DX LISTENING DIGEST 3-172, September 29, 2003 edited by Glenn Hauser 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. [continued from 3-171:] ** U K. BBC CREDIBILITY CONTINUES UNDER ATTACK from the September 24, 2003 Christian Science Monitor BBC row spurs call for reform --- Admissions of errors in an explosive report leave the state-funded broadcaster open to censure By Mark Rice-Oxley | Special to The Christian Science Monitor LONDON – A BBC reporter's admission of inaccuracies in an explosive broadcast accusing the government of overstating Iraq's weapons capability has added a new twist to a tortuous saga, raising questions about the role and regulation of the British Broadcasting Corp. Andrew Gilligan, who touched off a firestorm in May with allegations that the government misled the country about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction, confessed last week that he had made several mistakes in the report. Mr. Gilligan stood by the main thrust of his broadcast - that the government exaggerated the WMD threat to make war more palatable to a skeptical public - but apologized for casual errors that, ironically, "sexed up" his own report. Full Story at: http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0924/p07s01-woeu.html (via Jim Moats, OH, Roger Chambers, NY, Sept 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. Re British TV Licence --- Fascinating reading in the latest DXLD about the BBC TV license and detector vans. Makes one wonder: Is the license to a location or an individual or family or group of co-residents? I do seem to recall that it is NOT to each individual TV, though it may have been like that in the past. If to a location, what happens when people move? If to a family, what about when a family member temporarily moves to another location and takes a TV (like a kid going to boarding school or college dorm) but is intending to move back home later? How do they handle portable TVs, especially handheld pocket models? What do commercial establishments, like hotels with a TV in each room, pay? Some discounted rate, or the full rate per room? What about something like a sports bar with a whole batch of TVs in one room? How do the detector vans discern the difference between computer monitors or security-video monitors and broadcast-tuning TVs? If a US person temporarily residing in Britain brings over an NTSC TV and VCR or DVD player to play a collection of discs or tapes, is it detectable? Is a license fee required for it, even though it cannot receive British broadcast signals? 73, (Will Martin, MO, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES NEW POWERS TO COMBAT PIRATE BROADCASTERS New powers of arrest were introduced on the 18th of September in an attempt to combat pirate radio stations. The police, working with Radiocommunications Agency investigators, will now be able to arrest a pirate broadcaster or anybody suspected of supporting or facilitating illegal broadcasting. Previously police could only detain someone if they suspected them of giving a false name and address or another criminal act, such as a breach of the peace or assault. The new powers of arrest will also extend to acts of deliberate interference with radio communications and hoax calls, especially false distress calls. The Communications Minister Stephen Timms said: ``These new powers will be an important weapon in the campaign against pirate broadcasters. By interfering with communications services which are vital for public safety, pirates can put lives at risk. They also cause interference with other licensed radio users and can be a social nuisance to those who live near pirate stations.`` Pirates detained under these new powers could face an unlimited fine or up to two years in prison. For other transmitting offences such as unlicensed use of business, marine, or amateur radio the maximum penalty is a £5000 fine and / or 6 months in prison plus forfeiture (Radio Society of Great Britain GB2RS News Script for September 28, posted September 24 on uk.radio.amateur by G4RGA via John Norfolk, DXLD) ** U K. ... "One of religious radio's best-known and best-loved voices has fallen silent," Roger Bolton announced on his Sunday programme last week. What? Was Radio 4 going to say something nice about Garner Ted Armstrong, the American evangelist who believed Anglo-Saxons were one of the lost tribes of Israel and whose apocalyptic sermons on the World Tomorrow went out for years on the North Sea pirate ships and another 300 stations worldwide? No. It was not. The man being referred to was another padre altogether - Jim Thompson, former Bishop of Stepney and of Bath and Wells. He had died in the same week, aged 67. He was given a warm on-air eulogy. National broadcasting's only obituary show, Brief Lives, on Radio 5 Live, that same day also mentioned Thompson and ignored Armstrong..." ... "He supplanted his father, Herbert Armstrong, as the principal voice of the Pasadena-based Worldwide Church of God, which paid a then enormous £300 to Radio London (where John Peel made his British radio debut and Tony Blackburn his name) to carry each daily edition of World Tomorrow in the 1960s" See September 28, 2003 "Radio Waves: Paul Donovan: Shun of God" at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,176-829051,00.html for more details (Mike Terry, DXLD) Registration required ** U S A. VOA EDITOR BERNARD KAMENSKE DIES Monday, September 29, 2003; Page B04 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15163-2003Sep28.html Bernard H. Kamenske, 75, a champion for journalistic integrity at Voice of America, which he left as chief news editor in 1981 after his much-publicized battle for objective reporting, died Sept. 25 at Suburban Hospital. He had complications from cardiovascular and pulmonary ailments. Mr. Kamenske, who started working at VOA in 1955 and became chief news editor in 1974, was credited with helping establish its charter governing news accuracy and objectivity. He pushed for the adoption of the VOA charter as a law, which he saw as a way to shield the publicly funded overseas information agency from efforts to compromise its journalistic and programming integrity. The charter, which was drafted in 1960, was signed into law in 1976 by President Gerald R. Ford. Mr. Kamenske, who was known as a cantankerous and irascible figure, firmly objected to efforts to politicize the agency. He spoke out against those favoring a more combative, anti-Communist edge in its news broadcasts to citizens living in Communist-controlled countries during the Cold War. "He more than anyone else has kept the sanctity of VOA news -- he sleeps with the First Amendment every night," The Washington Post quoted an unnamed veteran Senate staff member as saying at the time of Mr. Kamenske's retirement. After leaving VOA, Mr. Kamenske joined the CNN Washington bureau as a senior news executive. Bernard Harold Kamenske, who lived in Bethesda, was born in Nashua, N.H. He started working in journalism in 1944 as an Associated Press writer and editor in Boston. He then wrote and edited news reports for Boston radio stations before entering the Army during the war in Korea. While awaiting assignment to Korea as a combat correspondent, he was severely injured at Camp Rucker, Ala., when he was hit by a motorcycle courier. He spent more than three years undergoing experimental and massive reconstructive surgery before joining VOA. A year into his VOA career, Mr. Kamenske was named Latin America editor in the central newsroom. In that capacity, he developed a system of formatting news regionally. He later rose through the ranks and became a shift supervisor for all VOA news operations. He received U.S. Information Agency honor awards in 1963 for his news writing during the Cuban missile crisis and in 1966 for his news coverage of South and Central America. Survivors include his wife, Gloria Cheek Kamenske, of Bethesda; and a sister. © 2003 The Washington Post Company (via Kraig Krist, DXLD) ** U S A. VOA EXHIBITION OPENS IN WASHINGTON NEXT WEEK An exhibition entitled VOA Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow formally opens in the lobby of the Media and Public Affairs Building of the George Washington University on Wednesday 1 October. A collaborative effort by the University, the Radio History Society http://www.radiohistory.org/ and the Voice of America, the display outlines VOA's reputation as an influential international broadcaster by using both historic and contemporary highlights and artifacts. The exhibit emphasises VOA's role in providing reliable and accurate news worldwide in 55 languages, as well as its importance in times of conflict. Highlights include a Cold War era radio from East Berlin designed with a switch to receive only the two government-controlled stations, along with a modern radio that can run on either solar, battery or wind-up technology. Located four blocks from the White House, the George Washington University is the largest institution of higher education in Washington. The Radio History Society is a non-profit corporation that seeks to educate the public about the history and impact of radio and television technology and broadcasting. The exhibit will be opened on 1 October with a short program hosted by George Washington University's Vice-President for Communications, Michael Freedman, and including local media personality Ed Walker and VOA Director David Jackson. The display will be open to the public through 15 December 2003 (© Radio Netherlands Media Network 25 September 2003 via DXLD) ** U S A. CUBANS THANK VOA FOR EXPANDED 'VENTANA A CUBA' Washington, D.C., Sept. 26, 2003 - The Voice of America (VOA) began receiving congratulatory calls from Cuba immediately after moving Ventana a Cuba (Window on Cuba), its Spanish-language radio program, to daily broadcasts on September 15. Many callers said that word had quickly spread among Cubans about the program's new status and that people were very pleased to be able to listen every night without jamming. [see previous report!] The 30-minute radio program features news, information, and interviews with Cubans inside and outside the country on a wide variety of issues, including health, education, human rights, freedom of the press, agriculture, labor policy and international law. "Although our program has a wide audience throughout Latin America, nowhere is it more appreciated than in Cuba, where listeners yearn for reliable and accurate news and information," said VOA Director David S. Jackson. VOA expanded the broadcast from twice a week to nightly in response to letters received from Cuba citing VOA's credibility and the growing numbers of Cubans participating in VOA programs. One listener wrote, "...we have observed a firm preference for VOA among several sectors of the population - the intellectuals, professors, academicians, writers and professionals - who will support any expansion of VOA broadcasting to Cuba." Noted Cuban dissident Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas, who has participated several times, praised the program, saying "Thank you for allowing me to address my people in this, the most direct way, by means of this 'window'." Broadcasters Tony Cano and Mercedes Antezana host the show. VOA's 12 1/2 hours of weekly programming in Spanish also includes the popular 60-minute call-in program Hablemos con Washington (Talk with Washington). More than 60 percent of the mail received by VOA Spanish comes from Cuba. Ventana a Cuba is broadcast every evening from 8:00-8:30 p.m. local time in Cuba via shortwave. It is also transmitted on the VOASAT satellite system to more than one hundred affiliates throughout Latin America. Programs are also available on the Internet at http://www.VOAnews.com/spanish (VOA press Sept 26 via DXLD) If they put exiles on, Ventana may well get jammed. There is no law against that from the dentrocubano viewpoint! (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. MOROCCO, 17895, Studio 7 (VOA Service to Zimbabwe), 1730 Sept 24, fair signal, IDs and music. News about bad inflation in Zimbabwe (Hans Johnson, WY, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** U S A. NEW SURVEY NUMBERS CONFIRM RADIO SAWA'S GROWTH AND POPULARITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST Washington, D.C., September 25, 2003 - Radio Sawa, the U.S. Government-funded Arabic language station, is the leading international broadcaster in all Middle Eastern countries surveyed, according to an ACNielsen report released today. The station also scores high as a reliable source of news and is popular with all social classes, the survey said. The survey, conducted in five countries in July and August 2003, showed that Radio Sawa, launched in March 2002, has an average listenership of 31.6 percent among the general population 15 years and older. Listener rates in five countries were: Egypt 10.6 percent; Jordan, 30.4 percent; Kuwait, 39.5 percent; Qatar, 40.8 percent and United Arab Emirates (UAE), 36.6 percent. "The success of Radio Sawa reminds us that a significant number of young Arabs will listen," said Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), which oversees all U.S. international, nonmilitary broadcasting. "Just as people the world over, Arab citizens want accurate news and provocative current affairs programming," he said. "The truth will out." Added Norman J. Pattiz, chairman of the BBG's Middle East Committee: "Radio Sawa proves beyond a doubt that a radio station funded by the taxpayers of the United States, providing accurate, reliable and credible news and information, can attract a huge listening audience in the Middle East." Pattiz, a driving force behind the creation of Radio Sawa, said, "By using proven 21st Century Western broadcasting techniques, Sawa is the foremost example of 'marrying the mission to the market,' the primary focus of the BBG's strategic plan." The survey also showed Radio Sawa: Has achieved market dominance - an average 42 percent listenership - in the important age group between 15-29 in countries where it is broadcast on local FM stations. Egyptian listeners can only receive Radio Sawa on medium wave (AM). (Listening rates by country are: Egypt 20.5 percent; Jordan 40.5 percent; Kuwait 47.7 percent; Qatar 51.6 percent and UAE 49.8 percent.) Attracts an older audience as well as a young audience, with 22.5 percent of listenership among the general population over 30. (Egypt 2.9 percent; Jordan 19 percent; Kuwait 34.3 percent; Qatar 29.3 percent; UAE 26.8 percent.) Is popular among all social classes, with listening rates of 34.6 percent among "elite" listeners, upper social and economic classes including managers and well-educated professionals. (Listening rates are: Egypt 14 percent; Jordan 51 percent; Kuwait 25.8 percent; Qatar 39.8 percent; UAE 39.6 percent.) Is considered a reliable source of news and information by 73 percent of its weekly listeners. (Egypt 87 percent; Jordan 56 percent; Kuwait 84 percent; Qatar 75 percent; UAE 63 percent.) Radio Sawa's audience has a more positive view of the United States than the general population. When asked, "How favorably or unfavorably inclined are you personally towards the United States," 39.3 percent of Radio Sawa listeners replied, "Very or somewhat favorable." That compares with 27.3 percent of the general population. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percent. ACNielsen conducted the field work for InterMedia, which serves as the BBG's general research contractor. Respondents were questioned in face-to-face interviews in Arabic. Some 5,737 people over the age of 15 participated in the survey, which was divided between men and women representative of key demographic groups in terms of social class, education, employment, size and type of household. Radio Sawa, a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week Arabic-language network, broadcasts objective, balanced, up-to-the minute news and news analysis combined with an upbeat mix of the best Western and Arabic pop music. The station also broadcasts interviews, opinion pieces, sports, and features on a wide variety of political and social issues. Radio Sawa http://www.radiosawa.com originates its programming from Washington and Dubai and is broadcast across the region, using a combination of medium wave (AM) and FM transmitters, digital audio satellite, short wave and Internet. Radio Sawa currently has five customized 24/7 programming streams (Egypt-Levant, The Gulf, Iraq, Morocco, and Jordan/West Bank). Late in 2003, Radio Sawa plans to launch a sixth stream for Sudan. The BBG is an independent federal agency which supervises all U.S. government-supported non-military international broadcasting, including the Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL); Radio Free Asia (RFA); Radio and TV Martí, Radio Sawa and Radio Farda. The services broadcast in 65 languages to over 100 million people around the world in 125 markets. Nine members comprise the BBG, a presidentially appointed body. Current governors are Chairman Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, Joaquin Blaya, Blanquita W. Cullum, D. Jeffrey Hirschberg, Edward E. Kaufman, Robert M. Ledbetter, Jr., Norman J. Pattiz and Steven Simmons. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell serves as an ex officio member. (From: http://www.payvand.com/news/03/sep/1162.html via Ulis R. Fleming, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** U S A. I noticed that WORLD OF RADIO on WINB, which was #1200 rather than 1199 a week delayed, UT Thu 0130-0200 on 9320 was followed Sept 25 by a commercial for radios4you.com which sells SW radios, apparently from Hallandale Beach, Broward County, FL, tho no postal address is to be found on the website. Just to be clear, SW-related commercials immediately before or after WOR on some stations have no connexion with WOR, are not endorsed by us, but acceptable. As long as WOR is not interrupted, stations have the option of selling commercial time for related products in return for donating airtime for WOR itself, but such ads have no direct financial benefit for WOR. The closest radios4you comes to connecting with WOR is a link to our SW frequency list at C. Crane: http://www.ccrane.com/shortwave_frequencies.htm If you ever hear a DWM Enterprises (Tiny Tenna) ad next to WOR, however, you can be sure that it is specifically contrary to our wishes (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 7490/13595, WJIE still not on, no response to my query as to when they would be on. 7354 WRNO --- untraced for a number of months. 9465 WMLK --- per the station, they are still working on getting their 250 kW transmitter on the air (Hans Johnson, WY, Sept 26, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** U S A. Hello, my name is Morgan Freeman. I worked with Doc Burkhart. He went to Florida to manage one of our AM stations. I am working on improving our quality. We are now delivering signal to the transmitter by subcarrier and we purchased a new remote control, so there should be vast improvements. Reports are wanted so we can define our coverage area, and a special QSL card is available (Morgan Freeman, WJIE, Sept 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WJCR is again being heard on 13595 at 1645 Sept 29, good but CODAR swishes. ID at 1700 for WJCR, mentioning both 7490 and 13595, and e- mail wjcrsw@yahoo.com No, I do not find any website like http://www.wjcrsw.com (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I am up and on the air on 13595. Please publish this request for QSL cards. We will be using the call sign WJCR. So this will be the last time for a QSL card from these call signs. Email me morgan@wjie.org or mail at P O Box 197309, Louisville KY, 40259. I would appreciate it if you would give it a listen. It is on a north south line (Morgan Freeman, WJIE, Sept 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ?? I thought this was to be 55 degrees (gh) WJIE [sic] says they reactivated 13595 last Friday. Just checked and found them on at 1855 with a poor signal (Hans Johnson, WY, Sept 29, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** U S A. CARDINAL COMMENT --- ``We`re not in the business of providing news and information. We`re not in the business of providing well-researched music. We`re simply in the business of selling our customers` products.`` --- Lowry Mays, CEO, Clear Channel Communications, which owns 1,200+ American radio stations (via Mike Dorner, Catholic Radio Update Sept 29 via DXLD) Source? See also OKLAHOMA ** U S A. Checked out the local radio scene in my old hometown, Santa Rosa NM, during my latest visit on Sept. 28. Big news is a new TIS on 1610, apparently in Santa Rosa, tho the site was not found, first noted about 5 miles west on I-40, and holding up well to about 10 miles east, and still audible at Cuervo (where the 530 TIS is long gone, tho the blue road sign for it ``Hear New Mexico –530`` is still in good condition!). There is no ID or anything to indicate where it is, just this loop by a woman, verbatim: ``The New Mexico Department of Transportation District Four`s award- wining team wish you and your family a safe journey to your final destination. Thank you for visiting the Land of Enchantment. Always remember to buckle up and arrive alive; don`t drink and drive.`` Technical quality was good, as befits a new installation, unlike the old 530 network, which was allowed to deteriorate. Surely NM DOT has bigger plans for these things. As I recall, they also have an LPFM network coming. Santa Rosa`s only local AM, KSSR 1340, however, was missing. I dropped in at the site on the east side, and was told a storm may have knocked them off temporarily; FM on 95.9 was operating normally. The operator said the two normally carry separate programming, and the calls are still KSSR on AM and KRSR on FM, altho FM Atlas XIX claims 95.9 is KIVA --- a popular call which has bounced around New Mexico over the years, including a station in Albuquerque for a while. Furthermore, FMA shows 91.9 in Santa Rosa as KNLK, rather than a translator for KANW-89.1 Albuquerque. But the only ID heard at hourtop was for KANW and the very limited range indicate it is still a low-power translator, tho even the listing for KNLK is only 100 watts at -8 meters AAT. BTW, KANW had Whaddya Know (I think) instead of Schickele Mix at noon MT Sunday, tho the latter is still on the grid at http://www.kanw.com and 91.9 Santa Rosa translator is still listed as K220BH. FMA shows two LPFM in Santa Rosa on 103.1 and 106.1, but these were not (yet?) on. The new translator for KLSK-98.1 on 107.1 was confirmed, tho weak. Did not check 107.9, which is in the state listings I checked later, because it is not on the map. KHFM 95.5 translator at Conchas Dam on 105.5 audible on I-40 around Newkirk, classical (Glenn Hauser, NM, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Philadelphia IBOC: WXTU 92.5 appears to be running the IBOC setup already. So much for doing 'control recordings' before! 92.3 and 92.7 are just white noise at almost half-scale, and I'm aimed about 210 degrees, which is about 45 off WXTU. 92.9 and 92.1 are not affected at this point, although the antenna currently favors WDSD- 92.9. The primary signal on 92.5 is louder, and, subjectively, appears 'better'. Serious distortion kicks in at around 92.55 and 92.45, fading to white noise at 92.67 and 92.34. There are still artifacts at 92.75 and 92.25. Conditions aren't great but there is tropo toward the South and Southeast. I would expect that any sort of decent Es would cut through on the first adjacents with a little help from the antenna direction. It would take stronger tropo signals than I usually see here to get through. Thus, anyone near to any major concentration of stations (as I am) could be in trouble for DX if/when this thing takes hold. I've got more than 20 stations within 10 miles of my location excluding translators and low powers, which could effectively cover 60 channels with either super-strong primary signals or white noise. I'll have to turn the antenna tomorrow and see what happens when I point it NE, where I can peak the first adjacents (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA (15 mi NNW Philadelphia), Sept 26, NRC FM-TV via DXLD) Later: The white IBOC noise on 92.3 and 92.7 from WXTU changes only minimally with movement of the antenna. Even pointing right at NYC, no sign of WXRK on 92.3; same for WOBM on 92.7. One change with the antenna movement is that there is now a mixture of audio (WXTU's) and noise on both 92.25 and 92.75, whereas last night, aimed about 30 degrees off of WXTU that was all white noise. I've just completed recording some of this. I did double-check and WXTU's transmitter is indeed only 8 miles from me -- it isn't where I'd thought it was (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA, Sept 27, ibid.) ** U S A. WSAI IBOC follow-up: Glenn, closing the loop in on my reports of IBOC-like noise on 1530, I received a letter from Andrew Costa at WSAI. He speculates that another station on 1520 or 1540 might have been running IBOC, causing the interference. There is no further discussion as to a possible cause. I have not noted any similar noise on 1530 since Sep 6, so can't offer anything else to clarify the mystery (Gerry Bishop, Niceville FL, Sept 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. 1650, ``Phat Rock``, Las Vegas NV: My favorite local pirate is still going strong here 14/7 with techno/industrial music and very tight, professional production. It`s in the northwest side of the city and well heard along Highway 95 between the Summerlin parkway and Ann Road exits. Claims to be a 100 mW Part 15 operation. Yeah, right!! (Harry Helms, new editor of Domestic DX Digest, NRC DX News Sept 29 via DXLD) ** U S A. THROWBACK IS COMIN' BACK --- Pirate radio, a Holiday Inn that isn't, lots of cops, and cagey promoters --- BY NICK WEIDENFELD Due to the pirate nature of his radio show, DJ Showtime does a little bunny-hopping around the FCC. So last Sunday, he's on 89.7 FM. On Monday, he's nowhere to be found. Tuesday, around lunchtime, he's bounced over to 89.1 FM and is playing the latest Trina single. She's rapping about ladies getting their own. . . http://newtimesbpb.com/issues/2003-09-25/news2.html/1/index.html A story about tie-ins between south Florida pirate radio and party promoters. Warning: Rough language at times. 73- (Bill Westenhaver, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. A bit of corrected history relating to KFI-TV Just an FYI, the following DX quote from your 4/20/03 edition, [3-070, quoting WTFDA posts] recently called to my attention, contains incorrect information: In any case, CBS decided not to wait any longer as prices for VHF stations rose, so in 1950 it pulled out of its partnership with the LA Times in KTTV (Channel 11) and bought KTSL from Lee. Lee then turned around, took advantage of a moment of financial weakness for his car-dealer rival Earle C. Anthony, and bought KFI-TV 9 from him, turning it into KHJ-TV. In fact Thomas S Lee had died and it was his estate that sold KTSL to CBS. It also sold radio station KHJ and the Don Lee network to General Teleradio, a subsidiary of the General Tire Corp. Teleradio also owned the Yankee Network in New England and WOR New York, which like Lee were partial owners of the Mutual Broadcasting System. Acquisition of the Lee interests gave General control of Mutual. It was General Teleradio, not Lee, which purchased KFI-TV from Anthony in 1951 (not 1950) and renamed it KHJ-TV. The Anthony/Lee relationship had always been a friendly rivalry. Neither ever "took advantage" of the other. Thomas Lee's father, Don Lee, who died in 1934, was set up in the auto business by Anthony in 1906. This occurred when General Motors founder William Durant ordered Anthony to choose between his GM-affiliated Buick dealership and other auto interests (Anthony was handling nine makes in Los Angeles at the time). Lee later swapped the Buick franchise for Cadillac (owned by another Anthony protégé, Charles Howard of Seabiscuit fame) in 1909. The three men were partners in the National Supply Company, whose service stations controlled 25% of the gasoline market in Los Angeles County at the time of its sale to Standard Oil of Calif in 1913 (along with its Chevron trademark). Don Lee's following of Anthony into the broadcast field in the twenties was quite friendly - the two auto magnates helping to jointly mold much of early broadcast history, notably their public refusal to carry hard liquor ads on radio after the repeal of prohibition. The sale of the TV station was not a "moment of financial weakness" but a strategic decision for the aging Anthony. The station was not going to be an NBC affiliate as originally envisioned, had consistently lost money (KFI Radio fortunately was well able to cover them), was faced with major upgrade costs for color television and the TV station had been strike-bound in a union jurisdictional dispute that had nothing to do with wages. With the movie industry not yet ready to share old movies for rebroadcast, there was a dearth of primetime programming for non-network stations. Anthony was simply fed up and unwilling to cave to a New York based union who did not give him the respect that he had always enjoyed from the local LA radio unions. General Teleradio, which already had a contract with the union on its New York operations, offered Anthony a premium price and simply he took it. General shortly after acquired the RKO studios, selling the studio lot to Desilu and using the film library to launch the nightly "Million Dollar Movie" series that made industry history and led to other studios following suit. According to a later general manager of KFI radio, George Hamilton, Anthony did later regret having sold the television station. General Tire years later became involved in international bribery scandals that led to loss of its broadcast license, but that's another story. You can read confirmation of the facts above in numerous places, among them the following http://www.metnews.com/articles/reminiscing112702.htm (Art Landing, Biographer of Earle C Anthony, Sept 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. BIG BATTLE AHEAD: BRUDNOY FIGHTS RARE CANCER by Dean Johnson, Wednesday, September 24, 2003 Veteran Boston radio talk show host David Brudnoy has been diagnosed with a rare cancer and has about a 50 percent chance of beating it, he said yesterday. ``It was a jolt out of the blue,'' Brudnoy, 63, said about learning he is afflicted with Merkel cell carcinoma nearly two weeks ago. ``I thought I had a pimple on my forehead and a cyst on my cheek, no big deal,'' he said. ``So I went to the doctor and was told, `This has to be dealt with right now . . . this is a big, big cancer up there.' '' Brudnoy also discussed his new health crisis last night during the final half-hour of his 7-10 p.m. WBZ-AM (1030) talk show. He took no phone calls after his announcement and said that he will no longer discuss his condition on the air with the possible exception of brief monthly updates. . . http://www2.bostonherald.com/news/local_regional/brud09242003.htm (via Bill Westenhaver, QC, DXLD) Another story on Brudnoy: http://www.boston.com:80/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2003/09/24/ radio_talk_show_host_diagnosed_with_rare_skin_cancer (via Bill Westenhaver, QC, DXLD) ** U S A. W5BQU, BYRL H BURDICK, SR, PO BOX 10219, EL PASO TX 79995 My friends call me "Tex." I am 103 years old and have been told that I am the oldest amateur operator in the US. Licensed since October 1930, I am on the air daily. Lately, I have been on 15 meters at 21.314 MHz. plus or minus. Tune around and give me a call. 73, Tex Callsign: W5BQU Class: General Codes: HAI USA Name: BYRL H BURDICK, SR Addr1: PO BOX 10219 Addr2: EL PASO, TX 79995 Country: USA Effective: 10 Dec 1997 Expires: 02 Oct 2005 QSL Mgr: My honey, Juanita. Coordinates: 31 46' 0'' N, 106 25' 28'' W Coordinates: 31.7669 -106.4245 County: El Paso Grid: DM61ss Area Code: 915 Birthday: 25 Sep 1900 QRZ Updated: 2003-04-14 20:38:50 He was on 15 SSB this afternoon !!!!! (Bill Smith, W5USM, Sept 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** URUGUAY. CHURCH REPORTED BUYING CX12 RADIO ORIENTAL Montevideo, Saturday morning, Sept 27 (CRU) --- The Catholic Church in Uruguay is buying CX12 Radio Oriental 770 AM in Montevideo, one of the country`s most distinguished and powerful radio stations, with a loan from the Italian Church, Catholic Radio Update/Radio Católica al Día reader and correspondent Horacio Colacce reported today from Paysandú. Involved in the purchase is the inactive shortwave station CXA7 on 11,735 kHz. The Church would begin its broadcasts on December 8th if the purchase is successful. According to Señor Colacce, ``Radio Oriental belongs to the Montecarlo Group (radio, television, cable, etc.) and for a number of years is one of the most powerful and important stations, dedicated to sports broadcasts, principally football.`` CX12 runs 100,000 watts and CXA7 runs 2,500 watts. Shortwave radio is quite active in this South American country of 3.3 million people, of whom 76.5% are Catholic. Recently Radio Americas, a powerful shortwave station and AM station operated by Protestants began operations in Uruguay, a small country of about 68,000 square miles on the central Atlantic Coast. It is not clear whether the Archdiocese of Montevideo is buying the station for itself or the Episcopal Conference of Uruguay is buying the station and will operate it as a national Catholic station. Given the power and frequency, not to mention the shortwave station, CX12 Radio Oriental covers this nation of well-watered plains and rolling hills. Montevideo has about 1.5 million people and is the national capital. Argentina and Buenos Aires lie across the wide Río Plata, and Montevidean stations have wide listenership in the Trans-Platan area of Argentina, including Buenos Aires. The event was reported by Montevidean newspapers on September 4, principally El Observador. An archdiocesan spokesman simply said that negotiations were in progress, that nothing had been finalized. Neither the archdiocesan website http://www.arquidiocesis.net nor the Conference Episcopal de Uruguay (CEU) website http://www.iglesiauruguaya.com mention the pending purchase. Uruguay has only two Catholic stations at present, CXD277 Radio Encuentro 103.3 FM in the suffragan Rio Platense diocese of San José de Mayo, and the 100-watt CV152 Radio Paz 1520 AM in Guichon deep in the interior. Uruguay is said to be a highly secularized country with a church attendance low by South American standards. RADIO ORIENTAL SALE: WHOSE WILL IT BE? Montevideo, Sep 4 (Montevideo.com.uy) --- The Catholic Church clarified today that the purchase of Radio Oriental is not official although it confessed that negotiations are underway with the firm. The information, published today by El Observador, indicates that the Church acquired CX12 and in short time will be in charge of the programming, and the sale will include moving the station`s offices and studios to the archdiocesan building. Other versions indicate that the present programming would continue, directed by Omar Gutiérrez and the sports team. At these hours, the popular host Abel Duarte informed his listeners that he has no official information about the matter, and that that would be the responsibility of the Romay brothers, present owners of the station. For their part, spokesman for the Church told CX14 Radio El Espectador 810 AM that the purchase has not been made official, but corroborated ongoing negotiations (Catholic Radio Update Sept 29 via DXLD) ** VENEZUELA. Hola Glenn, Saludos desde Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA. Radio Táchira ha estado por varias semanas fuera del aire. Antes de su reciente reactivación, el pasado 20/09, Radio Táchira salía del aire a la 0130 UT, aproximadamente y daba paso a Radio Litoral. Luego de la reactivación, la estación ahora cierra a las 0404 (21/09, 22/09) y da sus indicativos (YVOA 1000 kHz), (YV0B 4830 kHz). Me sorprendió una identificación en inglés con una voz femenina, donde se ofrecía el número de teléfono de la emisora. Se escucha muy bien. SINPO variable 5-4. Saludos, Adán González, Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA, Sept 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VENEZUELA. NUEVA Radio MIlitar Venezolana! --- Hola Glenn: Cordiales saludos desde la ciudad de Cumaná en Venezuela. Por medio del presente mensaje hago de tu conocimiento información publicada en el diario "El Nacional", cuyo título es: "RADIO MILITAR DE VENEZUELA ESTÁ EN PERÍODO DE PRUEBAS". En resumen el artículo señala que: ... la emisora saldrá al aire inicialmente por Internet, y pretende constituirse en el canal de informaciones "institucionales" generadas en toda la Fuerza Armada Nacional. El artículo lo firma el periodista Javier Ignacio Mayorca y tiene fecha del dia martes 23 de septiembre de 2003. Por ahora me despido hasta un próximo QSO. Solidariamente, (Julio Trenard, Apartado Postal 41 Cumaná 6101, Venezuela Visita mi página web: http://usuarios.lycos.es/trenard Sept 25, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Y luego en el aire? OM? OT? OC? FM? ** VIETNAM. New schedule for Voice of Vietnam domestic services with extended evening hours for VOV-1 and 2: VOV-1 2155-1700 on 5975, 7210, 9530 kHz + MW VOV-2 0150v-1000 on 9875 kHz VOV-2 2155-1700 on 5925 kHz + MW [means VOV-3??] VOV-4 (minority languages) 2200-1600 on 819, 6020 kHz in various languages 2200- and other times in Khmer on new 747v and old 873 kHz 747v kHz appears to be // 873 kHz in Khmer and Vietnamese 2200-1700. 747 kHz used to be listed for Ho Chi Minh City, so maybe this transmitter has been reactivated. The following are in Hmong and one other unID language: 2200-2300 on 5035v, 6165 kHz 2330-2400 on 5055v, 6165 kHz 0430-0600 on 9650, 9850 kHz 1130-1330 on 5035v, 6165 kHz (Alan Davies, Bali, Sept 24, corrected Sept 25, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** VIETNAM. 6492, Cao Bang Broadcasting Station (Presumed) finally some decent audio after weeks of trying. 1313 Sept 27 with talk in Vietnamese, horrible audio and buzzing in transmitter (Hans Johnson, WY, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** VIETNAM [non]. CLANDESTINE - 7380, Degar Voice, 1259-1331 Sept 24. OC to 1300, then opening instrumental music. At 1302, M announcer mentioning, in English, "Montagnard Foundation Incorporation" a couple of times. Couldn't tell if the entire opening announcement was in English or just those words. Thought I heard "Degar Voice" in English, also. Then M went into language with long talk to 1326; transmission ended with same instrumental music until 1329, carrier off 1331. Fair/good signal with almost unnoticeable siren jammer in background and occasional ute chatter (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge CO, Drake R-8, 100-foot RW, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non}. CLANDESTINE from ALGERIA to MOROCCO, 7460.3, Polisario Front, Rabuni site, well audible today 23 Sept 2102 and still on at nearly 2145; their static-plagued signal was 35432 at the beginning whereas much improved around 2125, when I supposed it would be blocked by RAI like yesterday 22nd, but no, Rabuni is still alone on the QRG. Shortly after 2100, I'd say lang. was Berber (I believe they still use it at times, like Castilian too), with a few talks, traditional tunes+songs, then Arabic and modern songs being played right now (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, BC-DX Sept 23 via Cumbre DX via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. Dear Glenn, another riddle, if you don`t mind --- 3910-3912 kHz, 13 Sept, between 1814-1845 UT (and on), me and others at a DX camp on the German-Dutch border were receiving a barely audible signal with a very emotional sporting event (football?) commentary in Spanish. Too weak for ID; is there any Latin American station on this frequency range? Many thanks, (Robertas Pogorelis, based in Leuven, Belgium, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Surely Latin America would not propagate to Europe at that hour. Have you checked out possible MW harmonics from Spain? (gh) No, in fact, I haven't. Would imagine this could have been either from 783 (slightly below) or 558 (slightly above). Would be interesting to identify if it was still there. Many thanks, (Robertas Pogorelis, ibid.) UNIDENTIFIED. 4960 kHz, from 1000 UT, with a strange mix of Latin music, with much drums and bass; YL briefly at 1003, but could not identify language. Then non-stop music with no announcers, some with a hint of Andean flutes, much of it EZL light pop and love ballads. Peaked about 1015 UT, very weak by 1037 UT (Roger Chambers, Utica, NY, Sept 25, Drake SW 8 with whip antenna, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Shuar? UNIDENTIFIED. 5833.8, 1030-1110 (Bob Wilkner, Pómpano Beach FL, Sept 24, NRD-535, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Latin American? Asian? Details? 5833.78 [v.97] 0950-1032 OM and YL, percussion music, slow transmitter drift upward (Robert Wilkner, FL, Sept 27, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Amigos DXistas! 5833v unID LA (Cuba?) harmonic(?) 29 September 1050 UT --- DXers in U.S.A. have an unID LA-station on 5833v kHz, probably an harmonic. This morning 1050 to 1150 UT I listened to a Spanish speaking station with very weak signal moving slowly from 5833.91 up to 5834.40 kHz when it faded out. Best signal around local sunset here in Quito 1115 UT. I don´t know the QTH but the type of programming and type of Spanish very much seems to be Cuba but it´s only a guess. 73s de (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador - SWB América Latina. Sept 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 6069.97, Sep 22, 0850-0922, Spanish or Portuguese preacher under Voz Cristiana on 6070.06. Also het from 6069.15. Gone by 0940 (Mark Mohrmann, Coventry, VT, NRD 535D, V-Beam 140m @180 deg., DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ COMMENTARY ++++++++++ HAMS & SWLING In DXLD 3-170, you wrote "ARRL does nothing to counter the ham mindset that SWLing is grossly inferior to hamming. At best, SWLing is merely a stepping-stone to becoming a real ham." I have to disagree with you there. That may have been the case years ago, but not now. For example, the last two editions of the ARRL Operating Manual have included a chapter on SWLing and communications monitoring and the October 2003 issue of "QST" has an article on DRM and a schematic for a 455 kHz IF to 12 kHz sound card "downconverter." And recent reviews of HF transceivers with general coverage receive capability routinely make note of their HF receiving performance. If there is any such thing as a "ham mindset" on SWLing, it is found somewhere between total ignorance and utter apathy (Harry L. Helms, W7HLH, Las Vegas, NV DM26 DX LISTENING DIGEST) THIS DAY`S ENGLISH LESSON +++++++++++++++++++++++++ Glenn, Regarding ```I don`t understand your, and others` use of ``resp.`` (gh)``` The obvious origin is the German word "bzw." or beziehungsweise. In some cases it corresponds to English "respectively", but in most cases it doesn't. It is much of a "joker" or "fill in your own words" expression, and as such is very popular among German writers because it relieves the writer of the arduous task of being specific :-) Due to its very nature, the word beziehungsweise is a headache to translators. There are two standard translations: "respectively" or "or", in some cases "and/or". While "respectively" in most cases is totally wrong, the other two may be useful in many cases. A third, very common meaning of the word is "or rather", "that is to say", "more specifically", but German translators seem to be unaware of that approach and stay with "respectively". 73 (Olle Alm, Sweden, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Efectivamente INTRUDER WATCH ++++++++++++++ International Amateur Radio Union Region 2 MONITORING SYSTEM NEWSLETTER http://www.storm.ca/~iarumsr2 September 2003 INTRODUCTION This Newsletter contains news about interference from non-Amateur station ("intruder") heard in the Amateur bands in IARU Region 2 during the month of August, as well as selected news about similar interference in IARU Regions 1 and 3. Notes about interference in bands which are shared with other services are for information only. If you have any comments or questions about these news items, please contact your national Amateur Radio society or the IARU Region 2 Monitoring System Coordinator. NOTABLE INTRUDERS HEARD IN REGION 2 The following intruders were notable in Region 2 during August : 3854 kHz A1A Apparent unidentified beacon "ZQ52". 14000 J3E,U Pirate operators, English with Caribbean accent, Spanish, and unidentified. 14100 J3E,U/L Pirate operators, probably from Indonesia. 24945 A3E Taxi cabs in or near Buenos Aires, Argentina. An unidentified beacon-like signal is being heard in Trinidad and Tobago on about 3854 kHz. The signal sends "ZQ52" in Morse several times, then pauses for several minutes, then repeats the whole transmission. The signal is being heard during a daily net on 3855 kHz at 1030 and 2230 UT. While it is possible that the signal is the 2nd harmonic of a fish net beacon in the 160 m band (1927 kHz?), this has not been proven yet and further observations are required. Pirate radio operators are being heard on 13999.9 and 14000.0 kHz USB in English (with strong Caribbean accents), in Spanish, and in an unidentified language. One of the operators heard regularly in this group has a habit of saying "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah" with descending voice. (See the Highlights from Region 1 for additional news about the use of 14000 kHz.) Other pirate radio operators are heard regularly on 14100 kHz, some using USB, some LSB, in a distinctive language which is probably Indonesian according to information from Region 3. These unlicensed operators chat, sing, and chant in a most uncoördinated way, with many stations on top of one another, and make it difficult or impossible for Amateurs to hear the NCDXF/IARU beacons from the Far East. The same language and radio manners are heard on other frequencies in the 20 m band, but the use of 14100 kHz is most notable because of the interference to the international beacon network. Chuck Skolaut, KØBOG, MS Coordinator for ARRL (USA), informs us that they have complained to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) about this interference and the FCC has relayed their complaint to the Indonesian authorities. One can only hope for early action by the Indonesians. Another group of unlicensed radio operators, this one driving taxi cabs in or near Buenos Aires, Argentina, has been using 24945 kHz in AM mode (A3E) for many months in support of their business operations. The 12 metre Amateur band (24890-24990 kHz) is allocated exclusively to the Amateur and Amateur-Satellite Services in all three ITU Regions. HIGHLIGHTS FROM REGION 1 In Region 1, Uli Bihlmayer, DJ9KR, MS Coordinator for the Deutscher Amateur Radio Club (DARC, Germany), has assessed the following intruders as the most persistent for the month of August : 7039 kHz Single letter beacons "C" (Moscow) and "D" (Odessa). 7076 50 baud printer "System BEE36/50". 14026 12 channel MFSK "System ALE/MIL-188", mode F7B. 14096 12 channel multiplex MFSK, mode J7D. 14116 12 channel multiplex MFSK, mode J7D. 14241 12 channel multiplex MFSK, mode J7D. Successful action! - The South Korean fishing vessel Chinchu has been heard using 14047.8 kHz USB while sailing off the coast of West Africa, out of their registered port of Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Coördinator Uli heard the ship and contacted the operator, asking for their identity. Uli then explained politely that they were operating in an Amateur band. The ship's operator said they had been using this frequency every Friday and promised that they would not use it anymore. The ship has not been heard since. [Uli's initiative shows what can be accomplished through simple, direct, and friendly action by confronting intruders who have strayed into our bands. Bravo, Uli! - VE3OAT] [But, but, it`s illegal to contact them! --- gh] The logs received by DARC Coordinator Uli include several items about the Indonesian pirate radio operators using the NCDXF/IARU beacon frequency 14100 kHz. These pirates use several other frequencies in the 17 and 20 m bands as well and seem to be heard around the world. Other logs received by Uli record the use of 14000 kHz by pirates speaking Portuguese, English, Spanish, and Arabic. A group of these operators located in Brasil uses this frequency most usually between 1900 and 2200 UT. HIGHLIGHTS FROM REGION 3 "Arasu", VU2UR, IARU MS Coordinator for Region 3, sends this summary of the intruder situation in Region 3 during the month of July : "The practice of not suppressing harmonics and spurious emissions is continuing in Region 3, in the broadcasting services from Radio Pyongyang, DPR Korea. This has given the Radio Amateurs in the Far East lots of problems as the regular harmonics/spurious emissions have occupied several useful frequencies in the 20, 15, and 10 metre bands of Amateur Radio. Apart from this, the regular use of the Amateur frequency of 3560 kHz for various domestic and international broadcasting have been logged by JARL (Japan Amateur Radio League) on all the days in the time slot 1000 to 1630 UT and by NZART (New Zealand Amateur Radio Transmitters) from 0900 to 2100 UT. "Data stations using F7B, G7B, and M7B modes with 8/12 channels have become a common feature. The pulse radar CODAR is as active as ever, covering the frequency slot 24950 to 24995 kHz in the 12 metre band. Occasionally, a few maritime stations show up handling traffic to other ships in our frequencies. "The worst of all are the Indonesian Pirates who are very active in 7, 10, 14, and 18 MHz Amateur bands. The Sri Lankan fishing trawlers are regularly monitored using several frequencies in 7, 10, 14, and 18 MHz and were recently observed to be using 21 MHz Amateur frequency also. These two types of users know only their mother tongue and no other language, except that of QRM Language, as told by Amateurs quite often. "How long does this piracy of Amateur frequencies continue? The authorized users within the limits of their licences are less heard in DX lands than these pirates. The "might" of buying Amateur Radio equipment appears to have given them the "right" to use all the frequencies, as they like. "It is time that all the Authorities concerned with this, directly or indirectly, take a serious note of the chaos in the Amateur bands and evolve suitable measures to control, check and clear these unauthorized users of our hard-earned frequencies." In addition, logs received by Arasu from NZART (New Zealand) indicate daily reception there of the 3rd harmonic from Cuba of a multitone signal centered on 18090 kHz during the hours 0400-0700 UT. [jammer] ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This Newsletter was produced from information provided by the following organizations and individuals. Their contributions are gratefully acknowledged. Any errors or omissions are entirely the responsibility of the Region 2 MS Coordinator. ARRL (USA) and Coordinator, KØBOG KH6B (IARU) LU5DG (IARU) RAC (Canada) and Coordinator, VE6JY TTARS (Trinidad & Tobago), 9Z4CP IARU MS International Coordinator, ZL1BAD IARU MS Region 1 Coordinator, OD5TE IARU MS Region 3 Coordinator, VU2UR DARC (Germany) MS Coordinator, DJ9KR - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - This Newsletter is published for and distributed to the IARU Region 2 Executive Committee, Region 2 member societies and associated individuals by the IARU Region 2 Monitoring System Coordinator, for their use and information. Permission to use information from this Newsletter in other Amateur Radio publications is hereby granted, provided that proper credit is given. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Prepared by : Martin H. Potter, VE3OAT Co-ordinator of the IARU Region 2 Monitoring System P. O. Box 84, Greely, Ontario K4P 1N4, Canada E-mail : iarumsr2@storm.ca (via Wolfgang Büschel, DXLD) RECEIVER NEWS +++++++++++++ FCC RULES IN FAVOR OF ANTENNAS Today the FCC states that even an HOA can't stop you from installing a TV antenna outdoors. http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-03-2971A1.doc (via Kevin Redding, AZ, Sept 29, NRC-FM TV via DXLD) HOA = covenant? KENWOOD SHIPS FIRST COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION HD RADIO(TM) TUNERS; INTRODUCTION PAVES WAY FOR WIDESPREAD CONSUMER AVAILABILITY AT CES Press Release Source: iBiquity Digital Corporation Thursday September 25, 12:34 pm ET COLUMBIA, Md. and LONG BEACH, Calif., Sept. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- iBiquity Digital Corporation, the sole developer of HD Radio(TM) [sic] technology, announced today that Kenwood Corporation has delivered the first commercial production run of 1,000 KTC-HR100 HD Radio Tuners. IBiquity will be taking tuner pre- orders from broadcasters next week at the 2003 NAB Radio Show. The Kenwood KTC-HR100 Tuners will be used by stations for internal listening and consumer awareness promotions. Additionally, iBiquity will make a select number of HD Radio Tuners available to media for reviewer demonstrations. Shipment from iBiquity of the KTC-HR100 Tuners will coincide with an upgrade in October to the HD Radio software with the new HDC codec. Retail availability of the KTC- HR100 Tuner is anticipated at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January. "Kenwood was the first consumer electronics manufacturer to enter into a development agreement for the HD Radio technology over four years ago," said Robert Struble, president and CEO, iBiquity Digital Corporation. "Kenwood's continued support these past years has been unwavering, and we are extremely pleased to announce a pre-order program for the KTC-HR100 HD Radio Tuners for broadcasters with expected shipments from iBiquity beginning in October." Bob Law, Sr. Vice President, Kenwood USA, stated, "`First to develop, first to deliver' has been a strategy of Kenwood for HD Radio technology these past four years. We are pleased to provide the first production run of the KTC-HR100 HD Radio Tuners. This is truly an historic day for radio broadcasting and the consumer electronics industry as a whole." "The dedication of our engineering and production organizations at Kenwood has made the KTC-HR100 HD Radio Tuner delivery a success story," said Shoichi Suzuki, Senior Manager, Digital Broadcast System Engineering, Car Electronics Division, Kenwood Corporation. "A primary goal of our company was to be the first to bring this new technology to market, and we have now accomplished this goal. We look forward to continued development and production efforts for next generation HD Radio products." iBiquity Digital's HD Radio technology transforms today's radio experience by allowing AM/FM broadcasters to seamlessly transmit digital signals with superior audio and new data services alongside today's analog-based broadcasts. HD Radio technology will also allow for the development of additional on-demand interactive audio and wireless data services. About Kenwood Corporation (Japan) From mobile navigation systems to DVD, Tokyo-based Kenwood Corporation products span the spectrum of electronics technology. Formed as the Kasuga Radio Company in 1946, Kenwood has been a leader in developing advanced technologies for mobile and home entertainment products, test and measuring instruments, and mobile and amateur radio communications equipment. Distributed in over 120 countries worldwide, Kenwood was Japan's first company to build an FM tuner and the first to develop commercially available SIRIUS satellite radio and HD Radio tuners for the US market. Kenwood continues to develop advanced digital and networking technologies for the coming multimedia age. Since 1961, the company has sold a variety of Kenwood-branded home and car audio products, including receivers, speakers, amplifiers, cassette decks, DVD, CD, navigation, and hard drive music servers in the United States. Kenwood USA Corporation, based in Long Beach, Calif., is the largest subsidiary of Kenwood Corporation (Japan). [Kenwood has never seemed like a Japanese name to me; I wonder why? gh] About Kenwood USA http://www.kenwoodusa.com Founded in 1961, Kenwood USA Corporation is a leading developer and manufacturer of audio and video products for home, car, and personal use. Offering more than 250 products, Kenwood is one of the three largest selling brands of audio and video entertainment products in the United States and is recognized by consumers and the consumer electronics industry for providing superior quality, reliability and value. Kenwood USA Corporation, based in Long Beach, Calif., is the largest subsidiary of Kenwood Corporation (Japan). Further information can be obtained by contacting Kenwood USA Corporation, P.O. Box 22745, Long Beach, CA 90801, by calling 1-800-Kenwood, or by visiting http://www.kenwoodusa.com About iBiquity Digital http://www.ibiquity.com iBiquity Digital is the sole developer and licenser of HD Radio technology in the U.S., which will transform today's analog radio to digital, enabling radically upgraded sound and new wireless data services. The company's investors include 15 of the nation's top radio broadcasters, including ABC, Clear Channel and Viacom; leading financial institutions, such as J.P. Morgan Partners, Pequot Capital and J&W Seligman; and strategic partners Ford Motor Company, Harris, Texas Instruments and Visteon. iBiquity Digital is a privately held company with operations in Columbia, MD, Detroit, MI, Redwood City, CA and Warren, NJ. For more information please visit: http://www.ibiquity.com (from http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030925/phth030_1.html via Kim Elliott, Sept 26, DXLD) POWERLINE COMMUNICATIONS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ BPL IN JAPAN Here is a link to BPL issues as they seem to be in Japan. http://homepage3.nifty.com/jh5esm/ Mind you, this is only ONE link and any technical information really should be subject to verification. 73, (Mark N3IRJ Clark, swl at qth.net via DXLD) FCCOMMISSIONER WILD ABOUT BPL Addressing the United Powerline Council's annual conference September 22 in Arlington, Virginia, FCC Commissioner Kathleen Q. Abernathy expressed unabashed enthusiasm for BPL and recommended a combination of regulatory restraint and the elimination or substantial modification of existing rules as steps along the "path to Enlightenment." Here is the complete text, form the FCC Digest of 22SE03: REACHING BROADBAND NIRVANA United PowerLine Council Annual Conference Remarks of Commissioner Kathleen Q. Abernathy September 22, 2003 (As prepared for delivery) Thank you very much for inviting me to speak with you. I am very excited about broadband-over-powerline technology. I have seen it in action, and I believe it has a very bright future. It is a real honor to be your keynote speaker at this important juncture for BPL. As a regulator, I am keenly interested in BPL technology for a number of reasons. One of my central objectives as an FCC commissioner is to facilitate the deployment of broadband services to all Americans. I also fundamentally believe that the FCC can best promote consumer welfare by relying on market forces, rather than heavy-handed regulation. The development of BPL networks will serve both of these key goals. It will not only bring broadband to previously unserved communities, but the introduction of a new broadband pipeline into the home will foster the kind of competitive marketplace that will eventually enable the Commission to let go of the regulatory reins. I want consumers to have a choice of multiple, facilities-based providers, including not only cable and DSL, but also powerline, wireless, and satellite services. Such a robustly competitive and diversified marketplace is something I would call broadband Nirvana. We will not get there overnight, but the continuing development of BPL technology is a major step forward. While the long-term objective is a robustly competitive marketplace that is free of regulatory distortions, a more immediate question is: What should the FCC do to help foster such an environment? Sticking with my Nirvana metaphor, I guess the question would be, what is the path to enlightenment? I believe the answer, in short, is regulatory restraint. It is tempting for regulators to take every new technology or service that comes along and apply the same rules that govern incumbent services. After all, regulatory parity and a level playing field are intuitively appealing concepts. But I believe that it would be a huge mistake to carry forward legacy regulations whenever new technology platforms are established. Many of our regulations are premised on the absence of competition, and when that rationale is eroded, we must not reflexively hold on to regulations that no longer serve their intended purpose. In fact, many of our old rules not only become unnecessary as markets evolve, but they can be fatal to new services that need room to breathe. The Nascent Services Doctrine applying more stringent regulations to wireline providers at a minimum must be reconsidered. As other platforms, including BPL and wireless, become more widely available, that will further undermine the justification for regulating incumbent LECs broadband services as if they were the only available offerings. When the Commission completes this rulemaking, I expect that we will eliminate many existing rules and substantially modify others; the central question is the degree of regulation that will remain during the transition to a more robustly competitive market. Finally, it is important to recognize that although the emergence of new platforms like BPL will eliminate the need for many competition- related regulations, other types of regulation may well remain necessary. For example, the FCC must implement public policy goals unrelated to competition, or even at odds with competition. Universal service and access for persons with disabilities are examples of this kind of regulation. These public policy goals generally should be applied to all service providers, to the extent permitted by the Communications Act. The FCC also must intervene to prevent competitors from imposing externalities on one another and to protect consumers where market failures are identified. Although, as I have noted, the Commission was right to refrain from imposing heavy-handed price and service-quality regulations on PCS services when the were introduced, it was also right to adopt strict interference rules to prevent competitors from externalizing their costs. The same principle will apply to BPL. They key point is that, while some degree of regulation is both inevitable and desirable, we should ensure that it is narrowly tailored to the particular governmental interests at stake. I appreciate the opportunity to share these thoughts with you, and I would be happy to answer a few questions if we have time. YOU MAY E- MAIL MISS ABERNATHY AT kabernat@fcc.gov (via Bill Smith, W5USM, Sept 26, and John Norfolk, DXLD) In spite of the numerous comments against BPL (transmitting wideband internet data over power lines, which will destroy the HF radio spectrum), the FCC seems disposed to encourage it anyway. evil! evil! just look up BPL on the web. The noise from the radiated signals trashed the ham bands thoroughly (Source unclear, rec.radio.shortwave via John Norfolk, DXLD) ARRL REBUKES FCC COMMISSIONER`S BPL-RELATED ``BROADBAND NIRVANA`` REMARKS NEWINGTON, CT, Sep 25, 2003--The ARRL has strongly objected to FCC Commissioner Kathleen Q. Abernathy`s suggestion that Broadband over Power Line (BPL) technology will contribute to what she described as ``broadband Nirvana.`` Addressing the United Powerline Council`s annual conference September 22 in Arlington, Virginia, Abernathy expressed unabashed enthusiasm for BPL and recommended a combination of regulatory restraint and the elimination or substantial modification of existing rules as steps along the ``path to Enlightenment.`` In a terse response faxed today on behalf of the League`s 155,000 members, ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, asserted that Abernathy overlooked some significant issues in her Nirvana analogy. ``Nightmare is more like it,`` Sumner declared. ``The technical showings submitted by the ARRL and others in response to the Commission`s Notice of Inquiry in ET Docket No. 03-104 clearly establish that BPL is a significant source of radio spectrum pollution. It cannot be implemented without causing harmful interference to over-the-air radio services.`` Sumner told Abernathy that while BPL industry groups, such as the one she addressed this week, prefer to deny the evidence, the FCC is obliged to work to a higher standard. In its remarks, the League characterized BPL as ``a Pandora`s Box of unprecedented proportions`` and said the Commission`s Part 15 rules ``should be modified so as to prevent interference to users of the HF and low VHF spectrum`` from the outset and ``to prevent consumers` reliance on BPL as an interference-free broadband delivery system.`` Abernathy`s speech, ``Reaching Broadband Nirvana,`` never broached the topic of BPL`s potential to interfere with other radio services. Recently, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)--which regulates spectrum allocated to federal government users--expressed ``broad concerns`` about interference to government users and launched an extensive modeling, analysis and measurement program for BPL. In his letter, Sumner reminded Abernathy that the radio spectrum is a precious natural resource. ``To squander that resource, simply to add a redundant, unnecessary, and relatively poorly performing `last mile` connection for consumers, is unconscionable,`` He said. Sumner expressed the hope that Abernathy will give the League an early opportunity to explain its BPL concerns to her in person. In her remarks to the UPLC gathering, Abernathy contended that it`s been regulatory restraint rather than heavy-handed regulation that has allowed nascent platforms such as direct broadcast satellite (DBS) to become competitively viable. ``When the Commission completes this rulemaking,`` she said, ``I expect that we will eliminate many existing rules and substantially modify others; the central question is the degree of regulation that will remain during the transition to a more robustly competitive market.`` Abernathy said many of the FCC`s ``old rules`` not only become unnecessary as markets evolve but ``they can be fatal to new services that need room to breathe.`` The FCC provides two routes for individuals to e-mail Abernathy: Via her FCC Web site http://www.fcc.gov/commissioners/abernathy/mail.html or directly at kabernat@fcc.gov The text of her prepared remarks also is available on the FCC Web site at http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-239079A1.doc The League`s initial 120-page package of comments and technical exhibits is available on the ARRL Web site. http://www.arrl.org.announce/regulatory/et03-104/ There`s additional information and additional video clips on the ARRL ``Power Line Communications (PLC) and Amateur Radio`` page http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HMTL/plc/ To support the League`s efforts in this area, visit the ARRL`s secure BPL Web site https://www.arrl.org/forms/development/donations/bpl/ To date, more than 4600 comments -- many from the Amateur Radio community -- have been filed in response to the FCC`s BPL NOI and are available for viewing via the FCC`s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/ September 24, 2003 Kathleen Q. Abernathy, Commissioner Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street SW Washington, DC 20554 Dear Commissioner Abernathy: On behalf of the 155,000 members of the ARRL I must express strong objection to your characterization, in your September 22 speech to the United PowerLine Council Annual Conference, of broadband-over- powerline technology as contributing to ``broadband Nirvana.`` Nightmare is more like it. The technical showings submitted by the ARRL and others in response to the Commission`s Notice of Inquiry in ET Docket No. 03-104 clearly establish that BPL is a significant source of radio spectrum pollution. It cannot be implemented without causing harmful interference to over-the-air radio services. The BPL industry prefers to deny the evidence. The FCC is required to work to a higher standard. The radio spectrum is a precious natural resource. The properties of the ionosphere permit intercontinental communication. To squander that resource, simply to add a redundant, unnecessary, and relatively poorly performing ``last mile`` connection for consumers, is unconscionable. I hope you will afford the ARRL an opportunity to explain our concerns to you in person at an early date. Sincerely, David Sumner, Chief Executive Officer Copyright © 2003, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved (via John Norfolk, DX LISTENING DIGEST) SHORT WAVE, POWER LINE NET AT ODDS NEW TECHNOLOGY COULD DISRUPT HIGH FREQUENCY RADIO -- AND LOSE OUT By Sam Kennedy, Of The Morning Call [Lehigh Valley PA] From The Morning Call -- September 28, 2003 http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-a1_5net-glitchsep28.story Power line communications, which promises to deliver high-speed Internet through household electrical outlets, is wired with a potentially fatal flaw. The experimental technology could disrupt the high frequency radio transmissions used for everything from national security and emergency response to overseas air travel and space research, according to critics. ''That's scary stuff,'' said Jim Haynie, president of the Amateur Radio Relay League, which represents 163,000 members. ''Somebody has to blow the whistle.'' PPL Corp. of Allentown and roughly a dozen other American electric utilities involved in power line communications argue they have found ways around such problems. They hail the technology as a way to expand high-speed Internet service, or broadband, to millions of homes and businesses, especially those in rural areas. And industry analysts say it could spur competition among all Internet service providers, ultimately leading to savings for consumers. The Federal Communications Commission, which regulates use of the airwaves, has signaled initial support for power line communications. Chairman Michael Powell has said the technology could soon compete with existing sources of high-speed Internet, such as cable modem and DSL offered by phone companies. In April, he described it as ''within striking distance of becoming the third major broadband pipe into the home.'' Left unreported, however, is the threat this high-tech invention poses to a low-tech means of communicating that, although a century old, remains a critical piece of the modern world's communication infrastructure. High frequency radio, also known as shortwave, occupies a relatively small part of the frequency spectrum between AM radio and VHF television. But it's the only part that reliably carries around the globe — enabling someone in Allentown, for example, to broadcast to the Midwest, Baghdad or Beijing. The Amateur Radio Relay League is leading the charge against power line communications, which is also referred to as broadband over power lines, or BPL. When the FCC held a public inquiry on power line communications this summer, amateur radio operators, called hams, submitted roughly two- thirds of the 4,600 comments. But the hams are not alone in their alarm. The National Telecommunications and Information Agency, which represents other federal agencies from the National Weather Service to the FBI that use more than 18,000 high frequency channels, also submitted comments to the FCC. The NTIA asked the FCC to withhold judgment on power line communications until the completion of its own, ongoing research on the new technology. ''The federal government has extensive operations that potentially could be affected,'' the NTIA wrote. Aeronautical Radio Inc., which facilitates high-frequency radio transmissions by airplanes on trans-oceanic flights, told the FCC that power line communications ''has potential greatly to exacerbate interference.'' ''Any noise increase would inevitably diminish the ability of aviation to maintain communications with aircraft operating over oceans and in remote areas of the world,'' the company concluded. Space exploration, too, is at risk, according to the National Academy of Sciences. Astrophysicists have discovered planets beyond our solar system and the birth sites of stars by measuring subtle, naturally occurring radio signals from outer space. But such work, the academy warned in its comments to the FCC, is ''particularly vulnerable to interference.'' ''This is all coming to a head,'' said Robert Olsen, a professor of electrical engineering at Washington State University in Pullman, Wash. Concern about high-frequency radio interference has derailed power line communications in Europe, which experimented with the technology in the 1990s, Olsen said. Of roughly a dozen European companies that tried to offer commercial power line communications service in the 1990s, all but a few have now abandoned the technology, he said. Japan has effectively banned power line communications. ''It's a real thing,'' Olsen said of the threat radio interference poses to the future of power line communications. Why power lines radiate 'noise' When power lines are used to transmit radio signals that are to be converted into Web pages and e-mail, they radiate electromagnetic noise that can drown out high-frequency radio transmissions. If power line communications were widely deployed, the radio interference would be all the greater, according to the Amateur Radio Relay League. Power lines radiate electromagnetic noise for two reasons, according to Ed Hare, a researcher for the Relay League. First, power lines are not shielded. The coaxial cable used for cable modems, by contrast, consists of wire enclosed in a metal tube. And the twisted wire used for DSL is, because of the twist in its two strands, naturally efficient: the strands are so close they basically negate each other's radiation. Secondly, power lines can act like giant antennas capable of inadvertently sending and receiving signals from afar because of the sheer distance they cover while stretching between homes and utility poles. ''It's no surprise there are problems,'' Hare said. ''Electrical wiring was designed to conduct power. It was not designed to conduct signals.'' PPL and its counterparts, however, say they've devised ways to minimize, if not eliminate, the problematic electromagnetic noise. They accuse the hams of fear-mongering that could undercut the best hope yet of expanding high-speed Internet access. A national focus on trial in Emmaus Emmaus, where PPL is conducting one of the largest power line communication trials in the country, is Exhibit A in the debate on the technology. Hundreds of Emmaus residents and businesses log onto the Web and send e-mails by plugging into PPL's test system. The Amateur Radio Relay League based its comments to the FCC, in part, on tests conducted in Emmaus. And the NTIA visited the borough for two days earlier this month to perform its own research. One day last week, Carl Stevenson, a member of the Amateur Radio Relay League, demonstrated how power line communications in Emmaus affect high frequency radio transmissions. First, Stevenson tested a portable ham radio in neighborhoods without power line communications. He moved the dial across the band, stopping to listen to the conversations of hams in California and beyond. Next, he drove into one of the neighborhoods where PPL is testing power line communications. He stood next to a telephone pole with power line communications equipment. Entire swaths of the radio spectrum crackled and hissed. ''It's like a major disaster — spectrum pollution of the worst kind,'' said Stevenson, a radio engineer who works on federal regulatory issues for Agere Systems of Allentown. A PPL official said later the static could have been caused by something other than the power line communications, such as neon signs. 'Where's the outcry?' ''If this is a huge problem, where's the outcry?'' asked Alan Richenbacher, an engineer at PPL. PPL, a leader in power line communications development, has been testing the technology in the Allentown area for a year and a half. To date, the company has received only one complaint about radio interference, he said. ''Doesn't that tell you something?'' Should problems arise, he said, the technology offers numerous solutions: PPL, for example, could reduce the strength of signals traveling across power lines, switch frequencies or relocate its equipment. ''We believe we can coexist in the spectrum,'' said Jeff Norman, a vice president at Main.Net Communications of Kfar Saba, Israel, PPL's partner in the Emmaus trial. The Amateur Radio Relay League, however, says the interference problems are occurring at numerous trials, including those performed by other electric utilities. The spokesman for the United Power Line Council, which represents companies involved in power line communications, accused the Amateur Radio Relay League of exaggerating the problems caused by interference to generate interest in its fund-raising efforts. ''This is an enormous money maker for them,'' Brett Kilbourne said, because many hams will be more willing to donate if they believe their hobby is in peril. ''There is certainly a financial incentive.'' Each side of the debate on power line communications cites arguments steeped in science. The hams and other critics argue the accumulated effect of widespread power line communications would pollute high- frequency radio waves. PPL and its counterparts deny that it would. The federal government is the arbiter that will decide whose science is right. The FCC is expected to propose rules for power line communications early next year. Copyright © 2003, The Morning Call (via Mike Terry, DXLD) IARU SUBMITS PAPER TO EUROPEAN COMMISSION PLT WORKSHOP Listeners may have seen an item on the Internet where the European Commission is calling for input papers for a PLT workshop for National regulators to be held on the 16th of October in Brussels. PLT remains a major threat to HF communications. IARU Region 1 has submitted a detailed paper for the workshop to the European Commission, setting out the problems that PLT creates for HF communications in general, and radio amateurs in particular. The paper argues for sensible emission limits from PLT systems, and backs up its assertions by referencing work done by a number of organisations, including the RSGB, to monitor and assess the trials of PLT that have taken place in a number of countries over the last few years. Although it will not be allowed for amateur radio to be represented in person at the workshop on the 16th of October, the IARU hopes that its paper will carry some weight in the discussions (Radio Society of Great Britain GB2RS News Script for September 28, posted September 24 on uk.radio.amateur by G4RGA via John Norfolk, DXLD) But where was the item posted, Kenneth? (Norfolk) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ CLOUDS OVERHEAD --- FUNDING BILL TARGETS VITAL WORK AT BOULDER LABS September 23, 2003, Boulder Daily Camera, opinion Fall is a hectic time in Congress. The two houses must complete work on seven massive appropriations bills and other legislative proposals before adjournment in November. Among the issues still to be resolved is President Bush's request for $87 billion to fund postwar costs in Iraq. The sheer volume of work increases the possibility of last-minute blunders with long-term consequences. It's an open question whether Congress will stumble into one of those mistakes as it considers next year's budgets for scientific research at federal laboratories in Boulder and elsewhere in Colorado. The U.S. House of Representatives voted earlier this year to cut funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and related labs. Instead of the $366 million sought by President Bush, the House approved $306 million — including cuts with direct and substantial impact on scientific research. The Senate has since approved a more substantial appropriation of $394 million, and the issue now awaits resolution in a House-Senate conference committee. The final vote may determine the future of important projects at NOAA, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Colorado State University and the University of Colorado's Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences. Severe budget cuts would threaten important research on climate and severe weather (a timely subject in the vicinity of the U.S. Capitol and elsewhere on the East Coast, where residents are still cleaning up the damage from Hurricane Isabel). Some of the work done in Colorado might enable scientists to predict more accurately the intensity of hurricanes. Researchers at NOAA and related labs also are exploring severe weather more characteristic of the West, including drought, tornadoes and "heavy precipitation events" such as the snowstorm that hit Colorado early this spring. Another program at risk is NOAA's Space Environment Center, a national resource for the study of space weather events, which may absorb major budget cuts for the second year in a row. The core issue in this debate is scientific research, not economic repercussions, but there's no way to ignore the potential impact of severe budget cuts on Colorado. Boulder's federal labs — which include NOAA, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration — will contribute $2 billion to the state economy between 2001 and 2005, according to an estimate by the University of Colorado's Business Research Division. Budget reductions of the magnitude proposed by the House could drain hundreds of jobs from the state's scientific workforce. In addition, the House bill contains language calling on NOAA to "review the continued requirements for 12 separate research laboratories, six of which are located in Boulder," and to submit a "laboratory consolidation plan" by March 2004. Why single out the Boulder labs? And why jeopardize important scientific work to save a tiny fraction of the immense federal budget? The research conducted by these labs is of vital, sometimes life-and- death importance to the nation. The least Congress should do is restore the funding levels recommended in the president's budget (via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) SPRAWLING SUNSPOT: There is a remarkable spot on the Sun over this past weekend. The active region, called sunspot 464, is about as wide as fifteen planet Earths lined up in a row!!! Might have some rather good dxing this week!!! Visit spaceweather.com for further info and updates and photo's. Good Listening and DX!!! (Stewart H. MacKenzie, WDX6AA, Sept 27, DX LISTENING DIGEST) QST DE W1AW PROPAGATION FORECAST BULLETIN 39 From Tad Cook, K7RA Seattle, WA September 26, 2003 To all radio amateurs At last, the sun is showing one large sunspot. Sunspot 464 is expanding rapidly, now part of an extended dark area about 13 earth diameters wide. A helioseismic holography image shows a large sunspot currently on the side of the sun that faces away from the earth, often referred to as ``the other side.`` Mentioning the name of this method for sensing activity on the sun`s far side always generates email asking, ``what`s that?`` so check http://spaceweather.com/glossary/farside.html for more info. Of course, any email is always welcome via k7ra@arrl.net The emergence of this spot has raised the sunspot count and solar flux higher than predicted a week ago, with solar flux about 20 points greater. Solar flux for the past few days has edged above 130, and the prediction for September 26-29, Friday through Monday is for flux values of 135, 130, 130 and 125. Frantisek K. Janda, OK1HH, of the Czech Propagation Interest Group reports that except for October 13-17, the upcoming weeks will have quieter geomagnetic conditions than have prevailed over the past five months. This is the weekend of the CQ WW RTTY DX Contest, and currently the interplanetary magnetic field points south. This means that earth is susceptible to blasts of energy from the sun. Currently a solar wind is flowing from a coronal hole on the sun, so predicted planetary A index for Friday through Monday, September 26-29 is 15, 30, 20 and 15. Saturday might be a bit rough for the contest, but hope for change. The sunspot count this week turned out to be higher than we thought last week, another example of things changing. The season changed from summer to fall in the Northern Hemisphere on Tuesday, and from winter to spring in the Southern Hemisphere. Around the equinox is a great time for worldwide DX, because all parts of the earth are bathed equally in the sun`s energy. When it is summer in one hemisphere, the maximum usable frequency (MUF) is lower during the day, so 10 through 15 meters are affected. At that same time, the other half of the earth has winter, and the ionosphere over that region is exposed to a lot less radiation from the sun. At the equinox, winter or spring, the MUF is higher and the whole world is affected the same. For more information on propagation and an explanation of the numbers used in this bulletin see the Propagation page on the ARRL Web site, http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/propagation.html Sunspot numbers for September 18 through 24 were 92, 71, 72, 64, 91, 133 and 121, with a mean of 92. 10.7 cm flux was 109.2, 111.1, 111.9, 119.9, 122.6, 124.9 and 133.5, with a mean of 119. Estimated planetary A indices were 40, 32, 25, 21, 18, 17 and 33, with a mean of 26.6. Copyright © 2003, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved (via John Norfolk, DXLD) CUMBRE PROPAGATION REPORT Flare activity has again been low over the past week. Coronal hole effects have again been the dominant feature causing the earth's geomagnetic field to be at active/minor storm levels Sep 20-21 then declining to unsettled/active for the rest of the period. The A-index today was 30 but is forecast to decline over the next 3 days. MUFs are forecast to be depressed at times on Sep 28-29 and possibly poor conditions extending through until Oct 2. Prepared with data from http://www.ips.gov.au (Richard Jary, SA, Sept 26, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ###