DX LISTENING DIGEST 6-004, January 4, 2006 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 2006 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html For restrixions and searchable 2005 contents archive see http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid5.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 For latest updates see our Anomaly Alert page: http://www.worldofradio.com/anomaly.html NEXT SHORTWAVE AIRING OF WORLD OF RADIO 1300: Thu 2130 on WWCR 7465 Full schedule, with hotlinks to station sites and audio: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html WRN ON DEMAND [from Fri]: 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 WOR 1300 summary: http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1300.html [later] WOR 1299 summary: http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1299.html [ready] WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS: www.obriensweb.com/wor.xml ** ANTARCTICA. Weather report for LRA-36, Base Esperanza, Antarctica. http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/88963.html (John Babbis, MD, Jan 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Checked at 1815 UT June 4: temp 10 C, not bad at all! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. Reactivated from Northern Territories on 120 mb? Noted at 2000 UT on Dec 17th, on 2485 (strong), \\ 2310 (good), \\ 2325 (very poor). (Rumen Pankov, Bulgaria, wwdxc BC-DX Dec 17 via DXLD) Reshuffled to new RIZ Zagreb-Croatia txs? 100 kW units lowered to 50 kW of power (Wolfgang Büschel, ibid.) ** AUSTRALIA. NRI-Southern Sound Schedule, Australian summertime Extended on Friday, Saturday and Sunday to 0200 (1500 UT) +Live from IWebRadio ^DIALUP FEED Monday to Friday Wednesday 1300 (0200-0400 UT) Sounds Downunder (Tuesday 9 PM EST US)+ 2100-0000* (1000-1300 UT) Music (0600-1000 [sic] EST US Time) HRI-The World on Toast(Live)*+^ 2100-0200 Friday (0600-1000 [sic] Fri EST US time) 1000-1500 UTC Saturday 1700 WORLD OF RADIO 0600-0630 UT (0200-1000 [sic] Fri EST US) 1730 Downunder Media news 0630-0700 UT 1800 Music OR Special feature 0730 UT [sic] 2100 HRI-The World on Toast 1000-1300 UT (Live)*+^ Sunday [the EST times are really EDT, not in effect!] 2200-0100 Brekky with Sounds Downunder (0700 - 1000 EST US)+ 0100-0300 Golden Age OTR or VOSH (1000 - 1200 EST US)*+^ 0300-0400 DKOS Oldies or MVR (1200 - 1400 EST US)*+^ All announcers and producers are members of NRI-Southern Sound and pay a low $10 membership per year. Selected IWebRadio netcast members have a free association with NRI-Southern Sound in a relay capacity only. boa.medicast1.com:9864 http://mediacast1.com:9864 http://www.iwebradio.com http://www.live365.com/stations/iwebradio (via NRI via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. Emisoras Pío XII --- Diversos aspectos, algunos más o menos desconocidos, de la historia de la emisora boliviana Pío XII se presentan ahora en internet en forma de un libro para hojear, en http://www.mauricioaira.com/archivos/arc_libro_siglo_XX.php Siendo uno de los primeros locutores de la emisora, no es más que lógico que el amigo Mauricio Aira haya decidido darle cabida a este interesante documento en el sitio personal que mantiene en internet. Luego de ocupar el puesto de director de programas de la Pío XII, el amigo Mauricio fue director de otras emisoras bolivianas, en cuyo desempeño un día fuera "invitado" por el gobierno de turno a salir del país. Pasó a Buenos Aires, y con la ayuda de la ONU pudo reunirse con su familia y lleva ya varios años residiendo en Gotemburgo, Suecia. Sus comentarios sobre el acontecer político boliviano pueden leerse con cierta frecuencia en varios medios periodísticos de su país, por ejemplo en el diario Los Tiempos, de Cochabamba (Henrik Klemetz, Sweden, Jan 4, condig list via DXLD) ** BOLIVIA. 5952.5, Emisora Pio XII, Siglo Veinte; 0350-0410, p on 06/01/01. Extended transmission for New Year. Count down and greeting for new year (Hideki WATANABE, Radio Nuevo Mundo, JAPAN, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. Hi Glenn, 4915.0, R. Difusora, Macapá, 0723-0740, f on 06/01/01. 0731 ID "ZYH422 630 kHz ondas medias, ZYF360 4915 kHz ... Radio Difusora de Macapá"; "Rádio Difusora de Macapá, 630 kHz a radio da Amazônia," then SJ (Hideki WATANABE, Radio Nuevo Mundo, JAPAN, DX LISTENING DIGEST) What`s SJ? ** BURKINA FASO. R. Burkina on 5030 has been on the air all night with a New Year special programme of Afropop and phone-in's, but also a message at local midnight by the Director of the station and phone interviews with some Ambassadors of French speaking countries. All in French with IDs "RTB". Several times each hour a song was sung with African rhythms with the simple text: "Bonne annee - bonne annee - bonne annee - bonne annee!" An unusual way of New Year broadcasting! SINPO 45444 (Anker Petersen, Denmark, DXplorer Jan 1, via BCDX via DXLD) ** CAMBODIA. TWO LEADERS OF INDEPENDENT RADIO STATION ARRESTED Cambodian authorities have arrested the director and deputy director of the Voice of Democracy radio station, accusing them of defaming the government. The popular US-funded station is one of the country’s few news outlets independent of the Cambodian government. Police arrested Deputy Director Pang Nguon Tieng today, five days after the arrests of Director Kem Sokha and Yeng Virak, who is director of the Community Legal Education Center. Sokha and Tieng also lead the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR), which operates the radio station. Authorities accuse the men of defamation and slander stemming from a banner displayed at a December 10 public gathering to mark International Human Rights Day. The banner featured hundreds of messages written by Cambodian citizens, urging the government to keep its election promises and eliminate corruption. Voice of Democracy has gained popularity by broadcasting public discussion on issues including corruption and injustice in Cambodia. Hang Sobratsavyouth, a host and a senior producer at Voice of Democracy, told IJNet that Tieng called on his cell phone the afternoon of January 4 after being arrested in a rural area. According to Sobratsavyouth, the government forced the station to stop broadcasting news for several hours after the director’s arrest on New Year's Eve. He said he is worried for the future of the radio station, for his own safety, and for his team – but he is committed to working harder. "If we fear and we stop, who else is going to do the work?" Sobratsavyouth said. In October, Cambodian authorities also arrested Mam Sonando, owner and director of independent Beehive Radio, on charges of defaming Prime Minister Hun Sen. He is still in jail awaiting sentencing. The US State Department and watchdog groups like Human Rights Watch say the arrests are part of Cambodian government efforts to silence its critics. US Ambassador Joseph Mussomeli, among several foreigners who gathered outside the CCHR to witness Sokha's arrest, described it as "another step down the wrong path" for Cambodia. He added: "There is not much left to a real democracy." (Source: IJNet - International Journalists' Network) # posted by Andy @ 16:39 UT Jan 4 (Media Network blog via DXLD) WTFK? Not in the list on page 159 of WRTH 2006 (gh, DXLD) ** CHILE. 1380.0, R. Corporación, Santiago; 0830-0845, p/f on 05/12/29. Talk program. Sometimes heard "Cadena Portales, Corporacion" (Hideki WATANABE, Radio Nuevo Mundo, JAPAN, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. Guangxi Foreign Broadcasting Station QSL, Nanning City, 9820 kHz, partial-data personal letter, with apology for delay, in 6 months for a Vietnamese-language broadcast logged in Bao Loc, Lam Dong, Vietnam. No signer (Wendel Craighead-KS-USA, DXplorer Dec 30 via BCDX via DXLD) CRI noted with some new transmissions: Spanish 0600-0700 on 17680 Japanese 2300-2400 on 9695 Mongolian 0000-0100 on 11875 English 0300-0700 on 15120 (Beijing 500 kW 322 degr to Ce Asia). (Olle Alm-SWE, wwdxc BC-DX Jan 2 via DXLD) I've been trying some of the new CRI frequencies - the HF end transmissions are okay mornings - Hungarian etc. - and I can hear 7135 kHz in English at 1000 UT at listed 318 deg to Ciraf 31 & 32! I wonder how many speak English there - perhaps the beam is actually different (Noel R. Green-UK, wwdxc BC-DX Jan 2 via DXLD) ** COLOMBIA. 6139.8, R. Líder, Bogotá, 0450-0505, f on 06/01/01. Countdown and greeting for new year. IDs "Gracias por compartir con R. Líder este año de éxitos", "R. Líder, la Cadena Melodía, los saluda con alegría, felicidades para todos." (Hideki WATANABE, Radio Nuevo Mundo, JAPAN, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CROATIA 5040 und 5050 kHz. --- Etwas erstaunt war ich eben als ich auf 5040 kHz eine Kroatische Station hoerte. Die ID sagte aus: Kroatien Networks. Leider konnte ich keinerlei Eintrag ueber diese Station auf dieser Frequenz finden. Kann mir jemand helfen oder hat jemand aehnliche Beobachtungen gemacht? Habe ich etwas uebersehen? (Uwe Schmidt-D, A-DX Jan 3 via BCDX via DXLD) Das ist die uebliche Einwirkung auf der Zagreb Deanovec Station: eine Mischung zwischen der 49 mb Antenne und der MW Antenne auf 1125 kHz. Das Signal gibt es wirklich, und ist auch bei guter Ausbreitung in der Luft, nicht nur im Nahbereich des Sender. Formel: 6165 minus 1125 kHz = 5040 kHz. Symmetrisch muesste auch auf 6165 plus 1125 = 7290 kHz ein Signal nachgewiesen werden. Aber durch anderweitige Bandbelegung ... schwieriger aufzunehmen. PS. Uebrigens war die gleiche Aussendung in Deanovec auch schon ein Thema in BC-DX 11 vom 20 Dec 1992 [!!] (Wolfgang Büschel, Jan 3, ibid.) ** CUBA [non]. Re 6-003, Radio República: See http://www.directorio.org/history/history.php They dropped the "Revolucionario" in 2002. I recalled reading this when I first located their URL's a few weeks ago (Terry Krueger, FL, WORLD OF RADIO 1300, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I checked out the web stream from RR via http://www.radiorepublica.org and it turns out to be WRMI with its big hum on mp3. Until 2000 UT Jan 4 there was a show about John Lennon including his Xmas song; after WRMI ID, some more recent talk show, which also mentioned the other three frequencies 6135, 5965 and 7110, but without specific times. Can it be in the RR studio they don`t even know 5965 changed to 6010 quite a while ago? Or there is no advantage to mentioning the real frequency and thus expediting dentrocuban jamming QSY? I wonder what is on this link after 2200 weekdays when RR is not on WRMI. Answer: WRMI English programming. Cuba still jamming Cuba and not República, UT Jan 5 at 0010 check on 5965 (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Observations about Radio República (And RHC) broadcasts. Both yesterday (1/3/06) and today (1/4/06), the Cuban government was jamming Radio Habana Cuba on 5965 during my casual checks between 0030 - 0200. I didn't check when the jammer dropped near 0200. On 1/3/06, Radio República was virtually inaudible on either 6010 (about a 0030 check) or 7110 when I attempted after 0230. Most of the 41 & 49 meter bands were doing poorly however, with Russia also barely audible in the 41 meter band. Tonight, however, RR was loud and in the clear on 6010. The program about John Lennon was on from about 0128 to 0156. I recorded the transition between 6010 and 7110 at 0200. There was an ID sequence on 6010, starting about 0156-0159 including ID's, some slogans, frequencies. There was a start of a discussion program, and about 20 seconds into that, the audio abruptly dropped at 0159:45. RR started on 7110, mid sentence at 0200:00, with a quick ID and frequency given right after start-up. The Cuban bubble jammer beat RR to 7110 by about 15 seconds. I had to attend to something else, but when I came back at 0245, the bubble jammer was dominating 7110 (Mark Taylor, Madison, WI, UT Jan 5, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [non]. U.S. GOING SKY HIGH TO THWART CASTRO GOVERNMENT NEWS BLOCKADE IN CUBA http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=11240 (via Andy Sennitt, dxldyg via DXLD) Similar to previous story PLANE MAY HELP OVERCOME CUBA'S 'NEWS BLOCKADE' TV and Radio Martí prepared to hit the skies with a new aircraft they hope will break through Havana jammers and the Cuban government's monopoly on the island's media. BY PABLO BACHELET http://www.sunherald.com/mld/miamiherald/news/world/americas/13536704.htm (via Giampiero Bernardini, Italy, DXLD) Miami Herald article: ``TV and Radio Martí usually broadcast from a blimp tethered in the lower Florida Keys, but it was knocked out by last year's hurricanes and has not been replaced. Cuba has been largely successful in jamming the signals since the radio opened in 1985 and the TV station followed in 1990.`` Well of course, this is another fine example of bad journalism: we all know Radio Martí doesn't and never did broadcast from a blimp. I wonder if they would use P3 airframes? Regardless, how do they plan on broadcasting any more than sporadically due to our cyclonic summer weather? Ship-based is actually more logical (Terry Krueger, FL, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EGYPT Radio Cairo's General program in Arabic 24/7 started webcasting on the following link http://live.sis.gov.eg/live on the same site http://www.sis.gov.eg/En/ there's a link for webcasting of the English Network Nile TV http://live.sis.gov.eg/tv but it ain't working properly when I checked it only audio no video (Tarek Zeidan-EGY SU1TZ, wwdxc BC-DX Jan 3 via DXLD) ** ERITREA [non]. ETHIOPIA, 9560.86, V. of Democratic Alliance via Gedja (presumed), 1501-1519+ UT on Dec 30. Talk in Arabic; pop music selection at 1507, followed by more Arabic talk to 1519 tuneout. Good signal with a bit of splatter from 9565. \\ to 7165.14 kHz which was fair but beginning to fade (John Wilkins-CO-USA, DXplorer Dec 30 via BCDX via DXLD) Voice of Democratic Alliance/Radio Ethiopia. === Radio Ethiopia, heard in Arabic from about 1400 until 1500 and in English at 1600 with Voice of Democratic Alliance from 1500 to 1600, has been poor to fair every day now for a few weeks on nominal 9560 kHz. The clandestine broadcast to Eritrea is usually slightly stronger than the preceding and following RE programs. This must be due to a change of beam rather than a different transmitter, since from day to day the frequency varies for these broadcasts but is the same for both RE and VDA. On December 24 it was 9560.3 kHz, on following days it gradually moved up to 9560.9, and today [January 1] it was back down to 9560.1 kHz (Wendel Craighead-KS-USA, DXplorer Jan 1, ibid.) Registered with non-dir antenna at 1300-1800 UT (wb, ibid.) ** EUROPE. FinnHits Radio from Finland will have a test to USA on 48 mb on Saturday the 7th of January 2006 at 2130 and 2200 UT. Both times the station will be on the air for 10-15 minutes only. Frequency will be 6300 kHz (or 6275/ 6273 kHz). Power only 15 Watts. All information of the reception is welcome to finnhitsradio @ gmail.com Possible QSO's are also welcome. During transmision we will be in the chatroom at http://www.alfalima.net/chatroom FinnHits had QSO with Radio Blackbird from Holland on Sunday 18th of December around 0800 UT on 6300 kHz. FHR Team (via Martin Schoech, Germany, Jan 4, dxldyg via DXLD) ** GABON. Since their reactivation on 4777 about a month ago Radio Gabon has pulled the plug around 1700 UT. On 4 Jan noted them to continue and they were still transmitting around 1840. Recheck at 1905 shows the transmitter is off. Usually they id simply as "Radio Gabon". Jari Savolainen Kuusankoski Finland, WORLD OF RADIO 1300, dxldyg via DXLD) Did I say `477` on WOR 1300? You know what I mean (gh) ** GERMANY. The new AWR relay via DTK Telekom at Wertachtal in Germany was noted here with a clear sign on at a low level this afternoon, Wed Jan 4. This broadcast is noted on 7110 kHz (at 250 kW) with the regular AWR sign on routine at 2000 UT and is beamed in Farsi to Iran. The signal this afternoon was heard on top of local amateurs just beginning to get active in this band. Ian Cattermole in New Zealand has received a confirmation letter from DTK confirming independently that AWR is indeed on the air, 7110 kHz 250 kW 2000 UT from the Wertachtal facility in Germany (Adrian Peterson, DX Editor, Adventist World Radio, Jan 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. DTK Germany B05 schedule of Dec 15, 2005 frq start stop ciraf ant azi type day from to loc pow 1=Sun 7=Sat DTK: 5975 0600 1100 28,39N [DRM] 211 110 216 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 40 5975 1100 1500 27,28 401 ND 926 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 100 TNT*: 5910 1000 1600 27,28 402 ND 976 ......7 301005 311206 JUL 100 RNW1: [DRM] 7240 0659 0757 27E,28W,37N 204 230 212 1234567 301005 311205 JUL 40 PAB: 5945 0030 0045 41 105 85 216 1...... 301005 260306 JUL 100 13820 1430 1445 41 208 90 218 1...... 301005 260306 JUL 100 13820 1545 1600 39,40 208 100 218 1...... 301005 260306 JUL 100 13820 1600 1630 39,40 208 100 218 1...5.. 301005 260306 JUL 100 7260 2000 2015 37,38 401/01 180 146 1...... 111205 260306 NAU 250 7260 1930 2030 37,38 401/01 180 146 ......7 070106 260306 NAU 250 13800 1430 1445 41 105/00 90 217 1...... 301005 260306 WER 250 DVB: 5955 2330 0030 41,49 205 70 211 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 100 RTI: 6120 2100 2200 37NW 401/00 230 216 1234567 301005 260306 NAU 125 5850 1700 1759 29 205 60 211 1234567 141105 260306 JUL 100 RMI: [first two are alternatives for Minivan Radio, now suspended::::] 11800 1600 1700 41 101 110 216 1234567 081205 310106 NAU 250 11800 1600 1700 41 111 105 216 1234567 010205 260306 JUL 100 9405 2000 2030 46 308 210 216 ......7 301005 260306 JUL 100 RWB: 17660 1330 1400 48,39S 304 130 217 .....6. 301005 260306 JUL 100 CVC: 9430 0500 0559 46,47 204 180 217 1234567 301005 260306 WER 125 9430 0600 0659 46,47 311 180 218 1234567 301005 260306 WER 125 15640 0700 0900 46,47 308 180 217 1234567 301005 260306 WER 125 15680 1500 1759 46,47 308 180 217 1234567 301005 260306 WER 125 9765 1800 1959 46,47 305 180 216 1234567 301005 260306 WER 125 7285 2000 2059 46,47 201 180 216 1234567 301005 260306 WER 125 RTR: 5925 1400 1530 27,28 402 ND 976 1...... 301005 260306 JUL 100 BCA: 6015 1630 1700 28,29 205 70 211 1...... 301005 260306 JUL 100 MWA: 6055 1200 1215 27,28 314 ND 930 1...... 301005 260306 WER 250 FVM: 9490 1630 1700 39,40 110/00 105 217 ......7 301005 260306 WER 250 5945 1200 1229 27,28 314 ND 930 ......7 301005 260306 WER 500 BCE: [Luxembourg, DRM] 7295 0900 1544 27 406 290 805 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 40 7145 1545 1700 27 406 290 805 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 40 WRN*: [IBC Tamil with QSY] 7110 0000 0100 41 117 105 216 1234567 161105 151205 WER 250 7115 0000 0100 41 117 105 216 1234567 161205 260306 WER 250 HCJ: 3955 1559 1659 27W,28 403 ND 976 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 100 AWH: 17870 1500 1530 47,48 106 145 217 ...4.6. 301005 260306 JUL 100 MVB: 6130 1300 1400 27,28 205 60 211 1...... 301005 260306 JUL 100 CHW: 6055 1000 1059 27,28 104 115 206 1...... 301005 260306 JUL 100 9890 1900 1959 28,29 104 85 206 ......7 301005 260306 JUL 100 CHW2: 9470 1800 1830 37,46 308 200 216 ..3.... 301005 310106 JUL 100 9490 1800 1830 47,52N,48E 302 160 216 ....5.. 301005 260106 JUL 100 EMG: 6055 1130 1159 27,28 314 ND 930 1.....7 301005 260306 WER 125 11840 1200 1230 19-26 101/00 20 216 ......7 301005 260306 NAU 250 6000 1600 1630 29,30 101/01 70 146 ......7 301005 260306 NAU 250 RRP: 11840 1830 1859 52,53 303 160 216 ....5.. 301005 260306 JUL 100 SBO: 9820 1700 1759 38E,39S,48 311 135 218 1.34.67 151105 260306 WER 125 RHU: 9820 1630 1659 38E,39S,48 311 135 218 ..3..6. 061205 260306 WER 125 AeUV: 9820 1600 1659 38E,39S,48 209 140 216 1...... 301005 260306 JUL 100 EFD: 9620 1900 2000 38E,39S,48 209 140 216 1..4... 161105 260306 JUL 100 ELF: 9820 1700 1759 38E,39S,48 311 135 218 ....5.. 171105 260305 WER 125 ELF2: 12015 1500 1559 38E,39S,48 305 130 217 ......7 301005 260306 JUL 100 IBR: 7340 2000 2100 37,38 405 175 850 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 100 9660 1730 1759 39S47E48 119/00 135 216 1234567 301005 260306 WER 125 9610 1900 2045 46N, 46SE 304 190 217 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 100 9520 1730 1845 47,48,52 304 145 217 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 100 UNL: 7145 0100 0129 41 105 85 216 1...... 301005 260306 JUL 100 6045 1200 1259 27,28 401 ND 926 1...... 301005 260306 JUL 100 6045 1230 1259 27,28 401 ND 926 ......7 301005 260306 JUL 100 7105 1901 1930 39,40 104 115 206 1...... 301005 260306 JUL 100 TOM: 6110 1500 1559 27,28W 118 295 216 ......7 031205 260306 JUL 100 6110 1100 1200 27,28W 118 295 216 1234567 111105 260306 JUL 100 6110 1300 1500 27,28W 119 295 216 1234567 111105 260306 JUL 100 9495 1900 2000 52,53E,57 302 160 216 1234567 251105 260306 JUL 100 9855 1100 1200 29SW38E39 104/01 120 201 1234567 221105 260305 WER 250 9855 1300 1500 29SW38E39 104/01 120 201 1234567 221105 260305 WER 250 9855 1500 1659 29SW38E39 104/01 120 201 ......7 221105 260305 WER 250 RTB: 17580 0557 0816 47,48,52,53 303 160 216 .23456. 301005 260306 JUL 100 17580 0557 1000 47,48,52,53 303 160 216 1.....7 301005 260306 JUL 100 21565 1000 1231 47,48,52,53 301 160 216 ......7 301005 260306 JUL 100 21565 1000 1301 47,48,52,53 301 160 216 1...... 301005 260306 JUL 100 21565 1057 1301 47,48,52,53 301 160 216 .23456. 301005 260306 JUL 100 13590 1557 1800 47,48,52,53 306 160 216 .2..... 301005 260306 JUL 100 13590 1557 1900 47,48,52,53 306 160 216 1.34567 301005 260306 JUL 100 BVB: 5945 0800 0945 27,28N 101/01 275 146 1...... 191105 260306 NAU 125 5945 0800 0915 27,28N 101/01 275 146 ......7 191105 060105 NAU 125 5945 0800 0945 27,28N 101/01 275 146 ......7 070105 260306 NAU 125 5945 0815 0930 27,28N 101/01 275 146 .....6. 301005 260306 NAU 125 6015 1915 1930 28,29 205 60 211 .23456. 301005 260306 JUL 100 6015 1900 2030 28,29 205 60 211 1...... 301005 260306 JUL 100 BVB*: 6015 1900 2000 28,29 205 60 211 ......7 301005 060106 JUL 100 6015 1900 2015 28,29 205 60 211 ......7 070106 260306 JUL 100 BVB: 9470 1900 2015 39,40 101/01 125 146 1...... 091205 260306 NAU 250 9470 1915 2000 39,40 101/01 125 146 .....6. 091205 260306 NAU 250 9470 1900 2000 39,40 101/01 125 146 ......7 091205 260306 NAU 250 9470 1830 1900 39,40 101/01 125 146 ..3.... 091205 260306 NAU 125 7260 1930 1959 46,47 211 170 216 1...... 301005 260306 JUL 100 7260 1900 1930 46,47 211 170 216 ......7 301005 260306 JUL 100 BVB*: 13810 1630 1730 38S39S47,48 106 130 217 .23.56. 301005 010106 JUL 100 13810 1630 1759 38S39S47,48 106 130 217 1..4..7 301005 010106 JUL 100 13810 1630 1759 38S39S47,48 106 130 217 1234567 020106 260306 JUL 100 BVB: 9730 1800 1859 39,40 211 110 216 1.....7 301005 260306 JUL 100 9730 1800 1835 39,40 211 110 216 ..3.5.. 301005 260306 JUL 100 9730 1715 1835 39,40 211 110 216 .2.4.6. 301005 260306 JUL 100 17545 0845 1015 38,39 106 130 217 .....6. 301005 260306 JUL 100 7210 1800 1859 39,40 111 105 216 1.....7 301005 260306 JUL 100 7210 1800 1830 39,40 111 105 216 ...456. 301005 260306 JUL 100 9460 1630 1859 39,40 105 115 216 1...... 301005 260306 JUL 100 9460 1640 1715 39,40 105 115 216 .2.4.6. 301005 260306 JUL 100 9460 1640 1815 39,40 105 115 216 ..3.... 301005 260306 JUL 100 9460 1645 1930 39,40 105 115 216 ......7 301005 260306 JUL 100 9460 1640 1745 39,40 105 115 216 ....5.. 301005 260306 JUL 100 9460 1800 1859 39,40 105 115 216 ...4... 301005 260306 JUL 100 9460 1800 1859 39,40 105 115 216 .....6. 251105 260306 JUL 100 12035 1500 1559 40,41 110 90 218 ..3...7 301005 260306 JUL 100 12035 1530 1559 40,41 110 90 218 12.456. 301005 260306 JUL 100 11645 1630 1715 39,40 111/00 120 217 ..34... 301005 260306 WER 250 11645 1630 1730 39,40 111/00 120 217 .2..56. 301005 260306 WER 250 13645 1530 1600 41 208 90 217 .2345.. 301005 260306 WER 250 13645 1500 1530 41NE 214 75 217 .....6. 251105 260306 WER 250 13645 1530 1600 41 208 90 217 .....6. 251105 260306 WER 250 13645 1400 1545 41 208 90 217 ......7 301005 260306 WER 250 13645 1400 1500 41 208 90 217 1...... 251105 260306 WER 250 13645 1500 1530 41NE 214 75 217 1...... 251105 260306 WER 250 7205 1800 1830 37NW 401/00 230 216 1...... 301005 260306 NAU 125 9720 1430 1500 43S,49 101/00 78 216 1...... 080106 260306 NAU 250 GFA: 13600 1330 1429 41NE43S49N 110/0 75 217 1234567 301005 260306 WER 250 12005 1430 1530 41NE43S49N 110/0 75 217 1234567 301005 260306 WER 250 11645 1530 1630 40E,41NW 120/0 90 216 1234567 301005 260306 WER 250 7210 0030 0130 40E,41NW 208 90 217 1234567 301005 260306 WER 250 7160 2330 0030 41NE43S,49N 221 75 218 1234567 301005 260306 WER 250 YFR1/2: 11835 1700 1800 37,38 305 175 217 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 100 9925 1700 1900 39N,40W 102 115 217 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 100 5925 2000 2100 39,40 104 115 206 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 100 9465 2000 2100 37,38,46,47 204 195 217 1234567 301005 260306 WER 125 3955 1800 1900 27,28 403 ND 976 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 100 HRT: 7285 2300 0400 36 204 230 218 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 100 7285 0000 0400 17 112 300 216 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 100 7285 0200 0600 17 119 325 216 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 100 9470 0500 0800 55,59,60 202 230 218 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 100 11690 0600 1000 58,59,60 208 270 218 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 100 FMO's DWL: 6140 0600 0959 27,28 405 175 850 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 100 6140 1000 1259 27,28 405 175 850 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 40 6140 1300 1559 27,28 405 175 850 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 100 6140 1600 1900 27,28 [DRM] 405 175 850 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 40 TDP: [DRM] 6015 1400 1559 27,28 401 ND 926 ......7 051105 260306 JUL 40 AWR: 6045 0500 0600 28E 105 115 216 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 100 9610 1000 1100 28W 105 145 216 1...... 301005 260306 JUL 100 9800 1900 1959 37,38W 308 200 216 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 100 9695 2000 2030 37,38W 308 200 216 123456. 301005 260306 JUL 100 9695 2000 2030 37,38W 406 200 805 ......7 301005 260306 JUL 100 TWR: 6130 0627 0645 28,29 104 100 206 .23456. 301005 260306 JUL 100 7210 0927 0945 28 104 100 206 ..34567 301005 260306 JUL 100 6105 0927 0945 28 111 105 216 ..34567 301005 260306 JUL 100 7225 1127 1200 28,29 111 105 216 ......7 301005 260306 JUL 100 6130 1127 1200 28,29 104 100 206 ......7 301005 260306 JUL 100 VOR: 5995 0200 0400 39,40 105 100 216 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 100 9555 1500 1600 39,40 102 115 217 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 100 5975 2000 2200 39,40 211 110 216 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 100 5965 2000 2200 39,40 111 105 216 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 100 5990 2100 2200 39,40 105 115 216 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 100 6175 2300 2400 39,40 105 100 216 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 100 IBB: 12110 1700 1759 40 110 100 217 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 100 9495 1800 1859 40 110 100 217 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 100 9485 1900 2000 39N 110 100 217 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 100 9680 1900 2000 40 208 100 218 1234567 301005 260306 JUL 100 9670 0100 0300 42,43 208 75 217 1234567 301005 260306 WER 250 * changes + active on demand # momentary not active AWH Allerweltshaus Koeln e.V. AWR Adventist World Radio BVB Bible Voice Broadcasting BCA Bible Christian Association BCE Broadcasting Center Europe S.A. CHW Christliche Wissenschaft DTK Deutsche Telekom DVB Democratic Voice of Burma DWL Deutsche Welle EMG Evangelische Missions Gemeinden in Deutschland EVR Evangeliums Radio Hamburg FVM Freie Volksmission Krefeld GFA Gospel For Asia HCJ Voice of the Andes HLR Hamburger Lokal Radio HRT Hrvratska Radio Televizija IBB International Broadcast Bureau IBR IBRA Radio Sweden MWA Missionswerk Arche MVB Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Baltic Radio PAB Pan Am Broadcasting RMI Radio Miami International RNW Radio Netherlands World Service RRP Radio Reveil Paroles de Vie RTB Radio Television Belge de la communaute Francaise RTR Radio Traumland (Belgium) RTI Radio Taiwan international RWB Radio Waaberi (Somalia) SBO Sagalee Bilisummaa Oromoo TDP Transmitter Documentation Project TOM The Overcomer Broadcast TWR Trans World Radio UNL Universelles Leben VOR Voice of Russia WRN World Radio Network YFR WYFR Family Radio (DTK Germany, via Paul Gager-AUT, decoded by Mike Bethge-WWDXC Germany, Dec 15, via BCDX, reformatted by Glenn Hauser for DX LISTENING DIGEST!) ** GUINEA. 7125, RTVG, 0836-0845 Jan 4. Entire period seemed to be a Language Lesson for French given by a man and woman. Signal was good (Chuck Bolland, Clewiston, Florida, NRD545 -Dipole, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL. ANALYSIS: 2005 "WORST ON RECORD" FOR KILLINGS OF JOURNALISTS | Text of editorial analysis by Peter Feuilherade of BBC Monitoring Media Services on 4 January 2006 http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/290/1574/640/DSC06600.jpg Last year was the worst on record for the number of journalists and support staff killed in the line of duty, according to figures compiled by media freedom organizations in Europe and the US. For the third year in a row, Iraq remained the world's most dangerous country for the media, with more journalists killed since the March 2003 invasion than in the Vietnam war. Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) reports that in 2005, 63 journalists and five media assistants were killed worldwide. More than 1,300 were physically attacked or threatened, while over 800 journalists were arrested. "The only figure that has fallen in the past year is the number of journalists arrested (807 compared with 907 in 2004). But this is not good enough, because every day an average of two journalists are arrested somewhere in the world just for trying to do their job," RSF commented. And 126 journalists and 70 "cyber-dissidents" were in jail around the world as the year ended, according to RSF's records. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), based in New York, offers lower figures for the total of journalist deaths in 2005. "Forty-seven journalists were killed in 2005, more than three-quarters of whom were murdered to silence their criticism or punish them for their work," the CPJ's annual survey found. "Kidnappers in Iraq, political assassins in Beirut and hit men in the Philippines made murder the leading cause of work-related deaths among journalists worldwide in 2005," the organization said. The CPJ said its analysis had detected a long-term trend, that "those who murder journalists usually go unpunished". "Slayings were carried out with impunity about 90 per cent of the time in 2005, a figure consistent with data collected by CPJ over more than a decade. Less than 15 per cent of journalist murders since 1992 have resulted in the arrest and prosecution of those who ordered the killings," the CPJ concluded. The Brussels-based International News Safety Institute (INSI) included in its 2005 round-up the 48 Iranian journalists and support staff killed in a plane crash in Tehran in December. "The accident - the biggest disaster of its kind in the news business - hiked the news media death toll for the year to 146 in 28 countries, by far the worst annual toll recorded by INSI. It outstripped the 117 dead in 2004, itself the worst year in a decade. Elsewhere, around the globe, 98 journalists and critical support staff died on duty, a third of them in Iraq, the bloodiest conflict for the news media in modern times," INSI said on 2 January. Like the CPJ, the INSI report noted that impunity for the killers of journalists was widely regarded as one of the underlying causes of the continuing unacceptably high death toll of media staff worldwide. "In many countries the bullet or the bomb is a cheap and relatively risk-free way of silencing troublesome reporting. Lack of proper inquiries by the authorities and absence of punishment of the perpetrators encourages more killings and intimidates other journalists into silence. It is high time the international community - especially democracies whose freedoms depend on freedom of information - took notice of this and moved to protect threatened journalists and punish their killers," said INSI Director Rodney Pinder. Danger hotspots For the third year running, Iraq was the world's most dangerous country for the media, RSF reports that in Iraq, the deaths of 24 journalists and 5 media assistants in 2005 pushed the total killed there since the start of fighting in March 2003 to 76, "more than in the 1955-75 Vietnam War". "Terrorist strikes and Iraqi guerrilla attacks were the main cause but the US army killed three of them," RSF noted. For Iraq, the CPJ compiled a lower death toll that RSF - 22 deaths. The CPJ noted that targeted killings and abductions accounted for more than 70 per cent of the deaths it had documented in Iraq. Iraqi journalists bore the brunt of these attacks as it became increasingly hazardous for foreign reporters and photojournalists to work in the field, the CPJ said. "The war in Iraq might lead one to think that reporters are losing their lives on the battlefield. But the fact is that three out of four journalists killed around the world are singled out for murder, and their killers are rarely brought to justice. It's a terrible indictment of governments that let warlords and criminals dictate the news their citizens can see and hear," said CPJ Executive Director Ann Cooper. The Philippines was the second deadliest place for the media in 2005, with outspoken radio journalists being "murdered in alarming numbers," in the words of the CPJ. In the Philippines, the enemies of the media "were no longer armed groups but politicians, businessmen and drug traffickers ready to silence journalists who exposed their crimes," RSF commented, noting that journalists in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka had also been killed because of their work. In Africa, violence against journalists also increased, with journalists murdered in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone and Somalia "and their killers (some of them known) going unpunished," RSF added. In Lebanon, two leading figures from the daily newspaper Al-Nahar were killed - columnist Samir Kassir in June and publisher Gebran Tueni in December. Source: BBC Monitoring research 4 Jan 06 (via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM [and non]. Satellite radio, iPods and Internet video and audio are in a completely different world from DXing. I watch international TV via my Internet connection. I distribute Internet audio around my house via a Part 15 FM transmitter. I am a avid fan of XM. Walking around Manhattan, I see a lot of white headphone cords hanging from people. I also see a lot of satellite antennas on cars. You know times have changed when you can hear people casually talking about Sixties on 6, Artist Confidential or (wait just one more week) Howard Stern. Radio Shack (and many other stores) sold a lot of Sirius receivers over the holiday season. This is now the digital age. DXing will always have its place, especially with us. The rest of the world has begun a new march to a different drummer. Satellite radio's biggest promoter is word of mouth. I am a radio head supreme. I did not even consider satellite until someone bought me an XM receiver last Christmas. Not only do I love it, I'm a huge advocate. It really is "everything, all the time." And it is DX. When was the last time you heard a solid noise-free signal from over 22,000 miles away on a handheld portable? No terrestrial AM/FM repeaters necessary. If you love music, satellite is amazing. The clutter, idiotic banal laughing and endless commercials are gone. Sorry, "regular" radio's greed brought about its end. I now hand the soapbox over to.... (Karl Zuk N2KZ Jan 4 IRCA via DXLD) ** IRAN [non]. NEW SATELLITE CHANNEL TARGETS ETHNIC ARAB REGION OF IRAN A new satellite TV channel fiercely critical of what it calls the "Iranian enemy" was observed by BBC Monitoring on 5 and 6 December. Ahwaz TV, which broadcasts in Arabic, calls itself in its broadcast of 6 December "the television of occupied Ahwaz". It also describes itself in this broadcast as "the voice of Arab strugglers in Ahwaz" and "the voice of the Arab Ahwazi revolution". It calls for independence, an end to 80 years of "occupation" and integration into the greater Arab nation. According to the channel's website, at http://www.al-ahwaz.com it is affiliated with the National Liberation Movement of Ahwaz. Ahwaz (or Ahvaz) is the capital of the Iranian province of Khuzestan. Ahwaz TV has been observed on the Hot Bird 6 satellite at 13 degrees east, broadcasting from 1700-1800 gmt at 10971 MHz. The television has an on-screen caption giving a telephone number with a Nova Scotia, Canada, area code and a fax number with a California area code. Archived recordings of broadcasts are available on the website. The activities of another and quite distinct satellite channel broadcasting to the Khuzestan region, Al-Ahwaz TV, are reported by the website of the London-based British Ahwazi Friendship Society (BAFS) http://www.ahwaz.org.uk Al-Ahwaz TV, which is supported by the BAFS, is reported to broadcast on the Assyrian Betnahrain satellite channel http://www.assyriasat.org/sat/default.htm on Hot Bird 6 at 11585 MHz. BBC Monitoring has not directly observed broadcasts by this channel. BAFS says on its website that it "facilitates grants and donations" to the channel, which it describes as "the only independent broadcasting medium dedicated to giving a voice to the Ahwazi people". BAFS states that it does not support separatism and upholds the territorial integrity of Iran as a multi-ethnic country with regional autonomy. Its treasurer, Mansour Silawi-Ahwazi, is also a senior member of the Democratic Solidarity Party of Al-Ahwaz, which advocates a federal Iran. This report replaces and clarifies information contained in a previous report by BBC Monitoring dated 7 December 2005, which was subsequently withdrawn. Source: BBC Monitoring research 4 Jan 06 (via DXLD) ** KOREA NORTH. Dear Friends, The following message (QSL?) arrived a couple of days ago from Open Radio for North Korea: Best wishes and 73 from (Björn Fransson, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: Dear Mr. Fransson, Thanks for your reception report. I didn't expect a message from such a distant place as Sweden. Could you send a new year message to North Korean people? Then, I can translate it and air it to North Korea on Dec. 8 [sic]. I am now doing a special event of sending a new year message to North Korea free of charge that is the most closed society in the world. The following is a newspaper report to explain our event in new year and my radio station. For your reference, my English name is Young Howard. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- RADIO STATION INVITES WORDS FOR NORTH'S KIM December 29, 2005 --- Open Radio for North Korea, a private radio station, says it is giving people a chance to send a message to Kim Jong-il. The Korean-language broadcaster, with offices here but with headquarters in Washington, D.C., said yesterday that starting on New Year's Day and continuing for a week, it would broadcast free messages from South Koreans to North Koreans in general or to specific people there. Currently the station charges for airing individual commentary: 50,000 won ($50) for the five-minute broadcasts. "As long as the messages are not in violation of South Korean laws, we will air them," said Ha Tae-gyeong, the secretary-general of the broadcasting operation. The station beams an hour of short-wave transmissions northward for an hour a day beginning at midnight. It is a New Concept for Private Individuals to Broadcast to North Korea Exclusive release of Open Radio for North Korea's first broadcasting on December 7 By Kwak Dae Jung, Editorial Board [12.09.2005(Fri)16:14] "This is Open Radio for North Korea, the freedom plaza, reconciliation palace, and hopeful voice." Open Radio for North Korea, a nongovernmental broadcaster to North Korea, sent its first program on the air at midnight on the 7th of this month. A person concerned in Open Radio for North Korea, who listened to the program in Seoul, said that the degree of sensitivity had been generally high except for a few miner noises [sic], and the radio reception in North Korea will be great unless some radio jamming is broadcast. The program started with an interview with Young Howard, the secretary-general of Open Radio for North Korea, where he explained the background story in establishing Open Radio for North Korea, and its broadcast standards, characteristics, and managerial method. The interview was followed by a special report about the conference called Seoul Summit: Promoting North Korean Human Rights, which opened on the 8th in Seoul, South Korea. For the remaining thirty minutes from 12:30 a.m. Free North Korea Broadcasting sent its messages and reports to North Korean people. Download the mp3 file of the Open Radio for North Korea's program broadcasted on December 7 "It is possible to transmit a program supporting the North Korean regime" According to Young Howard's explanation, Open Radio for North Korea is a newly conceived nongovernmental broadcaster to North Korea. It does not create its own programs. On the other hand, it is a transmitting agent taking orders from individuals and groups that want to broadcast their programs to North Korea. Young Howard said, "anyone who wants to send a message to North Korea can be assigned a time slot for a designated fee. Politics, religion, or nationality does not count. Please do not presume that all the programs must be about criticizing the North Koran regime. We guarantee the freedom of expression that may not violate the international standards of broadcasting. So, we can transmit even a program that is intended to support it." Mr. Howard emphasized, "it is a broadcasting system of 'peope's participation' literally." At the beginning of the program, Open Radio for North Korea had introduced itself as a broadcasting system of participation and community, in which Korean people in the South and North Koreas and around the world participate in creating programs. The DailyNK released the entire program broadcasted on the 7th of December with the permission of Open Radio for North Korea. The Open Radio sends programs for 1 hour everyday from midnight. It can be enjoyed only through a short wave radio (via Björn Fransson, Sweden, DXLD) Similar story as previously: http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk02500&num=468 (via tribby2001, dxldyg via DXLD) ** KYRGYZSTAN. 4010, Kyrgyz Radio, received letter and paper QSL in 16 days for follow-up e-mail report to snbckr @ hotmail.kg and ntrk @ ktr.kg so not sure which address got the report there. Letter and QSL (latter also had an official station seal) were signed by K. S. Moldokasymov, President, National Telebroadcasting Corporation. Reception was from Nov 18 2004. Original report sent 12/07/04 with registered mail, return receipt - got the receipt, but no QSL from that report! Interestingly the letter had corrections for year and time zone and another e-mail address of hofnung.Lena @ mail.ru was at the bottom of the letter, almost like another station official reviewed the letter before it left. English had interesting grammar (but much better than my Russian, Hi!) but I was very happy to get this (Bruce W. Churchill- CA-USA, DXplorer Jan 2 via BCDX via DXLD) ** LIBERIA. Radio Veritas, 5469.95, UT Dec 31 at 2147-2201 & 2244- 2322. Discussion about Liberian elections and ID at the hour; from 2244 UT on, Afropops and Bing Cosby's White Christmas just before the hour. Live broadcast of New Year's Mass. USB necessary to sort out mushy audio before until 2201, but from 2244 on, audio and signal strength were very good, with AM mode OK and little static (Ross Comeau-MA-USA, DXplorer Jan 1 via BCDX via DXLD) ** MALDIVE ISLANDS [and non]. COLOMBO-BASED EXILE RADIO AND WEBSITE RAIDED IN MANIPULATION OF INTERPOL By Reporters Without Borders January 5, 2006 Reporters Without Borders/Reporters sans frontières Press release; 4 January 2006 Reporters Without Borders accused today the Maldivian government of repeatedly manipulating Interpol after ten Sri Lankan police officers raided the Colombo premises of an exile radio station and website, radio Minivan and Minivannews.com, on 28 December in a search for arms that was prompted by baseless claims by the Maldivian authorities. Some of the Maldivian journalists have since fled Sri Lanka and the station has stopped broadcasting for fear of further reprisals. "The government in Malé has made a regrettable habit of sending reports to Interpol accusing independent Maldivian journalists and media based abroad of criminal activity without any proof," the press freedom organisation said. "This is an intimidatory policy designed to deprive thousands of Maldivians of independent news and information. We call on Interpol to investigate this crude manipulation by Malé." Opposition journalist Ahmad Didi was arrested in Sri Lanka in 2002 as a result of a wrongful accusation to Interpol that he had a false passport. He is still under house arrest in the Maldives. In 2003, the Maldivian government tried to have journalist Ibrahim Luthfee arrested twice following a complaint to Interpol. And this year, the authorities obtained the extradition of opposition activist Ibrahim Asif from India after falsely accusing him of terrorist activities. A member of the Sri Lankan Criminal Investigation Department confirmed to Reporters Without Borders that a raid was carried out on radio Minivan and Minivannews.com in Colombo. No weapons were found and the case is now closed. According to several sources, Maldivian police chief Adam Zahir told Interpol weapons were hidden on the premises and accused the staff of preparing to overthrow President Abdul Gayoom's government by force. Paul Roberts, a British journalist working for Minivannews.com, said most of the staff had fled the country for fear of further operations by the Maldivian authorities in Sri Lanka. "As a result of this police raid, we have been forced to suspend broadcasts temporarily," Roberts told Reporters Without Borders. "It is what the government hardliners in Malé expected," he added. Presented by Ahmed Naseer, the web-based radio station had been operating for the past 16 months. The Minivan press group has been harassed and censored by the Gayoom government ever since its creation. The Minivan daily newspaper was launched last July but has not been able to publish normally since August as a result of police pressure on its printer. The Minivannews.com website gets an average of 60,000 visitors a day. Radio Minivan, which broadcasts on the shortwave from Germany as well as being on the website, is also often jammed in Malé. Most of Minivan's journalists in the Maldives are being prosecuted, while photoreporter Jennifer Latheef is serving a 10-year prison sentence for an alleged "terrorist act." The Maldives were ranked 148th out of 167 countries in the latest Reporters Without Borders world press freedom index in October (via Jeff White, WRMI, DXLD) ** MEXICO. 970.0, XERFR, R. Fórmula, México DF; 0546-0605, p on 05/12/30. 0559 ID "Uds. escuchan XERFR AM 970 kHz, 50,000 watts de potencia ... 9-70 AM. Cadena Nacional ... R. Fórmula, México." 1000.0, XEOY, R. Mil, México DF; 0639-, p on 05/12/30. // 6010.0 kHz. 1030.0, XESDD-ESPN Deportes, Tijuana, BC; 0817-0930, p/f on 06/01/01. Sports talk program. 0823 "ESPN Deportes, Momento del fútbol"; sometimes heard ID "ESPN Deportes Radio." 1050.0, XEG, La Ranchera, Monterrey, NL; 0740-0750, p/f on 05/12/30. Nice ranchera music. QRM/KTCT on co-channel. 0744 ID "La Ranchera, 10- 50, 99.1" 1470.0, XERCN, R. Hispana, Tijuana, BC; 0740-0805, p on 05/12/30. 0759 NA and canned ID "R. Hispana 14-70, La Voz de la California, XERCN, .. Tijuana .. R. Hispana, 14-70, La Voz de la California, transmitiendo 100,000 watts de potencia, desde Tijuana, Baja California, México" (Hideki WATANABE, Radio Nuevo Mundo, JAPAN, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** NEW ZEALAND. NEW ZEALAND SUCCESS FOR RADIO WEBSITE Radio New Zealand's new website has proved a great hit with local and international audiences. More than 1.6 million page views have been recorded in the first two months of operation. Radio New Zealand's Audio on Demand and live stream facilities introduced to its new website in October this year have already proved a great hit with local and international audiences. More than 1.6 million page views have been recorded in the first two months of operation. Over the same period there have been 190,000 audio items served and, in addition, 70,000 people have listened to Radio New Zealand's live stream broadcasts. Commenting on the success of the first two months of operation Radio New Zealand Chief Executive, Peter Cavanagh, underlined the important role the new technology played in increasing audiences for Radio New Zealand networks. "Radio New Zealand is finally in a position where it can offer the same levels of service that are already provided by many other public service broadcasters around the world. We now offer live streaming, a high quality text based news service and audio on demand all on the one site. Audio on demand is a particularly important initiative... in essence what we are talking about is providing a facility for audiences to time shift their listening, giving them the ability to tune in when they choose to listen, not when we choose to broadcast." The new website http://www.radionz.co.nz features archived audio files from National Radio's top rating news and current affairs programmes Morning Report, Nine to Noon, and Checkpoint. A range of features and interviews is also available from other programmes including Afternoons, Nights, Saturday Morning, Sunday Morning, This Way Up and The Arts on Sunday. Radio New Zealand has received emails from audiences around the world as word of the facility reached ex-pats and international listeners. The impact of the site seems set to continue with more than 60 hours of new content being added every week, and a total of 4500 new items posted each month (press release R NZ, Dec 21, 2005 via BCDX via DXLD) ** PETER I. This is not the kind of trip you can book on Travelocity or Orbitz. Later this month, a group of amateur radio enthusiasts, including two from Central Florida, will embark on a journey to a remote Antarctic island called Peter I. The expedition might as well be going to another planet: Peter I is one of the hardest places on the globe to reach, an uninhabited, volcanic island about 280 miles west of the Antarctic mainland and roughly 8,000 miles from Orlando. One of the biggest challenges members have faced already is explaining why on earth they're doing this. Why else? To communicate by radio from one of the most remote areas of the world. As the expedition's Web site helpfully points out, "It's difficult to make radio contact with a country without a population!" Full Story: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/lifestyle/orl-antarctic06jan04,0,467169.story?coll=orl-living-headlines (via Ken Kopp, KS, dxldyg via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. Yes, the "usual" noise on [Yakutsk] 7200 kHz is back loudly again - it is a most strange sounding fault and I cannot recall hearing it on any other. The total signal on 7200 this morning was very loud - and fluttery - around 0830 and much stronger than 7345 kHz which became audible when Prague went off. It was on top of CNR today. I'm not sure about 7140 as KRE is audible there. As mentioned before, I have not heard Krasnoyarsk 6085 since it changed from 5290. But my friend in Leeds tells me that he heard Russian on 216 on Monday night after RMC had left the frequency - some time after 2300 UT. I suggested that he try 6085 for a parallel. Hopefully the DRM is off at that time (Noel R. Green-UK, wwdxc BC-DX Jan 2 via DXLD) ** SLOVAKIA. Saludos cordiales, ayer en la emisión de Radio Eslovaquia en español hubo una entrevista al actual Jefe de las Transmisiones Internacionales de la Radio Eslovaca el señor "Ladislav Kuvick", trataron sobre el tema del cierre, en el se planteo que si no reciben presupuesto del gobierno en abril cerraran las transmisiones en Onda Corta, se plantea transmitir sólo por Internet, en éstos momentos siguen sin Director, éste se prevé sea designado en el mes de Enero, otra alternativa que buscan sería que otra emisora retransmitiera por Onda Corta sus emisiones, pero ésta alternativa la ven muy complicada. Están abiertos a cualquier sugerencia. Si no pudieron escuchar el programa en directo, puede escucharse a través de Internet: http://www.slovakradio.sk/rsi/ Atentamente (José Miguel Romero, Jan 4, dxldyg via DXLD) ** SWEDEN. PANORAMA EMITE LOS ÚLTIMOS PROGRAMAS SUECIA: Una reciente información recibida de Cecilia Mora, periodista y conductora --- junto a Alberico Lechini --- del programa ``Panorama`` de la Radio Nacional Sueca, me dice lo siguiente: ``Quiero anunciarte que el jueves 5 de enero viene un programa que es muy lindo y es una miscelánea, un mosaico de pedazos de programa desde la fundación de Panorama en 1980, hasta nuestros días. Es un programa muy lindo en donde aparecen todas las voces de las personas que han trabajado en Panorama, todos los empleados de planta. Y el domingo 8 de enero aparece un programa de 25 minutos, muy personal, hecho por mí y es mi propia despedida de Panorama. Yo tuve el privilegio de ser la última que toma el micrófono para decirle adiós a los oyentes definitivamente. No se los pierdan. Un abrazo, Cecilia Mora`` Les recuerdo que pueden escuchar los programas o bajar los archivos de audio entrando a: http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/International/programsidor/index.asp?ProgramID=2202 Saludos a todos! (Rubén Guillermo Margenet, Jan 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U A E. DUBAI ENTERS 40 DAYS OF MOURNING FOLLOWING DEATH OF LEADER Dubai has begun 40 days of mourning following the news that its ruler, Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashed al-Maktoum, 62, died of a heart attack earlier today while on a private visit to Australia. Radio and TV programmes will obviously be modified during this period. All material on the websites of Dubai TV and Emirates Media has temporarily been removed, and replaced with the official announcement of the Sheikh's death, against a black background. Radio Dubai appeared to be off the air on scheduled shortwave frequencies when we checked shortly after 1230 UT posted by Andy @ 12:47 UT Jan 4 (Media Network blog via DXLD) How drastic. So the world comes to a standstill for 40 days? Andy, what frequencies did you check? I thought this had been off SW anyway for over a year (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) ** U S A. SAVVIS CHOSEN TO STREAM IBB BROADCASTS OVER THE INTERNET SAVVIS, Inc., a leading global IT infrastructure and utility services provider, today announced that the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) has awarded All Native Systems, Inc. (ANS) and SAVVIS Federal Systems, Inc. (SFS) a contract to stream and cache IBB broadcasts, including Voice of America (VOA), worldwide over the Internet using SAVVIS' global Content Delivery Network (CDN). Under terms of the four year contract valued at up to $2.45M, the ANS/SAVVIS Team will provide caching, live and on-demand streaming and storage for all properties owned by the IBB, including VOA, Radio Free Europe, and Radio Martí, over its global CDN. "The Internet has become a critical means for accessing Voice of America broadcasts both in and outside the US," said Gary Hosford, Contracting Officer, IBB. "The ANS/SAVVIS team offered us a proven performance record, technical approach, and a unique streaming and caching platform that includes its Intelligent Traffic Management, which answers our specific and growing worldwide needs." Headquartered in Herndon, VA, SFS is a wholly owned subsidiary of SAVVIS, Inc. and specializes in the unique information technology needs of the US Federal Government's departments and agencies. SFS will offer the full range of SAVVIS services via its GSA Schedule 70 contract, including hosting, networking, digital content services, managed security services, and professional services. # posted by Andy @ 16:28 UT Jan 4 (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** U S A [non]. Hi, Today I got a very nice QSL card from the Voice of Joy and v/s Dean Phillips. Postal address is: Box 610411, Dallas, Texas 75261, USA. He can also be reached at voiceofjoy @ comcast.net Their programmes are transmitted via WRN Network on 6220 kHz. 73 from (Björn Fransson, DX-ing on the island of Gotland, Sweden, Jan 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Via somewhere in the FSU, Saturdays 1400-1500 on 6220. Does Dean know and/or will he tell you exactly where if you ask him? Did anyone hear it Dec 31 or was Mystery Radio pirate still colliding? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Re: ``December 18th a fire destroyed a good part of the Rose Hill transmitter building in Kirkland [WA] taking with it the transmitting equipment for 1250 and 1460, which are diplexed there.`` KKDZ-1250 is on and seems stronger than usual as if it were unable to go on night pattern. By agreement with KWSU, KKDZ goes back on 5 kW non-D at midnight local time; it seems that loud now (it is usually scroungy at night). KKAR is barely here days and is never audible here at night so I can't tell about that one (Pete Taylor, Tacoma, WA, ICF2010 + Kiwa air core loop, DX398; Palomar loop, Jan 4, IRCA via DXLD) KKDZ was off for a day or so... back on now, but "different" (not as much splash). KARR is still off as of yesterday (1/3). Per my log, I first noted both off on 12/19 with KKDZ returning a day or so later (not in my log). (Phil Bytheway, WA, Jan 4, ibid.) Interesting about KARR. In my opinion this station has to be one of the absolutely toughest logs in the west. I do not recall anyone out of the Puget Sound Area ever reporting this (well, maybe Finland). Even when the frequency was nearly clear out here (Salinas off for 10 years or more) I could never hear a peep from them (and I tried often enough). (Don Kaskey, San Francisco CA, ibid.) Don, I hear KARR most of the time, but they aren't strong at 150 miles away. This is during the day. Rarely at night though. They are one of the toughest WA logs I know. A couple others are 1420 Renton and 1480 Lakewood too. Those two are even more rare. 73, (Patrick Martin, Seaside OR, ibid.) KARR 1460 was using the Rose Hill site in Kirkland (the one that burned) for both day and night service. KKDZ 1250 was using it only for its nighttime DA. KKDZ's day (and 5 kW ND post-midnight) service comes from the KBLE 1050 tower in West Seattle, and it's my understanding that KKDZ is now using that site 24/7, albeit at reduced power (not sure how much) from sunset to midnight. s (Scott Fybush, ibid.) ** U S A. Re 6-003: KOIL 1020 Format Change 1020//1180 Annoyed to see that Plattsmouth - Omaha, NE station KOIL 1020 has dropped its classic country format with ABC News and Paul Harvey for Radio Disney. Radio Disney continues to be aired on NRG Co-owned KYDZ 1180 for the time being. A dual KYDZ Bellevue, KOIL Plattsmouth ID is being used during the simulcast period. 1180 is scheduled to go dark on Feb 28th, 2006. As its expanded band allocation KOZN 1620 required 1620 or 1180 to go dark. It appears that the KOIL call will stay on 1020; 1180 was KKAR, then KOIL as nostalgia format, then sports, then Radio Disney as KOIL, then KYDZ. The KOIL call dates to 1925 and was the long time call of today's KKAR 1290 until 1993. The Surviving 1020 was KOTD Plattsmouth, then KKSC and later KOIL 1020 with a new transmitter and 7 tower array near Glenwood, Iowa. I can get 1020 KOIL fairly well here at night in West Omaha despite 1400 watts at night. Most of the night time power goes towards Lincoln and Omaha. Transmitter is roughly 20 some miles towards the south- southeast of Council Bluffs and maybe 5 miles NE of Glenwood. They use 7 towers at night, a 3 x 4 arrangement not unlike the unusual 1190 array in Dallas. This gives them a strong lobe towards the west; KFAB has a some what similar pattern but using 3 active towers and a back tower for STL's, & F.M. auxiliary, etc. The current KOIL array has only been in service maybe 2 ~ 3 years. The old 1020 tower at Plattsmouth is still there but the old KOTD studios appear vacant. Don't know if the old site is licensed for auxiliary service, or not. I can kind of understand the reasons for the change to Radio Disney. Omaha had 3 country stations, Top rated Kat 103 KXKT (Ironically was a sister station of KOIL in the early 90's), KHUS 93.3 was a low rated rock station, and KOIL 1020. Several other regional stations on AM KMA, KTIC, WJAG and WNAX all have Paul Harvey and a farm oriented format // country format. Paul Harvey was not exclusive to KOIL as NRG Co-Owned KKAR 1290 also carried Paul Harvey and ABC News. KOIL never got past a 2.0 on the ratings with a 50,000 watt daytime signal. With Radio Disney, Disney pays a substantial sum of money for the placement on the affiliate stations --- goes a long ways towards paying the power bill, and studio costs are minimal, no news dept, or local air talent. I suspect Radio Disney's Business model relies heavily on National ad buys on their network of stations with national advertisers. I can't imagine many local businesses finding 12 and under listeners a big attraction. But kids do have the power of suggestion, to their parents. The troubling part is that a kiddie channel seems so undignified for a once legendary station the likes of KOIL. In theory, you would think another 50 KW day signal in town might give KFAB some serious competition, but so far it hasn't (Bill Snyder - Omaha, Jan 3, ABDX via DXLD) ** U S A. Re 6-003, WHYY HD: ``Article seems self-contradictory: is the HD service simply duplicating the main channel or does it differ?`` Agreed that it could be worded more clearly, but it's actually both. The digital service has two channels. The first digital channel is just parallel the analog station, and the second is the new service ("HD2"). The same seems to be true for all stations that have launched an additional service using HD (Kevin Kelly, Arlington, Massachusetts, USA PublicRadioFan.com, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WASHINGTON POST RADIO STATION TO DEBUT IN MARCH A new radio station serving the Washington metropolitan area with content from The Washington Post will begin broadcasting in late March, newspaper officials announced today. Boisfeuillet Jones Jr, the newspaper's publisher and CEO, said in a memo to staff that the new radio station, which will be named Washington Post Radio, will be owned and operated by Salt Lake City-based Bonneville International Corp. The new station will broadcast on 107.7 FM and 1500 AM, the locations that currently house WTOP, the 24-hour news station owned by Bonneville. Bonneville will move WTOP to 103.5 FM, the publisher's memo said. (Source: Washington Post) # posted by Andy @ 16:36 UT Jan 4 (Media Network blog via DXLD) Huh?? This is interesting given that the station is owned by Bonneville, which is in turned owned by the LDS (Mormon) Church and that the church tries to steer away from partisan politics. They will take up political issues however. Is this going to be accompanied by an ownership change? (Bill Harms, Elkridge, Maryland, IRCA via DXLD) This was posted to the Association of Music Personnel in Public Radio list, since it concerns a classical-music station in D.C. (WGMS) --- but note the change to WTOP-1500 (Randy Stewart, Springfield MO, DX LISTENING DIGEST) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/04/AR2006010400849.html [also via Jim Moats, OH, Mike Cooper, GA] and from InsideRadio: BONNEVILLE DROPS A D.C. BOMBSHELL THAT AFFECTS FIVE FREQUENCIES. Here's today's headline out of Washington - Bonneville transplants dominant all-newser WTOP to a big FM. WTOP will occupy the full-market Class B signal that's the longtime home of classical WGMS. Bonneville SVP Joel Oxley says that offers information-hungry listeners better reception in cars and offices. WTOP's currently heard on the highly directional 1500 Khz frequency and the west-suburban WTOP-FM licensed to Warrenton, VA at 107.7. What happens to highly-rated classical WGMS? It lives on. Bonneville's installing it on the current "Z104" simulcast of WWZZ/WWVZ. That spells goodbye to the modern AC format for Bonneville in D.C. That's not all --- "Washington Post Radio" debuts on 1500 and 107.7 in late March. Bonneville will cooperate with the Capitol's dominant local daily paper (though Bonneville retains full ownership of the stations). The Post will contribute "in-depth" local, national and international news and commentary - hopefully complementing WTOP's all-news format. One other format note - Bonneville pays even more attention to classical fans with two different formats on HD - one a "deep-cuts"-like classical station and the other an opera and choral-based "Viva La Voce." Read Bonneville's FAQ sheet at http://ftp.media.radcity.net/ZMST/Todays/BonnevilleFactSheet1406.pdf (via Randy Stewart, MO, DXLD) Washington, D.C. - In a series of moves dramatically altering the radio dial in Washington, Bonneville International Corporation has announced that WTOP Radio, Washington's 24-hour all news station is moving to 103.5 FM today to expand its reach and penetration. Additionally, WTOP will partner with The Washington Post to form a new radio station broadcasting on the 1500 AM and 107.7 FM frequencies in late March. "At 103.5 on the FM dial, listeners will get better reception," said Joel Oxley, Bonneville's senior vice president. "They will hear WTOP in their homes and offices throughout the region. It will also strengthen the signal in cars driving in the downtown area." Classical music station WGMS will move to 104.1 and 103.9 FM replacing modern rock station Z104. WGMS' move to 104.1/103.9 FM will take place immediately. Until the launch of Washington Post Radio in late March, WTOP will be simulcast on 103.5 FM and 1500 AM and 107.7 FM. "These changes will help us meet the growing needs of the Washington community for news, sports, information, music and emergency services," said Bruce Reese, president and CEO of Bonneville. Bonneville will own and operate both WTOP and Washington Post Radio. Washington Post Radio's programming will include in-depth local, national and international news and commentary provided by Washington Post reporters, editors, and columnists as well as news makers and other local media personalities. "Our venture with The Washington Post will add a new dimension to radio in Washington," Reese said. "It will be smart, savvy, provocative and thoughtful. News hungry Washington is the best town for this new format." In addition, Bonneville is launching two new commercial-free classical stations that will broadcast digitally using HD Radio technology. One station will play traditional classical music like that played on WGMS, but will feature more in-depth classical music choices. The other will be an on-air broadcast of Bonneville's web-based opera and choral music station, Viva La Voce. Both high definition channels are up now and will expand in the next few months. Listeners need an HD Radio to listen to these additional commercial- free radio stations. For more information on HD Radio, click here. Bonneville`s New Washington, D.C. Radio Lineup . . . [grid:] http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?sid=664626&nid=25 WTOP will be simulcast on 103.5 FM and 1500 AM, 820 AM, 107.7 FM and 104.3 FM until the launch of Washington Post radio. Classical HD Radio will broadcast original programming beginning Spring 2006. In the interim, the station will broadcast recorded classical music (via Mike Cooper, Brock Whaley, Tom McNiff, Bill Harms, DXLD) I heard of the WTOP switch this afternoon while actually listening to WTOP which puts a good signal into the central Delmarva on 1500. Personally, I think shifting the current WTOP programming off of 1500 to FM is a mistake. WTOP is a local institution in DC and you don't mess with an institution. Imagine shifting KYW to FM! And the proposed NPR-lite that is going to be put on 1500 on March 31 sounds like a real snoozer. DC locals are not exactly supportive of the Post to begin with as it is losing readership in its print edition for years. If DC locals are not wanting to read the Post, what makes Bonneville think people will want to listen to it? Listen to Post reporters drone on for 20 minutes on Iraq or abortion or social security? That might fly on the low-end of the FM band but not on a 50kw AM blowtorch. For all-news outlets in the Mid-Atlantic, we have the New York and Philadelphia outlets. Baltimore does not have an all-news outlet as WBAL and WCBM are talk stations. Delaware has only graveyarder WILM on 1450 with a news format as WDEL and WDOV are talk. The loss of a 50kw WTOP from AM will create a gap for all-news stations in this part of the Mid-Atlantic (John Cereghin, Smyrna DE, IRCA via DXLD) John: I think that you are putting your finger on something that a lot of people are failing to recognize and that is the service provided by stations outside of their so-called primary service area. It used to be a big deal in the past for certain stations to establish an audience at night beyond their local coverage area. I have to wonder why station owners are ignoring it now. If they really don't want to serve people outside of their local coverage area why bother with high power and with directional antenna systems? In the case of WTOP wouldn't a simple ND 10 kw day and suffice? That would eliminate interference to stations like WFIF and allow them to operate at night too (Bill Harms, MD, ibid.) I wonder if ultimately they will sell WTOP AM or maybe it's an LMA (local marketing agreement) which would guarantee money for Bonneville? (Larry Stoler, ibid.) WTOP Moves On Radio Dial: http://www.nbc4.com/news/5841380/detail.html (From NBC 4 Washington via Sheldon Harvey, DXLD) ** U S A. Radio Notes: KDKA shake-up hot topic Wednesday, January 04, 2006 By Adrian McCoy, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette So far, the hottest topic on Marty Griffin's new KDKA-AM (1020) talk show this week has been ... KDKA. Intense public reaction to the firing of three of the station's talk hosts last week spilled over into the New Year. Griffin was on the front lines, taking calls from listeners who were unhappy with the firings of Mike Pintek, Mike Romigh and sports talk host Paul Alexander. . . http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/pp/06004/631914.stm (via Brock Whaley, DXLD) ** U S A. NTSB RELEASES DETAILS ON THE KFI TOWER DISASTER On December 19, 2004, a Cessna 182P single engine airplane, preparing to land at Fullerton Municipal Airport, collided with the KFI(AM) tower in La Mirada, California. The private pilot and his only passenger were killed, and the tower collapsed (CGC #664, 665, 666). A sharp-eyed CGC Communicator reader discovered that the NTSB has released details on the catastrophe, and a few of the more interesting findings are as follows: o When the airplane was about 3 miles north of the Fullerton Airport, it was cleared to land there. Shortly thereafter, an Air Traffic Control Specialist "observed an explosion west of the airport and watched as the KFI tower collapsed." o A witness driving on I-5 is quoted as saying to his wife seated next to him, "If that plane does not make a radical turn he'll hit the...." The sentence was apparently interrupted midstream when the plane hit the tower about 15 feet from the pinnacle. o The Fullerton Air Traffic control tower was equipped with a certified D-BRITE radar system. An echo of the KFI tower was illuminated on the screen that the controller monitors. However, alerting pilots to possible collisions with fixed obstructions is not a controller's primary responsibility, nor was there information in the report suggesting that this controller was even aware of the [im]pending collision. o The pilot in question had 188 hours of total flight experience according to his flight logbook, with 103 hours accrued in rotorcraft, and 85 hours accrued in fixed wing airplanes. The pilot accumulated a total of 4 hours in a Cessna 182, completed in the accident airplane. o Accident Research Laboratory performed toxicological testing of specimens of the pilot. Results of analysis of the specimens were negative for volatiles and tested drugs. o On January 24, 2002, the Fullerton airport manager reported that he had spoken to the KFI engineer who had opted not to install tower strobe lights regardless of a suggestion made in the months prior. However, strobe lights are not required by FAA regulations for obstacles less than 1,000 feet AGL, such as the KFI tower, in daytime conditions. o In response to an e-mail survey of people who have had experience within the Fullerton airspace and specifically with the KFI transmission tower, "The second query stated that, prior to the recent accident, did they think that the KFI tower was a safety hazard to aircraft operations at Fullerton Airport? In the 122 responses, 88 pilots answered "yes," 29 answered "no"...." The NTSB report is posted at the URL below. Click on "Full narrative available" for the entire document: http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20041227X02035&key=1 (CGC Communicator Jan 4 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) ** U S A. "TALKING BILLBOARD" ON 1610 KHZ IN SAN DIEGO IS POWERFUL A new "talking billboard" on 1610 kHz is reportedly located on the west side of I-805, just before the southbound Sorrento Valley Road on-ramp. It's said to be a tall billboard with an eight foot whip on top. It has been playing a 60 second BMW spot for the past few weeks. The problem is that the signal is reportedly audible in El Cajón some 14 miles away (Submitted report) (CGC Communicator Jan 4 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) ** U S A. Glenn, Visited Indianapolis, IN during Christmas. The following MW and FM info from Indianapolis Star, December 25, 2005. AM WSYW (810) Spanish music (sunrise to sunset) WXLW (950) ESPN radio, sports WIBC (1070) Talk, news and sports WNDE (1260) Talk, sports WTLC (1310) Gospel, blues, community talk WXNT (1430) News, talk and information WBRI (1500) Religious broadcasting (sunrise to sunset) WNTS (1590) Spanish language programming FM WICR (88.7) University of Indianapolis; music and information WSPM (89.1) Catholic radio WJEL (89.3) North Central High School WFYI (90.1) National Public Radio; news, blues/classical WIKL (90.5) Contemporary Christian WBDG (90.9) Ben Davis High School WIRE (91.1) Lebanon; news, religion, sports, country music WEDM (91.1 sic) Warren Central High School [share time?] WHJE (91.3) Carmel High School WRFT (91.5) Franklin Central High School (weekdays from 6 AM) WTTS (92.3) Rock WNOU (93.1) Pop contemporary WISG (93.9) Contemporary Christian WFBQ (94.7) Classic rock WFMS (95.5) Modern country WIAU (95.9) Pop oldies WHHH (96.3) Hip-hop WLHK (97.1) Country WGNR (97.9) Christian WRDZ (98.3) Radio Disney WZPL (99.5) Contemporary hits WYJZ (100.9) Smooth jazz WKLU (101.9) Rock WRZX (103.3) Modern rock WJJK (104.5) Pop/rock WYXB (105.7) Soft rock WTLC (106.7) Rhythm & blues WEDJ (107.1) Hispanic programming WTPI (107.9) '70's and 80's music 73, (via Kraig Krist, K4GLAC, Manassas, VA, Jan 4, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Tnx for your trouble in copying this, but I`ve found newspaper listings of local radio stations, where they even bother, to be notoriously unreliable and out of date. Hope it`s different in Indy (gh, DXLD) ** U S A. Sole Surviving WV Miner is a Ham (January 4, 2006) --- The only survivor of Monday`s mine explosion in West Virginia is Randal McCloy Jr, KC8VKZ, of Philippi, West Virginia. He is reported to be in critical condition in a local hospital. A video report, ``Sole Survivor in Critical Condition,`` is available on the CNN Web site http://www.cnn.com --- tnx Randy Padawer, K7RAN (ARRL main page via John Norfolk, dxldyg via DXLD) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. CLANDESTINA, 1550 R. N. Saharaui, 2345-0002, escuchada el 3 de Enero en españól a locutor con ID, boletín de noticias "Hasta aquí éste breve informativo", música árabe y folklórica, despedida "Gracias por la atención dispensada", al cierre el Himno Nacional, SINPO 33432 (Jose Miguel Romero EA5-1022, Burjasot (Valencia), España, SANGEAN ATS 909, Antena RADIO MASTER A-108, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PUBLICATIONS ++++++++++++ CONFIDENTIAL FREQUENCY LIST 14TH ED? Hi Glenn, happy new year, I have a question for you. I heard a new 14th edition of the CFL would be coming out. I wondered if you had one and if it was worth getting. I heard the 13th edition wasn`t so great, that some of the listings were old and outdated, but was hoping that the new 14th would be more accurate. I like the format of that book and was looking to find any body that knew if it was out and if it was good. Well take care and good dx... de (Scott 73s,DX LISTENING DIGEST) Sorry, I haven`t seen one in years, and don`t know about this (gh) LANGUAGE LESSONS ++++++++++++++++ MEASURING LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY ON THE INTERNET Hundreds of local languages may be sidelined in the drive to bridge the digital divide because of technological oversight and political inertia, according to a new UNESCO publication entitled "Measuring Linguistic Diversity on the Internet". UNESCO is calling for new ways to monitor information societies which go beyond a techno-centric view to consider the social impact of the Internet. According to the new publication that was prepared under the auspices of the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, there are no accurate figures concerning language use on the Internet. For example, there have been claims that diversity is increasing because of soaring numbers of non- native English speakers (mostly Chinese). Indeed, it has been estimated only 36% of actual Internet users are anglophone. However, this is an estimate based upon other estimates produced largely by a marketing company. "Absent from the data is any kind of actual survey of Internet users," says the UIS publication. There is no indication of the language these people actually speak or use on the Internet. Given the complexity involved, no single organization could develop a standard methodology which would accurately reflect Internet users around the world. So the UIS is proposing the creation of a network of regional initiatives, whose studies could then be combined in an overall global perspective. The new UIS publication presents key findings of these research initiatives. While debating the predominance of English, the authors all stress that computers were originally designed with English in mind and therefore have inherent technological biases. Measuring linguistic diversity on the Internet. A collection of papers by: John Paolillo, Daniel Pimienta, Daniel Prado, et al. . - Edited with an introduction by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics Montreal, Canada . - Montreal: UNESCO, 2005 (CI.2005/WS/06) # posted by Andy @ 10:59 UT Jan 4 (Media Network blog via DXLD) MUSEA +++++ 75 YEARS OF BERLIN RADIO BROADCASTING HOUSE Exhibition on Jan 21 to April 2nd, 2006, 0900-1700 UT. Ausstellung im RBB. Ein Symbol deutscher Rundfunkgeschichte: ob Weimarer Republik oder Nationalsozialismus, Nachkriegswirren und Kalter Krieg, Teilung und Wiedervereinigung Berlins- das Haus des Rundfunks (HdR) hat seit seiner Eroeffnung 1931 viel gesehen. Vom 21. Januar bis zum 2. April laedt der RBB Interessierte ein, die Geschichte des einzigartigen Baus von Hans Poelzig mit der Ausstellung "Hier spricht Berlin. 75 Jahre Haus des Rundfunks- 75 Jahre Radiogeschichten" am Originalort an der Berliner Masurenallee kennen zu lernen. Die Ausstellung im Lichthof des Gebaeudes zeigt taeglich von 1000 bis 1800 Uhr [MEZ] anhand von Fotos und Dokumenten, sowie Originaltoenen und Filmausschnitten Geschichte und Gegenwart des Funkhauses. Der Eintritt ist frei. Berlin-Charlottenburg, RBB, Haus des Rundfunks, Masurenallee 8-14 (rbb-txt; via Paul Gager-AUT, A-DX Dec 30 via BCDX via DXLD) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ BBC SCOTLAND REPORT ON FESSENDEN --- a 2 minute video piece: Go to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/default.stm and click on Moves to mark radio broadcasting breakthrough bottom right (Mike Barraclough, England, Jan 4, WDXC via DXLD) SWL WHILE DRIVING Hello All, How many people are out there doing SWL while driving? What is the best way to install an antenna that won't blow off while cruising at a hundred miles per hour? :-) I'm dwelling on how do I install my Kenwood RZ-1 to a dashboard and the antenna. Magnetic loops? (Osamu Hazawa, http://www4.ocn.ne.jp/~pomerol/MyPage/menu0.html swl at qth.net via DXLD) Osamu, I've been SWLing for at least the last 10 years while traveling. I spend an average of 4 hours a day on the road. I never was happy with what you got on commercial broadcast radio when I was on the road, and I HATE the idea of paying for 9000 satellite channels with only 2 channels I was slightly interested in. I have had several different radios in my vehicles, from cheap portables all the way to an Icom R-75 which sat next to me on the seat. Everything I relate here is from personal experience. Your results may vary. The SW Radio I'm running for the past two years is a slightly modified Lowe SRX100 I bought on EBAY. The mods I did are things Lowe should have done when they built it. Depending on your setup you might want to consider similar mods to make your travel time more fun. I changed the antenna connector from RCA jack to BNC jack, because the RCA jack gets loose and falls off. I added lighting to the frequency display. I also put a thick felt cloth washer under the "Tuning" knob so the frequency wouldn't shift when I hit a bump in the road. The other mod is I put a 15,000 ohm 1/8 watt carbon composition (non inductive) resistor across the antenna terminals to bleed off static electricity build up on the antenna. It doesn't seem to affect the radio reception and does stop static discharge caused lightning-sounding crashes when driving on dry cold nights. The radio is light enough that I'm using several strips of Velcro on the radio to mount it to the dash panel right where I can rest my arm on my knee and tune the radio easily while driving. I wired the radio audio out into the car radio system because the built in audio in the Lowe just wasn't quite loud enough in my vehicle which a 4,500lb, 7 feet tall, 20 feet long, 4 wheel drive Ford F-150. You may want to at least consider an external speaker depending on how loud your radio internal speaker is and how quiet your vehicle is. I'm about 50 miles South of Washington DC. Most of my listening is in the 49, 41, 31 meter bands evenings and nights. 25 meters is good in the early mornings. Sorry, I don't do much mid-day listening so I can't clue you in on that. Late nights I listen at home using an Icom R8500. My best antenna has been a 102 inch fiberglass US 27 MHz CB antenna with a 6 inch spring mounted to my rear bumper and a simple two knob matchbox type antenna tuner. A 48 or 60 inch US 27MHz CB antenna will work nearly as well if it's mounted on the vehicle roof, a magnet mount works okay but I prefer a 'real' ground at the antenna end of the coax. It seems a real ground, rather than the capacitive ground a magnet mount antenna gives produces less hiss and crackle noise. I use the longer antenna because mine is bumper mounted 18 inches above the ground. The car factory installed antenna (if it's NOT made into the window glass) work amazingly well when used with an antenna tuner. I've never had much luck using any of the "in the glass" antennas. Some cars with "Invisible" antennas which aren't made into window glass (Cadillac, BMW are two I know about) used the entire trunk lid as an antenna. I would like to try reception in a car like that. I'm sure an expansive Ham antenna would give better performance on some bands, but it would also cost much more than a $35 with brackets and mounting accessories USA 27 MHz CB antenna. The fiberglass antenna definitely is electrically less noisy than a steel antenna while driving down the road. I didn't believe it until I tried it either. Less crackle and hiss from surface electrical discharges caused by air friction along the steel rod. I have RG8X (the thin version of RG8) coax from the antenna to the tuner and from the tuner to the radio. Right before the tuner is a 2 way coaxial switch. One position connects the Short Wave through the matchbox to the antenna, the other position connects the CB radio directly to the antenna and grounds the Short Wave antenna input preventing accidentally sending 5 watts of CB RF back into the Short Wave radio. Experience has taught me to turn OFF the radios I'm not using, even the car factory radio --- fewer 'birdies' and noise on SW. Some electronic controls in modern cars produce horrible noise. I've never been able to filter out noise from electric window motors or some windshield wiper motors on "high" speed. The display (a vacuum fluorescent device) on the factory installed radio produced a horrible whine every 16 kHz across the spectrum when it was set to a specific "Dim" level. Expect various intermittent strange noises on the radio, especially with things like seat belt warning chimes or the key reminder beeper when you open the door with the key in the ignition switch. (A good thing, maybe?) One time a horrible noise began several months after I installed a radio, and it turned out the noise was from a failing electric fuel pump. A GOOD car stereo noise filter in the power lead to the radio cuts out most of the electrical system noises like whines and whistles. I tried a couple cheap ones, but spending a few dollars more here made a lot of difference for me. Wiring the radio power directly to the vehicle battery (through an appropriate fuse, of course) using shielded wire (a spare piece of RG8X) reduced the number of "thumps" and "pops" caused by other electrically operated equipment in the car switching on and off. Good grounds were necessary for me on everything, including adding additional bonding straps from the engine hood to the body and from the truck bed to the frame and cab body. A side effect on my truck was that all the electricals worked a little better and lights were a little brighter. An impulse noise suppression circuit in the radio is almost a necessity, not for eliminating spark ignition noise from your own vehicle, but from other vehicles on the road! My Lowe doesn't have one and I miss it especially when a 30 year old Volkswagen is within 1/2 mile. Best Luck and I'll answer any questions I'm able to (machine1, ibid.) ETON CORP AND AMERICAN RED CROSS ANNOUNCE LICENSING PARTNERSHIP Etón Corporation and the American Red Cross have announced a licensing partnership to deliver new radios for emergency use. With no batteries needed, a built-in flashlight and cell-phone charger, these Red Cross by Eton radios are a necessity for every home, office, and for use when travelling. AM/FM/TV-VHF/NOAA radios provide instant access to local news, critical weather and other emergency alerts so users can be prepared and informed during a wide range of emergencies. AM/FM/Shortwave radios will allow live broadcasts and international news to be accessed from around the world, directly from the source. The Red Cross and Eton will offer self-powered radios to help people stay prepared and informed in times of emergency. These co-branded preparedness and information tools include features such as AM/FM, Shortwave, NOAA, TV/VHF, cell phone charger and built-in flashlight. Both the FR250 and FR300 can be powered from four sources: a built-in rechargeable battery, AA batteries, an AC adaptor, or the dynamo hand crank alone. The FR350 and FR400 are two new, exclusive models that will share the Eton and American Red Cross brands. The '3-in-1' FR350 houses an AM/FM radio, 12 international Shortwave bands, a built-in flashlight and cell phone charger. The FR400 features AM/FM radio, NOAA weather channels, and TV VHF channels and is the Red Cross' recommended choice for emergency preparedness. A built-in cell-phone charger, white LED light and red flashing LED light sources, and water-resistance make it ideal for inclement weather conditions. In addition, a pamphlet suitable to be kept in the home containing vital Red Cross preparedness information will be included with each radio. "The goal of the American Red Cross licensing program is to provide families with top-quality products and information to help them stay safe, every day. The Red Cross recommends that each household have a battery-powered or handcrank radio to listen to local TV, radio and NOAA all-hazards radio for vital information during a crisis," said Joe Becker, Senior Vice President of Response and Preparedness for the American Red Cross. "Therefore we are thrilled to work with Eton to bring this collection of first-class, non-power dependent radios to communities across America." "The American Red Cross performs a vital service to our local communities and to people around the globe," said Dr E A Hozour, CEO of Eton Corporation. "It is a testament to our preparedness initiative to work together with the Red Cross to provide Red Cross emergency preparedness radios that help keep people informed during a time of need." The Eton and Red Cross radios will be available in stores, catalogues and on the Web starting at $50. Eton Corporation http://www.etoncorp.com American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org # posted by Andy @ 10:15 UT Jan 4 (Media Network blog via DXLD) V-SOFT IMPROVES ZIP/SIGNAL PROGRAM V-Soft Communications has added hotlinks to their free Zip/Signal program (signal strength at zip code centers) that is available on the web. Now, when you enter a zip code, the program shows a hot-linked table of all the radio stations having a signal strength above 50 dBu in that zip code. Just click on the hotlinks in the list to bring up the FCC's AM or FM Query programs to find out details on any of the stations listed. Zip/Signal handles all licensed AM (day & night) and FM stations in the U.S. You can also look up a given station by its call sign and see a complete sort-ordered list of the signal strengths for the station organized by zip codes. There is no charge for using Zip/Signal. http://www.v-soft.com/ZipSignal/default.htm (CGC Communicator Jan 4 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) LOJACK'S WAIVER REQUESTS - SOME GRANTED, SOME DENIED LoJack Corporation operates its nationwide stolen vehicle tracking system on 173.075 MHz, a frequency that can cause interference to the reception of TV Channel 7 (174-180 MHz). For this reason, the FCC has limited mobile-unit transmissions to either 200 milliseconds every ten seconds, or 1800 milliseconds every 300 seconds, with a maximum of six messages in any thirty-minute period.* Now, LoJack wants the Commission to abolish these limits, but the FCC has refused to do so. However, some of LoJack's other waiver requests have been granted in whole or in part as explained at the URL below. http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-05-3340A1.doc * Transmissions may be 200 milliseconds every second while a vehicle is being actively tracked (CGC Communicator Jan 4 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) CLOSEST-FREQUENCY AM DIPLEXES Rene's comment about 870 and 1090 in Kingsport-Johnson City being real close in frequency (and using Kahn Powersides to increase the fequency separation by an additional ~10 kHz) brought up this great AM-techno- Geek trivia question: What are the closest-frequency diplexed AMs that you know of? For the uninitiated, "closest" is determined not just by the frequency difference but by the ratio of the frequency difference to the higher of the two frequencies. So a hypothetical 1460/1600 (8.75%) would beat a hypothetical 550/620 (11.29%). I have a feeling that the winner will be in the Honolulu area, where triplexes are commonplace, quadriplexes are not unusual, and there may even be a quintaplex. OTOH, nearly all stations in Hawaii are ND. Answers should include not just the calls, frequencies, and CoLs, but also powers and number of diplexed towers. I'll start the ball rolling with Wilmington DE, WTMC 1380 519W-D/15W-N ND and WILM 1450 1 kW-U ND, 1 tower, 4.82% (smallest frequency separation I am aware of) and San José CA, KSJX 1500, 10 kW-D/5 kW-N DA-2 (three towers in each array -- two shared by D and N arrays, four towers at site) and KZSF 1370, 5 kW-U DA-1 (uses all four towers at the site), 8.67% (smallest frequency separation I am aware of for moderately high-power stations and more than three towers) Locally in the Boston area, we have (among others) WBIX 1060 Natick (days) 40 kW/22 kW-CH DA-2/D two towers at site, both used in both WBIX day patterns, plus WKOX 1200 Framingham 10 kW-D/1 kW-N DA-N (same two towers as WBIX) 11.67%, and WSRO 650 Ashland 250W-D/9W-N ND-U 38.68% (with respect to 1060) Grady Moates is CE of WBIX. And WBIX (nights) 2.5 kW five towers and WAMG 890 Dedham 25 kW-D/3.4 kW-N (five towers D and N, five towers at site) 16.04%. Note that Craig Healy is CE of WAMG. Seattle has KGNW 820 50 kW-D/5 kW-N DA-2 (three towers; three towers at site) and KJR 950 50 kW-U DA-2 (uses all KGNW towers day and night) 13.68%.(smallest frequency separation I am aware of for two 50 kW stations, although KJR was previously 50 kW DA-1 five towers and was diplexed with KHHO 850 Tacoma, 10 kW-D/1 kW-N DA-2 (two towers D/three towers N/four towers total; two towers shared with KJR by day, three by night -- IIRC). This was a separation of 10.53%. If anyone can relate any war stories involved in getting close- frequency AM diplexes to work, that would just add to the fun (Dan Strassberg, NRC-AM via DXLD) POWERLINE COMMUNICATIONS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ BPL LOCATOR BY ZIP CODE Following is the power industry's official website to determine if there is a BPL (Broadband Over Powerline) system operating in a given zip code. Try, for example, zip 92123 to see the limited details that are available on the first BPL system being tested by San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E): http://www.bpldatabase.org/ By the way, SDG&E plans to test other BPL systems, and intends to geographically separate the systems from each other to avoid inter- system interference (CGC Communicator Jan 4 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) ###