DX LISTENING DIGEST 4-079, May 11, 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 CONTINENT OF MEDIA 04-03 [low version only], available from May 5: (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/com0403.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/com0403.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/com0403.html NEXT AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1229: Wed 0930 on WWCR 9475 Mon 0330 on WSUI 910, http://wsui.uiowa.edu 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 1229 (high version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1229h.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1229h.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1229.html WORLD OF RADIO 1229 (low version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1229.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1229.rm WORLD OF RADIO 1229 IN MP3, WITH THAT TRUE SHORTWAVE SOUND OF 5070: (stream) http://www.piratearchive.com/media/worldofradio_05-08-04.m3u (d`load) http://www.piratearchive.com/media/worldofradio_05-08-04.mp3 FIRST AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1230: Wed 2200 on WBCQ 7415, 17495-CUSB Thu 2030 on WWCR 15825 ON DEMAND: change 1229 above to 1230 from early UT Thursday MUNDO RADIAL, MAYO-JUNIO: (corriente) http://www.w4uvh.net/mr0405.ram (bajable) http://www.w4uvh.net/mr0405.rm (texto) http://www.worldofradio.com/mr0405.html En WWCR 15825, a partir del 14 de mayo: viernes 2115, martes 2130, miércoles 2100 ** AUSTRALIA. Observed Radio Australia with English Service on 15515 in parallel with 21740 at 2240 UT. 15515 either faded or went off (I think the latter) at 2300. Have not noted 15515 on this early --- usually signs on at 0200 (John Figliozzi, Halfmoon, NY, Drake R8A, A/D DX Sloper, May 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I noticed this too (gh) ** BOLIVIA. ¿Reactivadas? 5986v, Radio Integración, El Alto, Depto. La Paz, español, programa informativo local ``Municipio Alteño al día``, advs, (mala modulación) 1125 11/Mayo. 4788, Radio Ballivián, San Borja, Depto. Beni, español, ``...a través de Ballivián...`` 1110 11/Mayo. 73, (Rogildo F. Aragão, Quillacollo, Bolivia, Lowe HF225E / Sony 2001D Ant. LW 25m, hard-core-dx via Björn Malm, Conexión Digital via DXLD) Hola Rogildo! Una buena mañana para Bolivia; yo estuve escuchando durante una hora la frecuencia de 4763.16 kHz, probablemente la nueva emisora boliviana Radio Television Chicha, Tocla, Nor-Chichas. Nunca he tenido nada en esa frecuencia antes. Tus(y mi) loggings talvez dependan de buenas condiciónes. 73s (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, ibid.) ** BOUGAINVILLE. PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Very tentative/only a possibility: 3805 kHz, 1018 May 9. Possible clandestine R. Independent Makumui in Bougainville, PNG? Barely discernible transmission at tune-in, then lost any voice but carrier still there. Tried this frequency on a lark given conditions from PNG; looking for any other reports on this station. Will check again, as it was clear this frequency was "on" at this time, and no other regular broadcasters in this freq area (Jeffrey S. Heller, IL, May 9, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) Jeffrey, Do you mean 3850 kHz? 3850 is the frequency that I've heard Makumui on in the past. 73, (Guy Atkins, Puyallup, WA, ibid.) Jeffrey, was that a typo? RIM broadcasts on 3850 not 3805. I would say that it's a possible for the former, and something else if you indeed heard something on the latter frequency (Walt Salmaniw, BC, ibid.) Guy, yes, I meant 3850 and not 3805. Sorry for the confusion. Nil this morning (Heller, May 11, ibid.) There is a net of NZ hams using old AM gear on 3850. They call themselves SPAMmers... Society for the Preservation of AM. Music would rule this out as the possible source... Cheers, (Paul Ormandy, NZ, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. BRASIL - Desde a cidade do mesmo nome, o companheiro Roberto Rufino traz novas informações sobre a Rádio Ribeirão Preto, também conhecida como Rádio 79. A emissora já está integrada ao Sistema Globo de Rádio. É mais uma emissora que está em rede, o que faz com que Ribeirão Preto (SP) fique mais pobre em termos de programação local. ``Vamos esperar que a freqüência de 3205 kHz, em 90 metros, seja reativada``, escreve o Roberto. BRASIL -- Está mais fácil acessar o áudio da Rádio Guaíba, de Porto Alegre (RS), na WEB. Conforme o apresentador Rui Strelow, o áudio da emissora, agora, é sem limite de conexões. Basta acessar http://www.radioguaiba.com.br e clicar em ``ao vivo``. BRASIL -- As emissoras brasileiras podem ser obrigadas a informar os ouvintes sobre as músicas executadas em sua programação. É o que pretende o deputado Ivan Valente (PT-SP). O projeto de lei tramita na Comissão de Ciência e Tecnologia, Comunicação e Informática, da Câmara dos Deputados. As informações são da Agência Câmara http://www.camara.gov.br e foram publicadas no sítio Rádio Agência http://www.radioagencia.com.br BRASIL -- Mais uma colaboração de Paulo Roberto e Souza, desde Tefé (AM): ``Apesar de não figurar com destaque no cenário nacional, o futebol amazonense existe. Com oito clubes de Manaus e outros dois do interior, o campeonato é disputado todo ano, além do Estado ter um representante na série B do campeonato brasileiro, o São Raimundo, e dois na série C: Nacional e Rio Negro. E como não podia deixar de ser, o rádio acompanha e tem ajudado e muito para que os clubes amazonenses não tenham ainda fechado as suas portas. As Rádios Rio Mar (1290, 6160 e 9695 kHz) e Difusora (1180 e 4805 kHz) têm suas equipes esportivas que dão ampla cobertura aos jogos e até fazem cadeia com outras emissoras nos dias de jornadas esportivas. A Educação Rural, de Tefé (AM), com a Rio Mar, e a Rádio Cultura, com a Difusora``. Acrescentamos que, tanto a Cultura como a Difusora, podem ser captadas, irradiando o mesmo jogo, em 60 metros: a Cultura, em 4845 kHz, e a Difusora, em 4805 kHz. BRASIL --- Ao que tudo indica, a Rádio Canção Nova, de Cachoeira Paulista (SP), enfrenta problemas técnicos, nos últimos dias, na freqüência de 4825 kHz. No lugar da programação tem um apito muito forte! BRASIL - A estação de ondas tropicais de 3375 kHz, da Rádio Municipal, de São Gabriel da Cachoeira (AM), permanece fora do ar. O problema de queima de uma válvula do transmissor, ocorrido em 18 de dezembro passado, até hoje não foi solucionado, apesar da peça já ser sido comprada e instalada. ``Não funcionou``, segundo o pessoal da emissora, em resposta, por telefone, ao Paulo Roberto e Souza, de Tefé (AM). Há uma previsão de que na semana que vem tudo esteja resolvido. Enquanto isto, a Educadora de Guajará-Mirim (RO), segue soberana na freqüência, conforme constata o Paulo (all: Célio Romais, Panorama, @tividade DX May 11 via DXLD) ** CROATIA. Future plans of Croatian Radio, from the last paragraph of the item in Spanish in 4-077: Gorzic: the future is promising; we intend to improve the quality of the broadcast, very soon beginning to transmit with digitalized technology. If our listeners have access to digital receivers, they will be able to listen to our broadcasts in excellent quality. Secondly, we want to increase the duration of our broadcasts in certain languages. We also plan to add French and German. And we want to enrich our program with lots of good Croatian music (via Emilio Pedro Povrzenic, Villa Diego, provincia de Santa Fe, República Argentina, May 8, summary translation by Glenn Hauser for DX LISTENING DIGEST) CROÁCIA VIA ALEMANHA --- Desde Villa Diego, na província de Santa Fé, Argentina, Emilio Pedro Povrzenic informa que ouviu, em 28 de abril, entrevista dada pelo diretor da Voz da Croácia, Se. Gorzic, ao apresentador da programação em espanhol, Milton Arandia. Dentre temas, como o futuro digital das ondas curtas, o diretor informou que, futuramente, a emissora pretende abrir redações nas línguas francesa e alemã. E é claro, o tempo de duração de algumas programações seria aumentado. As informações são do DX Listening Digest, de Glenn Hauser (Célio Romaia, Panorama, @tividade DX May 11 via DXLD) ** CUBA. CUBA HITS OUT AT U.S. PLANS TO BROADCAST FROM AIRCRAFT Agencia Cubana de Noticias (ACN), the official Cuban news agency, has hit out strongly at plans by the Bush administration to use C-130 Commando Solo aircraft to circumvent jamming of what ACN calls the "badly named" Radio and TV Martí. ACN says that this would contravene international law, which gives each sovereign state the right to use its national radioelectric air space free from foreign interference. ACN says the C-130 aircraft are used for "the propagation of lies and rumors of all type to cause confusion and fear." It claims that they are "enabled technically to interfere with national communications, carry out espionage work, and to become a command post to direct air and sea attacks." # posted by Andy @ 12:33 UT May 11 (Media Network blog via DXLD) Gee, what paranoids. Whatever became of Prensa Latina (PreLa)? (gh, DXLD) ** DENMARK. On 11 May since 1535 I've been listening again to WMR from Denmark on 15810 with good signal. Some deep fades but improving all the time. Test power 500 W (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, World Music Radio heard testing today May 11 at 1615 UT on 15810 kHz with decent signal, S9 +10dB. No problem with audio. You can contact them. wmr @ wmr.dk 73´s (Jouko Huuskonen, Turku, FINLAND, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WMR Newsletter - May 11th 2004 After more than a year with preparations, and numerous delays and set- backs, World Music Radio (WMR) is finally about to return to the airwaves. Test transmissions on 15810 kHz were carried out from Sunday May 9th till Monday morning - and are again on the air right now. Within a few days - perhaps tomorrow - we will try testing on 5815 kHz - and then 15810 kHz will probably be switched off for a few days. The power on 15810 kHz is 0.5 kW - and on 5815 kHz it'll be 10 kW. The test-programme consists of test tones and non-stop music and will be irregular for the next couple of weeks before the "official" re- launch in a few weeks time. Programmes are - as of today - coming live from the new WMR studio near Randers in Denmark and transmissions are originating from a transmitter site near Karup in the western part of Denmark. We are hoping soon to commence broadcasting on a FM channel in Denmark and via the Internet as well. While WMR has been off the air since late 1997, the history of WMR dates back to 1967, when the station first went on the air. In the period from the mid 70'ies till now WMR has been renting airtime via foreign transmitters - but now for the first time since 1973 WMR is back through its own transmitters. Best regards, Stig Hartvig Nielsen, WMR - World Music Radio PO Box 112, DK-8900 Randers, Denmark E-mail: wmr @ wmr.dk Website: http://www.wmr.dk (via DXLD) As someone who was involved with WMR in the years I lived in Denmark, when we broadcast from transmitters in Andorra and Ireland, I wish Stig, Poul and all the others involved in the re-launch a lot of success - I hope it's as much fun as it was back in the early 80's! # posted by Andy Sennitt @ 17:20 UTC May 11 (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** ECUADOR. Some changes of HCJB: 0330-0430 Russian on 11865 QUI 250 kW / 034 deg effective June 1 2230-2400 German NF 12040 QUI 100 kW / 157/330 ex 11980 to avoid BBC Chinese 2300-0100 Spanish NF 12000 QUI 050 kW / 160 deg ex 11880 to avoid CRI Spanish 2300-0230 Portuguese on 12020 QUI 100 kW / 100 deg (ex 0000-0230) \\ 11920 (Observer, Bulgaria, May 11 via DXLD) ** FRANCE. A BRAND NEW SOUND ON THE AIRWAVES OF PARIS: ENGLISH By John Lichfield in Paris 09 May 2004 http://news.independent.co.uk/low_res/story.jsp?story=519413&host=3&dir=73 The Babel of different tongues, from Arabic to Serbian, offered by community radio stations in France will be joined by an unusual new language this week - English. Paris Live Radio, which starts broadcasting on Tuesday morning, is the first attempt to create a music, news and chat station for the estimated 400,000 English-speakers who live in the greater-Paris area. More than that, it is believed to be the first English-language radio station ever to broadcast in France (leaving aside a brief period when the BBC World Service was simultaneously broadcast from Paris). PLR will be available on cable and satellite networks, operating at first from the basement of a smart new Irish bar, O'Sullivans by the Mill, next door to the Moulin Rouge in Pigalle. During the day and in the early evening, the radio will broadcast mainstream pop, rock and rap music. There will be a news broadcast every half hour, concentrating on Parisian and French news but also covering important international events. Gradually, Paris Live Radio hopes to introduce talk-back and chat shows, concentrating on cultural and social life in Paris: where to go, what's hot and what to do off the usual tourist beat. The founder of the station, Ian de Renzie Duncan, 38, usually known as Renzie, said: "There will be changes as we go along, but my ambition is that Paris Live Radio should become the premier source of information for English-speakers living in France on what's going on in Paris and beyond." Mr Duncan is an Australian barrister who moved to France when his French wife fell seriously ill five years ago. "I'd always been interested in radio and, out of curiosity, I took the law books down from the shelf to see why there was no English-language station in France. Were they banned? No they weren't." By law, radio broadcasting in France has to have a 40 per cent "French-language content" in its music, to prevent French pop from being swamped by Anglo-Saxon music. As a cable station, Paris Live Radio is exempt from this law but has decided to respect the quota anyway, in the expectation that it will shortly be given an FM broadcasting licence. "In any case, we reckon that English-speaking people living in France should be introduced to French pop classics and to the best of what newer French bands and singers are doing. Arrogance gets you nowhere," Mr Duncan said. More than that, Paris Live Radio will break new ground, not just for an English-language radio station, but any radio station in France. After 10pm there will be a show presented by two young Australian DJs, Laura G, 21, and Myles Neave, 30, who will play up-and-coming French bands, chosen from self-recordings sent to the station. One perverse effect of the radio quota system has been to encourage French stations to play French music classics or the most popular acts over and over, rather than giving airtime to newcomers. PLR is running a competition, "Battle of the Bands", in which new or unknown French groups compete in live concerts in the large music venue at the rear of O'Sullivans (which also has its own programme of visiting Irish rock bands). The winning band will get a recording contract. (c) 2003 Independent Digital (UK) Ltd (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) Paris Live Radio launches tomorrow The new English-language radio station Paris Live Radio launches in the French capital at 0500 UTC tomorrow. Under the slogan "city news and only hit music", the 24-hour station will offer programming aimed at the Anglophone community in Paris, but will also be heard throughout France and northern Spain, with 20-50 year olds being the target market. The newsroom will be operated by Agence France Press, and bulletins will be broadcast every half hour between 6am and 10pm local time daily. The station doesn't yet have an FM licence, but is available on DAB, Canal Satellite (Channel 122), and the Internet. Pilot programmes are already running on the station's Web site. Paris Live Radio was the brainchild of Australian lawyer Renzie Duncan. Under French media law, 40% of the music played on the station has to be of French origin. Duncan isn't worried by this, he's just amazed that he was able to get an English-language station on the air. "Being a lawyer I assumed there was some law against English-language radio in France. But when I looked into it I found to my surprise there wasn't," he said. The address of Paris Live Radio is 91, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris. Tel: 06 86 69 75 05. Paris Live Radio http://www.parislive.fm # posted by Andy @ 14:25 UT May 10 (Media Network blog via DXLD) The 40% law I take responsibility for. It was passed after I did the first music test of an FM station`s library in France. End result: none of the local artists had scores worthy of airplay. Needless to say when this was applied to call out music research where you play a 10 second hook of the song (hook the part of the song where you have the lyric) over the phone, the same result. We used the term panel research to explain what was going on. The major record labels could not get airplay, the ratings started to go up and something had to be done. So you got a content law (Lou Josephs 05.11.04 - 4:40 pm, ibid.) Before the Second World War there were quite a few French Commercial Stations that had English broadcasts, Radio Normandy from Fecamp being the most popular. Sadly, it was never heard again after the war (Bernard Curtis, Stalbridge, Dorset, ibid.) ** GREECE. Just an addendum to the note in DXLD 4-078 (5/9/04) re the Voice of Greece in English: I, too, monitored them on Sunday 9 May at 1830 UT on 12105. ID'ing as "R. Filia," the broadcast consisted of news, weather, a feature on the Greek island of "Salamis," a cultural calendar and Greek pops. The signal was good. Frequencies mentioned were 107.4 FM and 665 MW (Jim Clar, Rochester, NY, DX LISTENING DIGEST) GRÉCIA - Mais uma dica do companheiro Marcelo Xavier Ferreira, desde Itambé (PR), na íntegra: ``O quinto programa da Rádio Grega ERA-5, através das antenas da Voz da Grécia, tem um espaço de contato com os ouvintes. A produção leva o nome de O Tahidromos (em português: O Carteiro) e vai ao ar de segundas a sextas, entre 1200 e 1230, em 15650 kHz. No programa, leitura de cartas, telefonema de ouvintes e muita música do país. A apresentação, em grego, é de Natasa Vissarionos e Soula Bassiouka. São aceitas e lidas as cartas que chegam em inglês. Bom lugar para fazer amigos daquela região! Endereço: Mesogeion 432, 153-42, Agia Paraskevi, Athens, Greece``. Nota dez para você Marcelo! (Célio Romais, Panorama, @tividade DX May 11 via DXLD) Mailbag show in Greek, M-F ** ICELAND. Heard Rikisutvarpid (INBS) last evening (5/10) on 13865 kHz (best in usb) at 2325. Presumed RUV news relay with multiple mentions of "Reykijavik" and "Helsinki." Musical flourish at 2333 then open carrier and off at 2334. In checking around, I can't seem to find a transmission scheduled at this time. The summer schedule for 13865, as far as I can tell, lists 1215-1300, 1410-1440 and 1835-1905 (Jim Clar, Rochester, NY, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST){Full sked: 4-080} ** INDIA. Indian Election results on 13th May 04 Dear Friends, The final phase of the Parliament elections is being held today, 10th May 2004. The results will be out on Thursday 13th May 2004. As electronic voting machines are used this time, the complete results is expected to be out on the same day. Look out for special broadcasts by all stations of AIR on 13th May. In the past votes were counted manually and it took 2 or 3 days to complete it. AlR stations used to broadcast continuously till the results were completed. ===== 73 de (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, May 9, dx_india via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL. AIR FORCE CALLSIGNS WITH AUDIO http://www.callsigns.nl/ This page is a collection of intercepted radio transmissions from various aircraft, presented here in MP3 format. There are several recordings of Iraqi war related transmissions included (via Bart van’t Hof, The Netherlands, May Radio HF Internet Newsletter via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL WATERS [non?]. Since the location of the 15500 outlet is still uncertain, I continue filing it here, rather than BAHRAIN, MIDDLE EAST, etc. Strangely, the documents about it have referred to it as ``Radio for Peace``, and MARLO, never using the term ``Information Radio``, but that appears to be its actual ID in Arabic, so it appears to be the successor to the `Information Radio` earlier for Iraq and Afghanistan (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) BAHRAIN(?). Information Radio observed on 10th May at 1745 on 15500 kHz usb, clearer than I've ever heard here. Afghan music and ID "Radyo Ma'alumat" followed by announcement in Pashto, reading out phone number and ?e-mail address. Audio clip of this at http://www.intervalsignalsonline.com (Dave Kernick, England, May 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) MIDDLE EAST, 15500U, 1520-1550, UNID May 10 presumed MARLO station, today with comparatively good audio in the peaks, but deep fades and splatter from 15505 R. Kuwait, music and occasional announcements in Arabic language with something in English which sounded like an e-mail address. Unfortunately I yet again heard no ID; today there were some folks talking in USB on the same frequency as well, couldn't make out the language, maybe some half-hearted attempt to 'jam' the 'MARLO' broadcast. At 1548 there was an announcement with a phone number (which I didn't get) like Jari Savolainen has already reported, then back into Arab style music. 73 de (Thomas Roth, DL1CQ, 53º32'58"N - 9º58'00"E, RX: JRC NRD-525G, ANT: Dipole 32m long, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Thomas. They seem to ID as "Radyo Maulumati" (differs a bit in each language). The e-mail address you mention is "mail @ rewardsforjustice.net" more details: http://www.rewardsforjustice.net I once managed to hear an accented English announcement, too. But unfortunately missed the very beginning of it and of course there was a deep downfade at the end. So cannot say at the moment if they use English name "Information Radio". The frequency choice is bad, at one time there is R Kuwait on both sides, 15495 and 15505. 73 (Jari Savolainen, Kuusankoski, Finland, via Thomas Roth, hard-core-dx via DXLD) ** IRAN [non]. U.K.: Frequency change for R. Pedar / Father Radio in Persian via RMP 500 kW / 085 degrees, 1730-1830 Mon-Fri NF 15585 (55555), ex 17735 (Observer, Bulgaria, May 11 via DXLD) ** IRAN [non]. Frequency change for Voice of Iran in Persian effective from April 25: 1530-1730 NF 17525 (55444), ex 11520. BUT no transmissions on May 8, 9, 10!!! (Observer, Bulgaria, May 11 via DXLD) ** IRAQ [non]. RFE/RL Radio Free Iraq in Arabic cancelled all SW frequencies: 0100-0300 on 7205 9730 9865 0300-0400 on 9730 9865 11910 0400-0600 on 9730 9865 11930 1400-1500 on 9825 13755 15170 17740 1500-1700 on 9825 11805 15170 17740 1700-1800 on 9865* 11805 17690 * via DTK/JUL 1800-1900 on 9505 9740* * via DTK/JUL (Observer, Bulgaria, May 11 via DXLD) ** ITALY. Frequency changes for RAI International (A-04 vs A-03): 0345-0405 Russian 11795, ex 11800 1555-1625 Italian 11855, ex 11885 0405-0425 Ukrainian 11795, ex 11800 1605-1625 Russian 11815, ex 11700 0505-0525 Lithuanian 11795, ex 11800 1630-1655 French 11815, ex 11700 0530-0555 Romanian 11795, ex 11800 1630-1655 Arabic 9645, ex 6185 0620-1250 Italian 7180, ex 11800 1700-1800 Italian 11725, ex 11795 1330-1355 Arabic 11905, ex 9670 1910-1930 Somali 9605, ex 9795 1335-1355 Albanian 9610, ex 9690 1935-1955 English 9605, ex 9745 1500-1520 Turkish 11775, ex 11700 2025-2045 Arabic 7295, ex 7290 1520-1540 Greek 11775, ex 11700 2050-2110 Portug 7295, ex 7290 1540-1600 Bulgarian 11775, ex 11700 2110-2130 Spanish 7295, ex 7290 1530-1555 French 11855, ex 11885 2135-2155 Arabic 7295, ex 7290 (Observer, Bulgaria, May 11 via DXLD) ** KENYA. KENYA'S RADIO WARS INTENSIFY Increasing rivalry between Kenya's private radio stations - already facing threats of government action over their alleged excesses - has escalated to the jamming of one station by another, amid allegations of sabotage and "terrorist-like" business tactics. At the centre of recent developments are two stations - Kiss FM and Radio Citizen - and their forthright and combative operators, Patrick Quarcoo and Samuel Macharia respectively. The two have reshaped the country's radio scene, which 10 years ago lay moribund under the monopoly of the state-owned Kenya Broadcasting Corporation. Macharia, already a prominent businessman, first applied for a broadcasting licence in 1993 but it took four years, and legal challenges, before he was able to get Radio Citizen on the air. Quarcoo, a journalist of Ghanaian origin who had already opened a private station in neighbouring Uganda, had an easier time when he launched Kiss FM in 2000. The two stations followed different paths. Kiss vigorously pursued the aspirational urban audience with sassy English-speaking presenters airing both Western and Kenyan hip-hop and rap music. The fast-paced presentational style is free-wheeling, sometimes bawdy and frequently disrespectful to authority figures. In contrast, as commentator Nick Wachira observed in the Standard newspaper on 11 May, Radio Citizen "has made a name for itself with the rural folks", employing presenters whose names have remained unknown to "most urban listeners in the upper income groups". There are important political differences too. Macharia is a strong supporter of President Mwai Kibaki and the National Alliance Party of Kenya (NAK) faction within the ruling National Rainbow Coalition (Narc). The Sunday Standard on 9 May noted that Citizen "has been seen as one of the most pro-establishment media houses" and "appears to enjoy quasi state broadcasting status". In contrast, Kiss FM is "an independent and forthright critic of government". Some go further, seeing Kiss as oriented towards the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) wing of Narc. The current row began on 3 May when five presenters abruptly resigned from Citizen to join Kiss. Macharia denounced the move as attempted "sabotage" and an attempt by Kiss to force Citizen off the air by the use of "criminal and terrorist-like tactics". Kiss maintained a public silence, but press reports indicated that the "poached" presenters were being lined up for a second station that Quarcoo intends to launch. Then, on 7 May, listeners found Kiss's 100.3 FM frequency obscured by a jamming signal, playing continuous music. The following day, technicians from the official regulatory body, the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK), traced the interference as coming from Radio Citizen's headquarters. However, CCK staff were prevented from entering the premises to take further action and the jamming continued. It only ceased late on 9 May, after Kiss FM itself had gone off the air in protest. CCK officials finally raided Citizen's premises on 10 May, removing equipment they said was responsible for the jamming. They also closed down two of Radio Citizen's subsidiary stations, which broadcast in local languages. Press comment on 11 May condemned both the jamming and what is seen as the authorities' tardiness in ending it. Standard commentator Wachira described Macharia's actions as "uncalled for in a simple business dispute" and said the delay in official moves to put an end to the jamming was "exceedingly immoral". In the Daily Nation, Macharia Gaitho said the CCK's "lethargy" over the affair "speaks volumes", given Citizen's "close links to the government". Maurine Taylor, in the People Daily, said it was sad that the government "just stood by and watched" as media freedom was violated by the jamming. Macharia has denied responsibility for the jamming, saying such allegations were a "fabrication" by the CCK and Kiss. But the CCK has maintained its stance, and has noted that those found guilty of the jamming face a fine of five million shillings (over 60,000 dollars) and three years imprisonment. Macharia also faces legal action from Kiss, which says it intends to seek compensation for advertising revenue it lost while its signals were blocked. Source: BBC Monitoring research 11 May 04 (via DXLD) ** LATVIA. On May the 16th [Sunday] Radio Marabu will broadcast from 13.00 up to 17.00 hours CET [1100-1500 UT] on shortwave 9290 kHz (including exclusive interviews with Jet and The Darkness). Address of the Station: RADIO MARABU e.V. - Postfach 1166 - D 49187 Belm - Germany Tel.: 05406/899484 -- Fax: 05406/899485 marabu @ radio-marabu.de -- Homepage: http://www.radio-marabu.de (via Manuel Méndez, Spain, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD) ** NEW ZEALAND. QSL received --- Hello Dxer, On May 6, 2004 I received an E-QSL from Radio New Zealand, Rangitaiki, 9845 kHz. April 26, 2004. sent reception report via Web report form and received new full data E-QSL card in 10 days. V/S Adrian Sainsbury, Frequency Manager QTH: Radio New Zealand International P O Box 123, Wellington. Web report form at: http://www.rnzi.com/pages/qsl_web.php Web page of QSL of R. New Zealand at: http://web.tiscali.it/ondecorte/nuova.html Best 73's (Nino Marabello, Treviso, Italy, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA. 15120, 0924-0940, Voice of Nigeria, May 10, news and current affairs in English, talk about 'LRA' rebel activities and displaced people in Uganda, press-review of several African countries, very good signal with only slight fading. 73 de (Thomas Roth, DL1CQ 53º32'58"N - 9º58'00"E, RX: JRC NRD-525G, ANT: Dipole 32m long, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. See BOUGAINVILLE ** PERU. LA VOZ DEL CAMPESINO AL FILO DE LA MEDIANOCHE... Hola Glenn, Saludos desde Catia La Mar, Venezuela. La Voz del Campesino ha roto la barrera horaria psicológica de las 0200-0300 UT, como momento de cierre, para extenderse en sus transmisiones hasta las 0604, por los 6956.89 kHz. O al menos así fue el pasado 9/05. SINPO 3/3. Transmisión totalmente atípica. Locutor de guardia con saludos y música rumbera. 73s y buen DX... (Adán González, Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA, Yaesu FT-890/ Antena TH3MK3 May 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) {explanation: 4-080} ** PERU. 5699.76, Radio Frecuencia, San Ignacio, 145kb 0140 UT, 05/2004. Reactivated, has been off air 2 years waiting for a licence. The DJ(=owner?) says they now will transmit on a regular basis on shortwave and mediumwave. The station also needs a DJ/locutor. One hour with nonstop Peruvian music, the DJ talked just 2 times. Listen to this recording at: http://www.malm-ecuador.com 10/May/2004 21:26, Saludos Cordiales desde "La Mitad del Mundo"! (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PORTUGAL. Boas notícias de Portugal! Isabel Flora, apresentadora do Espaço de Dexismo, que vai ao ar, nas quartas-feiras, às 2330, informa que a direção da estação decidiu emitir o programa também nas tardes de quartas e sextas-feiras. Não informou, no entanto, os horários e freqüências. E desde o último dia 6 de maio, a RDP Internacional deixou de transmitir, entre 0800 e 1200, em 11960 kHz. Da mesma forma, em 15445 kHz, entre 1600 e 1900. Ambas as freqüências eram usadas para jogar o sinal na Europa (Célio Romais, Panorama, @tividade DX May 11 via DXLD) ** SERBIA & MONTENEGRO [non]. BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA. INTERNATIONAL RADIO OF SERBIA & MONTENEGRO TRANSMITTER SITE Among the "myths" circulating in the DX press and in DX logs, one is certainly the location of the transmitter site of International Radio of Serbia and Montenegro (former Radio Yugoslavia). Most reference lists are showing the transmitter country as "SCG" (or "YUG") = Serbia & Montenegro. This is based on various misunderstandings and certainly also on the HFCC list which ignores the actual location and lists the site as "BEO" = Beograd (apart from that, the HFCC list also ignores the new ITU code for Serbia & Montenegro - SCG). The correct location is Bijeljina in the neighbouring country Bosnia & Herzegovina. In the old Yugoslavia, Radio Yugoslavia maintained two SW transmitting sites: one in Stubline near Belgrade and a new one in Bijeljina in Bosnia which was built in 1987. When the various parts of the Yugoslav Federation became independent in the 1990s, the site in Bijeljina found itself in the newly establish state Bosnia & Herzegovina (ITU designation: BIH). The old site in Stubline (Serbia) was destroyed by NATO missiles on 30 May 1999 during the Kosovo war, and there are now no SW transmitters anymore on the territory of Serbia and Montenegro. WRTH 2004 lists details of the Bijeljina site on pg. 498 under "Bosnia & Herzegovina" and shows the exact location on the map on pg. 75. The website of Int'l Radio of Serbia & Montenegro describes the events on its history page: http://www.radioyu.org/Istorijat/EnglishIstorijat.htm "From 1951, the foreign program for the world had been broadcasted through Stubline Transmission Center, located in the vicinity of Belgrade, and a new center beside Bijeljina (the Republika Srpska) was completed in 1987. In 1992, due to war operations in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, two transmitters were moved from Bijeljina center to the short-wave center in Stubline. During the 1999 NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the main building of Stubline transmission center was destroyed, along with all transmitters." Note: "Republika Srpska" is one of the two administrative entities of Bosnia & Herzegovina (cf. pg. 112-113 in WRTH2004). (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, May 10, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. GERMANY (non): Additional frequencies for Brother Stair TOM via DTK JUL 100 kW: 1000-1100 on 17565 115 deg to ME 1000-1100 on 21750 115 deg to ME 1200-1300 on 6110 non-dir to Eu ||| Sun only 2200-2300 on 9615 115 deg to ME (Observer, Bulgaria, May 11 via DXLD) ** SUDAN [non]. U.K.: Additional transmission for Sudan Radio Service via WOF 300 kW / 128 deg: 1700-1800 Mon-Fri NF 17660 (55544), instead of registered 15535 1700-1900!!! (Observer, Bulgaria, May 11 via DXLD) ** TAIWAN. CBS HEAD SEEKING TO PUSH STATION FORWARD 2004-05-10/Taiwan News, Staff Reporter/By Taijing Wu Source: http://www.etaiwannews.com/Taiwan/2004/05/10/1084154590.htm Just as the United Kingdom has the British Broadcasting Corporation, France has Radio France Internationale and the United States has the Voice of America, Taiwan also has an international radio station. Radio Taiwan International came into existence soon after Chiang Kai- shek's Kuomintang and his troops transported the radio station hardware to Taiwan from China, according to the station's current president, Cheryl Lai. The same equipment, including the radio transmitters, are in use today. The present corporation, known as the Central Broadcast System, is a part of the Government Information Office. It transmits radio programs in 18 languages mainly to China. The programs are not only receivable by conventional short wave radios abroad but are also online. In a recent report to the highest investigative authority of the country, Lai, explained the difficulties she has had trying to implement some of her ideas considering the station's budget shortage. Cheryl Lai became CBS president in August 2003 after working at for local English newspapers. "These platforms are very similar because they are thinking of the international level. This allows Taiwan to become known on an international stage," she said. After she arrived at CBS, she tried to implement some reforms so that the international radio station would live up to its name. Since CBS was reorganized six years ago, the company includes staff from the Ministry of National Defense's radio broadcasting unit and the international section of the Broadcasting Corporation of China (known as BCC, a radio station based in Taiwan). "We are an international radio station. Our function is similar to the English BBC, American VOA and Japanese NHK," Lai said. "60 percent of our listeners are in China; therefore, CBS has had a political message since its creation - which is to broadcast to the audience in China." Talking about the difficulties of the radio stations, Lai said, "Although state-run radio stations receive their budget from the government, the amount of money we receive annually from the Government Information Office (NT$573.4 million) is nowhere near that of France's RFI (NT$4.9 billion) or Japan's NHK (NT$195.8 billion). Our principal problem is that we don't have enough money, and we are restricted by the rules that have been set in the past. We have so much to do but not enough money." "Since we are a state-run organization, we can not sell our programs to other interested parties. We can only get a little revenue from rebroadcasting the transmissions of other international radio stations. But this represents only one tenth of our annual budget," said the CBS president. According to Lai, the Chinese authorities are constantly jamming CBS's signals so listeners in China will give up trying to locate the station on their radios. "The last time the Chinese were seriously jamming our signals was during the SARS outbreak. The Chinese listeners might not have been that interested in knowing the situation in Taiwan, but they were trying to listen to CBS to find out what was happening in China," Lai said. Another problem Lai expects in the near future for the station is that President Chen Shui-bian's administration intends to further cut CBS's funding. It has been suggested that CBS could either become a part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or a radio broadcast committee. Of course the station is not completely without resources - CBS has recorded the voices, and every single speech, of Chinese Communist Chairman Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and Deng Xiaoping. The speeches of contemporary Taiwanese leaders are also a part of the station's archives, such as the late Chiang Kai-shek and his son Chiang Ching-kuo. These voices are a part of the country's legacy. "Regarding these resources, we plan to first digitalize, and then commercialize them. We have even made a rap version of a Mao Zedong speech," said Lai. Also in the basement of CBS's four-story building in Ta-chi, there were around 15,000 old-fashioned LP discs just lying around. As the newly appointed president, Lai wondered why these could not be put on display in a room with a view of the Grand Hotel in the distance. So the LPs of old Mandarin songs were rescued from incineration and are now taken care by two part-time workers. Mostly out of print, there is everything from old Taiwanese songs to Schoenberg's variations. Other opportunities Lai has been considering include working with other Chinese-language radio stations in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Montreal, Washington D.C., New York and Las Vegas. CBS hopes to provide them with free radio programs that would help increase the station's reputation, as well as having those stations exchange some programs with CBS. "We also hope to do human resources exchanges with Radio Canada International, Voice of America and Radio Free Asia," added Lai. Another principal reform Lai is scheduling for CBS is a breakthrough in their broadcasting technology. "The era of short wave is fading away. Now we have to digitalize and broadcast through the Internet. One of the most likely possibilities in the near future is to adopt Digital Radio Mondiale - which appears to be the new worldwide trend for international broadcast. As for broadcasting inside the country, we could adopt the Digital Audio Broadcasting system," she said. With the renovation of its broadcasting technology, CBS could save NT$80 million annually on its electricity bill. CBS has also felt financial pressure when opposition legislators have refused to pass the station's budget for political reasons. Lai says this deprives Taiwan's foreigners the right to know what is going on in the country since many people come here from Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam for work, study or to get married. Before these people learn to speak Mandarin correctly, it would be helpful if they could have access to CBS programs, Lai said. The Fu- Jen University radio station broadcasts Thai language programs provided by CBS in the Hsinchuang area where many Thai people work in factories. As more and more foreigners visit Taiwan every year, it is becoming more important to have an international radio station, Lai said (via Sergei Sosedkin, dxldyg via DXLD) ** TIBET. XIZANG, 4905, Xizang PBS, 1652 May 8 with talks in English, a children song, then thanking listeners for joining. Immediate Tibetan program with talks and music. S5-7. 23232, with some QRM from 4902 tentatively SLBC; // 7385 at S9+, 7385 also well audible at S7 on May 9 (Zacharias Liangas, Thessaloniki, Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TURKEY. V. of Turkey, 15535, 1230-1325 May 1, English, ex-15405. 15225 and 15535 were announced at the start and end of the transmission; I heard both (David Crystal, 19125 Israel, by aerogramme, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Frequency change for TRT Voice of Turkey in Turkish effective from May 6: 0400-0655 NF 15225 EMR 500 kW / 072 deg, ex 15425 (Observer, Bulgaria, May 11 via DXLD) ** U K. Additional unregistered frequency for BBC African Service in English to WeCeAf: 1600-1800 on 17820 (54554), QRM Radio Liberty in Ukrainian till 1700 (Observer, Bulgaria, May 11 via DXLD) ** U K. BBC announced that the weekend's tribute broadcasts of A. Cooke's LFA, would be the final editions. The chosen broadcast last week, was Alistair's fairwell to Charles M. Schultz, days after his death. It was both sad, and appropriate. What are the Beeb's plans? Obviously some people will not be replaced. Schultz was one, I assume Cooke will be another (Scott, R.I., May 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K [and non]. A LONG WAVE GOODBYE TO THE BBC? (Filed: 08/05/2004) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/main.jhtml?xml=/property/2004/05/08/pbbc08.xml&sSheet=/property/2004/05/08/ixpmain01.html Tuning in to The Archers on Radio 4 LW has long been an expatriate's precious link to Blighty. But how far south can you go, wonders James Mundy It was destined to become one of our more memorable August weekends. We were driving back to Britain through France after a fortnight's break. As we came out of the south and towards the flatlands of the centre, my wife turned the dial of our car radio away from the psychotic babble of the French stations before alighting upon the words of a Radio 4 announcer. As he read the news, he informed us with typical BBC understatement that the Princess of Wales had been killed in a car crash. We pulled the car to the side of one of those squashy northern French fields and silently absorbed the news. It sounds impossibly, insensitively trite, but we were reassured: at least we had heard it on the BBC. For the thousands of expatriates who have bought property in France, Radio 4 Long Wave has long been an essential link with the homes they have left behind. It serves a similar function to the expat cricket league in the Dordogne or the food parcels containing Marmite, Patum Peperium and pork pies that arrive from Blighty. The problem, however, is that it is almost impossible to find out in advance whether you will be able to receive Radio 4 LW before you arrive. Much will depend on the strength of signal and the distance from your property to the nearest transmitter. You can ask the neighbours, of course, but this being France the chances are that they will be French. And are they going to give a hoot about Ambridge's first gay kiss? Non, naturellement. Strangely, the BBC is cagey on the subject of Radio 4's long wave transmissions. The Corporation publishes a lengthy document on radio abroad - mainly concentrating on how to obtain decent signals from the BBC World Service on short wave - but it contains very little detail about long wave's range. The document grudgingly accepts that Radio 4 LW can be heard in some parts of France, but warns that reception is subject to interference from local stations offering a much more powerful signal. Heavens! Nicholas Parsons drowned out by Johnny Hallyday. A po-faced [sic] spokeswoman for Radio 4 told us that on no account would the BBC's technical team be able to help compile a reception map for the use of Daily Telegraph readers thinking of buying a house in France. "Our experts say that they can only answer questions about reception within the UK as this is the area in which the BBC broadcasts." In practice, however, we know that it is possible to hear Radio 4 LW in huge swathes of northern and western France. And, after talking to various technicians and experts within the broadcasting industry, the Telegraph has drawn up its own map, showing that there is good coverage through Brittany, north and south Normandy, Picardie, Pas de Calais, Île de France, Pays de la Loire and Centre. Coverage becomes more patchy in Champagne Ardenne, northern Burgundy and Poitou. All of this, however, is dependent on atmospherics and equipment used. Londoners Graham and Jill Warren, who own a holiday gîte on the Granite Coast in Brittany, specifically advertise the fact that Archers fans who rent their property can listen to Radio 4 on long wave. Furthermore, many of the websites aimed at expatriate homeowners feature lengthy exchanges about how they might boost the LW signal: hooking radio sets up to a TV aerial can sometimes do the trick, as can investing in a bi-polar aerial. The message overall is that if you are in the south - apart from perhaps some bits of the south-west - you might as well forget about LW reception. One reason for the BBC's reticence to discuss long wave in Europe may be that the corporation's bean-counters aren't keen on expatriates benefiting from the BBC's output without paying the licence fee, part of which goes towards covering the cost of analogue transmitters based in Britain. "They don't regard European listeners as their main priority," says Jocelyn Hay, of the radio pressure group Voice of the Listener and Viewer. "That was clear when Radio 4 was split between long wave and FM a few years ago. We were inundated with complaints, but it was obvious that the BBC did not regard expatriates as their prime focus of responsibility." And let's not forget that the BBC has another agenda. It has made a huge investment in the nascent digital radio network it offers to all listeners - wherever they are - via the internet. Against these, humble long wave is beginning to seem increasingly antediluvian. And while digital radio does offer everyone, including expatriates, the chance to listen to all BBC stations - not just Radio 4 - you will have to invest in a new radio. The internet, too, has its drawbacks. It is just not the same listening experience and, besides, how can you listen in the bath? (There is no better way to enjoy The Archers than with a wireless perched by the taps.) Nor is it much use if you're soaking up the sun on your brand new decking. What's more, there is the expense involved in maintaining a connexion. Even though a broadband connection in France costs about £15 a month, about half what it costs in the UK, it is still an expensive way of listening to the radio. And if you live in a really remote area, you may have problems signing up. Only one quarter of the country so far is ready for broadband access. Another alternative if you are having problems with dear old long wave - and many expatriates simply can't live without the BBC in France - is to consider satellite. Many expatriates choose to install ones that will give you access to the full range of BBC radio and TV stations through the Astra satellite. This will incur a significant start-up cost (say, £400-£500 for installation) and subscription fees, but at least you will be able to listen to what you want, when you want. The only real drawback is that your beautiful Provençal retreat will end up sporting a satellite dish. And do you really want that kind of reminder of home? For many expatriates - at least the older ones who arrived in France before the advent of cheap flights and endless television programmes about how easy it was to obtain a better life - Radio 4 LW is a gentle reminder of the old order: petanque in the town square, locals who really didn't speak English, and listening to Just a Minute immediately before what would almost certainly be referred to as a jolly decent lunch. Sacré bleu! It may not be long before the service goes the same way as the Onion Johnnies (via Kim Elliott, Brock Whaley, DXLD) ** U S A. VOA LAUNCHES NEW URDU RADIO SERVICE The U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors has launched a new 12-hour daily Urdu language service broadcast to listeners in South Asia from the Voice of America. Aap ki Dunyaa, "Your World" in English, began transmitting Monday. It will provide millions of Pakistanis and other Urdu-speakers in India and the diaspora with news, information and entertainment. Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, chairman of the BBG which supervises all U.S. non-military international broadcasting, including VOA, said the board is delighted to be able to provide balanced and accurate news in such an important part of the world. He said the new Urdu radio will also help promote a better understanding of the United States in the region. Aap ki Dunyaa will be staffed by 27 people in Washington, as well as a network of more than 15 stringers in Pakistan, India and North America. The station will be distributed on a medium wave signal that is expected to reach millions of listeners in Pakistan and northeast India. Aap ki Dunyaa will also be broadcast for three hours on short wave, while the full 12 hours will be carried on digital audio satellite and via the Internet. VOANews.com, 10 May 2004, 17:16 UT (via Sergei Sosedkin, IL, dxldyg via DXLD) RADIO AAP KI DUNYAA LAUNCHED --- By Shazia Sakinder Washington, D.C., May 10, 2004 -- Radio Aap ki Dunyaa, a new Urdu- language service of the Voice of America (VOA) began transmitting 12 hours a day today, providing millions of Pakistanis and other Urdu- speakers in India and the diaspora with news, information and entertainment. Aap ki Dunyaa - "Your World" in English - features 10-minute newscasts twice an hour during prime time, and hourly newscasts throughout the night, with in-depth coverage of events affecting South Asia and the world; features on topics such as health, education, and political issues; call-in shows; roundtable discussions; and a mix of Pakistani, Indian, and Western music. With its combination of news and features, about half of Aap ki Dunyaa's unique programming consists of information. The program runs from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Pakistan time. [1400-0200 UT] "We're delighted we're able to provide balanced and accurate news and to help promote a better understanding of the United States in such an important part of the world," said Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors which supervises all U.S. nonmilitary international broadcasting, including VOA. Steven J. Simmons, the BBG member who has spearheaded creation of Aap ki Dunyaa, said, "With this station, we are reaching out to millions of listeners primarily between the ages of 15 and 39. We want to interact with our listeners and to let them learn more about us while we learn about them. We'll be using the latest research techniques to make sure this station becomes part of our listeners' lives." VOA Director David Jackson noted that Aap ki Dunyaa "will introduce a fresh new sound to the South Asian media scene while also being faithful to the VOA Charter, which requires us to serve as a consistently reliable and authoritative source of news." Aap ki Dunyaa will be staffed by 27 people in Washington as well as a network of more than 15 stringers in Pakistan, India and North America. Dr. Brian Q. Silver is chief of the service. All staffers from the original VOA Urdu Service are now part of the Aap ki Dunyaa team. The station will be distributed on a medium wave (AM) signal that reaches millions of listeners in Pakistan and northeast India. It can be found at 972 kHz. It will also be broadcast for three hours on shortwave (7 to 8 p.m., 10 to 11 p.m., and 6 to 7 a.m. Pakistan time). It will be carried for 12 hours on digital audio satellite and via the Internet http://www.voanews.com/urdu Internet enhancements will be phased in, providing audience interaction through e-mail, and texts of selected feeds, interviews, and other programs of interest to the listening audience. The BBG is an independent federal agency which supervises all U.S. government-supported non-military international broadcasting, including the Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL); the Middle Television Network (Alhurra); Radio Free Asia (RFA); Office of Cuban Broadcasting (Radio and TV Martí); Radio Sawa and Radio Farda. The services broadcast in 55 languages to over 100 million people around the world. Nine members comprise the BBG, a presidentially appointed body. Current governors are Chairman Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, Joaquín Blaya, Blanquita W. Cullum, D. Jeffrey Hirschberg, Edward E. Kaufman, Norman J. Pattiz, Veronique Rodman and Steven Simmons. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell serves as an ex officio member. For more information, please contact Joan Mower at Ph: 202-260-0167, 202-401-3736 or via E-mail at jmower @ ibb.gov. http://thepakistaninewspaper.com/news_detail.php?id=755 (via Mike Terry, Jilly Dybka, DXLD) FYI: This is actually not an article by Shazia Sakinder, but the exact text of the official BBG press release [see above]. It is becoming increasingly common for journalists to byline press release as stories that they have not actually written. Meanwhile, items from the Media Network Weblog that I have personally written keep popping up on commercial Web sites minus any credit. These days, anyone can call themselves a journalist :-( (Andy Sennitt, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) The station will be distributed via a mediumwave transmitter that reaches millions of listeners in Pakistan and northeast India on 972 kHz. It will also be broadcast for three hours on shortwave. DXAsia reports the schedule as: 1400-1500 UT on 9510, 11790, 15170 and 15255 kHz. 1700-1800 UT on 11905, 12115 and 15545 kHz 0100-0200 UT on 7155 9835 11805 kHz. (Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog May 11 via DXLD) ** U S A [non]. Frequency changes for Voice of America: 1700-1800 Urdu NF 12115, ex 11750 \\ 11905 and 15545 Radio Aap ki Dunyaa 1730-1800 Azeri NF 15325, ex 15135 \\ 9740 and 11665 2000-2030 Ukrainian NF 11840, ex 11910 \\ 3975 and 9715 (Observer, Bulgaria, May 11 via DXLD) ** U S A [non]. US SOLICITING PROPOSALS FOR "SCATTERABLE MEDIA" The United States Special Operations Command is soliciting proposals for emerging technologies for air droppable, scatterable electronic media. This media will be used to disseminate information and could take the form of long range broadcast electronic media receivers (tools, instruments, implements) for AM/FM/UHF/satellite broadcast operations, satellite radios; miniaturized AM/FM broadcast transmitters; miniaturized loudspeakers; entertainment devices; game device technologies, greeting cards; telephony technologies; text messaging; or other media capable of receiving and/or transmitting Internet broadcast or commercial radio frequency signals. The full text of the solicitation is here. http://www.fbodaily.com/archive/2004/05-May/12-May-2004/FBO-00583374.htm # posted by Andy @ 09:48 UT May 11 (Media Network blog via DXLD0 BTW, FBO stands for FedBizOpps (gh, DXLD) ** U S A [non]. /UZBEKISTAN: Additional transmission for WYFR in Russian via TAC 200 kW / 311 deg: 1700-1900 on 9495 QRM Abhaz Radio on 9494.7 \\ 11695 via RMP 500 kW / 062 degrees (Observer, Bulgaria, May 11 via DXLD) ** U S A [non]. CZECH REPUBLIC (non): Radio Liberty changes: 0300-0400 Azeri NF 9825, ex 9680 1400-1500 Russian NF 13755, ex 9595 \\ 11725 11880 11895 15205 15215 1500-1600 Azeri NF 15255, ex 15385 1500-1700 Persian ADD 15170 \\ 13870, till 1600 17750, from 1600 17670 1600-1700 Ukrainian on 6185, 11805, 17815 Mon-Fri ||| additional 1700-1800 Ukrainian NF 11805, NF 15135, ex 9855 and 15115 \\ 12035 1800-1900 Serbian NF 9505, ex 9855 \\ 11715 and 15120 1800-1900 Ukrainain NF 11805, ex 7165 \\ 11785 and 11875 1900-2000 Ukrainian on 9615, 11695, 11875 Sun-Fri ||| cancelled (Observer, Bulgaria, May 11 via DXLD) ** U S A. 'IS KOPPEL A COMMIE?' by Eric Alterman, from The Nation Bill Westenhaver thought you'd be interested in this article from The Nation. If you like this article, please consider subscribing to The Nation at special discounted rates. You can order online https://ssl.thenation.com or call our toll-free number at 1-800-333- 8536. The Sinclair Broadcast Group, a Maryland-based media company whose holdings include sixty-two TV stations, did the country a favor when it refused to air the April 30 special edition of Nightline in which Ted Koppel read the names and showed the faces of the 721 US soldiers who had died in Iraq to that point. By insisting that Koppel, the most respected commercial broadcaster in America, was seeking to undermine the war effort, Sinclair demonstrated the dangers to democratic discourse of allowing too much media power to be concentrated in too few hands, and it revealed as laughable the equation between reporters' alleged liberal bias and the content of the news. Sinclair is owned by and for right-wingers. Its top executives contribute generously to conservative Republicans, and it instructs its stations to slant the news in their favor. If Sinclair is willing to censor Koppel merely for honoring America's war dead and for reminding Americans of this sacrifice, it hardly matters what the bias of any individual reporter employed by the company might be. When it comes to media ownership, money doesn't merely talk, as the bard of Hibbing sang, "it swears." Even by the debased "with us or agin' us" standards of Bush-era punditocracy discourse, Sinclair stands out as an impressively dumbed- down operation. Like Rupert Murdoch's Fox Network, it shamelessly distorts the news and mocks those who would let reality interfere with its ideologically induced ignorance. Its centrally controlled content highlights the wit and wisdom of its corporate mouthpiece, Mark Hyman, who speaks of "cheese-eating surrender monkeys" in France, a "hate- America crowd" in the media and "unpatriotic politicians who hate our military" in Congress. And while Sinclair refuses to broadcast the names and faces of America's dead soldiers -- a refusal that Senator John McCain, former Vietnam prisoner of war, termed "misguided" and "unpatriotic" -- it is more than happy to provide its viewers with propaganda "news" stories manufactured by the Bush Administration to fool the public. Sinclair has also sent Hyman and another "reporter" to Iraq to find the "good news" its corporate owners insist journalists are deliberately withholding from the nation. Barry Faber, Sinclair vice president and general counsel, told the Washington Post that they had chosen to censor Nightline because they believed the program's "motivation is to focus attention solely on people who have died in the war in order to push public opinion toward the United States getting out of Iraq." Faber suggested that the reading of the names of the dead would "unduly influence people." Using the same bait-and-switch routine the Administration deployed to justify its unprovoked attack on Iraq, a Sinclair press release demanded to know why Koppel did not read "the names of the thousands of private citizens killed in terrorist attacks since and including the events of September 11, 2001. In his answer, we believe you will find the real motivation behind his action scheduled for this Friday." Well, the answer is, he did -- on the first anniversary of 9/11 -- but don't bother Sinclair with facts. "The average viewer who watches the show is not going to remember that," Faber replied to Post reporter Lisa de Moraes, who pointed it out to him. To point out that no connection has been established between Iraq and 9/11 seems almost persnickety in this context, except that it was used to justify the war and is still trotted out by that unreconstructed fabulist, Vice President Cheney, among other war defenders. Although the Administration did not publicly support Sinclair's anti- GI position, it clearly prefers that any evidence of the costs of war be hushed up. The Pentagon has censored all coverage of returning war dead, and when a photo of flag-draped coffins evaded the ban, the photographer lost her job with a Defense Department contractor. Meanwhile, Sinclair is not the only news organization to base its coverage on what it believes to be good for Bush's war. When 60 Minutes II shocked the world with photos of US military personnel abusing and torturing Iraqis held in a Baghdad prison, the editor of the New York Post, Col Allan, told a New York Times reporter he would not run the photos because "a handful of US soldiers" shouldn't be allowed to "reflect poorly" on the 140,000 who do their job well. In fact, as the heroic Seymour Hersh reported in The New Yorker days later, the horrific torture may have been the official policy of US military intelligence. The shocking sight of US soldiers forcing Iraqi prisoners to simulate oral sex and masturbate in front of their captors brings home the degree to which the Iraq adventure is unraveling, at a pace surprising even to its most vociferous critics. Much of the problem lies with the Administration's incompetence, but a healthy proportion can also be attributed to its deliberate dishonesty -- coupled with a cowed media's unwillingness to subject its false contentions to even rudimentary scrutiny. During the run-up to the invasion, America, as Washington Post ombudsman Michael Getler observed with euphemistic delicacy, was "taken to war and almost everything we were told before the war, other than that Saddam Hussein is bad, has turned out, so far, not to be the case: the weapons of mass destruction, the imagery of nuclear mushroom clouds, the links between al Qaeda and Hussein, the welcome, the resistance, the costs, the numbers of troops needed. All of these factors were presented by the administration with what now seems, at best, to have been a false sense of certainty." And yet given all that, the likes of Sinclair, the New York Post and their partners in faux-patriotic misinformation and censorship -- including corporate giants Clear Channel and the entire Murdoch empire -- seek to keep Americans ignorant not only of the lies we've been fed but also of the cost of these lies in lost lives. Reactionary media giants are undermining our democracy as they cheer this Administration toward ever greater disaster abroad. How, as John Stuart Mill asked, can citizens possibly "check or encourage what they are not permitted to see?" This article can be found on the web at: http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20040524&s=alterman Visit The Nation: http://www.thenation.com/ Subscribe to The Nation: https://ssl.thenation.com/ (via Bill Westenhaver, DXLD) ** U S A. I`ve noticed Dan Rather trying to better Ted Koppel`s approach. Each CBS EVENING NEWS now has a `Fallen Heroes` segment --- evidently only one KIA per show, but he spends maybe half a minute with some background on the person, not just his name. Not sure where the start point was for them, but at one a day, CBS may have a lot of catching up to do. Are there any Sinclair stations with CBS? Of course it would be easy to censor out a regular segment and still leave the show on --- just cram in another commercial (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. I made a point of listening to the first hour of the O`Franken Factor on Monday May 10, in light of the dire reports of Air America about to go under. Business as usual --- no mention of AA`s own difficulties (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) LIBERAL TALK MUTES A RADIO STATION'S CARIBBEAN VOICE May 11, 2004 By NANCY RAMSEY For Samantha Bascom, who emigrated to New York from Guyana, WLIB was "more than just a radio station." While dining on braised oxtail at the Sugar Cane, a Caribbean restaurant on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn on a recent evening, she said WLIB offered her family "news and updates from the Caribbean, information about life in the U.S., about how immigrants can obtain legal status." "As far back as I can remember, we had it on in our house," she said. "It was a little piece of home." According to the Arbitron ratings service, WLIB had some 350,000 listeners (all in the New York metropolitan area) in the first quarter of this year, including Ms. Bascom, who came to New York as a child in 1982 and who is now a mortgage processor with the Municipal Credit Union. Since March 31, however, listeners tuning in to WLIB, are hearing very little Caribbean-oriented programming. Instead, for 18 hours a day, it has been Air America at 1190 on the AM dial, the self- advertised liberal counterpoint to conservative talk radio. While some of WLIB's Caribbean-born listeners may agree with the politics of Air America, the Caribbean-oriented programming has been reduced to 37 hours - the midnight-to-5 a.m. slot and Sunday mornings - said Kernie Anderson, vice president and general manager of WLIB and its FM sister station, WBLS (107.5). "The best we can hope for is that another entity will try to address these issues and put together a format," he said. "I'm very cordial with them, they're a great bunch of people," Mr. Anderson said of Air America, which is said to have more than $20 million and is now operating in 9 markets (as well as satellite radio and the Web) throughout the country and says it will be in 26 by the end of this month. "I'm a member of the A.C.L.U., so you know where my political leanings are, but I'm conflicted. It's important for Air America to confront the reactionary right, they're doing an incredible job, but it's at the expense of the Caribbean community." Katy Bachman, a senior editor who covers the radio industry for Mediaweek, said: "WLIB has replaced a local voice with a national voice. People have a different relationship with radio than with TV. It's interactive, it's more accessible, it's not slicked up. You know these characters on radio. You've invited them into your home. You can call in, ask a question. Air America wants a national platform. They don't have time to talk about one person's issues." Mr. Anderson said: "Any time there's a format change of any station, it's traumatic for the listenership. LIB was not just a music station, but wrapped into the culture of the Caribbean. That's why the demise of LIB has become such a passionate issue. It served many, many needs." WLIB "had medical advice - the black community has problems with high blood pressure and diabetes and not always wanting to go to the doctor," said John Le Maitre, who emigrated from Trinidad in 1969 at the age of 9, lives in Flushing, Queens, and whose job as an electrician takes him throughout the five boroughs. "It was an avenue for West Indian immigrants to do their advertising, in real estate, in banking." he added. "And it kept people in touch with what's going on in the islands - news, sports, soccer and cricket in Trinidad and Jamaica. Not to mention the music: soca, calypso, reggae. On a construction job you'd have people listening to `Imus in the Morning' in one corner, Hot 97 in another, and all the West Indian people would be listening to WLIB." Pierre Sutton, chairman of Inner City Broadcasting, which owns WLIB, made the decision to sell program time to Air America. Mr. Sutton's father, Percy Sutton, the former Manhattan borough president who oversees Inner City Broadcasting, said he approved his son's decision. "For 30 years LIB has been geared to the black community, and not one year have we been able to make it break even," the elder Mr. Sutton said. "It's been subsidized by WBLS, its sister station." He added: "Philosophically I'm for the liberal station. I'm a veteran of the civil rights movement. It might have been a different thing had we been asked by Fox network." His son said: "Our arrangement with Air America is an opportunity to have an impact upon a larger community than our own." There are problems, however, he said, listing "dead air, confusion, repetition of subject matter from one program to the next." "They have to have more people calling in," he added. "You need that interaction with the audience to make it more exciting. How do you hold people's attention in radio? Conservative talk radio has actually learned to do that very well. You have to be disagreeable in order to get people's attention. Nodding in agreement is not exciting." As to how Air America is faring, preliminary ratings from Arbitron are expected later this month. "I don't expect the ratings to come out of the box very well," the younger Mr. Sutton said. "You almost have to give a quarter to six months for something like this to take hold." The time brokerage agreement is for two years, he added. "They're in it for the long haul." The loss to immigrants from the Caribbean area has been duly noted, he said. The station is "working on drop-ins, the localization of some of the news," he added. At 25 minutes after the hour, for example, there may be local news, and he said he hoped this would happen in the next few weeks. "You can be very insular as an immigrant," said Marsha Scipio, a lawyer who was born in Trinidad and emigrated to the United States when she was 9. WLIB "was a link to the Caribbean, and it helped you get acclimated to American society and helped you make that fusion to the black community here," she said. "WLIB was a pillar of our community." http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/11/arts/11WLIB.html?ex=1085291700&ei=1&en=d7c6e219928be726 (via Don Thornton, DXLD) http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/11/arts/11WLIB.html?pagewanted=print&position= (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) http://nytimes.com/2004/05/11/arts/11WLIB.html Here's a valid point from the IRCA:- Wasn't a need for round-the- clock local programming one of the arguments that WLIB's owners used to make a case for powering down WOWO at night? 73's (Barry Davies, UK, MWC via DXLD) ** U S A. EYE ON F.C.C., TV AND RADIO WATCH WORDS May 10, 2004 By JACQUES STEINBERG The reverberations from this year's fiasco of a Super Bowl half-time show are reaching every corner of the broadcasting world, and not even the viewers of "Masterpiece Theater" are immune. The producers of "Masterpiece Theater," intent on staying in the good graces of a Federal Communications Commission increasingly vigilant for instances of indecency, took a step last month they never had before. They chose not to make available to PBS member stations an unexpurgated version of the critically acclaimed British series "Prime Suspect," and instead sent out two edited versions: one with all of the salty language edited, and another with only some of the possibly offending words excised. Taking similar cues from regulators, an Indianapolis radio station pre-empted words like "urinate," "damn" and "orgy" from going out over the air during a recent broadcast of Rush Limbaugh's talk show. . . http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/10/business/media/10FCC.html?ex=1085207343&ei=1&en=b6a0c11c2f143ef5 (NY Times via Don Thornton, DXLD) ** U S A. Did you miss the last episode of Friends last Thursday night? Fear not, dear listener, because Kenny G will be rebroadcasting the show in its entirety on Anal Magic, this coming Wednesday afternoon, May 12th from 3 to 6 pm EDT [1900-2200 UT]. We know you liked it so much, that we've decided to stretch this one-hour show out to a full three hours, so that even the most diehard Friends fans will get their fill. Don't miss this the replay of this historic event, as Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler, Ross and Gunther appear, only on WFMU, up close and personal, twisted beyond recognition, as you've never heard them before! (from http://www.wfmu.org via DXLD) ** U S A. WFUV Settles Tower Spat --- More than a decade after its construction was halted 220 feet short of its target height, the tower of WFUV (90.7 New York) will soon be dismantled, ending the nastiest battle over a radio tower in the history of NEW YORK and perhaps the nation. The New York Daily News reports that the new president of Fordham University, WFUV's owner, has reached a settlement with the New York Botanical Garden that will find WFUV moving a mile and a half to a new tower to be built atop a Gun Hill Road apartment building owned by the Montefiore Medical Center. The botanical garden, you'll recall, began complaining - and filing lawsuits - as soon as tower construction was underway back in 1994, complaining that the tower (which was to have been 480 feet tall) would spoil the view from the conservatory (which is, we must note, right in the middle of the Bronx.) By the fall of 1994, the tower had stalled out at 260 feet - and concerns about RF safety and the structural soundness of the Fordham building on which WFUV's antenna had previously been located forced the station to move anyway. For the last few years, WFUV has broadcast a somewhat impaired signal from a temporary antenna mounted on the top of one leg of the unfinished structure (which New York's ever-subtle tabloids have dubbed "a menacing metal Godzilla" and an "eyesore of mammoth proportions," hardly the description we'd use for a 260-foot tower.) We haven't seen the engineering on the WFUV move yet, but we'll keep you posted when it's filed. Meanwhile, a college radio station up here in NERW's home territory has found a novel solution to the crackdown on broadcast indecency. NERW has learned that the University of Rochester's WRUR (88.5 Rochester) notified student and community DJs last week that there will be no live broadcasts on the station, beginning June 1. Instead, the station's shows will be recorded two weeks ahead of time and reviewed by WRUR management before they're allowed to air. (WRUR also carries several hours of daily simulcasts with NPR news-talk outlet WXXI 1370, which will continue to air live.) How will the edict sit with WRUR's volunteer airstaff? Stay tuned (Scott Fybush, Northeast Radio Watch May 11 via DXLD) ** VENEZUELA. I had a question about Ecos del Torbes, if they still are using the frequency 5990 kHz, as in an English ID on my recording. The info is in Spanish but Henrik says it is an old ID; the station is not using 5990 kHz. http://www.malm-ecuador.com Henrik Klemetz: "La identificación de Ecos del Torbes es de vieja data. Desde luego ya se abandonó la frecuencia hace lustros. En 1998, desde mi "balcón sabanero" en Bogotá, escuchaba esta misma identificación en inglés de Ecos del Torbes como también la frecuencia de 3225 kHz en la identificación de Radio Occidente, de Tovar, y Radio Ideal, del literal, suele mencionar su frecuencia de 5060 kHz junto con la de la onda media de los 1130. Rastreando las huellas de esas emisoras en anteriores ediciones del WRTH, encuentro que esas frecuencias de onda corta son de la década de los 70. [¡Vaya, cómo me he vuelto viejo..!]". 9/May/2004 20:00 Saludos Cordiales desde "La Mitad del Mundo"! (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VENEZUELA [non]. Ciao! finalmente ho potuto ascoltare l'emissione di Radio Nacional de Venezuela su 11760 kHz via TX Radio Havana CUBA, annuncia "RNV Canal Internacional". Ottimo segnale, alle 2315-2330 UT del 10 Maggio. Ringrazio l'amico José Elias per la segnalazione di ieri notte. Dario Monferini Hi ! Good reception on 11760 kHz of Radio Nacional de Venezuela at 2315-2330 UT on 10 May in north Italy via TX Radio Havana Cuba. Thanks to José Elias of Venezuela for the alert message of yesterday. RX= JRC 525, 30 mt wire outdoor (Dario Monferini, Milano, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE TINY TRAP +++++++++++++ There is a Page One story in the Globe and Mail which begins like this: "Tiny Georgia, a country that has seen lttle but chaos and conflict in its 13 years of independence, took a big step away from its past last night as a renegade regional leader was peacefully forced from office, taking the country away from the brink of civil war." Last time I checked, Georgia is about the size of Massachusetts. "Tiny Georgia" would make any South Pacific island microscopic. Cheers, (Ricky Leong, May 6, DX LISTENING DIGEST) NPR Weekend Edition Sunday May 9 had a report about the Graf Spee which sank off Uruguay. First it was a ``little country`` but around 6 minutes in, it became ``tiny``, according to reporter Martin Kaste (gh) LANGUAGE LESSONS ++++++++++++++++ SPEECH ACCENT ARCHIVE http://classweb.gmu.edu/accent/ This site examines the accented speech of speakers from many different language backgrounds reading the same sample paragraph. Currently, we have obtained 337 speech samples. To explore the features of this site, use the pop-up menu (via Elmer Standish, Courtenay, British Columbia, Radio HF Internet Newsletter, May via DXLD) DRM +++ UNITED KINGDOM: NEW SHORTWAVE DRM TRANSMISSIONS LAUNCHED | Text of press release from UK transmission company VT Merlin Communications on 7 May VT Merlin today launched two new weekly digital streams, bringing the benefits of Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) to a number of its most important international broadcast customers. This new service 'vtdigital' features news and general programming from broadcasters compiled into a stream, interspersed with informative continuity announcements. Two streams are broadcast, one on Friday and one on Saturday on 9770 kHz. They are carried from VT Merlin's Rampisham site in the UK on digital short wave into Central Europe in near FM quality. Broadcasters including Radio New Zealand International, Radio Australia, Radio Japan (NHK), Radio Taiwan International and Radio France International have joined and are keen to experience the benefits of the DRM system and range of services offered by VT Merlin. These streams complement the highly successful Sunday stream based on religious programming, which began in February 2004. Peter Gordon, VT Merlin's Head of Digitalisation commented: "We are very proud to have brought some of the world's leading international broadcasters together onto our DRM platform in an innovative way. Their commitment to DRM is a major boost for this new broadcast technology. We look forward to growing and expanding the stream concept over the coming months". Vtdigital Stream 2 Transmission Schedule: Radio France International 14:00-14:30 Friday, Radio Taiwan International 15:00-16:00 Friday, NHK 16:00-17:00 Friday, Radio New Zealand International 14:00-14:30 Saturday, Radio Australia 14:30-15:00 Saturday (Source: VT Merlin Communication press release, London, in English 7 May 04 via BBC Monitoring) Media Network adds: DRM listeners will instantly recognise the voice between the programmes. It belongs to former Media Network presenter Jonathan Marks! # posted by Andy @ 10:34 UT May 10 (Media Network blog via DXLD) Now if only we could buy a DRM receiver (Lou Josephs, 05.10.04 - 5:10 pm, ibid.) It's cheaper to phone him (Anonymous, 05.10.04 - 5:26 pm, ibid.) All we need now is an affordable DRM receiver (Richard Hunt, 05.10.04 - 6:15 pm, ibid.) It won't help to get an affordable receiver unless you're within a few thousand miles of the transmitter. Anything further and you won't hear anything worth listening to (Ralph, 05.10.04 - 6:35 pm, ibid.) That's actually the way DRM was designed to work. Out of area reception (=DXing) was not one of the design requirements of DRM. But our tests on the Bonaire to New Zealand circuit, the longest in international broadcasting, tend to disprove the theory that nothing beyond a few thousand miles is "worth listening to." But, of course, the transmissions have to be beamed in the right direction (Anonymous, 05.10.04 - 6:45 pm, ibid.) That`s not the longest circuit, by far. Some European (analog) stations broadcast direct to Au/NZ, even by long path (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Out-of-area reception or DXing is just a curiosity. Yes, you can do so, but when there are better alternatives, why bother? (Richard Hunt, 05.10.04 - 7:05 pm, Media Network blog via DXLD) It's not just that out-of-area reception isn't possible; it's primarily that the signal level required to get a signal that's listenable with few or no dropouts is so high that one might as well listen to AM mode, because the signal will sound at least as good as the DRM signal. You need a blowtorch signal, at least in B-mode, which most international broadcasters seem to use and which provides the most pleasant-to-listen-to audio. That's what I've found to be true, anyway, and if that's the case, then DRM is pointless, because the only signals you'll be able to listen to are the ones that sounded fine in AM. Not to mention that the consequences of interference are catastrophic failure for DRM, as opposed to what you get with AM mode broadcasts, where one can use the filter between one`s ears if necessary. Signal- to-noise ratio is king with DRM, and an interfering signal can absolutely kill S/N to the point where the DRM transmission is not decodeable. On top of that, DRM signals are huge bandwidth hogs. I tuned around the RCI signal on 9800 kHz a few days ago, one of the few signals meant for us here in North America. Reception of AM mode signals was significantly impaired for 50 kHz above and below the nominal carrier, and there was audible interference up to 100 kHz away. This might be acceptable if DRM had its own distinct bands, but is bad citizenship in a band it has to share with a huge number of AM mode signals. After having access to a DRM receiver at home for over a month now, I am completely unimpressed with it. It seems to have been designed to work well in demonstration situations, but fall over in regular use. I'm very disappointed; I was a very vocal supporter of DRM here in North America, and participated in the first demonstration of it at the Winter SWL Fest last year. It's not like I'm one of the Luddites saying "it's not shortwave without fading, and I'll never listen to it". I'm trying to listen to it, but I can hardly ever hear anything. I'm getting a lot of experience with what reception of marginal signals is going to be like, and it doesn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling. Maybe the problem is just that nobody feels it's important to broadcast to us; all those transmitters in Europe that broadcast all day in DRM never point their antennas our way, particularly in the evenings when we might actually have a chance to listen. Of the three transmissions that are allegedly beamed our way after 0000 UT, I've heard no evidence at all that two of them actually exist. None of the European broadcasters except RNW seems to want to point their transmitters this way. Given that, apparently I have no way to judge if long-distance reception is reliable. I would have thought that using the reference receiver that the DRM consortium has recommended since day one (AOR 7030 Plus, modified by AOR for DRM reception), plus a 300 foot antenna pointed straight at Europe that can hear weak Europirates and small regional stations would have been sufficient to get useful audio, but it's not. Given that, I hold out little hope that portable receivers will be able to hear anything that's not broadcast from Sackville or Bonaire. If that's by design, then the design is broken. The design may work in Europe where there are a lot of transmitter sites, but here in North America, the supply of shortwave transmitters is going to be inadequate to the task (Ralph, 05.11.04 - 7:29 pm, ibid.) Sounds like Ralph Brandi (gh, DXLD) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ GRUNDIG IN A COMIC PANEL http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/fun/rexmorgan.asp?date=20040505 Rex Morgan May 5th 2004 Center Panel (Brock Whaley, May 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) INTERSTATE DXING I'd like to pick the collective brains of this list to find ways to plan out AM station listening targets while driving on long-distance trips. What techniques do you use to assemble a list of target stations (say, any Class C/D stations withing xx miles of the Interstate)? Are there tools (either software or on the web) that let you specify a route and get a list of stations along the way? Or, do you do it "by hand" using the Log and a map? A second question is be this: how do you record your catches while driving? I'd like to have a way of recording the TOH of whatever station I'm near at the time. Do you mic the car speaker, or somehow connect the output of the car radio directly into a recorder? Since my family doesn't share my interest in AM DX, I would also consider setting up a small portable radio in the car for this purpose, but worry about noise/reception issues. Any experiences would be greatly appreciated! (Brett Saylor, May 10, NRC-AM via DXLD) I do a lot of taping (as in, just got back from a week on the road in New England with 48 90-minute tapes full of radio to add to the 2000+ tapes in the closet here). Mic-to-speaker just doesn't yield useful results, especially with a wailing baby in the back seat (instant DX test ambiance?), and it's not as easy to wire out an audio output from the car radio as it used to be back in the days of easy under-dash access. So I use portable recorders - the Sony SW1000T (expensive but worth it) and a bag full of Aiwa recording walkman-type radios. That means holding the radio in the window of the car, since there's usually no useful reception inside said steel box. And THAT in turn means having the wife do some of the driving when I know there's a TOH I'm going to want to be taping. As a practical matter, we usually find a place to pull over about 10 minutes before TOH (just as John and Linda Bowker did for all those years and all those miles) and I take the radios out of the car for clearer signals. It's not at all uncommon to find one or two of them perched on the roof next to a Radio Shack AM loop. Choosing target stations is a little more complicated. For areas like New England where I travel frequently, I'm most interested in taping call letter and format changes, and of course (thanks to 100kw) I know exactly who's been changing since my last visit. If I'm driving through new territory, I tend to lean on the maps that I generate from Bob Carpenter's AMSTNS and TVFMSTNS software and DeLorme Street Atlas to tell me what I'm likely to hear at each hourly stop. (This may explain why it takes me five days to get from Chicago to Omaha :-) And none of this is DXing, per se - my goal is to get the strongest local signals on tape at each stop... s (Scott Fybush, NY, ibid.) Oh, Boy a road trip! I love 'em as I'm an AM ID collector. First off what are your target stations? Or do you have specific targets you'd like? One road trip I took was from home in Jacksonville, FL to North Suburban Chicago, IL. I traveled alone, it was on Navy business (going to a two month long school). I had three full days alloted to make the all expenses paid trip. I really didn't have any target stations with exception of the hopes of taping legal IDs every AM 1570 signal witin earshot of my basic route. I researched the stations from a number of common sources. Compiled my list and THEN in my Rand McNally Road Atlas I highlighted each town that had a 1570 station for each state I passed through/near. Since I'd reference the road atlas fairly often, it was pretty handy and I indeed caught every 1570 station along the way. (I worked at AM 1570 in Fernandina Beach, FL at the time, hence the mission...) Otherwise, I'd just monitor my car stereo for stations and mentally note the frequency and stop a few minutes before the TOH, park in a safe manner and on the roof of the van I'd break out my radio recorders in Scott Fybush style (I think he got that methology from me! lol...) and then quickly gather the radios/tape recorders into a tupperware-like bin, cover them and toss the bin on the back floor and resume the trip. All the stations I got basically were pot-luck. There were a few I'd have an ear out for that folks like John Bowker were looking for to improve the DXAS columns with. (Stations that change calls, stations he didn't have, or that he had poor signals from)... Granted, this didn't make for the most expedient way to get across country, but I almost always set aside an amount of my vacation time to allow for this. In the Navy I get 30 days paid vacation a year. I have never hooked a recorder up to car speaker terminals, but have done many IDs mic-to speaker with a tape recorder on the floor that I can just punch play and record without looking away from the road. Usually the audio is kind of muddy, but it's better than not recording anything at all. When the wife is driving I hold my Radio Shack DX-398 next to the passenger window, patched into my minidisc recorder on my lap and I catch some IDs that way too. Sandy and I used to fight over the wheel, but now that I'm into mobile recording of AM legal IDs, she can drive all she wants and we're both happy and occupied on long trips. She is tolerant of my dialing around on the car radio, scouting out stations. I have a recording walkman style radio, R/S AM loop, a boom box cassetteradio, the mini disc and DX-398. Also I have a couple of standalone cassette recorders I can either patch radios into or use to record off of their built in mics. Usually on a road trip when I'm alone I'll record with about four different recorders. Then before packing them away after the top of the hour, sometimes I'll dump the IDs that were recorded on cassette and patch them into the minidisc recorder. It's very easy to edit on the minidisc while on the road. I patch my MD to my boombox's aux input and play the audio over its loudspeakers, so I'm not "married" to a set of headphones. Happy Motoring! (Ron Gitschier, FL, ibid.) I'm surprised Scott Fybush didn't make this suggestion: On my trip to the Lima convention in 2003, I went to the 100000watt website, went to the searches page, the to location listings, picked out several counties along my route, and printed the stations within 75-mile radius of those counties PLUS the AM-FM transmitter map sites. On my trip in October 2003 to the Rio Grande Valley, I did do the microphone from the speaker technique to record Mexican stations along the border ... I was primarily interested in the information from their station breaks rather than super audio quality ... and of course I got a lot of road noise ... some paving methods are quieter than others. Next time I'm on the road (if I don't go to the trouble of alligator clipping the car radio speaker), I'll mark down the noisier roads and petition the counties in which they are located to rename those highways "IBOC Freeway." (John Callarman, KA9SPA, Family Genealogist, Krum TX, ibid., ellipses as published, via DXLD) As far as compiling a list of target stations, I would probadly tackle it this way: 1. I would download from http://www.geocities.com/amlogbook/amlog.htm the complete USA/Canada frequency listing and use MS Excel to sort on State and Town/City. 2. You know the states that you wish to visit and highways you will be traveling on, so look up the towns/city that you will be passing through or nearby to and on the excel list and you have the stations that you can hear on your route. Lets us all know how you make out. This is my 2 cents worth. Regards and good motoring, (James Niven, ex- Aussie, Web site http://www.angelfire.com/tx5/dxamtexas Location: Moody, Texas. (Where the mood for DXing is Great), ibid.) What I use is a matching transformer and cap off the car radio, to a cable that runs to a recorder. Most of the time I just use the Marantz PDM-201 for the recorder, since it's AM and mono. Another trick is that I have a piece of 1/32 thick stainless steel, 3" x 6", that tucks into the window of the car, in the back seat area, and I hang a Sony ICF-42 on it. The radio then feeds another Marantz PDM-201 or the Scoopman MD (Frederick Vobbe, Publisher, National Radio Club's DXAS, 706 Mackenzie Drive, Lima OH 45805-1835, W8HDU Grid EN70wr IRLP:4137, ibid.) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ The field was at predominately quiet to active levels. Unsettled to active conditions were observed on 05 – 07 May and were the result of a high-speed coronal hole stream that became geoeffective on 05 May. By 08 May, effects from the coronal hole had subsided and the geomagnetic field decayed to mostly quiet to unsettled levels. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 12 MAY - 07 JUNE 2004 Solar activity levels are expected to range from very low to low for the forecast period. Isolated moderate activity is possible after 12 May when old Region 596 (S08, L=110) returns. No greater than 10 MeV proton events are expected during the period. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to reach high levels 15 – 16, 21 – 24 and 01 - 06 June due to recurrent coronal hole high-speed streams. The geomagnetic field is expected to range from quiet to minor storm levels. From 14 - 15 May, unsettled to active conditions are possible as a weak coronal hole is due to return to a geoeffective position. Active to minor storm conditions are possible from 20 – 22 May and 31 May – 04 June as recurrent coronal hole high-speed streams rotate into geoeffective position. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2004 May 11 2211 UTC # Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Environment Center # Product description and SEC contact on the Web # http://www.sec.noaa.gov/wwire.html # # 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table # Issued 2004 May 11 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2004 May 12 100 10 3 2004 May 13 100 10 3 2004 May 14 100 15 3 2004 May 15 100 10 3 2004 May 16 100 10 3 2004 May 17 100 5 2 2004 May 18 100 5 2 2004 May 19 100 8 3 2004 May 20 95 15 3 2004 May 21 90 20 4 2004 May 22 90 15 3 2004 May 23 90 12 3 2004 May 24 90 8 3 2004 May 25 95 5 2 2004 May 26 90 5 2 2004 May 27 85 5 2 2004 May 28 85 8 3 2004 May 29 85 10 3 2004 May 30 85 10 3 2004 May 31 85 12 3 2004 Jun 01 85 20 4 2004 Jun 02 85 15 3 2004 Jun 03 90 15 3 2004 Jun 04 90 10 3 2004 Jun 05 90 8 3 2004 Jun 06 90 8 3 2004 Jun 07 90 8 3 (from http://www.sec.noaa.gov/radio via WORLD OF RADIO 1230, DXLD) ###