DX LISTENING DIGEST 3-208, November 18, 2003 edited by Glenn Hauser IMPORTANT NOTE: our hotmail accounts are being phased out. Please do not use them any further, but instead woradio at yahoo.com or wghauser at yahoo.com Items from DXLD may be reproduced and re-reproduced only if full credit be maintained at all stages and we be provided exchange copies. DXLD may not be reposted in its entirety without permission. Materials taken from Arctic or originating from Olle Alm and not having a commercial copyright are exempt from all restrictions of noncommercial, noncopyrighted reusage except for full credits HTML version of this issue will be posted later at http://www.w4uvh.net/dxldtd3k.html For restrixions and searchable 2003 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn NEXT AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1207: WWCR: Wed 1030 9475 WSUI: Mon Nov 24 0430 910 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 1207 (high version is in two parts): Part I: (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1207h.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1207h.rm Part II: (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1207i.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1207i.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1207.html WORLD OF RADIO 1207 (low version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1207.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1207.rm FIRST AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1208: Wed 2300 on WBCQ 7415, 17495-CUSB Thu 0230 on WINB 9320 Thu 2130 on WWCR 15825 ** AFGHANISTAN [non]. UK/Afghanistan: BBC World Service launches new dedicated service for Afghanistan --- see U K ** AUSTRALIA. RA`s belated B-03 frequency changes include replacing its most erstwhile channel, 9580, with 9590, noted at 1447 UT Nov 18. It`s totally unclear to us why this was called for, and 9590 may face new interference problems. Unknown yet what the span be, and at the same time 11650 was also unheard. Here`s what the RA website says now: ``Hear Us In North America [and Europe] --- Radio Australia frequencies are undergoing revision, following a decline in solar activity. We apologise for this inconvenience, and expect to publish new frequencies soon. Thank you for your patience.`` No frequencies are shown for NAm or for Europe, but for Pacific, still 9580 for the very long span of 0800-2400 UT, so presumably it is OUTDATED; also includes ``9170`` at 0800-0900, mistake for 9710?? No sign of 9590. Asian frequencies are also there, but we fear, outdated (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi. In the mornings I like to get my "dose" of news from Radio Australia on 9580 KHz where it usually comes in VERY WELL (That's where I first heard about the World Trade Center on 9/11). This morning (1535 UT) I'm listening to it, not on 9580 where it usually is but on 9590 where reception is "OK" but not the usual "great". Did they change frequencies on me without getting my permission 8^) ? 73 from the "Beaconeers Lair". (Phil, KO6BB, Atchley, Merced CA, 37.18N 120.29W, swl at qth.net via DXLD) I listen to a music program on Radio Australia every morning from 1310Z to 1400Z [The Planet]. This morning about 1345Z, I thought the station had gone off the air, but was able to retune. On my old analog receiver, it was only a twitch of the wrist. This all happened very suddenly. Maybe a kangaroo bumped the knob on the VFO (Roger K7DDG Kofler, ibid.) More likely the boomerang came back, with a whack, Jack. DBF (Duane B. Fischer, MI, ibid.) ** AUSTRALIA. Dr. Bob Horton, the Deputy Chairman of the ACA, said today, 17 November, that effective January 1, 2004 there shall be no longer a CW requirement for any class of Australian amateur license. There will be no changes to existing licences or callsigns except for rescinding all code requirements (W5USM, Nov 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. 4874.908, Nov 9, 0145, Radio Dif. Roraima, Portuguese political talk about the State (or the state) of Roraima, 33433 (Günter Lorenz, Freising, Germany, Drake R8B, GRAHN magnetic loop, Exact frequencies determined with EKD-500 and Spectrum Lab Software, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** CANADA. The As It Happens 35th Anniversary program was taped on Saturday, November 15 in Toronto. It will be broadcast on Tuesday, November 18 and should be available on the usual RCI frequencies. For North America these are 5960 and 9590 at 2330 GMT (Sandy Finlayson, Nov 17, swprograms via DXLD; Mike Cooper, DXLD) WHO CAN RESIST A RINGING TELEPHONE? In the 1960s, a very simple idea was born for a CBC radio show. And the rest is As It Happens history, writes co-host BARBARA BUDD on the phenomenon's 35th anniversary --- UPDATED AT 4:20 PM EST Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2003 The Globe and Mail (Toronto) It was winter. It was 1974, I think. And I had hitched a ride into downtown Toronto from York University with one of my professors. We were just leaving the campus when he switched on the car radio and said, "I hope you don't mind, but I can't miss my favourite show . . . As It Happens." He added that he planned his drive home each night to catch at least 45 minutes of it. "Sometimes I have to sit in the driveway to hear it through to the end." A moment later, I heard the opening theme for As It Happens for the first time (Curried Soul by Moe Koffman), as I also understood for the first time the power of radio. Thus was my introduction to a show that, from that night, became a part of my life too, long before I became a part of As It Happens. .... [52 lines ] Today, As It Happens is carried nightly on 85 stations across the United States on American Public Radio [sic --- near the beginning of the show they got it wrong again, referring to NPR; finally half an hour before the end, they got it right, saying goodbye to American listeners on PRI]. It is available too, to anyone anywhere in the world who has access to the Internet. But in the early years, it was only available to those in other parts of the globe if they had short- wave reception. Increasingly people tuned in for the Canadian perspective. ... [11 lines] In a contest leading up to tonight's show, we invited listeners to write or call in to tell us if something they had heard on the show in the past 35 years had affected them in some personal way. ... Many of their recollections indicated that it wasn't so easy to choose just one interview from 35 years of programming. It wasn't easy to choose a winner either -- until we heard Ben Navaratnam, from Edmonton, tell us his story. Born in Sri Lanka, he was working in Saudi Arabia in the late 1970s. Just by chance he found As It Happens one night on short wave and he became a regular listener. He was fascinated by the Canadian view. But more important to him, he heard in the voices of As It Happens a respect not only for citizens of this country, but respect for all people. Although his work offered him opportunities to raise his family in any number of places on the globe, listening to As It Happens made his decision easy. He wanted to be a Canadian too. His is just one of the stories told tonight on the 35th anniversary of As It Happens. -------- As It Happens is heard Monday through Friday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. (7 p.m. in Newfoundland) on CBC Radio One with host Mary Lou Finlay and co-host Barbara Budd. At the Mike ____________ Hosts of As It Happens: Philip Forsyth (1968-69) Harry Brown (1968-74) William Ronald (1968-71) Cy Strange (1971-73) Barbara Frum (1971-81) Elizabeth Gray (1981-85) Dennis Trudeau (1985-87) Michael Enright (1987-97) Mary Lou Finlay (1997 to present) Co-Hosts: Alan Maitland (1974-93) Barbara Budd (1993-present) http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPPrint/LAC/20031118/HAPPENS18/TPEntertainment/ (Globe & Mail Nov 18 via Dan Say, swprograms via DXLD) If you missed it on RCI, timezone-delayed playbacks thru 0230-0400 on the Pacific feed, Vancouver & Whitehorse, of CBC Radio One, accessible e.g. via http://www.publicradiofan.com --- and RCI satellite/internet service used to have some later playbacks, but haven`t checked lately. Also on demand, where I heard it, in two parts, but for how long? At http://www.cbc.ca/insite/AS_IT_HAPPENS_TORONTO/2003/11/18.html (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA [non?]. Nov 18 I made a point of listening closely to the closing of CRI`s English broadcast on 9755, in case there should be a clue such as an RCI IS for a few seconds, but none came. Here is what I did observe: at 1455 generic closing announcement. They no longer mention frequencies, let alone relay sites --- are there frequency announcements at any point within the one-hour broadcasts any more? At 1456:30 went to open carrier, which stayed on until precisely 1459:00 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COSTA RICA. While 13750 is mistuned and putting out spurs, TIDGS seems to be OK, if not up to full power, on 5030, 6150 and 7375, but 9725 has been missing for quite some time --- months? When did anyone hear it last? You would think that would be the highest priority frequency to keep running, in-band and not too much interference. Surely I have heard it, however intermittently, more recently than a sesquiyear ago, as in Mark Mohrmann`s LA-DX archive, rather than current log: 9724.78 COSTA RICA Univ Net, Cahuita [0610-0830/1411-1420] Apr 02 J (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) J = Japan Premium ** CUBA. Well, while Radio Cadena Habana was apparently malf[unxion]ing on stability, something has since happened: As I type at 0105+ GMT 18 November, they are local level (way better than the skywave signal of 1180 kHz Rebelde). RCH is right on frequency [1100] and perfectly stable, but there is occasionally a very weak het underneath (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. Absolutely BIZARRE RHC transmission quality Glenn: Just as I was about to shut down the rx for this evening I tuned past 9820 and heard the all-time *worst* transmission from RHC in my experience. It is a very strong carrier, 30 to 35 dB above S9 here in San José on my Icom, excellent with either the dipole or long- wire antennas; BUT: The signal is essentially ALL squeal, consisting of a multi-frequency howling signal that wobbles up and down in general tone range. It sounds to me like a severe oscillation effect that has been clipped by a processor into a nasty square wave. Underneath this is the English language music program that one might *almost* be able to recognize, were not the steady squealing about 15 dB louder. The barely heard program is extremely distorted, sounding to me exactly like an FM detector that is way off band, with gritty "aliasing" distortion. I just heard the IS, and ID, and the beginning of the news headlines at 0558, so I am certain that this is indeed RHC. I recognize the announcer's voice, but the pain of trying to make out the content of the news is unbearable; I can get perhaps one sentence out of three. What is amazing is that RHC's engineer leaves this on the air! Just the waste of electricity with 100 kW carrier -- considering the lousy power efficiency of the old Brown Boveri tx's -- is appalling. Any sane person would pull this down and fix it. This is the same squealing noise I've heard earlier, a bit lower in overall frequency, but MUCH, much louder. It obviously has nothing to do with the actual program material envelope for it continues during natural pauses between words and sentences, so now I conclude that while George might well be describing a particular failure-mode artifact of a certain type of digitally-derived modulation process, he is not actually describing the RHC problem. I am making a digital sound file and will a bit later tonight try to run a Fast Fourier Transform process and isolate the noise signature. I can make screen dumps of this but don't want to start sending you GIF's as attachments unless you are forewarned. If you don't want me to send you the actual pictures (which would probably be perhaps 10k apiece) then I can try another means of getting the images to you; perhaps I could upload them to a website somewhere. Now that you have taken the trouble to run my whole commentary on this -- and that I have heard this dreadful scourge on the upper end of the 31M band -- perhaps other people might have tuned in too. We can get a variety of opinions about it. One thing's for sure: we'll never hear the real story of what is going on as long as the despotic political system in play would punish people for freedom of speech. Pity. I don't mean to sound like a flame-throwing right-winger; actually I am a moderately liberal person with an internationalist outlook, not at all a Limbaugh-type knee-jerk anti-Cuban. But I am wildly anti- totalitarian and believe in freedom of speech and the right to say the truth to the best of one's honest ability (Steve Waldee, CA, Nov 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Website would be better; then all could look at them. Yes, squeal is a better description than whistle (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) CUBA: 5990 China Radio Int`l; 2305-2315+, 17-Nov; "CRI News" & "News & Reports from CRI" in English. SIO=533+/QRM sounds like a squeaky wheel (Harold Frodge, MI, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** CUBA [non]. UZBEKISTAN. 5025.000, Nov 16 2020 Radio Tashkent Int'l, end of German program, 2130 English, 44444. NOTE: QRM on 5024.9v (drifting in a regular pattern from 5024.985 to 5024.990, sounds like LA music / songs - could this be Rebelde making it into Central Europe that early? (Günter Lorenz, Freising, Germany, Drake R8B, GRAHN magnetic loop, Exact frequencies determined with EKD-500 and Spectrum Lab Software, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) I guess ORTB Parakou, Benin is more likely than Rebelde at this hour. 73 (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, ibid.) Radio Rebelde. --- Saludos colegas diexistas. La querida emisora Radio Rebelde, por fin arregló sus inconvenientes en internet, su página está muy buena, hasta hay una sección dedicada al diexismo escrita por el colega y amigo Manolo de La Rosa. Aparte de eso su sonido en internet es muy bueno; actualmente la tengo compusintonizada [REMEMBER THAT WORD], y están identificando como 96.7 fm. La dirección es: http://www.radiorebelde.com.cu/ Atte: (José Elías Díaz Gómez, Venezuela, Nov 18, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** CYPRUS TURKISH. (tentative), 6150.045, Nov 16 2140 tent. Radio Bayrak, Blues music, announcements, very weak mod and plenty of QRM, 32432 (Günter Lorenz, Freising, Germany, Drake R8B, GRAHN magnetic loop, Exact frequencies determined with EKD-500 and Spectrum Lab Software, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** DENMARK. Hi! I received this message from WMR a few hours ago: Dear Mr. Slaen, In December one of the pioneers of early European Music Radio, World Music Radio, originating in Holland in the 60's and 70's and broadcasting from Andorra, Milano and Dublin in the 80's and 90's will be back on the air as the first privately owned and officially licensed shortwave station in Denmark. Stig Hartvig Nielsen, for many years a well-known DX'er, will play a leading role in the relaunch of the station. The new WMR will also be streamed on the internet at http://www.wmr.dk and operating on FM in Denmark with a cheerful and truly world music format with the best in current chart hits and the classics from the past from all continents. WMR will be a truly international station completely independent of all political and religious interests and programmed only with the aim of bringing people together across all frontiers in the common experience of good music and international understanding. To underline the international nature of the station ID's and liners will be aired in all major languages of the world, and for WMR it is of the greatest importance that the sound and pronunciation of the language is truly natural and without accent as only a person borne into the language or truly proficient in the language will be able to do it. In line of this we take the liberty to ask you if you or anybody in your organization or at any radio station with which you may be familiar, would be willing to make a contribution to this effort by helping WMR with the recording of a few liners as listed enclosed (in English) in the language of your country and indeed any other language with which you may be familiar. As WMR is also independent of any international and national financial interests this also means that regrettably WMR is unable to pay you at the current studio liner rate. However, we would be much obliged if in spite of this, you will be in a position to make a contribution to an international effort in this way and we will naturally acknowledge your efforts if only somewhat in a token way then by no means less cordially. Thanking you and looking forward to hearing from you Yours faithfully, World Music Radio, c/o Hartvig Media, DK-8900 Randers, Denmark f. Stig Hartvig Nielsen Knud Hyllested (via Arnaldo Slaen, hard-core-dx via DXLD) The launch keeps being put off, which does not bode well. They were supposed to start testing last August, but no reports. Would be nice if they really get going no later than the demise of: (gh, DXLD) ** DENMARK [and non]. INTERNET AND CD'S TO REPLACE SHORTWAVE FOR RADIO DENMARK As widely reported, Danmarks Radio (Radio Denmark) will cease all shortwave broadcasts on 31st December 2003. The Danish public broadcaster, which only broadcasts to Danish expatriates, says that there's falling interest in the shortwave service. In recent years Radio Denmark has hired airtime on transmitters in Norway, but Norwegian broadcaster NRK announced some months ago that it's own shortwave broadcasts would be discontinued. Since 1 January 2002, NRK has only relayed domestic programming on shortwave. From 15 December 2003, Danmarks Radio will extend its Internet service by offering Internet streams of all its regional programmes as well as the national networks. In addition, from 1 January 2004, Danish expatriates will be be able to subscribe to a free service offering a CD every 14 days containing 10-20 hours of radio programmes. # posted by Andy @ 08:58 UT Nov 17 (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** DEUTSCHES REICH [non]. DANISH NAZI RADIO STATION THREATENS TO SUE IF IT LOSES SUBSIDY | Text of report by Danish radio web site on 18 November If the Nazi Radio Oasen [Oasis] loses its state subsidy it will bring legal action against the Ministry of Culture. This has been stated by the radio station's solicitor, Peter Hjoerne. Radio Oasen will consider it a breach of the constitution's ban on censorship if its subsidy is withdrawn as a result of the proposal submitted by Culture Minister Brian Mikkelsen a week ago. Through it the culture minister wants to scrap automatic subsidy to local radio stations. They will have to apply for subsidy instead. "Culture Minister Brian Mikkelsen is using the power to issue legislation to stop political statements," solicitor Peter Hjoerne writes in a press release. Source: Danmarks Radio web site, Copenhagen, in Danish 1744 gmt 18 Nov 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** DEUTSCHES REICH [non]. From DXLD 3-207: "I forget which station that is but they shouldn't put that stuff on the air and then claim to be Christian. Doing that shows that their god is their bottom line. Yours, (Bruce Atchison, Alberta..." I'm not sure what that "their god is their bottom line" comment means but Nazis have been claiming God is on their side for a long time. I remember seeing a WW2 belt buckle from a Nazi uniform in a Michigan antique store. Embossed on the face of the buckle were the words, "Gott Mit Uns". Makes one wonder why an omnipotent deity would allow Her name to be used to give credibility to such a cause. ~*-.,_,.-*~'^'~*-.,_,.-*~'^'~*-., (Joe Buch, DE, Nov 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) -*~'^'~*-.,_,.-*~'^'~*-.,_,.-*~'^ The wording was a bit confusing to me too, but I think Bruce meant that WWRB`s god is the bottom line, i.e., they`ll even sell time to the devil (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EL SALVADOR. R. Imperial, 17835, still with amazing carrier of 15 over 9, but modulation ranges from nil to low --- I`m not good at guessing such percentages. Without embargo, Nov 18 at 1536 there was enough modulation to enjoy some nice harp music for a while. After 1600 QRM from the Delano 17670/17705 overload crap. Would be in the clear from that after 2200, but at 2236 UT recheck, not even a trace of a carrier on 17835 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ERITREA. 7099.979, Nov 16, 1642, Voice of Broad Masses, vernacular talk, typical "Horn of Africa" music, 1700 announcements, numbers, Disco music, 33433 (Günter Lorenz, Freising, Germany, Drake R8B, GRAHN magnetic loop, Exact frequencies determined with EKD-500 and Spectrum Lab Software, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) DARC intruder watchers concerned about this one too? (gh) ** ETHIOPIA. The entry "Radio Vilce of Oromo Liberation" on http://www.airtime.be/schedule.html which replaced the Afar Oromo term "Raadiyoo Sagalee Qabsoo Bilisummaa Oromoo" is without doubt a typo and should read "Radio Voice of Oromo Liberation". TDP's original term "Raadiyoo Sagalee Qabsoo Bilisummaa Oromoo" means "Radio Voice of the Oromo Liberation Front" which is the organisation that produces the program in question (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, Nov 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Yes, but the same ``typo`` also appears at the bottom of the Whose page! http://www.airtime.be/whose.html (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY [non]. French in very strange accent noted on 21560, DW via Portugal, Nov 17 at 1540. I would have guessed Kriyol, but DW is not known to use that, and this is the African service. Are they formally including some African dialect, or language heavily influenced by French? This was not a lead-in to voice-over translation into real French. More of the same 24 hours later (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. TELECOM MODEL MOOTED FOR FM RADIO The loss-making private FM radio companies may just get to see better days... http://sify.com/finance/fullstory.php?id=13309495 (via Kim Elliott, DXLD) ** IRAQ. NEW FM RADIO STATION SET UP IN KARBALA GOVERNORATE | Text of report by Iraqi National Congress (INC) weekly newspaper Al-Mu'tamar on 15 November Karbala FM Radio has been set up in Karbala Governorate. The radio broadcasts on 99.1 MHz FM. Dr Abd-al-Basit Muhammad Ali, general supervisor of Karbala FM Radio, said that this frequency was heard throughout Karbala Governorate, and pointed out that it was the first radio station of its kind in the Central Euphrates area. He added that the radio would present various programmes including cultural, social, religious and music programmes. He also added that the radio would broadcast for seven hours a day, from 1300 [1100 gmt] to 1700 and from 1900 to 2200. Dr Abd-al-Basit said that the establishment of this radio station was the result of good efforts exerted in this regard. He expressed hopes that when the required staff and equipment become available, the radio's coverage area would extend to include all of Iraq and that broadcasting would continue around the clock. Dr Abd-al-Basit said that the radio's employees included specialists and famous actors. They are Dr Muhammad Abd Fayhan, head of production; actor Ali al-Shibani, head of direction; actor Sahib Shakir, a radio presenter; actor Husayn Ridha, head of reporting; and actress Zaynab Ahmad, a radio presenter. Source: Al-Mu'tamar, Baghdad, in Arabic 15 Nov 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) TFK! ** IRAQ [non]. PENTAGON PLANS IRAQ CHANNEL SATELLITE LINK ALLOWS WHITE HOUSE TO BYPASS TV NETWORKS By Mike Allen Washington Post Staff Writer Saturday, November 15, 2003; Page A17 In an escalation of White House efforts to circumvent what President Bush calls the news media "filter," the Pentagon plans to launch a 24-hour satellite channel from Baghdad to make it easier for U.S. television stations to air government-authorized news about Iraq. The satellite link, dubbed "C-SPAN Baghdad" within the administration, is to go on the air in a week or two. It begins at a time when guerrilla violence in Iraq is increasing and the White House is revising and accelerating plans to transfer governing authority to Iraqis. Administration officials assert that U.S. news organizations have emphasized violence and setbacks in occupied Iraq while playing down progress. The officials say the satellite capability is designed to help local stations interview U.S. authorities in Iraq and offer live coverage of military ceremonies and briefings relevant to their geographic areas. The channel is the most aggressive yet of several administration efforts to bypass national news organizations, including a succession of interviews for local television stations with Bush, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and others. One Republican strategist expressed skepticism about the project, saying it appeared to be an effort "to improve public opinion back home" before Bush's reelection campaign gets fully underway. The officials said the channel will offer uncut coverage of government briefings and other events, and they plan to notify U.S. stations when an enlisted person, general, official or business from their area is participating. The project, they said, would have the effect of cutting the broadcast networks out of news transactions between the administration and affiliate stations. "We want the stations to show not just the shocking picture but the whole picture," said a senior administration official who refused to be named. "Car bombs are news, but there's a journalistic responsibility to paint a more comprehensive picture." White House communications director Dan Bartlett said a shortage of reliable satellite conduits from Iraq "often makes it difficult for people to follow briefings and the progress that's being made." "The better technology will make it easier for reporters from news organizations, big or small, to cover the story as it unfolds," Bartlett said. "News organizations will still make the decision whether to use it or not. That's not control. It's access many reporters currently don't get because they are back in the United States." The project is being headed by J. Dorrance Smith, who was assistant to the president for media affairs in George H.W. Bush's administration and advised the younger Bush on his Florida recount strategy in 2000. Smith was a longtime executive for ABC News, producing Olympics and political convention coverage and serving as executive producer of "This Week With David Brinkley" and "Nightline." Smith has been working in Iraq since September as an adviser to the Coalition Provisional Authority, headed by L. Paul Bremer. Officials said Smith's mission is to promote what the administration considers to be a more realistic picture of events. The new channel was first reported by the New York Observer, which quoted Smith as saying that removing the network intermediaries would help prevent news conferences and other events from "getting chopped up in New York." The administration officials said they will make the satellite coordinates of the transmissions widely available so that stations, government offices and conservative interest groups can pick up the coverage at will. The events also could be picked up by cable and broadcast networks. Dave Busiek, news director of KCCI, the CBS affiliate in Des Moines, said local TV journalists will be "cautious about this new approach, particularly if there's a widespread feeling that the government is trying to go around the networks." "Part of the argument is that those of us in local TV ask softball questions and aren't skilled enough to separate the real news from the pure spin," he said. "It's pretty insulting. That being said, if I could have a live interview with Ambassador Bremer, for instance, in my 6 o'clock newscast, that's a tempting possibility and I have no doubt it would be valuable for our viewers." Barbara Cochran, president of the Radio-Television News Directors Association, said several local stations have aired stories about the bleak conditions being endured by military families, and she said administration officials might find themselves answering tough questions. But many stations with large military bases in their areas cannot afford to send a reporter to Baghdad, she said, and would have "tremendous interest" in interviews with local people in the armed services. The channel is starting amid changes in the administration's communications team. Tucker A. Eskew, director of the White House Office of Global Communications, told officials yesterday he will leave on Dec. 7. He plans to open a consulting firm and serve as a senior adviser to Bush's campaign. Margaret Tutwiler, who was Bush's ambassador to Morocco, is awaiting Senate confirmation as undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs; she is expected to start work this month. Sources said she plans to focus on the Middle East, beginning with an assessment of the audience the United States will try to reach and ways to measure the impact of programs. (c) 2003 The Washington Post Company (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** ISLE OF MAN. LONG WAIT FOR LONG WAVE ON THE ISLE OF MAN Isle of Man International Broadcasting Plc (IMIB), which is preparing to launch a longwave radio station on the Isle of Man, continues to be frustrated by bureaucratic delays on the island. IMIB's latest press release tells the story: The hearing of the Petition of Doleance against the Communications Commission continues to be delayed. Its now six months since the First Deemster ordered that the case be heard as early as possible (and that the summer recess should not be a barrier!). Now in mid November no hearing date has yet been set, despite continuous requests from advocates acting for the Communications Commission and for IMIB, who, although being neither plaintiff nor defendant, are the only affected party. "Its an amazing situation, that a project so huge and potentially valuable to the Isle of Man can be delayed so often and so long by administrative lethargy," says the project's founder, Paul Rusling. "The main difficulty seems to be arranging a time convenient to all parties and when the High Court in Douglas has four clear days, as we are told that this is how long the Petitioner, Mr L N Cussons, claims he needs to present his case." (IMIB press release 18th November 2003) # posted by Andy @ 15:24 UT Nov 18 (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** ISRAEL. What happened to the English frequency at 0500, 17600? It was in Hebrew(?) instead (Chris Hambly, Vic., Nov 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAEL. ARUTZ 7 HEARD ON FM IN ISRAEL Mike Brand writes: I received a report this morning from Roni Amira. In an e-mail to me this morning, he writes (I am translating from Hebrew to English): "On my way home last night, I decided to check up on 105.2. To my surprise, I picked up a weak signal of Arutz 7. The signal was very weak, and I am not sure if the broadcast was coming from the West Bank, Jerusalem, or from the ship outside of Israeli territorial waters (last time I saw the ship, it was about a mile off the coast of Tel-Aviv - Mike Brand). Anything is possible. I think the transmitter was relaying the Internet broadcasts, this according to the sound quality." This could be the Arutz 7 people, or Arutz 7 supporters, but it could also be people who are opposed to the station, as provocation prior to today's hearing from the Prosecution and the Defence, pleading their cases, as to the Arutz 7 guilty verdict of last month. After the Judge has heard both sides, he will publish his decision as to the sentences at a later date. # posted by Andy @ 08:37 UT Nov 18 (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** JORDAN. R. Jordan, 11690, news in English in progress at 1502 UT Nov 18, all about Iraq, but at 1504 already back into music. Doesn`t sound like a serious international broadcaster, and it isn`t, since this is a domestic service relay; still, a badly needed English broadcast from the Arab world, but as usual damaged by the constant RTTY. How much longer before the RTTY must get out of the expanded 25m broadcast band?? And has anyone ever identified it? Unless encrypted, that should be easy for RTTY monitors (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA SOUTH [and non]. Saludos desde Pueblo Llano, Estado Mérida. Le escribo nuevamente y es para informarle de que en la frecuencia de los 9580 kHz la emisora de carácter religoso, en este caso FAMILY RADIO, emisora que transmite desde MIAMI, actualmente está interfiriendo la frecuencia antes mencionada de RADIO KOREA INTERNACIONAL a partir de las 1030 TU, bloqueando la transmisión de una manera general. NOTA: Mensaje dirigido al programa ANTENA DE LA AMISTAD (HENRRI GONZALEZ SANTIAGO, CALLE INDEPENDENCIA #4-56, CODIGO POSTAL 5124, PUEBLO LLANO, ESTADO MERIDA, VENEZUELA, cc to DX LISTENING DIGEST) Ambas en 9580? Se lo han quitado Australia, q.v. ** LATVIA [non] RADIO SEAGULL SECURES MEDIUM WAVE LICENCE We should all say hearty congratulations to everyone at Radio Seagull, for securing one of the last remaining AM licences in the Netherlands. Their bid for 1602kHz has been accepted and they hope to be on the air by the new year. This from their website: (Geoff) Today, much sooner than expected the definite outcome of the final re-allocation procedure for Dutch frequencies has been published by the Dutch Government. Radio Seagull, having applied for various options, was very positively surprised by being granted an AM frequency. For the next 8 years Radio Seagull holds the license for the AM frequency 1602. The Radio Seagull board is very happy to announce that preparations are in full operation to find a transmitter site where the aerial can be erected and the transmitter can be placed. We hope to be on air early next year, if not sooner... More on http://www.radioseagull.nl (via radioanoraks.uk via Max van Arnhem, BDXC via DXLD) The "surprise" may have had something to do with the fact that Radio Seagull bid only 800 euro for the licence, which works out at approx 2 euro per week. In the meantime, Radio Seagull continues to broadcast via the Internet and on Saturdays at 1100-1600 UT on shortwave 9290 kHz via Latvia. # posted by Andy @ 12:14 UT Nov 18 (MediaNetwork blog via DXLD) ** MAURITANIA. We had a report from someone who assumed he was getting Malaysia on 4845 around 0630, based on the HF Radio frequency lookup! A reminder that this resource only displays what is on at the time you look it up! I haven`t tried this at 0630 myself, but I suppose it shows nothing but Malaysia on the air at that time? Even so, that does not mean it will propagate at that hour over afternoon daylight all the way to mid-America. I did try the HF Radio frequency lookup at 0228 UT Nov 17, as I was listening to Mauritania 4845 myself, and according to it, nothing is on 4845 at that time! Use with caution. Despite reports all over the DX press, including DXLD, HF Radio database obviously does not know that Mauritania is running 24-hours all during Ramadan (and is normally on the air at 0630 anyway), GIGO, so use with great caution. But as I recall in a previous discussion about this, HF Radio passes the buck to some other database it uses (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. As I was checking other things Tuesday morning, Nov 18, I tuned around for the XERMX blobmitter. At 1445 it was centred around 10445, and at 1500 around 10355, but at 1528 is was back at 10445. It`s so distorted I cannot be positive of its identity, but I can`t imagine what else it could be based on previous observations (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO [and non]. Glenn: -- I am amazed at the foggy memories and historical inaccuracies regarding the Wolfman. He was loud and clear on XERF/1570 in roughly the mid-to-late 1960's. By the time of my Southern California arrival in early 1970, the Wolf was already well established on the old XERB/1090, howling forth nightly at 10PM PT, right after Reverend Ike. By 1973, the Wolf had appeared in a pivotal role opposite Ron Howard in "American Graffiti", and was selected as the host of NBC-TV's "Midnight Special", which lasted until at least late 1974. (Remember the hit by The Guess Who, "Clap For The Wolfman"? Autumn 1974 is what you're remembering.) By 1982, the Wolf was distributing weekly shows to markets of all sizes, through his own Audio Stimulation Inc. syndication firm, based in the historic Taft Bldg., at Hollywood and Vine. A key element of his productions, was the customizing of Wolf-voiced liners, for the benefit of client stations. These liners would not only tout each station's call letters and slogans, but would also refer to local landmarks and local-station jocks, such as those labouring in Morning and Evening drivetimes. Shows were delivered weekly on 12-inch reels, for playback. I can also tell all, that Wolfman Jack was a very entertaining guy to work with. (GREG HARDISON, CA, Nov 16, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS. OUTLOOK FOR RADIO NETHERLANDS NOT AS BLEAK AS FIRST THOUGHT Contacts over the past few days between Radio Netherlands and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science have clarified comments made by State Secretary Medy van der Laan concerning the amount that she wants Radio Netherlands to save annually over the coming five years. Contrary to the impression given in interviews, and reported earlier, it seems that the total of 4.5-6.5 million euro mentioned by the State Secretary in her advice to the Cabinet is inclusive of, and not additional to, the 2.5 million euro savings already planned internally by Radio Netherlands from 2004. Therefore the additional savings would be between 2 and 4 million euro. The recommendations will be discussed in the Dutch parliament on Monday 24th November. # posted by Andy @ 16:18 UT Nov 18 (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS. Found a place on the RN website where some Media Network show archives are now available (George Thurman, TX, Nov 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I believe Andy mentioned recently that Jonathan Marks was working on availablizing some of his more memorable programmmes (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS. Hi Andy, Just wondering by what criteria WNYC is `the biggest` public radio station -- aside from the assumption that if it`s in NY, it must be the biggest? 73, (Glenn to Andy Sennitt) Hi Glenn, I just found this at http://www.wnyc.org/about/overview.html "WNYC, New York Public Radio comprises WNYC 93.9 FM and WNYC AM 820. As America's most listened-to public radio stations, reaching over one million listeners each week..." so I assume that's where the claim comes from. But it should refer to largest audience, not largest station. BTW, there's a message in our Guestbook that may amuse you: "I was recently delighted to find Radio Netherlands on my new shortwave radio. Just wanted to inform you of a mistake made in your world news (in English) Saturday, November 15. Louisiana's gubernatorial runoff election made it into your news. Bobby Jindal was referred to as a "Native American" candidate. Actually his origins are Indian - from India - see this story about his relations there after he lost the election, http://www.2theadvocate.com/stories/111703/new_family001.shtml An understandable - and rather amusing mistake. I look forward to listening to more Radio Netherlands! Ben Bryant, Baton Rouge, USA" The mistake probably happened when the story was being translated from Dutch into English. Our translator, probably thinking he/she was being politically correct, ended up being geographically challenged :-) 73, (Andy Sennitt, RN, DX LISTENING DIGEST) How did it get into Dutch in the first place? You mean news from abroad has to be in Dutch before it gets back into English on RN? (Glenn) Hi Glenn, I'm not sure if this particular one was, I was just guessing. But yes, many of the stories in our news bulletins are written first in Dutch and translated into English. Dutch News Agency ANP does not have an English service. If we want to use their material, it has to be translated first. Remember, our newsroom also services our Spanish, Portuguese, French and Indonesian services too. The common language is Dutch, not English. The late Harry Kliphuis sometimes used to grab the wrong text - Dutch instead of English, and was apt to arrive at the last minute to read the news, with no time to correct his mistake. So Harry used to translate from Dutch as he went along, usually without anyone noticing. But one day I caught him referring to the "Burgemaster" of Amsterdam instead of Mayor. Just occasionally his brain didn't keep up with his mouth :-) There's a strong possibility that the "dead lady" on RAI used to do the same. 73, (Andy Sennitt, RN, Nov 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also LATVIA [non] A disturbing observation: SW doesn`t count, or, is taken for granted, in RN`s continuity announcement before 1500 UT Nov 17 on 15595 via Madagascar. We were told all about what we could hear next if we were listening on internet, satellite/WRN, but not a word about shortwave, where surely the great majority of listeners still are, especially in the Asian target area. (I had tuned over to Research File after giving up on Quote, Unquote, BBC 15575 where reception was too marginal.) (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. KMMZ 1640 Enid: anyone trying for it overnight UT Nov 17 was probably out of luck, unless they could get a fix on the open carrier, which was all that was running from before sunset Nov 16, and continued with open carrier as late as 1500 UT Nov 17. When checked before 1800, modulation had resumed, but they had changed networks, perhaps still stunting, so who knows what KMMZ will settle upon, no more Unforgettable Fav`rites, but instead the All Comedy Radio Network, natch, with some fairly raunchy content, which may not go over too well here amongst the Bible-belters. At least they bleep out the F-word, but not the S-word, N.B. George Carlin. ``All Comedy Radio is Offensive to the Whole Family.`` Still no legal ID at hourtops, and this network does not even leave a hole for one! No more embarrassing dead air, which may be the reason for switching to ACR for the test phase at least. Plug in, turn on. Network promos say ACR is on ``great radio stations`` like WBVA, Norfolk VA; WBZR, Fort Walton FL. Is ``Wheels`` the net`s theme song? Heard it twice in less than a semihour. Net website http://www.allcomedyradio.com which has a cute flash intro. Big news is that losing candidate for Kaligov, Gary Coleman, has signed on as political analyst. Seems the big market stations mentioned as affiliates just run ACR at certain hours, weekends, like KLSX in LA and, coming up from monthend, WCKG in Chicago, so I imagine it won`t be 24/7 on KMMZ. I listened for a couple hours and didn`t hear any dead air, or local commercial breaks either. I suspect the music breaks are really optional cutaways for commercials. ``The American radio dial is crowded with programming formats and splinter formats of virtually every type and style. Music? There's mainstream and hybrid mixes of every imaginable variety. Even spoken word formats have sub-divided. There's news and there's talk, and there's news/talk. There's hot talk and there's conservative talk. But up until this point there has not been a format exclusively dedicated to the much desired fun and funny. That is about to change. For four years the founders of All Comedy Radio have been stealth-like in building content, acquiring broadcast rights, researching and hyper-focusing the newest format in radio. And could there ever be a more appropriate time? Very soon, there will be a laugh button on your radio tuned to superstar standup, interviews with celebrities, parody news, funny phone calls and many topical comedy surprises. As we say... It's all about fun. It's all about funny. It's all about Comedy Radio.. And it's about time!`` (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Thanks for the update! I've been trying to log a legal ID from this station for the past three nights! It's tough to null WVNI in Mississippi, but I can hear oldies music underneath, mixed with Radio Disney from Wisconsin. Last night's recordings included lots of complete songs, with 5-10 seconds of dead air in between the songs. Never heard a legal ID. I'll try for the local ad block tonight at :40 past the hour. 73, (Les Rayburn, N1LF, Central Alabama, Nov 17, IRCA via DXLD) The local ad block at :40 applied to the previous network, Unforgettable Fav`rites, not All Comedy Radio. I`ve not heard ANY local ads since ACR started running, nor ANY local IDs. It`s still going continuously as of 0215 UT Nov 19. I think KMMZ is running it 24 hours, at least for now (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. Something`s wrong at OETA: Nov 18 at 1545 UT I noticed that KETA-13 OKC was off the air; unfortunately, propagation was subnormal so I could not be sure whether the other outlets I can normally detect, KOED-11 Tulsa and KOED-3 Eufaula were also off. Not expecting to find any up-to-date news about this at the OETA website, I checked anyway, and there wasn`t. 13 was back on at 1650 recheck, but in the next few minutes the transmitter tripped off a few times. Wonder if in the meantime the satellite and fibre-optic feeds continued. Cox cable in Enid still gets it off the air, subject to tropo DX QRM, which can be severe enough to default to bluescreen. Since the satellite feeds are also unreliable --- the commercial OKC stations often disappear for long periods --- Cox ought to have both available and instantly switch to the other when one fails, far too much to ask of them (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAKISTAN. 7571.055, Nov 16, 2045, Radio Pakistan, YL talk, music, TS + ID at 2100, very low and distorted mod, 34432 (Günter Lorenz, Freising, Germany, Drake R8B, GRAHN magnetic loop, Exact frequencies determined with EKD-500 and Spectrum Lab Software, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** PAKISTAN [non]. UK/Pakistan: BBC World Service launches dedicated programme for Pashto speakers --- see U K ** PERU. Quito 18/Nov/2003 10:53, Amigos DXistas! 1999.26v kHz // 1332.85v kHz Radio Libertad, QTH: "Región de Cajamarca" 18/Nov/2003 - 1030 UT. The ID says 1330 AM y QTH "Región de Cajamarca" (QTH is not on the recording). Could be new frequency for listed OCY2N Radio Libertad, Cajamarca on 890 kHz. Sesqui-harmonic is very rare, at least here in Quito but I could confirm this by listening // with 1332.85 kHz (1.5x 1332.85 = 1999.26). A week ago I heard the station with very good signal with Peruvian music nonstop but without ID. Started this morning at 1030 UT with a program called "Alegría en Los Andes". You can within 24 hours listen to a recording here: http://homepage.sverige.net/~a-0901/ NRD 535 – HF 150. MFJ 616 – MFJ 1025. Ant. 1: "Horizontal Sloped Inverted L" 18 meters Ant. 2: "Horizontal Sloped Inverted L" 36 meters + Magnetic Longwire Balun 73s (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, SWB América Latina, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** POLAND. According to sources in the head administration of Polskie Radio (PR), PR's foreign service "Radio Polonia" is going to be transmitted via the SW transmitting centre in Leszczynka (Warsaw) also in 2004 (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, Nov 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Had said on DX program that contract expired at yearend (gh) ** SLOVAKIA. Re: ``So by then no high power mediumwave transmitters will be operational in Slovakia anymore, except perhaps for the almost forgotten BBC relays on 1521.`` Not on the air already for ages (Karel Honzik, the Czech Republic (Czechia), Nov 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. As I was tuning across 9475, Nov 18 at 1449, Brother Scare was talking about some new outlets, so I forced myself to stop and listen. Says he was offered 4 hours a night on Sweden`s 600 kW MW transmitter on 1179, but decided to take only two, didn`t say exactly when. This is the same frequency which was once synonymous with the high standards of R. Sweden, which is still carried at certain hours. How the mighty have fallen! Also said he has the opportunity to be broadcast on ``two stations in China``, but not yet on; no further details. Vencedor, sí, Falung Gong, no! None of this is reflected yet on the Overcomer website`s schedules (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SWEDEN. See SOUTH CAROLINA [non] ** TAIWAN. TAIWAN TO LAUNCH PRIVATE RADIO STATION ON MATSU ISLAND | Text of report in English by Taiwanese Central News Agency web site Matsu [Mazu], 17 November: The first privately-owned radio station on Matsu will be inaugurated on 23 January 2004. Liu Fu-hsing, a journalist who has been designated president of the station, said Monday [17 November] that people on the offshore island need a local radio station, because signals from Taiwan's stations are too weak to be received clearly on the island. There was a military radio station on Matsu during the Cold War era, but it has since closed. Matsu, which is only a few miles from mainland China, is an important military base of Taiwan. Source: Central News Agency web site, Taipei, in English 1103 gmt 17 Nov 03 (Via BBCM via DXLD) WTFK?? ** U A E. Dubai has been missing from 21605 for some weeks now, but I have been hearing a weak het on Spain 21610. Nov 18 at 1530 the het was around 21609, but totally useless against Spain`s powerful signal, amidst Españoles en la Mar \\ 21570 and 21700. Dubai has a history of drifting, as low as 21597 and as high as 21613, as I recall (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. RE: Don't You Believe (BBC listings in PWBR '04) I always use "Mexico City" as the selected city to pull up BBC on-line weekly schedules; it's the same time zone as St. Louis, MO and used to give SW frequency entries in the grid showing program titles. It was never the complete range of Americas frequencies but at least some of them. The strange thing is that this seems to be changing constantly. The last weekly grid I printed out did not include any frequencies. In addition, the format seems to change. It always was too wide to print in regular "portrait" format, so I had to use "landscape", and then invariably forgot to change it back the next thing I printed, thereby wasting paper. But some weeks ago I pulled up the 8-14 November week and noted that it was re-arranged in a more narrow format, and WOULD fit on a page in regular "portrait" format! But then, a week or so later, I was pulling up a weekly grid for an Africas stream and it was back in the wide "landscape"-required form! Grrr! Anybody know if there is some trick to force it to show up in that narrower format? Maybe I did something then that I didn't realize to get that better arrangement? Or were their software people experimenting in live mode? (Will Martin, MO, Nov 17, swprograms via DXLD) More under PUBLICATIONS The process of superimposing the frequencies database and the schedule information and mapping that to the database of city names has been a process that BBCWS management has been adjusting for years; looks like the adjusting process is continuing. FWIW, the Americas grid was rendered in a portrait-mode-friendly format just now, when I checked it (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, ibid.) ** U K. UK/AFGHANISTAN: BBC WORLD SERVICE LAUNCHES NEW DEDICATED SERVICE FOR AFGHANISTAN | Text of press release by BBC World Service on 17 November BBC World Service launches a new dedicated schedule of programming for Afghanistan, featuring all the key languages of the country, and launches three more FM relays in the country, today (Monday, 17 November). Behrouz Afagh, Head of the BBC World Service's Eurasia Region, said: "The BBC has broadcast news to the region - Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and the Gulf - for 60 years in Persian and 20 years in the Pashto language. But this is the first time we have produced a dedicated schedule for Afghanistan itself incorporating the key languages. This new schedule is an exciting and historic development for the BBC and Afghanistan. The BBC enjoys an unparalleled reach, and is widely listened to and respected by Afghans." New schedule The new dedicated schedule features three hour blocks of new programming in the key languages of Afghanistan (Persian and Pashto; plus some English and Uzbek) at breakfast, lunchtime and evening every day. The backbone of the new schedule will be domestic and international news with a strong emphasis on discussion and interactive debate on civil society and democratic politics, particularly leading up to the Loya Jerga - the Afghan Grand Assembly that decides on constitutional changes - in December. The schedule will also include education, arts and science programmes, special programmes for women and children; as well as the popular drama serial New Home New Life. The BBC World Service broadcasts for 24 hours a day in Afghanistan. During the programme cycle, the blocks are repeated and supplemented by local and international music programming. New FM relay The BBC launches the service on three new FM relays - in Konduz, Faizabad and Pol e Khomri which open this week. This is in addition to established FM relays in the Afghan capital Kabul, Mazar e Sharif, Bamyan and Jalalabad which have opened in eastern Afghanistan during the last 18 months. This means that Afghans can listen to the BBC in high quality sound. The transmitter in Bamyan is powered by solar power. The BBC is set to launch FMs in around seven additional sites in Afghanistan, including Herat, Khost, Maimana, and Kandahar, by the end of this year. Elsewhere in Afghanistan, BBC World Service is available on shortwave and mediumwave frequencies. New service for Pashto speakers in Pakistan In a separate initiative, BBC World Service Pashto language service is launching a new daily 30-minute programme from Monday 17 November 2003, especially dedicated to the Pashto-language speakers living in Pakistan's two provinces (North-West Frontier Province and Baluchistan) and Karachi, where a large number of Pashtoons live. The programme will provide more in-depth analysis of the issues related to the region. It will also provide a chance for the Pashtoons living in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan to listen to informative and entertaining programmes every night. The 30-minute programme will be broadcast at 2130 Pakistan time (1630 gmt). The programme will also round up the day's news. The programmes can be heard on shortwave frequencies 13605 (22 metre band) and 9795 (31 metre band) The BBC Pashto Service started broadcasting in 1981 after the Russian invasion of Afghanistan and has a huge listenership in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It already broadcasts some four hours of daily programming. These can be heard on the BBC Pashto.com web site. Afghanistan's favourite station According to the first media survey in that country since the Taleban left power in 2001, issued in January this year, BBC World Service is Afghanistan's favourite radio station. An unprecedented 82 per cent of Afghans surveyed in the capital Kabul listen to BBC World Service broadcasts in Persian and Pashto every week. The survey, conducted by independent market researchers, showed that BBC World Service is the leading broadcaster in the Afghan capital, beating all local and international broadcasters on both radio and television. It is an unprecedented level of market penetration for an international broadcaster. Since the fall of the Taleban, access to newspapers, television and local radio has been growing and market competition has increased. In Kabul several new newspapers have started up. Afghans are now able to watch television which was banned by the Taleban. In an extra boost to the BBC, the survey found that BBC World - the international television news and information channel - is the leading international television broadcaster in Kabul with 15 per cent of the weekly television audience. The survey was the first independent research to be conducted for BBC World Service in Afghanistan since the Taleban fell in 2001. Issued by the BBC World Service Press Office Telephone: +44 020 7557 2941 17 November 2003 Source: BBC World Service press release, London, in English 17 Nov 03 (via BBCm via DXLD) UK/PAKISTAN: BBC WORLD SERVICE LAUNCHES DEDICATED PROGRAMME FOR PASHTO SPEAKERS | Text of press release by BBC World Service on 17 November BBC World Service Pashto language service is launching a new daily 30- minute programme from Monday 17 November 2003, especially dedicated to the Pashto language speakers living in Pakistan's two provinces (North-West Frontier Province and Baluchistan) and Karachi, where a large number of Pashtoons live. The programme will provide more in-depth analysis of the issues related to the region. It will also provide a chance for the Pashtoons living in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan to listen to informative and entertaining programmes every night. The 30-minute programme will be broadcast at 2130 Pakistan time (1630 gmt). The programme will also round up the day's news. The programmes can be heard on shortwave frequencies 13605 (22 metre band) and 9795 (31 metre band) The BBC Pashto Service started broadcasting in 1981 after the Russian invasion of Afghanistan and has a huge listenership in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It already broadcasts some four hours of daily programming. These can be heard on the BBCPashto.com web site. Issued by the BBC World Service Press Office Telephone: +44 020 7557 2941 17 November 2003 Source: BBC World Service press release, London, in English 17 Nov 03 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** U S A. Judging from what I read in the latest DXLD, VOA News Now is only actually on 16 hours a day, with 5 hours of silence, 2 hours from the Music Mix, and an hour for Border Crossings. That would at least appear to be the case on Monday-Friday. It seems this situation might apply on weekends, too, apart from Border Crossings, and would explain away the absence of Our world on Saturday at the announced 2133 airtime. Fortunately, I have now heard that programme via the web (PAUL DAVID, Wembley Park, England, Nov 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WWRB digital testing Update! Initial testing, very encouraging results! A ham buddy of mine in OKC using his AOR 9800 heard us loud and clear! No static full quieting. What was interesting is the S meter on his TS-430 did not indicate any signal at all! Using SSB (6.890 MHz) he could just hear the voice peaks but not make anything out. When we went full digital, he heard the station fine. He said it sounded a little like 'web casting audio' but could make programming out clearly. Keep you posted (Dave Frantz, WWRB, Nov 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also DEUTSCHES REICH [non] ** U S A. USA. 6890, WWRB, QSL by proxy --I received a full-data ppc QSL in two weeks for report to Truth House Ministry Church in Maryland http://www.truthhouse.org Sent a postal report with the ppc and $1. The Pastor, Rev. Dr. E. C. Fulcher, Jr. is an SWL snce 1979. He filled out and stamped the QSL, and I am now a member of his Global Shortwave Club. If you are going to get a QSL of any sort with WWRB on it, seems this guy is the way to go, as he is familiar with the hobby. Postal address: P.O Box 937, Abingdon, MD 21009, USA. Also sent a WWRB coverage map (Fisher-MA, DXplorer) Website says Tue-Sat UTC at 0200 UTC (Sun 0100) on 5085 & 6890, Sun 2000-2200 UT on 9320 & 12170 (Jerry Berg, MA, DX-plorer via DXLD) ** U S A. All is not well at World Harvest Radio. Word on the street is that several staff members, including some top management, are quitting. The SW operation is now only a small part of the overall enterprise, where television is primary, and that may be part of the low morale. It appears no actual human beings working at WHR are mentioned on the website http://www.whr.org so it`s hard to tell who`s going and coming (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. ARRL 2003 FREQUENCY MEASURING TEST IS THIS WEEK! (Nov 18, 2003) --- The 2003 ARRL Frequency Measuring Test (FMT) will take place on Thursday, November 20 (UTC). It will be conducted using essentially the same format as last year`s FMT, although transmissions will be longer to give stations more time to take measurements. The 2003 FMT will run November 20 at 0245 UTC (that`s November 19 at 9:45 PM EST). It will replace the W1AW normally scheduled phone bulletin. W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, recommends that anyone planning to participate listen to W1AW`s transmissions prior to the event to determine which band --- or bands --- will be best for measurement purposes. The FMT will start with a ``QST`` from W1AW at exactly 0245 UTC, transmitted simultaneously on four amateur frequencies. The approximate frequencies are 3584, 7049, 14051 kHz and 21054 kHz. The test will consist of three 60-second key down transmissions, followed by a series of dits, followed by a station identification. The test will last for approximately 15 minutes and will end with a series of Vs followed by station identification. W1AW will identify before, during and after the transmissions. Submitted FMT reports should include the time of reception, frequency measured and signal report, in addition to name, call sign and location. If possible, participants should submit reports on more than one band. All entrants will be eligible for a Certificate of Participation. Those coming the closest to the measured frequency --- as determined by the ARRL Laboratory --- will be listed in the test report and will receive special recognition on their certificates. Send entries --- postmarked no later than December 19 --- to W1AW/FMT, 225 Main St, Newington CT 06111. An article, ``The ARRL Frequency Measuring Tests`` covers FMT basics http://www.arr.org/ w1aw/fmt/0210051.pdf Additional information about the FMT --- including a list of reference articles and updates to test schedules --- is on the Frequency Measuring Test Web page http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/fmt (ARRL via John Norfolk, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. George McClintock of WWCR, who was responsible for engineering the new Memphis station WMQM, 1600, replies to gh`s comments about finally DXing the station: It`s not surprising it is hard to DX, since it was maximized for groundwave coverage. Instead of a quarter-wave antenna, which wastes a lot of power on skywave, a higher antenna was constructed at greater cost, almost 5/8 wave, and everything else was designed for maximum local coverage. It has a better ground system than 2/3 of the stations. Contract installers try to cut corners, so we dug the trenches and did it ourselves properly. It`s a flamethrower with 50 kW, and despite the higher frequency has greater coverage than the Memphis 50 kW on 640. Since it`s a combination of two previous stations to the east and west, it has a greater protected area, what amounts to a clear channel in the region, and is also a brand new facility from the ground up. WMQM signal holds up to 40 miles outside of Nashville. A new Optimod audio processor is about to be installed to improve WMQM further. Night-time power has to be reduced to 35 watts, but from its transmitter location with everything optimized, it still covers the city limits of Memphis, using the backup 2.5 kW transmitter powered down as far as it will go, to 35 watts (George McClintock, TN, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Re: Disney and Michael Moore DISNEY'S MIRAMAX TO BACK MICHAEL MOORE FILM Monday, May 12, 2003 LOS ANGELES --- Oscar-winning documentarian Michael Moore has found backing for a film about the Sept. 11 attacks that criticizes President Bush from Walt Disney Co.'s Miramax Film Corp., a source familiar with the deal said Monday. Fahrenheit 911, which refers to the date of the hijackings and Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury's dystopian tale of book burning, will look at the United States in the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001 and alleged links between the families of Bush and Osama bin Laden, the Muslim militant accused of coördinating the hijackings on that date. Moore used the Fahrenheit 911 title for a February 2002 e-mail to fans in which he said publisher HarperCollins, which is owned by News Corp. Ltd., hesitated in the aftermath of the hijackings to publish his book, Stupid White Men, because of its criticism of Bush. In March, Moore used his acceptance speech for an Academy Award for his previous film, Bowling for Columbine as an opportunity to criticize Bush, whom he called a "fictitious president." Miramax took over after actor Mel Gibson's Icon Productions withdrew backing for the production, the source said. Miramax will provide a few million dollars in temporary "bridge" funding, which offers the studio less risk and a lower return than longer-term financing, the source said (AP via Fox via Joe Buch, DXLD) MOORE, MIRAMAX TAG-TEAM ON BUSH by Josh Grossberg May 13, 2003, 2:00 PM PT Looks like Michael Moore's recruited some deep pockets for his latest assault on the man he calls the "fictitious President," George W. Bush. The controversial Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker behind last year's Bowling for Columbine, who turned his acceptance speech into an anti-Bush tirade, will have his next documentary bankrolled by Miramax, Reuters reports. . . (From: http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/Pf/0,1527,11787,00.html via Joe Buch, DXLD) ** U S A. KRLD-1080 Dallas, TX, will be airing a special series of reports the week of November 17-22, marking the anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Times vary. Try listening at: 6:40AM, 7:20AM, 1:20PM, 2:40PM, 3:20PM, 5:20PM, and 8:00PM CST (Art Blair, Folsom, CA, IRCA via DXLD) What more can be said? That doesn`t stop countless TV specials this week either (gh, DXLD) I'm amazed to see this. Someone in Dallas is actually going to admit that Kennedy was assassinated there? When I was there a couple of years ago, it was a major effort to locate the TX Schoolbook Depository building (or the Kennedy memorial). No signs along the interstates or anywhere else to point the way. Once there, the whole scene was totally UNDERwhelming (as compared, say, to the Murrah Building Memorial and museum in Oklahoma City). Talk about a city in denial! (Tom Bryant / Nashville, ibid.) ** U S A. Generally, when you hear a loop of a few seconds of tone followed by something like "CBS Networks, Channel 45," over and over, it results from a station mis-programming their automation, and subsequently not monitoring their on-air signal. (I suspect sometimes this may be due to networks making last-minute channel changes, but don't know this for sure.) I heard this on 1660 on Saturday night here in Glendale, AZ, too, but from list accounts, it looks like this was happening for 18 hours or more, which I find inexcusable. Radio station owners may lament that their audiences don't care as much about radio these days, but really, when owners care so little about making sure they have something worth listening to on the air, with the station unmanned and no one for the listener to contact during off-hours, well, why should listeners care? Anyway, usually when these looped messages are heard, you won't hear an ID, but can often discern the ID by process of elimination. (Who is normally on frequency that appears to be missing?) IN this case, Merced seemed the obvious choice, even more so with the reception in Manteca. These situations are more common than one might think. In Las Vegas a few years ago, both 970 and 920 were broadcasting different ones for two hours from 10 to midnight one Saturday night. Fortunately, midnight meant different programs to air, thus solving the problem. Here in the Phoenix area a few years back, KFNN-1510 must have had the wrong channel programmed into their automation, and this happened every Saturday night at the same time for about 2 months. There was a time when I used to call stations on the next weekday and report the problems, but my attitude has hardened over the years. Now I figure that if they don't care, too bad for them. If I worked for a station where this happened, that would be an exception, of course (Rick Lewis, AZ, Nov 17, IRCA via DXLD) ** URUGUAY. Hola! (información de las 2330 UT del 18 de noviembre de 2003) --- CX12 RADIO ORIENTAL (770 kHz) está transmitiendo por onda corta en la frecuencia asignada a CXA72 R. Monte Carlo de Montevideo - -- 9595.05 kHz --- un servicio especial con motivo del encuentro por las eliminatorias para el Campeonato Mundial de Fútbol entre los equipos nacionales de Venezuela y Bolivia desde el estadio Pachuco Romero de Maracaibo, Venezuela. A las 2320 UTC conectó con Radio Panamericana de Bolivia y anunció que no estaba llegando la imagen satelital de la transmisión televisiva. Slogans: "Ésta es CX12, Radio Oriental en servicio especial" y "Oriental, primera en audiencia de fútbol en todo el país". La calidad de señal es excelente, SINFO = 54544 (Rubén Guillermo Margenet, BCLNews.it via DXLD) Un abrazo cordial Rubén, gracias por ese dato. He logrado captar la transmisión de Radio Oriental del Uruguay en 9595. Aunque la señal no llega muy bien, se puede entender alguito de la misma; aparte de eso la estoy captando con la antena telescópica del radio y acabo de escuchar la identificación de la radio (José Elías, Venezuela, Conexión Digital via DXLD) Too much RCI 9590 here, q.v. (gh) Ciao! Grazie Ruben. Canale 9595 kHz senza interferenze alle 2355 UT, con un microscopico segnale, e voce concitata, tipo partita di calcio. Qualcuno la riceve meglio??? Hi! Segnali migliori dal Brasile: 9565 Radio Tupi (solito folle urlante), 9615 Cultura S. Paolo, 9630 Aparecida benino, 9645 Bandeirantes maluccio, 9665 calcio (Nacional?), 9675 Canção Nova la migliore (Dario Monferini, Italy, PlayDX via DXLD) ** VENEZUELA. Acabo de pasar por la frecuencia de los 5000 kHz y encuentro que la señal horaria de Venezuela YVTO Observatorio Naval Cajigal, está de nuevo fuera del aire. Atte: (José Elías, Venezuela, Nov 17 8:53 pm, whatever timezone that is, Conexión Digital yahoogroup via DXLD) ** VIETNAM. Listened to Voice of Vietnam in Russian (7285 kHz, S=3), and noted another broadcast from Vietnam in an adjacent channel 7280 kHz. It went out in French, and caused considerable interference to the Russian service. A curious frequency planning, I'd say! (open_dx - Fyodor Brazhnikov, Irkutsk, Russia via Signal Nov 18, DXLD) As already reported here, 7280 was a last-minute replacement for 7100, due to complaints it was encroaching on the ham band; two different sites in Vietnam, anyway? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** YEMEN. 9779.642, Nov 16, 1807, Republic of Yemen Radio, English program, US pop music, Press review, 55544 to 55555, fantastic! What a pity that the modulation is somehow distorted (Günter Lorenz, Freising, Germany, Drake R8B, GRAHN magnetic loop, Exact frequencies determined with EKD-500 and Spectrum Lab Software, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 4270.94 kHz, 18th of November 2003 - 0100 UT. Amigos DXistas! For the last week I have had an unID station here; I think it`s Spanish Speaking LA but because of the very low modulated signal I`m not sure if it really is Spanish. Male-DJ, talk and music. Close down this evening around 0130 UT. NRD 535 – HF 150. MFJ 616 – MFJ 1025. Ant. 1: "Horizontal Sloped Inverted L" 18 meters Ant. 2: "Horizontal Sloped Inverted L" 36 meters + Magnetic Longwire Balun 73s (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, SWB América Latina, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. I heard an unknown test broadcast on 8 Nov at 1707. Frequency was not exactly measured: either 9890 or 9885 kHz. The text read: "You are listen test transmission by VT Merlin Communications...", with monotonous music background. SINPO 54444. Any info? (Roman Yatsko, Rivne, Ukraine, Signal Nov 18 via DXLD) Not 9875? UNIDENTIFIED. 2-way Spanish contact, one a lot stronger than the other, around 1505 UT Nov 17, discussing something measured in kilos, on 15655 or so SSB, maybe 0.5 higher or lower. Smug drugglers? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LANGUAGE LESSONS ++++++++++++++++ QUIRKY LINGUIST LOVED LIFE, AND RUTH FOR 70 YEARS THEY SPOKE ESPERANTO AT HOME By Mike Lewis, Seattle Post-Intelligencer Reporter November 15, 2003 When Ruth Moline decided she wanted Sidney Culbert's hand forever, she said the three magic words, the phrase that would make her man's heart flutter, then soar: "Teach me Esperanto." And with that, Sidney was hers... http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/148446_culbertobit15.html (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) From DXLD 3-207; "Interesting points, but: why abbr. at all? As you MAY have noticed, I am constantly expanding language and other abbrs. in DXLD to make it more reader-friendly." I remember back in the early 1970's I subscribed to FrenDX for one year. I found the logging reports to be so hard to read that I decided not to renew my subscription. But old habits die hard. Keep up your crusade (if I might use that unPC word). Newcomers to SWL need to be encouraged, not put off. Eschew obfuscation. ~*-.,_,.-*~'^'~*-.,_,.-*~'^'~*-., (Joe Buch, DE, Nov 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) -*~'^'~*-.,_,.-*~'^'~*-.,_,.-*~'^ Huzzah! Glenn: You warmed MY heart by writing: || WE CAN AFFORD A BIT MORE BANDWIDTH TO SPEAK ORDINARY ENGLISH (or -- - several other languages). Get away from this antiquated DX- subculture where every other word has to abbr`d to fit on a few pages of dittoed P-mail bulletins. || There are some other "antiquated DX-subculture" behaviors that I have outgrown. One of them is QSL'ing. I think it is probably an activity that is something between an obsessive-compulsive disorder, and an admission of insecurity. Yeah, so what if I don't have a lousy piece of cardboard or paper to PROVE to some skeptic that I rec'd the Solomon Islands station, or even HCJB? Why bother? Having a collection of interesting cards ranging over decades merely to be able to reminisce about the SW radio culture and its changing times, though, is an entirely justifiable activity; but most of the elite DX-er types act as if the lack of a QSL means you are a liar or fraud. Therefore, I don't send reports any more to certain lists or groups dominated by such thinking. I really could care less about the alleged protocols of radio listening and logging; it's for MY own pleasure, information, and instruction, as I build upon a lifetime of experience with broadcasting dating since the late forties. So, if I don't feel the need to approach radio logging as a taxonomist, that does not mean that I am a fraud or an incompetent listener. I was planning to put together a little website called "Shortwave Listening MY way" but decided, after hearing and reading the very rigid, "rule"-obsessed rantings and posturings of some hams and strict SWLs, that it would be a waste of time. So, it is nice to read an occasional opinion contrary to received wisdom and habit, such as yours. Thanks (Steve Waldee, CA, Nov 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ RE: Don't You Believe (BBC listings in PWBR '04) Re the comments about better sources of BBC info: Yes, I not only do know of "On Air", I subscribed for a while. I may do so again. That's not the point. PWBR is for newbies AND experienced SWLs. It should have correct and current info for the BBC AND all the other stations it lists. Andy Sennitt praised it in his review for getting the new RN sked changes included at the last minute, and that is great. So why didn't they give the same attention to the BBC? If they were so sloppy about a station as important as the BBC, can they be relied on for other program entries? Maybe we don't use that section very much; we have other info sources. But I'd guess that the majority of PWBR bookstore buyers look at it as the "TV Guide for SW" that they proclaim it to be, and it needs to be accurate to fill that role. (By the way, I write to TV Guide about inaccuracies and omissions, too! I've had quite a bit of two-way correspondence with them about problems in the St. Louis edition and with the newly-changed format.) (Will Martin, MO, Nov 17, swprograms via DXLD) There's no intelligent explanation for Passport to be missing the BBCWS Spring '03 schedule, but it appears the Fall '03 schedule was finalized very late -- probably 1 - 2 months after RNW had done most of its schedule planning. I'll wager the production process for TV Guide is quite a bit different than Passport, given that the distribution channels are also quite different. Passport is distributed as a book, where TV Guide (and Monitoring Times) are distributed as magazines (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, ibid.) CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++ BOSTON-AREA MEETINGS / DXPEDITIONS Here's a quick update on some DX events in the area: 20 NOV (Thursday) - South Shore DXpedition - Plymouth, MA Forecast is for rain, but I think I'll still be doing this. My arrival time at the Robbins Road site will be in the 4 to 5 p.m. EST range, barring any colossal traffic jams. I have a meeting at work that will keep me from getting there much earlier (like previously-stated 3 p.m.). I'm going straight to the site: no pre-DXpedition restaurant idea this time. Map for those interested: http://members.aol.com/capecodmwdx/n_plymouth_ma_dx.gif If Robbins Rd. is blocked by construction activity, I'll go about a half-mile away to Nelson Street Beach, also shown on the map. 21 NOV (Friday) - Boston Area DXers (BADX) meeting - Stoneham, MA 7:30 p.m. at the Northeast Manufacturing Company on Spencer Street in Stoneham, MA. All DXers welcome. Look up the company web site at http://www.northeastmfg.com and click on "how to find us". 22 NOV (Saturday) - Ray Arruda's DX get-together - Acushnet, MA Starts at noon: 47 Burt Street, Acushnet, MA. Always a good time. E- mail Ray at kb1evx @ earthlink.net for info. Map: http://members.aol.com/capecodmwdx/arruda_map03.gif 12 DEC (Friday) - BADX Holiday Dinner - Bedford, MA, 7 p.m. at the Great Wall Chinese restaurant in the Great Road shopping plaza (Routes 4 & 225, Bedford, MA about 2 miles NW of Routes 95 & 128). Contact Gary Thorburn gary @ thorburn.org if you want to attend. All DXers are welcome, but an approximate head count a few days ahead is necessary to set up the reservation. 73 / good DX ... Mark =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= Mark Connelly, WA1ION, Billerica, MA, USA, GC = 71.221 W / 42.533 N e-mail = MarkWA1ION @ aol.com RF circuit page = http://www.qsl.net/wa1ion/index.html Web Links = http://hometown.aol.com/MarkWA1ION/weblink.htm QSL Gallery #1 = http://hometown.aol.com/BevAntenna/qsl_gallery1.htm (NRC-AM via DXLD) POWERLINE COMMUNICATIONS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ From DXLD 3-207: "ARRL SPONSORS BPL GATHERING" I represented NASWA at that meeting in DC on Nov. 7. My report on that meeting will appear in the December issue of the NASWA Journal in the Technical Topics column. I will forward an electronic copy of the article to DXLD after NASWA members have received their copies of the Journal. ~*-.,_,.-*~'^'~*-.,_,.-*~'^'~*-., (Joe Buch, DE, Nov 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) -*~'^'~*-.,_,.-*~'^'~*-.,_,.-*~'^ RECRUIT THE BIG GUNS! Shortwave DX'er Glenn Hauser probably has the best idea in fighting BPL. Ham operators and SWL's don't have the numbers. BUT, if we recruit the nation's AM/FM broadcasters into the fight, then we have a MIGHTY force aligning with us to fight BPL. Glenn's suggestion was to write the "Big Guns" of broadcasting: Clear Channel, Infinity, the National Association of Broadcasters, etc. I'd like to add that the National Assoc. of Religious Broadcasters is also a powerful lobby. Remind them all about the potential of BPL interference, ESPECIALLY to commuters who will be traveling next to and under these data carrying power lines. 73, Bill Lauterbach, WA8MEA [a.k.a. DWM Enterprises]; thread continues at http://www.eham.net/articles/6800 (via Artie Bigley, Nov 17, DXLD) I don`t believe that was my idea; more likely I was quoting someone; not that I disagree with it (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ DELPHI TO BID FOR GRUNDIG CAR RADIO UNIT -SOURCE MUNICH, Nov 17 (Reuters) - The world's biggest car parts maker, Delphi, will launch a bid to buy the car radio division of insolvent radio maker Grundig on Monday, an industry source said. "It will be announced today," the source told Reuters. The U.S. comopany informed the German cartel office about its interest in buying the Grundig Car Intermedia Systems unit earlier this month. Grundig, Germany's best-known maker of televisions and radios, filed for insolvency in April. A Delphi spokesman declined to comment ahead of a news conference later in the day. No officials at Grundig, which was once the biggest radio manufacturer in Europe, were immediately available to comment (RTw 11/17 0313 via Mike Cooper, DXLD) INTERMODULATION FREQUENCIES From DXLD 3-207: "I cannot be sure if they are generated in the receiver due to extreme overload, or actually transmitted (or both!). However, I can also hear the spurs on portable receivers with much less antenna at 2145 UT Nov 16. Does anyone not quite so close to the boresight of these also hear the mixes on 17635 and 17740? (gh)" An easy way to determine if an intermod is being generated in a receiver or is coming from some external source is to insert a fixed attenuation at the input of the receiver. Observe the S-meter. If the level of the original signal and the intermod drop by an equal amount, the intermod is coming from ahead of the receiver. If the intermod drops more than the original signal, the intermod is being generated in the receiver. Intermods result from a non-linear mixing process. This technique works because that non-linearity causes the intermod to drop faster than the signals which generate the intermod. ~*-.,_,.-*~'^'~*-.,_,.-*~'^'~*-., (Joe Buch, DE, Nov 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) -*~'^'~*-.,_,.-*~'^'~*-.,_,.-*~'^ FWIW, I'm not getting those [Delano] spurs here in San José, CA. though when I tuned in, at 1900 to 1922, it seemed to me that both the fundamental frequencies mentioned probably had the stations you specified: it was quite obvious that at 17670 I was hearing Martí very strong -- plus jamming -- and there was also a loud program going on at 17705. However, 17635 and 17740 were essentially background noise, quieter with my dipole antenna than with my longwire (as usual): RX is Icom R75, antennas are 350 foot dipole via balun, coax/175 foot inverted L; pretty much N/S orientation, so Delano signals are not in a null (Steve Waldee, CA, Nov 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) But you are far from the azimuth of these, probably 100 or so, and you are too close DRM +++ DRM OFFERS EASY ACCESS PARTICIPATION The Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) consortium will unveil a new, US$100 participation option called DRM Supporter, this week at the ABU-AIR (Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union and All India Radio) Regional Symposium on Digital Radio at Le Meridien Hotel. Created to foster rapid DRM adoption and implementation in markets worldwide, the DRM Supporter label is designed for companies and individuals interested in any aspect of digital radio, from broadcasting to manufacturing, publicity and sales. It offers broadcasters, publishers, content providers and others a novel way to showcase their DRM involvement. DRM Supporters will receive implementation information and the rights to display a DRM Supporter logo, and will be listed on DRM`s Web site. DRM will continue to offer its existing DRM Membership options for companies that wish to have full, pro-active involvement and voting rights on technical and commercial matters. ``Since DRM`s international debut in June, more and more companies and individuals have registered their interest in DRM participation,`` says DRM Chairman Peter Senger. ``Our new DRM Supporter option opens the doors of DRM promotion and involvement to smaller companies, and those in developing markets. DRM is a global system, and as such we are committed to fostering the active participation of broadcasters, content providers, listeners and other innovators in emerging markets.`` The DRM Supporter program will open on December 15th, although applicants may register their interest now at supporter@drm.org. Applications must be approved by DRM before ratification. Full details of the DRM Supporter option will be published on www.drm.org in December. # posted by Andy @ 12:32 UT Nov 17 (Media Network blog via DXLD) Hmmm, a bit less than the $100,000 Dave Frantz quoted for actually running DRM transmissions (gh, DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ LEONID METEOR SHOWER These are the two peak times that the AMS are saying now that we are so close to the meteor shower: First Predicted Maximum: 13:00-19:00 UT on November 13, with peak at 17:17 UT with a 1,500 per hour dust trail; Favors Alaska, Hawaii, and eastern Asia. --------------------- Second Predicted Maximum: 7:28 UT on November 19, with a 1533 per hour dust trail; Favors eastern North America (via Jim Thomas, Nov 11, WTFDA via DXLD) NOVA -- MAGNETIC STORM On March 13, 1989, the lights went out all across Canada and the eastern seaboard of the United States as far south as New York. This serious power grid failure was caused by a magnetic storm in the Earth's upper atmosphere, itself triggered by the eruption of a huge flare from the surface of the sun. Unusual as this event may seem, many scientists are beginning to worry that it may be a harbinger of things to come, and that changes to the planet's magnetic field could make Earth more vulnerable to deadly radiation from space. Magnetic Storm explores one of the least known but most serious threats to life on this planet. Tuesday, Nov 18, 8pm, WGBH 2 (via BADX; check your local PBS TV station listing, via Bruce Conti, NRC-AM via DXLD) Most repeat it at least on the weekend (gh) NW7US PROPAGATION UPDATE: 18-XI-2003 Old solar sunspot region 486 (now numbered 506?) is rotating back into view on the solar disk. At 1011Z 18-XI-2003, it produced an M4.5 flare, showing that it will play a significant role in space weather over the next week. Region 486 was the origin of the historic X28 flare of 4-XI-2003. The other giant sunspot groups 493, 487 and 488 are also coming into view as they rotate from around the far side of the sun. Remember, these groups were the origin of many M- and X-class flares during the end of October and the beginning of November 2003. Do they hold enough punch to continue the strong flare activity we saw before? It does appear that they are complex enough to continue producing moderate flares, as we are seeing quite strong activity on the eastern solar limb. Region 501 continues to have a structure that is capable of additional M-class flares. Already, today, this group produced 3 M-class flares, and the fourth seems to be associated with the old, returning region 486. Sunspot region 501 will remain with us for the rest of the week. At the same time, the large coronal hole that has continued to influence the geomagnetic activity is moving toward the edge of the sun, and will rotate out of view soon. The solar wind speed is slightly decreasing as a result. The orientation of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field is now mostly northward in its orientation (Bz is positive), so this has helped quiet the geomagnetic activity, but not by much. Speaking of coronal holes and coronal mass ejections: A CME was detected from a flare from region 501. This CME will at least partially impact Earth in the next 24 to 36 hours. This will elevate the already disturbed geomagnetic activity. High Frequency propagation is expected to be fair to good for the next 12 hours or so. The slight lull in the geomagnetic activity has helped overall conditions, and there is an increase in the 10.7-cm flux level. This is causing a slight improvement over most low- to mid- latitude paths. But, conditions will become rough as we see an increase in X-ray flare activity as well as the arrival of new CMEs. HF propagation will be poor over the high-latitude regions (there is a chance of returning proton-event causing X-ray flares from the old regions now rotating into view), and poor to fair over the mid- and low-latitude paths. The highest frequencies will have short and weak openings, with the strongest being on paths between north and south stations. The middle frequencies will be strong and reliable for the next 12 to 24 hours, but will experience degradation with the return of the flaring and geomagnetic activity. Low frequency propagation will be fair for the next 12 hours, then degrading with increased geomagnetic activity and flares. X-ray flares cause short-term radio blackouts on the sunlit side of the Earth that can last mere minutes (with weaker flares) to several hours (with major flares). CMEs can cause geomagnetic storms, which cause the ionosphere to recombine (causing the ionosphere to lose its ionization). This causes the maximum usable frequencies to fall as much as 50% of normal. Having both X-ray flares along with geomagnetic storms can close HF down completely. I will continue to monitor solar weather, and will post updates as events warrent. A full discussion is on-going at http://hfradio.org/forums/ - and live data is organized for your browsing at http://prop.hfradio.org/ 73 de Tomas, NW7US (AAR0JA/AAM0EWA) -- : Propagation Editor, CQ/CQ VHF/Popular Communications Magazines : : http://hfradio.org/ -- http://prop.hfradio.org/ -- Brinnon, WA : : 122.93W 47.67N - CW / SSB / DIGITAL / DX-Hunting / Propagation : : A creator of solutions -- http://accessnow.com/ -- Perl Rules! : : Washington State MARS Emergency Operations Officer - (AAM0EWA) : : WA State Army MARS Webmaster for http://wa.mars.hfradio.org/ : : 10x56526, FISTS 7055, FISTS NW 57, A.R. Lighthouse Society 144 : (via Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) 27 - DAY MAGNETIC ACTIVITY FORECAST NOV 13 - DEC 9, 2003 http://www.spaceweather.gc.ca/forecast27days_e.shtml (Propagation outlook from Ottawa via gh, DXLD) :Product: Weekly Highlights and Forecasts :Issued: 2003 Nov 18 2212 UTC # Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Environment Center # Product description and SEC contact on the Web # http://www.sec.noaa.gov/weekly.html # # Weekly Highlights and Forecasts # Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 10 - 16 November 2003 Activity ranged from low to moderate levels. The summary period began on 10 November with low level activity. Region 498 (S04, L=170, class/area Dao/220 on 11 November) exhibited a brief period of rapid growth on 10 –11 November. During this rapid growth period, Region 498 produced moderate level activity with an M1/Sf flare at 1351 UTC on 11 November. Associated with this M1 flare was a Tenflare, a Type II (481 km/s) radio sweep, and a large CME, which was mostly westward directed and measured approximately 1100 km/s plane of sky speed. Activity returned to low levels on 12 November. As Region 498 rotated beyond the west limb on 13 November, new Region 501 (N03, L=002 class/area Dki/380 on 16 November) rotated onto the east limb as a magnetically complex group with a beta-gamma-delta configuration. Region 501 produced two M1 flares on 13 November, one at 0501 UTC and the other at 0929 UTC. The latter M1 flare was a long duration event with an associated Type II radio sweep (595 km/s). From 14 – 16 November, the region produced low level activity with numerous C-class flares, the largest of which was a C7/Sf at 1039 UTC on 16 November. Solar wind data were available from the NASA Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft during most of the summary period. Solar wind speed was elevated near 550 km/s early on 10 November with an increasing trend. By 11 November, solar wind speed reached peak values near 800 km/s due to a coronal hole high speed stream. The Bz component of the IMF was on average slightly southward from 10 – 16 November with the characteristic north-south oscillation associated with coronal hole high speed streams. Bz reached peak values near –15nT. Other significant activity observed during the summary period included a shock passage measured by the NASA/ACE spacecraft at approximately 0520Z on 15 November. The shock produced a 100 km/s jump in solar wind speed and a four-hour period of southward Bz near –10 nT. There were no greater than 10 MeV proton events at geosynchronous orbit during the summary period. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit reached high levels everyday during the period, 10 – 16 November. Geomagnetic activity ranged from quiet to major storm levels. The dominant source of activity during the week was a large trans-equatorial coronal hole and associated high speed stream. Active to minor storm levels were observed every day during the week and major storm levels were observed on 11, 13, and 15 November. Major storm levels on 15 November were due to the combined effects of the high speed stream and shock passage. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 19 NOVEMBER - 15 DECEMBER Solar activity is expected to range from very low to high levels. Old Regions 484 and 488 have returned as Regions 501 and 507 (N10, L=293) respectively. Old Region 486 (S22, L= 290) which was very active last rotation is due to return to the visible disk on 19 November. Activity is expected to be at low to moderate levels with periods of high level activity during the first half of the period. Activity in the second half of the period is expected to be at very low to moderate levels. Proton producing flares are possible from Region 501 and 507 during the first half of the period. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to reach high levels on 19 – 21 November due to high speed stream effects. Late in the period as this large trans-equatorial coronal hole returns to a geoeffective position the electron flux is expected to reach high levels again (09 – 15 December). The geomagnetic field is expected to range from quiet to major storm levels. Residual high speed stream effects are expected to diminish by 20 November. Transient effects from CMEs observed on 17 –18 November will likely combine with high speed stream effects to produce major storm levels on 19 – 21 November. Additional geomagnetic activity is possible during the first half of the period, in association with major flares and CMEs expected from Regions 501 and 507. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2003 Nov 18 2211 UTC # Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Environment Center # Product description and SEC contact on the Web # http://www.sec.noaa.gov/wwire.html # # 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table # Issued 2003 Nov 18 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2003 Nov 19 150 10 3 2003 Nov 20 165 15 3 2003 Nov 21 170 15 3 2003 Nov 22 180 12 3 2003 Nov 23 180 12 3 2003 Nov 24 180 12 3 2003 Nov 25 175 15 3 2003 Nov 26 170 15 3 2003 Nov 27 165 15 3 2003 Nov 28 165 15 3 2003 Nov 29 165 15 3 2003 Nov 30 160 10 3 2003 Dec 01 150 15 3 2003 Dec 02 120 10 3 2003 Dec 03 100 12 3 2003 Dec 04 95 10 3 2003 Dec 05 95 10 3 2003 Dec 06 95 25 5 2003 Dec 07 95 30 5 2003 Dec 08 96 40 6 2003 Dec 09 99 30 5 2003 Dec 10 102 40 6 2003 Dec 11 99 35 6 2003 Dec 12 98 40 6 2003 Dec 13 104 35 6 2003 Dec 14 121 35 6 2003 Dec 15 140 30 5 (from http://www.sec.noaa.gov/radio via WORLD OF RADIO 1208, DXLD) ###