DX LISTENING DIGEST 4-061, April 1, 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 1226: Fri 2300 on Studio X, Momigno, Italy 1584 Sat 0800 on WRN1 to Europe, Africa, Asia, Pacific 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 Sat 2200 on DKOS usually, http://www.live365.com/stations/steve_cole Sun 0030 on WBCQ 9330-CLSB Sun 0330 on WWCR 5070 Sun 0730 on WWCR 3210 [All DST shifts are in effect below] Sun 1000 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 1900 on Studio X, Momigno, Italy 1584 Sun 2000 on RNI webcast, http://www.11L-rni.com Mon 0100 on WBCQ 9330-CLSB [NEW] Mon 0330 on WSUI 910, webcast http://wsui.uiowa.edu [last week`s 1225] Mon 0430 on WBCQ 7415, webcast http://wbcq.us Tue 0300 on SIUE Web Radio http://www.siue.edu/WEBRADIO/ Wed 0930 on WWCR 9475 WRN ONDEMAND [from Fri]: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also for CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL]: Check http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html WORLD OF RADIO 1226 (high version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1226h.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1226h.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1226.html [soon] WORLD OF RADIO 1226 (low version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1226.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1226.rm ###################################################################### IMPORTANT NOTICE: I have to reduce my workload. My curse is that I am so interested in all the aspects of SW and other media you see covered in DXLD (and on WOR) and I want so share all this info. Altho it won`t be the same as this thoroughly edited newsletter, the solution to the problem is to set up a yahoogroup where individual contributors may post their items without gh having to process them. This will be especially good for long press items concerning domestic broadcasting, extra-long SW transmission schedules. It remains to be seen how DXLD the newsletter will change as a result, but I want it to get smaller and/or less frequent! Knowing that *I* am no longer the bottleneck preventing someone from reading someone else`s interesting item will take a load off my mind. Please be patient as I expect a considerable startup workload in approving members and initial moderating. I expect everyone to behave themselves. I have resisted doing this until now, because I like to produce a newsletter with as few mistakes as possible. Now participants have more of that responsibility. Few of us need any more e-mail clogging or boxes, so I suggest that like me, you read the group only on the website --- but that`s up to you. Here`s where to sign up. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dxld/ (Glenn Hauser, April 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###################################################################### ** AUSTRIA. R. Austria, ORF, English to NAm on 9870 at 0100 fair; 0130 poor modulation, QRM from 9865 (Bob Thomas, CT, March 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOLIVIA. R. Santa Cruz, 6134.78, March 26 0920-1030+; nice local music, 0922 ID, Spanish pops, announcements. Good, strong signal but mixing with a weaker R. Aparecida, Brasil on 6134.8. Brazil very weak by 1010 but Bolivia remaining with a strong signal (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. R. Nacional do Brasil, 9665, March 27 0458-0520+, tune-in to lite instrumental music, Portuguese talk, IDs, Portuguese ballads, fair. Back on frequency after spending the past several weeks up around 9668 (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. 'HE WAS A LOT OF TROUBLE' --- CBC filmmaker helped launch Canada's environmental movement with 1967 documentary whose impact has been compared to Silent Spring By JAMES RUSK UPDATED AT 11:54 AM EST Thursday, Apr. 1, 2004 He was a filmmaker whose hard-hitting documentaries made a difference. Larry Gosnell, who was instrumental in the rise of the environmental movement in Canada, has died in Toronto at age 80. His greatest legacy, Air of Death, exposed a poisoned land. . . http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPPrint/LAC/20040401/OBGOSNELL01/TPObituaries/ (via Gerald T. Pollard, NC, DXLD) ** CANADA. DOCUMENTARY RADIO REVOLUTION RECALLS HEYDAY OF CANADIAN RADIO STATION CKLW JOHN MCKAY Canadian Press Wednesday, March 31, 2004 http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/artslife/story.html?i d=f25ccaeb-39c6-42f7-9ec2-dd5891a382a9 TORONTO (CP) - They called it the Big 8. But CKLW was more than just a 50,000-watt AM radio station belting out rock 'n' roll and outrageous newscasts on a clear-channel frequency from Windsor, Ont., all the way down to the Louisiana Purchase. From the mid-1960s until early in the '80s, the Big 8 was one of the most powerful forces in North American pop music circles, a super station at 800 on the dial that could lay claim to introducing and elevating the Motown sound to a vast white audience. In the process, a few Canadian artists got extraordinary airplay in the United States, too. The story is told in Radio Revolution: The Rise and Fall of the Big 8, a documentary by Michael McNamara, which has been making the film festival rounds and airs April 7 on History Television. But it doesn't have a happy ending. Unless you're a federal bureaucrat. Clearly defying the rules of its CRTC licence, CKLW directly targeted Detroit, just across the river, with integrated American music playlists and its infamous heavy-on-sensation "20/20 News" format. And with fans tuning in at night across dozens of U.S. states, all the way down the eastern seaboard to Florida and beyond, the "blackest white radio station on Earth" laid claim during peak listening periods to a staggering potential audience of more than 60 million. "It was the biggest, loudest radio station on the dial," says McNamara, a Chicago native who grew up in Windsor in the '60s. "If you lived in the shadow of it, you couldn't ignore it." He likens it to those scenes in the movie American Graffiti, when deejay Wolfman Jack is seen booming into Southern California thanks to a border-buster transmitter in Mexico. And, the story goes that on summer nights, one could drive down Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the windows down and the dashboard radio off and still hear CKLW from other cars, from storefronts, in the air everywhere. At its high point, CKLW could make or break a new record; and in the documentary, the likes of KISS and Alice Cooper swear they owe their careers to the Canadian station. Acts like Martha and the Vandellas and Diana Ross and the Supremes would drive across the Ambassador Bridge to Windsor to personally pitch their new releases. McNamara focuses on station employee Rosalie Tromblay, who began as a humble switchboard operator and receptionist, but became - thanks to a good ear for hits - the station's music director and ultimately an incredibly powerful figure in the American music industry. So much so that she once was invited to Jimmy Carter's White House. But if the station was beating the Americans at their own game in broadcasting music, it also became notorious for hard-hitting, tabloid-style newscasts, usually focusing on urban violence just across the Detroit River. One memorable delivery involved a man who had killed his wife: "The hitless Tigers could use this guy's talents. He picked up his genuine Willy Mays, powerized lightning-strike Louisville Slugger baseball bat, proceeded to hit a thousand on the woman's head. She's dead." For another story, an eyewitness on the phone described an accident scene in which an 18-wheeler had run over a little boy: "They just moved the steel truck off of part of the body and they were using shovels to put the smashed parts in plastic bags . . . and he's squashed beyond 'recognization.' You can't tell it's a little boy even hardly." Mark Dailey, now the anchor and voice of Toronto's Citytv, is a former member of the station's news team and says the old joke was: "What's a nice journalist like you doing in a place like this?" But he says CKLW produced some excellent journalism, including award-winning coverage of the 1967 Detroit race riots. "Some really good news people came through there and out of there," Dailey says, fondly recalling how as a 19-year-old in 1972 his career dream came true when he joined the staff. "I've had a really lucky and blessed career, but it was still one of the highest points," he says. "I've never quite equalled the feeling in my gut the first day. "I haven't really got that adrenalin flowing quite to that level again. It was really a special time at the time." But the Big 8's demise was inevitable, albeit a three-stage affair. First, in 1968, Ottawa required that RKO General sell the station to Canadian interests, in this case Baton Broadcasting. Then came the Trudeau era's 30 per cent Canadian content rules in the '70s. And finally, in the early '80s, the CRTC, awakening to what was happening in this usually ignored corner of western Ontario, would not let the station migrate from AM to FM with its noisy rock format. "The rules were being written by educated, upper-class people in Quebec," says McNamara. "They may have had problems knowing what was going on in Toronto, but they certainly didn't know what was going on in Windsor." But McNamara doesn't think one can overestimate the Big 8's legacy. "You can start pulling on threads and say, OK, if they hadn't played this kind of music, then Motown wouldn't have had the kind of world exposure that it had, and the Beatles never would have heard Please Mr. Postman and the whole history of rock 'n' roll would have been invented by (1950s British banjoist-singer) Lonnie Donegan!" © The Canadian Press 2004 (via Mike Terry, Kim Elliott, DXLD) ** CHILE. If not in NAm, is anyone in SAm hearing the alleged new relays of other stations via Santiago? Have been unable to find any signal on 17605 from BBC in Portuguese, latest check being 2016 UT April 1. Nor have I heard any of the ``China Radio`` relays, including those listed for Stgo, 1200-1500 on 17625, 2200-2300 on 11720 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA [non]. CRI English at 0000 on 6145 via Sackville; repeat at 0100 on 9580 [Habana] and 9790; 0300 on 9690 [Spain] (Bob Thomas, CT, March 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COLOMBIA. La Voz del Guaviare, 6035.06v, March 27 0945-1000+, nice local music, 0945 ID, Spanish announcements. Frequency slowly drifting down. Was on 6035.07 at 0945 tune-in and on 6035.02 at 1000. Strong but some splatter from R. Martí on 6030 (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CONGO. According to a letter from TDC, Radio Congo transmits on 5985 0430-0700 and 1700-2300; 6115 0600-0830 and 1700-2030; 9610 0700- 1700 (Sergey Kolesov, Ukraine, April World DX Club Contact via Mike Barraclough, DXLD) ** CUBA. Unlike a few days before, April 1 at 2037 check, RHC English was not only on 9505, but also 11760, which was better, as it usually is if active (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** DJIBOUTI. Radio Sawa from Djibouti on 1431 was picked up around 2000 UT after the sign off VOR in Arabic on the same frequency. Reception was SIO 333 and around 2045 UT it fainted a bit, 232. As usual a new stream (Sudan stream) which is not // any other Sawa freq. 990, 1260, 1548. More to come soon. All the best (Tarek Zeidan, Cairo, Egypt, April 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EGYPT. Cairo, English to NAm at 0200 on 11855 is no good --- WYFR swamps `em. At 2300, 11725 with the usual trademark poor modulation (Bob Thomas, CT, March 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. While DW`s English at 2100 on 15205 via Rwanda is best, the preceding hour is also English to Africa on 15205, but via Wertachtal, OK here at 2026 check April 1 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GREECE. English from Voice of Greece noted since March 27th 0930- 1000 on 9420 15630 and 1830-1900 on 12105 (Mike Barraclough, World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** HAWAII. Haven`t actually listened to KWHR 11565 at 0900-1000 and 1100-1300, when it is supposedly scheduled with the new ``China Radio`` relays, but the WHR online schedule shows only normal English religious programming in the first hour, and not even on the air after 1030 except weekends when there is more of the same (Glenn Hauser, OK, April 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** HUNGARY: SUMMER A-04 SCHEDULE FOR RADIO BUDAPEST: English to Eu 1500-1528 Sun 6025 9715 1900-1928 Daily 3975 6025 11720 2100-2128 Daily 6025 English to SoAf 2100-2128 Daily 11830* ||* ex 11890 for A-03 English to NoAm 0100-0128 Daily 9590 0230-0258 Daily 9790* ||* ex 9570 for A-03 German to Eu 1200-1258 Sun 6025 7220 1400-1458 Sun 6025 7160 1700-1758 Sun 3975* 6025 ||* ex 5970 A-03 1730-1758 Mon-Sat 3975 6025 1930-1958 Mon-Sat 3975 6025 French to Eu 1600-1628 Daily 3975 6025 2000-2028 Daily 6025 9585* ||* ex 7185 A-03 Hungarian to Eu 0400-1058 Sun 6025 (relay Kossuth R) 0400-1558 Mon-Sat 6025 (relay Kossuth R) 1100-1158 Sun 6025 1300-1358 Sun 6025 1800-1858 Daily 3975 6025 7235* ex 7170 A03 2200-2258 Daily 6025 Hungarian to NoAm 0000-0058 Daily 9800 0130-0228 Daily 9570 2000-2058 Daily 15185* ||* ex 11890 for A-03 Hungarian to SoAm 2200-2258 Daily 9850 11990 2300-2358 Mon 9850 11990 Hungarian to AUS 1100-1158 Daily 21560 2100-2158 Daily 9780 Hungarian to SoAf 1700-1758 Daily 15335* ||* ex 15275 for A-03 Italian to Eu 1630-1658 Daily 6025 9525 2030-2058 Daily 3975 6025 Russian to Eu 0300-0328 Daily 3975 6025 1530-1558 Sun 6025 9740 1700-1728 Mon-Sat 6025 9650 1930-1958 Sun 3975 6025 Spanish to Eu 0330-0358 Daily 3975 6025 2130-2158 Daily 6025 11830* ||* ex 11685 A-03 (Observer, Bulgaria, April 1, via DXLD) Note the afternoon Hungarian to NAm at 2000-2058 on 15185. Very good signal here at 2030 check April 1, making us wish English were included (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) English found on 9590 at 0100; good for 10 minutes, QRMed by 9580 (Bob Thomas, CT, March 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. AIR 24 HOUR NEWS CHANNEL LAUNCH PUT OFF Our Delhi Bureau 30 March With less than a fortnight to go for the elections, the Prasar Bharati Corporation has decided to put on hold until June, the start of a 24- hour radio news channel originally slotted for an April 2 launch. The AIR proposal which came on the heels of a controversial launch of the DD news channel just before the Assembly elections last year has raised suspicions in political circles as an attempt to create "tools of poll propaganda". At an internal meeting which took stock of the situation, AIR officials felt that it would be prudent to wait till the polls were completed before embarking on the new venture. When asked, Prasar Bharati CEO K. S. Sharma told ET, ``I think we have to start operations a couple of months Later. The Election Commission would surely object to it, if we had opted to go ahead with it; it is new policy after all... The new `policy` he refers to is not only about expansion of radio services (though the foray into a 24-hour bilingual news service required nearly Rs.10 Crore) but also the new practice of hiring journalists and other staff required on a ``contractual`` basis. The requirement for the radio channel is estimated at 65 ``casual`` journalists from the private sector. There was a talk of BBC`s Satish Jacob being taken on board as consultant. A similar issue had recently caused a lot of heartburn among exiting Prasar Bharati employee and IIS cadre offices. When the autonomous Corporation re-launched news operations on television and revived DD- news, it hired staff from the private staff from the private sector for fancy salaries. The fact that DD-Metro was being replaced by the news channel added fuel to fury as considerable resources had already been spent on Doordarshan`s variety entertainment channel. Prasar Bharati employees staged dharnas and a PIL was also filed. But with the proposal having got the Cabinet approval and finance ministry funding, the Prasar Bharati CEO was able to convince the EC that the project was planned well ahead of the polls and should not be attributed any ulterior motives. With the controversy over DD-News as the backdrop, Prasar Bharati has decided to pursue the radio news channel only after elections (The Economic Times, 31 Mar 2004, via Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, India, DXLD) Too bad AIR isn`t above reproach, so this question would not even arise (gh, DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL WATERS [and non]. Go north, young man! Offshore radio enthusiasts in the UK and nearby countries are rightly marking the 40th anniversary of the start of Radio Caroline from a ship anchored off the coast of Essex, England. But while much of the attention is focused on the stations that broadcast from the North Sea, in my opinion the "real" Radio Caroline in the period 1964-1968 was the one that broadcast from Ramsey Bay off the Isle of Man, not the one that traded as Radio Caroline South. . . http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/features/html/car040401.html (Andy Sennitt, Media Network newsletter April 1 via DXLD) ** IRAN. VIRI heard March 30th in English 1530-1630 on 9635 and 11650; 9635 weak on clear channel, 11650 suffered from co-channel interference. Noted April 1st in English 1030-1130 on 15600, fair on clear channel, and 17660, good though some fading also on clear channel (Mike Barraclough, England, World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** IRAN [non]. Radio Pedar (Father Radio) 1730-1830 on 17735 via Woofferton, noted 30th March with abrupt sign on, often animated speech in Farsi with short musical breaks (Mike Barraclough, UK, World DX Club Contact via DXLD) {M-F} ** ISRAEL. Israel Radio - Passover eve --- All times local Israel time http://bet.iba.org.il/?lang=23 Holiday announcement On Passover eve, Monday, April 5th, the evening news will be broadcast just after 6 p.m. following a short Hebrew news bulletin. There will be no local news bulletin at 8 p.m. Overseas broadcast at 10 p.m. local time will be broadcast as usual. Please note that Israel moves to summer daylight savings [sic] time on Tuesday, April 6th. At 1 a.m. on Wednesday, clocks move forward by one hour to 2 a.m. (Doni Rosenzweig, 31.03.2004 14:49, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAEL. POLICE RAID 5 PIRATE RADIO STATIONS Police and Communications Ministry inspectors today raided broadcast stations of five unlicensed radio stations in Beit Shean. A number of persons involved with the stations were detained by police. http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=60403 (21:30 Mar 31, '04 (IsraelNN.com) via Mike Terry, DXLD) ** JORDAN. Radio Jordan English heard since March 28th 1300-1630 on 11690, very strong signals (Mike Barraclough, England, World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** KOREA SOUTH [non]. The reason why I didn`t hear RKI via Sackville at 2030 on 11775 in last issue is that the schedule is really 2000- 2030 as in a previous issue, not 2000-2100 as in that issue. Rechecking a bit earlier on April 1, at 2017 I could hear the Spanish under DGS Anguilla, so the co-channel RKI via RCI beam to Europe is enough to mar his reception in CNAm. I wonder if Anguilla, which is aimed at Dr. Scott`s own SW radio in Los Ángeles, mars RKI reception in Spain. Again only Anguilla after 2030 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KUWAIT. Radio Kuwait 1800-2100 English on 11990 has not been heard on several checks since March 28th, changed frequency or broadcast cancelled? (Mike Barraclough, England, World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** LATVIA. Next Sunday 11 April Ulbroka 9290 will carry Radio Caroline at 0900-1100 and European Music Radio at 1400-1700 (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LUXEMBOURG. Concerning DRM and effective power: I gather that the ``RMS`` mentioned in the BCE press release is another term for the same thing. Word is that the two DRM outlets from Junglinster are operated with the two Telefunken SV2550's that were once coupled to a single 500 kW on 6090. If so BCE indeed uses transmitters with classical plate modulation for DRM, something I found described as possible but not suitable. (Actually, no plate modulation takes place when running DRM at all; basically the transmitter works as a pure amplifier.) (Kai Ludwig, Germany, April 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALAYSIA. Voice of Malaysia 15295 heard April 1st 0820 with pop music, closing announcements in English 0829 and continued in Malay. Announced 6175 and 9750 in parallel and said that the English broadcast started at 0557 (Mike Barraclough, England, World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** MEXICO. XERTA, 4810, March 27 0055-0230+, Spanish pops, ballads, Spanish announcements. Surprised to hear a short ``This is XERTA`` English ID at 0224. Poor to fair with noisy conditions and swisher QRM. Appeared to have some technical problems with occasional dead-air and intermittent hum (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. XERMX still being heard weakly on 9705, *1257 April 1 with announcements in Spanish, the main problem now being splatter from super-strong VOG via Delano still on 9690. Remember, this weekend`s Radio Enlace on Radio Nederland reports on plans to close down Radio Mexico International (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS. Milestones --- I just came upstairs from a reception to celebrate Marijke van der Meer's 25th anniversary with Radio Netherlands. Marijke is a much-loved colleague and, as has become the tradition on such occasions, she was showered with gifts including an audio CD featuring highlights of her documentaries on a wide range of subjects. There was even a special song written for her to a traditional Dutch tune - unfortunately I didn't know the tune. There's always something new to learn...I understand the occasion is mentioned in today's editions of Newsline, where Marijke does the press review. For our listeners in North America --- A reminder that from Sunday 4th April our 1200 UT shortwave transmission on 11675 kHz is dropped. This week we're broadcasting our morning programme on shortwave at both 1100 and 1200 UT due to the discrepancy in the starting dates for daylight saving time. From Sunday we'll be on shortwave for one hour at 1100-1200 UT on 11675 kHz (Andy Sennitt, Media Network newsletter April 1 via DXLD) ** NIGERIA [non]. Yesterday on BBC World Service Africa stream (via World Space) it was announced that from today in Nigeria, the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation are enforcing the law that FM stations will not be allowed to carry World Service or other foreign content. NBC cite reasons of having no editorial control over news and also this enforcement will encourage growth in broadcasting internally. The BBC stated that now Nigerians will have to resort to "old fashioned" short wave for news from outside sources. Talking about BBCWS, is everyone aware that the South Asian stream of WS is carried overnight on the Asian network in Britain? (Phil Attwell, MWC via DXLD) BBCWS news, I think it was at 1430, April 1, said as a result BBCWS is expanding its SW service to Nigeria, or some word to that effect. We shall be interested to know exactly how --- more time, more transmitters, more power? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OMAN. A04 RSO 25-Mar-2004 created by ITU HFBC - 25/03/04 03:24:15 -+-------+------+------+-+-----+----------+---+---+---+-----+-+-----+- all daily = 1234567 all 280304 to 311004 all slews = 0 kHz UTC CIRAF SITE kW DEG ANT LANGUAGE 6085 0200 0400 39N,40W SEB 100 320 141 arabic 6085 2000 2200 39SW,48 SEB 100 240 146 arabic 6190 1800 2000 39SW,48 SEB 100 240 146 arabic 9515 0400 0600 39N,40W SEB 100 320 141 arabic 9760 2300 0200 28,39N THU 100 315 218 arabic 13640 0600 1400 39N,40W SEB 100 320 141 arabic 13640 2000 2200 28,39N THU 100 315 218 arabic 15140 1400 1500 28,39N THU 100 315 218 english 15140 1500 1800 28,39N THU 100 315 218 arabic 15355 0200 0300 48,53 THU 100 220 205 arabic 15355 0300 0400 48,53 THU 100 220 205 english 15355 1800 2000 48,53 THU 100 220 205 arabic 15355 2200 2400 28,39N THU 100 315 218 arabic 15375 1400 1800 39SW,48 SEB 100 240 146 arabic 17590 0400 0600 48,53 THU 100 220 205 arabic 17630 0600 1000 28,39N THU 100 315 218 arabic (via Swopan Chakroborty, DXLD) ** PARAGUAY. R. Nacional del Paraguay, 9736.92, March 26 0730-0830+, very strong but slight distortion. Spanish talk, ID, mostly continuous local music (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. R. Santa Mónica, Cusco, 4694.99, March 27 0950-1020+, OA folk music, Spanish announcements, 1015 canned ID; good-strong. R. Oriente, 6188.03, march 27 1025-1040+ Spanish talk, pops, OA music, 1038 ID; good-strong (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. Glenn, Here is the latest schedule from their website. No frequencies listed for Arabic; I could only find times and metre bands. Also nothing found for Italian and Persian so have marked them n/a (not available) I have included MW frequencies this time. I hope there are no errors, ha! (Bernie O'Shea, Ottawa, March 31, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Voice of Russia A-04 Schedules From VOR website March 31, 2004 * - from 28.03 till 04.09 ** - from 05.09 till 30.10 *** - Sat, Sun **** - Broadcasting in the DRM system Albanian 1500-1530 15290*, 13740, 12060*, 12000**, 9470** Arabic 2000 n/a Bengali 1530-1600 17570, 11720, 9745 Bulgarian 1700-1800 15290*, 12000**, 7300, 1467 1900-2000 9470*, 6000**, 1467 Chinese 1000-1100 12000*, 9470**, 5940, 1251, 585 1100-1200 12000*, 9470**, 7355, 5940, 1251, 1080, 585 1200-1300 13590, 12000*, 9470**, 7305, 1251, 585 1300-1400 15490, 13590, 7305, 1251, 801, 585 Czech 1745-1830 15340, 12020**, 11745*, 7400, 1170 Dari 1200-1400 15510, 12015, 4975, 4965, 4940, 972, 801, 648 English To Africa 1600-1700 11985 1700-1800 11985, 11510 1900 11510, 9745 To Australia, New Zealand 0500-0600 21790 0600-0700 21790 0700-0900 21790, 17635, 17525, 17495 To Europe 0100-0300 603 0300-0400 1548, 603 0400-0500 603 0500-0900 1323, 603 1400-1500 15780**** 1700-1800 11675***, 9890, 9820**, 9480*, 7350**, 1494*** 1800-1900 11630*, 9890, 9820**, 9480 1900-2000 12070*, 9890, 7440, 7310** 2000-2100 15455*, 12070*, 11980**, 7310** To Middle East 0100-0300 5945 1500-1600 11985, 7325, 4975, 4965, 4940, 972 1600-1700 12055, 11985, 5945, 1251, 648 1700-1800 1251 To North America [but see below!] 0100-0200 17660, 15595, 11825, 9665**, 7180* 0200-0300 17660, 15595, 9860, 9665**, 7180* 0300-0400 17660, 15595, 9880*, 9860, 9665**, 7300**, 7180* 0400-0500 17660, 15595, 9880*, 9665**, 7300**, 7180* To Asia 0700-0900 1251 1400-1500 17645, 12055, 9745, 7390, 1251 1500-1600 11500, 7390, 972 1600-1700 12055, 7320, 5945, 1251 1800 7320, 1188, 1251 Finnish 1700-1730*** 11675*, 9820**, 9480*, 7350**, 1494 *** - except Sat, Sun French To Africa 1600-1700 12070**, 12000*, 11510, 9745 1700-18.00 9745 1800-1900 12070**, 12000*, 7320**, 7310* 1900-2000 12070**, 12030, 12000*, 7320**, 7310* 2100-2130 9450 To Europe 1600-1700 15780***, 12070, 12040*, 12010, 12000*, 9810**, 7310** 1700-1800 12070*, 12040*, 12010, 9810**, 7310** 1800-1900 12070, 12040*, 12010, 12000*, 9810**, 7310** 1900-2000 15455*, 12070**, 12030, 12010, 12000*, 11980**, 1323 German 1100-1200 603 1323 7330 15455 1200-1300 603 1323 1300-1400 603 1323 1386 1700-1800 603 1215 1323 1386 7330 7440** 9795* 11980** 15455* 15780 1800-1900 603 1215 1323 1386 7330 7440** 9795* 9890 11980** 15455* 2000 1215 1323 1386 7330 11980** 15455* 2000-2100 603 1215 1323 1386 7330 7440 11980** 15455* Greek 1900? 12015*, 11985, 11870**, 9470*, 7300, 6000**, 1467, 1431 Hindi 1300-1400 17570, 11500, 1188 1500-1530 17570, 11720, 9745, 972 Hungarian 1700-1745 15350, 7400, 1170 Italian n/a Japanese 1200-1300 7315, 5905, 720, 630 1300-1400 7355, 7315, 5905, 720, 630 Korean 1000-1100 7355, 7305, 648 1200-1300 7355, 5955, 648 1400-1500 1323 Mongolian 1200-1300 15490, 5940, 1080, 801 Norwegian 1730-1800* 11675*, 9820**, 9480*, 7350**, 1494 * - Tue, Thu Pashto 1200-1400 15510, 12015, 4975, 4965, 4940, 972, 801, 648 Persian n/a Polish 1700-1800 11980*, 11630**, 1143 Portuguese To Brazil 2300-0000 12010*, 11510, 9890**, 7330 To Portugal 2000-2030 11630*, 9480**, 7440 2300-0000 603 [via Berlin low-power? Not likely –gh] Romanian 1700-1800 7420**, 7380, 7320*, 999 Russian To Australia and New Zealand 1200-1400 11640 To Asia 1200-1300 15470, 11640, 9920, 9745, 9480, 7390, 1143 1300-1400 17645, 15470, 11640, 9745, 7390, 1251 1500-1600 12055, 5945, 1251 To Europe 0000-0100 7125, 1170 0100-0200 7125, 1170, 936 0200-0300 7125, 936 0300-0400 7125, 1170 0400-0500 7125 0600-0900 1170 0900-1000 1215 1200-1300 1548, 1431, 1386, 1323, 1170, 999, 972, 936, 603 1300-1400 15780****, 1386, 1323, 603 1400-1500 1386, 1323, 603 1500-1700 1494 1700-1800 11630*, 9480**, 936, 603 1800-1900 1494, 936 1900-2000 12020**, 11745*, 11630*, 9480**, 5950, 1215, 936, 603 2000-2100 1323, 1215, 999, 603 2100-2200 1323(5), 1215, 999, 603 2200-2300 1215, 999 (5)-except Wed, Thu To Middle East 0100-0200 1503, 972, 648 0300-0500 1170 1000-1100 234 1100-1200 801, 234 1200-1300 9875, 1143, 234 1400-1500 15430, 801 1500-1600 15440*, 12055, 7130**, 5945, 1314, 1251, 801 1600-1800 1089, 801 1800-1900 1089 1900-2000 12055, 9825, 5985, 5950, 1089, 234 2000-2100 12055, 7260, 5985, 234 2200-2300 1170 To North America 0000-0100 7125 0100-0300 15455, 15425, 9880*, 9725, 7300**, 7125 0300-0500 7125 2300-0000 7125 To Latin America 0100-0200 12070*, 9470, 7260** 0200-0300 12070*, 9470, 7330, 7260** Serbo-Croatian 1530-1700 15290*, 12060*, 12000**, 9470**, 7300, 1548 2000-2130 9470*, 6000**, 1548 Slovak 1830-1900 15350, 12020**, 11745*, 7400, 1170 Spanish To Latin America 0000-0100 12010*, 11510, 9890**, 9830, 9665**, 7330, 7180* 0100-0200 12010*, 11510, 9945, 9890**, 9830, 7330 To Spain 0000-0100 603 2030-2100 11630*, 9480**, 7440 Swedish 1730-1800* 11675*, 9820**, 9480*, 7350**, 1494 * – Mon, Wed, Fri Turkish 1400-1500 15540, 11985, 7325, 1170 Urdu 1200-1300 17570, 15550, 11500 1400-1500 17570, 15550, 11500, 972 Vietnamese 1200-1300 17645, 12055, 603 (via Bernie O`Shea, Ont., DXLD) Voice of Russia English to North America. Already some minor changes on the website. 0100-0200 11825 is deleted. 0100-0500 9665** becomes 9665* 7180* becomes 7180** *-from 28.03 till 04.09 **-from 05.09 till 30.10 I heard VOR English from 0100 to 0400 April 1 with a very good signal on 9665 instead of 7180 (could it be an April Fool's joke?). I will check again tonight (Bernie O'Shea, Ottawa, Ontario, April 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) VOR English pretty strong at 0300 on 9860, gone at 0400 (Bob Thomas, CT, March 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SLOVAKIA. R. Slovakia at 0100 fair on 5930, splash by 5935 Gene Scott; \\ 9440 splashed by 9435 Sweden (Bob Thomas, CT, March 29, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOUTH AFRICA. Channel Africa English schedule. The Channel Africa website has the updated dates of 28 Mar to 30 Oct 2004 but the link to the frequencies is a JavaScript link that doesn't work. Listening to the frequency announcements at the beginning of each English OnDemand audio link I get the following frequencies. [but see below] 0500-0600 11825 0700-0800 11825 1000-1100 11825 1500-1600 15265 1700-1800 15445? 1900-2000 17770, 17780 For the 1700 UTC broadcast I'm finding the frequency announcement for this day to be difficult to understand so the 15445 listing is a guess. I can't be sure it's correct (Channel Africa website via Dan Sampson, Prime Time Shortwave, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See Below; Bernie apparently had no problem getting it (gh) CHANNEL AFRICA A-04 SCHEDULES From website March 31, 2004 0300-0400 3965 East and Central Africa Swahili 0300-0555 3345 9770 East and Central Africa and Southern Africa English 0400-0500 7265 Central Africa French 0500-0600 9770 West Africa English 0500-0700 7210 Southern Africa English 0600-0700 15215 Far West Africa English 0700-0800 11825 Southern Africa English 0800-0900 11825 Southern Africa Chinyanja 0900-1000 11825 Southern Africa Silozi 1000-1200 11825 Southern Africa English 1200-1300 11825 Southern Africa Chinyanja 1300-1400 11825 Southern Africa Silozi 1400-1500 11825 Southern Africa English 1500-1600 17780 East & Central Africa Swahili 1500-1600 17770 East & Central Africa English 1600-1700 15245 West Africa French 1700-1800 15245 West Africa English 1900-2200 3345 Southern Africa English (via Bernie O`Shea, DXLD) ** SOUTH AFRICA. CHANNEL AFRICA RADIO TO BE CORPORATISED http://www.bday.co.za/bday/content/direct/1,3523,1583473-6078-0,00.html By Donwald Pressly The South African cabinet has approved the corporatisation of Channel Africa Radio as a subsidiary company of the South African Broadcasting Corporation. "Known as Channel Africa Network, the new company will have its own board of directors, with four non-executive directors being: Welcome Msomi, Lyndall Shope-Mafole, Swanzie Matthews and Prof Rok Ajulu," reported government spokesman Joel Netshitenzhe. Corporatisation means effectively that a state mechanism needs to fulfill efficiency goals on business principles. I-Net Bridge (via Business Day via Kim Elliott, DXLD) ** SPAIN. REE on 17560 with Spanish lessons in Arabic, until 2000 April 1; English broadcast on 15290 was also coming in well at 2020 check (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SUDAN. R. Peace, 4750, March 26 0240-0315+; tune-in to lite music. 0241 ID and English religious talk. 0256 ID again. 0257 vernacular talk, local Horn of Africa music; weak but readable. And heard next nite, March 27, at *0230 but barely audible with noisy conditions (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SURINAME. R. Apintie, 4990, March 26, 0350-0510+ US pops, ballads, 0404 English ID as ``Radio Apintie --- Number One`` followed by Dutch announcements; fair (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg, PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SWITZERLAND. SwissInfo, 15220, closing English after music break at 2030 April 1, good; must have started at 2000 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SYRIA [non]. DEBKAfile: Radio Free Syria CIA-backed -- March 15, 2004 Washington enlists airwaves to hit Assad. DEBKAfile reveals: March 31, Washington-backed Free Syria Radio begins beaming anti-Assad broadcasts from Cyprus: news 24 hours, music, commentary advocating peace with Israel and Syrian troop withdrawal from Lebanon and frequent listener phone-in programs. Expat Syrian businessmen post advertising (DEBKAfile Mar 15 via N. Grace-US for CRW via DXLD) WTFK!? ** TAJIKISTAN. ``World Service of Radio Tajikistan`` heard signing on in English 1645 March 30th on 7245, fair on clear channel. Transmission ended 1700. They announced a repeat broadcast 0345-0400 also on 7245 (Mike Barraclough, England, World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** U K. ALISTAIR COOKE, MASTER OF THE RADIO ESSAY, DIES AT 95 Michael White on an urbane and unsurpassed master of the colloquial radio essay who never went out of fashion Wednesday March 31, 2004 The Guardian Alistair Cooke wanted to die at the microphone and, at the end, his near-perfect sense of timing did not fail him. Just a month after he reluctantly abandoned the legendary Letter From America his death was announced yesterday. The former New York correspondent of the Guardian (1947-72) was 95 and had long since entered the record books as an elegant, unsurpassed pioneer of the colloquial radio essay. He called it "writing for talking". The first such Letter was recorded on a 16in disc and flown to London in 1946. He collapsed, a victim of a worsening heart condition, only after filing his 2,869th, a cherished institution on both sides of what he called "the pond", unsackable by succeeding generations of BBC hatchetmen. In a world of instant, raucous celebrity, 24-hour news and the ubiquitous mobile phone, the urbane and understated Cooke was a journalist who should have gone out of fashion with the Sputnik, whites-only golf clubs and barber shop quartets. All were subjects he examined in his weekly 2,000-word broadcast on Radio 4, the BBC World Service and - latterly - the internet. But, as yesterday's tributes again demonstrated, he survived in a discriminating niche market for 30 years after he might have retired. Fame and fortune - from books and US TV shows, not his Guardian pension - gave him that choice. But, as his biographer and fellow BBC broadcaster, Nick Clarke, explained yesterday, Alistair Cooke loved the weekly trip down Fifth Avenue to the BBC recording studios. The Letter was "a work in progress" that kept him alive. "He simply felt that this was the one thing he needed to get through and when he finished he would die," Clarke said. Tony Blair admitted to being "a big fan" of the man who made sense of the American century, while Mark Byford, acting head of the BBC, declared: "Alistair Cooke was one of the greatest broadcasters in the history of the BBC." Alan Rusbridger, the editor of the Guardian, called him "a great reporter as well as a brilliant essayist" whose journalism "even today feels modern in its vividness, informality and assurance". Others spoke of Cooke's wry wit, good humour and insight - rarely controversial, usually wise. He was "a kindly uncle" according to William Farish, the US ambassador to London, who also noted Cooke's "movie-star good looks, his poised and effortless manner". Born Alfred Cooke in Salford, the son of a Methodist lay preacher, he grew up in a Blackpool hotel which he escaped via one scholarship to Cambridge - where he became Alistair - and another to Yale. Like millions of 20th-century European migrants to America, he wrote home to debunk the lazy clichés about his adopted home and to explain its boundless fascination to a world rapidly coming under its sway. The difference was that Alistair Cooke's letters, bashed out until near the end on the manual typewriter in the cosy study of his apartment overlooking Central Park, were broadcast throughout the English-speaking world. Jazz and golf, boxing and crime, simple family life, as well as high politics and great men, were part of the repertoire. In print and on air there were always reminiscences, jokes and digressions. One newspaper that printed his syndicated work was said to have a special spike on which to impale his more florid pieces. It was labelled "FL" - as in "Literature". If his range was not limitless, nor was his judgment. Cooke miscalled the early civil rights movement and allowed his friendship with twice-defeated Democratic presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson to influence him. He admired FDR and LBJ and probably voted Democrat to the end. But he had his conservative, patrician side and Margaret Thatcher and the Queen were among his faithful listeners. Nearly 40 years after I first heard his voice on my primary school wireless he started sending me occasional letters in my capacity as the Guardian's novice US correspondent. Urbane and charming though they were, their real purpose was to correct my mistakes, albeit gently. After I eventually interviewed him in the red-walled study on Fifth Avenue, he sent another which is still in my wallet. "I must thank you for the time and trouble," Cooke wrote before itemising four errors, two factual, two misspellings. "Tocqueville, not de Tocqueville. Neither is it de Balzac," he added, to make sure I had taken the point. But he ended: "If ever you pass this way, be sure to drop in and bend an elbow." I never did, but, like other radio fans, I felt we kept in touch (via Mike Terry, DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. Re VOA News Now: In the meantime Kim has already pointed out what I meant: I understand VOA News Now as just another term for what was once called Worldwide English. And it appears that IBB meanwhile agreed with Antena Hungaria to sign off 1188 at 2130, when checking today at 2140 the Marcali transmitter was off. No more ``This is Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty. Praha. Booob. This is Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty. Praha. Booob. This is ...`` (Kai Ludwig, Germany, April 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Radio Free Asia Guild Unit --- News March 10 , 2004 http://www.wbng.org/rfa/bulletins/2004/031004.htm BARGAINING BULLETIN #10 RFA Bargaining Focuses On Schedules, Workweek, Safety & Health The past two bargaining sessions have focused on scheduling, the length of the workweek and the safety and health article in the proposed contract. The Guild has been insisting on contract language that would prohibit your manager from scheduling you for split days off, such as having your days off as Monday and Thursday. RFA`s proposal would allow split days off. The Guild also is proposing to limit the consecutive number of days you can be scheduled. Currently some employees periodically are scheduled for ten consecutive days over two calendar weeks. Under the latest Guild proposal, except in unusual circumstances, that would be limited to five consecutive days. Our proposal would allow for seven consecutive days over two calendar weeks when shifts are being rotated. SCHEDULE CHANGES The Guild and RFA also remain apart on how and when a schedule can be changed. The Guild insists that schedule changes be kept to the absolute minimum and only be allowed for news emergencies; staff emergencies due to illness or to grant unexpected leave to an employee. RFA says schedule changes should be at the discretion of the service director. INCREASED HOURS? RFA also continues to insist on increasing the workweek. The Guild has proposed the current eight-hour day with one-hour lunch, as well as two 20-minute breaks. RFA wants to increase the day by an hour and has ignored our proposal on the 20-minute breaks. In health and safety, the main sticking point is whether safety and health disputes should be subject to the grievance and arbitration process as are all other contractual disputes. RFA says it doesn`t want an independent arbitrator deciding such a dispute. BULLETIN BOARDS Five months into contract negotiations, RFA is still insisting it be able to censor what goes up on a Guild bulletin board. RFA at the most recent bargaining session again demanded that there be only one Guild bulletin board, under lock and key controlled by the Human Resources Department. RFA has said it would ban anything critical of management or RFA. Management continues to insist on this, even while it`s unable to point to a single union contract that contains such restrictions. CANTONESE SERVICE Considerable time at bargaining has been spent on discussions concerning the decision to eliminate the Cantonese service. RFA has provided considerable information to the Guild so far but we are seeking more information. RFA bargainers continue to maintain the decision to eliminate the Cantonese service was made by the BBG and was not instigated by RFA. The Guild and its lawyers are continuing to look into whether the decision to cut the Cantonese service violated federal labor law. Meanwhile, our parent union (The Newspaper Guild-Communications Workers of America) has begun working with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to reverse the decision to cut Cantonese. Meetings with both Republican and Democratic representatives are in the works (via Kim Elliott, DXLD) ** U S A. Program news from WRMI --- As of April 4, 2004, all WRMI programs will be one hour earlier according to UT. The new schedule has been posted at http://www.wrmi.net Some new musical programs are being added at 0900-1000 UT Saturday, beginning April 10, on 9955 kHz. On the first Saturday of each month, Radio Joystick will present big beat, breakbeat, house and hiphop music with continuity in German. On the second Saturday of each month, Entertainment Radio Worldwide will present disco music from Austria. Other musical programs will air on the 3rd through 5th Saturdays of each month during the same time slot. This transmission is directed primarily to South America, but is also frequently heard in North America and the South Pacific. A special preview edition of Radio Joystick will be aired at 1000-1100 UT Saturday, April 3, also on 9955 kHz. As of April 4, WRMI's airings of the popular DX program "Wavescan" from Adventist World Radio will change to 2100-2130 UT Sunday on 15725 kHz, and 0400-0430 UT Monday on 7385 kHz. The third and final program about the recent Shortwave Listeners Winterfest in Pennsylvania will be aired on the "Voice of the NASB" at 0330-0400 UT Sunday, April 4 on 7385 kHz. As of UT Sunday, April 11, WRMI's airing of the Voice of the NASB will be at 0230-0300 on 7385 kHz to North America, and repeated at 0930-1000 on 9955 kHz to the Caribbean and Latin America (Jeff White, WRMI, April 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Hi George: Since WWRB is no longer wasting our broadcasting assets supporting Commercial / Patriot broadcasters by simulcasting on Two 50 KW freqs to give them enough coverage and income to keep them going: WWRB is now changing our Power Level on 5.085 and 12.172 MHz to 100 KW. We have sent the request into the FCC this week and should have the approval in the next few days. Have a nice day! (Dave Frantz, WWRB, March 31 to George McClintock, WWCR, via DXLD) ** U S A [non]. GERMANY. 17550, Radio Africa International, 1705 Mar 31 with editorial review from various world papers, mostly on rebuilding of Iraq. Then interview with participants in UN Conference on Children. Music program called Artist Spotlight at 1731. Focus on women's issues in the Democratic Republic of Congo starting at 1735. Decent signal, but persistent ute co-channel. Many IDs (Hans Johnson, Naples FL, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) GBGM UMC Radio Africa International run by the United Methodist Church now noted in English 1700-1900 on 15715 17550 (Mike Barraclough, UK, World DX Club Contact, April, via DXLD) ** U S A [non]. Summer A-04 schedule for AWR's Wavescan on Sundays: 0200-0230 9820 MOS to Pakistan 1000-1030 11560 SDA to North China 11930 SDA to Philippines 1130-1200 15435 SDA to West Indonesia 1200-1230 15135 DHA to North East India 1330-1400 11980 SDA to Japan 1530-1600 15265 DHA to Nepal and Tibet 1600-1630 15235 SDA to Central India 1630-1700 11975 SDA to North India 1730-1800 9385 SDA to Middle East 1800-1830 3215 MEY to South West Africa 3345 MEY to South Africa 1830-1900 12130 MEY to East Africa 2030-2100 7170 MEY to Central Africa 2100-2130 15130 MOS to West Africa 2130-2200 11850 SDA to South Japan 11980 SDA to Japan 2230-2300 11850 SDA to West Indonesia 15320 SDA to West Indonesia DHA=Al-Dhabbaya, UAE; MEY=Meyerton, So Africa; MOS=Moosbrunn, Austria; SDA=KSDA, Guam (Observer, Bulgaria, April 1, via DXLD) ** U S A. U S A. METROPOLITAN OPERA BROADCASTS BROADCAST OF LA TRAVIATA MARCH 6, 2004 EDITED TRANSCRIPT OF FIRST INTERMISSION FEATURE: BEVERLY SILLS IN CONVERSATION WITH MANUELA HOELTERHOFF http://www.metopera.org/savemetbroadcasts/transcript.html [includes real audio link for entire interview] Discussing future funding of the radio broadcasts; launching a public campaign to raise $150 mega to secure funding forever (via John Norfolk, DXLD) ** U S A. KFAR taken off air http://www.metropulse.com/dir_zine/dir_2004/1414/t_eye.html On Thursday afternoon, Knoxville's First Amendment Radio --- or KFAR - -- abruptly went off the air when an FCC agent knocked on the trailer in South Knoxville where the pirate radio station broadcasts. The station has been on the air, at 90.9 FM, for more than two years. This is their second order to cease broadcasting. The station is run entirely by volunteers and they don't like the term "pirate," since the airwaves belong to the public and they believe the government has managed those airwaves to the benefit of for-profit corporations, and at the expense of the public interest. Agent Eric Rice, who works in the agency's Atlanta office, says he couldn't talk about the charge, but says it was for "unlicensed operation." KFAR volunteers say Rice told them if they went back on the air he'd return with a court order and seize their equipment. By the weekend the station was back on the air with its usual mix of underground hip- hop, political programming, indie rock, jazz, and Americana, albeit, using its 50-watt transmitter instead of its 200-plus-watt one. The station is going to review the situation at its monthly meeting this weekend, says one member, who sometimes broadcasts as Black-eyed Susan. It's difficult to say how this will affect their coverage because they just raised their antenna. In the meantime, the group is also looking at joining with the National Lawyers Guild Committee on Democratic Communications in challenging the FCC's regulations on low-watt community stations. The group's central point is hard to argue. Unlike print media, radio and television, airwaves belong to the public. But commercial interests dominate and offer increasingly bland and segregated music genres. A proposal to create a new class of license --- for low-watt FM non-profit community stations --- was effectively lobbied against by the commercial giants and even NPR, nixing them in any urban area. Even if KFAR isn't your ideal station --- and it's far from perfect -- - the fight they're engaged in is important. Imagine your parks, sidewalks and government buildings leased to the highest bidder, who then strictly controlled what happened there, regulating what you could say or do. Black-eyed Susan says the court cases in the past have been won not by proving the broadcasters had a right to say whatever they wanted, but that what they were saying was unique and valuable. "It comes down to being able to show a judge that what you're broadcasting is beneficial to the community and can't be heard anywhere else," she says. Given the state of Knoxville's radio, that shouldn't be hard to do. (Metro Pulse, April 1, via Mike Terry, DXLD) Since this arrived Thursday morning, presumably the Thursday afternoon referred to was March 25 (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. County in line for AM station --- Four broadcasters are in the running for a frequency for a 50,000-watt station, most likely in Snohomish County or Island County. [Washington] By Eric Fetters Herald Writer Published: Wednesday, March 31, 2004 http://www.heraldnet.com/Stories/04/3/31/18414326.cfm A battle over valuable territory on the AM radio band has begun as four broadcasters compete to start a major local station, most likely in Snohomish or Island counties. The competitors, including a partnership led by the owners of Everett's KRKO, are seeking approval from the Federal Communications Commission to launch a station at 1520 AM. "It may be the last AM station that ends up going on the air in the state, at least in a well-populated area," said James Rondeau, one of the applicants and a former Everett resident. The operation could broadcast with up to 50,000 watts of power during the daytime, the maximum signal strength allowed in the United States. KRKO, broadcasting on 1380 AM, uses only 5,000 watts, but plans to increase to 50,000 watts by building new transmission towers. The rush of interest in a new station was sparked when the FCC announced last year that it would accept applications for new AM stations during five days in January. That doesn't happen too often; before this year, the last filing period for new AM stations was in early 2000. With few available broadcast frequencies left in the greater Puget Sound area, getting the exclusive license for a new station could be valuable, agreed Neal Robison, a professor of broadcasting at Washington State University. "Today, there are very few frequencies just waiting to be taken, whether it's AM, FM or TV," Robison said. The applicants for a local station include the CAAM Partnership of Everett; James Rondeau of North Hills, Calif.; Cleo Broadcasting LLC of Corpus Christi, Texas; and JNE Investments Inc. of Palo Alto, Calif. The CAAM Partnership includes Andy Skotdal, general manager of KRKO. The four have filed a total of seven applications to locate the station in several cities. Everett, Marysville, Arlington, Snohomish, Clearview and Monroe are among the proposed sites, as are Freeland and Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island. Additionally, the CAAM Partnership has filed to place the station in Port Angeles and Mount Vernon, according to the FCC applications. One other group, Langer Broadcasting Group LLC of Boston, also has applied for the same frequency in Sequim. The frequency became available several years ago when a station that broadcast on 1510 AM from Mountlake Terrace went out of business. While only one station in the region could be placed on the frequency, filing for several different cities can increase an applicant's chances. It also provides alternatives for a broadcaster who may run into opposition to placing transmission towers in a particular area. Skotdal said he didn't want to comment publicly on the application process. He did say, however, that the new station his partnership is proposing would be operated in addition to KRKO, and not as a replacement. KRKO has tried for years to install larger antenna towers in the Snohomish River Valley and increase its transmission power to 50,000 watts. Neighbors of the tower site have opposed the action, and it's now in the state environmental review process. Rondeau is the only other applicant with a local connection: He began his broadcasting career at KRKO, and his parents still live in Everett. The resident of North Hills, Calif., has worked extensively in the radio industry but doesn't own any stations. Cleo Broadcasting of Texas owns numerous TV stations and has applied for AM licenses across the country, said Howard Mintz, a member of the family that owns Cleo. JNE Investments could not be reached for more information on its application. Radio fans shouldn't wait too eagerly for a new station. The FCC regulatory process can take years. There also is no guarantee that the agency will approve any of the applications for 1520 AM. If the FCC thinks this region could use a new station, it then has to decide which of the applicants gets the license. Criteria include how well served an area is by other radio stations, and its population. While most of the Puget Sound area's stations today broadcast from Seattle, Snohomish County has a long radio history. The state's first commercial radio broadcast emanated from Everett in 1920, and KFBL, the predecessor to KRKO, was licensed for regular broadcasts in 1923. The Puget Sound area represents the 14th largest radio market in the nation, according to the Puget Sound Association of Radio Broadcasters. The top two dozen Seattle stations alone generated $200 million in revenue in 2002. Cathie Valentine-McKinney, executive director of the association, said she thinks another station in the area north of Seattle could do well. "Especially from Everett north, some of Seattle's AM signals get a little stretched," she said. (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) What about Portland`s 50 kW on 1520? Isn`t that a bit too close? (gh) ** U S A. GET SET FOR BIG CHANGES IN NORTHERN OHIO RADIO Media : John Gorman : Shaking the Airwaves Wednesday, March 31, 2004 Cleveland Radio listeners should prepare themselves for a major shakeup in the local lineup of listening options, including a few format changes and a couple of new AM stations. Last week the FCC revealed that Clear Channel filed an application with the FCC to move the station license of 50,000 watt WWVA , Wheeling, W. Va., to Stow, 30 miles south of downtown Cleveland, with its transmitter to relocate to Lorain County. WWVA's move trades it up from the 200th radio market to the 25th. You could hear them singing `Movin' on up/ to the northeast side.` The FCC also received an application to move the license of WRTK from the Youngstown market to Lakewood. . . http://www.freetimes.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1285 (Cleveland Free Times via Artie Bigley, DXLD) ** U S A. The Air America webpage seems to be developing rapidly. Not much info yet about the weekend schedule, but I see Laura Flanders will be on Sat 7-10 pm and Sun 6-9 pm ET. On the Al Franken show, they were promising audio archives for our convenience (Glenn Hauser, OK, April 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. The following articles were forwarded by Jim Wallace and used by permission of the Charleston Daily Mail. WWVA COULD BE OHIO BOUND --- JAMBOREE STATION A WHEELING FIXTURE FOR 77 YEARS by Karin Fischer Daily Mail Washington bureau Wednesday March 24, 2004 WASHINGTON - Media giant Clear Channel has applied to move the massive transmitting power of Wheeling's WWVA, home to one of West Virginia's best known exports, Jamboree USA, more than 130 miles to Stow, Ohio. A Clear Channel spokesman said the company is committed to keeping both WWVA's call letters and news-talk format in Wheeling. But if the move is approved by the Federal Communications Commission, it's unlikely the new WWVA would match its current frequency, which can be heard from Florida to Nova Scotia. "Truck drivers used to listen to it all over," said veteran television and radio broadcaster Ed Rabel, who tuned into the 50,000-kilowatt WWVA growing up in the Kanawha Valley. "It's such an identifiable symbol of the state to so many people." The application to move WWVA's frequency to Stow, outside Akron, was one of nearly 1,100 applications submitted to the Federal Communications Commission in late January during a weeklong filing window for "major changes" to AM stations. There had been a freeze on filings for more than three years, said Robert Unmacht of In3 Partners, a media consulting firm in Nashville. It could take months, or perhaps even years, for the commission to work through all the applications. Unmacht said efforts to move stations across state lines were not common, but not unheard of. Scott Miller, WWVA's general manager, said Clear Channel is committed to preserving WWVA's programming in Wheeling, including Jamboree USA. He said the WWVA call letters will remain in Wheeling. Clear Channel owns six other stations in the Northern Panhandle, and speculation on Internet discussion groups Tuesday was that WWVA's format could move to a lower watt sibling. The station currently is dubbed "The Big One" for its broadcasting heft. Few stations in the country can match its signal strength. Miller said he could not comment on plans for the station in Stow. Officials at Clear Channel's headquarters in Texas did not immediately return calls for comment. The station's signal likely would reach both Cleveland and Akron. Cleveland is the nation's 25th largest market, while Akron is rated No. 129. Wheeling is No. 239. "It's pretty much a financial decision," said Marshall University journalism professor and student radio adviser Chuck Bailey. "I think they're looking to maximize their financial investment, and they can make a lot more money in Cleveland than in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia." WWVA, which went on the air in December 1926, is West Virginia's oldest station. It is perhaps best known for Jamboree USA, which is second only to the Grand Ole Opry as the nation's oldest country music program. Randy Worls, longtime director of Wheeling's Oglebay Park and a member of the state Tourism Commission, said the Jamboree attracts busloads of fans for its live Saturday night broadcasts. The Jamboree USA Web site says visitors spend $10 million to $15 million annually on hotel rooms, restaurant meals and shopping. Alan Jackson, Kathy Mattea and Willie Nelson are among the stars who have appeared on Jamboree USA since it began broadcasting on WWVA in January 1933. "It always has been a stabilizing factor in the tourism base," Worls said. The application to move WWVA's transmitter is the second recent Clear Channel decision to spark concern in Wheeling. In December, longtime reporter David Demarest quit on the air after the company announced cuts to local news and talk programs. "The black eye it gives Wheeling is unbelievable," Demarest said. "First, they take away the local programming. Now, they take away the station.... "If Wheeling is going to hang onto WWVA, we have to fight it now." Bailey, the Marshall professor, said, "It sort of hurts, doesn't it, to pick up a pioneering station and say it doesn't need to be here. "But this is a business decision. This is the bottom line speaking, loud and clear. Sometimes those two things are diametrically opposed." (via IRCA Soft DX Monitor April 3 via DXLD) ** U S A. RADIO Free Market Street ... Although Wowhaus are concerned by the crackdown on pirate-radio operations, for this project, they wanted to focus on what is possible. ... {this was very low power on 850 kHz, one time only?} http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2004/04/01/radioart.DTL (San Francisco Chronicle - San Francisco, CA, via Mike Terry, DXLD) ** U S A. FCC TO DEREGULATE AMATEUR RADIO BY 2008: Washington, DC, April 1, 2004: In a bold move the Federal Communications Commission has decided to deregulate the Amateur Radio Service. This comes at a time when budget cuts within the Commission are forcing its Enforcement Bureau to shut down by 1 January 2005. A spokesperson for the Commission stated that since Amateur Radio operators are supposed to be self-policing that this new move "should not pose a problem". And that it would also "solve the whole issue of restructuring". This news has come as quite a shock to many in the Amateur Radio community, striking up many heated debates. "Basically we're being told that we're on our own as of 1 January, 2008", said a high-level League staff member. In the interim between 2004 and 2008 Amateur Radio operators are expected to act just as they do now. "Nothing's changed yet, and all the rules and regulations are still in effect," said a spokesperson for the Commission. All of this is set to change however, starting in 2008. On 1 January 2008 Amateur Radio in the United States will cease to exist as an official radio service. At that time it will be up to the operators to make up their own rules and regulations and to enforce them. To clarify one other issue, "call signs that have not already been issued will all be available on the 'honor system'," said another Commission spokesperson. The band-plans and power limitations are expected to stay the same. Look for more information on this late-breaking news story as it becomes available. http://www.eham.net/articles/8063?ehamsid=c2919d06454cbe83801d5551c910add7 On another note... If you're still reading this, April Fools!!! :^) (via Mike Terry, DXLD) ** VATICAN. DRM: ``La sperimentazione andrà avanti da marzo a ottobre, ogni giorno dalle 8.45 alle 17.10 e dalle 23 alle 0.10. . . (ANSA via BCLNew.it March 29 via DXLD) This story never gets around to mentioning the frequencies! Times presumably local, so UT: 0645-1510, 2100-2210 (gh, DXLD)`` --- 1611 kHz. It appears that the times are indeed CET; at least I can confirm DRM operation today at 2140. Best regards, (Kai Ludwig, Germany, April 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** WALES [non]. U.K.: Summer A-04 freqs of Wales Radio International in English via Merlin Comm. 2030-2100 Fri on 7325 RMP 500 kW / 110 deg to WeEu 0200-0230 Sat on 9795 RMP 500 kW / 300 deg to NoAm 1230-1300 Sat on 17745 RMP 500 kW / 062 deg to AUS/NZ (Observer, Bulgaria, April 1, via DXLD) ** YUGOSLAVIA. Producers Kathleen Kennedy, Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen will make a movie about how the power of rock 'n' roll helped oust the repressive regime of Yugoslavian strongman Slobodan Milosevic.... PRODUCING troika finds true 'Calling' Daily Variety (subscription) - USA This is the story of a pirate radio station in Belgrade that managed to stay on the air as the country crumbled and used music to fuel the last revolution of ... http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117902684?categoryid=1236 (via Mike Terry, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 4916.0v Radio Familiar Cristiana, Unknown QTH (Colombia?) 67kb 04/2004. On this 2nd recording of Radio Familiar Cristiana is the preacher; he was not on the first recording. This Wednesday morning exactly the same program: OM preaching nonstop 1 hour up to 1120 UT without ID, without any country-, city- or street-name. 1120 UT the same program as the first time "Amanecer con Cristo" with greetings to "hermanos and hermanas" (of the church?). Local sunrise here in Quito and the station faded away rapidly so I did not catch any geographical name. You are very welcome to listen to this 2nd recording of Radio Familiar Cristiana at http://www.malm-ecuador.com 1/4 2004 Saludos Cordiales desde "La Mitad del Mundo"! (Björn Malm, Ecuador, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ POWERLINE COMMUNICATIONS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ GET INVOLVED WITH THE FIGHT AGAINST BPL The North American Shortwave Association (NASWA) provides the following Internet links for those interested in speaking out against Broadband Power Line interference to shortwave broadcasts. To download the 38-page FCC Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM): http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-04-29A1.doc To access the FCC Electronic Filing System (to send comments): http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/ And to see what others have written: http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/comsrch_v2.cgi?ws_mode=proc_name (Jeff White, April NASB Newsletter via DXLD) WHAT`S REALLY HAPPENING IN PENN YAN? By Gary Pearce KN4AQ, ARRL North Carolina Public Information Officer, April 1, 2004 Is there BPL interference in Penn Yan, New York, or not? A recent Wall Street Journal article reported that interference issues had been dealt with, but an on-site inspection suggests otherwise. In his March 23 Wall Street Journal article ``In This Power Play, High-Wire Act Riles Ham-Radio Fans,`` reporter Ken Brown describes a ``firestorm`` of protest from local amateurs when the town of Penn Yan, New York, approved a plan to test Broadband over Power Line (BPL) in the community of some 5200 residents. ``Hoping to keep everyone happy,`` he writes, ``[Penn Yan Mayor Doug Marchionda Jr] approached David Simmons, a local ham and owner of an electronics store that sells radio gear. They surveyed the town before the trial began to get base readings of interference. They even pinpointed a spot that had bothered police and firefighters for years, tracing it to refrigerators at a local supermarket.`` Brown reported that with the refrigerators fixed and the BPL system in place over nine blocks of Penn Yan, Simmons --- who`s KB2ITN and an ARRL member --- was ``satisfied that there is no interference and now favors the new technology.`` ``This thing has caught quite a buzz,`` Brown quotes Simmons as saying. ``It`s just so much negativity out there.`` And, so much interference. A Field Trip to Penn Yann The Wall Street Journal story prompted ARRL member Dave Hallidy, K2DH, of Webster, to drive an hour down to Penn Yan --- some 40 miles southeast of Rochester in Western New York --- to see for himself. Accompanying him on the March 27 visit were Hallidy`s wife Diane, Dean Keyser, WB2QCJ, and Jim Collinsworth, N2JC. They found a trial site using Amperion equipment --- similar to that at a trial site near Raleigh, North Carolina --- covering about nine blocks in a neighborhood equipped with overhead power lines. Hallidy reported his findings on the ``BPL and Ham Radio`` mailing list. ``Dean and I discovered interference --- plenty of it,`` he said. He said they were able to hear the interference even before they located the BPL equipment: We didn`t even know for sure where the test area was (being unfamiliar with the streets in the town). But, parked at the local grocery store, we found the signals very quickly and then discovered that they were right above our heads! The BPL noise appears to start in earnest around the bottom of the 17 meter band (18 MHz) and continues upwards. Most of what is heard is a series of closely spaced tones (maybe 1 kHz apart), with modulation which sounds like a `tick-tick` or a buzz, or a combination of the two. Once we started tuning above 18 MHz, there were no frequencies where these sounds were not observed in one form or the other. The signals were pretty uniform from 18 to 30 MHz. Hallidy`s description of what he found in Penn Yan, New York, is remarkably similar to the signals reported from the Raleigh, North Carolina-area test sites. As we`ve found in Raleigh, the signals Hallidy encountered were very strong while he was driving near the power lines and audible for a half-mile or more away. He`s posted audio of what he heard, plus commentary, on the Rochester VHF Group Web site (a high-speed Internet connection is recommended). Note: Halliday says his tape recorder had a bad flutter and weak batteries, so the audio may sound odd.) Misquoted So, what about Simmon`s report of no interference cited in the Wall Street Journal article? ``Absolutely I was misquoted,`` Simmons told me on the telephone this week. ``I`m not naïve enough to say there is no interference.`` Simmons said there has been a lot of cooperation between Penn Yan hams and BPL operator Data Ventures (DVI), and they have been promised a ``no interference system.`` That promise is repeated in the mission statement on the DVI Web page. ``It is DVI`s charge to provide `interference free` BPL communications by collaborating with users of Amateur Radio (HAM) and Emergency Service Radio Systems,`` the company pledges. As the Wall Street Journal reported, DVI took baseline readings before the BPL system was installed and did find the RF problem with the refrigerators that had been driving the police and fire radios nuts. Once the trial site was up and running, there was some interference in the ham bands, ``but that was before they tuned it up and turned the power down,`` Simmons asserted. Since then, he said, hams have raised no further interference issues. Their present silence may owe more to their anticipation of a promised next generation of BPL hardware, however, than from a perception that the current system is clean. Even so, Simmons expressed puzzlement at the distances over which Hallidy claimed to have heard the BPL interference. Simmons lives about a half-mile from the site. After he read Hallidy`s report, he says he listened again on 17 and 10 meters with a 500-foot loop antenna and reported hearing no interference. No Hams in Test Zone The FCC database indicates there are 44 Amateur Radio licensees in Penn Yan. Simmons said none of them live in the immediate test area, and Hallidy didn`t spot any evidence of active hams around the test area either. Hallidy believes the reason there have been no complaints about the Penn Yan BPL field trial is that no local amateurs operate 17, 15, 12, or 10 meters within the test zone, ``if any do in the Penn Yan area at all,`` he added. Amateurs in the Raleigh area didn`t immediately file complaints, either. But when the BPL industry began claiming in the media and to the FCC that it had received no complaints from hams, amateurs reacted quickly and began filing formal complaints. It took a lot of legwork, however. Our experience shows why it`s so hard to elicit interference complaints from hams in or near BPL trial areas. The test zones are physically small --- a few square blocks, typically --- and in rural territory. No hams live in the trial neighborhoods. A few hams live within the one-mile interference zone, but they hadn`t been operating on 12 and 10 meters where our overhead lines were emitting BPL RF. Additionally, they had no idea what BPL sounded like. Once told what to listen for and where to find it, most of the active hams in the area heard it. At their distance from the test zone, it wasn`t strong, but it was clear. The BPL industry may want to claim that amateurs have had to manufacture complaints --- that they`re not surfacing on their own because there is no problem. That would be incorrect. The Small and Large of It The problem is proportional: Small trials, small problems. Big rollout, big problems. At least to us amateurs in North Carolina who have been following the BPL field tests from the start, it`s obvious from the signals on the BPL trial power lines that if the provider uses Amateur Radio spectrum in a large rollout, there will be huge interference problems. The BPL operators need to be convinced from the outset to avoid Amateur Radio spectrum, assuming they can avoid it at all. That`s an open question. BPL gobbles up spectrum quickly. In dense areas full of both BPL and amateur stations, there may not be enough spectrum for adequate data throughput without using Amateur Radio frequencies. That will be a sticky Catch 22. BPL Education Gap We hams have an education gap. We need Amateur Radio leaders to step forward in every community where active BPL field trials are under way. Teach yourselves, then teach the local hams. Coordinate locating hams in or near the trial area and actively solicit reports. First, make sure it`s BPL you`re hearing. There are only a limited number of field trials now under way at this point. If there`s one in your area, contact ARRL Lab Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI for guidance on how to turn reports of genuine BPL interference into complaints to the local utility, to the FCC and to the ARRL. Also, let everyone know that there are interference problems --- even within these geographically limited trial areas. The BPL industry is telling the FCC and the press that they are not receiving complaints from hams. Now you know why, and what you have to do about it. Copyright © 2004, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved. (via John Norfolk, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ARRL CALLS INTERFERENCE REPORT IN BPL TRIAL COMMUNITY TO MAYOR`S ATTENTION NEWINGTON, CT, Apr 1, 2004 --- ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, has written Penn Yan, New York, Mayor Doug Marchionda Jr to call his attention to documented radio interference from the town`s small BPL field trial. He accompanied his April 1 e-mail with a report from ARRL member Dave Hallidy, K2DH, who recently visited Penn Yan after a recent Wall Street Journal article suggested that BPL interference issues in Penn Yan had been resolved. ``I understand that your village is considering entering into a long- term agreement with a firm to offer BPL service,`` Sumner wrote Marchionda. ``Please be aware that a large-scale deployment of BPL is bound to cause harmful interference to radio communications across a wide area.`` According to news accounts, the Western New York community of about 5200 residents will consider approval of a 10-year agreement with Data Ventures (DVI) http://www.godii.com/ [unfortunately, the link is dead --- jn] to offer BPL service in Penn Yan. The village reportedly would get 10 percent of the generated revenue. In his March 23 article ``In This Power Play, High-Wire Act Riles Ham-Radio Fans,`` Wall Street Journal reporter Ken Brown described a ``firestorm`` of protest from amateurs when Penn Yan approved the BPL test plan. Hallidy said he found during his weekend visit that the BPL noise ``appears to start in earnest around the bottom of the 17 meter band (18 MHz) and continues upwards.`` He said that once he tuned above 18 MHz, there were no frequencies where the BPL noise was not observed. ``The signals were pretty uniform from 18 to 30 MHz,`` he said. Sumner told Marchionda that DVI cannot guarantee reliable service delivery via BPL because FCC Part 15 rules stipulate that its operation ``is subject to the conditions that no harmful interference is caused and that interference must be accepted that may be caused by the operation of an authorized radio station.`` Sumner noted that the FCC has proposed new rules that would impose additional requirements on BPL systems to better address interference problems that arise. Referring to Hallidy`s report, posted March 27 via the Internet and made available to ARRL, Sumner said, ``what it boils down to is that as of last Saturday the Penn Yan BPL system was causing severe interference on a broad range of radio frequencies, as much as 1.5 miles from the source.`` Such interference violates FCC rules --- specifically §15.5(b) --- and a complaint has been filed with the FCC, Sumner noted. Sumner offered to demonstrate to Marchionda the extent of the BPL interference in Penn Yan before the community proceeds any further with its BPL plans and ``to explain why a full-scale deployment is not possible within the FCC rules.`` ``If you will invite us to do so and will require that the BPL system operator extend at least minimal cooperation in the demonstration, you will then have a factual basis for your decision,`` Sumner concluded. Copyright © 2004, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved (via John Norfolk, DX LISTENING DIGEST) FEMA APPEARS TO BACKPEDAL IN BPL ``CLARIFICATION`` LETTER NEWINGTON, CT, Apr 1, 2004 --- After expressing ``grave concerns`` to the FCC last fall about the interference potential of Broadband over Power Line (BPL) systems, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) now appears to be backing away from that strong stance. FEMA filed comments http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/retrieve.cgi?native_or_pdf=pdf&id_document=6515292045 December 4 in response to the FCC`s April 2003 Notice of Inquiry in ET Docket 03-104. Many have cited those remarks in their own comments opposing BPL deployment. In a January 8 letter that`s now part of the BPL Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) in Docket ET 04-37 http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/retrieve.cgi?native_or_pdf=pdf&id_document=6515783486 Michael D. Brown, the US Department of Homeland Security`s under secretary for emergency preparedness and response, told FCC Chairman Michael K. Powell that FEMA wanted to ``clarify the record`` to ensure that its filing was not ``misunderstood or misconstrued.`` ``We have become aware that certain distinct approaches to BPL may have the potential to cause interference to FEMA`s high frequency radio communications system,`` Brown said in his January letter. ``However, we continue to study the BPL proceeding and have not concluded that there is a material interference problem or that all of the distinct technological approaches to BPL pose a risk of interference.`` The FEMA official said his agency expects that there may be ways to provide BPL`s benefits ``without compromising the emergency communications capabilities available to FEMA.`` The January letter stands in stark contrast to FEMA`s predictions last December that ``the introduction of unwanted interference from the implementation of BPL technology into the high frequency radio spectrum will result in significant detriment to the operation of FEMA radio systems.`` Saying such interference could ``directly impair the safety of life and property,`` the agency also had recommended the FCC beef up its Part 15 rules to ensure no increase in interference levels to existing FCC or NTIA-licensed communication systems. ``The purported benefits of BPL in terms of expanded services in certain communications sectors do not appear to outweigh the benefit to the overall public of HF radio capability as presently used by government, broadcasting and public safety users,`` FEMA asserted last December in comments filed on the agency`s behalf by Chief Information Officer Barry C. West. BPL also could render such ``essential communications services`` as the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), the Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) and the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) useless, FEMA said. FEMA and ARRL are signatories to a Memorandum of Understanding that focuses on how Amateur Radio personnel may coordinate with the agency to support emergency communications functions. FEMA`s December comments also referenced ARRL`s ``Interference to PLC systems from Amateur Radio Operation.`` http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/files/Interference_to_PLC.htm Brown`s January letter conveys a much milder, conciliatory tone. ``We know that the FCC shares our appreciation for the importance of reliable communications in the context of disaster recovery and are confident that the Office of Engineering and Technology`s technical assessment, as well as the Commission`s regulations implementing BPL, will be sensitive to this issue,`` he concluded. ``FEMA stands ready to assist in any way the Commission might find helpful.`` The deadline to file comments in response to the FCC BPL NPRM is Monday, May 3. Reply comments are due Tuesday, June 1. Interested individuals and organizations may file comments via the Internet using the FCC`s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS). The FCC asks that anyone filing comments on this NPRM do so ``only in the newly established ET Docket No 04-37,`` the FCC said. Additional information about BPL and Amateur Radio is on the ARRL Web site. http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/ Copyright © 2004, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved (via John Norfolk, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM ++++++++++++++++++++++ LISTEN TO SHORTWAVE IN YOUR CAR Sony is now making very nice digital-readout car radios with shortwave coverage. Unfortunately, they are not generally available in the United States, as far as we know. A lot of people in the U.S. have bought them by mail order from a store called Jacky's in the United Arab Emirates. Now they are also available by mail order from The Shortwave Store in Whitby, Ontario, Canada. One model is available for $229.95 (U.S. dollars), with a $20 discount for those who mention the SWL Fest. Check out their web site at: http://usa.shortwavestore.com/swlfest The Shortwave Store also sells the WINRADIO shortwave receiver for your PC (Jeff White, April NASB Newsletter via DXLD) DRM +++ DRM VS AM IN THUNDERSTORMS Jeff, I was trying to listen to NASB this evening, since it is presumably my only chance to hear it, but we were having a heavy thunderstorm and could make out only about every fifth word (on internal antenna only!) [UT Sunday March 28 0330 on 7385] Hope you will be putting audio on site of this and other such shows ASAP. From what you know about DRM, could you tell me what would have happened if WRMI had been broadcasting this in DRM instead of analog? Would it have cut thru all the T-storm noise (you know how bad that can be in SFL too), or would I get even less than every fifth word? 73, (Glenn to Jeff White, WRMI, NASB) Dear Simone: I wonder if you can help me answer the question that Glenn Hauser asks about how DRM transmissions sound during a thunderstorm? I really don't know the answer. Many thanks (Jeff White to Simone Stoeppler, Germany) Dear Jeff, this is an interesting question, I have been listening to DRM for more than a year now, and last summer we had a period where we had thunderstorms each evening. So from my experience I can say that it is difficult to compare the effect that thunderstorms have on DRM and AM. You cannot say in general which one is better concerning thunderstorms. If you do not lose sync on the digital signal and the DRM transmission is in a robust mode and / or low bitrate it is possible that you will not hear a dropout, although some audio frames got lost, so in this case DRM has an advantage over AM. But if the situation is worse and you lose sync then you have to wait till it gains sync again which can sometimes take up to a few seconds! This depends very much on the equipment. I always used the software radios and modified AM-receivers, so it is especially a matter of the computer and the sound card you are using. I would assume that future DRM receivers will perform better than what I`m using now. Concerning today`s DRM transmission from Rampisham [9555-9575 at 1231 UT Sunday]: Conditions were again quite good (see reception report attached). I am not sure what caused the dropout in the beginning; things were a bit confusing today. The label was in error, during HCJB`s transmission preceding your program they changed it from Voice of the NASB to Christian Vision (see capture of the screen attached). And I don`t think it was Just Jazz from HCJB, it was not even in English so I have no idea what it was about. Maybe a change of the schedule that I am not aware of yet. But as a consequence of all this, they played out your program a bit late, so at the end they were out of time (2 min?). You can check this with my recording at http://www.stoepplernet.de/drm/nasb_2803.mp3 btw you can also send this link as well as last week`s to Glenn Hauser if he wants to listen. Best regards (Simone Stoeppler, Bad Salzschlirf, Germany via Jeff White, DX LISTENING DIGEST) More DRM under LUXEMBOURG, VATICAN CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++ SWL WINTERFEST --- NASB Exhibit Moves on to Winter Shortwave Festival The second part of our three-part NASB publicity campaign took place March 12-13 in Kulpsville, Pennsylvania -- just north of Philadelphia. This was the site of the 17th annual Shortwave Listeners Winterfest, which is the largest gathering of shortwave listeners in North America each year. About 220 persons from nearly 30 states and several foreign countries attended the event, where NASB displayed our five-panel exhibit (on loan from WSHB) showing photos of member stations and associates as well. The purpose of the publicity campaign is to promote the NASB and its members among the shortwave listening audience in our three primary target areas -- Latin America, North America and Europe. The same NASB exhibit travelled to Tizayuca, Mexico last August for the first part of the publicity campaign at the Mexican National Shortwave Listeners Meeting. This time, we had even more participation and an even larger NASB display area, which occupied a full corner of the exhibit room. In addition to the NASB exhibit itself, member World Christian Broadcasting brought a very impressive self-standing exhibit depicting its station KNLS in Alaska. Member station WMLK, which is located in Pennsylvania just about an hour from the Festival site, had a table with brochures and a large TV which constantly played a two- hour video about the Assemblies of Yahweh and its shortwave station. And NASB member Adventist World Radio occupied another table, with publicity materials and sample QSL albums from AWR International Relations Coordinator Adrian Peterson's vast collection. At the NASB exhibit, we distributed program schedules, brochures and publicity materials from many of our member stations who could not attend personally, but sent the items in advance. The Shortwave Winterfest began bright and early on Friday, March 12. In the large exhibit room, known as the Stockholm Room, participants could visit the displays of NASB, a Finnish DX group, Radio Japan, the North American Shortwave Association (NASWA), displays of old-time shortwave radio receivers, a satellite receiver demonstration, and a computer with WiNRADIO software installed which picked up special DRM digital shortwave broadcasts beamed to the Winterfest from Bonaire, Sackville, Sines and even Kuwait. Other displays featured Monitoring Times magazine, the Canadian International DX Club, a JavoRadio display, an amateur radio special events station, and Sheldon Harvey's Radio HF shortwave store from Montreal, with a variety of shortwave receivers, accessories and publications. In an adjacent room, called the Oslo Room, presentations and seminars went on all day long. Mark Phillips began the day with a seminar on digital broadcasting, with explanations of IBOC, DAB and DRM. George Zeller presented a seminar on pirate and clandestine broadcasting. Then came the NASB presentation. After some general information about our Association from NASB President Jeff White, AWR's Adrian Peterson presented a fascinating half-hour multimedia show about the history of shortwave broadcasting in the United States from its beginning until 1945. Afterwards, the representatives of other NASB member and associate member stations each gave a brief profile of their station and current and future plans. The speakers included Allen Graham of HCJB, Jeff White of WRMI, Andy Baker of World Christian Broadcasting/ KNLS, Gary McAvin of WMLK, Allen Weiner of WBCQ and Dan Robinson of the Voice of America/IBB. We also mentioned the member stations that were not present in Kulpsville. After lunch, the activities continued with a session on trunking systems and scanning equipment, another on satellite DXing, and a talk by NASWA's Joe Buch about Broadband over Power Lines (BPL). This overview of the biggest threat to shortwave listening included a videotape made at several locations illustrating the interference potential of this new technology, and a propaganda film made by one of the companies pushing BPL. Joe also explained the latest on FCC actions and told listeners how they could get involved in lobbying against BPL. On Friday evening, exams were offered for those who wanted to try to get an amateur radio license or upgrade. Seminars dealt with mediumwave and longwave DXing. And the night ended with "The Listening Lounge," presented by two excellent radio producers who moderated an aural exploration of great radio. They played favorites from their sound archives, including a lot of shortwave oriented pieces. One of the most popular segments was about the time signal stations WWV and WWVH, with historic recordings, photographs and some rare WWV "jingles." This session went on until about 2:00 a.m. On Saturday, March 13, the exhibit room was again open all day, as new people showed up throughout the day. A seminar on classic shortwave receivers began the day, followed by the popular Broadcasters Forum, moderated by Kim Elliott of the VOA. During the first part of this session, Alan Heil -- former deputy director of the VOA -- gave a very interesting talk about the history of the Voice and his own perspectives on the "fragmentation" of the VOA into so many different entities (i.e. RFE/RL, Radio and TV Marti, Radio Free Asia, Radio Sawa, Radio Farda, etc.). He lamented, for example, the fact that in-depth news programming is no longer available to Arabic listeners in the Middle East, having been replaced by pop music and headline news. Mr. Heil's new book, "Voice of America: A History," was available in the exhibit room, where he gladly autographed copies. The rest of the Broadcasters Forum was a question-and-answer session for all of the shortwave broadcasters who were present, which were all of the NASB representatives, plus Frans Vossen of the English service of Radio Vlaanderen Internationaal from Belgium. The station reps fielded a variety of questions dealing with BPL, DRM and future prospects for shortwave radio, among other topics. After a pizza buffet lunch, Dr. Harold Cones talked about his 15 years of research and the four books he has written about the legendary American radio manufacturer Zenith Radio Corporation. Then Greg Majewski explained how to make effective shortwave listening antennas if you don't have much space. The Saturday evening banquet activities included an award presentation to Joe Buch for his work in favor of shortwave listeners by opposing BPL technology and a humorous recollection by Harold Cones of the very first SWL Winterfest 17 years ago, which was attended by just 27 people. The keynote speaker was NASB President Jeff White, who talked about his 32 years of experiences as a shortwave listener and broadcaster, and about the fascination of shortwave broadcasting. He ended by quoting Swiss Radio International's Bob Zanotti, who said the following at a shortwave listeners convention in California in 1980: "There's no broadcasting like international broadcasting. You feel as though in a way you're wearing the hat of a delegate to the U.N. You feel like a diplomat. You feel like a politician. You feel like an investigative journalist. You feel like a writer. It's serious broadcasting. It's broadcast journalism, I think, at its finest. You meet people. You're sent abroad. I've been all over the world. I've met people -- it would sound like I was name-dropping if I went down the list. You have to have an international background. You have to be interested in languages, because you can't survive without languages. You can't survive without a knowledge of other countries, without a sympathy for other countries and other cultures -- to be open-minded. It's a devotion, it's a profession, it's a dedication, it's a way of life, really -- international broadcasting -- and I wouldn't trade it in for anything." Apart from the photo of the NASB exhibit that is included in this article, other photos of the SWL Winterfest can be found at the following Internet sites: http://g7ltt.dyndns.org:8010/gallery/ http://www.brandi.org/photos/fest2004/ http://home.nyc.rr.com/dkos/Festgallery.htm Note: The third part of the NASB publicity campaign is slated to be Europe. We expected to attend the 2004 Conference of the European DX Council (EDXC). However, the EDXC is going through a period of reorganization at the moment, and it appears as though there may not be an EDXC Conference this year. Therefore, we may have to wait until 2005 to carry out the last part of the campaign (Jeff White, April NASB Newsletter via DXLD) UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIAL +++++++++++++++++++++++ Greetings, Glenn: Many thanks for posting my QSL reception report solicitation in the March 27 DX Listening Digest. I am already getting QSL card requests. As usual, the newsletter was chock full of interesting items for those of us who love radio. Thanks. Bill (Bill Torrey, Office of Marketing and Program Placement, US International Broadcasting Bureau, April 1) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ # MONTHLY REPORT ON THE INTERNATIONAL SUNSPOT NUMBER # # from the SIDC (RWC-Belgium) # #--------------------------------------------------------------------# Provisional International monthly mean Sunspot Number for March 2004 : 48.9 (forty-eight point nine) Maximum : 88 on 27 // Minimum : 23 on 4 Provisional daily International Sunspot Numbers for March 2004 : http://sidc.oma.be/products/ri # MONTHLY REPORT ON THE INTERNATIONAL SUNSPOT NUMBER # # from the SIDC (RWC-Belgium) # #--------------------------------------------------------------------# MARCH 2004 PROVISIONAL INTERNATIONAL NORMALIZED HEMISPHERIC SUNSPOT NUMBERS http://sidc.oma.be/products/ri_hemispheric # # # For more info, see http://sidc.oma.be (via Jim Moats, DXLD) ###