DX LISTENING DIGEST 5-144, August 23, 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 1284: Tue 2330 WOR WBCQ 7415 [usually lately] Wed 0930 WOR WWCR 9985 Wed 1600 WOR WBCQ after hours [stream has been down] Latest edition of this schedule version, with hotlinks to station sites and audio, is at: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html WRN ON DEMAND: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL]: http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html WORLD OF RADIO 1284 (high version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1284h.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1284h.rm WORLD OF RADIO 1284 (low version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1284.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1284.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1284.html WORLD OF RADIO 1284 in true SW sound of Alex`s mp3: (stream) http://www.dxprograms.net/worldofradio_08-17-05.m3u (download) http://www.dxprograms.net/worldofradio_08-17-05.mp3 WORLD OF RADIO 1284 downloads in studio-quality mp3: (high) http://www.obriensweb.com/wor1284h.mp3 (low) http://www.obriensweb.com/wor1284.mp3 FIRST AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO EXTRA 60: Wed 2200 on WBCQ 7415 Wed 2300 on WBCQ 17495-CUSB Thu 2030 on WWCR 15825 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL]: http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html WORLD OF RADIO Extra 60 (high version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/worx60h.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/worx60h.rm (WOR Extra 60 is the same as COM 05-06, with WOR opening added to hi) WORLD OF RADIO Extra 60 (low version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/com0506.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/com0506.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/com0506.html WORLD OF RADIO Extra 60 in true SW sound of Alex`s mp3 [projected]: (stream) http://www.dxprograms.net/worldofradio_08-24-05.m3u (download) http://www.dxprograms.net/worldofradio_08-24-05.mp3 WORLD OF RADIO 1284 downloads in studio-quality mp3: (high) http://www.obriensweb.com/worx60h.mp3 (low) http://www.obriensweb.com/worx60.mp3 WORLD OF RADIO PODCAST: www.obriensweb.com/wor.xml (1277, Extra 57, 1278, 1279, 1280, Extra 58, 1281, 1282, 1283, Extra 59, 1284, Extra 60) ** AFGHANISTAN [non]. Re Salaam Watandar, 5-143: Actually, also Observer had it on 15500: ``U.K.(non): No transmission on Aug. 7/8 of Internews/Salaam Watandar via VT Communications 1300-1430 on 15500 RMP 500 kW / 095 deg to WeAs in Dari/Pashto. Cancelled or NF? (Observer, Bulgaria, Aug 8, via DXLD 5-133)`` Probably the 15550 of 31 July reported by Zacharias Liangas were a typo and also meant 15500. The most recent schedule was 0230-0400 on 15240 (Samara) & 1300-1430 on 15500 (Rampisham), but there are indications that indeed the SW transmissions of Salaam Watandar have ceased altogether (to be confirmed). Salaam Watandar is a program block which is produced by Internews Afghanistan primarily for rebroadcasting by local radio stations in Afghanistan, and these receive the feed by satellite: Hotbird 13 degrees East, 12597 V, labelled "Afghan SW" (where SW stands for "Salaam Watandar", not "shortwave"). The satellite soundcarrier has a continuous ID loop in Dari and Pashto outside of the actual broadcasting hours; today's program feed at 1300 started as scheduled (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, Aug 23, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ALASKA. A return to Nome, a market we profiled in Tower Site of the Week a couple of years ago. Our man in Nome, former Rhode Islander Les Brown, who consults Nome's KNOM on engineering, checked in to report that the "other" station in town, KICY (850), suffered a devastating fire at its transmitter site last Wednesday. The station had just installed a new Harris DX50 transmitter in a new building, and that was undamaged - but the old transmitter building, which was destroyed, housed the phasor and ATU, and now they're working to get the parts they need to get the station back on the air (And thanks, again, to Les for the pictures.) (Scott Fybush, NE [sic] Radio Watch Aug 22 via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA [and non]. Tuning across R. Australia, 9580 & 9590, Aug 23 at 1349, heard Roger Broadbent greeting listeners on community FM stations in NZ, and also on CBC Radio Overnight --- apparently word of the lockout has not reached Melbourne; the CBC substitute schedules show music fill instead of the overnight service including RA and several other stations; tho one would think it would just be a matter of continuing to punch up the feed from WRN (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) See also CANADA! and POWERLINE COMMUNICATIONS ** BAHAMAS. 810, ZNS[3], 0930 to 0945 with religious message, noted with increased strength in the last week to ten days. NRD 535D Modified (Robert Wilkner, Pompano Beach, La Florida, Aug 23, HCDX via DXLD) ** BELARUS [and non]. BELARUS/GERMANY: LANGUAGE ADVOCATES STAGE PROTEST AGAINST GERMAN BROADCASTER'S PLANS | Text of report in English by Belarusian news agency Belapan Minsk, 22 August: About 10 people staged an authorized protest in the park adjacent to Bangalore Square in Minsk on 22 August to protest against plans by Germany's Deutsche Welle to launch a programme in Russian for Belarus. The protesters held signs one of which said, "We want Deutsche Welle in Belarusian," passed out copies of the newspaper Nasha Slova of the Frantsysk Skaryna Belarusian Language Society (BLS) and collected signatures to an appeal urging the international broadcaster to launch the programme in Belarusian. The protesters included Dzmitryy Kaspyarovich, a graduate of the Belarusian State University of Culture and Arts, journalist Andrey Aleksandrovich and BLS activists. Aleksandrovich told Belapan that the protest did not only target Deutsche Welle, but was also intended to prevent the Russification of future cultural and political projects in Belarus. BLS leader Aleh Trusaw said his organization might appeal to European Parliament members and the German opposition over Deutsche Welle's plans. "National cultural values are of much greater importance to German Conservatives than the Social Democrats currently in power," he explained. The activists plan to protest every day from 22 to 26 August. Source: Belapan news agency, Minsk, in English 1720 gmt 22 Aug 05 (via BBCM via DXLD) BELARUS: GERMAN BROADCASTER MAKES WAVES [get it?] WITH RUSSIAN- LANGUAGE PLANS A longer article about the controversial decision of the EU to fund DW broadcasts in Russian to Belarus rather than Belarussian http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/08/411E7FBA-6F1D-4F45-AB67-71A27905FBCA.html (Andy Sennitt, dxldyg via DXLD) ** BELGIUM. The people who live in the vicinity of the VRT transmitter masts along the Drijpikkelstraat in Wolvertem are disgusted by the uncertainty. For years they have had to put up with all kinds of electrical equipment acting up in the strangest ways and now they have begun to wonder about the health risks. Now that the VRT have applied for an environmental licence for the next twenty years the neighbours are angrily demanding clarity once and for all. ``We want a public meeting about the contents of the licence and the health risks``. The VRT uses the transmitter masts for the broadcasts of Radio 1 and Radio Vlaanderen International on Medium Wave. They have been along the Drijpikkelstraat for thirty years. (Media Magazine, The Netherlands. Translated from the BDXC Bulletin, via Chris Stacey, BDXC-UK, via Sept MW News via DXLD) On three nights during August VRT kept 927 kHz on air all night broadcasting Radio 1. This was to provide coverage whilst FM transmitters in Egem were off air for maintenance (Herman Boel, Sept Medium Wave News via DXLD) ** CANADA. Here's a simpler address for the Zerbisias blog Linkname: azerbic - Antonia Zerbisias - Toronto Star Blog URL: http://thestar.blogs.com/azerb/ Let's get this straight about who, what in the One Big Union and why this lockout shut down the CBC this time. Linkname: Our Public Airwaves - CBC workers vote Media Guild [Jan 2003] URL: http://www.publicairwaves.ca/index.php?page=462 And ACTRA is the performance union who show up in plays and such on the CBC radio and TV, not the newsreaders etc. (Dan Say, BC, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Another week, another schedule --- CBC has again revised its Radio One lockout schedule. There is now an additional six-minute news/weather report at 7 p.m. local time, and the one-hour block formerly occupied by the BBC World Service on Sunday is now occupied by Bunny Watson (Ricky Leong, Calgary, Alta., Aug 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Partial concession to unionized BBC workers who objected to being made scabs? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UK/CANADA: WATCHDOG ASKS FOR BBC TO "COME CLEAN" OVER CBC PROGRAMMING | Text of press release by International Federation of Journalists on 23 August The International Federation of Journalists [IFJ] and its regional group, the European Federation of Journalists [EFJ], today [23 August] called on the BBC to "come clean" over its role in providing broadcast material to the Canadian public broadcaster CBC [Canadian Broadcasting Corporation], which is engaged in a bitter battle with unions after it locked out 5,500 workers. The BBC has so far refused to meet with British trade unions representing journalists and other workers to explain its role in the Canadian dispute which began on 15 August, after talks with unions on a new contract broke down over the CBC demand for the unfettered right to hire contract and part-time workers to take jobs now filled by staff employees. When the company locked out its union staff, most original programming and news in particular ground to a halt with the radio and TV slots filled with repeats and imported content. The broadcaster relies heavily on BBC foreign news reports for television news. "The BBC claims not to be involved," said Aidan White, general secretary of the EFJ and the IFJ, "but while it refuses to disclose the details of its arrangement with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the BBC will continue to be accused of strike-breaking. It's time to come clean over what deals have been made". The IFJ wrote last week to the European Broadcasting Union, which groups national and international public broadcasters, warning that the use of the BBC and other broadcasters, such as the English service of German network Deutsche Welle, to fill gaps in CBC programming threatens the reputation of public broadcasters. The IFJ is backing local unions which yesterday protested at the BBC's refusal to meet them over the issue and has asked all its members and in particular the National Union of Journalists [NUJ] in Great Britain and Ireland and affiliates in Germany, to work together with its Canadian member, the Canadian Media Guild (TNG/CWA), to prevent broadcasts from global networks being used to make up for missing local content. The dispute is backed by the NUJ in the UK and the IFJ's US affiliate, the Newspaper Guild/CWA as well as the Canadian actors' union ACTRA, which have instructed members to do nothing that would undermine the CBC staff position. "This dispute can only be solved through negotiations on the spot. The role of the BBC could make matters worse," said White. "We hope that the BBC will explain its position to UK unions and will not put its reputation for impartiality at risk." Source: International Federation of Journalists press release, Brussels, in English 23 Aug 05 (via BBCM via DXLD) CANADIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION LOCK-OUT BOOSTS RIVALS - paper As the lock-out of Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) employees continues, CBC listeners and viewers are getting programming mainly from reruns, BBC World news feeds and local radio newscasts from newswires, the Globe and Mail newspaper reported on 23 August. The CBC's competitors, meanwhile, have boosted their advertising budgets and some have even hired new staff to woo CBC viewers to their national news programmes since 15 August, when CBC locked out 5,500 employees after talks on temporary and casual contracts broke down, the Globe and Mail said. A statement on the dispute published on the CBC web site on 22 August stated: "It has been eight days since talks broke off between CBC and CMG [Canadian Media Guild, the union which represents CBC employees]. The CMG has made clear that it does not want to resume negotiations so long as the Corporation continues to seek the flexibility to engage future employees in certain classifications as contractual or permanent employees. The Corporation has told the Guild that it is prepared to negotiate its proposal and that we believe there is plenty of room to negotiate within a classification-based future model. We want to clear up misconceptions about CBC's proposal regarding the use of contract employees in the future." On 18 August the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its regional organization the European Federation of Journalists gave their full backing to the journalists and media staff locked out by the CBC. The IFJ condemned CBC's "use of global media networks - such as the BBC's World Service radio programmes - to fill gaps in its schedules", and both unions called on the European Broadcasting Union "to ensure that none of its members do anything to assist the Canadian public broadcaster", an IFJ press release stated. In the UK, the two main unions representing staff at the BBC, the NUJ and BECTU, have called for urgent talks with BBC management "to ensure it does not help fill the news void at the CBC". "It is increasingly clear that BBC material is being used to fill CBC news slots. The NUJ and BECTU will not tolerate their members' work being used against colleagues in Canada... The NUJ and BECTU condemn the use of material from BBC World to replace regular news programmes during the lockout," said a statement on the NUJ website on 23 August. The NUJ and BECTU called on the BBC management to take action "to stop the BBC being seen to be used by management to break the strike and to preserve the reputation of the BBC for impartiality. We will demand that action is taken to ensure BBC journalists are not seen to be helping management maintain production during the course of the dispute." Source: BBC Monitoring research 23 Aug 05 (via DXLD) This is my blog about being locked out by The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. http://www.blog.ca/main/index.php/lockedoutinwinnipeg/ I wrote to the BBC today telling them what I think of its programming on the CBC. Here's the letter and the response I received in three minutes: To Whom it May Concern, I am one of 5,500 employees locked out by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. As the first week of the lockout progressed I was continually shocked by how much content the CBC managers purchased from the BBC. Not only was our flagship supper-hour news show all BBC but many of our TV news breaks, current affairs radio shows and news clips. I can't believe the BBC would take sides on this labour dispute. How can we have a fair fight when the managers (who are supposed to be replacing the programming all 5,500 of us create every day) simply flip a switch and replace us with the BBC? Canadians deserve to see how well these managers can put together 100% Canadian content without its locked-out employees. You, sir or madam, are not serving Canadian viewers and listeners. The Response: Thank you for your email and for your comments about the use of BBC World bulletins on CBC's channels. CBC has had a long-standing agreement with BBC World, and this allows CBC to use any news programmes from BBC World's output without referral to the channel. This is for standard BBC World output; programming is not being adapted as a result of the strike and no extra work is being undertaken by BBC World's journalists. We would refute all allegations that we are taking sides in this dispute in any way; licensing bulletins to terrestrial broadcasters around the world is a standard business practice for BBC World as a commercial channel. Yours sincerely, Mario Giannini, BBC World (via 100000223 Aug 22 via Dan Say, DXLD) ¿Commercial???????? (gh, DXLD) ** COSTA RICA. REE Cariari relay, I should point out, altho often with a strong signal here, has rather muddy audio, lacking highs, much less crisp than the same programming via Noblejas when available; and also somewhat undermodulated, e.g. 15170 at 1357 Aug 23. I am not sure it was ever much better, but if so the transmitters must be deteriorating (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EGYPT. Re 5-143, new website: No pop-up in source web http://www.freewebs.com/overseas-radio Are you sure this is an official web site? (Roberto Scaglione, Sicily, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Only that they DID mention the two URLs to the site in Monday's Radio Cairo "In the Mailbag" on 9990 kHz. 73, (Erik Køie, Denmark, ibid.) It is obviously considered "official" if they mention it on their programmes, but it seems to have been put together by a member of staff with Internet skills, probably embarrassed that they are one of the few international broadcasters without a website. I remember the days before the BBC centralised its Internet operations, and some of the local stations had their own sites completely separate from the main BBC site, and were reluctant to give them up (Andy Sennitt, Holland, ibid.) ** GERMANY. DW to Belarus in Russian: see BELARUS ** GERMANY. Shortwave Listeners/DX-ers, Hello, Radio DW (Voice Of Germany) needs monitors in these countries:- 1= Iran 2= Yemen 3= Libya 4= Saudi Arabia 5= Syria 6= Afghanistan 7= Oman 8= UAE 9= Iraq 10= Egypt 11= Bahrain 12= Qatar 13= Kuwait 14= Bhutan 15= Thailand 16= Vietnam 17= Laos 18= Cambodia 19= Myanmar 20= Mongolia Interested listeners and DXers these countries may contact with full bio-data (Name, Nationality, Postal & e-mail address are the essential parts of required information) to these e-mail addresses: Andrea.schulz @ dw-world.de abidhussainsajid @ yahoomail.com [sic] (Abid Hussain Sajid, DW Official Monitor in Pakistan, Aug 20, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PakistanDxers/ dxldyg via DXLD) ** GUINEA. Re: From the logging below it would seem that Guinea has corrected its frequency to be on-channel. For many years it had been on or near 1385.92. ``1386.0 RADIO RURALE, LABE, GUI 2329 Full ID just before S/OFF AT 2330 LOCAL LANGUAGE 333 30/6 (Vincent LECLER)`` (Mark Connelly, WA1ION - Billerica, MA, USA, HCDX via Sept Medium Wave News via DXLD) I think this is not accurate: Guinea heard on 1386.91 kHz, since this (Editor Jeff Weston, Sept Medium Wave News via DXLD) I believe we also questioned this when it first appeared. One must NOT automatically add a decimal zero unless it is really accurate! If using a logging program which does that, either modify it or get rid of it (gh, DXLD) ** HAWAII. Another squealing transmitter: KWHR, 11555, Aug 23 at 1351 in Vietnamese. Have noticed this before but not mentioned it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** HONDURAS. Estimado señor Glen[n]. Reciba mis cordiales esperando todo ande de maravilla con tus sueños y proyectos. Señor Glern, le informo que el día lunes 22 de agosto a las 0300 TU he logrado captar en banda tropical la mejor frecuencia en 4820 la "LA VOZ EVANGELICA DE HONDURAS". CON UN SINPO DE: 55545. Es la primera vez que logro escuchar esta frecuencia con una programación: "SINTONIA Y PILDORITAS CON MUSICA RELIGIOSA Y MENSAJES"; luego a las 0400 a 0425 el programa: "A SABER CON DIOS", etc. Me gustaría saber un poco la historia de esta "EMISORA"! Claro si está a tu alcance. Gracias (Román Mora de Costa Rica --- Ciudad de Heredia, Aug 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** HONG KONG. CALL TO PRIVATIZE RTHK IGNITES DEBATE | Text of report by Carrie Chan, published by Hong Kong newspaper The Standard website on 23 August It was a shock last week to hear the director of broadcasting, Chu Pui-hing, advocate selling off RTHK [Radio Television Hong Kong] to the private sector as a way of granting it greater independence. But his views counter those of his immediate boss, Secretary for Commerce, Technology and Broadcasting John Tsang, who says there are no plans to privatize RTHK. Chu openly opposes his boss. He said RTHK intends to test the waters of public opinion on the issue through seminars and surveys next month. This is highly unusual. It's the first time that a senior civil servant has advocated moving a government-funded organization to the private sector. Chu's "rebellion" appears to stem from a series of recent events that have rocked the broadcaster. The first was the decision to axe its long-running horse-racing programme, apparently on orders from Chief Executive Donald Tsang, who wants RTHK to concentrate on government issues. There is also internal speculation that a major shake-up for RTHK is in the works, a move that Tsang denies. Then there was the government decision to post an audit team at RTHK for six months. This followed a series of court cases in which fraud was involved in the misuse of allowances by contractual staff over several years. The audit order was issued by the chief executive, who is determined to put a stop to the misuse of public money. Now auditors are demanding to see taxi receipts as well as daily expense claims. Tsang may not be overhauling the station, but he has tightened his administrative control over the broadcaster in an effort to regulate RTHK, which operates on a budget of more than 400m Hong Kong dollars [51.5m US dollars]. Tsang's tactics have won him praise from the government and the public, but they have also irked station staffers. Now Chu's rumblings have drawn fire from one of his close confidantes. Shiu Sin-por, executive director of the influential government think- tank, the "One Country, Two Systems Institute", condemned Chu, his friend of 40 years. "If I were Chu's boss, I would have sacked him for being rebellious. If all [government] department heads follow Chu's example, the current administrative structure will be dismantled," Shiu said. "I am sympathetic with him. He is sandwiched between the [government] and a strong staff union at the station. But I totally disagree with his views [of privatization and independence]." So far, most of the wrangling is behind closed doors. A senior government source said this was not the right time to openly discuss RTHK's future. "Everyone is occupied with forthcoming big events. John Tsang is tied up with December's World Trade Organization meeting, Donald Tsang is busy preparing for his maiden policy address and Chief Secretary for Administration Rafael Hui has his hands full with political reform and the West Kowloon Cultural District project," the source said. Another source, however, flatly rejected Chu's ideas, saying: "It would be naive to run RTHK without government financial backup to compete against commercially run stations." Source: The Standard website, Hong Kong, in English 23 Aug 05 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** ICELAND. See LANGUAGE LESSONS below ** INDIA. Dear Friends, Here are some photos of AIR Stations : AIR-Shimla entrance http://www.geocities.com/alokesh05/air_shimla_1.jpg AIR-Shimla http://www.geocities.com/alokesh05/air_shimla_2.jpg AIR-Chandigarh http://www.geocities.com/alokesh05/air_chandigarh.jpg AIR-Jalgaon http://www.geocities.com/alokesh05/air_jalgaon.jpg AIR-Kurushetra http://www.geocities.com/alokesh05/air_kurushetra.jpg Photos also uploaded in the photo section of this group: http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/dx_india/lst?.dir=/&.view=t Regds (Alokesh Gupta, dx_india via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL. El colega Pedro Manuel Matilla nos hace llegar la siguiente información relacionada con las bandas de radioaficionados y el uso de cada una de ellas. 160 METROS 1810 Frecuencia de llamada en QRP 1828.5 Expediciones DX e CW 1830-1840 CW, RTTY y otros modos; Solo QSOs intercontinentales 1840-1850 CW, SSB, SSTV y otros modos; Solo QSOs intercontinentales 80/75 METROS 3500-3510 Llamada CW DX 3505 Expediciones DX en CW 3560 Llamada en QRP 3590 RTTY DX 3790-3800 SSB DX 3710 QRP (usada en USA por principiantes como QRG de llamada CW) 3845 SSTV 3885 Llamada en AM 3799 Expediciones DX en SSB 3985 QRP SSB 40 METROS 7000-7010 CW DX 7037 Llamada en Pactor 7040 RTTY DX 7050 XTAL Controlled Rigs 7065 Expediciones DX (con USA: split a 7150 o superior) 7005 Expediciones DX en CW 7110 QRP CW 7171 SSTV 7285 llamada en QRP(USA) 7290 llamada en AM (USA) 30 METROS 10106 Llamada QRP CW 10110 Expedicones DX en CW 20 METROS 14025 Expediciones DX en CW, normalmente en split 14060 Llamada en QRP 14080 RTTY de expediciones DX 14080 a 14100 principal zona de RTTY 14100 balizas NCDXF Beacons (Procura NO modular en esta frecuencia) Estas balizas se usan para saber cómo está la propagación 14195 DX raros, expediciones 14230, 14233, 14236 SSTV 14285 Llamada en QRP 14286 Llamada en AM 14336 Llamada para "caza condados USA" habitualmente estaciones móviles 17 METROS 18075 Expediciones DX en CW 18110 Balizas NCDXF Beacons (Procura NO modular en esta frecuencia) Estas balizas se usan para saber cómo está la propagación 18145 Expediciones DX en SSB 15 METROS 21025 DX raros, expediciones en CW 21060 Llamada en QRP CW 21080 a 21100 RTTY 21080 Expediciones en RTTY 21150 Balizas NCDXF Beacons (Procura NO modular en esta frecuencia) Estas balizas se usan para saber cómo está la propagación 21295 DX raros & expediciones DX en SSB Here [sic] 21340, 21430 SSTV 21385 llamada QRP SSB 12 METROS 24895 DX raros y expediciones en CW 24930 Balizas NCDXF Beacons (Procura NO modular en esta frecuencia) Estas balizas se usan para saber cómo está la propagación 24945 DX raros y expediciones en SSB 10 METROS 28025 DX raros y expediciones en CW 28060 QRP CW 28080 RTTY DX & Expediciones 28080 a 28100 RTTY 281010 [sic] frecuencia de llamada del grupo 10/10 Intl CW 28120-28300 Balizas 28200 Balizas NCDXF Beacons (Procura NO modular en esta frecuencia) Estas balizas se usan para saber cómo está la propagación 28380 Llamada SSB del grupo 10/10 28385 QRP SSB 28425 Llamada SSB del grupo 10/10, También en 28400 28495 DX raros en SSB & Expediciones DX 28600 Antigua frecuencia de llamada, aun usada por los "legendarios" 28675~28685 SSTV -- IARU Region 1 28680 SSTV USA/Canada 28825 Net 10-10 Backscatter - Paper Chasers Net 28885 6M DX Liaison Frequency -- Aquí se escuchan anuncios de actividad en 6 metros 28945 Operaciones en FAX 29000-29200 Operaciones en AM 29300-29510 bajada satélites 29520-29580 Entradas de repetidores 29600 FM Simplex - frecuencia de llamada en FM 29620-29680 Salida repetidores 6 METROS 50060-50090 BALIZAS 50000-50100 CW 50090 Llamada en CW 50700 Llamada en RTTY 50100 a 50130 Zona DX en USB 50110 Llamada DX, USB; Normalmente aquí llaman estaciones no americanas 50115 Expediciones DX en CW y SSB 50125 Frecuencia nacional en USA, simplex USB; Mucha actividad en EEUU 50100-50600 señales débiles en AM [QRP] 50300 FM Simplex (costa oeste USA) 50385 USB PSK31 50400 Frecuencia de llamada en AM (USA) 51910 FM enlace Internet 52525 frecuencia de llamada FM simplex Frecuencias simplex en 50 MHz -- 51500 51520 51540 51560 51580 51600 52490 52510 52525* 52540 52550 52570 52590 (via José Elías Díaz Gómez, Conexión Digital via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL WATERS [non]. Orca calls make for great radio LISTENING TO LUNA LIVE: BY LENA SIN, STAFF REPORTER Researchers all over the world interested in whale`s unique voice He might not know it, but Luna`s in good company the world over these days. Researchers around the globe, including Australia, the U.S., Scotland, the Netherlands and Germany, are listening in on the vocalizations of B.C.`s solitary orca, who surfaced in Nootka Sound four years ago. As part of the LunaLive project, about a dozen international researchers tune in regularly to live Internet broadcasts of the noises Luna makes, which get broadcast through a hydrophone and satellite uplink. Keith Wood, program administrator for LunaLive, says the idea is to get a complete baseline description of Luna?s vocal behaviour and to see if he`s able to learn new calls without a pod teaching him. The information could prove valuable if Luna is reunited with his pod. Researchers could then track his movements by listening for his unique voice, Wood says. The project is a joint endeavour between the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation and various environmental and scientific groups. While no one knows for sure what Luna`s vocalizations mean, Wood, a software developer by training, says the sounds are fascinating. Thursday night proved particularly exciting when 130 of Luna`s calls were logged --- compared to the usual 20 to 30. ``He was just feeling exuberant,`` says Wood. ``It was an acoustic event. There was much more energy than usual.`` John Ford, whale researcher with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans` Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo, says sound is the main sense whales use to navigate and find food. Each pod uses its own distinct dialect to stay connected. Samples of Luna`s vocalizations can be heard at http://lunalive.net (Vancouver Province 2005 Aug 21 Page Number A28 via Bruce MacGibbon, DXLD) This used to be on an LPFM channel too, really radio; WTFK?? (gh, DXLD) ** ITALY. Another squealing transmitter: Rai on 17780 to North America, Aug 23 at 1423 mentioning ``Giornale dall`Italia``. During a brief pause in modulation, the squeal stayed at a constant high pitch rather than wavering. Most annoying (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KURDISTAN [and non]. TURKISH PAPER REPORTS INCREASE IN KURDISH SATELLITE BROADCASTING | Text of report by Ihsan Dortkardes, "Upsurge in Kurdish satellite broadcasting", published by Turkish newspaper Milliyet web site on 23 August While debates continue in Turkey over Kurdish broadcasting, a subject expected to be on the agenda at today's MGK [National Security Council] meeting, there has been a large increase recently in Kurdish broadcasts via satellite from abroad. The broadcasts can be watched easily using 90-centimetre dishes and a satellite receiver sold on the market, and emanate from northern Iraq, Iran and Europe. With six channels currently operating, a seventh Kurdish channel has begun test transmissions. Of these channels, two follow the PKK [Kurdistan Workers' Party] line, one is an Iranian state channel, while the others belong to Kurdish groups in northern Iraq. The Kurdish broadcasts, which can be seen in 72 countries across Europe, the Middle East and Africa as well as in Turkey, can also be received in America via other satellites. The channels are as follows: 1. Roj TV: Roj TV is known to broadcast from Brussels [as published, according to BBC Monitoring records Roj TV broadcasts from Copenhagen] and follows the PKK line as a successor to Medya TV [which used to broadcast from Paris], which had itself replaced Med TV [broadcasting from London], which itself was closed down after pressure from Turkey. Roj TV broadcasts in Kurdish, Arabic and Turkish. It starts broadcasting at 1000 gmt and broadcasts for 12 hours. As well as politics, Roj TV, known as the "PKK's television", also shows music and children's programmes. 2. Mesopotamia TV (Me-TV): This channel follows the PKK line and broadcasts cultural, educational and music programmes in the mornings and evenings. Me-TV was allegedly set up in response to possible closure of Roj-TV, and its Internet address is seen as Denmark. 3. Kurdistan TV: Broadcasts from the city of Salah al-Din in northern Iraq. it is controlled by Kurdistan Democracy party leader Mas'ud Barzani and broadcasts music, news, cultural, children's and debate programmes 24 hours a day. Broadcasts also include news in Arabic. 4. Kurd-Sat TV: Broadcasts from the city of Al-Sulaymaniyah in northern Iraq. Controlled by Patriotic Union of Kurdistan leader Jalal Talabani it broadcasts music, news, cultural, children's and debate programmes 24 hours a day. It also has programmes in Turkish and Arabic. 5. Zagros TV: Began broadcasting a short while ago from northern Iraq. Known to be close to Mas'ud Barzani. It broadcasts news, debate and music programmes in Arabic during the day and in Kurdish in the evening. 6. Ishtar TV: Has begun test transmissions. The content and line to be adopted by this channel, which is close to Kurdish groups in northern Iraq, is unknown. 7. Sahar TV: Iranian state television. It broadcasts two 30-minute Kurdish news and commentary programmes every day. Source: Milliyet web site, Istanbul, in Turkish 23 Aug 05 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** MEXICO. Pablo Angel is an international listener and he collect pennants and stickers of international services.... he kindly offered to help us in our visit of the Radio stations of the city .... We started with Núcleo Radio Mil located in AVENIDA PROLONGACION PASEO DE LA REFORMA 115, COLONIA PASEO de las LOMAS SANTA FE, MEXICO 01330 DF. The traffic at 0945 is yet very crawled ...so we need by taxi 45 minutes to arrive .... it is quite far from the center area ... the station moved here about 6 months ago .... Stations : 89.7 OYE 89.7 Siempre Hits + 100.1 Stereo Cien La emisora del Delfin + 100.9 BEAT 100.9 (POP MUSIC - DISCO MUSIC) (Ex La Sabrosita) + 590 LA SABROSITA (Música Romántica) + 1000 Radio MIL (in // 6010 kHz 24 hours) + 1410 LA MAS PERRONA (Música Ranchera) (Ex Radio Sinfonola) We enter in the big crystal building of 11 floors and the giant hall reception we asked to the guard service "somos oyentes de la onda internacional de Radio Mil" soon the guard replied "welcome to Núcleo Radio mil, please go to 5 floor to the reception for the registration" really surprised ...first time a commercial group welcomed us to a visit without an appointment CITA.... So at 5th floor we registered and we met Ing. Daniel Martínez, quite young and very friendly .... so we went to the Ingeniería office at second floor .... We explained the reasons of our visit and he replied we will show you our stations.... great !!! I showed to him a report from my friend Jim Solatie who heard in winter 2004 on 590 kHz LA SABROSITA he sent report but no replies.... Ing. Daniel explained cause the group has many office the letters with reception reports must be directed to : Ingeniería NRM Comunicaciones, atencion Ing. JUAN ITURRIA, Jefe Ingeniero ..... or unfortunatly they are lost in other offices.... his e-mail is : ingenieria @ nrm.com.mx We visited the main control room, the relay satellite links room... the studios...the offices ...and we got lot of souvenirs : stickers, Pen, Lighters, even Mouse Pad ... only missing the Radio Mil cause the secretary was in a meeting.... Radio Oye Gerente René Rojas Gudino is a stickers collectionist ...so I offered many of my duplicated Italian decalcomanias and he gave to me many of Radio Oye .... only missing Radio Beat 100.9. A real good starting with also some good photos ..... Back to main office Ingeniería we met Jefe Ingeniero Ing. Juan Iturria (his relatives are coming from BILBAO) so we talked about 6010 kHz explaining we in Europe have problems to log them cause Colombian Station La Voz de Tu conciencia ...he replied Radio Mil is many years operating on 6010 kHz with 1 kW ... so it is their fault to utilize 6010 kHz and they need to move to another frequency... in fact they use also 5910 kHz (waiting for authorization from Colombian Govern) ...but in fact they are still active 24 hours on 6010 kHz .... so the conflict is still running .........and I guess unfortunately with no apparently solutions ... cause the manager of La Voz de Tu Conciencia doesn't intend move from 6010 kHz.... Reports to Radio Mil 6010 kHz are welcomed also via Internet : ingenieria @ nrm.com.mx [much more in the original report concerning non-SW stations] The Rain started to be very strong .... streets avenidas started to be look like rivers .... so we opted to try to visit Radio Transcontinental operating on SW 4810 kHz drifting up and down according to the temperature of their active TX .... but even if our young TAXI driver do all of his best ...we arrived at PLAZA DE SAN JUAN 5, colonia centro, MEXICO DF ...AT 1825 HOURS .... the people of RADIO TRANSCONTINENTAL ...yet left the house... THE ENTER is very look like a CAVE ....with some people doing some strange works ..cleaning shoes ... cleaning the enter from flood of the rainfalls... they kindly said "Los Señores de XERTA se fueron 10 minutos antes ..por las lluvias..." .... nice end of a sunny day ...finished in a tempest day... So at 1845 we said ...pls go to Hotel Majestic... in fact distant 800 meters ....from XERTA macilent building.... another SFIGA ... traffic JAM ...RAINFALLS....and even a demonstration in the ZOCALO of the party of the campesinos calientes ...... did not allowed to our good... epic... taxi driver to arrive to our final meta... EVEN an EXALTED GUARD man (16 years old ???) who wanted put a TAX of 40 salarios to our poor TAXI driver ... tryed to break our balls (palle!!) Well luckily the taxi driver did escaped the tax...but we did not escaped to do 500 meters under the rainfalls ..... At 1915 ..quite ...destroyed we ended our EPIC second day in MEXICO DF.... ohh yes you wander ..howmany CAMPESINOS were protesting in the ZOCALO ????¡¡¡¡¿¿¿¿ 52 !!!!!!!! FIFTY TWO .... yes.... with 350 TIN SOLDIERS GUARD looking them and of course stopping the traffic ...the guards not the poor campesinos.... We will continue soon with the next story message ...more relaxing ... going to eat at BELLINI restaurant at 43 floor atop the WORLD TRADE CENTER ..of MEXICO DF (not NYC luckly). After so convulsioned day ... we had a relaxing meeting at the most high ristorante of MEXICO DF ... called BELLINI ..cause a PIANO player is every night doing his best to play famous lirics songs and ballads with a piano ...age is about 90 years but he his really good player... We reserved a mesa for 6 : Miguel Angel, his wife Guadalupe, Héctor Bojorge collaborator of XERTA, and Julián Santiago Díez de Bonilla (very active Dxer and first to start a DX program over Radio Mil 6010 kHz) at 2100 hour we arrived to the WTC tower ..a black stone glass iper giant building of 47 floors ... after some problem to find the right elevator to go atop ...NO OUTSIDE informations on the elevator ..no informations in the iper giant hall ... but we are used of such problems...we got the correct information from a cleaning woman.. she kindly took us till the elevator ... so we went up at a speedy of 100 kM per second atop ... the ristorante reception is look like the one of the CN Tower of Toronto ...but not 514 meters .. The glittering view of the city is really PHANTASTIC !!!! if you will visit MEXICO DF you MUST !!!! go on this great place .... the price is not so high ...for 4 people we paid 1200 $$$ MEX. Dr. Julián Santiago arrived with his super car and put it in the downstair parking ... he arrived with Héctor Bojorge... So we started to talk a lot ...and to eat a bit later ...hi!!! Very good Spaghetti alla Carbonara ..and very good spaghetti arrabbiati ...(very arrabiati like me and Roberto after ABC RADIO) We talked of all topics ... may be I may write a book ...the items not only related to broadcasting radio hobby ...also culturals (Guadalupe works as volunteer at the Museum of Antropoligic of MEXICO DF) also politics and world planet problems (Julian Santiago is a real expert of everything on our planet ..not Mars luckily). He is CIRUJANO OTORRINOLARINGOLOGO ....so his work needs lot of quiet and attention) in fact he his very careful in all aspects of our planet... Hector Bojorge neverthless my efforts to talk about Radio Transcontinental unfortunately tell us very little about them ... but almost he admitted they do not use the tower on the building LATINO AMERICA torre ..located 300 meters from the macilent house... OK a great evening meeting and a great food... and a great view of the city ..cause the ristorante Bellini is turning slowly and permit to see all the great lights of MEXICO DF. see you later ...yepale yepale ... DARIO and ROBERTO (Dario Monferini, Aug 20, playdx yg via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS. Perhaps they should not, but MEGO about domestic broadcasting, official or not, NOZEMA takeover, etc., but if you are interested, all this is covered on an almost daily basis in the Media Network blog (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEW ZEALAND. Re 5-143, new 9520 coming up at 11-13: RNZI better hope that V. of Indonesia doesn`t decide to reactivate 9525 (gh, DXLD) ** NIGERIA [non]. Dove Media via WWRB: see U S A ** PALESTINE [and non]. xxxxxxxxxx Breaking News xxxxxxxxxx HAMAS RADIO: JAFFA IS THE SAME AS GAZA, TEL AVIV THE SAME AS RAFAH The full online issue can be read at: http://www.ClandestineRadio.com/crw/crw.php?id=255 The Hamas radio station Sawt Al-Aqsa broadcast the following song on August 16, 2005: Al-Qassam warriors, rain rockets on the settlers! Don't let any Jew sleep! The Al-Aqsa Brigades will make you tremble in Haifa and Tel Aviv; they will strike you in Safed and Acre. Because we do not distinguish between [Jewish] Palestine and [Arab] Palestine. For [as] Jaffa is the same as Gaza, Tel-al-Zuhour [Tel Aviv] is the same as Rafah, and the Galilee is the same as Hebron. We make no distinction between the parts of the earth of the homeland (Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Center for Special Studies via CRW Aug 21 via DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. 7120, Wantok Radio Light, 0750-0902, Aug 23, Blocks of Gospel music including an adaptation of "Amazing Grace." Woman announcer with station ID in passing at 0758 and 0809. Sermon about Solomon by American accented preacher from 0830 to about 0850. Music block until top of the hour. Prerecorded station info and "Wantok Radio Light" ID at 0900. Signal was weak but well modulated. Best signal received here around Eastern PNG sunset (David Hodgson, TN, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. Saludos cordiales queridos colegas Diexistas de todo el mundo, les invito a escuchar el programa "FRECUENCIA RM". "FRECUENCIA RM", es el programa diexista del Servicio en Castellano de La Voz de Rusia, que sale al aire cada Martes (Miercoles UT) entre 0120 y 0135 UT. Su conductor y realizador es el gran amigo y colega Francisco Rodríguez "Pancho". "FRECUENCIA RM", tiene actualmente 15 minutos de duración en los que damos un vistazo a la actualidad en el mundo de las telecomunicaciones y su historia en sus más diversos aspectos. Pueden sintonizar "FRECUENCIA RM" por los 7300, 7330, 9830, 9945, 11510 y 12010 para América Central y América del Sur. En internet podrá escucharse haciendo "click" en: http://www.vor.ru/Spanish/world.html Este martes 23, como invitado estará desde Cuba, Manolo de la Rosa (Dino Bloise, Florida, EEUU, Aug 23, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SAINT HELENA. Radio St. Helena (RSH) needs our help!!! RSH no longer belongs to the government but rather to the company "St. Helena News Media Services", whose CEO is Mr. Stuart Moors. On Aug 23 I spoke to Ralph Peters, the station manager at RSH, and he told me that RSH had suffered a ten percent budget cut and that the Board of Directors of the owner company will hold a meeting very early in September. He also said that he is still trying very hard to somehow reinstate the annual shortwave broadcasts of RSH but that it is a very difficult fight (since he has no transmitter at present) and that he would be very pleased to receive emails from radio clubs in support of the RSH shortwave broadcasts. There is a photo of Ralph in the studio at www.news.co.sh/about%20us.htm ************ PLEASE send an email expressing the support of your radio club for and the importance of the annual shortwave broadcasts from RSH. PLEASE send the email to Mr. Ralph Peters at: "Ralph Peters" radio.sthelena @ helanta.sh PLEASE send a COPY of the email to me at: "R. Kipp" RDC-Roberts-Data @ t-online.de PLEASE send your email to Ralph by 31. August 2005 at the latest. -------------------------- With sincere thanks for your help and very best greetings, Robert Kipp, Germany. Special Assistant to the Station Manager of Radio St. Helena (via Anker Petersen, Denmark, Aug 23, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SENEGAL [non]. Re 5-143, WADR: My e-mail server was off for about 24 hours and just got the similar verification (he forgot to mention my reception report was complete and professional :-) dated 22 Aug. Abdou adds this info: "I also would like to tell you that our test transmission ended today. We might start broadcasting in September. In any case I will keep you informed. Best regards, Abdou PS: As you may guess our transmitter is located in UK." 73 (Jari in Finland Savolainen, Aug 23, HCDX via DXLD) ** SOUTH AMERICA. Precision Frequencies --- Here are some recent measurements by Bjorn Malm (Ecuador) & Tony Mann (Australia): 1153.51, Ayabaca Radio, Piura, regiones (Perú) 1249.94, HJFV R. Viva,Pasto (Colombia) 1310.15, HCGB R. Nacional, Espejo, Quito (Ecuador) 1349.90, HJEN Radio Armonia, Cali (Colombia) 1469.991, CPN Radio, Lima, Peru 1540.206, Radio Sariri, Escoma, Bolivia 1542.429, Radio Bendita Trindad y Espirito Santo, El Alto [where?] 1559.78, Estéreo Vida, Panamá City, Panama 1570.247, Radio Julcán, La Libertad, Peru 1579.829, HCLF1 Ecos de Orellana, Machachi (Ecuador) (Sept Medium Wave News via DXLD) ** SYRIA. SYRIAN PREMIER GRANTS PRIVATE COMMERCIAL RADIO STATION LICENCE | Text of report by Syrian newspaper Al-Thawrah website on 23 August Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-Itri has issued a decision granting the Direct Media company a license to establish a private commercial radio station called Arabesque. Source: Al-Thawrah web site, Damascus, in Arabic 23 Aug 05 (via BBCM via DXLD) WTFK? ** SYRIA [non]. Re 5-143: As so often, Google provides the instant answer: http://reformsyria.blogspot.com and http://www.reformsyria.org (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The blog is all in English. The latter refers to Radio Free Syria, not V. of Free Syria (gh, DXLD) ** U K. BBC involvement in CBC lockout: see CANADA ** U K. 50 years of BBC's FooC --- Golden globes http://media.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,5267618-105337,00.html Radio celebrates the 50th anniversary of From Our Own Correspondent with a dip into the archives, writes Tony Grant Tony Grant, Monday August 22, 2005 Guardian (London, UK) Foreign correspondents can occasionally be sensitive creatures. And back in the 1950s, when the BBC employed just a handful of them and its editors preferred to be told about developments overseas by the international news agencies, they felt distinctly unloved. So, ever generous of spirit, the BBC created a programme for them - From Our Own Correspondent, which was first broadcast in 1955. It enabled them to talk at some length about what was happening in their regions and what it meant to British listeners gathered around their wireless sets at home. Known as Fooc within the BBC, it has become one of the corporation's most popular programmes: it has won many awards and is loved by listeners and by those who contribute to it, the correspondents. "The reason why we like doing it is because Fooc allows you to say things you can't say anywhere else," explains Bridget Kendall, one of the corporation's most distinguished correspondents who has worked in its Moscow and Washington bureaux. "You can write what you like, devising a tale as you hear it in your head, writing as you would tell it to a friend; in other words, an old-fashioned radio talk." And an uncomplicated radio talk it remains: no interviews are included, there are no sound effects; no creaking doors, no footsteps, no noises off at all. Just the voices of the correspondents reading their scripts. As BBC senior correspondent Fergal Keane puts it: "Fooc is a programme which promotes story-telling rather than story- processing. It is the best programme we have in news." Working on the series of special 50th anniversary programmes being aired on Radio 4 and on the World Service has meant much digging in the BBC Sound Archives. We discovered early on that few Foocs survive from the earliest years. The BBC seemed less concerned about preserving its heritage in those days. Many of the recordings which do survive are on disc - not a floppy or compact one either, but the sort which older readers will remember as a long-playing record. And some of them are so crackly they are virtually unplayable. But it has been fascinating hearing how the Fooc dispatch has changed over the years. The earlier pieces tended towards the analytical whereas recent ones are more descriptive, focusing on the people whose lives are being reshaped by the events going on around them. The archive reports have a different sound too, reflecting the way the BBC voice has changed over the past five decades. We were marvelling at the clipped tones of one particular correspondent, circa 1958, before discovering that we were, in fact, listening to it at the wrong speed. Some of the correspondents who contributed to the programme in the earlier years have been in to talk to us. Among them was Robert Elphick, who covered the crushing, by the Russians, of the Prague Spring in 1968. He recalled how he met the national hero and running champion Emil Zatopek who had been sacked from the army job and sent to clean the streets. But, he told Robert, every time he tried to pick up his broom, his fans, the people of Prague, snatched it off him, and began to clean the streets themselves. The Fooc office has always been a civilised place to work. A room (decidedly not open-plan) with shelves full of reference books - dictionaries of etymology and world history and a much-thumbed copy of Fowler's Modern English Usage. It is an office where there is always time for the foreign correspondent back in town to sit down and catch up on the gossip. Meeting some of the programme's listeners at an event at the Edinburgh book festival last week reminded me yet again of the affection with which people regard From Our Own Correspondent. It offers listeners a direct personal link to the BBC's much-expanded army of correspondents around the world, and an opportunity to share the enthusiasm they feel in covering what are often momentous events in exotic locations. Clearly it can be a cathartic experience too; the news gatherers return to the hotel at the end of the day bursting to talk about the story they have been covering, to say so much more than can be included in a piece for the bulletin or in a few answers in a live interview. There is the context to explain: how history shaped the events being reported on; there are people and places to be described, experiences to be shared. Fooc provides an opportunity for the correspondent to say: "I was there and this is what it was like watching history unfold." (via Dan Say, BC, DXLD) ** U K [and non]. I am pleased to report that BBCWS manages to pronounce Don Quixote more or less correctly, as the current reading was outroed at 1358 UT Aug 23 on 15190. I was braced for that atrocity, ``Kwix-utt`` but was agreeably surprised; however, ``Don`` was a bit too short (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. JOHN PEEL DAY --- BBC Radio 1 announced today that the first John Peel Day will take place on Thursday 13 October 2005. The day will be a celebration of John's life and massive contribution to music and broadcasting, with as many venues as possible staging gigs across the UK under the banner of Peel Day. Prior to this, there will be a very special London gig organised by Radio 1, with details to be confirmed nearer the time. John Peel died in October last year whilst on holiday in Peru. Sheila Ravenscroft, John's wife, said: "John would have been honoured and fairly amazed that the anniversary is being marked in such a way. "He would appreciate that in years to come Peel Day will give new bands across the country the chance to be heard." Andy Parfitt, Controller of Radio 1, said: "Peel Day is about celebrating John's legacy and his unrivalled passion for music. It'll be a day of gigs taking place up and down the country - something we feel will be a fitting tribute to John." Jason Carter, Executive Producer of Live Events at Radio 1, said: "Having spoken to all the major promoters in the UK and many people involved in live music, the strength of the feeling for this day has been fantastic, with everyone pledging their support." Listen to Radio 1 and visit bbc.co.uk/radio1 for further information. (via Mike Barraclough, UK, Aug 23, DXLD) ** U K. Radio Jackie history: http://www.radiojackie.com/ In addition to live streaming the station now has a "Listen Again" feature on its website. You can listen again at to the latest edition of "Solid Gold Jackie", 60s music, if you have Real OnePlayer. This is an excellent programme so I suggest that you give it a listen (Mike Terry, UK, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. USA/MIDDLE EAST: AL-HURRA, RADIO SAWA REACH 35 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE - SURVEY | Text of press release by US-based Middle East Broadcasting Networks on 23 August Al-Hurra TV and Radio Sawa are now reaching a total unduplicated audience of 35 million adults (15 and over) per week according to the latest ACNielsen survey released today [23 August]. This represents the fourth consecutive audience increase since the inception of the ACNielsen surveys of the stations. The latest survey also shows that in spite of high levels of anti- American sentiment throughout the region, both Al-Hurra and Radio Sawa are regarded as credible sources of news and information by their audiences. According to ACNielsen, Al-Hurra, the satellite television station reaching 22 countries in the Middle East, has an adult audience of 21.3 million each week in just the nine countries surveyed. ACNielsen also reported that Radio Sawa, the Arabic-language radio network broadcasting music and news, has a weekly audience of 20.8 million adults. The survey reported that news on Al-Hurra and Radio Sawa was a powerful programming factor for their audiences. Seventy-seven per cent of the Al-Hurra audience said they were interested in watching Al-Hurra for the news. Radio Sawa listeners in the broadcaster's key markets ranked the station as one of their top two choices for radio news and information. Al-Hurra and Radio Sawa also scored well in news reliability. The ACNielsen survey reported that 77 per cent of Al- Hurra's viewers and 73 per cent of Radio Sawa's listeners consider the news reliable. Compared to the ACNielsen surveys a year ago, news credibility for Al-Hurra took major jumps in three key markets: in Egypt 70 per cent to 92 per cent, in Jordan from 46 per cent to 68 per cent and in Lebanon from 53 per cent to 79 per cent. "Since their inception, Sawa and Al-Hurra have shown that you can reach the masses in numbers that were unimaginable for US international broadcasting prior to their creation, while not sacrificing news reliability or access to elites," stated Norman J Pattiz, chairman on the Middle East committee of the Broadcasting Board of Governors. The survey conducted by ACNielsen is one of the largest and most comprehensive media surveys in the Middle East. Results are based on over 14,000 face-to-face interviews conducted across nine countries in the Middle East in May and June of 2005. Survey respondents were randomly selected using industry standard sampling methods to represent the adult (15 and older) population of each country studied. The margin of error is 2.6 per cent. Al-Hurra is broadcast on the Nilesat and Arabsat satellites, the same satellites used by the major regional Arabic channels. Al-Hurra is operated by the non-profit corporation The Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN). MBN is financed by the US government through a grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), an independent federal agency. The BBG serves oversight and as a firewall to protect the professional independence and integrity of the broadcasters. For more information on Al-Hurra go to http://www.alhurra.com MBN also operates Radio Sawa which seeks to effectively communicate with the youthful population of Arabic-speakers in the Middle East by providing up-to-date news, information and a mix of Western and Arabic popular music on its 24/7 FM and mediumwave radio stations throughout the region. Its secondary target audience is news-seekers of all ages. Radio Sawa is committed to broadcasting accurate, timely and relevant news about the Middle East, the world and the United States, to the highest standards of journalism, as well as the free marketplace of ideas, respect for the intelligence and culture of its audience and a style that is upbeat, modern and forward-looking. Radio Sawa broadcasts on FM in Morocco (Rabat, Casablanca, Tangiers, Meknes, Marrakesh, Agadir and Fez), Jordan (Amman and Ajlun), Palestinian territories (Ramallah), Kuwait (Kuwait City), Bahrain (Manama), Qatar (Doha), UAE (Abu Dhabi and Dubai), Iraq (Baghdad, Basra, Mosul, Sulaymaniyah and Erbil) and Djibouti. Radio Sawa broadcasts on mediumwave to Egypt, Yemen and Sudan. Radio Sawa streams its programming at its all-news web site http://www.radiosawa.com Source: Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Springfield (Virginia), in English 23 Aug 05 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** U S A. USA/NIGERIA: CHRISTIAN CHURCH LAUNCHES MEDIA NETWORK Text of report by Nigerian newspaper Vanguard website on 23 August The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has launched its own comprehensive media network, the Dove Media Group Inc., which will allow and enable the church play a more active role in the propagation of the gospel of Christ worldwide. The network has its corporate headquarters in Irving, Texas, USA, with active subsidiaries in the United Kingdom and Nigeria. The company is registered in Nigeria as Redeemed Global Media Plc, while in the UK, it is known as Dove Media Group (UK) Ltd. Chief Executive Officer of the Media Group, Pastor Ajibike Akinkoye, while unfolding the structure of the group, said it operates in four major areas: television; shortwave radio and internet radio; webcasting and internet shopping and; Global Vision, an international Christian magazine which is the print arm of the group. According to a statement signed by the national coordinator, Media and Public Relations Office, RCCG, Pastor Segun Adegbiji, the company has acquired a television network known as UATV (Urban America TV Network), the only minority certified television network in America with over 75 affiliate stations. It started transmission into Nigeria and the rest of West Africa in December 2004. The company is also building an intercontinental platform on which to transmit our Christian programmes: DoveVision, DoveMovies, DoveMusic, etc. The statement also added that Dove Media Group (UK) Ltd. has acquired a popular channel on an existing platform in the UK i.e. B-SKY-B (British Sky Broadcasting) and now transmits on channel 247, which RCCG has rechristened Channel Twenty-four-seven. The TV arm of the group has started transmission on the platform of TITV (Trumpet Internet Television). The company has also acquired two shortwave radio frequencies broadcasting to the northern and southern hemispheres on 15.250 MHz (megahertz) and 5.5 MHz respectively, the same frequencies already made famous by the well-known Voice of America. We also operate a 24/7 internet network, in addition to RCCG Radio, which is streamed on the RCCG website that has now become a part of the Dove Media Group. The site has been rated number 18 in the world, by AudioRem, a Denver, Colorado-based rating agency. The vision of the directorate of Dove Media Group is to make the websites number one in the world, the statement added. Meanwhile, the church has tendered unreserved apologies for the non- live transmission of the North American 9th Annual Convention held in June 2005, contrary to the promise of the General Overseer of the church, Pastor Enoch Adeboye. Explaining the rationale behind the non- telecast, Adeboye said that a sum of 105,000 US dollars as demanded by the management of Madison Square Garden, was paid to secure the place for the three-day event. But he said the television equipment of Dove Media which was transported with [a cost of] over 20,000 US dollars was not allowed into the venue. Source: Vanguard website, Lagos, in English 23 Aug 05 (via BBCM via DXLD) NOTE: Re fourth graf above: As previously reported in DXLD, Dove is the new but delayed client of WWRB for its transmitter on 15250 and 5050 --- certainly not ``5.5 MHz``; see 5-127 and 5-128. Dave Frantz asked me if 15250 was a VOA frequency, and I told him no, not especially (tho current HFCC shows Tinang on there at 07-13; such partial usage could be said of countless other frequencies, and the fact that VOA may use it is totally irrelevant unless there should be a collision). And of course VOA has never used 5050. Right from the outset, Dove is being deceitful, but what can you expect from gospel huxters? Previous googling on Dove came up with an agency in Houston TX with some Christian aspects; not the same? Irving is, of course a Metroplex burb (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A [and non]. WVXU FADES OUT, FADES BACK IN --- AS WGUC TAKES OVER, SAY SO LONG TO SOME OLD RADIO FRIENDS AND HELLO TO A NEW FORMAT By John Kiesewetter, Enquirer staff writer, Sunday, August 21, 2005 SIGNING OFF --- WVXU-FM (91.7) staff and alumni sign off by telling their favorite stories about the station in a two-hour farewell broadcast from Xavier University at 10 p.m. today. A one-hour retrospective with highlights from the station's 34-year history airs at 7 p.m. [caption] By the end of the day, it will be gone as we know it. WVXU-FM's (91.7) quirky blend of old-time radio and new age music, local talk and National Public Radio shows, award-winning documentaries and grating fund-drives - will cease to exist as it has for the last 34 years. Cincinnati Public Radio and WGUC-FM (90.9), which acquires the Xavier University station Monday for $15 million, plan to keep some classic radio shows and music formats. But WVXU-FM primarily will be a news and information station as of 12:01 a.m. Monday... http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050821/ENT/508210358/1025/LIFE (via Rich Cuff, DXLD) Someone who is lobbying for the BBC to stay on FM overnight --- Interesting that the BBCWS now has adherents to its graveyard slot on many US public radio stations. WVXU was purchased by the outfit that runs Cincinnati's WGUC, with the result that WVXU becomes largely a spoken-word station while WGUC is a full-time classical music station. WVXU's reorganization takes place in about 90 minutes -- at 12:01 AM ET (0401 UT) Monday, August 22nd. WVXU retains "old-time radio", in a weeknight one-hour program called "The Golden Age of Radio", airing at 9 PM local time (0100 UT). See below for the wishes from one person that WVXU keeps the overnight BBCWS programming (it will...) http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050821/ENT/508210301/1025 (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA, Aug 21, Swprograms via DXLD) ** U S A. Broadcasting Live From ... the Basement --- For 12 years, pirate station San Francisco Liberation Radio has defied the FCC to broadcast radio by and for the people. http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/24300/ (via Andy Sennitt, dxldyg via DXLD) Excellent, recommended (gh) ** U S A. CORRECTION & UPDATE ON SAN DIEGO'S "RADIOACTIVITY" PIRATE Last week we reported that San Diego's "Radioactivity" pirate station recently went dark. The correction is that Radioactivity's frequency was 106.9 MHz, not 106.3 MHz. According to a note posted August 3 in the Blog section of Radioactivity's web page: "The station will not only resume broadcasting within two weeks, but with the help of community sponsors, we will go back on the air five times stronger. That's right. From 30 watts to 150 watts. Watch out San Diego, we'll be back." http://www.1069fm.org/ (CGC Communicator Aug 22 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) ** U S A. AM STATION APPLICATION FOR MINOR CHANGE TO A LICENSED FACILITY ACCEPTED FOR FILING BP-20050809ADY KLSD 34452 CITICASTERS LICENSES, L.P. E 1360 KHZ SAN DIEGO, CA Minor change in licensed facilities. COMMENTS ON THE KLSD APPLICATION (ABOVE) KLSD (formerly KGB-AM), 1360 kHz, is currently operating omni- directionally with 5 kW day and 1 kW night from its own transmitter site just north of the KOGO array. The above application calls for KLSD to move its transmitter plant to Santee and share the KSDO, 1130 kHz, antenna array. KLSD proposes to use 50 kW fulltime, utilizing all six towers of the KSDO array during the day, and again at night. This is probably a very good move for KLSD. However, it is possible that the new arrangement will create a number of externally-generated intermodulation ("IM") products beyond the control of the licensee. For example: 1360 kHz (KLSD) - 760 kHz (KFMB) = 600 kHz (KOGO) What (if anything of consequence) will happen remains to be seen (CGC Communicator Aug 22 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) ** U S A. TSUNAMIS, CHAOS AND HIGHWAY ADVISORY RADIO IN OREGON Following is a short segment from an interesting article and a link to the complete article. Interesting and frightening. Note to Patrick: move to higher ground....NOW! =-O ===== Tsunami warning deficient, study says By Winston Ross, The Register-Guard (Eugene, Oregon) Published: Thursday, August 18, 2005 Oregon Department of Transportation officials reported "little or no" coordination in their response to the tsunami, and said that some evacuees from the Hatfield center were stuck in a work zone because a state contractor hadn't been notified of the warning. The department is installing Highway Advisory Radio stations in a dozen locations along the coast, which can be used to broadcast tsunami information. The whole story: http://www.registerguard.com/news/2005/08/18/a1.tsunamireport.0818.p1.php?section=cityregion (via Mike Hardester, NC, Aug 20, IRCA mailing list via DXLD) Mike, This is old news. I live about a mile from the ocean. I am not concerned unless we have something like a "9". I went through the 9.2 quake in AK in 1964, so I know how a big earthquake can do damage. The wave moved a train engine 7 blocks in Seward! Anything can happen. We may have that big quake tomorrow, or not for another 100 years. I am not going to lie awake and worry about it. 73, (Patrick Martin, Seaside OR, IRCA via DXLD) I post this as a retired Meterologist, Physical Oceanographer and Space Plasma Physicist. The global reaction to the tsunami that wreaked death and destruction in SE Asia on December 26, 2005, has been an over reaction! Forecasts have shifted from "asleep at the wheel" to repeated false warnings that will eventually lull the populace into complacency. To produce a tsunami from an undersea earthquake you need "vertical" movement along fault lines. Most undersea quakes involve horizontal movement and therefore do not produce tsunamis. Much like a storm surge with a tropical cyclone, you also need a lengthy and shallow continental shelf like exists west of Florida as an example, to magnify a tsunami in the vertical plane. The occurrence of a damaging tsunami along the the west coast of the U.S. is minimal and occurs on average 1.3 times every hundred years. From memory the last one to hit portions of the west coast was with the Alaska earthquake of 1964. The big threat along the west coast as we all know is the earthquake. Should we produce programming to be transmitted via TIS and HAR stations to transmit tsunami warnings? As far as poor government response to natural disasters, it's tragically normal. 73 & GUD DX, (Thomas F. Giella, KN4LF, Plant City, FL, USA, 27 58 33.676 N 82 09 51.674 W Aug 21, ABDX via DXLD) Thomas, That is totally correct. Like I mentioned, I lived in Seward AK in 1964. We had earthquakes up there for years, but none did any damage. That one was unusual. But as you said, several things have to be in place before you would have real damage from a wave. I guess the OR coast got a big one in the early 1700's that did a lot of damage. It was right off the coast. But again, there are things more likely (like being killed in an car accident), that may happen. 73, (Patrick Martin, Seaside OR, IRCA via DXLD) ** U S A. FOUNDER OF JACOR CALLS IT QUITS Sunday, August 21, 2005 --- Radio leader hangs it up after 3 swings Terry Jacobs started three radio companies. Now he's done. Jacobs will retire in a couple of weeks as chairman and chief executive officer at Regent Communications Inc. His history in the radio industry goes back a quarter of a century, when he left the insurance business to form Jacor Communications, owner of local icons WLW-AM 700 and WEBN-FM 102.7. Jacobs said he will join his family in the real-estate industry. The family company has rehabbed residential properties around the area and is helping to redevelop the area around the University of Cincinnati. It's already looking at new projects around the country, including the Outer Banks in North Carolina. Real estate, not radio, is where Jacobs sees his best new opportunity. "Real estate's one of the few businesses that if you keep an entrepreneurial bent and you're in control, you can build a major presence and make a lot of money," he says. "I just don't think you can build an effective company (in radio). "The opportunities aren't there to start from scratch again." That's thanks mainly to entrepreneurs, including Jacobs, who built the radio industry into the collection of goliaths it is today. . . [more] http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050821/COL01/508210317/1081/BIZ&template=printpicart (via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) I hesitate to disagree with someone who has been as successful as Jacobs, but I think there are going to be some huge fortunes made in the next two decades in "new radio" companies based on such technologies as "cellphonecasting," streaming audio via WiMax, WiFi "clouds" and other 802.11-derived delivery platforms, etc. I agree the current AM/FM broadcast industry is a mature business, like the U.S. steel and auto industries, and maybe the best days are in the past for conventional broadcasters. But I suspect the "new radio" revolution will be like the personal computer revolution----it will change our lives in ways we can't even envision today. And those who can figure out first how to make some money from "new radio" are going to wind up with Bill Gates/Steve Jobs mega-fortunes (Harry Helms, W5HLH Smithville, TX EL19, ibid.) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LANGUAGE LESSONS ++++++++++++++++ WONDERING WHAT THE ROOT LANGUAGE IS FOR ICELANDIC? Relationship to other languages. Icelandic is one of the Nordic languages, which are a subgroup of the Germanic languages. Germanic languages are traditionally divided into North Germanic, i.e. the Nordic languages, West Germanic, i.e. High and Low German including Dutch-Flemish, English and Frisian, and East Germanic, i.e. Gothic, which is now dead. The Germanic languages are in the family of Indo- European languages together with the Celtic, Slavonic, Baltic, Romance, Greek, Albanian, Armenian and Indo-Iranian languages, in addition to several language groups, which are now dead. Accordingly, Icelandic is more or less related to all these languages. Linguistically it is most closely related to Faeroese and Norwegian (from http://www.nat.is/travelguideeng/icelandic_language.htm via Steve Lare, Holland, MI, swl at qth.net via DXLD) RADIO PHILATELY +++++++++++++++ INTERNATIONAL REPLY COUPONS In the latest issue of RadCom (Sept 2005 p45), there is report that says that the New Zealand post office will no longer accept old style IRCs. They will only accept the larger variety with bar code on the reverse. The new IRCs, for the first time, include an expiry date of 31 December 2006. It seems that the Royal Mail here in the UK is taking the view that all IRCs in circulation, including earlier issues will expire at the end of 2006. Apparently there is no news yet from the Universal Postal Union as to when the next series of IRCs will be issued (Steve Whitt, UK, Sept Medium Wave News via DXLD) PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ VOLUNTEERS WANTED FOR SHORTWAVE RADIO PROJECT The Radio Heritage Foundation http://www.radioheritage.net needs four volunteers to help research and prepare a shortwave version of its popular Pacific-Asian Log which currently lists 4000+ mediumwave radio stations from Afghanistan to Alaska. Editor-in-chief Bruce Portzer says volunteers can be located anywhere in the world, and should have a reasonable knowledge of shortwave broadcasting in the region. 'There's a lot of interest in having a shortwave version of PAL' he says, adding that 'the guide will include both domestic and international shortwave stations.' Each volunteer will collect and co-ordinate station information from one of four sub-regions: Central Asia, China-Mongolia-Russia, Asia, and the Pacific. Portzer says each volunteer needs internet access to carry out the research, and that the voluntary time needed can be spread out over a couple of months if necessary. The on-line publishing schedule calls for the new shortwave listing to be available in November 2005. Email Bruce today at: info @ radioheritage.net and see the existing PAL mediumwave guide at http://www.radioheritage.net to get an idea of what's involved. The Radio Heritage Foundation is a registered non-profit organization dedicated to sharing the stories of Pacific radio (David Ricquish, Editor-in-Chief, Radio Heritage Foundation, Aug 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ ICOM R75 RECEIVER SURVIVES There have been reports to effect that 'Icom' have decided to continue with production of this model for the time being. It now seems that rumours of it's demise are greatly exaggerated (with apologies to Mr. Clemens...) According to both the Icom and Universal websites, and it does indeed look like Icom is still making the R75. And Universal has removed the little message saying that it has been discontinued. http://www.icomamerica.com/products/receivers/r75/default.asp http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/commrxvr/0175.html (Steve Whitt, Sept Medium Wave News via DXLD) "UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES" -- FROM ZONING TO DISPUTES OVER CELL PHONE TOWERS, RELIGIOUS GROUPS PROFITING FROM RLUIPA Even Judge John Roberts Is Part Of This Story! When Congress began enacting a series of statutes in the early 1990s to "protect religious expression," lawmakers were probably thinking of prayer, not profits. Indeed, supporters of "religious protection" and "religious liberty" legislation throughout the country warned that without special protections, the free exercise clause of the First Amendment would soon vanish under a tidal wave of cumbersome government regulations. Measures like the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the Religious Liberty Protection Act were introduced and hurriedly passed on Capitol Hill. State legislatures took up the matter and promptly voted their own versions onto the books. And when courts began overturning the measures ruling that they violated the separation of church and state or ran afoul of limits on Congressional authority, federal lawmakers passed yet another version, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000. The law focused mostly on the rights of prisoners and those incarcerated in mental institutions to exercise their religion, and declared that local, state and federal governments would be held to a high standard before placing any "burden" on clerical groups. RLUIPA, though, has turned out to be less about "people of faith" huddling in pews or exercising other religious rights than it is about real estate, elaborate building projects and money-making business arrangements involving everything from gyms and bowling alleys to the lucrative placement of cell phone towers. Churches and other religion-based entities have found the statute to be a powerful instrument in fighting local municipalities and states over a variety of issues, mostly involving zoning controls, environmental regulations and other civil ordinances. The law has, charge critics, provided religious groups with a legal weapon not available to private individuals, small businesses, and even big corporations. As a result, RLUIPA is more about cash and expensive real estate than prayer or the First Amendment right to legitimate expression of faith. Expanding Horizons, Profitable Deals The critics may be right. Across the country, RLUIPA has become the legal instrument of choice as churches and other religious entities confront local and state ordinances. One such story is playing out in Salem, Oregon where residents of a downtown district have been organizing against an effort by a neighborhood church to build a 500-seat auditorium. The City was originally lukewarm to the proposal. Indeed, the municipality permits churches in residential neighborhoods, but closely monitors zoning compliance and other regulations. Officials rejected a proposed expansion of the Court Street Christian Church in 2002 which sought to build a larger 8100 square foot sanctuary with an extra 175 seats. "The principal effect (of RLUIPA) thus far has been turmoil and litigation," said Jason Jordan, assistant policy director at the American Planning Association. "We've seen a lot of lawsuits percolating their way through the appeals courts, trying to get some basic answers." Jordan is also concerned about bringing in federal judges in the role of mediators or "councilors" when these zoning dispute erupt. In February, Salem leaders met with church officials and a Federal Magistrate in what was described as a "settlement conference." When the church did not get its way, it filed suit under the RLUIPA statute. "Some observers think that the case sets an ominous precedent for neighborhoods containing a church..." noted Salem Statesman Journal writer Dennis Thompson in a July 31, 2005 profile piece on the dispute. "If a church wants to expand and sues under RLUIPA, residents could find themselves cut out of the discussion and rendered powerless." Equally disturbing is that the "settlement conference" appears to have been a closed-door affair, with residents having no opportunity for input. RLUIPA is also having an impact on other issues where houses of worship confront neighborhoods, business and municipalities. The battle over cell phone towers has now taken on a bizarre spiritual dimension, once again with religious groups having a distinct advantage. In 1999, AANEWS profiled the growing problem of churches renting their facilities to placement companies seeking to erect cell phone towers. The income from such joint ventures, which can generate tens of thousands of dollars per year, is taxable under IRS regulations (compliance may be another matter). But in the battle to locate these transmission facilities in residential neighborhoods, churches, mosques and temples have a distinct leg up -- RLUIPA. When we did our profile, there were approximately 150,000 cell towers in the US. That number has grown to about 175,000 and the rush is now on to cover "dark" areas where signals are weak or nonexistent, and expand coverage into more remote markets. Churches are profiting. In the Chicago suburb of LaGrange, Ill, neighbors have battled a 116-foot high Christian cross which supposedly is classified as a cell phone tower. One resident described the structure as "very ominous," saying "It's big and it doesn't belong here." In south St. Louis, Mo., over 250 residents of one neighborhood have signed petitions protesting plans by the Southampton Presbyterian Church to rent space for cell phone antennae to be placed on the chimney of the two-story, 89-year-old building. Many cite the risk of potentially adverse health affects, a topic still debated. "None of us are willing to take that risk," said one resident. "None of us are going to put our kids in a bedroom that's 70 feet away from something that might cause cancer or other problems." No studies have demonstrated a conclusive link between cell tower radio-frequency emissions and adverse health effects; and federal law prohibits rejection of a possible tower based on claims of such risks. The American Cancer Society has stated that since the technology is relatively new, "we do not yet have full information on health effects." But other factors can come into play, including lowered property values for those residents living near a cell site. The St. Louis case also underscores the frustrations neighbors have when confronting actions taken by area houses of worship, especially if and when RLUIPA is mentioned. The same applies to the proliferating number of so-called "mega-churches" that boast huge congregations and a host of activities and services that are only peripherally related to their religious mission. Schools, gyms, audio-visual centers and other outreach programs frequently operate from the "mega-churches," along with dramatic presentations, dances and other social events, even bowling. Neighbors often compare the traffic and other impact of such huge religious centers to a shopping mall or business district. Your Home -- But Not Our Church! When Congress enacted RLUIPA in 2000, the move was in response to the burgeoning number of "zoning wars" and other legal disputes pitting houses of worship against what some claimed was government discrimination against religion. (A second part of the Act sought to guarantee robust religious exercise for those incarcerated in jails, prisons and mental health facilities.) The statute declares: "No government shall impose or implement a land use regulation in a manner that treats a religious assembly or institution on less than equal terms with a non-religious assembly or institution." It required governments to demonstrate a "compelling interest" before placing any "burden" on houses of worship -- a legal high bar well above that used in respect to businesses or private individuals. In addition to giving houses of worship a legal advantage over zoning, environmental and other regulations, RLUIPA may also provide legal cover for what some are describing as one of the most unfair and invasive government practices. On June 23, 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the controversial KELO v. THE CITY OF NEW LONDON case, finding that government may seize private property for the benefit of "public use," even if involves transfer of land to other private parties. New London, Conn. is thus proceeding with its plans to replace a "failing" neighborhood with conference centers, plus luxury hotels and upscale housing. The effect of the decision is to broaden the notion of "public use," which heretofore centered on construction of roads, parks, and other public facilities. Attorney Marci Hamilton, a specialist in First Amendment issues, noted, "Some observers said this could encourage local governments to evict houses of worship in order to find a taxpaying owner." RLUIPA, however, is likely to provide houses of worship with a powerful legal instrument if any municipality or state embarks on such ambitious plans. Business owners, renters, and home owners can all be evicted (with "fair market" compensation) if planners and government officials decide to "revitalize" an area by transferring land to private developers. To date, under KELO V. THE CITY OF NEW LONDON, private individuals have little recourse. For houses of worship, however, it is another story. And Finally, Roberts, Churches, RLUIPA... From eminent domain (the power of government to seize private property for "public purpose") to cell phone towers and Mega-Churches, the story of RLUIPA covers a battery of issues -- even the growing battle over the nomination of prospective U.S. Supreme Court Justice John R. Roberts. In a recent opinion piece for the beliefnet.com web site, attorney Marci Hamilton -- the foremost legal critic of RLUIPA -- discussed Roberts and his views on the First Amendment. "On religion issues, it is very hard to tell how Judge Roberts might rule, should he be confirmed to sit on the Supreme Court," Hamilton noted. "But it appears that he may well be in the Rehnquist mold: no fan of the separation of church and state, but a believer that there is no First Amendment defense to illegal conduct in the name of religion." Hamilton cites how Roberts authored the government brief in LEE v. WEISMAN, arguing that public schools be permitted to have clergy lead prayers at graduation ceremonies. But she also reveals how Roberts, while a private attorney was involved in a 2000 religious accommodation case, EHLERS-RENZI v. CONNELLY SCHOOL OF THE HOLY CHILD, INCORPORATED. Roberts represented the Roman Catholic school against homeowners who challenged a county rule exempting religious schools from obtaining permits in order to make alterations on their buildings. She notes that an appellate court held this exemption to be permissible, an accommodation of religion. "This is a position that might spark some questioning from Senators enraged at the Supreme Court's recent KELO decision," notes Hamilton, "which held that local governments may use their eminent domain power to displace private homeowners for commercial projects. To the extent that KELO ignited interest in the rights of local homeowners against government imposition, this case is another example of how the individual homeowner is under attack in the United States." (American Atheists Newsletter Aug 22 via DXLD) DIGITAL BROADCASTING ++++++++++++++++++++ ANALYSIS: DIGITAL TERRESTRIAL TV SLOW TO GROW IN CENTRAL, EASTERN EUROPE | Text of editorial analysis by BBC Monitoring Media Services on 23 August Digital terrestrial television (DTT) services may have been slow to get off the ground but are now an established part of the broadcasting landscape in several West European markets. While the UK's Freeview with its five million plus customers remains the most prominent, those in Sweden (Boxer), Finland (Digita) and The Netherlands (Digitenne) are also performing well and Italy, Germany and France - to name but three - are among a group of countries gradually moving to analogue switch-off. An altogether different situation exists in Central and Eastern Europe, where the St Petersburg-based commercial DTT operation Telemedium has faded from the scene after a promising start and those in other countries remain thin on the ground. Hungary hit the headlines when the transmission company Antenna Hungaria - itself just acquired by Swisscom - launched an experimental service covering Budapest and Kabhegy near Lake Balaton in October 2004. Meanwhile in Estonia, the Broadcasting Transmission Centre (Levira), which is backed by France's TDF, has operated a trial DTT service in Tallinn and environs since May 2004. While both countries would like to see these services eventually develop into national commercial platforms, this is unlikely to happen - at least in Hungary - until 2006-7 at the earliest. Things look no better in Poland, where the public broadcaster TVP finds itself operating three small-scale DTT services in the south and south-east of the country, principally to improve the coverage of its regional channel TVP3. Up until the beginning of 2005 it was widely assumed TVP would enter into a "grand coalition" with the national commercial stations Polsat and TVN to launch a Poland-wide DTT platform as soon as the end of the year. In the event, it has decided to go its own way, leaving Polsat and TVN to set up a 50/50 joint venture named Polski Operator Telewizyjny (POT). Although Polsat and TVN would still like to see TVP join POT, the chances of it doing so appear to be receding. The two parties have a somewhat different conception of how DTT should develop in Poland, with TVP, for instance, keen on employing the MPEG-2 compression system and POT willing to trial both MPEG-2 and the more advanced MPEG-4. If all goes according to plan, the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) will award frequencies for up to two multiplexes in the second half of the year, and a full service could be up and running as soon as 2006. However, given the history of DTT in Poland to date, this could be an optimistic assessment. The same can arguably be said about the Czech Republic, where a full DTT service should have been up and running in 2004, if not the year before. In the event, the Czech Digital Group (CDG), Ceske Radiokomunikace (CRa) and Czech Telecom look set to operate the three expected multiplexes, and the real debate is now over licensing, with Czech Television, TV Nova and Prima TV all keen to get their hands on the most lucrative (multiplex A) with the most extensive coverage. Matters could be resolved by the end of the year, but as in Poland this might be wishful thinking. Elsewhere in the region several countries have embarked on DTT trials, though there is little urgency to launch full commercial operations any time soon. Source: BBC Monitoring research 23 Aug 05 (via DXLD) STATIC-FREE AD BLITZ --- EVEN IF YOU CAN'T HEAR HIGH-DEFINITION DIGITAL RADIO, YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT IT SOON August 20 13:05:00, 2005 By Jeremy Mullman From the Crain's Chicago Business Newsroom Chicago's largest radio broadcasters have spent roughly $2 million — about $100,000 per station — setting up crystal-clear digital signals that virtually no one can hear. Now they're plotting to spend millions more here on a marketing blitz to ensure that the investment doesn't go to waste. Executives at Clear Channel Communications Inc., Infinity Broadcasting Co., Bonneville International Inc. and other large broadcasters are mounting a coordinated challenge to fast-growing satellite radio and digital gizmos such as iPods. PUBLICITY DELUGE They say high-definition (HD) radio will vastly improve on traditional radio's sound quality and create many more listening choices. HD radio allows a signal to be divided into multiple channels. Bonneville market manager Drew Horowitz has a handful of new formats in development for secondary channels. It would, that is, if anyone knew it existed — and if more people owned the special radios required to hear it. "There are going to be announcements about this on every show on every station," says John Gehron, Clear Channel's Chicago market manager. "We've all spent a lot of money on this, and we want people to know it's out there." Mr. Gehron says the advertising deluge, set for either late September or early October, will feature a plug --- for either a station's HD content or HD radio retailers such as Tweeter electronics stores --- at least once an hour on every station owned by Clear Channel, Infinity and Bonneville as well as others. Unlike traditional analog radio, HD radio's digital signal makes FM stations sound like compact discs and AM stations sound like traditional FM stations. In addition, the technology allows the signal to be divided into multiple channels, potentially doubling the number of stations in the market. 16 BROADCASTS ON AIR HERE So far, according to iBiquity Corp., the technology's developer, at least 20 Chicago stations are licensed for HD broadcasts and 16 are currently on the air. Four of the on-air stations are broadcasting secondary signals unavailable to analog listeners. Infinity-owned WJMK-FM, which recently swapped its oldies playlist for a more contemporary, eclectic format called "Jack," has kept the oldies alive on HD airwaves. And Clear Channel's WVAZ-FM, an adult contemporary station, is spinning "dusties," a mix of R&B oldies and blues, on its second frequency. "(The additional channel) allows us to be a lot more creative with our programming," says Bonneville market manager Drew Horowitz, who currently has a handful of new formats in development for secondary channels. "We can think outside the box a little more with our formats." However, fewer than 100,000 HD radios have been purchased nationwide, according to iBiquity. And even Mr. Horowitz, who manages three stations broadcasting in HD, still hasn't managed to pick one up. "It was supposed to come two weeks ago," he says with a sigh. Clear Channel's Mr. Gehron says he doesn't have one yet, either. Retailers say finding receivers will get easier as electronics manufacturers roll out a wide variety of HD hardware by yearend. ©2005 by Crain Communications Inc. (via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) ``However, fewer than 100,000 HD radios have been purchased nationwide, according to iBiquity.`` [just above] Yes, and my net worth is "fewer" than 10 billion dollars! ;-) It says something about the amiable cluelessness of most newspaper reporters that an immediate follow-up question of "OK, so what is the exact number sold?" wasn't asked, or, if it was, the reporter let Ibiquity weasel their way out of an accurate answer. But I do wonder how many IBOC/HD receivers have actually been sold at retail to the public. Is it even over 1000? (Harry Helms W5HLH, Smithville, TX EL19, ibid.) POWERLINE COMMUNICATIONS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ BPL UPDATE The following issue of the Christian Science Monitor contains a good overview of BPL deployment in the United States. While BPL is still a "kind of touch-and-go" situation according to one financial analyst, a tremendous amount of money is being invested in the technology, and that is a potent driving force. http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0815/p13s01-stct.html (CGC Communicator Aug 22 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) Look out; BPL Getting Closer --- A worrying article in today's Courier Mail newspaper Brisbane; cheers (John Smith, Brisbane, ARDXC via DXLD) POWER LINES TO DELIVER THE NET Chris Griffith 22aug05 ENERGEX may enter the telecommunications business by delivering broadband Internet down ordinary powerlines. By providing broadband through electricity lines, power companies believe they can service fringe urban areas and rural and regional areas ineligible for broadband cable. A Queensland Energex spokesman said the corporation was investigating implementing "broadband to your door" alongside NSW's Country Energy, which is trialling the new technology, and WA-based Alinta. . . [more] http://www.couriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,16337017%255E3102,00.html (via John Smith, Aug 22, ARDXC via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ NW7US PROPAGATION ALERT - 1634 UTC 23 AUG 2005 Aurora chasers, radio DXers, take note: Even during this time of lower solar activity, with the cycle so close to its end (expected to be during 2007), there are still moments of "flare-ups" significant enough to cause some space weather and geomagnetic activity. A greater than 10MeV proton event is currently in progress, following an M5.6 X-ray flare from NOAA active region 0798 which began at 1646 UTC and peaked at 1727 UTC yesterday, August 22, 2005. A halo coronal mass ejection (CME) was observed in association with the proton flare. (A halo CME is one that is directed toward Earth). This proton event augments an on-going proton event that was triggered yesterday evening just after 1800 UTC. This first proton event is probably related to the Long Duration Event M5.6 flare of yesterday evening and the accompanying halo CME. On August 23 and 24, due to the arrival of the coronal mass ejections from the flares noted above, aurora is possible in High Latitudes, down through the lower Canadian regions. Some Aurora might be visible in Maine and other areas of similar latitude. Some degradation on HF and MW is occurring and expected to continue. Especially on propagation paths that traverse over the poles. More updates, when warranted. 73 de (Tomas, NW7US (AAR0JA/AAA0WA), Hood, Aug 23, HCDX via DXLD) ###