DX LISTENING DIGEST 5-172, October 1, 2005 Incorporating REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING edited by Glenn Hauser, http://www.worldofradio.com Items from DXLD may be reproduced and re-reproduced only if full credit be maintained at all stages and we be provided exchange copies. DXLD may not be reposted in its entirety without permission. Materials taken from Arctic or originating from Olle Alm and not having a commercial copyright are exempt from all restrictions of noncommercial, noncopyrighted reusage except for full credits For restrixions and searchable 2005 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html NOTE: If you are a regular reader of DXLD, and a source of DX news but have not been sending it directly to us, please consider yourself obligated to do so. Thanks, Glenn NEXT AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO Extra 61: Sun 0230 WOR WWCR 5070 Sun 0300 WOR WBCQ 9330-CLSB Sun 0630 WOR WWCR 3210 Sun 0730 WOR World FM, Tawa, Wellington, New Zealand 88.2 Sun 0830 WOR WRMI 7385 [via WRN] [NEW] Sun 0830 WOR WRN to North America, also WLIO-TV Lima OH SAP (including Sirius Satellite Radio channel 140 ex-115) Sun 0830 WOR KSFC Spokane WA 91.9 Sun 0830 WOR WXPR Rhinelander WI 91.7 91.9 100.9 Sun 0830 WOR WDWN Auburn NY 89.1 [unconfirmed] Sun 0830 WOR KTRU Houston TX 91.7 [occasional] Sun 1300 WOR KRFP-LP Moscow ID 92.5 Sun 1400 WOR WRMI 7385 Sun 1730 WOR WRN1 to North America (including Sirius Satellite Radio channel 140 ex-115) Sun 1900 WOR RNI Mon 0300 WOR WBCQ 9330-CLSB Mon 0330 WOR WSUI Iowa City IA 910 Mon 0415 WOR WBCQ 7415 [usually closer to 0418-] Mon 1600 WOR WBCQ after hours Mon 1800 WOR RFPI [repeated 4-hourly thru 1400 Tue] Tue 1600 WOR WBCQ after hours Tue 2330 WOR WBCQ 7415 [usually but temporary] Wed 0000 WOR CJOY INTERNET RADIO plug-in required [ex Sat 1600] Wed 0930 WOR WWCR 9985 Wed 1600 WOR WBCQ after hours 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 or http://wor.worldofradio.org WORLD OF RADIO Extra 61 (high version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/worx61h.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/worx61h.rm [Extra 61 is same as COM 05-07; high version adds WOR opening] WORLD OF RADIO Extra 61 (low version): (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/com0507.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/com0507.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/com0507.html WORLD OF RADIO Extra 61 in true SW sound of Alex`s mp3 (stream) http://www.dxprograms.net/worldofradio_09-28-05.m3u (download) http://www.dxprograms.net/worldofradio_09-28-05.mp3 WORLD OF RADIO Extra 61 downloads in studio-quality mp3: (high) http://www.obriensweb.com/worx61h.mp3 (low) http://www.obriensweb.com/worx61.mp3 WORLD OF RADIO PODCAST: www.obriensweb.com/wor.xml (currently: 1284, Extra 60, 1285, 1286, 1287, 1288, Extra 61) WORLD OF RADIO ON WWCR: the October 1 schedule is not yet up on the website, but received in the P-mail. Shows an additional airing on 9985, Fridays at 0930, besides Wednesdays at 0930 on 9985 and the usual other times (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WORLD OF RADIO ON WRMI: Picking up WRN overnight has fortunately led to an additional WOR airing, Sundays 0830 on 7385; more below (gh) CONTINENT OF MEDIA 05-09: (stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/com0509.ram (download) http://www.w4uvh.net/com0509.rm (summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/com0509.html [pending] NETS TO YOU OCTOBER EDITION BY JOHN NORFOLK: http://www.w4uvh.net/nets2you.html ** AFRICA. Since I now depend on the public library for National Geographic when I get around to it, I have just seen the September issue, which is solely about Africa. Highly recommended, and Chris Greenway in particular might appreciate the sections on Nairobi and Kenya (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. Re 7875: Traté de sintonizar esta emisora de nuevo durante los pasados dias pero parece ser que las transmisiones han sido suspendidos por ahora. Para aquellos que pudieron escuchar esta transmision, esto ha sido un grán evento que poca veces ocurre en el pasatiempo del diexismo ya que muchas emisoras están olvidando que existe una importante onda que se llama la onda corta. Saludos (desde Madrid, Martin Delfin, Sony ICF-77, Realistic DX-440, Sony ANLP-1 y longwire 7 metros via José Miguel Romero2, Sept 30, dxldyg via DXLD) Marty reintroduces himself: http://www.dxing.info/community/viewtopic.php?t=1880&highlight= (via gh, DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. The URL for the review by the Australian Communications and Media Authority in 5-171 has an error and does not work. Should be: http://www.dcita.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/32142/Review_discussion_paper.pdf How pathetic that we are so weak that we allow policy to be determined by the commercial networks. They do not want the expense of providing additional channels and risk the dilution of their advertising income. The comparison with the abundance of free to air digital channels in the UK compared with Australia demonstrates the incompetence of our Government ministers in Australia (Morrison Hoyle, Australia, Oct 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. IBOC is now on the air from R. Gaúcha, 600 kHz and R. Bandeirantes, 840 among others. Our southern neighbors are expressing the same sentiments as we have in North America: ``Can no longer hear adjacent stations``; ``the beginning of the end of our hobby``; ``only hope is that IBOC will fail in the American market`` (gh) IBOC chegou em Porto Alegre (e junto interferência nas freqüências adjancentes) Bom dia pessoal, hoje por volta das 02:00 e 09:30 de Brasília (UTC - 3) constatei que a Rádio Gaúcha de Porto Alegre, RS, 600 KHz, 100 KW já está transmitindo em IBOC. A constatação pode ser feita ao notar um forte ruído branco (som de cachoeira) em 590 e 610 kHz. O IBOC, como se sabe, usa as banda laterais para transmitir a informação digital. Tentei fazer algumas medições com receptor digital; a Gaúcha agora está ocupando o espectro que vai de 581 até 617 kHz, mas leve em conta que estou próximo das estações, sua alta potência e falta de seletividade do meu receptor. Se algum colega da lista possuir um receptor com função de análise de espectro, como o ICOM PCR1000, dou uma sugestão: varrer as freqüências entre 570 e 640 para termos uma idéia do formato IBOC. Um emissora OM/OC ocupa uma banda variável no espectro conforme sua transmissão. Por exemplo: eu era capaz de sintonizar uma emissora muito fraca em 610 quando a Rádio Gaúcha estava transmitindo apenas voz (a voz ocupa algo entre 400 e 3000 Hz); quando ela transmitia música, a emissora era sobrepujada pela modulação da Gaúcha com o 'splash' causado pela enorme variede de freqüências do programa musical (talvez de 100 Hz até 6 kHz). Com o IBOC da Gaúcha, (não tenho certeza ainda, confirmo assim eu for a um lugar de recepção melhor), o 'splash' dos canais vizinhos é permanentemente, pois a informação é digital e usa uma largura fixa. Tristemente acho que não será mais possível escutar estações em 590 nem 610 kHz. Muito se fala que o IBOC e DRM ajudarão nas transmissões e o público em OM e OC. Por outro lado, a nova largura de banda requerida pelo IBOC (único que tive contato) dificultar em muito ou mesmo impedir os DX de emissoras tradicionais nas freqüências adjacentes. Quem sabe, talvez a Anatel (Agência brasileira que regula as telecomunicações) abra uma consulta pública para enviarmos nossos comentários! --hg (Huelbe Garcia, RS, Sept 29, radioescutas via DXLD) Huelbe e amigos, Mais do que Internet, Satélite, Televisão, etc. o grande inimigo do dexismo será o próprio rádio, agora digital. Claro que ainda é cedo para uma conclusão, mas estas observaçoes que faz com respeito à Radio Gaucha, são as mesmas que já li de observaçoes em outros lugares. O dexismo ou a simples escuta de pequenas emissoras ao lado das grandes ( por enquanto) já era. O problema é que nada se fala de realocação de banda, potencia, etc. Outra coisa, os diferentes padrões , IBOC, DRM, e outros, tirarão a naturalidade do rádio. Vamos ver o que acontecerá. Um abraço, (Samuel Cássio, ibid.) E' isso mesmo Huelbe, è o começo do fim do hobby aqui tambem... Samuel, a única esperança que nos sobra è que a tecnologia seja rejeitada no mercado americano, fechando assim a posibilidade da rádio digital substituir a analógica também no resto do mundo. E' difícil, mas às vezes aconteçéu na história da tecnologia. Pelo contrário, eu torço pelo sucesso da rádio digital satellitar, que jà tem milhões de usuários nos EEUU. Se pegar, pode ser que as empresas de broadcasting desistam da idéia imbécil de criar também um digital terrestre. Já que não tem muito pra fazer pra salvar as ondas curtas (Rocco Cotroneo, ibid.) Até o presente momento não são 12 emissoras autorizadas a fazer os testes digitais. Pode até ser que, daqui algumas horas, a Anatel emita novas autorizações, mas, por enquanto, são apenas seis emissoras, conforme monitoria que estamos fazendo no site da agência reguladora. A lista correta é a seguinte: Gaúcha, de Porto Alegre (RS), em 600 kHz; Itapema, de Porto Alegre (RS), em 102.3 MHz; CBN, de São Paulo (SP), em 90.5 MHz; Band News, de São Paulo (SP), em 96.9 MHz; Bandeirantes, de São Paulo (SP), em 840 kHz e Globo Minas, em 1150 kHz. 73's, (Célio Romais, Porto Alegre, Brasil, Sept 30, ibid.) Célio e demais amigos, Sendo esta uma lista que fala de DX e suas correlações de objetivos no rádio, embora não tenhamos nada a fazer em contrário (dado que é uma situação irreversivel o início das 'digitais'), seria muito interessante antes de soltarmos fogos de comemoração (principalmente nós que gostamos de DX em ondas médias), verificar que temos uma perspectiva nada boa. A Bandeirantes 840/SP nesta madrugada varou um bom período de tempo com aquelas famosas músicas de clubes de futebol com o seu sinal aparentemente 'digital' sem anúncios, sem locução, apenas as músicas dos clubes. A freqüência dela (840), com um sinal que pouca diferença se percebe. Apenas um som parecido com um pouco de 'profundidade', se é que assim o posso chamar. Mas, meus amigos, que tragédia --- as freqüências de 830 e 850 kHz (vizinhas às da Bandeirantes), totalmente com um chiado insuportável, o que Dxistas européus também reclamaram quando houve testes em OM digitais. Se isso for real após a fase de testes, se continuar este processo, adeus DX em ondas médias. Resta-me apenas uma indagação: --| Se em áreas geográficamente mais distantes das antenas de emissão das que transmitirão em modo digital, as freqüências vizinhas deixam de ter esse horrível chiado. É uma dúvida que gostaria de não ter. Se Eldorado 700, JP 620, Band 840, CBN 780, etc. de fato logo começarem a transmitir em modo digital, realmente as pretensões de fazer alguma tentativa em DX com Argentina, Paraguai, Europa, etc., ficam completamente comprometidas. Gostaria de receber alguma opinião de quem realmente está por dentro deste assunto, de como será a questão do DX. Fico grato, de antemão. Um forte 73 a todos, (Rudolf Grimm, São Bernardo, SP, BRASIL, ibid.) Pois então --- Esta semana mesmo assisti uma reportagem na televisão (rede cultura, se não me engano) que a Kiss FM, 102.1 de SP também está transmitindo em modo digital em caráter experimental. Reportagem de pelo menos 5 min, explicando tudo dentro do estúdio da emissora. Como entender essas autorizações da Anatel... :-( (Marcelo Bedene, Curitiba-PR, ibid.) Prezado Rudolf e demais da lista, Não sei se pelo fato da distância, mais não percebi nada aqui por Guarulhos-SP de anormal nas adjacentes da QRG de 840 kHz, inclusive, postei um LOG com boas escutas em 830 e 850. Mesmo variando o rádio de 1 em 1 kHz partindo de 840 kHz tanto para cima como para baixo, nada foi percebido. Agora mesmo estou escutando a 850 R. Clube de Birigui e curtindo uns boleros sem problemas. Um forte 73 e boas escutas! (PU2LZB - RENATO ULIANA, GUARULHOS-SP BRASIL, ibid.) Concordo em gênero e grau com o Vince. Nesta época, há muitas emissoras, donos de emissoras e entidades que aproveitam para "aumentar" um pouco o lobby. Também há muita confusão entre digitalização de estúdios e tudo mais. Acabei de receber a newsletter da Anatel e, segundo a qual, não saiu nenhuma autorização nova para emissões de testes digitais além das já mencionadas por mim anteriormente. 73s, (Célio Romais, Porto Alegre, Brasil, ibid.) Espectro: Hoje, sábado, 14:00 BRT, o espectro da BAND 840 é o que está em http://py.qsl.br/840.gif Não muito diferente do que tem sido há meses. Hoje a noite darei uma olhada no espectro da GAUCHA 600 KHz. A BAND há tempos esta ocupando 20 KHz, como vcs podem ver no gráfico. A qualidade de recepção com o receptor que está na tela é muito boa, desde que use o filtro de 20 KHz. Mesmo assim, por hora ainda consigo receber as adjacentes 830 e 850 no modo AM Sincrono, selecionando a banda lateral adequada. 73 (Marcus, PY3CRX/PY2PLL, ibid.) ** BURMA [non]. DEMOCRATIC VOICE OF BURMA ANNOUNCES NEW TV FORMAT | Text of report by Norway-based Burmese Democratic Voice of Burma website on 30 September Dear listeners, we have good news and wish to inform you before hand that DVB television programmes will be transmitted in a new format and style with effect from Saturday, 1 October. DVB television programmes are being transmitted twice every weekend - from 2000 to 2100 [1330- 1430 gmt] on Saturdays, and noon to 1300 on Sundays. The transmissions can be received via PAS 10, vertical beam, on 3940 Megahertz, Symbol rate 3000. Source: Democratic Voice of Burma website, Oslo, in Burmese 1430 gmt 30 Sep 05 (via BBCm via DXLD) What exactly do you men, new format and style? (gh, DXLD) ** CANADA. ``President Bush signed the bill. New DST goes into effect in 2007.`` Still undecided whether Canada will adopt the new DST dates or stick with last Sunday in October-to-first Sunday in April. If Brian "Big Chin" Mulroney were still Prime Minister, Canada would have followed the U.S. in a heartbeat. Back in the Nixon era, during another energy crisis in 1973-74, Canada rejected the extended DST. Saskatchewan is like Indiana --- does not have DST. 73 (Mike Brooker, Toronto, ON, Sept 29, IRCA via DXLD) ** CANADA. As per recent notes in DXLD, RCI was off 13655 at 1500 UT 10/1/05 too. It was on 9515 kHz nice and clear, though. It might have been on 17800 but, if so, it was very very weak. Coming in reasonably well from the Rampisham relay on 15360 kHz at that same time, but with different programming of course. 73, (Will (St. Louis, MO) Martin, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Yes, 17800 was on Oct 1 (gh, DXLD) ** CANADA. CBC Strike --- The Real Story. For the other side of the story, please see http://www.cmg.ca the site of the locked-out employees` union. The CBC arrogantly locked out the thousands of members of the Canadian Media Guild in a heavy-handed attempt to force them to agree to the CBC's contract demands. The biggest issue is the CBC's desire to slowly move to a temporary per-diem employee base. You can't raise a family with security with a temporary job that can be ended without protection. This is penny wise and pound foolish. You can't retain good employees in temporary jobs. They get real jobs and leave. You are constantly looking for more temps and meet a lot of people in interviews because your employee churn is high and constant. The CMG members have been out of work for months, the Canadian public has had no local content in their programming and news, and the Canadian public gets to pay for this with their tax dollars. The CBC has even removed the biographies and pictures of their personalities from their web sites or closed the local sites entirely. This is not fun. This is nasty and rough. Why does the CBC insist on an involuntary lock-out when negotiations have been going on for 16 months? A federal arbitration group is now working with the two groups in Ottawa. What a mess. I admire and support the CMG membership for holding on tight during this travesty (Karl Zuk, N2KZ, IRCA via DXLD) Guild bargaining update - September 30, 2005 Talks between the Canadian Media Guild and CBC management went on until midnight Thursday on the two main issues in the lockout: employment status and workforce adjustment (layoff/recall). The two sides are resuming discussions this morning and indications are that talks will continue into the weekend. A 48-hour ``cone of silence`` went into effect at 6 pm last night, barring communication from either side with the media. However, the union has the right to communicate about the status of the talks with our members (CMG via DXLD) October 1, 2005 - MEDIA BLACKOUT EXTENDED UNTIL 6 AM SUNDAY As you know, negotiations between the CBC and the CMG have been under a 48-hour media blackout through to 6 p.m. ET Saturday, October 1. The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service has extended the media blackout until 6:00 am ET, Sunday October 2. Talks are expected to continue through the night (CBC via DXLD) Is this a hopeful sign? (gh) ** CANADA. CBC journo declared "security risk" It appears locked out CBC Radio report Curt Petrovitch has been declared a security risk by the staff of the Prime Minister's Office. Below is a link Petrovitch's account of what happened and a brief excerpt (Ricky Leong, Calgary, Oct 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ========== http://cbcunplugged.blogware.com/blog/_archives/2005/9/30/1272307.html Alphee Moreau is the Prime Minister`s Advance officer for media events. I first remember dealing with him on that same Asia trip last January. So when he approached I smiled and said ``Remember me?`` and showed him the PMO tag on my bag. Mr. Moreau wasn`t smiling. And what followed was one of the most baffling and frightening conversations I`ve ever had. First, if I understood him correctly, Mr. Moreau told me the PMO wasn`t allowing CBC journalists into events because it had similarly barred CBC managers from covering government functions during the lockout. After explaining I wasn`t working for CBC, nor representing the corporation, Mr. Moreau changed the reason I wasn`t allowed in. ``Your actions yesterday ... you shouted your question at the Prime Minister`` were two of the points he made. ``Since when can`t you shout a question at the Prime Minister? It happens all the time on the Hill.`` Mr. Moreau said this was different. And then the reason changed. Mr. Moreau suggested I had somehow misrepresented myself to get in to the news conference. ``I did not, check the registration form, I was totally honest about who I am, and what I`m doing.`` Then the reason changed again. ``You`re a security risk.`` Now, just let that sink in a moment. ``You`re a security risk``. I was stunned, but not long enough to stifle an incredulous ``What? For shouting a question at the Prime Minister?`` (via Ricky Leong, DXLD) ** CHINA. ANALYSIS: CHINA DEFENDS LATEST CURBS ON INTERNET NEWS | Text of editorial analysis by Peter Feuilherade of BBC Monitoring Media Services on 28 September Officials in China have dismissed protests by freedom of expression watchdogs about Beijing's latest moves to police the internet for news content it regards as subversive. "Any country in the world will regulate the internet and the media in accordance with the law. It's only natural. There's no need to make a fuss about it," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang on 27 September, in remarks quoted by the French news agency AFP. In the latest of a series of regulations this year, the Chinese State Council (cabinet) on 25 September banned the publication online of news content that "harms national security, reveals state secrets, subverts political power, undermines national unity or inflames ethnic hatred". Online postings which "encourage illegal gatherings, rallies, protests and activities which disrupt social order" are now forbidden, as well as pornographic and seditious material. The regulations also bar the setting up of internet news and information service outlets that are Sino-foreign joint ventures or exclusively foreign-owned. "The new set of online regulations... is the first major revision since 2000 as the country's exponential growth in internet use poses new regulatory and social challenges for Beijing," commented Chua Chin Hon, China bureau chief of the Singapore newspaper The Straits Times. "Unhealthy news" "We need to better regulate the online news services, with the emergence of so many unhealthy news stories that will easily mislead the public," said a State Council Information Office spokesman quoted by the English-language China Daily. News websites can now publish only articles written by leading national or provincial-level news organizations instead of articles written by their own staff. Bloggers and chatroom participants will have to use their real names, while university online discussion forums will be restricted to students. Or at least that's the theory. The technical skills of China's free speech advocates and the thousands of "internet police" tracking them are evenly matched, so regulating internet content could prove impossible. According to a recent report by the OpenNet Initiative, a project run by the Harvard Law School, Cambridge University and the University of Toronto, China has "the most extensive and effective legal and technological systems for internet censorship and surveillance in the world today". But some bloggers will continue to host their sites on overseas servers, although the government can block access to these servers from inside China. Media analysts say the underlying aim of the latest measures is to curb postings by the small but growing number of bloggers and "citizen journalists" among China's internet users - now estimated at over 100 million people. Many licensed domestic and foreign media outlets providing online news already practise self-censorship, by blocking sites and prohibiting postings on sensitive topics. Microsoft was criticised in June after agreeing to block words such as "democracy'' from its MSN service in China. Yahoo! Inc. has come under fire from free speech watchdogs after a Chinese journalist was recently jailed for 10 years, reportedly as a result of information supplied by Yahoo's Hong Kong division to the authorities. The journalist, Shi Tao, was accused of forwarding the text of a Communist Party internal memo to foreign-based websites. And Time Warner chief executive Dick Parsons has said his company had decided against expanding AOL's internet business in China, after the government's insistence that all messages be monitored. So for established Chinese online news organizations such as sina.com and sohu.com, as well as overseas players, the latest clampdown "is nothing more than a restating of the rules," Beijing-based media and technology consultant David Wolf told Reuters news agency. Self-censorship The number of internet users jailed in China for political activism is still relatively low, in the context of more than 100 million internet users. Paris-based media freedom watchdog Reporters Sans Frontieres puts the total in jail at just over 60. And internet-based discussions and the spread of information through new media continue to play an increasingly important role in Chinese politics, notes BBC Monitoring analyst Qiang Zhang. Further curbs are likely to target relatively new delivery platforms such as SMS (text messages) to mobile phones, or PDAs. Nicolas Becquelin, research director at the Hong Kong-based organisation Human Rights in China, believes that while the government's power to block content through technology is limited, "China knows the most effective censorship is self-censorship." In that spirit, the Chinese authorities are inviting would-be informers/civic-minded citizens who come across "unhealthy online stories" to report them by logging on to the http://net.china.cn website. Reining in foreign media The crackdown on internet users comes against the backdrop of the government reining in the activities and investments of foreign media groups in China. "A year ago I would have said there's a lot of opening up going on. The present trend is the reverse. The authorities are quite paranoid about what gets through," said News Corporation head Rupert Murdoch on 16 September. In mid-September, for instance, Chinese TV stations were barred from showing foreign-made cartoons which allegedly included "superstitious and violent content". China's regulator - the State Administration for Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) - reminded local broadcasters that all foreign- produced TV content had to be approved before being broadcast. Airing content that had not been approved could cause "disorder" in the TV industry and have a "harmful impact on the physical and mental health" of Chinese children, SARFT said. "China's leadership seems to have developed cold feet, perhaps fearing that a free press will lead to calls for political reform. Another imperative may be the need to present a prosperous, harmonious face to the outside in the run-up to the 2008 Olympics... The regime is shying away from brute censorship: that would spark an international outcry. Instead, it seems to have opted for a creeping reassertion of media control, targeting certain journalists, publishers and bloggers to scare others into compliance," the London-based weekly The Economist commented in mid-August. Source: BBC Monitoring research 28 Sep 05 (via DXLD) ** COLOMBIA. 6139.8, Radio Líder, 0535-0600, 01-10. Radio Líder sigue en el aire por varios días consecutivos, luego de estar varios meses inactiva y con apariciones muy esporádicas desde que está fuera del aire. Ahora parece que, definitivamente, quiere quedarse de nuevo en antena. Ojalá sea por mucho tiempo, pues es una de las emisoras latinoamericanas que mejor se escucha, transmitiendo bonitas canciones en español. Escuchada hoy entre las 0535 y las 0600 con canciones latinoamericas y españolas, entre otras la canción "Vivir así es morir de amor" del cantante español Camilo Sesto. Identificación entre canciones: "Ésta es Radio Líder". "Somos Radio Líder". "Las canciones de Colombia y el mundo, escúchelas aquí en su estación predilecta, Radio Líder, 730 AM". A las 0600, como todos los días, eclipsada al comenzar la Deutsche Welle sus transmisiones en inglés en 6140 kHz. SINPO 24322 variando a 34333 (Manuel Méndez, Spain, Grundig Satellit 500, antena de cable, 4 metros; Escucha realizada el casco urbano de Lugo, DX LISTENING DIGEST) EL BENDITO "PREMIO" DE RADIO LÍDER, ¿VERDA D O FRAUDE? CC: radiolider @ cadenamelodia.com Hola Glenn, Saludos desde Catia La Mar, VENEZUELA. Radio Líder (6139.76 kHz) ofrece desde hace mucho tiempo un fulano "premio sorpresa" si se envía un informe de recepción. Al parecer, todo es un engaño: en mi caso particular he enviado dos reportes e infinidad de recordatorios --- y nada. Ni premio ni nada y han pasado más de 8 meses. Ni tan sólo un acuse de recibo vía correo-e --- ¡es el colmo! De verdad que me molesta que algunos radiodifusores tomen a los diexistas como ESTÚPIDOS. Bien irresponsables que son; si no pueden MANDAR NADA, ¿por qué hacen promesas? 73s y buen DX (Adán González, Catia La Mar, Estado Vargas, VENEZUELA, Oct 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** COSTA RICA. 5054.64, Faro Del Caribe, 1039-1054 Oct 1. Easy listening music with religious comments periodically in Spanish. These seemed to be recorded, while ID, "...en Faro Del Caribe.. KiloHertz..." was live. Signal faded from good to fair and back again, during the period (Chuck Bolland, Clewiston FL, NRD545, Dipole/ Homebrew Preselector, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Does TIFC have any programming whatsoever about Costa Rican news or culture? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. RHC shifted 11800 to 11805 in the mornings, but still on 11800 in the afternoon, at 2110 UT check Sept 30 // 9550. And on Oct 1 at 2238, 11800 mixing heavily with Rai chirps, also with Rai programming after 2300; by then VOA Indonesian is on 11805 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. AMECA (CMA) 2005 --- The Caribbean Medical Association has created the "120 Years Club" which brings together those persons who wish to live that long with a satisfactory quality life. Radio Havana Cuba, Cubana Airlines, Cuba's Hotel Nacional and the CMA, invite you to participate in this contest whose question is as follows: WHAT WOULD YOU PROPOSE TO MODIFY OR INCORPORATE TO THE PRESENT LIFE STYLES IN ORDER TO PRESERVE OR ACHIEVE AN EXCELLENT LONGEVITY? The winner of the first prize will have the opportunity to travel to Cuba free of cost and to participate in the XI CMA Congress slated for Havana in April 2006. Besides, ten Mentions will be awarded consisting in certificates and souvenirs. Deadline is March 31st, 2006. Send your correspondence to: Radio Havana Cuba P. O. Box 6240 Havana, Cuba Fax (537) 8365810 (via Swopan Charkoborty, India, DXLD) See also RADIO PHILATELY Well, I`d rather die at 105 than live another sesquidecade in a police state (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CZECH REPUBLIC. Radio Prague B05 WINTER PERIOD 2005/2006 Program UTC kHz m kW Area CZECH 0930 - 0957 11600 25 100 S.W. Europe 21745 13 100 E.Africa/ Mi. East 1030 - 1057 21745 13 100/100 S. Asia/ W. Africa 1200 - 1227 11640 25 100 N. Europe 21745 13 100 S. Asia/ Australia 1330 - 1357 6055 49 100 C. Europe 7345 41 100 W. Europe 1430 - 1457 11600 25 100 S. Asia 21745 13 100 N. America 1630 - 1657 5930 49 100 W. Europe 15710 19 100 C.& W. Africa 1830 - 1857 5930 49 100 W. Europe 9400 31 100 Asia/ Australia 2030 - 2057 5930 49 100 W. Europe 9430 31 100 S.& E. Asia/ Australia 2200 - 2227 5930 49 100 S.W. Europe (S.America) 9435 31 100 S. America/S.W.Europe 0030 - 0057 5930 49 100 S. America 7345 41 100 N. America 0230 - 0257 6200 49 100 N. America 7345 41 100 S. America 0330 - 0357 6200 49 100 N. America 7345 41 100 ENGLISH 0800 - 0827 7345 41 100 N.W. Europe 9860 31 100 1000 - 1029 21745 13 100/100 S. Asia/ W. Africa 1130 - 1157 11640 25 100 N. Europe 21745 13 100 E. Africa/ Mi. East 1400 - 1429 11600 25 100 S. Asia 21745 13 100 N. America 1700 - 1727 5930 49 100 N.W. Europe 15710 19 100 C.& W. Africa 1800 - 1827 5930 49 100 N.W. Europe 9400 31 100 Asia/ Australia 2100 - 2127 5930 49 100 N.W. Europe (N.America) 9430 31 100 S.& E. Asia/ Australia 2230 - 2257 5930 41 100 N. America 7345 49 100 C.& W. Africa 2330 - 2357 5930 49 100 N. America 7345 41 100 0100 - 0127 6200 49 100 N. America 7345 41 100 0200 - 0227 6200 49 100 N. America 7345 41 100 0400 - 0427 6200 49 100 N. America 7345 41 100 0430 - 0457 9885 31 100 Mi. East/ S.W. Asia 11600 25 100 FRENCH 0700 - 0727 5930 49 100 W. Europe 7345 41 100 S.W. Europe 0830 - 0857 9860 31 100 W. Europe 11600 25 100 S.W. Europe 1730 - 1757 5930 49 100 W. Europe 15710 19 100 C. Africa 1930 - 1957 5930 49 100 W. Europe 9430 31 100 S.W. Europe/N.W. Africa 2300 - 2327 5930 49 100 N. America 7345 41 100 GERMAN 0730 - 0757 5930 49 100 W. Europe 7345 41 100 Europe 1100 - 1127 7345 41 100 C. Europe 9880 31 100 W. Europe 1300 - 1329 6055 49 100 C. Europe 7345 41 100 W. Europe 1600 - 1627 5930 49 100 W. Europe 1730 - 1757 *2) 5840 49 250 W. Europe RUSSIAN 0500 - 0527 6055 49 100 E. Europe 11600 25 100 E. Europe / S.W. Asia 1230 - 1257 6055 49 100 E. Europe 21745 13 100 E. Europe / S.W. Asia 1530 - 1557 5930 49 100 E. Europe 9450 31 100 E. Europe / S.W. Asia 1900 - 1927 *3) 5830 49 250 E. Europe SPANISH 0900 - 0927 11600 25 100 S.W. Europe 15255 19 100 1300 - 1327 *4) 7385 41 50 Caribbean 1500 - 1527 11600 25 100 S.W. Europe 13580 22 100 1900 - 1927 5930 49 100 S.W. Europe 9430 31 100 2000 - 2027 5930 49 100 S.W. Europe 9430 31 100 2130 - 2157 5930 49 100 S.W. Europe (S.America) 9435 31 100 2330 - 2357 *5) 9755 31 250 Caribbean 0000 - 0027 5930 49 100 S. America 7345 41 100 *1) 11665 25 250 0130 - 0157 6200 49 100 C. America 7345 41 100 0300 - 0327 6200 49 100 C. America 7345 41 100 S. America Transmitters at Litomyšl, 16E10 49N48 *1) Relayed via Ascension, 14W23 07S54 *2) Relayed via Krasnodar, 39E00 45N02 *3) Relayed via Novosibirsk, 82E58 55N04 *4) Relayed via Miami, 80W22 25N54 *5) Relayed via Sackville, 64W19 45N53 73 (via Ashik Eqbal Tokon, Rajshahi, Bangladesh, dxldyg via DXLD) ** DENMARK. No, I don't think there's a chance that DR or Denmark would give up 243 even though transmissions on 243 kHz are likely to be suspended as of Dec 31 2006. Plans are that the transmitters will be kept in place ready to be taken into use should it be necessary in an emergency situation or whenever DRM should become relevant. I am one of the 10 members of the board of DR and I was the only one to vote against the closure of the MW and LW transmitters in Kalundborg. Following the board meeting (where the decision was taken) I suggested replacing the LW/MW transmissions with SW transmissions of a few newscasts to serve Danes abroad (incl. fishermen at sea) but this was (of course) also turned down. Please get in touch should you wish any further details about the situation here. Stig Hartvig Nielsen via Wolfgang Büschel (30/9-2005) (via Ydun`s MW News 01/10-2005 via DXLD) ** EL SALVADOR [non]. Radio Imperial (presumed) making an appearance here on 17838.3 this afternoon at 1840. Rapid talks in Spanish by man and woman. Signal drifted up to about 17838.4 by 1910. Unfortunately the signal was in one its many long deep fades at ToH (Steve Lare, Holland, MI, Sept 29, dxldyg via DXLD) Re 5-170: in light of reports of R. Imperial presumably active around 17838-17839, one of which said its music sounded Greek, I checked Sept 30 at 2045 and guess what I found? A weak signal on about 17839.1 had Greek music, and it was // 17705, i.e. ERT via Delano, just as I suggested. Next thing to do is tune the same displacement below 17705, about 134 kHz. That would be 17705 - 134 = 17571. There was a weak carrier there too, not 17570! Tho too much in the splatter of the OTHER ERT relay via Greenville on 17565 to // the audio. Since 17705 is overwhelmingly strong here, I would hesitate to assume such spurs are transmitter- rather than receiver-produced, but the former certainly seems to be the case now, as I could also detect them on another receiver, and with maximum attenuation. This is not to say that R. Imperial may not also be active sporadically, especially if someone hears a signal definitely in Spanish rather than Greek, but beware of 17705 spurs and be sure to check that, if during the period it is on the air. After 2200 there would be no such problem (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Mea culpa! I just checked 17705 at 1620 and it is indeed parallel to what I'm hearing on 17837.3. Could have sworn what I was hearing yesterday was some rapid fire Spanish, but with the signal popping in and out the way it was it was hard to tell. 17837.3 is indeed a spur of the Voice of Greece via Delano. Thanks for your tip to clear this up. The search continues for Radio Imperial (Steve Lare, Holland, MI, Sept 30, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 17705 was abnormally weak Saturday Oct 1 until 2200* I wonder if they were on another transmitter and/or antenna to work on the spur problem we reported; maybe just propagation, while easterly signals such as RCI 17765 were extremely strong. In fact, an overlap with RHC before 2200 as its open carrier was about equally weak producing SAH. Normally RHC 17705 would be totally blown away by DL. And of course, no spurs audible around 17838 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EUROPE [and non]. In mid-September we went on a tour that spent three days in Slovenia and ten days in Croatia with side excursions to Trieste, Italy and Montenegro. Also cut through a corner of Bosnia. As we were constantly on the go my DXing was limited plus being in hotel rooms and anyone knows the buzzes that occur in most hotels unless there is an outside balcony. I used my Sony-100 with a Gerry Thomas designed Q-Stick (passive ferrite rod with tuner) which did improve the weak signals but also made the noises louder. Daytime DXing varied. In Slovenia the nearby 918 Ljubljana was very strong, with 1170 Beli-Cris and 1134 Croatia fair. And a Slovenian on 549 kHz. Not much else there days as we were in the mountains. The best daytime DX was from Dubrovnik in the southwest corner of Croatia on the Adriatic. There in the middle of the day I found about a dozen Italian stations, mostly on the other side of the Adriatic. The loudest was 1449 Squinzano, but stations on 693, 1314, 1431 and 1116 were also good. Bari is on 1116. But from Dubrovnik the strongest daytime signals were from the Albanians on 1089, 1395 and 1458 kHz. 1134 Zadar was good and 774 Hrav was fair. Also heard days there were 630 Tunisia, 675 Libya and 1008 Corfu, Greece. On the way down the Croatian coast we did a tour of Zadar but I couldn't find the towers for 1134 kHz. A local guide told me the main tower was atop a mountain just north of the city on the Adriatic but there must be more than one tower as they run directional at times and I think, southeast to northwest, which would put them on the great circle path to North America. Incidentally, this station is off the air from early morning to mid-afternoon. The Zagreb area, which we also visited, is covered by 1125 Deanavec. Nighttime listening is very interesting throughout the area of my trip. What you hear best are stations in Romania (several), Bulgaria (several) and Albania. Turkey on 702 and 1017 is very good and Egypt on 774, 819, 864 and 1107 kHz. Several Greek stations come in easily, among them 729, 999, 1494 and 1512 kHz. Libya is also very loud, especially on 1251 kHz. And of course, 1521 Saudi Arabia. Italy is easily heard, especially 900 Milan, and Vatican on 1530 and 1622 kHz. One of the loudest stations heard nightly is 810 Macedonia which is easily identified. Stations in northern Europe are not as good except for the Germans while France and Spain are fair. I just didn't have time to keep a detailed report. I loved Slovenia and Croatia and the scenery, the food, the beer and wine, and the people were terrific. One final observation: I didn't hear a peep out of 846 Rome so they are either off or using low power (Ben Dangerfield, PA, European Trip Report, NRC IDXD via DXLD) ** GERMANY. Tonight at midnight the hr-klassik program of Hessischer Rundfunk finally closed down. Here is the last announcement at 2159 UT, with lead-over to the news and paralleling of hr2 that will continue on the former hr-klassik frequencies, unless used for other Hessischer Rundfunk programs now: http://www.radioeins.de/_/meta/sendungen/apparat/050924_a2.ram The shut-down of hr-klassik is one of various cost-saving measures taken by Hessischer Rundfunk. I think there were not that much costs to save here; the recording is not the best quality but should still be sufficient to reveal the cost-effective continuation from a self-op studio. Also the hr-klassik website disappeared in time, apparently automatically. http://www.hr-online.de/website/radio/hr-klassik/index.jsp now forwards to a fancy ``hr-klassik has been integrated into hr2`` page, delivering the official spin of the circumstance that more airtime for classical music on hr2 (at the expense of other programming of course) is supposed to fully substitute for hr-klassik. Consequently the very last words on hr-klassik contained the ornamented statement ``allow me to take you in my arm and guide you into our common future on hr2``. Did any news media cover the demise of hr-klassik so far? Insert famous GH standard remark here (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Oct 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. Re: DXLD 5-167, Is the term BRD used much any more since there is only one Germany? Yes, since BRD does not mean 'Western Germany' but 'Bundesrepublik Deutschland', and that is the highly official name of this German state (Martin Schoech, 99801 Eisenach - Deutschland, Oct 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GREECE [and non]. Hellenes Around the World, Sat Oct 1 at 1411 on 9775 via Delano, also audible a couple seconds earlier direct on 9420 and 15630. Daily monitoring report from John Babbis in MD shows 9420 was inaudible there (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GUYANA. 3291.13, Voice of Guyana, 0937-0947 Oct 1. At tune in, noted "Bollywood" type music. Other types including Stateside MOR presented. Between tunes, a man gives TCs in English. Signal was good as expected since the morning grayline was just passing Guyana according to the GeoClock program (Chuck Bolland, FL, NRD545, Dipole/ Homebrew Preselector, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. AIR relaying BBCWS: see UK ** INDIA. 'RADIO RAIDS' EXPOSE INDIA'S CORRUPT [sic] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4219362.stm The BBC World Service "I Challenge" series looks at individuals around the world who have challenged authority, traditions and beliefs in the face of enormous odds. Here, we speak to Stalin K, a human rights activist who has being running a revolutionary radio programme to expose corruption in India's western Gujarat province. Stalin K trained semi-literate people to become "fearless" reporters Stalin K came up with the idea of the programme after, in January 2001, Gujarat suffered one of the worst earthquakes to hit India in half a century. More than 20,000 people were killed by the 7.9 magnitude quake, and more than a million were made homeless. Stalin K, who says his father named him in honour of the former Soviet leader, has turned a group of villagers into fearless reporters prepared to challenge people in power. Stalin K's community-focused programmes are broadcast on state radio in the poor rural region of Kutch, Gujarat's largest district. In the months following the earthquake, he put together a radio programme called To Be Alive looking into issues relating to compensation, government handouts and shelter programmes. A few months later, he launched a programme investigating abuses of power that got "under the skin of powerful people," as Stalin K puts it. "It became very popular," he says. One case involved a local politician who had gathered all the compensation money destined for the quake victims in a remote Kutch village. He kept a "princely amount" for himself and handed out the rest to the intended beneficiaries, Stalin K says. When confronted by Stalin K's reporters, the politician, who was being secretly recorded, denied everything. Stalin K set up the radio programme in the wake of the Gujarat earthquake When the report was aired, he lost all credibility and was voted out of office the following year. The programmes are made by rural people themselves, trained by Stalin K and his collective to become radio reporters. "They are 'poorly educated' but they are extremely creative and intelligent people," says Stalin K. "They write, record and edit the programmes." Although all of the recruits, men and women, were only semi-literate, the medium of radio proved liberating and they learned quickly. Stalin K recalls one of his first training sessions involved demonstrating how to sit on a chair. Five years into the project, he must remind his reporters to be respectful towards people in authority. "You can see the transition: from a place where they did not even want to sit on a chair in front of a bureaucrat, they have become so empowered that they have started talking rudely to these people," says Stalin K. "These kids were so empowered by what they were doing, they realised that government officials irrespective of their position can be accountable to them." The programme became a sort of public watchdog - and issued a warning to those tempted to abuse their position that somebody was watching. It's not only changed the public's view of reporting but it's changed the people's expectation of accountability within the authorities A more aggressive style of reporting involved so-called "radio raids", where a whole team of reporters would focus entirely on one particular issue. One of those involved a doctor who was charging women for delivering their babies at a community health centre, when in fact the service is supposed to be free for poor people. The programme's exposé led to a government inquiry into primary health centres across the country where illegal charging was believed to be taking place. "It's not only changed the public's view of reporting but it's changed the people's expectation of accountability within the authorities," says radio reporter Binu Alexander. But the biggest obstacle to community radio is the government's refusal to let programmes like Stalin K's broadcast independently. Despite a Supreme Court ruling in the mid-1990s declaring the airwaves public property, the government is wary about giving such programmes total freedom from state control. But a shift in policy maybe taking place. The BBC World Service has learned from a source in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting that volunteer and charitable organisations should be able to run their own stations within a year (via Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, dxldyg via DXLD) WTFK? What an honour to be named for one of the most bloodthirsty, brutal dictators in history. But hey, he was a commie, so could not be all bad! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDONESIA. 3976, INDONESIA-KALIMANTAN, RRI Pontianak, 1038-1108, Oct. 1, Vernacular. Call to Prayer-like chanting at tune-in with co- channel amateur traffic. Brief announcer and more chants. Announcer at 1044 then Indo pops and ballads thru 1100. Announcer at 1107 with (Presumed) ID then back to music. Fair signal. Would have been better without QRM tho using USB eliminated it rather well (Scott Barbour, NH, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAQ. ARMY DJ`S ENTERTAIN TROOPS IN WAR ZONE Jesse Bogan, Express-News Staff Writer http://tinyurl.com/9vjah BAGHDAD, Iraq — Live from an "undisclosed location" in this war-torn city, the soldier leaned toward the microphone and unleashed a smooth, deep voice onto airwaves that stretch throughout Iraq. "This is Staff Sgt. 'CJ the DJ' Sheely coming from the Broadcast Bunker." (Photos by Nicole Frugé/Express-News) Staff Sgt. C.J. Sheely, 36, waits to go on the air for American Forces Network's Freedom Radio. American Forces Network's Freedom Radio is broadcast from an undisclosed location in Iraq. An Army Reserve unit based in the Texas town of Seagoville runs the station. An illustration shows how to pronounce Iraq in the Freedom Radio studio. C. J. Sheely, a 36-year-old Army Reservist, was two weeks into a tour of duty on behalf of the American Forces Network and sitting in the same seat as AFN's legendary Adrian Cronauer. Cronauer became famous through the movie "Good Morning Vietnam," in which Robin Williams starred as the eccentric DJ who won the hearts of some GIs, but not superiors, with humor and honesty about that war. AFN occasionally broadcasts a recording of Williams saying "Good Morning Baghdad" for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sheely isn't the screamer Cronauer was, nor does he or any of the others behind the microphone have a Cronauer-like following. He was mentored on the job during his formative years at a radio station in Georgia by a retired timber truck driver-gone-DJ. Still, his segue into a short news clip about a road kill cook-off in West Virginia was seamless. His sarcasm was crisp when he reminded fellow soldiers listening in that "we all love our jobs." "Just keep telling yourself that. You'll believe it sooner or later," he said. Then, at the click of a computer mouse, he played the song "Other Side" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The catch with Sheely is he actually does love his job, he said. His boss, Sgt. 1st Class Gail Anderson, 49, a veteran DJ in and outside of the military, said, "It's the best job in the Army." The two men are part of the 206th Broadcast Operations Detachment out of Seagoville, near Dallas. They try to mirror radio programs in the United States and "inform and entertain the troops." They play country, urban and classic rock, among other types of music; however, lyric advisories make way for some limitations. "We don't want any shock jocks like Howard Stern," said Anderson, a father of three boys. "But you can't please everyone, so we try to offend as few as possible." Though AFN is run by the military, Anderson said it's not a "propaganda station." But it doesn't broadcast the number of American service men and women killed in the war — 1,914. "We can, but we don't," Anderson said. He's outfitted with the same combat boots and desert camouflage --- with a 9mm handgun strapped to his leg --- seen on other GIs in Iraq. So far, Anderson hasn't gotten a call from a colonel about on-air antics like Cronauer did, but Sheely said he might get some heat from callers for recommending that a freezing-man contest in Green Bay, Wis., temporarily replace Mardi Gras. He signed off at 6 p.m. with a long "Seeeeeeeeya," and then passed the microphone onto Spc. Cody Graves, 23, of Arkadelphia, Ark., whose radio voice is filled with stutters and a lack of enthusiasm. "Good evening everyone, you are in the Landing Zone," he said dryly, of his program that runs until 10 p.m. Soon he accidentally cut off a new hard rock song midway through for a song by pop singer Sheryl Crow, what he called "a really big booboo." He gave the same teaser when he told a joke that Sheely said he had already used. Graves shook it off and quipped, "No one listens to us anyway." Then he read from a card. "Are you having a problem sleeping? Contact combat stress patrol. Remember that getting the proper amount of sleep is not only good for your health, but keeps you alert for the mission." Though he's rough and a bit stale, Graves has potential, his peers said. And his biggest asset is he's plugged into what younger people listen to --- ideal for the young U.S. troops. And Graves appears to have guts. "Right now I've got Hinder with 'Get Stoned,'" he said into the microphone, easing into his shift. The chorus went: "Let's go home and get stoned. We could end up making love instead of misery." Graves said the lyrics are OK for military broadcasting because "It's just a suggestion." It's unclear how many people listen to the station, with MP3s and CDs as competition, Anderson said, but one thing is for sure: "It is a captive audience." (Mysanantonio.com via Andy Sennitt, dxldyg via DXLD) WTFK? ** KOREA NORTH. Re 5-171: Yes, there was indeed an earlier report about the refurbished news set of North Korean TV. A simple explanation for it would be new equipment. Still in the nineties occasional shots of North Korean cameramen showed them always using 16 mm cine cameras, entirely obsolete for TV news gathering of course. All the best, (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Oct 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LIBYA [non]. Sept 30 was another good day for propagation from France on 13m --- caught last few minutes of V. of Africa on 21695, 21675 at 1357, but was distracted and couldn`t copy what was said by the womannouncer. Wouldn`t you know it, next day, no signal (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** RUSSIA. RUSSIAN LIBERAL RADIO MARKS ANNIVERSARY, OPTIMISTIC ABOUT FUTURE | Text of report by Russian Ren TV on 29 September [Presenter] Ekho Moskvy radio has an anniversary. Fifteen years ago Ekho went on air and is still there. They began as back as the Soviet times as the first independent information radio station. Now, Ekho is true to itself. There have been more than one attempt to close the station. The GKChP [State Committee for the State of Emergency, set up by the putschists in 1991] even issued a special resolution, which Ekho's staff regard as a unique award. Today colleagues and many well-known politicians came to congratulate the journalists of Ekho. Among the guests were those whom the radio often criticizes. Ekho Moskvy radio editor-in-chief Aleksey Venediktov is pleased to accept congratulations. However, he is not in a hurry to sum up the results. [Venediktov] There will be no results for you, do not wait in vain. We are only starting. There are five times 15 [years] ahead of us. Hence, we have Napoleonic plans. Our steps are, so far, those of Bonaparte, but we will grow into Napoleon. [Video shows Ekho Moskvy offices, party at Radisson Slavyanskaya Hotel in Moscow and guests among whom Communist leader Gennadiy Zyuganov and journalist Sergey Dorenko were spotted] Source: Ren TV, Moscow, in Russian 1930 gmt 29 Sep 05 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** SAUDI ARABIA. 9555, BSKSA, Riyadh SEP 29 2043 UT - At tune-in heard exotic Arabic music followed by man in Arabic, short drum interlude, then man talking and laughing with another one followed by apparent theater with woman and man and Mid-Eastern violin between each segment of the apparent play. At 2052 heard what sounded like "habeebee" (lover) mentioned which give me the intuition it was a play about love (I only know a very few words of Arabic !). At 2056 fanfare. Then around 2058 time pips followed by man with mention of "Arabeea" and "Allah" (God) - Mark Connelly talks about Duba-1521 (and is obviously available to all the outlets in the BSKSA network) as being a station with mostly Islamic religious programming and the PWBR listing confirm this was indeed the Saudi station). Slight QRM from adjacent RHC-9550 which was itself badly splashed by DW-9545 (Bogdan Chiochiu, QC, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SLOVENIA. 648 kHz, R. Murski Val, Nemcavci (46 41'N 16 10'E) OCT 1 0115 - Weak instrumental music, not BBC nor RNE Spain. A check of Sweden and UK online DXTuners had a mix of the unID music and BBC Orfordness, Germany DXTuner had solid BBC. Jan Alvestad in southwest Norway suggested R. Murski Val as the number two station under BBC. Streaming audio on the R. Murski Val website matched both the Sweden DXTuner and weak signal received here, carrying the Nocni night program per EMWG (Bruce Conti - Nashua NH, ABDX via DXLD) see also EUROPE http://members.aol.com/baconti/bamlog.htm ** SOUTH AMERICA. Radio Bosques --- Saludos cordiales, información recibida a través de SW-pirates. [SW-pirates] Radio Bosques on air from South America --- HELLO: TODAY AND TOMORROW, RADIO BOSQUES TRANSNITING ON 11424 KHZ. AP 01.00 UTC IN AM. PROGRAM: BUSH GO HOME. YOU IS A TERRORIST. radio_bosques @ yahoo.com.ar (via José Miguel Romero, Burjasot (Valencia), España, Oct 1, HCDX via DXLD) Meaning UT Sun & Mon??? ** UKRAINE. RUI`s schedule as modified Sept 27, recently published here, raises some questions, as it shows two frequencies instead of the usual one, in our evenings. So which one is really for NAm? Since 5910 replaces 7440, one would think that is the primary one for us, but another version of the new schedule, which included times for DX program, says this: (gh) English DX program will be on air on Sat/Sun at 2118 on 5830; at 0018 & 0318 on 5830 [sic]; at 1118 on 9925. Reception Reports Welcomed by email to: egorov @ nrcu.gov.ua Best regards, (Alexander Yegorov, Kiev, Ukraine, via Dario Monferini, playdx yg via DXLD) Why would the DX program, and hence the rest of the two English hours, be on 5830 and not on 5910?? Surely this is wrong. I checked around 0115 UT Oct 1, and found a weak signal in presumed Ukrainian on 5910, and no signal on 5830. No powers or azimuths given, but 5910 is the only Mykolayiv, which presumably means much higher power, even 1000 kW? Could those further east please check and compare the two, especially during the English hours at 0000 and 0300. So let`s go to the website http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/index.php?id=162 --- (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Shortwave broadcasting B04 schedule [sic, tho the dates on next line indicate A-05, and as we know, these frequencies were NOT in effect from 27 March, but from 27 September!] (27 March 2005 - 30 October 2005). [sic] kHz m UTC Transmitter site Target Area 5830 49 2100-2400 Kharkiv Western Europe 5910 49 2300-0400 Mykolayiv North America 5830 49 0000-0500 Kharkiv Russia (Tyumen) 5830 49 1700-2100 Kharkiv Westem [sic, optical scan?] Europa 5830 49 1300-1700 Kharkiv Russia (Tyumen) 7420 41 0500-0800 Kharkiv Western Europe 9925 31 0800-1300 Kharkiv Western Europe Various languages transmission schedule ENGLISH 2100-2200 on 5830 kHz 0000-0100 on 5910 kHz 0300-0400 on 5910 kHz 1100-1200 on 9925 kHz GERMAN 1700-1800 on 5830 kHz 2000-2100 on 5830 kHz 2300-2400 on 5830 kHz UKRAINIAN Programmes are transmitted all the other time ROMANIAN (1/2 hour long) 1700, 1930, 2100 on 657 kHz MW (Chernivtsi) Real Audio programme schedule Time UT Language of programme 0000-0100 English 0100-0300 Ukrainian 0300-0400 English 0400-1700 Ukrainian 1700-1800 German 1800-2000 Ukrainian 2000-2100 German 2100-2200 English 2200-2300 Ukrainian 2300-2400 German Note: Schedules can be changed (RUI via Glenn Hauser, DXLD) Just listened to the end of the NA/EU transmission up to 4 UT on 5910 kHz (a signal of more than S9+60 dB!). Nothing on neither 5830 nor 7440 kHz. 73 (Erik Køie in Copenhagen, Oct 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hello, there are simply - always also in past - two outlets in deep Ukrainian night: one via Kharkiv for the Ukrainian nationals whose ancestors were stranded in Siberia during Stalin's USSR dictatorship in Tyumen and Kazakhstan region. The other Ukrainian/English service towards North America via Mykolayiv seldom-used highpower site west of Crimea. UKRAINE Summer A-05 for Radio Ukraine International: 0000-0500 on 5830 KHR 100 kW / 055 deg to RUS [Tyumen] 0500-0800 on 7420 KHR 100 kW / 277 deg to WeEu 0800-1300 on 9925 KHR 100 kW / 277 deg to WeEu 1300-1700 on 5830 KHR 100 kW / 055 deg to RUS 1700-2400 on 5830 KHR 100 kW / 290 deg to WeEu 2300-0400 on 5910 SMF 500 kW / 314 deg to NoAmEa [Later:] Both strong RUI signals now from 2300 UT onwards on air. 5910 kHz a little bit fluttery signal in southern Germany, despite the main lobe path is more northerly via Warsaw, Copenhagen, Kvitsoe, Faroer Islands, S=9 +10 dB RUI Interval signal of 5910 and 5830 not synchronized. Ukrainian program started exactly at 2300 UT. 5830 kHz a powerful signal all nighttime, S=9 +50 dB at least. Ukrainian 2200-2300 UT, but German service started a minute later behind 5810 Ukrainian at 2301 UT. 73 wb (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, Oct 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Actually this transmission is for Tyumen region which produces at least about 70% of Russian oil and almost 100% of Russian gas. All Tyumen region has about 10% of Ukrainians. Some northern towns have up to 15-20%. And up to 10% Tatars. Until the 60's these territories were almost empty. So in this case this is not Stalin but experience, money and labour mobility (Victor Rutkovsky, Russia, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Okay, okay dear Victor, you are right and have most likely more details on this 'Tyumen' matter on hand. Then let's say Ukrainians moved there under Chrustchev's, Breshnev's, or Andropov's USSR dictatorship. But many thousands of the Ukrainian and German[200.000?] nationals living in Kazakhstan, stranded there during Stalin's dictatorship between 1941 and after WW II in 1945. They stand on trial then, charged against collaborate with the German occupants during the war. Even after the USSR collapse in the nineties, RUI Ukrainian program was sent to Almaty via shortwave feeder 10344usb / 6010usb kHz, retransmitted via Almaty mediumwave 1197 and Kostanay 1440 kHz, Unknown 1494 kHz, locally. 73 de wolfy (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, ibid.) Here is the schedule + contact information as broadcast on Oct. 1, 2005, at around 0355 UT. As attachments are omitted in the group, I hereby send you the audio clip. 9925 to Europe at 11 UT is surprising, as their 15 MHz outlet did quite well! (Thanks also to Büschel in Stuttgart for info). Kind Regards, (Erik Køie, DK-2840 Holte, Denmark, DX LISTENING DIGEST) From 27 Sept to 30 Oct, RUI hour long in English daily: to Eu at 21 on 5830; 00 & 03 on 5910; 11 on 9925. NAm at 00 and 03 on 5910. 00, 03 and 21 are also available in real audio via http://www.nrcu.gov.ua --- e-mail: vsru @ nrcu.gov.ua (Alex Yegorov`s voice, gist as copied by gh for DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K [non]. BBC via All India Radio --- 30 September 2005 On Wednesday and Thursday (28th/29th Sept) Alok das Gupta noted BBC World Service programming at 1600-1630 UT on the National Channel of AIR on 9425 and 9470 kHz (Sports International on Thursday). More details to follow. http://www.dxasia.info (via Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, dxldyg via DXLD) Musta been about cricket ** U K. BBC RADIO 1'S JOHN PEEL DAY http://www.residentadvisor.net/news.asp?id=7151 September 23, 2005. BBC Radio 1 have announced a fitting tribute to one of the greatest DJs and musical talent scouts to ever grace the planet. Thursday October 13 will mark John Peel Day throughout the world. They are encouraging people to organise their own gig as a tribute to John. This can be anything from a couple of unsigned bands down the local pub to hiring an entire venue and booking some of your favourite DJs. Once you have arranged your event, you can submit the event on the BBC John Peel website where they will list and showcase all the events that took place around the world. Already over 300 gigs across the UK have been registered alongside events in Spain, Germany, Italy, USA, Holland, New Zealand and Canada --- all taking place under the banner of Peel Day. Radio 1 will be broadcasting a mammoth six-hour show from 7.00 pm [1800 UT] on Thursday 13 October, presented by a host of Radio 1 DJs. Live music from the nationwide gigs will feature throughout, as well as highlights from the London gig recorded the night before. In the lead up to the John Peel Day, there will be a tribute gig at Queen Elizabeth Hall, London on Wednesday 12 October. John's wife Sheila Ravenscroft outlines the significance of the Hall: We've been to some incredible gigs involving John at the Queen Elizabeth Hall over the years, including his Meltdown festival. It will be odd being there on the 12th without him, but myself and the rest of the family are looking forward to what should be a terrific night. It's great that so many people have put so much effort into both this night and into all the gigs throughout Britain and other countries on the following night." Artists already confirmed for the line-up include New Order, The Fall, Super Furry Animals, Laura Cantrell, Jawbone, Misty in Roots and Venetian Snares. A major interactive Peel website will launch on 8 October with full details of all the gigs across the world, every track listing from every session, audio and video and a huge gallery of photographs, all celebrating John's life and work. To register your venue for Peel Day or for more info on the tribute concert head to the BBC Radio 1 site. John Peel we salute you. BBC Radio 1's John Peel Day http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/alt/johnpeel/johnpeelday/ (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. IN THE RED ZONE --- http://www.afge1812.org/ Dateline: WASHINGTON, 09/28/05. The Broadcasting Board of Governors is going ahead with the foolish, unnecessary and unpatriotic move of contracting out U.S. citizen Government jobs to mainland China. Below is a copy of a letter received by AFGE Local 1812. [see site for jpg] The BBG is using the A-76 process to steal jobs away from U.S. citizens and give these jobs to low wage workers in communist China. To justify this the Agency is artificially creating vacancies in the overnight English newswriting shift by moving those employees to day shifts, which the employees neither requested nor wanted. That is the desperate length the Agency will go to in order to hire some people in communist China. The question is why? Did somebody promise someone a job? The whole thing smacks of more Bush Administration cronyism. Remember that Voice of America Director, David Jackson, used to work in Hong Kong, China. Exactly the place these jobs will be located (AFGE Local 1812 via DXLD) ** U S A. Delano spurs from 17705: see EL SALVADOR, also in 5-171 ** U S A. Another press release at the WWCR site has some photos of retiring GM George McClintock on his latest monitoring trip abroad: http://www.wwcr.com/press_releases/wwcr_pr_2005-09-13_scotland.html (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Jeff White advises that he has just updated the WRMI program listings for October, with the departure of Brother Scare. WRN fills a lot of time again: Daily 0400-0900 UT on 7385 kHz Monday-Friday 1330-1555 UT on 7385 kHz Monday-Friday 2000-2100 UT on 7385 kHz Saturday 1330-1600 UT on 7385 kHz DX Partyline has also been switched from 1330 to 1430 on 7385 Sundays; no changes so far in WORLD OF RADIO, but MUNDO RADIAL moves from 2345 to 1030 UT Sundays on 9955. There is still no program schedule per se in time order (Glenn Hauser, Sept 30, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Consulting the WRN online schedules, we find these stations and programs now happen to be relayed by WRMI 7385: 1330 M-Sa RTE Ireland [joined in progress?! Starts at 1300] 1400 M-F DW, Sat Voices of Our World 1430 M-Sa R. Sweden 1500 M-Sa R. Romania International 1530 M-Sa KBS World Radio 2000 M-F CRI 2030 M-F R. Budapest 0400 D. R. Netherlands 0500 D. Israel Radio, 0528? Earth & Sky 0530 M-Sa Channel Africa, Sun Copenhagen Calling 0600 D. CRI 0630 D. R. Sweden 0700 D. R. Australia 0800 D. V. of Russia 0830 M-F RCI; Sat UN Radio, 0845 R. Guangdong 0830 Sun WORLD OF RADIO Now stand by for the clueless --- those who don`t read DXLD --- to start logging some of these stations on 7385 and wondering why or assuming they are direct from the countries in question. BTW, see CZECH REPUBLIC B-05 schedule where R. Prague expects to resume relays via WRMI in Spanish, after the timeshift, daily at 1300-1327 on 7385 to the Caribbean, even tho this channel is normally only on the NAm beam. I think this is without WRN intervention (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I noticed that there is a third airing of Viva Miami now, Sunday 1500- 1600 on 7385 (John Norfolk, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Re WBCQ move to 5110: FEMA complained? Their transmissions were not abundant during the hurricanes. Right now just a open carrier on 5105.1, RTTY QRM, no FEMA. Thanks for the info. 73/Liz (Liz Cameron, Utility Editor, Michigan Area Radio Enthusiasts http://mare.radio.tripod.com 0029 UT Oct 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Abundant activity hardly required: they have dibs and can insist on OOB broadcasters getting away from frequencies which might be needed (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Allan Weiner spoke about this on Friday's Allan Weiner Worldwide. While the actual use of nearby frequencies by FEMA (or whomever) is problematical, he was happy to move away from that currently-active utility station you refer to, and 5110 kHz was a happy solution for all concerned. 73, (Will Martin, MO, ibid.) ** U S A. While UROBONO via WHRI had been missing every night this week after 0500 on 5835, I checked again on UT Sat, and there it was. At 0459 usual closing to WHRI programming, and I think they said to retune to 7315. But a few seconds later 5835 came back on and directly into URBONO. This is, naturally, contrary to the posted schedules which no longer show 5835 at all, and claim what broadcasts remain are M-F only. I have no idea if this ran all night, but it always pays to keep checking previous usage. One frequency which has yet to come back is 9840 at 2200-2400. Also on 15285 after 1400 Sat, contrary to posted schedules still saying M-F only, 12-14 11785, 14-20 15285 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. I am hearing WINU 870 Shelbyville IL, over/under WWL, as I write this on 10/1 at 0115 ELT [= 0515 UT]. WINU is a 500-watt daytimer. Programming is religious music, with occasional "WINU" IDs. 73 (Bill Dvorak, Madison WI, IRCA via DXLD) ** U S A. All this seems far-fetched to me, but FWIW, from a muck- raking website, conspiratorily: (gh) SEPTEMBER 2, 2005 -- WHO IS JAMMING COMMUNICATIONS IN NEW ORLEANS? Ham radio operators are reporting that communications in and around New Orleans are being jammed. In addition, perplexed ham radio operators who were enlisted by the Federal government in 911 are not being used for hurricane Katrina Federal relief efforts. There is some misinformation circulating on the web that the jamming is the result of solar flares. Ham radio operators report that the flares are not the source of the communications jamming. . . http://www.waynemadsenreport.com/#communications_jammed (via David Hernández, Sept 29, DXLD) This link may only get you to the top of the long page; search on ``jamming`` for several entries in early September, from http://www.waynemadsenreport.com/ Once again we have the term ``jamming`` very loosely thrown around, and anyone with a lick of sense would know that solar flares could not possibly cause any form of ``jamming`` (fadeouts, maybe!). However, this site goes on at some length to suggest that the USG was behind it ``from a pirate station in the Caribbean`` in order to hinder hurricane emergency communications by other entities (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Interesting DX target, for now. --- Seems there is a 250- watt FM on 107.9 in Gretna, LA, just across from New Orleans. Details can be found on Glen[n] Hauser's column: http://www.dxing.com/dxr.htm Hauser reports the callsign of this (surely temporary) station is KS5XAE, a very odd choice for a call. KS5XAE sounds like a ham call, except for the fact that 2x3 calls may not have Xs as the first letter of the suffix. Check out the website of the group. The station is transmitting from a ship. Wacky. http://www.friendships.org/hurricane_katrina.html Is WZKX on or off right now? If it's on, this station may have some serious CCI issues. Hmmmm... (Peter Baskind, J.D., LL.M., N4LI Germantown, TN/EM55, WTFDA via DXLD) Assuming all this is legal, the X means it has an experimental license, and these often include numbers and non-standard formats, from a broadcaster`s perspective. Cf. Astrodome station. BTW, is that all over now? Its temp license has not yet expired. Note that due to workload of processing them, DXing.com has had to suspend archiving DXLD on its website; hopes to resume next year (gh) Back in the early 90s there was a station in Columbia County FL, near Lake City, with calls KA2XXZ on 107.9 --- they were giving info on everything Disney World for tourists on their way south. Basically it was a 10 to 15-minute loop. The station became WLGD and moved to 107.5 years later, I believe with much the same info. However, I drove thru Lake City a month ago. I think they are off for good now. cd (Christopher S. Dunne, WTFDA via DXLD) ** U S A. About the 1710 Hebrew pirate, I tuned in at 1815 local [EDT = 2215 UT] and heard two carriers on 1710. About 3 - 5 Hz apart and both stable. Modulation is just bare audible on one of the two. Am I the only one who's hearing two carriers on 1710? 1710 isn't likely the 2nd harmonic of anything domestic: No domestics on 855 kHz. Where's everyone else up in the Northeast? Are we all quarreling and no one's listening? I'm not listening on anything magic: A mid-age Drake R8B and a 75-foot longwire. The noise that the two 1710ers are overriding is the usual manmade stuff --- weak but still much stronger than the R8B's noise floor. My Bootleg Broadcast Commission now has to chase down two pirates and give them their licenses. If this were the Philippines, I'd assign them DX1710AA and DX1710AB. If one's Canadian, I'll assign him VO1710AA. So there, nya nya nya. 73 de (Charles WD9INP/4 Taylor, Sept 29, ABDX via DXLD) RE 1710: I tuned up there around twilight local time and checked thru out the evening. At last check about 2100 local, there were THREE carriers in there. One of them sounded to be off 200 Hz or so. Lubavitcher seems to have a good-quality transmitter. Stable frequency staying 3 - 5 Hz away from the other pirate. Modulation quite clear at times. Enough for an ID. Modulation didn't sound bad. However, it sounded as though some of the programming was being taken off shortwave. Fading and phase shifting not correlating with fading of Lubavitcher carrier. I guess the next question is "Where is the FCC?" It does seem that some pirates have become either too dangerous politically for the FCC to close down, or of such little problem engineering-wise that the FCC just lets well enough alone is it chases bigger fish. When I got shut down back in Indianapolis, FCC Chicago sent a field officer (GS=11, same grade I retired from VOA!) to do a sweep thru Indianapolis). WISK-1110 could be heard well enough that the licensed stations (WISH-1310 especially) took exception to us. We actually made book once. I mean getting noted in one or another local rating service that polled listeners by random telephone calls. We had interesting stories of people, teenagers mostly, reacting to our [unlicensed] callsign when it came up in our conversations. If I didn't believe in being legal in all things and didn't have so many other risk factors being a retired federal employee, I'd probably get a pirate station of some 50 W on the air in a flash. Jimmy-in- Jericho I'd have so much fun! Being 58 years old wouldn't make a bit of difference. I could put on a program that folks would listen to for certain. Sigh! Charles the Retired Petty Criminal (Charles A & Leonor L Taylor, Greenville, North Carolina, Sept 30, IRCA via DXLD) That is the case here. The FCC relies heavily on the local authorities for the actual enforcement activities (read that 'bust'). The local authorities want no part of going after this one, so they stay. Secondly, however, so far I am not aware of any legitimate interference complaints, which are usually necessary to instigate FCC action (Russ Edmunds, Blue Bell, PA, ibid.) ** U S A. KNZZ-1100 booming into Tulsa tonite, now (2234 CDT 29SEP05) with Tony Snow blowing away WTAM. Bruce Winkelman AA5CO Tulsa, OK Drake R8, Quantum Phaser 2 - 130ft +/- wires, ABDX via DXLD) Grand Junxion CO, Supposed to have null toward Cleveland (gh) I'm pretty sure that they aren't switching to nite rig; what do you all think? They are badly chewing up WTAM here. 73 KAZ near Chicago (Neil Kazaross, IL, ibid.) The history in a nutshell: Westinghouse put KYW on the air in Chicago in 1921 and moved it to Philadelphia in 1934. In the early 50s, NBC, which desperately wanted to own a station in Philadelphia, made Westinghouse "an offer it couldn't refuse" - swap its Philadelphia stations, KYW and WPTZ-TV, for the stations NBC owned in Cleveland, WTAM, WTAM-FM and WNBK-TV, or NBC would pull its valuable affiliation from WPTZ and from Westinghouse's WBZ-TV in Boston. Westinghouse grudgingly consented to the deal, and in 1956 the KYW calls moved to Cleveland on 1100/105.7/TV 3, while NBC got the Philadelphia stations and renamed them WRCV and WRCV-TV. Westinghouse then went to federal court, claiming NBC had improperly used the affiliation deal as leverage to force a sale, and the courts sided with Westinghouse, ordering the swap to be reversed, which it was in 1965. Westinghouse reclaimed the Philadelphia stations, changing the calls back to KYW on 1060 and KYW-TV 3. NBC reclaimed the Cleveland stations, keeping the "KY" call there sort of alive as WKYC AM-FM-TV. NBC sold the radio stations in the early 70s, and they became WWWE 1100 and WWWM 105.7; the FM later became WMJI, and the AM changed calls back to WTAM a few years ago. The TV is still WKYC. Westinghouse did OK by the deal - they also got the new facilities (a tall tower and new TV transmitter) that NBC had built in Philadelphia. Much later - 1995 - NBC finally got its Philadelphia TV station, when Westinghouse and CBS merged and had to sell one of the TV stations they owned in Philly. They kept KYW-TV, flipping it to CBS affiliation, and sold WCAU-TV 10, the former CBS station, to NBC. s (Scott Fybush, ibid.) ** U S A. WCRW/WEDC/WSBC Chicago 1240 --- Which one is it? The CDBS lists all three as currently licensed with different facility IDs, but all apparently using the same tower location. Is this a share-time arrangement? I didn't think such things existed anymore. -- (Mike Westfall, N6KUY, WDX6O, Los Alamos, New Mexico (DM65uv), "Los Alamos" is Spanish for "More than one Alamo" -- Dave Barry --- Online logbooks: http://dxlogbook.gentoo.net?account=mikew ABDX via DXLD) The NRC AM Log lists it as 1240 WSBC Chicago, NSP, parallel 1470 WCSJ. (Bruce Conti - Nashua NH, http://members.aol.com/baconti/bamlog.htm ibid.) There is a great deal of confusion about this one. It was my understanding that the other two pieces of the sharetime, WCRW and WEDC, were merged into WSBC a few years ago when all three came under common ownership. I haven't heard any of the other calls on 1240 since then (they used to do nifty handoffs from one to another). But: when this question came up on an engineering list, their contract engineer said they keep all three licenses alive, and can operate from either of two transmitter locations (the WSBC site on Belmont or the WEDC/WCRW site on Milwaukee Ave.) It's my contention that if the WEDC and WCRW calls aren't used, that the stations have ceased to exist and the licenses should be deleted as a matter of law for having been silent over 12 months. Alas, I don't actually run the FCC, so that remains merely my opinion. We haven't listed WCRW and WEDC in 100000watts.com/M Street for a while now. We may have to reconsider that. Wayne might want to, also - -- though if the WCRW and WEDC calls are never used, I don't see how anyone could log them as a catch. KAZ, do you know otherwise? s (Scott Fybush, ibid.) I guess that means the WEDC/WCRW transmitter site is still being maintained? If WSBC were to operate from the WEDC/WCRW site, would they have to ID as WEDC/WCRW? Or would they have to file for an STA to operate WSBC from there? Would anyone be able to visit the WEDC/WCRW transmitter site to confirm that it still exists? Very interesting. (Bruce Conti - Nashua NH, ibid.) Re: WSBC Chicago. Wow -- the old Willard Storage Battery Company station, a classic -- home of the first black announcer, the late great Jack L. Cooper, back in 1929. SO what is WSBC doing these days? (Donna Halper, ibid.) I never did hear WSBC in the early days. Heard WCRW on one of their NRC DX specials. WEDC (Danamark Square) was a nightly regular and had a very nice QSL card. don k (Don Kaskey, CA, ibid.) This one was easy to pick out of the 1240 mess in the morning. They played reveille every morning at 0600 Central time. Don't know if they still do that (Paul LaFreniere, Grand Marais, MN, ibid.) WSBC = Willard Storage Battery Company WEDC = W Ed Damon Cadillac Who knows if WCRW's call letters had their origin in a set of words? (Andy Ooms, Pine, AZ, ibid.) A PS to my other post on the matter - there are still a small handful of share-timers left. On AM, it's now down to KDEC/KWLC 1240 Decorah IA and WCEV/WVON 1450 Cicero IL. There are a few on FM, as well - off the top of my head, there's WNYU/WFDU 89.1 in New York, KNAI/KPHF 88.3 Phoenix, WAIF/WJVS 88.3 Cincinnati, KUOM-FM/KDXL 106.5 St. Louis Park MN, and I think one or two more. s (Scott Fybush, ibid.) I believe a number of new LPFM licenses have been granted to competing applicants on the condition that they share time (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. Today on the Ed Schultz Show. Progressive talk show host Ed Schultz announced that the show will be available on Armed Forces Radio starting October 17. No mention of this on the Armed Forces Network website yet (Daniel Sampson, Prime Time Shortwave, Sept 30, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VENEZUELA. Saludos cordiales queridos colegas diexistas. Espero que se encuentren muy bien. Hoy Viernes 30 de Septiembre estoy escuchando a Radio Amazonas totalmente fuera de frecuencia en los 5034 kHz y modulación super saturada. Por la forma como estoy escuchando a la radio, me supongo que su transmisor que debe funcionar en los 4940 kHz debe tener graves problemas. Igualmente informo que YVTO sigue fuera de frecuencia en los 5000 kHz (José Elías Díaz Gómez, Venezuela, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VENEZUELA. PRESIDENT COMMENTS ON SUSPENSION OF TV PROGRAMME HOST | Text of report by Radio Nacional de Venezuela on 23 September [really Rodríguez, Chávez] [Rodriguez] President Hugo Chavez made a phone call to "The Razor" programme last night to comment on the suspension of the "Dossier" show, which is hosted by Wálter Martínez on Venezolana de Television. [Chavez] It is cause for concern that a group of people can advocate something without really knowing the rationale. Believe me, I do know about a lot of things that you are probably not aware of, such as demonstrations that were being staged outside the television station. Then, the interior minister called me because he was concerned that a group of people were trying to break into the station. Well, where do you think this case is leading us to? If I speak, I will not say anything about the matter or get directly involved with it. I call on both of you to reflect on this, because many people are watching you. Many people believe you, [Fifth Republic Movement Deputy Luis] Tascon. People believe in you too, [programme host] Mario [Silva]. Just be careful. I am only asking you this in front of our audience. It is a reflection. We need to be self-critical, but we must be self-critical in a responsible, very responsible manner. Well, that is my comment, Mario. [Silva] Okay, thank you very much, Commander. [Chavez] Yes. I ask that all of you exercise caution when advocating causes without really knowing their rationale. I am one of those, and I repeat and repeat, one of those who are highly critical, even in public, but we must be very careful. We have at Channel 8 [Venezolana de Television] a tremendous Venezuelan woman, a tremendous young lady - honest, decent, a journalist who shows great concern for issues - such as Blanca Eekhout, who has my fullest support. At Channel 8, we have come across infiltrated mobs, threats to sabotage the station, and egotism. There are egotistic people who believe that they own a programme and can say anything they like and get away with it, even give their personal views; yes, personal, personal, no? Their desire to steal the spotlight, their lack of humility, etc. I will not comment any further, as I do not want to get involved with this matter. I would only like tell everyone in your audience that I am one of your show's greatest fans, Mario, despite my extremely tight schedule. But, reflect on it, reflect on it, reflect on it, unity, unity; we need lots of unity and not be sidetracked by a temporary passion or a personal issue. [Rodriguez] The president's comments were made during a phone-in to "The Razor" show hosted by Deputy Luis Tascon, which dealt with the case of journalist Wálter Martínez. Source: Radio Nacional de Venezuela, Caracas, in Spanish 2200 gmt 23 Sep 05 (via BBCM Sept 30 via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. Just read on de BDXC topica list here in The Netherlands that there is a very strong ``jammer`` on around 1573 kHz. Also a bit ``bubble`` noise is heard. Is this also heard in the UK? I would say direction is S-E, although difficult to be sure about this, 73 (Max van Arnhem, Sept 29, MWC via DXLD) 1575 Farsi announcements and music (Radio Farda, UAE?) 1573 bubble jammer 1570 UNID noise 73 (Max van Arnhem, The Netherlands, 1950 UT Sept 29, ibid.) Max, I thought it had appeared in DX loggings but it seems not. I have heard for some time now. Not sure when I first noticed it though. It is presumably from the Middle East designed to disrupt R. Farda on 1575. It is precisely on 1573 kHz though I have not checked with Spectrum Lab accuracy. I heard it most nights. 73s (Steve Whitt, UK, ibid.) Thanks for the info, Steve. Yes, as far as I can see it is on 1573, but on 1570 I also have a lot of strange noise, 73 (Max, ibid.) UNIDENTIFIED. DRM sounds so much like other digital garbage on an analog radio, that I am never quite positive whether I am hearing DRM. That was the case with 5900 at 1401 UT Oct 1, and there is nothing on that frequency in posted A-05 DRM schedules. But we know they are incomplete. China, e.g., could always be running some unscheduled DRM (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++ HEAR DRM'S LATEST NEWS AT THE AES CONVENTION IN NEW YORK At the AES 119th Convention in NYC, Don Spragg of Continental Electronics will discuss DRM in the Digital Radio Broadcast Forum, Oct. 7., starting at 2 p.m. [EDT = 1800 UT] http://www.drm.org/newsevents/whatsnew.php (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) DX-PEDITIONS ++++++++++++ DXPEDITION REPORTS ON DXING.INFO Curious to know what other DXers around the world are hearing on mediumwave and shortwave? Check out the DXpeditions page at http://www.dxing.info/dxpeditions/ So far during 2005, a total of 24 DXpeditions from all around the world have been added on the site with detailed logs, reports and photos. Tons of fun and informative reports from the scorching Australian sun, surviving among snakes and alligators, to freezing Arctic winters. And, surprisingly, vice versa. Winters in Australia can be bitterly cold --- at least when you're DXpeditioning in a tent. Other recently added resources include a Guide to identifying Japanese NHK AM stations, complete with audio samples, by John H. Bryant. And don't forget the latest news from the radio dial at http://www.dxing.info/news/ (ABC on 7875 indeed by the Australian military) as well as other new additions to the website at http://www.dxing.info/about/whatsnew.dx (coins anyone?) 73, (Mika Makelainen, Discover http://www.dxing.info Join http://www.dxing.info/community DX LISTENING DIGEST) RADIO PHILATELY +++++++++++++++ PHILATELIC CONTEST 2005 On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the first Cuban-Soviet Space Flight, Radio Havana Cuba invites you to participate in a philatelic contest whose question is as follows: WHAT'S YOUR OPINION ABOUT THE STAMPS ISSUED IN YOUR COUNTRY OR THE WORLD, ON THE SUBJECT OF SPACE? Every participant will be awarded Cuban stamps. Besides, there will be 30 special prizes consisting in Cuban stamps dedicated to the Space. Contest deadline is December 31st, 2005 (via Swopan Chakroborty, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I think they`re neat! (gh, DXLD) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ WATER RADIOS AND 6 MHZ STATIONS ON VLF For about 8 months now I've been getting accidental reception of various stations between 5935 and a little above 6 MHz, culminating in last night I received simultaneously RTI (i think), radiochina (because of the www identifier), Radio Sweden Stockholm, wwcr Tennesee (all of them I identified between 5.9 and 6.0 MHz) and an unidentified station from Cuba (there is probably one at around that). This wouldn't be so interesting if it wasn't for the fact that I've received this in wildly different circumstances. First, I've gotten these exact frequencies many times using various "circuits" and different "antennas" (or absence of). In particular: http://www.cimastudios.com/fdion/water.html#wr3 or for a recap of the past few months: http://www.cimastudios.com/fdion/water.html (François Dion, NC, Sept 30, HCDX via DXLD) Excellent article. I began SWL when in 1971 a portable AM/FM (FM totally new to me back then) began to pick up SW stations in between the AM stations --- which was rather cool considering that I had just begun MW DXing. I actually wrote to the SW stations with reception reports and it was then that I realized, by the frequencies listed on the QSLs received, that these stations were in the same area 5.9 - 6.+ MHz. For half a year, that was my only window to SWL. On a very dry autumn day, my under the kitchen cabinet radio will pick up a station or two - usually VOA or CBC, last time I listened. Perhaps the strangest "dry" radio was when, also back in the 70's, I ran a speaker wire between two floors and for the heck of it I wired it to a recorder as a mic (cold war, James Bond, Man from U.N.C.L.E., you know - spy flicks were in back then) and I noticed the meter jumping, so I recorded it and when I played it back, it was CBC in the same meter band; I remember that because it was reel to reel and I had to listen to about 90 minutes of tape for a frequency. Thanks for the article - this joggled some memories, as listed above (Konnie Rychalsky, Connecticut, ibid.) Except Konnie was not getting them on VLF, but I bet on the upper end of the MW band, as we have repeatedly explained: crummy receivers produce such images, but hey, if they lead to someone getting into SWL, bring them on! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) DON`T USE TTFD FOR NVIS Antenna topics --- a very popular section of Dxers Unlimited is back here today. In today's program I will share with you information that came from amateur radio operators that were providing emergency communications during the Hurricane Katrina event. They found out that professional communications systems using broadband TTFD antennas, the well known Tilted Terminated Folded Dipole antennas, were not as effective as the single band antennas for the 80 and 40 meter bands, where most of the traffic was routed, due to the fact that the great majority of 2 meter and 70 centimeter-band repeaters were out of service for one reason or the other --- and those reasons ranging from lack of AC powerline availability to the downing of the towers where they were installed. The fact is that a typical TTFD may be anywhere between 3 and 6 dB down from a standard half wave folded dipole, and during poor propagation conditions, those 6 dB did make a great difference !! So, here is my advice, if you ever have to deal with an actual communications emergency, requiring the use of the Near Vertical Incidence Skywave propagation mode, don't use TTFD antennas; install a standard half wave dipole for the each band you are going to use, and place them close to the ground, so as to obtain the adequate vertical radiation pattern. NADENENKO DIPOLES Now Dxers Unlimited's mid week edition continues with ASK ARNIE, la numero uno, THE most popular section of this radio hobby program. Today's question came from listener Greg in Ottawa, Canada. Amigo Greg wants to know more about so called NADENENKO dipoles, that he read about in a Russian antenna handbook. Well amigo Greg, the NADENENKO dipoles are nothing more than yet another form of broadband antenna that is based upon the large diameter antenna elements. A typical NADENENKO dipole designed by my good friend Senior RHC transmitter engineer Hector Esperon, provides a very low standing wave ratio from nine to eighteen megaHertz, making it an excellent standby antenna for the 31, 25, 22, 19 and 16 meter bands. By connecting four of these dipoles in front of a wire screen, an excellent broadband curtain antenna array is obtained. The typical NADENENKO dipole antenna is very heavy due to the use of copper tubing rings that form the cage to which the wires are attached, so you amigo Greg, won't see them used by amateur radio operators for obvious reasons (Arnie Coro, RHC DXers Unlimited Sept 27 via ODXA via DXLD) PROPAGATION ++++++++++++ Hi amigos radioaficionados! Welcome to the mid week edition of Dxers Unlimited, that is on the air under excellent autumn equinoctial propagation conditions. DX is plentiful and everyone seems to be enjoying listening to distant stations on the AM broadcast band, the three tropical now thinly populated Tropical Broadcast Bands, and the HF bands up to around 25 megaHertz. And you may ask why I am setting a top limit of 25 megaHertz for the HF band openings, and the reason is no other that there is simply not enough ionization to support good openings on the ten meter amateur band. I am sure that many of you will ask another question, a very logical one indeed --- and that is until when these excellent propagation conditions are going to last. Well, here goes my answer: Expect enjoying them for no less than ten weeks or so. But, the real equinoctial propagation conditions will give way to the wintertime conditions in a swift transition that should start by the end of October or even a bit earlier. . . And now as always at the end of the show, when I am here in Havana, here is Arnie Coro's exclusive and not copyrighted HF propagation update, low band VHF data and the short term forecast for the next several days. Solar flux continues to be hovering around 80 units, just 10 units above the figure that scientists consider to be the Sun's baseline activity, and although it is rather low, it's enough to pump enough energy to the ionosphere to provide nice communications during the equinox. The A index went up to 16 units, due to a high speed solar wind gust, but it will move back down again after Tuesday UTC day ends. The optical sunspot number count is around 25, and although it is not of any significance for HF radio wave propagation, let me comment that solar scientists are watching very carefully a solar prominence of hot hydrogen gas that is holding itself above the Sun's surface due to the action of magnetic fields. This solar prominence is the largest seen in many years, and it may or may not be an advance of more things to happen 93 million miles away from Earth (Arnie Coro, RHC DXers Unlimited Sept 27 via ODXA via DXLD) ###