DX LISTENING DIGEST 4-030, February 19, 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 1220: 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 1930 on WPKN Bridgeport, 89.5, webcast http://www.wpkn.org Sat 2130 on WWCR 12160 Sat 2130 on WBCQ 17495-CUSB Sun 0130 on WBCQ 9330-CLSB Sun 0330 on WWCR 5070 Sun 0730 on WWCR 3210 Sun 1100 on WRN1 to North America, webcast; also KSFC 91.9 Spokane WA, and WDWN 89.1 Auburn NY; maybe KTRU 91.7 Houston TX, each with webcasts Sun 2000 on Studio X, Momigno, 1584 Sun 2100 on RNI webcast, http://www.11L-rni.com Mon 0430 on WSUI 910, webcast http://wsui.uiowa.edu [last week`s X-45] Mon 0515 on WBCQ 7415, webcast http://wbcq.us Tue 0400 on SIUE Web Radio http://www.siue.edu/WEBRADIO/ Wed 1030 on WWCR 9475 WRN ONDEMAND: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also for CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL]: Check http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html WORLD OF RADIO 1220 (high version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1220h.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1220h.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1220.html [soon] WORLD OF RADIO 1220 (low version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1220.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1220.rm ** ANGOLA. RNA confirmed active on 4950 and 7217 (Chris (back in Nairobi) Greenway, Feb 19, observed last week in Zambia, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. Dear friends, Hello from Muzaffarpur! Recently, I have received a signed QSL card from Voice of the NASB (National Association of Shortwave Broadcasts), USA for listening in analogue mode via HCJB Australia. This QSL card is for the program, ``DX Party Line`` on 31st of January from 1430 to 1500 (UT) on the frequency of 15405 kHz. There was a special program that was earlier broadcasted in digital mode. Regards & 73’s (Mukesh Kumar, THE COSMOS CLUB, MISCOT-3, R-8, RAMNA, MUZAFFARPUR – 842002, BIHAR, INDIA, Feb 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Let`s try to figure out the degrees of separation on this one. 1) Mostly old archive material of HCJB in Quito; 2) Repackaged by Jeff White at WRMI into a Voice of the NASB program; 3) Sent to Merlin England for DRM transmission; 4) Re-repackaged into a DXPL program by Allen Graham in Sonora, California; 5) Sent also to HCJB-Australia for analog broadcast; 6) Yet verified by Jeff White as an NASB program (gh) ** BOLIVIA. 6155.07, Radio Fides, 1000-1030 Feb 19. Noted opening ID, comments by man and music. At 1015 news given by woman followed ID and into music. Ads at 1023. Signal was poor until about 1018 when it peaked to good (Chuck Bolland, Clewiston, Florida, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOTSWANA. Not heard on either 4820 or 7255 despite very regular checks. However, I note that Vaclav Korinek has been hearing 7255 recently, so I must assume that it is erratic. Was heard nicely on several MF channels, including unlisted 693 (Chris (back in Nairobi) Greenway, Feb 19, observed last week in Zambia, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BURKINA FASO. RTV Burkina, 5030, Feb 14 *0557-0715+ sign-on with possible NA, 0558 opening French announcements. Wide variety of African music: highlife, local folk, Afro-pops. French talk; good (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. For the Mailbag - Repositioning? To Ian, the Mailbag group, I hope to hear you address this topic of RCI's "repositioning" and how it will affect what we hear on RCI. I've read some info about it in Glenn Hauser's DX Listening Digests, but I get the impression that a lot of the detail is still up in the air. But please tell us something about what we might expect, and ask the audience to write in with comments and suggestions and input you can present to management. I gather that the broadcasts explicitly to the Americas will be generally or entirely rebroadcasts of CBC domestic programming. How will that affect programs like the Mailbag, which are addressed to the entire worldwide audience? Will you be still aired on the European service but not on the Americas transmissions? (Actually, I find reception of the European transmissions in the afternoon local time here in the central US is superior to the local-evening Americas- directed signal quality.) What about the traditional CBC-originated programming RCI now carries, like Quirks & Quarks and Vinyl Cafe? Can we expect more transmissions of those programs? (I have long wished Vinyl Cafe was on more than the one Saturday-morning airing, which conflicts in time with several other things.) What about SciTech Files? I really like that program and hope it continues. What we desperately need from RCI here in the Americas is a reliable later-evening set of transmissions. I'd love to hear RCI in the 0400- 0600 UT hours every day. I'm sure the US West Coast listeners would really appreciate that, too; your current hours are too early for most of those. Please try to select frequencies that propagate better in the evening and night hours here for RCI's programming. Now, it seems that the relays of other countries' programming get priority, having better transmitters and better frequencies than are used for RCI itself. RCI deserves to keep the best for itself and the relays should get the lesser choices. PS: Nice to hear my name mentioned at the end of the last Mailbag! Thanks! Regards, (William Martin, Saint Louis, Missouri USA, Feb 18 to RCI, cc to DXLD) Nothing about Maple Leaf Mailbag`s upcoming demise on the Feb 15 edition I just listened to, tho a veiled reference was made to mailbags disappearing from SW stations, incorrectly blamed on E-mail. Ian Jones` forced jollity was undiminished. With guest Marc Montgomery, he also got in a dig at the lower quality of CBC programming (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. RCI Earns An Award Radio Canada International has received recognition from the Asia- Pacific Broadcasting Union at the ABU Competition for External Broadcast Programs. Wojtek Gwiazda's documentary Refugees produced for our thematic program Canada in the World attracted the attention of the jury and was awarded a special commendation. Choose a program: Refugees documentary [audio archive links in pop-up] (from http://www.rcinet.ca/Scripts/default.asp?l=en via gh, DXLD) ** CANADA. CBC week Feb 22-28 on HAITI: q.v. ** CHILE. Voz Cristiana, 9635, Feb 12 2240-2400* Spanish religious talk. 2258 many IDs, 2300 news, religious music. Weak-fair. \\ 17680.06 very good-strong; 9635 off at 2400, but 17680 continuing past 2400 with \\ 6070 replacing 9635 at 0000 (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) More evidence against COLOMBIA ** CONGO. RTVC, 5985, Feb 14, *0430-0450+, abrupt sign-on with local African music. 0431 opening French announcements, with ID, and talk. Fair level but mixing with WYFR (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Radio Brazzaville is heard occasionally with programming in the French language on the new frequency of 6115 kHz at 1700 UT. The program format at this time consists of African music and spoken features. However, Radio Brazzaville is also noted on 9610 kHz at the same time with a much better reception level. The programming from the Congo at this time is targeted to a local audience but it is well received throughout central Africa (LIVINUS Torty, comes from Nigeria but is working in Chad at a location that is 200 km distant from the nearest email terminal, AWR Wavescan Feb 22 via John Norfolk, DXLD) ** COSTA RICA. RFPI news update 02-16-2003 PRESS RELEASE: New Initiative started by Radio for Peace International/station to resume broadcasts --- FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: James Latham, RFPI General Manager, info @ rfpi.org SAN JOSÉ, COSTA RICA, 16 February -- Concerned over attempts to eliminate alternative voices from the broadcast airwaves and press freedom in general, International broadcaster Radio for Peace returns vowing to fight censorship and to once again work on providing a voice to the voiceless. After months of being off the air, due to the forced closing and censorship placed on the station by Canadian billionaire and UN's maunder Maurice Strong, Radio for Peace International resumes broadcasting from its new office and studios in San José, Costa Rica. ======================== Complete story at ... http://copyexchange.com/_wsn/page3.html (Franklin Seiberling, Feb 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: "Having witnessed firsthand a band of armed men instructed by U.N. functionary Maurice Strong to shut down Radio For Peace International, it is all too apparent that we as individuals must pick up the banner of protecting our freedom of speech as it is guaranteed in Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We can no longer think that such organizations have the ability to act on our behalf when it comes to freedom of expression, now we must take up that call ourselves," [stated] James Latham, co-founder of RFPI. RFPI starts phase one of the initiative "Censorship Is Not A Option" with a return of its Internet broadcast. We invite our friends and supporters to tune in using Quicktime player and following the links on our web page http://www.rfpi.org come listen to what multibillionaire Maurice Strong doesn't want you to hear. The Media Under Siege For more than 16 years, RFPI had broadcast an eclectic medley of progressive peace and social justice programming to millions of devoted listeners in the Americas and throughout the world. That all ended on November 3 2003, when the station was forced off the air by machete-brandishing university personnel who cut telephone, electric and water lines. Unfortunately in the present day, the closure of alternative media voices like Radio for Peace International is all too common. Increasingly around the world, the North American model of mass media mergers is de rigeur and in the wake of such consolidation, many independent voices such as Radio for Peace International are being silenced. International media watchdog Reporters Without Borders has called 2003 "a black year for press freedom," with a drastic increase in media censorship worldwide. According to RWB reports, in the past year, 42 journalists have been killed, at least 766 murdered, at least 1,400 physically attacked or threatened, and at least 501 media outlets censored. In a globalized era of increased international trade and communication, there is an apparent growing dearth in the free interchange of truthful and accurate reportage put out by independent media sources. When media critic Ben Bagdikian wrote The Media Monopoly in 1983, 50 corporations controlled half or more of the media industry. Today, this number is less than a dozen and is ever- shrinking. The role of alternative media is more important than ever. The Rebirth of Radio for Peace and a Call to Peace Journalists Fortunately, due to a devoted international listener base and the determination to continue the increasingly important task of keeping alternative media alive, the aggressive actions that took Radio for Peace International off the shortwave airwaves were not a permanent measure. Following the closure of its longtime listener-built and supported studios, Radio for Peace International has in January, 2004, moved its operations to new offices in suburban San José, graciously donated by Fundacion CEPPA, a Costa Rican peace education foundation. From this site, in the near future, RFPI aims to begin streaming audio programs once again on the Internet to its faithful listener base around the world. In the coming months, as part of its initiative "censorship is not a option," RFPI will also be focusing efforts on finding a suitable site for relocation in order to rebuild its radio transmitting equipment once again. The relocation to San José has also resulted in a very positive new relationship between RFPI and the Institute for Central American Development Studies (ICADS), a non-profit foundation set up in 1986 as a center for study, research and analysis of Central American social and environmental issues. ICADS is one of the foremost institutes for language immersion study in Central America. Beginning in March 2004, the partnership between these two organizations will offer a combined course in Spanish language and Peace Journalism for interested candidates from all over the world. The intensive, four-week course will be shared between the ICADS campus and the new site facility that was donated to RFPI, both within close proximity in suburban San José, Costa Rica. The Peace Journalism course, which has upwards of 300 alumni - many of whom currently work in media or activism worldwide - is primarily aimed at activists with an interest in journalism or professional journalists interested in the role of alternative media. The course will be enriched with the real-life experience of RFPI in the past year, as it has come under attack by the very specter of censorship it has reported on in the past (via DXLD) Join us on the Web - Internet Radio 16kbps - Quicktime streaming - optimized for dialup modems ( RFPI Live News Webcast ) A special thanks to all of our dedicated listeners and supporters who have helped us keep the dream alive. Through our 'Censorship is not an option initiative' the live webcast has started on the internet. The estimated time for resuming the shortwave broadcast is 6-9 months. Coming soon - MP4 (mpeg-4) streaming format and live chat. Help us by donating a Mac G4 - 400 MHz or faster - so that we can switch over to the new global standard in streaming media. Listeners will need to download and install Quicktime ( free! ) to listen to the news webcast. To join the webcast, click on the link, or launch your QuickTime player and paste the URL rtsp://qt.streamreal.org/live/rfpi into the file location box. If you need more assistance, or don't understand how to listen to the webcast just email us (RFPI website Feb 17 via DXLD) ** CUBA. As Arnie said in 4-026, RHC is on new 9655 in English 0500- 0700, confirmed here at 0605 check Feb 17, \\ 9550 and 9820. 9550 and 9655 sounded about the same, but 9820 audio was tinnier, tho not squealing at the moment. So RHC abandons frequency diversity, operating three high-power transmitters in the same band. Contrary to what Arnie also said, nothing heard on 11760 at this time (nor on 6000, also checked just in case). Come to think of it, one problem RHC does not seem to have is leapfrog mixing products, but perhaps we can find some of those too if we look for them, with three frequencies in the same band at the same time. They could appear on: 9280, 9445, 9490, 9760, 9985, 10090 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CYPRUS. [Re 4-029]: Re RMC Cape Greco --- I have not read of any association of another broadcaster with this site in recent times, and the three towers would surely be in need of replacement, rather than refurbishment, if we go too far back. And BTW, it surprised me to read that Cape Greco had been on air for thirty years --- it seems only yesterday that it first appeared in the WRTH!!! (Noel R. Green-UK, BC- DX Feb 16 via DXLD) That's a misunderstanding. This site is listed in every issue of WRTH (usually as "Radio Monte Carlo Middle East Relay Station") since the very start. Olle was digging out the following chronological details: 1970 installation of (600kW) transmitter, 1972/73 provisional transmitter on the air, 30 July 1973 definitive transmitter launched. WRTH 1972 (first mention of the station) says 20 kW and testing (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, Feb 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RMCME/TWR originally used a low power array which is now dismantled, and the original transmitter building is also now either dismantled or nearly so. IBB/Radio Sawa uses the second (1973 or so) RMCME/TWR array, the three tower in-line, with a pattern that has maxima at about 80 and 200 degrees, and a very shallow minimum a little over 2 dB down in line with the towers (140 degrees), and, like the adjacent four tower array, a fairly deep minimum toward the NW. RMCME/TWR/Radio France International uses the new 4 tower "diamond" parallelogram array. It has its maximum at about 130 degrees, and minima to the NW as well. There are photographs on Ydun Ritz' website, although I make no claims of my artistic skills at photography. It is one of the loveliest MW sites in the world, both from propagation and natural beauty standpoints. RFI/RMCME/TWR kept the three tower array operational for 1233 kHz use, and kept their original Thomson 600 kW transmitter operational as well, until the IBB installation. IBB and RFI/RMCME/TWR both use Thales solid state S7HP transmitters. IBB is 600 kW, RFI/RMCME/TWR is 1.2 MW. RFI/RMCME/TWR was operating with 600 kW night and 800 kW day when last I was there. IBB operates with full carrier, RFI/RMCME/TWR operates with full carrier during some periods and controlled carrier at other times. So far as I am aware this is the highest power two-frequency medium wave site not originally specifically designed for two frequency operation. The antenna systems have extensive filtering as a result. Next highest is the site in SW Taiwan which has two 600 kW transmitters on two frequencies with the original single frequency antenna system modified to allow two separate antennas. Both of these antenna facility modifications were designed by the dTR/H&D Joint Venture, a partnership of duTreil, Lundin & Rackley and Hatfield & Dawson, and in both cases the antenna feed system hardware was manufactured by Kintronic Laboratories. Benj. F. Dawson III, P.E., Hatfield & Dawson Consulting Engineers, LLC 9500 Greenwood Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98103 USA (Ben Dawson, Feb 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** DJIBOUTI. Your correspondent Mr. Savolainen is correct that transmissions to date from Djibouti have been only transmitter/antenna tests, and nearly all during daylight hours. As noted in the IBB coverage map and the solicitation for construction of this site, the antenna is a three element in-line array oriented toward the NW, with towers which are slightly over 1/2 wavelength in height. It is also configured for operation omnidirectionally. Regards, Benj. F. Dawson III, P.E. Hatfield & Dawson Consulting Engineers, LLC 9500 Greenwood Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98103 USA (Ben Dawson, Feb 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR. La Voz del Upano, 5040.05, Feb 13, 1040-1050+, tune-in to NA, 1042 many IDs. Spanish talk, HC music. Fair, but audio slightly muddy (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR. Glenn: 3279.55, La voz del Napo, Tena. 0700 to 0723: classical music program, consisting of excerpts from Bizet's opera "Carmen" in an exciting performance that, due to slight rhythmic imperfections of ensemble, seems to suggest that it is a live stage recording. Surprisingly good sound fidelity, with clarity and plenty of bass, even though LSB had to be used to minimize QRM. The classical program ended with the theme music, being one of the movements from a Vivaldi Flute Concerto, op. 10: a charming presentation. The following music, nonclassical, was also of high quality and tastefulness. I do not usually hear Voz del Napo this "early" in the evening, before local midnight; surprised that it is coming in this well at the present hour. I mention this oft-heard station, which I have logged countless times and don't consider a challenging DX catch -- despite its low power of just 2.5 kW according to ILGRadio -- because it is almost an impossibility to hear even the shortest snatch of Bizet, Vivaldi, or ANYTHING the remotest bit cultural from the entire norteamericano hemisphere at this hour, AM, SW, or FM! As a former classical music broadcaster, I have to shed a quiet tear of regret for our culture while being glad to know that people of other lands, even such as Ecuador, are not as unimaginative and limited in their perspective on the arts. Best, (Steve Waldee - San Jose, CA. RX: R75; 350 ft dipole antenna, Feb 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EL SALVADOR. Observations made by Tetsaya Hirahara, visiting El Salvador 2-20.12.2003: 630, YS.., R. Promesa, "La sintonía que lleva a Dios", San Salvador. Officially inaugurated on December 14, 2003. Sked: 1100-0600. Address: 75 Av. Norte, Prolongación Juan Pablo II, Col. Jardines de Escalón, final Pasaje KL, San Salvador. The station is housed in a transmitting facility. At the entrance of the site, there is an old iron gate showing call-letters "YS*L. (The third letter was dropped off). FM Monumental, which formerly used 630 kHz, belongs to Cadena YSKL. With this in fact, the "Pasaje KL" seems to have been named after the transmitter site of YSKL. 1240, YSMT R Metapán: According to the phone book 2002 the address is Calle Principal, costado norte Centro Judical, Col. Lomas de Montecristo, Metapán, Dpto Sta Ana (ARC's LA Info Desks February 2004 via editor Tore Larsson, DXLD) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. Re: TDP has finally updated its WHOSE website fixing the misspelling ``Vilce`` of Oromo Liberation, but now it seems they have a new website and a new abbr.: RSQBO: http://www.oromia.org/rsqbo/rsqbo.htm for Radiyoo Sagalee Qabsoo Bilisummaa Oromoo (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST 4-029, February 16, 2004) "Radiyoo Sagalee Qabsoo Bilisummaa Oromoo" would be "Radio Voice of Oromo Liberation Front" if translated correctly (fully). In fact, there are two separate stations with almost identical names that are backed by the Oromo Liberation Front: 1. Radio Voice of Oromo Liberation Front (Oromo: Radiyoo Segalee Qabsoo Bilisummaa Oromoo - RSQBO) http://www.oromia.org/rsqbo/rsqbo.htm - Programs in Oromo; brokered by TDP (TDP calls this station incorrectly "Radio Voice of Oromo Liberation") - Email address: rsqbo @ yahoo.com 2. Voice of Oromo Liberation (Oromo: Sagalee Bilisummaa Oromoo - SBO) http://www.oromoliberationfront.org/sbo.html - Programs in Oromo and Amharic; brokered by DTK - Email address: sbo13366 @ aol.com A full archive of audio files for both stations is available on the respective websites (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, Feb 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. The shortwave transmissions of the "Radio Mustaqbal" radio service for Somali refugees in Ethiopia, organised by EDC - Education Development Center, Inc (USA), started on 19 January 2004 and are due to end with the school year in Ethiopia in July 2004. The programs are produced locally in Ethiopia; more details about this project can be found at: http://ies.edc.org/projects/ethiopia.htm The organizers are interested in reception reports, especially though from the target zone. Contact: Abdoulkader Houssein Ahoussein @ edc.org (project assistant). (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FRANCE. FIN DU CONFLIT À RFI SUR UN PROTOCOLE MODERNISANT LA NEGOCIATION SALARIALE --- par Jean-Pierre ALTIER Dernières dépêches Culture 18 fevrier, 19h31 Les journalistes de Radio France Internationale ont mis fin mercredi à la grève entamée le 11 fevrier en signant un protocole d'accord qui permettra, selon la direction, de "moderniser la négociation salariale", et, selon les syndicats, des "avancées financières concretes". Les grevistes réunis en assemblée générale au 7e étage de la Maison de la Radio, à Paris, ou se trouve le siège de RFI, ont accepté prèsque à l'unanimité (80 voix pour sur 89 votants) de mettre fin à leur mouvement à minuit, comme le proposait l'intersyndicale (SNJ-CGT, SNJ et CFDT). Ils se sont ralliés à un protocole d'accord, déjà presenté la veille par la direction et modifié sur quelques points de détail, qui a pour objet, selon le Pdg Jean-Paul Cluzel, de "moderniser la négociation salariale" dans l'entreprise. Ce protocole, selon M. Cluzel, est "tout à fait comparable" a celui que les journalistes de Radio France, installés sous le même toit, ont signé quelques jours plus tôt, le 13 février, après une grève d'une durée record de 18 jours. Comme à Radio France, les journalistes de RFI toucheront individuellement, en deux fois, une prime d'un montant total de 850 euros brut. D'autre part, le protocole met en place `a partir de 2005 un "dispositif salarial complementaire". Ce dispositif sera arrêté avant le 1er janvier 2005 après des discussions entre la direction et les syndicats conduites au printemps et à l'automne. "Alors que le conflit était parti sur le thème des disparités, on aboutit `a un accord sur la modernisation de la négociation salariale", se rejouit M. Cluzel. Comme leurs confrères de Radio France, les 346 journalistes titulaires de RFI souhaitaient la mise en oeuvre de l'accord Servat, un système utilisé depuis 1994 qui permettait d'augmenter les journalistes en harmonisant leurs salaires avec ceux des autres entreprises de l'audiovisuel public. En mettant fin à la grève, les syndicalistes ont reconnu qu'ils n'ont pas obtenu satisfaction sur ce point. "Ce que nous a proposé la direction n'a rien à voir avec nos revendications", commentait Piotr Blonski, délégué CFDT. Selon lui, les journalistes se sont heurtés à un "mur", le refus de la direction de s'appuyer sur les disparités de salaires dans les entreprises de l'audiovisuel public pour consentir des augmentations collectives. "Nous vivons dans un système hérité de la Libération", expliquait de son côté Jean-Paul Cluzel. "Aujourd'hui, l'économie des médias est completement differente et la rémuneration des journalistes ne peut plus passer par des grilles indiciaires". Les syndicalistes, de leurs côtés, se félicitaient que les avantages accordés aux journalistes titulaires profitent aussi aux journalistes "en situation précaire" (en contrat à durée déterminée ou pigistes), qui sont environ une centaine. "C'est la première fois que le personnel précaire est pris en considération", soulignait un greviste. Cependant le protocôle d'accord ne concerne pas les quelque 300 correspondants francophones de RFI à travers le monde, qui ont des contrats particuliers. "Nous n'avons pas echoué, parce que nous avons envoyé un message politique à nos tutelles (ndlr: le ministère de la Culture et de la Communication et celui des Affaires etrangères). Il ne faut pas qu'elles croient que nous sommes la cinquième roué du carrosse", s'exclamait Elisa Drago, deleguee CGT et membre de l'intersyndicale (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) i.e.: RADIO FRANCE INTERNATIONALE JOURNALISTS VOTE TO END STRIKE Striking journalists at Radio France Internationale have voted to end their strike from midnight tonight Paris time [2300 gmt, 18 February]. There were 80 votes in favour of the decision, with 4 against and a dozen abstentions. The strike at RFI began on 11 February over salary- related issues. Source: Radio France Internationale, Paris, in French 1430 gmt 18 Feb 04 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** GUATEMALA. Hi Glenn, Radio Buenas Nuevas, San Sebastián, 2/18/04, 4799.7, SINPO 34232. "Sweeper" on LSB only. 0212 tune in: OM talking, organ music, 0230 ID (organ bridge "... ? A N E Radio Buenas Nuevas, transmitendo desde San Sebastián, Guatemala" ... Organ bridge), talk by YL. Off 0240 (Mark Taylor, Madison, WI, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** HAITI [non]. Lots/all of this stuff will likely find its way onto shortwave through RCI or CBC Northern Service. Cheers, (Ricky Leong) ========= http://www3.cbc.ca/sections/newsitem_redux.asp?ID=3317 HAITI: A COUNTRY NEVER DIES BEGINNING SUNDAY, FEB. 22 ON CBC RADIO ONE Starting Sunday, Feb. 22, CBC Radio One presents HAITI: A COUNTRY NEVER DIES. Haiti's political crisis is making news as citizens take to the streets to defend or protest against President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. In the meantime, daily life for eight million Haitians carries on. CBC Radio's David Gutnick and Radio-Canada's Frédéric Nicoloff have just returned from Haiti with a special series of reports that go behind and beyond the headlines. Programming highlights include: Sunday, Feb. 22 - The Sunday Edition at 9 a.m. (9:30 NT) - Bowling for Haiti - A group of Canadian medical specialists volunteer their time to help Haitians who have lost limbs or are in wheelchairs. But Haiti is never simple and the volunteers find themselves in the middle of the complex political situation. Monday, Feb. 23 - Sounds Like Canada at 10 a.m. (10:30 NT) - Apricot Paradise - Seven in ten Haitians cannot read or write. Canadian Michaëlle de Verteuil has spent the last 28 years putting together a school system in the region around Les Abricots, one of the most isolated towns in Haiti. Tuesday, Feb. 24 - The Current at 8:30 a.m. (9 NT) - Losing Paradise - Habitation LeClerc is the only tropical forest left in Port-au-Prince. It is now a haven for armed gangs and squatters and is in danger of being cut to the ground to make way for a shantytown. Canadian Cameron Brohman is lobbying to save the forest against huge odds. Wednesday, Feb. 25 - Sounds Like Canada at 10 a.m. (10:30 NT) - Bab Rouj - Getting clean drinking water is a daily battle for Haitians. Most water is dirty and spreads disease. Tal Woolsey-known as Bab Rouj (red beard)-from Vernon, B.C., has spent the past couple of years helping villagers stay healthy by distributing a water filter invented in Calgary. Wednesday, Feb. 25 - Dispatches at 7:30 p.m. (8 NT) - Ban Mwen Kob ("give me money" in Creole) - Every month, Montrealer Anita Merisier sends food back to her family in Haiti. One in two Haitians is malnourished. David Gutnick follows Anita's food from Montreal to her brother's kitchen in Port-au-Prince, and gets an inside look at day- to-day life in a country suffering from what some call a "silent famine." Thursday, Feb. 26 - The Current at 8:30 a.m. (9 NT) Marie Miracle Calls to the Gods - Haiti has one of the highest HIV rates in the world. Doctors and AIDS organizations are struggling to help Haitians find the drugs and information they need. But many Haitians would rather trust "Leaf Doctors," voodoo priestesses like Marie Miracle who say their religion and home cures can make sick people healthy again. Friday, Feb. 27 - C'est la vie at 11:30 a.m. (12 NT) - Luck Comes Home - One of Quebec's biggest pop stars was born in Haiti. Luck Mervil's family left for Montreal when he was three. This January, for the first time, Luck returned to the fishing village in Southern Haiti where his mom was born. Saturday, Feb. 28 - The World This Weekend at 6 p.m. (7 AT, 7:30 NT) - An Eroding Future - Haiti's political crisis makes headlines- overlooked is the catastrophic situation of Haiti's environment. The mountains are bare, as peasants cut trees for charcoal, and the topsoil is washing out to sea. Farmers can't produce enough food for a rapidly growing population. Saturday, Feb. 28 - Global Village at 7:05 p.m. (6:05 AT, 6:35 NT) - Grupo Vocal Desandann in Concert - Grupo Vocal Desandann is an extraordinary Cuban vocal group of Haitian descent. The ensemble is composed mainly of second and third generation Haitians who were born and raised in Cuba, particularly in Camagüey. The Haitiano-Cuban group sings the folkloric and popular songs of Haiti with unique Creole expression. This edition of Global Village is co-hosted by Jowi Taylor and Haitian-Canadian broadcaster Ronald Jean. A website will be launched in conjunction with the series, and can be accessed at: http://www.cbc.ca/haiti HAITI: A COUNTRY NEVER DIES showcases the CBC/Radio-Canada tradition of going where other broadcasters don't go, uncovering stories that enlighten, reflect and connect Canadians. This series features the work of a bi-medial team, and is a co-production of CBC Radio and La Radio de Radio-Canada (via Ricky Leong, QC, DXLD) ** HONDURAS. HRMI, 3340, Feb 13 0245-0504*, Spanish religious programming; R. MI IDs at 0300 and at sign-off. Off with lite instrumental music. Fair-good (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. INDONESIA TO SET UP OFFICIAL RADIO STATIONS IN BORDER REGIONS | Text of report by Indonesian radio on 19 February The Indonesian government will set up official government radio stations in every area on Indonesian territorial borders to prevent the people from receiving misleading information. [Correspondent Fuad Bachtiar] The Indonesian government will set up Radio Republic of Indonesia (RRI) stations in every border region following the country's loss of the Sipadan and Ligitan islands recently. State Minister for Communication and Information Syamsul Muarif said that the presence of RRI stations in border areas was considered important to disseminate accurate information on the country's development. During a parliamentary hearing with Commission- I, Syamsul said that the distribution of accurate information on Indonesia was very important for the people living in border areas so that they would not be spoon fed information from neighbouring countries. Syamsul added that the government had currently been working on the plan by making an inventory of every island in border regions. The inventory was also conducted to identify the feeling of people on those islands, so that they could get accurate information about Indonesia. Source: Radio Republik Indonesia, Jakarta, in Indonesian 0000 gmt 19 Feb 04 (via BBCM via DXLD) In case you had not heard of these islands either, apparently there had been a long-standing dispute with Malaysia (Sabah), with the Philippines also involved. Lots about this at the International Court of Justice including: http://www.worldlii.org/int/cases/ICJ/2002/4.html On behalf of the Government of Malaysia, ``The Government of Malaysia respectfully requests the Court to adjudge and declare that sovereignty over Pulau Ligitan and Pulau Sipadan belongs to Malaysia.`` 14. The islands of Ligitan and Sipadan (Pulau Ligitan and Pulau Sipadan) are both located in the Celebes Sea, off the north-east coast of the island of Borneo, and lie approximately 15.5 nautical miles apart (see below, pp. 13 and 14, sketch-maps Nos. 1 and 2). Ligitan is a very small island lying at the southern extremity of a large star-shaped reef extending southwards from the islands of Danawan and Si Amil. Its co-ordinates are 4 09' latitude north and 118 53' longitude east. The island is situated some 21 nautical miles from Tanjung Tutop, on the Semporna Peninsula, the nearest area on Borneo. Permanently above sea level and mostly sand, Ligitan is an island with low-lying vegetation and some trees. It is not permanently inhabited. Although bigger than Ligitan, Sipadan is also a small island, having an area of approximately 0.13 sq. km. Its co-ordinates are 4 06' latitude north and 118 37' longitude east. It is situated some 15 nautical miles from Tanjung Tutop, and 42 nautical miles from the east coast of the island of Sebatik. Sipadan is a densely wooded island of volcanic origin and the top of a submarine mountain some 600 to 700 m in height, around which a coral atoll has formed. It was not inhabited on a permanent basis until the 1980s, when it was developed into a tourist resort for scuba-diving. 15. The dispute between the Parties has a complex historical background, of which an overview will now be given by the Court. In the sixteenth century Spain established itself in the Philippines and sought to extend its influence to the islands lying further to the south. Towards the end of the sixteenth century it began to exercise its influence over the Sultanate of Sulu. On 23 September 1836 Spain concluded Capitulations of peace, protection and commerce with the Sultan of Sulu. In these Capitulations, Spain guaranteed its protection to the Sultan ``in any of the islands situated within the limits of the Spanish jurisdiction, and which extend from the western point of Mindanao (Magindanao) to Borneo and Paragua (Palawan), with the exception of Sandakan and the other territories tributary to the Sultan on the island of Borneo``... (and on and on, via Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL. DOT AERO --- Did you ever want to check the flight status of an aircraft? A prototype was set up on the Internet at the ITU Telecom World 2003 held late last year in Geneva. The dot aero domain uses the internationally assigned IATA three letter airport codes. Eventually all major world airports will be involved. There are three ways to access information. [examples] http://ba723.aero --- Info on flight BA723 http://qva-lhr.aero --- Info on all flights Geneva-heathrow http://qva.airport.aero --- Info on all flights to and from Geneva This is a powerful tool and should be helpful toanyone monitoing aircraft once fully implemented. Access and security no doubt play a role in its future (Robert Ellis, Worldwide Utility Column, Feb CIDX Messenger via DXLD) Well, a few I tried in third category led nowhere, from ODG to LAX (gh, DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. The W-0-K-I-E (or "Wookie") Satellite Radio Network on AMC-7 Transponder 5, 7.5 MHz Audio acquired digital audio Feb 14 at 6:14 PM. Two Tieline Patriot Digital Audio Codecs were purchased with listener donations, giving the network FM quality audio over a phone line. W0KIE is owned by ham operator Michael Reynolds (W0KIE) and carries ham related programming, such as the Houston Amsat Net and This Week in Amateur Radio (Mason Vye, Canada, Feb 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I wonder if W0KIE would like to carry WORLD OF RADIO? (gh, DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL WATERS [non]. BBC Pirate Essex - just in...the news we have been waiting for ... Hi, Good news. We will be streaming the programme on our website. Thanks for your support. Steve Scruton, Afternoon Presenter/Producer BBC Essex, Email Steve.Scruton @ bbc.co.uk --- Why not visit our website at http://www.bbc.co.uk/essex (via Mike Terry, DXLD) ** JAPAN. TOKYO, Feb. 17 (Kyodo) -- The cabinet approved a proposed bill Tuesday to revise the Radio Law in a bid to alleviate frequency congestion through the effective use of radio frequencies. Under the proposed amendment, the government would compensate businesses having unused radio frequencies for losses incurred when they dismantle idle radio facilities. Fees would be imposed on newcomers for their use of radio frequencies. The proposal also calls for deregulating radio and wireless stations, replacing the current licensing system with a registration system. The bill is due to be presented to the current Diet session later this week and put into practice three months to one year after the law is published in the government gazette (Kyodo via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** LAOS [non]. 15260, Hmong Lao R., Feb 18 *0100-0106 34322 Lao, 0100 sign-on with IS. Opening announce. Talk (Kouji Hashimoto, JAPAN, Japan Premium via DXLD) ** LATVIA. The 9290 relay schedule for the coming weekend will be as follows: Sat 21 February: 1600-1700 Radio Geronimo Sun 22 February: 1400-1600 European Music Radio (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, DX LISTENING DIGEST) EUROPEAN MUSIC RADIO -- 22nd OF FEBRUARY ON 9290 KHZ AT 1400 UT. 73s (TOM AND STAFF AT EMR, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Received a colorful QSL sheet/sticker from European Music Radio for their Feb 7 Latvia transmission on 9290, eight days after submitting a reception report to emr @ blueyonder.co.uk Also received a e-mail reminder for the upcoming broadcast on Feb 22 at 1400Z also via Latvia 9290 (Ben Loveless, WB9FJO, Michigan, Feb 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALI. ORTM, 4783.38, Feb 14, 0555-0715+, tune-in to guitar IS. 0557 March type NA, French talk, local African music. Good, \\ 4835, 5995 (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn: 4783.38 R. Mali - Bamako, Mali. On 02.19.04 between 0653 and 0700Z, the much weaker signal of R. Mali's lower frequency transmitter (18 kW per ILGRadio), with parallel audio programming to the stronger (50 kW) higher frequency signal (also received regularly at 4835.0), was heard here for the first time that we can recall. Male speaker was talking in an unidentified African language, and music was indigenous melodious folk-type with drums, flute, plucked instruments, etc. After 0700 a talk program came on with both male and female voices, presumably in the same language; but voices were severely muffled, with heavy intermodulation distortion. Heard in the clear at 4835, but buried in heavy radar sweep QRM at 4783.38 (Steve Waldee - San José, CA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO [and non]. Mexi-blaster interference makes "Marketplace" You wouldn't think the little spat now underway between the new 560, 780 and 920 stations in Baja California and their US adjacent channels would seep through to the mass media...yet it made the airwaves of "Marketplace" on Public Radio International yesterday. Hear it here: http://www.marketplace.org/shows/2004/02/17_mpp.html (scroll down the page to the appropriate story) (Scott Fybush, NY, Feb 18, NRC-AM via DXLD) Viz.: Mexican station causing airwaves war in U.S. [4:44 audio link] Radio stations looking for a leg up on their competitors have long sought refuge in Mexico, where authorities allow radio operators to beam more powerful broadcasts into the U.S. In recent months, one such station has been interfering with radio programs throughout the western U.S. The dispute reveals that federal regulators in charge of policing these airwaves still haven't entered the digital age. It’s making many wonder what the communication is with the Mexican and U.S. governments -- and why this could not have been resolved quickly over the telephone. Reporter: Eric Niiler (via DXLD) ** NAMIBIA. Also hearing what I presume is Namibia with continuous African music on 6175 at 2200-2300 underneath an Overcomer Ministry broadcast from an unknown site [Jülich, for China & Mongolia! See SOUTH CAROLINA below]. Opportunity for a positive ID obscured by Brother Stair impressing us with how many shortwave transmitters he is heard from worldwide. Give it a rest, Brother! I've been trying to get a good copy of Namibia for ages. Best Regards (Ben Loveless, WB9FJO, Michigan, Feb 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 6175 was heard just once despite fairly regular checks (though Vaclav in DXLD 4-028 reported that 6175 was "still going strong 24 hours"). 3270, 3290 and 6060 were not heard at all (Chris (back in Nairobi) Greenway, Feb 19, observed last week in Zambia, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA [and non]. Applications from existing facilities: KDIA, 1640, Vallejo CA, applies to raise nighttime power to become U2 10000/10000. They want to add three towers to their current site for the new night service, and raise a new tower at a second site for the day operation. KDZR, 1640, Lake Oswego OR -- station had an application to increase night power to 10 kW using a direxional antenna, turned down. FCC has agreed to reconsider the petition (Bill Hale, AM Switch, NRC DX News Feb 16 via DXLD) Looks like KMMZ will have to up power to 10 kW at night to hold its own on 1640. And how is its groundwave coverage, with a tight direxional pattern NNW/SSE? On Feb 18 I made a trip to Tulsa and back from Enid on US 412. In the daytime, KMMZ held up past Stillwater, but was lost well before Tulsa on my insensitive caradio. At night, more or less in the side null, as far as I-35 other stations, mainly WTNI, I think were dominating the frequency. Around the I-35 junxion, a pronounced subaudible heterodyne of slightly more than 1 Hz (68 per minute) developed between KMMZ, likely the off-frequency one, and WTNI or whatever else was in at that time. A bit west of I-35, KMMZ began to dominate (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** POLAND. Re: And then what? The contract was prolonged. I do not know for how long, but probably Bernd has meanwhile replied anyway? [Yes] Concerning the frequencies, the information given by Radio Polonia on their website appears to be reliable. I just checked for German 2030-2055 on 7175 and 7285 and could not hear anything, but likely both frequencies were simply skipping and the faint scatter signals buried in the sideband slope present on these channels. In general only the 1230 broadcast of the German service is listenable on shortwave as long as the background rumble is not too annoying; the transmissions in the evening are a mere waste of money (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Feb 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Well, you are so close to Poland, most of it skips over you (gh, DXLD) ** RUSSIA. Here`s an explanation why VOR suddenly dropped its webcasts in English and other languages --- because of and until the presidential elections in March, a rather flimsy excuse. But even after that, they aren`t sure what will happen. Would be a good idea for listeners to write in requesting the immediate resumption of webcasts in non-Russian languages (gh) Queridos amigos, hace unos dias hice un comentario sobre La Voz de Rusia y sus emisiones en internet en idioma castellano. Les comentaba, que cuando traté de compusintonizar "Frecuencia RM" el dia Martes, lo que había escuchado era una programación en idioma ruso con música moderna muy alegre. Pues bien, el colega Locutor, Patricio Cortés, ha respondido a mi inquietud, y creo que debemos tomar en cuenta la sugerencia que nos hace de escribir a la emisora planteando la inmediata colocación de los programas en español a traves de tan importante medio. Así me respondió el querido amigo Patricio Cortes "Pancho". (José Elías Días Gómez, Venezuela, Feb 18, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ----- Original Message ----- From: Patricio Cortes To: sintoniadx @ cantv.net Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 5:45 AM Subject: Aclaración no muy aclaratoria Estimado José Elías: Estuve alejado de mi correo electrónico por algunos días, por diversas razones y por eso no intenté aclarar antes tu inquietud, sobre las emisiones via Internet de nuestra emisora. Hoy me he puesto en contacto con la persona encargada de estos asuntos "internetisticos" (vaya neologismo que he inventado) y una primera aclaración que se me ha dado es que se estaría usando ese canal para emisiones en ruso, hasta las próximas elecciones presidenciales del 14 de marzo. Pero después de esa fecha, no se sabe que pasará con ese canal. Lo mismo parece que sucede con las emisiones en inglés. Consulté también con los responsables de nuestra Redacción y me dijeron que van a aclarar el asunto, pues les parece poco convincente la explicación relacionada con las elecciones. Así que, lo único que está claro es que no hay por ahora emisiones en directo en español por internet. Solo quedan las emisiones grabadas que se pueden escuchar a través de Real Audio. Si tengo alguna otra novedad te la comunicaré a tí y a todos los amigos diexistas. Creo que no estaría mal que nuestros oyentes enviaran cartas a nuestra Redacción Latinoamericana, pidiendo explicaciones por este asunto y exigiendo que se reinicien las emisiones en directo a través de internet, en español. Gracias José Elías por tu aviso. Un abrazo, Pancho Rodríguez FRECUENCIA RM LA VOZ DE RUSIA pcortes @ orc.ru cortes @ vor.ru (via JEDG, DXLD) ** RUSSIA. Glenn: 7320.0, R. Rossii - Magadan. It is about dinner-time at this frigid port on the Sea of Okhotsk at 60 degrees latitude, but luckily the winds are calm, so the frigid temperature of -11 Celsius (12 d Fahrenheit) probably does not cut through the warm Russian furs like a knife. The radio listeners to the Magadan service are hearing between 0745 and 0750 some soulful, emotional, sentimental vocal music -- probably about love -- followed by Svetlanov's famous recording of the Scherzo by Mussorgsky, apparently the theme music leading into what to this American's ear sounds like a weather and news report; on the hour sharply at 0800 comes the resonantly evocative strains of the Coronation Scene from "Boris Godunov" and thus the Radio Rossii interval music leads us into another hour of programming, this time more news, presumably, read by a female in an austere, clipped, and frighteningly-authoritative manner (one almost imagines the brown woolen suit, hero's medal, and furrow of hair between the eyebrows of a formidable female commissar-type from the old Soviet Union, now redeployed as a radio democrat.) Rx: R75; 350 foot dipole; locale: San José, CA. Best, (Steve Waldee, Feb 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. The Overcomer Radio Ministry Copied from website and modified 16 Feb/04 http://www.overcomerministry.com/sw.shtml --- Updated 14 Jan/04 All daily except where indicated. 0400-0500 9770 Juelich Australia - NZ 0400-1300 5770 WWCR US 0700-0900 5070 WWCR US 1200-1400 5070 WWCR US [NOT SO, as previously discussed here] 1300-1600 6110 Juelich Europe 1400-1500 5620 Juelich India [sic -- 15620?] 1400-1600 13810 Juelich Australia - NZ 1400-2100 9475 WWCR US [really 1300-] 1400-1600 21590 Juelich S. America 1600-1700 6110 Juelich UK Sat 1700-1800 5870 Radio Moscow [sic] India, S. Asia 2000-2100 9755 Juelich C Africa, S Africa 2100-0400 7465 WWCR US 1100-1200 5070 WWCR US 1100-1200 5770 WWCR US 1100-1200 9955 WRMI S America, Cuba M-F 1100-1200 6100 Juelich Italy, Albania 1100-1200 9485 Juelich Scandinavia 1100-1200 9610 Juelich Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria 1100-1200 11950 Juelich Spain, Portugal, S. France 1100-1200 13820 Juelich Poland 1100-1200 13820 Juelich Russia 1100-1200 13850 Juelich Hungary, Greece 1100-1200 15825 WWCR Europe, Scandinavia 1100-1200 15235 Juelich Israel, Saudi Arabia 1100-1200 17482 Juelich Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda [17485??] 1100-1200 17735 Juelich Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan 1100-1200 21720 Juelich Tunisia, Libya, Congo, Nigeria 2200-2300 9490 Juelich E Asia 2200-2300 5905 Juelich NW Africa 2200-2300 5985 Juelich West China 2200-2300 6045 Juelich N Am. 2200-2300 6055 Juelich N America East 2200-2300 6175 Juelich China, Mongolia 2200-2300 7105 Juelich Central Am. 2200-2300 7145 Juelich South Am. North 2200-2300 7465 WWCR US [duplicated in longer span above; B.S. seems to lack the ability to apply simple logic; hmm, not really surprising] 2200 2300 9480 Juelich South Am. South 2200-2300 9695 Juelich West Africa 2200-2300 9730 Juelich SE Asia 2200-2300 15725 WRMI N America From 2200 to 2300 UT on 16 Feb/04, 11 of the frequencies listed above were heard with varying degrees of audibility. What a waste of spectrum space (Bernie O`Shea, Ottawa, Canada, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Also noticed him on 18950, just next to Sweden, Feb 18 at 1430 --- Oops, that`s WWCR, 2 x 9475, probably receiver-produced, tho heard on more than one, due to extreme overload (gh) ** SRI LANKA. Colombo International Radio noted back on 873 kHz just after 0130 UT when TWR ends transmission on 882 kHz. The schedule of Colombo International Radio on 873 beamed towards Tamilnadu, India is: Tamil: 0135-0430(Sun 0530), 0915-1120. The schedule of TWR is: Indian languages & English: 2230-0130 1130-1915 (Sat 1730). The same transmitter is used by both stations. For some time they were both using 882 kHz. SLBC All Asia Service spurious signal of 9770 noted on 9705 today from tune in around 0100. 9770 was comparatively weaker than usual today. 73 (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, dx_india via DXLD) ** SWEDEN. RADIO SWEDEN -- Coming up on Radio Sweden: Thursday: In "HeartBeat" tampons and personal trainers Friday: Our weekly review Saturday: In "Spectrum" the Gothenburg Film Festival and the Liljevalchs Spring Show Sunday: "Sounds Nordic" goes to the Swedish Grammies (repeat) (SCDX/MediaScan Feb 18 via DXLD) ** TAJIKISTAN. On 17 Feb at tune in 1404 until closedown 1500 heard a weak station on 5000.7 in possibly Dari language. No ID heard. While scanning the band later, I noted VOR English service at 1617 on 4949.3 in parallel with 4965 and 4975. Possibly the 4940 transmitter was faulty and had drifted. I checked also 5000.7 again and the same program was there too with good signal strength, maybe a bit distorted. I didn't hear them on 4940 and when looking down the frequency didn't notice other spurs. All these three transmitters are listed as Yangiyul, Tajikistan (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Well, 4949.3 and 5000.7 would match perfectly as spurs of 4975 (gh, DXLD) Hmm, I looked at the figures again and this seems to be a transmitter site mixing product, not a spur. 4975 - 4949.3 = 25.7; 4975 +25.7 = 5000.7 (Jari, Cumbre DX via DXLD) I would call these spurs and not mixing products. The 4949.3 and 5000.7 signals are apparently coming out of the intentional 4975 transmitter, since their separations match perfectly (Glenn, ibid.) Yes Glenn, it's possible. I was just thinking of a possibility that 4940 transmitter had shifted to 4949.3 and then there for some reason appeared a mixing product with 4975 transmitter. If I just had heard 4940 on the air at the same time, but there was AIR Guwahati and some strong ute on the frequency. But either way the signal came from Tajikistan :) 73 (Jari Savolainen, ibid.) ** TURKMENISTAN. Isolated President Saparmurat Niyazov on February 13 unveiled plans for a foreign satellite television channel that he said would help dispel the outside world's misconceptions about his country. The channel will broadcast in English, French, Russian, Farsi and other languages and will initially be allocated some 14 million dollars (11 million euros) of funding, Niyazov said on domestic television. It remained unclear how much of an appetite foreign viewers would have for the programming usually aired by this former Soviet republic's state-controlled media: Niyazov's own poetry and "philosophical" writings. Turkmen domestic channels carry no comedy, analysis or discussion, or Western music -- either popular or classical -- and stop broadcasting at 11:00 P.M. each night. They also carry a gold profile of Niyazov in one corner of the screen, reflecting the personality cult that he has built around himself since becoming president with the end of Soviet rule in 1991 (AFP via SCDX/MediaScan Feb 18 via DXLD) ** UKRAINE. Media Freedom: A radio station in Kiev, Ukraine, Tuesday (February 17) pulled U.S. funded Radio Liberty from its airwaves beamed across Ukraine, following through on a threat to cancel the program unless it changed its format. The program's Prague-based director of policy and planning, Jeff Trimble, said the cancellation was politically motivated and the U.S. Embassy said the Bush administration will be "raising concerns" with Ukrainian officials in Kiev and Washington (AP story, in the Utica Observer Dispatch, February 18 via Roger Chambers, Utica, NY, Feb 19, DXLD) Viz.: UKRAINE STATION DROPS U.S. RADIO LIBERTY By TIM VICKERY Associated Press Writer http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/ap/ap_story.html/Intl/AP.V4157.AP-Ukraine-Media.html KIEV, Ukraine (AP) -- A radio station Tuesday pulled U.S.-funded Radio Liberty from its airwaves beamed across the Ukraine, following through on a threat to cancel the program unless it changed its format. The program's top executive, Jeff Trimble, said the cancellation was politically motivated and the U.S. Embassy said the Bush administration will be ``raising concerns'' with Ukrainian officials in Kiev and Washington. Last week, privately owned Radio Dovira sent a letter threatening to deny the Radio Liberty FM airtime unless it made format changes. Radio Dovira had rebroadcast the Radio Liberty's shortwave programming onto more accessible FM frequencies for five years. After the letter was sent, the U.S. Embassy called the move particularly deplorable so close to upcoming presidential elections. The program is considered to be an independent source of information. Trimble, Radio Liberty's Prague-based director of policy and planning, came to Kiev on Friday to try to resolve the dispute but he said Radio Dovira had refused to talk about its decision. Alexander Narodetsky, director of Radio Svoboda, Radio Liberty's Ukrainian service, told The Associated Press that the station did not give ``any seriously formulated reason'' for the cancellation Tuesday. Radio Liberty's FM band broadcasts will continue on four smaller affiliates, but Narodetsky said they reach ``only a very small portion'' of its approximately eight million listeners in Ukraine. Negotiations are underway to find alternative stations, but Narodetsky said he is ``very pessimistic'' because many now are afraid to associate with the network. Thomas Dine, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty president, is expected to come to Kiev on Thursday to try to resolve the dispute. In a speech before the U.S. Senate last week, Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, a Colorado Republican, said the cancellation would not bode well for democracy in the Ukraine. Opposition leaders, journalists and media outlets say pressure has been mounting ahead of the October elections that will replace two- term President Leonid Kuchma, who has been accused of muzzling the press. Ukraine's media climate has been tense since the 2000 death of Heorhiy Gongadze, an Internet journalist who crusaded against high-level corruption. His decapitated body was found in a forest outside Kiev. Opposition groups allege Kuchma was involved in Gongadze's killing. Kuchma denies involvement. AP-NY-02-17-04 1217 EST (Atlanta Journal Constitution via Artie Bigley, DXLD) RFE/RL OFF FM IN KYIV, CITIES ACROSS UKRAINE http://www.rferl.org/releases/2004/02/219-170204.asp (Washington, Prague -- February 17, 2004) Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Ukrainian programs were taken off the air today in Kyiv and cities across Ukraine, as the Ukrainian FM Radio Dovira network carried out its threat to drop RFE/RL from its airwaves. RFE/RL President Thomas A. Dine called the Dovira move "a deeply disturbing political development and serious setback to freedom of expression in Ukraine." Dine said that silencing RFE/RL's unique and popular brand of balanced and comprehensive local news in this presidential election year robs Ukrainians of an invaluable source of information. "This isn't just about RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service -- this is about denying Ukrainians the information they need to make sound decisions about the future of their country," Dine said, adding "this is already having a chilling impact on the media and public debate in Ukraine." RFE/RL programming was removed from the Dovira airwaves at 6:30 am (Kyiv time) this morning. Dine said he is "outraged at the unilateral, abrupt ending of a successful partnership with Dovira." RFE/RL was given just one week's notice of the Dovira decision in a letter dated February 11. Dine said that the primary reason cited by Dovira for canceling the programs, that RFE/RL programs did not fit Dovira's format, was "baseless and misleading." The decision to pull RFE/RL programming off of the privately-held Ukrainian network was made by a newly-installed management team headed by Serhiy Kychygin, a businessman and journalist reported to be close to the administration of Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma. Dovira did not respond to repeated efforts by RFE/RL to meet during the days after the letter was received. Dovira had been rebroadcasting five hours daily of RFE/RL programs on its nationwide FM network since 1998. Latest RFE/RL audience figures (from the American-based InterMedia Survey Institute) show a 30 percent increase nationwide in listenership over the past 12 months, mostly among young listeners in the 15-24 age group. Dine said RFE/RL is determined not to disappoint its large audience and has already begun a search for other affiliate partners to rebroadcast on FM in Kyiv and elsewhere. RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service continues to broadcast on shortwave to Ukraine and its programs are still available on independent FM stations in six cities including Odessa and Simferopol. This week, RFE/RL began broadcasting on a new Medium Wave (AM) frequency from Hungary. Listeners in Ukraine can turn the dial to AM 1188 to hear Radio Liberty broadcasts from 9-10 pm and 11-12 pm Kyiv time daily. Hundreds of listeners have contacted RFE/RL to protest the loss of RFE/RL on Dovira frequencies. A representative comment came from a law student who sent this e-mail: "I want to tell you that as a student, it's interesting and useful for us to listen to [RFE/RL Ukrainian broadcasts]. You give us a real picture of events in Ukraine and the world." Prominent Ukrainian opposition leaders, including former Prime Minister and presidential candidate Victor Yushchenko, Batkivshchyna (Motherland) party leader Yulia Timoshenko and respected human rights activist and parliamentarian Stepan Khmara, as well as independent local newspapers have all come out in strong support of continued RFE/RL Ukrainian broadcasting nationwide. Dine said the Dovira decision is reminiscent of the "bad old days" and "a regrettable prelude to what we still hope will be a joyful celebration of the 50th anniversary of our Ukrainian Service this summer." RFE/RL began broadcasting to Ukraine on August 16, 1954 and is the leading international broadcaster in the country (RFE/RL press via Artie Bigley, Mike Terry, DXLD) UKRAINIAN RADIO PRODUCER DEFENDS DECISION TO TAKE LIBERTY OFF AIR The reason why Radio Liberty was taken off the air by a Ukrainian radio station was commercial, not political, Serhiy Kychyhyn, general producer at the Radio Dovira FM network and newspaper 2000 editor, has said. He explained that Dovira, which relayed Liberty, had been losing listeners because of Liberty's news format. Dovira needed to attract more listeners to bring in advertising revenue, Kychyhyn said. The following is the text of the interview Kychyhyn gave to Oleksandr Mikhelson, published by the Ukrainian Glavred web site on 16 February . . . [snipped by gh] No problems with BBC relays [Mikhelson] Radio Liberty has recently come under criticism, like other media financed by the West, for alleged interference in Ukraine's internal affairs. In this sense, what is your personal attitude to that radio and other "foreign voices"? [Kychyhyn] On the one hand, I welcome the material that they cover in the broadcasts and their political position from the viewpoint of liberal values. On the other hand, in my opinion, they are backward in developing the forms of presenting that information. In this case, this is simply a listener's opinion. It's how it seems to me, and maybe I'm mistaken. And although in covering the events of recent days surrounding Liberty itself, the station partly departed from principles of objectivity in presenting material, I can understand its staff from a purely human point of view. I want to recall that in 1996 the Kiyevskiye Vedomosti closed joint- stock company, which I headed, became the first organization in Ukraine to invite our BBC radio station on to the air. The BBC broadcasts on the same principles as Liberty did on Dovira's frequency until recently, but from the very beginning in a completely different format. I well remember how interesting both the negotiations in London and the meetings in Kiev were. But I am also thinking about something else. At that time, the independent democratic air space was still in embryonic form. But the situation now is completely different, and it may be that becoming aware of our own grown possibilities and experience is already making it possible for Ukrainian broadcasters to look at Western colleagues not only as "elder brothers", but already as competitors, prompting a natural aspiration for greater information sovereignty. Source: Glavred, Kiev, in Ukrainian 0000 gmt 16 Feb 04 (via BBCm via DXLD) ** UKRAINE [non]. Radio Liberty Ukrainian now on 1188 kHz from Hungary As a result of the decision of Radio Dovira in the Ukraine to stop relaying the programmes of Radio Liberty, the IBB has added Radio Liberty in Ukrainian at 1800-1900 & 2000-2100 UTC to the leased 500 kW relay at Marcali, Hungary on 1188 kHz. (Sources: Alexander Egorov in open_dx yahoogroup, Bernd Trutenau, Medium Wave Circle) posted by Andy @ 17:53 UT Feb 17 (Media Network blog via WORLD OF RADIO 1220, DXLD) Not yet, or at least not now. Marcali signed on again at 2000 still with the scheduled Belorussian. Recording with regional Reichenbach transmitter in the background (MDR is not really enthusiastic about Hungary running high power on 1188 now ...): http://kailudwig.bei.t-online.de/1188_170204_2000.mp3 Which target will RL actually consider as more important, Belarus or the Ukraine? (Kai Ludwig, 02.17.04 - 9:25 pm, ibid.) I would expect RL to beef up SW broadcasts into Ukraine too. Hmm, they are already fairly extensive; why don`t they play this up? When will surrogate broadcasters ever learn not to depend on in-country relays? (gh, DXLD) RFE in Ukrainian, all on the RL-7 program feed line: 0400 0500 MOR 08 9750 051 123456 0400 0500 BIB 08 6170 088 123456 0400 0500 BIB 06 3985 088 123456 0600 0700 MOR 10 9695 051 12345 0600 0700 LAM 01 7245 075 12345 0600 0700 BIB 08 5980 088 12345 1800 1900 BIB 04 9625 088 1800 1900 BIB 03 5985 088 1800 2000 BIB 06 3980 088 1800 1900 MAR A 1188 999 1900 2000 MOR 03 9625 043 1900 2000 BIB 03 7125 088 2000 2100 BIB 08 9845 065 712345 2000 2100 MOR 03 9625 043 712345 2000 2100 BIB 03 7125 088 712345 2000 2100 BIB 06 3980 088 712345 2000 2100 MAR A 1188 999 712345 For good measure, here is VOA in Ukrainian, program feedline G: 0500 0600 MOR 08 9875 051 0500 0600 BIB 08 6170 088 0500 0600 BIB 06 3985 088 2100 2130 MOR 08 11875 051 2100 2130 MOR 09 7295 051 2100 2130 BIB 06 3980088 (IBB online schedule as of 0440 UT Feb 19 via gh, DXLD) ** U K. NO PLANS TO BREAK UP THE BBC Andy Sennitt comments: I keep seeing press headlines from outside the UK that the British government "plans to break up the BBC." It doesn't. The future structure of the BBC is one of the things being considered in the run-up to the BBC's charter renewal in 2006. It's a routine process, but has caught the imagination of the world's press in the wake of the Hutton Report. The idea of having separate broadcasting organisations for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales was just one scenario produced for consideration by civil servants, and leaked to a Sunday newspaper. Most members of the Cabinet had not even seen the proposal when it appeared in the newspaper, and Ministers have been publicly distancing themselvses from it. I believe there will be reforms to the way the BBC is governed, but that the underlying structure will remain intact. # posted by Andy @ 10:28 UT Feb 17 (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** U K. Recommend current Off The Shelf Hi, Glenn! I tend to not listen to the BBC's "Off The Shelf" these days; I seem to recall you mentioning doing the same. When it is a series of a week or two of successive episodes, something always seems to make me miss one or two during the string, (I was listening to the "Casino Royale" one and the special news coverage on the Hutton report replaced one in the middle of the run that time.) But I am recommending the current one called "Pompei". It is set in Roman empire times and so far (I've heard three sections) has been enjoyable and interesting. That is a genre of writing I've always liked, though. Anyway, I suppose you can hear it on the net, too, so give it a try. 73, (Will Martin, MO, Feb 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Hello Glenn, I am writing to let you know I didn`t like WSHB airing religious programming every day. I liked the old format of Monitor Radio International and Letterbox. WSHB, WCSN and KHBI where owned by the Christian Science Monitor. I hope they reinstate MRI (Sean Traverse, Feb 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) That would be nice, but I don`t think there is any chance of that. This week`s WOR 1220 features the haunting interval signal of WSHB, and opening in Russian. Does anyone know the origin of the IS? While I couldn`t prove it, I bet they had a limited number of CS teaching tapes in each language and had been running them over and over (gh) ** U S A. Notice that VOA is carrying more outsourced programming. While it is a pity that budget cuts mean VOA can do less and less original English programming, this may not be such a bad thing, as it becomes more of a `SW public radio station`. Thu Feb 19 at 1433 on 9760 via Philippines, I enjoyed listening to ``Talking History``, the first segment of which was a reëvaluation of Woodrow Wilson, how he really was naïve and caused a lot of damage by getting us into The Great War, and its aftermath. The show is actually produced at UMKC in Kansas City, judging from its E-mail address. Hmmm, I have a media/DX program available (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) see UKRAINE ** U S A. Change at WNCT-1070 [Greenville NC]. Glenn, They have dropped Spanish for English talk. Monday of this week (Kevin C. O`Brien, Feb 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. KWBW, 1450, Hutchinson KS, Jan 29 at 0203 EST with a rarely heard sign-off announcement, giving address, ownership and sign-on time of 0500 weekdays, 0630 Saturday and 0700 Sundays and ``join us now for our national anthem``, into choral SSB (Bruce Winkleman, Tulsa OK, DDXD-West, NRC DX News Feb 16 via DXLD) Hearing a ``real`` sign-off with the `Star Spangled Banner` today is almost as rare as hearing a ``real`` equipment test (Harry L. Helms, DDXD editor, ibid.) Sure is; I advocate certain SW stations doing it, since not even VOA does. WBCQ a prime candidate as it already has sign-on/offs produced, and which occur at a variety of times, not just late at night, but never plays anthem (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. IOWA PUBLIC RADIO STATIONS FACE CUTS Posted at 8:26 on 02/19/2004 Iowa`s public radio stations, operated by the three state universities, could lose a combined total of nearly $1.4 million per year in state funding, the stations have been told. Station officials were told at the State Board of Regents meeting Wednesday in Iowa City that they will thrive only through increased cooperation and greater emphasis on private funding sources. Regent John Forsyth of Des Moines said the radio managers should assume their legislative funding will dry up completely and they must accelerate their efforts to work together. ``I think this is a great first step,`` he said of their efforts to cooperate thus far. ``But I think there is much more that can and will be done.`` The radio stations are the University of Northern Iowa`s KUNI-KHKE, the University of Iowa`s WSUI-KSUI and Iowa State University`s WOI Group. Already, the station managers have, among other things, hatched plans to connect through the Iowa Communications Network and directed two statehouse reporters, one each for KUNI and WOI, to coordinate their efforts. KSUI and WOI have also co-produced the news show ``Talk of Iowa.`` Forsyth noted that the stations reach 200,000 listeners a week, providing ``great value`` to the state. But the regents are reeling from more than $100 million in state cuts over the past three years. State funding for KSUI-WSUI totals $761,000 --- about 47 percent of its annual budget. KUNI receives $525,000 in state funds annually about 30 percent of its budget. WOI is far less dependent on public funding. In tackling the future challenge, the stations need to maintain their own identity, Forsyth said. But he hoped they could plan strategically in buying equipment and extending service to the areas of the state that cannot pick up a signal. After the meeting, Regent David Neil of LaPorte City said he hoped the state could continue to fund the stations at a reduced level, but he agreed that the stations need to wean themselves off public money if possible. ``It`s a shame we have to hold bake sales for public radio, but that`s the hand the regents are dealt now,`` he said. --- (Associated Press via Bill Smith, W5USM, DXLD) ** U S A. We have rescued the old transmitter of WFOY, 1240, next to the Fountain of Youth in St. Augustine, FL --- a 1951 Collins 300-G, and it is now at a museum in the Maryland-DC area [Bowie]. In December, we illuminated the transmitter ceremoniously for an annual ham radio event known as the ``Heavy Metal Rally,`` featuring transmitters like this that weigh at least 250 pounds and produce power of at least 250 watts. In the final days before the operating event, we had a bit more work to do before the old Collins could be fully on the air, but we did operate with its little sister, another Collins, model 32V2. We applied for and received a special call sign, W3R, for operation from the museum on the shortwave ham bands, and there is now a website, logbook, profile and photographs of the station that you and your readers might enjoy seeing. http://www.qrz.com/callsign/W3R? Wintertime is prime, no-static season to hear the ``tall ships`` running AM on our 160 meter ham band, just above the Standard Broadcast band. We can be heard running vintage BC transmitters and other high quality AM stations around 1885, 1925, and 1945 Kc. Please give us a listen (Paul Courson, via Dave Braun, DXers` Notebook, NRC DX News Feb 16 via DXLD) ** U S A. Some quick notes from Houston: There are no TIS stations active at either Hobby Airport or Intercontinental. (There are numerous NOAA weather stations around town but I think almost all of them were previously known to exist). 1510 KROB-TX is supposed to be a daytimer but they're on at night. 1560 KILE-TX is supposed to be a daytimer but they have been leaving their transmitter on OC at night. Last night was the first night they turned it off in the 5 nights I've been here (and they had been running programs until about 4 hours after sunset). 1680 At least 2 new stations here. There is an HAR describing the long-term closure of US 59 between TX-288 and the west side of I-610. There is also a NOAA weather relay that I haven't quite pinpointed yet, but I think it's S/SW of Houston and probably well west of Galveston (I was in Galveston yesterday and no trace of it there). (Tim Hall, Feb 17, amfmtvdx via DXLD) ** U S A. WD2XXM Frederick on 1670 Saul Chernos snuck away from his girlfriend long enough to phone me to tell me that WD2XXM (the IBOC station) is blasting in on 1670 at 5 p.m. [EST Feb 18] Wednesday up in Burnt River. Sounded pretty strong over the phone. And then he called back to tell be he could also hear the IBOC hiss on 1660 and 1680 (Niel Wolfish, Toronto, NRC-AM via DXLD) My heavens, yes. It's blasting through my (very bad) electrical noise here in Rochester with a variety of tones, digital whale-fart noises and "This is WD2XXM" IDs. Thanks, Niel and Saul! (s Fybush, NY, ibid.) Directional? Low power? Already gone? Not a hint of the station, or any adjacent channel noise here, at 1800 EST (Gerry Bishop, Niceville, FL, ibid.) Same here; no trace (perhaps too early ?) at 1750 EST. Does this go off at 1800 ? 73 KAZ Barrington IL (Neil Kazaross, ibid.) The iBiquity test station in Frederick MD is being heard very strongly here at 1715 EST. Test tones, music, frequent IDs. Thanks to Saul Chernos for the tip! -- (Barry McLarnon, VE3JF, Ottawa, ON, ibid.) And the hiss on 1660 and 1680 too apparently, based on what it sounded like over the phone from up in Burnt River! I'm not sure if this Saul's girlfriend's first new catch of the 2003-2004 DX season or not. ;-) 73 (Niel Wolfish, Toronto, ibid.) I'm sure that IBOC is not the only thing hissing at Saul if he is off DXing and not paying attention to his girlfriend (Fred Vobbe, ibid.) I heard this today as well around 1738 local on my car radio. Lots o' noise hash, tones, ZZ Top musical burst, male voice for ID. Hash sounded awful in hindsight (Peter Jernakoff, Wilmington, Delaware, ibid.) ** U S A [and non]. The big news this month is SSTV or Slow Scan Television on the Pirate Bands. SSTV is a mode used by hams for years to send still images to one another. With the advent of free software for encoding and decoding images, all one needs is a computer with a good sound card to receive these transmissions. First thing you need to do is go to http://www.qsl.net/mmhamsoft/mmsstv/index.htm and download MMSSTV. On this page you will find everything you need including help files and documents to get you started. You will also need the appropriate cable to plug into the input of your sound card to the headphone jack of your receiver. See also http://www.frn.net/vines/ and search around for messages with tips and tricks from DXers and pirates themselves. Some listeners have posted some SSTV images from pirates in the logs section as well. Some pirates, like Sunshine radio, Grasscutter Radio, WHUP, Ragnar Radio, and others, have used SSTV pirate transmissions recently. Most activity has been on 6925 but could show up anywhere on 43 meters (Steve Karlock, Erie PA, Captain`s Log, Feb CIDX Messenger via DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. The recent controversy in the US over the exposure of Janet Jackson's right breast at half time during live TV coverage the Super Bowl has placed renewed attention on the task of the regulators, the men and women whose job is to maintain order and decency on the airwaves. But while all the attention is focused on the regulatory procedures in the US, I see long term dangers in the decision to use digital delays on live broadcasts. Janet Jackson may well have exposed a great deal more than just her right breast. http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/features/html/reg040219.html (Andy Sennitt, Media Network newsletter Feb 19 via DXLD) ** VIETNAM [non]. I listened to Que Huong Radio in Vietnamese language program on 9930 from 1331 to 1359 UT on February 14, 2004. Mainly talk program. ID at 2231 [sic, must be UT+9, meaning 1331 UT] SINPO- 35333-45444-43442. QRM was unknown station in English program on same frequency from about 1349 (Yasuhiro Shiozaki, JAPAN, Japan Premium via DXLD) Well, WINB is no longer there, so I wonder what it was (gh) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. SAHARA OCCIDENTAL, Escuchada en español, la Radioemisora de la República Árabe Saharaui Democrática, por la frecuencia de los 7460 kHz, el dia 11-2-2004; la hora de la escucha fue de 2300-2330 UT, el programa escuchado fue primeramente un programa de musica Pop de los años 80 y 90 y a las 2330 UT comienza el informativo (José Hernández Madrid, SPAIN, Japan Premium via DXLD) Madrid is his segundo apellido, not his city (gh) ** YEMEN. Rep. Of Yemen R., 9780.37, Feb 13, 1800-1900 English. Threshhold signal at 1800 but slowly improving to poor to fair level by 1900. US pop music. English news at 1830, 1840, 1855 (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZAMBIA. R. Christian Voice, 4965, Feb 14 0210-0255* English religious programming with interviews, religious music. Station promos. 0219 ``Radio Christian Voice, Christian Voice International`` IDs. 0255 ID jingle and off the air with lite instrumental music. Good; best in LSB due to noise on high side (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZAMBIA. Radio 1 heard on 5915 at 0515-1555 (Tony Rogers: note these times differ slightly from those in your African guide), and on 4910 before and after those times. Radio 2 heard on 6165 throughout. I thought Zambia had left mediumwave for good a few years ago, but discovered that the last remaining ZNBC MF transmitting station is still going at Livingstone on 729 (Radio 1) and 927 (Radio 2). (Chris (back in Nairobi) Greenway, Feb 19, observed last week in Zambia, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZIMBABWE. As already reported, 3306 has been reactivated as the nighttime channel for "Radio Zimbabwe", with 6045 remaining the daytime frequency. It was still erratic while I was there, and so I can't confirm the exact times for the frequency changes, but they might be at or around 0530 and 1630. Regards, (Chris (back in Nairobi) Greenway, Feb 19, observed last week in Zambia, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZIMBABWE. ZBC reactivated? On 3306, Feb 14 0245-0410+ Afro pops, Af folk music, vernacular talk. 0300 local choral music. A lot of DJ talk, phone talk. 0400 drums and more talk. Good; tentative (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) On 19 Feb at 1842 noted a station with African music on 4828. Only few words by male DJ in local language. Just before 1900 a song which sounds like a tribute to Zimbabwe. I recall I heard this one earlier from R Zimbabwe. At 1900 a slogan sounding like "Our land is our nation" and back to music. 3306 was totally covered by strong ute, so couldn't check if there was anything. At 1929 again same song about Zimbabwe, but didn't get any positive ID yet (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 10 MHz loggings --- here are a few items logged January 22, ~ 0100Z on my Sony ICF-2010. For some time this band has been used as a quasi-CB band by mostly Spanish speakers. At times they use 10 MHz itself, talking on top of the WWV time signal, totally ignoring it! 10030 unID LSB Spanish (listed as LDOC in USB) 10057 San Francisco USB working many Pacific aircraft 10060 unID LSB Spanish (listed as LDOC in USB) 10107 unID USB Spanish 10117 unID LSB Spanish 10195 unID USB Spanish (listed as FEMA, usually n English) (Robert Ellis, Worldwide Utility Column, Feb CIDX Messenger via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. Here in Beijing I can get a Morse beacon of some sort on 20047.850 kHz, usually in the mid morning local time [0100 UT?]. It's currently just the letter F repeated non-stop, though I have heard other letters tapped out in the past, though I didn't log them. I haven't seen the frequency mentioned anywhere, what is it used for? These sorts of frequencies were once used by satellites I think, but I doubt that's what we have here! So does anyone know what it might be? And where can anyone hear it? I narrowed in on that frequency on an R- 75 with 20m dipole, but it's audible on a portable on 20049 as well! (Connor Walsh, dxing.info via DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ INFORMATION WARFARE SITE Hi Glenn, this may be of interest: http://www.iwar.org.uk - The Information Warfare Site - "...an online resource that aims to stimulate debate on a variety of issues involving information security, information operations, computer network operations, homeland security and more. It is the aim of the site to develop a special emphasis on offensive and defensive information operations." Covering PsyOps http://www.iwar.org.uk/psyops/index.htm the site includes e.g. details of various leaflets dropped during recent wars (Serbia/Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq), incl. scans of those announcing "Information Radio" broadcasts. Among the projects is the INFOCON mailing list which I can recommend to interested readers: "[INFOCON] - This mailing list is devoted to all aspects of information operations, including offensive and defensive information warfare, information assurance, psychological operations, electronic warfare, etc. INFOCON (which stands for Information Condition) is a major IWS research project, which should rapidly grow over the next few months." (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, Feb 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RADIO CATÓLICA AL DÍA FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK --- The Spanish edition of this newsletter, Radio Católica al Día, has ceased publication. I have given it and the mail list to Señor Roberto Arias of IPLE, the Internet para La Evangelización, of San José, Costa Rica, after he said yes, that he would to take it over. As you recall from discussions in recent issues of Catholic Radio Update, the number of actual readers had not grown in the last 20 months, 76 compared to 70 in the summer of 2002. Those figures are misleading, in that RCD had gained an addition 70 subscribers, but defections cancelled out the gains. Most of these gains came from mail to my web address on the station directories hosted at the ACI Prensa website, the writers thinking they were asking for ACI Catholic world news. Further, there was little interest and response from Catholic stations in Latin America, despite five years` work in putting out the Spanish text of this newsletter. Last week I sent a note to all the subscribers telling them that, because of these reasons, I was handing over RCD to IPLE. I received only six letters of regret, and only three of these were from Catholic radio stations down there. This wholesale indifference confirmed that my decision, which was labored during the past year, was not a mistake (Michael Dorner, Catholic Radio Update Feb 16 via DXLD) SORTEO_DE_LA_AER_2004_(PARA_SU_DIFUSIÓN) La AER, Asociación Española de Radioescucha, ha preparado un nuevo y sencillo sorteo para amigos y simpatizantes, cuyo único premio es un ejemplar del Manual Mundial de Radio y TV, en su edición 2004. Para entrar en el sorteo se deberá haber hecho, entre el 15.02.2004 y el 15.04.2004, alguna de las siguientes cosas : Suscribirse a la AER (3 puntos) Más info en http://www.aer-dx.org/aer/como.htm Efectuar algún pedido de servicios de AER (1 punto por cada servicio, hasta un máximo de 3 puntos) Más info en http://www.aer-dx.org/aer/servicios.htm Mandado a AER un reportaje o artículo ORIGINAL sobre la afición al diexismo y/o sobre alguna emisora internacional que sea admitido por el coordinador del concurso (1 punto por cada reportaje, hasta un máximo de 3 puntos) Los interesados en participar, independientemente de si son o no miembros de AER, deberán escribir a una de las siguientes direcciones: AER, Apartado 4031, 28080 MADRID, España o sorteo2004 @ aer-dx.org detallando la fecha de suscripción a AER o de realización de un pedido de servicios o adjuntando el artículo/reportajes que estime conveniente, según corresponda. Un mismo participante podrá obtener puntos hasta por las tres vías. Cuanto más puntos se obtengan, más posibilidades hay de que toque. Se establece el día 16.04.2004 como fecha límite para cerrar la participación, comunicándose el resultado del sorteo a través de El Dial, de las las diversas listas de correo y de la página web de AER: http://www.aer-dx.org/sorteo2004/ El libro se mandará, libre de gastos, al ganador tan pronto se haga el sorteo y, por tanto, se obtenga su nombre. En todo caso, las PUNTUACIONES acumuladas y la lista de participantes se irá actualizando en http://www.aer-dx.org/sorteo2004/ -------------------------------------------------- AER http://www.aer-dx.org info @ aer-dx.org (via DXLD) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ RFID TAGS Eventually it had to come to this. If Walmart has its way, and it looks like it does, all suppliers will have to provide ultraminiature radio frequency identification tags imbedded in every item that passes through its retailing process. This will include all products and transporters such as skids, trucks, etc. The other retail giants will certainly follow. Other applications include tracking staff (people) and livestock. The tags and receivers will be set at a frequency of 13.56 MHz. This is in the industrial, scientific and medical applications band; 13.553 to 13.567 MHz. This frequency band was chosen to take advantage of the penetrating properties at this wavelength. Other frequencies of 134.2 kHz and 915/2450 MHz are also in use. Both power and range are extremely low ranging out to 12 feet or so. The challenge lies in transmitting and receiving a signal at extreme angles after travelling through and being absorbed by layers of packing (Robert Ellis, Worldwide Utility Column, Feb CIDX Messenger via DXLD) POWERLINE COMMUNICATIONS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ ACTION On BPL By Congress ? http://www.eham.net/articles/7529 [A very contentious thread] (via Larry Nebron, DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ GEOMAGNETIC INDICES Phil Bytheway - Seattle WA - phil_tekno@yahoo.com Geomagnetic Summary January 28 2004 through February 17 2004 Tabulated from daily email status Date Flux A K SA Forecast GM Forecast Aurora Index 1/28 94 14 5 no storms no storms 8 29 89 23 2 minor no storms 6 30 87 7 1 no storms no storms 6 1/31 93 18 3 minor no storms 5 2/ 1 94 12 2 minor no storms 8 2 97 8 2 no storms no storms 5 3 102 27 3 minor no storms 9 4 99 15 3 no storms no storms 5 5 101 13 2 no storms no storms 6 6 106 17 3 no storms no storms 7 7 107 21 4 minor no storms 8 8 111 9 2 no storms no storms 9 9 116 5 1 minor minor 3 10 118 7 3 no storms minor 9 11 117 7 1 no storms no storms 6 12 114 16 5 moderate minor 8 13 112 21 4 minor minor 10 14 108 25 3 no storms no storms 8 15 104 17 3 no storms no storms 8 16 102 22 2 minor no storms 7 2/17 99 7 2 no storms no storms 5 (IRCA Soft DX Monitor via DXLD) SIDC DEFINITIVE INTERNATIONAL AND HEMISPHERIC SUNSPOT NUMBERS FOR 2003 From: Solar Influences Data analysis Center :Issued: 2004 Feb 19 0341 UTC :Product: documentation at http://sidc.oma.be/products/qua #--------------------------------------------------------------------# # SIDC-NEWS: # from the SIDC (RWC-Belgium) # #--------------------------------------------------------------------# OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER Date Ri Rn Rs Ri Rn Rs Ri Rn Rs 1 76 20 56 124 52 72 92 10 82 2 68 15 53 112 40 72 72 8 64 3 62 8 54 72 31 41 72 9 63 4 49 0 49 52 26 26 66 9 57 5 50 0 50 12 0 12 59 8 51 6 41 0 41 9 0 9 45 8 37 7 41 0 41 12 0 12 32 9 23 8 43 0 43 21 0 21 26 7 19 9 47 10 37 39 0 39 16 0 16 10 45 13 32 39 0 39 25 8 17 11 44 16 28 30 0 30 25 8 17 12 25 9 16 11 5 6 25 15 10 13 13 0 13 21 21 0 28 19 9 14 13 7 6 23 23 0 31 22 9 15 13 13 0 33 33 0 30 20 10 16 19 10 9 42 42 0 39 22 17 17 30 16 14 34 34 0 68 30 38 18 41 27 14 52 36 16 71 38 33 19 41 34 7 70 37 33 71 47 24 20 47 36 11 90 44 46 74 54 20 21 59 38 21 97 45 52 60 46 14 22 58 37 21 83 42 41 74 58 16 23 61 36 25 109 50 59 76 58 18 24 75 46 29 107 50 57 59 42 17 25 88 48 40 123 56 67 44 34 10 26 89 45 44 119 49 70 40 28 12 27 133 61 72 132 53 79 31 20 11 28 165 71 94 121 34 87 34 18 16 29 167 66 101 113 29 84 26 18 8 30 167 55 112 116 29 87 17 17 0 31 160 54 106 12 6 6 _________________ _________________ _________________ MEAN : 65.5 25.5 40.0 / 67.3 28.7 38.6 / 46.5 22.5 24.0 #-------------------------------------------------------------------# # Solar Influences Data analysis Center - RWC Belgium # # Royal Observatory of Belgium # # Fax : 32 (0) 2 373 0 224 # # Tel.: 32 (0) 2 373 0 491 # # For more information, see http://sidc.oma.be (via Jim Moats, DXLD) PROPAGATION NEWS FROM RSGB Solar data for the period from the 9th to the 15th of February, Compiled by Neil Clarke, G0CAS. http://www.g0cas.demon.co.uk/main.htm On the 9th solar activity was low, with 10 C-class solar flares taking place, the largest being a C9/SF. Activity was very low for the remainder of the period with no further flares. The solar flux averaged 111 units and declined from 118 on the 9th to 102 by the 15th. The 90-day solar flux average on the 15th was 120, that's one down on last week. X-ray flux levels declined from B3 units on the 9th to B1.1 by the 15th and the average was B1.8 units. Geomagnetic activity started at quiet levels on the 9th and 10th with an Ap index of 8 and 9 units respectively. Due to an coronal hole levels then increased to active. The most disturbed day was the 12th, with an Ap index of 28 units. The average was Ap 18 units. The ACE spacecraft saw solar wind speeds increase from 350 kilometres per second on the 10th to 800 by the 15th. Particle densities increased to 37 particles per cubic centimetre on the 11th and then declined to 3 for the remainder of the period. Bz varied between minus 7 and plus 6 nanoTeslas, although on the 12th fluctuations to minus 14 and plus 18 nanoTeslas took place. HF band conditions were reasonable at the start of the period, with all continents worked on 28 MHz but they deteriorated on the 11th due to the effects of the recurring coronal hole. Auroras were reported from the 11th, but they only affected the high latitude stations. And finally the solar forecast. This week the quiet side of the sun is expected to be looking our way. Solar activity should be very low to low. The solar flux should bottom out around midweek and is expected to be in the 80s for most of the week. Geomagnetic activity is expected to be unsettled for most of the period. MUFs during daylight hours at equal latitudes should be around 30 MHz for the south and 27 MHz for the north. The darkness hour lows should be about 8 MHz. Paths this week to India should have a maximum usable frequency, with a 50 per cent success rate, of around 27 MHz. The optimum working frequency, with a 90 per cent success rate, should be about 21 MHz. The best time to try this path should be between 0900 and 1300 UT. The RSGB propagation news is also available in a Saturday update, Posted every Saturday evening and for more on propagation generally, see http://www.rsgb.org/society/psc.htm (Radio Society of Great Britain GB2RS News script for February 22 via G4RGA, uk.radio.amateur via John Norfolk, DXLD) The geomagnetic field ranged from quiet to major storm levels. Quiet to unsettled conditions were observed on 09 – 10 February. Isolated major storm levels were observed on 11 February due to the CIR and the onset of a large coronal hole. Activity remained at unsettled to minor storm levels on 12 February and decreased to active levels on 13 – 14 February. Unsettled to active condition dominated 15 February except for one period of isolated minor storm conditions due the increased solar wind speed. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 18 FEBRUARY - 15 MARCH 2004 Solar activity is expected to range from very low to moderate levels. Predominantly very low to low activity levels are expected from late February through early March. Mostly low level activity may return by mid March. No greater than 10 MeV proton event are expected during the period. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to reach high levels on 24 February – 05 March and again on 11 – 15 March, due to recurrent coronal holes. Geomagnetic activity is expected to range from quiet to minor storm levels. A number of recurrent coronal hole high speed streams are expected between 22 February – 03 March, which will likely produce occasional active to minor storm periods with isolated major storm periods possible. A coronal hole high speed stream is due to return on 09 – 14 March and is expected to produce active to minor storm conditions. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2004 Feb 17 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 Feb 17 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2004 Feb 18 100 8 3 2004 Feb 19 95 8 3 2004 Feb 20 95 8 3 2004 Feb 21 95 12 3 2004 Feb 22 95 15 3 2004 Feb 23 90 15 3 2004 Feb 24 90 20 4 2004 Feb 25 85 10 3 2004 Feb 26 95 15 3 2004 Feb 27 95 15 3 2004 Feb 28 95 12 3 2004 Feb 29 100 20 4 2004 Mar 01 105 20 4 2004 Mar 02 105 15 3 2004 Mar 03 105 15 3 2004 Mar 04 105 20 4 2004 Mar 05 110 12 3 2004 Mar 06 115 10 3 2004 Mar 07 120 10 3 2004 Mar 08 120 10 3 2004 Mar 09 115 25 5 2004 Mar 10 110 25 5 2004 Mar 11 110 20 4 2004 Mar 12 105 20 4 2004 Mar 13 100 15 3 2004 Mar 14 100 10 3 2004 Mar 15 100 8 3 (http://www.sec.noaa.gov/radio via WORLD OF RADIO 1220, DXLD) ###