DX LISTENING DIGEST 4-154, October 9, 2004 Incorporating REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING edited by Glenn Hauser, http://www.worldofradio.com Items from DXLD may be reproduced and re-reproduced only if full credit be maintained at all stages and we be provided exchange copies. DXLD may not be reposted in its entirety without permission. Materials taken from Arctic or originating from Olle Alm and not having a commercial copyright are exempt from all restrictions of noncommercial, noncopyrighted reusage except for full credits For restrixions and searchable 2004 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn NEXT AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1248: Sat 2000 on RFPI http://www.rfpi.org repeated 8-hourly [maybe] Sat 2030 on WBCQ 17495-CUSB [started 6 minutes late] Sat 2030 on R. Lavalamp http://www.radiolavalamp.org Sat 2300 on RFPI http://www.rfpi.org repeated 8-hourly [maybe] Sun 0230 on WWCR 5070 Sun 0300 on WBCQ 9330-CLSB Sun 0630 on WWCR 3210 Sun 1000 on WRN1 to North America, webcast; also KSFC 91.9 Spokane WA, and WDWN 89.1 Auburn NY; maybe KTRU 91.7 Houston TX, each with webcasts Sun 1100 on R. Lavalamp http://www.radiolavalamp.org Sun 1500 on R. Lavalamp http://www.radiolavalamp.org Sun 1900 on Studio X, Momigno, Italy 1584 Sun 1930 on WWCR 12160 Sun 2000 on RNI webcast, http://www.11L-rni.com Sun 2000 on RFPI http://www.rfpi.org repeated 8-hourly [maybe] Mon 0230 on WRMI 6870 Mon 0300 on WBCQ 9330-CLSB [ex-0100] Mon 0330 on WSUI 910, webcast http://wsui.uiowa.edu [previous 1247] Mon 0430 on WBCQ 7415, webcast http://wbcq.us Mon 0900 on R. Lavalamp http://www.radiolavalamp.org Mon 1600 on WBCQ after-hours http://wbcq.com repeated weekdaily Mon 2100 on WBCQ 9330-CLSB repeated thru Wed Wed 0930 on WWCR 9475 WRN ONDEMAND: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also for CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL]: WORLD OF RADIO 1248 (high version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1248h.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1248.rm WORLD OF RADIO 1248 (low version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1248.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1248.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1248.html WORLD OF RADIO 1248 in the true SW sound of 7415: (stream) http://www.piratearchive.com/media/worldofradio_10-06-04.m3u (d`load) http://www.piratearchive.com/media/worldofradio_10-06-04.mp3 ** AFGHANISTAN [non]. From Oct. 1, Internews Radio / Salaam Watandar via Russian transmitters: 0130-0200 on 11795 ARM 250 kW / 110 deg, ex DHA 250 kW / 045 deg 0130-0300 1330-1500 on 15195 *SAM 250 kW / 140 deg, ex RMP 500 kW / 085 deg *on Sunday totally blocked by RVI in Dutch via MSK 250 kW / 248 deg to WEu (Observer, Bulgaria, Oct 8, via DXLD) O, we had assumed 15195 was still Rampisham. Must avoid making such assumptions. Or does this mean 15195 was Rampisham for a while after changed from 17700? (gh, DXLD) ** ALASKA. Esquema de la KNLS, The New Life Station, en vigor a partir del 31/10/2004: 0800-0900 9690 Ingles 0900-1000 7365 Ruso 1000-1100 7365 Mandarin 1100-1200 7365 Ruso 1200-1300 9690* Mandarin 1300-1400 9690 Ingles 1400-1500 9615 Mandarin 1500-1600 7355 Mandarin 1600-1700 7355 Mandarin 1700-1800 7355 Ruso Nota: *Desde el 28/11/2004, cambia por 7355 KHz. QTH: KNLS, P.O. Box 473, Anchor Point, AK 99556, USA. E-mail: knls@aol.com Web: http://www.knls.org (Marcelo A. Cornachioni, Argentina, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** ASIA [non]. RUSSIA: Additional frequencies for Radio Free Asia via Russian transmitters: 1500-1600 Chinese 7525 IRK 500 kW / 152 deg 1500-1700 Korean 5870 K/A 250 kW / 213 deg 1700-1800 Chinese 9950 IRK 500 kW / 152 deg, co-ch R.Cairo in Albanian 2100-2300 Korean 5905 IRK 250 kW / 125 deg 2300-2400 Chinese 9940 IRK 500 kW / 155 deg (Observer, Bulgaria, Oct 8 via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA [and non]. AUSTRALIAN AMATEURS SEEK TO STAKE A CLAIM AT 500 KHZ The Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) has announced plans to request the Australian Communications Authority (ACA) to establish an experimental amateur allocation at 500 kHz. "The best way to do this is to establish a small slice of spectrum around 500 kHz -- probably 495 to 510 kHz -- as an Amateur Radio band," said WIA Director Glenn Dunstan, VK4DU. "The band would also provide a unique opportunity for experimentation with antennas, propagation, advanced narrowband modulation techniques and receiver digital signal processing." A former shipboard radio officer, Dunstan noted that 500 kHz was the international maritime Morse code distress frequency for most of the 20th century. Following the introduction of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) in 1999, 500 kHz use has declined rapidly, Dunstan said. China, the last official user of the frequency, plans to discontinue operation there next year. Dunstan concedes that since 500 kHz remains allocated to the Maritime Service, gaining a permanent amateur foothold there is "some way off," but the WIA is hoping that Australian authorities will grant access to some spectrum there in the meantime for experimental use. The ARRL and the RSGB have expressed some interest in a 500 kHz Amateur Radio allocation. The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Region 1 and various US amateur long-wave groups also are actively pursuing experimental use of 500 kHz. Additionally, the IARU favors a worldwide Amateur Radio band at 135.7 to 137.8 kHz and is seeking support for such an allocation at World Radiocommunication Conference 2007 (ARRL email newsletter via Brock Whaley, Oct 8, DXLD) ** BELARUS. Frequency change for Radio Belarus (ex Radio Minsk) effective from Oct. 1: 1900-2200 NF 7280 MNS 150 kW / 270 deg, ex 7210. For B-04 2000-2300 NF 7340 (Observer, Bulgaria, Oct 8, via DXLD) Radio Station Belarus was heard here in Newcastle, North East UK, in English at 1930 UT yesterday Friday 8 October on 7105 and new 7280 kHz. 7210 was not heard. Best reception was on 7282 to avoid interference from 7275 (Harry Brooks, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Radio Belarus (Radio Minsk), viene siendo reportada con muy buena señal en 5970 entre las 0100-0300 UT. Recomendamos su sintonía con su programa en idioma inglés, que se irradia los días Lunes, Miércoles, Viernes, Sábados y Domingos (UT), entre las 0200-0230, por los 5970, y en paralelo a 7210. Esta última frecuencia es reportada con una muy débil señal. QTH: R. Belarus (R. Minsk), vul. Chyrvonaya 4, 220807 Minsk, Belarus. E-mail: radio-minsk @ tvr.by Web: http://www.tvr.by/ (Marcelo A. Cornachioni, Argentina, Conexión Digital Oct 9 via DXLD) ** BELGIUM [and non]. RVi Schedule W-2004 [sic]: [300 or 25 means kW power when on MW 1512] MW kW kHz Target Area Site kW Direction 0500-0530 English 9590 America (N,C,S) Bonaire 250 320 0530-0600 Nederlands 9590 America (N,C,S) Bonaire 250 320 0600-0630 Nederlands 9925 Europe Moscow 250 248 5965 Europe (SE) Jülich 100 130 15530 Africa (C) Meyerton 250 355 0630-0700 Nederlands 9925 Europe Moscow 250 248 5965 Europe (SE) Jülich 100 130 0700-0800 Nederlands 300 15195 Europe Krasnodar 200 284 5965 Europe (SE) Jülich 100 130 0800-0830 English 300 5965 Europe Jülich 100 ND 0800-0900 Nederlands 15195 Europe Krasnodar 200 284 9590 Europe (SW) Skelton 250 180 1130-1200 Nederlands (zon) 25 17745 Africa (C) Meyerton 250 355 1130-1200 English 9945 Asia + Australia Irkutsk 250 152 1200-1230 Nederlands 25 15195 Europe Moscow 250 248 13690 Europe (SW) Rampisham 250 168 17745 Africa (C) Meyerton 250 355 9945 Asia + Australia Irkutsk 250 152 17690 Asia + Australia Tashkent 200 131 1400-1700 Nederlands (zon) 13800 Europe Moscow 250 248 13690 Europe (SW) Skelton 250 180 1800-1900 Nederlands 15230 Europe (SW) Sackville 250 74 1800-1815 Français 300 7490 Europe Krasnodar 200 284 1815-1830 Deutsch 300 7490 Europe Krasnodar 200 284 1830-1900 English 300 7490 Europe Krasnodar 200 284 5910 Europe (SE & ME) Jülich 100 130 1900-2000 Nederlands 300 7490 Europe Krasnodar 200 284 15230 Europe (SW) Sackville 250 74 5910 Europe (SE & ME) Jülich 100 ND 13790 Africa (C,S) Dhabayya 250 225 1900-2100 Nederlands (zat) 5985 Europe Jülich 100 ND 2000-2015 Deutsch 300 7490 Europe Krasnodar 200 284 2015-2030 Français 300 7490 Europe Krasnodar 200 284 2030-2100 English 300 7490 Europe Krasnodar 200 284 2100-2200 Nederlands 300 7490 Europe Krasnodar 200 284 5960 Europe (SW) Skelton 250 180 2200-2230 English 11730 America (N,C,S) Bonaire 250 350 2230-2300 Nederlands 11730 America (N,C,S) Bonaire 250 350 (via Jean-Michel Aubier, France, Oct 8; Swopan Chakroborty, India, Oct 9, reformatted by Glenn Hauser for DX LISTENING DIGEST) Even tho RVi only has one program going at a time, a total of eleven different transmitter sites are used during the day, none of them their own nor in Belgium, a good example of how the SW relay business has developed, and become so complex (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOLIVIA. 4845, Radio Municipal, Caranavi, heard also in Italy on October 5 and 6. The first time we could hear it closing at 0200-0205 with an excellent signal (S well over 9) and modulation, with a great announcement. Sign off at 0205. The second day since 0130 to 0205 with local football game --- la selection de football [sic] de Caranavi --- and sign-off at 0205 without any announcement! (Giampiero Bernardini, Milano, dxing.info via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. Rádio Inconfidência também transmitindo em 5950 kHz (testes) !!! Caros amigos, Conforme nova escuta realizada hoje pela manhã, iniciada às 0832 UT e até este momento (1310) ainda no ar, estou confirmando o recebimento da transmissão da Rádio Inconfidência, de Belo Horizonte, MG, na frequência de 5950 kHz. Se vocês verificarem, notarão que esta emissora transmite somente em kHz e 6010 kHz conforme consta no WRTH 2004. Ela está realizando testes nesta nova frequência de 5950. Ainda hoje, recebi um E-Mail do amigo Jaime Soares de Belo Horizonte, o qual informa que em contato telefônico com o funcionário encarregado da manutenção dos transmissores ficou sabendo que eles estão realizando testes nesta frequência e que os mesmo foram retomados somente agora por que os transmissores estavam queimados e ficaram parados por trinta dias. Estas informação corroboram a escuta que havia realizado ontem e estou confirmando agora pela manhã. O mesmo Jaime Soares também escutou a Rádio Inconfidência hoje pela manhã na frequência de 5950 às 0830. O Sony continua captando a emissora nesta frequência e pretendo monitorar até que horário seguirão estes testes. Agora mesmo está tocando "Roda Viva" do Chico Buarque de Hollanda com o MPB4 cantando. Mas a qualidade da transmissão nesta nova frequência está muito inferior á que é transmitida paralelamente em 6010. Em 880 KHz não tenho condições de captar neste horário e por isso não posso apresentar uma avaliação. Estou aguardando uma resposta da emissora, a uma mensagem minha solicitando mais informações sobre as transmissões nesta frequência. Tão logo receba esta resposta estarei repassando para os amigos da lista. Um abraço a todos, (Adalberto Marques de Azevedo, Barbacena - MG - Brasil, DX Clube do Brasil, http://www.ondascurtas.com --- Faça parte desta família ! Noticias DX, via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. 4755, Rádio Educação Rural, Campo Grande, MS, está fuera del aire en su frecuencia de 60 metros (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, Oct 8, Noticias DX via DXLD) He had just recently reported it reactivated after some months (gh) ** CANADA [non]. GERMANY: Frequency change for RCI French via WER 250 kW / 195 deg to NoAf: 2000-2100 NF 11890, ex 11965 \\ 5995 and 15325 (Observer, Bulgaria, Oct 8, via DXLD) ** CHINA. October 5, Voice of Pujiang (Pujiang Shi Shen), Shanghai noted with fairly good reception on 3280 kHz in parallel with 5075 kHz. Close down at 1600 UT. 5075 kHz is their winter frequency. 73´s (Jouko Huuskonen, Turku FINLAND, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. CRI in English at around 0500-0800 UT on three frequencies, noted in Europe daily. 13620 15465 and 17490 kHz (Wolfgang Büschel, Stuttgart, Oct 8, BC-DX via DXLD) ** CHINA. THALES SELLS JAMMERS TO CHINA: see FRANCE [non] ** COSTA RICA. 7373.00, University Network Cahuita. 7373.00 mit geringem USB Anteil, deshalb am besten im lsb RX mode zu hören. S=2 um 0815 UT. Die Station ist auch abends zu hören, v13746.44 kHz um circa 1945-2005 UT (Wolfang Büschel, Oct 5, BC-DX via DXLD) Seems DGS can`t control his frequencies; 11870 and 5030 have also been low 1 kHz, tho I think 6150 is OK; 9725 a smidgen low the last I checked, like 9724.9 (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** CUBA. CUBA/EE.UU/ INTERFIEREN SENAL DE TV MARTI EN SANTA CLARA SANTA CLARA, 5 de octubre --- Javier Machado, Cubanacan Press / http://www.cubanet.org --- La señal de TV Martí ha podido ser vista por los habitantes de Santa Clara solamente el día en que se inauguraron las transmisiones hacia la isla utilizando la plataforma de un avión C 130 estadounidense. A partir de ese día ha sido interrumpida la señal de video y audio en la ciudad de Santa Clara, ubicada en el centro del país. Según se pudo conocer, especialistas de Radio Cuba, instalaron un trasmisor local de señal de procedencia japonesa en la misma frecuencia que trasmite TV Martí, que se pone en funcionamiento únicamente cuando sale al aire la señal desde el avión militar por el canal 13. TV Martí está transmitiendo para Cuba desde el 21 de agosto último en fase de prueba, utilizando la plataforma aérea, fecha en que a pesar de los apagones, la programación fue vista en muchos hogares gracias a que el anuncio de Radio Martí corrió de boca en boca y que las líneas telefónicas se volvieron cómplices del hecho (CubaNet News - Noticias de Cuba / Cuba News. "Esta información ha sido transmitida por teléfono, ya que el gobierno de Cuba controla el acceso a Internet." via Oscar de Cespedes, EE.UU, en lista ConDig, oct 6 via DXLD) Geee, those dentroCubans must not have the courage of their convixions, if they feel it necessary to try to prevent people from hearing anything which may contradict them; AFAIK, TV Martí on 13 only flies a few hours each Saturday evening, weather permitting, quite a token (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CYPRUS. Ueberhorizont-Radar. Das britische OH-Radar der britischen Streitkraefte in Akrotiri, Zypern, wurde im Monat Juni 2004 18 mal gehoert bzw. gemeldet. Die tiefste QRG war 14000, die hoechste 21445 kHz (DARC Bandwacht, June 2004 via BC-DX via DXLD) What does this sound like? Note the frequencies mentioned concern hambands, but does it also appear inside SWBC bands?? (gh, DXLD) ** DENMARK. World Music Radio on 5815 --- A reminder - that World Music Radio (WMR) is testing on 5815 kHz (6 kW) from now (Friday 1600 UT) till Monday morning 0600 UT (Stig Hartvig Nielsen, WMR, http://www.wmr.dk Oct 8, Play-DX via DXLD) ** DENMARK. DIRECTOR-GENERAL LEAVES DANISH PUBLIC-SERVICE BROADCASTER | Text of report by Danish radio web site on 5 October; subheadings as published: The director-general of Danmarks Radio [Danish public-service broadcaster], Christian S. Nissen, is to leave his post immediately. According to the chairman of the board of Danmarks Radio, Joergen Kleener, this has happened by mutual consent between the board of Danmarks Radio and the director-general. "Throughout his time as director-general Christian S. Nissen has done a great deal of work in turning Danmarks Radio into the modern multi- media company it is today. "This has been a necessary change which has cost us in many ways," says Joergen Kleener, who believes the time is now right for a change of generation in the director-general's chair. No further explanation The parties involved have agreed not to comment further on the background and circumstances. In a farewell message to staff Christian S. Nissen writes that he is leaving his post with sadness. "There are few other institutions or companies that play a greater or more important role in society and cultural politics than Danmarks Radio. But I have realized that there is no longer the necessary relationship of trust between the board and me. In this situation my decision to leave is the only correct decision - both for Danmarks Radio and for me." The reason the board has chosen to say farewell to Nissen, who has been in charge of Danmarks Radio for 10 years, is that the cost of DR Byen [new media centre] on Amager [Greater Copenhagen] will be at least 300m kroner [about 50m dollars] more expensive than budgeted for. Several controversies However, finances are not the only thing to have come between Nissen and the board. Since the new board was appointed a year and a half ago there have been several controversies involving the director-general and parts of the board. These involved the management of news departments, which programme production should be located outside Copenhagen and the extent to which members of the [far-right] Danish People's Party are passed over when guests are chosen for television entertainment programmes. Parallels with BBC dismissal Joergen Poulsen, professor of journalism at Roskilde University Centre, describes the dismissal as a very sad affair. "No matter what reasons the board give it will inevitably be perceived as a matter of taste." Joergen Poulsen draws parallels between the dismissal of Nissen and the sacking of the director-general of the BBC. That sacking was made because the BBC had been critical of the Blair government in its coverage of the Iraq war. The post of director-general will be advertised soon. Programme director Lars Vesterloekke has been appointed director-general until further notice. Source: Danmarks Radio web site, Copenhagen, in Danish 1344 gmt 5 Oct 04 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** DEUTSCHES REICH [non]. WWRB, 6890, at 2200 Sept 18 [Sat], with American Dissident Voices, SIO 243 (Dave Kenny, Caversham, Berkshire, HF Logbook, Oct BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) So much for Dave Frantz`s frequent assertions that he is making WWRB 100 percent religious. See also USA (gh, DXLD) ** ECUADOR. ``At the end of DX Partyline Oct 2, Allen Graham announced that dismantling had begun of HCJB`s large steerable antenna at Pifo`` --- See http://www.hcjb.org/deutsch/qsl-karten/qsl-1971pifo.jpg Must be antenna #9, an HRS 4/4 for 49 metres, slewable from 32 to 45 degrees. However, this large curtain shares one mast with antenna #10, no doubt the one used for German to Europe (in B04 0700-0800 on 9765), so what will happen with this transmission? Or have they modified #11 or #13 for 31 metres operation? This also reminds me on 6205 HCJB had to leave nearly a decade ago due to complaints from some maritime service (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Oct 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FINLAND. 11720, Scandinavian Weekend R, Virrat, "A weak voice from the Finnish Arctic Circle", 1430-1440, Sat Oct 02, Finnish DJ with pop music, QRM co-channel R. Veritas Asia in Urdu, 33433. This was the best reception here that weekend. I sent SWR a detailed monitoring report and received the following e-mail reply (Anker Petersen, Denmark, DSWCI DX Window Oct 6 via DXLD) Dear Anker, Thank you once again of your valuable work... Yes, we wish also better situation to come, but anyway quite good reception on near areas on 49 mb... In Rovaniemi the station came audible quite late time around 9 UT and was then with quite good audibility until around 14 UT... No signs on VERY occupied 25 mb.... Hope we can find some new more free frequency there... And that conditions will be better in future too (I think it was not the best day even now). New postal address of Scandinavian Weekend Radio is: P. O. Box 99, FI-34801 VIRRAT, Finland (Alpo Heinonen, Oct 05, SWR, DSWCI DX Window Oct 6 via DXLD) ** FRANCE [and non]. JACQUES CHIRAC, ON VISIT TO BEIJING, TAXED [sic] ABOUT SALES OF FRENCH EQUIPMENT TO JAM FOREIGN BROADCASTS INTO CHINA China 8 October 2004 Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières) signalled to Jacques Chirac that a French firm has sold China equipment to jam foreign broadcasts, as the French president headed to Beijing with a large business delegation for a 9-10 October visit. The international press freedom organisation said it had information that French company Thalès had provided such equipment to the Chinese government. "It is regrettable that a French company is involved in setting up a "great wall of sound" that violates the right of free access to information for hundreds of millions of people," it said. ALLISS antennas, known for their efficiency and sturdiness, set up by Thalès particularly in the city of Kashi, in the extreme north-west of the country, are used to jam programmes from Norway-based Voice of Tibet, BBC World Service, Voice of America and Radio Free Asia. This installation in an isolated border zone allows the government to scramble long wave [sic --- long-range? Even the original French version says ``ondes longues`` so this is not a problem of translation but of terminology and inadequate understanding of radio transmission; more below --- gh] radio broadcasts by international radio stations in Europe and Central Asia very effectively indeed, it said. There are understood to be around a dozen further sites of the same type, including on Hainan Island in the south, north of Nanjing in the east, at Urumqi, north-west, and in Kunming in the south. A Thalès representative in China told Reporters Without Borders that there was nothing in the contracts signed with the Chinese that specified the use of the equipment. Thalès sold equipment to the Chinese authorities in 2001 and 2002. Executives at the affected radio stations confirmed to Reporters Without Borders that Beijing has since 2001 boosted its capacity to jam broadcasts. Radio Free Asia for example has to broadcast on some dozen different frequencies. They are nevertheless jammed by a double effect: the broadcast of a mix of thuds and music emanating from long wave [sic] transmitters, with a range of around 2,000 kilometres and from local transmitters, sited around five kilometres around major cities. The French government should draw the attention of national companies to the dangers of selling certain equipment to the Chinese authorities, the organisation said. It would be a shame if French firms became auxiliaries of the Chinese Communist Party as in the case of Italian Iveco vehicles, converted in China into mobile execution chambers. The same applies to routers sold to Beijing by Cisco to block thousands of websites and emails. Although a member of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), China systematically refuses to respond to complaints from the governments involved, as was the case when British Foreign Office minister Bill Rammell visited China in December 2003. Before him, the US public body the International Broadcasting Bureau, responsible for Radio Free Asia and Voice of America, laid a complaint with the ITU, that was rejected outright by Beijing (RSF via DXLD) The term "long-wave" used by Reporters Without Borders appears to mean, in this context, "skywave". The transmissions referred to are on shortwave, not longwave (Andy Sennitt, Media Network blog via DXLD) Reporters Without Borders has confused long distance, with long wave. In fact all the international broadcasters targeting China are using short-wave. Local ground-wave jammers are also shortwave. But the rest of the story is true. Didn't the French also sell jammers to Iraq in the 1990's, which then jammed Arabic programmes from, amongst others, Radio France Internationale? (Jonathan Marks, ibid.) ** GEORGIA. R. Georgia: But what's about the English, German, French service staff team, they produce a program for Internet access or via a local FM transmitter at Tblisi? (Wolfgang Büschel?, BC-DX via DXLD) ** GERMANY. I reported NPR's application for FM 106.8 at Berlin. They did not get it; instead today a shared time allocation has been announced: The children`s program Teddy Radio will be carried from 6 AM to 9 PM while the music station Motor FM got the remaining airtime at night. However, it remains to be seen if Motor FM will use this allocation since they wanted the frequency 24/7. All the best, (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Oct 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GRENADA. My annual October retreat to mid-coast Maine for a camping DXpedition produced mixed results. 535 Grenada noted still missing probably due to hurricane damage; any chance this Caribbean split frequency station may never return? (Bruce Conti, Camden ME; R8B, MWDX-5, wires 75-m east and 150-m south, NRC IDXD Oct 8 via DXLD) ** HUNGARY. Winter B-04 schedule for Radio Budapest: # via RSO=Rimavska Sobota, Slovakia English to Eu 1600-1628 Sun 6025 9580 2000-2028 Daily 3975 6025# RSO 150 kW / 290 deg 2200-2228 Daily 6025# RSO 150 kW / 290 deg English to SoAf 2200-2228 Daily 12010 English to NoAm 0200-0228 Daily 9775 0330-0358 Daily 9775 German to Eu 1300-1358 Sun 6025 12010 1500-1558 Sun 6025 9735 1800-1858 Sun 3975 6025# RSO 150 kW / 290 deg 1830-1858 Mon-Sat 3975 6025# RSO 150 kW / 290 deg 2030-2058 Mon-Sat 3975 6025# RSO 150 kW / 290 deg French to Eu 1700-1728 Daily 3975 6025# RSO 150 kW / 275 deg 2100-2128 Daily 6025 9710 Hungarian to Eu 0500-1158 Sun 6025 0500-1658 Mon-Sat 6025 1200-1258 Sun 6025 1400-1458 Sun 6025 1900-1958 Daily 3975 6025 2300-2358 Daily 6025 Hungarian to NoAm 0100-0158 Daily 9870 0230-0328 Daily 9775 2200-2258 Daily 9825 Hungarian to SoAf 2000-2058 Daily 11785 Hungarian to SoAm 2300-2358 Daily 12010 0000-0058 Mon 12010 Hungarian to AUS 1200-1258 Daily 21560 1900-1958 Daily 11675# RSO 250 kW / 090 deg Italian to Eu 1730-1758 Daily 3975 6025# RSO 150 kW / 230 deg 2130-2158 Daily 3975 6025 Russian to Eu 0400-0428 Daily 3975 6025# RSO 150 kW / 050 deg 1630-1658 Sun 3975 6025 1800-1828 Mon-Sat 3975 6025# RSO 150 kW / 050 deg 2030-2058 Sun 3975 6025# RSO 250 kW / 050 deg Spanish to Eu&SoAm 0430-0458 Daily 3975 6025# RSO 150 kW / 245 deg 2230-2258 Daily 6025 7160# RSO 150 kW / 245 deg (Observer, Bulgaria, Oct 8, via DXLD) I noted the report concerning the closure of the Szekesfehervar site and, like Kai, also wondered if the IBB was still using transmitters in this country. Wolfie could be right --- that the newer transmitters from the site which will close may be moved to the remaining one. And this could explain the use of the Slovak site as a temporary 'filler'. I'm not too familiar with Hungarian radio but I note that TDP lists HAS3 20 kW opened at SZV in 1934 and HAT3 20 kW was added later. So I assume this is their oldest site? (Noel R. Green, UK, BC-DX Oct 5 via DXLD) Jaszbereny B04 --- The complete Radio Budapest B04 schedule shows that only in the 1200-1300 and 1900-2400 periods, on Sundays also 1300-1400 and 1500-1700, both transmitters at Jászberény are in use. The other way round: In the 0400-0458 and 1700-1900 periods Radio Budapest uses a Rimavská Sobota transmitter while having only 3975 from Jászberény on air at these times. This seems to indicate continued IBB relays via this site (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Oct 8, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. BREITBANDIGER RAUSCHSENDER AUS NORDINDIEN Anfangs Mai erschien eine breitbandige Geraeusch-Aussendung im 20-m- Band. Die Bandbreite der Aussendung reicht von 13960 bis 14200 kHz. Sie klingt wie "White Noise". Das System wird ueblicherweise gegen 1600 UT fuer ein bis zwei Stunden eingeschaltet. Eine identische Aussendung ist zwischen 10000 und 10400 kHz in den Abendstunden zu hoeren. Als Herkunftsort dieser Aussendung peilen die RegTP und befreundete europaeische Fernmeldeverwaltungen das noerdliche Indien bei Delhi. Sinn und Zweck dieser Aussendungen sind unbekannt. Die Regulierungsbehoerde hat ueber ihre Zentrale in Mainz eine internationale Beschwerde nach Indien abgesandt (DARC Bandwacht, June 2004 via BC-DX Oct 8 via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL. The holy month of Ramadan for Muslims is approaching, during which many stations in Muslim countries have prolonged schedules or even are broadcasting all night and therefore provide better reception on MW and SW (Anker Petersen, DSWCI DX Window Oct 6 via DXLD) Ramadan 2004 --- Reviewing some old DSWCI magazines, herewith I would like to inform about the month of Ramadhan 2004 [sic]. The fasting month for Muslims would be started on October 15, 2004. Regarding the end of Ramadhan month, according to Arabic calendar which is implementing 29 or 30 days for each month, this would be Nov 14 or 15, 2004. Indonesian government usually made official announcement regarding the beginning and ending of fasting month of Ramadhan (i.e. Iedul Fitri day) each year. This is not a final decision especially for some factions in Indonesian Muslims. By the way, I have seen a software indicating the activity of moon in every day of the year, in which you can see which day has a full moon or total dark moon for every part of the world. I think this program (sorry, I forgot the name) would be useful in looking for the exact date concerning beginning and ending of months in Arabic calendar. Full moon would be middle of month and total dark moon is end of month so the following day would be the beginning of next month. Hoping that would be a little help for you and thanking you for your kind attention, 73 de (Soehartono Ashar, Depok, Indonesia, DSWCI DX Window Oct 6 via DXLD On http://www.tycho.dk I found that the total dark moon occurs in Denmark this year on Oct 14 and Nov 13, but that differs slightly at different places on the Earth (Anker Petersen, DSWCI Ed, ibid.) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. FALL SUN OUTAGES MAY AFFECT AUDIENCE RECEPTION Sept 28 / Oct 12 http://myafn.dodmedia.osd.mil/tv/press_releases/bulletin.asp?id=265&pg=\bulletin\FallSun04.htm AFN audience members may experience brief programming interruptions from September 28 through October 12, 2004, as the fall "sun outage" period occurs. These seasonal outages, which take place each spring and fall, affect all satellite communications including the AFN radio and television services distributed by the Defense Media Center (DMC) at March Air Reserve Base, California. Sun outage-related programming interruptions are characterized by a complete loss of signal for as much as several minutes. The interruptions occur when the sun's position aligns with broadcast satellites and Earth-station receivers. The sun's radiation overpowers the broadcast signal causing this disruption of service. This fall's sun outages will be the most severe between October 5 and 7 (AFN via DXLD) We have been noticing around mid-afternoon some of our cable channels going into sparklies and pure noise for a few minutes, and Cox Communications does nothing whatsoever to compensate for it, as usual. Roughly 2030 UT, depending on which satellite, e.g. CNN; around 2100 the ARTS channel gets the treatment. I think my Internet access also comes via satellite and that may too explain some annoying outages (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN [non]. Radio Sedaye Mellat-e Iran / Voice of Iranian Nation in Persian: 1430-1500 NF 15660 + Iranian Bubble Jammer on 15661.0, ex 1325-1355 on 15670 (Observer, Bulgaria, Oct 8, via DXLD) CLANDESTINE (Iranian), 15660, Radio Seday-e Melat-e Iran. Oct. 5 *1430-1459:30* Signed on with audio problems, programming cutting in and out, just bits of words where heard till 1535 when programming remained stable. Noted with political commentary talks, interspersed with musical selections. Caught a nice ID (despite the bubble jamming) at 1445 as 'Radio Seday-e Melat-e Iran' by female speaker. Rest of the programming remained the same with talks in Farsi, musical interludes. Noted to 1458 with closing ID first by one female, then another by a male. Orchestra melody played till sign-off. Jamming remained on the air till 1502* Best heard in LSB ECSS Detection. Oct. 8, 1445- 1459:30* Noted on this date as well, with similar programming. But with a live audience, speech/interview from 1448 to 1458. Closing announcements and off with several IDs. Orchestra selection to sign- off. Bubble jammer remained on the air till 1504* (Edward Kusalik, Alberta, CANADA, Cumbre DX via DXLD) ** ISRAEL. Kol Israel on NF 13850*, ex 17525 \\ 15640 and 17535: 1500- 1600 Fri/Sat & 1500-1625 Sun-Thu Persian; 1600-1625 Fri Russian; 1600- 1625 Sat Ladino (*)strong co-channel Russian International Radio in Russian (Observer, Bulgaria, Oct 8, via DXLD) ** ISRAEL. FROM THE ARCHIVES - A BRIEF HISTORY OF RADIO IN THE COUNTRY: http://www.israelradio.org/history/history.html (via Conexión Digital via DXLD) 1930y-1996y only ** ITALY. The program Notturno dall`Italia can be heard on 6060 kHz between 2200 and 0400 UT, as well as on 675, 900 and 1332 kHz. There are news bulletins in English, German, French and Italian every half hour (Rumen Pankov, R. Bulgaria DX program Oct 8 via John Norfolk, DXLD) Is this up to date? ** LATVIA. 9290 kHz, R. Joystick (normally a SW pirate station, but this time as a relay via Ulbroka), full data QSL-card (transmitter site mentioned); card is the original design from 1986 and it shows a Joystick. v/s. Charlie Prince. Also included station info and personal letter. In 5 days for a report in German with two 0,55 EUR stamps to R Joystick, Postfach 100812, 45408 Mühlheim/R. September 2004 LATVIA, 9290 kHz, Stör-Sender (a relay via Ulbroka), full data QSL- card (transmitter site not mentioned); card is computer-printed and contains info about the small river Stör. (I would translate Stör- sender as 'disturbing station' and not as 'Jammer' as the op does. But we are both not native speakers). v/s. Roland Rohde. In 31 days for a report in German with a 0,55 and a 0,45 EUR stamp to R&R Medienservice, Roland Rohde, Seestrasse 17, 19089 Göhren. A first E- mail from the op already arrived after 4 days. October 2004 (Martin Schoech - PF 101145 - 99801 Eisenach - Deutschland, Oct 8, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. 4810, XERTA, possibly the last time this was heard was Sep 18. I occasionally checked the weekends of Sep 25-26 and Oct 02-03, but found nothing there (Ron Howard, Monterey CA, DSWCI DX Window Oct 6 via DXLD) Six weeks after my 3rd follow up report and six and a half years after my first report I received a QSL card from XERTA Mexico, in 1998 heard on 4800.7. The QSL is a nice coloured card ``Certificado de Sintonia`` with confirmation text in Spanish; however no date and time of reception are given. Anyway it is a nice QSL after such a long time (Max Van Arnhem, Holland, DSWCI DX Window Oct 6 via DXLD) XERTA: New URL http://misionradio.com (Héctor García Bojorge in Conexion Digital, ibid) And still up is http://www.xerta.8m.com (Jerry Berg, ibid.) ** MEXICO. En la ciudad de México, la XEQ-FM 92.9 La Ke Buena está transmitiendo en RDS el siguiente texto "KE BUENA"; y la XEX-FM 101.7 Los Cuarenta principales está transmitiendo en RDS el texto "Los 40" (Héctor García Bojorge, DF, Conexión Digital Oct 9 via DXLD) I.e. Top 40 --- how boring (gh, DXLD) ** MONACO [and non]. TRANS WORLD RADIO ABANDONING MONTE CARLO From the new TWR-Europe site http://www.gospelcom.net/twr/twreurope After 44 years of operations, Trans World Radio (TWR) plans to close its offices and studios in Monte Carlo, Monaco, at the end of 2004. TWR personnel and program production are being moved into the receiving areas, further implementing a TWR policy that began with the fall of the Iron Curtain in the early 1990s. Tremendous spiritual blessings have flowed across the European region from Monte Carlo, which for almost 30 years was the hub of TWR's ministry in the European Region. For many locked behind the Iron Curtain, the Gospel broadcasts from Monte Carlo were a lifeline of encouragement and hope. "It was God's will for TWR to be there and He has blessed!" says Werner Kroemer, TWR International Director for the European Region The fall of Communism ushered in a big change for the Monte Carlo operations. At that time, Eastern European program production which was centered in Monte Carlo was transferred into the newly free countries. National partnerships were established in the region, and these Partners took the responsibility for program production and listener follow-up. Today, of TWR Europe's 29 Partners, 13 are located in former Communist countries. Another change, which has affected Monte Carlo's ministry, is the changing media situation in Europe. When TWR Monte Carlo was established in 1960, most broadcasting in Europe was controlled by national governments. Today, government restrictions have been lifted in most countries, and commercial stations are popping up all across Europe. This has opened up many more broadcasting outlets for Trans World Radio programs. In order to deal with these new opportunities in an effective manner, infrastructural departments (Finance, Engineering, etc.) were transferred from Monte Carlo to other European sites in the 1990s. The closing of TWR's Monte Carlo office will have no impact on TWR's broadcast activities via the facilities of Monte Carlo Radiodiffusion (MCR). TWR will continue to air programs via SW, medium wave, long wave, and over FM transmitters from MCR sites. In summing up Trans World Radio's move from Monte Carlo, Werner Kroemer states: "Monte Carlo has had a wonderful part in our history, and we honor that. But we feel that God is leading TWR in the European Region on to new visions and new locations. We want to follow His leading." Other offices of TWR's European region are located in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Slovakia. Programs are aired in around 50 languages to Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Central Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East on local FM stations, nationwide and regional networks, far-reaching transmitters, and via satellite. from a TWR-E News Release, 24 May 2004, Information Request, c/o Trans World Radio Europe, Communications Dept, P.O. Box 12, 820 02 Bratislava 22 (via Dr. Hansjoerg Biener-D, BC-DX Oct 7 via DXLD) ``Tremendous spiritual blessings`` ---?? I was under the impression that, as a whole, even in nominally preponderantly Catholic countries, Europeans are far more secular and rational and less ``religious`` than Americans. But I assume there are NO Catholic programs on TWR, just Protestant evangelical (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) see also SOUTH CAROLINA [non] ** MONGOLIA. 7260, Mongolian National Radio, Khonkhor, Ulaanbaatar, 1547-1557, Oct 03, Mong female announcer, pan pipes on clear frequency, but was pushed out by co-channel VOA carrier *1557, poor audio // 4895 also audible under AIR, 22332 (Martien Groot, Schoorl, Netherlands, DSWCI DX Window Oct 6 via DXLD) ** MYANMAR. 5985.82, R Myanmar, 1418, Oct 02, lesson for business English (``I must have delivery by the 5th. Unless you can deliver by the 5th, I will have to cancel the order.``), fair till 1429, when heavy QRM from very strong 5990 blocked reception (Ron Howard, Monterey CA, DSWCI DX Window Oct 6 via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS [and non]. Radio Netherlands schedule from Sunday 31st October [English only!]: 0000-0057 North America on 9845 0100-0157 North America on 6165 0400-0457 North America on 6165 and 9590 1000-1057 East Asia, Far East and Pacific on 7315, 9790, 12065, 13820 1200-1257 North America on 11675 1400-1557 South Asia on 9345, 12080 and 15595 1800-1857 Africa on 6020, 9895 and 11655 1900-2057 Africa on 7120, 9895, 11655 and 17810 1900-2057 (Sat/Sun) North America on 15315, 17725 and 17875 2200-2259 Europe on 1512 (Media Network via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS ANTILLES. Tnx to Swopan Chakroborty and Wolfgang Büschel we have the new AWR B04 schedule, to be run here later, and missing from it is the Bonaire relay in Spanish, which for the past year has been on 6165 at 2300-0100/2200-2400 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NETHERLANDS ANTILLES. On Curaçao, R Hoyer 1 and R Hoyer 2 have left medium wave. Not much is left on the medium wave anymore (Max Van Arnhem, Netherlands, DSWCI DX Window Oct 6 via DXLD) ** NIGERIA. "So VON is on 15120 odd days of the month"? Voice of Nigeria completely dropped their broadcasting schedule and announced a new one on October 7. However, it seems to be still unstable: I heard on Oct.7 and/or 8: 0500-0700* 15120 English to Europe 0700-0800* 15120 French to Europe (announced so) 0800- (announced in the French service:) Hausa, frequency? [11770??] 1000-1200+ 15120 English (to Europe? Relatively strong) 1400-1500* 15120 English (very weak, to???) 1500- 11770 Arabic 1700-2000+ 7255 English Further transmission announced for the French service: version a) 2000-2100 11770 version b) 2100-2200 7255 not confirmed. (Thorsten Hallmann, Muenster, Germany, Oct 8, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA. New translators granted: Ada, K251AS, *98.1, 250 h,v for KGOU *106.3 Norman Shawnee, K251AR, *98.1, 170 h,v for KGOU *106.3 Norman [that makes three, along with one previously reported for Seminole] Call letters assigned or changed: Enid, *91.1, KKRD ex-KBVV, to be gr, $tereo, ``Air 1``, to be owned by [so-called] Educational Media Foundation [gr = gospel rock] Monophonic: Enid, KBVV, *91.1 is still monophonic Enid, KZIX-LP, *101.5 [as gh reported these to Bruce Elving, and reconfirmed as such Oct. 8, monos along with the 94.3 Enid LPFM] Facilities` Changes Granted: Enid, K262BI, *100.3 (from K208BV 89.5), 130 h,v [still on 89.5 as of Oct. 8 --- gh] On Air: Enid, K212EL *90.3. had been off the air [only briefly, we reported] Off Air --- Or Not Yet On: Enid, K206CA *89.1 ``seems gone for good,`` [gh`s comment] but remains licensed by the FCC Enid, KAMG-LP, *100.9 (Oct FMedia! via DXLD) ** PERU. Friday edition: Recording of 5939.36 Radio Melodía, Arequipa Melodía has been "on the road" the last 2-3 years. I have logged the station on at least 5 frequencies: 5940.06, 5995.25, 5996.63, 6106.95 and is now on 5939.36 kHz. On weekdays a "talking" station with news, sports and ads but on Saturdays/Sundays more music and less news. I made this recording 2-3 days ago. Recording together with a photo from Arequipa and "Misti Volcano". Comments and Recordings at: http://www.malm-ecuador.com 73s (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, Oct 8, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOMALIA. TWO SOMALI RADIOS NOW RECEIVED ON SATELLITE | Text of report by Somali HornAfrik Online text web site on 6 October The HornAfrik media company has said that its HornAfrik and Capital Voice radios can be received on satellite starting today. The company says that the two radios can now be heard on satellite in Europe, Africa and Australia. Listeners in Europe and Middle East can pick up the HornAfrik satellite on frequencies number 12207 MHz horizontal, while those in Africa and Australia can pick the radio on frequency number 3551 MHz horizontal. This follows a big expansion programme which is being carried out on the HornAfrik radio. More FM radios would be opened in Kismaayo [southwest], Baydhabo [south-central], Beled Weyne [central] and Marka [southern Somalia] towns this month. Programmes from the two radios were heard [on satellite] for the first time in Marka last night. Source: HornAfrik Online text web site, Mogadishu, in Somali 6 Oct 04 (via BBCM via DXLD) SOMALI RADIOS SATELLITE PARAMETERS DETAILED The HornAfrik media companies web site recently reported that its HornAfrik and Capital Voice radios are now available on satellite. Listeners in Europe and Middle East can now hear the radios on Hot Bird 3 at 13 degrees east - 12207 MHz - horizontal polarization - symbol rate 27500 - FEC 3/4, whilst in Africa and Australia they can be heard on Thaicom 3 at 78.5 degrees east - 3551 MHz - horizontal polarization - symbol rate 13333 - FEC 3/4. Source: BBC Monitoring research 8 Oct 04 (via DXLD) ** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. Brother Stair, with Overcomer Ministries is back from Monte Carlo on 702 kHz. Time: 1900-2000 UT. Heard since Tuesday October 5th. Regular or still tests? Best 73's (Christian Ghibaudo, Nice, France, Oct 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAIWAN [and non]. CHINA MAKING MOVES ON TAIWAN'S RADIO INDUSTRY Asia Pacific Media Network --- Taipei Times, Thursday, October 7, 2004 http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=15642 Chinese authorities have attempted to obtain radio broadcast licenses in Taiwan and to purchase local radio stations Chinese authorities have attempted to obtain radio broadcast licenses in Taiwan and to purchase local radio stations, Government Information Office (GIO) Director-General Lin Chia-lung said yesterday. Lin revealed during an question and answer session at the legislature yesterday that intelligence information indicated that these applications were submitted on the Chinese government's behalf by nominally unaffiliated organizations for the purpose of furthering China's nationalistic message. "In Taiwan about 300,000 people listen to radio programs broadcast from China, and China intends to increase the size of its Taiwanese audience," Lin said. Lin also brought attention to the cross-strait activities recently hosted by China's Central People's Radio Station, saying that the station had already conducted seven so far. According to Lin, radio station employees and residents of southern and central Taiwan were often invited to China to participate in these cross-strait "friendship building" activities. Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) legislative leader Lo Chih-ming also confirmed that a radio broadcast host from Kaohsiung's KISS radio station, along with another radio show host from a Taichung-based station, had been present during the most recent cross-strait activity organized by the Central People's Radio Station in August. According to Lo, the two radio show hosts had discussed the possibility of establishing a system for the simultaneous broadcast of radio programs in Taiwan and in China. The GIO was quick to reiterate yesterday however that simultaneous broadcast of Chinese radio programs at home and in China had to be authorized by the GIO. Samuel Wu, director of the GIO's Department of Broadcasting Affairs, said that in accordance with the Act Governing Relations Between Peoples of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, Chinese radio programs had to be licensed for broadcast before being aired. Date Posted: 10/7/2004 (via Daniel Say, DXLD) ** U K. BBC 648 mystery --- This will only be of practical interest to readers in the UK and Europe, so apologies to others. I have recently noticed something very strange (to me) happening to the BBCWS signal from Orfordness on 648. On the Tuesday and Wednesday of both last week and this, at exactly 0706 GMT (8.06 am BST) - immediately (and clearly deliberately) just after the news - the carrier was cut briefly, for just a few seconds, and then reappeared at a noticeably higher power. What's happening here? Is it switching to a higher power during the daytime? I'm sure it never used to do that. If so, why haven't I heard it doing the same thing on other days at the same time? Or is it switching between aerial arrays? In which case, listeners elsewhere may notice it get weaker, while I hear it getting stronger. On the same subject, I recently returned to living in the UK after a period abroad. When you do that you can notice changes to things that others may have missed, because they may have changed very gradually. And one change I have definitely noticed is how much worse the reception of 648 is in Reading (40 miles west of London). On a common- or-garden portable it is now more or less unusable after dark. Has anyone else noticed a similar change over the years? And has anyone else noticed the signal strength changes mentioned above? (Chris Greenway, UK, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Could you not just ask the engineering section at HQ or Orfordness --- or would this info be considered Top Secret? (gh, DXLD) I certainly have not noticed any significant change in signal level on 648 here in Wembley, although, come to think of it, when visiting places such as Bristol or Basingstoke (the latter as you know is only 17 miles from Reading), reception on 648 most certainly has been noticed to be much weaker during the hours of darkness than it once was, and the change has not been caused by the switch in transmitter location from Crowborough to Orfordness, as the nighttime signal on 648 was quite good in both Bristol and Basingstoke well after Crowborough was returned to its forested state. Your guess is as good as mine (PAUL DAVID, Wembley Park, United Kingdom, ibid.) Just before 0700 UT I heard an announcement indicating that maintenance work was being carried out on the Orfordness transmitter on 648 kHz (and presumably the one on 1296 kHz as well, though that was not mentioned in the announcement). Anyhow, this could cause interruption to services any time until approximately 1600 UT today. Normal service will continue to be available via FM and satellite, as well as DAB and Freeview in the UK. However, no mention of short-wave was made, despite the fact that on a check around 0930, both 15485 and 12095 kHz could be heard here in Wembley, and 648 kHz was on at that time, with normal strength. I do not know whether this situation bears any relation with what Chris Greenway told DXLD on Friday evening (PAUL DAVID, Wembley Park, United Kingdom, Oct 9, ibid.) Re mails from Chris Greenway and Paul David -- 648 is audible at my location in the NW of England at above usual strength at 1000 on Oct. 9. This suggests that they are not using their normal directional antenna and that something with omni-directional characteristics is in use. The same has been noted during periods of previous maintenance at the Orfordness site. Ordinarily, 648 is of little use here in daytime. 73s from (Noel R. Green, Blackpool, Oct 9, ibid.) ** U S A. Greetings!!! The FCC has cleared WWRB to use 3185 kHz for our new 3 MHz frequency. So if all works out, this frequency will be in operation this Monday starting about 8:00 or 9:00 pm Eastern. [0000 or 0100 UT Tuesday Oct 12] This frequency should work well as listeners with older analog shortwave radios or listeners using the scanning feature on digital shortwave radios tuning this range looking for another station close to 3185 will no doubt bump into WWRB very quickly. Our Rhombic antennas are 150+ feet above ground level; this is a half wavelength (above the ground) at 3 MHz; as a result, the rhombic used for 3 MHz is VERY directive. Reception reports in the MAIN LOBE of the rhombic we used report an 'S-meter pinning' blasting signal!!! Well over and above the other station that is using 3 MHz. In other areas reports outside of the MAIN LOBE indicate not as strong but a very usable signal. We are thinking about placing motorized winches on each tower suspending the rhombic antenna we are using at 3 MHz. When we switch to 3 MHz we can drop the rhombic's radiating cable to be less than less than 80 feet above the ground, smoothing the coverage. Before we can do this, we may need regulatory approval and /or a waiver from the FCC (Dave Frantz, WWRB, Oct 8, DX LISTENING DIGEST) As usual on the coattails of WWCR, that ``other station`` on 90 m, i.e. 3210. Well, 3185 will certainly avoid interfering with tropical 90 mb broadcast stations except for the odd harmonic, and I wonder what utilities? Since there has never been any out-of-band international SW broadcasting just below 3200 before, WWRB will be missed by receivers and people starting their bandscans at 3200 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also DEUTSCHES REICH [non] ** U S A [non]. RUSSIA: Additional transmissions for WYFR via RUS txs: 0900-1200 Chinese 9450 NVS 250 kW / 110 deg 1900-2000 French 12060 ARM 250 kW / 290 deg (Observer, Bulgaria, Oct 8, via DXLD) ** U S A. For all the DXers out there. I expect to take WMCA 570 NY off the air some time between Sunday night 11 PM and Monday morning 3:30 AM. [EDT = UT Mon Oct 11 0300-0730] Microswitch on an RF contactor is the reason if you`re curious (Stuart Engelke, WMCA WWDJ NY, RadioTech via Bill Frahm - Boise, ID, Oct 8, amfmtvdx at qth.net via DXLD) ** U S A. CLEAR CHANNEL TO LIMIT BANDWIDTH TO 5 KHZ FOR AM --- Clear Channel sent out a memo to the Clear Channel Radio engineers. The full story is at: http://beradio.com/currents/radio_currents_092704/#clear Here is just a bit from Jeff Littlejohn, senior VP of engineering for Clear Channel: "During those tests, we limited both stations to 5 kHz audio bandwidth and then turned on and off the IBOC carriers at 1-minute intervals. The result was pretty interesting! When I tuned to 710 AM, I heard WOR-AM's skywave crystal clear! Never in the dozen years of living in Cincinnati had I heard WOR's skywave signal. It had always been obliterated by the sidebands of WLW." "Next, I tuned to WLW 700, I couldn't perceive any audible degradation by limiting the audio to 5 kHz. Suddenly, it struck me that radio had lost the battle that was fought in 1987 through 1991. That was the time period when we argued with the CEA, [the] NAB and [the] NRSC about a couple of new AM Audio standards, NRSC-1, NRSC-2 and NRSC-3. I remember complaining about how much limiting our audio sidebands to 10 kHz was going to degrade the performance of AM. NAB wanted to retain 15 kHz audio, CEA wanted us to reduce our audio bandwidth to 5 kHz. In the end, we settled on 10 kHz audio and later the FCC adopted the standard as the new bandwidth requirement." "The goal of NRSC was laudable and was intended to result in wider bandwidth receivers, but the fact is that nobody ever made more than a handful of these wider-bandwidth receivers. Instead, the receiver manufacturers continued to reduce the audio bandwidth of AM receivers to eliminate the 'chatter' caused by the sidebands of adjacent channels. The result is that an 'above average' receiver today has audio response that is less than 4.5 kHz. In fact most have audio response that is down 10 to 12 dB at 5 kHz, and the roll off can start at around 2 kHz." The webpage explores this memo in greater detail. 73 de (Tomas, NW7US (AARØJA/AAAØWA) Hood, amfmtvdx via DXLD) ** U S A. Clear Channel is a huge success short-term. Radio is a business and Clear Channel excels in efficient cost-effective consolidation and mass-marketing. Long-term problems will kill them. People are switching to I-pods, Satellite and the Internet to hear new tunes with much more variety. Time condensing audio processing and heavy commercial loads make drive-time radio unlistenable. Take away all local content and the result is mass alienation. The cherry on the cake: IBOC. Let's make analog free radio technically impossible to listen to! Sirius and XM are sitting on a gold mine! The traditional radio industry could not destroy itself any better! It breaks my heart because it used to be so much fun to be in radio and enjoy it as a listener. When was the last time you heard the name of a song mentioned? In New York City, you can hear songs for years and not know what they are. It reminds me off the old diner routine with John Belushi on SNL. You take cheeseburger and a Pepsi because that's all we offer. Don't like it? Next in line please! I vote for satellite radio to compete directly with traditional radio with local content. The NAB and Clear Channel have destroyed our fun. If we take our ears elsewhere, the worth of their billion dollar business will evaporate. Thanks for listening to my rant. I mourn the loss of my favorite medium every day. Remember when you used to want to listen to the radio? When you looked forward to listening to the radio? (Karl Zuk, N2KZ, Oct 7, IRCA via DXLD) ** U S A. GEE, THANKS DAD --- Brett Pulley, 18 October [sic], Forbes http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2004/1018/106_print.html Lowry Mays built clear channel into the Evil Empire of radio and entertainment. Now his son has to make nice. L. Lowry Mays is a Texan's Texan, rock-ribbed, 6 foot 2 and larger than life. He started out as an investment banker; in 1972, when a client he was advising backed out of a deal to buy an FM radio station in San Antonio, Tex., Mays partnered with a pal and did the deal himself, paying $125,000. In the three decades since, he has built one of the largest and most powerful media companies in the nation, Clear Channel, a much-maligned giant that, in the view of its enemies, is just too damned big for anyone else's good. Its tentacles stretch into myriad reaches of media and pop culture. Clear Channel owns 1,202 radio stations in 49 states, more than any other company; each week it reaches 100 million listeners, one-third more than its closest rival (Viacom). It also owns 36 TV stations and the world's biggest outdoor-advertising company, with 770,000 billboards, 150,000 of them in the U.S. that can be seen by 56% of the country's adults in a day. It controls 105 live-entertainment venues, hosting 32,000 performances each year and drawing 70 million people. In the first half of this year Clear Channel sold nearly 10 million concert tickets, more than three times the gate of any competitor. Many of those gigs were booked by the largest concert promotions firm in the U.S., a Clear Channel unit. "They are the poster child for the evils of media consolidation," says Jonathan Rintels, who heads the Center for Creative Voices in Media in Washington, D.C. Adds Jay Rosenthal, counsel for the Recording Artists' Coalition, which lobbies against the company: "Clear Channel owns so many radio stations and concert venues that artists are constantly fearful of it." Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.), the popular populist, filed a bill that would force Clear Channel to break apart some of its businesses (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U S A. ``The Breeze`` is about to blow away in Amarillo TX, where KAEZ 105.7 is being replaced by noncommercial KJJP, cf format. It`s in the process of being sold to High Plains Public Radio, the KANZ *91.1 Garden City KS folks, according to an article by Marc Hand and Susan Harmon in the public broadcasting paper [?]. ``Amarillo is one of many areas where grassroots initiatives are seeking to expand public radio services by buying stations... There is growing evidence that we can make the most of public radio`s potential, especially in the 50 largest markets, only if we develop three or more stations with distinct formats in each of these markets.`` Mike Starling, NPR`s director of engineering, said that only about 23 of the top 50 markets are served by only one NPR member stations, and 15 markets have just two; 84 million people are in effect underserved by public radio (Oct FMedia! via DXLD) But they digress. Amarillo is not in the Top 50, and until HPPR started translators there, had no public radio at all, the full-power Amarillo College KACV-89.9 being a student rocker, and all the other 88-92 stations being gospel huxters --- well, maybe except for the low-power student station in Canyon on 91.1 which I never manage to hear when passing thru Amarillo, due to range and/or limited schedule. With KJJP, Amarillo could have 4 public radio frequencies if the two translators and one low-power relay remain on the air --- but only one station, as they all carry the same program. Plus KTOT 89.5 Spearman which as we have also noted, gets into portions of Amarillo (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) PUBLIC RADIO TO EXPAND ITS SERVICE AREA By GREG CUNNINGHAM, The Amarillo Globe-News http://www.amarillo.com/stories/100904/new_pubradio.shtml A dying Breeze is bringing greater access to public radio to the Amarillo area. Officials from High Plains Public Radio announced Friday that they have bought out Amarillo radio station 105.7 FM The Breeze and will be converting the station to public radio by next week. "This is a huge deal for us," said Rick Hicks, executive director of HPPR. "It will allow us to provide the very first public radio service for some people in the Amarillo area and improved service for a lot of our existing members." The new 43,000-watt station will be HPPR's full-power station in Amarillo and will expand the reach of public radio to nearly 300,000 people within a 50-mile radius of Amarillo, said Deb Stout, promotions director. "This is going to expand our service into all of Amarillo and also into Canyon, where we've never really been before," Stout said. "A lot of those areas that got a faint signal before will now be getting a much stronger signal, as well." The $1.25 million purchase price was paid through a grant from the Joe Pryor fund with the Amarillo Area Foundation. Pryor, an avid ham radio operator, left the money in his will to establish and enhance public radio in Amarillo. The purchase of the new station is only one part of a long-term plan meant to bring full-service National Public Radio to Amarillo, Hicks said. "This will bring the full NPR schedule to the Amarillo area effective next week," Hicks said. "Our longer-term goal is to be able to originate programming here in Amarillo, so the cultural assets of Amarillo can be shared throughout the Panhandle." The switchover plan calls for The Breeze to go silent early today with HPPR going live on 105.7 early next week, most likely Tuesday. Hicks said HPPR officials are considering converting the lower-powered translator stations that have been relaying public radio in the area to a secondary use. "A few months or a year off, I'd like to have primary service - with the NPR core schedule - on the main station and use these other transmitters to provide a second service," Hicks said. "The working title for that is the Cultural Arts Service, which would be primarily music, opera perhaps, that will expose some performing arts efforts in the area." (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) ** U S A. Format Change: WY, Jackson, KMTN 96.9, p format. It`s ``an amazingly free-form station, very reminiscent of the late KFMH 99.7 Muscatine IA. Maybe the only one left now that WOXY 97.7 Oxford OH is gone.`` [unattributed direct quotation] (Oct FMedia! via DXLD) ** U S A. New Low Power FM Stations Granted: WI, Dane, *97.1, Wisconsin Polka Appreciation Society, Inc. Will be on 7 am to 10 pm initially, with a combination of local and satellite programming. It`ll be difficult to receive in Madison, ``but will likely be sought out by polka fans.`` [another unattributed direct quotation] WI, Madison, *99.1 LPFM --- seven of them sharing the frequency in successive operation. Each group will be on for bout 14 months. They are: Center for Prevention and intervention; Common Ground Church; Cornerstone Church; Health-writers, Inc.; St. Matthews Evangelical Lutheran Church; Sun Prairie Community Church; Youth With a Mission (Oct FMedia! via DXLD) ** U S A. LPFM Successive CPs --- Unbelievable. Seven LPFM applicants knew for nearly three years that they were MX [mutually exclusive] to each other on 99.1 and yet none realized that they needed to reach a settlement agreement! As a result, on September 24 the FCC issued one- year non-renewable construction permits to these LPFM applicants in Madison, WI. All Madison applicants planned from the beginning to cooperate - five church / ministry groups with each other and two health-oriented groups with each other. All seven applicants have three points; no Petitions to Deny nor Informal Objections were filed. We have some questions for the FCC: 1. How do you divide an eight-year license period by seven and get exactly one year (not 57 weeks) each? 2. Seven CPs expire on March 24, 06. Only two of the seven can get on by then. Will the other five get extensions of their CPs (no LPFM station so far has received an extension for any reason). 3. Is it ever too late for an universal settlement? That is, can Madison groups even now file an amendment to enter into a time share agreement? 4. Have full-power broadcasters ever been granted successive non- renewable licenses? CCB has offered to help all seven applicants and in the process will probably set precedents for the future. The moral of the story: applicants should cooperate in advance before getting a Successive Permit (John Broomall, Christian Community Broadcasters, Oct 2, WTFDA via DXLD) ** U S A. FM DX legend Bruce Elving on too many FM translators (over 2000 have been authorized since March): http://www.rwonline.com/reference-room/special-report/04_rwf_translators_3.shtml (via Harry Helms, W5HLH, Wimberley, tX EM00, NRC-AM via DXLD) Viz.: OPINION: ON THE PROLIFERATION OF FM TRANSLATORS by Bruce F. Elving The author is publisher of FMedia! and the FM Atlas book. Almost totally ignored by the trade and consumer press is a massive invasion of translators taking place on the FM band, thanks to a recent filing window by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. Those applications have begun to work their way through the FCC bureaucracy, and are thrilling the construction permit holders with new authorizations that will blossom into relayers, some ostensibly serving a real purpose in conquering coverage and terrain difficulties; others apparently redundant clutterers of the dial, and precluding more meaningful activity by other possible licensees on the channels in question. A handful of religious broadcasters was largely responsible for many of the applications, as well as some public entities and a few commercial broadcasters. Radio World got things right a few issues ago when it suggested reform is needed when it comes to the FCC's next filing window for FM translators. Such reform could, hopefully, result in more filings by independent groups, rather than by national groups seeking relayers of stations that might already have a presence in an area. FMedia! newsletter has been publishing lists of FM translator grants, as received straight from the FCC. Analyzing those grants has been both fun and excessively time-consuming. This article will, hopefully, shed some light on all that translator activity. The National Association of Broadcasters, the FCC and advocates for public and religious media should all be interested. By the numbers The flock of new translator grants published during a six-week period ending July 27 would occupy three full pages of this newspaper at the text size you are reading now. As I write, there have been about 550 more translators granted through early September. Earlier in the year, the translator figures come to about 450 in August, 250 in July, 420 in June, 270 in May, 210 in April and 70 in March (a more typical month). On one day during the FCC's translator-granting frenzy, it announced 115 new translator grants; days of 40 to 50 grants were common. The FCC has been so efficient in granting translators that, in some places, more than one frequency has the same primary station. Thus, Grand Junction, Colo., has three stations all purported to be relaying KTMH 89.9 Colona. They are K224CS 92.7, K229AH 93.7 and K284AP 104.7. Commenting on the granting of more than one translator in the same city to the same primary station is the FCC's Dale Bickel: "It may appear excessive, but it does not violate any FCC rule. If the translator application meets the FCC's requirements, we grant it." Some, such as Don Schellhardt, of the Amherst Alliance, as reported in the Sept. 1 Radio World, correctly point out the disparity in rules and laws that unfairly pit translators against low-power FM. However, sometimes translators benefit LPFM. Translators around Melbourne, Fla., Ocean Shores, Wash., and in northeastern Wisconsin will relay LPFM stations. Because translators are allowed up to 250 watts, it is conceivable the translator frequencies will be more visited by listeners than the main station frequencies, which are limited to 100 watts at 30 meters above average terrain. Too, translators provide a service in improving the coverage of nearby stations, both commercial and noncommercial. That aids the public interest, and is fully in keeping with the mandate of the FCC to grant stations that will better serve the population and land area of the United States. All the recently granted translators are to relay terrestrially- received signals, be they the primary station directly or the primary station as received by another translator's signal. The loophole here is that many of the new translator grants are to national organizations or their sympathizers, and not truly local. Don't listen to one of those translators, expecting to receive weather warnings or forecasts, Amber alerts, local news or public service announcements! Unlike LPFM, translators do not have to do EAS tests, have local public records files or have any semblance of local studios. A concern to the Amherst Alliance and others is that the many translator grants will prevent any meaningful growth in low-power FM. It will little matter if Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., succeeds in getting the Mitre Report's recommendation adopted into legislation allowing for more LPFM at reduced channel spacings to full-power stations and to FM translators. The damage will have been done. A cursory look at the FCC's FM Query www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/fmq.htm l for Honolulu, for example, shows how Radio Assist Ministry, Edgewood Broadcasting and the Educational Media Foundation have apparently spoken for all possible available frequencies. One of the national groups, Radio Assist Ministry, based in Twin Falls, Idaho, has filed hundreds of applications, along with another Twin Falls group, Edgewater Broadcasting. They are identified with stations KAWZ 89.9 and KEFX 88.9 of the Calvary Satellite Network. Radio Assist Ministry is supposedly just that, a ministry to assist local stations spread their signals. Almost all the stations they say they will relay are noncommercial. If the stations get on the air, and prove valuable to the primary stations so "assisted," the primary station would presumably be able to buy the equipment plus pay a $500 finders-type fee to aid the Twin Falls group with its engineering expertise in getting the frequency. For noncommercial users, there is no FCC application fee. Thus the commercial broadcaster is faced with a significant whammy - increased competition for audience and perhaps increased interference from stations not having to pay FCC fees, unlike what the commercial broadcaster is saddled with. 30 a day The FCC received some 10,000 applications for new translators in the latest filing window. Some have been thrown out for technical reasons, while others face petitions to deny, and still others are mutually exclusive to other applications. While there was a recent slow-down in the rate of new translator grants, in the days preceding the writing of this article the pace has lately been up to 30 a day, and it promises to continue. I have e-mailed the NAB lists of translator grants, asking them to urge the FCC to go slow, and to analyze the material for potential interference to their member stations. The NAB did not respond to that request, but, as noted below, an official with that organization did comment on the differences in interference potentials he perceives from translators and low power FM. Some of the most flagrant misuses of frequencies - where more than one frequency in a city is listed as having the same primary - are expected to shake down to different primaries being named, or some redundant translators never being built. In certain cities, different locations or different transmitting patterns might be employed so the primaries of those stations might not be all that redundant. In a telephone chat, Jeffrey Yorke, spokesman in the NAB's office of communications, said that one of his fears of low-power FM, as opposed to translators, is that most station operators are not experienced broadcasters, and might use poor, non-FCC type-accepted equipment. That equipment could create interference outside the authorized channel of the LPFM station. Ads in various radio publications seem to bear this out, although it's not the purpose of this article to point an accusatory finger. Hobbyists who are interested in FM DX, the listening to long-distance FM radio signals, might also be concerned about translator proliferation. They provide interesting targets for the listener with specialized equipment to try for. Conversely, the existence of a nearby translator might make impossible the reception of a non-local FM station with unique programming, or close the dial to frequencies that were relatively vacant, and upon which interesting tropospheric or skip reception had previously been possible. Of course, this is no reason for the FCC not to grant a station - that it might clutter the receiving landscape for out-of-market stations. That might be like telling a neighbor he can't plant a tree because your view across his property would be diminished. An inconsistency with the NAB's approach is that several years ago it urged, quite successfully, that translator "abuse" be stopped. That included stopping third parties who operated FM translators from receiving rental income if the translator was outside the primary coverage area of the main station. It also ensured that primary stations couldn't extend their coverage outside their main service areas and thereby reach into another station's market. The fallacy of that approach is that there has been abuse - mainly by noncommercial stations invading the 92 to 108 MHz part of the dial, and extending their signals far away from their primary market, and as pointed out above, not having to pay a filing fee to the FCC. The Calvary Satellite Network, in fact, has asked the FCC to enable satellite-received translator signals in the commercial part of the dial, not just 87.9 to 91.9 MHz, where they are confined today. Looking at it from that standpoint, the multitude of applications filed by the two Twin Falls outfits begins to make sense. Applications filed on behalf of reluctant primary stations for satellite stations might suddenly become affiliates of KAWZ or KEFX, not the nearby station mentioned in the FCC application. Since March, at least 2,000 FM translators have been granted by the FCC. They deserve scrutiny by broadcasters and anybody else concerned with the integrity of the FM band. The author is publisher of FMedia! and the FM Atlas book. The list of translators granted is available by subscribing to the FMedia! newsletter. Visit http://members.aol.com/fmatlas/home.html for more information. RW welcomes other points of view. (via DXLD) ** U S A. RADIO CALL LETTERS: WHAT DO THEY MEAN? By Thomas Mulvoy, Jr. October 3, 2004 http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2004/10/03/radio_call_letters_what_do_they_mean/# I know that radio station WEEI took its call letters from the old Edison Electric Illuminating Co. way back when. Do stations like WBZ and WNAC, (which was a radio station, too, once), have any such corporate connections? -- Mary L., Boston. There's only one person to go to with your question, and she is Donna Halper, a media historian and instructor in the Journalism Department at Emerson College. Says Halper: "Well, the short answer is some do have a unique history, but in Boston, most do not. Back in the old days, before the FCC, the Department of Commerce assigned the call letters, usually in sequential alphabetical order. First, they had three letter calls, and when those ran out, they moved to four letters, with W for stations in the east and K for the west. Some call letters originally had belonged to ships at sea -- after the tragedy of the Titanic, the Radio Act of 1912 said all ships had to have a wireless station on board in case of emergencies. WBZ, for example, used to belong to one of those ships in the era before commercial radio. Sometime in the early 1920s, a few station owners asked the Department of Commerce to give them special call letters that stood for a slogan. WGN in Chicago, for one, was owned by the Chicago Tribune newspaper, which had as its slogan the 'World's Greatest Newspaper.' "Although some myths have sprung up, WNAC in Boston (which went on the air first as 'The Shepard Station' in late July 1922, owned by the Shepard Department Stores and John Shepard III) didn't stand for anything. It was assigned in alphabetical order (WNAA, WNAB, WNAC, etc). "Greater Boston's first station, the pioneering WGI in Medford Hillside (where Tufts College is) was sequentially assigned, too, also in 1922. Before that, it used ham radio call letters, 1XE (the X stood for experimental, because the government thought radio was going to be a fad). The great old call letters of WBZ, which first went on the air in mid-September of 1921 in Springfield, not Boston, didn't stand for anything, either. And although the story exists that WHDH stood for 'We Haul Dead Haddock' (the station originally went on the air in Gloucester), it, too, was another set of call letters that didn't stand for anything in particular when it was assigned in 1929. Interestingly, the Gloucester station that was its predecessor did have call letters that stood for something: The owners, the Matheson family of Gloucester, originally went on the air in 1926 and requested the call letters WEPS (for Ethel Pearl Stevenson, the maiden name of Mr. Matheson's wife). Briefly, in 1927, there was a home shopping station (really!) in Boston, owned by the Shepard Stores, and it used the requested call of WASN (All Shopping News). "In addition to WEEI, which was a requested call letter and did stand for the original owners, Edison Electric Illuminating Co., there were others of the same ilk. WNBH in New Bedford, for example, stood for the New Bedford Hotel, where its studios used to be. Still, Ms. Halper said, most Greater Boston stations just took whatever call letters the Commerce Department, the Federal Radio Commission (after 1927), then the FCC (after 1934) handed out (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) ** ZAMBIA. 4910, Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation, *0245-0320, Sep 30, Fish Eagle IS to choral National Anthem at 0250. ID and sign on announcements in local language at 0253 followed by tribal vocals. Another man gave frequency. English ID and talk noted around 0315. Fair (Rich D`Angelo, Wyomissing PA, DSWCI DX Window Oct 6 via DXLD) Also heard 0405, Sep 26 in Vernacular with an interesting song in English about the new Zambian Constitution (``People agree that Zambia needs a new Constitution that will stand the test of time. Stand up and be counted. If you are .. to the Zambian people, then go out and explain we need a new Constitution. It`s not about right or wrong. Fellow countrymen and women, in unity we can all be strong. Join all Zambians to support the work of the CRC. Constitution – Information``), into program in Vernacular about the new Constitution and CRC. Assume this was the ``Your Constitution`` program. Fair. On http://www.times.co.zm/news/viewnews.cgi?category=2&id=1094267728 is a story from the ``Times of Zambia``: Constitution Review Commission (CRC) chairman Wila Mung`omba has said the commission`s final report will only be ready in April next year. Mr Mung`omba said yesterday a draft report would be ready in December and the interim one in January but the final report would only be completed three months later after receiving validations from the people on their submissions. The CRC chairman was speaking on a Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) programme, at the start of a series of programmes organised by the commission branded `Your Constitution` (Ron Howard, Monterey CA, DSWCI DX Window Oct 6 via DXLD) This is a good example on how the internet info can support what we hear on SW! (DSWCI Ed. Anker Petersen, ibid.) ** ZIMBABWE [non]. Short Wave Africa runs additional broadcasts to Zimbabwe via the UK from 1600 to 1900 UT on 6145 kHz and via Voice of America from 1730 to 1800 UTC on 11975 and 17895 kHz, and on 909 kHz from Botswana (Rumen Pankov, R. Bulgaria DX program Oct 8 via John Norfolk, DXLD) Hardly. SW Radio Africa may have a studio in UK, but 6145 is transmitted from South Africa; and it has no connexion with VOA`s Zimbabwe service (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 4760, at 0205 Sept 12, unID South American --- public address announcements; some speakers close to hysteria. Valencia and Tobago mentioned several times. Religious program or transmission for hurricane-stricken Caribbean site?? Appeals to listen to national radio; in Spanish, SIO 322v (Tony Edge, Blackpool, Lancs., England, UK, Tropical Bands Logbook, Oct BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) I thought Valencia would be a common placename in Latin America, but per my Times Atlas, the only significant place outside Spain is Venezuela, a city west of Caracas, not that near to Tobago. No Venezuelans are known to be on 4760; the only current LA near that frequency is R. Guanay, Bolivia, which is usually closer to 4761, per Mark Mohrmann`s LA-DX log. Unseems likely to be a receiver image, as there is nothing in particular 900 or 910 kHz higher. How about a harmonic? 4760 could be 7 x 680, or 4 x 1190, restricting the search to even frequencied-fundamentals. Hmmm, Cubans are notorious for harmonics, and one is in Mark`s list on 2380 as a second harmonic, which could also put out a 4th harmonic here, tho a fair signal into the UK would be unlikely, and has not been otherwise reported: 2380 CUBA CMHT R Sancti Spíritus, Yaguajay [1110 UT] Nov 03 C (h)2x1190 Some long dormant standby transmitter could have been fired up for the emergency. There are a few other inactive 4760 stations or harmonics further south in South America, which seem unlikely in this case. It would have been nice to know about this one as soon as it was being heard (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ EiBi SCHEDULES ``Probably, but that`s up to compiler Eike Bierwirth. He already changed the URL during the A-04 season. I`m sure he will post the correct new links on the home page http://www.eibi.de.vu/ --- assuming that does not change too.`` --- I understand that this URL is meant to stay even if the actual pages will be moved to somewhere else. These de.vu adresses are a domains-for-nothing service and always forward to another URL with the actual pages, usually with popping up E*** ads, adding a frame or doing similar things (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Oct 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) POWERLINE COMMUNICATIONS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ FCC TO ACT ON BPL REPORT AND ORDER OCTOBER 14 NEWINGTON, CT, October 8, 2004 --- The FCC will hold an Open Commission Meeting which has BPL as agenda item #1 on Thursday, October 14th at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time. The Commission will consider a Report and Order regarding changes to the rules applicable to Access Broadband over Power Line systems. Amateur radio operators and others interested in their decisions can get live Audio/Visual coverage of the proceedings via the internet by going to http://www.fcc.gov/realaudio More than 6100 comments have been filed on the topic since the FCC released its initial Notice of Inquiry in the proceeding, ET Docket 03-104, in April 2003 and a subsequent Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM), ET Docket 04-37, in February of this year. The ARRL has taken its concerns regarding Amateur Radio and BPL directly to the Commission`s members. The ARRL delegation asserted that the FCC is pushing the proceeding to a predetermined conclusion with little regard for technical issues. ``Because the FCC has been unwilling to release for public review the results of its own tests and observations of BPL systems, the ARRL has no confidence that the draft Report and Order will be based on sound engineering and believes the rush to adoption is unwarranted and premature,`` ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, said in a letter to Commissioner Adelstein. The letter reiterated the League`s key points that, it said, ``represent the minimum protection`` that should be incorporated into the BPL Report and Order prior to Commission adoption (via John Norfolk, dxldyg via DXLD) Full story at http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2004/10/08/2/?nc=1 (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) Speaking personally, I think it may be time for the ARRL to consider advocating the elimination of the FCC. It no longer looks out for the interests of licensed radio spectrum users (users it insists need a license it alone issues!) and has become -- like many Federal agencies -- a shill for interests whose concern is anything but the integrity and orderly use of the radio spectrum. The ARRL would not be the only organization that feels this way (John Figliozzi, ibid.) BPL STATUS IN JAPAN Let me review the current situation of Power Line Communication (PLC) activities in Japan. During annual ham Fair held in late August, excellent presentation was given on this matter at the Japanese Amateurs Radio League (JARL) Technical Symposium. Summary is as follows. Following extensive trials two years ago, the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications (Japan's Somusho) decided not to permit the roll-out of PLC systems operating in the range 2 to 30 MHz in Japan. Japanese studies had shown that emissions from PLC were harmful to HF communications and all requests from PLC manufacturers to operate PLC systems had been refused. However, research activities to pursue less noisy system development of PLC was allowed. After Soumusho's announcement in January 2004, experimental license permits were given to several companies on application. Currently PLC experiments were conducted on the manufacturer's or power companies premises or at model houses in Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Osaka and other 10 cities. General addresses and points of contact are given in Somusho's home page. JARL is talking with PLC promotion group to jointly measure the noise level and other relevant data. All experiments are scheduled through the end of March 2005. We have advised to members to carefully watch the frequency bands for any noise increase around the test sites. We are very much interested in test outcome, particularly those taken by JARL (Toshimichi Ohtake, Kamakura, Japan, DSWCI DX Window Oct 6 via DXLD) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ DTV TRANSITIONAL PROBLEMS This week, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) launched a portal site to encourage people to find out more about the benefits of switching to digital TV reception, and how to do it. The FCC is hoping that within two years, 85% of US viewers will be watching TV programs digitally. As a large, single market with a population of 300 million, the transfer to digital should be relatively simple, and with the economies of scale the equipment manufacturers should be able to provide affordable products. The situation is very different in Europe. Although the technology exists, there are within the EC alone some 25 governments and a multiplicity of regulatory bodies involved in decisions regarding the licensing and timetable for digital services. Some are more efficient than others. In the UK, commercial interests have hitherto been the driving force in getting people to move to digital. But now that the government has become involved, things seem to be getting more complicated. http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/features/html/digital041006.html (Media Network newsletter via DXLD) DIGITAL CONVERSION FOR LPTV The FCC today released their plans for digital conversion of LPTV, translator, and Class A stations. Some quick highlights: - No fixed deadline has been set. They may (probably will) set one after the transition for analog stations is set. This deadline will almost certainly be several years after full-power analog service is closed. They do conclude that low-power stations must be eventually compelled to switch to digital operation - analog low-power TV will not be allowed indefinitely. - A single DTV translator will be allowed to rebroadcast more than one primary station. (through the use of subchannels) It will also be allowed to rebroadcast the signals of *analog* stations. Going the other way, *analog* translators will be allowed to rebroadcast the signals of *DTV* stations (after downconversion). Finally, they'll be allowed to "mix and match", carrying DTV stations on some subchannels and analog stations on others (the analog stations will be upconverted to digital). - Channels 52-69 will be available for digital low-power operation. They will only be available for stations which wish to convert to digital operation on their existing channels, or for stations which are being displaced from their channels. - Low-power stations may request a "companion channel" for simultaneous analog and digital broadcasts. This is similar to the practice with full-license stations, except that a companion channel is not guaranteed. Channels 52-59 (but not 60-69) are available for companion channels if no channel below 52 is available. - ***LOW-POWER DTV STATIONS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO ID***. The Commission feels they can be identified by: - Triangulation. - Information on the primary station. - Looking up the channel number and community on the FCC website. This paragraph is not a joke. At least not on my part. - While stations won't be required to use them, they will get call letters. Digital LPTV stations will receive a -LD suffix; digital Class As a -CD suffix; and digital stations with letter-number calls - D. Example callsigns: W34BR-D (W34BR) KAZR-CD (KAZR-CA) KMMC-LD (KMMC-LP) - Low-power digital stations will be limited to 300 watts ERP VHF, 15 kw UHF. - No digital TV booster service will be authorized. However, digital TV translators will be allowed to operate on the same channel as their primary station. The Commission acknowledges this is the same thing as a booster, but specifies applications must be filed as translators... (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66, Sept 30, WTFDA via DXLD) OFFICIALS WORKING ON AM RADIO INTERFERENCE PROBLEM [Massachusetts] By Nancy J. Zink/ Correspondent Friday, October 8, 2004 http://www2.townonline.com/bellingham/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=99587 WRENTHAM - Representatives from Mass Electric and the National Grid told selectmen Tuesday night they are working on relieving local interference problems and AM radio service should return to the area soon. Selectman John Zizza, a resident of west Wrentham, said he's been almost entirely unable to get AM service since he moved to town nine years ago. He's been after the power companies for the past seven years and recently brought the issue to the board. Zizza told fellow board members that he is sometimes able to get two AM radio stations, which he says barely tolerate the interference from high tension power wires more than a quarter mile away. He's spoken to several residents with similar interference problems and the standard response has always been, "'I just thought you don't get AM radio in Wrentham,'" he said. After working several years on trying to get answers on this issue, as well as getting an insulator repaired on one of the lines, he said he's found the companies' structure to be "unresponsive." "We should be able to get AM radio in town," Zizza said. Michael D. Peterson, account manager of Mass Electric, apologized to Zizza and the board for his company's lack of response. Mass Electric and National Grid, he said, "could have done better to address the problem ... This is not the way we do business." Over the last two weeks, the power companies have been working to fix the situation, he said. "We can't promise everything is settled," Peterson said, noting that he has "realistic hopes" and asked for the board to "bear with him" while the company works on the issue. "We believe we have fixed it," he said. Peterson said there are several other factors that could be interfering with AM radio reception, including the weather, atmospheric changes, as well as cable television lines or other radio users. Mark S. Browne, a manager for National Grid's transmission line engineering and project management, also apologized to the board. He is also hoping the interference problem is eliminated. "It's still there," Zizza said, adding, "I don't think it's just me - almost everyone on the west end of town" doesn't get AM reception. He said he's heard from a Cumberland Road resident that the transmission lines often arch and spark at night. Mass Electric, Peterson said, will be bringing out its mobile lab to investigate the problems in town. "If it's something not normal, then it's a problem," Browne said. "We will truly do our best ... if it's our problem, we can correct it," Peterson said. The board is asking any residents with interference problems to call the town administrator's office, 508-384-5400 (via Kim Elliott, DXLD) UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIAL +++++++++++++++++++++++ Hi Glenn, First of all and most important: Thank you VERY much for all these very interesting informations ! :) Happy DXing! and have a nice day! (Meino Cramer, Germany) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ BIG LONGWAVE NIGHT Last night, Wednesday Oct. 7 UT, great night for LWBC. Huge signal from Europe One on 183 kHz. Also, Algeria with Arabic on 153, French on 252. France Inter on 162, Luxembourg on 234, and BBC on 198 under beacon DIW. All recorded on mini-disc. A friend who speaks French confirms the 162, 183, 234, and 252 signals. 153 was Arabic chanting. 198 was BBC WS in English. All heard from 0400 UT on. 125 foot longwire, Home brew longwave tuner, Sony 2010 (Brock Whaley, WH6SZ, Lilburn, GA, amfmtvdx at qth.net via DXLD) THOSE SOLAR INDICES We often refer to indices such as Solar Flux, a-index and K-index in our reports on propagation conditions. Do you know what these indices stand for? Solar flux is the first figure in the propagation report from the station WWV. This is a measurement of the noise the sun is putting out on 2800 MHz, an S-meter reading if you will. This solar flux ranges from a value of over 300 at the peak to below 70 at the bottom of the sunspot cycle. The flux varies almost directly as the sunspot number. A Solar flux of 300 equals a Sunspot Number of 365, a Flux 67 is close to a sunspot number of zero. a-INDEX - The second figure given is the a-index (a lower-case a is generally used, for some strange reason). This index is a previous 24- hour average of the disturbances of the earth's geomagnetic field. K-INDEX – The third figure in the WWV propagation report, the maximum disturbance in the earth's geomagnetic field during a three-hour interval. The a-index is calculated from eight three-hour K figures. Botha and K really measure the same disturbances but they are presented on a much different scale. In general, the higher the flux the better the radio conditions; the higher the geomagnetic index the worse the conditions become. Propagation conditions have been relatively good recently with sporadic openings even on the 24 MHz band, while the 21, 18, 14 and 10 MHz bands often produce strong DX signals at the appropriate times. It is always a pleasant surprise to suddenly hear strong signals say from California on 21 MHz or Alaska on 18 MHz in the late afternoon while other world areas are not audible. So, keep your ears open. As the current Solar Cycle slowly declines, it is interesting to anticipate how long it might be past the solar minimum for sunspot activity to rise again. A prediction from NOAA shows the solar minimum around December 2006 (Dimiter Petrov, LZ1AF, R. Bulgaria DX Program Oct 8 via John Norfolk, DXLD) ###