DX LISTENING DIGEST 3-203, November 10, 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 AIRING OF WORLD OF RADIO 1206: WWCR: Wed 1030 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 1206 (high version is in two parts): Part I: (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1206h.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1206h.rm Part II: (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1206i.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1206i.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1206.html WORLD OF RADIO 1206 (low version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1206.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1206.rm WORLD OF RADIO ON OZONE RADIO INTERNATIONAL. PIRATE (Euro) 6200.44, Ozone Radio Int`l, 0802-0843 Sun Nov 9. Tuned in to hear a monologue by the male DJ, mentioned changing frequency. Played mostly pop ballads. Relayed Glenn Hauser's "World of Radio" at 0843. SINPO 23232 as their signal was already fading, with some ute QRM. ID based on programming, and e-mail from Dr. Tim (George Maroti, NY, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIAL Thanks to Glenn for helping keep SW alive (Jerry Lenamon, Waco, TX) Glenn, Bob Bodell thought very highly of you and so in memory of him, I am sending you [a donation via PayPal]. Keep up the good work! (Bruce MacGibbon, Gresham, OR) ** AFGHANISTAN. AMBITIOUS SHARQ RADIO COMPLAINS OF HEAVY CENSORSHIP BY AFGHAN GOVERNMENT | Text of interview by Afghan newspaper Afghanistan on 2 November The Sharq Radio Station, located in the premises of the Shayeq Complex, started its probationary transmissions on the 15 August of the current year on 91.3 FM. The radio station started its probationary broadcasts with the technical assistance of the Internews agency and with the economic assistance of the USAID. The radio starts broadcast at 0900 [all local times] and continues till 1500 hours. It then again starts the broadcast of its programs at 1800 in the evening and continues till 2100. The current programme coverage of the radio station during the probationary period are as follows: 70 per cent music, 20 per cent general information and the remaining 10 per cent the programmes of the Shayeq Complex. It is planned that there will be considerable changes in the transmission hours of the radio when the probationary period comes to an end. The head of the Shayeq Complex and Sharq Radio, Engineer Shafiqollah Shayeq, says: We [our reporters and journalists] do not have problems in terms of preparing programs for our radio. In fact, we will extend the hours of the transmissions from 0900 to 2100 after the probationary period. Although, most programs of the Sharq Radio are similar to that of the Radio Arman in the Kabul City i.e., which usually broadcast music, Sharq Radio pays high consideration to the religious issues. Shayeq says in this regard: In accordance to our religious and Islamic instructions, our transmissions starts with the recitation of a few verses from the Holy Koran. We then continue the transmission with a religious awareness programme. Following that, the national anthem is broadcast and then the rest of the programmes. He added: There is no music transmission during Azan [call for prayer]. We broadcast Azan at local times. There is also a government radio station broadcasting in the Nangarhar Province with the name of Radio Nangarhar. According to Shayeq, the more the broadcasting facilities and equipment the better programmes. He said: Besides newspapers, magazines, books etc., radio is also an effective and useful source in our society. A vast number of our countrymen are illiterate. They do not have other opportunities to seek or upgrade their knowledge. Thus, there should be a radio station in every province. We want to notify the government of the problems of our people and also intend to have a healthy competition with the government radio in order for both radios to flourish and develop. He added: If successful during the probationary period, we intend to incorporate lots of useful programs in our broadcasts in the future which could provide help in the reconstruction of the country. We will put our staff as tracers in areas where non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are active and have projects, and will prepare reports on them. We will reveal the total value of funds received by these organizations, and will present reports on their completed projects. We will also have interviews with the local residents to prevent the promulgation and promotion of the modern business [corruption] under the name of reconstruction. Despite not broadcasting any programme against any party or individual, our programmes are heavily censored by the government. He added: Our radio is being fully monitored by the commission whose members are the heads of the Hajj and endowment, Radio Nangarhar, Courts and the Information and Culture Department of the Nangarhar Province. This commission censors our programmes and we are not allowed to broadcast any programme without their permission. Criticizing the government, Shayeq said: The government must fulfil its pledge on the freedom of press and media. He also complained that the government instead of providing better location and electricity to us, has banned the broadcast of advertisements, and censors our programmes. Source: Afghanistan, Kabul, in Pashto 2 Nov 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** ANTIGUA. Caribbean Radio Lighthouse --- Sinonizei entre 2345 UT do dia 05.11.2003 e 0100 UT do dia 06.11.2003, em 92.55 MHz, a emissora Caribbean Radio Lighthouse, que transmite desde Antigua, no Caribe. De acordo com o site da emissora eles transmitem em 90.0 MHz, mas efetuei esta escuta em 92.55, com identificação 100%, pois ouvi perfeitamente o locutor identificando a estação. Eles transmitem em espanhol e em inglês. A propagação em FM está começando a melhorar. Já escutei várias outras emissoras em inglês e em francês, mas até o momento ainda não consegui identificá-las (Márcio Roberto Polheim da Silva, Jaraguá do Sul/SC, radioescutas via DXLD) ** ARGENTINA. 1600 kHz, Radio Luz del Mundo se mudó a esta nueva frecuencia, desde el momento en que su anterior frecuencia de 1610 KHz, fue ocupada por otra emisora -(ver siguiente)-. 1610 kHz, Radio Antártida (Monte Grande ??) es una nueva emisora de carácter \"no oficial\", que al presente retransmite la programación de Radio Excelsior (730 kHz). Como ya adelantamos, esta nueva emisora sería en realidad la nueva frecuencia de Radio Excelsior, razón por la cual se supone que la misma transmite desde el mismo QTH de esta última, es decir: Berasain 659, (B1842AMM) Monte Grande, Buenos Aires. (Todas infos de Marcelo A. Cornachioni, Argentina, Conexión Digital Nov 8 via DXLD) ** ARMENIA. On 10 Nov at 1740 heard again this Armenian National Radio program on 4890. There was a carrier on the frequency, so can't say if this was pure USB or USB+carrier. Checked against mw 1395 parallel. They had phone-ins and pop tunes program. This one was reported just about a year ago in Oct/Nov 2002 by me and (I recall) Karel and Dmitry. Maybe a military relay à la Belarus` or what? 73 (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. Hey you lot out at Bathurst and in Brisbane. Check the site Tuesday night thru Thursday nite: some ABC frequencies are clear. http://www.abc.net.au/reception/maintenance.htm (Johno Wright, Australia, Nov 10, ripple via DXLD) A very extensive maintenance schedule for ABC radio and TV. But you have to know the frequencies concerned or look them up (gh) ** AUSTRIA. See CANADA ** BOLIVIA. 4902.46, Radio San Miguel, Riberalta, Beni, 0308-0318* Nov 9, Spanish, musical program, man announcer, s/off, IDs ``por Radio San Miguel... Radio San Miguel finaliza su transmisión correspondiente al 8 de noviembre...``, 24222. 6585.46, Radio Nueva Esperanza (presumed), El Alto, La Paz, 0810-0830 Nov 5, Aymara/Spanish, man announcer, musical programs comments and religious program, 24232. (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; MFJ-959B Receiver Antenna Tuner/ Preamplifier, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BURKINA FASO. 5030 kHz, Radio Burkina, from 2211 with YL in French, ID at 2215, into regional music, fair. November 7th (Roger Chambers, MVSWLC DX Camp near Utica NY, Nov 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Couple of RCI issues: 1] Did anyone receive a printed copy of the RCI schedule for the new season? I had been on their mailing list, but no schedule this time so I wonder if budget cut backs have brought an end to the printed version. 2] RCI seems to be having trouble getting their 1300 UT broadcast on the air. A couple of mornings this week the 9590 frequency has had the RCI interval signal running in the background during the 1300 news. 13655 has also been coming on late (Sandy Finlayson, Nov 7, swprograms via DXLD) 1] It's just late...like it always is. 2] Bad communication between the Montreal studios and Sackville, in part. I've noted a number of Sackville transmissions that start late or start on time but then the transmitter shuts off for a few seconds and the like. It seems that their transmitters are unsuitable for a "cold start", yet they also continue to try and do that. It would be nice if we could go back to the old days with five minutes of interval signal, so the bugs can all be worked out. But in an age of automation, tight schedules and pennypinching operations, those days are all but gone. JMHO (John Figliozzi, ibid.) I have it digitally and in hard copy. It can also be downloaded from the website; the version that's there is the same as the version in the hard copy. See http://www.rcinet.ca/horaires/B03_SW_24h.pdf (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA, ibid.) Viz.: RELEASES TARGETING THE AMERICAS IN ENGLISH Nowadays relays are used for most of what RCI transmits elsewhere. -------------------- B03 BROADCAST SCHEDULE FOR RADIO Effective 26.10.2003 (0300 UTC) to 28.03.2004 (0300 UTC) UTC kW AZ TARGETS PROGRAMS 0200-0259 SAC 6040 100 268 SAC 9755 250 240 SAC 11725 250 189 USA / Caribbean / Lat. Am. MON: The Mailbag / Spotlight TUE: Canada Today / Media Zone WED: Canada Today / The Mailbag THU: Canada Today / Spotlight FRI: Canada Today / Business Sense SAT: Canada Today / Scitech File SUN: Business Sense / Scitech File ---------------- 1300-1559:30 SAC 9515 250 277 SAC 17820 250 227 SAC 13655 250 240 East & Central USA / Caribbean MON-FRI: The Current (Hr 1) Sounds like Canada (Hr 2) MON-THU: Sounds like Canada / Out Front (Hr 3) FRI: Sounds like Canada / C'est la vie (Hr 3) -------------------- 1400-1659:30 SAC 9515 250 277 SAC 13655 250 240 SAC 17820 250 227 Eastern & Central USA / Caribbean SAT: The House / Vinyl Café /Quirks & Quarks SUN: The Sunday Edition -------------------- 2300-2329:30 SAC 5960 250 240 SAC 9590 250 240 SAC 11865 250 176 Eastern USA / Car. / Lat. Am. MON-FRI: The World at Six SAT-SUN: The World This Weekend --------------------------- 2329:30-0059:30 SAC 5960 250 240 SAC 9590 250 240 Eastern & Central USA MON-FRI: As It Happens THU: Dispatches at 0030 UT SAT: Madly Off in All Directions / Quirks & Quarks SUN: The Inside Track / Global Village (via Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA, ibid.) Radio Österreich International, however, has a different problem with its Sackville transmission. On more than one occasion, about two or three minutes into "Report from Austria", I've been able to hear a second transmission of the program begin -- with both playing at the same time! BTW: It's not just Sackville having problems. There have been multiple instances of problems with the start of RVI's 2200 UT broadcast on 11730 from Bonaire (Ted Schuerzinger, ibid.) ** CHINA. 6185, China Huayi Broadcasting Corp.: Re 15 kW power penned in on recent QSL, subsequent E-mail to V/S Qiao Xiaoli confirms this as correct; he says, "Yes it is 15 kW indeed; we always received reception reports that complain bad reception from northern China." I see that the WRTH shows them as 15, PWBR as 50. Judging by fairly reliable reception here lately at 1100-1130, I would have thought well above 15 (Jerry Berg, MA, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) ** CHINA. Glenn, Re: CNR2 new transmitters in #3-200: The evening frequency for 11800 is 7375, not 7175/7275 as I erroneously got it in the schedule I sent. The frequency change to 7375 takes place at 1300 instead of listed 1400. The transmitters are slightly off frequency to the lower side and each frequency change requires at least 40 seconds, sometimes as much as two minutes. This leads me to believe that these are not new transmitters but redeployed jammers. With new transmitters having better frequency agility they are more suited for use as jammers. Then the old jammers can be used for normal broadcasting instead. Until the beginning of B03 the Chinese were still using two distorted audio type jammers, but these are no longer heard now. They seemed to be located in northern China, so they may be part of the new CNR-2 group, explaining the somewhat distorted audio of these "new" transmitters (Olle Alm, Sweden, 9 Nov, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also UZBEKISTAN ** CHINA [non]. Apparently, CRI is testing through the Sackville relay site the broadcast of the daily program "Real Time China" to North America. I monitored this on 5960 on Wednesday morning (Nov. 5) this week between 1130 and 1200 UT. "RTC" is already broadcast on shortwave to Asia and Africa, but up to now was only available in NA via the internet and WRN. CRI's hour broadcasts in English are unaffected by this, so this may represent a separate broadcast and an additional option for CRI listeners on SW in NAm (John Figliozzi, Halfmoon, NY, Nov 7, swprograms via DXLD) CRI via Cuba missing from 17720 around 1430 check Nov 10. I dare not hope they are working on fixing the whistle (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA [non]. The Nagoya DXC website now shows World Falun Dafa via KWHR 0200-0300 17510 and 1500-1600 9930. See their Radio Free Asia page (Silvain Domen, Belgium, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COLOMBIA. De la reactivacion de Radio Melodía es un tema complicado a pesar de numerosas llamadas, faxes, cartas, solicitudes formales, visitas a la estación (eso sí hasta la recepción, no más) realizadas a ellos no "sueltan" nada; y mi impresión es que poco o nada les interesa los oyentes en el exterior; pero tampoco hay una razón clara para que regularmente se prenda y apague. Aunque por fuentes externas me han dicho que le han invertido $$$ al tema de la onda corta y al hacer esto debe haber intereses de por medio. También hay que sumarle que Melodía es de propiedad de un politiquero de los que abunda en todos nuestro países y que sirven para tres cosas (nada..nada...y...nada). De las emisoras de mi país en onda corta te cuento que están activas La Voz de Guaviare y LV de tu Conciencia; e irregularmente LV de los Centauros, Ondas del Orteguaza así como Ecos del Atrato pero por cortos períodoS de tiempo media o una hora máximo y no todos los dias. Algo que me interesa es saber que no llega hasta allá LV de tu Conciencia, ya que por lo reportes que aún se reciben (aunque no tantos como cuando era una novedad) si hemos notado que hacia el sur del continnte no está llegando la señal como está llegando a otros lugares, aunque hay que sumarle la presencia de Radio Parinacota hacia allá y Radio Mil hacia el norte, además de emisiones Internacionales. Sobre esto se están explorando con el Ministerio de Comunicaciones la posibilidad de una segunda frecuencia en otra banda (Rafael Rodríguez R., Santa Fe de Bogotá, Colombia, Nov 7, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** CONGO DR. Recently mentioned RTNC expansion transmitters are all FM. R. Okapi: Currently not on SW; FM only (David Smith, UN, via DXplorer via DXLD) ** COSTA RICA. As of 3:00 [pm] CST Sunday, have not been able to reach James Latham on his cell phone since Friday, November 7th. On Friday James said he had negotiated with the guards to open the station gate in order that RFPI can begin the moving process (Franklin Seiberling, Iowa City, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Dear Friends, Please forward to all your contacts, James is OK and setting up elsewhere. Thanks for all your support (RFPI Staff 1735 UT Nov 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Letter to the Editor, Tico Times Thanks for the article on Radio For Peace International. What a shocking and surreal situation for the so-called University For "Peace" taking this action to silence Radio For Peace International with their "Tiananmen Square" barbed wire tactics. I believe this could be the first case of human rights abuses, the theft of buildings and equipment being shielded by "international" "UN" status, though "diplomatic immunity" has been used in New York City on the part of some diplomats to escape from traffic tickets and other minor violations. The wholesale theft of radio transmitters, antennas, and audio equipment however, would be a new low in unethical behavior on the part of an institution that claims conflict resolution and peace as its goals. It seems to me that the idea of the United Nations is to promote the rule of law, NOT the notion of agencies being ABOVE the law, above the courts, above human decency, immune and untouchable. Since the University For Peace, under its new administration (the strongman Maurice Strong), has made a farce out of the original, noble vision of the University, I do hope that this land currently occupied by the University For Peace will some day soon be returned to the good people of Costa Rica so no more abuses can take place there shielded by UN special "international" immunity. It's not a military occupation after all, so I do hope the land can be returned to Costa Rican sovereignty since apparently the University is no longer the peace- loving and compassionate institution that it once was. Sincerely, James Bean (via http://www.saveprfpi.org Nov 10 via DXLD) UN inaction does not speak well of the organization. Four-plus months of silence on its part is a little too much to chalk up to bureaucratic red tape (I think that's a redundancy :)). Maybe it's exactly what I should have expected, considering the UN's habit of passing resolutions and doing absolutely ........nothing. All of that aside, we desperately need a voice like James Latham, fighting hatred with compassion, not only preaching but *living* peaceful solutions in the face of violence. He's demonstrated his dedication to these standards time and again, most recently by trying to negotiate with an illegitimate organization which preaches peace and hires armed guards to silence a voice of peace! Can anyone spell "hypocrisy"? I found it interesting that Strong is so "dedicated" to peace that he manages to visit this "university" a couple of times a year, according to the news article. What a fascinating contrast between two individuals who speak of peace (Steve Stocker, Nov 10, ibid.) ** ECUADOR. Glenn, This may have been reported already, but if I am forgetting, I suppose others might have, too. Radio Interoceánica, listed as irregularly active on sw 4840 in WRTH 2003, has been off the air since late 2002. Their SW transmissions will not be resumed, says a representative of the Swedish church financing the project. Their studio equipment in Santa Rosa was transferred to Shell, in the Pastaza province, from where they are on the air 24 h a day on FM with various repeaters (Henrik Klemetz, Sweden, Nov 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EGYPT. R. Cairo, English to Europe on 9990, Nov 9 at 2131 news theme, and then English news. Modulation adequate, tho a bit bassy; and moderate flutter (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EL SALVADOR. 17835, Radio Imperial, full data prepared card and two page handwritten letter from Pastor Pedro Mendoza received in 13 months after my original report; 6 weeks after my last follow up. Also enclosed was a cassette recording of their studio tape, with an enthusiastic preacher repeatedly saying my name and Nueva York. I sent them via registered mail a report in Spanish, audio tape, CD, and $5.00. Power listed as 1,000 watts. Their reply was mailed via a courier service called Gigante Express, and was postmarked in Miami. Thanks to GIB for helping me with some translations (George Maroti, NY, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** ETHIOPIA. 9561.2v, R. Ethiopia, Nov 9, 1435-1500*. Good signal here with Arabic/HoA music; M announcer speaking occasionally in Arabic. 11800v no longer heard at this time. Signal slowly drifted upward at the rate of about .07 kHz every 10 minutes (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Drake R-8, 100-foot RW, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** GHANA. 4915 kHz, Radio Ghana (GBC), from 2050 UT with vernacular talk; 2058 Drums IS, time pips, "It's 9 o'clock. Radio Ghana with the news, item on ex-President Taylor of Liberia. SINPO 21222, with chronic sweeper QRN, November 8th (Roger Chambers, MVSWLC DX Camp near Utica NY, Nov 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GREECE [and non]. Heard here in Waco using a Grundig Satellite 800 with an untuned 40' end fed wire antenna. 1700, 15630, Greece, Foni Tis Helladas in English (Parallel with 17705 from Delano CA. The Delano signal was slightly delayed due to satellite). Saturday, 11/08/03 quite a few Africans heard midday on 19m & 25m (Jerry Lenamon, Waco, TX, DX LISTENING DIGEST) English at 1700 would be Saturday only, Hellenes Around the World (gh) You're right, Greece was heard yesterday, Saturday (Jerry) ** GUATEMALA. 4780, R. Coatán, *1030-1038 9 Nov, Long choral NA, 1035 soft instrumental music with full canned opening ID by M, cont[inuous? inental?]. music. Into religious program. Good signal but QRM from the radar and Ecuador on 4781. Strongest signal on the band next to NBC 4890. Yesterday, heard it with OC at 1120 and no modulation/audio was noted past 1200 (Dave Valko, PA, Cumbre DX via DXLKD) ** IRAN. 4000, VOIRI (presumed), 0036-0050, Tajik?, Nov. 6, OM with talks between Arabic-style singing/chants. Poor with touch of splatter via DW, 3995. Unusable at tune-out. I have a listing, courtesy EDXP, of VOIRI, 4000, 0100-0230 in Tajik. Haven't seen a current schedule lately; perhaps they are signing on earlier? (Scott Barbour, NH, DX LISTENING DIGEST) You mean, DXLD 3-193? ** IRAQ. ITN BIDS TO RUN NEWS CHANNEL IN IRAQ Media Guardian reports that Britain's Independent Television News (ITN) is preparing to bid for a contract to run a TV news channel in Iraq. The Coalition Provisional Authority has advertised a contract worth $10m (about 8.7m euros) over two years. ITN currently has a team in Baghdad assessing the contract. According to Media Guardian, it's is likely that ITN would enter a consortium with a US engineering firm. That's because ITN would need a big company to help restore the transmission infrastructure, and most of the reconstruction contracts are being awarded to US firms. # posted by Andy @ 12:11 UTC Nov 9 (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** ISRAEL. ARUTZ 7 SHIP STILL AT ANCHOR OFF TEL AVIV Mike Brand reports: After going down to the coast over the weekend, I can tell you all that the Arutz 7 ship Eretz Hatzvi is still at anchor, about a mile or so off the coast of Tel-Aviv. This is contrary to statements made on the Arutz 7 site last Wednesday, that the ship was to sail at 4pm on Wednesday afternoon to Turkey to be broken up. The ship has moved a bit, and is now anchored about a mile or so between it's old anchorage opposite the Tel-Aviv Marina, and the coastal town of Hertzelia. It is anchored opposite the beach where the King David ran aground nearly three years ago. # posted by Andy @ 12:04 UTC Nov 9 (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** ISRAEL. VESSEL OF PEACE TAKES A NEW FORM By Jonathan Pearlman in Tel Aviv November 11, 2003 http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/11/10/1068329489599.html Ten years after renegade Israeli peacemaker Abie Nathan sunk his pirate radio station in the Mediterranean Sea, Israeli and Palestinian activists have launched a land-based version of his Voice of Peace. Mr Nathan launched the Voice of Peace in 1973, broadcasting a mix of news, peace messages and pop music from somewhere in the Mediterranean. Despite high ratings, advertising revenue dwindled and Mr Nathan sunk the ship in 1993 after running out of funds. The New Voice of Peace has been launched as a joint initiative by an Israeli education centre, Givat Haviva, and the Palestinian weekly newspaper The Jerusalem Times. The station will be jointly managed by an Israeli and a Palestinian and has been funded by the European Commission. "We'll try to avoid politics and instead we will play music and do talk shows which deal with cultural issues," said the station's Israeli manager, Shimon Malka. "We know it won't be easy. We will have shows in Hebrew and in Arabic. Both languages are the language of the enemy. It's not easy for someone in Gaza to hear Hebrew. We're aware of that." (Sydney Morning Herald via Artie Bigley, DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH. Per the close of their 9 Nov 2003, 1500 UT NAm Broadcast, here is the English Schedule for Voice of Korea, Pyongyang, The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. North East Asia 0100-0200: 6195, 7140, 9345 0300-0400: 6195, 7140, 9345 Europe 1300-1400: 7505, 9325, 11335 1500-1600: 7505, 9325, 11335 1900-2000: 7505, 9325, 11335 2100-2200: 7505, 9325, 11335 North America 1300-1400: 9335, 11710 1500-1600: 9335, 11710 Interesting listening to say the least :-) Anyone out there still copying their RTTY broadcasts? (`rumcd`, hard-core-dx via DXLD) These announced English schedules are incomplete; the other part covers Africa, Asia. See previous issues of DXLD (gh, DXLD) ** KYRGYZSTAN. Hits Shortwave, 4050 gone? On 5 Oct [sic] UT evening I first time noted 4050 Hits Shortwave, Bishkek off the air. During random checks since then, I've heard nothing on this frequency. Frequency change or gone for good? (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, Nov 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LATVIA. We commented last year on the curious omission of the 100 kW transmitter in Latvia that's used by various small European broadcasters. That curiosity continues in the 2004 edition. There's no mention of the weekly relays of Dutch Internet station Radio Seagull on 9290 kHz. Such omissions, insignificant though they may be if you live in rural Pennsylvania, are irritating to bandscanners in Europe, and tend to detract from the overall excellence of the 'blue pages'. (From Media Network review of PWBR 2004, see PUBLICATIONS, via DXLD) ** MALAYSIA. 7295, 1100 to 1116 UT, English news on Sa`udi bombing, on World Cup. Light music from 1110. SINPO 32122. Very noisy channel. Clear ID as "You're tuned to Radio 4." November 9th at DX camp (Roger Chambers, near Utica, NY, Nov 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALI. RTM Bamako 9635 strong this morning (Nov. 10, 0757-). Haven't heard it for a few weeks. Yesterday 4783 was strong, 4835 weak, which is not so nice for European listeners as 4835 is the clearer channel and used to be the strong one for many years (Thorsten Hallmann, Muenster, Germany, Nov 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. Following WDX6AA`s report, I renewed checking of XERMX frequencies. Nov 9 at 2134, 11770 had a good signal according to the meter, only slightly less than 11775 V. of the Great Windbag, Anguilla, but no match for it with Spanish modulation barely detectable. Then checked 9705, and found a weak signal on 9704.8, with barely parallelable music at 2146 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. 4815, Radio Transcontinental de America - XERTA (tentative), 0229-0258* Nov 3, frequency announcement in Spanish by a man followed by a program of continuous romantic ballads. Off suddenly without announcements. Not sure what other choices there are for this one. Fair to good signal (Rich D`Angelo/FCDX-PA, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) ** MONGOLIA. 24 Oct, 1028, 12085 kHz, Voice of Mongolia, English, 24322. Song, ID, address. (open_dx - Sergey Shevchenko, Riga, Latvia) Voice of Mongolia heard in the new season on 12015 kHz with a good strength, but poor modulation. Judging from the signal level, I can say that program block at 0830-1000 is beamed to East Asia. (Transmission at 1000-1030 is intended for South East Asia and Australia, obviously that's why strength decreased at this time.) Languages were as follows: 0830-0900 Japanese 0900-0930 Mongolian 0930-1000 Chinese 1000-1030 English Station announced two additional broadcasts in English: for Europe at 1500 on 9720 kHz, and later in the evening (at either 1900 or 1930, couldn't note exactly due to some signal disturbance) again on 9720. Signed off at 1030 (open_dx - Igor Ashikhmin, Primorskiy kray, Russia) Heard Voice of Mongolia in Russian on 26 Oct at 1100, 990 kHz, SIO=444. Then again at 1330 on 12015 kHz, very weak. Nothing heard the next day at 1330. Station itself announces the following schedule of Russian transmissions: 1100-1130 daily 990 kHz 1330-1400 Mo/We/Fr/Su 9720 kHz The latter frequency is blocked by VOA. There's an interesting page telling about radio in Mongolia on NDXC web site: http://www2.starcat.ne.jp/~ndxc/mon.htm (open_dx - Feodor Brazhnikov, Irkutsk, Russia, all via Signal Nov 6 via DXLD) ** MONGOLIA. 4895, Mongol radio, 6 Nov, 2215 with news in Mongolian. Very good and relatively stable signal at S9 (44434). In contrast to it, 4830 is 22342 (Zacharias Liangas, Thessaloniki, Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MYANMAR. 5985, R. Myanmar, 30 Oct, 1504 with older western music, an ID 1512 then hymn then news in English. Signal S4-5, 34343 with narrow band filter (Zacharias Liangas, Thessaloniki, Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS [and non]. Radio Netherlands Relays heard at Mohawk Valley SWL DX Camp, November 7-9, in English unless otherwise noted. 1000-1100 12065 Irkutsk (Asiatic Russia) 1300-1355 12070 Tashkent (Uzbekistan) 1800-2000 9895 Flevo (Holland) 1900-2100 17810 Bonaire 1900-2100 17875 Sackville (Sat/Sun) 1800-2000 11655 Madagascar 2100-2155 7120 Madagascar Dutch 2200-2400 7285, 9590 Madagascar Indonesian (Roger Chambers, NY, Nov 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NICARAGUA. 5770U, R. Miskut: no sign of this one; been checking at 1200 and 2300 in Nov (Hans Johnson, Naples FL, Nov 10, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** NIGER. 9705 kHz, La Voix du Sahel from 1342 to 1410, November 10th. Short regional music with small ensemble of reed (clarinet?), 1-2 strings, and drums, and female "wailing" vocal; brief interludes of OM / YL talk in French, mentions of Niamey and Niger ("nee-zher") several times. 6 time pips on the hour, unidentifiable ID, into 5 minute news in unknown language, numerous mentions of Iraq (clipped vowels, perhaps Hausa?); at 1205 one long tone, classical theme of Grieg's Piano concerto, into talk with YL / OM. SINPO 43333, deteriorating to 32222 by 1405 (Roger Chambers, Utica, NY, Nov 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I was checking out XERMX, q.v., around this time, and heard the usual het caused by it being about 200 Hz low. Tip-off to Hausa: it`s tonal (gh, DXLD) ** NIGERIA. Voice of Nigeria confirmed over several days Nov 7-8, as being on 17800 kHz from 2000 to 2300. Quite good at 2000 with African news, slowly deteriorates, and generally fair at best by 2230, s/off at 2300 UT with anthem (Roger Chambers, Mohawk Valley Shortwave Club DX camp, about 60 miles north of Utica, NY in a quiet rural setting, DX LISTENING DIGEST) VON wants to confuse us: Yesterday, Nov. 9: 7255 at 2200 change of service from French, instead of Fulfulde, to Hausa. Good signal. No English heard this morning on 15120/17800, nor yesterday evening. As the English service announced recently, Fulfulde is on from 0800 instead of 0700, English 0500-0800 and 1700-2300 only. But if French is now at 2100, there seem to be still two different services scheduled in parallel. Why then the cutback of the English service??? (Thorsten Hallmann, Muenster, Germany, Nov 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. 4770.00, R. Nigeria, Kaduna, 11/07/03, 0430-0445 UT, SIO 555. At sign on drums then national anthem then Jazz music, English ID at 0431 UT. 73, (Thomas F. Giella, KN4LF, Plant City, FL, USA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. 6050, Radio Nigeria, Ibadan, 2106-2133* Nov 3, man in English talking about Ramadan and Nigerian customs. ID at 2118 followed by more talk about democracy in Nigeria. Group singing, ID and possible anthem; apparent sign off. Poor, watery signal with deep fades. (D'Angelo/FCDX-PA) 2101 Nov 3 Talk on Ramadan customs in Nigeria. Poor (Kohlbrenner/FCDX-PA, NASWA Flashsheet via DXLD) ** PARAGUAY [and non]. BRASIL/PARAGUAY: Radio Primero de Marzo no transmite más, vía Foz do Iguaçú por los 6105 kHz. Seguramente, era un arreglo provisorio, durante la época del Rally del Chaco. Así es su costumbre históricamente: utilizar una frecuencia de la OC, durante el Rally. Hace años, utilizaron el transmisor de Pedro Juan Caballero, en los 5995 kHz (Adán Mur, Paraguay, Conexión Digital Nov 8 via DXLD) ** PERU. 4940, Radio San Antonio, Villa Atalaya, Ucayali, 2340-2352 Nov 5, Spanish, comments by man announcer, ID ``Radio San Antonio``, 24222. 4965, Radio Santa Mónica, Cusco, 0907-0910 Nov 5, Spanish, musical program, man announcer, TC ``cuatro de la mañana con siete minutos``, ID ``Busca buena música, escucha Radio Santa Mónica``, 24332. 5940.14, Radio Bethel, Arequipa, 0522-0526 Nov 5, Spanish, Musical Program (Gospel music), ID ``Somos Bethel la radio``, 24332. 6193.46, Radio Cusco, Cusco, 0036-0042, Nov 7, Spanish, musical program, man announcer, TC and ID ``la hora que corresponde a Radio Cusco``, 24222 (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; MFJ-959B Receiver Antenna Tuner/Preamplifier, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. 4386.60, R. Imperio, Ortiz, 11/07/03 0417-0429 UT, SIO 343, religious programming Spanish ID at 0420 UT (Thomas F. Giella, KN4LF, Plant City, FL, USA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. 5486.72, Radio Reina de la Selva. Full data prepared card and brief letter received in 4 weeks for a report in Spanish, audio CD, and $2.00. Also enclosed was a color greeting card promoting an archeological site in Chachapoyas. Although the v/s on the prepared card is illegible, it matches the one on the letter which was stamped José David Reina, Gerente General. Power listed as 250 watts. They now have a website at: http://www.reinadelaselva.com.pe Thanks to Henrik Klemetz for his help in getting this one (George Maroti, NY, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** PERU. 4890, R. Macedonia (Canal 33) (Tentative), 0953 Nov 8 with religious program, still going at 1033 with no break or ID that I could detect. I gave up at this point. No sign of the co-channel PNG (Hans Johnson, Naples FL, Nov 10, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** POLAND. Glenn Hauser's World of Radio hinted last night at Poland soon to leave shortwave (at the end of the year). Afternoon broadcasts are too low to propagate to North America well, while morning broadcast at 1300 UT was inaudible on a noisy 9525, and 11820 very poor, barely audible, being hammered by BBC (Skelton) in Arabic, and a very noisy frequency in general (Roger Chambers, Mohawk Valley Shortwave Club DX camp, about 60 miles north of Utica, NY in a quiet rural setting, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. VOR What`s New: JAZZ SHOW The next edition of Jazz Show will focus on Anatoly Kroll, a prominent musician who could safely be called a Russian jazz vet. He's been writing jazz for more than 40 years, although conductor and composer Anatoly Kroll is only 60. The Moscow orchestra "Sovremennik" and other big bands under the baton of Kroll heavily contributed to the beauty of many jazz festivals, while the music he wrote for the film "We Are Jazzmen" became the acme of his composing effort. Tune in to our "Jazz Show" to learn more about jazz music jointly with the wonderful Russian musician Anatoly Kroll. The program will go on the air for the first time on Monday, November 10, at 1630 UT and will be repeated throughout the week. For details of our broadcasts in English please visit our web site at: http://www.vor.ru/ep.html (via Maryanne Kehoe, swprograms via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. Radio Rossii is not heard anymore via its network of federal transmitting centers (GPR/CRR in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Irkutsk, etc.). There were no official notifications on this matter yet (open_dx - Alexander Yegorov, Kyiv, Ukraine, and Pavel Mikhaylov, Moscow, Russia) Regional transmitters were not affected by that. Heard Radio Rossii via Magadan at 0845-0855 on both 5940 and 7320 kHz (open_dx - Igor Ashikhmin, Primorskiy kray, Russia) Transmitter in Krasnoyarsk is on the air on 6085 kHz with local broadcasts (Radio Tsentr Rossii) and Radio Rossii relays, as usual (open_dx - Dmitry Antonov, Krasnoyarsk, Russia) In the morning, weak signal of Radio Rossii is observed on 5930 kHz. Must be Monchegorsk, near Murmansk (open_dx - Alexander Yegorov, Kyiv, Ukraine, all via Signal Nov 6 via DXLD) See also TATARSTAN ** SLOVENIA. I heard today Saturday 8 Nov. Radio SLOVENIA, Ljubljana, on 918 kHz with the daily, short news bulletin, in English. Time 2130- 2133 UT on 918 kHz, plus SLO 1 program on FM. In German 2134-2136 UT same frequencies. 73 von (Paul Gager, A-Vienna, Austria, IRCA via DXLD) ** SOUTH AFRICA. 3320 kHz, Domestic Service (Radio Sondrergense), 0113-0130, Broadway and classical music ("Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," "All I Ask of You", and the Overture of the Barber of Seville), OM with brief Afrikaans announcements between, SINPO 32222, peaked at fair at times, November 8th (Roger Chambers, MVSWLC DX Camp near Utica NY, Nov 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SPAIN. REE BROADCASTS TO SPANISH SOLDIERS IN IRAQ On Sunday, Radio Exterior de España (REE) launched a weekly programme linking Spanish soldiers on active service in Iraq with their families at home. The programme Aquí España (This is Spain) is a joint production between REE and the domestic network Radio 5 Todo Noticias, and is on the air between 1405 and 1500 UTC. As well as forging a link between the military base at Diwaniya and families at home, the programme will also carry the latest sports and entertainment news. There will also be background information about Iraq. The broadcast is beamed to the Middle East on shortwave 21610 kHz and relayed over an FM transmitter recently installed at Diwaniya. According to the REE Web site it is also carried on frequencies beamed to Europe, Africa and the Americas. # posted by Andy @ 08:42 UT Nov 10 (Media Network blog via DXLD) I must have heard this briefly in the 1400 UT hour Nov 9 as I was bandscanning, on 17595, 21610, 21570. More evidence that REE is no longer targeting broadcasts, with separate streams, requiring it to send this toward NAm too (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SURINAM. 4990.9, R. Apinte: no sign of this one, been checking at 0900 in Nov (Hans Johnson, Naples FL, Nov 10, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** SWEDEN. It seems that 17840 kHz for morning broadcasts of Radio Sweden has been dropped in favor of 18960, heard at 1300 in Swedish, and 1330 in English, SINPO 55555. Not sure what hour they commence on this frequency (Roger Chambers, Mohawk Valley Shortwave Club DX camp, about 60 miles north of Utica, NY in a quiet rural setting, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TATARSTAN. According to my monitoring in the first day of new season, program "Tatarstan Dulkynynda / Na volne Tatarstana" (formerly Voice of Tatarstan) switched to its traditional winter schedule: 0500-0600 15105 0700-0800 15105 0900-1000 11915 There is a considerable QRM at 0700-0730, caused by co-channel Radio Romania Int. in English (Dmitry Mezin, Kazan, Russia, Signal Nov 6 via DXLD) ** TIBET. CHINA 4905 Xinjiang [sic] PBS with English program. 1125 Nov 8 with YL announcer and pops. Closed with "OK listeners, that's all for today, bye for now." 1131 back in Chinese. // 4920 (Hans Johnson, Naples FL, Nov 10, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) These two are Xizang, i.e. Tibet, not Xinjiang, i.e. Sinkiang (gh) ** UGANDA. 4976 kHz, Radio Uganda from 2048 UT, weak talk in vernacular, at 2056 drums as IS, a brief harangue with a near shouted "------- Radio Uganda), off at 2059, SINPO 22112, November 8th Roger Chambers, MVSWLC DX Camp near Utica NY, Nov 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Regarding Brock Whaley's query about New York VOLMET, they are also unheard here. The government has issued Notices to Airmen indicating that all frequencies are off the air until further notice. A1741/03 - NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL VOLMET FREQ 13270 KHZ U/S WIE UNTIL UFN A1990/03 - NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL VOLMET 6604 KHZ U/S. WIE UNTIL UFN A2954/03 - NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL VOLMET FREQS 3485 AND 10051 KHZ U/S WIE UNTIL UFN (Mike Cooper, Nov 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WIE = won`t impinge on ether 13354-USB, New York Radio working aircraft; gave out SACCOM phone # to one! 2032, 9 Nov (Harold Frodge, MI, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** U S A. 1830.00, WBBR, New York, NY, Nov 10, 1000, this turns out to be NOT my previous tentative WTVN harmonic, but rather this apparent spur from 1130 kHz, with a clear ID at 1000 (Mark Mohrmann, VT, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I would not be quite sure about this. Bloomberg has a network and a 610 station might have let an ID slip thru (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. Someone in Europe recently asked if anyone was hearing WJCR currently. The answer is yes: I hear 13595 as late as 2300, but not sure of the exact span, and never hear it on 7490. On Nov 9 at 2139 it was audible, fair with music, but quite low modulation, and constant CODAR swooshing (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. THE VOICE OF AMERICA, MUFFLED By Sanford J. Ungar Monday, November 10, 2003; Page A25 Last month, just as we were setting our clocks back to standard time, the Voice of America -- this country's largest and most credible international broadcast service -- was making its own seasonal adjustment: reducing its round-the-clock daily worldwide English- language news and feature service by almost 25 percent. The change was dictated by the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the bipartisan, part-time group of private citizens that supervises VOA and other government broadcast agencies. On the basis of its "research," it no longer regards English as a "Priority One" language. The irony is that this occurs even as other policymakers in the executive branch and on Capitol Hill, along with members of hastily convened commissions, wring their hands over how to improve America's "public diplomacy" effort in these tense times and get others to better understand the United States. They seem willing to spend billions on that effort, while VOA, for more than 61 years one of the taxpayers' biggest bargains, is cut back. How is this for enlightened government policy: As of this month, for five crucial hours a day -- during morning "drive time" in Eastern Europe and parts of Africa, late morning in the Middle East and early evening in East Asia -- the straight news reporting of VOA about events in the United States and around the world is no longer available in English on short-wave, FM or the Internet, except for a six-minute newscast at the top of the hour. The cost savings will amount to about a million dollars a year. To be sure, VOA will still be on the air in dozens of other languages at various times of the day, as it should be. Tens of millions of Chinese listeners will continue to hear many hours of American-style broadcasts in Mandarin, Cantonese and Tibetan. Although many European-language broadcasts have been reduced as certain countries develop lively independent media of their own, others (Urdu, the principal language of Pakistan, and Indonesian, to name two) are growing. Arabic and certain other languages are virtually disappearing from the VOA repertoire, however, as the Broadcasting Board of Governors tilts toward controversial commercial-style broadcasts in their place. These choices are always difficult to make, especially in the context of the unreasonably tight budgets that have been imposed on VOA in recent years. But there is something fundamentally absurd about sharply reducing VOA's reach in America's own primary language, increasingly dominant, for better or worse, in business, science, education and information technology around the world. Indeed, since the 24-hour continuous service in English, "VOA News Now," was launched in the late l990s, others have followed: the BBC, Germany's Deutsche Welle, Radio Australia and Radio Japan. Radio France International is said to be planning many hours of English in a new round-the-clock television service. These, among other international broadcasters, including al-Jazeera, will be richly amused by the VOA cutbacks. They will also inherit new listeners and viewers. "VOA News Now" has had plenty of critics, both overseas and among those who listen at voanews.com here at home. (The Smith-Mundt Act of 1948 still forbids VOA from beaming its programs to a domestic audience, and that's why changes in VOA programs attract little attention at home.) It is repetitive, in part because the VOA staff has shrunk in recent years. It is routinely interrupted by often- strident "editorials" explaining U.S. foreign policy, imposed by certain members of Congress as the price of appropriations. But it is nonetheless still the place to hear some of the highest- quality radio news and features in American journalism, all the more impressive because of how the Voice of America staff has had to resist intermittent pressure over the years to become an outlet for official government propaganda. Any correspondent who has worked overseas since World War II knows that VOA has traditionally fielded some of the best; its veterans work for many major news organizations. Some of its fine Washington reporters, while virtually unknown at home, have become household names internationally. The VOA newsroom knows better than most how to sort the wheat from the chaff, and it has specialized in telling the whole American story -- about impeachments, for example -- even when it may tend to be embarrassing. That is why it has credibility and respect. VOA's English broadcasts -- some in regional accents and dialects, some in the slow-spoken limited vocabulary of "Special English" and some in simple, everyday American colloquial English -- have for generations brought the world reliable information, jazz and other American music, a few good laughs and even a little hope from time to time. Both symbolically and for their documentable day-to-day impact, they deserve to survive intact and around the clock. The writer is president of Goucher College in Baltimore. He was director of the Voice of America from 1999 to 2001. (c) 2003 The Washington Post Company (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U S A? 13915.0 USB, 2206+ GMT Nov. 9, good signal "This is Undercover Radio broadcasting from the middle of nowhere. Contact us at undercoverradio@xxxxxxxx ..." [truncated] Modern/alt music, alt psycho script talks. Great signal (Terry L. Krueger, Clearwater, Florida, hard-core-dx and DX LISTENING DIGEST) Good signal here in Iowa at 2253 UT (Jerry WWOE, Davenport, ibid.) ** U S A [and non]. American Forces Network Current Schedule Location Band Daytime Nightime Diego Garcia Upper Sideband 12579 4319 Guam Upper Sideband 13362 5765 Keflavik, Iceland Upper Sideband 13855 13855 Key West, FL Upper Sideband 12133.5 same as daytime and 5446.5 same as daytime Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Upper Sideband 10320 6350 RR, Puerto Rico Upper Sideband 7507 7507. From web site. http://myafn.dodmedia.osd.mil/radio/shortwave/ Nov. 9, 2003 (Bernie O’Shea Ottawa, Canada, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Since the Iraq war, I've noticed a number of domestic broadcasters reviving the V for Victory Morse code marker at the top of the hour, including locally WIZZ which airs promos every so often telling listeners about the meaning behind the V for Victory (Bruce Conti - Nashua NH, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** U S A. 1070, KNX, CA, Los Angeles. 11/9 0311. Noted off for system maintenance. At 0326 carrier returned and someone was heard tapping on an open mic followed by "KNX, KNX Los Angeles testing". Carrier was on and off several times throughout the next 2 hours. During several periods the programming was a simulcast of Arrow 93.1 (KCBS) with a classic rock format. ID at 0343 was "Arrow 93.1, the best classic rock" followed by the song Cocaine. A few seconds into the song the audio faded down for a "KNX Los Angeles" ID. Thanks to David Gleason for the tip on this maintenance period (Patrick Griffith, Westminster, CO, Drake R-8 and Kiwa 12" air core loop, NRC-AM via DXLD) ** U S A. UP FOR SALE, WRVG FELL SHORT OF ITS BIG DREAMS By Heather Svokos HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER These days, it's not common that a radio station be regarded with much that would resemble reverence. And yet, to Jonathan Keeler, WRVG was a musical godsend. To the members of Frankfort band Sacre Bleu, the station was a beautiful rush of new sound that helped influence their style. To former radioman Tom Martin, WRVG was once the little station that could. Now it seems certain it's the little station that could be sold. And the looming sale has fans of the station and public radio lamenting what was, and what could have been. Georgetown College, which has owned and run WRVG since it started as a 140-watt station in 1963, announced last month it planned to sell the station to help relieve the college's money woes. Although the identity of the potential buyer of WRVG-89.9 FM has not been publicly disclosed, there has been a unified buzz among public radio observers that the buyer in the wings is a religious broadcaster. Michael D. Dawahare, Georgetown's vice president for institutional advancement, says a confidentiality agreement prohibits him from revealing the identity of the would-be buyer until the transaction is complete. He did confirm that in late October, Georgetown's board voted to allow the college administration "to enter into final negotiations with another 501 (c) 3 for the sale of the radio station." One of the country's biggest religious broadcasters is K-Love, a Christian radio network run by the Educational Media Foundation. K-Love currently airs on Lexington's WVRB-95.3 FM. A call to the Sacramento, Calif.-based company elicited this response: "There's really no comment that we have about WRVG," said Joe Miller, director of signal development for Educational Media Foundation, which operates K-Love and Air 1 Radio Networks. When asked whether there would be any upcoming changes to WVRB, Miller said: "I wouldn't rule out the possibility of there being some changes, but it would be premature for us to make any comment specifically." Whoever the buyer, Dawahare assures there will be a format change. Also, a formal contract offer is likely between Wednesday and Nov. 18, "which means there won't be a transfer of the station until March -- if in fact, a transfer takes place." He says he's confident the deal will go through, but in case the deal with the current potential buyer falls through, "there is a second group that remains interested." In the meantime, the station will continue with its adult album alternative format -- Triple A -- although all the on-air staff are now gone. The last to leave was midday jock Andy Mason, whose last day was Friday. The station is now operating on automation, with operations manager Mike Francis building the playlist. Public radio partnership Players on the state's public radio scene are sad to see WRVG leave the public radio family. But some cite a competitive spirit, rather than a coöperative one, among Central Kentucky's three public radio stations, as being partly responsible for the station's demise. "Knowing what we've accomplished here in Louisville, it's too bad," said Gerry Weston, president of the Public Radio Partnership in Louisville. Weston is referring to the scene in Louisville in the mid-1990s, when three public stations were faced with overlapping formats, stagnant membership and underwriting. The solution in their case came in 1996, after six tough years of compromise, Weston said. Ownership and operation of the stations were ultimately transferred to one community group called the Public Radio Partnership. Now Louisville has three distinct public formats: classical, news/talk/ public affairs, and Triple A with a mixture of jazz. Weston says the results have been "off the charts." "Our audience has doubled since 1996," he said. "Our underwriting has gone from about $285,000 in 1996 (for all three stations combined) to about $1.5 million this year. "That is the level of success you can achieve when you coöperate with each other rather than compete with other public radio stations," Weston said. "I think it still can with WEKU and WUKY selling underwriting as a team. They could do significantly more than they're doing right now. "Leadership takes many different forms, and it's too bad that someone didn't step up to the plate and say these three stations should be cooperating more closely together," he said. Roger Chesser, general manager of the University of Kentucky's WUKY- 91.3 FM, acknowledges the partnership was a great idea. For Louisville. "It was a unique situation," Chesser said. "You had two licensees that, as I understand, really wanted to give up the stations that they were running." Both he and WEKU general manager Tim Singleton think Lexington is a different animal: a smaller market, with three very different bureaucratic units: Georgetown College (WRVG), the University of Kentucky (WUKY) and Eastern Kentucky University (WEKU). Once, the heads of the three stations did discuss the idea of sharing corporate underwriters, who would support particular programs in exchange for a brief mention of their companies. For various reasons, those talks went nowhere. All the stalled efforts still trouble Tom Martin, an early WRVG staffer who left the station three years ago over programming differences with Dawahare. He's now director of communications for Kentucky House Speaker Jody Richards. "What's really a shame," Martin said, "is that we failed -- and I include myself in this -- in bringing about the kind of leadership for Central Kentucky that was seen in Louisville. "In Georgetown's case, they've been under a lot of financial pressure for several years now. I just don't think they were capable, under the circumstances, of devoting the kind of time and vision that it would have required to make it happen. I don't blame them for that -- I just think it wasn't possible. It's too bad." When people talk about a public radio consortium, Georgetown's Dawahare is emphatic about one thing: "WRVG being sold has nothing to do with us not putting together a consortium," he said. "It has to do with Georgetown College needing to reposition that money. It was a big asset for the college, and it was $1.7 million that we could move toward our core mission of education." Upping the ante In 1998, WRVG made the final transformation out of its low-power, college station britches: It was now broadcasting at a staggering 50,000 watts, and was aiming to become a public radio force to be reckoned with. The goals were lofty. Not only would WRVG fill the airwaves with adult album alternative music, regional acts and community news, but it would create a public radio network intended to rival such mainstays as National Public Radio and Public Radio International. "We were kind of the little college that could -- that's what we were trying to be, the maverick upstart, to show that it could be done," Martin said. "In my case, and in Dawahare's case, we had endured for many years the perception of Kentucky as a backwater, and perceptions of Kentuckians through the lens of The Beverly Hillbillies. And we were going to prove that we could do it -- that we had sophistication here, too. That we had intelligent, talented people. It was an effort to help put our state on the map in a different context, and for a while there it did." The exciting idea lured many affiliates at first, but struggled, and just over a year later, finally flopped. "I think there was a fundamental misunderstanding,"-Martin said. "I think what happened was the idea that, with the administration, it was: 'Oh my God, we've got a 50,000-watt radio station -- we can raise money with this -- it's going to save the college.' "And we (the radio staffers) were coming at it with: 'Well, this is public radio, you can generate revenue that will pay for it, but you're not ever going to generate revenue that will support an institution, even marginally.' "There seemed to have been a disconnect between the reality of it and the dream." Dawahare, who used to be the station's general manager, still thinks their radio network idea was a good concept. "You have to be sufficiently capitalized, and obviously, World Radio was not," Dawahare said. "I think the World Radio concept rattled the cage of public broadcasting, ever so slightly. And I think that's a good thing." Facing the future On Wednesday, Georgetown got a construction permit to build a low- powered FM that will reach only Georgetown. It will be at 93.7 on the FM dial and will be student-run. Plans for the station are still under discussion, Dawahare said, adding, "We've talked about simply migrating what we do at WRVG and transferring it to the new station." He also has been talking to a commercial broadcaster in Lexington -- he won't say which one -- about trying to get a Triple A format on one of the city's commercial stations. Public radio purists will no doubt balk at that concept, but Dawahare says it's time to start talking to commercial broadcasters. "Things change," he said, "and it's better to preserve the best of what we've built these last five years than to lose it altogether." (c) 2003 Lexington Herald-Leader and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. TIMELINE WRVG through the years Posted on Sun, Nov. 09, 2003 1963: Georgetown College-sponsored WRVG begins operating at 89.9 FM at 140 watts. The station is housed on the top floor of an arts building. 1995: The WRVG station is moved to the Cralle Student Center because of plans to-replace the arts building. College officials learn the station can boost power to 50,000 watts. 1997: College officials get permission from the Federal Communications Commission for the power upgrade, which would carry the station's signal for about a 30-mile radius. 1997: Radio talent with national and international experience is recruited to produce original programming at WRVG and offer shows to other radio stations via satellite. 1998: Station officials announce plans for a new public radio-network based at Georgetown College called World Radio. The network is meant to rival established giants National Public Radio and Public Radio International. May 1998: WRVG begins broadcasting at 50,000 watts in Central Kentucky. June 1998: World Radio launches, with programming available to public radio stations across the country. September 1999: WRVG cuts the jobs of nearly every original on-air staffer and scales back on syndicated programming to balance its budget, cover the station's projected $250,000 budget deficit and stay on the air. In effect, World Radio is dropped. April 2000: The station is rankled when fellow public station WUKY changes its jazz musical format to adult album alternative, overlapping some of the WRVG playlist. July 2000: One of the station's signature shows, the locally-produced WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour, leaves the station after host Michael Johnathon clashes with then-WRVG general manager Michael Dawahare over control of the show. October 2000: Tom Martin, a popular Lexington radio fixture and host of WRVG's Early World, leaves the station over-programming differences with management. He's replaced by Jerry Gerard, a former WRVG announcer; the musical portions of the show are produced at Gerard's home in Gainesville, Fla. July 2003: WRVG adds more syndicated programming and replaces its signature Americana music on weekday mornings with National Public Radio's Morning Edition, which already airs on WUKY and WEKU. After much listener-outcry, the station drops Morning Edition. September 2003: Georgetown College announces it is trying to sell WRVG, for financial reasons. (c) 2003 Lexington Herald-Leader and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. (Via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U S A. Headline: NPR'S BOON AND LOCAL NEWS Date: 11/10/2003 Click here to read this story online: http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/1110/p08s03-comv.html A surprise bequest exceeding $200 million was given to National Public Radio last week from the estate of Joan Kroc, the late billionaire philanthropist, and widow of McDonald's restaurant founder. Although some $175 million of the "no strings attached" gift will go to a previously existing NPR endowment, and generate some $10 million annually, the balance will go into the network's operating reserves. Encouragingly, NPR President Kevin Klose described the gift, in part, as "really about the needs of our membership stations." One beneficial use of the money would be to help local public radio stations. NPR's budget is about $100 million a year. Half that money comes from dues its 750 member stations pay to carry the network (the rest comes from foundation grants and corporate underwriting). NPR has continually increased its fees to its member stations, which carry its programming to 22 million listeners. The fees have been extremely difficult for many struggling stations to absorb. Member stations pay annual NPR dues of $7,845, plus carriage fees that can run up to $1.3 million per year, depending upon the number of listeners. Further, most stations also pay fees to NPR's rival, Public Radio International, to carry shows like "Marketplace" and "A Prairie Home Companion." Many of NPR's 750 member stations struggle to provide local news - if they have any at all. Yet one explicit mission of public broadcasting is local news. That mission is even more critical at a time when so much of commercial radio has been "outsourced" to centralized newsrooms. Prior to this large gift, NPR called success breaking even, as it did last year. Indeed, it lost $4 million in 2001. That meant more fundraising for stations to pay those fees, and less money for local news. While public radio listeners should not be tempted to think they can coast now that NPR has the Kroc bequest, they can encourage NPR to use some of the money to bolster public radio's presence in their local communities. (c) Copyright 2003 The Christian Science Monitor. All rights reserved. (via Jim Moats, OH, DXLD) ** U S A. SCHOLARS, ACTIVISTS PROTEST MEDIA CONSOLIDATION AT WISCONSIN RALLY -- BY LEON LAZARUS, Chicago Tribune Posted on Sun, Nov. 09, 2003 MADISON, Wis. - (KRT) - If ever there was an issue that political observers said would never generate public interest, it was media ownership. Topics like setting a cap on the number of media outlets that one company can own seemed too arcane to resonate outside of Washington. But over the weekend, at the University of Wisconsin, organizers of the National Conference on Media Reform held a two-day gathering attended by nearly 2,000 activists, lobbyists, journalists and educators from across the country. Robert McChesney, a University of Illinois professor and one of the conference's chief organizers, called the event the largest ever of its kind and a testament to a widening sentiment that agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission have failed to ensure a diverse and vibrant media. "There is so much shared concern on the right and the left about concentrated media, the decline in the quality of journalism and its effect on public life, that the vast majority of Americans are sympathetic to what we're doing," McChesney said. The conference ended Sunday, as the Senate is scheduled to vote as early as Monday on an appropriations bill expected to take up the issue of media ownership. The bill aims to restrict the FCC's ability to implement a new agency rule that would increase to 45 percent from 35 percent the percentage of U.S. households any single owner of television stations may reach. In July, the House voted 400-21 to reject the new FCC rule, one of a series of changes approved by the FCC in June. The lopsided House vote was largely the product of an unlikely coalition of liberal and conservative groups that feared the rule changes would lead to a loss of local news coverage. Among the contested rules is one that would loosen restrictions on ownership of both a newspaper and a broadcast station in the same market - a rule change supported by Tribune Co., owner of the Chicago Tribune. President Bush has indicated he would veto any bill that would restrict the FCC from implementing the new rules. Madison was the site of the conference in part because of its local progressive politics but also because McChesney used to teach here, and John Nichols, who recently wrote a book with the professor on media reform, is a reporter at Madison's Capitol Times newspaper. In classrooms around the campus, panels led discussions on topics such as "organizing alternative media at the local level," "federal policymaking" and "corporate media's impoverished journalism." Well-known names such as Ralph Nader and Rep. Bernie Saunders, I-Vt., were joined by lesser-known activists such as Holly Minch of the Independent Media Institute in San Francisco and John Freeman of KOCZ, a low-power FM station in Opelousas, La. FCC Commissioner Michael Copps was the recipient of some of the loudest applause during the gathering, often feted more like the leader of a burgeoning movement than a Washington, D.C. bureaucrat. In the spring, Copps led a 14-city tour of hearings to discuss the rule changes, events that FCC Chairman Michael Powell chose not to fund or attend, Copps said. "I'm encouraged that my colleagues on the commission have changed their attitude about going out and talking to people at the localism hearings," Copps said, referring to a series of hearings on the media's coverage of local issues that began two weeks ago in Charlotte, N.C. "You need to reach out to people other than those who have a vested interest in this discussion - they already know how to reach out to us." Though many of the largest media companies were mentioned, few elicited such strong reactions as Clear Channel Communications, the nation's largest owner of radio stations with about 1,300 or roughly 9 percent. Clear Channel has been criticized for owning many radio stations in the same market and using a uniform format for hundreds of stations. But Andy Levin, senior vice president of governmental affairs for Clear Channel, countered in an interview Friday that consolidation has strengthened the industry by allowing radio operators to expand and to lower certain production costs. The number of stations nationwide has dropped from 5,400 in 1996 to about 4,000 today. "The truth is that radio is much less concentrated as a media and far more vibrant than the other forms of media that were deregulated," said Levin. "Unfortunately, the rhetoric in this debate has risen to the level of mythology." Though a Clear Channel critic, McChesney added that media activists ought not to focus on the San Antonio-based radio company. Rather, their attention should be on elected officials and the FCC. On Saturday evening, Bill Moyers, host of the public television talk show "Now," delivered an impassioned speech, introduced by author Studs Terkel, to a crowded Orpheum Theatre in downtown Madison. Moyers decried the "convergence of a right-wing partisan press with a right-wing government dead-set on dominating our democracy through this convergence of interest." --- 2003, Chicago Tribune. (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U S A. New York City TV news: WPIX (Channel 11) has been granted a permanent auxiliary facility at the Armstrong tower in Alpine, NEW JERSEY. The backup site will run 24 kW visual ERP at 244 meters above average terrain, which is pretty much the facility WPIX built at Alpine under special temporary authority in the weeks after 9/11. A correction to last week's issue: while WABC-DT (Channel 45) indeed restored ABC digital service to New York when it signed on, it still left one big hole in the DTV picture there. WNBC-DT (Channel 28) was silenced on 9/11 and still hasn't returned, though we're told a low- power transmitter at NBC headquarters in Rockefeller Center is due to sign on soon (Scott Fybush, IN, NE Radio Watch Nov 10 via DXLD) ** URUGUAY. 6045.23, Radio Sarandí Sport (presumed), Montevideo, 0500- 0505 Nov 5, Spanish, sports comments by man announcer, 24322 (Nicolás Eramo, Villa Lynch, Prov. Buenos Aires, Argentina, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** URUGUAY. 9620.6, SODRE, 2135 Nov 7, (ID: "Radiodifusión Nacional del Uruguay, Montevideo ...") listed in the WRTH with 150 watts only. From November 5th to November 9th 2003 the traditional DX Camp Bavaria took place. Once again we spent some beautiful days (and nights) on our Camp QTH 45 km north east of Nuremberg. As usual we installed several Beverage antennas, each with 300m length and 1,20 m above the ground. More information about the DX-camp and some pictures can be seen on my homepage: http://home.arcor.de/mschnitzer/ (Michael Schnitzer, Germany, hard-core-dx via DXLD) ** UZBEKISTAN. 9715 kHz, Radio Tashkent, tune in 1217 UT to 1227, rarely in the clear, but Radio Netherlands off in Spanish this am (November 10th). SINPO 34332, November 10th. Absent on // 15295 and 17775. Very weak on 5060; on 5975, SINPO 22222 with QRN from Radio Martí and RCI splatter from 5960. Alternate male / female announcer, with some regional music. Details of an annual quiz, including several questions, e.g "What city in Uzbekistan has a magnificent past?" and questions on diplomatic relations. Though signal in the clear, poor modulation made much of it unintelligible. Web and e-mail addresses given near end of transmission, largely unintelligible. They mentioned receiving letters from listeners in 70 countries (in the last year presumed). (Roger Chambers, Utica, NY, Nov 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15 and 17 MHz are not used in the B season, as in recent schedule here (gh, DXLD) ** UZBEKISTAN [non]. On Saturday 9 Nov I took a listen to the BBC Uzbek service at 1600. There was a loud firedrake on each of 7325 and 7435 and possibly also one in the background on 9635. When I checked these frequencies on 27 October I heard no firedrakes despite several checks during the hourlong transmission in Uzbek. Maybe another juicy scandal within the ruling family was brought to light in the meantime:-) (Olle Alm, Sweden, 9 Nov, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VANUATU. 7260 kHz, Radio Vanuatu, 0930-0947 UT November 9th. Religious "harangue" in vernacular by male, interspersed with choral a cappella island hymns, and a choral "Amen." 0945, "Vanuatu" clearly heard, 0947 orchestral anthem, and off. For 2-3 minutes a carrier tone on and off at 5 second intervals. Generally poor with fair peaks. At DX camp, Drake SW 8 and 200 foot long wire (Roger Chambers, near Utica, NY, Nov 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VENEZUELA. Saludos Glenn. Espero te encuentres muy bien. Ayer Domingo en horas de la noche, las condiciones de propagación estaban muy bien en la banda de 60 metros. YVTO, Observatorio Naval Cajigal en los 5000 kHz, fué reactivada, pero la escuché sobre modulada, deficiente y algo fuera de frecuencia. 4830, Radio Táchira, a las 0256 UT, excelente señal, primera vez que capto a esta emisora venezolana con señal casi local via onda corta. Atte: (José Elías Díaz Gómez, Venezuela, Nov 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. He aquí una reciente escucha: Se trata de la Radio Nacional de la República Árabe Saharahui Democrática. 7460, 2138-2254+, 8 Nov, 33433. Interferida. Escuchada con su programa en árabe con mucha música tribal que sonaba como una mezcla entre música árabe y música africana. ID a 2159:30 mencionando "sahrawiyah", luego un locutor leía muy rápido las noticias en árabe, a las 2208 otra ID "arabiya...al sahrawiyah...", y también hacia menciones al Magreb (toda la zona de Marruecos, con quien está enfrentado el Frente Polisario). Luego de las 2217 comenzó a mezclarse la señal con otra emisora árabe que emitía en la misma frecuencia, y además, interferencia regional de operadores de radio, aparentemente del norte de Argentina o de Paraguay por el acento de su conversación. A las 2254+ la señal se desvanecía y era prácticamente inaudible. 73's GIB (Gabriel Iván Barrera, Argentina, Conexión Digital via DXLD) Lástima, que el español comienza a las 23 (gh) ** ZANZIBAR. Re: Zanzibar isn`t where it seems --- This is what we say QSN (I heard you at). This is surely NOT the QRG (your exact frequency) (Zacharias Liangas, Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 11734.080, R. Tanzania Darussalam [sic - that`s Brunei, is it not? Dar es Salaam is the capital of Tanzania, not where this station is] 6 Nov, 1950 with multivoiced songs, 2000 YL with stations ID and more, then news headlines and mixed musical (religious and local) and info program. Language Arabic. Signal about S8, 44444 using LSB (Zacharias Liangas, Thessaloniki, Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. The unID Radio Mía logged by Björn Malm on 3204.99 now up at http://homepage.sverige.net/~a-0901/ uses a TC format matching Peruvian standards and the DJ on this clip has a Peruvian accent (Henrik Klemetz, Sweden, Nov 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) What do you mean by ``TC format matching Peruvian standards`` --- a peculiar way of giving the UT -5 differing, from, say, the way they would give it in UT -5 Ecuador? Lacking Archipiélago conversion? (gh) UNIDENTIFIED. CLANDESTINE - 6100 R. Sedaye Kashmir? 1431 Nov 9. YL speaking in Asiatic lang; mixing with another station playing instrumental music. Too weak to determine language; am still trying for Sedaye Kashmir, sked here at this time. The music station was probably Malaysia. Nepal listed here also (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Drake R-8, 100-foot RW, Cumbre DX via DXLD) Sedaye Kashmir was coming in every day at *1430 in late October in Wyoming. Always has a steady tone on several minutes before they start which they cut just before they start (Hans Johnson, FL, ibid.) UNIDENTIFIED. 6959v, 0008-0032, Nov. 5, Portuguese, OM with Portuguese pops and ballads, talk between selections, multiple Spanish/Portuguese hams came on frequency at 0024. I gave up shortly after 0032. Strong signal, though drifting a bit, until ham QRM. If a pirate it sounded very professional (Scott Barbour, NH, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ CHINESE SW RADIOS Hi, Glenn! I noted the item near the conclusion of the recent DXLD from Morrison Hoyle in Australia regarding the new Chinese radios and sources for them. Please pass word to him to look at http://www.radios4you.com for some of these; he can e-mail sales @ radios4you.com to contact them for info on overseas shipment and costs if the data on the website is inadequate. I noticed this firm advertising in recent months in Monitoring Times and looked at their website over the following months; they sell an interesting assortment of radios. Regards, (Will Martin, MO, Nov 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) OCTOGENARIAN RECALLS EXPERIMENTAL TV By Bob Kriebel, For the Journal and Courier 83-year-old Willard E. Keller is another example of a distant reader who sees "Old Lafayette" at jconline.com and has been inspired to expand upon what is known about local history. In this case, he shares his memories of Purdue [University's] contributions to early television. Keller, retired after 51 years with American Airlines, lives in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas. "I was born five miles southwest of Otterbein," he recently wrote. "Went to school in Otterbein, Pine Village, Green Hill and then Otterbein again and graduated from high school in 1938. Today, I still keep in touch with relatives around Otterbein. "One column [published last June 8] that caught my attention was 'Purdue had a role in early television.' By the time I was 15 years old, I was tinkering around with battery-powered lights, radios and electromagnets. One night, I heard the voice of W9XG, the experimental television station near Ross-Ade Stadium, followed by the buzzing sounds of the pictures being transmitted. "I sent off a postcard to the station announcing this, and received back a nice card [dated Nov. 2, 1936] that I still have today. I also heard the experimental television station in Kansas City. All this was exciting to a teen-ager living on a farm without electricity. "If the 'atmospherics' were OK, then W9XG could have been heard and seen throughout the Midwest. But there were only a small handful of test receivers spotted around, and the programs broadcast (usually Krazy-Kat) were intended for engineering types and experimenters, not for the public's entertainment. Nipkow discs and neon bulbs with 60- line pictures were old hat; already there were experiments with cathode ray tubes "Balaban and Katz, a Chicago theater chain, started broadcasting using 441 lines on WBKB and on a radio frequency covering only line-of- sight. WBKB's Indian-head test pattern was broadcast in the daytime and entertainment started in the evening. These broadcasts continued through 1941. After that I don't know what happened -- I left Indiana. "Air mail routes (AM4, AM30, AM2, etc.); aircraft beacons for night flights; facsimile newspaper broadcasting on WGN, WLW and others; station WLW and the 500,000-watt transmitter; police radio broadcasting stations at the edge of the broadcast band; radio broadcasting during the 1937 Ohio River flood; international short wave broadcasting in 1936 and expanded as World War II approached; Spanish ships in the Atlantic using spark transmitters; the Japanese using a powerful arc instrument in the Pacific; the U.S. Navy's 500,000-watt transmitters at NSS, NBA, NPM or NMN – all these were interesting subjects." Missing set That same June 8 article about early TV prompted Steve McVoy, president of the Early Television Foundation, to report that he was trying to buy Purdue Prof. Roscoe George's vintage 1930s experimental TV receiver for McVoy's Early Television Museum near Columbus, Ohio. McVoy wrote: "I made a deal on [Prof. George's] set for the museum. I expected to get it in November, restore it and use it to display pictures from our mechanical TV camera. [But then] the Purdue receiver story has taken an interesting turn. I've been contacted by the School of Engineering claiming that the receiver [is missing]. According to Prof. L. A. Geddes, he took the set to the Museum of Broadcast Communications in 1988 or 1989, under the conditions of an 'indefinite loan.' The museum then moved, and the set became lost. Purdue is claiming ownership, and obviously my purchase of the set will be delayed until this is resolved." According to McVoy, one can see pictures and information about many forms of early TV equipment at http://www.earlytelevision.org/ http://www.lafayettejc.com/columns/200311099local_news1 (via Kim Elliott, DXLD) MAD TV I thought this might be of interest, If I get this right, this article advocates the abolition of broadcast television. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/fo/20031106/bs_fo/743e622f83a7ee84ac8510aea7569f70 (via Curtis Sadowski, Nov 9, WTFDA via DXLD) Just UHF TV In several ways the author is not qualified to make the statements he's making... - He suggests UHF channels be removed from TV service in 2006 - then says broadcasters would have little ground for complaint because they get to keep the "newly awarded space for their digital signals." The vast majority of which is *in* UHF channels... - "...almost nobody tunes in to these stations over the air." Sounds like a New York-centric view of things. Maybe nobody watches over-the- air UHF in New York, but they sure do in places like Fort Wayne, Fresno, and Huntsville. If you take the overall cable/satellite penetration rate to be 85%, then in just these three cities alone shutting down UHF would cost 165,000 households access to TV. Add to that cities like San Diego, Madison, Atlanta, Kansas City, and Austin where at least one of the Big Three network stations is on UHF. Oh, and ethnic outlets in the larger cities. Even in market #2 (Los Angeles), PBS is only available on UHF. That also doesn't count second and third sets (in the workshop, in the kitchen, on the deck, etc.) that aren't connected to cable. "Kill over-the-air TV" seems to be a frequent proposal these days. The vast majority of people who propose it have promptly proven they don't know what they're talking about (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66, http://www.w9wi.com WTFDA via DXLD) FCC DESERVES A DIGITAL THANKS FOR NOTHING By Rob Pegoraro Sunday, November 9, 2003; Page F07 The Federal Communications Commission has figured out how to make digital television more appealing to the millions of consumers who haven't bought into it: Force manufacturers to make hardware that's less capable than what's sold today. The FCC did this when it voted Tuesday to require consumer-electronics firms to support the "broadcast flag" -- a tiny bit of code in digital-TV (DTV) broadcasts -- by July 1, 2005, in any hardware that can receive an over-the-air digital signal. That means not only TV sets but also videotape, hard-drive and DVD recorders and even computers with digital-TV tuner cards. If your first thought on seeing that deadline was "I should buy my DTV hardware before then," you've already grasped the unpleasant essence of this ruling. Intended to stop mass redistribution of TV shows over the Internet, the decision will make using digital TV harder and more expensive. Here's how the flag is supposed to work: Broadcasters may add it to any digital (but not old-fashioned analog) broadcast, whether or not it's high-definition. The only information it carries is permission to copy a show an unlimited number of times -- a "right" stripped of its meaning by what the flag triggers. That flag, when recognized by future DTV sets, will require that any digital copies of a show be made with an FCC-approved copy-control technology. It won't stop you from using old analog cables to connect a VCR, TiVo, DVD recorder or computer to the TV to record shows, if at a lower quality. As for new digital cables, the FCC ruling does not mandate any one copy-control technology, leaving it up to companies to choose from competing options. But this competition probably won't happen. Most of the electronics industry has anointed one system, called "5C" after the five corporations that developed it (Hitachi, Intel, Matsushita, Sony and Toshiba) and already approved for the digital outputs on future cable boxes and cable-compatible TV sets. The FCC can approve other copy-control schemes, but 5C-compliant hardware may not be upgradeable to support these competing mechanisms, placing them at a disadvantage. Once a show enters the 5C copyright cocoon, your options to use it shrink. The FCC's statement that "the flag does not restrict copying in any way" ignores the fact that 5C eliminates your ability to play back recordings on existing hardware, since almost none of it complies with the 5C standard. You won't be able to make a lower-resolution copy of a digital broadcast to watch on your DVD player or move a recording to the laptop or handheld computer you own today. And by forbidding all Internet transfers, even of brief excerpts, the scheme steals fair-use rights. That amounts to a foreclosure on the future, and for some pretty thin reasons. The FCC acted because TV networks and studios said they couldn't compete with cable and satellite unless they could protect over-the-air digital broadcasts in the way that cable and satellite operators can in their own, closed systems. They have threatened to pull their high-definition fare, either dulling its resolution to the minimum permitted by the digital-TV spectrum or not showing first-run content at all. "If a broadcast flag is not implemented and enforced by Summer 2003, Viacom's CBS Television Network will not provide any programming in high definition for the 2003-2004 television season," Viacom said in a December 2002 filing with the FCC. But the idea that broadcast has less protection makes no sense. Every cable and satellite receiver includes analog outputs, from which a near-perfect copy can be digitized and uploaded to the Internet. And as anybody who's actually tried a file-swapping service knows, perfect copies aren't the point. They are all about sacrificing a little audio and video quality to streamline the digital files for quick, free downloads. That vulnerability hasn't stopped cable networks such as ESPN and Discovery Communications from spending millions of dollars to launch high-definition services in the past year or two. What do they know that the broadcast networks don't? Furthermore, should the FCC even care if the broadcasters carry out their threats? A gap in quality between cable and satellite versus broadcast is not new -- to see my choice of NFL games, watch Iron Chef or just get a static-free version of Fox's broadcasts here, I need to pay for cable or satellite. The FCC has yet to remedy this injustice, nor should it: Its job doesn't include keeping me entertained at all costs. So if networks want to destroy the advertising value of their airwaves by cutting back on what they show, the market can solve that problem by itself. But the FCC, which is supposed to reclaim analog-TV spectrum from broadcasters by 2007 so the government can auction it off for other uses, chose to turn digital television into even more of a "command economy," in which it orders manufacturers to build things that consumers don't want to buy. Fortunately, consumers still have some choices: One is not to buy a digital set at all. Another is to buy one that doesn't support the broadcast flag before the FCC deadline. A third is to buy only sets with high-resolution, component-video analog outputs. Unfortunately, the broadcast-flag ruling isn't the end of the story. DTV will continue to writhe in regulatory agony as Hollywood gears up for the next step in its campaign -- fixing the "analog hole" with a system of watermarks or some technology not yet invented to stop analog copying. The only safe predictions are that commercial piracy will continue, and that any copy-control scheme will eventually be broken. "No technology is going to be perfect," said Fritz E. Attaway, executive vice president of the Motion Picture Association of America. "Hackers are going to hack whatever you put out." It might be wise to root for the hackers. (c) 2003 The Washington Post Company (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ PASSPORT TO WORLDBAND [sic] RADIO 2004 [sic] Media Network`s review is now up: http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/booklist/html/passport.html (via gh, DXLD) See also LATVIA. Think I`ll start dating each issue of DXLD 2004, so the info will seem a year ahead of its time (gh) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ NW7US PROPAGATION UPDATE FOR CQ WW CW CONTEST WEEKEND The solar activity that took us by surprise during the end of October and beginning of November 2003 has me revising my outlook for the CQ WW CW contest period of November 29 and 30. I am now expecting conditions to be a bit rougher than I forecast in my column. Using the 27-day solar cycle as a guide, we are looking at Low to High Normal conditions. Low- and mid-latitude paths will be good, while high-latitude and polar paths will be poor to fair. There is a slight to moderate chance that the major sunspots will return with enough flare activity to cause daytime radio blackouts during the weekend. The predictions right now call for a maximum Kp index of 3 for both days, and an estimated Ap index of 15. The low geomagnetic activity forecast is very conservative, though, since I still expect the sunspots to hold enough punch to create coronal mass ejections that will elevate the geomagnetic activity. As you know, the more active the geomagnetic field, the more likely the ionosphere will recombine, lowering the MUF. The 10.7-cm flux is expected to be between 160 and 170, since the sunspots will have returned. Therefore, I expect that the higher bands will be poor to good, depending on the path: Trans-equatorial paths (N/S) will be the best, while polar paths will be the worst. The middle HF bands will be fair to good. If flaring occurs with enough intensity, the nighttime low HF bands will be degraded, too. Those operating in low-latitudes will fair the best, to be sure. But, that is typical, during any condition. Those who will be at high- latitudes will certainly have a challenge. But, that is what CW is all about, right? I'll keep a watch on things, and post an update as we get closer to the contest weekend. More at http://prop.hfradio.org 73 de (Tomas, NW7US (AAR0JA/AAM0EWA) -- : Propagation Editor, CQ/CQ VHF/Popular Communications Magazines 0325 UT Nov 9 via DXLD) NW7US PROPAGATION UPDATE: 9-XI-2003 1454 UT Geomagnetic activity is increasing, now, due to the influence of fast wind coming from the coronal hole located in the central meridian of the Sun. The rest of today's geomagnetic activity will be unsettled to active (up to a Kp of 5). This will degrade the higher HF bands for the next two days. By 11-XI-2003, a large coronal hole which is rotating into geoeffective position will enhance the solar wind further, causing active to minor geomagnetic storm conditions. Three new sunspots have appeared on the Sun (Catania numbers 86, 87, and 89). These are now growing and have what is known as a "beta magnetic configuration." They may become a source of flares, at least C-class at this time, causing some minor radio degradation on the lower HF bands on the sunlit side of the earth. The 10.7-cm flux is now expected to rise, again, with these new sunspots. Expected flux levels are 93, 95, and 98 for today through Tuesday. But, with the increased geomagnetic activity, the higher bands will still suffer. More info at http://prop.hfradio.org 73 de Tomas, NW7US (AAR0JA/AAM0EWA) (via swl at qth.net via DXLD) SOLAR QUESTION Can some one please explain, in lay terms, why we are experiencing this sudden, intense onslaught of auroral activity, with powerful storms coming one after another, relentlessly. Also, when and how might such a period end? And, does it have any special significance in the grand scheme of cosmic activity? (Saul [Chernos?], NRC-AM via DXLD) It's aliens from Alpha Centauri trying to make our sun hiccup so strongly that the earth is blasted to death by solar radiation, or so Art Bell would tell us. If that doesn't happen to be true, perhaps enterprising capitalists are trying to capture pieces of the sun for resale to tourists. If you want the boring answer, there's no known reason and it's just a matter of chance (Chuck Hutton, WA, ibid.) DXING DURING THE TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE The Mohawk Valley Shortwave Club DX camp is over, and we had an interesting time. Conditions were generally good to excellent, especially for Asia and (some) Andeans. Preliminary results were 99 countries heard from about 2100 UT on Friday, November 7 to 1700 UT Sunday November 9. We had the luck to be in the country for an excellent view under clear skies of the lunar eclipse. I wonder whether some of the propagation that follows is just coincidence. During the eclipse, the following was noted. While 16 meters was completely dead (as is to be expected for the norm), 19 meters was generally dead, but the following exceptions noted (Between 0200 and 0230 UT, Saturday evening local time): 15575 kHz, Radio Korea International in English, (// 9560 from Sackville) from Korea direct, SINPO 23212 15515 kHz, Radio Australia with classical music, SINPO 23323 15345 kHz, RAE, Argentina, in Spanish, SINPO 33333 15290 kHz, VOA, Udorn, Thailand, SINPO 23212 15000 kHz, WWVH was more prominent than WWV, SINPO 44444 for female voice ID at 0230, vs 22222 for male announcer for WWV. Just after 0230 UT, the following 60 meters stations were INCREDIBLY STRONG, all about SINPO 44444: 4845 Mauritania (This has usually been strongest channel in this band locally of late) 4875, 4885, and 4985 all Brazilians, all booming like local AM stations. Little else was heard on 60 m, while Guyana on 3290 kHz was also quite strong, SINPO 43333. Is there any known relationship to such things and a lunar eclipse, or is there another explanation? Normally, 19 meters would be near dead, with only 2-3 "local" (that is transmitters from Bonaire, Antigua, or French Guiana) stations heard at this time, but none of them were audible. (Roger Chambers, Mohawk Valley Shortwave Club DX camp, about 60 miles north of Utica, NY in a quiet rural setting, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Perhaps Chuck Bolland will have something to say about that (gh) I was wondering if a lunar eclipse has an effect on AM BCB DX? As tonight's eclipse began I noticed the northern stations began to fade, as if there was an aurora going on. Stations CHWO-740/ WJR-760/ WABC-770/ WBBM-780/ WGN-720 and WLW-700 all faded out completely. There was a Cuban on 720 and the other channels had electrical line noise. At 2145 the eclipse is almost over and the northern stations are returning to normal. Any relationship between the two events? (Willis Monk, Old Fort, TN, NRC-AM via DXLD) Interesting. I recall reading an article written by a ham claiming enhanced conditions under a full moon. Why? I have no idea. (jw wb9uai milwaukee, ibid.) During prior eclipses of any kind I haven't noticed much effect on the band, but last night's got me to thinking. The power line noise that's been bugging me since mid summer usually declines after dark, but during the recent solar activity has been continuing along with the ground wave conditions prevailing at night over sky wave conditions. So last night while the moon was eclipsing the noise continued almost unabated, but when the eclipse ended around 11:30 PM, the noise also went down. So perhaps there is a connection. By the way, last night the worst noise was on the high end and into the SW band. (Ben Dangerfield, Wallingford, Pa. [SE cor Pa], ibid.) I was wondering the same at my end. Last night, around 9:30 PM (which would have been near the middle of the eclipse I think), I checked the band and none of the regular "blowtorches" from the north east and central states) (e.g. KYW, WCBS, WBZ, WBBM, etc) were audible. WQEW was very weak (I've had them stronger in mid december at high noon). Also, strangely enough, some of my semi-locals (from about 100 miles or so) were a lot weaker than normal (weaker than they usually are during the day). I also had a lot more electrical noise than usual. I was wondering if it was the eclipse, or more auroral activity. I just wish that conditions would return to some semblance of normal --- I am beginning to miss WCBS at night!!! (Eric Conchie, Tweed ON, ibid.) ###