DX LISTENING DIGEST 4-031, February 20, 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: 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 WORLD OF RADIO 1220 (low version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1220.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1220.rm ** ARGENTINA. Radio Chascomus en onda corta!!! El colega uruguayo Alfredo Locatelli viene reportando a la que seria Radio Chascomus, en su tercer armonico (1520 x3) en los 4560 kHz. Yo ya la habia reportado desde diferentes puntos de la provincia de Buenos Aires en distintas oportunidades y es una buena ocasion para intentar verificar esta emisora, que responde todos los informes de recepcion con una hermosa Tarjeta QSL multicolor y adhesivos de la estacion. 73's (Arnaldo Slaen, Feb 19, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** ARGENTINA. 1654v, 20/02 0439-0500 R. Contemporánea, Buenos Aires, espanhol, IDs como: "Desde la ciudad autónoma de Buenos Aires, transmite Contemporánea" e "Usted sintoniza Radio Contemporánea, emisora de Buenos Aires que transmite em amplitude modulada". 34443 Nova emissora? (Samuel Cássio Martins, São Carlos SP, Sony 7600GR, loop DZ 45, radioescutas via DXLD) North Americans might have a shot at this split pirate (gh, DXLD) Amigo Samuel: Es nueva en la frecuencia (nominal 1660 KHz); hacía un tiempo que estaba fuera del aire. Anteriormente lo hacía por los 1370 kHz y emite desde Lomas de Zamora en el Gran Buenos Aires, aunque dice emitir desde la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires. Un abrazo, (Nicolás Eramo, ibid.) ** AUSTRALIA. Glenn: Just to clarify, the program in question was produced completely by Allen Graham at HCJB; I just added the Voice of the NASB intro and extro. NASB normally QSLs reports on the DRM transmission via Merlin and the analog transmission via WRMI. In this case, the analog version also went out over HCJB from Quito and Australia. HCJB asked us if we (NASB) would QSL reports on those transmissions, which we have done (Jeff White, FL, Feb 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. TELSTRA NINGI BACK ON AIR WITH VIRGIN Some of Telstra's old coastal HF radio equipment is back online with Virgin Blue Airlines. The new frequencies are 5160, 8140, 9040, 11132, 17440, 20160; TX Pwr 1 KW. Also on site is Air Services on 6676, 11387 TX Pwr 6 KW and an AMSA beacon 294, TX PWR 1 KW. Not sure if they have a radio link to their office or whether they're using land lines? Maybe Johnno knows the answers???? Cheers (John Smith, Feb 19, 2004 23:52 PST, ARDXC via DXLD) ** BENIN. 7210, R. Diff. du Benin, 2238-2302* Feb 16. Woman talking in French. 2241 French pop ballads. Occasional short talk by woman. 2300 Closing announcements by woman followed by national anthem. Fair to poor signal with occasional heavy ARO interference. SINPO 32222 at best. Anthem identified via comparison to Benin anthem at http://www.thenationalanthems.com (Jim Evans, TN, Feb 16, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** CHINA [non]. I have just returned from the HFCC Conference in Dubai, and I can tell you that China Radio International's relays from Cuba are being coordinated by the HFCC, even though RHC's own transmissions are not (Jeff White, FL, Feb 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. 6125: on Tue Feb. 17 at 2005 heard ID in Mandarin 'cung yang denmin guangbo dientai cung guo ze shen' by OM & YL quite clear audio, continuous nice instrumental song with repeat ID 2015 & 2020 by OM. At 2027 short-talk by YL with the last sentence which means 'good morning China'. At 2030 news read by YL. At 2040 mentioning ID as above with 'China National Radio' added in English, cont. with news by YL. Thing makes me confused is they mention 'cung guo ze shen', not 'cung guo ze yin' as listed in WRTH, even they both mean 'voice of China'. (Lim Kwet Hian, Jakarta, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** CHINA. China Radio International in Russian: 1700-1757 on additional 7330 (55544) \\ 9885 9795 9765 9365 7265 7245 6040 5965 5905 (Observer, Bulgaria, Feb 20 via DXLD) ** COSTA RICA. RFPI Webcasting with the Quicktime Player Hi Glenn: Just received an email from James Latham. Here's the part about their new webcasting. Currently, I'm hearing Democracy Now. "We are streaming now; check out our web site for the location. The new streaming site works on QuickTime and in the near future will be also be on mp4. The site has a capacity of 6000 simultaneous listeners, so let's get the word out! And fill it up, also will start a schedule very soon. take care. Jim" http://www.rfpi.org/index.html (James Bean, ME, Spiritual Awakening, 1909 UT Thu Feb 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Heard here UT Fri Feb 20 around 0100-0230+ with Sue Supriano, long monolog by James Latham, Making Contact. No schedule has been posted yet. In fact, there are no longer any links to once numerous RFPI pages from the index page (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. Escuchando la semana pasada el programa En Contacto de RHC, los colegas Malena Negrín y Manolo de la Rosa dieron la siguiente información. Vamos a informar a nuestros amigos, que hace poco se han activado en el horario de la mañana en nuestras emisiones en español, dos nuevas frecuencias en la banda de 25 metros que son: 11800 kHz y 12000 kHz, se mantiene la de 11760 kHz en la propia banda de los 25 metros, asi como los 9550 kHz en 31 metros, 15230 kHz en 19 metros y los 6000 kHz en la banda de 49 metros. En Contacto como ustedes saben sale en estas frecuencias a las 1335 UT; en la tarde sobre las 2155 UT en las emisiones para Europa, pueden escucharlo en los 15120 kHz banda de 19 metros, y para las Américas en 15230 kHz en la propia banda de los 19 metros. También el Lunes a la 0135 UT pueden captar En Contacto, en los 15230 kHz, banda de 19 metros, 11760 y 11875 kHz en los 25 metros, 9515, 9655, 9615 en 31 metros y en los 5965 kHz en la banda de 49 metros; nos gustaría recibir de ustedes los informes de recepción para saber en que frecuencias nos escucha mejor. Dirección: Radio Habana Cuba Programa En Contacto Apartado Postal 6240 La Habana, Cuba. E-mail: radiohc @ enet.cu Atte: (José Elías Díaz Gómez, Venezuela, Feb 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CZECH REPUBLIC. Frequency change for Radio Free Europe in Moldovian Mon-Fri: 1900-2000 NF 3965 (55555), ex 7170 to avoid CRI German & VOR Commonwealth \\ 9725 (Observer, Bulgaria, Feb 20 via DXLD) ** DJIBOUTI. As R Sawa office was not aware of the test transmissions from Djibouti on 1431, I contacted a knowledgeable technical person (thank you) and got my reception report forwarded to Kim Elliott/VOA. And Kim, another knowledgeable person, sent me a full data e-mail QSL. Thanks Kim. So, I got verified R Sawa, Djibouti 1431 of 3 Feb 2004. I'm a happy man (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, Feb 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Is it still being heard? (gh) ** ECUADOR. 4918.98: Radio Quito. ID heard at 0405 on 02.20.04, best reception here to date. But the audio -- yuch! Voice quality sounds like the only audio processing is a pair of diodes, clipping about 99% of the time. Music sounded better after announcement break, which ended at 0507. Well, if that's what it takes to get the signal out... (Steve Waldee, retired broadcast station engineer, San Jose, CA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FRANCE. Bonjour; Quelques nouvelles importantes de l'AM à PARIS: les nouvelles stations vont commencer dans quelques semaines: - Radio Nouveau Talent (RNT) sur 1575 kHz le 1 mars. (des tests sont en train maintenant 5 kW) - Superloustic 999 kHz début le 31 mars (peut être aussi retour sur 1467 kHz MC). - Ciel AM 981 kHz entre le 29 février et 15 mars. - Radio du Temps Libre sur 1314 kHz a changé de nom: Loisirs-AM. avant la fin mars, sans plus de précisions. Il faut surveiller les ondes !!! (Christian Ghibaudo, Nice, via Dario Monferini, Milano, Feb 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** HUNGARY. Updated schedule for the leased IBB relay Marcali 1188 (as listed in the IBB online time table): 0400-0600 RFE/RL Belarusian - break - 1600-1800 RFE/RL Belarusian 1800-1900 RFE/RL Ukrainian - break - 2000-2100 RFE/RL Ukrainian (exc. Sat) 2100-2200 RFE/RL Belarusian 2200-2230 VOA Serbian 2230-2400 RFE/RL Serbian (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, Feb 18, MW-DX via DXLD) ** INDIA. NAVEEN KUMAR TAKES OVER AS DD DIRECTOR GENERAL New Delhi, Feb 16 (UNI) --- Senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Officer Naveen Kumar today took over as Director-General of Doordarshan, thus filling the vacancy created by Mr S Y Quraishi of the Haryana cadre more than six months earlier. Mr Kumar belongs to the 1975 batch and is from the Bihar cadre. Earlier last month, Prasar Bharati Chief Executive Officer K. S. Sarma had also announced the appointment of Mr Brajeshwer Singh also from the 1975 batch but from the Tamil Nadu cadre as Director General of All India Radio (AIR). Mr Singh was at one time a radio jockey before joining the IAS, according to Prasar Bharati Chief Executive Officer K S Sarma. Mr Sarma said that 18 people including Ms Saleja Wasim formerly in NDTV and ten from Aaj Tak had also been appointed as anchors or correspondents. Ms Wasim was appointed Senior Correspondent-cum-Style anchorperson with a consolidated sum of Rs 70,000 per month while the others were to get between Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000. The appointments will be for a one year period. Mr Sarma had said advertisements would also be placed in newspapers for recruiting more correspondents in the near future. (deepikaglobal.com via Swopan Chakroborty, Kolkata, India, DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL. NPR FEATURE SPOTLIGHTS ADDITION OF @ SYMBOL TO MORSE CODE Some hams may have thought they`d left their transceivers turned on Tuesday, February 17. That`s when the popular National Public Radio http://www.npr.org/ afternoon news magazine All Things Considered ran a piece about the pending addition of the @ symbol to the official international Morse code lexicon. That`s because NPR introduced and closed the nearly four-minute segment with actual CW, catching the ear of many hams. ARRL Chief Technology Officer Paul Rinaldo, W4RI, conceived of the new character, necessary for transmitting e-mail addresses in CW, among other possible purposes. Assuming approval by International Telecommunication Union http://www.itu.int/home/index.html member- states, the new character --- the first added to the code in many, many years --- will be ``AC`` run together (. --- .-.). The new character, Rinaldo says, is both unique in the Morse world as well as a mnemonic (think of an `a` wrapped in a `C`). ATC co-host Robert Siegel interviewed ARRL Senior News Editor Rick Lindquist, N1RL, for some background on the change, giving Lindquist an opportunity to mention his passion for mobile CW operation. The short feature, ``Morse Code Enters Cyber Age,`` is available on the National Public Radio Web site, http://www.npr.org/rundowns/segment.php?wfId=1680529 (ARRL Letter February 20 via John Norfolk, DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM [non]. Pirate Captain Feathersword --- Hi folks, Technicians of RSI-Radio Spaceshuttle have worked hardly all week long to solve our technical problems of our (studio) and transmitting system... Now everything seems to be fine and SPACEROBOT will hit to airwaves TOWARDS ASIA, FAR EAST AND PASIFIC next SATURDAY 21st February. We really wish you all having time to listen our test then. We shall have following test schedule: Saturday 21st February 08:00-10:00 UT 17440 kHz LSB 10:00-12:00 UT 17470 kHz LSB 12:00-14:00 UT 17420 kHz LSB If not find us in first case, listen TIGHTLY (=we are there in some of our 16 mb frequencies....) And hopefully conditions are OK! Please let me know, if you have got this message and if you are going to try us on Saturday. All comments welcome all the time to this e-mail address (also during transmissions). And reports WITH RECORDINGS, please... to our address (for new printed QSL's -not even presented in our internet pages yet http://spaceshuttle.freeservers.com (via Johno Wright, Feb 18, ARDXC via DXLD) ** IRAN [non]. 3880, Voice of the Communist Party of Iran heard with interval signal 1728 Feb 19, identification 1730 followed by the Internationale and talk by female in Farsi, SINPO 44444 though slightly distorted audio, jammed from 1734. I then heard them on parallel 4375 free of jamming. At 1820 re-check, station was in the clear on 3870, jamming on 3875 and was well below jamming on 4375 (Mike Barraclough, Letchworth Garden City, UK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN [non]. 3928, Voice of Komala presumed the one at 1736 Feb 19 with talk in Kurdish, good signal; jamming was at that time on 3940 but caught up with them at 1740 (Mike Barraclough, Letchworth Garden City, UK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN [non]. BBC Worldservice heard on 7460 in Farsi from tuning in at 1645 Feb 20. Special program by the BBC-Persian Sce covering the Iran elections. Lots of interviews and correspondent reports. Big Ben and ID at 1700, announcer also mentioned the BBC website. Anyone know more about the transmitter site for this one? (Silvain Domen, Belgium, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I don't know, but at present also extra test service at 0230-0330 UT on 7460; and Persian at 1730-1830 on 7490, both KCH - Grigoriopol, Moldova - all in this frequency range. Radio Sedoye Payem e Doost in Persian (Bahaii sect) Bayem-e Doost R Iran Tomorrow 0226-0315 Tue-Fri, Sun 7460 GRI Radio International (CHA), Persian 1730-1815 Daily(x7460 x9940)7490 GRI Radio International ID: Radio Anternacional-e sm-w-f- 1730-1800 7490 MDA Grigoriopol Fs (MNO) --t-t-s 1730-1815 7490 MDA Grigoriopol Fs (MNO) 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAQ. RFI RADIO BROADCASTING ROUND THE CLOCK IN BAGHDAD IN FRENCH | Text of report by French news agency AFP Paris, 19 February: Radio France Internationale (RFI) has been broadcasting in Baghdad in French since Monday [16 February] on the FM band (on the frequency of 93.5 FM), it was announced by the RFI group in a statement today, Thursday. RFI's programmes in French are being broadcast in the Iraqi capital 24 hours per day, it was noted by the group, which was already present in Iraq in the shape of its Arabic-language subsidiary, RMC Moyen-Orient [Radio Monte Carlo Middle-East] (RMO MO). RMC MO, described by the RFI group as the "leading French international Arabic-language radio station", has been broadcasting in Baghdad since July 2003 and in Basra (southern Iraq) since November 2003. It can be found on the 88 FM frequency in the Iraqi capital and on 88.8 FM in Basra. The RFI group also announced today that it expects to secure a new FM frequency "very shortly" for RMC MO in Mosul (northern Iraq), the "country's third largest town". RMC MO's programmes can also be heard in Iraq on the 1233 frequency, on medium wave, said the RFI group. Source: AFP news agency, Paris, in French 1214 gmt 19 Feb 04 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** KALININGRAD. Voice of Russia-Kaliningrad --- I was checking with Voice of Russia as to usage of the Kaliningrad site, and received this prompt response from Elena Osipova: "This is just a short e-mail letter to thank you for your letter and let you know that the Voice of Russia uses the Kaliningrad transmitter site for its broadcasts in English from 1900 till 2200 UT on 6235 kHz". (Steve Lare, Holland, MI, http://www.iserv.net/~n8kdv/dxpage.htm Drake R7, R8 and R8B, Feb 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KURDISTAN. Cf BC-DX 656 Iraq: There are 3 radios in range 4235-4280 kHz: V. of the Toilers operating on v 4235-4245 kHz; V of the Strugglers of I.K. [Iraqi/Iranian? Kurdistan??] on 4245-4260 and V of the Mojahedins (presumed) of I.K. on v 4250-4270 kHz. Mentioned in BC- DX on 4250 kHz have to be V. of the Strugglers (Feb 10). (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, BC-DX Feb 19 via DXLD) ** LAOS [non]. Re 4-030: 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) Rather under Taipei-Taiwan. 0100-0200, Tue and Thur only? 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Well, this log was on a Wednesday; you mean transmitter site Taiwan; still a LAOS non clandestine service (gh, DXLD) ** LIBERIA. Glenn: 4760, ELWA, Monrovia, Liberia (presumably), heard very weakly with almost unintelligible speech in English, and vocal, orchestral, choral religious music, on Feb. 19, from 0613 through 0631Z. Male and female speakers, but other than that the language was English -- from an occasional syllable, and cadences -- the subject matter was not clearly discernible; at 0630, music was followed by talk program. RX: R75, w/350 foot dipole. Best, (Steve Waldee - retired radio station CE, San José, CA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEW ZEALAND. NEW ZEALAND`S CHINESE VOICE I have had a very friendly email QSL received this morning for last night`s email report on 936 AM. Here are all the details: Chinese Voice Broadcasting Ltd is part of the World TV Ltd Group. Slogan is `New Supremo 936` currently testing (relay UFO Radio) with official opening in mid-February. Will operate 24/7 in Mandarin with a local breakfast show (Good Morning New Zealand) simulcast with RGL 95.8 FM) and local news bulletins, with rest of program satellite delivered from VOA (news and current affairs), UFO Radio Taiwan (10 hours daily including famous UFO pop chart), East Radio (Shanghai) and Chinese National Radio (Beijing) as well as a news audio feed from CCTV4 (Beijing). Target market is young adult, working class and housewives. Local commercial inserts. Transmitter is located at Waiuku, South Auckland, current power 1 kW, maximum permitted power is 3.162 kW. FM 95.8 slogan is `Real Good Life RGL 95.8` with literal translation as ``Truth, Fast, Energetic``. Will also be 24/7 but in Cantonese with local breakfast show (Good Morning New Zealand) simulcast with New Supremo 936 AM and local news bulletins, with rest of program satellite delivered from Commercial Radio Hong Kong, RTHK (Hong Kong) and Cable TV Hong Kong (audio feed of popular talkback show) and including many popular Cantonese music, talk and soap opera programs. Target market is young adult, working class and housewives from Hong Kong, southern China, Singapore and Malaysia. Local commercial inserts. Studios are at World TV complex: Unit F, 124 Penrose Road, Mt. Wellington, Auckland. Postal: P O Box 12743, Penrose, Auckland, New Zealand. T: 09 571 2288. F: 09 571 0008. Website: http://www.wtv.co.nz email: info @ wtv.co.nz Verie signer: Samson Yau, CEO, Chinese Voice Broadcasting Ltd. (David Ricquish, NEW ZEALAND DX TIMES PAGE 36 FEBRUARY 2004 via DXLD) ** NEW ZEALAND. N.Z. FREQUENCIES IN THE HANDS OF A FEW At the end of January, some 170 individual AM licences are current in New Zealand. Of these, 36 are silent, but listeners in places as diverse as Auckland, Tauranga, Napier, Palmerston North, Kapiti Coast, Christchurch, Dunedin, Invercargill or Greymouth may wake up one day and find another local channel gone. You`re safe on the Chatham Islands - until NTC Radio arrives from Sydney. Where have all the channels gone? To just four major players, who among them, control 84% of all the licences. That leaves a whole lot of very local companies and charitable trusts running a relatively small number of stations, and is the main reason we hear the same networked programs all along the dial. Audio spam. TRN is the biggest of the Big Four. They control 60 licences, with Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport their biggest AM brands. They hold enough unused licences to spread Hauraki and easy listening i to nearly all the provincial radio markets or free up more valuable FM channels by moving some current ZB/Sport FM outlets onto AM. It`s a tie for second place, with Radio New Zealand and Rhema Broadcasting Group each having control of 32 licences. National Radio may be simulcasting on FM throughout the country, but they`re also still continuing an AM presence that began 80 years ago with 1YA. They recently added 1314 Invercargill with potential power of 30 kW+ possibly to extend the Parliamentary Service there. RBG have also mushroomed since their one day broadcasts of 1974, with NZ`s Rhema their strongest brand on AM, followed by Southern Star. They tend to add FM stations now, but also have enough spare AM channels for a fourth program stream in most of the main centers as well as key provincial markets. In the UK, they already have a spoken word and educational satellite program stream as well as three music streams - the model exists. The last of the Big Four is Canwest, who control just 18 licences. Radio Pacific is their only nationwide brand on AM, the rest being a collection of local brands that have emerged or remained from the old private stations of the early 70’s such as Otago, Dunedin (ex 4XD), Foveaux, Magic (ex Manawatu), Lite FM (ex Avon), and Breeze (ex Windy). Not much room for expansion here, unless they lease channels from some of the silent small guys. Amongst the other 40+ licence holders, a number are keen to move to FM as soon as possible. Radio Kidnappers (1431), Hills AM (1575) and Radio Reading Service (1602) are amongst these, the latter wanting a common FM frequency nationwide for its programs which would presumably remove the need for the current shortwave service. Maori (Waatea, Ruia Mai), Chinese (990), Hindi (Tarana), Samoan (1593) and broader Polynesian (531PI) niche markets are all served in Auckland, which now has a similar radio dial to that of Honolulu reflecting the changing culural mix of the region. Even the British have fulltime BBC (1476). Pressure for another Asian station could see 810 return as a second community access channel, mainly in Chinese and Korean. The New Zealand AM Radio Guide 2004 lists all 170 licences, permitted power and actual power, contact details, websites and other information to help plan your DX before you lose another local channel. This is scheduled for availability at http://www.radioheritage.org.nz from later in February and can be downloaded free for individual use. Donations towards the 2004-2006 project plan for the Radio Heritage Foundation (telling the stories of radio from NZ, Australia and around the Pacific) are welcomed and encouraged. The AM Radio Guide runs to almost 30 pages and includes a helpful local market guide (David Ricquish, Feb NZ DX Times via DXLD) ** PAKISTAN: Winter B-03 schedule of Radio Pakistan (v=vary freqs +/- 5.6 kHz): 0045-0115 Assami/English 9340v 11565 0045-0215 Urdu 15485 17895 0115-0200 Bangla 9340v 11565 0215-0300 Hindi 9340v 11565 0315-0345 Tamil 15625v 17495 0400-0430 Gujarati 15485 17825 0500-0700 Urdu 11570 15100 17835 0800-1105 Urdu/English 17835 21465 0945-1015 Tamil 15630v# 17485 ||||| #ex 15625v 1015-1045 Sinhala 15630v# 17485 ||||| #ex 15625v 1100-1145 Hindi 9340v 11565 1200-1230 Chinese 11570 15070 1200-1245 Bangla 11565 15630v# ||||| #ex 15625v 1245-1315 Nepali 11565 15630v# ||||| #ex 15625v 1330-1400 Turki 5865v# 7375 ||||| #ex 5860v 1330-1530 Urdu 11570 15065 1415-1500 Russian 7375 9380v# ||||| #ex 9385v 1515-1545 Dari 4955 5865v# ||||| #ex 5860v 1600-1615 English 9395# 11570 ||||| #ex 9320 1630-1700 Turkish 7550 9385v# ||||| #ex 11540v 1700-1900 Urdu 9395# 11570 ||||| #ex 9320 1715-1800 Persian 5845v# 7550 ||||| #ex 5840v 1800-1900 Urdu/Islamabad/ 6785 1815-1900 Arabic 6220v# 7550 ||||| #ex 6225v 1915-0045 Urdu 7570v (Observer, Bulgaria, Feb 20 via DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. On 19 Feb at 1605 noted NBC Port Moresby on 4890 with a relay of R. Australia. Parallel was 11660 but NBC was about 1 second delayed. Running late/early or are they now 24h? (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PARAGUAY. RADIO NACIONAL DEL PARAGUAY ANUNCIA MEJORAS TÉCNICAS [SW service being refurbished after falling into disrepair, 9737v] Asunción, Paraguay, Miércoles 18 de Febrero de 2004 --- Con el propósito de mejorar su servicio y potencializar sus ondas, Radio Nacional del Paraguay se encuentra trabajando en la recuperación de sus equipos. Recientemente, Radio Nacional del Paraguay adquirió válvulas para la puesta en funcionamiento de su onda corta. El relanzamiento de la onda corta está previsto para fin de mes o los primeros días de marzo. En una visita que realizamos a la planta transmisora, ubicada en el Km. 21 de la Ruta I, constatamos el estado actual de los equipos de Radio Nacional del Paraguay. Según el director de la citada emisora, Flaviano Díaz, la nueva administración está trabajando para cambiar la situación de abandono que sufrió la radio durante muchos años. La planta transmisora consta de 47 de hectáreas. "Estaba totalmente abandonada. Era un yuyal inmenso", comentó Díaz al referirse a la planta transmisora. "Nuestra torre estaba a punto de irse abajo. Las líneas de transmisión estaban deterioradas. Los postes se habían puesto 30 años atrás y solo una vez se hizo mantenimiento", agregó nuestro entrevistado. Para el director de Radio Nacional del Paraguay, actualmente la planta transmisora está hecha un jardín, con iluminación adecuada. "Gracias a la autogestión de esta nueva administración y el relacionamiento interinstitucional, tanto del Comando de Ingeniería como la ANDE y la Embajada de China, que han colaborado con nosotros para que esto sea una realidad. Gracias al apoyo del Gobierno de China en Taiwán habilitaremos nuevamente la onda corta de Radio Nacional del Paraguay en la banda de 31 metros y la recuperación técnica con la compra de nuevos repuestos del equipo transmisor de AM de 100 kws", indicó. "Esto va a significar que Radio Nacional del Paraguay va a recuperar gran parte de su potencia perdida y va a tener una mayor cobertura a nivel país", agregó (source? via Tony Jones via Nicolás Eramo, Conexión Digital via DXLD) Extraído del diario Asunceño ABC Color del dia de hoy (Levi P. Iversen, Paraguay, ibid.) ** PARAGUAY. 550, ZP16, R. Parque, Ciudad del Este – 20/12 kW - has resumed transmissions (Adán Mur, Paraguay) 1190, ZP45, LV de la Libertad, Hernandarias, new station (Levi P. Iversen via HCDX, both via ARC's LA Info Desks February 2004 edited by Tore B. Vik, via Tore Larsson, DXLD) Alguns informaciones enviadas por Adán Mur referente a La Voz de La Libertad, la nueva emisora paraguaya en los 1190 kHz. "Algumas informações, referente a emissora misteriosa, "La Voz de la Libertad". A companhia telefónica paraguáia, a COPACO, tem duas linhas, registradas à emissora, em Hernandarias. As duas linhas estão bloqueadas na central telefónica daquela cidade. Não entram chamadas. Asseguradamente a emissora está provando, e confirmando a sua documentaçao. No passado, existiu um projeto, em Hernandárias, para uma emissora nova, na freqüência dos 1190 KHZ, com uma potência de 2,5 KW. Com Um Forte Abraço. Adán Mur radioamerica @ lycos.com" (Samuel Cássio, Brasil, Feb 11, via Ruben Guillermo Margenet, DXLD) Yo he podido encontrar alguna información de LA VOZ DE LA LIBERTAD en Internet entrando a http://www.cird.org.py sitio web de IRD Centro de Información y Recursos para el Desarrollo. Allá me encontré entre otras emisoras, con ZP45 La Voz de La Libertad cuya dirección es: Supercarretera Itaipú Km 26,5, Hernandarias, Departamento Alto Paraná, Paraguay, TEL.: 0631-20443. Su Director es el Sr. Cabrera. Si desean escuchar los audios de las captaciones del colega finlandés Jim Solatie como la del brasileño Samuel Cassio M., pueden entrar a la página de DXing.info: http://www.dxing.info/news/ Hernandarias, según un censo de 1992, es una ciudad al sudeste de Paraguay donde viven aproximadamente 42000 habitantes. Este tema ha sido verdaderamente apasionante y yo creo que aún no ha terminado. Saludos cordiales! (Rubén Guillermo Margenet, Argentina, Feb 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PHILIPPINES [and non]. English is the lingua franca on the islands right now and ever since the Spanish lost the Philippines in 1898, but there seems to be a Spanish heritage on various levels, and so many people carry names that have a Spanish ring to them. And what about this announcement as recorded by my friend Hideki Watanabe? He is the editor of the Radio Nuevo Mundo news bulletin which specializes in Latin American DXing, but Watanabe is also keen on the Filipinos: "Ito ang Bombo Radyo Baguio, Numero uno sa servicio publiko, Numero uno sa Bombo ng mga Pilipino, .. Radyo Bombo!." Many interesting Philippine audio samples (and also from the Western hemisphere) can be found at Watanabe's site http://dx-sound.hp.infoseek.co.jp /HK (Henrik Klemetz, Sweden, RealDX via DXLD) ** ROMANIA. Una reciente respuesta que recibí de Eugenio Hac y Martin, uno de los miembros más antiguos del Servicio Español de RRI, dice textualmente: "Los departamentos que van a cerrar sus servicios son los siguientes: húngaro, búlgaro, griego, turco y portugués. Además, van a cerrar lo que se llama Cuarto de Noticias, es decir un sexto departamento, que tiene papel vital en la elaboración de noticias, notas y comentarios. En cualquier emisora de radio nacional, en el mismo se forman los especialistas y analistas que dan lo específico de la escuela política llamada a defender el interés nacional de la respectiva nación. El simple hecho de que el personal va a ser reorientado hacia otros servicios y departamentos dentro de la institución, para no hablar de la intención de cerrar el Cuarto de Noticias (¿Problemas técnicos?), son indicios de que no son los problemas financieros o técnicos los que realmente han pesado cuando se tomó la decisión de efectuar estas reestructuraciones. Emilios y cartas con opiniones de los oyentes al respecto pueden influir en la reversibilidad de esta decisión, si llegan masivamente aquí y a otros medios de información en masa rumanos e internacionales". Quienes quieran manifestar su descontento por la medida adoptada en RRI, seguidamente algunos medios de comunicación con la emisora rumana: RRI - Radio Rumania Internacional, 60-62 General Berthelot (P. O. Box 111), Bucarest, Rumania. Tel.: 40-1-2222556 Fax: 40-1-2232613 E-mail: rri @ rri.ro y span @ rri.ro (Servicio Español) Web: http://www.rri.ro (Rubén Guillermo Margenet, Argentina, Feb 17, Play-DX via BCLNews.it via DXLD) ** ROMANIA. RADIO ROMANIA INT. SULLA BANDA DEI RADIOAMATORI Radio Romania Internazionale in inglese su 7005 KHz, segnale ottimo, fine trasmissione alle 20.55 ut. Ciao! (Francesco Cecconi, Feb 17, Play-DX via DXLD) Poveracci --- hanno pure il trasmettitore tarroccato male (Dario Monferini, Italy, ibid.) Spur or mixing product, I assume (gh) ** RUSSIA. Re 4-030, Here`s an explanation why VOR suddenly dropped its webcasts in English and other languages --- Hi Glenn, I think that such a reason is certainly plausible; in earlier cases we have seen local SW transmitters reactivated just for elections (like in Kyzyl). For young Russians living abroad in e.g. Europe or North America, listening to Russian Radio via Internet is not an unusual habit, and many of them are certainly going to vote in the elections and are thus an attractive audience. As for the future of VOR's live audio stream: the question is where Russian International Radio (RIR) is going to maintain its audiostream in the future (it is mainly RIR which replaced the foreign language streams on 1 February). One of your correspondents suggested recently that RIR is a service for Russian listeners in the "ex-Soviet republics", but that is not so. Russian International Radio is a global service for Russian listeners around the world and Internet and satellite are two of the main distribution ways for this service. RIR is aware that quite a large part of its potential audience in countries with good telecommunications infrastructure does listen to radio programs by Internet, hence a full time audio stream would be a logical approach to reach this audience. I would be sure though that the multilingual stream will return quite soon; we would rather see a cutdown in air time on shortwave than a cancellation of the Internet audio. VOR's audio stream is hosted in Germany by Deutsche Telekom, and if for example a second stream would be added, this would need some time and preparations (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, Feb 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. VOR DRM on 9490 kHz is silent since Feb 10 - lucky for DXers. VOR program `Commonwealth` was in Ukrainian (not in Ru) 1610- 1640 on Feb 14 on 1431, 1548 kHz etc (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, BC-DX Feb 19 via DXLD) # # # now on 12060 - (wb) Voice of Russia DRM broadcasts to Europe: the Voice of Russia is now broadcasting regularly on 12060 kHz to West and Central Europe in DRM mode as follows: 1400-1500 Russian, 1500-1600 English, 1600-1700 German, 1700-1800 French The broadcasts are from the Moscow-Taldom site, DRM power 35 kW, beamed 240 degrees (from DRM-L @ yahoogroups.com> (Feb 12) via BC-DX via DXLD) see also KALININGRAD ** SAUDI ARABIA [non]. I also have a comment to this very interesting article. The Voice of Reform was heard with daily broadcasts in Arabic 1800-2000 UT (and jammed) during May - October 2003 on 15705 kHz, after having been jumping between 12025, 7590, 9925 and 9930 kHz during the B02 period. The transmitter used by TDP was in Kvitsøy, Norway. It has not been heard on SW since October (Anker Petersen, Denmark, Feb 5, 2004 for CRW via DXLD) ** SOLOMON ISLANDS. ILHAS SALOMÃO - Realmente a reativação das Ilhas Salomão nos 9545 kHz está em vias de se concretizar. Aguardemos a evolução dos fatos. Veja abaixo a resposta à minha consulta feita diretamente à emissora Solomon Islands B. C: "Hello there, Thank you for your inquiry. Work is underway to try and restore that frequency. It was down some years back, and a new transmitter was installed last month, but some piece of equipment needed is still to arrive. It should be back in service shortly. SIBC" (via Caio Fernandes Lopes, Itajubá-MG, Brasil, @tividade DX Feb 16 via DXLD) ** SOUTH AFRICA. Glenn: A rare and anomalous reception of BBC via Meyerton at 3255.0, never heard here before: just above noise level and fading under it, but nevertheless at 0420-0425, on 02.20.04, quite clear and distinct, and transmitting the World Service in English in parallel with other frequencies such as 5975. Later, by 0440, signal faded mostly below noise level, now unintelligible. But during the good reception, despite the very weak RF it was interesting to compare against other weak third-world stations with lousy modulation and poor processing: and to wish that all SW broadcasters would emulate Beeb transmission quality! Rx: R75; 350 foot dipole; San José, CA (Steve Waldee - retired broadcast station engineer, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOUTH AMERICA. From somewhere in South America Dear Friends: Radio Blandengue from some place in South America will be on the air next weekend performing his pirate activities on 14569.7v KHz LSB according to the following sked: ALL TIMES AND DATE ARE UT Feb 21, 2004 on 14569.7 KHz LSB 2100 – 2230 Sligo European Radio 2230 – 2300 Emisora Z del Dragon Feb 22, 2004 on 14569.7 KHz LSB 0000 – 0030 Emisora Z del Dragon 0030 – 0200 Sligo European Radio Only verify the correct reports received by snail mail QSL guaranteed, and don’t forget to include 2 IRC. Addresses for reports: ------------------------------------------------------- Emisora Z del Dragon Casilla 159 Santiago 14 CHILE e-mail: emisoraz@yahoo.es ------------------------------------------------------- SER. 21 Hazel Grove, Maugheraboy, Sligo, Ireland. e-mail: sligoeuropeanradio@hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------- Radio Blandengue Casilla 159 Santiago 14 CHILE or Radio Blandengue Box 293 Merlin Ontario NOP 1WO CANADA e-mails: rblandengue@yahoo.com (via DXLD) ** SPAIN. Canal AER --- La AER activará el Canal AER el próximo domingo 22.02.2004 UT en el siguiente horario: 1ª emisión 1900-2020 UT 2ª emisión 2020-2140 UT 3ª emisión 2140-2300 UT El contenido de cada emisión será: - Espacio producido por AER Aventura DX nº 5 (en español, +5 minutos) para la emisora ecuatoriana HCJB La Voz de Los Andes - Manual para la escucha de las transmisiones en las ondas cortas. Cinta producida en 1981 por el dominicano Teo Veras (60 minutos). - Bases para el sorteo de un WRTH 2004 (Manual Mundial de Radio y TV, edición 2004) que ha organizado la AER - Conjunto de 4 identificaciones de emisoras de radiopaises raros que empiezan por la letra M: La Voz de Mongolia Mauritus Broadcasting Corporation Radio Malasia La Voz de las Maldivas El formato de emisión: MP3 a 24 Kbps mono y la dirección prevista para la escucha http://diexismo.no-ip.com:8000/listen.pls mientras que la dirección prevista de la emisión (historial, escucha, etc.) es http://diexismo.no-ip.com:8000/index.html Los programas aconsejados para la escucha de esta emisión son Winamp o RealOne Los informes de recepción correctos, enviados a coordinador@a... [truncated by yahoogroups], que contengan, al menos, los siguientes datos, serán confirmados con QSL virtual: Nombre y apellidos País Fecha y hora UTC (mínimo 10 minutos) Programa usado (Real, Winamp, etc.) Calidad de la emisión (cortes, sonido, ruido, etc.) Acceso a internet (ADSL, cable, modem) Detalles de la emisión (se puede mandar un fichero de audio comprimido (MP3, RAM, etc.) ------------------------------------------------- Pedro Sedano, Madrid, España, COORDINADOR GENERAL ------------------------------------------------- AER http://www.aer-dx.org (Noticias DX via DXLD) ** THAILAND. A big signal of Radio Thailand in Thai after closedown of AIR at 1600 UT on 4830. Gong, hymn, advertisements also past 1620 (Feb 13) (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, BC-DX Feb 19 via DXLD) ** THAILAND. Winter B-03 of Radio Thailand: 0000-0030 English 9680 0030-0100 English 13695 0100-0200 Thai 13695 0300-0330 English 15460 0330-0430 Thai 15460 0530-0600 English 13780 1000-1100 Thai 7285 1100-1115 Vietnamese 7305 ||||| ex 7285 for B-02 1115-1130 Khmer 7305 ||||| ex 7285 for B-02 1130-1145 Lao 6040 1145-1200 Burmese 6040 1200-1215 Malaysian 11805 1215-1230 Indonesian 11805 1230-1300 English 9810 1300-1315 Japanese 7160 ||||| ex 7145 for B-02 1315-1330 Mandarin 7160 ||||| ex 7145 for B-02 1330-1400 Thai 7160 ||||| ex 7145 for B-02 1400-1430 English 9560 ||||| ex 9530 for B-02 1800-1900 Thai 11855 1900-2000 English 9535 2000-2015 German 9535 2015-2030 French 9535 2030-2045 English 9535 2045-2115 Thai 9535 (Observer, Bulgaria, Feb 20 via DXLD) ** TURKMENISTAN. From the land where theatre, opera, ballet and more arts and things are forbidden were heard news in English 1500-1510 on 5015 kHz except on Sundays when the program is in Vernacular (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, BC-DX Feb 19 via DXLD) TURCOMENISTÃO – Desde Itajubá (MG), o coordenador do DXCB, Caio Fernandes Lopes, informa que acaba de receber o cartão QSL da Turkmen Radio. Em recente matéria aparecida na revista brasileira Veja, o Turcomenistão foi apontado como o ``pior país do mundo para viver``, de acordo com especialistas da publicação The Economist, de Londres. Exageros à parte, como questionar a existência de imagens e estátuas do ditador, Saparmurad Niazov (como se, no Ocidente, nenhum político utilizasse tal expediente), a Veja dá conta de que o mandatário ``obriga a população a comunicar a autoridades locais a participação até em enterros e casamentos``. Da mesma fora, noticia que, no Turcomenistão, um trabalhador é obrigado a viver com 30 dólares mensais, em média. É fato! A revista só esqueceu de comparar com outros países ocidentais que, dá a entender, seriam o oposto, ou seja, ``os melhores lugares do mundo para viver``. Já que o Haiti está em crise e ocupa as manchetes dos jornais, que tal comparar os índices de padrões de vida das duas nações? (Célio Romais, Panorama, @tividade DX Feb 16 via DXLD) ** UKRAINE. RADIO LIBERTY HOPES TO STAY IN UKRAINE | Text of report by Ukrainian news agency UNIAN Kiev, 20 February: Radio Liberty will not negotiate with the Ukrainian authorities to renew its Ukrainian service's rebroadcasting on FM frequencies, the president of the [US-funded] Radio Free Europe-Radio Liberty corporation, Thomas Dine, said at a news conference at UNIAN today. Dine said that Radio Liberty's programmes were banished from the Dovira [FM] radio station's waves for political, rather than commercial, reasons. "Over the five years of our work with Dovira, the administration of the president (Leonid Kuchma - UNIAN) demonstrated that it is not interested in the objective information that Radio Liberty gives," he said. The director of Radio Liberty's Ukrainian service, Oleksandr Narodetskyy, said that Dovira "constantly received threats" over the period. Dine said that, until the change of its leadership, Dovira had worked with Radio Liberty "openly and honestly" and that the two sides were faithful to their contractual obligations. "But the new owners decided to kick us off the air and they did it quickly, abruptly and callously," Dine said. At the same time, Dine expressed a hope that by August 2004, when Radio Liberty celebrates its 50th anniversary, the rebroadcasting of its programmes on Ukraine's FM frequencies will be renewed. "We want to and will be part of the Ukrainian mass media," he said. Dine said that the radio's leadership is currently negotiating with other Ukrainian radio stations to resume broadcasts on both FM and AM frequencies. Currently, it is possible to hear Radio Liberty on FM frequencies only in Odessa, Sokal, Uzhhorod, Ivano-Frankivsk and Sevastopol. On the short waves, Radio Liberty can be received across the entire territory of Ukraine. According to a poll conducted in December 2003, Radio Liberty's rating grew by 30 per cent year on year, and more than 8 per cent of Ukraine's adult population listen to its programmes every day. As UNIAN reported earlier, on 11 February 2004 the new leadership of Radio Dovira decided to stop rebroadcasting Radio Liberty's programmes with effect from 17 February. The director of Radio Liberty's Ukrainian service, Oleksandr Narodetskyy, received a letter from the first deputy director of Dovira, Valentyn Reznychenko, saying that this was due to structural changes, as well as changes in Dovira's programming policy. Dovira had been rebroadcasting Radio Liberty's programmes for five years. On the short waves, Radio Liberty has been broadcasting for Ukraine since August 1954. Source: UNIAN news agency, Kiev, in Ukrainian 1058 gmt 20 Feb 04 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** U S A. BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS TARGETS 11 ENGLISH RADIO SERVICE POSITIONS Dateline: Washington, 02/19/04. The Union was informed Tuesday by a high ranking VOA official that 11 positions are targeted for elimination in the VOA English Radio Service. Apparently it did not work last year so the BBG has demanded that it be done again. Last year the BBG ordered 11 positions cut in the English Radio Service and the managers were able to use a combination of vacancies and buyouts to avoid throwing any employees out of work. The cuts severely harmed the English radio broadcasts by cutting the 24/7 Worldwide English radio broadcasts to 19 hours a day. Apparently that was not enough for the BBG. They have now ordered another cut of five hours a day which will reduce the English radio broadcasts to 14 hours a day and will result in the elimination of at least five positions. Anyone in broadcasting can tell you that if you are not there when you are needed, the listener will find someone else. Could this be the plan? Cutting the hours in English radio broadcasts cannot increase listenership no matter how you slice it. As to the necessity for these cuts, as Director Jackson admitted in last week's townhall meeting, the cuts were actually part of the BBG's budget REQUEST. These cuts have nothing at all to do with a lack of funds. These cut are being done because the BBG wants to do them. As a comparison, the actual budget for International Broadcasting for FY 2003 was $468,898,000. The budget REQUEST for FY 2005 is $569,000,000. You do the math. There is no monetary need to cut VOA English language radio broadcasts (AFGE Local 1812 Feb 19 via DXLD) 2004 Budget Scapegoat You can bet now that the 2004 budget has been approved, the BBG will use it to justify more cuts in the Voice of America. Expect an announcement soon (if not a town hall meeting) from the VOA Director's office claiming that there are not enough funds and, therefore, it is necessary to cut our broadcasting jobs. It will not matter how much more money the BBG actually was given. They will divvy up the pot in such a way that they will strip the Voice of America of funds. In the meantime, the bloated bureaucracy in the IBB and BBG continues. In addition, more and more contractors and consultants are hired every day. In case anyone is still sleeping or is in denial, the objective is to do away with the Voice of America and give our jobs to contractors. And if you think this is just an attempt to hold down costs, we have been told that some in the new boondoggle (Middle East Television Network) are being paid salaries in the six figures. Plan to Eliminate VOA English AFGE Local 1812 has learned that the IBB Budget Office has submitted a plan to the BBG to turn the the Voice of America's English Service into full feed service thereby eliminating almost all jobs. According to sources, the BBG is seriously considering this proposal. AFGE Local 1812 has been warning the English Division for a while that the BBG has declared war on VOA News Now and Worldwide English. It is time once again to write letters to your Senators, Representatives, and the Press. Your job is most probably at stake. For more than 60 years, VOA English has been an important and cost- effective public diplomacy tool. Decisions of this magnitude should be made by those with public diplomacy and foreign relations expertise. AFGE Local 1812 sincerely hopes that the wiser members of the BBG will reject this plan. As We See It Some members of the Broadcasting Board of Governors have embarked on a plan to steadily diminish and eventually eliminate the Voice of America. Everything points to that fact, including changing the logo, freezing new hires, cutting five-hours of English-language programming with the possibility of more drastic cuts on the way, not giving credit to VOA writers for material used on the new satellite broadcasts, etc. The signs are all there: Starving the Voice of America of funds while wasting millions of dollars on the new, supposedly hip programs; Reducing staff to inadequate levels while adding more work; Demanding higher listener levels while increasing work requirements and lowering staffing -- an impossible task. This has been going on for some time. Mid-level managers are forced by the front office to add television and Internet duties to its understaffed language services. At the same time, the front office refuses to allow Voice of America managers to fill vacancies or give promotions. Here's what we see as the game plan: Force managers in the Voice of America to stretch their employees to the breaking point. With the increased workload and decreased staffing, mangers either must cut down on leave and force overtime, or reduce the service. And if they do reduce the service, this gives the Board an excuse to order another round of RIFs. If they do not reduce the service, the stress, anger and divided attention of its overworked and understaffed employees result in poorer programming. Then, the Board simply orders research, which shows a decrease in listenership and fabricates another excuse to order more RIFs. Let's think about it: why else would you reduce staff and then increase the workload? Why else would you make it almost impossible to take leave and, on top of that, order overtime? Some members of the Board do not like the Civil Service rules they are required to play by. Therefore, their plan is to kill the organization as it exists currently and recreate it. In the process, they strip VOA broadcasters of their rights as Federal Employees and rebuild the organization. The Board plays the game by its own rules. It eliminates Civil Service requirements and attacks Union bargaining rights. And do not forget who ultimately benefits from all this -- those contractors who supply the music and the news. The employees of the Voice of America will not be supplying either one. The Board eliminated the Voice of America Arabic Service and created the surrogate service Radio Sawa. It replaced Federal Employees by using suspect hiring practices. The Board also attempted to eliminate the Voice of America Farsi Service. But after a hard fight by ethnic and congressional advocates, and AFGE Local 1812, they retained some substantive VOA-prepared programming. But the BBG still created a completely unnecessary parallel service, Radio Farda, modeled on the silly Sawa formula. Now, the Board is creating a supposedly swinging Urdu Service, again using questionable hiring practices and refusing to credit the Voice of America for the news it broadcasts. The Board has created a new corporation -- The Middle East Television Network. They call the new TV program to the Middle East: Al Hurra. Let's hope this new entity does not mean the last hurrah for VOA. By the way, all of these new independent entities require their own administrative and management staff, something the Congress, in its 1998 legislation, tried to eliminate. As Federal VOA employees, we need to come together to fight the attack on our jobs and our integrity. Give us your ideas. If it is not your service being cut this time, it will be next time. It is time for all VOA broadcasters to unite and fight. The threat to all of our jobs is real. Attend the meetings and participate in the discussion. As with all Federal Unions, we are forced to fight with our arms tied behind our backs, so we need to be creative and determined. After all, David did manage to slay Goliath. [more:] http://www.afge1812.org/index.cfm?PageToWork=Content_Page_2 (News & Views, Feb 2004, AFGE Local 1812, via John Figliozzi, swprograms via DXLD) THE COMING DEATH OF THE VOA? Comments? Suggestions? This should be a major topic at the upcoming SWL Winterfest. One question that comes to my mind: Why is there so little publicity/discussion about this course of events in at least the Washington Post, the international broadcasting community in general or VOA personnel itself? The silence is deafening -- and very hard to understand if, indeed, these warnings are sound (John Figliozzi, ibid.) ** U S A. The Crisis at VOA Someone on another list to which I contribute asked me to describe (what I thought was) the dire situation at the VOA, the BBG and U.S. government supported international broadcasting in general. This is what I wrote: Factually, there are several points of conflict here that appear to have come together to create this situation: 1. The VOA journalists who want the VOA to be run on pure journalistic principles at all times vs. government officials who want the VOA to reflect and support U.S. foreign policy objectives above all else. (The journalists argue that it's the VOA's integrity and reputation that best serve U.S. foreign policy interests in the long run. The State Department often argues that the VOA should be required to coordinate its activities with them. The two positions are almost entirely mutually exclusive. Alan Heil, a former VOA deputy director, has just written a very balanced, interesting and absorbing history of the VOA illustrating this conflict -- and other key events in VOA history -- through the decades. It's called "Voice of America: A History" and is available via Amazon and most book stores. Highly recommended reading.) 2. VOA and its English speaking, U.S-based management, which is protective of both the hard-won reputation for integrity the VOA holds and the traditionally preeminent position of the VOA within U.S. international broadcasting vs. the "surrogate" broadcasters (i.e.: the Radio Free [fill in the blank]s, Radio Marti, etc.) and their largely expatriate managements and staffs who favor a far less unitary approach (that, frankly, gives them more power). 3. The VOA, protected (or at least legally shielded) from direct government interference in its editorial decisions by its Charter (which has the force of law) vs. the surrogates who have no such protection or shield and can be much more easily manipulated by U.S. government officials. 4. The Broadcasting Board of Governors -- the "independent" body which oversees all U.S. government-sponsored international broadcasting -- which is populated by a combination of political appointees and U.S. commercial broadcasting types vs. VOA management, made up mostly of international public service broadcasting professionals and journalists. You can probably see where this is going. Part of it is an old fashioned turf war and part of it is an ideological one --- and the VOA is losing both, and badly. The majority within the BBG obviously are coming down on the side of the piecemeal approach and --- to put it crassly --- the preference for propaganda over integrity, especially when the chips are down --- as some perceive they are now. My opinion? Put simply, eliminating the VOA eliminates the strictures of its charter, something the State Dept. would like to be rid of. Eliminating the VOA allows more money to go to outsourcing, an ideologically popular approach to nearly everything with the crowd currently in power. The VOA feel they've got the proven track record, they've got the integrity and trust of the audience -- something that didn't come easily and without a protracted battle -- and they feel they've earned the right and the responsibility to represent the U.S. to an overseas audience. They're in the right on all counts; but they're still losing the war. To me, the BBG represents the kind of rampant short term, ideologically-bound* thinking in government and business that has put us all in the pickle we're in now -- be it economically, politically and socially. I think the BBG is playing a profoundly losing hand and destroying a fine, fine institution as it does so. There is no chance whatsoever that Radio Free Asia, Radio Sawa or Radio Marti or any of these will ever achieve the stature of the VOA. Sadly, they don't seem to care. *BTW, this is bad whether it's conservative ideology or liberal ideology. Ideology is fine for serving as a starting point for thinking and problem-solving --- but it's demonstrably impractical and unsuccessful when stubbornly adhered to in spite of facts, independent research and scientific measuring. As Oscar Wilde once said, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds". We are cursed with a surplus of small minds today --- of every stripe, IMHO --- in far, far too powerful positions (John Figliozzi, Half Moon NY, GRDXC via DXLD) VOA would have a LOT more money if they eliminated Radio and TV Marti --- we as a nation have no business putting up broadcasts such as those that Martí pumps out. I realise many will not agree but as a USA taxpayer, that is my money being used and I don't like it! The resources being allocated to this can better be spent elsewhere (such as in retention of the 11 proposed positions.) Question: how many MANAGEMENT positions are going to be included in the 11 being talked about? (cough cough) (Maryanne Kehoe, swprograms via DXLD) ** U S A. A Voz da América remodelou o seu símbolo. Agora, as letras VOA já não trazem somente as cores da bandeira norte-americana. Foi incluído o cinza e o verde, conforme informação do apresentador do programa Sua Carta, das emissões em português para a África, Filipe Vieira. Segundo ele, até as eleições presidenciais norte-americanas, a emissora pretende remodelar vários de seus sítios na Internet, incluindo o da seção em português para a África. As informações foram dadas na edição do programa Sua Carta, irradiado em 5995 kHz, às 0345, de 15 de fevereiro (Célio Romais, Panorama, @tividade DX Feb 16 via ** U S A (non). Frequency change for Voice of America in Georgian: 1530-1600 NF 11770, ex 9880 to avoid R. Kuwait DRM txion in Arabic \\ 9745, 13645 (Observer, Bulgaria, Feb 20 via DXLD) So if it`s `non`, what is the site? (gh) ** U S A. Radio Sawa was reported as follows: at 1615 UT with common news on all streams: at 1620 Stream 1 (conventionally) on 990 and 1260 (on 990 with delay); Stream 2 on 1548, 1431, 11850 at 1850 Stream 1 on 990 and 1260; Stream 2 on 1548, 11825, 11905; Stream 3 on 9530 at 2125 Stream 1 on 990, 1260, and (!) 1431 Stream 2 on 1548 Stream 3 on 7195, 9530 The difference in streams is only in the musical programs (Feb 14) (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, BC-DX Feb 19 via DXLD) ** U S A. Hi Glenn: Global - 5 is now ready to go on the air! We need a 3 MHz frequency. WWRB is asking for SWL input in the selection of our 3 MHz frequency. We do not want to QRM some overseas station people like to hear. At one time we used 3.270 MHz but we would like something like 3.100 or 3.225, etc. So SWL input requested --- Please send recommendations to WWRB via our web site http://www.wwrb.org WWRB now operates 5 Shortwave transmitters and 6 major antenna systems. WWRB is bringing many new upstart Christian ministries to shortwave at exceedingly affordable prices providing top quality signals, multiple antenna choices, multiple transmitter frequencies (Dave Frantz, WWRB, Feb 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Re: Spurs on 15 MHz signal of WWV?? Tom, Thank you for the heads up on this problem. I'm sorry for the late reply to your E-mail. We took a look on a spectrum analyzer and did see the problem you were referring to. It appears to be about -45 dB down from the main carrier. One of the techs did some tracing and found the source. I believe he has corrected the problem and it should now be gone. Thank you again for alerting us. Best Regards, (Matt Deutch, WWV, 17 Feb, to Tom Norris, via swl at qth.net via DXLD) From the wording of the email, it almost sounds like they didn't know they were even having transmitter problems. Hmmmmm. (Also from the lack of "thanks to all the reports we received" it almost sounds like mine was the only email they received.) Oh well, they fixed it last week it seems, as Monday 2/9 was the last I had heard the spur here. 73 (Tom Norris, Feb 18, ibid.) ** U S A. DXERS WANTED? AT KBOZ 1090 BOZEMAN MT --- The following site has a note to DXers about Reception Reports but have never answered any of my QSL requests so --- I'm not sure if the station itself knows about the note to DXers. Even though the dates of these photos are a few years old, the site does get updated often as the station logo has changed a few times. http://www.imt.net/~jabender/mvi/rj/kboz.html 73 (Mick Delmage, AB, IRCA, via C.L. van Soelen, Feb 20, BDXC via DXLD) ** U S A. TIS / HAR LISTINGS Just received an e-mail from Phil, and I'll be taking over as editor of the next IRCA TIS/HAR List. Please keep me in mind when you note a new TIS/HAR station in your area. As many of you are aware, the FCC Database has TIS and HAR information available online: http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/bickel/tis.html However, the FCC does not license operations on the federal level (i.e., National Parks, Seashores, military installations, etc), and to the best of my knowledge, that information is not readily available. So, information/updates on those stations will be needed. Any help appreciated! Very 73 and Best of DX de (Mike Hardester, NC, IRCA via DXLD) Hi Mike: I have something for you. This is the current TIS list of local government stations from FCC sources http://home.comcast.net/~tisdxer/locgovfq.html as of 18 February 2004. IRCA may use the list for publication if credit is given to Bill's TIS Digest. I have approached the NTIS to provide me a list of Federally operated TIS's. The person with whom I spoke told me it was possible under the FOIA (I think) for a cost. They also attached some requirements to using the list. It was a plain hassle. If you need any help please let me know (Bill Harms, Bill's Ultimate TIS Digest http://home.comcast.net/~tisdxer/ (currently under construction), IRCA via DXLD) ** U S A. FCC TELLS CONGRESS --- MAKE MORE ROOM FOR LPFM February 20, 2004 FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION VINDICATES LOW POWER Make More Room for LPFM, Engineers and Regulators tell Congress http://www.prometheusradio.org/pr_fcc_reports_congress.doc The Federal Communications Commission released a major report today, February 20th, concerning its Low Power FM radio service. The FCC is making its recommendation to Congress that they remove the third adjacent frequency restrictions that keep Low Power FM radio out of most American communities, especially out of our cities. This act will open the doors to hundreds, if not thousands, of new potential community radio stations in the United States, more essential than ever in a time of increasing media consolidation and decreasing access to the airwaves. The original granting of licenses for the Low Power FM service was stopped in its tracks in December of 2000, when Congress, under the recommendations of the National Association of Broadcasters and NPR, placed an exorbitant protection standard on the FM broadcast band. Convinced by the corporations' cries of "interference", Congress passed a law keeping Low Power radio off of most of its intended frequencies, and over 60% of the potential stations were lost. "When Congress listened to the big corporate lobbyists -- who were telling them that our 100 watt radio stations would interfere with their 100,000 watt Goliaths, they were flouting decades and decades of engineering precedent," said Prometheus Radio Project technical director Pete Tridish. "Everyone in this business, including the FCC, knew that there was room for our stations on the dial. Now Congress knows it for a fact, and it's their job to pass the law allowing more LPFM stations to be built." LPFM licenses are granted to groups that promise to broadcast non- commercial, locally-produced broadcasting that will serve their regions and towns. The Prometheus Radio Project, alongside many other national organizations, fought for the implementation of these licenses at the turn of the last century. Prometheus will work to get the groups who lost out on LPFM in 2000 back into the game, helping them apply for stations and get their voices into their communities. "We're very glad to see that the FCC is telling Congress what we've know all along to be true," said Low Power FM broadcaster Mike Shay, of environmental action station WRYR-LP in Anne Arundel Country, Maryland. "I'm going to work overtime to tell folks all over the country that now is the time to ask their Congresspeople to bring stations to their communities!" To read the report in its entirety, download the FCC's Adobe PDF document from this site -- http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-244128A1.pdf The Prometheus Radio Project is an advocacy group that builds, proliferates, and works to further accessibility to Low Power FM community radio stations. They also work for the movement for a more democratic media and communications rights all over the country and all over the world. For more information about Prometheus, contact Pete Tridish at 215.727.9620, or at petri @ prometheusradio.org or Hannah Sassaman at 267.970.4007, or hannahjs @ prometheusradio.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Hannah Sassaman, Program Director, Prometheus Radio Project 215.727.9620 267.970.4007 (via Benn Kobb, DXLD) FCC SAYS CONGRESS SHOULD LIFT RESTRICTIONS ON LOW-POWER FM STATIONS By JONATHAN D. SALANT The Associated Press 2/20/04 6:28 PM WASHINGTON (AP) -- Congress should allow more tiny radio stations to serve neighborhoods, despite large radio stations' complaints that small ones interfere with their broadcasts, the Federal Communications Commission says. In a report released Friday, the FCC said it found low-power FM radio stations serving highly specific audiences in small areas don't interrupt signals by large stations. The agency encouraged Congress to lift restrictions that limit the number of tiny stations that broadcast for neighborhoods instead of cities or regions. The low-power stations "do not pose a significant risk of causing interference to existing full-service FM stations," the FCC said in the report ordered by Congress in 2000. Nor do the stations interfere with special narration services for the visually impaired, the FCC said. Commercial broadcasters and public radio stations complained that low-power stations would interfere with their signals. Congress responded by setting strict buffers on the radio dial between the low-power stations and existing broadcasters, which in effect severely limited the number of tiny stations. However, lawmakers also told the FCC to study interference. Proponents of the small stations say low-power radio helps bring diverse voices to the airwaves as a counterbalance to the increased consolidation of commercial stations. There are about 300 low-powered stations on the air. Many are licensed to churches. Other license-holders include school districts, youth organizations, highway departments, environmentalists and fans of folk music. By comparison, the nation's largest chain, Clear Channel, owns 1,200 stations. The FCC originally proposed licensing as many as 1,000 low-power stations, which have a range of four to seven miles and operate at between 10 watts and 100. Conventional FM stations can go up to 100,000 watts and be heard dozens of miles away. An official of the Media Access Project, a telecommunications law firm supportive of low-power radio, hailed the FCC study. "After significant expense by the taxpayers, the scientists have reported on the same laws of physics that have always existed," deputy director Cheryl Leanza said. "These tiny radio stations are no threat to the current broadcast system. It is now time for Congress to take action based on that analysis." A phone call to the National Association of Broadcasters, which led the fight to restrict the low-power stations, was not immediately returned Friday (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U S A. VERMONT PUBLIC RADIO/DEMOCRACY NOW The Community Advisory Board has voted unanimously to not air Democracy Now. see: http://www.vpr.net/about_vpr/cab_democracy_now.shtml (via Ricky Leong, DXLD) ** U S A. RELIGIOUS BROADCASTERS CONDEMN MTV, BET AT ANNUAL CONVENTION http://www.aberdeennews.com/mld/aberdeennews/news/nation/7956614.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp (via Mike Cooper, Feb 14, DXLD) ** U S A. RADIO HEADS WARNED ON INDECENCY By Dean Johnson Friday, February 20, 2004 The head of Infinity Radio's 180 stations laid down a ``zero tolerance'' policy against obscenity to all his top executives - including those at a Boston station airing shock jock Howard Stern. Infinity chief Mel Karmazin, in a reportedly tense conference call, told his lieutenants Wednesday they shouldn't even come close to ``the line.'' `This company won't be a poster child for indecency,'' Karmazin said. Offenders risk firing, warned a follow-up memo. Where does that leave Stern, Infinity's syndicated superstar, heard here on WBCN-FM (104.1)? He wasn't mentioned in the conference call and is currently on vacation. WBCN officials did not return a call. But Stern's program includes lowbrow, tasteless and sexually blunt bits that regularly push the bounds of decency. All of Stern's previous obscenity cases with the Federal Communications Commission are settled, and lately he has been admonishing callers to be careful about their language. A recent appearance by potty-mouthed rocker Courtney Love was filled with bleeps, indicating the show utilized time-delay technology to censor her. Infinity - which also operates Boston signals WBZ-AM (1030), WZLX-FM (100.7), WBMX-FM (98.5) and WODS-FM (103.3) - made its new policy clear to employees even before Karmazin's call when it suspended the syndicated duo Don and Mike for two weeks after a seven-letter barnyard epithet made it on the air two days after the Super Bowl. Why the new guidelines? Karmazin's recent grilling by a U.S. House subcommittee over former Infinity shock jocks Opie and Anthony's outrageous stunts is part of it, as is congressional anger over Janet Jackson's Super Bowl display on CBS-TV. Karmazin, president of Viacom, also oversees CBS. But a bigger reason is strictly financial. The FCC is so angry over Jackson's faux pas that it's now scrutinizing nearly every indecent programming charge and even making noises about pulling broadcast licenses (Boston Herald via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U S A. The article about Dr. Bob Arnot vs. NBC News, recently linked here to http://www.observer.com has disappeared as of Feb 19 recheck --- not moved to the archives of Joe Hagan`s columns. Searched all over the site for it, and no luck. Something fishy here (gh, DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. CNN Radio en español. Web site http://edition.cnn.com/video/index.html A bit down the page there is a window called AFILIADAS. Click on Latin America or USA and you will find a list of stations relaying CNN in Spanish. Among those of interest in this particular case is, of course, Noti-Uno 630 on Puerto Rico, which, as we know, is being aired also on 1320. /HK First You have to get to the Spanish page, and then to javascript popups. Save you some trouble with direct links: US: http://www.cnnenespanol.com/radio/affil.us.html LAm: http://www.cnnenespanol.com/radio/affil.latam.html (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. SPANISH-LANGUAGE RADIO SHOCK JOCKS PRESENT OBSTACLE FOR REGULATORS BY RICHARD BRAND Knight Ridder Newspapers Posted on Sat, Feb. 14, 2004 http://www.aberdeennews.com/mld/aberdeennews/news/nation/7956112.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp (KRT) - The Federal Communications Commission may be in an uproar over Janet Jackson's exposed breast, but it's unlikely they were paying much attention to the raunchy jokes on the radio last week about her "teta desnuda." More and more, Spanish-language radio, once considered a tame alternative to its English counterpart, is getting known for shows with language and jokes racy enough to make Howard Stern blush. Last week, for example, the most popular Spanish-language radio show among young people in South Florida, "El Vacilon de la Manana" on WXDJ-FM, broadcast the voices of a masturbating priest and a pot-smoking welfare recipient. In another of their pranks, they called Haitian President Jean Bertrand Aristide's office, and when they couldn't get through, called his secretary gay. A competing show, "El Mikimbin de Miami" on WRTO-FM, quipped about bare bottoms and chastity belts. The rise of the Spanish shock jocks in markets with large Latino populations like South Florida, New York and Los Angeles has raised a chorus of complaints from Hispanic leaders, programming watchdogs and politicians who warn the medium is too explicit and largely unregulated. "The standard by which we judge radio has been shattered. The level of acrimony that is there, the crude language, it's inappropriate for public hearing," said Raul Yzaguirre, president of the Washington-based National Council of La Raza. "Spanish-language radio is raunchier than English. And there is no accountability whatsoever." Of the 20 investigators in the FCC's obscenity enforcement bureau, only one speaks Spanish, officials at the commission say. So when complaints about Spanish radio come in, they are farmed out to a private company that turns the tapes into English transcripts, which are then reviewed by FCC staff. Since November 1999, according to FCC records, the agency fined or proposed to fine five Spanish-language programs for indecency or obscenity for a total of $77,400. During the same period, the commission fined or proposed to fine 21 English-language programs a total of $1,377,500 for indecency or obscenity. Those statistics do not include fines for other violations. Lawmakers in Washington, D.C., last week approved a measure that would significantly increase the fines the FCC can slap on offending broadcasters in English or Spanish. "We do everything we can to make sure we get accurate and complete translations," said Linda Blair, deputy chief of the FCC enforcement bureau. "I feel like really we do OK. I think we do the work fine." But critics say using English transcripts makes it difficult for the FCC to determine if a program is actually indecent since the vulgarity of many Spanish words can be lost in translation. "In terms of English- and Spanish-language broadcast, there is a clear discrepancy on how much scrutiny the indecency problem is given," said U.S. Rep. Peter Deutsch, D-Lauderhill, a member of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, which oversees the FCC. "The bottom line is that the FCC just doesn't have enough people to translate Spanish." The FCC said the rate of complaints against Spanish-language broadcasts is still low compared to English outlets. Some Hispanic advocacy groups say that's because Spanish speakers don't realize they can file their concerns with the government. Several politicians say the regulatory agency should start girding now for an onslaught of complaints as the immigrant population gets more assimilated and as the medium booms. "If you look at the trends in terms of listeners, there is going to be more need for the FCC to police this," said U.S. Rep. Jim Davis, D-Fla., also a member of the FCC oversight subcommittee. Hispanic entertainment is the fastest-growing segment in the broadcast industry. In the last decade alone, the number of Spanish-language outlets in television and radio nationwide has nearly doubled from 41 television and 347 radio outlets in 1993 to 79 television and 626 radio stations last year, according to Broadcasting and Cable magazine. As those numbers keep getting bigger, enforcing decency standards on Spanish radio may prove more difficult than simply hiring more translators. According to federal law, a program is obscene if it is offensive beyond "community standards." In a city like Miami, where immigrants come from dozens of different regions, each with unique customs and taste, some say forming a community standard on what's obscene is not so simple. "Some of the vulgar words for private parts in one country are innocuous in another," said Miguel Centeno, director of Princeton University's Institute of International and Regional Studies. "Take the verb coger. Say that in Cuba, and it's fine. Say it in Argentina, and people will look at you like you've just committed murder." The shock jocks say it's the cultural misunderstandings, rather than an intention on their part to offend, that gets people riled up. "We wouldn't say anything on the air that we wouldn't say in front of our mothers," said Enrique Santos, co-host of El Vacilon (The Joker), which reaches 50,300 listeners between the ages of 18 and 34, the highest in that age group among Spanish-language listeners in South Florida, according to fall season ratings by Arbitron Inc. To their credit, Santos and co-host Joe Ferrero put out a show that's not all lowbrow humor and fart jokes. Staples of each broadcast include lots of community news and political satire, elements rarely heard on English competitors. But Santos, a former North Miami police officer, acknowledges that like many entertainers, he pushes the envelope to win ratings. He said he feels less pressure from the FCC because his show is in Spanish. "When it's 2 a.m. and you're leaving a club and hop on I-95 and you don't see any cars or troopers," he said. "Aren't you going to be tempted to go fast?" (c) 2004, The Miami Herald (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U S A. WXHL DX test --- Here's notice of an upcoming DX test... PLEASE NOTE: Even if you don't hear a test, be sure and drop a card, letter, or e-mail to the station personnel, thanking them for going to the trouble to run a test! Monday, March 29, 2004 - WXHL-1550, Elkton, MD will conduct a DX test from 12:01 to 1 am EST [0501-0600 UT]. The test will consist of numerous voice IDs and forgotten 70's and 80's Top 40 music and a few test tones. Currently, the engineer is uncertain of just what power the test will be run at; the station is normally 1000/1 w U3. Currently, the engineer reports he is unable to respond to QSL requests or reception reports. Please contact me if you might be able to help. Thanks!! Lynn. Ircamember @ ircaonline.org Visit the IRCA Web site at http://www.ircaonline.org (Lynn Hollerman, LA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Lynn, I'd be happy to handle printing up some QSL cards and handling verificiation reports for the station. Also, if they are willing to include Morse Code ID's, I can send them a CD of their station ID in Morse...or just e-mail them the files. The DX Community always appreciates these tests, and we're more than willing to help out in any way possible. 73, (Les Rayburn, N1LF, Central Alabama, amfmtvdx at qth.net via DXLD) ** VENEZUELA. Hoy en la mañana pude confirmar que a Radio Fantasía 1380 AM que transmite desde Soledad, estado Anzoátegui, le cambiaron el nombre y esta mañana la escuché identificándose como: Revelación 1380; la verdad es que no sé si este cambio aparece el WRTH 2004 o anteriores, ya que tenía mucho tiempo que no lograba sintonizar esta emisora. Bueno querido amigo, recibe un fuerte abrazo y seguimos en contacto. Atte: (José Elías Díaz Gómez, Venezuela, Feb 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WRTH 2004 does not show any R. Fantasía on 1380 from Soledad, Anzoátegui. R. Revelación, 1380 is listed as YVME, 5 kW from Ciudad Bolívar, so is this really the same facility? Two other 1380s are in Puerto Cabello and Caja Seca (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTNEING DIGEST) ** VENEZUELA. Radio Amazonas: 4939.7, 2/19, 1004-1023+ Strong with occasional severe ute QRM. Sounded kind of like a typical morning show, with 2 OMs and a YL and some laughing. Nice station promos/IDs with reverb (Andrew Yoder, PA, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** ZIMBABWE. 3306, ZBC heard at 1720 Feb 19 with local language phone in, good level but heavy utility interference, most of this was eliminated by using LSB (Mike Barraclough, Letchworth Garden City, UK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) El colega Victor Goonetilleke informa en la Lista DXplorer que ha podido captar a ZIMBABWE en los 3306 // 4828 con un servicio africano, con música, entre las 1745 y hasta pasadas las 2000. Evidentemente es un horario tentador para los colegas de Europa pero no para quienes vivimos en estas latitudes. Sin embargo, hay que estar atentos a la frecuencia de 90 metros, puesto que el colega uruguayo Alfredo Locatelli, desde Durazno, me confirmó que escuchó esta emisora un par de días atrás a la medianoche del Rio de la Plata. Sera bueno entonces seguir la QRG ya que se presenta interesante y prometedora. 73 (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, Conexión Digital via DXLD) 4828 noted with strong signal here in Buenos Aires, today at 0206 with African Music in vernacular with several mention of Gweru and ID "...ZBC..." // 3306 (poor signal) (Nicolás Eramo, Argentina, Feb 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Zimbabwe terug op 90 & 60M! Beste mensen, Voor wie het nog niet in andere lijsten gelezen heeft: Zimbabawe heeft zijn twee TB frekwenties (3306, 4828 kHz) gereaktiveerd. Ik was zelf deze week weg, en heb het nog niet kunnen kontroleren. Maar in het verleden waren beide frekwenties hier ook regelmatig te horen. Dus verwacht ik in het volgende BDXC bulletin een golf(je) aan ZBC loggings.... groeten, (Aart Rouw, Feb 20, BDXC via DXLD) 4828 coming in well here, 3306 also audible, around 1915 UT Feb 20 (Chris Hambly, Victoria, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 3306 heard on 02.20.04 around 0424 to 0435, very weak signal consisting of pop vocals with interspersed announcements by a very passionately expressive guy (indistinct; think it might be Spanish but during the second or third announcement break, began to wonder if it could be a SE Asian language; still, the announcing style more like a Latin American station.) Zimbabwe, of course. Good thing I couldn't understand it. It's bad enough having to listen to interviews with the like of Richard Perle on AMERICAN broadcasts; I don't want to fill my brain with Zimbabwean nonsense (Steve Waldee, CA, Feb 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn, Re DXLD 4-030: Immediately before EVERY hour and half-hour, all four ZBC radio stations play a song in praise of the government's land reform programme, which ends with the slogan "Our land is our prosperity". You don't have to listen to the ZBC for very long to become familiar with it! (Chris Greenway, Kenya, Feb 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZIMBABWE [non]. MASUNDA Named VOP Chairman Zimbabwe Standard (Harare) February 16, 2004 DAVID Masunda, The Standard's Assistant Editor, is now the new chairman of the independent Voice Of the People (VOP) radio station, following the resignation of Dr Faith Ndebele and the death of Professor Masipula Sithole. VOP Radio, the only private national radio station in Zimbabwe, is back on air after it was bombed by unknown attackers in August 2002 who destroyed its studio and other recording equipment. According to a statement from VOP, its new board includes prominent human rights lawyer Arnold Tsunga as Vice Chairman, and Isabella Matambanadzo, the executive director of the Zimbabwe Women's Resource Centre and Network, as secretary. Broadcaster John Masuku is executive director. Masunda said VOP was expanding operations and hoped to extend its daily one-hour broadcasts with new and educative programmes on HIV/Aids, small- scale enterprises, human rights and democracy. Its frequency is 7120 Khz on the 41-meter band on short-wave from 7.00 to 8.00 PM. http://allafrica.com/stories/200402160938.html (AllAfrica.com - Africa via Jill Dybka, MSIS, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. Religious station in Vietnamese noted from Feb. 15, tentatively via TAC 200 kW / 131 deg 1330-1430 on 9390 (44554). Only on Feb. 15: 1330-1410 on 9350, 1410-1430 on 9350 (Observer, Bulgaria, Feb 20 via DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ IEEE HISTORY CENTER - MILESTONES LIST http://www.ieee.org/organizations/history_center/milestones_list.html I thought you folks might enjoy this site. 73, (Ray Bauernhuber, DX LISTENING DIGEST) BLACK CAT UPDATES DX TOOLBOX WITH PLOTTING ENHANCEMENTS The Mac Observer - USA ... Systems has released an update for DX Toolbox, bringing it to version 1.5.0. DX Toolbox is a utility designed for gathering information that affects shortwave ... http://www.macobserver.com/article/2004/02/17.2.shtml (via Larry Nebron, DXLD) POWERLINE COMMUNICATIONS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ THE BPL FIGHT: ARRL REACTS TO FCC NPRM The ARRL and many others in ham radio are not happy with last week`s FCC decision to proceed with further implementation of Broadband Over Powerline, and they are making their position known. Amateur Radio Newsline`s Mark Abramovich, NT3V, has been following developments and has more in this report: To say American Radio Relay League President Jim Haynie W5JBP was disappointed with the FCC`s decision to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Broadband Over Powerlines might be an understatement. Haynie sat in on the FCC`s Feb. 12 meeting in Washington, D.C. and admits he was dumbfounded when many of the commissioners expressed excitement about the possibilities of BPL, ignoring interference concerns expressed by their technical staff. ``To have Commissioner (Kathleen) Abernathy come out in her initial speech that blew us away and her unbounded enthusiasm and then turn around at the hearing I attended and listen to Commissioner (Jonathan) Adelstein allude to unsubstantiated reports of interference and I was livid,`` Haynie says. Haynie says the commissioners look more like cheerleaders for, than regulators of, the communications industry. ``It just seems to me though that the commission has gone from a regulatory agency to a Chamber of Commerce,`` Haynie says. ``Their eagerness to implement this prior to the NTIA study rollout, which they actually have a letter from a congressman asking them to wait, seemed to me it was put on the fast track and try to beat the NTIA results.`` Haynie says lots of what he heard about what`s supposed to be in the NPRM does not bode well for amateur radio. But he says there are some burdens on the electric utilities. ``They put a lot of constraints on the BPL industry,`` Haynie explains. ``They have to react in real time, they have to be frequency agile. They have to have public web sites, they`ve got to have somebody on duty 24-7 to mitigate complaints of interference.`` Ah, yes, interference. BPL proponents claim hams don`t know what they`re talking about. ``I`ve heard reports of some of the BPL industry spokesman who flat deny that there`s a problem,`` Haynie says. ``There never has been a problem, there can`t be a problem. ``In several interviews I`ve done with the regular press it was: `Okay, go down a buy you a short-wave receiver at Radio Shack. Go down there and listen to it for yourself. I don`t have to give you all these engineering data, you can hear it for yourself.` ``The utilities, they are being hand-held very carefully by the BPL industry and being told: ``There`s not a problem, there`s not a problem.`` Haynie says profit for the equipment manufacturers and the utilities is clearly the motive for BPL. ``Any CEO worth his salt who`s running a power company is going to try to figure out more ways to get investment return for his investors,`` Haynie says. ``He`s got a grid there and if these salesmen come in and tell him: `Well look, you know, we can bring you in an extra million dollars a day or million dollars a week for your power grid and it`s not going to cost you anything other than just put these little devices on every quarter mile.` Why not?`` But Haynie says a recent Carnegie Mellon University study of the BPL business model identifies pitfalls. ``It would take 17 years for the recovery of the initial investment,`` Haynie says. ``And that puzzled me until I read the article and it said because broadband is dropping, DSL dial-up is getting cheaper every month. ``Deals are coming out, Verizon`s fixin` to come out with some more stuff. The old thing $30 a month is going to be high. And that`s what BPL wants right now, $30 for a residential, $50 for a business.`` Haynie accuses proponents of deception proponents in ``selling`` the concept. He says the claim it will finally connect rural areas of the country to high-speed internet access is, well, hogwash! ``We know that what the BPL industry wants to do is pick the low- hanging fruit, the high-density population areas,`` Haynie says. ``But that`s the selling point they`re using on the (Capitol) Hill. And that`s the selling point they use with the commission. I heard Chairman (Michael) Powell say that himself along with several of the other commissioners. ``They have been sold this bill of goods. And if anybody would stop and think about it, if it was such a good deal to serve five customers in a four-square-mile area, the DSL and the cable people would be doing it now.`` Haynie says he`s seen and heard criticism of ARRL, much of it declaring the League hasn`t done enough to address the BPL threat. ``Let me assure you, we have done a lot, and we have talked to a lot of our potential allies,`` Haynie says.``We`ve had one, in-face meeting in Washington. We do constant e-mails back and forth. ``But I am not going to, and the League is not going to, reveal all the things we`re working on because that would be ridiculous to show the hand to the industry. Let them figure out what we`re up to.`` What can you do and where do Haynie and the League see this going? Tune in next week for part two of our interview with Jim Haynie W5JBP. For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I`m Mark Abramowicz, NT3V, in Philadelphia. Can radio services including ham radio survive with the level of interference that many experts say BPL will create? We will look into this in future reports (ARNewsline (tm) February 20 via John Norfolk, DXLD) FCC CHAIRMAN ASSURES CONGRESSMAN ON BPL STUDIES FCC Chairman Michael Powell has assured US Representative Greg Walden, WB7OCE, that the Commission will give ``thorough consideration`` to all Broadband over Power Line (BPL) studies before it takes final action on BPL. Powell responded February 3 to Walden`s January 15 letter requesting that the FCC defer any further action in its BPL proceeding until the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) releases the results of its BPL study and the public has had a chance to comment. On February 12 the FCC took the proceeding to the next level, unanimously approving the issuance of a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM). Among other provisions, the NPRM would require BPL providers to employ ``adaptive interference-mitigation techniques.`` ``Please be assured that we have already begun coordination of this action with NTIA,`` Powell told Walden, ``and that the Commission will give all studies, including the forthcoming NTIA study, thorough consideration prior to any final action or rules on the subject.`` The FCC has not yet released the BPL NPRM nor invited public comments. An Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) briefing at the FCC`s February 12 open meeting indicated that the Commission would make no changes in Part 15 rules governing emissions from unlicensed devices. To date, the FCC has released only a public notice on its BPL proposals. Walden, a member of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, had told the FCC chairman that, in view of the importance of avoiding interference to federal government HF communications, the FCC should give the pending NTIA study a thorough airing before proposing any rules to govern BPL systems. The Oregon Republican is one of two Amateur Radio licensees in the US House. Commenting on last April`s FCC BPL Notice of Inquiry in ET Docket 03- 104, the NTIA had expressed ``broad concern`` about the technology`s potential to cause interference to federal government users. The NTIA said the Commission ``must ensure that other communications services, especially government operations, are adequately protected from unacceptable interference.`` An arm of the US Department of Commerce, the NTIA subsequently undertook evaluations of BPL field test sites, in part to gauge the technology`s interference potential. The NTIA was supposed to conclude its field work last month, and release its observations and conclusions during the first quarter of this year. The ARRL`s own BPL study, which is assessing the potential of interference both from and to BPL systems, also is set to wrap up early this year. Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce Michael Gallagher and NTIA head Michael Gallagher told a December meeting of BPL proponent the Power Line Communications Association that the NTIA was ``studying interference risks and potential means for making risks more tolerable.`` He indicated that the first phase of NTIA`s pending BPL study would recommend radiated emission limits, compliance measurement procedures and other conditions in its report to the FCC. At the FCC`s February 12 open meeting, Powell pledged that the FCC would continue to be vigilant in the area of BPL`s interference potential. Anh Wride of the OET staff, who provided the broad strokes of the pending NPRM, said the FCC recognizes the concerns of licensed radio service users regarding BPL`s interference potential. Wride said ``licensed operations must be protected,`` but added that the OET staff believes that ``these interference concerns can be adequately addressed.`` (ARRL Letter February 20 via John Norfolk, DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ APPS: A-Dock X, DX Toolbox, Mac Minder, ... MacNN - USA ... It adds twenty different shortwave propagation reports and forecasts, and includes enhancements to the program and faster plotting of the grayline map. [1.5MB]. ... http://www.macnn.com/news/23478 (via Larry Nebron, DXLD) THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE SEATTLE, WA, Feb 20, 2004 --- Average daily sunspot numbers were down a little this week, as compared to those of a week earlier, as were the daily solar flux numbers. Average daily planetary A index was slightly higher. Geomagnetic indices settled down February 16-19 to yield some nice HF conditions. There weren`t many sunspots, so the MUF wasn`t as high as it was, say, several years ago, but the quiet conditions are a welcome respite from the stormy geomagnetic conditions of late. The quiet conditions should continue though this weekend --- good news for those participating in the ARRL International DX Contest (CW). Predicted planetary A index for Friday through Monday, February 20-23, is 10, 10, 12 and 12. Solar flux is expected to stay below 100 until around Leap Year Day, February 29. Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA, has an interesting article in the March issue of Worldradio about low-band propagation during the solar minimum. He tested the theory that 160 meters is better during the low part of the solar cycle, and he proposes that what helps the lower frequencies is not really an absence of sunspots, but quieter geomagnetic conditions. Because solar activity is lower during the years around the solar minimum, there is less chance of flares or coronal holes upsetting the geomagnetic field. A disturbed geomagnetic field can severely affect signals passing through high latitudes. He found that stations situated where they can propagate signals to their destination without passing through the high-latitude auroral zone may have a great advantage during periods of greater solar activity. For instance, K9LA`s path to Europe is a polar path, so he is affected by polar absorption when the K index is high. He compared notes with Tom Rauch, W8JI, in Georgia, whose paths to most major ham populations stays outside the auroral zone. W8JI can work much more 160 meter DX during the cycle peak than K9LA can. Sunspot numbers for February 12 through 18 were 65, 71, 64, 75, 81, 22 and 23, with a mean of 57.3. The 10.7 cm flux was 112.2, 107.8, 103.7, 102.1, 98.7, 101.9 and 97.7, with a mean of 103.4. Estimated planetary A indices were 28, 21, 18, 18, 7, 5 and 8, with a mean of 15. Copyright © 2004, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved (via John Norfolk, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###