DX LISTENING DIGEST 5-093, June 6, 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 1276: Tue 0600 WOR WPKN Bridgeport CT 89.5 [also WPKM Montauk LINY 88.7] Tue 1600 WOR WBCQ after hours Wed 0930 WOR WWCR 9985 Wed 1600 WOR WBCQ after hours Mon 0330 WOR WSUI Iowa City IA 910 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 1276 (high version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1276h.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1276h.rm WORLD OF RADIO 1276 (low version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1276.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1276.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1276.html WORLD OF RADIO 1276 in true shortwave sound of Alex`s mp3 (stream) http://www.dxprograms.net/worldofradio_06-01-05.m3u (download) http://www.dxprograms.net/worldofradio_06-01-05.mp3 ** ALAND ISLANDS. Finland - Åland 603 kHz - heard all day long by your editor at S-4 on the S-meter, but covered by other stations during darkness -oa/ (Olle Alm, Sweden, ARC Info Desk May 23 via DXLD) ** ANTARCTICA. 15475.85, R. Nacional Arcángel, San Gabriel, 2020-2030, May 30, bypassing the power house station on 15475 (Robert Wilkner, FL, DSWCI DX Window via DXLD) Wonder how he did this; with notch filter? Any audio from LRA36? I hear that VC is getting close to a frequency change away from 15475. Some details about LRA-36 from a Certificado de Recepción received by Scott Barbour, NH, for an October report, reproduced in the QSL Report, June NASWA Journal: Transmitter is a CCA of 10 kW [tho we heard they were running on considerably reduced power for some reason], and the antenna is a three-bay open-wire rhombic ``rómbica de tres planos línea abierta``. Azimuth not given, but I bet it`s more or less favoring Buenos Aires, and us (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ARGENTINA [and non]. [really UNIDENTIFIED but grouped here for convenience --- gh]. Again, the music station on 1710 mixing with the Brooklyn Lubavitcher station which had a man continually talking. The possible Argentine station was over and under at times but was best between 2200 and 2230 EDST May 31 with pop ballads and many vocals, male and female, but no announcements. It was poor at 2300. Because of the long, deep fades I tend to think the signal is coming from a very long distance. I recall that when I was receiving Aussies and Zeddars back in the 1960's they did the same type of fading. There might have been a third station around 2230 as the song was of a different style unless that was the Brooklyn station with a brief musical interlude. I would think that my location is too far to pick up Boston area pirates. However I do know that low powered stations at long distances sometimes get out quite well on the upper part of the band. Is anyone else picking up musical audio on 1710 in addition to Brooklyn? (Ben Dangerfield, Wallingford, PA [SE corner PA], NRC-AM via DXLD) 1710, UNID, Man and woman in what sounds like Spanish at 0130 EDT 6/2, Lots of noise and static. Conditions seem quite auroral tonight. Maybe Argentina? Unless there is something else on there in the West. I really doubt the NE Pirates. Will keep trying. Only audible on the Eastern beverage. Drake R8 1500' Eastern beverage (Patrick Martin, Seaside OR, ibid.) I listened to the Boston Pirate on 1710 Wednesday after work 1630-1700 EDT while driving home. They carried a man in Haitian French giving a long speech (quite possibly a sermon) with no music. On other occasions they have definitely carried lively French Caribbean religious music (Marc DeLorenzo, Boston, ibid.) ** BAHAMAS. Just got a new tropo... 102.1 ==== "Bahamas Mix 102"...my guess in Freeport, nearest island to me, unlisted in WFTDA (Ken Simon, Lake Worth FL, June 3, WTFDA via DXLD) ** BELGIUM [non]. No 6015 now as well --- Is VT not willing to air Vlaams Belang as well? Around 1030 June 5, during the announced time, I found 6015 empty again, leaving Brest [Belarus] on 6010 in the clear. However, before and after 1030 there was an unscheduled DRM signal on 6045. On this frequency again T-Systems would be the usual suspect, but what did they carry? And if T-Systems they must be really confident about this signal doing no any harm to an AM transmission 10 kHz above, since they have from 1030 Evangelische Missionsgemeinden (in German) from Wertachtal on 6055. All the best, (Kai Ludwig, Germany, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. CHTN's new contact info --- The CRTC ordered "divorce" of the LMA between MBS owned CFCY/CHLQ [a.k.a. Magic 93] and Newcap owned CHTN is now complete and CHTN is now in their new home in the Atlantic Technology Centre which I can see just outside my office window. Here is the new contact info: 720 CHTN, 90 University Avenue, Charlottetown PE C1A 4K9, Canada Email: requests @ chtn.pe.ca Phone: (902) 569-1003 Fax: (902) 569-8693 Keep in mind that CHTN has applied to flip to FM, so they will not be available as a MW DX target for too much longer. With the move from Prince Street to University avenue, the audio quality has gone from good to poor. Poor highs, lots of hiss, (especially noted on pauses when the compression sucks the noise level up high). Signal still makes DXing difficult in my shack from 690 to 750 but their signal strength this morning seemed rather weak (likely a modulation issue) - buzzing under wires on the drive in to work and an absolute mess in one of the parking garages which ironically is across the street from their studio site. By contrast, 630 CFCY is "static free" and 25 KW 1320 CKEC some 30 miles away as the crow flies is nearly static free. I speculate that they are using a phone line and haven't got digital gear in yet. In their former shared quarters they along with the two other former sister stations used digital encoding over phone lines which works rather well - until that is the day that a fully raised dump truck drove along Water Street ripping down phone and power lines as it went. All three Charlottetown stations (well, CBC was still on) were off the air for hours although their transmitters were running. Hopefully CHTN will get its audio and signal problems fixed soon. Contacting CHTN Requests: (902) 368-1720 (Phil Rafuse, PEI Canada, June 1, ABDX via DXLD) See also ST PAUL IS. ** CANADA. Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2005-225 Ottawa, 1 June 2005 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Calgary and Banff, Alberta Application 2005-0021-6 Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2005-2731 March 2005 CBR Calgary - New transmitter in Banff. The Commission approves the application by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) to amend the broadcasting licence for the radio programming undertaking CBR Calgary, in order to operate an FM transmitter in Banff to broadcast CBR's programming, and to delete the existing AM transmitter CBRB Banff. The new FM transmitter will replace the existing CBRB Banff transmitter, which operates on the AM band. The new transmitter will operate at 96.3 MHz (channel 242A) with an average effective radiated power of 250 watts. Full decision at http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2005/db2005-225.htm Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2005-224 Ottawa, 1 June 2005 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Vancouver, British Columbia and Yellowknife, Northwest Territories Application 2004-1572-0 Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2005-2731 March 2005 CBU-FM Vancouver - New transmitter in Yellowknife. The Commission approves the application by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to amend the broadcasting licence for the radio programming undertaking CBU-FM Vancouver, in order to operate a transmitter in Yellowknife to rebroadcast the programming of its national English-language network service Radio Two 2. The new transmitter will operate at 95.3 MHz (channel 237A1) with an effective radiated power of 114 watts. Full decision at http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2005/db2005-224.htm (Relayed by Harry van Vugt, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, DXLD) ** CANADA. GUESS WHO`S COMING TO CBC RADIO --- By BRAD WHEELER Monday, June 6, 2005 Updated at 5:03 AM EDT Globe and Mail http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050606.wxradio06/BNStory/Entertainment/ Guess who's replacing the departed Danny Finkleman on CBC Radio One this summer? It's Randy Bachman, the bear-like Winnipeg-raised guitarist of Bachman Turner Overdrive and, yes, Guess Who fame. The musician will host Randy Bachman's Vinyl Tap, a two-hour music and storytelling show that is one of 15 new programs to be launched for the summer season. The schedule runs June 27 through Sept. 5, with programming on both Radio One and Radio Two. The Saturday evening Vinyl Tap begins its 10-week run on July 2, and although the program airs an hour earlier than Finkleman's 45s did (7 p.m., as opposed to 8 p.m.), the younger, hipper Bachman, aged 61, is essentially replacing the quirky, elder Finkleman, 62. "It's a natural fit," according to CBC Radio director of programming Jennifer McGuire. "What we were looking for was a personality, like Danny -- and we have it. Randy's a performer, he's a great storyteller, and, certainly, he's a name." While Finkleman's 45s was based upon the host's vast recorded collection of music (including pop, rock and soul from the 1950s to the early 70s), Bachman's program is thematic in nature, with songs and a narrative based on the musician's experiences. "It's my life intertwined in music," Bachman explains. "Some of the stories I'll tell are funny, some of them are touching." Bachman, who'll tape the non-scripted program at his home in Saltspring Island, B.C., draws on his experiences over the past four decades for Vinyl Tap's content. A pilot episode that centres on early rock 'n' roll includes not only the material of Elvis Presley, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, but also the story of how Bachman was first exposed to the music, and later, anecdotes concerning his personal experiences with the musicians. The music will cover pop and classic rock mostly, with a smattering of jazz and country as well. Bachman provided the network with outlines of proposed episodes, but the shows will not be scripted. "They're giving me free rein," the veteran musician says, "which is pretty amazing." Vinyl Tap (an amalgamation of the film spoof Spinal Tap and the long- running CBC Radio variety show The Vinyl Café), captures the spirit of the network's summer lineup, according to McGuire. "It's a loose show, with stories connecting with Canada." Other new programs include The Red Edge, a weekly half-hour show from Winnipeg, hosted by actor Ryan Black, that showcases aboriginal leaders in various fields; Simply Sean, a Saturday morning show featuring music and the off-beat observations of comic Sean Cullen; and Lost & Found, a Saturday afternoon series from Charlottetown that explores personal stories of searches and discoveries. Canada's summer-music calendar provides the content for The Circuit, a Friday evening program that culls performances from festivals coast to coast. And then there's a show sure to capture a nation's sleuthing side -- The Mystery of . . ., featuring actress Shauna MacDonald, better known as CBC Radio One's raspy-voiced Promo Girl. MacDonald's identity was unknown before she was outed by The Globe and Mail earlier this year, and now her role with the network includes daily spots that invite listeners to help her solve a summer-long mystery (via allaccess.com via Brock Whaley, June 6, DXLD) New programs airing on CBC Radio 1 this summer are highlighted (unfortunately in an Adobe file) at: http://www.cbcradio3.com/SummerSchedule/CBCSumE-Book.pdf (Mike Cooper, GA, Jun 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COLOMBIA. Re Voz de la Resistencia heard by Malm on 5880, 6000, 6120: 6000, R Havana Cuba? Is this a harmonic of a MW broadcast? David Crawford had them on 10100v a very, very long time ago. A few years ago, they were in the 6200 to 6350 area. Heard nothing on 5880 May 27 (Robert Wilkner in Dxplorer, via DSWCI DX Window via DXLD) ** CUBA. I was at Ft. DeSoto on June 4, and 9550 was active at 1614 GMT tune-in with unique English coverage of something called the "International Conference Against Terrorism, for Truth and Justice" -- such a catchy title -- presumably Fidel's way of countering the OAS meeting that begins Sunday in Fort Lauderdale. They claimed that the convention began at 8 a.m. local, and "may" continue Sunday as well. 9550 was abruptly off at 1704*. Rebelde on 1180 kHz, etc. also noted in parallel to 6000 and 5025 from 1614 with Spanish coverage of said convention (Fidel concluded his rambling about an hour earlier), and 6000 was off on recheck 1704 as well. Rarely do I have the SW portable with me while at the beach; glad I did today (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, FL, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, June 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Checked Sunday morning June 5 around 1308, and 9550, 12000 were back in normal Spanish programming, 13680 not on, so I guess it`s over (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [and non]. / FLORIDA AIRSPACE --- The 530 kHz Cuba transmitter (currently relaying Radio Cadena Habana) abruptly pulled the plug at 2123 GMT, 4 June. Dropping out so their monitors can begin checking for airborne Radio Martí this Saturday eve? Exactly! Air Martí up from *2146, open carrier only, into audio abruptly at 2156, Martí sounders 2200 and slammed at exactly 2200 by the 530 Cuba transmitter, which returned with Cadena Habana audio. Fascinating to observe Cuba cut 530 at 2123 GMT to allow for monitoring of Martí, then back on to jam. God, I love radio wars! (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida USA 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, June 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. Radio Enciclopedia, 1260 kHz, 1714+ GMT 4 June, good signal with usual format of all instrumental music, including a version of Madonna`s ``Holiday,`` and the always-canned female patter between songs (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida USA 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, June 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** DJIBOUTI. MW 1539 log was on the 16th of April (Craig Edwards, SA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 4780, Radiodiffusion Télévision de Djibouti, 1700-1845, June 3, Vernacular. Lots of songs with local instruments, news by a man from 1701 and 1831 which began with the same theme music. Signal was strong and stable, but seemed to be overmodulated (M. Kusumoto, Tokyo, Japan, HCDX via DXLD) 4780, Rdif.-TV de Djibouti, nice QSL received: computer-produced QSL sheet, date-time veri statement, logo, signature and station stamp on top, schedule and picture of (apparently) their HQ on bottom. Also sent an RTVD sticker. No postal address shown on letter or envelope, but gives E-mail address as rtdtech @ intnet.dj and URL as http://www.rtd.dj In 9 weeks for English report, $1 and CD recording. I also sent them a copy of my 1973 QSL from them, and the veri statement and the layout of the schedule on the new one is exactly the same as on the old. Schedule is shown as 1539 MW at 0300-2000 weekdays, 0500-2000 on Sat and Holidays, and 4780 SW at 0300-2000. News in Somali at 0330, 1200 and 1700; Afar at 0430, 1000 and 1830, Arabic at 0600 and 1400. Also shows 1116 MW, but no hours. All transmitters listed as 50 kW. I sent the same report to two places: (1) Radiodiffusion Télévision de Djibouti, 1, Avenue Saint Laurent de Var - B.P. 97, Djibouti, Rep. of Djibouti; and (2) Ministère de la Communication et de la Culture, Chargé des Postes et de Télécommunications, 1, Rue de Moscou - B. P. 32, Djibouti, Rep. of Djibouti. I assume the reply came from the former, as the RTVD logo is prominent on the letter, and it was an RTVD sticker that they sent. But I cannot be absolutely sure, as there is no return address on the envelope (Jerry Berg, MA, May 26, DSWCI DX Window via DXLD) ** FRANCE. 1062, Paris is off since 2 weeks. Since the start at the end of October 2004 only heard with the same continuous recorded programme for 5 months. I think that Telerama, wich is a weekly TV and cultural magazine, has postponed its radio project on the AM band (Thierry Vignaud 19 April via Bengt Ericson, ARC Info Desk May 23 via Olle Alm, DXLD) ** HUNGARY [and non]. Re 5-092: Hello Everyone, 810 kHz will never work properly during twin-light and nighttime even around Budapest Lakihegy location, due of co-channel 1200 kW powerhouse in Macedonia, which covers whole Balkan region and even central Europe area up to 1500 kms around. 73 (Wolfgang Büschel, June 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Here is a recording of Magyar Katolikus Rádió on 1341 kHz, with some distortion and a distinctive "hollow" sound as described in my notes: http://www.radioeins.de/_/meta/sendungen/apparat/050604_a1.ram (Kai Ludwig, Germany, June 5, DX LISTENING DIGEST) A bright sunny day Friday, temperature around +30 C with wind from east, so we started visiting Hungarian Catholic Radio : WEB : http://www.katolikusradio.hu EMAIL : info @ katradio.hu Address: H- 1062 Budapest, Delibab Utca 15-17. We had a fixed meeting with Chief Engineer Gabor Frischmann. He attended us very friendly giving us little parer info and mini poster with studio photos. Not yet printed stickers. Their studios are quite new, just 1 year and before the building has been a children baby private school. The station operates on MW and is well heard in south - central Europe, on 1341 kHz, but there are interferences on 1341 kHz from BBC Northern Ireland TX. The other channel is for local area in Budapest on 810 kHz former utilized by Radio Juventus Budapest (now only on FM), but unfortunately the MEGAWATT TX from Skopje is even doing heterodine at daytime, so not a good choose. The station is stricktly in contact with Vatican Radio and they relay the Hungarian service. The equipment is all computerized and processed from the satellite and connection to the Cable FM system in many towns of Hungary. Mr. Gabor Frischmann is very much interested to get reception reports which are carefully controlled and verified by letter, and don't forget to add an International Reply Coupon. You may contact him at: frischmann.gabor @ katradio.hu (Dario Monferini, visiting Hungary, Playdx via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL INTERNET. On a whim I did a Google search to see if anyone else in the Googleverse had ever noted, as I did recently in DXLD, that Enumclaw, the town in Washington, spelt backwards, is Walcmune. Did I mean Walkman? Noooo --- got two hits! One on DXLD 5- 085 at dxing.com, not worldofradio.com unless omitted similars were included, and the other a very strange German (not really) site enhaK- yesaK :hcraeS elgooG --- a page where everything is spelt backwards, including a mention of walcmune in connexion with NASCAR (or rather RACSAN). OK, so what is this about? When I clicked on the site, I got some kind of looping rather than reloading, so was suspicious of it, marked ``not connected with Google`` even tho it looks like a Google search results page, only backwards. Checking the cache, found this: Google Mirror http://elgoog.rb-hosting.de/index.cgi brought to you by http://www.alltooflat.com The FAQ where questions about this are answered, forwardly: http://www.alltooflat.com/geeky/elgoog/info/ (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. Radio History --- Star Wars Radio Ads, circa 1977 --- I was never a huge Star Wars fan but I thought this was a neat bit of radio history and to hear how they promoted the film before the whole world had seen it http://asmallvictory.net/swads.html From the webpage: ``All ads assumed to be property of Lord George Lucas. They will remain here until I am sued. Which will be the highlight of my sad, sad life.`` (Fred Waterer, Programming Matters, June ODXA Listening In via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL WATERS. 9133 USB, Coalition Maritime Forces R One, 0250-0330, May 25, music and brief announcements in Vernaculars. Need wide USB setting to receive this as narrow produced no signal (Bob Wilkner, FL, DSWCI DX Window via DXLD) ** IRAN [and non]. Sometimes it`s hard to figure out various stations these days. While many of the Big Boys cut transmissions and make listener contact a dirty activity, smaller stations long for any form of listener contact. One such is The Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Granted, they may not be a favorite in many households; however, I have found them to be relatively quick verifiers of reception reports, plus they like to mail all sorts of interesting material from time to time. Early in May, I received three separate packages from the station packed with magazines and booklets about Islam and other good stuff. Unfortunately, much of the material was sent multiple times but some of it was unique. A further package of goodies arrived as I was typing this musing making it four big mailings in less than a month. My wife suggested that I open an Islamic fundamentalist reading room. Another station that seems to have developed an interest in hearing from listeners is Libya. Recent reports have been responded to and I have received follow up correspondence with schedule and report forms encouraging more reception reports. Also, Portugal seems to be pretty neat with nice packages of goodies and letters asking for further correspondence and they don`t broadcast in English. Clearly, not all SW broadcasters are negative about listeners writing in without a complex, comprehensive analysis of the station`s programs (Richard A. D`Angelo, Wyomissing PA, Musings, June NASWA Journal via DXLD) ** ISRAEL. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF IBA ENGLISH TV NEWS DIES http://bet.iba.org.il/?lang=23 Steve Edwards, 57, editor-in-chief, IBA English TV News Steve Edwards, the editor-in- chief of Israel television's English News, died in Jerusalem's Hadassah Hospital on Saturday at the age of 57 after a long illness. He will be buried on Sunday on Kibbutz Maale Hahamisha. Edwards is survived by his wife, five children and two grandchildren. Born in Manchester, England, Steve Edwards came to Israel after attending film school in London. He began working at Israel television in 1968, and made a name for himself directing the Pillar Of Fire tv series on the history of Israel. Edwards helped found the IBA News in English in 1990, and served as a political reporter, editor and news anchor before being apponted editor-in-chief. In 1996, he produced the English version of Tekuma, a television series on Israel's first 50 years. Last week, Edwards was given an award in recognition of his career and contribution to Israel's English media by Bnai Brith International. 05.06.2005 11:27 (via Doni Rosenzweig, DXLD) ** ITALY. New DRM project in Italy for Radio Maria, on 26000 kHz from Andrate in north Italy. They are broadcasting in AM mode since may 10 because their digital modulator is still not available. Power is less than 50 watt (Roberto Scaglione http://www.bclnews.it June 5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Torna Radio Maria in onde corte: si, torna --- perchè per qualche giorno aveva utilizzato i 7140 Khz di Radio Italia Internazionale, quando da quest'ultima aveva acquisito tutte le frequenze. Peccato che le onde corte siano state immediatamente spente, poichè l'emittente non credeva in questo tipo di diffusione. E invece adesso ha attivato un 26000 Khz da Andrate, sopra Ivrea, confermato da ambienti molto vicine all'emittente e supportato dalle segnalazioni di molti ascoltatori a partire dalla metà di maggio. E' un progetto di stazione sperimentale DRM accesa in analogico in attesa che sia pronto il modulatore digitale. E' in progetto la preparazione di una QSL per rispondere ai (pochi) rapporti d'ascolto arrivati fino ad ora, rapporti che sono espressamente richiesti. Spero di potervi dare presto un indirizzo diretto che non sia quello della segreteria di Radio Maria. Per la cronaca, la domenica mattina alle 10.30 ora italiana su 7140 Khz andava in onda Obiettivo DX, programma sul radioascolto internazionale interrotto dopo una sessantina di trasmissioni proprio per la cessione delle frequenze a Radio Maria. Per chi non l'avesse mai vista, nella QSL Gallery di http://www.bclnews.it c'è la QSL storica di Radio Italia Internazionale. Dimenticavo: la potenza dovrebbe essere al momento intorno ai 50 watt e approfitto pure per ringraziare tutti coloro che hanno contribuito a verificare questa notizia e Bruno Pecolatto per gli ulteriori particolari (Roberto Scaglione, playdx yg via DXLD) ** ITALY [non?] /BULGARIA, 15725, R Mi Amigo, via IRRS, via transmitter in Bulgaria (?), *0727-1100*, Sat May 28, English announcement, opened in mid-program, pop songs and frequent ID's for R Mi Amigo with UK address, on top of the hour also ID for IRRS in Milano promising special numbered QSL cards, sometimes short audio fall outs, 45434 (Anker Petersen, Denmark, DSWCI DX Window via DXLD) ** JAPAN. NEW: SEVENTY YEARS OF INTERNATIONAL RADIO FROM JAPAN. Listen to Radio Japan special programs beginning Wednesday, 1 June, at http://www.nhk.or.jp/rjweekly/english/index.html And do it by Tuesday, before the Wednesday program is replaced. See also E-mail from Toshi Ohtake, 26 May 2005 http://www.kimandrewelliott.com/radio_japan.html (via DXLD) Page down to the photo of presenters (gh) [non]. Hy Glenn; Japan: "Hello from Tokyo" To night 06-06-05 heard NHK Radio Japan 0110-0158 in 11935 with very good signal in the programme calling 4 DXers to talk about this hobby: from Denmark Anker Petersen, From Sri Lanka Victor Goonetilleke, from Australia Bob Padula and USA Richard D`Angelo. The idea is in celebration of 70th anniversary of NHK World Radio Japan. Listening in Santiago and Temuco, Chile by DXers from "Radioescuchas de Federachi" on other frequencies and other times in English, not audible "Hello from Tokyo" the DX program of Radio Japan English service. Best Regards, (Héctor Frías, CE3FZL, RIG: Kenwood TS 140 S +Ant. Tuner, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KYRGYZSTAN. 6030, R Maranatha, Bishkek (ex R Extol and probably ex ``Hit Shortwave``), scheduled Sat 1555-1800 to Central and Western Asia. Rebroadcasts religious programs in Persian languages (Dari, Tajik, Farsi). On 1467 MW R Maranatha rebroadcasts TWR programs daily at 1500-1800 (for schedule see TWR Europe under `Austria` in WRTH). (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, May 19, DSWCI DX Window via DXLD) ** LIBERIA. Star Radio: The SW frequencies planned in 1997 were 3400 and 5890, but I think never heard by DX-ers (Anker Petersen, DSWCI Ed, DSWCI DX Window June 1 via DXLD) Before he saw a recent DXLD, no doubt (gh, DXLD) ** MEXICO. After reviewing some tape of "El Canal de Casa" recorded a few hours ago, I can see that Fred Cantú is NOT correct about the calls in this channel swap. XEW-2 relayer XHLGT-2 has not moved to channel 11, nor has independent XHL-11 moved to channel 2. Only the *programming* has moved. And the El Canal de Casa logo has been changed from what Fred shows. On an animated El Canal de Casa promo, this was discovered near the top in light colored writing: "XHLGT 2" (Danny (Shreveport, LA) Oglethorpe, June 6, Mexico/Latin America TV ID tips: http://www.geocities.com/doglethorpe WTFDA vi DXLD) ** MEXICO [and non]. MORE SECTION 325(C) GRANTS, AND SOME DEFERRALS The FCC has granted, subject to conditions, "part of renewal application for Section 325(c) Permit to deliver both Spanish and English language programming...." to the following Mexican radio stations in the greater Tijuana area. When two powers are given, the first is the daytime power, the second is the nighttime power: XESPN (XEMMM) 800 kHz 0.5/0.25 kW XEPRS 1090 kHz 50 kW XHITZ (XHTZ) 90.3 MHz 93 kW XHGLX (XGLX) 91.7 MHz 15 kW XHRM 92.5 MHz 100 kW XHMORE 98.9 MHz 50 kW XHOCL (XHCR) 99.3 MHz 25 kW XHLTN (XLTN) 104.5 MHz 57 kW The FCC has "deferred part of renewal application for Section 325(c) Permit to deliver both Spanish and English language programming...." to the following Mexican radio stations: XEKAM 950 kHz 20/5 kW XERCN 1470 kHz 10/5 kW XHA (XHAMR) 94.5 MHz 20 kW XHTIM 97.7 MHz 3 kW XHTY 99.7 MHz 30 kW XHFG 107.3 MHz 15 kW A second FCC Public Notice lists the following 325(c) grants: XETRA-AM 690 kHz 77/50 kW XEMO 860 kHz 5 kW XETRA-FM 91.1 MHz 100 kW XHHIT 95.3 MHz 4 kW As noted in CGC #682, the FCC is getting tough on cross-border permits allowing program material to be sent from the U.S. to Mexico by wireline, microwave, Internet etc. According to Commission staff, those permits can now be terminated immediately, without the right of hearing, if the station is found to be operating at the wrong coordinates, with too much power, etc. This gives U.S. broadcasters a powerful new tool to encourage those stations to straighten up and fly right. That said, it is our experience that most Mexican broadcasters are honorable and play by the internationally agreed upon rules. They deserve recognition for doing the right thing and acting in good faith. http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-259015A1.pdf http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-258975A1.pdf ****************************************************************** JOHN LYNCH OUTRAGED OVER THE BONILLA CASE A letter from John Lynch, a well known operator of Mexican radio properties, may be found in the May 26, 2005 edition of SDRadio.Net. Mr. Lynch is responding to the Petition to Deny the cross-border program transmission authority of Jaime Bonilla's XHBCE-FM on 105.7 MHz. The petition also claims to show serious technical violations at all three Bonilla Mexican AM stations. Mr. Lynch states that he "personally chartered a helicopter and, with a consulting engineer, visited each transmitter site that the petitioners claimed were operating at variance with the law. That survey proved to 100% certainty that each and every allegation raised in the petition.... is outrageously false and completely without basis." He speaks of antitrust and states that, "It is now clear to me that this petition is nothing more than an attempt to restrain trade and to keep competition to existing stations at a minimum." Mr. Lynch attacks the integrity of Lazer's findings ("The filing of this petition is just plain perjury") and concludes by demanding that "those party to the petition withdraw it immediately or it will be their companies who are defending their actions." In our view, this is no time for angry words unsupported by factual evidence. Mr. Lynch should concentrate on addressing the technical aspects of the Petition to Deny - the very points we engineers are encouraged to examine under the Commission's new get tough policy on Section 325(c) permits. Lazer's engineer has provided specific coordinates, specific observations and photographic evidence of claimed technical violations, but Mr. Lynch has not offered evidence. In fact, Lynch is curiously silent about the 620 and 1030 kHz Bonilla stations that should be heavily directionalized away from the U.S., and how XHBCE-FM came into possession of an allegedly overpowered Class C1 permit. If Mr. Lynch has pictures of the Class B XHBCE-FM site, as claimed, he should publish those. If he has copies of FCC letters authorizing the use of "slant wires" to directionalize the Bonilla AM stations, he should come forward with those as well. The use of an apparently unauthorized microwave system was covered in CGC #679, supported by Bonilla's own statement to the FCC, and the Lynch letter adds nothing to suggest that the microwave system was ever authorized. This proceeding needs to cool down and concentrate on building factual evidence, not rhetoric. Lynch Letter: http://SDRadio.net/today.shtml Alternate Posting: http://earthsignals.com/add_CGC/Letters/Lynch.htm (CGC Communicator June 2 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS. Radio Nederland gets CNN award --- This was posted on the Arianna Huffington Online board by someone who is in Holland (Gerry): http://www.ariannaonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24842 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Radio Netherlands World Service Receives CNN Award Radio Netherlands World Service has received the CNN Report Award. The prize was awarded to Annette Posthumus for the television portrait of the Dutchman Pedro Ruijzing, who was arrested 10 years ago in Thailand because of drug smuggling. He was pardoned last year by the Thai Government during the visit of Queen Beatrix. Ruijzing now speaks in schools over the dangers of drug smuggling. The televison portrait was seen worldwide via CNN World Report last year in July. the other nominations for the award were the Venezuelan TV station Venevision and the Swiss ILO TV. The World Report Award was presented to Pieter Landman, head of tv of the Netherlands World Service during the 25th anniversary of CNN in Atlanta (via Clara Listensprechen, shortwavebasics yg via DXLD) I think this item originated with Media Network (gh) ** NIGERIA. Glenn, Good copy today June 5, `05 at 1820 on V. of Nigeria, 15120, S3-5 with some fading, but modulation was low (Daryl Rocker, Herkimer, NY, Sangean ATS909 Silver, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NIGERIA [non]. A reminder from 5-089; please confirm: ``U.K.: New station via VT Communications - Salama Radio International: 1930-2030 Wed/Sun on 11885 WOF 300 kW / 180 degrees to Nigeria in Hausa/English (Observer, Bulgaria, May 27 via DXLD) This is a reactivation; remember it from a few years ago (gh, DXLD)`` (via Glenn Hauser, 1551 UT June 5, dxldyg via DXLD) Salama Radio: Could only check briefly at 1944 Sun June 5; fair-poor signal on 11885, hilife music, then YL in presumed English, so guess this is it. There was a clicking sound, tho, and I wonder if it is already being jammed. Don`t recall Nigeria carrying out jamming in past. The clicking I heard does not sound at all like the buzz on Wolfy`s audio file (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Dear Glenn, yes, noted here Sunday 5th at 1929:30 UT started with low audio level. See MP3 attachment. Only local Nigerian music, no political comment so far. BUT, at 1936:45 UT suddenly a heavy BUZZ Jamming, probably from Nigeria started, and lasted still at 1957 UT further check, before I left the house. This BUZZ heard on all three available rxs, even on the opposite room of the house, so I guess this was NOT an unknown digital UTE txion or somethings els like an inhouse PLC frequency of nearby local house network. I'll check this unknown signal again on coming days. 73 wolfy (Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST and dxldyg via DXLD) Interesting as not noted here or if it was on it was such a low level I did not notice it, was listening through speakers of radio not headphones so if it was low level here I might have just put it down to local noise. Of course I was listening in lsb. Will be interesting to see if this happens on Wednesday (Mike Barraclough, UK, June 6, via Wolfgang Büschel, DXLD) Hi, same BUZZ signal appeared today again. Covered the whole 4 MHz to 24 MHz portion of the SW spectrum, like a garden fence - every 30 kHz each 6 kHz wide signal, disturbed like 11855, exact 11885, 11915, 11945 ... etc. So I guess somebody here in Stuttgart suburb installed the most modern PLC local network via main power line inside the house. 73 (Wolfgang Büschel, June 6, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Reactivated Salama Radio International noted weak here June 5th signing on with music and identification in Hausa 1930 on 11885 followed by more music, to past 1940, then more talk in Hausa, best on lower sideband. Their former website, http://www.salamaradio.org linked on the TDP website is inactive (Mike Barraclough, ibid.) Presumed Salama Radio International heard here at 1930 s/on. Started off with what seemed to be some interesting flute music. Not much of a signal here this afternoon though that may be due to band condition and beam heading. Also have some nifty thunderstorms in the area putting a bit of a crimp in the action (Steve Lare, Holland, MI, USA, ibid.) Hola compañeros, SALAMA RADIO escuchada a las 2028 UT [5 de junio] en la frecuencia de 11885; estaba despidiéndose un hombre y dando la dirección postal de la emisora. La despedida ha sido primero en inglés y después en Hausa. El SINPO es 55555; entraba como un cañón en el Sureste de España. Un saludo (desde Cartagena-España de vuestro colega y amigo JOSE HERNANDEZ MADRID, EA5-0819, AER-EA5-1153, ADXB, DSWCI- 3633, Noticias DX via DXLD) Salama R was broadcast via Juelich until May 2003 (Anker Petersen, DSWCI DX Window June 1 via DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA [and non]. Per newspaper ad KTOK 1000 OKC runs Paul Harvey at approximately 10:35 am CT [UT -5 = 1535 UT], at least weekdays, so Rush can be run live and uninterrupted thru the noon hour. PH is traditionally a noon-hour show, and such a conflict is the case in many markets. 1535 UT as I understand it is the original feed time on the ABC network, giving stations time to tape it and edit in plenty of local commercials by the time they play it back. You don`t expect breaking news from PH, anyway, do you? KRMG 740 Tulsa expands the 12- minute show to some 20+ minutes between noon and 12:30 cramming in local ads, and breaks for traffic on the 8`s. In past I have run across a few other stations in this area running PH at 11:35 am ET. Perhaps on Sat KTOK still has him in the noon hour? BTW, KGGF 690 Coffeyville KS, which covers much of OK, airs Harvey around 1738 UT, noted in progress at 1752 June 6 (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAKISTAN. The PBC has been allocated 27.829m rupees for setting up of 100 kW mediumwave Transmitter and Broadcasting House at Turbat. [1 US dollar = 60 rupees] Source: Associated Press of Pakistan news agency, Islamabad, in English 1439 gmt 6 Jun 05 [excerpt, via BBCM via DXLD) WTFK? ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 7120, Wantok Radio. June 5. 1238-1255 Managed to hear this station coming as early as 1118 with religious broadcaster blasting away with signal that was hitting a solid s5 to s6 at times. Re-tuned at 1238 and heard this with such clear readability as ``you're listening to Christian Voice Broadcasting, the Light, broadcasting from studios in Papua New Guinea.`` The announcer continued with talking about the inauguration of this new service for Papua New Guinea, and mentioned to send your messages for posting on 'Messengers on Today' program. Afterwards she continued to mention the number of messages sent in congratulating on this new broadcasting service, and to write for Christian information, gave the web site to check out further information. Afterwards, several hymn selections followed, with additional announcements given at 1254 about a family event being planned for 7 o'clock. Afterwards the signal gradually deteriorated with the noise level up. Reception was best heard on the amplified loop. By far, this morning was the best copy on this station's programming (Edward Kusalik, Alberta, Canada, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 7120, 0640, 4/6, New Christian station Wantok Radio Light with 'Adventures in Odyssey' children`s feature, indigenous & contemporary gospel songs, English and Pidgin announcements, ident 0702 and sponsorship announcement. Initially fair but very good by 0800. Also heard at 2015 fair-good mixed CRI in Chinese. Clear from 2100 with Bible readings in Pidgin (Bryan Clark, Mangawhai, New Zealand, using my Sony 7600G and a 16 metre random wire, ripple via DXLD) 6th June, 7120, Wantok Radio Light, SINPO 45444/3 from 0735 to past 0830. Good ID's, announcing Shortwave 7120 and FM in Lae and Goroka. All in English. 5/6th June (Ron Killick, New Zealand, June 6, HCDX via DXLD) Contrary to Australian source that it had not been heard in NZ (gh) I heard Allen Graham quote an Australian source on DX Partyline June 4 that Wantok Radio Light nighttime reception near the transmitter site in the Port Moresby capital district is poor. There are 15 registered broadcasts on 7120 for the A-05 season. At no time is it clear of co- channel stations. It`s hoped that by September a new studio will allow split programming some parts of day, so HF service can be programmed with Pidgin, Motu or another language. The vertical incidence antenna is direxional, main lobes SE-NW from PM; secondary lobes NE-SW, for optimum coverage across PNG. A frequency change is proposed, to move away from the shared ARO band in Australia. New channel to be in 7300- 7500 range, which will accommodate minimal antenna retuning; transmitter is capable of operating 6000-7500. The 7120 site is in the 9-mile settlement on the outskirts of Port Moresby. The official launching will be celebrated in Kaupena, where funding help came from, but this is NOT the transmitter location contrary to previous report (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) DXing.info thread on this: http://www.dxing.info/community/viewtopic.php?t=1781 (via gh, DXLD) ** PARAGUAY. 9736.92, Radio Nacional del Paraguay, 1043-1100 June 2. Noted a program of music and Spanish comments from a man. At 1052 a second man joins with a possible political message and starts with an ID as, "Buenos Días, Radio Nacional del Paraguay ...". And regular program returns at 1055 with music. Signal this morning was good (Chuck Bolland, Clewiston, Florida USA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PARAGUAY. 1020.06, R. Ñandutí, ZP14, Asunción, Jun 2 at 0112 --- lots of talk by man, then a woman phone-in with an Asunción mention; best copy in 1.8 kHz filter upper sideband which rendered Ñandutí`s audio clearer than the competing audio from 60-Hz-lower Margarita (Mark Connelly, Rowley, MA, USA (GC= 70.829 W / 42.745 N) (Stackyard Road / Parker River - Nelson Island wildlife refuge: salt-marsh) Receiver: Drake R8A Antennas (cardioid array on roof of car): Vertical: 3 m whip to 81:1 transformer to DX Engineering RPA-1 amplifier; Broadband loop in vertical plane: square, 2 m per side, to 1:1 transformer to W7IUV amplifier, peak east-west, null north-south Accessories: DXP-6 and Superphaser-2 phasing units, HCDX via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. RUSSIA TO LAUNCH NEW ENGLISH-LANGUAGE SATELLITE TV CHANNEL | Text of report by Russian newspaper Vedomosti on 3 June An RIA news agency press release reports that the opening in Russia of a new television channel is being readied. It is a 24-hour English- language information channel called Rossiya Segodnya (Russia Today), which will broadcast new to Russia, Europe, the USA, the CIS and a number of Asian countries. The new satellite channel will reflect Russia's position on key foreign policy issues and will inform the foreign audience about various aspects of life in Russia. Source: Vedomosti, Moscow, in Russian 3 Jun 05 (via BBCM via DXLD) You mean Sevodnya, phonetically rendered (gh) ** RUSSIA [non]. La emisora religiosa La Voz de la Ortodoxia (Golos Pravoslaviya), transmite vía transmisores situados en Almaty (Kazakstán), los días martes y viernes de 1530 a 1600 UT por los 9355 KHz, en idioma ruso. QTH: La Voix de l\'Orthodoxie, B.P. 416-08, F- 75366 Paris Cedex 08, Francia. E-mail: voix.orthodoxie @ wanadoo.fr (Marcelo A. Cornachioni, Argentina, Conexión Digital June 4 via DXLD) ** SAINT HELENA. This information is from Mr. Mike Olsson, the Station manager of "Saint FM" on St. Helena from May 17: Mike wrote: --- Saint FM is operational 24 hours per day / 7 days per week, and is using 90.0 (0.03 kw) FM and 93.1 MHz (0.25 kW) FM. We are also streaming audio on http://www.saint.fm 32 kb/s stream Microsoft Media powered by Abacast (Robert Kipp, Langen, Germany, DSWCI DX Window June 1 via DXLD) Mr Johnny Clingham, on Ascension, knows R. Saint Helena and Ralph Peters well and has published a digital picture postcard CD containing many wonderful pictures of St. Helena. The CD costs about eight British Pounds including all postage, runs under Windows and on MAC PCs, and is available form Johnny via his website at http://www.southalanticimages.com I have the SH CD and it is really interesting and entertaining. For real St. Helena fans, this CD is surely a ``must have`` item (Robert Kipp, Germany, Musings, June NASWA Journal via DXLD) Robert was involved in helping RSH catch up on its backog of QSL requests for its final transmission (Richard A. D`Angelo, NASWA ed., ibid.) ** ST. PAUL ISLAND. Just a reminder that the St. Paul Island DXpedition is scheduled to start June 7th and last until July 7th. Their callsign will be CY9SS. The list of operators include: Robert\VY2RO, Chip\W1AIM, Doug\N6TQS, Alan\VE1AWP, Bill\VY2LI, Robby\VY2SS, Doug\VE1PZ, Charlie\N1RR, Paul\N1BUG, Jon\N0JK, Donald\VE1CY, the Tooner\TO0NIE, David\KY1V, Lowell\VY2OX, Steve\VE2TKH, Dave\VA2DV, Gerry\W1VE, Ken\VY2RU, Dale\AA5XE, Don\VA7DJ, Mitch\E6OH, Krassy\1lZ and Don\E1AOE. The team is planning activity for the following: 2m weak signal CW\SSB\RTTY\PSK on HF and CW\SSB\WSJT\M\S-EME on VHF. They will have 2 HF stations and 6 meter station on Europe 24\7 and a 6 meter station for NA\SA. QSL direct to VY2SS: Robby Robertson, RR#3, Oleary, PEI, Canada C0B 1V0. Also via e-QSL. The logs will be uploaded to LoTW. Visit the CY9SS Web page at: http://www.cy9ss.com (KB8NW\OPDX June 6\BARF-80 posted June 5 on rec.radio.amateur.misc via John Norfolk, dxldyg via DXLD) ?? There are several St. Paul islands in the world, including one in Alaska. Tho I don`t find any obvious geographical reference on this website! Apparently it is the Canadian one, in the Cabot Strait between Cape Breton and Newfoundland --- hardly a DXCC country, surely (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SCOTLAND [non]. RADIO SIX INTERNATIONAL TX PROBLEM ON 4TH JUNE Sometimes everything works against you. The planned launch of our European service on June 4th was stymied by a computer failure at our Glasgow studios. A power glitch kicked our streams and links off at 0220 UT (consequently knocking out our 88.2 MHz relay in Wellington NZ) and unfortunately a little bit of human error (an unticked box in the setup) meant the critical streaming PC refused to start up. With our chief engineer in Paris blissfully unaware that the telephone in his flat had been unplugged, the frustrating consequence was that when 15725 and 9290 powered up at 0600 UT there was no feed from us for them to broadcast. Great efforts by colleagues in Milan and Wellington to help us get the links back up were made, but to no avail. 15725 (Milan) played music instead, 9290 (Ulbroka) went back to sleep at 0606 UT when the TX found there was no modulation. Once chief engineer woke up and checked the stream, he got us back online at 1000 UT. Ah, the joys of computers. Anyhow, we promise to be on live next Saturday (11th) from 0600 - 0700 UT on 15725, 9290 and 88.2. And the good news is that we'll stay on air on 9290 for an extra hour until 0800 next week to make up for the loss. Apologies to all who tried in vain to hear us, especially a regular listener in Australia who was greatly puzzled by the absence of a carrier on 9290. Regards (TONY CURRIE, Programme Director, radio six international, June 6, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Things happen; you are to be commended for explaining it in such detail, unlike so many other stations which leave you guessing about what went wrong (gh, DXLD) ** SEYCHELLES [non]. UAE --- In DXLD 5-089, New transmissions for TWR Africa via VT Communications was reported: 1300-1315 in Arabic Fri/Sat on 13745 kHz via Dhabayya. I checked 13745 on Saturday June 4, Arabic talk started at 1300. Condition was SINPO 25332. I'm not sure if ID was given at the beginning, because I don't know Arabic. When closing at 1314, IS of FEBA was heard. I guess this is FEBA Radio, not TWR (Iwao Nagatani, Kobe, Japan, June 6, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SLOVAKIA. Saludos cordiales --- Radio Slovaquia Internacional ya se puede escuchar por Real Audio desde su página web. Acabo de escucharlo en la emisión de hoy domingo que lo anunciaba Marcela; he visitado su página web y ya han colocado este servicio (José Miguel Romero, Spain, Noticias DX via DXLD) ** SOUTH AMERICA [and non]. Para todos los que nos gusta la escucha de emisoras latinoamericanas, en la noche del miércoles 8 de Junio, si las condiciones de propagación acompañan, habrá una buena oportunidad para sintonizar e identificar emisoras domésticas de estos países, debido a que estarán retransmitiendo los partidos de fútbol de las eliminatorias de selecciones sudamericanas para el Mundial de Alemania 2006, y en cualquier caso para escuchar el bonito modo de narrar los partidos de fútbol que tienen en estos países. Aunque la propagación no sea muy buena, seguro que podremos escuchar a Radio Nacional de Argentina en 15345 y a Radio Nacional de Paraguay en 9737 kHz, ya que las selecciones de estos países juegan en horas de madrugada de aquí, lo mismo que, seguramente, estarán transmitiendo el interesantísimo Argentina - Brasil la casi totalidad de las emisoras brasileñas. Estos son los partidos que se juegan, sus lugares y horarios: Colombia - Ecuador, en Barranqilla a las 2000 UT Chile - Venezuela, en Santiago, a las 2300 UT Paraguay - Bolivia, en Asunción, a las 2315 UT Argentina - Brasil, en Buenos Aires, a las 0045 UT, que será ya día 9 hora UT. La noche anterior se jugará el Perú - Uruguay, en Lima a las 0100 UT (Manuel Méndez, Lugo, Spain, June 6, DX LISTENING DIGEST) SILLY BALL GAMES ON SW Hi Glenn: Going from baseball to basketball, to all the other competitions played with a round shape, which ball game do you consider is not enough stupid? Supposedly tennis is more elegant but worldwide less popular than football, or that badly named soccer in the U.S. Well, last Sunday 4 June, there was this Rolland Garros final and all REE frequencies were occupied by that final because they had their 19-year-old player Mr. Landas, who finally won the championship. And BBC was present on it around 1600 with a lot of frequencies in parallel as I never heard before at that time: 15400 // 15420 // 15565 // 17575 // 17830 // 21470. On the other hand, no US SW station was transmitting the qualifying match between U.S.A. and Costa Rica at Salt Lake City last Saturday at 2330, altho we know how football (soccer) finally had made it in the US with a highly competitive national team who beat us 3-0. Africa #1 was clashing as we know with Voz Cristã at 1600 on 15475, Sunday 4, and they also had a football silly game where the national Gabon team playing. It wasn't different in the case of Radio Nacional da Amazônia on 11780 around 2000, while Brazil was beating Paraguay 4-1. And what would you think were doing the remaining Brazilian stations. So the entire world and countries like mine, not only like football. In fact, we breathe football. But you got to see this on T.V., how the tennis French stadium was filled to the top, and the huge crowd that almost packed the Utah field, for the first time for a not so popular game just some years back in the states. The bottom line is what is really silly, the ball game in itself or that herd that go to the stadium? Are all ball games necessarily silly for those who don't like them as well as could we equally have this silly hobby of SWL for the ones who are not involved in it. The same goes to those railfans like me (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, June 6, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAJIKISTAN. The Broadcasting Board of Governors, International Broadcasting Bureau (BBG/IBB), Office of Contracts (M/CON) is conducting a market survey to determine the existence of sources who can fabricate, deliver, erect, install and commission for operation, a THREE (3) TOWER MEDIUMWAVE (MW) HIGH POWER TRANSMITTING DIRECTIONAL ANTENNA on a site near Orzu, Tajikistan. Based on the findings of this market survey, BBG/IBB may have a future requirement, subject to availability of funding, for a contractor to provide all services and materials required to fabricate, deliver, install and commission for operation of a 3-tower MW high power transmitting directional antenna near Orzu, Tajikistan within 180 calendar days after receipt of written Notice to Proceed. This high power MW antenna will operate at a minimum of 800 kilowatts of carrier power, amplitude modulated at approximately one megahertz operating frequency. Each of the three (3) towers will be approximately 90 meters in height (FedBizOpps Daily June 5 via Aaron Zawitzky, DXLD) ** U K [and non]. NEW BBCWS WEBSITE CAPABILITY - SEGMENTS OF FLAGSHIP NEWS PROGRAMS AVAILABLE INDIVIDUALLY Looks like the web lackeys in Bush House are gradually implementing something I've suggested -- that they should make portions of their news programs available for individual listening. For "Europe Today", "Newshour" and "World Update" one can listen to selected individual stories, as well as a "best of..." audio archive. For "World Today" the setup is different -- three daily editions (2200, 0200, 0600) are listed with subjects and running times for each story. You can then use Real Player's "fast forward" / "rewind" capabilities to jump right to the segment of interest. Not as good as parsing individual stories but it's a start. I frankly think the optimal solution is a combination of the two -- keep the time oriented rundown as for "The World Today" but then parse stories individually so you don't have to "hunt" with Real Player. This is how the Radio 4 program "Today" is archived. This means that most of the major English language world radio news magazines -- CBC's "The Current", "As It Happens", and "Sunday Edition", ABC's "AM", "PM", and "The World Today", the BBCWS programs above, BBC Radio 4's "Today" and "The World Tonight", RTE's "Five Seven Live", and NPR's "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered", all can be listened on-demand, by segment, or least by some means of subdividing the whole program (as CBC does it). This is an interesting development in the transformation of radio --- at least to me, anyway. My guess is that Radio New Zealand's "National Radio" programming will see improved by-segment archival when the service is relaunched later this year (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, June 1, swprograms mailing list via DXLD) ** U S A. Richard D'Angelo in Talk to America --- I will be Kim Andrew Elliott's guest on the Voice of America program "Talk to America" on Fri Jun 03 at 1600. The VOA website says Talk to America is "A daily dialogue with a variety of American decision-makers, personalities, and experts on far-ranging subjects." Apparently, being Executive Director of NASWA qualifies me as go figure! (D'Angelo, DSWCI DX Window via DXLD) I suppose this is now ondemand (gh) ** U S A. IBB Update --- Dan Ferguson presented the annual update from the U.S. International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB). He noted that since last year’s NASB meeting, John Wood and Dell Carson have retired from the IBB. Both of them had been regular attendees of this meeting. In addition, Don Messer and himself will also be retiring within the next few months. But there were still several IBB representatives present at the meeting, and they each presented themselves briefly. ``In general,`` Dan said, ``shortwave is trending down at the IBB.`` He cited reductions and retargeting of English language broadcasting. ``We have very little shortwave to Eastern Europe, and none to Western Europe.`` Transmissions to Asia on shortwave are up, with the exception of English. The IBB has recently put three shortwave transmitters at its relay site in Kuwait, using four antennas -- all beamed to Asia. Adil Mina asked if the IBB has decided to shut down its relay in Kavala, Greece -- a move which he said ``would be very unwise.`` Dan Ferguson said that a number of rumors about that have been heard, but there has been no decision to close Kavala at this time. Walter Borys of IBB Engineering Operations mentioned that he travels frequently to a lot of IBB relay stations. He said ``The staff is aging at many of these stations, and young people are not interested in HF. Our personnel are managing FM and medium wave installations now. The business is clearly changing. There is less emphasis on shortwave. It`s just a reality.`` However, Dan Ferguson said not to count shortwave out yet. ``It could come back again,`` he said, ``just as it has come back before.`` (May NASB Newsletter via DXLD) See also TAJIKISTAN ** U S A. New NASB Board and Officer Positions --- At the NASB Annual Meeting in Washington, members elected Elder Jacob O. Meyer of WMLK Radio to a second three-year term on the Board of Directors. According to NASB by-laws, Directors can serve up to two consecutive three-year terms, after which they have to go off the Board for at least a year. Long-time Board member Ted Haney, representing FEBC, KNLS and HCJB, decided not to run for a second three-year term. In his place, the members elected Mike Adams of FEBC to a Board position. (See sidebar article about Mike Adams.) Each year, two of the five or six Board members' terms end. The other four Board members at this time are Doug Garlinger, Paul Hunter of Word Broadcasting, Charles Caudill of KNLS and Dennis Dempsey of EWTN. Immediately following the business meeting in Washington, the new Board of Directors met briefly. They re-elected Doug Garlinger as NASB President. Mike Adams was elected Vice President. Dan Elyea was re- elected Secretary-Treasurer, and Jeff White was elected Assistant Secretary-Treasurer (May NASB Newsletter via DXLD) With all due respect (?) to WMLK, what is someone from a station which is essentially inaudible, can`t manage to modulate more than a few percent its also weak carrier, has delayed for years activating its new transmitter, and if it were clearly audible would be boring to tears in its monomania, doing on the BOD of this organization? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WBCQ SCHEDULE NOTES, JUNE 1, 2005 A new program, Forbidden History and Other Lost Writings, hosted by Dezart Owl, will begin On Friday, June 3, from 2300-2400 on 7415. Timtron had been filling this slot since February. Rabbi Spivak's EVM Jewish Radio Network is adding three hours to his Wednesday evening broadcast. Effective this evening he will be on Thursdays from 0100 to 0400 on 5105, in addition to 0000 to 0100 on 7415 (Larry Will, WBCQ Program Guide and dxldyg via DXLD) ** U S A. LAX must have jacked their power up on their 530 TIS yet again --- they are rock solid here in in Thousand Oaks, now --- about 35 air miles away. I also was getting ionosphereic FADING tonight from them, so they're reaching up that high. They're probably getting out really well now at night and are easily DXable. The Simi Valley 530 TIS disappeared this week - I guess they can't stand up to LAX's higher power. Wonder if they'll pick another frequency? (Darwin, CA, June 2, ABDX via DXLD) They're now easily heard (although splatter from 540 Tijuana is pesky) on a car radio in Santa Barbara. I haven't tried any other radios. After increasing to 100 watts they put a decent signal up here but not like this. I searched the LAX web site for any mention of another power increase but came up empty. I'll check the FCC web site (Dennis Gibson, June 5, ibid.) ** U S A. KFAT IS BACK! My old favorite FM station is back! KPIG now serving the S.F. Bay Area on 1510 AM. This was a great crazy-anything- goes music format station from Gilroy, California back in the mid- seventies and is now or will soon be on AM. Check link below: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/06/05/MNGQAD3UJ41.DTL -Pacific DX (Benjamin Pierce, June 5, HCDX via DXLD) KPIG to 1510 S.F. next month --- Bruce Portzer of IRCA fame just scooped me by sending a post to his list taken from the S.F. Chronicle stating that KPIG down in the Santa Cruz area will move their operation up to S.F. in July and take over from KMZT-1510. I didn't quite understand whether they will continue their FM from Freedom CA or not. Whatever, this is super, super, great news. I was a steady internet listener to KPIG up until 3 years ago when they had to switch over to conscription service and I wasn't about to pony up $7 a month so I basically switched over to WDVX/WAMU & KBON. Certainly hope they can make it a go up here in S.F. Also my opinion that the current format would have a tough time making it proved true. (2 months max) (Don Kaskey, CA, June 5, ABDX via DXLD) Ooops! My reference to the current format not making it was mistakenly addressed to 1510 KMZT. It was really KYCY-1550 I was thinking of. KMZT, has a good current format of Oldies, which I will miss, especially since KFRC-610 has also dropped that format. Oh well, there are fewer and fewer of us 60's type listeners left anyway (Kaskey, ibid.) They will remain on 107.5 from Freedom (the studio is in Watsonville); they're just expanding like they did into San Luis Obispo County (the city of license is Cambria) a couple of years ago. They (Mapleton Communications) already owned the station in Cambria (on 94.9; they changed the call letters to KPYG) but they are buying KMZT for $5.1 million. KPIG is the most profitable station in the company. I did a Google news search on KPIG and found one other article on the sale. The East Bay Express (perhaps a free weekly??) reported that KPIG came on the air twenty years ago (it was seventeen) and the call letters of 1510 as KMRT. Pretty sloppy reporting when a couple of minutes at Mr. Google's house would provide the correct information. My guess is they don't get out too far at night (Dennis Gibson, ibid.) ** U S A. SEEING-EYE RADIO: STATION HELPS THE BLIND HELP THEMSELVES Monday, June 6, 2005 - Page updated at 12:00 a.m. By Marc Ramírez, Seattle Times staff reporter Let your eyes dance over the words. Maybe this is the first newspaper you've read today. Maybe it lingered on your coffee table for a day or two before you got to it. Maybe you read the sports first, took a peek at local news and then dove into the supermarket ads to see what was on sale. But what if you couldn't see at all? What would you do then? http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/text/2002304052_blindradio06.html (via Dan Say, DXLD) Includes linx to some audio samples of local reading service (gh) ** U S A. RADIO FREE OHIO IS CHEAP CLEAR CHANNEL STUNT http://www.audiographics.com/agd/s3060105.htm Facing backlash from the miscue of labeling everything "Clear Channel Worldwide," the radio giant's latest publicity stunt in Akron, Ohio had radio trades straddling the fence. Prepping to flip a failed sports talker into a liberal flapper, Clear Channel went under the audience's radar by pretending to be a pirate radio signal's interference. How should industry trades report this? as a clever publicity stunt? a misinformation campaign over public airwaves? It's cheap promotion, in more than one way. WTOU is now "Radio Free Ohio." I listened for a short time and within minutes knew Air America has nothing to worry about. But that's not the story here. What's gotten everyone's attention is "how" Clear Channel's introducing this new station. Promoting yourself as some kind of anti-corporate group and then being uncovered as a Clear Channel property is the issue. While folks in the head shed at CC might think it's cute, the audience doesn't like being lied to (as the article linked below explains). Calling yourself by your state's name - as in "Radio Free Ohio" - also gives some indication there should be local content. Instead there are Jones Radio Network-syndicated programs, such as Stephanie Miller in the morning and Ed Schultz in the afternoon. Typical radio: predictable, boring, with hosts who spend more time pontificating and laughing at themselves than entertaining. (How many stations are now claiming to be "Talk Radio for the Rest of Us"?) One of WTOU's positioning statements (paraphrased here, cause the memory's going) declared that "our guidance counselors wanted us to do sports...but we thought we'd bring you liberal talk instead." Guidance counselors? It's a shame there's such a fear of being associated with anything "radio" that Radio Free Ohio uses this in place of the term "radio consultant." Maybe if all these stations turning formats to "shuffle," "Radio Free," or Jack-styles were to concentrate on doing "good radio," the industry would grab the public's attention again. You aren't performing if you're simply slapping a moniker on yourself. Then, here's the biggest problem of them all: Coming out of the box trying to deceive the local population - it's not the way to get anyone to become a "loyal listener." (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) ** U S A. A Step in Right Direction? There is industry talk this morning that WPEN 950 here in Philadelphia has decided to dump IBOC and return to good old analog transmission. Their audio today is much cleaner, more high end, and just generally better than it has been for a long time. Most importantly, there is no longer any hiss in the background of the main channel, and the digital hash on their adjacents is gone. Question: are industry people beginning to realize that the emperor has no clothes? Let's hope so (René Tetro, WFIL, June 2, NRC-AM via DXLD) I don`t think they have figured that out yet, René, They just published NRSC-5 or NRSC-V which are the specs. It will be interesting to see if there is much difference in the "Mask" (Paul Smith, W4KNX, Sarasota, FL, ibid.) I checked WPEN early this afternoon. 940 and 960 had a goshawful noise. It wasn't IBOC but it sounded like some of the broadest, overmodulated analog I've heard in a long time. Sounded like they were much more power than they've been based on adjacent channels. From where I am, it's not much effective change although it's a trade I'll happily take (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA ( 15 mi NNW Philadelphia ), ibid.) ** U S A. WCBS-FM: The End --- Fans of NEW YORK's WCBS-FM (101.1) have been bemoaning the station's decline for years, from the removal of pre-Beatles music from the playlist to the gradual retirement of legendary jocks like Harry Harrison, Dan Ingram and Dan Daniel to last year's ouster of longtime PD Joe McCoy. But it didn't make them any less stunned when the station pulled the plug on oldies Friday afternoon at 5 (with less than an hour's warning to most station staff, reportedly) and flipped to "Jack FM," bringing the "adult hits" format to the number-one market in much the same way it's appeared everywhere: no DJs, no newscasters, no commercials at first, just music and attitude-filled liners. (The first song, for the record: the Beastie Boys' "Fight For Your Right (To Party)," certainly the first time that group's ever been heard at 101.1 on the dial.) The flip means the end of Micky Dolenz' morning show, which debuted a few months ago to lukewarm reviews. PD Dave Logan, who succeeded McCoy last year, is also gone, and it appears that the rest of the jock lineup - including veterans Bob Shannon, Don K. Reed and Bill Brown - is out as well. The oldies will continue as a Web-only stream, albeit apparently without the personalities who were so critical to making CBS-FM what it was. (Station management has been unclear on this point, and for now the stream is running jockless.) NERW Commentary: 23 years after WABC's flip to talk, a new generation of New York City radio fans can now say they've experienced their own "Day the Music Died." While oldies were on a decided downswing around the country already, having lost major stations in the last few months in Baltimore, Atlanta, Portland, Charlotte, Rochester and elsewhere, the loss of WCBS-FM is a body blow to the format that the station helped to create. When CBS began playing the hits of the fifties in 1972, "oldies" didn't even exist as a programming concept. Within a couple of decades, though, every market had an oldies station - and almost without exception, those stations looked to the mother ship in New York for the programming and promotional ideas that eventually became almost inescapable from one "Oldies 93" to the next. But within that universe of oldies stations, WCBS-FM stood apart. In its heyday - and it was a long heyday - WCBS-FM was one of the most distinctively New York-sounding stations on the dial, especially when the end of music at WABC freed up Harrison, Ron Lundy and other Musicradio 77 veterans to work at 101.1, playing the same tunes that they made hits on the AM dial. (Over the years, WCBS-FM would be home to many of the jocks who made WABC famous, including Dan Ingram and Cousin Bruce Morrow.) Even in its declining years, after the word "oldies" itself became verboten ("Motown, Soul and Great Rock'n' Roll" was one of the less- memorable replacements), WCBS-FM remained distinctive for its full- service approach, with newscasts all day and far more personality than your average FM music station. (And did we mention the reverb-verb- verb-verb?) So while it was no surprise to hear "Jack" launch on an Infinity-owned New York FM after the company's high-profile adoption of the format in Los Angeles a few weeks back, there's a distinct sting to the decision to put the jockless Jack on what was arguably the most successful FM in the company's Big Apple stable, rather than on the long-broken WNEW or WXRK, which faces the impending departure of Howard Stern in a few months. It's a moment of reckoning for those of us who believe passionately in the value of personality radio, exemplified by Vin Scelsa's "Idiot's Delight" on WFUV (90.7) Saturday night, which Scelsa turned into a passionate rant about what WCBS-FM meant to him. It's that kind of radio - intimate, creative and exciting - that no MP3 player can duplicate. Can the same be said about Jack - even if you can overlook what died to make room for the format in New York? *The fallout: Infinity's move changes the landscape in New York in several ways. First, it puts an end to the lengthy speculation about which station would take the leap into the adult-hits format. While nothing's impossible at this point, it's hard to imagine any of the other major FMs in the market challenging WCBS-FM with a knockoff "Bob" or "Max" or what have you. (That said, ABC's WPLJ was clearly testing the waters with its many "Flush the Format" weekends of late.) Just as many questions were created by the flip, though. In no particular order: Is this the end of oldies in New York City? With a relatively small number of full-market commercial FM signals in town, the city's big groups have been hesitant to revive formats that have struggled in the market - just look at the absence of country radio since WYNY's demise, or of standards since WNEW left the air. But if WCBS-FM's unique personalities were to be available, would Clear Channel or Emmis or ABC take the leap? (Clear Channel, in particular, has been widely rumored to be considering a format change at WKTU.) What about the suburbs? There are already successful oldies stations on the edges of the market - Cox's WKHL in Stamford, Long Island's WBZO, WLNG at the eastern end of Long Island, and on the AM dial, WMTR/WWTR in northern and central New Jersey and WNNJ (home to former CBS-FM jock Max Kinkel) up in Sussex County. Will any of them try to captalize on the demise of WCBS-FM? Is any Infinity oldies station safe? Philadelphia's WOGL (98.1) has been one of the most successful stations anywhere in the format (in no small part by paying careful attention to the WCBS-FM formula of legendary local jocks), and Boston's WODS (103.3) has revived its flagging fortunes with more 70s music. In both markets, Infinity was beaten to the punch with adult hits (Greater Media's "Ben" WBEN-FM in Philly, Entercom's "Mike" WMKK in Boston), so perhaps WOGL and WODS can breathe a little easier. But if it can happen at WCBS-FM... Will IBOC multicasting save the oldies? Infinity's been suggesting that the remnants of WCBS-FM that survive on the web might eventually also be heard on a multicast channel of a digital WCBS-FM. Could 101.1 someday be home to Jack and oldies - if enough receivers get into the marketplace quickly enough? But Infinity's problem in New York isn't exactly a lack of available signals for viable formats so much as it is the opposite - a lack of viable formats for its available signals - which brings us to the next question: OK - now what happens to WNEW and K-Rock? Since we now know there won't be a Jack 102.7 or Jack 92.3, what other cards does Infinity have up its sleeve in New York? After WNEW's many years of format struggles, Jack might have been a welcome change at 102.7; instead, the lackluster "Mix" will straggle along for at least a little while longer. And can K-Rock still be K-Rock without Howard? Is there some sort of strategic plan that's just not evident here? So what about Jack? It won't be easy for the radio community to assess the new Jack on its own merits - there's just too much history at 101.1 to overcome in a weekend, or probably in a year. But there's no question that Infinity will be spending a lot of money, very soon, to try to market Jack to a new audience for which that dial position doesn't have as much baggage. Infinity's making a very heavy bet on Jack across the country - it's now on in Minneapolis, Seattle, Buffalo, and launched in Chicago (on WJMK 104.3, also replacing oldies) at the same moment it arrived in New York, and the New York Jack will no doubt benefit from the best programming, promotions and research talent Infinity can muster. But New York's not Vancouver (where Jack first tasted success three years ago) - it's a market where stations have always crossed format lines in ways that other markets don't quite match. (Look, for instance, at how smoothly the deeper Jack-style cuts have been fitting into WPLJ's nominal hot AC format. There are interesting times ahead, and even as we mourn WCBS-FM, we're looking forward to chronicling whatever comes next. We're also interested in your thoughts - send 'em along and we'll print some of them next week. (If you don't want your name used, let us know.) (Scott Fybush, NE Radio Watch June 6 via DXLD) ** U S A. Re Special event FM station --- How many people will be able to hear it? What will the power/haat be? (Paul Walker, FL, May 31, NRC-AM via DXLD) Transmissions from the Alpine NJ Tower should be audible anywhere in the New York City area. 42.8 MHz FM should be receivable on most scanners. The article says they are also going to stream it on the internet (Patrick Griffith, Westminster, CO, ibid.) And it will be simulcast on WFDU 89.1, which also transmits from Alpine. -s, who's gonna be there :-) (Scott Fybush, ibid.) ** U S A. Two new low power (Part 15) entries on my web page: 1610 (LPR) ``Radio Simcha,`` North Miami Beach; per David Citron’s ``South Florida Radio Pages,`` [June, 2005], ``Simcha, host of the Sunday morning Jewish radio program `Bagels With Simcha,` has established his own Part 15 low-power radio station, Radio Simcha (1610), in North Miami Beach. Part 15 stations can only be heard for a couple of blocks and do not require a license. "It's 100% legal" says Simcha, who scrupulously followed the FCC regulations authorizing this very-low-power station. Bagels With Simcha, his regular weekly program, is heard from 10 AM 'til noon Sunday mornings on WLVJ (1040) all over south Florida.`` [1400-1600 UT] 1610 (LPR) ``WDCX,`` Dade City; per the proprietor: ``WDCX-Part 15 is an alternative news and talk station operating on 1610 kHz from sunrise to sunset in Dade City. WDCX provides programming that disappeared on commercial station WDCF-1350 when the station was sold to a station out of Clearwater, which has pretty much destroyed the local community flavor in favor of 24/7 infomercials. Programming includes the Genesis Communication Network, From The Grassy Knoll, hosted by The Vyzygoth, and other political shows from varying points of view from the extreme left to the extreme right. There are no holds barred on WDCX! WDCX-Part 15 operates using a FCC Certified Part 15 Hamilton Rangemaster transmitter and covers much of Dade City and areas toward San Antonio. There are future plans to link multiple transmitters to increase the coverage area. In addition to broadcasting on 1610 the station also streams on Live365. WDCXs web page can be found at: http://pascoradio.org/am1610 and those wishing to submit program material for airing may do so by emailing the Program Director at: wdcxam1610 @ pascoradio.org or via snail mail at: Post Office Box 2263, Saint Leo, FL 33574.`` Ex-87.9 and 102.9 MHz. [N.B.: Dade City is nowhere near (Miami-)Dade County --- gh] Visit my "Florida Low Power Radio Stations" at: http://home.earthlink.net/~tocobagadx/flortis.html (Terry L Krueger, Clearwater, Florida, USA, 27.55.83 N, 82.46.08 W, June 6, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. NOAA WEATHER SERVICE LEGISLATION Hi! Regarding the legislation that would disembowel the NOAA weather- reporting service, as discussed in DXLD: What sort of consumer investment exists in currently-owned weather radios, and what sort of business/manufacturing investment exists in the design and production of such radios by vendors? Wouldn't this legislation, if it terminates weather-service reporting to the public, make these investments worthless? If so, could the proponents of such legislation be sued as the targets of a class-action suit representing the interests of every person who now owns a radio capable of receiving NOAA weather broadcasts and every corporation that manufactures, distributes, or markets such radios? Wouldn't this be a valid example of direct economic harm to all these parties' interests? As an aside, couldn't this same approach be used to stop the implementation of the regulations covering the termination of analog TV broadcasting? That also impacts the consumers' current investment in analog TV receivers; has anyone tried this yet in the whole DTV- conversion fuss? (Note that I don't include businesses in this example, as they are happily planning on selling new DTV sets to replace the analog-TV inventory. Here it is only the consumer that suffers.) 73, (Will Martin, MO, June 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Besides the hour from CNN International at 1600 UT, another CNN domestic schedule change this week is the disappearance finally of the shoutfest Crossfire, which had been reported months ago to be bound for cancellation, at 2030-2100 UT M-F. Instead, Inside Politics has been expanded to a sesquihour at 1930-2100. What`s this? Paul Begala a commentator in the third semihour? O well (Glenn Hauser, OK, June 6, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VANUATU. 7259.7, 0315 4/6, Radio Vanuatu good with island music, and Pidgin announcements, putting loud heterodyne whistle on 7260. Frequency measured as 7259.66, 4/6 (Bryan Clark, Mangawhai, NZ, 36 07 S, 174 36 E, ripple via DXLD) Contrary to Australian source that it was on 3945 only (gh) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. 15725, R. for Peace, via IRRS (Cf. DX-Window no. 272). On Sat May 28 not even a carrier was heard at 0630-0700 for this broadcast! But at 0727 the transmitter (in Bulgaria ?) signed on with strong signals for the broadcasts of R Mi Amigo (cf. Italy/Bulgaria below). To me it seems that R for Peace no longer is on the air! (Anker Petersen, Denmark, DSWCI DX Window via DXLD) Before he saw recent DXLD item about it being carried on the 7466 transmitter (gh, DXLD) ** ZIMBABWE [non]. SW RADIO AFRICA SWITCHES FREQUENCY http://allafrica.com/stories/200506020056.html (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) Very misleading headline: still on same frequency, 1197 MW, which BTW was NOT mentioned in the story! The point is, they were going off SW, altho they didn`t really (gh) Finally heard SW Radio Africa sign on 15145 after numerous minutes of some sad sounding tune at 1713 w/ID and frequency announcements by a woman announcer. 1 June 2005 (Steve Lare, Holland, MI, USA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) 15145, Faulty program feed on very last SW transmission day [you mean May 31, or June 1?] Only EMPTY carrier appeared around 1659 UT, and lasted till 1704 UT. At 1704:42 UT well known VT-Merlin endless pause music file started, endless guitar/cello music file. Over and over again. Now from about 1710 heard lovely rhythmic African music, and a feature on a African Zimbabwean lawyer. Try it at 1700-1800 UT on powerful Rampisham signal, undoubtedly 500 kW powerhouse! 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) I was away from my home receiver, so checked at 1700 on 15145 using portable ATS-909 and whip. All I could detect was a carrier coming on shortly before the hour (Glenn Hauser, OK, June 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) SW Radio Africa heard here again today on 15145 at s/on with carrier at 1659, then dead air until 1702 then a repeated vocal and instrumental piece, then announcements by a woman announcer giving schedule in English. Good signal today (Steve Lare, Holland, MI, USA, June 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) SW Radio Africa still holding forth on 15145 at 1700, 5 June 2005. And I did have a quick opportunity to check 15145 at 1700 today 6 June and found SW Radio Africa still on the frequency (Steve Lare, Holland, MI USA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) SW Radio Africa, 15145, 1700-1800 heard in Zimbabwe, from UK facilities. This frequency is locally jammed, but not too severe. Programming to be only until 8 June, as reported on air (David Pringle-Wood, Harare, June 6, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Anker Petersen is sticking to his theory that site for this is Pinheira, IBB São Tomé (gh, DXLD) Hello from Hilversum, This week we received the news that SW Radio Africa, which has been broadcasting independent programmes into Zimbabwe for several years, has been forced to suspend its transmissions on shortwave. In a press release, the station explained that it had run out of money due to the high cost of using extra shortwave transmitters to counteract jamming by the Zimbabwe government. And that forms the central theme of my commentary this week: Crisis, what crisis? Failure to continue funding broadcasts to Zimbabwe by SW Radio Africa would be a derogation of responsibility on the part of the western nations, and a huge encouragement to all those who only cling onto power through their control of the media. http://www2.rnw.nl/rnw/en/features/media/int050602.html?view=Standard (Media Network newsletter June 2 via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 6220, drift in from around 0345, peak about 0405-10 and dropping away after that, SINPO 35443 at peak, some maritime splatter from 6215 at times, when SINPO 33441. Playing modern pops/groups, IDs between each 3 or 4 items, but too fast to catch. English. Can anyone help please, or have any thoughts????????? Thanks (Ron Killick, New Zealand, June 6, HCDX via DXLD) A bit early for NAm; NZ pirate? (gh) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Glen[n], I enjoy your programs VERY VERY MUCH. Just a point. I am 51 years old. In 1963 when I was 9 years old, the big fight in our house was between my sister and me over the only working portable radio in the house every night. My 10 year old grandson Justin, wouldn't even know or care if we sold every radio in the house. I know of very few young people who make it a point to listen to radio. That's something THEY should worry about. I talked myself out of buying a Satellite 800. Why, what will there be to hear in a few years with BPL and IBOC???? Again, thanks for your years of service, would love to talk to you some time (Chuck Adkins, June 4) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ GREATLY-EXPANDED CONNELLY MW DX AUDIO LIBRARY Craig Healy has generously provided me with some space on his "chowdanet" server so that I can share many more of my DX audio recordings with the world. Also I have made some use of space on a Comcast account. At some point I may be moving some (or all) of my AOL stuff over to Comcast, chowdanet and qsl.net. AOL has become undependable at times. Brandon Jordan has also offered server space. Soon I'll be rolling out more links to audio and other material from my archives including scanned articles, radio nostalgia items, and DX- related photo's. Can be accessed via links from http://home.comcast.net/~markwa1ion/dx_audio.htm my newest DX audio page. Have fun! (Mark Connelly, MA, HCDX via DXLD) MUSEA +++++ LAYOFFS AT TV & RADIO MUSEUM By JESSE McKINLEY The New York Times June 4, 2005 Facing what its chairman called "difficult financial challenges," the Museum of Television & Radio has laid off more than a dozen employees and accepted the resignation of its president, Stuart N. Brotman. The layoffs, announced to the staff on Thursday afternoon after a meeting of the museum's board, included 14 full-time employees and one part-time employee. Diane Lewis, a spokeswoman for the museum, said the layoffs would affect its operations at both the museum's locations, on West 52nd Street in Manhattan and in Beverly Hills, Calif. In a statement released yesterday, Frank A. Bennack Jr., the museum's chairman, said the museum "reluctantly had to make these adjustments" in the face of a continuing financial crunch. As for Mr. Brotman's resignation after just 15 months on the job, Mr. Bennack thanked him for his efforts and said the museum would conduct a national search for his replacement. Calls to Mr. Brotman's office at the museum and to his consulting business in Lexington, Mass., were not returned, but in a statement, Mr. Brotman said it had been "an honor and a privilege" to work for the museum. One fired employee, who would not give her name for fear of jeopardizing her severance package, said the layoffs were painful but not altogether surprising. "We all knew things were bad," she said. "And then the board just seemed to slash." The layoffs are the third in recent years for the museum, founded in 1975 as the Museum of Broadcasting by William S. Paley, the longtime president and chairman of CBS. In 2003 the museum suffered the death of its president, Robert M. Batscha, who had led the museum since 1981. Mr. Brotman was hired in February 2004 and took over the next month. Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) LANGUAGE LESSONS ++++++++++++++++ This may be slightly off-topic, but hey, I do this in DXLD for a bit of levity --- Recently purchased a rubber floor mat at WalMart (mea culpa, mea culpa), a Scruffy, Durable Rubber Mat, to be exact, also bearing the tradename mainstays / home, 45 x 76 cm, UPC 6 82247 00040 3, made in India. The cardboard label also bears this very strange inscription: ``Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat`` [sic] Yes, that certainly looks like Latin, but not all the words; and some are surely misspelt, no doubt by the typesetter who wasn`t paying attention or versed in the vulgate. I really can`t make any sense of it, which may be what was intended; I would welcome a discussion and translation of this by someone more fluent than myself, and what does it have to do with a floor mat? Maybe I should ask them at Nuntii Latini, YLE Radio Finland (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) QUOTING CONTENTS OF PORTUGUESE-SPEAKING STATIONS` ANNOUNCEMENTS Hello all! Some reporters do include sentences in other languages picked up when DXing this or that station, and it clearly seems the LA stations are the primary target of their interest in doing so. However, even if quoting after having recorded the station program, their reports usually carry mistakes, and this is easily seen in DXWindow. The non-speakers may not notice it, but Castilian speakers from [both] sides of the Atlantic reporting on Portuguese speaking stations, tend to mix the languages or even "invent" new words. Examples taken from DXW 272: B 4895 R. Novo Tempo "as maiores acontecimientos da Brasil y o Mundo voce encontra en a Radio Novo Tempo (...)" corrected :: os maiores acontecimentos no Brasil e no mundo, você encontra na Rádio NT DXW 273: B 4865 R. Alvorada "canal aberto para as emissoras que desean retransmitir neste programa: con R.Alv., R.Garibvaldi, R. Inmaculada Concepcao, en Grande Sao Paulo y Sao Roque" corrected :: canal aberto para as emissoras que dejesem [sic === means desejem --- gh] retransmitir este programa: com R.A., R. Garibaldi, R. Imaculada concepção, na Grande São Paulo e São Roque. But... those above are nothing but two of the milder examples. And, by the way, "faixa" (=banda), both meaning band in radio terminology, is not written "baixa" as often reported. I suppose we would find equivalent mistakes should we have more Portuguese speaking DXers reporting on Castilian speaking stations, but then it's easier not to make mistakes with Castilian words. I suppose that, if one just can't properly write the words, then he/she should perhaps refrain from making so many mistakes, chiefly because their reports are meant to be read by many others, and that can mislead many too. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Speaking as one whose incomplete knowledge of Spanish and Portuguese is more or less equal, I do find it strange that Spanish-speakers don`t bother to learn enough Portuguese to quote it properly (gh) CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++ READING INTERNATIONAL RADIO GROUP The next meeting will be on Saturday June 11th when the programme will include a talk and video presentation by Derek Whitehead on the DEW (Distant Early Warning System) Line, Derek worked at DEW line radar sites in Canada. The meeting will be in Meeting Room 3, Reading International Solidarity Centre, 35-39 London Street, Reading. We will be in the Global Cafe/Bar at 1400 and move to the meeting room at 1430. The meetings last about 2 and a half hours. Mobile calls on the day can be made to Dave Kenny on 0775 4377661. The meeting rooms are at the back, the entrance is via a small passage just beyond the RISC shop, or ask for directions in the shop or cafe. RISC has a website with location at http://www.risc.org.uk For further information phone me on 01462 643899 (Mike Barraclough, June World DX Club Contact via DXLD) HFCC B-05 Radio Nacional de España have decided to invite HFCC/ASBU members to Valencia, Spain for the B05 HFCC/ASBU shortwave co-ordination conference. The meeting will be held from 22 to 26 August 2005 in the Science Museum of Valencia. The delegates will be accommodated in Hotel NH Las Artes (HFCC May 24 via BCDX via DXLD) DRM [see also BELGIUM, ITALY] +++ INTERVIEW ON NEW DRM MODULE Interesting interview on the new DRM module launched at the London Digital Radio Show http://www.dw-world.de/dw/0,1595,1453,00.html (Mike Barraclough, dxldyg via DXLD) 10+ minutes of audio There's another report on the site I had not seen http://www.usdrm.com/Merlin%20newsletter%20feb05.pdf I would hope the receivers are using a DAB/DRM as I am not convinced there is enough distinctive programme content yet on DRM for consumers in France, Germany and the Benelux to pay an extra premium for a digital receiver (Mike Barraclough, swprograms via DXLD) HARMAN/BECKER Automotive Systems Joins DRM http://www.drm.org/pdfs/newsevents/HBDRMenglish.pdf (via Siriol Evans, DRM Press Office, DXLD) POWERLINE COMMUNICATIONS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ NEBRASKA BANS BPL AND OTHER MUNI-OPTIONS, ARRL REJOICES Posted on 2005-06-03 18:22:30 An interesting crossroads of interests in Nebraska where state lawmakers have just passed a bill banning "agencies, political subdivisions and public power suppliers" from offering broadband or video services to state residents. This bill passed in part thanks to pressure from the ARRL, who rejoice at the fact they won't have to worry about the technology's interference capability for at least another year. Glenn, I found this scrolling on eNewsBar http://www.enewsbar.com Story from: BROADBANDREPORTS.COM (Paul Armani, Denver CO, DX LISTENING DIGEST) NEBRASKA BILL WOULD EFFECTIVELY PROHIBIT BPL NEWINGTON, CT, Jun 3, 2005 -- Nebraska's unicameral legislature has passed a bill supported by telecommunications interests to ban "agencies, political subdivisions and public power suppliers" from providing any broadband, Internet, telecommunications or video services. This would include broadband over power line (BPL). The "Unicam," as it's called, approved the measure, LB 645, by a vote of 37-8-4. "So it's time for rejoicing, ARRL Nebraska State Government Liaison Bob Mitchell, WB0RJJ," said. "BPL is dead in Nebraska for this year!" ARRL Nebraska Section Manager Matthew Anderson, KA0BOJ, hailed the bill's passage as "great news." He also extended congratulations to the Nebraska Section team for its work in securing passage for the measure. "All of our contacts, letters, e-mails, phone calls and personal visits have paid off," he said. "This is indeed a great day for ham radio in Nebraska." Mitchell said even if LB 645 is overturned next year, he believes BPL by then "will have been superseded by superior technology that will not pollute the RF environment." The measure now goes to Gov David Heineman for his signature. Mitchell said it's unlikely that the governor would veto the bill. The legislation also creates a Broadband Services Task Force to study -- among other things -- "The need and necessity for the provision of wholesale broadband services, Internet services, telecommunications services or video services by agencies or political subdivisions of the state and public power suppliers." The task force will report to the legislature, the governor, and the Unicam's Natural Resources and Transportation and Telecommunications committees by December 1, 2006. The "final reading" text of the bill is available via the Unicam's Web site http://www.unicam.state.ne.us/ (via DXLD) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ ANOTHER BELL+HOWELL SW RADIO, DIGITAL THIS TIME The latest Sportsman's Guide e-mail flyer has this digital Bell+Howell SW radio. I like the way they phrase it; "even pulls in short wave!" like it is a great triumph... Of course, considering most B+H-branded electronics, I suppose that it IS a triumph if they actually pick up an SW signal on the correctly- indicated frequency! :-) http://www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=201471&pn=1 Looks fairly familiar; is this the same radio as one of the Degen/Kaito/Jwin models from what must be the vast SW-radio-works somewhere in the Chinese labor-camp domain? Anyway, thought it was of interest. 73, (Will Martin, MO, June 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) NPR RADIO STORE LINKS Grundig Yachtboy: http://shop.npr.org/catalog/Product.jhtml?CATID=cat160013&PRODID=prod240014 Freeplay: http://shop.npr.org/catalog/Product.jhtml?CATID=cat160013&PRODID=prod360031 Grundig emergency AM/FM/SW: http://shop.npr.org/catalog/Product.jhtml?CATID=&PRODID=prod240010 Eton Emergency Radio http://shop.npr.org/catalog/Product.jhtml;jsessionid=1EORX34LIIJHBLA5AJSSFFI?CATID=cat160019&PRODID=prod670002 (via Clara Listensprechen, swbasics yg via DXLD) SOFTWARE FOR ID-ING FAST SPEAKING STATIONS In the May 24 edition of "Mailbox" in R New Zealand International, Tony King recommends "Wavepad", a software from http://www.nch.com.au which is able to reduce the speed of the recorded announcement. You can hear his demonstration in "Mailbox" via: http://www.rnzi.com/pages/audio.php (Erik Køie, Denmark, May 29, DSWCI DX Window via DXLD) TIPS FOR RATIONAL LIVING ++++++++++++++++++++++++ PURGATORY WITHOUT END --- May 26th 2005 Why is America still so prone to wars of religion? See this article with graphics and related items at http://www.economist.com/World/na/displayStory.cfm?story_id=4010306 (via Gerald T. Pollard, DXLD) SUNIL DUTT --- BOLLYWOOD ACTOR AND POLITICIAN WHOSE CIVILISED SECULAR VISION EMBRACED THE ENTIRE SUBCONTINENT http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,60-1639985,00.html (obituary via Gerald T. Pollard, DXLD) ###