DX LISTENING DIGEST 3-187, October 22, 2003 edited by Glenn Hauser IMPORTANT NOTE: our hotmail accounts are being phased out. Please do not use them any further, but instead woradio at yahoo.com or wghauser at yahoo.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 [note change] http://www.w4uvh.net/dxldtd3j.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 1204: WWCR: Thu 2030 on 15825, Sat 1030, Sun 0230 on 5070, 0630 on 3210, Wed 1030 on 9475 RFPI: Sat 0130, 0800, 2330, Sun 0530, 1130, Mon 0030, 0630, 1230, Wed 0100, 0730 on 7445 [times nominal, subject to great variation] WRMI: Sat 1800+ on 15725 WBCQ: Mon 0515 on 7415, 5105 WRN : Rest of world Sat 0800, Europe Sun 0530, North America Sun 1500 WRN ONDEMAND [from Fri]: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also for CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL]: Check http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html WORLD OF RADIO 1204 (high version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1204h.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1204h.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1204.html [from Thu] WORLD OF RADIO 1204 (low version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1204.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1204.rm MUNDO RADIAL - El informe DX mensual de Glenn Hauser, en el aire desde el 21 de octubre en WWCR 15825: martes 2130, miércoles 2100, viernes 2115; pero a partir del 28 de oct, 9475 y una hora más tarde. Además: Escuchar en dos partes, corriente: http://www.w4uvh.net/mr0310a.ram http://www.w4uvh.net/mr0310b.ram Escuchar en dos pates, bajable: http://www.w4uvh.net/mr0310a.rm http://www.w4uvh.net/mr0310b.rm Guión: http://www.worldofradio.com/mr0310.html UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIAL Congratulations & welcome back! I use the data that both you & Glen[n] publish all the time. It`s really great to have such info available for us SWL's almost on a daily basis. I have been an SWL since the early 50's. There is no way that the SWL community will ever be able to properly thank Glen Hauser for his timeless efforts in reporting the "World of Radio" to all of us. Thanks to both of you! Sincerely yours, (Stephen E. Foisey (WPE1IC) KB1EWF, to John Norfolk) And thank you for your kind words! (John Norfolk) THORD KNUTSSON Amigos, tive contato frequente com Thord Knuttson (editor do WRTH para o Brasil) durante alguns anos por causa da contribuição habitual que prestava a ele com informações atualizadas sobre emissoras brasileiras de ondas médias e curtas, tal como o fazia o Claudio Rotolo e o Djaci Franklin. Thord veio para o Paraguai há uns 2 meses, e voltamos a nos comunicar depois de seu retorno. Repentinamente, ocorreu o silencio. Não me pronunciei antes, mas no dia 15 de outubro, recebi um email pessoal da esposa e do filho, noticiando o seu falecimento em 8 de outubro. O que mais me sensibilizou é que ele pediu que a familia me enviasse um livro, e no email a esposa e o filho escrevem: "Por favor, lembre-se sempre de Thord quando receber este livro". Triste. Não tive oportunidade de conhece-lo pessoalmente durante os anos em que mantivemos contato, mas, tivemos uma amizade muito boa, tratando inclusive de temas que não eram de rádio apenas. Uma perda muito mais significativa do que imaginamos. Um abraço a todos, e a lembrança deste grande amigo, (Rudolf Grimm, São Bernardo, SP, radioescutas via DXLD) Rudolf e demais amigos, Ficamos muito chateados com o passamento de Thord Knutsson. Logo após o lançamento da primeira edição da Lista de Ondas Médias ele nos remeteu uma vasta lista de correções, demonstrando um espírito de cooperação fora do normal. Os amigos que já baixaram a segunda edição da lista poderão observar o nome de Knutsson na lista de colaboradores. Uma grande perda, sem dúvida. 73 (Caio Fernandes Lopes, ibid.) ** AFGHANISTAN. According to a report in The Times October 20th, the Taliban insurgents have set up mobile radio stations along the Pakistani border that broadcast their propaganda messages. These stations often operate from mosques during the evenings (Mike Barraclough, Letchworth, UK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WTFK??? ** AUSTRALIA. I was at Cooktown last week 14th October, which is 250 km north of Cairns in far north Queensland, using an ICOM R75 and 150 metres of wire running off a car battery. A request from ARDS 5050 kc/s for a reception report from Dale Chesson --- anyway the signal was poor to fair level only. After 0800 UT which is 6 pm local time. The signal is apparently directed towards the east of Darwin ex (Humpty doo), and they initially thought that they would get a good signal into Far North Queensland. Well, this is not the case. Regards (John Wright, ARDXC, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRIA. Noticia extraida de la Lista Noticias DX, preparada por los colegas españoles: Según nos informa Manuel Aletrino, el próximo 2 de Enero de 2004 RADIO AUSTRIA INTERNACIONAL volverá a emitir un programa diario en español de cinco minutos. En principio las frecuencias serán las habituales, aunque falta por confirmar las horas. Atentos pues a las 2030 UT, por 5945 y 6155 kHz, últimos datos de su emisión hacia España. Información de Francisco Rubio (via Arnaldo Slaen, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** BELGIUM [and non]. About the new RVI schedule. I noticed that 13790 is included on the DTK list. About DAB Klassiek: this is nonstop classical music from the digital audio service (Silvain Domen, Belgium, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. Some deputies and senators want to do away with the fixed schedule of Voz do Brasil, an hour at 2200/2100 UT, transforming it into spots of 1.5 to 3 minutes, which would be circulated to the some 3000 radio stations in the country, according to Folha de São Paulo via Sarmento Campos (Célio Romais, @tividade DX) Show has already been modernized. A lot of interior stations relay by picking it up on other stations. Only about 700 of them could get it via internet, studies show (SRDXC News)(SWBC Global Forum, Dec MONITORING TIMES via DXLD) ** CZECH REPUBLIC [and non]. RADIO PRAGUE - WINTER PERIOD 2003/2004 Program UTC kHz m kW Area CZECH 0930 - 0957 11600 25 100 SW Europe 21745 13 100 E Africa/ Mi East 1030 - 1057 21745 13 100/100 S Asia/ W Africa 1200 - 1227 11640 25 100 N Europe 21745 13 100 S Asia/ Australia 1330 - 1357 6055 49 100 C Europe 7345 41 100 W Europe 1430 - 1457 21745 13 100/100 E Africa/ N America 1630 - 1657 5930 49 100 W Europe 17485 16 100 C&W Africa 1830 - 1857 5930 49 100 W Europe 9415 31 100 Asia/ Australia 2030 - 2057 5930 49 100 W Europe 9430 31 100 S&E Asia/ Australia 2200 - 2227 5930 49 100 SW Europe (S America) 9435 31 100 S America/SW Europe 0030 - 0057 5915 49 100 S America 7345 41 100 N America 0230 - 0257 6200 49 100 N America 7345 41 200 S America 0330 - 0357 6200 49 100 N America 7345 41 100 GERMAN 0730 - 0757 5930 49 100 W Europe 7345 41 100 Europe 1100 - 1127 7345 41 100 C Europe 9880 31 100 W Europe 1300 - 1329 6055 49 100 C Europe 7345 41 100 W Europe 1600 - 1627 5930 49 100 W Europe 1730 - 1757 ** 5990 49 250 W Europe ENGLISH 0800 - 0827 7345 41 100 NW Europe 9880 31 100 1000 - 1029 21745 13 100/100 S Asia/ W Africa 1130 - 1157 11640 25 100 N Europe 21745 13 100 E Africa/ Mi East 1400 - 1429 21745 13 100/100 E Africa/ N America 1700 - 1727 5930 49 100 NW Europe 17485 16 100 C&W Africa 1800 - 1827 5930 49 100 NW Europe 9415 31 100 Asia/ Australia 2100 - 2127 5930 49 100 NW Europe (N America) 9430 31 100 S&E Asia/ Australia 2230 - 2257 7345 41 100 N America 9435 31 100 W Africa 2330 - 2357 5915 49 100 N America 7345 41 100 0100 - 0127 6200 49 100 N America 7345 41 100 0200 - 0227 6200 49 100 N America 7345 41 200 0400 - 0427 6200 49 100 N America 7345 41 100 0430 - 0457 9865 31 100 Mi East/ SW Asia 11600 25 100 [part of English schedule on WOR 1204] SPANISH 0900 - 0927 11600 25 100 SW Europe 15255 19 100 1500 - 1527 11600 25 100 SW Europe 13580 22 100 1900 - 1927 5930 49 100 SW Europe 9430 31 100 2000 - 2027 5930 49 100 SW Europe 9430 31 100 2130 - 2157 5930 49 100 SW Europe (SAmerica) 9435 31 100 0000 - 0027 5915 49 100 S America 7345 41 100 * 11665 25 250 [* Ascension] 0130 - 0157 6200 49 100 C America 7345 41 100 0300 - 0327 6200 49 100 C America 7345 41 200 S America FRENCH 0700 - 0727 5930 49 100 W Europe 7345 41 100 SW Europe 0830 - 0857 9880 31 100 W Europe 11600 25 100 SW Europe 1730 - 1757 5930 49 100 W Europe 17485 16 100 C Africa 1930 - 1957 5930 49 100 W Europe 9430 31 100 SW Europe/NW Africa 2300 - 2327 5915 49 100 N America 7345 41 100 RUSSIAN 0500 - 0527 684 438 20 St Petersburg 6055 49 100 E Europe 11600 25 100 E Europe / SW Asia 1230 - 1257 6055 49 100 E Europe 21745 13 100 E Europe / SW Asia 1530 - 1557 11975 25 100 E Europe 13580 22 100 E Europe / SW Asia 1630 - 1657 *** 5850 49 250 E Europe Transmitters at Litomyöl 16E10 49N48 * Relayed via Ascension, 14W23 07S54 ** Relayed via Krasnodar, 39E00 45N02 *** Relayed via Novosibirsk, 82E58 55N04 All programmes listed in the shortwave schedule with the exception of Czech at 1630 UT and French at 1730 can be heard in Europe from the Eurobird 1 satellite, 28.5 deg. East, Transponder F3, 12.607 GHz, Polarisation: horizontal, Symbol rate: 27.5 Ms SATELLITE TRANSMISSIONS via World Radio Network Program UTC Satellite ENGLISH 1000 - 1030 Eutelsat Hotbird 5, 13 deg. East, 12.597 GHz for Transponder 94, Vertical, 27500 Msym/s Europe FEC 3/4, DVB MPEG2 Select Audio Channel WRN English ENGLISH 1000 - 1030 Astra 2, 28deg. East for SKY digital EPG channel 872 UK & Ireland ENGLISH 0300 - 0330 Telstar 5, 97deg. West, 12.177 GHz for Transponder 27, Vertical, 23000 Msym/s N.America FEC 2/3, DVB MPEG2 Select Audio Channel WRN Eng (English) SPANISH 1700 - 1730 Telstar 5, 97deg. West, 12.177 GHz for Transponder 27, Vertical, 23000 Msym/s N.America FEC 2/3, DVB MPEG2 Select Audio Channel WRN Mul (Multilingual) 1300 - 1329 Astra 1B, 19deg. East, 11.612 GHz GERMAN 1600 - 1629 Transponder 27 (MTV Deutsch), Horizontal for Audio Subcarrier 7.38 MHz Europe 1300 - 1329 Eutelsat Hotbird 5, 13 deg. East, 12.597 GHz 1600 - 1629 Transponder 94, Vertical, 27500 Msym/s FEC 3/4, DVB MPEG2 Select Audio Channel WRN Deutsch For transmission times and details of other Radio Prague programmes on WRN see: http://www.wrn.org/listeners/schedules/ LOCAL AM TRANSMISSIONS Program UTC kHz m Area SPANISH 1110 - 1129 1071 280 H. Kr lovÈ - E. Bohemia FRENCH 1130 - 1159 Mor. Budejovice - S. Moravia RUSSIAN 1200 - 1229 1233 243 Zbraslav - C. Bohemia ENGLISH 1230 - 1300 Ostrava - N. Moravia ENGLISH 1830 - 1859 Brno - S. Moravia Mon - Fri Jihlava - S.W. Moravia GERMAN 1900 - 1930 1287 233 C. Budejovice, Strakonice - S. Boh. ENGLISH 1930 - 2000 Karlovy Vary - W. Bohemia Sat & Sun Plzen - W. Bohemia Liberec - N. Bohemia Litomyöl - E. Bohemia/W. Moravia Valid: 26 October 2003 - 27 March 2004 UTC = Greenwich Mean Time (Andreas Volk, ADDX via Wolfgang Bueschel via Mike Barraclough, Letchworth, UK; also via Daniel Wylie via Dan Sampson, DXLD) ** FRANCE. RFI correspondent killed: see IVORY COAST ** FRANCE. The last thing the new satellite broadcaster Chai TV wants to be called is "the Jewish CNN" or "the Jewish answer to al-Jazeera". True, the Paris-based channel, set to launch early next year, calls itself "The Missing Link" for the Jewish diaspora worldwide. And it plans to focus on news from the Middle East and carry films about Jewish life and history. Its name -- "chai" -- is the Hebrew word for "life". There will be no live broadcasting on the Sabbath. But the strictly Jewish links stop there, said Daniel Maillot, its senior vice president. Chai TV is not an extension of Israeli television, is not religious and will not broadcast in Hebrew or Yiddish, but in English and French. So how can a television with a Hebrew name and a lot of Jewish content not be considered a "Jewish channel"? The clue to the puzzle lies in the fact this is also a French project, as much French as it is Jewish. Behind it lies a French view of news, Jews and the Middle East that might not match the way its viewers on the ground see the same issues. Chai TV, brainchild of Polish-French cosmetics entrepreneur Michel Silber, plans to broadcast seven hours of news per day, with the remaining airtime focusing on documentaries, films and entertainment with mostly Jewish and French themes. It will start with blocks of news in the morning, midday and evening, alternating between English and French, but hopes to establish two separate channels soon after its launch. (Reuters via SCDX/MediaScan Oct 22 via DXLD) ** GERMANY [and non] DW`s only B-03 English broadcast to NAm is DRM: 2200-2230 9800 via Sackville. We pick a few analogs to elsewhere which should be audible here: 0400-0500 C&EAf 9710 Germany, 9545 Rwanda; 0500-0600 C&SAf 9565 & 12045 Rwanda, 11805 Germany, 15410 UAE; 0600-0700 WAf 7225 Portugal and/or Germany, 11785 Germany, 15410 Rwanda; 1600-1700 SAs 11695 Germany; 1900-2000 EAf 11865 & 13590 Germany; 2000-2100 C&SAf 13590 & 15205 Germany; 2100-2200 WAf 9615 Germany, 15410 Rwanda. From experience, the last one should be best, aimed inadvertently at NAm beyond WAf (Glenn Hauser, SWBC Global Forum, Dec MONITORING TIMES via WORLD OF RADIO 1203, DXLD) VOR relays on MW: see RUSSIA [non] ** GUAM. KTWR QSL Address: Here is the address given to me by Jeff, KH2UZ: KTWR, P. O. Box 8780, Agat, Guam 96928 This address is their personal one in which all their regular mail goes to and as I was told if you send them another QSL request they will honor it and will respond. Jeff pulled out a stack of Old QSLs that were collecting dust and handed a few to me. One has a picture of the site, taken on there 20th anniversary. Which was in 1997. Hope it works for you guys who have been looking for QSL'S and as mentioned to me before the Frequency engineer was looking for info from ones who are listening (Larry Fields, n6hpx/du1, Oct 22, Guam island till the 27th, swl at qth.net via DXLD) ** INDIA. Dear Friends, One Day International Cricket matches of the Triangular Series between India, Australia and New Zealand will be held in India on the following dates: October 23, 26, 29 November 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 (Note: October 23, 26 November 1, 16, 12, 15, 18 are Day & Night Matches.) As usual all stations of All India Radio will relay its running commentary and so there will be extended schedules on MW, SW & FM. It has been observed that the running commentary broadcast on SW are different from those broadcast on MW/FM! As informed earlier, the 1st Afro Asian Games will be held in Hyderabad from Oct 24 to Nov. 1, 2003. AIR will have many special broadcasts on those days also. ===== (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS/AT0J, National Institute of Amateur Radio, Box 1555, Somajiguda, Hyderabad 500082, India, Oct 22, dx_india via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. Dear Mike, Thanks very much for your message. We have, in fact, begun making frequent announcements regarding future encryption plans, and are also at work--- as you suggest --- on a "preview" channel that will provide this kind of information. Additionally, a website re-design is underway. I hope this will meet your needs and those of others who will need these updates, and I hope you will continue to enjoy listening to Radio Caroline and WorldSpace. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts with us. Best regards, Rick Lewis Vice President, Business Development WorldSpace Corp. 2400 N Street, NW Washington, DC 20037 USA rlewis @ WorldSpace.com Tel: 202.969.6151 Mobile: 202.262.0233 http://www.WorldSpace.com (via Mike Terry, Oct 21, DXLD) ** IRELAND [non]. RTE schedule from their website. There is no change from the listed summer frequencies. The Winter frequencies will come into effect on the 26th October 2003 as follows: 21630 kHz (Africa) 1830-1900 UT 15280 kHz (SE Asia, including Australia) 1000-1030 UT 6155 kHz (Central America) 0130-0200 UT 13640 kHz (Canada and Eastern America) 1830-1900 UT 9850 kHz (Middle East) 1800-1830 UT Reception should be available outside the immediate target areas (Daniel Sampson, Prime Time Shortwave, 10/20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAEL. From 01 January 2004, the Overseas Network (Reshet Hey) will cease transmission. The English, French and Persian services will be interlaced into the Hebrew (Reshet Bet) network. All other language services for Overseas will be discontinued. Frequency Manager Engineering & Planning Division Radio & Television Broadcasting Section mosheor@bezeq.com B-03 AMENDED 26-10-03 to 31-12-03 Language UTC=GMT Primary Target kHz [Hebrew includes news from TV channel 1] Hebrew 0500-1900 N America/W Europe 15760 Hebrew 0600-1900 N America/W Europe 17535 Hebrew 1900-2400 N America/W Europe 9390 Hebrew 0000-0600 N America/W Europe 7545 Hebrew 1900-0500 N America/W Europe 9345 Hebrew 1700-0430 N America/W Europe 11585 Hebrew 0430-0600 N America/W Europe 11590 Hebrew 2100-2215 S America/S Europe 15640 Mabat 1900-1950 S America/S Europe 15640 Hebrew 1730-1800 N America/W Europe 17545\11605 (Aleph) Arabic 0400-2215 Middle East 5915 [@@ = 6280 in use 15.12.03 to 28.2.04] English 0500-0515 N America/W Europe 9435\11605 7475@@\6280@@ English N Africa/S America/Australia 17600 English 1110-1120 W Europe 15640\17545 English 1800-1815 N America/W Europe 17545\11605 English 2000-2030 N America/W Europe 13720\9435\11605 7520@@\6280@@ English S Africa 15640 [English portion on WOR 1204] [@@ = 6280 in use 15.12.03 to 28.2.04] French 0515-0530 N America/W Europe 9435\11605 7475@@\6280@@ French 1100-1110 N America/W Europe 15640\17545 French 1630-1645 N America/W Europe 1160517545 S Europe/N Africa 15640 French 2030-2045 N America/W Europe 13720\11605\9435 7520@@\6280@@ W Africa 15640 Ladino – (Sat only) 1600-1625 S America 17525 S Europe/N Africa 15640 N America/W Europe 17545 Spanish 1120-1130 N America/W Europe 15640\17545 [@@ = 6280 in use 15.12.03 to 28.2.04] Spanish 2045-2100 N America/W Europe 13720\11605\9435 7520@@\6280@@ Spanish S America 15640 Ladino 1645-1655 N America/W Europe 11605\17545 S Europe/C America 15640 Russian 1830-2000 Russia 9435\11605 @@ = When Conditions Meet Requirement [whatever that may mean] Persian 1500-1625 IRAN 13850@@ 9985 Persian (Sun-Thu) IRAN 15640@@ 11605 17525@@ Persian N America/W Europe 17545 Persian 1500-1600 IRAN 13850@@ 9985 Persian (Fri&Sat) IRAN 15640@@ 11605 17525@@ Persian N America/W Europe 17545 Yiddish 1700-1725 Europe [no frequency on this line] Yiddish N America/W Europe 15640 Romanian 1725-1745 Romania 9435 N America/W Europe 15640 Hungarian 1745-1800 C Europe 9435 N America/W Europe 15640 SATELLITE INFO: 75 degrees - East - "LMI-1" Satellite (Israel Beam) TV-3 PAL Downlink Frequency (MHz) Horizontal Polarisation 6.60;7.20;7.56 IBA - TV sound (MHz) Radio Networks on Subcarrier Frequencies (MHz) Downlink Frequency (MHz) 7.38 Hebrew (Bet) 7.92 Arabic (Dalet) 8.10 Gimel 7.74 Kol HaMusica 7.56 Alef Middle East Middle East Target Area UTC=GMT Local Time = UTC+2 @@ alternative frequencies For correspondence regarding reception problems, please write to: Raphael Kochanowski Director of Liaison & Coordination IBA - Kol Israel Radio P. O. Box 1082, Jerusalem 91010, Israel E-mail: raphaelk @ iba.org.il (gh edited from a spreadhseet via Moshe Oren and Doni Rosenzweig, Oct 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) One more note - I've been told that domestically, things will remain the way that they are. And, The Israel Radio Winter 2003-2004 shortwave schedule is now available at: http://israelradio.org/sw.htm (Doni Rosenzweig, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAEL. SETTLER PIRATE RADIO STATION SHUTS DOWN http://bet.iba.org.il/index.asp?classto=betLanguage&lang=23 Arutz Sheva, Channel 7, the right-wing settler radio station ceased its broadcasts on Monday afternoon. This followed a decision by the Jerusalem magistrates court to convict all the directors and workers -- broadcastsers and engineers as well as the captain of the boat which transmitted the signal -- for broadcasting a pirate station. The group was convicted of transmitting from a boat within Israeli territorial waters, and from locations in the West Bank, without the required government permits. One of the station's directors, Yaacov Katz, has also been charged with giving false testimony. He claimed the station was broadcasting from a boat stationed outside Israel's territorial waters. Sentencing is scheduled for November 18th. Arutz Sheva announced it would continue to broadcast on the internet. The Yesha Council of Settlements released a statement expressing," ...deep sorrow over the fact that a group of idealistic citizens have found themselves defined as criminals." 21.10.2003 09:39 --------- (via Doni Rosenzweig, DXLD) ** IVORY COAST. RFI REND HOMMAGE A JEAN HELENE, SON ENVOYE SPECIAL PERMANENT EN COTE D'IVOIRE, TUE PAR BALLE MARDI SOIR PARIS (AP) -- Radio France Internationale est en deuil. La radio a annoncé la mort de Jean Hélène, son envoyé special permanent en Côte d'Ivoire, tué par balle mardi soir à Abidjan a 23h (heure locale). "Cette nouvelle a plongé toute la rédaction de RFI dans la stupeur et a consternation", a declaré a l'antenne de la radio Jerôme Bouvier, directeur de la rédaction. "C`était un amoureux fou de l'Afrique. Nous aimions tous cette folie et cette passion". Jean Hélène a apparemment été tué par "un homme en uniforme a proximité du siège de la police nationale", a-t-il precisé. "Il attendait la sortie de 11 militants de l'opposition qui venaient d'être remis en liberté par la police après plusieurs jours de garde a vue (...) C'est a ce moment, sans qu'on en connaisse le motif, qu'il aurait été abattu", a expliqué le directeur de la rédaction. Gilles Schneider, directeur général delegué chargé des antennes et de l'informations, depuis Dakar ou il preparait une émission speciale prevue mercredi et évidemment annulée, a expliqué que le journaliste avait été tué "d'une balle dans le dos, lachement assassiné par un soi-disant homme de l'ordre". M. Schneider, ainsi qu'Alain le Gouguec, chef du service Afrique, également présent a Dakar mardi, se rendront mercredi sur place à Abidjan, a-t-on appris auprès de RFI. Jean Hélène est né en 1953 à Mulhouse, et etait devenu un collaborateur de Radio France Internationale en tant que pigiste en 1988. Amoureux de l'Afrique, il a integré la rédaction en 1998 en tant que journaliste specialisé avant de partir pour Libreville, au Gabon, en tant qu'envoyé special permanent à partir de novembre 1999. Il ainsi couvert les guerres du Rwanda, de République democratique du Congo, de Somalie et du Libéria. De retour pour une année en France en tant que rédacteur en chef et chef du service Afrique entre 2001 et 2002, il avait decidé de repartir sur le terrain, à Abidjan, de nouveau envoyé special permanent de RFI depuis le 1er avril de cette année. AP (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) CÔTE D`IVOIRE/FRANCE: RFI PAYS TRIBUTE TO ITS CORRESPONDENT SHOT DEAD BY POLICEMAN | Text of report by Radio France Internationale on 22 October One of RFI's greatest voices fell in Abidjan yesterday evening. Jean Helene was murdered in front of the national police headquarters, in the Ivorian capital. Jean Helene was only doing his job as a journalist, with a neutrality recognized by all. He was waiting for the release of some Rally of Republicans [RDR] activists. He had just finished interviewing them when a policeman shot him dead. He received two bullets in the back. The person who shot him was arrested, and he is currently undergoing questioning at the police headquarters. French President Jacques Chirac expressed his emotion at the news. He has asked the Ivorian authorities to get to the bottom of this murder. Jean Helene was one of RFI's greatest correspondents. He was not only always on the scene but he was also a man with a good heart, according to a friend, Jean Pascal Guillot. [Guillot] You listeners know Jean Helene as a journalist who has been everywhere in Africa; an impartial observer who was never impressed, and who died because of that. You know how calm he always was, how disinterested, a personality that perfectly matched such a scrupulous job. Jean Helene was an honest man. He used to ask questions, and to also question himself. Those with partisan and sectarian views and fanatics of all sorts did not like him. His commitment to rigorous journalism came from moral values inherited from his Alsatian Protestant education. He used to enjoy life, travelling, scenery and people. Jean Helene was very tender towards women. He knew how to appreciate both African sculptures and Italian monuments. He used to like wine and good food. His endurance and physical courage came from taking part in sports; he had a passion for football. Jean Helene was a good guy. His discretion, his kindness, made him great. [Announcer] Christian Baldensperger, alias Jean Helene was a good man. He had spent more than 12 years in Africa. Source: Radio France Internationale, Paris, in French 0730 gmt 22 Oct 03 (via BBCM via WORLD OF RADIO 1204, DXLD) ** JAPAN [non]. NHK Warudo R. Japan, B-03: UTC LANGUAGE KHZ SITE TARGET 0000-0015 ENGLISH 13650 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 0000-0015 ENGLISH 17810 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 0000-0100 ENGLISH 6145 SACKVILLE - CANADA NE AMERICA 0100-0200 ENGLISH 11860 KRANJI - SINGAPORE SE ASIA 0100-0200 ENGLISH 11880 EKALA - SRI LANKA ME / NAF 0100-0200 ENGLISH 15325 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SW ASIA 0100-0200 ENGLISH 17560 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ME / NAF 0100-0200 ENGLISH 17685 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN OCEANIA 0100-0200 ENGLISH 17810 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 0100-0200 ENGLISH 17825 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN N AM 0100-0200 ENGLISH 17825 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN C AM 0100-0200 ENGLISH 17835 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN S AM 0100-0200 ENGLISH 17845 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ASIA 0300-0400 ENGLISH 21610 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN OCEANIA 0500-0600 ENGLISH 5975 UNITED KINGDOM EUROPE 0500-0600 ENGLISH 6110 SACKVILLE - CANADA NW AMERICA 0500-0600 ENGLISH 11715 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN FE RUSSIA 0500-0600 ENGLISH 11760 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ASIA 0500-0600 ENGLISH 17810 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 0500-0700 ENGLISH 7230 UNITED KINGDOM EUROPE 0500-0700 ENGLISH 15195 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ASIA 0500-0700 ENGLISH 21755 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN OCEANIA 0600-0700 ENGLISH 11690 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN N AM 0600-0700 ENGLISH 11690 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN C AM 0600-0700 ENGLISH 11740 KRANJI - SINGAPORE SE ASIA 0600-0700 ENGLISH 17870 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN HAWAII 1000-1100 ENGLISH 17585 AL DHABBIYA - UAE EUROPE 1000-1100 ENGLISH 21755 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN OCEANIA 1000-1200 ENGLISH 6120 SACKVILLE - CANADA NE AMERICA 1000-1200 ENGLISH 9695 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 1000-1200 ENGLISH 11730 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ASIA 1400-1500 ENGLISH 11840 MONTSINERY - FRENCH GUYANA OCEANIA 1400-1500 ENGLISH 17755 EKALA - SRI LANKA ME / NAF 1400-1600 ENGLISH 7200 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 1400-1600 ENGLISH 9845 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SW ASIA 1500-1600 ENGLISH 9505 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN N AM 1500-1600 ENGLISH 9505 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN C AM 1500-1600 ENGLISH 9750 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ASIA 1700-1800 ENGLISH 9535 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN N AM 1700-1800 ENGLISH 9535 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN C AM 1700-1800 ENGLISH 11970 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN EUROPE 1700-1800 ENGLISH 15355 MOYABI - GABON SOUTH AFRICA 2100-2200 ENGLISH 6090 UNITED KINGDOM EUROPE 2100-2200 ENGLISH 6180 UNITED KINGDOM EUROPE 2100-2200 ENGLISH 11855 ASCENSION ISLAND C AFRICA 2100-2200 ENGLISH 11920 KRANJI - SINGAPORE OCEANIA 2100-2200 ENGLISH 17825 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN N AM 2100-2200 ENGLISH 21670 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN HAWAII [English portion extracted by gh; portions via WORLD OF RADIO 1204] 0400-0430 SPANISH 9660 MONTSINERY - FRENCH GUYANA SW AMERICA 0500-0530 SPANISH 11895 MONTSINERY - FRENCH GUYANA C AM 0500-0530 SPANISH 11915 MOYABI - GABON EUROPE 1000-1030 SPANISH 9540 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN C AM 1000-1030 SPANISH 9710 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN S AM 1000-1030 SPANISH 15590 MONTSINERY - FRENCH GUYANA SE AMERICA 1820-1840 SPANISH 11970 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN EUROPE [emisions en castellano extraídas por ggh; los demás idiomas:] 0200-0300 JAPANESE 11860 KRANJI - SINGAPORE SE ASIA 0200-0300 JAPANESE 17835 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN S AM 0200-0300 JAPANESE 17845 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ASIA 0200-0400 JAPANESE 5960 SACKVILLE - CANADA N AM 0200-0400 JAPANESE 15325 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SW ASIA 0200-0400 JAPANESE 17560 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ME / NAF 0200-0400 JAPANESE 17685 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN OCEANIA 0200-0400 JAPANESE 17825 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN N AM 0200-0400 JAPANESE 17825 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN C AM 0200-0500 JAPANESE 15195 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ASIA 0200-0500 JAPANESE 17810 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 0230-0300 PERSIAN 17780 EKALA - SRI LANKA ME / NAF 0230-0300 PORTUGUESE 15565 MONTSINERY - FRENCH GUYANA SE AMERICA 0300-0400 JAPANESE 9660 MONTSINERY - FRENCH GUYANA S AM 0300-0400 JAPANESE 11890 EKALA - SRI LANKA SW ASIA 0300-0400 JAPANESE 17780 EKALA - SRI LANKA ME / NAF 0330-0400 RUSSIAN 17845 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ASIA 0330-0400 SWAHILI 6135 ASCENSION ISLAND C AFRICA 0400-0430 ARABIC 17780 EKALA - SRI LANKA ME / NAF 0400-0430 ARABIC 17780 EKALA - SRI LANKA AFRICA 0400-0430 CHINESE 17845 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ASIA 0430-0500 KOREAN 17845 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ASIA 0430-0500 RUSSIAN 11915 MOYABI - GABON EUROPE 0500-0530 CHINESE 17845 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ASIA 0500-0530 FRENCH 17820 EKALA - SRI LANKA ME / NAF 0530-0545 ITALIAN 11915 MOYABI - GABON EUROPE 0530-0600 KOREAN 17845 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ASIA 0545-0600 SWEDISH 11915 MOYABI - GABON EUROPE 0600-0630 CHINESE 17860 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 0600-0630 GERMAN 11915 MOYABI - GABON EUROPE 0600-0630 RUSSIAN 11715 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN FE RUSSIA 0600-0630 RUSSIAN 11760 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN FE RUSSIA 0630-0700 BENGALI 11890 EKALA - SRI LANKA SW ASIA 0630-0700 BENGALI 15590 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SW ASIA 0630-0700 FRENCH 11915 MOYABI - GABON EUROPE 0700-0730 ARABIC 15220 ASCENSION ISLAND ME / EAF 0700-0730 ARABIC 15220 ASCENSION ISLAND WEST AFRICA 0700-0730 HINDI 11890 EKALA - SRI LANKA SW ASIA 0700-0730 HINDI 15590 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SW ASIA 0700-0800 JAPANESE 6145 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ASIA 0700-0800 JAPANESE 6165 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ASIA 0700-0800 JAPANESE 15195 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ASIA 0700-0800 JAPANESE 17870 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN HAWAII 0700-0900 JAPANESE 17860 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 0700-1000 JAPANESE 11740 KRANJI - SINGAPORE SE ASIA 0700-1000 JAPANESE 11920 KRANJI - SINGAPORE OCEANIA 0700-1000 JAPANESE 21755 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN OCEANIA 0730-0800 URDU 11890 EKALA - SRI LANKA SW ASIA 0730-0800 URDU 15590 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SW ASIA 0800-0830 RUSSIAN 6145 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN FE RUSSIA 0800-0830 RUSSIAN 6165 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN FE RUSSIA 0800-1000 JAPANESE 9530 MONTSINERY - FRENCH GUYANA S AM 0800-1000 JAPANESE 9540 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN N AM 0800-1000 JAPANESE 9540 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN C AM 0800-1000 JAPANESE 9825 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN S AM 0800-1000 JAPANESE 9825 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN HAWAII 0800-1000 JAPANESE 11710 UNITED KINGDOM EUROPE 0800-1000 JAPANESE 15590 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SW ASIA 0800-1000 JAPANESE 17650 ASCENSION ISLAND AFRICA 0800-1000 JAPANESE 17720 AL DHABBIYA - UAE ME / NAF 0800-1500 JAPANESE 9750 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ASIA 0830-0900 PERSIAN 17675 EKALA - SRI LANKA ME / NAF 0900-1500 JAPANESE 11815 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 0930-1000 INDONESIAN 9695 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 1030-1045 ITALIAN 21820 MOYABI - GABON EUROPE 1030-1100 BURMESE 11740 KRANJI - SINGAPORE SE ASIA 1030-1100 PORTUGUESE 15590 MONTSINERY - FRENCH GUYANA SE AMERICA 1045-1100 SWEDISH 21820 MOYABI - GABON EUROPE 1100-1130 GERMAN 9660 UNITED KINGDOM EUROPE 1100-1130 GERMAN 11710 UNITED KINGDOM EUROPE 1100-1130 KOREAN 6090 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ASIA 1100-1130 VIETNAMESE 13660 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 1130-1200 THAI 11740 KRANJI - SINGAPORE SE ASIA 1130-1200 INDONESIAN 13660 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 1130-1200 RUSSIAN 11710 UNITED KINGDOM EUROPE 1200-1230 CHINESE 6190 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ASIA 1200-1230 CHINESE 11740 KRANJI - SINGAPORE SE ASIA 1200-1230 MALAY 9695 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 1200-1230 MALAY 13660 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 1230-1300 BENGALI 11890 EKALA - SRI LANKA SW ASIA 1230-1300 BURMESE 9695 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 1230-1300 FRENCH 15400 ASCENSION ISLAND WEST AFRICA 1230-1300 FRENCH 17845 ASCENSION ISLAND C AFRICA 1230-1300 INDONESIAN 13660 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 1230-1300 KOREAN 6190 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ASIA 1230-1300 VIETNAMESE 11740 KRANJI - SINGAPORE SE ASIA 1300-1330 CHINESE 6190 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ASIA 1300-1330 HINDI 11890 EKALA - SRI LANKA SW ASIA 1300-1330 MALAY 9695 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 1300-1330 SWAHILI 17845 ASCENSION ISLAND C AFRICA 1300-1500 JAPANESE 11705 SACKVILLE - CANADA N AM 1330-1400 RUSSIAN 6190 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ASIA 1330-1400 THAI 7200 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 1330-1400 URDU 11890 EKALA - SRI LANKA SW ASIA 1400-1430 KOREAN 6190 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ASIA 1430-1500 CHINESE 6190 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ASIA 1500-1520 FRENCH 7190 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ME / NAF 1500-1700 JAPANESE 9535 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN N AM 1500-1700 JAPANESE 9535 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN C AM 1500-1700 JAPANESE 12045 KRANJI - SINGAPORE SW ASIA 1500-1700 JAPANESE 21630 ASCENSION ISLAND AFRICA 1600-1700 JAPANESE 9750 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ASIA 1600-1700 JAPANESE 9845 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SW ASIA 1600-1800 JAPANESE 7140 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN OCEANIA 1600-1900 JAPANESE 6035 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ASIA 1600-1900 JAPANESE 7200 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 1700-1800 JAPANESE 9750 UNITED KINGDOM EUROPE 1700-1800 JAPANESE 21600 MONTSINERY - FRENCH GUYANA S AM 1700-1900 JAPANESE 6175 UNITED KINGDOM EUROPE 1700-1900 JAPANESE 9835 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN S AM 1700-1900 JAPANESE 9835 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN HAWAII 1700-1900 JAPANESE 11880 EKALA - SRI LANKA ME / NAF 1800-1820 FRENCH 9685 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN AFRICA 1800-1820 FRENCH 11785 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN AFRICA 1800-1820 FRENCH 11970 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN EUROPE 1800-1900 JAPANESE 15355 MOYABI - GABON AFRICA 1840-1900 RUSSIAN 11970 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN EUROPE 1900-0000 JAPANESE 11665 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 1900-0000 JAPANESE 11910 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ASIA 1900-1920 RUSSIAN 5955 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN FE RUSSIA 1900-2000 JAPANESE 11675 EKALA - SRI LANKA OCEANIA 1900-2100 JAPANESE 6165 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ASIA 2000-2100 JAPANESE 11830 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN EUROPE 2000-2100 JAPANESE 11920 KRANJI - SINGAPORE OCEANIA 2000-2200 JAPANESE 7225 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 2200-2300 JAPANESE 6110 SACKVILLE - CANADA N AM 2200-2300 JAPANESE 6115 UNITED KINGDOM EUROPE 2200-2300 JAPANESE 11770 EKALA - SRI LANKA OCEANIA 2200-2300 JAPANESE 11895 MONTSINERY - FRENCH GUYANA C AM 2200-2300 JAPANESE 15220 ASCENSION ISLAND S AM 2200-2300 JAPANESE 17825 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN N AM 2200-2300 JAPANESE 17825 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN C AM 2210-2230 KOREAN 9560 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ASIA 2230-2250 CHINESE 9560 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN ASIA 2240-2300 CHINESE 13650 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 2240-2300 MALAY 17810 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 2300-0000 JAPANESE 17605 BONAIRE ISLAND S AM 2300-2320 INDONESIAN 17810 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 2300-2320 THAI 13650 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 2320-2340 BURMESE 13650 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 2320-2340 VIETNAMESE 17810 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 2340-0000 CHINESE 13630 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 2340-0000 CHINESE 17810 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA 2340-0000 INDONESIAN 13650 TOKYO/YAMATA - JAPAN SE ASIA (via Roberto Scaglione, BCLNews,it via DXLD) ** LIBERIA. RADIO JOURNALISTS TRY TO PICK UP THE PIECES UN Integrated Regional Information Networks ANALYSIS October 20, 2003 Monrovia To be ready for his live breakfast show "Infomix," radio presenter Adolphus Taylor has to sleep overnight at the offices of the state-run Liberian Broadcasting System (LBS). The generator cranks into action at 6.00 am, Taylor is on the air 30 minutes later, producing as well as presenting for a ramshackle studio. He rummages for the right casette and improves cheerfully when he puts on the wrong one. Early morning travel from his home in Monrovia is still unsafe in this country which is gradually emerging from the horrors of civil war. LBS has no vehicle to pick him up. "Once the courtyard here was flooded with cars and someone could come to pick me up at 04.00 GMT," Taylor told IRIN. "But that was before we were plunged into the nightmare of 14 years of war," he added. The war ended, at least officially, on 18 August, after former president Charles Taylor was forced by international pressure and an intense rebel advance on Monrovia, to resign and go to exile in Nigeria. The rebels, the remnants of Taylor's government and other interest groups agreed that an interim administration headed by businessman Gyude Bryant, should lead Liberia to fresh elections in 2005. And Bryant took power last week under the protection of a UN peacekeeping force that will eventually number 15,000 troops. Damaged transmitters and no pay for two years Now LBS journalists are trying to pick up the pieces. But the state broadcaster is in bad shape. It broadcasts to Monrovia on FM from a ramshackle studio in the eastern suburb of Paynesville, but lacks a working short-wave transmitter to reach the whole country. And its staff have not been paid for more than two years. Across town, Radio Veritas which is a few minute's walk from the United States Embassy, still shows signs of the effects of a 19 July mortar attack. Ledger Hood, who runs the station for the Roman Catholic church, told IRIN that damage from the shelling took Veritas off air for a month. Transmission resumed in August, but the station is yet to pay a US $7,000 bill for repairs on its short-wave antenna, which was hit by mortar fire. Other independent stations were simply shut down by former president Taylor, who dominated the airwaves with the radio stations of his privately own Liberian Communications Network (LCN)... http://allafrica.com/stories/200310200979.html (via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) We pick up the story below from BBCM --- RADIO STATIONS TRY TO RELAUNCH AFTER CIVIL WAR The UN regional information network IRIN has published a detailed report on the state of the radio sector in Liberia as the country embarks on national reconstruction after a lengthy civil war. The report describes conditions at the leading stations including the state-run Liberian Broadcasting System (LBS) and Radio Veritas, as well as the stations belonging to former president Charles Taylor's Liberian Communications Network (LCN). It also sums up the views of various Liberian journalists on the pros and cons of the UN setting up its own radio station in Liberia. Concerns about the future of broadcasting in Liberia, the article concludes, are overshadowed by more immediate priorities: paying staff, keeping the stations on the air and repairing damage inflicted by the fighting. The following is the text of the report by IRIN on 20 October; subheadings as published: [. . .] Star Radio, one of his first victims in Monrovia, was taken off the air in March 2000. And in June this year, Taylor shut down another six local radio stations in central Liberia as rebels fought their way into the capital's northern suburbs. They included Y-FM, Bright FM, Jet 89.9, the Voice of Kakata and the voice of YMCA. But the crackdown started well before then in the interior, as rebels took up arms again following Taylor's election as president in 1997. The few broadcasters that survived upcountry, such as Love FM in Buchanan, were directly backed by the president. The rebel attack on Monrovia earlier this year did not just damage Radio Veritas. The Liberia Institute of Journalism was forced to put its training programmes on hold after gunmen looted its computers. And Talking Drum Studios (TDS), which trains radio journalists and produces programmes that promote social harmony, had its studios on Bushrod Island looted bare. The operation, which is run by the US- based NGO Search for Common Ground, now produces just four programmes a week for broadcast by local stations instead of the 11 which it distributed previously. "We were in the battle zone," Talking Drum technical manager Paul Seidi said. "The looters hit the studio first, removing computers, mixers and monitors. Then they targeted the storeroom and stripped offices of furniture. The total losses came to around 150,000 dollars," he told IRIN. Meanwhile, many journalists found themselves on the run. In June, 25 journalists working in Monrovia were displaced from their homes by fighting. Others were robbed, abducted and tortured by both government fighters and rebels of the Liberian United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), according to the Media Foundation of West Africa (MFWA). "Journalists and human rights activists in Monrovia have been the worst victims of what appears to be the targeted and systematic looting, arson and rape of residents caught up in the raging conflict," Prof Kwame Karikari, MFWA's executive director said at the time. The media watchdog, Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF), placed Liberia 132nd out of the 166 countries listed in its latest world press freedom rankings, which were published on Monday [20 October]. RSF said Liberia was one of three African countries which had fallen sharply in the rankings over the past 12 months. The other two were Cote d'Ivoire (137th) and Guinea-Bissau (118th). RSF said war and serious political crises had impacted negatively on the press in all three countries. "Green snake in the green grass" LBS staff said during his six years in power, former president Taylor deliberately downgraded the state media, concentrating resources instead in his own LCN which included a television station, Kiss FM in Monrovia, and a chain of radios in the interior. "A lot of people were cheated," Max Willie, LBS deputy director said. "Everything that held this country down is of Charles Taylor's making. He was the green snake in the green grass." Some LBS journalists who had not seen a wage packet for 30 months told IRIN that they generated an income by soliciting payments from the individuals and organizations they interviewed. Not surprisingly, there was less bitterness against Taylor at Kiss FM, LCN's flagship station. It has continued broadcasting since his departure two months ago, but now the entire future of LCN is in doubt. Its TV station has been off air for months and a pro-Taylor newspaper, The Patriot, has folded. And eviction notices have been served on Kiss, ordering the radio station to vacate its premises. "Taylor was the chief sponsor of the entity," Kiss FM station manager Francis Dahn told IRIN. He made no apologies for running the former president's main mouthpiece for propaganda, saying times were difficult. "Every Liberian wanted a job," Dahn said. He accepted that Kiss's independence was always compromised, but denied that the station's reporters were pampered favourites. "Some guys were making as little as 20 US dollars (a month). People misunderstood us to be the big guys with the big bucks, but it was not like that," he said. Picking up the pieces Many Liberian journalists temper their optimism for the future by referring to the past. Those interviewed told IRIN that harassment of the media did not begin with Taylor and was unlikely to end with his departure. Samuel Doe, who seized power in a 1980 coup, but was brutally murdered 10 years later, introduced Decree 88A which gave the security forces carte blanche to clamp down on critics. And before him, presidents William Tolbert and William Tubman both manipulated the media. "We yearn for a time when you can say something and not be afraid of being picked up in the middle of the night," said Martin Browne, head of the independent radio station DC-101. His flagship programme "DC- Talk", a lively, hard-hitting discussion programme, was put on hold after a series of run-ins with Taylor's administration. DC-101 closed down by the fighting in Monrovia, which lasted from June to early August, but it is now back on the air. However, the station only broadcasts for 14 hours a day instead of the usual 18, and works off one generator rather than two. Monrovia has been without mains electricity for more than a decade. Browne anticipates an easier ride from Bryant's newly installed administration "because this government is not there to perpetuate itself". However, he warns that the climate could become more difficult in the build-up to the 2005 elections as political parties and their leaders try to manipulate the media as they jockey for positions. "It's a problem of leadership, a problem of governance," he said. However, for the time being, concerns about the future of broadcasting are overshadowed by more immediate priorities: paying staff, keeping the stations on the air and repairing damage inflicted by the fighting. According to Browne, the priority for a commercial station like DC-101 is to "just maintain a presence". Advertising rates have dropped to three US dollars for a 60-second spot. He warned that the station would go under if the economy does not pick up soon. Community radio stations must be independent Other Liberian journalists want community radio stations to be given priority. But James Morlu, a former station manager at Star Radio, believes that community radios will only be the answer to Liberia's broadcasting woes if they are both independent and credible. "Community radio stations are something to be looked into very carefully," he told IRIN. But he added: "If you don't have a good foundation, righting the wrongs becomes harder." According to Morlu, local radio stations allowed themselves to be manipulated easily by Taylor. "The same mistakes must not be made again. We want the media to be respected, but we have to know who is giving out information," he said. In the late 1980s, USAID funded the creation of a Liberian Rural Communications Network (LRCN), but the network was devastated by the civil war. Other smaller stations emerged in recent years manned by young, inexperienced staff. But some of them reached sizable audiences using home-made transmitters. With the end of the war, the arrival of a large UN peacekeeping force and an army of aid agencies, there is much talk of a fresh boom in local media activity. Vinnie Hodges, head of the Liberian Institute of Journalism, said the Institute wanted to set up its own radio station. And Morlu said Star Radio, which was previously backed by the Swiss Hirondelle Foundation, could return to the airwaves after an absence of three years, if donors prove sympathetic. Others talk about setting up new newspapers, but insist they need additional printing facilities in order to do this. But money remains the main problem. Jerome Daieh, managing editor of The News, an independent daily, said the biggest problem is average salaries of less than 20 dollars a month. "Imagine you have a guy with a masters degree coming to work here and he doesn't even get enough to cover his transportation costs," he told IRIN. Local journalists welcome the new interest being taken in the Liberian media by foreign donors and the likelihood of new training opportunities and equipment becoming available. But many warned strongly of the danger of being swamped by outside influences. They urged that the local media be empowered rather than marginalized. Terence Sesay, president of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL), welcomed the idea of the United Nations setting its own radio station in Liberia, as happened in neighbouring Sierra Leone. He said such a station would not only help keep attention focused on Liberia, but would raise standards all round. "A UN radio station will inspire other radio stations to do better because they will want to measure up to the same standard", Sesay said. He drew parallels with the flagship role played by Star Radio between 1997 and its closure in 2000. But PUL Secretary-General Winston Monboe, the Monrovia correspondent of Voice of America (VOA), was markedly more sceptical. He argued that the UN and others should not come in to compete with existing players, but should work with what is already there. "There is no way that any local media dare compete with a UN radio station that will have the finances, the logistics, the technology and the best you can think about", said Monboe. He called instead for investment in local broadcasting, urging the UN to help out stations that are already trying their best. "In the absence of that, there will be a brain drain as the best journalists go in search of greener pastures", Monboe warned. Source: UN Integrated Regional Information Network, Nairobi, in English 20 Oct 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS [and non]. Major changes to our schedule effective from Sunday 26 October. http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/html/schedule_b03.html (Media Network via DXLD) Now shows all the sites, and relay customers. Besides the info we have already discussed, we now have the sites for the one remaining English hour to Pacific at 1000-1100, so the first one should be useful for early risers in ENAm too: 1000-1100 Bonaire 9785 230 250 English NZ/Australia 1000-1100 Irkutsk 12065 152 250 English E + SE Asia 1000-1100 Petro. Kamchatski 7260 244 250 English FE 1000-1100 Khabarovsk 13820 218 100 English E Asia The broadcast to SAs at 1400-1600 should also make it to parts of NAm via longpath from Madagascar: 1400-1600 Madagascar 12080 050 200 English South Asia 1400-1600 Madagascar 15595 050 200 English South Asia 1400-1600 Tashkent 12070 131 100 English South Asia The 1900-2100 broadcast sites are about as we surmised, both for Africa but audible here daily on the highest frequency, and for the new weekend bihour to NAm: 1900-2100 Bonaire 17810 080 250 English W Africa 1900-2100(Sat/Sun) Bonaire 17725 350 250 English N America e 1900-2100(Sat/Sun) Bonaire 15315 335 250 English N America c 1900-2100(Sat/Sun) Sackville 17875 285 250 English N America w The new AWR relay via Bonaire now shows as on two beams at once, but the power is missing! 2300-0100 Bonaire 6165 320/150 Adventist World R. C America/Florida And the final surprise is that R. Japan begins a relay via Bonaire, language not specified but probably not English: 2300-2359 Bonaire 17605 170 250 NHK Japan S America (Glenn Hauser, Oct 22, WORLD OF RADIO 1204, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEW ZEALAND. Following Mickey Delmage`s report of confusing scheduling for RNZI Mailbox, I checked the current website, and tho it mentions that DST began on the first Sunday in October, the two time columns are still only 12 hours apart! So what are we supposed to believe? In the past some shows live from National Radio shifted one UT hour earlier during summer, while other RNZI features did not. FWIW, the times for Mailbox (alternate weeks) are different than previously, but are some/all of them supposed to be one UT hour earlier now? And are the UT days all correct? Mon 0830, 1130, 1330, 1530 and Tue 0330. No other broadcasts of this, which used to be in local morning hours, unless they fall under the `RNZI Features` block. I listened to this week`s Mailbox from the archive, in which Adrian Sainsbury corrected his earlier remark that lightning hit the transmitter directly instead of the towers. Now he says the masts were hit, but the stroke nevertheless reached the transmitter. It took six weeks for all the replacement parts to arrive and for the transmitter to begin testing on the air again. The RA relays ceased Oct 21, but it is hoped to have a backup scheme to resume a standby service more quickly on SW, hopefully never needed. Adrian has a tendency to round off times, but these are the ones he announced for B-03: 1650 6095, 1750 11980, 1850 15265, 2245 approximately 17675, 0400 15340, 0800 11675, 1100 15530, 1300-1650 6095. Note the 0800 switch from 15340 to 11675, contrary to 0700 in other versions (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1204, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Could not figure what was happening with RNZI on their 9885 morning broadcast as I had one great signal last week when they first came back with my check at 1100. This week just a mess, very weak and lots of fades, basically unlistenable. This a.m. I checked at 08 UT and the signal was at 15/s9, crystal clear. Then at 0900, they changed antenna direction and back to the mess I noticed yesterday. Seems they have not gotten the 17675 frequency working correctly as no activity this week after some testing last week. Time to set up the tape deck again (Bob Montgomery, Levittown, PA, Oct 22, swprograms via DXLD) ** PARAGUAY. Adan Mur, from Radio America, Villeta, tells me this station is off air in short wave momentary (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, BCLnews.it via DXLD) ** PERU. 9504.73, Radio Tacna, Tacna, 1010-1030, October 22. Spanish. Music programme conduced by male. ID as: "...por Radio Tacna". Short local news. Ann.: "estamos con la música del Perú profundo... con esta música, para los sectores populares"; Greetings: "para los que sintonizan habitualmente este programa... para los amigos pobladores de... y para los pescadores de...".-TC: "son las 5 de la mañana con 15 minutos". Strong QRM from Radio Record, SP, on 9505, 32432 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, BCLnews.it via DXLD) ** PERU. Quito 21/Oct/2003 20:31. Amigos Dxistas, Saludos desde "la mitad del mundo"! 4990.90 kHz, Radio Ancash, Huaraz, 21/Oct/2003 - 2345 UT. This station had been unidentified for some weeks. Reactivated but with very low modulated signal. 73s de Björn Malm - SWB América Latina, Quito Ecuador, WORLD OF RADIO 1204, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PHILIPPINES. RADIO VERITAS ASIA, B 03, WINTER SCHEDULE Language UTC kHz Bengali 0030-0057 15215 1400-1427 9590 Cantonese 2300-2327 11870 Hindi 0030-0057 15570 1330-1400 9590 Hmong 1000-1030 11850 Indonesian 2300-2327 9505 2300-2327 11820 1200-1227 9505 Kachin 2330-2357 11705 1230-1257 11835 Karen 0000-0027 11725 1200-1230 11835 Mandarin 2100-2257 6190 1000-1157 9520 Burmese 2330-2400 11725 1130-1200 11835 Filipino 2230-2257 7265 Filipino 1500-1530 15360 Filipino (Wed, Fri & Sun Extended) 1530-1600 15360 Russian 0130-0230 17830 1500-1600 11795 Sinhala 0000-0027 11820 1330-1400 9520 Tamil 0030-0057 15520 1400-1427 9520 Telugu 0100-0127 15530 1430-1457 11705 Urdu 0100-0127 15335 0100-0127 17860 1430-1457 11795 Vietnamese 2330-2357 11770 0130-0230 15530 1030-1127 11850 1300-1327 11850 Zomi-Chin 0000-0027 11705 (via Mike Terry, Oct 21, BDXC-UK via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. Voice of Russia English Broadcast schedule from October 26, 2003 till March 27, 2004, from website. All times are Universal Time (UT), also known as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). 0200-0300 15595, 15445, 9765, 7180, 6155 North America 0200-0300 5995 Middle East 0300-0400 15595, 15445, 7350, 7180, 6155 N America 0400-0500 15595, 15445, 12010, 7240, 7350, 7180, 7125 N America 0400-0600 1548, 603 Europe 0500-0600 15595, 15445, 12010, 7240, 7180, 7125 N America 0600-0800 21790 Australia, New Zealand 0600-1000 1323, 603 Europe 0800-0900 21790, 17665, 17525, 17495 Australia, New Zealand 0800-1000 1251 SE Asia 0900-1000 17665, 17525, 17495 Australia, New Zealand 1500-1600 11500, 9900**, 7350, 7315*, 7260, 6205, 972 SE Asia 1600-1700 9830, 6005, 4975, 4965, 4940, 972 Middle East 1600-1700 7260, 4975, 4965, 4940, 972 SE Asia 1600-1800 1494 Europe 1700-1800 9830 Africa 1700-1800 648 Middle East 1700-1800 5945, 5910, 1269, 648 SE Asia 1800-1900 1251 Middle East 1800-1900 11510, 9830 Africa 1800-1900 7290, 6175#, 5950#, 1494# Europe 1800-1900 5910, 1251 SE Asia 1900-2000 11510, 7335 Africa 1900-2000 7360, 7290, 6235, 6175 Europe 2000-2100 7360, 7290, 6235, 6145 Europe 2100-2200 7360, 7290, 6235 Europe *-from 26.10.03 till 06.03.04 **-from 07.03.04 till 27.03.04 #-Saturday, Sunday Only changes in the middle of the schedule season are for SE Asia (Daniel Sampson, Prime Time Shortwave, 10/20, via WORLD OF RADIO 1204, DXLD) ** RUSSIA [and non]. NUEVO ESQUEMA DE LA VOZ DE RUSIA EN IDIOMA ESPAÑOL Estimado Amigos: Patricio Cortés (más conocido como Francisco "Pancho" Rodríguez), realizador del programa DX "Frecuencia RM" de La Voz de Rusia, me facilitó el nuevo esquema de horarios y frecuencias de los programas en idioma español vigentes para el próximo periodo B'03 que a continuación textualmente les transcribo: Estimados Amigos: A partir del próximo 26 de octubre cambian nuestras frecuencias y en Rusia pasamos al horario de invierno. Les adelanto que nuestras frecuencias hacia Europa desde el 26 de octubre hasta el 7 de marzo del año próximo serán las siguientes: 7360 y 6145 Khz de 21:30 a 22:00 UT. En el mismo período hacia América Central emitiremos por 9965, 9945, 7570, 7390 y 5945 Khz. Hacia América del Sur nuestras emisiones podrán ser escuchadas en los 9965, 7570, 7390, 6195 y 5945 Khz. Nuestras emisiones hacia las Américas son de 01:00 a 03:00 UT. Y eso no es todo; nuestras emisiones en onda corta hacia las Américas (01:00-03:00 UT) se transmitirán paralelamente por onda media en los 603 Khz hacia España mediante un transmisor ubicado en Alemania. Saludos cordiales. Francisco Rodríguez FRECUENCIA RM La Voz de Rusia Agradeceré su difusión a través de los medios a vuestro alcance. (Rubén Guillermo Margenet, WORLD OF RADIO 1204, DX LISTENING DIGEST) That`s listed in WRTH as only 5 kW, tho there are high-power transmitters in between in France, and medium-power in Spain! (gh) I bet the 603 transmitter that will carry the Spanish programme of VOR at 2130 is simply their existing Zehlendorf outlet. Of course this is a rather stupid idea, but I could also imagine that somebody messed up the two German frequencies and Spanish will instead go out on 1323. This should work; the designers of the new 1323 facility at Wachenbrunn had services for France and Spain explicitly in mind, and the chief engineer told me about hopes that it will probably even reach South America! At least 1323 was indeed once heard in New Zealand, and I think I suggested years ago just to write directly to the transmitter site since the engineers there would be certainly interested in this observation. Regarding the English schedule: Indeed interesting that no 1323 slot in the evenings is shown anymore. It remains to be seen what the schedule will be. And just as a reminder: See the Intelsat 705 schedule at http://www.vor.ru/Satellite/Satellite.html The right channel is the feed for 1323 and the left channel the feed for 603, also streamed in Windows Media format by T-Systems at http://62.153.249.21/live/st_ru/Stimme_Russl.asx The Russian there after 1900 is no longer the Russian Worldservice but now Russkoye Mezhdunarodnoye Radio instead, at least confirmed after 2000. Best regards, (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Oct 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SAUDI ARABIA [non]. SAUDI OPPOSITION SAYS ISLAH CHANNEL TRANSMISSION STOPPED, APPEALS TO SUPPORTERS | Text of report headlined "Movement sends urgent appeal for an immediate campaign to distribute the protests instructions by alternative means to Al-Islah channel", published on London-based Movement for Islamic Reform in Arabia web site on 22 October The Al-Islah channel's transmission stopped last night for apparently technical reasons. The service provider said transmission would not be restored before this afternoon, Wednesday. But the movement advises people not to rely on this assurance and to be prepared to deal with a new situation, that of the channel's total cessation of transmission, as there is news of heavy pressures from the Saudi government to close down the channel following last Tuesday's [14 October] events. To compensate for the channel's role, we urge all the movement's cadres and every person eager to ensure the success of the protests tomorrow, Thursday, to publish the information contained in the previous statement naming the mosques and points of assembly and other details through direct personal contact, by telephone, fax or mobile phone, or through publication on all the internet web sites and forums, the yahoo web sites, e-mails or through any other means that serve the aim. We assert that undertaking this task is as important as participation in the protest, while warning that those delivering the message should be accurate in conveying the information about the mosques, venues and timing. The movement considers the undertaking of this task in these conditions a shari'ah duty - a person capable of doing it commits a sin if he does not do it. It urges everyone not to be slack, idle or dependent on others. Source: Movement for Islamic Reform in Arabia web site, London, in Arabic 22 Oct 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** SERBIA & MONTENEGRO. The ITU has now officially confirmed that its new country code for Serbia & Montenegro is "SCG", replacing "YUG". (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, Oct 22, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** SOUTH AFRICA. B-03 schedules: Channel Africa 0300 0500 3345 S Africa English + various 0300 0400 9685 East Africa Swahili 0300 0400 9770 East Africa English 0400 0500 9565 Central Africa French 0500 1600 9525 Southern Africa English + various 0500 0600 11710 West Africa English 0600 0700 15215 West Africa English 1500 1600 17770 East Africa English 1500 1600 17780 East Africa Swahili 1600 1700 7165 Mozambique Portuguese 1600 1700 15265 West Africa French 1700 1800 15265 Angola Portuguese 1800 1900 15265 West Africa English 1900 2200 3345 Southern Africa English + various Radiosondergrense 0000 0500 3320 N. Cape Afrikaans 0500 0700 7185 N. Cape Afrikaans 0700 1700 9650 N. Cape Afrikaans 1700 2400 3320 N. Cape Afrikaans South African Radio League 0800 0900 9750 17780 South Africa English Sundays only 1900 2000 3215 South Africa English Mondays only (Andreas Volk, ADDX via Wolfgang Bueschel via Mike Barraclough, Letchworth, UK, DXLD) ** SWEDEN. RADIO SWEDEN--Coming up on Radio Sweden: Thursday: "S-Files" (repeat) Friday: Our weekly review Saturday: In "Studio 49", the EU Convention and helping Third World countries export to the EU Sunday: "Sounds Nordic" (SCDX/MediaScan Oct 22 via DXLD) ** TAIWAN [non]. RADIO TAIWAN INTERNATIONAL TO TEST 75 MB FOR SPAIN The Spanish section of Radio Taiwan International will be testing on 3955 kHz in the 75 metre band at 2100-2200 UTC on 26, 27 and 28 October. The station wants reception reports from Spanish-speaking listeners in Europe by E-mail to esp@cbs.org.tw or by mail to PO Box 24-38, Taipei, Taiwan 106, R.O.C. (© Radio Netherlands Media Network 22 October 2003 via DXLD) Site? UK, I suppose (gh) ** U K. VETERAN BBC BROADCASTER COOKE FALLS AND MISSES SHOW Date: October 20 2003 Veteran 94-year-old British-born presenter Alistair Cooke was unable to broadcast his Letter from America show this week after suffering a fall, the BBC said yesterday. "I can confirm that he did have a slight fall on Thursday," a BBC spokesman said. "He's okay, he's just having a rest at home for the next few days and then he'll be bright and back up for the next broadcast," the spokesman said. Cooke was not taken to hospital after the fall, the spokesman said. Cooke, who lives in New York, has presented Letter from America, a weekly review of events in the United States, since 1946 and has been with the world's largest public broadcaster for over 66 years. The presenter addressed the United States Congress on its 200th anniversary and in 1991 received a special award for his contribution to Anglo-American relations (AFP via Dan Say, BC, WORLD OF RADIO 1204, DXLD) "The World's longest running speech radio programme was first broadcast in 1946. Now you can read Alistair Cooke's weekly letter on the internet" http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/letter_from_america/default.stm (via Mike Terry, DXLD) ** U K. NEW SCHEDULE ON PRI RELAYS --- Ladies & Gentlemen of the BBC: I just noticed last night that the US PRI relay of the BBC Worldservice is already operating on the new November schedule. This became apparent when I tried to listen to Discovery at 0706 UT on my local St. Louis, Missouri, BBC overnight service on KWMU-FM, and heard the "Masterpiece" programme on the song "Somewhere" instead. I checked the PRI website this morning and saw that this was indeed a change in the schedule from the Summer 03 to the Winter 03-04 versions. "Discovery" at this timeslot is replaced by "Masterpiece". I looked at the BBC Worldservice website and checked my city's schedule as shown with the local FM relay option. The schedule that displays is the old one without this change. But what is disturbing is that the weekly schedules for November which should show the new pattern of PRI-relayed programmes also show the old program lineup. I think you need your people to look at all the North American FM relay schedule entries to make sure that these are updated with the new post-November schedule data; right now, they are wrong. If PRI "jumped the gun" and started airing the new lineup a week or so too soon, it's understandable that your current schedule listings would not show it yet. But the future-week schedules for weeks in November should be showing the changed programme lineup now. Hope this is of help to you! Regards, William Martin (St. Louis, Missouri USA, Oct 22, to BBC Write On, cc to DXLD) ** U K. The head of BBC radio has forecast that its audience will fall due to increased choice offered by digital radio. . . http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/3210226.stm (via Jill Dybka, MSIS, Systems Administrator and Webmaster, DXLD) ** U S A. VOA News Now break: The question how it will be handled also applies to the satellite outlets. Silence for five hours, a nice 1 kHz at 30 percent tone, or something else? Needless to ask about Munich 1197, I bet it will we simply switched off, but wait... are we to assume that transmissions will resume not later than 1200? Best regards, (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Oct 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) [Re 3-186:] VOA ENGLISH CONTENT DURING 0700-1200 Hi Glenn: I had the same question, too. I found there was no provision for the News Now webstream and the 24-hour satellite channels during 0700-1200 UT. So, at my suggestion, they will insert Music Mix during those hours. There will still be news on the hour 0700-1200, so a newscaster will be working overnight. That person will be busy when a crisis inevitably erupts during that time period. To fulfill the five-hour English cut, I suggested dropping 0800-1000 and 1800-2100 UT. At 1800-2100, almost all English programming to Africa is VOA English-to-Africa, and the great majority of the VOA English audience is in Africa. There are very few News Now listeners in Europe and the Middle East during those three hours, partly because VOA has so few transmitters available for News Now during that time. The decision makers kept the cut at 0700-1200, apparently because the necessary savings could be achieved only by dropping five contiguous hours. 73 (Kim Elliott, VOA, Oct 22, WORLD OF RADIO 1204, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. The Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia has upheld a ruling by the U.S. Copyright Office requiring radio stations that stream broadcasts over the Internet must pay royalties to recording companies and artists as well as to composers. . . http://dc.internet.com/news/article.php/3096481 (via Jill Dybka, MSIS, Systems Administrator and Webmaster, DXLD) ** U S A. IN HISTORIC ACTION, FCC FINES THREE STATIONS FOR EXCEEDING RF LIMITS For the first time ever, the FCC has fined three radio stations and one TV station for jointly violating radiofrequency radiation (RFR) exposure limits. Clear Channel Hot AC KBIG, Radio One Urban KKBT, Infinity Oldies KRTH, and Telemundo`s KWHY-TV have each been ordered to pay a $10,000 fine. The four Los Angeles stations are among 21 stations with transmitters on the Mt. Wilson antenna farm northeast of downtown LA. Individually, each of the four stations was within acceptable RFR limits. But their cumulative effect exceeded limits established by the FCC to prevent unsafe human exposure. As prescribed by FCC rules, all of the licensees whose transmitters produce power density levels exceeding five percent of the exposure limit share responsibility for reducing RFR to permissible levels. Nestled within the Mt. Wilson broadcast towers are the Mt. Wilson U.S. Post Office and the Mt. Wilson Observatory and Park, which receives thousands of visitors a day. When FCC agents inspected the antenna farm in July `02, they discovered a 10 ft. by 100 ft. area on the driveway --- unmarked, accessible to the public, and about 100 feet from the Post Office --- which exceeded RFR limits for the general population by 50 percent. (FMQB.com October 22 via Brock Whaley, DXLD) ** U S A. The Bay Area is the capital of pirate radio stations -- low- power, unlicensed stops on the FM dial -- and now they're leading the rebellion against corporate giants of the airwaves, lawyers and raids by the FCC. . . http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/10/21/DD35002.DTL (via Jill Dybka, MSIS, Systems Administrator and Webmaster, DXLD) ** URUGUAY. Sinfonia FM, Santa Clara de Olimar, 6155.0, 1001-1035, poor on 9/28. Rapid talk by men with several ads. ID at 1002 ``Transmite Sinfonia. . .`` and ``Les habla de. . . Sinfonia 95.7 FM, emisora gran cadena de la amistad . . . de nacional de . . . emisoras Sarandí del Yí . . . Boreal FM . . . 89.5 . . . FM . . . y . . . Sarandí del Yí . . . 49 metros . . . ``, ``Sinfonia . . . teléfono 9. . . 458-58.`` And at 1016 ``. . . deporte más mucho, . . . Sinfonia, Sinfonia, una radio. . . `` (Takeshi Sejimo, Komoro city, Nagano, Japan, Radio Nuevo Mundo Oct 10 via DXLD) ¿Is it Sinfonia or Sinfonía? Presumably the one WRTH 2003 has as Banda Oriental, 6154v in Sarandí del Yí (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VIETNAM [+non]. VOICE OF VIETNAM B'03 FREQUENCY LIST (27 minute English program - From Oct. 26th, 2003) Areas of coverage UTC Frequencies Europe 17:00 9725 Europe 18:00 9730 khz - 7100 khz - 9725 khz Europe 19:00 9730 khz - 7100 khz Europe 20:30 9731 [sic] khz - 7100 khz Europe 23:30 9840 khz - 12020 khz North East America 01:00 6175 khz [Sackvilles] North East America 02:30 6175 khz Central America 03:30 6175 khz Hanoi 10:00 101.5 Mhz South East Asia 10:00 1242 khz - 9840 khz - 12020 khz South Asia 11:00 1242 khz - 7285 khz Hanoi 12:30 101.5 Mhz South East Asia 12:30 9840 khz - 12020 khz Europe 13:30 9730 khz - 7100 khz Hanoi 13:30 101.5 Mhz Central Asia 14:00 1242 khz South Western Asia 15:00 1242 khz Central Asia 16:00 9730 khz - 7100 khz Europe 16:00 9730 khz - 7100 khz Hanoi 16:00 105.5 Mhz Central Asia 16:30 1242 khz Address : English Program, Overseas Service Voice of Vietnam, 58 Quan Su, Hanoi, Vietnam Tel: 84 4 9342 456 Fax: 84 4 8266 707 http://www.vov.org.vn e.mail: btdn.vov@hn.vnn.vn Regds, (via Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, India, DXLD) Believe 7100 is new, and of course, encroaching on the worldwide 40m hamband. Are you QRX, Martin Potter? (gh, WORLD OF RADIO 1204, DXLD) ** ZANZIBAR. Reference Adán González' report: Very glad to know the carrier here on 11734.1 on 10/19, from 1845 past 2000 rechecks, was RT Zanzibar. Never a hint of audio, of course. It`s time for my biannual report (Gerry Bishop, Niceville, FL, Oct 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZIMBABWE [non]. Still on the RN B-03 schedule is this clandestine: 1657-1755 Madagascar 7120 265 50 V of the People Zimbabwe (Media Network via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. Alfredo, Björn y demás colegas de la Lista: Sobre las 1000 UT+ pude captar en modo LSB una señal con muchísimo desvanecimiento en los 6108.24. Pasaban música pero por los pocos segundos que podía escucharse antes de desvanecerse, me fue imposible saber qué estilo era el difundido. Mañana voy a intentar antes de esa hora a ver que descubro. Aquí, en Buenos Aires, en esta época del año, a las 1000 UT hay pleno sol, por lo que la sintonía en ondas cortas decae totalmente. 73's (Arnaldo Slaen, Conexión Digital via DXLD) O.K. pero el tema es que la radio emite casi todo el dia... el lunes dejó de transmitir a las 2319 UT. 30 segundos pude sintonizarla, ya que después cerraron abruptamente. Juntos la identificaremos, estoy seguro !! (Alfredo Cañote, Perú, WORLD OF RADIO 1204, DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ POWERLINE COMMUNICATIONS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Hi, folks: I just sent this to the Potomac News reporter who wrote the article. 73, Dick W1NMZ Dear Sari: Interesting article, but I don't see any mention of the electronic interference this technology will will cause. It operates over a frequency range of 2 MHz to 80 MHz. This includes long range, short wave communications used by international broadcasters (including Voice of America), as well as U.S. Government agencies such as the State and Defense Departments. It will also interfere with amateur and Citizens' Band radio communications. I'm an electronics engineer retired from Lockheed Martin, where I specialized in preventing, detecting and eliminating electronic interference for more than 20 years. You might want to look into the electronic interference aspects of this technology, which is called Broadband on Power Lines (BPL). I'll be glad to provide what assistance you may need if you and/or The Potomac News decide to look into this. Regards, Dick Ertman ****************************************************************** INNOVATIVE WEB ACCESS TO SHOCK MANASSAS SARI KREIGER, Saturday, October 18, 2003 Manassas residents will soon be the first in the United States to buy Internet access over city power lines. The City Council voted unanimously on Thursday to grant a franchise to Prospect Street Broadband, LLC., bringing a year-long preparation process to fruition. Residents can purchase the service within 120 days of the contract signing, which is expected to occur next week, according to Energy Services Manager Brett Massey. In May 2002, a small pilot group of city residents and businesses began using the service. A modem is plugged into the electrical outlet on one end, and the computer on the other, to gain high-speed access to the Internet. "They were very impressed by the speed, reliability and flexibility," said Utilities Director Allen Todd. Freda Wallace, an administrative assistant with Robert Loveless Architecture in Old Town Manassas said the company has been receiving the service since February. "We've had good service with it," Wallace said. "The only time it has been down is because of our equipment, or because they're testing something on the lines because it is a pilot program." The Connecticut-based company that received the franchise will be responsible for the equipment, connection, monthly billing, advertising and 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week customer support. The city will expand the current fiber network, which is almost complete, update optical electronics and install and maintain equipment external to the residents' homes. "The grantee will be providing most of the capital of this project and assume most of the risk," said John Hewa, assistant electric director for the City of Manassas. "There's very little financial risk to the city." John F. Berry, chairman and CEO of Prospect Street Broadband, said the service is very easy to use and no special training is necessary. Residents can purchase the service and obtain access from any city outlet. "You sign up once and you can sign on at home, a friend's house, the ice skating rink, where ever," Berry said. If residents opt for this Internet service provider, they will pay approximately half of normal high-speed access, as the tentative service price is $29.95 a month for residents, and $69.95 for commercial access. "It will be competitively priced and a quality service," said Vice Mayor Harry J. Parrish II. Wallace said the service was comparable in speed to any DSL program available. "It's very fast," she said. And as a fringe benefit, the city can also monitor power outages through this technology. Todd said the city has been trying for years to achieve that capability. Two bids were received on Sept. 8, and Todd said the city spent a considerable amount of time examining both proposals to ensure the best outcome for residents. "We've never had a franchise quite like this before," Todd said. "We wanted to make sure we had measures that would protect the services we promise the citizens." The contract that the council voted to approve calls for a 10-year term, with a five-year extension. A minimum payment of $24,000 after the first year, and $124,000 after the second and third year is guaranteed to the city. Initial figures project that Manassas could receive up to $4.5 million in revenue after the 10-year period. Councilman Ulysses X. White questioned city staff about future price hikes, as he was reminiscent of a similar situation with cable television in the city. But Todd said with competition available, residents wouldn't be stuck with high bills and no options. Rather, this new offer gives residents exactly that -- options. Councilman Eugene R. Rainville said residents will benefit from an extra use of the electrical system their tax dollars already fund. "Now they can get Internet at a low price," Rainville said. "I would encourage all of our citizens to at least look at it as an alternative." And according to Parrish, residents may receive an added bonus if enough people patronize this service. "It looks like the council might have the opportunity to look at tax reduction," Parrish said. (via Phil Atchley, swl @ qth.net via DXLD) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ CLEAR CHANNEL TO INSTALL AUDEMAT-AZTEC RDS GENERATORS Clear Channel Radio will work with Audemat-Aztec to install dynamic RDS generators across the country. The technology will enable Clear Channel to enhance current radio broadcasts by scrolling the artist name and title playing on the air, station call letters, traffic information and other locally focused messages for immediate display on listeners’ radios. Clear Channel has committed to the largest roll out across the United States by launching the technology on 192 of its FM stations in the top 50 markets by the end of November. . . http://www.radioink.com/HeadlineEntry.asp?hid=114854&pt=Ink+Headlines (via John Zondlo, Yukon, OK, Fmdxweb.com Oct 21, WTFDA via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ NOAA "SPACE WEATHER" SERVICE THREATENED The service on which many amateurs depend for reports on ionospheric conditions may have its funding sharply cut or eliminated under two versions of a Congressional spending plan for Fiscal Year 2004. The Space Environment Center, part of the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), provides "space weather" reports on solar and geomagnetic activity that affect the ionosphere, which in turn affects radio propagation. In addition, solar flares and similar events can damage satellites, so advance knowledge can help protect them. Propagation predictions in CQ and other publications depend on these space weather observations. The Space Environment Center is actually operated jointly by NOAA and the Air Force, but its funding is in the NOAA budget. The SEC suffered a 40% budget cut in the current fiscal year, and the House budget proposal for 2004 calls for an additional 40% cut. The Senate version of the bill cuts funding for the SEC altogether, along with the somewhat cynical comment in an accompanying report that "the 'Atmospheric' in NOAA does not extend to the astral. Absolutely no funds are provided for solar observation. Such activities are rightly the bailiwick of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Air Force." We understand from SEC staff that the House Science Committee's Environment, Technology and Standards Subcommittee will be holding a hearing next week (October 30) on the funding bill, and that letters and comments from the public will be entered into the record. If you are concerned about the possible loss of information gathered and disseminated by the SEC, you may write to the House Committee On Science, Environment, Technology and Standards Subcommittee, 2320 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515. You should direct your comments to the Chairman, Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-MI), ask that they be included in the record of the Oct. 30 hearing, and explain in NON-TECHNICAL terms how you benefit from the "space weather" services provided by the SEC, and how you would be adversely affected if those services were further reduced or eliminated. A full list of the members of the Environment, Technology and Standards Subcommittee is below. If the list includes your Representative, and you are inclined to write, you might also send a letter or comment directly to your Representative. House Committee on Science Subcommittee on Environment, Technology, and Standards Republican Members Vernon J. Ehlers, Michigan, Chairman Nick Smith, Michigan Gil Gutknecht, Minnesota Judy Biggert, Illinois Wayne Gilchrest, Maryland Timothy Johnson, Illinois Michael Burgess, Texas Democratic Members Mark Udall, Colorado, Ranking Minority Member Brad Miller, North Carolina Lincoln Davis, Tennessee Brian Baird, Washington Jim Matheson, Utah Zoe Lofgren, California Ex-oficio members: Sherwood L. Boehlert, New York, Chairman, House Science Committee Ralph M. Hall, Texas, Ranking Minority Member, House Science Committee To contact any Member of Congress by e-mail, go to http://www.house.gov and follow prompts to find contact information for the member you want to reach. (From the CQ Newsroom via Tomas, NW7US (AAR0JA/AAM0EWA), SWBC via WORLD OF RADIO 1204, DXLD) ================================================================= This Is SKY & TELESCOPE's AstroAlert for Sun-Earth Interactions ================================================================= A s t r o A l e r t Sun-Earth Alert Solar Terrestrial Dispatch http://www.spacew.com 22 October 2003 SOLAR MAXIMUM DÉJÁ VU It is an established fact that intense regions of solar activity can occur at just about any time during the ~11 year solar cycle. Although they appear more frequently during the years immediately around the solar maximum, they can also occur well into the declining years closer to the solar minimum. We are currently observing one of those periods. Not one, but TWO intense active regions are now visible on the Sun. The first and thus far the largest region (Region 484) was mentioned in the last AstroAlert. It now covers an area of more than 5,200 million square kilometers. That is larger than the surface areas of all of the inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars) combined - with more than enough room left over for an additional planet having the surface area of the Earth)! Region 484 is easily visible to the unaided (but protected!) eye. Another active region has just rotated into view around the southeastern limb of the Sun. John McConnell, an avid solar observer, notified us today that this region is now visible on the limb. Its size is still difficult to discern given its proximity to the limb. But it has proven to be a powerful sunspot complex capable of very energetic activity. Beginning at about 1930 UT yesterday (3:30 pm EDT) and while still behind the east limb of the Sun, this region produced a long-duration flare. The tops of the solar explosion were visible as the activity rose above the surface of the Sun. Several hours later, at 0324 UT on 22 October (or 11:24 pm EDT on 21 October), this region produced a very long duration solar flare. X-rays from this event remained above M-class levels for a remarkable 8 full hours! The total energy released from this event was comparable to the energy released in a typical major X-class solar flare. Coronal mass ejections were associated with both of these events. As this region rotates toward the Earth over the next week, it may produce additional coronal mass ejections capable of producing stronger space weather storms and associated periods of stronger auroral activity ("Northern Lights"). Either of these two strong centers of solar activity are capable of producing minor to major solar flares. ** End of the AstroAlert Bulletin ** ================================================================== AstroAlert is a free service of SKY & TELESCOPE, the Essential Magazine of Astronomy (http://SkyandTelescope.com/). This e-mail was sent to AstroAlert subscribers (via Cary Oler via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) HF/MF RADIO PROPAGATION OUTLOOK I will publish a complete HF/MF propagation outlook later today. Coronal Hole #063 has finally released it's grip on the Earth's magnetic field, allowing the Kp index to temporarily drop back to unsettled Kp-3 to active Kp-4 conditions late yesterday evening. Unfortunately the two partially geoeffective Coronal Mass Ejections released from the Sun on 03/10/18-19 have arrived. As I forecasted on 03/10/20 minor Kp-5 to moderate Kp-6 geomagnetic storming has begun and should continue for the next 24 hours. To make matters even worse a full halo geoeffective Coronal Mass Ejection was released on 03/10/20 at 0249 UTC from a small C7.8 solar flare. The CME should begin impacting Earth's magnetic field sometime tomorrow UTC and could trigger a strong Kp-7 to severe Kp-8 geomagnetic storm. Higher latitudes may even experience extreme conditions Kp-9. Bottom line, for the next 72 hour time period high latitude propagation paths for LF, MF and HF signals will be poor with some short term mid latitude propagation path degradation also. On the MF AM broadcast band it will be a good time to log stations south of the magnetic equator :<( 73, (Thomas F. Giella, KN4LF, Oct 22, Cumbre DX via DXLD) Geomagnetic activity ranged from quiet to severe storm levels. The period began at mostly quiet to unsettled levels with isolated active periods. A recurrent high speed coronal hole stream became geoeffective late on the 13th. The geomagnetic field response was unsettled to major storming at all latitudes with occasional severe storm levels at higher latitudes, on the 14th and 15th, tapering off to very isolated major storm levels by the 16th and 17th. Elevated solar wind speeds and periods of sustained southward Bz prolonged the disturbance through the end of the period: Unsettled to minor storm levels were observed on the 18th, and again on the 19th, with occasional major storm periods at higher latitudes on the 19th. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 22 OCTOBER - 17 NOVEMBER Solar activity is expected to range from low to high levels. Moderate to high levels are expected for the first half of the period due to active regions in the eastern solar hemisphere. Region 484 is a very large and complex active region, capable of producing M and X-class activity. Activity on the SE limb late in the period suggests another considerably active region will rotate into view early in the forecast period and further enhance the probability for a major flare. Solar activity levels should decrease for the latter half of the period as these active regions rotate around the west limb. There is a possibility for a greater than 10 MeV proton events at geosynchronous orbit during the first half of the period. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to reach high levels on 22 – 26 October, 3 – 4 November, and again on 10 - 17 November. The geomagnetic field is expected to range from quiet to major storm levels during the period. A coronal hole currently in a geoeffective position will produce unsettled to minor storm levels on the 22nd and 23rd. There is a chance for some transient effects on the 23rd and 24th due to recent CME activity on the eastern hemisphere, but most CME material did not appear to have an earthward component. Geomagnetic activity for the remainder of October through early November is expected to be mostly quiet to unsettled with isolated active periods (barring any CME impact). Isolated minor to major storm periods are possible on 09 – 17 November due to a high speed coronal hole stream. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2003 Oct 21 2211 UTC # Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Environment Center # Product description and SEC contact on the Web # http://www.sec.noaa.gov/wwire.html # # 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table # Issued 2003 Oct 21 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2003 Oct 22 150 20 4 2003 Oct 23 160 20 4 2003 Oct 24 165 20 4 2003 Oct 25 165 15 3 2003 Oct 26 165 10 3 2003 Oct 27 165 10 3 2003 Oct 28 160 20 4 2003 Oct 29 155 15 3 2003 Oct 30 150 15 3 2003 Oct 31 140 10 3 2003 Nov 01 140 15 3 2003 Nov 02 135 15 3 2003 Nov 03 135 20 4 2003 Nov 04 135 12 3 2003 Nov 05 130 10 3 2003 Nov 06 120 10 3 2003 Nov 07 120 10 3 2003 Nov 08 120 10 3 2003 Nov 09 120 30 5 2003 Nov 10 120 30 5 2003 Nov 11 120 40 6 2003 Nov 12 120 30 5 2003 Nov 13 120 30 5 2003 Nov 14 125 20 4 2003 Nov 15 135 20 4 2003 Nov 16 140 20 4 2003 Nov 17 140 30 5 (http://www.sec.noaa.gov/radio via WORLD OF RADIO 1204, DXLD) ###