the limb last time and, therefore, it may not be effective or as effective this time. Prepared with data from http://www.ips.gov.au (Richard Jary, SA, July 25, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ###