DX LISTENING DIGEST 4-062, April 3, 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: 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: 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 WORLD OF RADIO 1226 (low version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1226.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1226.rm DXLD YAHOOGROUP: Here`s where to sign up. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dxld/ (Glenn Hauser, April 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ALBANIA. Perhaps you have received a new schedule for Radio Tirana in the meantime, too, showing various programmes squeezed into empty slots on 1458? Apparently they threw away the already published sked at very short notice; it was still announced at the beginning of the English programme at 2130, transmitted indeed on single 7130 only with bad mains hum and crackling. Albanian was not included in the schedule excerpt I saw but I can confirm it as on air at the same time on 7295 with better quality than 7130. However, the originally planned // 9575 for this programme is obviously cancelled as well. In general there is a remarkable reduction in the use of shortwave transmitters compared with the original plan, and no transmissions at all are scheduled for Shijak anymore unless some Albanian still goes out there. I will check out your new set-up later. Indeed I can also say that it is my curse to be so interested in all these matters. Now going straight to bed: (Kai Ludwig, Germany, April 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) R. Tirana - A'04 Updated Schd RADIO TIRANA, III-rd CHANNEL BROADCASTING PROGRAM IN ALBANIAN LANGUAGE During the Summer Season A 04 (05 April 2004 ÷ 30 October 2004) -------------------------------------------------------------- UTC Tx/Pwr-kW Frq-kHz Wave Beam Albanian 0630-0800 Cerrik/100 7110 41m OND Daily Europe 0630-0800 Fllaka/500 1458 206m 338 Daily Europe 0801-0900 Cerrik/100 7110 41m OND Daily Europe 0801-0900 Fllaka/500 1395 215m 33 Daily Europe 1400-1530 Fllaka/500 1458 206m OND Daily Europe 2030-2200 Cerrik/100 7295 41m 350 Daily Europe 2300-0030 Cerrik/100 7270 41m 305 Daily North America -------------------------------------------------------------------- Albanian Summer Time = GMT + 2 hours = UTC + 2 hours Albanian Winter Time = GMT + 1 hours = UTC + 1 hours GMT = Greenwich Mean Time = UTC = Universal Time RADIO TIRANA, III-rd CHANNEL BROADCASTING PROGRAM IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES During the Summer Season A 04 (28 March 2004 ÷ 30 October 2004) English 1845-1900 Cerrik/100 9520 31m 310 MTWTFS England 1845-1900 Cerrik/100 7210 41m 310 MTWTFS England 2130-2200 Cerrik/100 7130 41m 310 MTWTFS U.S.A 0145-0200 Cerrik/100 6115 49m 305 STWTFS U.S.A 0145-0200 Cerrik/100 7160 41m 305 STWTFS U.S.A 0231-0300 Cerrik/100 6115 49m 305 STWTFS U.S.A 0231-0300 Cerrik/100 7160 41m 305 STWTFS U.S.A French: 1900-1930 Cerrik/100 9520 31m 310 MTWTFS France German: 1801-1830 Fllaka/500 1458 206m 338 MTWTFS Germany Italian: 1800-1830 Cerrik/100 7240 41m OND MTWTFS Italy Serbian: 2015-2030 Fllaka/500 1458 206m 004 MTWTFS Yugoslavia 2115-2130 Cerrik/100 6135 49m OND MTWTFS Yugoslavia Greek: 1545-1600 Fllaka/500 1458 206m OND MTWTFS Greece Turkish: 1530-1545 Fllaka/500 1458 206m OND MTWTFS Turkey Note: S = Sunday = 1, M = Monday = 2, T = Tuesday = 3, W = Wednesday = 4, T = Thursday = 5, F = Friday = 6, S = Saturday = 7 THANK YOU, FOR YOUR KIND INTEREST ON RADIO TIRANA! General data: * Radio Tirana House is located in the center of Tirana Capital on: 41 N 19'24,3" 19 E 50' (41.3234166667) (19.8333333333) - Radio Tirana's MW & SW transmitter sites in ALBANIA are located on: * Cerrik A zone: 40 N 59'47" 19 E 59'57,9" (40.9963888888) (19.9994166667) 8 SW transmitters 50 kW each transmission: 2 x 50kW * Cerrik B zone: 2 SW transmitters 50 Kw each transmission: 1 x 50 kW 6 transmitters 15 kW * Shijak: 41 N 19'53,5" 19 E 33'8,6" (41.3315277777) (19.5523888888) 2 SW transmitters 50 kW each transmission: 2 x 50kW 1 MW transmitter 150 kW * Fllaka: 41 N 22'11" 19 E 30'17" (41.3697222222) (19.5047222222) 2 MW transmitters each transmission: 1 x 500 kW (or 2 X 500 Kw) MW = Medium Wave; SW = Short Wave SATELLITE BROADCASTS Programme: TVSH - TELEVIZIONI SHQIPTAR (ALBANIAN TELEVISION) Language: Albanian Time (UTC): 0500 - End of TVSH Program (approxim. 23.30 UTC) Satellite: EUTELSAT W2 16 East Polarization: Vertical Frequency: 12656.5 MHz Coverage: please see at: http://www.eutelsat.com/fr/satellites/16e_popd.html Symbol Rate: 4883 KSYMB/s FEC: ½ (Via Drita Cico, Radio Tirana) Regds, (via Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, India, DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA [and non]. HCJB-Australia A'04 Updated Schedule from 02 Apr '04 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 0100 0300 15560 40,41,49,54 KNX 75 307 0 148 English (Daily) 0300 0330 15560 40,41,49,54 KNX 75 307 0 148 Urdu (Mon-Sat), Eng (Sun) 0800 1100 11750 51,56,60,62,63 KNX 50 120 0 120 English (Daily) 1230 1330 15405 40,41,49,54 KNX 75 307 0 148 English (Daily) 1330 1400 15405 40,41,49,54 KNX 75 307 0 148 Urdu (Mon-Sat), Eng (Sun) 1400 1415 15405 40,41,49,54 KNX 75 307 0 148 Hindi (Daily) 1415 1430 15405 40,41,49,54 KNX 75 307 0 148 Punjabi (Mon), Nepali (Tues), Tamil Wed), Chattisgarhi (Thu), Hmar (Fri), Meetei (Sat), Hindi (Sun) 1415 1730 15405 40,41,49,54 KNX 75 307 0 148 English (Daily) {sic --- must mean 1430-} a) Wef 2nd Apr HCJB Australia is doing trial broadcasts in regional Indian languages (Punjabi, Tamil, Chattisgarhi etc... see complete sched above) at 1415-1430 instead of regular English broadcasts. b) Since last couple of months HCJB Aus announcing a new mailing address for Indian listeners (for all languages including English): HCJB Australia, C/o Radio GMTA, P. O. Box 4960, New Delhi - 110029. c) V. of Turkey's English at 1230-1330 to Australia on 15405 causing co-channel QRM to HCA's English. TRT Freq Management has agreed to move out of this frequency once they find out an alternate freq. Regds, (Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, India, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BELGIUM [non]. The local station Maeva FM from Belgium website: http://www.maevafm.be was according to http://www.drmrx.org transmitted via Jülich in DRM for the first time on March 27 between 1400 and 1500 on 5985. Today after 1300 a Maeva FM programme was carried on 5975 in ordinary AM. "Golden oldies" with DJ talk in Dutch, emphasizing enthusiasm about being audible across Europe in "perfect stereo quality", so assuming this would be again a DRM transmission. Talking about using shortwave with 100 kW (sic if referring to DRM) would enable the station to reach the whole of Europe (but why speaking in Dutch, if this is really intended?). At 1359 the programme closed but the transmitter stayed on. After a filler bed at 1400 a TDP Radio promo (in fact just their opener) was played and followed by more test programming. I understand from http://www.drmrx.org that the scheduled DRM transmission of TDP Radio at this time did not go out today, obviously cancelled in favour of this (promotional?) AM transmission, and probably now moved from 5985 to 5975 anyway for a known reason? (Kai Ludwig, Germany, April 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) BELGIAN MAEVA RADIO TESTING TODAY ON 5975 KHZ Antwerp commercial radio station Maeva Radio has been testing today at 1300-1500 UTC on 5975 kHz via Juelich, Germany. The station plans to test in the DRM mode in the future. An E-mail address of maevaradio@hotmail.com was given for reception reports. A different frequency, 6015 kHz, was mentioned for future tests. Both have been registered with the HFCC. The transmissions are organised through TDP Radio. ID was given by presenter Peter van Dam as "Maeva FM Internationaal". (Media Network blog April 3 via DXLD) ** BULGARIA. 5776.3, R. Bulgaria noted on 21 Mar at 1640-1705 in Bulgarian, then Russian 1700; 25332, but this is a transmitter spur, the fundamental QRG being 5800; also noted on 5823.7 (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, BC-DX Mar 29 via DXLD) ** CANADA. Ontem, dia 02 de abril de 2004, as 2000Z, 1700 hora de Brasília, escutei a Rádio Canadá Internacional em português para o Brasil, na QRG de 17765, excelente tranmissão, sinal limpo, claro e muito forte, SIO 555. Entretanto, na QRG de 15255, forte QRM, impossível de se escutar qualquer coisa. Abertura do programa com a apresentação de uma matéria sobre o méio ambiente. Lamentávelmente a hora é incoveniente e tive de ausentar de casa. Abs, (Karl Leite, Natal, RN, Brasil, radioescutas via DXLD) DYB it`s at 2100 as on this week`s DX Partyline ** CHINA. Foreign broadcasters via CRI facilities: RFI 0100-0157 French 15605B1 1100-1200 French 11600B1 1200-1257 Khmer 11600X1 1300-1357 French 684 (Dongfang, Hainandao Island) 1400-1457 English 7180XI 1500-1557 Vietnamese 1296K 1600-1657 French 6090K1 1296K REE 1000-1157 Spanish 9660B1 1200-1357 Spanish 11910X1 VOR 1200-1300 Vietnamese 603 (Guangdong) 1300-1400 Hindi 1269K 1400-1500 English 1269K 1500-1557 English 11500X1 1700-1757 English 1269K RCI effective March 28th to October 30th, 2004 0000-0057 English 15205X1 0200-0257 English 17860X1 15510X1 1500-1557 English 17720X1 15455X1 (Nagoya DXers Circle, Mar 30) CRI Beijing in Esperanto 1100-1157 Esperanto 9510X1 7150X1 1300-1357 Esperanto 11650X1 9440K3 1700-1757 Esperanto 1215 via Albania 1930-2027 Esperanto 9745X2 7265U1 2200-2257 Esperanto 11700B2 9860B2 (Nagoya DXers Circle, Mar 31 via BC-DX April 1 via DXLD) ** CHINA [non]. Indeed Radio Tirana transmits the German programme after 1800 on 1458. Today the carrier was cut at 1800 immediately after the last note of CRI's closing announcement and returned much stronger after 58 seconds, finally modulation (the already running opening theme of Radio Tirana) was applied 0.9 seconds later. Certainly they fired up the plate current again as soon as the antenna switch had reached his new position, something that took about a minute at another mediumwave station (Wilsdruff) not designed for "on-the-fly" antenna pattern changes, too. In other words, they now do something the Fllakë facilities were never designed for (Kai Ludwig, Germany, April 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA [non]. Here`s the answer to the unID QRM I have been hearing at 1430 to CRI via Cuba on 13740: DW in Turkish 13740 1430-1457 28SE,39N NAU 500 kW 128 deg DWL (Wolfgang Büschel, BC-DX via DXLD) ** FRANCE. RFI ANNOUNCES NEW SPRING/SUMMER PROGRAMMES | Text of report by French news agency AFP Paris, 1 April: A spring/summer schedule has been in place at Radio France Internationale [RFI] since last Sunday [28 March], featuring new programmes mainly focusing on Europe, while at the same time [a feature entitled] "Information Forums", organized in the European capitals on the occasion of the 1 May enlargement of the union, is also being launched. RFI, which has an international news-gathering team of 350 journalists, has announced a slot called "European of the Week" on Saturdays at 0840 [presumably gmt as this is the usual frame of reference for RFI programme times], presenting a profile of the European personality of the week, whether political, economic, cultural or sporting. Another new feature, offered by the radio every Thursday at 1940 hours, is "Europe: operating instructions". Basing itself on a specific case, the programme aims to explain a tricky problem of community harmonization. A special programme will be broadcast on 1 May, says Genevieve Goetzinger, head of the French news team. "Information Forums" was launched in Lisbon on Thursday [presumably 1 April], on the topic "Is the Western way of life under threat?", taken from the book "Impasses" by Fernando Gil, Daniele Cohn and Paulo Tunhas. Each forum is intended to lead into a special day (broadcast on RFI worldwide) with programmes and reports on the country featured. Budapest (22 April), Berlin, Prague, Sofia and Vilnius, notably, will follow. Other new features will be a review of the Arabic press by Alexandre Buccianti, on Saturdays at 1850 hours, and a review of the Israeli press by Michel Paul, on Sundays at the same time. RFI broadcasts its programmes in 20 languages throughout the world and claims a total of 45 million listeners. Source: AFP news agency, Paris, in French 1540 gmt 1 Apr 04 (via BBCM via DXLD) {The above concerns only programs in the French language!} ** GERMANY. I did listen today, 2nd April morning 0530-0700 gmt to DW broadcast, but unfortunately all regular programs were not on air. Just some instrumental music. Why? Was it same for other regions? (Emmanuel Ezeani, SOKOTO STATE, NIGERIA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) {4-063: strike} ** GERMANY. A dinosaur of former GDR Radio Berlin International heard today in the DW English service at 0845-0900 UT letterbox program again: DX editor of RBI on two decades Wolfram Hess, ham radio op DL1RXA. DW Hobby program corner only on last Sunday of the month in DW's English program letterbox. (wb Mar 28) Sun 0830 DW Cologne, E, 4th/last - 6140 21675 1130 DW Cologne, E, 4th/last - 15105 17820 21820 1330 DW Cologne, E, 4th/last - 6140 1630 DW Cologne, E, 4th/last - 1548 6170 7225 17595 17770 1830 DW Cologne, E, 4th/last - STL only 2030 DW Cologne, E, 4th/last - 7130 13820 15205 2230 DW Cologne, E, 4th/last - 7115 9720 9800 Mon 0030 DW Cologne, E, 4th/last _ 1548 7130 9505 9825 0230 DW Cologne, E, 4th/last _ STL only 0430 DW Cologne, E, 4th/last _ 7225 9630 11945 0630 DW Cologne, E, 4th/last _ 6140 7170 15275 17860 21675 (wb) (Wolfgang Büschel, BC-DX April 1 via DXLD) ** HONG KONG. China Sea Race - Weather Broadcasts for China Coast Race Week. Uwe Volk asked in Austrian Newsgroup A-DX, whether the daily short weather forecast radio schedule has been announced yet on the spring yacht race around Hong Kong, organized April 8th to 14th, 2004. Usual freq is 3940 kHz ? Cape D'Aguilar HF stn, P.O.Box: 9896, GPO Hong Kong. Tel: +852 2888 1128. Fax: +852 2809 2434. Lam Chi Keung, Assistant Engineer, is the verification signer. (wb Mar 30, BC-DX via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL. Re ANGOLA – R. Ecclesia --- It isn't the first time that this subject comes up. I remember a few years ago a similar kind of comment like this; have to check the CRW newsletters for that. To make myself clear: My list consists of various stations, be it non- governmental, private, religious or opposition that broadcast to a specific area, but for one reason or another don't operate in their target area. So stations like Gospel For Asia, Bible Voice and other Brother Scares don't qualify for me as they want to reach the whole world. I don't call these stations "clandestine" although some operate under some kind of cloak i.e. not fully disclosed transmitter sites. Hence the description "non-official". I'd welcome any better description for this collection of stations (Silvain Domen, Belgium, DX LISTENING DIGEST) "Non-official" broadcasts via relays - as known on 4/3/2004 --- DXA375-Silvain Domen, Belgium. Free to copy and distribute. Compiled from monitoring and info distibuted via: BC-DX, BCLNEWS.IT, DXLD, EDXP, HFCC, ILG, Clandestine Radio.Com & Clandestine Radio Watch, Nagoya DX Circle Frequency brokers: DTK: Deutsche Telekom EDC: Educational Development Council GFC: General Radio Frequency Center MNO: Merlin RNW: Radio Netherlands SEN: Sentech TDP: Transmitter Documentation Project Disclaimer: due to conflicting reports, some UTC, freqs and sites may be tentative *Arabic Radio (ex- Voice Of The Homeland) B03 ID: Hurreeyah Hur ar-Arrabeeyah (ex- Sawt Al Watan) smtwtfs 0430-0500 7510 RUS ? A smtwtfs 1600-1630 7470 RUS ? A smtwtfs 1600-1630 12085 MDA ? A *Degar Voice-Radio Montagnard A04 --t-t-s 1300-1330 v.7125/7250/7350/7420(MNO) RUS Chita V *Dejen Radio A04 ------s 1700-1800 12120 RUS Samara Tigrigna (TDP) *Democratic Voice Of Burma A04 ID: Democratic Myanmar a-Than smtwtfs 1430-1530 5910 KAZ Almaty Bu (GFC) smtwtfs 1430-1530 17495 MDG Talata Volondry (RNW) smtwtfs 2330-0030 9435 D Julich Bu (DTK) *Hmong Lao Radio A04 ID: Xotvooj Cua Tsa Kom Cua Ngem Ah Cua ---w-f- 0100-0200 15260 TWN Taipei La (MNO) *IBC-Tamil B03 smtwtfs 0000-0100 7460 RUS Novosibirsk Tm/E *Mustaqbal (EDC for Somali minority in Ethiopia) A04 -mt-t-- 0630-0700 15370 AFS/UAE? So (MNO) -mt-t-- 1200-1230 15370 AFS Meyerton So (SEN) *New Horizon Radio (via High Adventure Ministry) A04 ID: Chan Troi Moi smtwtfs 1330-1430 17595 D Julich V (DTK) *Que Huong Radio-The Country Radio A04 ID: Que Huong Radio -mtwtfs 1330-1400 9930 HWA Naalehu-HI V (TDP) *Radio Amani (Afghan Peace) B03 -----f- 1630-1730 7350 RUS Armavir Pashto/Dari *Radio Ecclesia (Angolan peace) A04 smtwtfs 1900-2000 7205 AFS Meyerton Pr (MNO/SEN) *Radio Free Kashmir A04 ID: Radio Sadaye Kashmir smtwtfs 0230-0330 6100 IND Kashmiri smtwtfs 0730-0830 9890 IND Kashmiri smtwtfs 1430-1530 6100 IND Kashmiri *Radio Free Vietnam (based in California, USA) A04 ID: Dai Phat Thanh Viet Nam Tui Do --t-t-- 1600-1700 9930 HWA Naalehu-HI V *Radio Free Vietnam (New Orleans maildrop) A04 ID: Dai Viet Nam Tui Do -mtwtf- 1230-1300 9930 HWA Naalehu-HI V (TDP) *Radio Huriyo-Voice Of the Ogadeni People A04 ID: Radio Xoriyo (Radio Freedom) --t--f- 1630-1700 15670 D Julich So (DTK) *Radio International A04 {update in 4-063} ID: Radio Anternacional-e sm-w-f- 1730-1800 13800 MDA Grigoriopol Fs (MNO) --t-t-s 1730-1815 13800 MDA Grigoriopol Fs (MNO) *Radio Ndeke Luka A04 smtwtfs 1830-1930 15470 G Woofferton F/Sango (MNO) *Radio Of The Saharan Arab Democratic Republic B03 ID: (A) al-Idhaat al-Wataniyah li-Jumhuriyah al-Arabiyah al-Sahrawiyah al-Dimokratiyah (Sp) Esta es el Radio Nacional de la República Árabe Saharaui smtwtfs 0700-0800 7460 ALG? A smtwtfs 1700-2300 7460 ALG? A smtwtfs 2300-2400 7460 ALG? Sp *Radio Payam E Doost (Bahai faith) A04 s-twtf- 0230-0315 7460 MDA Grigoriopol Fs (MNO) s-twtf- 1800-1845 7480 MDA Grigoriopol Fs (MNO) *Radio Pedar (Father Radio) A04 -mtwtf- 1730-1830 17735 G Woofferton Fs (MNO) *Radio Pridnestrovye B03 -mtwtf- 1700-1730 5960 MDA Grigoriopol E *Radio Rhino International A04 --twtfs 1500-1530 17870 D Julich E (DTK) *Radio Voice Of Hope (Sudanese peace) A04 smt---s 0430-0500 12060 MDG Talata Volondry E/Vern. (RNW) smt---s 0430-0500 15320 MDG Talata Volondry E/Vern. (RNW) *Radio Voice Of Iran (based in Los Angeles, CA) A04 ID: Radyo Seda-ye Iran smtwtfs 1530-1730 11520 MDA? Fs *Radio Voice Of Oromia A04 ID: Radio Sagalee Oromiya -m----- 1730-1800 12120 RUS Samara Oromo (TDP) *Radio Voice Of Oromo Liberation Front A04 ID: Radio Sagalee Qabsoo Bilisummaa Oromoo -m--t-- 1700-1730 12120 RUS Samara Oromo (TDP) *Sudan Radio Service (EDC Sudanese peace) A04 -mtwtf- 0300-0500 11665 G Woofferton E/Vern. (MNO) -mtwtf- 1500-1700 17630 G Woofferton E/Vern. (MNO) *SW Radio Africa (Zimbabwean peace) A04 smtwtfs 1600-1900 6145 AFS Meyerton Shona/Ndebele/E (SEN) *Voice Of Biafra International A04 ------s 2100-2157 7380 AFS Meyerton Igbo/E (MNO) *Voice Of Democratic Eritrea A04 ID: Demtsi Democrasiyawet Eritrea ------s 1400-1500 5925 D Julich Tigrigna (DTK) ----t-- 1700-1800 15670 D Julich Tigrigna (DTK) *Voice Of Democratic Path To Ethiopian Unity A04 ID: Yih Finote Demokrasi Ye-Ethiopia Andinet Dimts New s------ 0700-0800 21550 D Julich Am (DTK) ---w--- 1830-1930 15565 D Julich Am (DTK) *Voice Of Ethiopian Salvation (Medhin) A04 ID: Yih Ye Ethiopia Medhin Dimts New s------ 1830-1930 12120 RUS Samara Am (TDP) s---t-- 1600-1700 15670 D Julich Am (DTK) *Voice Of Khmer Kampuchea Krom A04 ID: Vitthayu Samleng Khmer Kampuchea Krom --t---- 1400-1500 15660 RUS Vladivostok Ca (TDP) *Voice Of Liberty (Eritrea) A04 s------ 0400-0500 15675 RUS Samara Tigrigna (TDP) *Voice Of Mesopotamia A04 ID: Dengi Mezopotamiyah smtwtfs 0500-1600 11530 MDA Grigoriopol Ku (TDP) *Voice Of Oromo Liberation A04 ID: Sagalee Bilisummaa Oromoo s-tw-f- 1700-1800 15670 D Julich Oromo/Amharic (DTK) *Voice Of The Eritrean People A04 ID: Ezi Demtsi Hazbi Eritrea s------ 1800-1830 7125 G Skelton Tigrigna (MNO) s------ 1730-1800 17660 G Skelton Tigrigna (MNO) *Voice Of The People (Zimbabwean peace) A04 smtwtfs 1657-1755 7120 MDG Talata E/Shona/Ndebele (RNW) *Voice Of Tibet (GFC - all freq variable) A04 smtwtfs 1215-1300 15505 UZB Tashkent Ti smtwtfs 1215-1300 15635 TJK Dushanbe Ti smtwtfs 1215-1300 15660 TJK Dushanbe Ti smtwtfs 1215-1300 15680 TJK Dushanbe Ti smtwtfs 1215-1300 17525 UZB Tashkent Ti smtwtf- 1215-1300 17745 UZB Tashkent Ti smtwtfs 1215-1300 17765 UZB Tashkent Ti smtwtfs 1215-1300 17800 UZB Tashkent Ti smtwtfs 1215-1300 21545 UZB Tashkent Ti smtwtfs 1215-1300 21550 UZB Tashkent Ti smtwtfs 1215-1300 21560 UZB Tashkent Ti smtwtfs 1215-1300 21590 UZB Tashkent Ti smtwtfs 1215-1300 21720 UZB Tashkent Ti smtwtfs 1430-1515 17520 UZB Tashkent Ti smtwtfs 1430-1515 17540 UZB Tashkent Ti smtwtfs 1430-1515 17765 UZB Tashkent Ti smtwtfs 1430-1515 17800 UZB Tashkent Ti smtwtfs 1430-1515 21650 UZB Tashkent Ti smtwtfs 1430-1515 21720 UZB Tashkent Ti (Silvain Domen, Belgium, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL WATERS [non]. Radio Caroline special programme Friday, 2 April 2004 Radio Caroline will broadcast a special programme on 9290 kHz in the 31 metre short wave band between 10:00 and 12:00 BST on Easter Sunday. [translating, that means 0900-1100 UT April 11 --- gh] Coinciding with Caroline's 40th birthday, the transmission will act as a window on Caroline's current satellite programming for short wave listeners who are unaware of Caroline's extra-terrestrial activity. For more details on Radio Caroline visit: Weblink: http://www.radiocaroline Story filed at http://www.ukradio.com/news/articles/BDBFCD7216C04D9FA856F621517E1A62.asp (via Mike Terry, DXLD) 9290 must be via Latvia ** IRAN [non]. Do any one have address for the Radio Pedar from UK to Iraq (Emmanuel Ezeani, SOKOTO STATE, NIGERIA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) As often happens, this info has already been published in DXLD. I spent several minutes finding it, myself: 4-050 (gh, DXLD) ** IVORY COAST. Cote d'Ivoire: BBC, OTHER STATIONS, RESUME BROADCASTS IN ABIDJAN FM relays of BBC World Service, Radio France Internationale and Africa No 1 in Abidjan, which were interrupted on 25 March, the day of the opposition marches in Cote d'Ivoire, resumed on 30 March at 1930. BBC World Service can be heard in Abidjan on 94.3 MHz, while RFI is on 97.6 MHz and Africa No 1 transmits on 91.1 MHz on the FM band. Source: BBC Monitoring research 30 Mar 04 (via DXLD) ** JAPAN. Radio Tampa is changing its slogan to R. Nikkei on April 1st and continues its domestic SW service. Due to its slogan change, R. Tampa plans to conduct special farewell program with studio audience participation on Mar 31. We are looking forward to issue of new QSL- card with a new slogan (Toshimichi Ohtake, Japan, JSWC via DXplorer Mar 30 via BC-DX via DXLD) ** LIBYA [non]. Libya via France A04 --- The following frequencies are registered in the A04 HFCC schedule for relays of Libya via TDF France: 11635 2000-2130 15205 1800-2000 15315 1900-2030 15610 1100-1230 15660 1600-1900 17635 1700-1900 17695 1100-1230 1600-1900 17880 1700-1800 21675 1100-1500 21695 1000-1400 I presume these frequencies will carry Voice of Africa from Tripoli in Arabic, with the usual short news bulletins in English and French at various times. 73s (Dave Kenny, BDXC-UK via DXLD) ** LUXEMBOURG. Detailed descriptions and nice pictures of the BCE transmitter sites in Luxemburg can be found at http://www.bce.lu/drm/ (Kai Ludwig, Germany, April 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. Después de 70 años de transmisiones en onda corta, en el mes de octubre dejará de existir para siempre nuestra colega Radio Suiza Internacional. Bueno, noticias como esta ya no sorprenden en realidad. Pero nosotros sí queremos sorprenderles con un homenaje a otra colega de la onda corta que aunque todavía se la reporta en el éter, sus directivos ya han anunciado su cierre sin indicar fecha alguna. La voz internacional de México en la onda corta en cualquier momento puede dejar de sonar. Este domingo, hace exactamente un mes, el día 4 de marzo, el diario Milenio de la Ciudad de México anunció la decisión del IMER -- el Instituto Mexicano de la Radio -- de cerrar definitivamente a Radio México Internacional. Nuestro corresponsal de Radio Enlace para Norteamérica y el Caribe nos envía desde Miami, una entrevista telefónica con Cristina Del Razo, quien fuera directora de la emisora durante tres años, hasta septiembre del 2002. [I don`t see an audio link yet: check] http://www.rnw.nl/sp/toolbar/radioenlace.html Otra voz de la que se anuncia que pronto se apagará para siempre en la onda corta. No se pierda escuchar en Real Audio la entrevista telefónica con Cristina Del Razo, ex-directora de la recién desaparecida colega de la onda corta Radio Mexico Internacional. (Radio Enlace Apr 2, Radio Nederland, via DXLD) Not having heard the interview yet, I asked Jeff White to summarize what he found out (gh) Glenn: I haven't heard of a close date yet, nor had Cristina Del Razo when I interviewed her. As I recall, there wasn't much "news" in the interview; it was just her responding to the closure and to some of the inane comments of the IMER people that were quoted in the newspaper article. For example, the idea of reaching people in Latin America, for example, via Internet audio instead of shortwave is ridiculous at this time, since most people don't have that capability. She said the shortwave facilities could be refurbished for a lot less money than IMER said in the article; she had proposed a plan for very little money, based on what the engineer who originally built the station recommended could be done on the cheap. It wouldn't be perfect, but it would be a lot better than the present situation. She had also proposed putting the signal on the Internet years ago, but not as an alternative to shortwave -- just as a complementary service. IMER didn't act on either of those proposals during her three years as director of RMI. The employees have been promised jobs elsewhere within IMER, but she wonders if they will really honor that commitment (Jeff White, April 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MONGOLIA. VOM, English at 2000 on new 12014.82, difficult to understand (Christer Brunström, Sweden, HCJB DX Partyline April 3 via DXLD) ** MONGOLIA [and non]. US-Mongolia Radio Cooperation TRAINING LEADS TO MONGOLIA-NORTH CAROLINA RADIO EXCHANGE Radio stations on nearly opposite sides of the planet are exchanging some local programs after being connected by a Knight International Press Fellow. The stations are the Gobi Wave radio station in Dalanzadgad, in Mongolia’s South Gobi region, and WCQS, a National Public Radio station in Asheville, North Carolina. Another Mongolian station, FM- 106 in Darhan, also might join the exchange. Charles Rice, an American radio journalist who just completed nine months as a Knight fellow in Mongolia, said the stations have begun trading and translating programs. For example, Gobi Wave recently produced a feature on rabid dogs in the streets. That feature was translated into English, sent to WCQS, and re-broadcast for listeners in Asheville. Likewise, Mongolians who listen to Gobi Wave would be able hear a few reports from North Carolina, translated into their own language. The radio exchange is Rice`s brainchild. He told IJNet that he was trying to figure out ways that the Mongolian journalists could continue to learn from Western colleagues, even in the absence of trainers. Rice, a longtime radio news anchor with the Associated Press, plans to begin a second stint as a Knight fellow in June. After providing basic journalism training to dozens of journalists during his first stint, he said he intends to follow up by offering those journalists more advanced training. ``I want to go back so I can continue working with these same people,`` Rice said. ``If I can affect one person ... then that person can train somebody else.`` The Knight fellowship program sends experienced U.S. journalists overseas to share their expertise with colleagues in developing or transition countries. For more information, visit http://www.knight-international.org/ April 02, 2004 Source: http://www.ijnet.org (via S. Sosedkin, DXLD) ** NIGERIA. NIGERIA/UK: BBC REPORT VIEWS IMPACT OF FOREIGN NEWS RELAY BAN | Text of report by BBC World Service on 1 April Nigeria has banned the live rebroadcast of foreign news programmes with effect from today - 1 April. Among the stations affected is the BBC, whose programmes rebroadcast on local radio stations have been attracting an audience of more than six million listeners. Elizabeth Blunt reports: The BBC has always had a huge and loyal audience in Nigeria; more than 21m people tune in at least once a week to hear its programmes in English and Hausa. In recent years the lives of listeners in the big cities have been made a little easier. They no longer had to rely on crackly shortwave broadcasts, after a local FM station, RayPower, entered into a parnership agreement to carry some of the most popular BBC programmes. But earlier this year Nigeria's National Broadcasting Commission announced that it was tightening up its licensing regime; on Tuesday [30 March] its director-general told the press that live rebroadcasting of foreign stations was contrary to the broadcasting code, and that permission to do this had been granted in error and was being revoked. The BBC's live FM relays have now stopped. The Corporation's regional head for Africa, Jerry Timmins, said he was saddened that listeners would be deprived off the BBC's authoritative and impartial news and information, especially at a time when the thirst for international news was increasing. Meanwhile the BBC is planning an advertising campaign in Nigeria to remind its listeners that its good old shortwave broadcasts are still there - crackly perhaps, but unaffected by government directives. Source: BBC World Service, London, in English 1 Apr 04 (via BBCm via DXLD) NIGERIAN STATIONS COMPLY WITH BAN OF LIVE BROADCASTS OF FOREIGN NEWS | Text of report in English by French news agency AFP Lagos, 2 April: Nigerian broadcasters have complied with a government order banning local media from re-transmitting live news broadcasts from foreign sources, such as the BBC and CNN, executives said Friday [2 April]. The ban came into effect on Thursday, as Nigeria launched a probe into allegations that several military officers have been canvassing support for a possible coup d'état in the oil-exporting west African country. The head of the state broadcast regulatory agency, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Sila Yisa, said on Tuesday that the popular broadcasts were a "professional aberration" as Nigerian reporters have no control over them. Such live broadcasts also pose a danger to Nigeria's national interests, Yisa said, without explaining why. Tony Akiotu, a senior official of Daar Communications, which rebroadcasts live BBC news programmes on it private FM station, said: "We have complied with the NBC order. We are also taking some further measures to enforce the ban." An executive of Lagos-based MITV television, which carries live extracts from the US news network CNN said that it too had complied with the ban. The US and German international broadcasters, Voice of America and Deutsche Welle also rebroadcast in Nigeria, and fall under the ban. It was not immediately clear whether the ban was in any way linked to the coup investigation, and Nigerian officials have been open with international reporters in discussing an intelligence probe into the alleged plot. Thursday's order also included a ban on religious leaders - mostly the pastors of Pentecostal churches in Nigeria - from claiming to have performed miracles on radio and television stations, as they do nightly. The NBC approves, renews and withdraws broadcasts licences in Nigeria. Source: AFP news agency, Paris, in English 1438 gmt 2 Apr 04 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** NIGERIA. VON, booming in at 0500 in English on 15120; new transmitter? (Chris Hambly, Victoria, April 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ROMANIA. R. Romania International monitoring: April 1, 2004 0100 station on 9695 causing QRM to RRI on 9690 is R. Free Europe/R. Liberty. Positive ID in English. April 1, 2004 2330 UT 7280 SINPO 24432 with UnID QRM, 9590 SINPO 41441 QRM CBC/RCI on 9590, 9645 SINPO 43443 with UnID QRM on 9695, 11940 SINPO 25442 (Kraig Krist, KG4LAC, Annandale, VA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA [+non]. Re VOR English: ``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`` --- Yes, 9665 in spring and summer, 7180 in autumn and winter. A standard arrangement at Grigoriopol for years now. And ``VOR English pretty strong at 0300 on 9860, gone at 0400`` --- This one via Santa Maria di Galeria, i.e. Radio Vatican (Kai Ludwig, Germany, April 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. After establishing a second audio stream, the Voice of Russia has resumed live Internet transmissions in foreign languages in addition to VOR's Russian services. English transmissions are carried between 0600 and 1300; details and links can be found at: http://www.vor.ru/Audio/audio_eng.phtml Both streams are hosted by Deutsche Telekom in Germany; the direct URLs (Windows Media Player) are: mms://193.159.244.27/live/st_ru/Stimme_Russl mms://193.159.244.27/live/st_ru/Stimme_Russl_2 (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, DX LISTENING DIGEST) {sked in 4-063} SECOND MULTI-LANGUAGE PROGRAMME ON VOR WEB SITE | Text of report in English by Russian news agency Interfax Moscow, 1 April: A second programme broadcasting in several languages has emerged on the web site of the Voice of Russia radio station. "Now one can access parallel programmes in 15 other languages, English, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Greek, Bulgarian, Serbian-Croatian, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, Turkish and Persian in addition to Russian," Yekaterina Yagunova, a spokesperson for the company told Interfax on Thursday [1 April]. The new channel will operate round the clock, she said. The Voice of Russia has also launched mediumwave broadcasts in Lithuania from 10 am to 6 pm local time [0600 to 1400 gmt] and in all cities of Crimea, Ukraine, Yagunova said. Source: Interfax news agency, Moscow, in English 1505 gmt 1 Apr 04 (via BBCM via DXLD) {Correxion in 4-063: 0700-1500 UT} ** SLOVAKIA. Radio Eslovaquia en SS peligra Hola a todos: Anoche la Jefa de Redacción de Radio Eslovaquia Internacional anunció que existe la posibilidad cierta que la emisora deje de transmitir por onda corta a partir del próximo 1 de Mayo. Es una noticia terrible para los que amamos este hobby o actividad. Así lo entendió también esta mujer que pidió, casi desesperadamente, que enviemos notas de repudio a la medida, para que tal vez entre todos logremos torcer la decisión, poniendo énfasis en la necesidad de que Eslovaquia cuente con un medio de difusión al mundo, más aun en un momento trascendente, como que están por ingresar a la Unión Europea. Le podemos escribir al Director General de RSI, Sr. Jaroslav Reznik a: resnik@s... [truncated] o al Director de Programacion Sr. Pucala: pucala@s... Yo ya lo hice. Creo que todos, escuchen o no esta emisora, deben movilizarse y poner en aviso a otros colegas para que también lo hagan. Salvemos a RSI, salvemos la onda corta. Gracias (Hugo Longhi, Argentina, April 3, Conexión Digital via DXLD) It`s not clear whether the proposed closedown applies to the entire station or just the Spanish service. Have they said anything about this in English? (gh, DXLD) ** SOUTH AFRICA. SENTECH A'04 --- SHORTWAVE TRANSMISSIONS FROM MEYERTON, SOUTH AFRICA EFFECTIVE FROM 28 MARCH 2004 TO 30 OCTOBER 2004 Last updated on 25 March 2004 CHANNEL AFRICA Time UTC kHz Language 0300-0500 3345 English 0300-0355 3965 Swahili 0300-0355 6160 English 0400-0455 7265 French 0500-0700 7210 English 0500-0555 9770 English 0600-0655 15215 English 0700-0800 11825 English 0800-0900 11825 Chinyanja 0900-1000 11825 Silozi 1000-1200 11825 English 1200-1300 11825 Chinyanja 1300-1400 11825 Silozi 1400-1559 11825 English 1500-1555 17770 English 1500-1555 17780 Swahili 1600-1655 15245 French 1700-1755 15265 English 1900-2200 3345 English BBC 0300-0330 6050 Swahili 0300-0500 7120 English 0300-0500 3255 English 0300-0500 6190 English 0400-0430 9840 Swahili 0430-0500 3390 Portuguese 0430-0500 6135 Portuguese 0430-0500 7205 Portuguese 0500-0700 11765 English 0500-1700 6190 English 0500-1700 11940 English 0530-0600 15400 Kirundi ** 0700-0730 17695 French 1500-1530 21490 English 1530-1700 21490 Swahili/Kirundi* 1530-1615 21490 Swahili** 1615-1700 21490 English** 1700-2200 3255 English 1700-2200 6190 English 1700-1900 15420 English 1730-1745 3390 English teaching 1730-1745 7230 English teaching 1730-1745 9525 English teaching 1745-1800 7230 Swahili 1800-1830 7230 French 2030-2100 3390 Portuguese 2030-2100 6135 Portuguese 2030-2100 7205 Portuguese *Monday-Friday **Saturdays and Sundays RADIO VERITAS PRODUCTIONS 1000-1100 6100 English FEBA RADIO 1515-1545 12125 Nuer / Dinka 1545-1600 12125 Makonde 1600-1700 12125 Amharic UNITED NATIONS RADIO 1700-1715 7150 French * 1700-1715 21535 French* 1730-1745 7150 English * *Monday to Friday ADVENTIST WORLD RADIO 1700-1730 12130 Swahili 1730-1800 12130 Masai 1800-1830 3215 English 1800-1830 3345 English 1800-1900 12130 English 1930-2000 6040 Hausa 1930-2000 9620 Ibo 2000-2030 9620 French 2000-2100 7170 English 2000-2030 7225 French 2030-2100 6040 Yoruba RADIO ECCLESIA 1900-2000 7205 Portuguese TRANS WORLD RADIO UTC Freq Days Lang 0330-0345 7215 34 Sidamo 0330-0345 7215 567 Amharic 0600-0630 11640 123456 English 0630-0635 11640 1234567 English 1600-1630 9675 1234567 Kirundi 1625-1640 9660 67 Somali 1625-1655 9660 12345 Somali 1645-1700 9930 123 Oromo 1645-1700 9930 45 Kambaata 1645-1700 9930 67 Hadiya 1657-1712 9660 123456 Juba 1700-1730 9930 1234567 Amharic 1703-1718 7265 1234567 Sena 1718-1733 7265 1234567 Yao 1730-1800 9930 12345 Oromo 1730-1800 9930 6 Amharic 1733-1748 7265 2 5 7 Yao 1755-1825 9695 12345 Pulaar 1755-1825 9695 67 French 1815-1830 9720 6 Songhai 1830-1900 9720 1234567 Bambara 1830-1900 9510 1234567 Fulfulde 1830-1900 9695 1234567 Hausa 1900-1915 9695 1234567 Kanuri 1900-1930 9510 1234567 Yoruba 1900-1945 9720 1234 67 French 1900-1930 9720 5 Songhai 1930-1945 9720 5 Moore 1930-1945 9510 67 Ewe 1945-2000 9510 6 Igbo 1945-2015 9510 7 Igbo Day 1 = Monday, Day 2 = Tuesday... FAMILY RADIO 1900-2100 3230 English RADIO FRANCE INTERNATIONAL 0257-0359 5925 French 0700-0800 15170 French 1100-1400 17850 French 1230-1300 21760 French 1600-1700 15160 English 1600-1700 9730 English 1900-2200 7160 French RADIO VLAANDEREN INTERNATIONAL 0500-0530 9925 Dutch 1000-1100 21630 Dutch* 1100-1130 21630 Dutch *Sundays EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT CENTER 1200-1230 15370 Somali* *Monday, Tuesday and Thursday SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE 0800-0900 9750 English * 0800-0900 17815 English * 1900-2000 3215 English ** **Monday, *Sunday RADIO SONDER GRENSE 0530-0800 7185 Afrikaans 0800-1600 9650 Afrikaans 1600-0530 3320 Afrikaans Sentech is a commercially operated, state-owned enterprise with its own board of directors. For decades, Sentech has been at the leading edge of communication technology, pioneering the provision of broadcast signal distribution services. Sentech is the largest signal distributor for broadcasting in Africa, transmitting programmes for customers such as the SABC, M-Net, CNN, e-tv and the BBC to audiences across the continent. Sentech is also becoming a force in the telecommunications and multimedia industries, offering a range of high-end services such as International Telephony, Business Communications solutions, Data and Multicasting to organisations in Africa and to Telecommunications Operators globally. Sentech deploys the latest satellite and terrestrial based technology using IP based protocols for the services offered. Web site: http://www.sentech.co.za Transmission Planning, Sentech Ltd, Private Bag X06, Honeydew 2040, South Africa Tel: +27 11 471 4658 Fax: +27 11 471 4754 (Via Millingo Nkosi, Sentech) Regds, (via Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, India, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SWEDEN. RESTRUCTURING: SWEDEN GOES CODE FREE It now looks likely that Swedish radio amateurs with a Class 2 license which is the equivalent of our code free Technician class, will be allowed to operate on the High Frequency bands as of early April. The decision to drop the Morse code requirement for an HF bands license in Sweden had been postponed from the 1st of January. A note in the March issue of QTC, the Swedish national society`s magazine, suggested that on or about April 1st is when the change will be made (GB2RS via ARNewsline April 2 via John Norfolk, DXLD) ** SYRIA [non]. Re Radio Free Syria. I checked the web site of the reform party http://www.reformsyria.net and noticed that there's a link for Radio Free Syria --- but the link (under construction as they said) so I emailed Mr. Malek Assaf in Arabic telling him that I'm an Egyptian DXer since 1985 and I'd like to get more info about the station to spread the word about the station. Asking about the truth about the start of the transmission on 1st of April, are they using MW or SW transmitter, which frequency used, do they use any transmitters from via Cyprus ... and here's what I got from him: Dear Tarek, Hi, the test transmission started and within a few days the audio stream on the site will be OK, the station covers Syria and some of the neighboring countries of Syria. Will keep you posted with more news later. B.rgds So as you can see, no specific answer was given. But that part of "the station is covering Syria and some of the neighboring country`` is a bit interesting. Does this mean that they have MW TX? I sent him another e mail asking about the times and frequency. Persistence ....YES! but hope he replies soon. All the best (Tarek Zeidan, Cairo, Egypt, April 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAIWAN. [V. of Han BC] Han Sheng 9745 is a regular signal. This one either has more power than announced or has a sharp beam in our direction. So far no Mainland jamming noted (Olle Alm, Sweden, BC-DX Mar 25 via DXLD) ** UKRAINE. R. Ukraine International monitoring: April 1, 2004 0100-0200 7545 SINPO 45444 April 2, 2004 0100-0200 7545 SINPO 45444. 73, (Kraig Krist, KG4LAC, Annandale, VA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** UNITED KINGDOM. MICHAEL GRADE APPOINTED BBC CHAIRMAN | Text of press release from BBC on 2 April The government today announced that Michael Grade has been appointed BBC chairman for four years from 17 May 2004. Welcoming the appointment Richard Ryder, acting BBC chairman, said: "The Board of Governors warmly welcomes the appointment of Michael Grade. We are delighted that he will be the BBC's new chairman and we look forward to working closely with him. "He will find a united Board which is optimistic about the future. "The Board is conscious of the importance of the tasks it will tackle under his leadership, including Charter Review, the appointment of the director-general, the Graf Review of bbc.co.uk, the first stage of the Ofcom PSB review and the DCMS reviews of new services. "We are very grateful to the DCMS for expediting the appointment of the new chairman in such a short period." Mark Byford, acting director-general, said: "Michael Grade is one of the major world figures in broadcasting and the wider creative industry, with an outstanding record of achievement. "He has a deep understanding of broadcasting, and firmly believes in the BBC and its place at the heart of national life. "He is passionate about creativity, talent and ambition in programmes. "That is why everyone in the BBC will warmly welcome this exciting appointment. "It's great that Michael is coming back to the BBC and he will enjoy the full support of the whole organization." Michael Grade said: "This is quite a day for me. "Apart from my obvious pride and delight, I also feel my experience has prepared me to step into the role at a difficult moment in the Corporation's history. "I would like to thank those who appointed me for having the courage to break the mould. "I would also like to pay tribute to my predecessor, Gavyn Davies, who gave so much to support the ideals of the Corporation and who showed great courage and dignity in the manner of his departure. "The editorial independence of the BBC is paramount in maintaining the support of the viewers and listeners. Without it, there is no point to the BBC. "It is my job, and the job of the whole board, to ensure that the BBC can continue to earn public and parliamentary support so that the provision of universally available, value for money, public service broadcasting is neither jeopardized nor marginalized. "Nothing must be allowed to deprive our children and our grandchildren of the rich experience we have come to expect and enjoy these past decades from the British Broadcasting Corporation." Notes to editors 1. Michael Grade will take up his post as chairman on 17 May 2004. Until then, Richard Ryder will remain acting chairman. As made clear in a statement issued on 31 March, Richard will then serve as vice-chairman under Michael Grade until later in the year when he will retire from the Board. 2. Gavyn Davies OBE was appointed on 19 September 2001 for a five-year period from 1 October 2001. He resigned from the BBC on 28 January 2004. 3. The BBC and Michael Grade have agreed to suspend the process for the appointment of the director-general until Michael Grade takes up his position as chairman. 4. Michael Grade has had a long and distinguished career including leading roles in commercial television, the BBC, film and the leisure industries. He became head of entertainment and director of programmes at London Weekend Television in 1973, moved to the USA to become president of Embassy Television in 1981, joined the BBC as controller BBC-1 in 1984 and became its director of programmes, Television in 1986. He then spent nine years from 1988 as chief executive of Channel 4 Television. In 1997 he joined First Leisure Corporation, first as executive chairman and then as chief executive until 1999. He is executive chairman of Pinewood and Shepperton Studios, chairman of Hemscott plc and, since 2002, chairman of the Camelot Group, operators of the National Lottery. He is a non-executive director of the Scottish Media Group, interim chair of the Television Corporation, chairman of the Royal National Theatre's Development Council, a member of the Council of the Royal Albert Hall, and a trustee of the National Film and Television School and of the World Wildlife Fund. He is also a director of the Gate Theatre in Dublin, chairman of Index on Censorship and is on the board of Charlton Athletic Football Club. 5. He will be resigning from the boards of Camelot, SMG and the Television Corporation before 17 May, as well as from a number of other commercial and pro bono appointments. He will retain his non-executive chairmanship of Pinewood Shepperton and the chairmanship of Hemscott Group Plc. A list of these and any other commitments and his investments will be disclosed in full to the BBC Secretary and the DCMS. A system will be put in place for dealing with any conflict, real or perceived. The vice-chairman is always available to take over the item in question. Source: BBC press release, London, in English 2 Apr 04 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** U S A. BOARD SEEKS 570M-DOLLAR GLOBAL BROADCASTING BUDGET The US Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), which is responsible for all US non-military international broadcasting, has requested a total budget of 577m dollars for the 2005 financial year. The bid includes 45m dollars for the Middle East Television Network, which comprises the recently-launched satellite TV channel Al-Hurra as well as Arabic- language Radio Sawa. By spring 2004, the US expects to make Middle East TV available in Iraq through terrestrial transmitters. A terrestrial transmitter in Baghdad has just gone on the air, and transmitters in Basra and three other cities should be active in the near future, the BBG said. The following is the text of the testimony of Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, Chairman, Broadcasting Board of Governors, before the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, the Judiciary And Related Agencies - Committee on Appropriations on 1 April 2004, published on the US Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) web site on 1 April: Mr Chairman and members of the Committee, we greatly appreciate the opportunity to appear before you today to talk about the FY '05 budget request for the Broadcasting Board of Governors, and to highlight some of the BBG's accomplishments in the past few years. I am joined by fellow board member Norman Pattiz, the father of Radio Sawa, and an irrepressible force for international broadcasting. Middle East Television Network On 14 February of this year, with the enthusiastic support of President Bush and key leaders of the Administration and Congress, the BBG launched a new Arabic-language television network called Al-Hurra ("The Free One" in Arabic). Even before this station went on the air, it was heavily criticized in the Arab world as a propaganda arm of the US government. It has been called a "voice of the CIA" whose aim is to "brainwash Arabs" and described as part of "a long-term plan to dominate the minds and ideas of Iraqis and Arabs". But Al-Hurra is none of these things. Its mission is that of all US international broadcasting - to promote and sustain freedom and democracy by broadcasting accurate and objective news and information about the United States and the world. Through its adherence to Western journalistic standards, through its objective, accurate reporting, Al-Hurra can gain the credibility we need to build an audience and offer Middle Eastern audiences a new balanced view of world events. While criticism in the Arab press continues, we are connecting with the people - our target audience - and they are sending us hundreds of e-mails to welcome us and urge us forward. "You are much needed to balance biased news controlled by those full of hatred to Western world," reads one. "This is the first step to fight the 'hate culture' that feeds terrorism," says another. "I hope your channel [will help] our Arab brothers... [ellipsis as published] to tell the truth from all that is going on." In a little more than four months, the BBG established a state-of-the- art broadcast facility in northern Virginia to house Al-Hurra. Since October some 900,000 feet of cable have been installed in this facility. But what is truly extraordinary is the sea of Middle Eastern faces - newsmen and newswomen - enthusiastically working to make this network a successful model of journalistic standards. Many of these individuals are well known media figures in the Middle East and gave up promising careers overseas to practise journalism with MTN. President Bush spoke of "open debate" and "truth" when he described what this network can mean to the people of the Middle East. The network will challenge the voices of hate and repression with truth and the voices of tolerance and moderation. Viewers will witness free and open discussions, not just about conflict in the Middle East, but also about subjects critical to that region's future - economic development, human rights and respect for minorities. One of Al-Hurra's best talk shows involved an Iraqi editor-in-chief from Baghdad who revealed documents and receipts implicating Arab journalists and academics for taking money from Iraqi intelligence under Saddam. The list of names included a number of highly anti- American writers. To continue this broadcast effort to the Middle East in FY '05, we are requesting 45m dollars for the Middle East Television Network, including Radio Sawa. In addition, we expect to have 7.7m dollars available from reallocating funds provided through the Emergency Response Fund (ERF) in November 2001 to establish a mediumwave transmitter in Egypt. As the Chairman knows, we have been unable to secure an agreement for a mediumwave transmitter in Cairo with the government of Egypt and want to put those funds to productive use. Programme highlights Our competitive edge in the Middle East is our dedication to truth and free and open debate. We will provide an example of democracy and a free press in a media market dominated by sensationalism and distortion. That is also the basis for the success of the Voice of America's new Persian-language satellite television programme "News and Views" to the people of Iran. Less than three months after that programme was launched last summer, one independent survey showed "News and Views" was reaching a remarkable 12 per cent of the country's over-18 population. Typical of what creative broadcasting can do is the new segment launched by "News and Views" called "Your Voice". Iranian viewers were invited to submit e-mails on the controversy surrounding the 20 February parliamentary elections - from the banning of candidates to calls for an election boycott. We opened a dialogue that is allowing Iranians to share their views with other Iranians - and the response has been extraordinary. My predecessors likewise brought innovation to our radio broadcasts that proved to be vital to the success of our Afghan Radio Network which broadcasts in Dari and Pashto, our youth-oriented Radio Farda to Iran and Radio Sawa to the Arab world. When Norm Pattiz was in the process of creating Radio Sawa, he travelled throughout the Middle East to negotiate heretofore unattainable agreements for American AM and FM transmitters in Middle Eastern countries so that we could be heard on the radios of choice in the region. Radio Sawa has been a phenomenal success. A survey by ACNielsen research last fall demonstrated that Sawa has achieved market dominance - an average listenership of 42 per cent in the important age group between 15 and 29 - in key Middle Eastern countries. Sceptics conceded Arabs might listen to our music, but not our news. Yet this same ACNielsen survey found that, in a region where scepticism towards the US is high and boycotts of US products are common, Radio Sawa was found to be a reliable source of news and information by 73 per cent of its weekly listenership. In a matter of months, Sawa built the largest radio newsgathering operation in the Middle East presenting up-to-the minute news 24 hours a day and over 325 newscasts per week. It was the very reliability of our Sawa news that made us the leading source for news in Iraq even as we went to war there. News also accounts for the surprising audience that ACNielsen documented for Sawa among older listeners in target countries in the Middle East - better than 20 per cent among the general population over 30. Mr Chairman, I will submit for the record highlights of this survey. Under the leadership of Mouafac Harb, Sawa's outstanding news director who also assumes that post for Al-Hurra, the station also is the source of a host of shows that explore freedom and democracy. Typical of these: "The Free Zone", a 30-minute weekly review and discussion of democracy and freedom as they relate specifically to the Middle East; "Ask the World Now", where US policymakers respond to questions from Middle East listeners; "Challenges", a special programme on day-to-day challenges facing the Iraqi people in building a better future; and "Sawa Chat", where reporters go to the streets of the Middle East with a question of the day. The BBG, over a short period of time, has made great strides in offering news and information to the Arab world. However, we continue to face challenges in other parts of the Islamic world, as in Indonesia, as well as in some of US international broadcasting's more traditional markets, such as Ukraine. In Indonesia, the Voice of America has enhanced its radio and TV offerings to reach this large Islamic population. "Jurnal VOA", a 25- minute live, interactive news programme, appears on Indonesia's Metro TV. Another TV offering, "Doing Business", airs every Monday on TVRI. "VOA Direct Connection", a half-hour weekly radio programme, airs each Friday evening on more than 40 satellite affiliates around Indonesia. This month, we will launch a new one-hour interactive talk show, "Salam VOA", that will air on JTV in Surabaya. VOA has also signed an agreement to work with Metro TV on a four-part series entitled "International Perspectives on the Indonesian Elections". In addition, VOA will supply Trans TV with a weekly five-minute US election wrap- up, to air on its morning news programme. We anticipate doubling our radio broadcasts to five hours a day and increasing TV from one to five hours a week. RFE/RL lost Ukrainian affiliates Not all of our news is good news. I'm saddened to report that, after a five-year working relationship, RFE/RL's Ukrainian language broadcasts were removed from the commercial Dovira FM network on 17 February 2004 by the company's new owner. This network was RFE/RL's major affiliate in Ukraine, allowing it to reach 60 per cent of the population. Within two weeks after dropping RFE/RL programming, Dovira received four new FM licences for Ukrainian cities that it had sought for many years. On 3 March 2004, Ukraine authorities raided the offices of RFE/RL's affiliate partner in Kyiv, Radio Kontynent, confiscating the FM broadcaster's transmission equipment, sealing the office and detaining three people, including the station's chief engineer. This action effectively closed Radio Kontynent, an FM commercial station that was carrying two hours of RFE/RL broadcasts. Both the Board and RFE/RL have denounced these actions. In the meantime, the BBG has provided additional shortwave frequencies to RFE/RL so the Ukraine programming may be heard in the areas previously covered by Dovira. RFE/RL will continue to seek other affiliate partnerships in Ukraine. Youth programme for Pakistan, terrestrial Al-Hurra for Iraq The Board's latest initiative is a new youth-oriented Urdu broadcast to Pakistan where listeners would be served contemporary Pakistani and Western music along with news and current affairs features and subjects ranging from education to business to health. By spring, we also expect to have a 10-hour per day Iraqi stream for Middle East Television that will be available through terrestrial transmitters. Right now, Iraqis that have access to programming delivered via Arabsat and Nilesat can receive Al-Hurra's programming. In addition, a terrestrial transmitter in Baghdad has just gone on the air, and transmitters in Basra and three other cities should be online in the near future. Special broadcasts to Iraq on these transmitters will begin this month, that will include talk shows and roundtables from Baghdad as well as special newscasts focusing on Iraq. FY '05 budget request The BBG's total budget request for FY 2005 is 569.3m dollars, plus the 7.7m dollars in reallocated funds mentioned earlier, for a total of 577m dollars. While our request does not include any new initiatives, to fully fund our programmes in the War on Terrorism, we are redirecting 15.7m dollars to these highest priority areas. The Voice of America requests 157m dollars to tell America's story to the world in 44 languages. From news reports of political developments in the United States to discussion of social issues, VOA tells the rest of the world how America works, the reasons behind our policies, the thinking of our leaders, and the ideas of freedom, human rights and democracy that motivate us. VOA also broadcasts daily editorials clearly representing the views of the US government and provides discussion of these policies on other programmes. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty requests 73m dollars to continue its broadcasts, more than half of which are directed to countries or regions where the majority populations are Muslim. RFE/RL's mission is to promote democratic values and institutions by disseminating timely, accurate and objective news, information and analysis. RFE/RL focuses on local and regional developments in places where media are engaged in a difficult transition from totalitarian control and where threats to democracy remain. Radio Free Asia requests 29m dollars to provide objective in-country news and information to China, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, North Korea, Tibet and Vietnam. RFA provides accurate and timely information, news and commentary about events in these countries. RFA is also a forum for a variety of opinions and voices from within Asian nations whose people do not enjoy freedom of _expression. Radio and Television Marti request 28m dollars to broadcast to Cuba. Radio and Television Marti are dedicated to providing a reliable source of news and information that is accurate and objective as well as the promotion of freedom and democracy in Cuba. Radio and Television Marti 's primary areas of coverage include the Cuban economy, human rights, US-Cuban relations and international stories such as elections around the world. Programming is focused on advancing the cause of civil society, a free press and democratic institutions in Cuba. In all of these broadcast initiatives, we strive to give our audiences the same tool we have always provided through international broadcasting: the information they need to assess their own leadership and to compare their political, economic and social systems to those that exist elsewhere in the world. Inter-agency coordination In creating a broadcast environment that also reflects the foreign policy priorities of the United States, we look to the Department of State for guidance, expertise and participation in our programmes. I have served four administrations in Washington - all of them connected with international broadcasting. Never have I seen a better working relationship between the White House, the State Department and international broadcasting. The White House Office of Global Communications has been extraordinarily supportive in helping us assess priorities and expand what we are doing as in Middle East Television. This office also has been a major enabler in helping the BBG to gain access to policymakers for interviews on major world events. The Department of State, through the membership of the Secretary of State on our Board, provides us with foreign policy guidance and a sense of priorities on where we should broadcast. Secretary Powell has provided unprecedented support for VOA's newsgathering capability, ensuring the freedom of correspondents to travel to volatile areas where important stories are breaking, without having to wait for country clearance from posts abroad. Under-Secretary Margaret Tutwiler, who represents the Secretary at Board meetings, has been deeply interested in broadcasting's strategic goals and priorities and is a full participant in Board decisionmaking. Our diplomats overseas also have helped us gain valuable transmission resources in countries to which we broadcast. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided important financial support for broadcasts - support that was critical in our recent ability to expand our programming to Zimbabwe. But all of these government officials are sensitive to the primary reason why the Board was created - to serve as a firewall between the Department of State and the broadcasters in order to ensure the journalistic integrity of the programmes. In passing the US International Broadcasting Act, the Congress prevented "the international broadcasting entities from being merged into the State Department, where the credibility and journalistic integrity of the broadcasters would be threatened. The rationale for creating this arms-length distance from the State Department is two- fold: (1) to provide `deniability' for the Department when foreign governments voice their complaints about specific broadcasts; and (2) to provide a `firewall' between the Department and the broadcasters to ensure the integrity of journalism." This is an objective that serves the interests of the American people by demonstrating the openness, transparency and regard for the truth that characterize our political system. We continue to see the wisdom of this organizational approach as we develop programming for increasingly sophisticated listeners abroad. Many of these audiences are accustomed to state-controlled programming. One of Sawa's professional staff explains: "Our competition is largely state-controlled radios. They sound like state- controlled radios. If our programming has to conform to government- dictated policy guidance, we will sound like a state-controlled station, and we will lose our competitive advantage." We need to understand the importance of maintaining the strength of public diplomacy and the traditions of international broadcasting. I am convinced that we will not be successful in our overall mission of delivering our message to the world if we fail to grasp that these are two different spheres and that they operate according to two different sets of rules. It is very important that government spokesmen take America's message to the world - passionately and relentlessly. We should not be ashamed of public advocacy on behalf of freedom and democracy and the United States of America. International broadcasting, on a parallel and complementary track, is called upon to reflect the highest standards of independent journalism as the best means of demonstrating to international audiences that truth is on the side of democratic values. Thirty years ago, RFE/RL and VOA began broadcasting the Watergate hearings. Those broadcasts caused heartburn for many in Washington, but looking back we see they constituted a veritable civics lesson on the importance of separation of powers and rule of law. Over the years I have heard so many citizens of post-communist countries tell how those broadcasts helped them understand the real meaning of freedom and democracy. Al-Hurra is fortunate to make its debut in a presidential election year. It will cover the US race from one end to the other, showing day by day how our election process works and how inelegant, yet splendid, it can be. We in America are fortunate that telling the truth works to our long- term advantage. That is why international broadcasting is so important to this country. Mr Chairman, this concludes my formal statement. Norm and I will be happy to answer any questions that your Subcommittee might have. Source: Broadcasting Board of Governors web site, Washington, in English 1 Apr 04 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** U S A. LIBERAL TALK RADIO: IS IT NOW TIME TO TURN ON, TUNE IN AND DROP OFF? http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&xml=/news/2004/04/01/nmed01.xml America hails an alternative to Right-wing rants, but will it be too dull, asks Alec Russell (Filed: 01/04/2004) 'From an underground bunker thirty-five hundred feet below Dick Cheney's bunker, Air America Radio is on air . . . Today is both an ending and a beginning." With that thunderous poke at America's secretive Vice President - the ultimate hate-figure for many on the Left - the country's premier liberal satirist, Al Franken, yesterday launched a revolution in radio. Or, at least, that is what he and millions of liberals across America fervently, and ever so slightly desperately, hope. Hailed as the liberal riposte to America's rampagingly successful conservative talk-radio shows, Franken's Air America Radio's launch at a party in Manhattan was attended by celebrities including REM's lead singer Michael Stipe, the actor Tim Robbins, and Yoko Ono, and was greeted with rapture in the American press. But can it work? Can wishy-washy liberals really "go for the jugular" and vent the red-blooded blasts that are the staple of conservative talk radio? Or will the project peter out as just too mealy-mouthed and dull to keep the listeners tuned in? For years, conservative shows - particularly those presented by Rush Limbaugh - have dominated America's radio ratings. To Democrats, Limbaugh is the Devil incarnate, with his attacks on "feminazis" and "tree-hugging wackos". But for grassroots Republicans he is a hero - one of the few who is prepared to challenge the East/West coast world- view that dominates the main papers and news networks. His 35 "undeniable truths" may seem a little direct for British sensibilities. They include: "The most beautiful thing about a tree is what you do with it when you cut it down" and "Feminism was established to allow unattractive women easier access to the mainstream of society." But in the US, Limbaugh's formula is hugely successful. His daily show, broadcast on 600 stations across America, has an audience of 14.5 million. By contrast, Air America has bought air-time on just six channels - three in California, and the rest in New York, Chicago and Portland, Oregon. The station will be on air from Monday to Friday between 6.00 am and 11.00 pm. Between midday and 3.00pm, the highlight is The O'Franken Factor - a sarcastic reference to The O'Reilly Factor, a hugely successful Right-wing television show fronted by Bill O'Reilly, who is an old adversary of Franken. Among the weekend presenters will be Robert F Kennedy Jr, an environmentalist who is also the nephew of JFK, and the rapper, Chuck D. Guests due to appear include Michael Moore, the best-selling author and comedian, and Richard Clarke, the former counter-terrorism adviser to the Bush administration. For all the self-importance of the country's metropolitan newspapers, talk radio is a far more influential medium in the heartland. The recipe is simple - attack, mock, attack and never, never admit you are wrong. Franken, who claims to be undaunted by the stiff competition he faces from the Right, insists that he will fight fire with fire. "This show is about relentlessly hammering away at the Bush administration until they crack. Because - don't get me wrong, friends - they are going down," he declared yesterday. As the author of the hugely successful Lies and the Lying Liars who Tell Them - a satirical look at Right-wing politicians and media - he would appear to have the right credentials. But trial runs suggest that Franken may be more biting in print than on air. In a dummy show last week, he was asked about Mr Bush's recent joke at a White House correspondents' dinner about the failure to find weapons of mass destruction. Rather than erupt - as Limbaugh would surely have done if President Clinton had been in his sights - Franken ummed and ahhed. "Some people were upset. And I kind of don't blame them," he said. "I defend the right for comedians to do dark humour. I am not sure that the President . . ." "So, he's either not presidential enough or he's not enough of a comedian?" interrupted his co-host. "No, he's very good. He delivered the stuff very well," Mr Franken said. Hum. This was hardly the stuff of combative radio. And conservatives are already in full cry. Jay Severin, a conservative Boston talk-show host, says that Franken does not have a prayer, and suggests that liberals are "rightfully apprehensive" that his venture will flop "because of a dreadfully glum message and deadly-dull messengers." The precedents are not encouraging. The former governor of New York, Mario Cuomo, tried to launch a liberal radio station in the 1990s, and ignominiously failed. Alan Berg, a radio provocateur, who specialised in riling the far-Right, was shot dead in his Denver drive by white supremacists in 1984. But, with America more polarised than ever over Mr Bush's record, Air America's supporters suggest that this time it will be different. It is a sign of the prevailing bullishness of liberals that there were reports yesterday that Al Gore - Mr Bush's defeated rival in 2000 - was about to conclude a deal to buy the digital channel, Newsworld International. Dan Rodericks, a columnist on the Baltimore Sun who was the "last liberal talk-radio host in Baltimore", believes that yesterday was "a red-letter day for liberals". He insists that you don't have to be conservative to succeed in the medium. He said: "Liberals drive cars and turn on their radios. Liberals tune in their radios when they turn on their mowers in the garage. There is a void for liberals. Their voice is not being heard." But he concedes that there may be an implicit paradox in liberal talk radio. "The problem with liberals is that they consider things too much. They are not as strident as conservatives. I think it was Robert Frost who said: 'A liberal is so open-minded he won't take his own side in an argument.' You run the risk of sounding like National Public Radio, [a publicly funded and fantastically worthy radio outlet] or the BBC - not enough red meat." Michael Harrison, the publisher of Talkers, the main trade magazine for American radio, cautions that Franken should beware the hype and think small. "In a month, everyone will look at the ratings and say: 'Oops, they lost'. But it took Rush Limbaugh years to be Rush Limbaugh. "It may sound like a big deal, the launch of liberal radio. But there are only a few stations, and most people in America won't even be able to hear it." (via Mike Terry, DXLD) ** U S A. ALL COMEDY RADIO BUYS SECOND STATION Is comedy the remedy for radio's indecency headaches? Michael O'Shea thinks so, and he showed up at this week's NAB summit on indecency to promote his view of things. O'Shea is CEO and co-founder of All Comedy Radio, a network based in Hollywood. He brought with him a press release announcing that his network has purchased KCKN, an AM station in Kansas City, from Carter Broadcast Group of Missouri and will use the station to air its 24/7 comedy format. It named Elliott Threatt as GM, a local entrepreneur who is also part of the new station ownership. ACR will run the station under an LMA pending FCC approval. O'Shea said All Comedy Radio owns a station in Phoenix and will seek others for purchase. It has some 60 affiliates that use its programming, delivered via satellite and available under barter. Info: http://www.allcomedyradio.com (RadioWorld NewsByte April 1 via DXLD) ** U S A. I, Publius --- Shame on NPR By Alan Chartock, Special to the Eagle http://www.berkshireeagle.com/Stories/0,1413,101%257E9686%257E2060097,00.html A terrible thing has befallen all of us who listen to Bob Edwards on NPR's Morning Edition every day. The arrogant meatheads at NPR have demoted the man who is as reassuring in the morning as that first cup of hot something. This is the guy who has been with the program since day one, almost 25 years. Beyond comforting us by his very presence and style, he has proven himself a masterful interviewer, unmatched anywhere on the radio dial. How will we survive getting out of bed without Bob? Why was this necessary? It isn't as if Edwards hasn't won almost every award in contemporary journalism. It isn't as if he plays favorites (he doesn't). It isn't as if Morning Edition hasn't grown by leaps and bounds under Edwards' leadership. It must be something else. In a rather pathetic series of hints, leaks, informal statements and letters to the thousands of disgruntled and astounded listeners, NPR seems to be making the case that they are looking for a younger demographic and that it is time for a change. They suggest that Edwards will still be present as a "senior correspondent." Edwards has said that he doesn't want the change. Think about Bob Edwards, 56 years old, being replaced because of age. What about all of us who are older than he is? What about all those who grow older every second? In fact, the president of NPR, Kevin Klose, is so old that he looks like Father Christmas. I am 62 years old and I can tell you that I am really ticked off. If NPR, with all its endless rhetoric about racism, sexism and ageism, is now a practitioner of the very same evils they have been decrying, all I can say is "shame." Anyone who is around my age or older ought to take this insult very seriously. If you are younger, do you want to look forward to a time when you are shoved aside because some callous jackass decides that younger people buy more? This is absurd. There are excellent Supreme Court judges who are closer to 100 than to 60. I have been out front in demanding that these faceless bureaucrats return Edwards to his rightful perch, but the know-nothings are toughing it out. They think they can afford to. Listeners to the NPR network will take it out on member stations like WAMC that are as dismayed and as unhappy as they are. The way it works is that WAMC pays dues to NPR and a lot of dues at that. That amount isn't going to change. They get their $600K from us no matter who gives or doesn't give to WAMC. So they are sitting pretty. I haven't been quiet about this. I have discussed, both on the radio and in my blog, the outrageous chutzpah that NPR has shown in making this unilateral decision to fire a first-rate talent. I have received a good deal of mail from people asking me why so few station managers have dared to get in NPR's face over this. I can't speak for them but as a group, these folks have never been known for courage. Some may believe that NPR will act against them in some nefarious way if they don't toe the line. Some may want to get to the big league, NPR, themselves. Some may not want to set a precedent so that when they fire someone they don't have pressure from those opposed to their moves. Hey, that's why we have these positions, to show some guts. I remember firing a popular guy who, despite many warnings, refused to play by the rules. But Bob Edwards hasn't done anything but behaved in the most professional manner. The New York Times checked in, publishing a piece of tripe suggesting that many of the NPR station managers were behind the anti-Edwards putsch. Somehow, the mighty Times, in its quest for fair and balanced journalism, couldn't seem to find me although many of the top people at the Gray Lady are listeners in our area and are very aware of my views on this matter. There is a Web site, www.Savebobedwards.com, that has a petition with a down side. While the intent of the site is admirable, it asks those who sign not to give any money to an NPR member station until Bob is saved. Talk about no good turn going unpunished. I've heard from several people who want to sign the petition but who won't because they wonder why we should be punished for going to bat for Bob Edwards. I recently heard from Bob himself. He is basking in all the love that has been shown toward him by so many people. If you want to do something, get on the computer and the phone. You may want to write to Kevin Klose, the NPR president, at Kklose @ npr.org or the ombudsman, Jeff Dvorkin, at Jdvorkin @ npr.org The guy who actually pulled the switch is the news director, Jay Kernis. He can be reached at Jkernis @ npr.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Alan Chartock, a Great Barrington resident, is chairman and executive director of WAMC Northeast Public Radio and a professor of communications at SUNY-Albany. His web site is http://www.alanchartock.com (via Pete Costello, DXLD) ** U S A. ENFORCEMENT: NO ``DELIVER IT`` ON 2 METERS Using an illegal long range cordless telephone to deliver culinary delights is going to cost a New Jersey Chinese restaurant a good part of its profits. This, after the FCC levies a $10,000 [fine] against the eatery for operating transmitting equipment on 2 meters without a license. The FCC`s Daryl Duckworth, NN0W, has more: Duckworth: ``A Notice of Apparent Liability to Monetary Forfeiture in the amount of $10000 went to Best Wok of Westville, New Jersey. An agent of the Philadelphia office had DF`d the signal on 145.8376 MHz and inspected the base and mobile units. The restaurant manager stated that he had purchased the long range cordless telephone system in another country and brought it to the United States to operate at the restaurant.`` The FCC citation issued to Best Wok indicated that the telephone in question is not FCC Part 15 certified and is illegal to use in the United States. (FCC, RAIN via ARNewsline April 2 via John Norfolk, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 4916, R. Familiar Cristiana: yo personalmente no creo que sea una emisora nueva de onda corta sino más bien una espúrea de un transmisor de onda media. Hasta hace unos 10 años pululaban las señales espúreas de las emisoras comunitarias colombianas por las bandas de 60 y 90 metros. Luego fueron proscritas. No tengo idea de dónde, es decir de qué frecuencia pueda originar esta emisora, pero bien pudiera tratarse del tercer armónico de alguna que estuviera en aprox. 1640 kHz. En todo caso, los parásitos de los transmisores defectuosos suelen presentar ese sonido similar a FM (Henrik Klemetz, Conexión Digital via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 6068.35. I believe a Russian station weak, hrd at 1100 6/3 with an 8-note IS that I have hrd often but cannot identify. Odd to find Russia off frequency, and this was an unstable one -- every few minutes it would suddenly drop down to 6068.12, then quickly return to 6068.35 (Jerry Berg, MA, April ADXN via DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ THE FINEST RADIO-PARODY SITE I'VE SEEN, SO FAR: http://www.wvwa.com Take care (GREG HARDISON, CA, April 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Be sure to listen to the two clips (gh) A04 DX AND MEDIA PROGRAM LIST OF WWDXC - VERSION 02. "List of SWL/Media Programmes in English, German and Spanish" for the A04 period (28/03/2004 - 31/10/2004) in PDF format (Adobe Reader), compiled by wb. Link via http://www.wwdxc.de/swl.pdf (wb, March 30, BC-DX via DXLD) POWERLINE COMMUNICATIONS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ THE BPL FIGHT: CLARIFYING FEMA`S CLARIFICATION ON BPL The debate surrounding Broadband Over Powerline Internet access has taken a new twist. Opponents are now raising fears about the contents of a letter recently released in the FCC`s BPL public comment files. It was sent by the Federal Emergency Management Agency`s top administrator to FCC Chairman, Michael Powell. Opponents say the letter clearly shows FEMA is now reversing course on its vehement opposition to nationwide BPL deployment. Amateur Radio Newsline`s Mark Abramowicz NT3V has the very latest: The letter was written by Michael Brown, Undersecretary of Emergency Preparedness and Response in the Department of Homeland Security. That`s where the Federal Emergency Management Agency was placed in President Bush`s restructuring of agencies related to the security of the United States. Brown`s letter to Powell actually was briefly mentioned in February articles on the FCC`s BPL action that were written for two nationally- circulated computer magazines. But it apparently got little notice and its contents were not fully detailed. Now that the letter is part of the FCC BPL file, its contents are in the public arena. Brown tells Powell in the letter dated January 8 that FEMA wants to clarify its December filing so it is ``not misunderstood or misconstrued.`` Brown goes on to say FEMA is aware that some of what he labels ``distinct approaches`` to BPL may cause interference to FEMA`s HF emergency communications network. But then, and this is the section that has BPL opponents worried, Brown writes: ``However, we continue to study the BPL proceeding and have not concluded there is a material interference problem or that all of the distinct technological approaches to BPL pose risk of interference.`` Compare that to the language in FEMA`s December 2003 filing on BPL with the commission prepared by Barry West, FEMA`s chief information officer. West writes: ``FEMA has grave concerns regarding the interference that likely would be caused to government communications by unlicensed BPL systems.`` Or this comment: ``This interference will severely impair FEMA`s mission-essential HF radio operations in areas serviced by BPL technology.`` In an interview with a Philadelphia radio station, a FEMA spokesman insisted there is no material change in the agency`s position. The spokesman says Brown`s letter was sent to Chairman Powell to clarify that FEMA is still studying the issue and recognizes and supports the FCC`s desire for a greater broadband capability for the nation. The spokesman says Brown wants to see more studies on the interference issue and is working with other federal agencies. However, the FEMA spokesman emphasized that any deployment of BPL should not pose an interference threat to the agency`s HF emergency communications network. Those close to the BPL debate say Brown`s letter, has only muddied the agency`s position and sections could be embraced by both sides. We`ll let you decide. Come to our website: http://www.arnewsline.org and click on this week`s script and select the Text script and scroll to this report to find the internet URLs leading directly to Brown`s letter and FEMA`s original December filing. (Letter from Michael Brown, Undersecretary of Emergency Preparedness and Response, FEMA. January 8, 2004) http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/retrieve.cgi?native_or_pdf=pdf&id_document=6516083909 (FEMA`s December 2003 filing) http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/retrieve.cgi?native_or_pdf=pdf&id_document=6515292045 For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I`m Mark Abramowicz, NT3V, in Philadelphia. In a communication posted to members of its Public Relations Reflector, the American Radio Relay League suggests avoiding references to the FEMA position for now in any BPL discussions or comments (ARNewsline April 2 via John Norfolk, DXLD) THE BPL FIGHT: BIG NOISE IN MANASSAS BPL has come to Manassas, Virginia and the hams there say that it`s not fun to listen to: BPL audio That`s the racket being created by the latest of three Broadband Over Powerline or BPL installations opened in Manassas. This, as provided in a sound file on the http://www.W4OVH.org website, courtesy of George Tarnovsky, KE2AM. The interference level appears to be such that it would be all but impossible to hear a radio signal through it. The kicker here is that this is reported to be an underground electrical feed that utilities claim are far less noisy than overhead wiring. However, having the wires underground does not seem to reduce the interference. At least not in this case. And if you want to know more about the BPL hazard to America`s communications, go get a copy of the of CQ. Joe Lynch, N6CL has an excellent analysis article in his ``VHF Plus`` column in the just out April issue of that magazine (VHF Reflector, PR Reflector, W2VU via ARNewsline April 2 via John Norfolk, DXLD) THE BPL FIGHT: SOUTHERN OREGON GOES GLASS Meantime, to the West in Oregon there`s some good news on the BPL front. It comes from southern Oregon where the obnoxious radio pollution of BPL has lost out to quiet fiber optic delivery. According to Doug Beck, K6ZX, in the town of Merlin, a private company, forming public and private partnerships with local government has wired the city of Ashland with what`s called the Ashland Fiber Network. It has also extended fiber to the city of Medford with some 74 miles of glass cable connecting all schools to provide VOIP audio and video conferencing. But that`s not all. The partnership is also in the process of connecting to Grants Pass and will wire all the local schools and government offices as well. The best part is that all excess bandwidth is being made available to local citizens and wireless last mile technology is being explored to connect rural users. Beck says over the VHF Reflector that the area is aiming to have a broadband connection available to all rural users without any Broadband over Powerlines in the area (VHF Reflector via ARNewsline April 2 via John Norfolk, DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ THE K7RA SOLAR UPDATE SEATTLE, WA, Apr 2, 2004 --- The third week of spring begins this weekend. HF conditions have been good with moderate geomagnetic conditions prevailing. Average daily sunspot numbers for the past week, March 25-31, were up more than 31 points to 123.9 compared to the previous week. Average daily solar flux rose 11 points. On March 29, the sun showed several spots pointed earthward, including one large spot, 582. The sunspot number that day was 169, the highest since November 30, when it was 178. Geomagnetic conditions weren`t bad on March 29, with the planetary A index at 12 and mid-latitude A index at 9. Any doubts that the overall decline of this solar cycle is well underway are dashed when examining some recent short-term averages. The first quarter of 2004 just ended, and average solar flux and sunspot numbers for the period are down. From the third quarter of 2002 through the first quarter of 2004, the average daily sunspot numbers were 193.5, 152.7, 120.3, 107.3, 110.2, 99.2 and 72.9. Average daily solar flux values for the same seven quarters were 178.1, 164.2, 134.3, 124.2, 120.8, 137.4 and 111.1. Scott Craig has a minor bug fix for his Solar Data Plotting Utility. He fixed the leap year problem, and the program contains a data file updated through March 3. Download version 3.13 from his Solar Data Plotting Utility Web site. http://www.craigcentral.com/sol.asp Over the next five days solar flux values should stay between 110-115. Planetary A index for April 2-6 is predicted to be 8, 8, 20, 20 and 35. The predicted rise in geomagnetic activity is because of a possible solar wind for Sunday, April 4. Today, April 2, there is a slight chance of Earth`s magnetic field being hit by a coronal mass ejection (CME). This weekend is the Montana QSO Party. Here are some times when 10, 15, 20 and 40 meters may be open to Montana from various locations. The Montana end of the path in these calculations is in the western part of the state, roughly centered on Helena. From Japan, 40 meters 0900-1400 UTC, 20 meters 0600-0800 and 1400-1700 UTC, 15 meters 2030-0430 UTC and 10 meters possibly around 2100-0400 UTC. From Australia, 40 meters 0900-1430 UTC, 20 meters 0800-1500 UTC, 15 meters 1530-1730 and 0500-0730 UTC and 10 meters 2130-0300 UTC. From New Zealand, 40 meters 0600-1400 UTC, 20 meters 0430-1530 UTC, 15 meters 0300-0700 UTC and 10 meters 2000-0230 UTC. From Hawaii, 40 meters 0330-1500 UTC, 20 meters open 24 hours, with weakest signals 1000-1300 and 1900-2330 UTC and strongest signals 0500-0800 and 1500-1830 UTC. Check 15 meters 1630-0530 UTC and 10 meters 2000-2300 UTC. From Dallas, Texas, 40 meters open 24 hours with best signals 0200- 1200 UTC and weakest signals 1700-2100 UTC. 20 meters should open 1230-0600 UTC, with signals stronger later in the period. 15 meters should open 1530-0130 UTC, with best bet around 1800-2230 UTC. Ten meters might possibly open 1700-2200 UTC. From Atlanta, Georgia, 40 meters 2230-1430 UTC, with strongest signals 0200-1130 UTC. Check 20 meters 1130-0630 UTC, with signals stronger later in the period. 15 meters 1400-0400 UTC, 10 meters 1700-2230 UTC, with best chance around 2000-2100 UTC. From Montreal, Quebec, 40 meters 2300-1330 UTC, strongest 0200-1030 UTC. 20 meters 1200-0600 UTC, stronger later in the period. 15 meters 1530-0200 UTC, best bet around 1830-0000 UTC. Ten meters might possibly open 1500-0100 UTC. From Germany, 40 meters 0100-0630 UTC, strongest 0200-0530 UTC. Check 20 meters 2100-0000 UTC and 1830-2100 UTC. 15 meters 1830-2100 UTC, possible 10 meter opening 1700-2100 UTC. From Brazil, 40 meters 0130-1000 UTC, 20 meters 2330-0800 UTC and again around 1130 UTC, 15 meters 1300-0430 UTC, weakest 1500-2000 UTC. 10 meters looks good 1630-2300 UTC. From Cuba, 40 meters 0100-1200 UTC, 20 meters 1300-0530 UTC (weakest 1600-2030 UTC), 15 meters 1700-0000 UTC and possible 10 meter opening 1800-2030 UTC. Sunspot numbers for March 25 through 31 were 128, 100, 129, 125, 169, 121 and 95 with a mean of 123.9. The 10.7 cm flux was 127, 123.8, 127.6, 129, 128.6, 126.7 and 121.2, with a mean of 126.3. Estimated planetary A indices were 8, 11, 14, 17, 12, 12 and 7, with a mean of 11.6. Copyright © 2004, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved (via John Norfolk, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###