DX LISTENING DIGEST 3-199, November 4, 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 http://www.w4uvh.net/dxldtd3k.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 1205: RFPI: Wed 0730 on 7445 WWCR: Wed 1030 on 9475 WRN ONDEMAND: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also for CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL]: Check http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html WORLD OF RADIO 1205 (high version): [Note: high version lacks the final 25 seconds, propagation] (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1205h.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1205h.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1205.html WORLD OF RADIO 1205 (low version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1205.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1205.rm FIRST AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1206: Wed 2300 on WBCQ 7415, 17495-CUSB Thu 0230 on WINB 9320 Thu 2130 on WWCR 15825 HFCC POSTS B03 FILE ON THEIR WEBSITE Today, 11-03-2003, I see that the High Frequency Coordination Committee has finally loaded the B03 file of shortwave frequency information on their website, http://www.hfcc.org Knowing that not all shortwave broadcasters presently allow their transmitter locations and frequencies to be posted thereon, I now regard the HFCC information with a bit less interest than in years past.s At least the file can be used to determine antenna azimuth headings for the frequencies that are posted in the file (Richard Howard, Burnsville, North Carolina, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The HFCC B-03 frequency registrations have now been made available for download at http://www.hfcc.org/data/index.html (Mike Barraclough, UK, Nov 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ITU: MW REGISTRATIONS FOR ALL ITU REGIONS New registrations for MW transmitters (addition/modification, only with site/frequency without technical details though) are since a while included in the "AR11_Parts1/2/3" files, available on the ITU website http://www.itu.int/ITU-R/publications/brific-ter/index.html These registrations include stations in all ITU regions including the Americas and Asia (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, Nov 4, MW-DX via DXLD) ** ALBANIA. R. Tirana has a new 4 part series of QSL cards showing historical views of the towns of Tirana, Durres Shkodra and Berat (Dieter Kraus, ADDX e.V Kurier via QSL Report, Nov BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** ALGERIA. HOLIDAY REPORT --- MENORCA by TONY ROGERS This year`s late summer holiday took me to Menorca, where I spent a two week break in Binnibeca, on the south coast of the island. My stay, between 26th September and 10th October, was intended to be nothing more than a relaxing fortnight, thus giving me plenty of time to listen to the radio. I took with me two portable radios, a Grundig Yacht Boy 400PE and a Roberts R9917 Sports Digital, the latter in order to check out the RDS IDs on FM. I already had a rough idea of what I wanted to check out. On LW/MW, a general overview of what could be heard on each frequency; on SW, a look at how some of the West African stations would hold out throughout the day; and on FM, a check to see what the local stations had to offer. In particular, though, I wondered what reception was like from North Africa, in particular Algeria on LW and MW. From North Africa, Algeria was the closest point to Menorca and with reports that many MW outlets had been replaced by FM, it gave me the ideal opportunity to see what was what. My immediate expectation was for strong signals on the three listed LW channels of 153, 198 and 252. For most of the time, 153 and 198, both with Channel A programming in Arabic, were extremely difficult to hear. And for the first week of my stay, 252 was puzzling. It was there in the evening with strong signals from Channel 3 in French, but wasn`t apparent during the day. From what I can gather, the transmitter was either on very low power or off-air completely during that time, because in the second week it was booming in from early morning to late evening! As for MW, there were a number of outlets audible, all of which I expected to hear, and the only one that I understood to have been closed but was heard was 693, in parallel with 981, with programming in Tamazight (Nov BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) See also MALI ** ARGENTINA. NOSTALGIA --- Viejas grabaciones de jingles que se escucharon en Argentina, http://www.masde40.com.ar/fjingles.htm (via Horacio Nigro, Uruguay, Oct 29, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. DX TARGET ======== RADIO MALLKU - THE VOICE OF THE CAMPESINOS (PEASANTS) By Richard A. D'Angelo South America offers many opportunities for shortwave listeners to experience and enjoy local culture and tradition through the domestic shortwave broadcasting operations from these countries. That is one of the more fascinating side benefits of being a shortwave listener. A special part of this listening endeavor is hearing small regional tropical band stations, commercial or religious in nature, broadcasting programs to the campesinos. Radio Mallku is one of those special stations serving the Andes region in Bolivia. This DX Target will focus on Bolivia, the region surrounding the station, and Radio Mallku. Bolivia Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simón Bolívar, broke away from Spanish rule in 1825. A vast majority of its subsequent history has consisted of a series of almost 200 coups and counter-coups. Comparatively democratic civilian rule was established in the 1980s, but leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and drug production. Current goals include attracting foreign investment, strengthening the educational system, continuing the privatization program, and waging an anticorruption campaign. Bolivia is a landlocked country located in Central South America that borders Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Perú. It shares control of Lago Titicaca, the world's highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 meters or 12,500 feet), with Perú. The seat of government is La Paz while Sucre is the legal capital and seat of the judiciary. Its climate varies with altitude from humid and tropical to cold and semiarid. The terrain features the rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills, and the lowland plains of the Amazon Basin. Major minerals and economic resources are tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber and hydropower. The country's population of 8.5 million inhabitants consists 30% of Quéchua, 30% of mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry), 25% of Aymara, and 15% white. Bolivia has three official languages, Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara. All of these languages can be heard on various shortwave broadcasting stations in the country at one time or other. Bolivia, long one of the poorest and least developed Latin American countries, is trying to make progress through the development of a market-oriented economy. Successes include the signing of a free trade agreement with Mexico and becoming an associate member of the Southern Cone Common Market, as well as the privatization of the state airline, telephone company, railroad, electric power company, and oil company. Growth slowed in 1999, in part due to tight government budget policies, which limited appropriations for anti-poverty programs, and the fallout from the Asian financial crisis. In 2000, major civil disturbances in April, September and October, held down overall growth. Bolivia's economy failed to grow in 2001 due to a global and domestic slowdown of activity. Although growth is slowly picking up again, the fiscal deficit and debt burden will continue to remain high. The clearing of land for agricultural purposes and the international demand for tropical timber are contributing to deforestation in the country. Soil erosion from overgrazing and poor cultivation methods (including slash-and-burn agriculture) along with industrial pollution of water supplies used for drinking and irrigation all contribute to Bolivia's serious environmental problems. The Station Radio Mallku is located in Uyuni in the southern region of Bolivia near the borders of Chile and Argentina. The city of Uyuni itself is an important railroad crossing, but otherwise the area is a neglected backyard of Bolivia where people are poor and the climate is hostile. One of the most popular tourist places in Bolivia is the Salar of Uyuni, a 9,000 square kilometers (4,680 square miles) salt desert at an altitude of 3,650 meters (11,970 feet). It's the largest salt flat in the world. It was once part of a prehistoric salt lake that covered most of southwestern Bolivia. Armed with only picks and shovels, the local campesinos harvest salt from this ancient lake filled with an estimated 10 billion tons of fine salt. Situated in a semi-arid climate, the Salar has an average annual rainfall of about 10 inches. During the rainy season, from December to March, the Salar may be covered with salt water to depths of 25 centimeters; however, during the dry season, the salt water evaporates. The Uyuni region is made up of hospitable people living in a relatively cold climate of the highland region of Altiplano Sud. Until the privatization of the railroad in 1994, Uyuni was an important regional transportation center. The region is one of the poorest in all Bolivia. Consequently, many people have migrated to nearby Argentina and Chile in search of better work and living conditions. Mallku is an indigenous word that means cóndor. The station was founded in late 1996 under the name of Radio Andes, but was only legalized when it received a license on 29 September 1999 after changing to its present name. Some shortwave listeners believe that the illegality of the operation from 1996 though 1999 was a major reason for the lack verifications during this period. Radio Andes was established and operated by Federación Regional Única de Trabajadores Campesinos del Altiplano Sud ("FRUTCAS"), which has members in five provinces in the Department of Potosí. Aside from the mountain range, "Andes" referred to the initials of the five provinces in the area: Antonio Quijarro, Nor Lípez, Daniel Campos, Enrique Baldiviezo and Sud Lípez. However, the radio authorities in La Paz wouldn't allow the station to operate under the name Radio Andes, because it closely resembled the name of another station, Radio Los Andes, a Tarija radio station, located in Mérida, Venezuela and operating on medium wave, 1040 kHz, and shortwave, 6010 kHz. The name changed in late 1999 to the current Radio Mallku. The station is a labor union operation and orients its programming accordingly. Freddy Mamani M., who is in his early 20's, is responsible for the station's programming. Radio Mallku targets the interests of the campesinos in the southwest of the Departamento de Potosí. Education and health programs in Spanish and Quéchua dominate the program line up. Radio Mallku also carries "Mensajes" (messages to/from family and friends) similar to many other rural Latin American stations. Music programs fill out the programming structure. The station is a small operation with only two people employed full time with freelance and volunteers helping out. The station broadcasts just five hours of programming each day, commencing at 1000 UT with national music. The morning schedule runs through 1200. The station returns in the evening at 2100 with music and information programming until sign off around midnight UT. Radio Mallku operates on 4,796 kHz with 1,000 watts. Naturally, being a Latin station means that precise sign on and sign off times do not exist. Think of these time periods as a guiding principle. The station sporadically replies to Spanish language reception reports with adequate return postage (US$2.00) with a nice letter from E. Freddy Mamani M., Responsible de Programación. The station can be reached at: Radio Emisora "Mallku", La Voz de Los Trabajadores Campesinos de Altiplano Sud, Casilla 16, Uyuni, Potosí, Bolivia. Bolivia offers shortwave listeners an opportunity to hear an exotic Latin country. Radio Mallku would make a good addition to the target list of any serious Latin American shortwave enthusiast. As always, remember to send in those exotic Radio Mallku station logs to Edwin Southwell for the Shortwave Logbook. Also, remember to send those rare and interesting Radio Mallku verifications to Mark Hattam for inclusion in the QSL Report column. Good luck with this DX Target (Oct World DX Club Contact via Alan Roe, DXLD) ** BRAZIL. Of interest to DXers at great distances: Proposed rulemaking to lower the FM band to 87.4 MHz, to accommodate two new channels, 198 and 199, which would presumably be 87.5 and 87.7 MHz, since 200 would be 87.9. But what about TV channel 6 audio on 87.75v? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Últimas Notícias ANATEL FAZ CONSULTA PARA AMPLIAÇÃO DA FAIXA DE FM -- 01/11/2003 Brasília - A Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (Anatel) colocou em audiência pública, de 10 de outubro até 3 de novembro, proposta de revisão do Regulamento Técnico para emissoras de radiofifusão sonora em freqüência modulada, objetivando à ampliação dessa de 87,8 a 108 MHz para 87,4 a 108 MHz. Segundo a Consulta Pública nº 475, assinada pelo presidente da Agência, Luiz Guilherme Schymura, e publicada hoje no Diário Oficial, o texto completo da proposta e dos relatórios da Fundação CPqD estarão disponívels na Biblioteca da Anatel, em Brasília, e na página da Agência na Internet http://www.anatel.gov.br As contribuições deverão ser encaminhadas para este site, de preferência por meio de formulário eletrônico do Sistema Interativo de Acompanhamento de Consulta Pública, disponível no próprio site. Serão também consideradas as manifestações encaminhadas por carta recebidas até às 18 horas do dia 29 de outubro, endereçadas à Superintendência de Serviços de Comunicação de Massa da Anatel, Consulta Pública nº 745, de 09 de outubro de 2003, "ampliação da faixa de radiodifusão sonora em freqüência modulada, de 87,8 a 108 MHz para 87,4 a 108 MHz, pela inclusão dos canais 198 e 199 - SAUS Quadra 6 Bloco F - Térreo - Biblioteca 70.070-940 Brasília - DF; fax (061) 312-2002 e endereço eletrônico: biblioteca@a.... [truncated] (Fredy Krause, da Agência Estado) SRDXC-News - no. 193, Semana: 27/10 a 02/11/2003, Produção: Jorge Silva, Boletim Semanal Eletrónico do Santa Rita DX Clube - Brasil = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = (via Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. Vende-se uma emissora de ondas tropicais. É o anúncio que está publicado no sítio da Associação Mineira de Rádios e que foi comentado por José Moraes, de Manhuaçu (MG), recentemente na lista de discussão Radioescutas. Trata-se da Rádio Por Um Mundo Melhor, de Governador Valadares (MG), que possui a freqüência de 4855 kHz. Os interessados devem entrar em contato com o Padre Euler, pelo telefone: + 55 33 32717322. E-mail: radiomundomelhor@wkve.com.br (Célio Romais, Panorama, @tividade DX Nov 2 via DXLD) ** CANADA. CINW Montréal and its shortwave transmitter CFCX Montréal - Licence renewal: http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2003/db2003-529.htm ...the Commission renews the broadcasting licence for the radio programming undertaking CINW Montréal (formerly CIQC Montréal) and its shortwave transmitter CFCX Montréal, from 1 December 2003 to 31 August 2010. The licence will be subject to the conditions set out in New licence form for commercial radio stations, Public Notice CRTC 1999- 137, 24 August 1999, as well as to the condition of licence set out in the appendix to this decision. . . (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) Seems to me some actual operation of the CFCX SW transmitter on 6005, or at least a specific plan to reactivate it, should be required for licence renewal! But this was just a co-pending auxiliary with the station which really matters, CINW. I would not be surprised if the CRTC were not even aware, or made aware, that the SW transmitter has been silent for several years (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHILE. 6010, Radio Parinacota, Putre, 0840-0850, November 4. Spanish. Very nice folk music of different Chile regions. TC: "es la hora 5, con 41 minutos". ID: "Radio Parinacota es la radio de los caminos", 33433 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** CHINA. N.B.: We now have the correct term for China`s ``crash and bang`` musical jammers: FIREDRAKE --- see story under UZBEKISTAN (gh) ** CHINA [and non]. China Radio International English schedule effective 26 October: 0100-0200 Am 9580-Cuba 9790-Canada 0300-0400 Am 9690-Spain 9790-Canada 0400-0600 Am 9560 9755 [sic] [WRONG AS ALWAYS! Should read: 0400-0500 Am 9755-French Guiana 0500-0600 Am 9560-Canada] 0900-1100 Au 15250 17690 1200-1300 AsAu 684 1188(testing) 1341 9730 9760 11760 11980 15415 1300-1400 AsAuAm 1341 9570-Cuba 11760 11900 11980 15180 1400-1600 AfAsAm 11675 11765 13685 15125 17720-Cuba 1500-1600 As 7160 9785 1600-1800 Af 7190 9570 13685 15125 1900-2000 Af 9440 9585 2000-2100 EuAf 1557-Lithuania(to 2030) 5965 9440 9840 11640 13630 2100-2200 EuAf 1440-Luxembourg 5965 9840 11640(to 2130) 13630(to 2130) 2200-2300 Eu 7170 2300-0000 EuAm 558-London 5990-Cuba 13680-Canada (CRI On-Line via Nov BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) Except for MW, sites not specified; we have inserted those we know from experience, Cuba and Canada, French Guiana, NOT including Mali et al. Note 1300-1600, 7405 is no longer shown. Have CRI finally abandoned it to R. Martí? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 5955, China Radio International, 1115-1140 Nov 4, features and music. Language used during broadcast was Russian. Typical Chinese format. \\ 7110, both fair (Bolland, Chuck, Clewiston, Florida, DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also PROPAGATION ** COLOMBIA. 6140, R. Melodía, 2343-0000, Nov. 3, Spanish, Nice mix of Spanish music, OM between selections, lengthy ID at 2357 with numerous mentions of "Melodía I.M.E.[??]" and "Bogotá, Colombia". PSA, followed by more music, until the signal was hampered by QRM splatter at 0000 from NHK/R. Japan, 6145 sign-on via Sackville relay (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R-75, MLB-1, RS longwire w/ RBA balun, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6139.82, Radio Melodía, Bogotá, 0616-0705 Nov 4, Spanish, Musical Program, man announcer, IDs "Melodía presentó otro Concierto Musical, gracias por seguir con Melodia, ...Bogotá la propia Capital de Colombia, desde el moderno edificio... les habla Melodía AM 730 KHz Onda Larga, 11000 [should be 100,000 --- gh] vatios de potencia en antena y en la banda internacional de 49 metros, HJQE 6140 kilociclos Onda Corta. Melodía AM, una potente emisora de la gran cadena Melodía de Colombia", 24332, better in LSB (tnx to Scott R. Barbour Jr. for the tip) (Nicolás Eramo, Argentina, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Tnx, Nicolás, for an audio clip. Far from armchair copy there like it is here (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Reactivada Radio Melodía, en los 6139.78 kHz. SINPO 32432. Captada el 04/11, a las 0941 UT con el espacio "Melodía En Concierto con...Javier Solís". A las 1000 emitía el espacio "Últimas Noticias de Melodía". Tenía tiempo sin captarla. 73's y buen DX... (Adán González, Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) FARC on 10000? See UNIDENTIFIED Hey guys, I heard this last night, Radio Melodía from bogotá, at 0610- 0630 UT on 6140 with frequent IDs and lively Spanish ballads and pops. IDs by OM, full ID at 0630. The signal was good using indoor antenna. Is this a new frequency? Nothing listed in my references (Ron Trotto, wdx4kwi, Waggoner, IL, Grundig Sat 800, swl at qth.net via DXLD) ** CONGO DR. 11690u, 2230 11 Oct, R. Okapi, African and US music, sung ID at 2250 ``Okapi --- Okapi`` // very poor 9550, SIO 222 (Dave Kenny, Caversham, Berkshire AOR AR7030/Wellbrook K9AY, 90m bev., LW, BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** CONGO DR. Radio Liberty in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is heard at 2200 UT on the frequency 7125 kHz. At this time, the programming consists of news in French, reports from correspondents and local music. The programming from Radio Liberty is spoiled by severe and persistent interference (Livinus Torty, Chad, African DX Report, AWR Wavescan Nov 9 via John Norfolk, DXLD) What`s this?? What about Conakry, Guinea on 7125? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COSTA RICA. RADIO FOR PEACE INTERNATIONAL UNDER SIEGE IN COSTA RICA http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=03/11/04/1556254 Tuesday, November 4th, 2003 Listen to: Segment || Show Watch 128k stream Watch 256k stream ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The only shortwave radio station dedicated to peace and social justice in the Western Hemisphere is under siege by the UN mandated University For Peace where it is housed. In July, the university served an eviction notice to the radio station staff, who refused to leave. We go to Costa Rica to speak with the station’s CEO from inside the locked studios. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Founded in 1987, Radio for Peace International broadcasts Democracy Now!, Free Speech Radio News, and other independent radio programs as well as United Nations. Radio for Peace International is housed on the grounds of University for Peace, a United Nations mandated university located in El Rodeo, Costa Rica. On July 21st, the University served an eviction notice to the radio station staff. Armed guards employed by the University locked the station’s access gate and patrolled the premises. They ordered the staff to evacuate the facilities in two weeks. A number of Radio for Peace International employees refused to leave the station. Supporters delivered supplies and food to the locked station and a group of listeners is collected donations for a legal defense fund. Well yesterday the United Nation's University for Peace began to use aggressive means to force the shut down of the station. At noon they cut off the water supply to the remaining 8 staff and volunteers holed up in the building. Four hours later the University cut the telephone lines. Security guards have turned away reporters and cameramen who have come out to try to enter the campus. Since the University is owned by the United Nations, they are claiming immunity from all laws and law enforcement; the station has little power against this major act of censorship. James Latham, CEO of Radio for Peace International, speaking to us from inside the locked studios. To purchase an audio or video copy of this entire program, call 1 (800) 881-2359 (via Artie Bigley, Nov 4, DXLD) BARBED WIRE BOXES RFPI IN 11/04/03 4:00 PM CST (Costa Rican time) - The Copy Exchange - Today the University for Peace (UPaz) "strung up enough barbed wire across the entrance to round up a herd of Texas longhorns," stated RFPI station chief, James Latham, in a cell phone conversation with The Copy Exchange. Nobody is getting in or out of the station, but the RFPI staff has no intention of budging. "We are not moving until this whole thing is over," stated Latham. Local supporters in the San José area, after hearing that water supply was cut off yesterday, tossed 5 gallon buckets over the fence near the studios for collecting rain water. With heavy rain continuing on throughout the day, an ample amount of water was collected to sustain the RFPI staff for a good number of days. Meanwhile legal action continues. Papers requesting intervention to force Upaz to cease its action, signed by the RFPI staff and others - including Rodrigo Carazo, founder of UPaz - will be filed at Costa Rica's highest court in the next few hours. RFPI is requesting that supporters E-mail Kofi Annan sg@un.org to explain why they support RFPI, and urgently request his intervention. People can simply help by dropping an E-mail to info@rfpi.org to give examples of why they support the station (Franklin Seiberling, IA, http://copyexchange.com/_wsn/page3.html via DXLD) RFPI, 7445, still sounded like always, despite the increasing pressure upon it, UT Wed at 0000+ Counterspin, 0030+ the bilingual show, 0100+ WORLD OF RADIO 1205 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The RFPI lockout reminds me of a recent situation we had in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. The Madison Infoshop lost segregated funding from the University of Wisconsin due to attacks from conservative groups on campus, but, instead of closing down, they were able to find a cheaper location and stay in operation through various fundraising activities. So, this may have been a blessing in disguise, as it allowed them to become more independent of the university. So, my question I have is, is this possible for RFPI? Could we keep RFPI going as a more independent and free entity? I am a volunteer at WORT community radio in Madison, and we send some of our original programming to RFPI for re-broadcast. While I haven't been able to listen to RFPI much (I'd probably need a more powerful world-band radio than I currently have), I know they have much of the same sort of programming as the Pacifica network and other community radio stations here in the USA, so I support them whole-heartedly! (Felix Bunke, Nov 2, http://www.saverfpi.org via DXLD) ** CYPRUS. Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation schedule effective 26 October: 2115-2145 Fri/Sat/Sun Greek 6180 7210 9760 - all via Merlin Cyprus (Merlin via A Volk, Nov BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** DENMARK. See DEUTSCHES REICH [non] in this and previous issue ** DEUTSCHES REICH [non]. DANISH MINISTER UNDER PRESSURE OVER NAZI RADIO STATION | Text of report by Danish radio web site on 4 November; subheadings as published: A majority in the Folketing [Danish parliament] wants a stop to the public subsidy for the Nazis' local radio station, Oasen. "It cannot be democracy's task to finance Nazi propaganda," says Mette Frederiksen, culture spokeswoman for the Social Democrats. She is supported by Ester Larsen of the Liberals, Naser Khader of the Radical Liberals and Carina Christensen of the Conservative People's Party. Unique in the world The station has just been given approval from the Culture Ministry for assistance of 78,000 kroner [about 12,017 dollars] in 2004. This has happened despite Culture Minister Brian Mikkelsen promising back in February to stop the subsidy to the Nazi radio station, the only Nazi radio station in the world, which receives a public subsidy. "I think it is completely grotesque that public money raised through taxation is given to a Nazi radio station whose entire nature is so brutal and unpleasant. We have to put a stop to this. We cannot be involved in this," the culture minister told P3 Nyheder [Danish public-service radio station] at the time. Over the last six months the radio station has received a total of 400,000 kroner [about 61,626 dollars]. Promise repeated Brian Mikkelsen is now again promising that the rules will be rewritten. "I intend to change the rules so that all local radio stations don't automatically receive subsidy. I hope to have the new rules in force from 1 January 2004," Brian Mikkelsen states in a press release. In December last year he appointed a working party to investigate the possibilities for changing the subsidy scheme. The party's report has not yet been published and it is still unclear what the new rules will look like. However, according to Lars Kilhof, chairman of the local radio committee in Greve, it may be more than difficult to draw up guidelines which prevent Radio Oasen from getting subsidy without affecting other local radio stations. Source: Danmarks Radio web site, Copenhagen, in Danish 0632 gmt 4 Nov 03 (via BBCm via DXLD) Andy Sennitt comments: This is all very well, but one has to ask why it has taken six years, during which time Radio Oasen has received grants totalling 400,000 kroner, for the government to act. # posted by Andy @ 09:03 UTC Nov 4 (Media Network via DXLD) ** FALKLAND ISLANDS [and non]. Radio in the Falklands: BDXC member, Peter George has kindly sent in a copy of the `Penguin News` information bulletin which confirms the following frequencies in use in the Falklands: FIBS: 88.3 FM in Stanley area, 96.5, 102.0 FM Mount Maria and 530 MW Island wide BFBS1: 96.5 FM Island wide and 98.5 MPA BFBS2: 550 MW Island wide (Penguin News via Peter George) BBC World Service 'Calling the Falklands' continues for the B-03 season at 2130-2145 on Tuesdays and Fridays on 11680 via Rampisham (Nov BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** GERMANY. GERMAN WAY TO GO DIGITAL: NO DAWDLING By MARK LANDLER November 3, 2003 http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/03/technology/03digital.html?pagewanted=print&position= BERLIN, Oct. 29 --- When Sebastian Engel received a letter in the mail last winter warning that he would soon lose his over-the-air analog television service, he reacted like any 26-year-old graduate student with little money and even less interest in the vagaries of TV technology. Mr. Engel, who lives in a bohemian part of the former East Berlin, ignored the promotional palaver about the brave new world of digital broadcasting, and instead asked his landlord whether he could sign up for cable. Alas, he was told, his apartment block, with its drab, coal-heated buildings, was not wired for cable. So after procrastinating for several weeks, Mr. Engel finally paid 150 euros ($174) for a set-top box that enabled his aging, portable TV to receive a digital signal. Now, he gets 25 channels and a crystal clear picture, compared with the 6 channels and snowy reception he had before the switchover. "Sometimes the picture goes off for a couple of seconds, but otherwise it's pretty great," said Mr. Engel, as he channel-surfed through a soccer match, a hip-hop music video and the BBC news. On Aug. 3, Berlin became the world's first major city to switch from analog to entirely digital television broadcasting. The transition went almost unnoticed in Germany or elsewhere, which is remarkable, given that in the United States, the same process has been bogged down by politics, vested interests and a stubborn fear that scrapping analog television will ignite a revolt among viewers. The German example could prove instructive to the United States, where digital broadcasting - and the array of multimedia services likely to spring from it - still seems like a distant dream. Six years ago, Congress set the end of 2006 as the date by which most television broadcasts would be digital, but American industry executives predict the switch may not be completed before 2020. In Germany, officials have taken a much tougher line. "We knew it would work only if we set a hard deadline," said Sascha Bakarinov, the head of the Broadcasting Authority of Berlin and Brandenburg, which oversaw the switchover. "You can take six months or two years or a decade, and people are still only going to react in the last few weeks." Berlin's hurry-up approach was risky. Mr. Bakarinov worried about a consumer outcry over the cost of the set-top boxes, not to mention tales of aging pensioners deprived of their television. But thanks to an elaborate public relations campaign and government subsidies for people who could not afford the boxes, Berlin kept the complaints to an occasional squawk. In a city accustomed to lavish public services since German reunification, this is no small achievement. "The German approach is extremely radical," said Ulrich Reimers, a professor at the Technical University in Braunschweig and a chief designer of the digital television standard in Germany. "This is really the one and only place in the world where this has happened." The switch to digital is under way in other German cities, including Cologne, Hannover and Duesseldorf. By next May, Professor Reimers said, digital signals will reach 23 million of Germany's 82 million people. By 2010, he predicted, "Germany will be analog-free." It is important to remember, in talking about digital television, that the switchover affects only viewers who receive their TV over the air. Of Germany's 34 million television households, 19 million have cable and 12 million use satellite receivers. Both industries remain predominantly analog. That leaves 3 million German homes still using rooftop aerials or even more antiquated rabbit-ear antennas. (In the United States, an estimated 10 million of 106 million television households still rely on over-the-air signals.) In Berlin, which has 1.8 million TV households, 160,000 homes had over-the-air reception before the switchover, while 90,000 homes used over-the-air broadcast for second or third sets. For the public, the advantage of digital is twofold: better reception, particularly in first-floor apartments like that of Mr. Engel's, where surrounding buildings can make broadcast signals hard to pick up; and more channels, though the magic of digital compression. Most German cities have 6 analog channels. Berlin used to have 12 - 6 for West Berlin and 6 for East Berlin. Now, with digital compression, Berlin transmits 28 digital channels using only 7 of its 12 frequencies. That frees the rest of the spectrum for potentially lucrative wireless services or other uses. Because basic cable in Germany offers only 32 channels and costs 15 euros a month ($17.40), digital broadcasting - free, once the box has been purchased - is quite competitive. As Mr. Engel sees it, he will pay off his converter box in less than a year. Mr. Bakarinov estimated that 160,000 Berliners bought boxes by the Aug. 3 switchover - indicating that only a minority used the end-of-analog transition as an excuse to sign up for cable or satellite. About 6,700 of the converter boxes were sold to low-income households at a subsidized price. Such government support is one of the differences between the German and American approach to digital television. As Phillip L. Spector, a Washington communications lawyer put it, "It's hard to imagine the Treasury Department subsidizing the cost of set-top boxes." Unlike in the United States, where the federal government retains primary control of the airwaves, Germany allocates the frequencies to its 16 states, which in turn assign them to public and private broadcasters. The states are helped in the digital transition because the publicly owned stations remain among the most watched in Germany. In the United States, digital television has been caught in a classic chicken-and-egg dilemma. Most consumers have little incentive to buy digital TV sets or converter boxes since there is little to watch, and broadcasters see little reason to invest in it since there are hardly any viewers. Nobody expects the Congressional deadline of Dec. 31, 2006, for a digital conversion to be met, because Congress said it would exempt any local market in which fewer than 85 percent of the households were equipped with a digital TV or converter. That threshold seems unlikely to be reached in most markets until closer to 2020, some broadcast executives say. As long as millions of American households are still receiving their television over the air, many of them in remote areas, politicians are understandably loath to cut off even a single one. Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) Enclosed a forwarded article, quoting the first public statements about this circumstance I know: It is not to expect that a full coverage DVB-T service in Germany will be carried out also in the long term. From a merely economical point of view the DVB-T infrastructure under construction actually cannot be justified. This is also an opportunity for me to point out once again that the DVB-T service claimed to cover "Berlin-Brandenburg" is limited to Berlin and the surrounding area. To describe this with the term "Berlin-Brandenburg" is a flagrant sign of ignorance against the other regions of Brandenburg. These regions farther away from Berlin are still served with ARD, ZDF and RBB programming (the commercial broadcasters already cancelled their terrestrial transmitters in Brandenburg) in PAL B/G by high power transmitters at the main FM sites (Calau near Cottbus, Booßen-Treplin near Frankfurt, Casekow in northeastern Brandenburg and Pritzwalk-Buchholz in northwestern Brandenburg) plus various low power repeaters. In addition RBB Brandenburg TV is also still carried via two sites in other states for remote regions of northern Brandenburg, Helpterberg in Mecklenburg- Vorpommern and Höhbeck in Niedersachsen. Here is a list of TV transmitters in and for Brandenburg as well as the DVB-T transmitters in Berlin: http://people.freenet.de/davidbeyer/Berlin-Brandenburg.htm (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Nov 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ---Ursprüngliche Nachricht--- DVB-T NIMMT ABSCHIED VON DER FLÄCHENDECKUNG Stuttgart, 30.10.2003 - Eine flächendeckende Versorgung mit digitalem terrestrischen Fernsehen (Digital Video Broadcasting Terrestrial, DVB-T) wird nach Einschätzung von Medienexperten in Deutschland auch langfristig nicht erreicht werden. Thomas Hirschle, Präsident der Landesanstalt für Kommunikation Baden-Württemberg (LfK), beurteilt den gegenwärtigen Prozess der DVB- T-Einführung skeptisch. Im Vergleich zu allen bereits existierenden Übertragungswegen müssen seiner Ansicht nach die zu erwartenden Kosten bei der DVB-T-Versorgung kritisch beurteilt werden. Außerdem sei die Gruppe der Nutzer terrestrischer Fernsehangebote mit dem Anteil von nur etwa zehn Prozent zu klein, um DVB-T rentabel zu betreiben. "Die Infrastruktur, die wir aufbauen, ist unter rein wirtschaftlichen Gesichtspunkten nicht zu rechtfertigen", sagte er. Eine flächendeckende Versorgung, warnte der LfK-Präsident, sei mit den bisherigen Finanzierungsmodellen nicht realisierbar. Jürgen Doetz, Präsident des Verbandes Privater Rundfunk und Telekommunikation (VPRT), verweist auf die Notwendigkeit einer strategischen Diskussion bei der DVB-T Einführung hin. Fakt sei, dass sich DVB-T bis zum Ende der öffentlichen Förderung in fünf Jahren für alle Beteiligten rechnen müsse. Eine gebührenfinanzierte Digitalisierung lehnt Doetz ab und empfahl als Alternative die Entwicklung von Wirtschaftsförderungsmodellen sowie die Schaffung bezahlter Diensteangebote. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Aus kabel-tv.de Joachim Mitschelin (via Kai Ludwig, Nov 4, DXLD) ** GHANA [and non]. For Chris Greenway: I have a selection of Wireless World Guide to Broadcasting Stations and WRTHs from 1958 to 1987. Would it be relevant that from 1971 to at least 1981 Kaduna, Nigeria, also broadcast on 3396 kHz before returning to 3326 kHz by 1987. Could the RCA transmitter and 3396 crystal have been bought by the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation from Nigeria and never used? (BRIAN PEGDEN, writing from the delightfully named Charter Alley near Tadley, Nov BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** GREECE [and non]. ERT S.A.: THE VOICE OF GREECE B03 SHORT WAVE TRANSMISSION SCHEDULE Effective 26/10/03 to 28/03/04 EUROPE 0000-0300 5865 *7475 Gr 0300-0500 *5865 9420 Gr 0500-0600 12105 9420 "Gr , Eng" 0600-0800 12105 9420 15630 "Gr , Eng" 0800-1000 12105 9420 15630 "Gr , Eng" 1100-1200 11645 15630 Gr 1200-1300 11645 15630 9420 Gr 1300-1400 11645 15630 9420 Gr 1400-1500 11645 15630 9420 Gr 1500-1700 9420 15630 Gr 1700-1800 9420 15630 Gr 1800-1900 9420 15630 7475 Gr 1900-2000 9420 15630 7475 Gr 2000-2100 *9420 15630 7475 12105 Gr 2100-2200 7475 15630 Gr 2200-2300 7475 15630 Gr 2300-2400 5865 7475 Gr FOREIGN LANGUAGE TRANSMISSIONS 1200-1430 15650 "Gr,Ar" 1430-1600 15650 "D,Rus,E" 1600-1800 12105 "R,Tr,Bg,Sc" 1800-2000 12105 "Al,F,Pl,Eng" MW 0900-1700 792 "Gt,Ar,D,Rus,E,R,Tr" 2000-2130 792 Gr 2200-2300 792 Gr TASKEND 1200-1400 15650 Gr 0000-0400 15650 Gr 0400-0700 21530 17520 Gr M.EAST 0700-0800 21530 17520 Gr INDIAN.OCEAN 1200-1400 15650 "Gr,Ar" 2100-2400 15650 Gr MW 0900-1400 1260 "Gr,Ar,D" 1730-1800 792 Gr ATLANTIC OCEAN 0000-0300 5865 *7475 Gr 0300-0500 5865 9420 Gr 0600-0800 15630 9420 Gr 0800-1000 15630 Gr 1100-2000 15630 Gr 2000-2300 15630 7475 Gr 2300-2400 5865 7475 Gr AFRICA 0000-0357 9375 Gr 0500-1000 12105 Gr 1100-1500 11645 Gr 1900-2000 [same as above, or below??] 2000-2050 [same as above, or below??] 2300-2400 9375 Gr JAPAN 0600-0800 11750 Gr PACIFIC OCEAN 1200-1400 15650 [Gr, no doubt] AUSTRALIA 0000-0357 15650 Gr 0400-0800 17520 0400-0800 21530 Gr 0600-0800 11750 Gr [Delano] 1200-1400 15650 Gr.Ar 2100-2257 9420 15650 Gr 2300-2400 15650 Gr NORTH AMERICA 0000-0300 5865 7475 Gr 1200-1500 9690 Gr [Delano] 1600-2200 17705 Gr [Delano] SOUTH AMERICA 0000-0357 9375 Gr PANAMA ZONE & SW AFRICA 2000-2200 17565 Gr [Greenville] 2300-2400 9375 Gr Gr=Greek, Eng= English, Al= Albanian, Ar=Arabian, Bg= Bulgarian, F=French, E= Spanish, I=Italian", "Pl=Polish, P=Portuguese, =Romanian, Rus= Russian, S= Swedish, Sc=Servocroatian, Tr=Turkish " ( * ) Transmission end 10 min earlier [Note: NO indication of weekly English hours, Sat 1700, Sun 1900 as expected, including via Delano 17705] LIVE AUDIO URL: http://www.ert.gr Reports via e-mail: era5@ert.gr. Techinical information: bcharalabopoulos@ert.gr ERT S.A. MACEDONIA STATION EUROPE 1100-1650 9935 Gr EUROPE 1700-2350 7450 Gr ERA 5 'THE VOICE OF GREECE' ?essogion 432,15342, Ag. Paraskevi Attikis, Tel +301 6066308, 6066297, Fax +301 6066309 "Macedonia Radio Station: Angelaki Str 2, 54621 Tel: +3031244979, Fax:+3031 236370" General Direction of E.RA (Engineering Div.): Messogeion 432, 15342, Ag. Paraskevi Attikis, Tel 301 606 6257 Fax +301 606 6243 (via Christos Rigas, IL, Nov 4, DXLD) [gh laboriously edited from apparent original spreadsheet] ** GUAM. KTWR English schedule effective 30 October: 0740-0900 Mon-Fri As 15205 0815-0930 Sat/Sun Au 15330 0730-0900 Sat/Sun As 15205 1445-1545 Daily As 15330 0745-0930 Mon-Fri Au 15330 (KTWR schedule) KSDA -- AWR Guam English schedule effective 26 October: 1000-1030 SE Asia 11705 1000-1100 N Asia 11900 1330-1400 S Asia 15660 (Mo,Tu,Th,Sa) 1330-1400 N Asia 11755 1600-1700 S Asia 15495 1630-1700 S Asia 11980 1700-1730 M East 11560 1730-1800 M East 9385 2130-2200 N Asia 11980 2130-2200 N Asia 12010 (Mo,Tu,Th,Sa) (AWR via Nov BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** GUATEMALA. 4780, Radio "Cultural" Coatán, Coatán 1235-40 blasting in, ID is "Radio Coatán" with Cultural dropped. 4052.53, Radio Verdad, Chiquimula, 1122 with ID's by om, Christian Evangelical music, good signal; still there at 1230 recheck. 4844.94, Radio K`ekchí, Alta Verapaz, 1230-1240, presumed the one stuggling with transmitter problems (Bob Wilkner, NRD 535D, Pompano Beach, South Florida, Nov 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUINEA. Radio Guinea in Conakry now appears to be on air all day on 7125 kHz, without a daytime break (Chris Greenway in Accra, Nov BDXC- UK Communication via DXLD) See also CONGO DR... ** HAWAII. When the autumn weather starts to get you down, why not have a listen to the sounds of exotic Hawaii. For broadcasts live from Hawaii over the airwaves and through the Internet, the Hawaii Radio and TV Guide is at: http://www.hawaiiradiotv.com It might look like a simple site but it has plenty of content, with a list of all stations broadcasting from Hawaii and links to relevant websites. A wide choice includes KZOO with Japanese music and programming: http://www.kzoohawaii.com Contemporary Hawaiian music on KINE at: http://www.hawaiian105.com and Internet Radio Hawaii, playing Hawaiian Music at: http://www.irh.com There is a broad range of music and talk on Hawaiian Public Radio, which is represented by 88.1 FM with KHPR in Honolulu, KANO 99.1 in Hilo, KIPO 99.3 in Honolulu, and KKUA 90.7 in Wailuku. All of these can be accessed from the excellent website: http://www.hawaiipublicradio.org (COMMUNICATION WEBWATCH Edited by Chris Brand, Nov BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL. MONITORING HF ACARS Also known as HFDL or Datalink, as the staff at Air Traffic Control seem to call it, is an extension of the VHF version, which uses MSK at 2400 bd 1200 Hz and AM transmission. The HF version uses M-PSK (M-ary Phase Shift Keying) at 1800 bd sending data at 300, 600, 1200 or 1800 bits per second using USB transmission. Both are to enable ground stations and avionics systems on aircraft to communicate with each other in a bitoriented message format. ARINC has established 16 ground stations around the world, each with a number of frequencies within the allocated aeronautical bands, extending from 2878 kHz at Molokai Hawaii to 21997 kHz for Santa Cruz Bolivia. The Pacific area coverage is from Guam, Auckland, Dixon and Molokai. Monitors have a problem just working out which of a stations frequencies would be in use at a particular time, you just have to assume what would be the optimum frequency by using the station`s local time as a basis e.g. daylight or hours of darkness. However you do have a good tool to assist, as, every 32 seconds, or close to it, each active ground station transmits a brief data burst on its frequencies in current use, these are called squitters. If you can receive these, it is most likely you could receive traffic from aircraft to that station. However the data bursts are quite short and it is difficult tell which would be which, although downlink messages are longer in content than the squitters, they do not seem to be all that much longer in time. Without being able to actually decode the data any monitor can hear this traffic and this column would appreciate any reports, and should there be enough interest, a full frequency list will appear in a forthcoming issue of ADXN. As a guide, try 10084 kHz for Auckland during daylight hours; a data burst should come up about every 32 seconds. Receivers are tuned to the actual transmit frequency rather than being offset as for FAX or RTTY etc. To actually make sense of this mode you require some sort of decoding. A United Kingdom monitor, Charles Brain has developed software, which can be downloaded via the net. I understand there is a free version which can be upgraded by registration. Anyone interested can contact this editor and I would be pleased to supply details etc. Many monitors are using Charles` software, as noted on WUN lists and elsewhere, which is referred to as PC-HFDL. Some decoders will also decode HF ACARS. Now for what you can get, well, despite what you may read, so far, not a lot, it could well be that, in the Northern Hemisphere there is much more traffic than can be monitored from the Pacific area. There is no joy in sitting at a computer with the radio tuned to an active station waiting for traffic other than the parade of squitters from the ground station. The method adopted here has been to set up the system, switch off the monitor and go and do something else. It is interesting, but somehow leaves you with a sense of not really monitoring a signal, perhaps, for some of us, we may have been working that tuning control for so long, we have to be dragged into the computer age (Allen Fountain, fountain2 @ bigpond.com Utility DX, Nov Australian DX News via DXLD) ** IRAN. IRIB CANCELLED TRANSMISSIONS INTENTIONALLY Below a statement from IRIB's German service editorial staff via Christian Zietz. Summary: They were shocked themselves. This is no technical fault, the winter frequencies for Europe were not put in service intentionally. But nobody knows for sure what is at the bottom of this intention (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Nov 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) viz.: Der unvorhergesehene, plötzliche Ausfall sämtlicher Frequenzen, zu dem es bis dato keine befriedigende Erklärung für uns gibt, hat uns und unsere Hörer wohl im gleichen Maß schockiert. Tatsache ist, dass dieser Vorfall nicht von ungefähr kommt, und das es sich auch nicht um eine technische Panne dabei handelt. Die Nicht-Inbetriebnahme des Kurzwellennetzes für die Ausstrahlung der Sendungen für das europäische Ausland im Winter ist beabsichtigt. Nur weiß keiner genau, was hinter dieser Absicht steht (via Kai Ludwig, DXLD) ** IRELAND. Dublin: ABC to make a return --- ABC are set to make a return to the airwaves, but on the Shortwave band only. The former Dublin FM station last appeared briefly towards the end of 2001 after 6 years on air. They will be back on test this coming Sunday between 10 am and 2 pm on 6940 kHz and are requesting reception reports to abc6940@h.... [truncated]. No live programming is planned until they discover how well their signal is getting out, and they are not planning a return to FM. http://www.radiowaves.fm/news/index.shtml (via Mike Terry, Nov 4, BDXC-UK via DXLD) ** ISRAEL. Arutz 7 --- There was a Knesset debate yesterday regarding Arutz 7. On the Israel Radio English news, they mentioned that Ehud Olmert was proposing tenders for digital radio. No idea how serious or realistic the comment is. Anyhow, here is a piece from the entire article, from Artuz 7's website. (The Arutz 7 radio station audio is still available live via the web.) http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=52221 "Olmert said that the number of analog frequencies are limited, "and there are maybe only three. They cannot be given out freely... and therefore it has to be by tender. Some say that there should be an 'open skies' policy for digital frequencies, but the problem is that there are not so many digital radios - each one costs a lot." Rivlin interjected: "$700 each." Olmert then said that he is willing "tomorrow morning" to declare a tender for "digital radio stations for whoever wants and meets the minimal requirements." Rivlin then cautioned him that he was going too far, as such an arrangement could cause problems of overlap with other stations." (via Doni Rosenzweig, Nov 4, DXLD) ** IVORY COAST. On 4 November, NPR's Morning Edition had a report (3:32) about the murder of RFI reporter Jean Helene. Audio available at http://www.npr.org -- Morning Edition -- previous shows. 73 (Kim Elliott, DC, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KASHMIR. Radio Kashmir, Srinagar has moved to their winter schedule. They now sign on at 0055 UT on 4950 (Last winter they used to sign on at 0120. The special Ramadan broadcasts continue at 2315 to 2358. 73 (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS/AT0J, Nov 2, dx_india via DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH. Voice of Korea announced English scheduled effective 3 November: 0100-0200 3560 6195 7140 9345 1300-1400 4405 7505 11710 9335 11335 0100-0200 6520 11735 1500-1600 4405 7505 11710 9335 11335 0200-0300 4405 9325 11335 1600-1700 3560 9975 11735 0300-0400 3560 6195 7140 9345 1900-2000 4405 7505 11710 11335 1000-1100 3560 11710 9335 2100-2200 4405 7505 11335 11735 9850 Voice of Korea also has transmissions in Arabic, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Spanish and two programmes in Korean. The other frequency usage is MW 621 kHz, SW 3250 6070 6575 7580 9660 kHz (Rumen Pankov direct to BDXC UK Communication, Nov, via DXLD) ?? I did not think they ever announced the link frequencies of 3560, 4405 (gh) ** LESOTHO. Radio Lesotho is noted at 0400 UT on 4800 kHz with an eight minute news bulletin in a local language. This on-the-hour feature is followed by advertisements for local commercial enterprises. There is an announcement in English at 0425, and reception of this station is lost at 0430 with the morning sunrise (Livinus Torty, Chad, African DX Report, AWR Wavescan Nov 9 via John Norfolk, DXLD) ** LIBERIA. LIBERIA'S STAR RADIO ALLOWED TO RESUME BROADCASTING Liberia's transitional government has lifted a ban on Star Radio, the independent radio station closed down on 15 March 2000 by former president Charles Taylor for broadcasting "hate messages against the Liberian government". Prior to the closure of its FM station in Monrovia, Star Radio had already been banned from broadcasting on shortwave. Star Radio was established in 1997 by the Swiss-based Hirondelle Foundation to provide a voice for all Liberians and pro-democracy institutions in the run-up to elections that brought Taylor to power. President of the transitional government, Gyude Bryant, said on Monday: "I do hereby today lift the ban on Star Radio. We further direct that Star Radio is now at liberty to liaise with appropriate agencies of government to satisfy requirements in relations to its frequency and the renewal of its broadcasting rights." He added that Star Radio had a key role to play in the "development of communication and enhancing the integrity of our media industry." (Source: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks (Radio Netherlands Media Network Weblog - Tuesday, November 04, 2003: # posted by Andy @ 10:05 UTC via Alan Pennington, BDXC-UK via DXLD) [Note: Star Radio had used 3400 kHz 0500-0800 & 5880 kHz 1700-2100 UT. see also http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/dossiers/html/liberia-p.html – Alan Pennington, BDXC-UK via DXLD) ** LIBYA [non]. 15660, 29 Sept, 1810, Voice of Africa, Tripoli (via France). News in Arabic, English ID, news at 1820 // 15205, 17635, 17695. ``Voice of Africa from Great Jamahiriya``, SIO 444 (Dave Kenny, Caversham, Berkshire AOR AR7030/Wellbrook K9AY, 90m bev., LW, BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** MADAGASCAR. Relays via RNW Madagasacar (excluding R Netherlands) effective 26 October: 0100-0130 Daily R Sweden Swedish As 12060 0230-0330 Daily AWR French/Malagasy Af 3215 0430-0500 Sat-Tue Voice of Hope English Af 12060 15320 1430-1530 Daily Democratic Voice of Burma Burmese As 17495 1530-1630 Daily AWR French/Malagasy Af 3215 1630-1730 Daily Fiangona na Loterana Malagasy Af 3215 1700-1755 Daily Voice of the People (Zimbabwe) English/Vern. Af 7120 2330-0030 Daily Democratic Voice of Burma Burmese As 12055 (Nov BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** MALAWI. STATE BROADCASTER LAUNCHES NEW TRANSMITTER IN LILONGWE | Text of report by Malawian MBC radio on 1 November The Malawi Broadcasting Corporation, MBC, has launched a new 30 kilowatts medium wave transmitter in Lilongwe. According to MBC's central region manager, Cassim Selemani, the transmitter will boost transmission. He said this would also retain MBC's status as the most reliable radio in the country. Speaking during the launch of the new transmitter, Saturday, Selemani said it is the wish of MBC as a national radio to make sure that people from all the corners of the country are able to listen to all its programmes without any problems. Selemani said people especially in remote areas depend on the radio as their only source of accurate information, as they have no access to newspapers and some FM radio stations. He said as Malawi prepares to go to national elections next year, the radio will play a pivotal role of civic education. Selemani said MBC would continue its role of educating, informing and entertaining the masses. Source: MBC radio, Blantyre, in English 1600 gmt 1 Nov 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) WTFK?? WRTH 2003 already has a 25 kW on 594; just a replacement? (gh) ** MALI. On shortwave, Mali was quite interesting to listen to, propagationally at least. 4784v, 4835 and 5995 were all there at 0555 sign-on, and with 4835 being the best frequency, that was heard through to 0800 sign-off. From there, 7285, 9635 and 11960 took over, with 9635 being the best one. On one occasion, I spent a few hours lazing on the sun terrace of the villa I was staying in, overlooking the Mediterranean, and listened to Mali on 9635 from around 0900 UT (1100 local time in Menorca) till well past 1200 UT (1400 local). It offered good daytime reception, but the programming left a lot to be desired! Endless local instrumentals and the same announcement inserted every few minutes! I wonder how many Malians listen to that during the day! (Tony Rogers, Menorca, Sept-Oct, BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) See ALGERIA for introduction; and for the log section: 9635 0800 RTM, Bamako, Mali. Sign-on, anns and ID in Vernacular 444 29/09 tr 9635 0905 RTM, Bamako, Mali. Listened to this over 3 hour period: local instrumentals, ID's every few minutes "Radio Mali" giving FM freq (presumably 92.0); full ID at 1157 (SIO 343 by then) 344 07/10 tr 11960 0800 RTM, Bamako, Mali. Sign-on // 9635; fair with splash from 11955 but then obliterated by RDP sign-on on 11960 at 0802 322 29/09 (Tony Rogers, ibid.) ** MEXICO. 6045, XEXQ Radio Universidad, San Luis Potosí, *1210 announcements and into usual programme of classical music 1215, marginal signal (Bob Wilkner, NRD 535D, Pompano Beach, South Florida, Nov 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MONACO [non]. Re 7325: Despite its name, Radio Monte Carlo - Moyen Orient (RMC-MO) is now fully produced in France. Being a member of the RFI group, all Arabic programs of RFI are meanwhile produced by RMC-MO (you can download the full RFI schedule as pdf on http://www.rfi.fr/fichiers/Magazines/index_mag_tv.asp which shows all frequencies). http://www.rmc-mo.com (RMC-MO website): ||| Since its establishment in 1972, RADIO MONTE CARLO Moyen Orient has proven its capability to gain, develop and consolidate fame and an audience that place it among the top PANARAB INTERNATIONAL RADIO STATIONS. Followed by 15 million listeners throughout the Middle East and the Gulf States, RADIO MONTE CARLO-Moyen Orient has become a member of the Radio France Internationale group by the end of the year 1996. Based in Paris, on the 8th floor of the Maison de la Radio, it broadcasts all its programs in Arabic throughout the Middle East, the Gulf States and, since early July 1999, the Maghreb countries. The RMC-MO team is made up of over 80 journalists, reporters and correspondents covering the entire world, and a dozen presenters. This dynamic team is assisted by technicians who have made possible to digitalise the station. ||| (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, Nov 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MONGOLIA. 9720.0, Voice of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, 1518-1533*, Nov 03, English Mailbag, New frequency replacing 12015 which is still mentioned on their website, clear channel but battered by neighbouring DW Russian on 9715, 32332 (Martien Groot, Netherlands, DSWCI DX Window via Hans Johnson, Cumbre DX via DXLD) In addition to this, 12085 was replaced by 12015 at 1000 UT, as heard over the past couple of days. They mentioned 2000UT English to be on 9720 as well. Schedule was announced towards the end of the broadcast. (Mark J. Fine, Remington, Virginia, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** MOROCCO. RTM via IBB Briech effective 26 October: 0000-0500 on 5980, 1100-1500 on 15335 and 2200-0000 on 7135 (IBB schedule via Nov BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS. Relays via RNW Flevo (excluding R Netherlands) effective 26 October: 1330-1400 R Sweden English Eu 9815 1400-1430 R Canada Int ?? Eu 9815 1500-1515 Vatican R German Eu 9815 2000-2100 R Canada Int French Eu 11725 (RNW schedule via Nov BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** NORWAY. Christian Stödberg`s website on old Swedish MW and LW transmitters has been updated. New pictures on the mediumwave transmitter in Sölvesborg and Kvitsøy (Norway) can be seen. Click on the pictures to enlarge them: http://hem.passagen.se/longwave/?noframe/ (EMWG via COMMUNICATION WEBWATCH Edited by Chris Brand, Nov BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. 1520, KOMA, Oklahoma city. ID's frequently as KOMA at 0715 14/10 and 15/10 good level usually the first NA to appear. Like a long old time friend. Had lots of talk on the World Series of Baseball (John Wright, DXing between Mossman and Cooktown, Queensland, on an ICOM R71A and 150 metres of wire usually in the 70-degree direction. The ICOM was powered by a 12v DC connection to a car battery, Nov Australian DX News via DXLD) ** PERU. LISTA DE EMISORAS FM EN LIMA, PERU. Trabajo en una de ellas, Z Rock & Pop. Soy voz oficial. 73s DXSPACEMASTER LIMA 88.3 TELESTEREO 88.9 CANAL N RADIO (TEST TRANSMISSIONS) 89.7 R.P.P. http://www.gruporpp.com.pe 90.5 C.P.N. RADIO http://www.cpnradio.com.pe 91.1 RADIO SAN BORJA 91.9 O.K. RADIO 92.5 STUDIO 92 http://www.gruporpp.com.pe 93.1 RADIO RITMO http://www.ritmoromantica.com 93.7 RADIO LA INOLVIDABLE 94.3 RADIO AMERICA http://www.radioamerica.com.pe 94.9 RADIO A http://www.radioa.fm 95.5 Z ROCK & POP http://www.radioz.fm 96.1 RADIO MIRAFLORES 96.7 RADIO CORAZON http://www.gruporpp.com.pe 97.3 RADIO MODA 98.1 1160 RADIO NOTICIAS 99.1 DOBLE 9 100.1 STEREO 100 101.1 RADIO PANAMERICANA http://www.radiopanamericana.com 102.1 RADIO KE BUENA http://www.gruporpp.com.pe 102.7 RADIO FILARMONIA 103.3 RADIO UNION 103.9 RADIO NACIONAL http://www.radionacional.com.pe 104.7 RADIO FUEGO 105.5 RADIO FIESTA 106.3 RADIO MAR 107.1 INCA RADIO 107.7 RADIO PLANETA http://www.planeta.com.pe (Alfredo Cañote, Nov 4, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** PERU. 5906.3, Radio Melodia, Arequipa, 0705-0714, Nov 4, Spanish, news program, man announcer, ID "ésta es Melodía en la noticia", 24322, (tnx to Alfredo Cañote for the tip) (Nicolás Eramo, Villa Lynch, Prov. Buenos Aires, Argentina, Receivers: Icom IC-R75, Kenwood R-2000, Sony ICF 2010; Antennas: T2FD with balun 3.1, V Inverted 15 mts with balun 1.1, V Inverted 11 mts with balun 1.1, Others: MFJ-959B Receiver Antenna Tuner/Preamplifier, DX LISTENING DIGEST) So apparently Spacemaster did mean 5906.3, not 5996.3 (gh) Nov 2- 2003, 5906.3 Radio Melodia, Arequipa, Perú. 2230 UT; SINPO 43123 Castellano. Música y comentarios. Locutor mencionaba a cada instante : Radio Melodiaaaaaa (DXSPACEMASTER, Chaclacayo, Perú, Icom IC-R71A, Radio Shack 20-181 Antenna, Conexión Digital via DXLD) Hola Amigo DXista Alfredo y Otros en Conexión Digital! 5996 - 5939,43 y 5906.28 kHz. A dónde se va? 73s.... (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, ibid.) Bueno, eso lo sabrá el ing. Tejada de Radio Melodía. Hablé con el; me dijo que en efecto, está revisando el transmisor, y en estos días necesitará informes de recepción, así que a estar listos. 73s (DXSPACEMASTER, ibid.) 5906.37, Radio Melodía, Arequipa, 2348-2358, November 3. Spanish. Tecnocumbias. ID: "...Radio Melodia". Very bad modulation and QRM from rural communications. Thanks DXer Alfredo Cañote for the tip. Alfredo was the first log for this station in this new frequency in November 02, 43333. 5906.42, Radio Melodía, Arequipa, 0815-0835, November 4. Spanish. Program: "Melodía en la Noticia". News. Commentary about the water provider in Arequipa. TC: "3 y 22". After, talk about the Sudamerican Cup. Ann.: "Melodía en la noticia... para que Usted, amigo oyente, esté informado a través de Melodía en la noticia", 24432 with best reception in LSB mode. 6479.45, Radio Altura, Huarmaca, 0000-0012, November 4. Spanish. Andean music. The program is conduced by a male. ID's: "...Radio Altura del Peru..." and "...Radio Altura... Radio Altura!!!!!...", 24432 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** PERU. 2680.14 kHz, Radio Melodía, Provincia de Santiago de Chuco, Departamento de La Libertad, 1100/2330 UT. Must be a new station but I have not heard the DJ giving any frequency; does anyone know if there is a Radio Melodía on FM in Provincia de Santiago de Chuco? I´m hearing the station both evenings and mornings. Was talking about "Barrio San José" and "Barrio Santa Rosa" among others. Close down just after 0100. You can visit "Provincia de Santiago de Chuco" here: http://narvaez.virtualave.net/libertad/santiago/estadist.html Info from "Ventanaperú": Provincia de Santiago de Chuco, cuya capital es Santiago de Chuco. Sus distritos son: Angasmarca, Cachicadán, Mollebamba, Mollepata, Quiruvilca, Santa Cruz de Chuca, Santiago de Chuco, Sitabamba; con una población total de 55,359 hab. ARC – SWB América Latina bjornmalm2003 @ yahoo.com Björn Malm, La Prensa 4408 y Vaca de Castro, Quito, Ecuador (+593 2) 2598 470 NRD 535 – HF 150. MFJ 616 – MFJ 1025. Ant.: "Horizontal Sloped Inverted L" 18 meters. (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador (SWB América Latina), Nov 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PHILIPPINES. Radio Pilipinas schedule effective 26 October: 0200-0330 Filipino/English 12015 15120 15270 1730-1930 English 11730 11890 15190 (IBB schedule via Nov BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** PHILIPPINES. Radio Veritas Asia does not have specific English programming, but the Filipino service has been known to have an element of English. The schedule in Filipino for B-03 is: 1500-1530 daily on 15360, extended to 1530-1600 Wed/Fri/Sun, and 2230-2257 daily on 7265 (RVA schedule via Nov BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** QATAR. QBS Doha says that they no longer issue QSLs (via ADDX Kurier, via Patrick Robic in ADX via QSL Report, Nov BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** SERBIA & MONTENEGRO. SERBIE MONTENEGRO. La Radio Internationale de Serbie Montégro a repris le 3 novembre ses émissions en ondes courtes qu'elle avait interrompues depuis quelques semaines (Christian Ghibaudo - 3 novembre 2003, informations issues de http://perso.wanadoo.fr/jm.aubier via DXLD) ** SEYCHELLES [non]. FEBA Radio English schedule effective 26 October: 1400-1415 to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran on 9445-Novosibirsk 1500-1600 to South India, Maldives, Sri Lanka on 7340-Irkutsk (FEBA website via Nov BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) AUSTRIA -- FEBA Radio via Moosbrunn, 9465, Austria verified with a full data card and sticker from Mike Proctor in Cyprus in 14 days indicating ``This is a legacy Seychelles QSL card, sent with the compliments of Feba`s `Spotlight` programme production dept. With the closure of Seychelles, we no longer have a QSL Secretary.`` The postal address for the Spotlight production office is P. O. Box 57000, Limassol CY-3509, Cyprus. The e-mail address is se@feba.org.cy (Rich D`Angelo, PA, Nov Australian DX News via DXLD) ** SINGAPORE. NewsRadio 938 have confirmed that from 1 November they will be on 6150 kHz at 7am-7pm and 10pm-midnight Singapore time. This converts to 2300-1100 and 1400-1600 UT which matches exactly the schedule for 6150 (R Singapore International external service is at 1100-1400). So, it appears they are now on throughout instead of the mix of other domestic services. (schedule confirmed by e-mail from Gerardine Tan, Programme Director, NewsRadio 93.8FM to Tony Rogers on 22 October, BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) 6150, at 1545 21 Oct, Perfect 10, Singapore. Pop music, English chatter, ads to s/off at 1600. Closing announcement gave formal ID as ``Mediacorp Radio``, SIO 233 (Dave Kenny, Caversham, Berkshire AOR AR7030/Wellbrook K9AY, 90m bev., LW, BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) Dick, I was listening to Radio Singapore International on shortwave this morning at 1309 UT (5:09 AM) on 11/03/03 when I heard them talking about you and your music. I understood you won an award in Fukuoka to do with your music and won $32,000.00. Congratulations. Exactly what kind of music award was this? Listening conditions were pretty good this morning but I could not exactly make out what kind of award you won other than it was one for your music. I am a regular listener of Radio Singapore International from my home in Gresham, OR. I am 56 years old married to a Japanese woman (from Kumamoto) and have 2 adult children. Take care, (Bruce MacGibbon, Gresham, OR, to Dick Lee, cc to DXLD) Dear Bruce, Thank you for writing. It's nice to know that people do keep in touch with our culture from all over the world. The award is part of the Fukuoka Asian Culture Awards which are awarded each year to 3 or 4 individuals who have promoted or developed Asian culture through their works. There is an academic prize, an arts prize and a grand prize. I won the arts prize this year (previous recipients include Akira Kurosawa, Zhang Yimou) I am especially proud because it is the first time that my work in pop culture is seen as a contributor to the advancement of Asian culture is general. I believe there is a website, but am ashamedly not sure of the address! Thanks again for your interest. Cheers! (Dick Lee to Bruce MacGibbon, via DXLD) ** SLOVAKIA. Radio Slovaquie Internationale doit faire face à des problèmes budgetaires. Elle a réduit depuis le 1er novembre la puissance des émetteurs de 250 kW à 200 kW. Par ailleurs, à compter du 1er décembre 2003, la station n'émettra plus que sur deux fréquences (NDR : voir information du 19 octobre) (Radio Slovaquie Internationale 2 novembre, informations issues de http://perso.wanadoo.fr/jm.aubier via DXLD) ** SPAIN. I did manage to hear a weak signal from REE Spain, signing on at 0002 UT November 2 on 6055, although they were still announcing their old 15 MHz frequency. Radio Waves is still on Saturdays, heard at the end (see DXLD 3-191), beginning around 0046. (John Norfolk, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SYRIA. 783, 1730 Oct 10, R. Damascus, Tartus. News, 'Travelling Syria', Russian. 444 10/10 (Robert Petraitis, Klaipeda, Lithuania, Sony ICF-SW7600G/5 & 10m LW, BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) 783, 2202 Oct 11, Syrian Arab Rep R, Tartus. Arabic // 825 kHz, SIO 322 825.2v, 2148 Oct 11, Syrian Arab Rep R, Deir-El-Zawr. Arabic studio discussion - full ID at 2200 // 783 kHz. SIO 333 (Dave Kenny, Caversham, Berkshire AOR AR7030/Wellbrook K9AY, 90m bev., LW, ibid.) 826.8, 1840 Sept 21, UNID causing het to 828. Arab music, no talk. Gone by 1826. Syria? 232 21/09 (Nick Rank, Buxton, Derbyshire, Sony ICF2001D/ALA 1530 loop, Nov BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** THAILAND. 9560 R. Thailand 1400-1405 11/4. Sign-on with usual chimes; then "8:00 news" in English at 1401. Should have been 9:00 PM in Thailand, so must have been a repeat broadcast. Good signal with high-side het from Ethiopia on 9561.2 kHz (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Drake R-8, 100-foot RW, Cumbre DX via DXLD) NF for B-03 (gh) ** U K. The RAF Volmet Service operates on 5450 kHz and 11253 kHz USB. Brief meteorological information on over 40 airfields plus a number of options is supplied under contract by the National Air Traffic Control Service (NATS) Heathrow to HQ Strike Command and currently transmitted from 81 SU Bampton Castle, Oxfordshire or one of its detachments twice hourly in five slots, slot allocation being under the control of High Wycombe. The service has been operating since the 1970s when RAF West Drayton relayed reports to Upavon for transmission on 4722 kHz and 11200 kHz. Ferrell`s 1992 Confidential Frequency List (edited by the late Geoff Halligey) gives Brampton as the transmitter site (BRIAN PEGDEN, writing from the delightfully named Charter Alley near Tadley, Nov BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** U K. Calling All Shortwave Listeners: Do you listen to BBC World Service by shortwave radio? If so, perhaps you'd be interested in helping our transmission engineers by providing some informal feedback on your radio reception from time to time. We'd like to keep your email address on a list and will contact you when we need your help. This list will be used solely for the purpose of asking you about your shortwave listening. If you'd like to join the shortwave listeners' list, email bbconair @ bbc.co.uk with ``Reception`` as the subject of your message, telling us where in the world you are listening (BBC On Air Networks via Nov BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) even in NAm??? ** U K [non]. CARIBBEAN BBC World Service 'Caribbean Report' is scheduled for B-03 as follows: 1100-1130 Mon-Fri 6195-Antigua 15190-Antigua 1200-1230 Mon-Fri 6195-Antigua 15190-Antigua 2100-2130 Mon-Fri 5975-Antigua [2100-2115 just regular WS? -- gh] 2115-2130 Mon-Fri 11675-Antigua 15390-Greenville (BBC WS schedule via Nov BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** U K. As mentioned before, there are a lot of Restricted Service Licences for Ramadan. From the complete current RSL list we extract the ones for that purpose, and below also some other non-Christian festivals: FM RSLs: MHz, STATION ID, PURPOSE, TEL NUMBER, DATES Birmingham 87.7 R Ramadan Ramadan 07780 9011321 26 Oct-26 Nov Blackburn 106.0 Ramazaan R Ramadan 0161 330 1709 26 Oct-26 Nov Bolton 87.7 R Ramadan Ramadan 07930 558576 27 Oct-27 Nov Bradford 87.7 Ramzan R Ramadan 07960 603466 26 Oct-26 Nov Cardiff 107.2 R Rhamadan Ramadan 0292 0224466 26 Oct-26 Nov Carshalton/Sutton 87.9 R Ramadan Ramadan 020 8647 9041 26 Oct-26 Nov Derby 87.9 R Ikhlas Ramadan 01332 202880 26 Oct-26 Nov Dudley 103.6 R Ramadan Ramadan 01384 253951 26 Oct-26 Nov Dundee 107.5 Ramadan R Ramadan 01382 226913 27 Oct-27 Nov Glasgow 105.4 R Ramadhan Ramadan 07957 453235 26 Oct-26 Nov High Wycombe 87.9 R Ramadan Ramadan & Eid 01494 5122120 26 Oct-26 Nov Huddersfield 87.7 Ramadan FM Ramadan 07866 475794 27 Oct-27 Nov Keighley 107.2 Ramadan R Ramadan 01535 671212 27 Oct-27 Nov Leeds 107.2 R Ramadan Ramadan 07876 327377 27 Oct-27 Nov Leicester 87.9 Ramadan FM Ramadan 0116 212 5250 27 Oct-27 Nov London (Whitechapel) 101.4 MCR Ramadan Special Ramadan 020 7423 9766 27 Oct-27 Nov London (Forest Gate) 87.7 R Ummah Ramadan 07775 754507 26 Oct-26 Nov Luton 87.9 R Ramadan Ramadan 01582 458308 25 Oct-25 Nov Manchester 106.6 R Ramadan Ramadan 0161 248 7119 26 Oct-26 Nov Middlesbrough 107.1 R Ramazan Ramadan 07984 183833 27 Oct-27 Nov Nelson 107.0 Fast FM Ramadan 07810 651703 26 Oct-26 Nov Newcastle upon Tyne 87.9 Fast FM Ramadan 0191 272 0736 26 Oct-26 Nov Nottingham 107.6 R Ramadan Ramadan 0115 953 1995 27 Oct-27 Nov Oldham 87.7 Mashal R Ramadan 07813 219305 27 Oct-27 Nov Peterborough 87.7 R Ramadan Ramadan 07966 360035 27 Oct-27 Nov Preston 107.0 R Ramazan Ramadan 07799 675176 27 Oct-27 Nov Reading 87.7 Awaaz Ramadan & Eid 07956 983376 25 Oct-25 Nov Rochdale 107.8 Crescent R Ramadan 0788 4053544 28 Oct-28 Nov Sheffield 106.6 R Ramadan Ramadan 0114 244 4458 26 Oct-26 Nov Stoke on Trent 87.9 R Ramadan Ramadan 07966 405894 26 Oct-26 Nov Walsall 106.9 Fast FM (ex 107.3) Ramadan 07791 332398 26 Oct-26 Nov Birmingham 106.5 R Nanakana Diwali 07930 522475 14 Oct-9 Nov Bradford 106.6 Sabrang Diwali 01274 611644 20 Oct-16 Nov Leicester 95.1 R Kohinoor Diwali 0116 276 9297 22 Oct-18 Nov London (Hayes, Mx) 87.7 Panjab R Diwali 020 8848 8877 13 Oct-9 Nov Slough 87.9 R Des Panjab Diwali 01753 518147 20 Oct-16 Nov Coventry 87.7 R Sangat Sikh celebrations 02476 450260 24 Oct-20 Nov Leeds 87.9 Akash Bani R Leeds religious festival 01132 632697 19 Oct- 15 Nov (UK News edited by Dave Kenny, BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** U K. North Norfolk Radio to launch on 10 November. The main transmitter is on 96.2 MHz (Stody 2.6 kW mixed, directional) with two relays on 103.2 MHz (transmitters at Fakenham and Aylmerton near Cromer) Presenters will include Mike Ahern and Andy Archer. AP [Alan Pennington or Associated Press?] Address: PO Box 962, Stody, Melton Constable, Norfolk NR24 2ER. Tel 01263 860808 fax 01263 860809. http://www.northnorfolkradio.com This report in the Eastern Daily Press gives some background information: Rural Qualities of new radio station (14 Oct): It is based in the only thatched-roof studio in Britain - and may well be the country's only station to broadcast from a farmyard. They are just two of the claims to fame of North Norfolk Radio, which goes on air next month. The station is starting to do test transmissions from its base at Stody, near Holt, and from 10 November will be broadcasting to an area including Wells, Fakenham, Dereham, Cromer, Sheringham, Holt, Aylsham and North Walsham. Station manager Sharron Tuck - who is well known locally as a singer and former sales representative for the EDP - said North Norfolk Radio would provide a genuine local service for local people. "The input of everyone across North Norfolk is vital to make sure we are successful. It is important that everyone gets in touch and gets involved," she said. Mike Ahern, one of Radio 1's first presenters, will front the breakfast show and former Radio Norfolk man Andy Archer will present the mid-morning show. John Bultitude, a former EDP journalist, is the news editor. The station has hi-tech radio equipment, with £650,000 being invested in the technology. Mr Archer, who has been involved in radio for 36 years, said: "I am really looking forward to it. When this opportunity came up I snapped it up. Mid-morning is my favourite time of the day." (via AP, via UK News, Nov BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** U K. 1670 kHz at 2230 Oct 16, Radio Skeleton - Oscar with chat and Brazilian music; also on 3900 at 2145 Sept 29, Radio Skeleton - Oscar with chat and Brazilian music (Dave Kenny, Caversham, Berkshire AOR AR7030/Wellbrook K9AY, 90m bev.,LW, BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** U S A. To commemorate WYFR`s 30th birthday they are issuing 2 new QSL cards. Their address is: WYFR Family Radio, 20 Hegenberger Road, Oakland, California 94621 USA (Via ADDX e.V Kurier via QSL Report, Nov BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD)) ** U S A. Pirate Bust: DANIEL CLEPHAR. Issued a monetary forfeiture in the amount of $10,000 to Daniel Clephar for operating a radio station on the frequency of 92.7 MHz in Orlando, FL without Commission authorization. Action by: Chief, Enforcement Bureau. Adopted: 10/31/2003 by Forfeiture Order. (DA No. 03-3497). EB http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-03-3497A1.doc http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-03-3497A1.pdf http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-03-3497A1.txt (via Fred Vobbe, NRC FMTV Nov 4 via DXLD) ** U S A. FCC REVOKES LICENSE OF GEORGIA AM The commission yesterday stripped Radio Moultrie Inc. of its license for WMGA-AM/Moultrie, GA, having concluded that the company "lacks the basic requisite character qualifications to be and remain a commission licensee" after RMI failed to respond to several FCC inquiries into WMGA's operations. RMI's troubles began in March 2001, when an FCC agent making an on-site inspection found evidence strongly suggesting that the company had abdicated control of WMGA. No formal license- transfer application had been filed with the commission, a serious violation of FCC regulations. According to the station's current operators, Aubrey Smith and Sam and Grace Zamarron, the trio in December 2000 entered into a sublease with Dixie Broadcasting, which had been operating WMGA via an oral time brokerage agreement it struck with RMI in 1998. The TBA was forged to allow Dixie to operate WMGA until the parties agreed on a price, but no agreement was ever formally reached. When Dixie gave control of the station to Smith and the Zamarrons, Dixie said it owned the station's real estate and equipment but not its license. After the inspection the FCC field agent cited RMI for a number of violations, stating that the company had, among other things, failed to change the station to its critical- hours directional array, left its towers unlit at night, failed to maintain the tower's paint, failed to maintain EAS-equipment readiness, left the station's main studio unattended and failed to designate a chief operator at the station. RMI must surrender control of WMGA in 39 days or file a petition for reconsideration by Dec. 2 (radioandrecords.com via Brock Whaley, November 4, 2003, DXLD) 1130 kHz, 10 kW day, 250 watts night. Directional night and critical hours. I believe there were reports a few years ago that they stayed on day power many evenings (Brock Whaley, GA, DX LISENING DIGEST) ** UZBEKISTAN. Radio Tashkent B03: English 0100-0130 7160, 5975-6165 1200-1230 9715, 5975-6025, 5060 1330-1400 same 2030-2100 11905, 7185, 5025 2130-2200 same (via Craig Seager, Nov Australian DX News via DXLD) I wonder what the hyphen between frequencies means: either-or? Surely not from-to (gh) ** UZBEKISTAN [and non]. BBC, RADIO LIBERTY BROADCASTS SAID JAMMED IN UZBEKISTAN | Excerpt from report by Centrasia information agency web site Listeners of Radio Liberty and the BBC are complaining that they cannot tune into their favourite radio stations. This is apparently the case because foreign radio stations and media outlets have started broadcasting and publishing compromising reports about the Uzbek president's daughter Gulnora Karimova. On 31 July 2003 [Russia-based] Novaya Gazeta ran an article "The Uzbek authorities announce a manhunt for US-Uzbek swindlers" about the former son-in-law of President Islam Karimov, Mansur Maqsudi [Gulnora Karimova's ex-husband] and his relatives. Since then, endless compromising reports about Karimova have been put out by influential media companies, such as the BBC, Financial Times, Corriere della Sera, Frankfurter Rundschau, Novyye Izvestiya, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Novaya Gazeta and others. The Uzbek services of Radio Liberty and the BBC have gone even further. In September they succeeded in interviewing Karimova's former manager abroad, Farkhod Inoghomov, and have not let him alone since then. Inoghomov, who was recently granted political asylum in the United States, has been thrust into the limelight. Its seems that people in high places do not like reports from the horse's mouth about the graphic details of the business life led by Gulnora. Interference with radio frequencies used by the high-profile radio services has not only increased sharply of late, but reception is so poor in some regions that it is impossible to hear anything. Last year Chinese reports indicated that they [Chinese] were making no secret of radio broadcasts by the Uzbek services of Radio Liberty and the BBC being jammed by advanced methods, whereby traditional Chinese music called "firedrake" is transmitted. ******* However, the reason that Chinese music may be heard only in Uzbekistan - whereas in neighbouring Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, which border with China, it is hardly heard - is obscure. [Passage to end omitted: this is a violation of human rights] Source: Centrasia web site, Moscow, in Russian 0000 gmt 4 Nov 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** VATICAN. Vatican Radio: while in the 70s it was only a religious station, today its local channel One-O-Five Live is one of the finest choices in Rome, and thanks to its MW frequency of 585 kHz it can also be heard in many parts of Central Italy (Stefano Valianti, Southern European Report, Nov BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) Vatican Radio English schedule effective 26 October: 0140-0200 Daily AsAu 7335 9865 0250-0315 Daily Am 7305 9605 0300-0320 Daily AsAu 17665 0300-0330 Daily Af 9660 0500-0530 Daily Af 7360 9660 11625 0600-0620 Daily Eu 1530 4005 5890 7250 0630-0700 Daily Af 9660 11625 13765 0730-0745 mtwtf.. EuAfAs 585 1530 4005 5890 6185 7250 9645 11740 15595 1030-1100 mt.tfs. Eu 585 5890 1130-1200 ....f.. AfAs 15595 17515 (Holy Mass) 1530-1550 Daily AsAu 9865 13765 15235 1530-1550 .....s. AfAsAu 9865 13765 15235 (Holy Mass) 1715-1730 Daily EuAsAu 585 1530 4005 5890 7250 9645 15595 1730-1800 Daily Af 13765 15570 17515 2000-2030 Daily Af 7365 9660 11625 2050-2110 Daily Eu 585 1530 4005 5890 7250 (from http://www.vaticanradio.org via Nov BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** VIETNAM. 5925, Voice of Vietnam, Xuan Mai, 1059-1115 Nov 4. Noted NA on the hour followed by news and features. This relayed by 7210 (Hanoi). Broadcast from Hanoi was slightly behind 5925 which seems odd. Maybe it should be the other way around. Anyway, locations were determined from the WRTH. Both signals were fair (Bolland, Chuck, Clewiston, Florida, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Charles, Good DXing for you!!! 5925 is listed as 50 kw and 7210 is listed as 20kw. The languages are listed as minorities from 2200 GMT to 1600 GMT. Continued good listening and DXing!!! (Stewart H. MacKenzie, WDX6AA, swl at qth.net via DXLD) ** ZIMBABWE [non]. CLANDESTINE: Radio South West Africa is heard from 1600 to 1900 UT on 4800 kHz. The programming from this station appears to be produced in London and it consists of news, interviews, and music in English and the local Zimbabwean language (Livinus Torty, Chad, African DX Report, AWR Wavescan Nov 9 via John Norfolk, DXLD) It`s SW (as in Shortwave) Radio Africa, not Radio South West Africa! (gh, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 5010, BBC WS via unID site. Very good with WS in English 1900 news, not // the stream on 3255 (Meyerton) at this time, but was from 1930. Gone by 1940 recheck, 8/10. One would have to assume via Madagascar, but can't find a reference to it anywhere (Craig Seager-D = Dunbogan, NSW, Nov Australian DX News via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. Hola Glenn... Saludos desde Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA. El 04/11, a las 0412 UT, en los 10 MHz exactos, en AM, se escuchaba a un hombre con acento colombiano relatar un manual de tácticas de guerra. SINPO: 32422. Entre las cosas que pude transcribir están: "La guerra es un asunto de Estado"; "Las leyes militares"; "Los que saben de guerra evitan el enemigo"; "Control del factor mental"; "Al sobornar a los espías del enemigo podemos convertirlos en nuestros propios agentes"; "Conoce el terreno, conoce el clima y la victoria será total"; "El comandante es aquel que guía a sus hombres de manera eficaz"; "(...)que sabe cuándo avanzar y cuándo retroceder". El hombre leía parrafos y cada cierto tiempo hacía pausas de hasta 3 minutos. Escuchado hasta pasadas las 0447 UT. Sin indentificar. Puede ser la emisora de las FARC que reporté hace casi un año. Co-channel: severa interferencia de WWV, WWVH (Adán González, Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ SHORTWAVE DX COMPARISON Chris Campbell in North America is starting an e-group, which he hopes will be used as a monitoring posting centre in which will have weekly posts of the targeted frequencies and times of shortwave stations members could monitor. ``Then the members can post their reception reports in the message forum, comparing propagation among others in their areas, their country and the world``. Chris is ``trying to get this off the ground and make the group different than any of the hundreds of shortwave groups (they all are good) on Yahoo``. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ShortwaveDXComparison/ (COMMUNICATION WEBWATCH Edited by Chris Brand, Nov BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ THOUGHTS ON IBOC, DRM, AM STEREO, FM STEREO I've heard all the talk about IBOC, DRM and analog. Here are my thoughts on the subject. I am not the least bit impressed with IBOC. First of all, IBOC takes up too much spectrum space. The only local station that's testing IBOC is KFUO 850, owned by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. With only an analog signal, KFUO's mono audio quality was halfway decent. With the technically inferior IBOC system, KFUO's audio quality is only fair at best, and their IBOC signal takes up 70 kHz of spectrum space, covering up reception of KOTC Kennett, MO on 830 kHz (which has twice KFUO's power, and, as far as I know, still broadcasts in AM Stereo) and generates white noise on the signal of WCBW Highland, IL on 880 kHz. Even WLS 890 Chicago, IL suffers from interference from KFUO's IBOC sidebands. On FM, the spectrum space wasted is even worse. The IBOC sidebands waste up to 430 kHz of spectrum space; way too much spectrum. In addition, IBOC has been proven to reduce a station's signal range, not increase it. A 100 kW FM station at 2000 feet above average terrain, for example, would have it's coverage cut by at least 75%. A Class B1/C3 FM station (such as WFUN-FM "Q 95.5") would cover less real estate than a 10-watt FM (like KWUR 90.3 Clayton, MO). With a 50 kW AM, that station's signal coverage would be cut from 750 miles at night to less than 25 miles; even worse for a directional signal. For example, KMOX, if it ever adopted IBOC, won't get out of St. Louis County, day or night. KFUO's digital signal, at 5 kW, won't get out past Des Peres or East St. Louis. The U.S. broadcast industry will be much better off NOT ADOPTING the technologically inferior IBOC system. DRM takes up less spectrum space (only 20 kHz). The relay of shortwave broadcasters in DRM from the CBC's shortwave facility in Sackville, NB transmits in the early evening hours on 9795 kHz. This does not allow for stations to be heard 10 kHz either side (9785 and 9805 kHz); even the Cuban jammer against Radio Martí suffers from interference from the DRM sidebands. You cannot hear the DRM signal on a standard shortwave receiver; all you get is digital hash. DRM should only be used on shortwave, not on AM or longwave. Why work on a digital system when C-QUAM AM Stereo and FM Stereo are ALREADY CAPABLE of CD-quality sound? With the inferior IBOC system, it's to make the rich richer and the poor poorer (how anti-American can you get?). Listen to an Internet radio station using a dial-up modem. That's exactly what IBOC sounds like. C-QUAM AM Stereo is already capable of CD-quality sound. Even in 1989, when I lived in a market with five C-QUAM AM Stereo stations (Atlanta, GA), C-QUAM AM Stereo stations, such as WQXI 790 (which was simulcasting WQXI-FM at the time, and later, WSTR before flipping to Adult Standards/Talk in 1990), allowed their signals a separation similar to that offered by compact discs. FM Stereo was already moving toward CD-quality sound in the early 1990s; the current FM Stereo system now has a sound quality rivaling those of compact discs. There is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON why the U.S. should have IBOC. Digital radio in the U.S. should be on satellite only, and not available via terrestrial means. The cost of IBOC receivers will be prohibitive for most Americans. They can't afford the minimum $1,000 price tag for such a receiver. American radio listeners are very happy with their analog systems, thank you very much. The crisis here is not in technology, but in PROGRAMMING. Corporate radio programming quality is, at best, shoddy. Independent commercial stations provide better quality programming. The highest quality programming is often produced by public radio. Speaking of public radio, it seems NPR is starting to turn against IBOC; they've announced an about-face on LPFM, actually supporting this new service. Those broadcasters who are testing IBOC, in my humble opinion, do not know how to run a technologically advanced station. IBOC is not a step forward, it's a step back. Those AM radio stations who broadcast in C- QUAM AM Stereo are the most advanced of them all. The only step forward is mandated C-QUAM on the X-Band and the 50 kW non-directional Class A stations. It's time to give up on IBOC, and focus on C-QUAM AM Stereo and FM Stereo only. 73 and good DX from Eric Amateur Radio Station N0UIH Registered Monitor KDX0STL, KMO0CN Hazelwood, MO Grid Square EM48 DXing The World since 1981 Turn Off Clear Channel Communications! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/turnoffclearchannel PRAY FOR AN END TO COMMERCIAL RADIO DEREGULATION (IRCA Nov 2 via DXLD) "For the love of money is the root of all evil"-1 Timothy 6:10 BRAIN FILTERS On the subject of unwanted noise, I wonder if we DXers realise our special skill, an ability to listen through all sorts of pops / crackles / whistles / co-channel interference and goodness knows what else and still pick out the human voice and understand what is being said. This was illustrated when my wife asked why I was listening to that noise. I said there was a man's voice there, but although she tried, she couldn't 'pick' it out. Our ears and brains seem far better than any filters incorporated in our equipment. Interestingly however, I do struggle to hear the XYL sometimes (John Rowe, Nov World DX Club Contact via Alan Roe, DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ X18+ SUPER FLARE AT 1955 UTC TUE, 4 NOV 2003 In case you haven't noticed a massive daylight side 35,000 KC plus radio blackout began at approximately 1955 UTC in association with a long duration X18+ super solar flare. Absolutely amazing. [Later at 2052:] It appears that the x-ray flux sensors became saturated by this latest super solar flare. Because of the duration saturation of the sensors this super solar flare probably exceeded X30-40 and has probably become the largest ever measured by humans. Truly historic. 73, (Thomas F. Giella, KN4LF, FL, DX LISTENING DIGEST) MAJOR X-CLASS FLARE AT 1955Z 4-XI-2003 At 1955Z, 4-XI-2003, an X-class flare peaked from region 486. Initial data from GEOS 12 indicates that the flare is an X18, while GEOS 10 shows it as X17. However, there is speculation (i.e., Thomas Giella (KN4LF), others) that it might be much stronger, as this event saturated the sensor for 11 minutes. I have viewed preliminary images of this very bright and significant flare, and it is truly amazing. If the flare is larger than the X17 flare from recent activity, this will become one of the two most powerful flares recorded. The flare has caused extensive radio blackout conditions on most of the HF radio spectrum. Ground wave communications is not significantly impacted, nor is line-of-sight VHF and above. A type II Radio Emission began at 1942Z 4-XI-2003 with an estimated velocity of 1268 km/s. Interplanetary type II bursts are statistically strongly associated with fast CME and interplanetary shock waves (Cane, Shelley & Howard 1987). Thus, there is a chance that we will have at least a glancing blow from the side of the possible CME associated with this new flare. I will update when more data is known (Thomas Hood, NW7US, swl at qth.net via DXLD) SUN FLARES OBSTRUCT SHORTWAVE COMMUNICATIONS IN BEIJING AND GUANGDONG http://www.interfax.com/com?item=Chin&pg=0&id=5668373&req= Shanghai. (Interfax-China) - Sun flares caused stoppages in shortwave communication services on November 3 in Beijing and southern China's Guangdong Province, Suo Yucheng, a researcher at the Beijing center of China's Research Institute of Radiowave Propagation (CRIRP), told Interfax during an interview. "Sun flares have an adverse impact on shortwave communications ranging from 1 to 30 MHz, as well as on satellite communications. However, sun flares do not affect mobile phone communications because mobile communications use base stations or optical fibers for transmission, rather than shortwave or satellite transmissions," said Suo. "Broadcasters using shortwave or satellite transmissions, such as radio stations and TV stations, can reduce the affect of sun flares by upgrading their technology and by obtaining the latest information from organizations such as CRIRP," Suo added. "They should have backup plans in preparation for sun flares, so that when shortwave transmissions are not working properly, they can shift to cable or satellite transmissions." The sun is subject to cyclical 11-year patterns of activity. The period between 2000 and 2001 represented a peak time for sun flare activity. However, the intensity of sun flare is now decreasing in 2003. "After November 5, sun flares will lose much of their power," Suo predicted (via Artie Bigley, OH, Nov 4, DXLD) Tomas, What I would like to know is: Nothing physical is infinite. How long can a class M star, such as our sun, blow pieces of itself out before it collapses? Nothing replaces what is lost. Matter is converted to energy, but that energy does not remain with the star. It is radiated in various ways and forever lost to the star. Granted the Sun is much larger than the Earth, but when you blow pices out three times the size of the Earth, and other smaller pieces, over a few billion years, it seems to me that the Sun is going to run out in a lot less time than another four gigayears as some predict. Which raises the question: does anyone 'really' know how large the physical core of our sun is and how much actual matter is lost in these solar flares? (Duane W8DBF Fischer, swl at qth.net via DXLD) NASA PROBE CAPTURES 'SOUND' OF SOLAR STORM http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0311/02flaresound/ (via Jill Dybka, MSIS, Nov 4, DXLD) ###