DXLISTENING DIGEST 5-009, January 15, 2005 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 2005 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 EXTRA 53: Sun 0330 WOR WWCR 5070 Sun 0400 WOR WBCQ 9330-CLSB Sun 0430 WOR WRMI 6870 Sun 0730 WOR WWCR 3210 Sun 1030 WOR WRMI 9955 Sun 2030 WOR WWCR 12160 Mon 0330 WOR WRMI 6870 Mon 0400 WOR WBCQ 9330-CLSB Mon 0530 WOR WBCQ 7415 Mon 1700 WOR WBCQ after hours Tue 1000 WOR WRMI 9955 Tue 1700 WOR WBCQ after hours Wed 1030 WOR WWCR 9985 Wed 1700 WOR WBCQ after hours WORLD OF RADIO Extra 53 in the true shortwave sound of Alex`s mp3: keep checking http://www.piratearchive.com/dxprograms.htm OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also for CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL]: WORLD OF RADIO Extra 53 (high version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/worx53h.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/worx53h.rm [WOR Extra 53 is the same as Continent of Media 04-08] WORLD OF RADIO 1259 (low version without WOR opening): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/com0408.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/com0408.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/com0408.html NEXT AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1259: Sun 0930 WOR WRN1 to North America, also WLIO-TV Lima OH SAP Sun 0930 WOR KSFC Spokane WA 91.9 Sun 0930 WOR WDWN Auburn NY 89.1 [unconfirmed] Sun 0930 WOR KTRU Houston TX 91.7 [occasional] Sun 1100 WOR R. Lavalamp Sun 1400 WOR KRFP-LP Moscow ID 92.5 Sun 1500 WOR R. Lavalamp Sun 2000 WOR Studio X, Momigno, Italy 1584 87.35 96.55 105.55 Sun 2100 WOR RNI Mon 0430 WOR WSUI Iowa City IA 910 Mon 0900 WOR R. Lavalamp Mon 1700 WOR WBCQ after hours Tue 0700 WOR WPKN Bridgeport CT 89.5 [new time] MORE info including audio links: http://worldofradio.com/radioskd.html WORLD OF RADIO 1259 in the true shortwave sound of 7415: (stream) http://www.piratearchive.com/media/worldofradio_01-05-05.m3u (d`load) http://www.piratearchive.com/media/worldofradio_01-05-05.mp3 WOR 1259 also available via phone feed to WBCQ`s stream via http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=10770 (Larry Will, Jan 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 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 1259 (high version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1259h.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1259h.rm WORLD OF RADIO 1259 (low version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1259.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1259.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1259.html CONTINENT OF MEDIA 05-01 available from January 12: (stream) http://www.dxing.com/com/com0501.ram (download) http://www.dxing.com/com/com0501.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/com0501.html [soon] TSUNAMI ITEMS: ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDONESIA, NEW ZEALAND, SRI LANKA, POWERLINE COMMUNICATIONS ** ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS. AIR SORTS OUT ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR RADIO COMMUNICATION WOES All India Radio says it is able to restore radio reception facilities on its own at the Andaman and Nicobar Islands which were hit by the December 26 tsunami. An AIR spokesman said the station has managed to internally source enough battery-free radio receivers for use at the tsunami-battered islands. AIR Chennai had initially announced the need for short-wave receivers, a request which was picked up by an international organisation and forwarded to the ABU which is coordinating a project to restore broadcasting operations in affected countries. "There is no need for any outside assistance in this regard at the moment." (However), we would like to thank the ABU and other member organisations for showing their sincere concern for the affected people of our country at this hour of crisis," said AIR's director for spectrum and synergy Y K Sharma (ABU Weekly News Digest, Week ended Jan 14, via Alokesh Gupta, DXLD) ** ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS. MY ANDAMAN EXPERIENCE Dear Friends, From mid December 2004, I was in the Andamans and returned only yesterday to Hyderabad. Although I went there for logistic support for the VU4 DXpedition conducted by our National Institute of Amateur Radio, I ended up by providing emergency communications for those affected by the earthquake and tsunami. I could not get in touch via email from there as it was not easily available. All our 6 members who were in the capital Port Blair escaped unhurt. Soon after the catastrophe, I had the opportunity to operate Ham Radio from Port Blair and a couple of days later from Rama Krishna Pur and Hut Bay in Little Andaman Island which were badly affected. I was mainly clearing health and welfare messages as there were no telephones. We used generators and batteries which were charged by solar power. Several days before the earthquake / tsunami we had given a lecture and demo of Ham Radio for the officials of All India Radio and Doordarshan. AIR Port Blair suspended most of it programs and were giving live phone in programs where listeners could send messages to their relatives / friends. This was broadcast on MW, SW and on the newly installed 10 kW FM transmitter on 100.9 MHz. Some photos of my visit to AIR Port Blair, etc. can be seen at http://www.geocities.com/vu2jos/vu4 The AIR web site also gives lot of info in the following site: http://www.allindiaradio.org/Tsunami.htm (More details later) Yours sincerely, (Jose Jacob, VU2JOS, National Institute of Amateur Radio, Raj Bhavan Road, Hyderabad 500082, India, Tel: 91-40-5516 7388 Telefax: 91-40-2331 0287, EchoLink: Node No. 133507 VU2NRO, http://www.niar.org dx_india Jan 13 via DXLD) ** ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS. AMATEUR RADIO PRAISED IN SOUTH ASIA As the tsunami relief and recovery effort continues in South Asia, is said in The ARRL Letter, Vol. 24, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has joined those paying tribute to Amateur Radio`s ongoing emergency communication role. Director and Executive Vice Chairman S. Suri, VU2MY, of India`s National Institute of Amateur Radio (NIAR), noted January 5 that the Prime Minister ``was all praise for hams in India and the entire world who helped us in this hour of need.`` Suri said the administrator of hard-hit Car Nicobar Island has asked NIAR to keep on duty Rama Mohan, VU2MYH, and five other radio amateurs who have been providing communication with the island since shortly after the December 26 disaster. ``The district administration chief of Car Nicobar Island spoke to me this morning to say even now it is only the ham communication that is aiding them for relief and rehabilitation measures,`` Suri said in an e-mail to Jay Wilson, W0AIR, of the Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Response Association (DERA). Mohan, who had received DERA training in the US, was part of NIAR`s VU4NRO/VU4RBI DXpedition to Andaman and Nicobar Islands. When the earthquake and tsunami struck the region, DXpedition leader Bhrahathi Prasad, VU2RBI, promptly shifted the operation to handle emergency traffic and health-and- welfare inquiries between the island and the Indian mainland. More than 20 Indian radio amateurs are said to be involved in providing emergency communication support in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Ironically, until the recent NIAR DXpedition the Indian government did not allow Amateur Radio operation from the islands. It`s since cleared the way for all Indian hams to operate from VU4. In the disaster`s immediate aftermath, Suri said, Mohan and other DXpedition team members risked their lives to alert the chief of administration on Andaman Island, since tsunami waves later overran the road they`d traveled (DX Editor: Dimiter Petrov, LZ1AF, R. Bulgaria DX Program Jan 14, via John Norfolk, dxldyg via DXLD) ** ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS. MORE NEWS OF RADIO AMATEURS' WORK IN THE ANDAMANS News from the Echolink Tsunami Relief Net indicates that a limited amount of health and welfare traffic is now flowing via amateur routes, although there is still a lack of information from some locations. News of the amateur operation in the Andaman Islands demonstrates the value of amateurs providing emergency communications. Electricity and landlines are yet to be restored in Little Andaman, where there is heavy damage. Amateur radio volunteers have been providing a helping hand to the Andaman and Nicobar administration and assisting governmental and non-governmental agencies by coordinating the rescue and relief operations locally, and passing third-party welfare messages. From the original small DXpedition team of five Indian amateurs on the Andaman Islands at the time of the earthquake, there are now between 25 and 30 amateurs there. They have been operating from various parts of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, including a relief camp housing 2500 tsunami victims. Amateurs involved on the islands include VU2JOS, VU2LIC and a team of eight volunteers from Gujarat headed by VU2CPV, who is also a police official. Many of the amateurs are using VHF hand portables for local coordination. Whenever they have messages for the mainland, these are relayed through their HF base stations located in different parts of the Andamans, generally on 7095 kHz. There is also emergency traffic on 14190 and 21245. Please keep these - and any other frequencies heard to be carrying emergency or health and welfare traffic - clear. Thanks to RSGB Radio Communications Voluntary Services coordinator Paul Gaskell, G4MWO, for this report, which was compiled with information supplied by VU2MUE and G4HPE. According to The Daily DX, compiled by Bernie McClenny, W3UR, all Indian amateurs were authorised to operate from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands from 29 December in order to "assist the Civil Authorities in handling the messages pertaining to the disaster". Prior to December, there had been a 17-year ban on amateur radio operations from the Andamans and Nicobars. A detailed report on the involvement of radio amateurs in the tsunami disaster relief operation can be found on the RSGB website at http://www.rsgb.org For a more detailed report on the involvement of radio amateurs in the tsunami disaster relief operation please click http://www.rsgb.org/news/tsunami.htm (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) ** ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS. 4760, AIR Port Blair. Full data letter signed by V.S. Venkateswarlu, Station Engineer, for 2002 reception after 2 postal and 2 email followups. Email of 12/13/04 to pblairpb @ sancharnet.in specifying correspondence for Mr. K. S. Venkateswarlu was answered via email on 12/14 stating that he was verifying the report and would respond regarding its accuracy. Letter was dated 12/17 and mailed 12/20. Letter also contained information about the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and a request for recordings to accompany future reports. Although the station can be heard here marginally a few times a year, this was the only reception worthy of a report. Country verified number 199 (Jim Evans, TN, Cumbre Jan 10 via BC-DX via DXLD) ** ANTARCTICA. QSL LETTER FROM LRA 36 ANTÁRTIDA, 15476, LRA 36, Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel, recibida carta por correo aéreo con cinco preciosos sellos de la República Argentina, todos distintos, conteniendo tarjeta postal de Base Esperanza y carta de confirmación "Certificado de Recepción", con datos completos, firmada por el Director de la base y de la emisora, Mayor Néstor Argüello y sellada con sello de la base "Base Esperanza, 63º 24' S - 56º 59' W, V9411AD-ANTÁRTIDA ARGENTINA". Tardó en llegar 160 días y junto al informe de recepción se adjuntó un IRC. La carta QSL contiene el siguiente texto: "En Base Esperanza, Antártida Argentina, a los 5 días del mes de Noviembre de 2004, por la presente certifico que, la estación receptora perteneciente a Manuel Méndez Novo ha brindado testimonio de la escucha de nuestra emisora "LRA 36 Arcángel San Gabriel", del programa 63º Latitud Sur. Asimismo, hago propicia la ocasión para agradecer vuestro contacto e invirtarlo a seguir escuchando nuestra emisión en la frecuencia de 15476 Khz, de lunes a viernes de 1800 a 2100 UT. Fecha: 26 de Julio de 2004 Frecuencia 15476 KHz. Hora UTC: 2041-2100 Estación emisora: CCA-10 Kw. Antena: Rómbica de tres planos línea abierta Operador: Sargento Ayudante Mario Gallardo Locutoras: Sra. Yolanda Sotomayor y Sra. Gabriela Santiano [2004y]. Base Esperanza fue fundada en 1952, ubicada en Bahía Esperanza; tiene las características de una pequeña aldea polar, aquí invernan año tras año, familias con sus niños, contando con una escuela, la única en el continente antártico. Sin otro particular me despido de Usted. Atentatemente, Firmando: Néstor Argüello, Director LRA 36". En la tarjeta postal, con vista de la base aparece el siguiente texto en inglés: "Esperanza Station: Located on the edge of the Antarctic Peninsula, in the area known as Hope Bay. This station was founded on March 31, 1952. It appears as a small village, composed of 13 houses, surrounded by mountains, glaciers and the sea. There operates the southernmost short wave radio station in the world, LRA 36 15476 KHz. AM 10 kW. In addition, the Station operates a nursery were the first Antarctic baby was born. Since then, seven more babies have been born in the clinic. Scientific activities at the Station include: biological experiments, oceanography, seismology GPS, etc." El informe se envió a la siguiente dirección: LRA 36 Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel Base Esperanza 9411, ANTÁRTIDA ARGENTINA (via Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, DXLD) ** ANTIGUA. BBC Antigua harmonic heard in NE USA Wednesday 12 Jan 2005, 30.38 MHz AM: 1514-1523, BBC World Service via Antigua relay FK97 2nd harmonic S6+ 7 OM with interview of Cassini probe officials regarding Huygens probe mission to Titan, chance of methane-based life on Titan. Good quality audio with moderate fading (Jack Sullivan, Central New Jersey, FN20, harmonics yg via DXLD) ** ASCENSION [non]. Re 5-008: ´´Thousands of pounds worth of presents meant for Ascension Island were sent to Asunción, the capital of Paraguay.´´ --- I read somewhere that this is a quite common fate for letters sent to the Ascension transmitter site (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Jan 12, DX LISTENING DIGEST) One should add ``SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN, NOT SOUTH AMERICA`` (gh) ** AUSTRALIA. 20 METERS INVADED BY PIRATE OPS IN VK A popular international ham band has been invaded by a pack of unlicensed stations. A group of Australian pirate radio operators appear to have set up a voice net on low end of 20 meters. According to the WIA News, the operators all appear to be short haul truck drivers who are using 14.000 MHz USB as a chat channel. The stations appear to be located in the coastal coast areas the Australian states of Queensland or northern New South Whales [sic] and operate intermittently throughout the day. 20 meter operators are being asked to monitor 14.000 MHz. If you hear the pirates please report any information that might assist in identifying them to Wireless Institute of Australia Director Glenn Dunstan, VK4DU. You reach him by e-mail to vk4du @ hf.ro (WIA News via ARNewsline January 14 via John Norfolk, dxldyg via DXLD) ** AUSTRIA [and non]. ORF`s Report from Austria has been confirmed at the following times: 0005-0030 Sun/Mon Am 7325 0013-0030 Tue-Sat Am 7325 0035-0100 Sun/Mon Am 7325 0043-0100 Tue-Sat Am 7325 0605-0630 Sun ME 17870 1305-1330 Sat/Sun As/Au 17855 1315-1330 Mon-Fri As/Au 17855 1335-1400 Sat/Sun As/Au 17855 1345-1400 Mon-Fri Eu 6155 13730 1605-1630 Sat/Sun Am 13675-Canada 1610-1625 Mon-Fri Am 13675-Canada [repeats of the above two 30 minutes later were missed --- gh] 2335-2400 Sat/Sun Am 9870 [South America] 2343-2400 Mon-Fri Am 9870 [South America] (Dave Kenny, Tony Rogers, Sheigra, Scotland, Nov 4, DX News, Jan BDXC- UK Communication via DXLD) MW DX must have been slow that date ** BIAFRA [non]. Voice of Biafra International (VOBI) --- A SHORTWAVE Radio Broadcast Service transmitting on 7380 kHz (on 41 meter band) at 2100 - 2200 Hours UT equivalent to 10.00 - 11.00 pm Biafraland time every Saturday; and every Wednesday (starting Wednesday 10 2004 [sic]). A project of Biafra Foundation, and Biafra Actualization Forum [hotlinks] (from http://www.biafraland.com/vobi.htm via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. and [Ecuador +non]. R. Centenario La Nueva, Santa Cruz, Bolivia is the unID previously reported on 4864.96: "Llegamos más lejos. Somos Alas-HCJB, Radio Internacional, Servicio [total?] por satélite." http://www.alas.org/ http://www.hcjb.org/Sections+index-req-viewarticle-artid-296-page-1.html The latter site mentions the Bolivian on its old frequency of 4855 (Henrik Klemetz, Mailed Jan 8, 2005, to Björn Malm for publication on his website http://www.malm-ecuador.com DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. Re 5-008, R. Verdes Florestas, frequency was omitted: 4865 ** CAMBODIA. Phnom Penh, TV-FM info --- Greetings from beautiful Phnom Penh, Cambodia, or "Kampuchea" to the natives. Everything below should not be considered definitive, but probably as close as you'll get... Phnom Penh TV: (All seen on the hotel's 80 channel cable system which includes most of the Tsunami countries that were hit). Cambodia didn't get hit because the King claims he stopped it. 1. Bayon TV - very commercial 2. Government Station - mostly boring political gatherings, speeches, but occasional off hours of interesting things. 3. TV5 Cambodia - commercial 4. CTN - commercial 5. http://www.tvk.gov.kh (their bug) 6. PPCTV - either a network or one of the above stations that programs informercials with a PPCTV bug. the hotel staff like to switch around channels a lot... Phnom Penh FM: (all in Stereo) 88.0 Cambodian Rock 89.5 English religion 90.0 talk 90.5 native music 92.0 French 93.5 teen talk 95.0 97.0 97.5 English talk and rap 99.0 101.5 Radio Australia 102.0 talk 103.0 Cambodian rock 105.0 native music 107.0 MoR Cambodian rock Phnom Penh is so nice that I decided to stay for about 3 weeks, then fly up to Angkor Wat for 5 days. 73, (Jeff Kadet, Macomb IL, visiting Cambodia, Jan 13, WTFDA via DXLD) I envy you. Sounds like a great trip. I know that TVK is available in the United States. It's aired on the Intelsat Americas 5 satellite (Ku-Band, 30" dish), but requires a subscription, unfortunately. Most channels there start out free-to-air (unscrambled). I don't think TVK did, though (Jacob Norlund, WTFDA via DXLD) ** COLOMBIA. Hola Glenn, Saludos desde Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA. El pasado 12/01, escuché a la colombiana La Voz de tu Conciencia, en los 5910 kHz. Emitía la misma programación de 6010 kHz. La diferencia: el fuerte zumbido causado por su colisión con otra radio en la misma frecuencia y un retardo de unos 5 segundos con respecto a la señal de 6010 kHz. La escuché entre las 0201-0206 UT. Luego salió abruptamente del aire. 73s y buen DX (Adán González, Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA, Jan 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) First report of the new frequency they`ve been trying to bring up for a couple of years. QRM would probably be Ukraine, which moved there 3 weeks ago to North America; wonder how much this bother RUI in its target area? Conciencia originally planned for 5910 to serve NAm and include some English (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. Hola, Si vives en España o Portugal, puedes ayudar a Radio Habana Cuba para que encuentre una buena frecuencia para su emisión hacia España. He aquí el mensaje que nos ha remitido Arnaldo Coro a este respecto y os ruego vuestra máxima colaboración. "Estamos trabajando a fin de lograr poner al menos una frecuencia que se escuche directamente en la Península Ibérica. A este fin nos interesa mucho saber cómo se están comportando las bandas de 15, 13 y 11 MHz en el horario entre las 20 y las 23 horas UT. Escuchan algo de las Américas en esas bandas en esos horarios??? Atentamente, Prof. Arnaldo Coro Antich, coro @ enet.cu Asesor del Director General, Radio Habana Cuba, y Anfitrión del programa Dxers Unlimited" Un saludo y gracias anticipadas (Pedro Sedano, Madrid, España, Noticias DX via DXLD) RHC is already doing such a broadcast on 13660 (originally 13360 by mistake) --- is it not getting thru, or is Arnie not aware of it? 13660 is OK here (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. 1640, Radio Juventus Don Bosco, Recibida carta de agradecimiento por correo certificado, sin datos de la transmisión: "Me alegro de que durante sus vacaciones en Punta Cana haya podido escuchar nuestra emisora Radio Juventud Don Bosco". "Agradezco su atenta carta del 26 de Noviembre pasado, en la que me reporta la recepción de nuestra emisora Radio Juventus Don Bosco". "Gracias por su reporte de sintonía. Espero que siga unido a nosotros y que vuelva a visitar nuestro país". Continúa la carta diciendo: "Radio Juventus Do Bosco es una emisora nueva, pues empezamos apenas el 24 de Mayo de este año (2004) nuestras transmisiones. La emisora es propiedad de la Sociedad Salesiana de Do Bosco, una obra educativa surgida en Italia en favor de la juventud. Su línea es educativa-pastoral, con atención especial a la niñez, la adolescencia, la juventud y la familia, y con un propósito evangelizador. Aunque todavía tenemos muchas metas de crecimiento por delante, tratamos de transmitir las 24 horas del dia y poco a poco iremos fortaleciendo nuestra programación. Ahora estamos haciendo los arreglos para introducir por la red de internet la emisora. Será un paso muy positivo y expandirá nuestra cobertura. Igualmente estamos haciendo las diligencias para ampliar el alcance a nivel nacional, pues, si bien nuestra República Dominicana es pequeña (46.000 kiómetros cuadrados), tiene montañas altas en el centro del territorio; creo que dentro de poco lograremos extender nuestro alcance a todo el país." Firma la carta Padre Luis Rosario, Director de Radio Juventud Don Bosco, y sello de Sociedad Salesiana, Radio Juventus Don Bosco. En la carta, unas veces utiliza el nombre de Radio Juventus Don Bosco y otras Radio Juventud Don Bosco. La escucha se realizó en Punta Cana, República Dominicana y tardaron en responder 50 días. Se adjuntó junto al informe 1 US $, y ellos enviaron su carta por correo certificado. Dirección: Radio Juventus Don Bosco Apartado Postal 4848 Santo Domingo, República Dominicana (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Jan 14, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Esta noche la propagación se está comportando bastante bien y me ha permitido copiar por primera vez la estación. 2340 UT, Radio Juventus Don Bosco, 1640 kHz, se estaba transmitiendo el programa: Puertas Abiertas, por momentos la señal era [de calidad] local. En esta dirección hay mas información y foto de la radio: http://www.listin.com.do/antes/junio04/250604/cuerpos/espectaculos/esp2.htm (José Elías Díaz Gómez, Barcelona, Edo Anzoátegui, Venezuela, Jan 14, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR [and non]. Quito 12/1 2005 *** Wednesday edition: *** Recording of Radio Vision Cristiana, Cuenca, 1330. This station is not listed in WRTH 2004 but is on the station`s web-page. This is a little bit "complicated" but you can read about "Radio Visión Cristiana Internacional" and "Radio Misión Cristiana Internacional" if you visit my ID-page. Comments and recordings at: http://www.malm-ecuador.com 73s (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, Jan 12, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Seems WWRV-1330 is adding more affiliates in LA, preferably around the same frequency (gh) see also BOLIVIA ** ERITREA [non]. Clandestine, 15650, Voice of Delina at *1500-1509 UT. Local pop music with ID and frequency schedule in local language given above it, many mentions of Delina. Then man in echo chamber alternating with more local pops. Good on clear channel. Not heard at 1550 re-check (Mike Barraclough, UK, BC-DX Jan 8th via DXLD) 1600-1800 English ex-15650 Christian Voice via Kostinbrod, Bulgaria? Transmitter site UNKNOWN. Africa target (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) ** FALKLAND ISLANDS. Les informo que el día 1º de Enero de 2004, escuché a la emisora FIBS, de las Islas Malvinas (o Falklands), en las frecuencias 90.0 (a las 2151 UT) y 120.0 [sic] MHz (a las 2159). Transmitían un resumen anual de noticias con menciones a la disputa territorial sobre las Islas; a las 2159 UT se identificó: "Saturday News Review on FIBS". Utilicé una humilde radio Tonomac R-333 y una antena telescópica. La escucha la hice desde la Zona Rural de Cotita, paraje del Sudeste de la Provincia de La Pampa. Saludos, (Danilo Cornaglia, Conexión Digital Jan 13 via DXLD) Presumably sporadic-E catch. What is the distance? WRTH 2005 does not mention any 90.0 MHz outlet for FIBS, but 88.3, 96.5 and 102.0 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FIJI. Station Manager Siti Halofaki sent me an email this morning, confirming my reception of Radio Fiji One, on 684 kHz. It is probably the best QSL in my 32-year long "career" of DX-ing. Radio Fiji One was heard during the KONG11 DX-pedition in Kongsfjord last October (see http://www.kongsfjord.no) --- also heard by HAT in Lemmenjoki the same time. We heard signals on 639, 684 and 1152 kHz with 1152 being the "cleanest" but 684 the "strongest" frequency - although under heavy attack from a monstrous KBRW Barrow AK. I and my friends Arnstein, Odd-Jorgen and Rolf spent many hours trying to get a positive ID and readable levels of this one. My logging is from October 24 at 0945 UT. Hopefully the other guys will get their veries in due time. Awesome!! From world's northernmost DXer (Bjarne Mjelde http://www.kongsfjord.no weblog: http://www.mjelde.blogspot.com Receivers: Icom IC-R75 (mod), JRC NRD-525, Collins/EAC R-390A, Icom IC-746Pro (mod), Racal RA6790/GM Antenna: K9AY, beverages Jan 13, dxing.info via DXLD) ** GERMANY. Just to keep following up on this matter: Berlin-Britz 990 is still off (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Jan 13, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Today an article about the Wachenbrunn transmitter has been published by a regional newspaper: http://www.freies-wort.de/nachrichten/archiv/resyart.phtm?id=738769 The picture shows a warning sign "influence of particularly irritable cardiac pacemakers possible" and behind it the 1323 kHz antenna. Abstract: The citizen action group, founded in 1998, claims that many former transmitter site staff members are sick now. Most of the text deals with the well-known phenomena close to an AM transmitter (modulation appears "everywhere") and the obliging practice of T- Systems to provide for free solutions / replacement equipment to get rid of these problems. It is even mentioned that 882 kHz carries, contrary to MDR Info on FM, also parliament coverage from Erfurt. The first confirmation for me that these broadcasts indeed still exist, like the ones from the Dresden parliament on Wilsdruff 1044 kHz. All the best, Kai Ludwig, Germany, Jan 13, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I just saw a report from Gerhard Roleder about the new 1323 kHz transmitter at Wachenbrunn. Contrary to an earlier publication he describes the rig as TRAM 1000S, consisting of two 500 kW blocks, and gives this current schedule: 0545-1600 1000 kW / 310 , 1600-1900 1000 kW / 220 , 1900-2245 150 kW / 220 (during DST all UT times one hour earlier). (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Jan 14, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. Updated B-04 schedule for DTK T-systems. (PART 1 DAILY TRANSMISSIONS) IBC Tamil Service: 0000-0100 6055 JUL 100 kW / 100 deg to SoAs Tamil Hrvatska Radio/Voice of Croatia: 0000-0400 7285 JUL 100 kW/300 deg NoAmEa Croatian+English/Spanish Nx 0200-0500 7285 WER 250 kW/315 deg NoAmWe Croatian+English/Spanish Nx 0500-0600 7285 NAU 250 kW/320 deg NoAmWe Croatian+English/Spanish Nx 0500-0800 9470 JUL 100 kW/230 deg NZ Croatian+English/Spanish Nx 0600-1000 13820 JUL 100 kW/270 deg AUS Croatian+English/Spanish Nx 2300-0400 7285 JUL 100 kW/230 deg SoAm Croatian+English/Spanish Nx Gospel For Asia (GFA): 0030-0130 9495 WER 250 kW / 090 deg to SoEaAs South East Asian langs 1330-1430 13590 WER 250 kW / 075 deg to SoEaAs South East Asian langs 1430-1530 13650 WER 250 kW / 075 deg to SoEaAs South East Asian langs 1530-1630 9460 WER 250 kW / 090 deg to SoEaAs South East Asian langs 2330-0030 9765 WER 250 kW / 075 deg to SoEaAs South East Asian langs Radio Free Asia (RFA): 0100-0300 9670 WER 500 kW / 075 deg to SoEaAs [sic] Tibetan Voice of Russia (VOR): 0200-0400 5995 JUL 100 kW / 100 deg ME Russian "Russ. Inter. Radio" 1500-1600 9555 JUL 100 kW / 115 deg ME Russian "Commonwealth" 2000-2200 5975 JUL 100 kW / 110 deg ME Russian "Russ.Inter.Radio" 2000-2200 5965 JUL 100 kW / 105 deg ME Russian "Russ.Inter.Radio" 2100-2200 5990 JUL 100 kW / 115 deg ME Russian "Russ.Inter.Radio" 2300-2400 6175 JUL 100 kW / 100 deg ME Arabic Deutsche Welle (DW): 0600-1000 6140 JUL 100 kW / 175 deg to Eu English 1300-1600 6140 JUL 100 kW / 175 deg to Eu English VRT Radio Vlaanderen Internationaal (RVI): 0600-0755 5965 JUL 100 kW / 130 deg to SoEaEu Dutch 0800-0825 5965 JUL 100 kW / non-dir to Eu English 1830-1855 5910 JUL 100 kW / 130 deg to SoEaEu English 1900-1955 5910 JUL 100 kW / 130 deg to SoEaEu Dutch 1900-2055 5985 JUL 100 kW / non-dir to Eu Dutch (Sat only) Deutsche Welle (DW): 1000-1200 6140 JUL 040 kW / 120 deg to Eu English DRM 1200-1300 6140 JUL 040 kW / 120 deg to Eu German DRM 1600-1800 6140 JUL 040 kW / non-dir to Eu English DRM 1800-1900 6140 JUL 040 kW / non-dir to Eu German DRM Brother Stair (TOM): 1100-1200 6110 JUL 100 kW / non-dir to WeEu English (2nd Sun only) 1400-1600 6110 WER 500 kW / non-dir to WeEu English 1400-1600 13810 JUL 100 kW / 115 deg to ME English Minivan (Independent) Radio: 1600-1700 11810 JUL 100 kW / 105 deg to SoAs Dhivehi The Voice of Andes (HCJB): 1600-1700 3955 JUL 100 kW / non-dir to WeEu German Voice of America (VOA): 1700-1800 12110 JUL 100 kW / 100 deg to ME Persian 1800-1900 9495 JUL 100 kW / 100 deg to ME Persian 1900-2000 9485 JUL 100 kW / 100 deg to ME Turkish 1900-2000 9680 JUL 100 kW / 100 deg to ME Persian WYFR (Family Radio): 1700-1800 13720 JUL 100 kW / 175 deg to NoAf Arabic 1800-1900 3955 JUL 100 kW / non-dir to WeEu German 1800-1900 9605 JUL 100 kW / 115 deg to ME Turkish 2000-2100 9605 JUL 100 kW / 115 deg to ME Arabic 2000-2100 11750 JUL 100 kW / 190 deg to WeAf French IBRA Radio: 1730-1800 9660 JUL 100 kW / 130 deg to EaAf Somali 1730-1830 9520 JUL 100 kW / 145 deg to EaAf Swahili 1830-1845 9520 JUL 100 kW / 145 deg to EaAf English 1900-2015 9610 JUL 100 kW / 190 deg to WeAf Hausa 2000-2100 7340 JUL 100 kW / 175 deg to NoAf Arabic CBS Radio Taiwan International (RTI): 2100-2200 6120 JUL 100 kW / 230 deg to SoEu Spanish Democratic Voice of Burma (DVOB): 2330-0030 5955 JUL 100 kW / 070 deg to SoEaAs Burmese Updated: January 13, 2005 (Observer, Bulgaria Jan 14 via DXLD) ** GREENLAND. Re KNR schedule on 3815 as in WRTH 2005: Could Martin or anyone who pulls in Greenland on MW please check this out? I don`t know how your beverages would funxion on 75m, but it would be nice to have this confirmed from overseas, and would be quite a catch! Thanks, (Glenn Hauser, MWC via DXLD) Glenn, we tried for this on the Sheigra DXpeditions in 2002 when it was being reported as active. Even on occasions when all of the Greenland Radio MW frequencies were audible at Sheigra there was NO trace whatsoever of this supposed SW transmission... 73s (Dave Kenny, UK, Jan 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUAM. K57 (KGUM, 567 kHz) has changed its schedule; when we tried to hear Jim Bohannon at 1935 UT Thu Jan 13, it was Bill [puke] O`Reilly instead. Checking the schedule via http://www.k57.com we find Jimbo still on there, but at a variety of delayed times, mostly on weekends, so apparently all five 3-hour shows from each weekday are aired, but some at a delay of several days. Anyhow, this offers some more diverse times to hear Jimbo webcasts, here converted to UT days and times from local of UT +10: Fri 1807-2100 Sat 0307-0600 [only one when aired live in CONUS, and most likely to be preëmpted for stupid highschool ballgames] Sat 1407-1700 Sun 0807-1100 Sun 1407-1700 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUYANA. I'm hearing with regularity Guyana on 3290 from about 0000 to 0400 here in Delaware but their audio is so muffled and low that they are practically impossible to understand. The programs are clearly in English but is next to impossible to understand anything. The only saving grace is the BBC news at 0400 which is clearly understood. Anyone else noticing this? (John P. Cereghin, Dover, HCDX via DXLD) The same thing is experienced here in Puerto Rico (Alvin Mirabal, Jan 13, ibid.) I hear Guyana on 3290 nightly with a very strong signal here in west central Florida. And yes, the modulation is well under 100% and muffled. 73, (Thomas F. Giella, KN4LF Retired Space & Atmospheric Weather Forecaster, Plant City, FL, ibid.) More like 3291? ** INDIA. 4999, AIR-Itanagar, Jan 5 1150-1302, 44444-43443, Hindi and English, India music and talk. ID at 1152 etc. Frequency drift (Kouji Hashimoto, Japan Premium via DXLD) 4999, AIR Itanager on Jan 5 around 1200 with fair signal in Hindi. May be moved from 4990 kHz. The next day on Jan 6, appeared on 4990 kHz as usual. 4971, AIR Shillong on Jan 5 around 1230 with fair in English. On Jan 4, appeared just on 4970 kHz (Masahiro Umemura, Toyama, Japan, JH9RUI, BC-DX Jan 9 via DXLD) 4971, AIR Shillong, Jan 11, 1445 English program of pop songs (Police, “Every Breath You Take”; Eagles, “Take It Easy”; Celine Dion, etc), weak. Seems to have settled in to being slightly off frequency (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, NRD545, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. 9524.95, VOI, Jan 15, 0944-1005, news in Indonesian, pop music, e-mail address given: voi@rri-online.com talking about the tsunami. Very good reception. Believe this had been off the air since about Nov (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, NRD545, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 3961.11, RRI Palu (presumed) at 1428-1438 UT. Mellow Indo vocal music; announcements in soft voice unreadable. Fair/poor with Ham QRM. This has been drifting slowly upwards over the past three years. A check of the logbook shows them on 3959.87 in May '02; in April '03 on 3960.32; in Feb '04 on 3960.89 kHz (John Wilkins, CO, DXplorer Jan 4/5 via BC- DX via DXLD) ** INDONESIA: RADIO STATIONS TO BE REBUILT BY END OF JANUARY BY 68H NEWS RADIO | Text of report by Apriadi Gunawan published by Indonesian newspaper The Jakarta Post web site on 8 January Four radio stations destroyed by the quake-triggered tidal waves in Banda Aceh will be rebuilt by 68H news radio station, and by the end of this month, at least two of them will be back on air. The four radio stations are Muhammadiyah and Prima FM radios in Banda Aceh, Dalka radio in Meulaboh and Megaphone in Sigli. Santoso, director of 68H radio, said on Thursday [6 January] that the plan would require some 1.2bn rupiahs [129,200 US dollars], and that would given to them by US-based Media Development Loan Fund that has entrusted his station to coordinate the work. "We'll only work as the technical team responsible to rebuild the four radio stations," said Santoso when contacted by phone. He said the work would be started on Thursday and done in stages. In the first phase they will rebuild Muhammadiyah and Prima FM in Banda Aceh, and for that, 15 technicians from 68H were sent from Jakarta. "Today (Thursday), the 15 technicians arrived in Banda Aceh. We assume that the reconstruction of the two stations can be finished by the end of this month," Santoso said. According to Santoso, once the reconstruction of the two radio stations in Banda Aceh was done, the next job would be rebuilding Dalka radio station in Meulaboh. The work on Dalka radio station is expected to start in February, and after it is completed, the next target is Megaphone radio in Sigli. "The reconstruction of the radio stations is intended to restore communication for the Acehnese, after it was destroyed during the disaster," Santoso said. Moreover, the reconstruction would also serve as a means of healing, and could be a way to assist surviving victims, so they can find their missing relatives, he said. After the work is done on the first four radio stations, there is a plan to rebuild other damaged stations in Simelue, Meulaboh and Banda Aceh. All those costs in the latter project will be covered by donations from radio stations in the Netherlands and Germany. Source: The Jakarta Post web site, Jakarta, in English 8 Jan 05 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** INDONESIA. INFORMATION RADIO STATION SET UP IN BANDA ACEH | Excerpt from report by Indonesian Hidayatullah web site on on 11 January A radio station has been set up [in Banda Aceh] through the cooperative efforts of Muhammadiyah [radio station] and the Radio News Office (KBR Jakarta), and funded by The Asia Foundation (TAF). The radio began broadcasting on 7 January 2005 at 1400 local time. [Passage omitted - unrelated detail] Apart from spiritual sermons, other programmes broadcast by Muhammadiyah Radio included information about missing people, health, psychological consultations, news reports and music, among others. [Passage omitted - repetitive] However, owing to the shortage of radios in Banda Aceh, the 68H KBR team also positioned radios and speakers at several refugee sites. On Monday [10 January], 30 radios and speakers had been distributed across several refugee sites. [Passage omitted] Source: Hidayatullah web site, Jakarta, in Indonesian 11 Jan (via BBCM via DXLD) ** ISRAEL. POLICE CLOSE ULTRA-ORTHODOX PIRATE RADIO STATIONS IN JERUSALEM | Text of report in English by Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post on 13 January Communication Ministry officials accompanied by police officers blitzed two pirate Haredi [the most conservative form of Judaism, often referred to as ultra-Orthodox] radio stations in Jerusalem Tuesday [11 January], detaining two [presumably disc] jockeys for questioning and confiscating broadcasting equipment. David Hacham of Kol Ha'emet [Voice of Truth], one of the two stations that were shut down, blamed Hakol Haredi, a legitimate cell-phone station, for blowing the whistle. "I won't stop until I get revenge," said Hacham. MK [Member of the Knesset] Nissim Ze'ev (SHAS) [Shomrei Torah Sephardim-Sephardi Torah Guardians party], called the move "dictatorial" and "shutting the Haredi mouth." He claimed Kol Ha'emet broadcast only via internet, but the ministry said radio broadcast equipment had been found. Radio Kol Hai [Radio Voice of Life] is the only legal Haredi station. Source: The Jerusalem Post in English 13 Jan 05 p 4 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** ISRAEL [non]. GEORGIAN BUSINESSMAN TO LEAD INTERNATIONAL JEWISH TV PROJECT | Excerpt from report by Georgian Imedi TV on 12 January [Presenter] World Jewish Television, which has been founded in Jerusalem, will be led by a Georgian citizen. The president of the Georgian Business Federation and the Georgian Olympic Committee, Badri Patarkatsishvili, was today chosen president of World Jewish Television at a World Jewish Congress assembly in Jerusalem. The television station will have its head office in New York and will start broadcasting shortly. [Passage omitted] [Correspondent] Badri Patarkatsishvili says that this will be a television station with the most difficult mission in the world, which will include dealing with the problem of Israeli-Palestinian relations. [Passage omitted] [Patarkatsishvili, interviewed] This will be a very special process, which will probably require some time. The [television station's] head office will be in New York. It will broadcast to all continents. I would rather not go into too much detail because, in general, I always prefer discussing things that have already been done. Probably we will all be able to see how beneficial this new television station is for everyone. I have also met my friend Shimon Peres and congratulated him on his new job [as deputy prime minister]. I think that this is a major step forward. I think that this will be beneficial for Israel and the Jewish people. The policies Mr Peres has been trying to pursue all his life are clearly orientated towards peace. I think that they will help promote the settlement of relations between Palestine and Israel. [Passage omitted] Source: Imedi TV, Tbilisi, in Georgian 1900 gmt 12 Jan 05 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** KATANGA. Re 5-008: I'm curious about Katanga (Lubumbashi) being on 7205. Seems like they used to be reported up on 7435. When was the switch? In checking my records I have a QSL from Lubumbashi on 7203 back in 1990. However, the most recent records from BDXC list them on 7435, that is why I'm asking the question about 7205 being in current use. [still on 7435 in WRTH 2005, PWBR 2005] [Later:] I'm not really sure what is there after 1930 when apparent Turkey signs off. I do see Iran listed there in Russian from 1930-2030 to Eastern Europe (EiBi), and I was able to hear what certainly seemed to be Kor`anic recitations. I'm not sure what Mark was hearing, but it almost seems like it may be Iran as even my 70' N-S wire hears it better than the 200' W-E wire which would generally work better toward Africa. And at least at 2030 the BBC comes on in presumed Portuguese (Steve Lare, Holland, MI, USA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KOREA NORTH. B-04 update of the update! Thanks to Ivo Ivanov-BUL, Arabic is still on VOK B-04 schedule, now broadcast at 1500 and 1700 UT. Checked also odd/even frequencies on Jan 12/13. See comments below. 1300-1600 UT not on air: 11710 & 12015 kHz (wb) B-04 Voice of Korea, Pyongyang, effective as from Jan 1st, 2005 [with further revisions] 0000 Chinese 13650 15100 SoEaAS 4405 0000 Korean (PBS) 7140 9345 9730 NoEaCHN 3560 0000 Spanish 11735 13760 15180 CeAM 0100 English 7140 9345 9730 NoEaCHN 3560 0100 English 11735 13760 15180 CeAM 0100 French 13650 15100 SoEaAS 4405 0200 Chinese 7140 9345 9730 NoEaCHN 3560 0200 English 13650 15100 SoEaAS 4405 0200 Spanish 11735 13760 15180 CeAM 0300 Chinese 13650 15100 SoEaAS 4405 0300 English 7140 9345 9730 NoEaCHN 3560 0300 French 11735 13760 15180 CeAM 0700 Japanese 621 3250 7580 9650 JPN 0700 Korean (PBS) 7140 9345 NoEaCHN 4405 0700 Russian 9975 11735 FE 3560 0700 Russian 13760 15245 Eu 0800 Chinese 7140 9345 NoEaCHN 4405 0800 Japanese 621 3250 7580 9650 JPN 0800 Russian 9975 11735 FE 3560 0800 Russian 13760 15245 Eu 0900 Japanese 621 3250 6070 7580 9650 JPN 0900 Korean (KCBS) 7140 9345 NoEaCHN 4405 0900 Korean (PBS) 9975 11735 FE 3560 0900 Korean (PBS) 13760 15245 Eu 1000 English 9335 9850 CeAM # 9335.12 1000 English 6185 6285 SoEaAS 3560 1000 Japanese 621 3250 6070 7580# 9650# JPN 1000 Korean (PBS) 7140# 9345 NoEaCHN 4405 # 9345.26 1100 Chinese 7140 9345 CHN 4405 1100 French 9335 9850 CeAM 1100 French 6185 6285 SoEaAS 3560 1100 Japanese 621 3250 6070 7580 9650 JPN 1200 Japanese 621 3250 6070 7580 9650 JPN 1200 Korean (KCBS) 9335 9850 CeAM 1200 Korean (KCBS) 6185 6285 SoEaAS 3560 1200 Korean (PBS) 7140 9345 NoEaCHN 4405 1300 Chinese 6185 9850 SoEaAS 3560 # 9850.04 1300 English 7570 12015 WEu 4405 # 7570.05 1300 English 9335 11710 NoAM # 9335.07 1300 Korean (PBS) 6285 9325 Eu # 9325.10 1400 French 7570# 12015 WEu 4405 1400 French 9335 11710 NoAM # 9335.20 1400 Korean (KCBS) 6185# 9850# SoEaAS 3560 1400 Russian 6285# 9325# Eu 1500 Arabic 9990 11545 (x9975 x11535) ME, NAf 3560 # 9990.04 11545.20 1500 English 7570 12015 WEu 4405 # 7570.03 1500 English 9335 11710 NoAM # 9334.93 1500 Russian 6285# 9325# Eu 1600 German 6285# 9325# Eu 1600 English 9990 11545 (x9975 x11535) ME, NAf 3560 1600 French 7570 12015 WEu 4405 1600 French 9335 11710 NoAM 1700 Korean (KCBS) 7570 12015 WEu 4405 1700 Korean (KCBS) 9335 11710 NoAM 1700 Russian 6285 9325 Eu 1700 Arabic 9990 11545 ME, NAf 3560 (xSpanish x9975 x11535) 1800 German 6285# 9325 Eu # 9325.04 1800 French 7100# 11910 (x11710) SAf # 11910.05 1800 French 9975 11535 ME, NAf 3560 # 9975.03 11535.09 1800 English (xSpanish) 7570 12015# WEu 4405 # 7570.04 1900 English 7100# 11910 SAf (x1900 Arabic x7100 x11710 SAf) 1900 English (xArabic) 9975 11535 ME, NAf 3560 # 9975.04 11535.12 1900 Spanish (xEnglish) 7570 12015# WEu 4405 # 7570.05 1900 German 6285# 9325 Eu # 9325.04 2000 French 7570 12015# WEu 4405 # 7570.06 2000 Korean (KCBS) 7100# 11910 (x11710) SAf 2000 Korean (KCBS) 6285# 9325 Eu # 9325.04 2000 Korean (KCBS) 9975 11535 ME, NAf 3560 # 9975.03 11534.95 2100 Chinese 7180 9345 NoEaCHN 3560 2100 Chinese 9975 11535 CHN 2100 English 7570 12015 WEu 4405 2100 Japanese 621 3250 7580 9650 JPN 2200 Chinese 7180 9345 NoEaCHN 3560 2200 Chinese 9975 11535 CHN 2200 Japanese 621 3250 7580 9650 JPN 2200 Spanish 7570 12015 WEu 4405 2300 Japanese 621 3250 7580 9650 JPN 2300 Korean (KCBS) 7180 9345 NoEaCHN 3560 2300 Korean (KCBS) 7570 12015 WEu 4405 2300 Korean (KCBS) 9975 11535 CHN 80 program sections to various targets. Target Voice of Korea B-04 schedule, Pyongyang. CeAM CeAmerica CHN China Eu Europe FE Far East JPN Japan ME Middle East NAf NoAfrica NoAM NoAmerica NoEaCHN NorthEast China SAf SoAfrica SAm SoAmerica SoEaAS SouthEast Asia WEu Western Europe # checked ODD frequencies on Jan 12/13 by wb. (thanks to Ivo Ivanov- BUL, Nagoya DXC-JPN; Arnulf Piontek-D; wb, BC-DX Jan 13 via DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH. NORTH KOREA OPPOSES MENACE OF LONG HAIR FOREIGN STAFF http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=26572005 NORTH Korea has launched an intensive media assault on its latest enemy - long hair. A campaign exhorting men to get a short-back-and- sides has been aired by state-run television. The series is entitled Let us Trim our Hair in Accordance with Socialist Lifestyle. While the campaign has been carried out primarily on television, reports have appeared in North Korean press and radio, urging tidy hairstyles and proper attire. It is the strongest media campaign against men`s sloppy appearances mounted in the reclusive and impoverished communist state. The propaganda drive on grooming standards has gone a stage further than previous attempts. This time television identifies specific individuals deemed too shoddy. It stressed the "negative effects" of long hair on "human intelligence development", noting that long hair "consumes a great deal of nutrition" and could thus rob the brain of energy (via Brock Whaley, DXLD) ** KURDISTAN. IRAQ: KURDISH ELECTION WEB SITE LAUNCHED | Text of report entitled "Kurdish election web site has been launched", published by Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) newspaper Kurdistani Nuwe on 11 January As the general election in Kurdistan and Iraq is drawing near, a new web site in Kurdish, http://www.helbijardin.com has been launched. The website aims to inform the people of Kurdistan and the Iraqi people, inside the country and abroad, about the election campaign of the Democratic National List [for Kurdistan National Assembly elections] and the Kurdistan Coalition List [for Iraqi general elections]. The web site will carry all manifestos and documents related to the election campaign. You can access the site and contact us by logging on to: info @ helbijardin.com The Joint Higher Information Committee, part of the [Kurdistan] Joint Higher Committee for Elections. Source: Kurdistani Nuwe, Al-Sulaymaniyah, in Sorani Kurdish 11 Jan 05 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** LIBYA [non]. Three Libyan programs are broadcast from transmitters in France: Radio ``Great Jamahyria``, ``Istiklal Sudan`` and ``Voice of Africa.`` The latter broadcasts from 10 to 1230 and from 1715 to 2130 on 9485, 11635, 11715, 11860, 15220, 15615, 15660, 17695, 21485 and 21695 kHz and on medium wave from 711 and 1251 kHz (Rumen Pankov, R. Bulgaria DX Jan 14 via John Norfolk, dxldyg via DXLD) ** LUXEMBOURG. 1440 has a regular silent period at 0003-0030 (slightly variable). This period is used for tests as necessary and is otherwise silent, at least for the time being. The big racket starts about 0030 (Olle Alm, Sweden, Jan 13, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hmm. Just as I had sent this note after hearing the silent period for several nights they apparently decided it was no longer needed. Last night the big racket was on continuously already from the end of analogue broadcasting just after 0000. If you have not already done so, read the comments about DRM in WRTH-2005, page 50 (Olle Alm, Sweden, Jan 14, DX LISTENING DIGEST) In a discussion about DRM on 1440 it had been mentioned that the new TRAM transmitter has in AM the audio bandwith limited to 4.5 kHz, hence it sounds worse than the old gear (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Jan 12, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. Need a Mexican resource? At this site: http://www.diccons.com/radio/komex1.htm. You can search by State and it isn't all in Spanish. A lot of the X-Station websites I found were only in Spanish so this site is a help (Ray Bauernhuber, Website Wanderings, IRCA Soft DX Monitor Jan 15 via DXLD) How about Finnish? ** MEXICO. New QSL, as promised by an earlier e-mail, was received for XENU-1550, Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulípas, from Ing. José Gabriel Avedillo F., Gerente de Ingeniería. He sent a personal letter (in Spanish) on very elegant and colorful station letterhead (that included the station's rate card information and demographics of its audience), along with one of his business cards. The station slogan listed on the letterhead is: "XENU AM, La Rancherita, 1550 kHz, 5000 Watts ... Es la estación más representativa de música norteña regional y campirana [?] con todo el sabor de México." The address on both the station letterhead and the business card is: Radiorama Nuevo Laredo González y Mendoza 747, Sector Centro, C. P. 88000 Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulípas, MÉXICO There were also 3 phone numbers and a fax number listed: Teléfonos 01-(867)-713-20-05, 713-05-34, and 713-19-94, Fax 713-43-43 The address on the outside of the envelope is: IBS Radiorama 1510 Calle del Norte Suite 2 Laredo, TX 78041 Other stations listed as part of the Radiorama Nuevo Laredo cadena were: XEWL-AM en 1090 KHz con 1 KW XEGNK-AM en 1370 KHz con 5 KW XEAS-AM en 1410 KHz con 1 KW XHNK-FM en 99.3 MHz con 30 KW XHAS-FM en 101.5 MHz con 10 KW XHMW-FM en 102.3 MHz con 30 KW? Station technical information listed was: La estación emite mediante un Transmisor marca NAUTEL tipo AMPFET ND5 de 5 KW, en la frecuencia de 1550 KHz en AM, usando un acoplador en Duplex (con la estación XEGNK en 1370 KHz con 5 KW) y radiando con una antena de torre convencional de AM de 55 m. de altura. I'm pretty proud of this one, especially since the CE wrote to me in person in English first (via email) and then this beautiful verie letter! 73, (Steve N5WBI, Houston TX USA, IRCA via DXLD) ** MEXICO [non]. I listened to XETRA-690 today on the drive to work and at lunch. They announced XTRA-570, change to happen Feb 3rd but weren't specific on what's going to change. XETRA and KXTA-1150 broadcast the same Sports Talk programming and KLAC-570 is playing the LA Lakers basketball games. The website already says XTRA-570! All three stations owned by Clear Channel along with KFI-640 (Martin Foltz, Mission Viejo CA, Jan 14, IRCA via DXLD) ** MONGOLIA. 12085, The Voice of Mongolia, Recibida tarjeta QSL con datos completos y tarjeta postal "Visit Mongolia", con vistas del país, en 18 días. V/S: Densmaa, Mail editor of the Voice of Mongolia. Esta escucha corresponde a una de sus transmisiones en inglés, 1000 UTC del día 25 de Diciembre. Se envió el informe a la siguiente dirección, y se adjuntó 1 IRC. The Voice of Mongolia, English Service, P.O. Box 365, Ulaanbaatar 13, Mongolia. Y también se envío por e-mail a: mr @ mongol.net (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Jan 14, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NAMBIA. NAMIBIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION SUSPENDS RELIGIOUS PROGRAMMING The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) has issued a press release saying it has suspended all religious programming from television and radio as it is "concerned about the way some devotions are conducted". The press release declined to say what its specific concerns are, but the NBC has asked for a meeting with churches to discuss guidelines which should regulate religious programmes. NBC Director-General Gerry Munyama insists that the decision was taken by him personally without any government interference. However, observers note that Namibian President Sam Nujoma has been highly critical of churches in the past. # posted by Andy @ 16:39 UT Jan 11 (Media Network blog via DXLD) NAMIBIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION REINSTATES RADIO DEVOTIONS The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) has announced the reinstatement of morning and evening devotions, and religious songs, on its radio services with immediate effect, following a meeting of the entire NBC management team with the Council of Churches in Namibia. NBC Director General Gerry Munyama had made what he says was an executive decision to suspend all religious programmes radio and television. An NBC statement said the meeting "critically reviewed the manner in which religious programmes were conducted on both radio and television. The meeting decided that further consultations on proper guidelines would be held to regulate the production of these programmes". # posted by Andy @ 16:29 Jan 13 (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS. JAN HOEK APPOINTED AS NEW RADIO NETHERLANDS DG Hans van den Broek, Chairman of Radio Netherlands Board of Governors, has announced that the board has appointed Jan Hoek as the new Director General of Radio Netherlands. The appointment has also just been given the formal approval by the Dutch State Secretary for Culture and Media, Mrs Medy van der Laan. Jan Hoek is the successor to Lodewijk Bouwens who retired at the end of last year. He has been Acting Director General of Holland's international broadcasting service since the start of 2004. Jan is no stranger to the corridors of Radio Netherlands. He joined the Dutch external broadcasting service in 1994 as Financial Controller, becoming Director of Finance and Logistics a year later. He has previously worked for the Wegener publishing group and for KLM. He holds an MBA from Webster University. # posted by Jonathan Marks @ 17:20 UT Jan 11 (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** NEW ZEALAND. TSUNAMI MEMORIAL DAY NEW ZEALAND Sunday 16th January has been designated as a Memorial Day for New Zealanders to remember the victims of the Boxing Day earthquake and tsunami. Radio New Zealand International will be broadcasting the inter faith memorial day service from the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Auckland from 1.30 pm to 2.30 pm NZ Time (0030-0130 UT Sunday 16th) including one minute's silence at 1.59 pm (0059 UT). RNZI will then replay the Memorial Day service at 12.00 midnight NZ time (1100 UT Sunday 16th) for listeners in Asia. Frequency details at http://www.rnzi.com/pages/listen.php (via Mike Terry, HCDX via DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. NEWS TRANSLATED ON REVIVED STATION By Judy Gibbs Robinson, The Oklahoman, Jan 12 At the stroke of noon [1800 UT] five days a week, Mai Ly Do flips a switch in Oklahoma City and takes over the airwaves of Vietnamese Public Radio. How to help --- To participate To buy a shortwave [sic] radio or to make a donation to help keep Vietnamese Public Radio of Oklahoma on the air, call 524-3075. A musical riff announces her hour-long, news-talk program. Then Do leans into a large microphone at her husband's law office at NW 38 and Classen Boulevard and greets the audience in her native language. For the next hour, Do and two other volunteers at Vietnamese Public Radio of Oklahoma sit around a desk, reading their own translations of local, state and national news stories. In between, they trade a little banter over politics or exhort listeners to get involved in the community, to pray for Vietnam -- or both. The show, which is rebroadcast at 5:30 p.m. [2330 UT] daily, has an estimated 2,000 daily listeners, some of whom don't understand English well enough to follow American broadcasts. "My parents who cannot listen to the American news, this is the only resources that they have to rely on for their news. And they are not alone," Do said. Oklahoma City has two Vietnamese language newspapers, but they publish only once or twice a month. The metro area's first Vietnamese-language TV news program debuted last spring, but is temporarily off the air. That leaves the Washington-based Vietnamese Public Radio as the only daily news outlet for English-limited Vietnamese-Americans. Do said some of them, including her mother, listen to the network from the time they get up to the time they go to bed. Now, with the daily cut-in from Vietnamese Public Radio of Oklahoma, they can get local news as well. After 10 months on the air, Do said she knows people are listening. She had proof in November when she offered listeners free rides to the polls and hundreds accepted. "We borrow a van and we took turns," Do said. "I have people who call me and say, 'I have been here 30 years and never voted before, and I want to vote now.'" Later, she made a flu shot announcement and 700 people lined up to get shots, she said. More recently, her call for donations to help tsunami victims in Asia generated several thousand dollars -- brought directly to the station or to the Vietnamese-American Community of Oklahoma City, the station's partner in the relief drive. Their goal is $15,000. Dead air comes alive Do had no radio experience when she and six others revived the defunct program in April. A former chairman of the Vietnamese-American Community began the radio program in 2002, working out of the law library in Do's office. When he couldn't keep it up and the show went off the air, Do's phone started ringing. "People start to call me and say, 'Hey, what happened to the radio? It dead,'" Do said. Plenty of mistakes were made when the new crew took over. "But people love us. People call in and say, 'It's OK,'" Do said. After 10 months on the air, the mistakes are less frequent but still occur. During Friday's broadcast, there was a moment of dead air while the three anchors looked at each other, unsure whose turn it was to read. Do runs the show, wearing the headset that allows her to hear what's on the air. She cues her colleagues with the point of a finger or the shake of a script page. She writes out the program's daily rundown in longhand on a yellow legal pad. Do used to write the scripts in longhand too, but volunteer Sen Mai has taken over that job because he has a computer with a Vietnamese- language program. Another volunteer comes in every evening to start and stop the rebroadcast. Everyone at Vietnamese Public Radio of Oklahoma is a volunteer. "Every morning, she pay us a cup of coffee," laughs Minh Hoang, who works a full shift at the Unit Parts plant after the noon broadcast. Financed by listeners While the shortwave station has no Arbitron ratings to confirm its audience size, 2,200 people have paid $35 to buy shortwave [sic] radio receivers from the station -- the only way to pick up the signal, she said. The transmitter, microphones and other broadcasting equipment came from the main Vietnamese Public Radio station in Falls Church, Va., which has 22 affiliates across the country. The group's only costs are $500 a month to rent air time on a shortwave [sic] broadcast station at the University of Central Oklahoma. When money runs low, Do tells her listeners. "Elderly people who receive Social Security, they will walk up here and give me $5. People come in and give me quarters, dollars, $5. But I've had people give me $100. It's very moving to me," Do said. She said she is convinced the station has the power to unite and empower Oklahoma City's Vietnamese community. "Without the radio station, the people cannot gather together. If you send by mail, people read or don't read. But people listen to my news and are aware. "I think from now on, the Vietnamese community will be very active locally," Do said (via Mike Cooper; tnx to a tip from Steve Cross, DXLD) Actually, this is on the 92-kHz subcarrier of KCSC-FM 90.1 (Steve Cross, Del City, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 7120, Wantok Radio Light: Life Radio Ministries, Griffin GA, says original on-air date was Jan 5, 2005, but HCJB Engineering team has rescheduled the installation for some time in March due to local zoning regulations and a concern about RF hazard re the SW antenna site, but organizers are confident. The concerns have been addressed but now it's the rainy season. Transmitter building and generator shelter are already installed, fence is erected, much of the equipment has arrived in PNG (Guy Atkins, WA, DX-plorer via DXLD) ** PERU. R. La Voz de Sallique, Sallique, Cajamarca, not R. La Voz del Faique, is the unID previously reported on 6329.11 Several pieces of evidence are needed for an ID. 1) Phonetically there is a noticeable difference between "Sallique" [sah-YEE-keh] and "Faique" [FY-keh]. On the other hand, it is hard to distinguish between S and F under noisy circumstances. 2) In addition, one has to determine how many syllables there are in the word, 3) where the word stress is, and, 4) how to render what you are hearing in writing. 5) The identification will remain uncertain unless you have the "departamento" (and/or "provincia") identified. Finally, 6) refer to a map to see if the place is big enough to sustain a radio station. (Henrik Klemetz, Mailed Jan 6, 2005, to Björn Malm for publication on his website http://www.malm-ecuador.com DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. Logs from Hans Johnson Naples, FL Drake R8 + longwire: UNID 4990.9; Thought I might have had Surinam's R. Apintie here, but it sure sounded like a Peruvian just before 1000 today Jan 13. Campo music and talk in Spanish. Same station also there at 0000, but even weaker then (Hans Johnson, FL via Björn Malm, Ecuador, DXLD) This unID is a reactivation of Radio Ancash, Huaraz (Perú) - on air the last two days (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PETER I. The Peter I Island DXpedition 3Y0X. The breathtaking event for all keen ham radio operators, the huge international DXpedition to Peter I Island in the Antarctic, 3Y0X, is now underway. It consists of 21 outstanding hams from the USA, Finland, France, Australia, Norway, Russia and Switzerland with team leaders Richard Allphin, K4UEE and Ralph Fedor, K0IR from the USA. They are sailing from Punta Arenas, Chile on Friday 14th for six-day cruise on board the chartered 83 m long ice breaker ``Antarctic Dream``. More people have flown in outer space…that have set foot on Peter I Island. This is a huge undertaking and very, very expensive. A trip of this magnitude (and this will be the most costly DXpedition in history) requires (aside the money involved) individuals eager for this kind of adventure. Transportation of the team and the huge amount of equipment ship-to- shore will be via helicopter. Operation will be carried out around the clock from January 21 to February 4 on all ham bands and modes. Keep your ears open! Propagation to Peter I Island is usually tough but we wish you can get through the huge pileups. Good luck! QSL cards should go via K4YL (R. Bulgaria DX program Jan 14 via John Norfolk, dxldyg via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. DW DRM transmissions via Taldom Moscow-RUS relay update: From Jan 12, 2005, (ex-5860): 1900-2000 UT 5810, 2010-2300 UT 5830 Änderung DRM-Sendeplan der DW --- Hallo, ab 12.1.05 wird die Abendsendung der DW aus Taldom nicht mehr auf der (zeitweise gestörten) 5860 kHz ausgestrahlt, sondern von 1900-2000 UTC auf 5810 kHz und von 2010-2300 UTC auf 5830 kHz. Die Sendepläne wurden bereits geändert, DReaM-User sollten ein Update machen. 73, (Klaus Schneider, Jan 12, via WWDXC BC-DX via DXLD) Someone ran a machine translation, and Taldom came out Cathedral Valley --- well, yes, in German, but what about Russian? (gh, DXLD) ** RWANDA. MOVIE "HOTEL RWANDA" FEATURES HATE RADIO STATION RTLM Don Cheadle stars in "Hotel Rwanda", the true-life story of Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager who housed over a thousand Tutsi refugees during their struggle against the Hutu militia in Rwanda. One of the aims of the movie is to establish the degree to which the extremist Hutu radio station RTLM fomented the genocide by spewing nonstop hate and venom against the Tutsis. The film, nominated for three Golden Globes, is rated PG-13 in the US. The reviews I've read so far rate this as a very good movie. If any of you have seen it, I'd be interested to know your opinion. The Official Website for Hotel Rwanda is at http://www.mgm.com/ua/hotelrwanda/main.html where we were pleasantly surprised to discover a direct link to the Rwanda page in our dossier Counteracting Hate Radio. Click on 'facts' and then 'Rwandan Radio Announcements'. This explains why the page has suddenly been getting an average of several hundred page views each day (Andy Sennitt, Media Network newsletter Jan 13 via DXLD) ** SLOVAKIA. SLOVAK RADIO GETS UNEXPECTED FUNDING BOOST Slovak Public Radio (SRo) has received a financial boost of Sk183 million (€4.7 million) from the Finance Ministry, despite a decision by the coalition parties at the end of August that it would not get the subsidy. Most MPs has argued that SRo had not introduced enough reforms to deserve further state support. Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) leader Béla Bugár commmented that "Finance Minister Ivan Mikloš acts as if it was his family budget." But Finance Ministry spokesperson Mikuláš Gera said the Ministry was able to set aside the money for SRo thanks to savings in the budget for 2005. He added that all economic ministers approved the subsidy (Source: Slovak Spectator) Andy Sennitt comments: This could be good news for Radio Slovakia International, which for much of 2004 was under threat of closure. It remains to be seen whether the additional government funding will allow the international service some breathing space. Here's hoping... # posted by Andy @ 13:45 UT Jan 10 (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** SRI LANKA. SLBC NEWS DIRECTOR REMOVED FOLLOWING FALSE NEWS REPORT Sources in Sri Lanka say that the News Director of the Sri Lankan Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), Raja Katukampola, has been removed from duty and replaced by Somapala Perara. This follows the broadcast of a news item on Saturday morning saying that the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the LTTE's Intelligence Chief were among the dead or reported missing in the tsunami disaster. The SLBC later withdrew the report as false, and apologised. # posted by Andy @ 15:21 UT Jan 12 (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** TAIWAN. According to Mr. Sapun Pak of Korean Shortwave Club, Korean staff of Radio Taiwan International were notified January 13 of the imminent closure of Korean service on January 31. RTI will cease three foreign languages services including Korean, and two Chinese dialects services on January 31. Mr. Pak and RTI Korean staff are seeking support from Japanese and other RTI listeners to continue the Korean service. One method is to write a message on guestbook of RTI HP http://www.rti.org.tw/korean Korean service of RTI began on August 15, 1961, once stopped from 1994, restarted on March 1, 1999. The Korean staff says QSL cards and souvenirs which have not been mailed yet will continue to be mailed even after the closure (Takahito Akabayashi, Tokyo, Japan, Jan 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAIWAN. PETITION ORGANISED IN TAIWAN TO RESTORE OLD FORMAT OF ICRT A group of dissatisfed listeners to International Community of Radio of Taiwan (ICRT) has launched an online petition designed to restore the old format of ICRT that as ditched in August 2004. The station has switched to a format of Chinese pop music, which has angered some in the international community. The petition says: "Once upon a time, International Community Radio Taiwan (ICRT) was an oasis on the airwaves of Taiwan. For the newly arrived foreigner, long-time foreign resident, or global traveller, tuning into ICRT was a guaranteed connection to the world at large. It wasn't just the music... it was the news, the personalities, and the style that harked back to familiar surroundings. Naturally, ICRT became a center for the small, but vibrant foreign community in Taiwan. "Taiwan's rapid globalization, especially over the past 10 years, has changed the radio landscape of this country. ICRT was joined by savvy competition, who imitated ICRT's success in the past, except they did it in Mandarin and Taiwanese. However, ICRT's obvious and natural differentiation was untouched - the station remained the haven for foreigner listeners, who starved for news and music from their own countries." "In an apparent move to shake things up and return to its No. 1 position in the ratings, ICRT has made a radical choice: become a Chinese radio station. No one would argue against going after a larger core audience. But ICRT has a unique history and a special mandate." The petition demands the following of ICRT: 1. Return to radio programming in English. 2. Provide more on-air discussion of major news stories. 3. Resurrect the community message board. 4. Seek funding from the government to support the English language programming hours. 5. Conduct cross-promotional efforts with Taiwan-oriented online communities like Forumosa.com that can offer fresh ideas. 6. Explore and use alternative rating methods to measure ICRT's effectiveness and reach. The people behind the petition, Anthony van Dyck and Gus Adapon, say that 300 people have already signed it. Keep the ICRT true to its mandate (Taipei Times article) http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/edit/archives/2005/01/10/2003218826 Bring Back My ICRT (petition) http://forumosa.com/taiwan/icrt.php # posted by Andy @ 10:43 UT Jan 10 (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** U K. Some BBC WS previews: The Congo: x4 - from 17 January --- Australasia: Sun 2206 rpt Mon 0306, 0806, 506; Fri 2206; Sat 0406; East Asia: Mon 0206 rpt 0706, 1306, 1906, Sun 1506; South Asia: Sun 2206 rpt Mon 0506, 0906, 1406, 1906; Fri 2306, Sun 0606; East Africa: Mon 0706 rpt 1406, Tue 0006, Sun 1306, 2306; West Africa: Mon 0906 rpt 1406, Tue 0006, Sun [P] 2206; Middle East: Mon 0806 rpt 1306, 1806, Tue 0106, Sat 2006, Sun 1306, Mon 0006; Europe: Mon 0906 rpt 1306, 1906, Tue 0106, Sun 2006, Mon 0006; Americas: Mon 1406 rpt 2006, Tue 0106, 0606, Mon 0006 The Congo --- The Congo is one of the world’s greatest rivers, steeped in history and literary references. It’s also a measure of DR Congo's recovery from four and a half years of conflict which have claimed an estimated 4 million lives. Now that the Congo River is navigable for the first time since war broke out, Mark Ashurst travels along it from the rural heart of the country to the skyscrapers of Kinshasa. En route, he hears ordinary people’s experiences of war and disintegration, learns how they’ve survived against all odds and sees how peace and recovery are bearing up. From 17 January The State of the Union: x4 - from 11 January --- Australasia: Tue 2206 rpt Wed 0306, 0806, 1506, Fri 2306, Sat 2106; East Asia: Wed 0206 rpt 0706, Wed 1306, 1906, Sun 0106; East Africa: Wed 0706 rpt 1406; Sun 0006, Sat 2106, Sun 0706; West Africa: Wed 0906 rpt 1406; Sun 0006, Sat 2206; Sun 0906; Middle East: Wed 0806 rpt 1306, 1806; Sun 0106; Sun 0706; Europe: Wed 0906 rpt 1306, 1906; Sun 0106; Sun 1006; Americas: Wed 1406 rpt 2006; Sun 0106, 0606; Sun 1106, 2206 The State of the Union --- Owen Bennett-Jones goes in search of what ordinary Americans are thinking and feeling now that the dust has settled on one of the hardest fought elections in US history. With the help of some of the country’s best-known writers and broadcasters, he visits places and people miles from the corridors of power in Washington and New York. He asks what Americans think of their place in the world and what they believe the future holds. From 11 January Discovery: Running Rings Around Saturn - x2 - from 4 January; Ocean Blues - x3 – from 18 January --- Australasia: Tue 2306 rpt Wed 0406, 0906, 1606; East Asia: Wed 0306 rpt 0806, 1506, 2106; South Asia: Tue 2306 rpt Wed 0606, 1006, 1706; East Africa: Wed 0806 rpt 1606, 2106, Thu 0106; West Africa: Wed 1006 rpt 1606, 2206, Thu 0106; Middle East: Wed 0906, rpt 1406, 2006, Thu 0206; Europe: Wed 1006 rpt 1506, 2006, Thu 0206; Americas: Wed 1506 rpt 2206; Thu 0206 Discovery: Ocean Blues --- The oceans cover nearly three quarters of the earth`s surface. They play crucial roles in the planet`s climate, are home to many plants and animals and provide work for millions of people through fishing and shipping. But overfishing, global warming and pollution are all having an effect on marine life, with far- reaching consequences. Andrew Luck-Baker looks at the state of the world's oceans and asks the experts if it’s too late to save our seas. From 18 January Masterpiece: New Term in Kosovo – x1 - 3 January; Behind the Red Nose – x1 - 10 January; A Single Life – x1 - 18 January --- Australasia: Mon 2206 rpt Tue 0306, 0806, 1506, East Asia: Tue 0206 rpt 0706, 1306, Tue 1906; South Asia: Mon 2206 rpt Tue 0506, 0906, 1406, 1906; East Africa: Tue 0706 rpt 1406, Wed 0006; West Africa: Tue 0906 rpt 1406, Wed 0006; Middle East: Tue 0806 rpt 1306, 1806, 0106; Europe: Tue 0906 rpt 1306, 1906; Wed 0106; Americas: Tue 1406 rpt 2006, Wed 0106, 0606 Masterpiece: A Single Life --- Around 90% of the population of Australia now lives within 50 km of the beach and the figure is rising as people move to the coast. The effect on rural industry is obvious, but there's also a human cost. As women leave rural areas for education and employment in the cities, many men are left behind with little prospect of finding wives where they outnumber women 10 to 1. From a small bar deep in the interior, four male farmers talk to Sharon Mascall about their solitary lives. 18 January (via Paul David, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U S A. AGENCY ANNOUNCES THE AMOUNT OF CUTS Dateline: Washington, 01/07/04 [sic]. The Agency announced to the Union today that the budget for the Greenville Relay station would be slashed by $150,000. The budget for VOA English would be slashed by $200,000 (AFGE Local 1812, Jan 14, 2005 via DXLD) ** U S A. From WBCQ Central --- Dear Glenn, New program on WBCQ. Starting next Monday at 7 pm Eastern [UT Tue 0000] the program "I found Jesus" with Dr. Reverend Prime begins on 7415. All I can say is it is not what you think!!! Despite the very cold temperatures at the station we are working on our 6th transmitter. This transmission system will be like no other ever constructed on the planet! Fully computer controlled and definitely with a very long range. Should be on air sometime this winter. Cheers, (Allan Weiner, WBCQ, Jan 12, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Nothing much heard from WJIE lately on either frequency, 7490 or 13595. Website http://www.wjiesw.com still has imaginary schedule including WOR M-F at 5-5:30 pm, in imaginary EST (Glenn Hauser, OK, Jan 14, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [non]. I often listen to Bible Voice`s 0800 broadcast ``Jack van Impe Presents``, a religious programme formerly carried only by Reflections Europe. BV has had a succession of frequency changes. They were on 5945 form Jülich in June 2003 and I discovered they changed to 5905 in April, 2004. Now, on 13 November, they changed back again to 5945. The signal, as one would expect, here in the UK is good. On 20 November, however, I thought their 0800 spot had been taken by another broadcaster: `two men` with very deep bass American voices were engaged in dialogue. After a few minutes listening to the content --- which was quite readable --- it dawned on me that this was Dr Jack and Rexella van Impe on a very slow-running tape. Rexella, who has an attractive female voice and is a fine singer, was indistinguishable from a male! I rang Bible Voice`s UK number and left a message (Tom St-John Coleman, Braintree, Open to Discussion, Jan BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) Hmm, with a name like Rexella, you can never be sure of its true gender (gh) ** U S A [and non]. This week the Metropolitan Opera is not live, but playing an old recording, due to its financial problems. I notice that BBCR3 takes the opportunity to skip the Met and run some more of its own classical programming. And I heard a promo on R. Cultura São Paulo that they broadcast the Met at 3 pm Sundays [1700 UT], and on Jan 16 it would be the Jan 8 performance of Othello. So there`s an 8-day delay if you want to catch up on a missed broadcast. But on Jan 23 will they bother with the Jan 15 rerun? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. LIMBAUGH DUMPED FOR AIR AMERICA SHOWS Daniel Barlow January 12, 2005 Wednesday 12th January 2005 (21h49) http://rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050112/NEWS/501120363/1003 BRATTLEBORO - A southern Vermont-based radio station will trade in the rhetoric of Rush Limbaugh and other conservative talk show hosts for the liberal commentary of Air America next week. WKVT-AM 1490 in Brattleboro will replace four of its weekday syndicated conservative talk shows on Jan. 17 with programs from the fledgling liberal radio network Air America, which launched in March. The station will be the second in Vermont to broadcast Air America programs, which include shows hosted by comedian Al Franken and actress Jeanne Garofalo. The Brattleboro area is highly liberal in its political beliefs and the Air America shows will be a better fit for the station’s listeners than the conservative programs hosted by Limbaugh and Bill O’Reilly, said WKVT program director Peter Case. . . http://bellaciao.org/en/article.php3?id_article=50291 (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) ** U S A. HOLLOW ACCOUNTABILITY By Richard Cohen, Thursday, January 13, 2005; Page A21 It took no less a sage than President Bush to put the firing of four high-level CBS News employees in perspective: "CBS said they would act. They did. And I hope their actions are such that this doesn't happen again." This from the man who fired not a single person in his entire administration for getting nearly everything wrong about Iraq and taking the nation to war for reasons that did not exist or were downright specious. Lucky for Bush he's only the president of the United States and not the head of CBS. . . http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A5311-2005Jan12?language=printer (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U S A. Re WCBS-TV's preëmpting CBS network (Continent of Media): At least last season, they carried Yankee baseball games roughly weekly (most of the Yankee games were on the YES cable network; a few were on the Fox games of the week). So, yes - WCBS-TV preëmpted the network. I don't know what would have happened with other Viacom-owned CBS-TV outlets in the Eastern and Central zones such as KYW-TV in Philadelphia or WBZ-TV in Boston or WBBM-TV in Chicago. By the way, the YES cable network was a subject of controversy, as one of the New York-area cable TV companies, Cablevision, owns Madison Square Garden and its own cable network and for a while wouldn't carry YES. Cablevision wanted to make YES premium; YES demanded to be basic. Since Cablevision has the cable franchise in the Bronx (Time Warner has it here in Queens) it meant that you couldn't see the Yankees network on cable near Yankee stadium (Joel Rubin, NY, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VATICAN. A good music provider has always been Vatican Rdio. Even if the night programmes of Studio A have unfortunately gone --- that is, for those of us who listened to 1530 kHz; in Rome, Studio A is on the air from 2310 to 0530 on 585 kHz --- there`s still music daily except Fridays at 1530 on 5885 (ex-5890 since 26 Nov), 7250 and 9645. And here are some programmes until March: The World in Music on Wednesdays in January Mozart and his time on Sundays in January Music during the Fascism years on Mondays For Young People on Thursdays, 13, 20 and 27 January Music of the XX Century on Sundays in February and March (Stefano Valianti, Italy, Southern European Report, Jan BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) ** VENEZUELA. 0412 UT, YVTO, 5000 kHz, señal horaria de Venezuela, está llegando muy bien, pero con un fuerte ruido de fondo; a veces he notado que la señal se cae por varios minutos y luego regresa. Tal vez están trabajando para quitar ese ruido. 2145 UT, YVTO, 5000 kHz --- esta señal horaria mantiene un ruido de fondo muy fuerte y sigue saliendo del aire varias veces al dia (José Elías Díaz Gómez, Barcelona, Edo Anzoátegui, Venezuela, Jan 14, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Not sure which of these came first ** WALES [non]. Dear Glenn, Wales Radio International are still scheduled on 7110 (2130-2200 UT Fridays) and 6005 kHz (0300-0330 UT Saturdays). There is nothing in our operational logs to suggest there has been any problems with these transmissions recently. However, we have also received another report similar to yours so are investigating. Thanks. Best regards (Geoff Spells, Frequency Management Consultant SFM, VT Communications (Lincoln's Inn Fields, London), Jan 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. ALGERIA. 7460, RASD, Also heard mornings around 0700-0800 UT, but not on air today Jan 11 (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, BC-DX via DXLD) Polisario Front's 7460 (announced as ~70{?} kHz at the beginning of the Spanish program now at 2300) observed back on the air on 26 Dec 1926-..., Arabic, talks and local tunes; \\ 1550 very good; 55444. At least at the places I DX from, their MW outlet is more reliable than the SW one, but this is clearly and mainly due to the short distance between the Tindouf (Algeria) area and my country. My observations since that date reveal 7460 is being irregular while \\ 1550 is on every day; on 10 Dec for instance, I observed them being active on 1550 only (sign-off 0800), ditto late afternoon (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, Jan 10, BC-DX via DXLD) Confirmed transmitting equipment installed for National Radio of the RASD is co-sited with the studio in the refugee camp at Rabouni (near Tindouf, western Algeria): 50 kW Harris US MW transmitter unit, and a 20 kW RIZ SW transmitter [similar micro-controlled unit erected at SWR Muehlacker Germany site in 1997, but 6030 kHz unit now dismantled since Oct 15, 2004, wb.] (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, BDXC-UK Jan "Communication" magazine via BC-DX via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 0030 UT, 16-80 AM, 1680 kHz, programa musical con saludos a los oyentes. El locutor tenía el típico acento mexicano; se colocó un tema musical con el Grupo La Raza, muy parecidos a Los Tigres del Norte. Pero también recuerdo que en una oportunidad la radio se identificó como 16-80 La Raza. Según comentarios de colegas diexistas transmite desde EEUU. Pero para ser sincero, el que oye esta radio cree que transmite desde México. ¿De dónde es? (José Elías Díaz Gómez, Barcelona, Anzoátegui, Venezuela, Jan 14, DX LISTENING DIGEST) José Elías, No sabemos de ninguna emisora mexicana en 1680. Pero la de Orlando, Florida, WLAA, tiene un formato mexicano (y no cubano). Además, creo que en México no se habla de ``La Raza``, sino en EE. UU. para promoverse esta minoría. 73, (Glenn to JE, via DXLD) Saludos cordiales amigo Glenn. Gracias por tu correo. Entonces fue esa la emisora escuchada WLAA, cuyo formato como dices tú, es mexicano. Recibe un fuerte abrazo y seguimos en contacto (José Elías, ibid.) But can anyone confirm WLAA actually use that slogan? (gh, DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 1/14/05, 1710 kHz, 2100 [EST?] - continuous Latin contemporary music. No IDs or commercials. Anyone know who this could be? The "usual" local pirate - Lubavitch Chassidic station in Brooklyn was off for Sabbath (Linda Brodsky, Malverne NY, ICOM R-8500, ANC-4, 2 Longwires, amfmtvdx at qth.net via DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Hello, and thank you for responding to my request to trace information about my Dad's radio license. Your ARRL suggestion was right on target. Today I received a response from John Hennessee at ARRL who found the information I wanted and was gracious enough to email me. My Dad's name was Vince Gilcher. He was "2BOY" from Jersey City back in the 1920's. He had wonderful stories about the early days of radio broadcasting, going back to building his own "radios" from bits and pieces he found at junkyards. I think he always wished he'd kept up with his ham radio activities. I can't thank you enough for taking your time to help me. Happy New Year. Aloha, (Peggy Anne Siegmund, Kailua HI, Jan 13) British DX Club conducted a members` survey in the autumn, with World of Radio making a good showing. (I did not participate in the survey.) Since there were only 83 replies out of 500, I am not concluding that this is hard evidence of the preferences of British listeners in general, but the introduction to the survey results, which occupy eight pages of the January issue of Communication, says ``...high percentage for survey returns, and a figure the pollsters would refer to as a `good representative sample.``` Some of the questions allowed international broadcasters to be mixed in with domestic. In the category ``Favourite radio presenters`` the first four were on BBC, John Peel, Johnnie Walker, Terry Wogan and Keith Skues, and the fifth was Glenn Hauser, with 1/3 the votes of the late Mr Peel. The only other American in the entire list was Dave DeForest, VOA. Favourite radio programmes: Sounds of the 60s on BBCR2 was first; World of Radio on various was second. No other American media program appeared anywhere in these results, unless the suspended Wavescan fits that description. As for favourite websites, dxing.info was first, Media Network blog second, and DX Listening Digest (http://www.w4uvh.net/dxlatest.txt) was third. Chris Brand says, ``Glenn Hauser`s DX Listening Digest is published regularly, sometimes a few times a week. The simple and effective format of listing radio news by country makes it easy to read, check back on, and is a truly international effort with contributors from all over. Glenn pulls it all together, complementing nicely his World of Radio programme.`` The top thirteen favourite SW international broadcasting stations: BBCWS, RN, RCI, RA, VOA, RNZI, R. Sweden, DW, Prague, CRI, VOR, RVi, WMR (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) DRM +++ DRM - DO THE RIGHT MARKETING The 2005 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the world's largest consumer electronics event, ended a week ago in Las Vegas. Among the thousands of new products on show were a few that will be of particular interest to the international radio listener. Unfortunately, due to the decision of the US to adopt iBiquity Digital's HD Radio(tm) instead of DRM as the standard for digital AM, a major opportunity to promote digital shortwave broadcasting in the US market has been lost. . . http://www2.rnw.nl/rnw/en/features/media/features/drm050113.html (Media Network Newsletter Jan 13 via DXLD) See also LUXEMBOURG POWERLINE COMMUNICATIONS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ INTERNET NOISE THREATENS EMERGENCY RADIO AFTER the tsunami hit Sri Lanka on 26 December, Victor Goonetilleke, head of the island's amateur radio society, delivered a short-wave radio set and two 12-volt car batteries to the prime minister's emergency headquarters in Colombo. At the same time, three of his friends drove through the devastation to Hambantota, on the hard-hit south-east coast, where they set up another battery-powered short-wave radio. For two days, while the military struggled to restore electricity supplies and phone lines, the prime minister was able to use the short-wave link to talk to staff on the ground. Short-wave signals from Sri Lanka, the Andaman Islands and mainland India also helped to spread news of the disaster around the world. The same happened after the 9/11 attacks and last year's hurricanes in the Caribbean. When phones and mains electricity are down, making the internet unusable, short-wave radio enthusiasts are able to maintain emergency communications. But not, perhaps, for much longer. Plans to deliver broadband internet signals to homes and businesses down mains electricity cables, rather than telephone lines, could cause interference that will drown out the faint signals from distant short-wave transmitters. Power companies in the US and Europe are pressing ahead with the technology, with the aim of setting up in competition to existing phone-based services. The downside is that the packets of internet data pulsing down unshielded mains cables makes the cables behave like aerials that send short-wave interference beaming out over a wide area. Unless interference of this kind is tightly controlled, it could spell the end for emergency short-wave communications. "A few extra decibels of interference from future networks and I would not have been able to hear the news from amateurs in Sri Lanka, India and the Andaman Islands," says Hilary Claytonsmith of the International Amateur Radio Union's UK branch. The threat began when the US government gave the go-ahead to broadband over power line (BPL) technology in October. And the European Commission (EC) is close to approving its own version, called power- line communications (PLC). The names are different but the technology is the same: broadband data is sent into people's homes as a high- frequency signal piggybacked on the 50 or 60-hertz mains supply. Because the mains is a noisy environment with ever-changing patterns of interference from sockets, switches, control circuits and electric motors in appliances, the power-line data must be spread over many high-frequency carrier signals if it is to be delivered at the 5 to 10 megabits per second that these services are aiming for. The carrier frequencies used range up to 30 megahertz - which by unhappy coincidence is the radio band that travels best around the world. It is used for amateur radio, short-wave broadcasting (such as the BBC World Service and Deutsche Welle) and includes several dedicated emergency frequencies (see Graph). Because these frequencies bounce off the ionosphere, they carry long distances, which makes them ideal for long-range intercontinental broadcasting. When the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gave the go-ahead to BPL, it ruled that at frequencies up to 80 megahertz service providers must use filters on their household equipment. These could be set by a service engineer to chop out any internet transmission frequencies shown to be causing interference to any short-wave radio receivers nearby. The EC and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CENELEC) are trying to set similar filtering rules. But radio amateurs fear that the rules will allow the filtering to be lifted if it is having a serious effect on internet access speeds. The EC says it wants firm rules that balance "technical, social and economic" factors against the "importance" of services which suffer interference. But who's to decide what is more important, and on what grounds, the radio amateurs ask. Michael Copps, the one FCC commissioner who opposed BPL, believes the organisation has made a rod for its own back. It is going to have to "work hard to monitor, investigate and take quick action" over any power-line internet interference to radio amateurs and others, he says. Some technical fixes may be in the works though (see "Aiming high"). The BBC, for instance, is developing a PLC modem that makes use of the fact that the short-wave frequencies for broadcast radio change throughout the day, as ionospheric conditions dictate. The BBC modem detects which frequency bands are in use at any one time - and filters them out. Such technology is not part of any PLC or BPL system currently in trials, however. From issue 2482 of New Scientist magazine, 15 January 2005, page 26 Aiming high Corridor Systems of Santa Rosa, California, thinks it has hit on a way to set up an interference-free power-line internet service. It plans to use overhead power lines to carry data at frequencies between 800 megahertz and 10 gigahertz, way above the amateur radio and conventional power-line communications band and, which it will send in an outer power conductor. Thanks to the "surface wave" effect, in which signals launched straight down a cable tend to stay inside the cable, near the surface, Corridor's system will not generate radio waves that might interfere with mobile phones at these frequencies. For the final link into subscribers' homes they will use very low-power radio transmitters, like those used for Wi-Fi hotspots, which will be fixed to the nearest power cable. Source - http://www.newscientist.com/channel/info-tech/mg18524827.000 (via Ken Kopp - Amateur Radio KKØHF, dxldyg via DXLD) ARRL REBUTS DENIAL OF INTERFERENCE FROM BPL TRIAL, DECRIES FCC INACTION --- Jan 11, 2005 The ARRL has questioned the veracity and technical competence of the company operating a Westchester, New York, BPL field trial and faulted the FCC for not shutting the system down. In December the League renewed its request that the FCC rescind its Part 5 Experimental license for Ambient Corporation's BPL pilot in Briarcliff Manor. Full Story http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/01/11/2/?nc=1 (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ ARNIE CORO'S DXERS UNLIMITED'S EXCLUSIVE AND NOT COPYRIGHTED, IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN HF PLUS LOW BAND VHF PROPAGATION UPDATE AND FORECAST Solar flux hovering around 90 units and it seems to be moving up slowly now. The effective sunspot number, that's the input that you are asked by many propagation forecasting software programs, is at around 35, and that means that the bands above 20 megaHertz will open up for very short periods and only to the best possible paths. Expect 10 and 12 meters to sound like yet another VHF band most of the time, expect for brief openings. Look for yet another upcoming solar wind stream that is coming from a coronal hole. As the high speed protons hit the magnetosphere by Wednesday, as expected, yet another high latitude geomagnetic storm may develop, making propagation conditions take a turn for the worse!!! (Arnie Coro, RHC DXers Unlimited Jan 11- 12 via ODXA via DXLD) NW7US PROPAGATION UPDATE (15 JANUARY 2005 0840 UTC) During the series of flares from solar sunspot region 0720, at 0614 UTC 15 January 2005, a strong solar flare and radio sweep event was observed. This indicates a full-halo coronal mass ejection (one that is headed directly toward Earth). The start time of this Type II burst was 0554 UTC 15 January 2005. The shock speed is estimated at 1300 km/s - this is a MAJOR SHOCK. An extremely strong Type IV event followed the Type II event. The sweep looks optically correlated with the flare from region 0720. (To see the sweep, browse to http://prop.hfradio.org/ips_type2event-20050115.gif (IPS)) The way this is shaped (PARALLEL RIBBON), a proton event is indicated that may begin in coming hours. Energetic solar proton events adversely impact tran-polar HF propagation circuits. This level of event may well span into middle latitudes. It is now expected that the start of January 16 will see strong geomagnetic storminess, increasing to MAJOR GEOMAGNETIC storminess, then declining late on January 17 to active levels. This could well be a major Aurora event, as well. *STRONGLY DEGRADED HF PROPAGATION CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED* from 16 January through 17 January 2005. Additional details will be reported when available. 73 de Tomas, NW7US (AAR0JA/AAA0WA) : Propagation Editor for CQ, CQ VHF, Popular Communications : : Creator; live propagation center http://prop.hfradio.org/ : : Associate Member of Propagation Studies Committee of RSGB : (via Thomas Giella, dxldyg via DXLD) ###