DX LISTENING DIGEST 4-013, January 21, 2004 edited by Glenn Hauser, http://www.worldofradio.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 For restrixions and searchable 2004 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 1217: Thu 2130 on WWCR 9475 Sat 0000 on Studio X, Momigno, Italy, 1584 Sat 0900 on WRN1 to Europe, Africa, Asia, Australasia, webcast Sat 0955 on WNQM, Nashville, 1300 Sat 1130 on WWCR 5070 Sat 1900 on IBC Radio webcast Sat 1930 on WPKN Bridgeport, 89.5, webcast Sat 2130 on WWCR 12160 Sun 0130 on WBCQ 9330-CLSB Sun 0330 on WWCR 5070 Sun 0730 on WWCR 3210 Sun 0845 on Ozone Radio, Ireland, 6201v, time variable Sun 1100 on WRN1 to North America, webcast; also KSFC 91.9 Spokane WA, webcast and WDWN 89.1 Auburn NY Sun 1600 on IBC Radio, webcast Sun 2000 on Studio X, Momigno, 1584 Mon 0430 on WSUI, Iowa City, 910, webcast [last week`s 1216] Mon 0515 on WBCQ 7415, webcast, 5105 Tue 0400 on SIUE Web Radio Wed 1030 on WWCR 9475 WRN ONDEMAND [from Fri]: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also for CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL]: Check http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html WORLD OF RADIO 1217 (high version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1217h.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1217h.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1217.html [from Fri?] WORLD OF RADIO 1217 (low version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1217.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1217.rm ** ALASKA. Checked 7160 Jan 20 at 1200, and nothing there, KNLS nor hams, who ought to be rejoicing in getting their frequency back. Don`t know where KNLS went; 7355 and 7365 are occupied at this hour by conterminous stations; 5955, originally listed for January at 1000 Mandarin, in the sideband of 5950. 7160 apparently slipped thru as a mid-season change; never would have gotten past the original B-03 HFCC scheduling (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1217, DX LISTENING DIGEST) KNLS Construction Update. The New Life Station's Chief Engineer, Kevin Chambers, recently provided a KNLS construction update. The effort to install a second antenna system and transmitter at the Anchor Point site, went very well last summer. All tower and antenna foundations were completed and electrical service put in place. During the winter months the interior of the transmitter building was refurbished and space cleared for new equipment to arrive in the spring. A new Continental transmitter is being built at this time and scheduled for delivery soon. It is planned that the tower be installed during July and the antenna be erected in September of this year (Alaska Calling leaflet, BC-DX Jan 20 via DXLD) ** ALBANIA. I noted "spurs"? from TWR-ALB 12070 on about 11982 and 12158 this morning Jan 16 accompanied by a buzz - that's plus/minus 88 kHz (Noel Green, UK, BC-DX via DXLD) ** ARGENTINA. Radio Bosques --- Estimado Glenn: Radio Bosques (Radio Difusión Argentina Libre) no transmite desde Avellaneda; esa es la anterior ubicación geográfica. Su ubicación actual es desde algún lugar de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (cercano a La Plata, matasellos de mi QSL recibida por vía postal). La frecuencia a utilizar es variable; estuvo transmitiendo por los 6719.37, frecuencia que abandonó despues de un par de días por QRM de un spúreo de emisora brasileña, volvió temporáreamente a los 6153.23 kHz, pero desde hace un par de días la estoy buscando. No la encuentro en ninguna de las frecuencias conocidas. Cordiales 73s (Nicolás Eramo, Argentina, Jan 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ARGENTINA. There is one additional X-band resource on DXing.info, namely a list of the Argentinian X-band at http://www.dxing.info/lists/x_argentina.dx (Mika Mäkeläinen, CA, dxing.info via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. 1611-1701 AM NEWS General: there are 277 licences on issue, with nearly two-thirds in the 1611-1629 range. Major network owners are WorldAudio Communications (Radio 2/Radio 2 National); Heart `n` Soul Productions (NTC Radio and 2ME Arabic networks); Promo Radios (facilities supplier to Rete Italia network) and UCB Australia (Vision FM and Radio Rhema networks), followed by Radio Symban (Greek) nationwide, a number of smaller regional players and a scattered bunch of individual licence holders. Stations must begin broadcasting during 2004 to keep licences, which is placing financial pressure on all owners who have to fund transmitters, towers, program feeds, programs and studios, as well as overcome local town planning hurdles to install transmitters and new towers. During 2003, a number of players withdrew from the market (such as Alive FM Mildura which sold a number of licences in the VIC/SA border regions to W & L Phillips Pty (owners of 8SAT), or began to rationalise ownership on certain frequencies and/or within overlapping coverage areas in preparation for broadcasts. A number of operators have low powered FM stations in small towns and country areas and can be expected to simulcast FM programs to meet licence conditions. All transmitters have a maximum power of 400 watts. Only vertical antennae are permitted, usually non-directional, and in some cases, no interference with broadcasts outside Australia are licence conditions, as well as the need to give seven days public notice of the commencement of any broadcast. Radio 2 National The operators of Radio 2 1611 St Mary’s NSW (Sydney) have begun rolling out their national low power (all 400w) AM network. They recently raised A$7m in a share issue to cover the costs and contracted BCL (owned by TVNZ) to site towers and locate transmitters. They plan to have 30+ stations on air by August 29 2004. Owners WorldAudio Communications lease two AM frequencies from GB Radio (Melbourne) and own Auscoast Broadcasting who hold more licences. Currently on air are: 1611 Brocklehurst NSW (Dubbo) 1611 Cluden QLD (Townsville) 1611 Darwin NT (ACA callsign: VKD392) 1611 Cygnet TAS (Hobart) 1620 Shoal Bay NSW (Newcastle) 1620 Cairns QLD (ACA callsign: AXQ386) 1620 Caloundra QLD (Sunshine Coast) (ACA callsign: AXQ388) 1620 Carrara QLD (Gold Coast) (ACA callsign: AXQ284) 1620 Manly QLD (Brisbane) 1620 Toowoomba QLD (ACA callsign: AXQ387) 1620 Old Noarlunga SA (Adelaide) (ACA callsign: VMS267) 1629 Armidale NSW 1629 Murrumbateman NSW (Canberra ACT) 1629 Mundarring WA (Perth) An additional 20 or so transmitters will come on air over the coming months. Tests have been conducted from a Melbourne area transmitter on 1629. The current 1629 Melbourne transmitter site (Williamstown VIC) is licenced to Promo Radios. The program originates in Sydney, and is fed via satellite. Local news, weather and commercials are also inserted from Sydney. Homebush NSW (Sydney) 1620 Callsign is 2MORO with Arabic Hit Music, News and Talkback. Address: 9 Burwood Road, Burwood NSW 2574. The licence is still owned by Labor Media Pty (previous operator of 2KM 1620) and is leased to 2MORO. Country Music Network Owned by Pinecam Pty (operating as 4VL Charleville QLD) with separate 24/7 country music format from 4DB Dalby QLD 1629. The network expands early in 2004 to Roma QLD 1611, St. George QLD 1611 and a transmitter at Emerald QLD (possibly the one on 1611 owned by Murangi Holdings). Other transmitters are owned by Pinecam and are expected to extend the CMN further in south-central Queensland. (This information is contained in the Australian AM Radio Guide 1611- 1701 scheduled for release in February 2004. This guide includes details of transmitter location, licence holder, program supplier, mailing address, phone/fax and email contacts, related information about licence holders, program suppliers and networks and details about early broadcasts in the 1611-1701 band. Sources: ABA, ACA and private research. The Guide will be available from http://www.radioheritage.org.nz and donations towards the 2004-06 work program of the Radio Heritage Foundation (telling the stories of radio from New Zealand, Australia and around the Pacific) are encouraged. The Guide will be regularly updated. Current information is subject to verification in some cases as the ACA database appears to have some errors). (David Ricquish, Wellington, NZ, Jan NZ DX Times via DXLD) A list of Aussie x-band stations dated 25 Nov 03 has been posted at http://www.ardxc.fl.net.au/Xband.html (David Onley, mwoz) (NEW ZEALAND DX TIMES PAGE 37 JANUARY 2004 via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA [non?]. AUSTRALIAN TERRITORIES There are 4 low power (400w) AM licences issued as follows: 1611 Norfolk Island 1620 Christmas Island (ACA callsign: VZB804) 1620 Cocos Island 1620 Lord Howe Island The Norfolk Island station is owned by Tom Venables of Queensland, the other 3 by Promo Radios (operator of NTC Radio and 3ME) of Melbourne. On the `use it or lose it` principle, expect to see these stations on air within the first half of 2004. For Pacific area DXers, the Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island transmitters will re-open the opportunity to log two new radio countries (Jan NZ DX Times via WORLD OF RADIO 1217, DXLD) ** BELGIUM [non]. /GERMANY: Frequency change for TDP Radio DRM via JUL 040 kW / 190 deg: 2000-2100 Sat NF 3985, co-ch VOIROI/IRIB Russian till 2027, ex 5905 (Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 20 via DXLD) First DRM on 75m? ** BOLIVIA 4722.82 kHz, Radio Uncía (Tentative) 21/Ene/2004 2345 UT SWB MICROINFORMATIVO! Quito 21/Ene/2004 19:48 hora local Radio Uncía is back on the air with good signal. Disco, rap, etc., with female DJ and distorted sound from her mic. I did not wait for the ID but it has to be Uncía. 73s (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, SWB América Latina, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. R. Senado, Brasília, 5993.2, tentative, Jan 16, 1035-1100+ Brazilian pops, ballads, Portuguese political talk. Excellent signal, no ID heard (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) This one seems to have settled on this unique split frequency (gh, DXLD) ** CANADA. RADIO STATION OUTLAWS POLITICAL TALK DURING ELECTION RANKIN INLET - Politics has become a four-letter word in Arviat. At least on the radio until the Nunavut election has passed ... http://north.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=15jan03arviatradio (CBC North, Canada via Horacio Nigro, Uruguay, DXLD) ** CANADA. CIRB, Borden PEI, 93.9, was to have signed on by now from high atop the Confederation bridge, operating 24 hours a day. As drivers approach the 13-km span joining PEI and NB, they will be able to get the latest bridge conditions, traffic reports, the weather forecast, as well as information of interest in the province. Forestry reports will be included, plus the latest US exchange rates on the Canadian dollar. It broadcasts from Pier 31 in the heart of the bridge, with tower atop the concrete structure. No radio announcers inhabit the bridge. The station is fully automated, with a computer connected to the transmitter (Dr Peter Weeks, Fredericton, Jan FMedia! via DXLD) ** CANADA. CJLL, 97.9, Ottawa, with an ethnic format brought over from CHIN-FM 100.7 Toronto, was to have signed on last month. It will broadcast to 37 ethnic communities in 20 languages. Its call letters stand for Johnny Lenny Lombardi, a member of the founding family. ``Our producers in Ottawa will be going after local supermarkets, restaurants and auto body shops, many of whom will have the first opportunity to use an advertising vehicle that has never been available to them,`` said Mr Lombardi. Ottawa-Gatineau PQ lacks any dominant ethnic group for languages other than English or French, and has more radio stations per capita than any other place in Canada. But the market is profitable for radio. It had $51 million in sales and $13.3 million in profits before taxes. But Mark Maheu, vice president and general manager of the CHUM radio group in Ottawa said ``Now that CHIN has arrived, I`d be hard pressed to find a segment of the radio listening audience in this marketplace that`s underserved. If we`re not saturated, we`re nearing the saturation point rapidly.`` (Jan FMedia! via DXLD) ** CANADA. Hi Glenn. Just wanted to set the record straight. Brian Smith - CHWO QSL Manager AM 740 QSL Reports - http://www.odxa.on.ca/chwo.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Re: ``CANADA. CHWO 740 Toronto may not last much longer. A reliable source says they are in financial trouble, may be going bankrupt. Had to let DJ Bob Dearborn go because they couldn`t pay him (George Thurman, TX, Jan 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST)`` From the President and General Manager of CHWO, Mr. Michael Caine: I don't know how rumours like this get started, let alone blown so out of proportion. It is absolutely ludicrous to suggest that AM740 is on the verge of bankruptcy. In fact, we are right on target with the business plan developed long before the station went on the air and which was presented to the CRTC when we applied for the station almost five years ago. All that has happened is that SARS, the blackout and a few other unforeseen external economic events took the wind out of our sails (and sales!) in the second half of the last fiscal year, just as they did, I hasten to point out, to every other station in Toronto. In fact, last spring, before the bottom fell out of the advertising market in Toronto, AM740 was running about six months to a year ahead of its projected budget. So, all that has happened to us is that we've had to trim the sails to suit the advertising sales reality of the past six months or so, (sorry for the recurring nautical theme!). But I can assure you that we are in solid and good shape, having prudently and effectively managed the storm. We are greatly encouraged by not only our renewed positive sales picture due to the rebounding Toronto economy but also by the positive changes we have made in our Program Department that have already permitted us to serve the listening public even better than ever before. M. Caine (via Brian Smith, DXLD) ** CANADA. End of an Era in Winnipeg --- Today marked the end of an era in Winnipeg with when CKY-580 made the official switch to CKY-FM ("Clear 102-FM")on 102.3. They have dropped the oldies format which they had for many years on 580 in favour of an adult contemporary format of mostly music from the 80's and 90's targeted primarily at females aged 35-49 by artists such as Phil Collins. Rod Stewart, Celine Dion, Coldplay, and Train. The FM had been stunting with country music for some time before adopting the new format today. As for 580 they will simulcast for a few months before going silent. This should help CFRW-1290, the only remaining radio station playing all oldies in the Winnipeg market, currently mired in the ratings with a 0.7% market share. While I look forward to having 580 open for DXing, I will kind of miss CKY-580 which I have listened to off and on since the 70's when they were Winnipeg's leading Top 40 station, and some of their legendary announcers such as Don Percy who will remain with the FM in another capacity. Thanks to Shawn Axelrod for the "heads up" on this change. (Morris Sorensen, Winnipeg MB, Jan 21, ODXA via DXLD) CKY must be out of their minds to give up the huge groundwave coverage of 50 kW on 580 (gh, DXLD) ** COLOMBIA. 1819.93 kHz, 21/Ene/2004 1020 UT. [see also unIDENTIFIED] SWB MICROINFORMATIVO! Quito 21/Ene/2004 9:55 hora local This could be Mark Mohrmann`s unID on 1819.93 kHz. Has moved from listed 1450 down to 910 kHz. "910" is on one of the IDs but not on my recording. Very clear IDs: "5 de la mañana 24 minutos en La Nueva Ondas del Porvenir de Boyacá". Greetings, ads and Mexican/Colombian music. Harmonic from 910 kHz. You can later on listen to my recording at SWB: http://homepage.sverige.net/~a-0901/ (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, SWB América Latina, WORLD OF RADIO 1217, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CONGO. 5985, 2045-2100, Jan. 20, French, Talk at tune-in over co- channel RAI, Italy sign-off/IS, then Afropops in the clear, talks with passing mention "Congo Nationale". Overtaken by VOA, United Kingdom relay at 2100. Good (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R75, MLB-1, RS longwire with RBA balun, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** DEUTSCHES REICH. POLITICALLY INCORRECT? Two items from the November 2003 issue of the NZVRS Bulletin of the NZ Vintage Radio Society Inc. caught my eye. In the cover story `Radio in the Days of Adolph Hitler and the Third Reich` we read about the Volksempfanger (German Peoples` Radio) that was mass-produced and sold cheaply in Germany and Austria during the 1930s. Today they are hard to spot in German memorabilia markets because the prominent swastika and eagle emblem are covered up (a dictate of current German law). The technical design was such that it favoured strong local stations and made reception of stations outside Germany difficult. Indeed during World War II it was illegal for Germans to listen to stations outside Germany – this heinous crime was categorised as `moral self mutilation` and, if convicted, the minimum imprisonment term was 5 years. The maximum penalty was death! (Bryan D. Clark, Jan NZDX Times via DXLD) ** EGYPT. Radio Cairo in English 1600-1645 (not in Zulu) on 15620, first noted on Dec 27 (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, BC-DX Jan 14 via DXLD) Temporary substitute with Zulu department on holiday?? (gh, WORLD OF RADIO 1217, DXLD) ** EL SALVADOR. R. Imperial, 17834.86, Jan 16 2304-2340+ variety os Spanish pops, ballads and rap, talk. 2314 IDs; sign-off around 2350. Poor to fair in noise but some fading up to good levels at times. Irregular; not heard for some time (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, WORLD OF RADIO 1217, DX LISTENING DIGEST) As in 4-012, I had it around this time on Sun Jan 18; not Jan 19; but back on Jan 20 at 2230, good level with hymns, into religious talk show (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1217, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA. V. of the Tigray Revolution, 5500, Jan 17 *0355-0415+, sign-on with IS, opening announcements and talk in local language; \\ 6350, both weak (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA. 7165.27, R. Ethiopia (presumed) 1448-1500* 1/20. Came across this and was initially hoping for Nepal, but the music sounded like HoA. Checked R. Ethiopia on 9560v (9559.4v actually) and they did seem to be //, although hard to tell since 7165v was weak with a bit of ARO QRM. 7165.27 had drifted up to 7165.30 by 1500, and 9559.44 had drifted up by about the same amount, so the drift pattern is the same. 7165v carrier off at 1500:50 and 9559v off a minute later. Beware Nepal-seekers! (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Drake R-8, 100- foot RW, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. 9820, CLANDESTINE, V. of Oromo Liberation (SBO) via DTK Juelich, *1700-1720, Jan. 20, Oromo, ID, Horn of Africa music, lengthy talks with brief music bits. Fair, choppy by tune-out (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R75, MLB-1, RS longwire with RBA balun, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FRANCE. LITTORAL AM TO GO ON THE AIR SOON Although they were not awarded a license last year when the CSA picked the stations that would be allowed to broadcast on MW, Littoral AM are planning to go on they air sometime this spring on a 9 month temporary license, the same kind of license Ciel AM used in Paris a couple of years ago. So far the license has not been issued but Littoral AM are very likely to get it, since the regulatory body is very keen to see some stations go on the air at last. With several of the planned stations likely to hand back their licenses due to the generally negative response in the public to the use of the MW band, the CSA want to get the thing going, and the sooner the better, as a kind of real-scale feasibility test, just like Ciel AM was... Littoral AM have started fitting out their studio and recording programmes, they are also trying to find the necessary money to get the project under way. So far they have collected some 50 000 euros out of the 300 000 needed for the station. They will broadcast from the small town of Lamballe with 10 kW on 936 kHz. The aerial will be a 65 metre-high single mast. The coverage area will be most of French Brittany but the station should also be heard well in the south-west of the UK, roughly speaking west of the Isle of Wight and of course in the Channel Islands. The address of the station is: Littoral AM BP 531 22405 Lamballe Cedex France tel: +332 96 31 12 20 (Rémy Friess, France, Medium Wave Circle email list via Mike Barraclough, DXLD) ** GREENLAND. Whatever became of the KNR low-power relay on the 75 m band? If it could ever be DXed, now is (was) the time. Anyhow, there`s this: (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) "Sunnia Kalippoq" or "The whaleboat Sonja drags whale" is the title of the interval signal used by Radio Greenland, according to WRTH. This elusive melody, now that this remote station is only now available on low-powered mediumwave and FM, can be heard in a good-quality audio clip just uploaded to the Interval Signals Online website. In full, what you'll hear is: a brief announcement in Danish - news jingle - time check, ID and sign-off announcement in Greenlandic - national anthem. All this on Interval Signals Online at http://www.intervalsignalsonline.com (Dave Kernick, UK, Jan 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** HONDURAS. HRMI, 3340, Jan 16 0400-0502* Spanish religious programming with talk and christian music, Spanish ballads. 0501 closing announcements with ID, short instrumental tune and off. Weak- poor (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL INTERNET. COMING SOON TO A COMPUTER NEAR YOU: FULL- SCREEN ADS Just when you thought there was light at the end of the tunnel with regard to Spam and pop-up advertising on the Web, a new threat lurks ready to pounce on the unwary Web surfer. Unicast, a pioneer in the online advertising solutions industry, yesterday launched its Video Commercial, a new online ad format that delivers full-screen, broadcast quality video to advertisers. "Demand for the Video Commercial by both online advertisers and publishers has been overwhelming - but not surprising," said Richard Hopple, Unicast Chairman and CEO. "Increasingly, advertisers are using video and sound online in an attempt to make their Internet advertising more effective and television like. Unicast has the only technology in the market capable of delivering broadcast quality video and more importantly ensuring that it plays perfectly appearing exactly as it was produced every single time." The fully interactive Video Commercial is delivered via Unicast’s patented, pre-cached delivery method, so that ads play transitionally (non-streamed) and without delay when consumers are moving between pages. Playing up to eight times faster than traditional broadband video, the Video Commercial represents a "major advancement" [sic] over video ad and content units currently on the market. ``The Video Commercial is the next generation of online advertising,`` said John Vail, Director of Digital Media and Marketing, Pepsi-Cola North America. ``It allows us to bring our broadcast messages online and deliver a television-like experience without the television.`` Andy Sennitt comments: Web users need this technology like a hole in the head. Many user accounts are subject to a monthly limit on the amount of data transferred. It is unacceptable to force this extra traffic on people who don't want it and can't afford to pay extra for going over the data limit. Fortunately, firewall software can be configured to block sites that deliver unwanted traffic, but why should Web users have all the hassle of fiddling with IP numbers and other settings? If this is going to be the future of the Web, then the Web has no future. # posted by Andy @ 09:09 UT Jan 20 (Media Network blog via DXLD) Video from cache boxes doesn't work very well. In spite of what they say, it's going to look like trash (Lou Josephs, 01.20.04, ibid.) ** IRAN. 21470, 1130, IRIB ``Voice of Justice`` ID In English after anthem 22/12, followed by Qur`an readings with English translation at conclusion. Strong signals but abrupt transmitter breakdown, so tuned to alternate frequency of 21730 which was also at strong level (Brian D. Clark, NZ, NZDX Times via DXLD) ** IRAN. IRIB schedule, since Dec 22, 2003. Hi Everyone, I checked the IRIB website today, and included some monitoring observations of past week. Attached the latest information of IRIB Tehran on SW, MW, and FM relay. Also former SW schedules of En, Fr, Ge, It, and Jpn sces are included. SW ceased on Dec 22, 2003. 73 wolfgang # # # # IRIB schedule, since Dec 22, 2003. Transmission monitored by wb marked as * . But not all transmissions checked, due of propagation and co-channel occupation by other broadcasters. Broadcasts end normally at XX.27 or XX.57 hrs. Remaining HFCC registrations are reserve channels for interference occurence and propagation difficulties to avoid these disadvantages. IRIB shortwave in WRTH 2004 is also in-complete, and some language section entries of IRIB schedule are faulty. B03 IRIB of 22-Sep-2003 IRB, updated by wb on Jan 20th, 2004. FREQ STRT STOP CIRAF ZONES LOC POWR AZI LANGUAGE ADM FMO -----+----+----+-----------------------+---+----+----+----------+---+- Persian 1630-1730 7350 2030-2130 7350 7350 1630 1730 38,39 KAM 500 250 PERSIAN 7350 2030 2130 38,39 KAM 500 250 PERSIAN Arabic 3985*1630 0130 39,40 AHW 250 0 ARABIC 9935*1630 0530 27,28,37-39,46 SIR 500 302 ARABIC except VoIPR 1930-2030. 15545*0530 1630 38,39 MAS 500 270 ARABIC Arabic - "VoIRIq - Voice of Islamic Revolution of Iraq" [0330-0430?] 6145 0330 0530?39N KAM 500 250 S-A 7100 0330 0530?39N AHW 250 0 S-A 9535 0330 0530?39N SIR 500 295 S-A Arabic - "VoIPR - Voice of Islamic Palestinian Revolution" 7250*0330 0430 38E,39W KAM 100 258 S-F 9505*0330 0430 38E,39W KAM 500 250 S-F 9935?1930 2030 27,28,37-39,46 SIR 500 302 S-F Albanian 0630-0730 15235 17680 1830-1930 6100 [1/2 sec behind 7165.] 7165 2030-2130 6100 [1 sec ahead of 9740.] 9740 [missing on IRIB website] 6100*1830 1930 28S SIR 500 295 ALBANI 6100*2030 2130 28S [KAM?]ZAH 500 289 ALBANI 7165*1830 1930 28S ZAH 500 289 ALBANI 9740*2030 2130 28S [SIR?]KAM 500 298 ALBANI 15235*0630 0730 28S KAM 500 298 ALBANI 17680*0630 0730 28S KAM 500 289 ALBANI Armenian 0300-0330 7295 0930-1000 13740 15260 1630-1730 6185 7230 100.7 MHz 6185*1630 1730 29SE,39NE,40NW SIR 500 320 ARMENIAN 7230*1630 1730 29SE,39NE,40NW SIR 500 320 ARMENIAN 7295*0300 0330 29SE,39NE,40NW SIR 500 320 ARMENIAN 13740*0930 1000 29SE,39NE,40NW SIR 500 320 ARMENIAN 15260*0930 1000 29SE,39NE,40NW SIR 500 322 ARMENIAN Azeri [r = most likely Rasht regional services] 0030-0200 6150 [?] 0230-0330 6150 6175 [?] 0330-0530 11720 1430-1730 6220 [c-down at 16.58:40 UT] 6150?0030 0200 29SE,39NE,40NW ZAH 500 289 TURKI-AZ-r 6150?0230 0330 29SE,39NE,40NW ZAH 500 289 TURKI-AZ-r 6175?0230 0330 29SE,39NE,40NW ZAH 500 289 TURKI-AZ-r 6220*1430 1700 29S,40NW SIR 500 338 TURKI-AZ 11720*0330 0530 29S,40NW SIR 500 338 TURKI-AZ Bengali 0030-0130 5905 6185 0830-0930 9565 [11705?] 1430-1530 9545 11850 15415 5905*0030 0130 41NE KAM 500 95 BENGALI 6185*0030 0130 41NE KAM 500 94 BENGALI 9545*1430 1530 41NE SIR 500 90 BENGALI 9565*0830 0930 39 [11705 ? ] SIR 500 198 BENGALI 11850*1430 1530 41NE KAM 500 95 BENGALI 15415*1430 1530 41NE SIR 500 102 BENGALI Bosnian 0530-0630 15235 17680 1730-1830 7295 11660 2130-2230 7235 [1 sec behind 9710.] 9710 7235*2130 2230 28S KAM 500 298 BOSSNI 7295*1730 1830 28S KAM 500 298 BOSSNI 9710*2130 2230 28S ZAH 500 289 BOSSNI 11660*1730 1830 28S ZAH 500 289 BOSSNI 15235*0530 0630 28S KAM 500 298 BOSSNI 17680*0530 0630 28S SIR 500 310 BOSSNI Chinese 1200-1300 9895 11670 13645 15150 1700-1800 100.7 MHz 2330-0030 7130 7325 9635 7130*2330 0030 42-44 SIR 500 75 CHINA 7325*2330 0030 42-44 SIR 500 68 CHINA 9635*2330 0030 42-44 KAM 500 64 CHINA 9895*1200 1300 42-44 KAM 500 64 CHINA 11670*1200 1300 42-44 KAM 500 65 CHINA 13645*1200 1300 42-44 SIR 500 65 CHINA 15150*1200 1300 42-44 SIR 500 75 CHINA Dari 0300-0630 720 1098 13740 [x9885] end exact at 0630 UTC 0830-1200 720 1098 9855 [x11860] 1200-1500 720 1098 5050 [x5965] 5050*1200 1500 30S,31S,40E MAS 500 0 DARI 9855*0830 1200 30S,31S,40E [x11860] MAS 500 0 DARI 13740*0300 0630 30S,31S,40E MAS 500 0 DARI English 0030-0130 6010 6120 [x9580] NoAM 0130-0230 6010 6120 [x9580] [VoJustice] NoAM 1030-1130 15480 15550 21480 21730 SoEaAS AUS NZL OCE PAC 1130-1200 15480 15550 21480 21730 [VoJustice] SoEaAS AUS NZL OCE PAC 1530-1630 7190 9610 So&SoEaAS 1930-2030 11695 15140 AF 2130-2230 9780?11740? [not be heard here !] SoEaAS AUS NZL OCE PAC 6010*0030 0230 8-11 SIR 500 328 ENGLISH 6120*0030 0230 7-10 KAM 500 333 ENGLISH 7190*1530 1630 41,49,50,54 KAM 500 100 ENGLISH 9610*1530 1630 41,49,50,54 SIR 500 105 ENGLISH 9780?2130 2230 55,58,59 [not heard ! ] SIR 500 113 ENGLISH 11740?2130 2230 54,55,59 [not heard ! ] SIR 500 115 ENGLISH 11695*1930 2030 52S,53S,57 SIR 500 216 ENGLISH 15140*1930 2030 52S,53S,57 SIR 500 211 ENGLISH 15480*1030 1200 40E,41W AHW 250 84 ENGLISH 15550*1030 1200 41,49,50,54 KAM 500 94 ENGLISH 21470?1030 1200 41,49,50,54 SIR 500 100 ENGLISH 21730?1030 1200 41,49,50,54 SIR 500 107 ENGLISH French [to AF] 0630-0730 21645 1830-1930 9565 9565*1830 1930 46,47 SIR 500 263 FRENCH 21645*0630 0730 46,47 SIR 500 263 FRENCH Hausa 0600-0700 17810 21810 1830-1930 7335 9775 7335*1830 1930 46,47 KAM 500 255 HUSA 9775*1830 1930 46,47 SIR 500 268 HUSA 17810*0600 0700 46,47 SIR 500 260 HUSA 21810*0600 0700 46,47 SIR 500 270 HUSA Hebrew [KOL-David] 0230-0300 6010 6120 0700-0730 21745 [not heard here; not on IRIB website] 1900-1930 3985 7120 3985*1900 1930 38E,39W KAM 500 250 EBRI 6010*0230 0300 7,8,10,11 SIR 500 328 EBRI 6120*0230 0300 7-10 KAM 500 333 EBRI 7120*1900 1930 38E,39W [KAM?]SIR 500 282 EBRI 21745?0700 0730 27W,28,29E SIR 500 320 EBRI Hindi 0230-0300 15165 17635 1430-1530 11640 11840 13745 15490 11640*1430 1530 41 KAM 500 109 HINDI 11840*1430 1530 41 KAM 500 118 HINDI 13745*1430 1530 41 SIR 500 95 HINDI 15165*0230 0300 41 SIR 500 102 HINDI 15490*1430 1530 41 AHW 250 84 HINDI 17635*0230 0300 41 SIR 500 95 HINDI Kazakh 0130-0230 9855 9880 1300-1400 11745 13755 [x15330 x15410] 9855*0130 0230 30,31 SIR 500 30 KAZAKI 9880*0130 0230 30,31 SIR 500 18 KAZAKI 11745*1300 1400 30,31 KAM 500 58 KAZAKI 13755*1300 1400 30,31 SIR 500 30 KAZAKI Kurdish 0330-0530 612 639 13720 [SO - Sorani] 1130-1430 639 13790 [SO - Sorani] 1430-1630 9485 [SH? - most likely Hawrami. {Kurmanji/Zazayee/Zazaki}] [6140 on IRIB website ! but heard on 9485 today, wb.] 9485*1430 1630 39 ZAH 500 289 KURDI-SH 13720*0330 0530 39 ZAH 500 289 KURDI-SO 13790*1130 1430 39 ZAH 500 289 KURDI-SO Kiswahili 0330-0430 13640 15260 1130-1230 17630 21550 1730-1830 9595 11750 [1/2 sec behind 9595] 9595*1730 1830 39S,47,48,52,53 KAM 500 205 SAWAHILI 11750*1730 1830 47,48,52,53 SIR 500 223 SAWAHILI 13640*0330 0430 39S,47,48,52,53 KAM 500 203 SAWAHILI 15260*0330 0430 47,48,52,53 SIR 500 223 SAWAHILI 17630*1130 1230 47,48,52,53 SIR 500 223 SAWAHILI 21550*1130 1230 47,48,52,53 SIR 500 231 SAWAHILI Malay / Indonesian 1230-1330 15200 15275 [1/2 sec ahead of 15200; x15585] 1330-1430 100.7 MHz 2230-2330 11840 11895 [? 9785 ] 9785?2230 2330 49,50,54 SIR 500 115 MELAU 11840*2230 2330 49,50,54 [? 9785] KAM 500 109 MELAU 11895*2230 2330 49,50,54 KAM 500 109 MELAU 15200*1230 1330 49,54 SIR 500 115 MELAU 15275*1230 1330 49,54 KAM 500 109 MELAU Pashto (Pushtu) 0230-0330 3985? 6095 9525 [x9605] 0730-0830 15440 1230-1330 9790 11870 13720 1430-1530 3965 7270 1630-1730 6005 6015 7195 3965*1430 1530 40E,41W ZAH 500 0 PUSHTU Mashad IRN IRB 3985?0230 0330 40E,41W AHW 250 84 PUSHTU 6005*1630 1730 40E,41W AHW 250 84 PUSHTU 6015*1630 1730 40E,41W SIR 500 90 PUSHTU 6095*0230 0330 40E,41W KAM 500 94 PUSHTU 7195*1630 1730 40E,41W KAM 250 95 PUSHTU 7270*1430 1530 40E,41W ZAH 500 0 PUSHTU Mashad IRN IRB 9525*0230 0330 40E,41W SIR 500 60 PUSHTU 9790*1230 1330 40E,41W ZAH 500 0 PUSHTU 11870*1230 1330 40E,41W KAM 500 118 PUSHTU 13720*1230 1330 40E,41W AHW 250 84 PUSHTU 15440*0730 0830 40E,41W [QRM DRM Sines] AHW 250 84 PUSHTU (IRIB Tehran and Mashad regional services) Russian 0300-0330 702 7225 6040 0500-0530 12025 15530 21480 21610 1430-1530 1449 7165 9575 9735 1700-1800 6035 7170 1800-1900 6035 7305 1930-2030 702 3985 [1 sec ahead of 7205] 7205 100.7 MHz 3985*1930 2030 28NE,29,30 KAM 100 340 RUSSIAN 6035*1700 1800 30,31 KAM 500 58 RUSSIAN 6035*1800 1900 29 SIR 500 328 RUSSIAN 6040*0300 0330 30,31 KAM 500 58 RUSSIAN 7165*1430 1530 30,31 KAM 500 58 RUSSIAN 7170*1700 1800 30,31 SIR 500 18 RUSSIAN 7205*1930 2030 28NE,29 SIR 500 340 RUSSIAN 7225*0300 0330 29E,30,31 SIR 500 18 RUSSIAN 7305*1800 1900 29,30 KAM 100 340 RUSSIAN 9575*1430 1530 28E,29 [9900?] SIR 500 330 RUSSIAN 9735*1430 1530 29-31 AHW 500 26 RUSSIAN 12025*0500 0530 29,30 KAM 500 358 RUSSIAN 15530*0500 0530 29 SIR 500 322 RUSSIAN 21480*0500 0530 31-34 SIR 500 46 RUSSIAN 21610*0500 0530 31-34 SIR 500 46 RUSSIAN Spanish 0030-0130 6015 7220 9555 0130-0230 6015 9555 9750 0230-0330 9750 0530-0630 15320 17590 2030-2130 7130 9750 [1/2 sec behind 7130] 6015*0030 0230 10-12 [x5965?] KAM 500 304 SPANISH 7130*2030 2130 37 KAM 500 289 SPANISH 7220*0030 0130 10-12 KAM 500 304 SPANISH 9555*0030 0230 11,12 SIR 500 304 SPANISH 9750*0130 0330 12S,13S,14N,15N KAM 500 259 SPANISH 9750*2030 2130 37NW SIR 500 295 SPANISH 15320*0530 0630 27,28,37N KAM 500 289 SPANISH 17590*0530 0630 27,28,37N KAM 500 304 SPANISH Tajik 0100-0230 720 4000 [x5950] 7180 in summer 1600-1730 720 4000 [x5955] 5950 in summer 4000*0100 0230 30SE,31SW,40E,41NW,42W MAS 500 0 TADJIKI 4000*1600 1730 30SE,31SW,40E,41NW,42W MAS 500 0 TADJIKI Turkish [r = most likely Rasht regional service] 0200-0230 7125 0430-0600 15260 15365 1600-1730 6110? 7125 9735 6110?1600 1730 28SE,39N KAM 500 289 TURKI-ES 7125*0200 0230 28SE,39N ZAH 500 289 TURKI-ES-r 7125*1600 1730 28SE,39N KAM 500 289 TURKI-ES 9735*1600 1730 28SE,39N KAM 500 298 TURKI-ES 15260*0430 0600 28SE,39N KAM 500 289 TURKI-ES 15365*0430 0600 28SE,39N KAM 100 290 TURKI-ES Urdu 0130-0230 6010 6190 7210 1330-1430 9835 11950 13595 1530-1730 3965 7270 1730-1800 6140 7225 [but not be heard here !! ] 3965*1530 1730 40E,41N ZAH 500 0 URDU-Mashad 6010*0130 0230 40E,41N AHW 250 84 URDU 6140?1730 1800 41 [not heard ! ] SIR 500 90 URDU 6190*0130 0230 40E,41N SIR 500 80 URDU 7210*0130 0230 40E,41N KAM 500 94 URDU 7225?1730 1800 41 [not heard ! ] KAM 500 109 URDU 7270*1530 1730 40E,41N ZAH 500 0 URDU-Mashad 9835*1330 1430 39 SIR 500 235 URDU 11950*1330 1430 40E,41 KAM 500 118 URDU 13595*1330 1430 40E,41N AHW 250 84 URDU (IRIB Tehran, and Mashad regional services) Uzbek 0230-0300 4000 [x5950] 1500-1600 4000 [x5955] 4000*0230 0300 30S,31S,40NE MAS 500 0 UZBAKI 4000*1500 1600 30S,31S,40NE MAS 500 0 UZBAKI # # # # # Deleted IRIB services ON SHORTWAVE; from Dec 22, 2003: English 1930-2030 6110 7320 6110*1930 2030 27 KAM 500 304 ENGLISH 7320*1930 2030 27 SIR 500 313 ENGLISH French 0630-0730 17590 21770? 1830-1930 6180 9755 2330-0030 6120 9790 6120*2330 0030 8-11,27 KAM 500 333 FRENCH 6180*1830 1930 27,28 KAM 500 304 FRENCH 9755*1830 1930 27,28 SIR 500 310 FRENCH 9790*2330 0030 8,9 SIR 500 328 FRENCH 17590*0630 0730 27 KAM 500 304 FRENCH 21770?0630 0730 27,28 SIR 500 313 FRENCH German 0730-0830 15084 21770 1730-1830 6110 9500 6110*1730 1830 27,28 KAM 500 304 GERMANY 9500*1730 1830 27,28 SIR 500 322 GERMANY 15084*0730 0830 27,28 KAM 500 310 GERMANY 21770*0730 0830 27,28 KAM 500 310 GERMANY Italian 0630-0730 15084 17605 1200-1300 15084 15275 1930-2000 7295 9615 7295*1930 2000 28S KAM 500 298 ITALY 9615*1930 2000 28S ZAH 500 289 ITALY 15084*0630 0730 28S KAM 500 295 ITALY 15084*1200 1300 28S KAM 500 298 ITALY 15275*1200 1300 28S KAM 500 298 ITALY 17605*0630 0730 28S SIR 500 295 ITALY Japanese 1300-1330 9510 9770 2100-2130 6125 7180 6125*2100 2130 45 SIR 250 60 JAPAN 7180*2100 2130 45 SIR 500 53 JAPAN 9510*1300 1330 45 KAM 500 60 JAPAN 9770*1300 1330 45 SIR 500 60 JAPAN (updated according monitoring by wb, Oct 26-28, Jan 17-19; BC-DX Jan 20 via WORLD OF RADIO 1217, DXLD) In this last group since you have * them, does that mean you are hearing them again?? (gh, DXLD) Thanks - Wolfie - for the update re IRIB. When I start to listen - mornings - I haven`t heard any of their European broadcasts, but perhaps have missed them closing before 0730. It seems they are still broadcasting several of their language services on SW, including two English. I wonder what has brought about this change - from SW to Internet - especially as they possess a lot of SW transmitters which are quite new. Maybe the cost of operating them! I guess some are used as jammers, but I only know of Iranian jamming on ISR and the clandestine Mujahadin as well as the station on 7580 at 1630. Farda seems clear at all times now. Maybe there are others I don't know of. There does seem to be a "battle" of minds in Iran, between the moderates and the hardliners, which I guess has been instigated by the younger people. (Noel R. Green, UK, BC-DX Jan 18 via WORLD OF RADIO 1217, DXLD) ** IRAQ. BAGHDAD AL-MUSTAQBAL RADIO OBSERVED ON MEDIUMWAVE Al-Mustaqbal [Future] Radio in Arabic, the Voice of the Iraqi National Accord from Baghdad [Arabic: Idha'at al-mustaqbal min Baghdad, sawt al-wifaq al-Watani al-Iraqi] has been heard on mediumwave, broadcasting on 1305 kHz. The radio broadcasts entertainment programmes, including popular Arabic songs and cultural programmes with anti-Saddam slant. The Iraqi National Accord was an anti-Saddam organization, which was first based in Amman and then London. Al-Mustaqbal Radio was first observed in April 1996. It began broadcasting on 1008 kHz and later on 1557/1584 kHz before the fall of Saddam's government. Source: BBC Monitoring research 20 Jan 04 (via DXLD) I believe the 1557/1584 broadcasts were attributed to the CIA/IBB transmitter in Kuwait (gh, DXLD) ** IRAQ [and non]. INFORMATION WARFARE OR YESTERDAY'S NEWS? Pratap Chatterjee, January 13, 2004 Zainab Abdul Hameed trudges back from her daily visit to the oil ministry in Baghdad. She is waiting for news on two fronts but has nothing to report today. Her assignment is to check on the electricity situation but she is also waiting to hear if she still has a job. "No news today, but maybe tomorrow," she tells us cheerfully. Nine months after the ousting of Saddam Hussein, Iraq's basic infrastructure is a shambles despite billions of dollars spent to fix it: Baghdad continues to suffer through ten hours of power cuts a day. "We are free to report whatever we want," says Hameed. "It's not like under Saddam Hussein when we had to report what the government told us to say." To get back to work at the Iraqi Media Network's Al Iraqiya radio and television station, run by a California-based multinational named Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Hameed has to walk through a maze of barbed wire, concrete barricades and three body searches run by the Florida National Guard and ISI, a private Iraqi security company. . . ...Following fuzzy TV broadcasts from United States Air Force's EC- 130E 'Commando Solo' psyops (psychological operations) planes and the radio broadcasts, IMN went on the air with radio April 10 and television May 13. Faik himself worked on the first radio broadcasts to Southern Iraq from Kuwait... ...Later this month, the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), which oversees all United States non-military propoganda efforts such as the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Radio Free Asia (RFA), Radio and TV Marti, is to launch a new Middle East Network (MEN), with more than $100 million in government funding, which promoters say will resemble CNN, MSNBC and the Discovery Channel. "We will be on two fronts," Norman J. Pattiz, chairman of the BBG's Middle East committee, told TV Week recently. "We will be on satellite across the Middle East, but will also provide a targeted product that will be available terrestrially only within Iraq, which will focus on Iraq." The new network, serving 22 countries, will be based in Springfield, Virginia, will initially broadcast 12 to 15 hours a day. It will have a broadcast center in Dubai and news bureaus in Amman, Jordan; Cairo, Egypt; Kuwait City, Kuwait; Baghdad, Iraq; and Jerusalem. It has an arrangement to use the resources and video footage of the Associated Press from the region and around the world. SAIC has applied to run MEN but most observers think that they are unlikely to get the job given their poor track record after almost a year of planning and operations. [excerpts from a much longer article, mainly about SAIC and its intelligence agency connexions:] http://www.guerrillanews.com/corporate_crime/doc3711.html (via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) ** IRELAND. IRISH MEDIUMWAVE STATION FINALLY GETS PLANNING CONSENT After a delay of two and a half years due to planning difficulties, Irish religious broadcaster Solas AM is finally able to go ahead with construction of its transmitter site. Irish media site Radiowaves reports that the station has been given a 20 year permit to erect a 61m high transmitter mast together on a site located within the grounds of Orlagh College in Rathfarnham, South Dublin, owned by the Augustinian Order. The decision was made on appeal following the rejection of a previous planning application by South Dublin County Council. The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland awarded Solas AM a licence in July 2001 for a 10 kW mediumwave transmitter, which is expected to operate on either 531 or 1143 kHz. At one stage, the station investigated buying the longwave site of Radio Tara, which is now owned by RTE. # posted by Andy @ 12:28 UT Jan 20 (Media Netewrk blog via DXLD) ** ISLE OF MAN. CRUCIAL WEEK FOR ISLE OF MAN LONGWAVE PROJECT Four days of hearings have commenced on the Isle of Man which could determine the future of the much-delayed longwave broadcasting project. On Monday island resident Nick Cussons launched a petition of Doleance challenging the Communications Commission's decision to award a licence to Isle of Man International Broadcasting PLC (IMIB) in 1999. Cussons maintains that IMIB didn't meet the conditions set down in the provisional licence, and wants it revoked. Advocate Paul Morris, representing Mr Cussons, told the court his client lived just over 2 kilometres from the initial proposed site of the radio mast on land at Cranstal in Bride. After the site was turned down, IMIB now want to place the mast 4 kilometres off the coast of Cranstal. The hearing continues. (Source: Manx Radio) # posted by Andy @ 08:50 UT Jan 20 (Media Network blog via WORLD OF RADIO 1217, DXLD) ** KOREA SOUTH [non]. Time and frequency change for Radio Korea International in French to WEu: 1700-1800 NF 3955 SKN 250 kW / 175 deg, ex 2100-2200 on 6145 SKN 300 kW / 180 deg (Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 20 via DXLD) ** KUWAIT. DRM for Radio Kuwait in Arabic via KBD 050 kW: 0930-1315 on 13620 / 310 deg to WEu/NAm 1330-1730 on 9880 / 282 deg to Gulf area, co-channel VOA Uzbek 1530- 1600 in AM mode! (Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 20 via DXLD) RADIO KUWAIT ALSO BROADCASTING IN DRM MODE TO NORTH AMERICA In addition to the DRM transmissions to Europe already reported on Monday, Radio Kuwait is also broadcasting in DRM mode to North America in Arabic at 2200-0200 UT on 11675 kHz. However, Radio Netherlands engineer Jan-Peter Werkman noted on Monday that they are still using the old audio library, meaning that listeners who have upgraded their DRM software will not be able to receive any audio. # posted by Andy @ 16:14 UT Jan 21 (Media Network blog via WORLD OF RADIO 1217, DXLD) ** LAOS. 6130, Laos Nat'l Radio, 1146-1203, Jan. 20, Laotian, Sub- continent ballad, ad/promo string, 7 gongs, brief music with presumed ID at 1200, followed by OM with talks. Fair with fading by 1200 (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R75, MLB-1, RS longwire with RBA balun, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. XERTA, 4810, Jan 17 1125-1145+ English religious music, instrumental music, 1130 and 1143 short Spanish IDs. Fair-good; must use LSB to avoid the always present noise blob on the high side (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. R. México Internacional, 9704.96, Jan 16 0155-0230 Spanish talk, 0159 and 0200 IDs. Lite instrumental music. 0230+ only an open carrier heard. Signal strength varied from poor to fair to good at times. Good audio but drifting +\- 20 Hz. Also heard next night Jan 17 at 0015 (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MYANMAR. 5986, R. Myanmar, 1216-1237, Jan. 20, Continuous ballads with talk between selections, musical jingle at 1230 with presumed ID, YL with continuous talks through tune-out. Poor/weak with 5980 R. Martí jammer splatter (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R75, MLB- 1, RS longwire with RBA balun, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS [non]. 4947.5, R. Nederland 0008-0035 [UT Jan 21?]. News or actualities by M&W in English; weak and fady. The AM portion of signal was centered on 4947.5, the LSB on 4948.2, and the USB on 4946.85. Checked 9895 (4947.5 x 2) to see if this was a sub-harmonic. RN was indeed on 9895, but in Spanish and not // (see next log). What's going on here? Strange to have the AM, LSB, and USB components on totally different frequencies. Undoubtedly some kind of connection to 9895, in spite of the different programming (John Wilkins, CO, Cumbre DX via DXLD) John, 9895 is currently from Madagascar, not N.A., in Spanish at these hours. The only English frequency at 0000 is 9845 from Antilles, so should check that for synchronized audio. But the relationship with 9895 certainly is strange. Internal mixing with some other unheard signal? 73, (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) 9895, R. Nederland, 0015-0035 Jan 21. Interesting program in Spanish called "Los Archivos de Radio Nederland", talking about historical aspects of RN, including mentions of "La Estación de Alegría" and "Eduardo Startz". Played a number of old audio clips, mostly in Dutch, from the 30's and 40's, with old IDs and ISs. Program ended at 0130 with a promise to continue next week (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Drake R-8, 100-foot RW, Cumbre DX via DXLD) One Archivos show featured a very young-sounding yours truly from my earlier days in Spanish. Can`t say my accent has improved (gh, DXLD) ** NIUE. Niue Internet service restored --- The Internet Users Society of Niue (IUS-N), the sole ISP serving the devastated Pacific island, says that both the wireless loop that provides WiFi communications on the island and the main satellite link to the Internet have been restored. When Tropical Cyclone Heta hit the island, the satellite dish owned by Telecom Niue was destroyed, as were several of the WiFi masts. However, the the other equipment owned by IUS-N was not damaged as it had been stored in a water-tight metal shipping container. Portions of revenues derived from .NU domain name registrations have funded IUS-N's activities in Niue since 1997, including development of the Internet infrastructure and training of local staff to manage Niue's free national lnternet link; funding and installation of the world's only national free WiFi net; as well as paying for computers, text books and sports clothing for the island's schools, the company said. # posted by Andy @ 16:21 UT Jan 21 (Media Network blog via DXLD) I suppose users of the .nu domain in Scandinavia and elsewhere were not affected, since the servers are nowhere near Niue! Seems to me if you are going to use a domain belonging to a remote country, all your traffic should actually be routed through there (gh, DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. KVLH, 1470, Pauls Valley, listed as silent in the NRC AM Log, has been logged with full ID as being \\ KIXO-FM Sulphur OK. On with AC format and CBS News (Bill Hale, AM Switch, NRC DX News Jan 20 via DXLD) Based on this: 1470, KVLH, OK, Pauls Valley, jan 2 0600 EST, female vocal ending with ID ``FM KIMO Sulphur, AM KVLH Pauls Valley 1470, a broadcast serice of DFWU`` and CBS News (Wayne Heinen, Aurora CO, Domestic DX Digest, ibid.) ** PALESTINE. RADIOS TURN EYES TO THE SKIES IN TENSE GAZA RTna 01/21 0334 By Matthew Tostevin GAZA, Jan 21 (Reuters) - The recorded sound of throbbing rotors interrupts the popular singer ahead of a familiar radio message. Israeli helicopters are over the central Gaza Strip. "Take care and stay safe," urged the announcer before the music got another chance. These are tense days again in Gaza since Israel announced it was ready to hit back at top militants after a suicide bombing that killed four Israelis at a border crossing last week. Kept busy are about a dozen local radio stations that have developed a makeshift early-warning system, which drives Palestinians under cover and sends edgy militants scurrying. Where radio stations elsewhere might carry traffic reports, in Gaza they watch the skies. "People are very nervous and they call us whenever they hear an Apache (helicopter) or an F-16 (jet)," said Majdi al-Arabeed of his independent radio station al-Hureya. "It is intensifying, especially in the last few days," he said. As if to prove the point someone rings in a new alert. It is quickly checked and put out on the air. Palestinians are well used to Israeli air raids in Gaza's scarred and shabby streets of concrete block buildings after more than three years of Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But apart from a helicopter strike that killed a top militant in Gaza in December, there had been a drop in air sorties for a few months before a woman suicide bomber blew up last week, killing three Israeli soldiers and a civilian. DAILY ANXIETY Helicopters and planes overfly Gaza daily and Palestinians fear quick reprisals after Israel said it would target senior faction members. Israeli planes hit guerrilla bases in Lebanon on Tuesday after a Hizbollah raid left one soldier dead. Many civilians have been killed in past strikes on militants in densely populated Gaza and ears are listening keenly to the radios for any hint of a raid. "As soon as I hear something, I drive to the house," said Mohammed al Sheikh Khalil, having a trim at a barber shop. "I gather the children and my wife and we just close the doors and listen to what is happening," he said. But it is not only civilians who follow the radio stations constantly. The militants are also tuned in. When there is an alert nearby they quickly turn off mobile phones to avoid being pinpointed electronically or, ideally, get as far away from the phone as possible. They jump out of cars or leave their houses for whatever bolt-hole they can find. "We believe in martyrdom and do not fear death, but we also believe we should take precautions," said an activist with Islamic Jihad, behind many suicide attacks on Israelis. Asked about the Gaza radio alerts, an Israeli military source said: "We don't comment on our activities before they happen. Yes, it's true that Hamas leaders should take cover. All of them as far as we are concerned are a legitimate target." The fact that the radios are also helping militants, even if they have other sources of information, has raised fears that they could end up becoming part of the conflict themselves. But al-Arabeed, who also freelances for an Israeli TV station, said he could not afford to worry. "It's not for the militants, it's for the public," he said. "It could be my brother, someone else's brother. We always urge citizens to take precautions, but we do not want to interfere in the conflict." (Additional reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi and Allyn Fisher-Ilan) REUTERS (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) WTFK?? ** PERU. R. Imperio, 4386.6, Jan 16 0315-0400+ Spanish church service with talk and religious music. ID, religious recitations. Weak but in the clear; some fading up to fair level at times (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. 5039.16, Radio Libertad [de Junín], 1103 Jan 21, Noted a man in Spanish comments before canned ID. This followed by Huaynos music. Signal was fair for a few minutes, but dropped to poor pretty quick (Bolland, Chuck, Clewiston, Florida, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PORTUGAL. The DRM signal on 17700 was "all over" the entire 16 mb this morning at sign-on at 0900. Eventually, the bandwidth was reduced so that I could then hear other stations. I have heard this occur on previous occasions, and surely it amounts to either careless [couldn`t care less, perhaps?] or bad operating practice. If these things must operate adjacent to AM broadcasts then they should make some attempt to broadcast only on the frequency they are using. The Chinese should convert some of their SW transmitters to DRM and they would then make better jammers than Firedrake! (Noel R. Green, UK, BC-DX Jan 16 via WORLD OF RADIO 1217, DXLD) Shhhh! 0900-1100 Mon-Fri 17700 40 Europe 80 kW DW English Sines (http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/html/drm_schedule.html via WORLD OF RADIO 1217, DXLD) ** PORTUGAL. RDP is testing 15555 kHz to Brazil/Cabo Verde/Guiné, to replace 11905 kHz, which is used for the special broadcasts. (Teresa Beatriz Abreu, RDPi, via Carlos Gonçalves, Jan 19, BC-DX via DXLD) Period reserved for special broadcasts, 2000-2400 UT, test 15555 kHz, 100 kW, 215 degrees (Wolfgang Büschel, BC-DX Jan 20 via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. Frequency change for VOR DRM in Ru/En/Ge/Fr via MSK 035 kW / 240 deg: 1300-1700 (not 1400-1800) NF 9490, ex 15780 (Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 20 via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. Voice of Russia radio to broadcast presidential election series: http://www.gateway2russia.com/st/art_201095.php (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) ** RUSSIA. VOR What`s New --- THIS IS RUSSIA In the next edition of THIS IS RUSSIA – on the air on Monday, January 26 – you'll hear a story about a world-famous Russian author, Maxim Gorky, which we've prepared on request from a listener in the United States. We will also tell you about a newly published book about this country's calendar and traditional Russian holidays. The program can be heard at 0410 and 0910 UT on Monday, at 0710 on Tuesday, at 0810 and 1810 on Wednesday, at 2110 on Thursday, at 0710 and 1810 on Friday, at 0510 and 1610 on Saturday, and at 0610 and 1710 on Sunday. We wish you all good listening. Copyright © 2003 The Voice of Russia (via Maryanne Kehoe, swprograms via DXLD) ** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. GERMANY: Time and frequency change for Brother Stair to SAs via JUL 100 kW / 090 deg 1400-1500 NF 15620 (55544), ex 2200-2300 on 9435 1700-1800 NF 5870 (55555), additional - maybe via RUS transmitter (Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 20 via DXLD) ** SUDAN [non]. ENGLAND, 15530, Sudan Radio Service via Woofferton *1500-1700* 1/20. Opening announcements in English, Arabic, and two other languages, followed by program lineup in four languages. This opening routine took 15 minutes; finally, English news at 1515 by accented YL, followed by 5-minute segments in the other langs. Good signal but a bit hard to understand because of multi-path echo. Spot- checking showed them on until sked 1700 closedown (John Wilkins, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Drake R-8, 100-foot RW, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) Additional frequency for Sudan Radio Service in English, Arabic, Sudanese Arabic, Shona, Nuer, Dinka, Mon-Fri 1500-1700 on 15290 (54444) via unID transmitter \\ 15530 (55555) via WOF 300 kW / 140 deg (Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 20 via WORLD OF RADIO 1217, DXLD) On Jan 21, 15530 was coming in quite well, SINPO 45534 at 1515 with news about Sudan in English; only a weak signal on 15290 and it was not the same. 1517 previewed in English an upcoming health program in Nuer, and ``The Road to Peace``. 1518 into Juba Arabic. By half an hour later the 15530 signal had deteriorated considerably (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1217, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SWEDEN. RADIO SWEDEN -- Coming up on Radio Sweden: Thursday: "HeartBeat" Friday: Our weekly review Saturday: "Studio 49" Sunday: "Sounds Nordic" ANALOG/DIGITAL -- The closedown of FM radio in Sweden will probably be pushed back to 2015. The government's Digital Radio Committee says Swedish Radio and other radio broadcasters should continue to try to get listeners to switch to digital radio DAB. But in its report the committee is uncertain about how long that process will take. Conservative politician Ola Karlsson, a member of the committee, says if consumers buy the receivers the analog network could be closed in 2015. One new proposal from the committee is that a national DAB network for private commercial radio be set up, in addition to allowing local DAB broadcasts by commercial radio stations. (TT) (SCDX/MediaScan Jan 21 via DXLD) ** SWITZERLAND. BEROMÜNSTER TO BE SHUT DOWN SRG will not lodge an appeal against the decision concerning the Beromünster transmitter. Mediumwave service of Musigwälle 531 will cease from 2009 "at the latest", i.e. the Beromünster site will be closed by the end of 2008 or even earlier: http://www.srg.ch/de/home/de_textarchiv_210104.html SRG SSR idée suisse verzichtet ab 2009 auf den Sender Beromünster BERN, 21. JANUAR 2004 - Die SRG SSR idée suisse akzeptiert den Entscheid des Kantons Luzern gegen eine Ausnahmebewilligung für die Sanierung des Mittelwellensenders Beromünster und reicht keinen Rekurs ein. Damit wird spätestens ab 2009 die Verbreitung des Radioprogramms Musigwälle 531 (MW 531) über Mittelwelle eingestellt. MW 531 wird weiterhin über Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), Satellit und Kabel empfangbar sein. Die SRG SSR wird in den nächsten Jahren den Aufbau von DAB verstärken. Die Dienststelle Umwelt und Energie des Kantons Luzern hat das Gesuch der SRG SSR idée suisse um eine Ausnahmebewilligung bei der Sanierung des Mittelwellen-senders Beromünster abgewiesen. Die SRG SSR akzeptiert diesen Entscheid und reicht keinen Rekurs ein. Die SRG SSR wollte den Sender bis 2015 wie bisher weiterbetreiben. Damit sollte für die Hörerinnen und Hörer der Übergang zu der neuen digitalen Empfangsmöglichkeit über Antennen, dem Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), langfristig ermöglicht werden. Mit dem Entscheid des Kantons Luzern wird die Umstellung auf DAB nun schneller erfolgen. Die SRG SSR wird die Hörerschaft der Musigwälle 531 laufend über die Empfangsmöglichkeiten informieren und DAB sukzessive aufbauen. Josefa Haas, Leiterin Unternehmenskommunikation SRG SSR idée suisse Tel. 031 350 92 30 oder 079 321 92 66 (via Kai Ludwig, Germany, DXLD) ** THAILAND. 9535, R. Thailand, 1955-2002, Jan. 20, English/German?, Sub-continent ballad, IS and sign-off announcement, "This concludes our English service to Europe.." cut-off mid-sentence for a minute of silence, back at 2000 with IS and different language, German listed, but not positive. Fair/poor (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R75, MLB-1, RS longwire with RBA balun, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TIBET [non]. UZBEKISTAN: Frequency change for V of Tibet in Tibetan/Chinese via TAC 200 kW / 131 deg: 1430-1518 Mon-Wed on 7485 (1400-1500 Thu-Sun on same freq BVBN!) 1430-1518 Thu-Sun on 7525 (Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 20 via DXLD) ** U K [non]. CANADA/UK: Frequency change for BBC DRM in English via SAC 070 kW / 268 deg: 0000-0100 NF 6015, ex 6010 (Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 20 via WORLD OF RADIO 1217, DXLD) ** U K [non]. GERMANY: Time change of Bible Voice Broadcasting Network via JUL 100 kW / 090 deg 1515-1600 on Tue (ex 1530-1615 to avoid RTT from 1600) in Urdu to SAs on 12005 (Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 20 via DXLD) ** U K [non]. UZBEKISTAN. Bible Voice Broadcasting Network /BVBN/ via TAC 100 kW / 131 deg: 1415-1445 Thu in English 1445-1500 Thu in Hindi 1400-1500 Fri in Hindi 1400-1500 Sat in English 1430-1500 Sun in English all on 7485 (1430-1518 Mon-Wed on same freq V of Tibet!) (Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 20 via DXLD) ** UNITED NATIONS [non]. 15495, UNITED KINGDOM, UN Radio relay, *1730- 1744*, Jan. 20, English, "UN Today" with news re rights of children during wartime, Burundi and Tanzanian refugees, Iraq and cloning. Lengthy sign-off announcement with schedule and web info cut off at 1744. Fair, // 17810 via Ascension a bit better (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R75, MLB-1, RS longwire with RBA balun, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Hams are not happy, to put it mildly, about ARRL`s new licensing standards as in 4-012. Here`s a long forum about that: ARRL TO PROPOSE NEW ENTRY-LEVEL LICENSE, CODE-FREE HF ACCESS http://www.eham.net/articles/7475 (via Artie Bigley, WORLD OF RADIO 1217, DXLD) ** U S A. Following up the report in 4-005 about a mystery net on 7420.5 SSB --- I have tried several other days of week, but so far only caught it on Wednesdays: Jan 7 and now Jan 21. Again tuned in too late, at 1529, but copied some callsigns, and later did Google search and found some of them. NCS was AA4LL (Raymond Henry, Sevierville TN); also AAR7PF (US Army MARS, Long Grove IA); WGY908 (FEMA regional HQ, Denver CO); unfound were WWJ85M, AA4EL, AAR4TM. AA4LL and AA4EL would appear to be regular ham calls. So hams can use their same calls in non-ham nets? The DL- calls I heard a fortnight ago, were apparently Defense Logistics Agency, DLA + 3 numbers, as I found in one listing. Several FEMA and other frequency lists did not include 7420.5. At 1531, NCS announced they were `out of time` and QSY to ``Foxtrot 4``. Some lists of Foxtrot frequencies I found did not include 04 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1217, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Hi Glenn: WWRB is pleased to announce the acquisition of another Harris 100 KW fully frequency agile transmitter (100C). Under the terms of the purchase agreement the seller`s identity cannot be released. WWRB has signed an option to purchase 4 additional 100 kW units if and when they cease operations. WWRB has 5 shortwave Transmitters in our fleet and 6 major individual Antenna systems with the following azimuths: 360 045 090 150 270 340 For more information please visit our web site http://www.wwrb.org We have made numerous updates (Dave Frantz, WWRB, Jan 21, WORLD OF RADIO 1217, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. New schedule for AWR's" Wavescan" on Sundays according to monitoring Jan. 11/18 0200-0230 7230 MOS to SAs additional 0500-0530 5960 MEY to SWNAf cancelled 6015 MEY to ESEAf cancelled 0600-0630 15345 MEY to SWNAf cancelled 0830-0900 9660 MOS to NCEu 17820 MOS to NWAf cancelled 1000-1030 11705 SDA to SEAs 11900 SDA to NEAs 1200-1230 15135 DHA to SAs 1330-1400 11755 SDA to NEAs cancelled 11980 SDA to NEAs additional 1530-1600 15225 DHA to SAs additional 1600-1630 15495 SDA to SAs 1630-1700 11980 SDA to SAs 1730-1800 11560 SDA to EME additional 1730-1800 9385 SDA to EME cancelled 1800-1830 5960 MEY to SWNAf 7265 MEY to ENEAf 1830-1900 11865 MOS to NAf 11985 MEY to ENEAf cancelled 2030-2100 15295 MEY to SWNAf 2130-2200 9660 MOS to NWAf 11980 SDA to NEAs 12010 SDA to NEAs DHA=Al-Dhabbaya; MEY=Meyerton; MOS=Moosbrunn; SDA=Guam (Observer, Bulgaria, Jan 20 via DXLD) ** U S A [non]. Paused on 11875 at 1457 Jan 20 as ``Witch Doctor`` was being played on unID station, but soon overridden by RFE/RL multilingual IDs. I wonder if they have deleted all the languages they canceled less than a month ago. But English was included, some by children`s voices. This was a warmup to the start of the scheduled Turkmen broadcast: 11875 1500 1700 RFE RL11 TU WOF 05 075 (Glenn Hauser, OK, WORLD OF RADIO 1217, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. NEXT RADIO APPEARANCES OF HARRY HELMS In case you have the time/interest, I'll be on the Thom Hartmann show tomorrow at 10:00 am Pacific plugging my latest book and you can listen via the web: http://www.thomhartmann.com/showlisten.shtml [UT Thu Jan 22 at 1800 UT] I'll also be on the "Erskine Overnight" show this Saturday at 11:00 pm Pacific; I was surprised to learn this one has over 60 affiliates carrying it: http://www.erskineonradio.com/index.html [UT Sun Jan 25 at 0700 UT] My Art Bell site bio page is now up: http://www.coasttocoastam.com/guests/675.html ---------------------------------------------- (Harry L. Helms, Co-founder, LLH Technology Publishing, Now part of the Elsevier Science Book Group, Jan 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. LIBERAL TALK NETWORK LANDS CHICAGO OUTLET January 14, 2004 BY ROBERT FEDER SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST Progress Media, the fledgling radio network conceived as a liberal antidote to conservative talk formats, has identified a Chicago station as it first broadcast outlet. WNTD-AM (950), a Spanish-language station that is in the process of being sold by Radio Unica Communications to Multicultural Radio Broadcasting, will carry the new talk radio network, under terms of a local marketing agreement announced Tuesday. Progress Media has an option to buy WNTD once Multicultural Radio Broadcasting officially closes on its deal, sources said. "It is an extremely significant event for Progress Media to have clearance in the third-largest media market in the country," said Jon Sinton, president of the network. "Combined with other markets we are close to finalizing, Progress Media will have tremendous reach right out of the box." The network also announced that it has signed comedian and author Al Franken to host a three-hour weekday talk show, and signed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Mike Papantonio to host a show about "the inner workings of corporations and how they influence our daily lives." Martin Kaplan, associate dean of the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communications, will host a talk show about the news media. Franken, who has established himself as one of the country's leading conservative-bashers, said: "My first priority is to get sued by a right-wing jerk in order to generate interest in my new show, 'The O'Franken Factor.' Our hope is to do drug-free talk radio, although I understand it's never been done. "Quite simply, my plan is to alter the political landscape, drive this radical right-wing president from office and stand as a beacon for ordinary Americans who work hard and play by the rules. Short of that, I'd just like to get on in Albany," he said. No date has been set for the launch of the network, which recently was acquired from North Shore venture capitalists Sheldon and Anita Droby by an investment group headed by Mark Walsh, a former America Online executive and an adviser to the Democratic National Committee. Programming will be headed by Dave Logan, a former program director of WLUP-FM (97.9). He most recently was vice president of program operations at XM Satellite Radio (Chicago Sun Times via Art Blair, DXLD) ** U S A. The next filing window for major [AM] changes is Jan. 26-30. This will partially lift a 3.5 [year?] freeze (Jan FMedia! via DXLD) ** U S A. WQMA DX test --- Here's notice of an upcoming DX test... PLEASE NOTE: Even if you don't hear a test, be sure and drop a card, letter, or e-mail to the station personnel, thanking them for going to the trouble to run a test! Sunday, February 15, 2004 - WQMA-1520, Marks, MS will conduct a DX test from 12:00 to 2:00 am CST [0600-0800 UT]. Per information from WQMA announcer Paul Walker, Jr. (via DXer John Lentz of Muskego, WI), "WQMA will be conducting a DX Test on February 15th at 12 AM Central, 1520 kHz with 250 watts ND. WQMA Marks, Mississippi in Northwest MS, about 65 miles south of Memphis. 150 foot Rohn 25 Tower, guyed, Armstrong X1000 Transmitter, Harris Mono 5 Rotary Pot". The station, normally CHR, will run "special programming" during the test. Reception reports may be sent to: WQMA / Q1520 Radio 1820 West Marks Road Marks, MS 38646 WWW: http://www.q1520radio.com/ Also, please see http://myweb.cableone.net/jkonarz/q1520radiocom/test.html for some information about recording the test. (Arranged by Paul Walker, Jr.) Also, if you hear a test, PLEASE, PLEASE let me know, via either e- mail or in rec.radio.shortwave! And if you send a reception report to a station, please remember to include return postage with your report. ircamember @ ircaonline.org Visit the IRCA Web site at http://www.ircaonline.org (Lynn Hollerman, LA, amfmtvdx at qth.net via DXLD) ** U S A. RADIO LISTENERS HAVE MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT STATION VOICE- TRACKING -- Dateline: 1/20/04 Paragon Media Strategies recently conducted a survey on how Radio listeners feel about the technique called "voice tracking", the technology which allows DJs to voice radio shows remotely. The company surveyed 400 people, age 15-64 (60% male, 40% female). Here are some of the highlights from this research: . . . http://radio.about.com/cs/latestradionews/a/aa011904a.htm (via Kim Elliott, DXLD) ** U S A. Re 4-012, WKCW story from Washington Post: "...Big Al Downing drinking songs..." -- Glenn: -- I know you didn't originate this piece, but this reference is one I don't understand. "Big" Al Downing, also known as "Gentleman Al", was the L.A. Dodgers pitcher who threw the historic #715 to Henry Aaron in 1974. I had the pleasure of working with Al for several seasons, producing KABC Dodgertalk, and I have rarely known anyone more "sober", or of higher moral character. Perhaps our "Post" writer has been sniffing a little too much Elmer's whilst traversing the Beltway??? -- (GREG HARDISON, LA CA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. More on WKBN [naked anchor resigns] http://abcnews.go.com/sections/GMA/US/Anchor_Wet_Shirt_040120-1.html (via Artie Bigley, WORLD OF RADIO 1217, DXLD) No signs of open-heart surgery ** U S A. EASY LIKE 'SUNDAY MORNING' AFTER 25 YEARS, SHOW'S RATINGS KEEP GROWING --- By Peter Johnson When Charles Kuralt left CBS in 1994, some insiders predicted that the quirky, eclectic morning show he put on the map -- CBS' Sunday Morning -- might not make it without his avuncular presence. They were wrong. Under his equally avuncular successor, Charles Osgood, the graceful and thoughtful show initially envisioned as a TV version of Sunday's New York Times has thrived. With 4.5 million viewers, it handily beats Sunday's NBC Today, its competition in the genre, by about 500,000 viewers, even though the weekday version of Today vanquishes the competition, especially CBS' The Early Show. Morning gets virtually no promotion, but it has added a whopping 400,000 viewers this season and is up among ages 18 to 49, a key advertiser demographic. CBS threw a party last week in honor of Morning's 25th anniversary, which the show celebrates on air this Sunday (9 a.m. ET/PT). Osgood says one reason Morning clicks is because producers have stayed the course set by Kuralt, who died in 1997: a mix of stories about politics, the arts and culture. Each program still ends the old-fashioned way: to the sounds of ducks, geese or sea gulls, Mother Nature taking her course. ''We accentuate the positive and don't try to shock,'' Osgood says. ''I think there's a growing appetite for that. We're surrounded by shock.'' He also says Morning assumes viewers have an attention span. ''We're very lucky to be on at a time when people can actually sit down and watch -- as opposed to a weekday-morning audience walking in and out of the room.'' A REAL 'LOU GRANT' DIES If there ever was a real-life Lou Grant, TV's fictional gruff-on-the- outside, creampuff-on-the-inside newsman, Jerry Nachman was your man. But unlike Grant, who moved from TV news in Minneapolis to the city desk at the fictional Los Angeles Tribune, Nachman parlayed a love for news into a career in most modern media: radio, newspaper, local TV and finally cable. He was MSNBC's editor-in-chief -- a title created for him -- and host of his own daily show. Nachman, 57, died Tuesday of cancer. Colleagues remembered him as a smart, tenacious newshound with a passion for street reporting -- and schmoozing. ''The quintessential New York news guy: balding guy with glasses and suspenders, hunched over his desk, cigar chomped down in his mouth, two phones in his ear and having a third conversation,'' said John Miller, a former TV reporter who is now spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department. For the past decade, Miller and Nachman taught law enforcement officials how to deal with the media at the FBI training academy in Quantico, Va. The last time Miller saw him, several months ago, was at a sheriffs' convention in California where, coincidentally, Nachman was looking into the Michael Jackson case. Nachman liked cops. They liked him. Miller is sure that Nachman was no doubt ''trying to pick some pockets for inside stuff.'' During his career, Nachman was a radio reporter in San Francisco; columnist, then editor of The New York Post; street reporter, then executive at New York's WCBS-TV (where he coined the promo ''We're New York to the bone!''); and news director of WNBC, where ratings soared. More recently, Nachman was a staff writer on UC: Undercover, an NBC cop drama that aired in 2001. Nachman also worked as a staff writer on Politically Incorrect With Bill Maher, returning in election year 2000 as executive producer. Said Maher: ''His every gesture and phrase recalled an era of reporters bursting into smoke-filled newsrooms yelling, 'Hold the front page!' -- as if he had sprung from the mind of Damon Runyon.'' (c) Copyright 2004 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U S A. TV GUIDE -- Television programming guide company Gemstar-TV Guide International Inc. on January 20 relaunched the TV Guide Channel, with new graphics, new content and new hosts, as part of the company's turnaround plan for the brand. Gemstar said the channel, which will reach about 70 million homes after its launch on satellite provider DirecTV, was once seen as little more than a scrolling list of shows but is now part of a strategy to promote TV Guide as a lifestyle and entertainment source. News Corp. Ltd., which recently acquired a controlling interest in DirecTV, is also Gemstar's largest shareholder, and Gemstar Chief Executive Jeff Shell is a former top News Corp. official. The network's primary show will be a new program, "What's On," that will offer a nightly guide to each hour of primetime programming. It will be shot in a new studio in the heart of Hollywood, across from the famed Grauman's Chinese Theater. Other new programs include a weekly news show, "TV Guide Close-Up," and one called "TV Talk," where celebrities discuss their viewing habits. The channel will also do two hour-long specials a month on topics like award shows and greatest moments of the season. Taken together, all the new shows represent a 30 percent increase in the hours of original programming produced compared to 2003, the company said (Reuters via SXDX/MediaScan Jan 21 via DXLD) ** U S A. RADIO STATIONS DUEL `PIRATES' --- RADIO STATIONS HAVE BEEN HAMPERED BY PIRATE STATIONS. BROADCASTERS ARE URGING TOUGHER LAWS. BY ELIOT KLEINBERG Palm Beach Post Posted on Wed, Jan. 21, 2004 PALM BEACH COUNTY http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/7757144.htm Radio stations, sick of being tormented by illegal ''pirate'' stations, are trying to create a series of laws making their operation not just a federal crime, but a state one as well. ''I believe it's better to use a Mack truck than a flyswatter,'' C. Patrick Roberts, president of the Florida Association of Broadcasters, said Tuesday. The stations operate with no federal broadcasting license and often have little more than a sound mixer, a microphone and CD player, and a roof antenna. Since 1997, the Federal Communications Commission has shut down more than 400 in Florida alone. Penalties can range from equipment seizure to $11,000 in fines for a first offense to up to $100,000 and a year in prison for repeat offenders. But before a pirate can be shut down, the FCC must bring in the U.S. attorney, a federal judge and, sometimes, U.S. marshals. And the operator has to be caught transmitting. Public stations may be especially vulnerable because they are traditionally at the low end of the dial. For more than a year, Miami-based public station WLRN-FM 91.3 has had to contend with a hip-hop station somewhere in Delray Beach that operates at 91.5. It's gone, but has been replaced by a new one in the Delray Beach area. It showed up about three weeks ago, General Manager John Labonia said. WLRN, with a 100,000 watt signal, boasts about 40,000 listeners in southern Palm Beach County. The station has reported the pirate to the FCC and engineers are trying to find the transmitter, Labonia said. Boynton Beach-based WXEL-FM 90.7 has been hampered for three years by a station in Fort Lauderdale, operating at 90.9, that interferes with its range in central and southern Broward County. That pirate was briefly shut down but has resurfaced, WXEL manager Jerry Carr said (Miami Herald via Kim Elliott, DXLD) http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/7757144.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp (via Brock Whaley, DXLD) ** U S A. There's a very strong pirate on 87.9 as I type this, playing jazzy R&B. Can't tell from where (Eric Fader, Briarcliff Manor, NY, Jan 19, WTFDA via DXLD) "New York Radio 87.9" --- This is the pirate I mentioned last night. They're running ads for businesses in the Bronx, and playing segued reggae music with a woman DJ. I have to believe that they'd be audible through much of the area right now, since their reading on my T-9090 is 56 dB, compared to the high 60s for most full-power legitimate NYC stations (Eric Fader, Briarcliff Manor, NY, Jan 20, WTFDA via DXLD) Eric, At 11:15 pm I got it here! Reggae music above the noise level. Probably hitting peaks when the jets heading for Bradley pass over our house. Sounds a bit distorted. It must be running a few watts (Mike Bugaj, Enfield, CT, ibid.) Hear them all the time in and near the City. There's another one on 87.5 also (Rick Shaftan, somewhere in NJ, ibid.) Mike, The SS station is still on in Waterbury (CT), on 87.9 MHz. Mostly music until about midnight. They used to run an open carrier after 12M but lately pull the plug. My observations driving around the area indicate they've got a signal out to about 15 miles in most directions. I've heard them on 84 at Rt 4. Just something to keep in mind if you hear SS on 87.9. (Wishing I could get airplane scatter) (Mike Roth, Bantam, CT, ibid.) ** VIETNAM. 5035, VOV-4, 1133-1145, Jan. 20, Hmong, Talks and musical bits, ballads, occasionally overtaken by Dr. Gene Scott "splatter" from 5030. Poor, // 6165 fair (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R75, MLB-1, RS longwire with RBA balun, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** WALES [non]. 15725, 1515, GT BRITAIN, Wales Radio, Excellent in English with talk of mountains, 27/12, DWW (Dave Weronka, Benson, Nth Carolina, USA, Grundig YB400PE and R Shack DX375, Sangean ATS 404 with Long Wire 39’, Jan NZ DX Times via DXLD) Guess he didn`t realize he was actually listening to WRN via WRMI (gh) UNIDENTIFIED. LA, 1819.93 kHz SWB MICROINFORMATIVO! Quito 20/Ene/2004 12:15 hora local Mark Mohrmann and I have had this unID LA for some weeks, here in Quito with very weak signal. Once I have heard carriers on both 1819.93 and 1819.98 kHz so perhaps two stations. This morning up to 1030 UT Mexican music. I´m not 100% sure but perhaps the male DJ said 1030 "....banda internacional de 49 metros....". I checked the stations on the 49mb but nothing matched (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, SWB América Latina, WORLD OF RADIO 1217, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Later: see COLOMBIA above ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LANGUAGE LESSONS ++++++++++++++++ Re "RADIO FREE AZERBAIJAN" 4-012: Hi Glenn, When I worked at BBCMS in the 70's (and I have no reason to suppose it has changed since) there were standard spellings for all people and places likely to be encountered in the news. The intention was for the same spellings to be used throughout the BBC for consistency. It is all the more important when using computer databases. It's difficult to search for things if you're not sure how to spell them. Most computer networks in use today don't deal in Unicode, and names have to be rendered using the standard English alphabet. Some of our WRTH co-editors and contributors, such as Olle Alm and Bernd himself, persuaded me in the 1990's that it would be a good thing to introduce local spellings in some of the CIS entries. We tried this, and it caused horrendous problems as the editing was done on PC's but the production company outputted on Macs. Until everyone uses Unicode, such problems can be expected (Andy Sennitt, DX LISTENING DIGEST) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ NEW WEBSITE ABOUT JAMMING Rimantas Pleikys, author of the books "Jamming" and "Radiotsenzura" and his team at Radio Baltic Waves in Vilnius, Lithuania have opened a comprehensive website with material about the past and present of jamming: http://www.radiojamming.info It contains: (1) Articles in English, Russian, Polish, Czech and Lithuanian, (2) Archive documents in English, Russian and Polish, (3) Photographs, (4) Sound recordings, (5) List of literature (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, Jan 20, WORLD OF RADIO 1217, DX LISTENING DIGEST) There is a wealth of materials in English, Russian, Polish, Czech and Lithuanian. At RadioJamming.Info you'll find some well-researched articles, unique documents, pictures and sounds. Definitely, it's the very best site on this sad subject. Thank you, Rimantas Pleikys and Sigitas Zilionis (both from Vilnius, Lithuania) for your diligent work and dedication! (Sergei Sosedkin, IL, WORLD OF RADIO 1217, DX LISTENING DIGEST) CLANDESTINERADIO.COM RELAUNCH Tuesday, Jan 20, 2004 http://www.clandestineradio.com It is with great pleasure that we can announce that ClandestineRadio.com is being re-launched. We have already made the switch from our old server to a new and much faster one. Some visitors will already be able to see the new site; however, it may take another day or two for all Internet Service Providers around the world to update their data. We appreciate your interest in the site and also your patience while the site sat idle. Over the past year we have worked hard to develop a unique content management system from scratch that delivers information and data in a more sensible and accessible fashion than before. Although the site is re-launching, there are still sections under development. We will roll those services out as soon as they are completed. The site is also missing some of the old content but we promise that in a few weeks all data will migrate into the new database. ClandestineRadio.com is and will remain a free service to archive and, when possible, analyze the living history of these mysterious and elusive broadcast outlets. The foundation of the site is our biweekly e-mail gazette, Clandestine Radio Watch (CRW). You are invited to subscribe to CRW by signing up as a member (again, free of charge) on the Web site and have two subscription options: summary and full issue. Of course, you do not have to subscribe in order to read it online. In due time, site members will have the ability to save articles, logs, country profiles and station profiles into an online "Intelligence Briefcase." Should you encounter any technical difficulties with the new site or have any questions or concerns you can e-mail Nick Grace (questions regarding the new site) at: nick @ pangeum.tv or Martin Schoech (questions regarding CRW) at radio @ schoechi.de The old clandestineradio.com e-mail addresses for the members of the CR.com and CRW staff will retire after this message. Thanks again, Nick Grace and Martin Schoech, ClandestineRadio.com --------------------------------------------------------- Martin Schoech - PF 101145 - 99801 Eisenach - Deutschland --------------------------------------------------------- E-mail : radio[a]schoechi.de Web : http://www.schoechi.de --------------------------------------------------------- To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/crwatch/ (via WORLD OF RADIO 1217, DXLD) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ Glenn: Recently received at VOA, not sure of source.... OSWALD VILLARD, EARLY ELECTRONICS WIZARD FOR VOA, DEAD AT 87 Oswald Garrison "Mike" Villard, Jr.,who devised ways to frustrate Soviet jamming of Voice of America broadcasts during the Cold War, died of pneumonia Jan. 7 in Woodside, Calif. He was 87. A major figure in 20th Century electronics research, Prof. Villard developed an antenna system "which permitted people in oppressed countries to receive VOA radio programs," according to Stanford Research International (SRI), where he worked for years. [Directional shortwave receiving antenna for low-cost portables.] Prof. Villard played a pioneering role in long-distance radio communications by gauging how radio signals bounce off the ionoshere, a high-altitude electrified layer in the upper atmosphere. This led him into the development of "over the horizon" radar that can see distant targets as well as stealth techniques to help aircraft and submarines foil detection. His grandfather was the well-known abolitionist/pacifist William Lloyd Garrison and his father was Oswald Garrison Villard, editor of the liberal magazine The Nation in New York (via Kim Elliott, WORLD OF RADIO 1217, DXLD) As I recall he was a subscRIBer (gh, DXLD) SONY ICF-5900W A fine radio for its time; the audio is very impressive now. Sony has dropped separate bass and treble controls. One radio I never sold. Kiwa had filter upgrade for this in the early 1980's? This not offered now. Interesting site maintained on this radio: http://www.noobowsystems.com/restorations/icf-5900w/icf-5900w-e.html 73 (Bob Wilkner, FL, Cumbre DX via DXLD) TECH TUESDAY: RADIO FREQUENCY ID CHIPS Industry leaders say Radio Frequency ID chips - now used in EZ Pass toll tags - could revolutionize everything from inventory tracking to smart home technology. But privacy advocates say the proliferation of RFID chips would lead to a "big brother" state. A Tech Tuesday look at RFID. Kojo Nnamdi show Declan McCullagh, Chief Political Correspondent, CNETnews.com Mark Roberti, Editor, RFID Journal http://www.wamu.org/ram/2004/k1040120.ram (via gh, WORLD OF RADIO 1217, DXLD) POWERLINE COMMUNICATIONS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ BBC PLT REPORT & RECORDINGS You may be interested in this shocking BBC Research Department White Paper on the wipeout of AM by threatened broadband internet through mains cables. Now online at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/rd/pubs/whp/whp-pdf-files/WHP067.pdf and click on a "Filename" to listen here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/rd/pubs/whp/whp-pdf-files/WHP067_list_of_audio_files.pdf Try, say, x3.wav. Pass it on to other MF/HF folk. All the best, (Trevor Brook, Radio Jackie Engineering/Web Editor, http://www.radiojackie.com Jan 21, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Please accept this donation for 2004. A true bargain in terms of the information and enjoyment my SWL hobby receives via DXLD and WOR. Best regards from the ham shack/listening post (Ben Loveless, MI, WB9FJO ex-WPE9JLQ) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ The geomagnetic field ranged from quiet to minor storm levels. Activity was at quiet to unsettled levels on 12 – 14 January except for a nine-hour period of active conditions late on 13 January. Active conditions were observed on 15 January. The onset of a coronal hole high speed stream produced isolated minor storm levels on 16 January and unsettled to active levels on 17 – 18 January. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 21 January - 16 February Solar activity is expected to be at low to moderate levels with a chance of major flare activity. Region 540 has the potential for major flare activity through 25 January. Activity in the mid to latter half of the period is expected to be at low levels with a chance of moderate activity due to the return of Regions 536 537 and 540 to the visible disk. There is a slight chance for a greater than 10 MeV proton event during the period in association with a major flare from one of three active regions. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to reach high levels on 28 – 29 January and again on 31 January – 09 February due to recurrent coronal holes. Geomagnetic activity is expected to range from quiet to minor storm levels with a chance of isolated major storm levels. A second recurrent coronal hole is expected to return on 27 – 28 January resulting in active to minor storm levels. The large transequatorial coronal hole of the last few rotations has broken up into several smaller coronal holes. This series of recurrent coronal holes is due to return on 30 January – 07 February and is expected to produce minor storm level activity with a chance of isolated major storm levels. The coronal hole of last week is due to return on 11 – 14 February, with minor storm levels possible. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2004 Jan 20 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 2004 Jan 20 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2004 Jan 21 135 12 3 2004 Jan 22 135 45 6 2004 Jan 23 135 25 5 2004 Jan 24 135 12 3 2004 Jan 25 125 8 3 2004 Jan 26 115 8 3 2004 Jan 27 110 15 3 2004 Jan 28 110 25 5 2004 Jan 29 115 15 3 2004 Jan 30 115 25 5 2004 Jan 31 120 25 5 2004 Feb 01 125 20 4 2004 Feb 02 125 20 4 2004 Feb 03 125 30 5 2004 Feb 04 125 10 3 2004 Feb 05 125 20 4 2004 Feb 06 130 25 5 2004 Feb 07 135 15 3 2004 Feb 08 135 10 3 2004 Feb 09 130 10 3 2004 Feb 10 125 12 3 2004 Feb 11 120 15 3 2004 Feb 12 120 25 5 2004 Feb 13 120 15 3 2004 Feb 14 120 20 4 2004 Feb 15 125 15 3 2004 Feb 16 130 12 3 (http://www.sec.noaa.gov/radio via WORLD OF RADIO 1217, DXLD) COMPLEX SERIES OF SOLAR EVENTS MAY PRODUCE AURORAL DISPLAYS Synopsis: A well-defined Earthward-directed coronal mass ejection is enroute to the Earth. Impact of this disturbance is expected to occur during the early UTC hours of 22 January (our target time is estimated near 0300 UT, give or take several hours). NOTE that this corresponds (for North American observers) to the evening hours of 21 January (Wednesday night). Auroral activity could intensify to moderately strong levels following the arrival of the disturbance and may provide sporadic opportunities to observe auroral activity over fairly wide- spread middle latitude regions. The near-new phase of the moon will help ensure optimally dark skies for all regions. This watch will remain valid through 2300 UT (7 pm EDT [sic! --- even Sky & Telescope doesn`t know what time it is --- gh]) on 23 January. It will then be updated or allowed to expire. For updated information, visit: http://www.spacew.com/aurora/forum.html. For real-time plots of current activity, visit: http://www.spacew.com/plots.html or http://www.sec.noaa.gov PLEASE REPORT OBSERVATIONS OF AURORAL ACTIVITY TO: http://www.spacew.com/submitsighting.html End AstroAlert Bulletin (Sky & Telescope via Jilly Dybka, DXLD) ###