DX LISTENING DIGEST 5-065, April 17, 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 55: Sun 2000 WOR RNI Mon 0230 WOR WRMI 7385 Mon 0300 WOR WBCQ 9330-CLSB Mon 0330 WOR WSUI Iowa City IA 910 [1270] Mon 0430 WOR WBCQ 7415 Mon 0900 WOR R. Lavalamp Mon 0900 WOR WRMI 9955 Mon 1600 WOR WBCQ after hours Tue 0600 WOR WPKN Bridgeport CT 89.5, WPKM Montauk NY 88.7 Tue 1600 WOR WBCQ after hours Wed 0930 WOR WWCR 9985 Wed 1600 WOR WBCQ after hours MORE info including audio links: http://worldofradio.com/radioskd.html WRN ON DEMAND: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also for CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL] WORLD OF RADIO Extra 55 (high version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/worx55h.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/worx55h.rm [Extra 55 is the same as COM 05-01; low version minus WOR opening] WORLD OF RADIO Extra 55 (low version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/com0501.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/com0501.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/com0501.html WORLD OF RADIO EXTRA 55 in the true shortwave sound of Alex`s mp3: (stream) http://www.dxprograms.net/worldofradio_04-13-05.m3u (download) http://www.dxprograms.net/worldofradio_04-13-05.mp3 ** ALAND ISLANDS. Åland 603 AM on again --- It seems as Pirate Radio 603 AM (or whatever it calls itself now) is testing again from Åland, Finland. Heard this morning (April 16th). On before 06 UT and onwards with typical music ("everything" from punk to blues). No announcements, not a spoken word. Music ended and silent at 0705 with only carrier left. Best regards (Jan Edh, Hudiksvall, Sweden DX-ing in Fredriksfors, where former teammember of the station, Ronny Forslund, was the one who "found" it, HCDX via DXLD) Only carrier S8 noted today at 0740 UT. [Later:] Åland 603 kHz Pirate Radio 603 AM from Åland is now at 13 UTC on the air playing continuous music. Signal strength pretty strong, S8. 73´s Åbo/Turku FINLAND [Later:] I was so excited I forgot to mention my name! Still non-stop pop music with good and steady reception on 603 kHz from Åland. 73´s (Jouko Huuskonen, Åbo/Turku SW of FINLAND, 1322 UT April 16, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ALASKA. KNLS has finally put up a supposedly current from March 27 schedule on its English website at http://www.knls.org/English/ksched.htm but it only accounts for one transmitter, and the previous two English broadcasts, at 0800 on 11870, 1300 on 9615 --- despite the fact that a new English broadcast at 1200 instead has already been reported! Apparently KNLS itself is not sure of its own schedule. The Chinese and the Russian page too http://www.knls.net/rus/schedule.htm continue to show the 2- transmitter version. I have had no luck monitoring KNLS here at various times on either schedule (Glenn Hauser, OK, April 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ALASKA. 890, Homer KBBI IDed as one with Billboard top hits program popping up and down between 0530-0630 UT 4/3. Sneaking thru nulled KDXU and KLFF. Nice signal at times. Gave call letters at TOH 0600. First Alaskan hrd since 1989 when the last I hrd KBBI. Nice! Thanks to Michael Hawkins in Stockton for the tip (Don K. Kaskey, San Francisco CA, IRCA DX Monitor via DXLD) ** ARGENTINA. 11710, RAE; 2233-38+, 8-Apr; Woman in Spanish with ID and Andean music. SIO=3+33, frequency slightly above 11710.0 (Harold Frodge. MI, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) If you heard an ID, OK, and RAE is off-frequency, but what about HCJB also on 11710, no doubt playing Andean music? I just reconfirmed they still haven`t moved, at 2359 UT April 14, but have fixed their ID tape to say 11710 instead of 11880 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ARGENTINA. 6214.1, 13.4 2245, Radio Baluarte, Pt. Iguazú, with religious program, Portuguese talk. Best in LSB. Still readable at re- check at 0145. April 14 6214.1 was completely silent - nothing heard, but on again April 15 from 2245. 2 (Stig Hartvig Nielsen, Denmark, SW Bulletin April 17, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ARMENIA. How easy results all this changing frecuencies a real mess. The same goes to Radio Pública de Yereván or La Voz de Armenia. No DXers have reported what I heard some weeks ago. They continue announcing their 0230 Spanish sked for A 05 (11640 // 9775) and operating in the B 04 (9965). The only change they did was for DST from 0330 to 0230 (Raul Saavedra, Costa Rica, April 16, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ARMENIA. A-05 Public Radio of Armenia / Voice of Armenia to WeEu 1500-1530 in Armenian NF 11930 ERV 500 kW / 305 deg, ex 11640 for A-04 1715-1745 in Armenian NF 9775 ERV 500 kW / 305 deg, ex 9965 for A-04 1745-1805 in French NF 9775 ERV 500 kW / 305 deg, ex 9965 for A-04 1805-1825 in German NF 9775 ERV 500 kW / 305 deg, ex 9965 for A-04 1825-1845 in English NF 9775 ERV 500 kW / 305 deg, ex 9965 for A-04 (Observer, Bulgaria, April 15 via DXLD) ** AUSTRIA. ORF Moosbrunn break --- Harald Suess from Austria phoned the technical dept. on Moosbrunn Austria station, and told me at 1349 UT today: AUSTRIA ORF Umbau? Hallo Wolfgang! ORF/ROI- Moosbrunn sollte seit ca 1025 MESZ heute wieder funktionieren. Es war eine Antennenreparatur notwendig, die ca 2 Tage lang andauerte. Dadurch war die 6155 und 13730 in dieser Zeit nicht on air. Die anderen Frequenzen waren davon nicht betroffen und sind normal laut Px-Schema gefahren worden. Info kam telefonisch von Technik/Moosbrunn. vy 73, Harald (Suess-AUT, April 14) ORF Moosbrunn transmissions had a break due of extended antenna repairing work at the station on April 13, approx. 0600 - 1330, and April 14, approx. 0600 - 0825 UT. Missed ORF 6155 and 13730 outlets, as well as BBC Arabic 17555 relay at 0900-1130 UT, and ORF EaAS&PAC sce 17715 at 1200-1300 UT too. Reason had nothing to do with a 'possible' DRM Modulator change to prepare 100 kW tx as the 40 kW DRM unit for MNO transmissions later this season on: 9705 1500-1700 27 MOS 40 300 G MNO MER 9720 0500-0900 27 MOS 40 295 G MNO MER 9815 0900-1400 27 MOS 40 295 G MNO MER 73 wb (wwdxc BC-DX April 19 via DXLD) ** AUSTRIA [non]. It seems the previously published English schedule in 5-054 is rather unreliable. On weekends the Canada relay on 13775 at 1500-1600 is supposed to be mostly-English at 1505-1530 and 1535- 1600, but Sat April 16 I was surprised to hear it in German at 1516; finally began English at 1519:30 with The News, weather forecast, and at 1522 Report from Austria which was to run another 15 minutes. ID in English was still as Radio Austria International, not Austria-One. Did not keep with it to discover what happened at 1530, 1537 or 1549:30 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BAHAMAS. Wow! Must be good propagation on MW tonight. 1540 at 0748, ZNS-1 Nassau, easy copy on my 12m vert ham aerial! Nice reggae mx, then MA with candid comment on the evils of money, solid copy with little fading. Apr 17th (Paul Ormandy ZL4PW New Zealand, greylinedx via DXLD) ** BELARUS. A-05 External service of Radio Belarus via Minsk: 0100-0300 5970 250 kW / 250 deg 1900-2200 7105 250 kW / 250 deg 6170 150 kW / 245 deg 7280 100 kW / 270 deg 7210 100 kW / 270 deg 7290 150 kW / 245 deg (Observer, Bulgaria, April 15 via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. En estos momentos (0108 UT) estoy escuchando RADIO ILLIMANI en 6025 Khz con aceptable señal emitiendo un programa con participación de la audiencia via telefónica, pasan temas musicales de Ricardo Arjona y Axel, los oyentes deben votar por el mejor según sus preferencias, también se anunció "Santa Cruz de las Sierra fundada el 26 de febrero de 1561 por Ñuflo de Chaves...". No he escuchado la identificación pero no tengo dudas que se trata de Illimani. Saludos! (Rubén Guillermo Margenet, UT April 16, Noticias DX via DXLD) 6025, Radio Illimani (probable-presumed), 2300-2340. Luego de bastante tiempo, logré escuchar de nuevo esta emisora, aunque con señal muy débil. No pude escuchar su identificación pero casi con toda probabilidad era Radio Illimani. Se escuchaba a partir de las 2300 que creo es la mejor hora para sintonizarla aquí en España, ya que cierra Radio Budapest y queda el canal libre. Programa de música, canciones romántica en español y locutor. A veces apenas audible, y a las 2340 la señal se volvió completamente inaudible. O es casualidad o parece que empieza a dar resultado lo que me había comentado el Director de la emisora por mail, que tratarían de volver la antena a su configuración anterior para que pudiese ser sintonizada como hace unos meses. Concretamente decía esto: "Pero hemos cambiado el tipo de propagación de onda, para mejorar la señal en América Latina, voy a comentar lo suyo con el técnico, para, en su caso, reponer la forma anterior que permitia llegar a ésas zonas alejadas. Pronto tendré mayores comentarios al respecto. José Luis Almanza. DIRECTOR". 14221. (Abril 15). (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Grundig Yacht Boy 400, antena de cable, 4 metros, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Amigo Manuel: si quieres confirmar al 100% que se trata de esta emisora, se me ocurre que puedes comparar la señal que te llega a través del receptor con la señal de audio o´-line de esta emisora, que puede conseguirse a través de internet en http://audio.comunica.gov.bo:8000/illimani Comparándolas verás si se trata o no de la misma emisora (siempre y cuando la señal de internet corresponda al mismo programa que se difunde por OC, claro). Saludos, (Mariano J. Mingo, Zaragoza, España, Noticias DX via DXLD) 6025, 16.4 2320, La Voz de Bolivia (or is the name still Radio Illimani?), ID in Spanish as La Voz de Bolivia, love songs. 3 (Stig Hartvig Nielsen, Denmark, SW Bulletin April 17, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOLIVIA. 9207 kHz, Radio Virgen de los Remedios, Tupiza, en español, Señal excelente, en Asunción. Buenísima calidad de audio. (Adán Mur / Paraguay, Conexión Digital April 16 via DXLD) hora, fecha? 9207 / 9228 kHz, Radio Virgen de los Remedios, de Tupiza, está transmitiendo en español, en una frecuencia inestable que varía tanto como de 9207 hasta 9228. Durante las exequias de Juan Pablo II la escuché en los 9212 khz retransmitiendo la EWTN TV, y en días siguientes en 9207 khz. En la mañana del 11/4 la escuché en 9228 khz variando su frecuencia punto a punto hasta estabilizarse en los 9215 khz. Todas las veces la calidad de la señal ha sido buena, con poco fading y cortos periodos de interferencia de estaciones utilitarias. La programación consiste en retransmisiones del servicio hispanoamericano de Radio Vaticana o de la EWTN Radio Católica Mundial, algunos programas propios, misa en vivo, identificaciones y música entre programas. La identificación es "Radio Virgen de los Remedios, onda corta y FM, desde Tupiza, Bolivia". La nota anecdótica podría ser la cortina musical que usa la emisora, es nada menos que Batman, en su versión televisiva de los años 60. Es de hacer notar que en el anterior boletín Adán Mur la reportó variando de 9187 a 9193 khz (Alfredo Locatelli / Uruguay, ibid.) Times?? 9223, 15.4 2245, UNID with music. Sounded like a Brasilian when referring to music and fading. Transmission in AM so it was not a PTP. No announcements or ID's, close down without a word at 22.51. QSA 2-3 (Jan Edh, Sweden, SW Bulletin April 17, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Received free in the mail from Radio Canada Int'l -- An RCI world time digital calendar alarm clock. It`s the size of a pocket calculator. Tells the time in 16 different cities. Plays a melody of your choice to wake you. Plus many other functions which I will be a while figuring out. I received this for correctly answering a question that was asked by Ian Jones on the Maple Leaf Mailbag. Two questions were asked which concerned RCI's 50th anniversary. The 3rd question, which was rather easy, was the one I answered (what color is an orange?). I wanted to be sure I got it right (Jerry Coatsworth, Ont., MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) ** CANADA. FINKLEMAN'S [not till June 25] OFF THE AIR --- After 20 years, the host of Finkleman's 45s says, 'It's better to be gone but not forgotten than forgotten but not gone' Dominic Patten, National Post, Wednesday, April 13, 2005 http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/artslife/story.html?id=293971dd-8bf8-4a70-96c2-3e2259842608 As the host of the show that bears his name, Danny Finkleman proves that the difference between the contrarian and the curmudgeon lies in the motivation. A curmudgeon wants you to spit out the bile with them; the contrarian questions the very idea of getting involved in this spitting stuff at all. Since he started at CBC Radio 38 years ago, Finkleman has always been the contrarian, albeit with a showman's flair. But all good harangues have to come to an end, and now Finkleman is taking his rants and his records and heading down another road. Sitting here in studio 203 in the CBC's labyrinthine Toronto headquarters, watching Finkleman get ready for what will be one of his last shows, the sense of one phase of a life ending and another beginning is palpable. Especially if, like Finkleman, you know where you're going and don't have a desire to look back. "This has been a great show for me," says Finkleman. "I have all my fat opinions and I play all the music that I want." He pauses, arranging his notes in front of him, and unsentimentally adds, "but I'm going to be 63 years old, I'm tired and I feel that I'm running out of steam." It's refreshingly rare to meet the performer who knows when to exit, but Finkleman's infamous hot air isn't completely exhausted. The rhetoric, as well as the R & B and classic rock 'n' roll, won't actually cease until June 25. And during today's recording session, it's still business as usual as Dean Ples, Finkleman's producer for the last five years, organizes the host's handwritten scripts and song selections into a perfectly timed two-hour show. Ples' other role is that of unheralded sidekick and audience to the man on the other side of the glass partition. "It's almost like a stand-up routine with his timing," remarks the producer as he loads up the next CD to be played. "It's all planned to hammer ya, and I make sure Danny has the room to play it out." Since its debut on Oct. 5, 1985, Finkleman's 45s has occupied a unique space on the dial -- never quite talk radio, nor quite just spinning records. In the early days of the show, a movie and book reviewer joined Finkleman on the air, but successive CBC budget cutbacks trimmed the show to its essence: the host and his music. Like the hard-boiled Elmore Leonard novels that he loves so much, Finkleman's "fun and yuks" are an acquired taste, but they've been a bonanza with audiences. "It's one of the most popular shows CBC Radio has ever had," declares Mark Steinmetz, the director of CBC Radio Music. Maybe it's because Finkleman, like George W. Bush, thinks the Beach Boys lost the plot with their experimental Pet Sounds album and that the Beatles got pretentious with Sergeant Pepper. Maybe it's because he plays songs with groove, like Marvin Gaye's Pride and Joy and Stevie Wonder's Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Da-Day. Maybe it's because, between a batch of 1,000 classic cuts chosen from his own record collection, Finkleman, whose day job is in the investment business, rails against technology, tattoos, recycling, the undisclosed length of dental floss, the death of dating rituals and the perils of an overindulged society. Regardless, listeners of all ages have found the show a welcome throwback to a time that feels much more alive than the computerized playlists and robotic hosts that make up most of radio today. "I marvelled at how he could make something so simple last so long," says Ralph Benmergui, the former CBC stalwart who's now the host of Jazz FM's morning show in Toronto. "It's like comfort food. You could play a show from 12 years ago and it would be the same show as today." Stuart McLean, the host of CBC Radio's droll Vinyl Cafe, is a long- time friend and fan of Finkleman's. "I think radio is at its best when you turn it on to listen, to listen to a person," he says. "And you can't help but listen to Dan." Back in the studio Ples is doing just that, looking to Finkleman in the studio, nodding and smiling. "Danny loves an audience," he says with a laugh as the host launches into another rant. "So I try to give him feedback as we're recording, like he was playing to a crowd." And starting next week, Finkleman will in fact have a crowd of thousands to play to. A retirement mini-tour of Ontario, with on-stage musings from Finkleman and live music by ex-Ray Charles sideman Doug Riley, his six-piece Soul Review band and eight singers, hits Kingston and Ottawa on April 18 and 19, with a final stop on the boards of Toronto's Massey Hall on April 22. Fans can expect the show to be about 30 minutes of talking and two hours of timeless tunes. "It'll be like having a house party on- stage," says the tour's promoter Don Jones, who adds that the Ottawa show is already sold out. The April 18 concert in Kingston will be recorded for broadcast on Finkleman's penultimate show on June 18. Ples stresses the very last Finkleman's 45s, on June 25, will be "just like any other, with maybe a few goodbyes." Right now, CBC programmers are tighter than a gnat's eyelash about what or who's going to replace Finkleman, but they acknowledge they're both eager to keep his audience and desperate to expand it. "I will tell you this though," says Steinmetz. "We're not going to try to clone Danny. He's one of a kind." As he wraps up another recording session, Finkleman cuts to the chase on his own epitaph. "Look," he says, "it's better to be gone but not forgotten than forgotten but not gone. You know what I mean?" Danny Finkleman's Retirement Concert with Doug Riley's Soul Review comes to Kingston April 18 (613-530-2040) and Toronto's Massey Hall on April 22 (416-870-8000).; Profile of Danny Finkleman. © National Post 2005 (via Doug Copeland, DXLD) ** CANADA. 6030, 1432-, CFVP, Apr 17. Good reception with the Lutheran Hour. Well over 2 cochannel Chinese (Udorn, Thailand with IBB according to HFCC A05 and presumed Chinese jammer), now that the sun rises much earlier. Address given in Kitchener, Ontario (heavily populated in the late 19th century by Germans, and especially Mennonites). ID at 1500 as, 'This is Calgary's AM 1060 CKMX'. Into the Christian Scientist sentinel edition (Walt Salmaniw, Victoria, BC, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA [non]. Sound of Hope, the clandestine also on SW, has started a weekly English program, on AM620 in NY and soon on WUST 1120 Washington DC, called Speaking of Asia, and also on demand: http://eng.soundofhope.org/aboutus.asp Furthermore, has bilingual news, and a few shows in Spanish (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COSTA RICA. Hace 14 años fue inaugurado el centro emisor de REE en Cariari, Costa Rica y desde entonces retransmite sus emisiones hacia América del Sur, Centroamérica y parte de los Estados Unidos. Forma parte de la red de centros que dispone Radio Exterior de España para estar presente en los cinco continentes. Se suma a los centros emisores ubicados en Noblejas, (España); Xian, (China) y a los satélites Hispasat, Eutelsat, Asiasat, NSS y Telstar. Pero los transmisores de Cariari tienen una particularidad porque son instrumento fundamental del idioma para la Comunidad Iberoamericana: es una gran antena que acerca el español a millones de personas... y otros contenidos en lenguas minoritarias de España, como el vasco, catalán o gallego, o en América, como el guaraní o el quéchua. Dicho centro emisor de Radio Exterior de España ocupa una extensión de 220.000 m2 y esta ubicado en el interior de Costa Rica, en la región de Limón. Posee 4 antenas que garantizan la llegada de la señal con calidad a un área extensa como es el continente americano, y a una audiencia potencial de más de 400 millones de personas. Pero el Centro Emisor de Radio Exterior de España en Cariari no es un proyecto cerrado con la instalación y funcionamiento de 4 antenas. Hay planes técnicos más ambiciosos para aumentar la cobertura de la señal en una zona donde todavía no llega con la suficiente intensidad y presencia: los Estados Unidos. Las antenas del Centro Emisor de Cariari, en Costa Rica, reenvía la señal de Radio Exterior de España que llega del satélite Hispasat, pero ese no es su único cometido: la instalación está equipada técnicamente para monitorear las emisiones de los canales de Televisión Española para América. (RN Radio Enlace April 8 via DXLD) Note this says that REE`s CR relay at Cariari is not capable of covering the entire US, but there are plans to increase its coverage over the whole US. Here in OK, with such strong signals on many of its frequencies, I have found it hard to believe that Cariari is not already capable of covering the whole US (and the sole English hour certainly needs to be put on it yesterday, whether it is or not!); do those in the northern tier of states, not to mention Canada --- and the Spanish do not --- find Cariari frequencies unlistenable? I think we have here a triumph of theory over fact (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. 13160, Radio Habana at 0150 with DX program. Poor. Mixing product. // 6000 exc. // 9820 poor under Spanish program (Liz Cameron, MI, 10 April, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) What mixing with what? Math? Not the two frequencies mentioned (gh, DXLD) ** CUBA. April 14 after 2300, RNV was missing from 11760 and 13680 Cuban relays: CRI via Canada was clear on 13680, and 11760 was carrying a Fidel speech \\ 15230 at least. So RNV also gets pre-empted by Fidel? Breach of contract? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [non]. No trace of the airborne PANG EC-130 Radio Martí relay as of 2217 GMT 16 April (in a perfect world, it should have popped up around 2100). A threshold Radio Visión Cristiana remains the only signal audible here as I type [530 kHz]. "Air Martí" first re-appeared last Saturday, for the first time in nearly eight months. I wonder what gives? Weather certainly is not a factor across the Florida Straits today. I'll move the digits soon to 1020 kHz, and sporadically check for the alleged PoP Turks & Caicos test tonight, whatever format that may be (Terry Krueger, Clearwater, Florida USA 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR. Radio Quito, which used to be on 760 and 4920 kHz, has finally decided to go for streaming audio. Check out the statio s rooster logo, program schedule and good quality audio on the El Comercio newspaper web site at http://www.elcomercio.com/secciones.asp?seid=329 According to news reports, a network of AM and FM stations, headed by Radio La Luna, 99.3, http://www.radiolaluna.com/ has been urging people on various occasions during the past few days to get out on the streets to rally against the country´s ruling president. Radio La Luna, Radio Democracia, Radio Caravana, Radio Centro and some others can be monitored in streaming audio at http://www.interactive.net.ec/contenid/cont_rad.htm Short newswire related to Radio La Luna: http://www.lahora.com.ec/noticiacompleta.asp?noid=332783 El comunicador Paco Velasco, director de radio La Luna, se convirtió en el motivador para que la ciudadanía de Quito salga a las calles a protestar contra el Gobierno. Desde la cabina de esa emisora, ubicada en la avenida América, frente al Colegio San Gabriel, Velasco invocó a los ciudadanos a participar en el ‘Cacerolazo’ de la noche del miércoles, en el ‘Reventón’ del jueves, y en el ‘Tablazo’ de anoche. No es la primera vez que Velasco se enfrenta con un Gobierno, en febrero de 1997 lo hizo contra el régimen dirigido por Abdalá Bucaram. A través de radio La Luna, difundió canciones compuestas por Ataulfo Tobar en contra de ese gobierno. (Henrik Klemetz, Sweden, April 16, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Actually hangs around 4919, and was recently reported again (gh, DXLD) 4917, 11.4 0210, Radio Quito, La Voz de la Capital nice ID (Kenneth Olofsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin April 17, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) typo for 4919? (gh) ** ECUADOR. 4909, 13.4 0130, Radio Chaski, Otavalo, Imbabura in Ecuador. A new station for SW. Heard for 2 minutes, close down or interruption in the transmission, only test programmes now. Also heard April 15 at 0040. Programmes in Quechua, which is incomprehensible (Kenneth Olofsson, Sweden, SW Bulletin April 17, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) 4909.26, 15.4 2310, Tent. Radio Chaski. Weak signal and some weak QRN. Impossible to follow the programme, but fron the tone of the voice it sounded like football commentary (unlikely?) and some break for Andean orchestral music. Heard until after 00, but faded out or maybe closed down (Jan Edh, Sweden, SW Bulletin April 17, translated by editor Thomas Nilsson for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EGYPT. 17835 kHz, Radio Cairo. Apr. 5 at *1214-1235. SINPO 25332. Sign-on with ID in English, followed by Egyptian song and Koran recitation and its translation in English. News from 1230 (Iwao Nagatani, Japan, Japan Premium via DXLD) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA ECUATORIAL. 5005, Radio Nacional, Bata, 2140- 2200, estuve escuchando esta emisora hasta la hora del cierre (2200) con muy buena señal. Parece como si de unos días a otros variaran la potencia, ya que unas veces se escucha más bién débil y otras veces entra muy fuerte. Programa presentado por un locutor, consistente en anuncios de interés para determinados ciudadanos que nombra. A las 2158 despedida: "Han sintonizado Vds. Radio Bata, que ha transmitido en la banda de onda corta de 60 metros, 5005 kHz. Agradecemos a Vds. que han contribuido al éxito de la programación. Viva el Presidente de la República. Arriba la República de Guinea Ecuatorial". Himno y Cierre. 45444. (Abril 15). (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, Grundig Yacht Boy 400, antena de cable, 4 metros, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Radio Nacional de Guinea Ecuatorial, Bata was heard today April 16 at 2029 UT with "Crónica Cultural". Reception was excellent and signal strength was unusual S9 +10dB! 73´s (Jouko Huuskonen, Turku, FINLAND, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. Dejen Radio, in Tigrigna heard on 12120, April 16 at 1700 s/on. Tigrigna is spoken in Ethiopia and Eritrea. Heard under heavy RTTY QRM (Steve Lare, Holland, MI USA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 12120.0, Dejen Radio (Presumed), April 16 (Sat.), *1700-1712, African vernacular (Tigrigna listed for this time), short piece of African music, non-stop talking. Before 1700 and after 1712, very heavy pulsating noise, reception poor/light RTTY QRM. April 17 (Sun.) checked here for Radio Voice of ENUF, which is scheduled for *1700, but heard only strong pulsating noise till 1700, then RTTY, no sign of a station (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, NRD545, with T2FD antenna, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: ** ETHIOPIA [non]. Two new target radio programs (with political background) appeared in the online schedule of TDP brokered transmissions http://www.airtime.be/schedule.html : Tensae Ethiopia Voice of Unity 1500-1600 15660 AM ......s Amharic Af Radio Voice of ENUF 1700-1800 12120 AM ....f.s Amharic Af The website for the latter is given as http://www.enufforethiopia.org (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, April 16, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ENUF already --- means Ethiopian National United Front (gh) ** ETHIOPIA [non]. A-05 for Voice of Delina in Amharic: 1500-1600 Sat NF 15660 SAM 250 kW / 199 deg to EaAf, ex 15650 for B-04 (Observer, Bulgaria, April 15 via DXLD) SAM = Samara, Russia site ** FRANCE. STRIKE NEGOTIATIONS RESUME AT RADIO FRANCE Trade unions representing low-paid workers at French public broadcaster Radio France have resumed talks with management aimed at finding a solution to the impasse which has caused a strike for the past two weeks. The unions are demanding a monthly salary increase of 269,40 euros for the lowest paid staff, totalling less than 2,500 people - but still unaffordable according to the present budget. Radio France has offered an annual increase of 1,300 to 1,500 euros, but the unions have rejected this. Radio France President Jean-Paul Cluzel is personally leading the negotiations, and so far has not asked for government help in finding a solution. Support for the strike amongst the union members concerned is not strong, and it's reported that only 10% of the affected workers have actually been on strike. (Source: Le Figaro) posted by Andy 07:53 UT April 16 (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** GEORGIA. 9495, "APSUA Radio" (Abkhaz Radio) in Abkhazian & Russian noted at 0330-0450 UT [extended bc time?] on Apr 1st. Also noted on Sat Apr 2 at 0710 UT in Abkhazian & Russian (Rumen Pankov-BUL, wwdxc BC-DX Apr 12 via DXLD) ** GERMANY. Berlin: Nalepastraße area sold --- The former GDR radio headquarters at Berlin, Nalepastraße 18-50, has been sold. No official statements about the new owner and his plans were made so far, but according to "Die Welt" newspaper one of the tenants says that it is some real estate company with no engagement in the media or music business so far. The administrator who managed the area since 1992 states that the new owner will continue the studio operations. Away from the buildings under preservation order, including the Deutschlandsender and Radio Berlin International premises as well as the large studio hall (Großer Sendesaal) and the smaller music and drama studios; he also considers the new studio complex as worth to be kept. This low building housed the studios of Radio DDR, Berliner Rundfunk and DT64; it is hidden behind the street-facing office building with the infamous neon signs which were in 1990 or 1991 curtailed to RUNDFUNK======== by removing "DER" and "DDR". (Kai Ludwig, Germany, April 16, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The building was a former furniture factory which explains the vast corridors (so they could transport stuff out of the building) and relatively small offices. Went there in 1989 shortly after RBI went off the air (Jonathan Marks, 04.16.05 - 7:31 pm, Media Network blog via DXLD) So the visit was in 1990? RBI ceased to exist at midnight on Oct-2 1990. The "integration of RBI" was subject of an organizational instruction. Gist: Prepare four audio circuits from Cologne to Berlin to feed Deutsche Welle programming to the Königs Wusterhausen, Nauen and Wiederau transmitters. That was all. Just the usual understanding of unification and integration. By the way, in the studio areas (in the old Block A building as well as the mentioned new ET complex) also additional small corridors behind the control rooms existed, and only engineering staff was supposed to use them. In 1993 of course nobody objected even to guests entering the once holy Technikgang. At this time the former RBI studios were used by DS Kultur (the 177 kHz station, so to speak). (Kai Ludwig, Germany, 04.17.05 - 7:09 pm, ibid.) ** GERMANY. 15275, R. Multi-Kulti via DW-Nauen, 1028-1100*, Apr. 10, "Romanes"-??, DW IS at tune-in, drums/"grunts" and "Romanes" at 1030 with full "Radio Multi-Kutli-Berlin" ID with mention of Deutsche Welle. News items re Kofi Annan, Kosovo and Serbia between pop music selections. Drums and ID again at sign-off. Good. // 17765. Listed for Sundays only (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R75, 200' Beverage antennas, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY [non]. Forced to find something else to listen to when Channel Africa lost their audio, quickly found DW in English to Africa at 0530 April 15, very good on 9700 and not bad on \\ 9630. A bit later, the ``Cool`` show was all about drag kings; the announcer- couple try to sound spontaneous but it`s obviously all scripted. I can`t help but wonder how this subject go over in deepest traditional Africa (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GREECE [non]. Is this any way to treat your English-speaking audience? Yes! If your prime mission is to be a diaspora service. Tho Hellenes Around the World was heard last Saturday at 1400 on 9775 via Delano, this week, April 16, Greek continued past 1400, then a bit of music, and at 1405 joined ERA-Spor network for a stupid bola game, pre-empting HAW. This was so important that 9775 was extended to 1600 rather than closing at 1500, filling the usual one-hour gap before 17705 comes up. I expect this will be a common occurrence as the summer progresses, local Saturday afternoon being prime-time for spor (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Glenn: I see that Hellenes Everywhere in English did not make the 1400-1500 UT Saturday appearance on the Voice of Greece. But, this is to be expected during the balo game season (that seems to last 52 weeks per year) and it takes priority over everything else on VOG. There is a big hoopla here in Washingon with the Nationals in the baseball arena again. We get sports shoved down our throats whether we need it or not (John Babbis, Silver Spring MD, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GREECE. "THE VOICE OF GREECE" The first state radio of Greece the "ATHENS RADIO" was inaugurated in spring 1938 with a 15 kw transmitter at Liosia suburb and studios of the Zappeion Mansion. The first attempt for establishing a short wave radio station took place immediately after the Greek-Italian war broke out in October 1940. Athens Radio programmes were transmitted from a small transmitter in the centre of Athens to the front and the Balkans. A special Short Wave programme was created after the German-Italian occupation in 1947: transmissions began from a 7.5 kw transmitter to Cyprus, Egypt, Turkey, the Balkans the Soviet Union, while four transmissions were made to Greek navigators. The daily news bulletins were broadcast in 12 foreign languages, (ARABIC, GERMAN, RUSSIAN, SPANISH, RUMANIAN, TURKISH, SERBO-CROATIAN, BULGARIAN, ALBANIAN, FRENCH, POLISH, ENGLISH) and once a week in Arabic. A music programme was also broadcast. The short wave transmission centre was established in 1972 with two 110 kw transmitters and in Avlis - 37 kilometres north east of Athens - with transmitting antennas directed to the five continents. After the collapse of the military junta in 1975, the Short Wave programme was named "THE VOICE OF GREECE" and came under the then Radio News Management. Almost 15 years later, with the institutionalization and implementation of the Unified ERT body, it became autonomous and was named "The Fifth Programme - THE VOICE OF GREECE", coming under the ERA General Management (VOG website via John Babbis, DXLD) ** INDIA [non]. 15090.0 kHz a las 1100 utc, All India Radio, 55445, Programación en lengua vernácula, muy buena música Hindú. excelente calidad, reportajes entre mujeres, y otros periodísticos. Con respecto a estas emisiones, las estoy escuchando casi periódicamente, con muy buena señal, y sonido, yo diría excelente. Pero como la emisión es en idioma vernáculo, el cual desconozco, me agradaría que alguien me informe, mas sobre esta emisión, si la misma se realiza desde la India, o a través de una repetidora, que es lo que creo, y para donde va dirigida la misma, realmente agradeceré mas información sobre el particular. 7/4 (Licciardi / Argentina, Conexión Digital April 16 via DXLD) La misma emisión unas horas después captada por Zacharias Liangas: USA?: 15090 khz, VoA, 1446 with news in Pashto, and several reports. Many refs to Afghanistan. Not clear ID at TOH. Signal S6 33433. 29/3 (Zacharias Liangas, qth=Thessaloniki, Greece, ibid.) ¿Cierto que fuera la India? En esta nueva temporada A-05, la VOA utiliza esta frecuencia aeronáutica desde Kuweit para Afganistán: 15090 0930 1830 40 KWT 250 70 1234567 270305 291005 D KWT IBB IBB Segun el horario HFCC (Glenn Hauser, Conexión Digital via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL. No real listeners? Well there you are doing a show, desperate to make the show sound if the whole world is listening, but have run out of fake names to read out on air. Try this website, it will ensure you don't read the same name twice in one show. http://www.randomrequest.com Now you know where all those unfamiliar names they read out on your favourite radio station come from! This is I suppose the difference between trying to sound professional and genuinely being a pro (Andy Cadier, BDXC-UK via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL. World Amateur radio Day 2005 Monday, 18 April from The ARRL Letter, Vol 24, No 15 The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) and its member-societies representing more than 150 countries around the globe celebrate World Amateur Radio Day each year on April 18 to mark the anniversary of the IARU's founding in 1925. The theme for this year's 80th anniversary celebration is "Expanding the World of Wireless Communications." Amateur Radio operators have been the leaders in developing many of today's electronic and communication marvels. The pioneering work in radio and electronic technologies early amateurs first explored provided the groundwork for the nearly ubiquitous "wireless" devices and digital technology we often take for granted. Many leading electrical engineers have drawn from their practical experience as Amateur Radio operators in contributing to the development of modern radio and television technology, two-way radios, adaptive antennas and many other innovations. That trend continue as today's radio amateurs explore new frontiers. Amateur Radio experimenters are finding new ways to use frequencies at the fringes of the radio spectrum, to merge radio and Internet technology and to experiment with ultra-high-speed digital communication. Although they're not compensated, ham radio operators are "amateurs" in name only, because their skills and contributions to the world have been -- and continue to be -- of the highest order. Since its inception, the IARU has been instrumental in coordinating and representing Amateur Radio activities around the world. Learn more by visiting the IARU Web site http://www.iaru.org Source: The ARRL Letter Vol. 24, No. 15 April 15 (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL. INTERNATIONAL MARCONI DAY ---> The International Marconi Day (IMD) is a 24-hour amateur radio event held annually to celebrate the birth of Guglielmo Marconi (25 April 1874). This year it will take place on 23 April, and several amateur radio stations are expected to be established and operated from or near original historic Marconi sites. For further information on this popoular annual event, the participating stations and the relevant awards please visit http://www.gb4imd.co.uk/ (425 DX news via VA3RJ, ODXA via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. Dear Mr Chakroborty, Thank you for your recent communications with WRN about the upcoming encryption of our channels on WorldSpace Satellite Radio. I understand that you are not unhappy with this development and I want to take this opportunity explain the background. WRN has been available on WorldSpace Satellite Radio since 1999. WRN has been a supporter of WorldSpace's concept of delivering multiple channels of radio to listeners via portable receivers. WRN currently sits alongside 40 other music and speech channels on the AfriStar and AsiaStar satellites. Other global news providers on WorldSpace Satellite Radio include Fox News, Bloomberg, CNN, BBC World Service and Radio France International. Other public broadcasters include All India Radio, Radio Monte Carlo and Radio Republic of Indonesia. In recent years WorldSpace Satellite Radio has evolved its business model with the introduction of subscription. Even as early as 2000 the company was testing audience acceptance of subscription satellite radio with limited national and regional offerings in India, South Africa and Europe. In early 2004 WorldSpace Satellite Radio introduced the Home Team Radio and Brits Abroad subscription offerings aimed at American and British expatriates. This subscription model is now being extended and will cover all the channels available on WorldSpace Satellite Radio. Where it can, WRN tries to obtain free to air carriage for its radio networks on platforms that require only a small investment in hardware by listeners. However, given the change in the WorldSpace business model, WRN was given the option to accept encryption/subscription and remain on the platform or come off it altogether. We took the decision to remain available. We appreciate that many listeners originally invested in a WorldSpace radio receiver in order to pick up WRN and other channels and many have expressed their unhappiness at now having to pay to listen to these stations. We have negotiated a discount in the annual subscription fee but we still understand that some listeners cannot or do not want to pay. We hope that you can continue to listen to WRN using another method or platform and urge you to consult our website for further available options. If you want to contact WorldSpace with your comments then email customerservice@worldspace.com If you have any further comments or queries then please do get back to me. Kind regards (Tim Ayris, Marketing Manager, WRN TRANSMITTING SUCCESS, via Swopan Chakroborty, Kolkata, India, DXLD) ** IRELAND [non]. USA/IRELAND: DUBLIN GROUP LAUNCHES TV CHANNEL TARGETING IRISH AMERICANS The Dublin-based TV company Anner Media Group (AMG) has launched a new channel aimed at the Irish American audience, the Irish business news web site BizWorld reported on 12 April. The venture, named Irish Channel America, is planned to roll out nationally by the end of June 2005 on cable and satellite across the US and will serve an estimated 35 million Irish Americans, the report said. "The new channel will also provide the island of Ireland with a digital platform for the promotion, development and marketing of the country," it added. The new channel, which is being set up by AMG in collaboration with Cable and Satellite Networks, will broadcast a mixture of lifestyle, travel, history, arts, documentaries, Irish language, film, music, entertainment, shopping and sports from Ireland. AMG also owns a TV news channel which broadcasts live Irish parliamentary proceedings. Source: BBC Monitoring research 13 Apr 05 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** KURDISTAN. Iranian jammer noted at 1500-1600 UT on 4270 kHz, but nothing could be observed underneath. At 1415 UT in range 3800-4860 kHz only VoIranian Kurdistan was 3970 kHz, plus jammer. At 1310-1355* UT native ME music noted on 6335 kHz, but very weak signal. At 1426 UT on 3880, 4380, and 6425 kHz Iranian jammers and symphonic music program underneath. At 1600-1730 V. of Komala on 3940 (not 3930) and 4610. 1400-1755 4025, Voice of the People of Iraqi Kurdistan. Their leader J. Talabani is now President of Iraq! At 1616 UT on 4160 kHz, at 1630 UT Arabic, poor signal (All April 2nd) Voice of the Communist Party of Iran cl-down at 1757 UT on 3880, 4360, and 6425 kHz, Apr 7th. At 0200 UT on 3970 and 4860 kHz Hymn of Kurdistan observed. Apr 1. (Rumen Pankov-BUL, wwdxc BC-DX Apr 14 via DXLD) ** KUWAIT. See INDIA [non] ** LATVIA. Details about the Kuldiga site and non-appearance of RTI on 1350 kHz, posted by Andrew Yates http://euronetradio.com/radiocaroline.lv in the anoraknation forum. LVRTC = Latvijas Valsts Radio un Televizijas Centrs, the Latvian state-owned transmitter network operator. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Caroline International have been in discussions about using 1350 kHz since before Christmas. As previously stated on the RadioCaroline.lv website, we had to cancel our countdown for launching in the Baltic due to a severe storm which hit Western Latvia in January. As a result of this extremely severe storm, the mast at Kuldiga which was going to be used for 1350 was badly damaged. This combined with other damage to feeder lines etc., made it impossible to launch the Caroline International service as we originally hoped. This morning I received a telephone call from a staff member at LVRTC. LVRTC own the Kuldiga transmitter site for 1350 kHz. The caller confirmed to me that the 1350 mast has infact now been sold for SCRAP and there is therefore no longer an AM tower at Kuldiga capable of radiating a signal on 1350. Unfortunately we will not be hearing anything on 1350 from either Caroline International or RTI for some time to come .... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 06:13:26 -0700 (PDT) From: Andrew Subject: [Anorak Nation] Re: RTI ON 1350 Hello Oscar, "There are radio masts and severe storms all over the globe, yet cases of the latter seriously damaging the former seem rare." The storm was the worst to hit Latvia for something like 70 years and downed between 2 million and 5 million cubic meters of wood, accounting for some 15 to 40 percent of annual tree-felling according to the Baltic News Service. If it managed to bring down that many trees, it easily was able to damage the old 1350 mast which was badly in need of maintenance. 'Just a question: Do you believe what you were told?' It is always possible that certain parties are still trying to distract our people from their objective for various reasons. However I heard this from a usually very reliable source within LVRTC, so short of jumping in a car and driving to Kuldiga - the answer is regrettably, Yes. 'It would not need to take very long to erect a new tower would it?' LVRTC are not keen to invest any more money into the site for AM purposes and they will not allow any temporary arrangement. As I'm sure you will appreciate any new mast would require approval by the LVRTC board plus the local authorities and have to meet stringent construction parameters. So even if approval for a new mast was given, the cost could be quite high. Andrew (via Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, MWDX yg via DXLD) ** LATVIA. 9290, R. Tatras Int'l, 2023-2041, Apr.10, English, "Late Night Affair" program with romantic ballads and OM reading e-mail dedications. Numerous IDs. Weak but clear, best listening in USB (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R75, 200' Beverage antennas, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MALAYSIA. QSL: 9750, V. of Malaysia, no-data (aarggh!!) card depicting scenery from Kuala Lumpur, bookmark, sharp-looking embroidered VOM patch, schedule booklet and a "Malaysia" paper coaster-? with VOM logo and freq's on reverse in 66 days for 1 IRC (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R75, 200' Beverage antennas, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MOLDOVA. Radio Dniester, Moldavian Republic Pridnestrovye in Ge/Fr/En: 1600-1642 on 5960* KCH 500 kW / 265 deg, not on registered 5910 * strong co-ch TRT/Voice of Turkey in Turkish (Observer, Bulgaria, April 15 via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS ANTILLES. Lo que hasta hace poco parecía en un dilema, mantener o no en servicio una estación repetidora, se ha convertido en una necesidad. Prueba de ello es la cantidad de horas extra que Bonaire tiene que trabajar. Por tal razón se ha decidido comprar para esa estación, otro transmisor de onda corta. Con esta nueva adquisición se dispondrá de 2 transmisores de 300 kilovatios y otros dos de 250 kws de potencia. En Bonaire tenemos otro emisor de menor potencia (de 50 kws) usado para las emisiones digitales DRM. Pero en vista de la actual situación y a la espera de que entre en servicio el cuarto nuevo emisor, se ha decidido hacer uso del emisor de baja potencia para las emisiones regulares en Amplitud de Modulación. Curiosamente, para reforzar las emisiones de Radio Nederland en español hacia Sudamérica, se están retransmitiendo a través de una repetidora británica en la isla de Ascensión (en el Océano Atlántico). Se trata del bloque de emisiones que se efectúa entre las cero y las dos horas Tiempo Universal, por la frecuencia de 11.900 kHz. Se piensa que esta curiosa situación dure un año, hasta que Bonaire vuelva a tener la capacidad de transmisión deseada. Pero todo eso tomará su tiempo! (RN Radio Enlace April 8 via DXLD) Today Wednesday around 2036 (and still at 2150 recheck) I am getting a very strong signal in Dutch on 21580, which I naturally assumed was RN Bonaire, but I don`t find it on your summer transmission schedule! Furthermore, it was splattering at least +/- 35 kHz. What`s going on? 73, (Glenn, April 13, to Andy Sennitt, via DXLD) Wednesday evening was coverage of a stupid ball game, a one-off, though the Dutch team got through so there could be a couple more at least. 21580 was a frequency used by Bonaire. I had forgotten about that - usually the programme distribution department sends me an E- mail about it, but this time they didn't and I overlooked it. But it was on the Dutch website and announced on air. No idea why it was splattering though. Our guys at Bonaire are normally 'on the ball' (pun intended) and spot when there's a problem. 73, (Andy Sennitt, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEWFOUNDLAND. 6160 kHz, CKZN, St. John's NF (or NL), heard on 27 Mar 0947 to fade-out 1010, English, music, CBC ID, talks, jazz prior to 1000; 14431, adj QRM de AUT 6155 & HRV 6165 (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, Conexión Digital via DXLD) This appears to be same as the earlier log listed on 6100 by mistake; surely really 6160 with the ACI mentioned (gh) ** NEW ZEALAND. Voice Of Samoa 1179 AM on air in Auckland, New Zealand Auckland has a new Samoan language radio station, the Voice of Samoa, noted this evening on 1179 AM. The frequency was formerly occupied by Ruia Mai, a Maori language station. It's believed the frequency has been leased to Voice of Samoa. Power is 1 kW. Programming is in Samoan, with some English language announcements. A second Samoan language station, Radio Samoa, operates on 1593 AM with 5 kW, and 531PI on 531 AM (5 kW) also carries some Samoan language programs, whilst Niu FM (nationwide network centered in Auckland) also has Samoan language programs. Warm regards (David Ricquish, Radio Heritage Foundation, Wellington, New Zealand, April 15, http://www.radioheritage.net DX LISTENING DIGEST) Whew! Tnx for the warning, so if we hear Samoan on those frequencies, it`s not really Samoa (gh, DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. Facilities` Changes Granted: Stillwater, KOSU, *91.7 no directional antenna (April FMedia! via DXLD) Hi Dan, A few years ago you explained to me that KOSU had to operate a directional antenna at considerable expense and inconvenience, to protect KBVV 91.1 Enid. Now I see in FMedia! that you have been granted a non-directional antenna. I`m certainly glad to hear this, as this should give KOSU slightly better signal and range in this direction -- and maybe I`ll get better stereo on the car radio. I`m curious to know how this came about, as the 91.1 facility still exists here, tho under new ownership and calls. Was there a change in the rules that you no longer had to protect a 3rd-adjacent channel at this distance? Was any approval necessary from the 91.1 station (which I never listen to and whose new calls I don`t recall)? And is the non- directionality already in effect, and if not, when do you expect it? While I`m at it, I`d like to hear about any additional transmitters you may be planning for the network, either translator or bigger -- perhaps beyond OKC or Enid? Are there any KOSU translators (low power) currently on air anywhere? And what is the deal with ``HD`` on 91.7? I haven`t noticed any additional noise on the sidebands yet. Best regards (Glenn Hauser, Enid, to Dan Schroeder, CE of KOSU, April 15, via DXLD) Glenn, KOSN, 107.5 Ketchum is now transmitting in NE Oklahoma with 100 KW and 1000' with C-band satellite uplink audio feed. To complement its coverage in South Tulsa, we have a CP for a 250 Watt translator at Bixby. Another translator CP for Okmulgee. Hope to have both of these up by late summer 2005. KOSU, 91.7 has simply been granted a "minor change". Upon doing the technical analysis, it was determined we could move the transmitter location to 9 miles North of Edmond and become nondirectional. Will build a new 1100' tower and facility with Harris solid state analog and digital FM transmitters and digital STL. Probably on the air in late July. Signal in OKC metro will be drastically improved. Signal in Enid should improve some. We have chosen an antenna mounting that (on paper) will give us very close to 100 KW ERP toward Enid. About 135 KW to Stillwater and Norman. Current transmitter has less than 50 KW toward Enid. The object is to get a lot of new listeners to provide enough $$ support that we can add some programming. Hopefully, in about 12 months or less, we can add a secondary program channel, digital only, to 91.7. The programming costs for the secondary program channels is comparatively low at this time. We may have to wait on receiver manufacturers to start producing reasonably priced primary and secondary channel HD receivers. Should be an interesting summer. Best regards, (Dan Schroeder, CE, Oklahoma Public Radio, via DXLD) ** OMAN. QSL address of January 2005: Resident Engineer/General Manager VT Merlin Communications & Partners LLC BBC Relay Station, P. O. Box 40, Al Ashkarah, PC 422, OMAN (letter delivery address) another letterhead address: VT Group. P. O. Box 2788, CPO Seeb, PC 111, OMAN (Hans-Dieter Buschau- D, A-DX Apr 13 via BC-DX via DXLD) I.e. BBC relay station ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. RADIO STATIONS GET EQUIPMENT --- By AHIMSA LASISI http://www.thenational.com.pg/0415/nation5.htm A NEW lease in life has been given to five provincial radio stations after the installation of state of the art broadcasting equipment funded by the Japanese and PNG governments. This was made official at the inauguration for the National Broadcasting Corporation's (NBC) Radio Equipment Improvement Project in Port Moresby yesterday. Guest speaker Inter-government Relations Minister Sir Peter Barter said local radio stations play a pivotal role in providing key information so people can meaningfully participate in modernizing the rural sector where the bulk of the population is. "NBC has a huge responsibility to meet the majority's need and with the assistance of the Japanese government, this has been made possible," he said. Under the current project, the upgraded provincial radio stations are Vanimo, Lae, Kimbe, Goroka and Mt Hagen. All five stations received new wider coverage transmitters and studio equipment to improve sound quality and also enable commercials to be aired continuously. Japanese ambassador to PNG Katsuo Yamashita said he firmly believes that the rehabilitation of the radio network will contribute to the better mutual understanding among the people. NBC is expected to prioritize other provincial radio stations in phase two of the project and it will submit the proposal to the Department of National Planning and Rural Development for consideration for inclusion in the 2006 Public Investment Program (The National, PNG, April 15 via Aaron Zawitzky, DXLD) ** PARAGUAY. 9737.8, R. Nacional, 0943-1008, Apr.12, Spanish, 2 OM with banter between musical selections thru 1000. Jingle ID followed by full "canned" ID at 1006. Fair/Good (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R75, 200' Beverage antennas, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 9737 kHz, ZPA1 Radio Nacional del Paraguay, El transmisor está funcionando en una forma excelente (Adán Mur / Paraguay, Conexión Digital April 16 via DXLD) Date and time? A las 1030 UT, ZPA 1 R. Nacional del Paraguay, 55445, Programa música vernácula, Comentarios en Guaraní, sobre los temas musicales escuchados. Luego comentarios políticos locales en Guaraní. 7/4 (Licciardi / Argentina, ibid.) 9736.85, 0235 April 17, Radio Nacional de Paraguay, good signal, in the clear with tlk by FA [female announcer] and Latin music. Best in USB (Paul Ormandy, ZL4PW http://radiodx.com http://www.zl4pw.orcon.net.nz ripple via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. Summer A-05 for Radio Rossii in Russian: 0100-0600 on 9480 MSK 250 kW / 260 deg to WeEu 0620-1500 on 13665 MSK 250 kW / 260 deg to WeEu 1520-2100 on 9450 MSK 250 kW / 260 deg to WeEu Summer A-05 for Voice of Russia in Russian WS: 0100-0200 on 603 648 936 972 1314 1503 5900 9725 9860 9880 12070 15425 15455 0200-0300 on 936 5900 7330 9725 9880 12070 15425 15455 1200-1300 on 936 972 999 1143 1431 1548 7390 9480 9745 9920 11670 1300-1400 on 1251 9480^ 9480 11670 15540 17645 1500-1600 on 1251 1314 5945 11635 12055 15440 1700-1800 on 603 693 11630 13855 15540 1900-2000 on 612 1215 5950 11630 11745 12055 2000-2100 on 648 972 999 1215 1503 5950 12055 ^DRM broadcast (Observer, Bulgaria, April 15 via DXLD) ** SOMALIA. I was listening to the frequency of 6960 kHz April 15 1900-2000 UT. The station was most probably re-activated Radio Shabele, Mogadishu. Unfortunately reception was too poor to ID. 73´s (Jouko Huuskonen, Turku, FINLAND, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOMALIA [non]. Radio Horyaal heard 16 April at 1730 s/on in Somali on 12130. Ostensibly via a transmitter in Samara, Russia. Typical Russian test tones heard on the frequency beginning around 1723(Steve Lare, Holland, MI USA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOMALIA [non]. A-05 for Radio Huryaal in Somali: 1730-1800 Sat-Thu on 12130 SAM 250 kW / 188 deg to EaAf, ex 12140 for B-04 (Observer, Bulgaria, April 15 via DXLD) ** SOUTH AFRICA. Channel Africa, dozing, April 15 at 0517 on 9685, sports news in English ended, and then dead air until 0533 when some music came on; meanwhile I tuned over to DW on 9700. A sure way to lose your audience. 24 hours later, ChAf managed to keep modulating during this time period (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SPAIN. CAMPAÑA POR LAS QSL´s DE RADIO EXTERIOR DE ESPAÑA Informacion proporcionada por gentileza de Jose Miguel Romero Romero, desde España Estimados colegas diexistas: En primer lugar recibid un cordial saludo. Estoy realizando una campaña para que Radio Exterior de España vuelva a remitir a todos los radioescuchas que envian sus informes de recepción la correspondiente tarjeta QSL. Os pido que si lo estimais oportuno, y quereis que REE vuelva a remitiros las QSL, apoyeis esta campaña enviando vuestros emails solicitandolo cortesmente a la siguiente dirección: audiencia_ree.rne@rtve.es O también por correo ordinario: Radio Exterior de España Sr./a Director de RNE Casa de la Radio Prado del Rey 28223 Madrid España DETALLO A CONTINUACIÓN LAS ACCIONES EMPRENDIDAS: Comencé el pasado día 11 de octubre de 2004 con el envío del siguiente correo electrónico: Estimados amigos de Radio Exterior de España: "Nosotros somos el Club diexista S500 y estamos muy interesados con todo lo relacionado con las ondas cortas. Nos hemos enterado, directa e indirectamente, de que no contestais a los informes de recepción y por lo tanto no son remitidas las tarjetas de confirmación QSL. Tradicionalmente todas las emisoras internacionales más prestigiosas siguen con la preciosa costumbre de obsequiar a quien se tome la molestia de seguir la programación y remitir el correspondiente informe de recepción, con una tarjeta QSL. La verdad es que el coste para la emisora es relativamente bajo, comparado con los beneficios obtenidos, y me explico: Quien recibe una tarjeta QSL, queda normalmente muy alagado y se crea un vinculo de simpatia entre la emisora y los oyentes, que muchas veces trasciende al valor económico del envio de la QSL. Yo creo que una emisora de la categoría de Radio Exterior de España, no debería dejar de pasar ni una sola oportunidad de tener contacto con oyentes en todo el mundo, es un simple cuestión de justicia, si queremos tener audiencia en el extranjero, que menos que recompensar a los oyentes más activos que, seguramente, son nuestros mejores embajadores en el exterior. Es una lástima que en el exterior nos vean a los españoles como gente cálida y amable y la emisora que nos representa, tenga que hacerse antipática por tan poco coste. Si poneis en una balanza todos los argumentos que estoy planteando, seguramente que no compensa el pequeño ahorro económico. Os ruego que transmitais a quien corresponda este mensaje a fin de que se den las ordenes oportunas para que en un futuro no muy lejano esta emisora, que tanto contribuye a la difusión del español, vuelva a congraciarse con sus oyentes en todo el mundo y les remitan las QSL que se merecen. En espera de vuestra respuesta, recibid entre tanto, un fraternal saludo desde el otro lado del micrófono Nos escuchamos en la radio. Cordiales 73" No recibí respuesta con este correo, visto lo cual les remití por correo ordinario la siguiente carta, con fecha 8 de diciembre de 2005, también a fecha de hoy no he recibido respuesta: "Sr./a. Director/a de Radio Nacional de España: Me atrevo a escribirle estas líneas y robar una parte de su precioso tiempo con motivo de hacerle llegar un tema que puede ser de mucho interés para Radio Exterior de España, y después de haber intentado el contacto a través de un email que remití en su día, cuya dirección tomé de la propia Web de RNE, y que del que hasta la fecha no he recibido respuesta. Nosotros somos el Club diexista S500 y nos dedicamos a la radioescucha de emisoras de radio en general y de onda corta en particular, con este motivo procuramos seguir muy de cerca la programación de REE, como muy bien sabrá casi todas las emisoras internacionales en onda corta tienen la bonita costumbre agradecer los informes de recepción que reciben con la remisión de la tarjeta de confirmación QSL, costumbre que REE rompió hace tiempo. En mi modesto entender esto es un error monumental, como explico en el email remitido en su día y del que adjunto copia, creo que el ahorro económico no compensa con los beneficios que se podrían obtener en cuanto al prestigio y simpatía de esta emisora para con sus oyentes, particularmente en el continente Americano. Es por ello por lo que le ruego reconsidere esta decisión tomada hace tiempo y se vuelva a confirmar las escuchas mediante las tarjetas QSL. Adjunto le remito el último número de nuestro boletín diexista. Rogándole me disculpe las molestias ocasionadas, y en espera de sus noticias, reciba un atento saludo." Estoy redactando otra carta, que esta vez, y dado que REE recibe como única fuente para su financiación fondos públicos, remitire a través del registro de entrada en la Delegación del Gobierno. Creo que como contribuyente español que soy, estan como mínimo obligados a contestar, no como lo que han hecho con las otras dos cartas envias hasta ahora. Espero que entre todos podamos hacer reconsiderar, o cuanto al menos recibir una explicación por el mantenimiento de esta medida de no enviar las QSL, que en nada benficia a esta potente emisora internacional (Julio Martínez juliomaju @ hotmail.com Conexión Digital April 16 via DXLD) see also COSTA RICA ** SWEDEN. The history of Motala LW The very first broadcast station in Motala was built 1927 and came into service the same year on 227 KHz. The power was fascinating 30 kW; in that time one of the strongest broadcast stations in Europe. But soon in the ``broadcast race`` in Europe, 30 kW wasn`t enough and in 1935 a new 150 kW-transmitter is installed, even this time a transmitter from Marconi. Cost: 1.25 Million SEK (35 Million SEK January 2005). The old 30 kW stands as a back-up if something would happen with the 150 kW-transmitter. The plans in the 50`s to replace this old and ineffective transmitter resulted in a complete new transmitter 15 km SE of Motala. In the early 50`s the chief master of Engineering at the Swedish Telecommunications Administration; Folke Standén, had developed an unique antenna system: An antenna system shaped as a circle with one central antenna in the middle of the circle and five antennas standing 630m from the central antenna. It would result in a better ground wave with antenna system even though it sent out a space wave with 45 degree angle but it shouldn`t have any affection. The old 150 kW transmitter in central Motala forced staff day and night. The efficiency of the transmitter laid only on 22% and fading occurred already on a distance of 80 km. With the new station the fading zone would be put out as far as approx 200 km. Due to the situation in the world in the 50`s --- The Cold War --- the transmitter hall was shaped as a bunker with 1.4 m thick concrete walls with no windows. The central antenna stood beside the ``bunker``. The height of the antennas was 250 m for the central antenna and 200 m for the ``circle antennas``. This new broadcast station became equipped with 2 x 300 kW Compagnie Français --- Thomson Houston (CFTH) transmitters with an efficiency of 62%! These transmitters could be used single or double with a max output power of 600 kW. Normally one transmitter would be used and the other in stand- by mode, ready to be taken in use if something would happen with the first transmitter. The hole inside of the bunker was lined with copper plates --- just like Faraday`s Cage. The big difference with this new station compared to the old one, except for the power, etc. --- it was totally automatized and had a reserve power plant, a V8 diesel engine on 1100 hp. In 1961 the whole station was ready to be put in service and the old 150 kW in central Motala would be retired for ever. H.R.H Prince Bertil inaugurated the station 8th May 1962. Total cost: 15 million SEK (139 million SEK January 2005). The new station was in a question. Many wondered if it was necessary to build a new huge station when one could get several FM-transmitters for the same price. The spokesmen defended their arguments with many persons still only had receivers with long- and medium wave. But everything wasn`t all right. Shortly after the transmitter was put into service, an East German station started up from East Berlin and laid just 6 KHz below Motala`s frequency 191 KHz. This resulted in heavy interference but after a while SDDR/Stimme Der DDR shut down. More problems were to come. In July 1970 during a thunderstorm, lightning strikes the central antenna, shatters an isolator and cuts off a stay resulting in the central antenna crashes right over the bunker - totally demolished. The roof on the bunker manages the crash with only astonishing light damage. Until a new feeder is connected to one of the circle antennas, the power is reduced to 100 kW. The central antenna was never rebuilt. When the oil crises hit the world in 1974 the power is temporary reduced to only 250 kW. During the 70`s and early 80`s when most of the old AM-transmitters were shut down and scraped, Motala was upgraded instead but the listeners continued to leave the long- and medium wave in favour of the more comfortable FM- mode. The maintaining and costs rose. The Government had already plans in 1980 to shut down Motala but after massive protests the station could live a few years more. To achieve the new purpose from SR the antenna system was rebuilt to a certain beam towards Copenhagen and Helsinki without increasing the reception in Oslo. It achieves with only two of five antennas. A new kind of more effective modulation, processed sound, starts to be in use in 1983. The temperature of the modulation transformer lays nearly the alarm limit and more effective like this, it can`t be. As a result of the wavelength plan in Geneva in 1979, the frequency is changed to 189 KHz in 1986. This was the beginning of the end for Motala. Soldiers from the army blasted three of the antennas in the winter 1987 while it still was cold and ground frost. Now the final shut down is at hand; the Swedish Telecom decided to make a study how many persons who really listened to the station. In 1989 the result came --- approx 200 listeners and in 1990 the reserve power plant crashed --- a piston went right through the top block. Swedish Telecom asked for 3 million SEK to repair the reserve power plant and maintain the stays on two of the remaining antennas. The Swedish Telecom didn`t find any economy to continue broadcast on long wave with only 200 listeners. The congress and the government had no objections to draw back the money for maintainence, 1.1 million SEK annual, and the date for the final shut down was decided to 30th November 1991. With a special program the last hour ending with the Swedish national anthem, an almost 65 year long epoch was at end. Sadly the two remaining antennas were blasted in 1994 and in 1995. Still the bunker with two intact transmitters remains. Nowadays the bunker is owned by a private person and can be visited after reserving time via the broadcasting museum in central Motala, hosting in the old broadcasting station --- right where it once started in 1927! Note the station could be listened to in the Baltic Countries, Swedish speaking parts of Finland, Norway, Denmark, parts of Germany and halfway to the UK (via? Christian Stödberg, sm6vpu, HCDX via DXLD) ** SYRIA. Sorprendiente respuesta desde Damasco -- El pasado 5 de abril utilicé dos direcciones electrónicas del servicio en español de la Radioemisora de la República Árabe Siria, la de Marián Galindo (mmhrez@shuf.com) y otra que había facilitado el colega Marcelo Cornachioni en la Condiglist (riadsharafaldin@yahoo.com), para remitir un reporte sobre la escucha de la emisora siria en la extraña frecuencia de 9330 Khz. Afortunadamente la segunda dirección dio resultado, pertenece a Riad Sharaf Al-Din, Supervisor de Programa, quien me confirmó que "realmente estamos transmitiendo en la frecuencia de 9330 Khz pero de modo experimental". En cuanto a mis comentarios sobre las dificultades que siempre he tenido en mis envíos postales a la dirección en Damasco, Riad me dijo "Me da mucha pena lo sucedido con tus cartas, realmente aquí contestamos todas las que nos llegan a la Radio y Marián es muy aplicada en esto, pero a veces algunos de los carteros son ignorantes y no entienden la dirección en letras latinas y se desvía para otro lugar." Riad tiene 34 años y estudió en Cuba entre los años 1991 y 1997, en su amable mensaje se interesó por la crisis económica en Argentina deseando se haya solucionado. Finaliza diciendo "Por si deseas ver el mapa de nuestro país pues figura detallado en la Enciclopedia, Encarta y muy bien detallado." Les recuerdo el horario y las frecuencias utilizadas por la Radioemisora de la República Árabe Siria en español: 2315-0030 en 13610, 12085 y 9330 Khz. (Rubén Guillermo Margenet, Casilla de Correo 950, S 2000 WAJ - Rosario ARGENTINA, April 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Doubt they use all three at once; WRTH 2005 had them only on 12085 at 2320-2430 with Arabic until 2320. First reports follow of 9330 also used at earlier hours (gh) Radio Damascus, Syria on April 12th 1805-1905 in German heard on 9330 and 12085 and announced 13605[?, wb.] kHz. (Rumen Pankov-BUL, wwdxc BC-DX Apr 15) [?13610 instead?, wb.] Was heard on Wednesday in Turkish at 1605 on 9330 and Russian follows. The complete sched is not yet known --- it does go off air for part of the evening (Noel R. Green-UK, wwdxc BC-DX Apr 8 via DXLD) 9330, 16/4. R. Damasco, 2315-2332, español, ID "Aquí Damasco, radiodifusora de la república árabe Síria", Música, Noticias, tentativa en 12085 y 13610. SINPO 33433 (Jose Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, SANGEAN ATS 909, Antena hilo de siete metros, Noticias DX via DXLD) ** TATARSTAN [non]. RUSSIA. A-05 for Tatarstan Wave: 0400-0500 on 15140 SAM 250 kW / 060 deg to FE 0600-0700 on 9690 SAM 250 kW / 060 deg to CeAs 0800-0900 on 11925 SAM 100 kW / 310 deg to WeEu (Observer, Bulgaria, April 15 via DXLD) ** TIBET [non]. UZBEKISTAN: A-05 for Voice of Tibet via TAC 100 kW / 131 degrees: 1100-1148 on 17522.0 or 17525.0 or 17528.0 1212-1300 on 17522.0 or 17525.0 or 17528.0 1301-1349 on 17522.0 or 17525.0 or 17528.0 1430-1518 on 17522.0 or 17525.0 or 17528.0 (Observer, Bulgaria, April 15 via DXLD) ** TURKS & CAICOS. From the NRC list: News Flash: This is the latest information I've been passed just right now. "Ron, Set for Saturday night 7:30 till 9 pm [EDT? = Sat 2330-0100 UT Sun] at 20 kW. Now if I can find some programming material. With the ERP should be 50 kW over the western Caribbean and south FL." So that's lower power than I originally thought, but again, all the information I have, so those who haven't logged this outlet in the past can now do so. I'm willing to receive information for the unnamed person holding the equipment test. Cross posting is highly encouraged. Doing what I can to coordinate tests and info... Ron Gitschier, Palm Coast, FL Les Rayburn writes: According to reports posted by Ron Gitshier, it appears that there may be a test tomorrow evening from the 1020 kHz station on the Turks and Caicos Islands. The test would be at 50 kW, and the station is seeking reports. Unfortunately, no other information is available at this time (via Russ Edmunds, PA, WTFDA-AM via DXLD) [posted earlier on dxld yg] Positive ID for Caribbean Christian Radio heard at 8:10 pm ET in New Brunswick. Fair signal with Spanish QRM and presumed KDKA with ball game now fading in (Wade Smith, Chipman, New Brunswick, NRC-AM via DXLD) Not a moment too soon, I got to the radio at 2035 [0035 UT], and tuning to 1020 immediately heard the code: DE CARIBBEAN CHRISTIAN RADIO CCR CCR CCR GRAND TURK, then a voice announcement mostly buried under KDKA, and gone. Nice to hear, but not a newie --- heard them testing on 18 April 2003 (Barry McLarnon, VE3JF, Ottawa, ON, NRC-AM via DXLD) Besides many other reports mainly in SE USA (gh) Almost exactly two years, to the day, maybe they have to put the station on the air every year to keep their license valid. You had the code 100% same as that which I wrote down. I have it on MC60 tape. It was nice to hear this 'old friend' again. Hope some of the Euro DXers heard them. I wish they had stayed on longer for the midwest guys, too. I sent a copy of my log notes to Ron G. (Bob Foxworth, Tampa, ibid.) Since you missed the first show, do you want to do it again Monday night? We can start a little late and go a bit later. I had to turn down the density on the Optimod, your morse code drove the transmitter nuts and kicked out an overload. Thanks for the help (Jerry Kiefer, ibid.) ** UGANDA [non]. 17870 khz, Radio Rhino International - Africa, (via JUL, D), *1500-1530*, 11 Abril, escuchada su primer transmision luego de reanudar sus emisiones, apertura con varias ID's en inglés "You are listening to Radio Rhino International - Africa", y música africana continua. Escuchada sin emitir mensajes políticos en el dia de hoy. 35434 (Anker Petersen, Dinamarca en DXplorer via Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** UKRAINE. A-05 for Radio Ukraine International in Ukrainian: 0000-0500 on 7485 KHR 100 kW / 055 deg to RUS 0500-0800 on 9945 KHR 100 kW / 277 deg to WeEu 0800-1300 on 15675 KHR 100 kW / 277 deg to WeEu 1300-1700 on 7530 KHR 100 kW / 055 deg to RUS 1700-2100 on 7490 KHR 100 kW / 290 deg to WeEu 2100-2400 on 7420 KHR 100 kW / 290 deg to WeEu 2300-0400 on 7440 SMF 500 kW / 314 deg to NoAmEa English 0000-0100 on 7440 German 1700-1800 on 7490 0300-0400 on 7440 2000-2100 on 7490 1100-1200 on 15675 2300-2400 on 7420 2100-2200 on 7420 Ukrainian - all other times and freqs (Observer, Bulgaria, April 15 via DXLD) ** U K. Hi, Glenn! I got a personal e-mail from Penny Vine in response to my recent batch of messages to "Write On". I can't forward it because all the e-mail from anyone at the BBC always has a boilerplate clause at the end forbidding that, but I wanted to let you know that she said that she'd let the website maintainers know about the missing-schedules problem, and that she, too, remembered the flap about "Westway" when it debuted. The interesting aspect of that is that not one of the senior managers that were in place when "Westway" was approved and was added to the Worldservice lineup is still there after 7.5 years! I responded to let her know that I appreciated the evidence that our input to "Write On" IS getting read and acted upon. 73, (Will Martin, MO, April 15, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K [and non]. Monitored BBCWS on 15190 April 16 at 1329, when there was a promo for Talking Point, Sunday at ``9 am Eastern``!! Yeah, sure, in parts of Indiana. Everywhere else, it`s 10 am EDT now. Can`t BBC keep track of local time, if they insist on using it instead of GMT?! Are other promos not updated? T.P. is one show that stays at the same GMT yearound on all streams, since it is a live call-in. This was amid Pick of the World, followed at 1345 by Write On, where excuses were made about FM still being the prime medium despite the news being censored on the Nepal relay; just bring back a bit of SW when needed, as they have done in this case (but concerning Nepali language only?), and they are happy to hear about Nepalis going out to buy SW radios for the purpose. Another concession: 12095 has been revived Saturday afternoons to Europe for stupid ballgammes since there is no internet availability of that programme; exact hours not given. Inaudible here, but I hardly care. There is some good news: no more audio dropouts, at least not on this occasion, from the 15190 Guiana French relay!! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Furthermore, just before Talking Point on Sunday (when they turn off our transmitter on 15190, so we can`t hear it anyway), at 1359 the promo ran again claiming it would be at 9 am Eastern, even tho it was already 9:59 am EDT (gh) ** U S A [and non]. VOICE OF AMERICA BY WAY OF HONG KONG By Al Kamen American corporations, fleeing high labor costs, often head overseas. Turns out, some federal agencies may be doing the same. The Voice of America, working with ever-tightening budgets, is planning a little outsourcing itself -- to Communist China -- to save some taxpayer dollars. Ted Iliff, central news division chief, said the plan, announced at a recent staff meeting, is to take about eight news writer jobs -- the slots of people who work the graveyard shift from around midnight to the morning -- and move those tasks to Hong Kong. (The people will move to other shifts.) These folks handle the late news writing, then send their stories to be translated by VOA language services into Swahili, Spanish and so on. VOA says the move could save at least $300,000 in salaries and benefits each year, and would relieve people burdened by working those hours -- though we hear most of those affected like their hours and enhanced night pay. The idea is to use contract employees -- expatriate English-speakers in Hong Kong, who would be supervised by a senior editor in Washington. This didn't sit well with the rank and file, who argued that a Serbian or Mideast or U.S. political story, for example, would be written from Hong Kong when the expertise is in this country. And then, of course, there's the question of what will be written if the Chicoms invade Taiwan. Will there be a story saying, "One million brave Chinese volunteers, responding to desperate pleas for help from their cousins in Taipei, crossed the Taiwan Strait this morning"? There's also the question of making sure everyone in Hong Kong has the requisite security clearances. Tim Shamble, president of the American Federation of Government Employees local, notes it doesn't seem to make sense that "English news broadcasts by the Voice of America should be written by non- Americans in a foreign country." Then there's the notion, he said, of American taxpayer dollars providing jobs for noncitizens overseas. "This is all a tempest in a teapot," VOA chief David Jackson said yesterday. "We have operated out of Hong Kong for decades" -- though, of course, the Brits were in charge in earlier decades -- and "Radio Free Asia has operated out of there . . . with no problem." What's more, Hong Kong "is filled with ex-pats and good journalists" [not to mention exceptional restaurants], and they'll be "supervised and edited by people here." This is not the beginning of an outsourcing policy but a "unique situation" and a very important news story. "There are no plans to do this anywhere else," he said. Well, as they say, trust but verify (via Bill Westenhaver, DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. April 15 at 1324, the diatribe of Pastor Pete Peters on WWCR-3, 9985 [not at 1400 as in the online text schedule], was severely QRMed by some FE language co-channel. FCC A-05 shows 9985 0700 1600 KHBN 100 345 44-45 1234567 270305 301005 so this is hardly surprising. Frequency planners don`t realize what potent signals NWPac transmitters can put into CNAm, whatever their azimuth and target may be. However, upon recheck at 1330, PPP was in the clear, perhaps during a KHBN pause (or if you prefer, T8BZ) not accounted for in the overall FCC schedule. If KHBN is really on 9985 also at 0930, that should wipe out reception in the Pac and FE of various DX programs on WWCR including WOR on Wednesdays (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Greetings! I apologize if the two recipients of this message are not associated with the amrad.org website or the message found there. I recently came across the following link referring to my late friend Martin Edwards: http://amrad.org/pipermail/tacos/2005/003110.html I wonder if the rumor-mill substituted US Naval Observatory for WWV? I offer this explanation for the mystery, should you want to update your mailing list. See http://mae.gerharz.net/ under "Click here for some remembrances." Marty's voice -- at its best -- may be heard in perpetuity...by calling 202-762-1401...that's the US Naval Observatory Master Clock... -- (Reinhold J. Gerharz http://www.gerharz.net "The only good SPAMMER is a DEAD SPAMMER." April 16, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Or at least gaoled ** U S A. MET OPERA IS THREATENED ON SOME COMMERCIAL RADIO By DINITIA SMITH Published: April 11, 2005 Ever since ChevronTexaco announced in 2003 that it would stop financing Saturday afternoon live radio broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the fate of the broadcasts, especially in remote parts of the country, has hung in the balance. So far, said Joseph Volpe, the Met's general manager, money has been found to keep the broadcasts going through next season, which begins in December. But now a new difficulty has entered into the equation, which may affect the ability of smaller commercial stations to carry the operas. In the past, ChevronTexaco did not permit commercial stations to interrupt Met broadcasts with advertisements for other products, and it paid them to offset lost revenues. But last month, the Met, which now pays for the broadcasts and subsidies from foundation money it raised, told commercial stations that, starting next season, it would no longer give them the money. The stations are scrambling to make up for the lost revenue. The announcement does not affect most of the 360 stations that carry the Met broadcasts, because they are nonprofit and do not receive the payments. Still, 40 of the 63 commercial stations that transmit the opera are in smaller markets, where it will be harder to find sponsors to compensate for the lost subsidies . . . http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/11/arts/music/11oper.html?ex=1113883200&en=84f88b39c939e90c&ei=5040&partner=MOREOVERNEWS (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) ** U S A. EXCELSIOR YOU FATHEAD - SHEP'S GHOST IN LINE FOR 2005 NAT'L RADIO HALL OF FAME The late writer Jean Shepherd, whose radio programs on WOR et alia can be heard on WBAI.org (Tuesday around 0915 GMT) and WBCQ.com (7415 kHz Monday at 2100 GMT) (both times adjusted for local summer time) is among the nominees http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/story/300341p-257128c.html Let the Fame game begin --- Radio Scott Shannon of WPLJ, Dr. Laura Schlessinger and the late Jean Shepherd are among the nominees for the 2005 National Radio Hall of Fame. Inductees will be announced Nov. 5 at the annual dinner in Chicago. Nominees include: Active network/syndicated: Schlessinger, Bob & Tom, ABC White House correspondent Ann Compton, pianist Marian McPartland. Pioneer network/syndicated: "Abbott & Costello," "Gang Buster," "The Great Gildersleeve," "Music & the Spoken Word." Active local or regional: Shannon, Marty Brennaman, Ronn Owens, Ron Chapman. Pioneer local or regional: Shepherd, Jess Cain, Mike Murphy, Preston Westmoreland (via Joel Rubin, swprograms via DXLD) ** U S A. There was a large measure of shock and dismay when I heard from DX friend John Clemmer that fellow DX friend Don Erickson had perished horribly in a fire at his home in Riverside, CA recently. Seems oftentimes you hear of these things on the news but fortunately it doesn’t involve someone you know; sadly, however, this time was not one of those. I`m sure many fellow IRCAns are aware of how for so many years Don was the publisher of the DX Monitor. Somewhere, I still have some of those old colorful paged bulletins. John and I talked much about the tragic nature of his passing but we also spoke about what we remembered about Don. I think everyone who knew Don has an interesting Don Erickson story, so let me tell mine. I first met Don at the IRCA convention Toledo hosted in 1971. It was exciting to host this event. One of the first DXers I met outside of the small group of TOADS (Toledo, Ohio Area DXers) as we were referred to then, was Don. He was very friendly and most of all very interesting to talk to --- very intelligent. One thing I noticed when we had our auction was that Don was a very prolific bidder. His bids would oftentimes be met with numerous buzzing sounds and sounder jingles of K-D-E-E (that came to be his assigned call both signifying his very western home and his initials which he used just as prolifically in the bulletin). Don had a way of bidding and winning some of the most useless junk that nobody else really wanted. When asked why he would take the ``crap``, it was always something like I`ll find some use for it -- which, of course, there wouldn’t be --- but I always felt it was just because of his intense desire to help the club out financially. Don was like that. He was one of the best punsters I think I’d ever come across. He could spin humor from most any type of reference, but that was just his way. Some might call him eccentric. I find that anytime you are dealing with someone of such superior intellect that eccentricity is part of their personality, so it was with Don. I remember one of the first times I spoke with Frank Merrill about Don and he said to me -- sometime you`ll have to go visit `Toyland` -- which was Don`s house. He told me that Don had voluminous amounts of papers and magazines stacked all over the place. Well in 1983, John Clemmer, Marv Shults and I went on a West Coast trip. Among our stops was a visit to `KEE`. It was amazing staying there for an overnight. Walking among the catacombs of piled up papers to the ceiling was an experience; finding a place to lie down and sleep safely was even more so. You couldn’t help but think that even the slightest tremor would send an avalanche of printed matter onto your person, which could happen easily in quake prone Southern California. One thing that stands out was that Don was a gracious host. He also came to my rescue with a pair of his own glasses when mine got knocked off my face by a wave while wading in the Pacific Ocean off Huntington Beach, his prescription was remarkably close to mine. Without his help, Southern Cal would have been a myopic blur until I could get a replacement set of glasses. He took a sinking feeling and made it all better -- see it did help that he collected things! One of the last times I saw Don was at the 1984 IRCA convention. I know over the years he’s had some nagging health problems. Still I`d always hoped I`d get to see him again and yuk up old times. You hate to see a life end this way, but the hope is Don is in a better place, and somewhere I`m sure he`s still collecting things --- I just wish he’d thrown some things away. Gladly it was our friendship that was not one of those things. I`ll miss you Don aka KDEE! 73s all (Gary Siegel, Toledo OH, IRCA DX Monitor April 16 via DXLD) ** U S A. Hi Glenn, As I noted on COM 05-01, a.k.a. World of Radio Extra 55 --- You stated that WBT AM 1110 IN Charlotte NC is the only AM station to play our national anthem on a regular basis. NOT TRUE!! At the close of Richmond's morning news with Jimmy Barrett on 1140 AM WRVA Richmond VA. He concludes his show with the playing of The Star Spangled Banner at 8:59 am [1259 UT]. Just wanted to keep you up to date (Bruce Weiss, Richmond VA, April 17, DX LISTENING DIGEST) There may well be more, but how else to find out? (gh) ** U S A. The horror of WOWO's nite IBOC [1190 Fort Wayne IN] --- WOWO's breaks mention new HD signal and their nite IBOC is a big nuisance here. Bothering a strong WHAM on the car receiver, ND antenna and making it next to impossible to hear my Chicago Spanish local on 1200 thru WOAI QRM. The end of this hobby as we know it is near if something isn't done about nighttime IBOC. 73 KAZ (Neil Kazaross, IL, April 16, amfmtvdx at qth.net via DXLD) No, the end of the hobby is coming if they don't ever sell IBOC radios. So far no one wants to sell IBOC radios. The destruction from this and the failure of IBAC will dwarf the debacle of AM Stereo if no radios are sold soon. IBAC will make XM and Sirius rich. You can have digital radio now but it will come from a satellite (Kevin Redding, ibid.) ** U S A. New FM stations granted in New Mexico include: Arroyo Seco, *91.3, 500 watts h,v; 97 m ; UNM in a settlement agreement. See also Deletions below Española, *91.9, 8700 h,v; 164 m; Northern New Mexico Public Radio in a settlement agreement. Dismissed was Family Stations, Inc. 91.9 Alcalde application Las Vegas, *91.9, 100 watts h,v; -36 m, UNM in a settlement agreement. See also Deletions below Deletions: NM, Las Vegas, K220AW *91.9 [nothing here about 91.3 Arroyo Seco] Facilities` Changes Granted: Albuquerque, KUNM, *89.9, 18500 h,v +beam tilt; 1252 m; facilities change through a settlement agreement (April FMedia! via DXLD) Brucey, could you explain in plain English and without too much trouble, what this is all about? Does the settlement agreement have something to do with changing the beam tilt, and how do the translators figure into that? (Glenn to Bruce F. Elving, FMedia! Editor) Note, Glenn, that the new stations granted in Las Vegas NM and Arroyo Seco are not translators. If they were translators, they would have call numbers like K219CO (meanting a translator station on 91.7). Those will be considered regular FM stations and as such can displace a translator on their channel. KUNM had a facilities change that apparently conflicted with another or other nearby application(s). I suppose one or more parties had to withdraw their application(s) so KUNM could expand. Perhaps KUNM paid them something for this, which the FCC apparently approved of. The FCC throws out the data pertaining to dismissed applications, so there is no way I know of for finding out which application or applications may have been dismissed. Beam tilt is a way of spraying some of your power back toward the valley you want to serve, rather than sending it to the horizon as stations without beam tilt do. At least that's the way I understand it. Thanks for the question and for being such an astute reader (BRVCE Elving, via DXLD) ** U S A. If you seek some fitful entertainment, just try watching the captions on a live news broadcast. April 14 at 2259 UT, NBC Nightly News closed as ``Knightly Fuse``, sez the National Captioning Institute!! I not kid you. Is someone paying for this nonsense? If anything they should be able to get right, it`s the title of the show. It`s hard to imagine any business (well, beyond Microsoft) that could make so many mistakes and still keep going (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Fox News host: Repeat after me If the conservative guests on Fox News' "Hannity and Colmes" sound especially on-message, that's because they're being coached by the best: Sean Hannity himself. On the March 31 installment of the shouting-head show, the guests included two of the late Terri Schiavo's former nurses, Trudy Capone and Carla Sauer Iyer, arguing that their patient wasn't brain-dead. Between commercials, according to an off-air audiotape obtained by investigative comedian Harry Shearer for last Sunday's episode of his weekly radio program, "Le Show," Hannity coached the women on exactly how to respond when liberal co-host Alan Colmes cross-examined them. "Just say, 'I'm here to tell what I saw,'" Hannity can be heard instructing his guests. "No matter what the question, 'I'm here to tell you what I saw. I'm here to tell you what I saw.'" Hannity adds helpfully: "Say, 'I'm not going to be distracted by silliness.' How's that? Does that help you? Look into that camera. Look at me when I'm talking." On the air, Iyer performs beautifully. "I don't have any opinions or judgments. I was there," she declares. After the segment ends, Hannity gushes off the air to the nurses: "We got the points out. It's hard, this isn't easy. But you did great, both of you. Thank you, guys. Those nurses are powerful, aren't they?" On his radio show, Shearer injected: "Yeah, especially when they do what you tell 'em to do. Very powerful when they follow instructions from the host!" A Fox News flack didn't respond to Lowdown's detailed message yesterday (New York Daily News via Brock Whaley, DXLD) When will these pros learn they are always ``on`` during backhauls? (gh) ** ZIMBABWE. 6045.0 R. Z. (Tentative), Apr 16, 0215 repetitive African music, into what sounded like African language, weak (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, NRD545, with T2FD antenna, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZIMBABWE [non]. SOUTH AFRICA [Clandestine to ZWE] 7120, Radio VOP, via Madagascar at 1703-1730 UT on Apr 14, weak on squeezed frequency. English political talk, many IDs, mostly "Radio VOP" but also "You are tuned to Radio Voice of the People." Gave address as Radio VOP, P. O. Box 5750, Harare, Zimbabwe (Finn Krone-DEN, wwdxc BC-DX Apr 15 via DXLD) This one has been overlooked recently with all the attention to SW Radio Africa, and even VOA`s Zim service. Why list this under South Africa if it`s transmitted from Madagascar to Zimbabwe? (gh) UNIDENTIFIED. 3292.15v, 1040 to 1045, signal drifting, may be GBC in Georgetown returning to the air after flood damage. Or maybe not :-) (Robert Wilkner, FL, Japan Premium April 15 via DXLD) Date? UNIDENTIFIED. Distorted signal, French language transmission like a fense [fence?] in 11983 to 12190 kHz range, noted at 1600-1630 UT on 11983, 12002, 12021, 12040, 12058, 12077, 12094, 12115, 12135, 12153, 12172, and 12191 kHz. No basical centered frequency around 12085 kHz could be traced. Noted in Germany on various receivers (Wolfgang Büschel, April 17, harmonics yg, et al. via DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PROPAGATION +++++++++++ 160 METER PROPAGATION TUTORIAL I noticed on the web site for the Western Washington DX Club http://www.wwdxc.org a number of links to presentations from past club meetings, either on technical topics or DXpeditions. One of interest to readers is a PDF of the K9LA talk on 160-meter propagation at last summer's Northwest DX Convention. This is a very interesting tutorial on several aspects of 160-meter propagation, and examines the notion that this band is better during the sunspot minimum (QST de W1AW Propagation Forecast Bulletin 15 ARLP015 From Tad Cook, K7RA Seattle, WA April 15, 2005 via VA3RJ, ODXA via DXLD) ###