DX LISTENING DIGEST 6-022, February 3, 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 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 SW AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1303: Sat 1700 on WWCR 12160 Sun 0330 on WWCR 5070 Sun 0400 on WBCQ 9330-CLSB Sun 0730 on WWCR 3215 Sun 1359 on WRMI 7385 Sun 2229 on WRMI 7385 Full schedule, including AM, FM, satellite and internet, with hotlinks to station sites and audio: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html WRN ON DEMAND: http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24 OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL] http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html or http://wor.worldofradio.org WORLD OF RADIO PODCASTS: www.obriensweb.com/wor.xml ** ALBANIA. Current schedule of 2 mediumwave transmitters located in Fllake near Durres, Albania [UT] freq start end station language azimuth FLLAKE - A 1215 0600 0630 VOA ALBANIAN N-D 1215 0643 0700 DW ALBANIAN N-D 1215 0700 0900 CRI ENGLISH N-D 1395 0901 1000 TIR ALBANIAN 033 1215 1600 1700 CRI ALBANIAN N-D 1215 1700 1800 CRI ESPERANTO N-D 1215 1800 1900 CRI ROMANIAN N-D 1395 1910 2200 TWR Various 330 1215 2201 2300 CRI SERBIAN N-D FLLAKE - B 1458 0530 0600 VOA CROATIAN 338 1458 0630 0645 VOA SERBIAN 338 1458 0730 0900 TIR ALBANIAN 338 1458 1500 1630 TIR ALBANIAN N-D 1458 1630 1645 TIR TURKISH N-D Mon-Sat 1458 1645 1700 TIR GREEK N-D Mon-Sat 1458 1700 1800 CRI BULGARIAN N-D 1458 1800 1900 CRI ITALIAN N-D 1458 1901 1929 TIR GERMAN 338 Mon-Sat 1458 1930 2000 VOA ALBANIAN 030 1458 2001 2059 CRI HUNGARIAN N-D 1458 2100 2115 DW SERBIAN 338 1458 2115 2130 TIR SERBIAN 004 Mon-Sat 1458 2130 2230 CRI POLISH 004 1458 2230 2330 CRI CZECH 338 ____________________________________________________ VOA -Voice of America DW -Deutsche Welle CRI -China Radio International TIR -Radio Tirana (external service) TWR -Trans World Radio Best regards & many 73s! (Dragan Lekic from Subotica, Serbia, Feb 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ALGERIA [non]. Re 6-017: FRANCE: Looking for RTV Algerienne via France (no luck); 1830-1900, 30-Jan; Nothing on 11835, 13775 or 13800; weak audio, poor at QRN level on 11860 but sounds like Spanish --- RNdVenezuela via Cuba? Spanish went off about 1857 & nothing there. 1900, 30-Jan; Nothing at all on 9685, 11835, 11860 or 13800. 11860 not helped by Deutsche Welle sign-on in English via Portugal. 2001, 30- Jan; 9885 covered by EWTN or Vatican in Spanish; 7325 has M in Slavic (Harold Frodge, MI, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) Not surprisingly, since these frequencies were labelled a tentative A-06 schedule (gh, DXLD) Re 6-021, sked via UK: This morning, February 2nd, perfect reception of RTA Algeria in French: 0700 UT on 9735 and 12020 kHz. The best was at 0800 on 13750 kHz. Regards from France, (Christian Ghibaudo, Nice, France, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AZERBAIJAN. Voice of Azerbaijan observed on 1295 kHz on 2 February, in Arabic at 1700, English at 1800. Both continue to identify as "Voice of Azerbaijan" in those languages, rather than the recently reported "Radio Azerbaijan International". A clip of these IDs can be found on the Interval Signals Online website at http://www.intervalsignalsonline.com Regards, (Dave Kernick, UK, Feb 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BENIN. 5025, ORTB, R. Parakou, 1935 Feb 3 with news in French. Reception was very nice: SIO 343. Good propagation to Africa this Friday evening (Jouko Huuskonen, Turku, FINLAND, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BOLIVIA. Re R. Logos, 6165, Santa Cruz: Wayne, Any further news from Santa Cruz? Apparently, no one has been able to hear it since I put out the news a week ago. One guy in Florida was checking every morning this week at 0900 UT. DXers in the Southern Cone know about it, but no one has reported it. So perhaps they are currently not on the air for some reason? Regards, (Glenn Hauser to Wayne Borthwick, via DXLD) Glenn, I talked on the phone with Julio Andino (station engineer) in Santa Cruz just a few minutes ago and he confirmed R. Logos is up and running well on the 5 kW transmitter. The staff are still working on the studio complex at the transmitter site. The situation there is that RCN's programing originally came over an STL from a studio about 5 km away. They just had a cassette player at the transmitter site for emergency programming. The transmitter site caretaker would put several cassettes in for an early morning program but would then switch to the STL and the main programming from the remote studio after that. However the remote studio is now shut down and the studio rooms are being used for other things. Only the satellite receiver and STL are still located there so for the moment the ALAS satellite feed is still coming over the STL. Julio says he is supposed to change the satellite receiver in the coming week to the transmitter site so then the STL will not be needed and control will be from the new studios now under construction there. I asked the hours of operation and Julio says they come on the air in the morning, he believes at 6 AM local, and broadcast all day but not at night. He also said when they get the studio and office setup with telephones they will publish the contact info, but don't have that completely yet. I expect as they get satellite receiver changed and studio wired to the transmitter there may be short periods they will be off air but sounds like otherwise they are and will be transmitting. Good luck on the DX, (Wayne Borthwick, VA7GF, Feb 1, WORLD OF RADIO 1303, DX LISTENING DIGEST) So sign-on would be 1000 UT instead of 0900; try then. I suppose this means you may not hear any IDs but for ALAS (Glenn Hauser, ibid.) ** BRAZIL. A Rádio Capixaba, de Vitória (ES), foi ouvida, novamente, na freqüência de 4935 kHz. Em 1º de fevereiro, às 2133, a emissora apresentava a Voz do Brasil. Em seguida, às 2201, levou ao ar a identificação: "ZYF 651, 4935 kHz, ondas tropicais, Rádio Capixaba, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brasil". Vale o destaque, a título de informação, já que tal emissora é a única daquele estado brasileiro em ondas curtas e estava inativa um bom tempo! 73s! (Célio Romais, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil, http://www.romais.jor.br Feb 1, radioescutas via DXLD) ** BRAZIL. R. Canção Nova, 4824.98, 0630-0645+ Jan 28, Portuguese religious programming with radio-drama, religious music; weak. // 6105 weak and // 9675 good (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BULGARIA. Partial sked of WRN DRM from Feb 6: see DIGITAL BROADCASTING far below ** CANADA. 4051-USB, CFARS Net; 2254-2303*, 1-Feb; talking about ice on your yagi -- ouch! Control was C?W681 Trenton (Harold Frodge, MI, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) ** CANADA. I can honestly say though that CBA [1070 Sackville NB] doesn't seem to "put out" very well for 50 kW ND with the taxpayers paying the engineering bills. It has a decent day and night signal here in PEI, but not as good as one would suspect, given the modest distance and some salt water in between. Maybe someone has been stealing ground radial wire. It is a real problem for some MW stations (Phil Rafuse, PEI, Jan 31, ABDX via DXLD) ** CANADA [non]. STERN FACTOR --- By TERRY WEBER Globe and Mail Update Wednesday, February 1, 2006 Posted at 9:03 AM EST Howard Stern is coming back to Canada. Satellite radio operator Sirius Canada announced Wednesday that the self-proclaimed king of all media will begin broadcasting in this country on Feb. 6 as part of the company's 100 channel lineup. Mr. Stern made a much-publicized jump from FM radio to satellite early this year, with the broadcast of his first show on the U.S. service in January. Sirius Canada, which launched its service in December, had not previously been carrying the Stern program. Sirius officials said Wednesday that adding Mr. Stern to the Canadian lineup falls in line with their commitment to offer Canadian subscribers ``the most variety and choice available in radio.`` ``No one in radio commands more attention than Howard Stern,`` Sirius Canada president Mark Redmond said in a statement announcing the move. ``He is an industry icon with millions of loyal fans throughout the continent who will follow him anywhere to hear his unique form of entertainment.`` Some Canadian listeners have already been taking in the show by subscribing to the American service through a U.S. address. Sirius Canada's 100-channel service already offers 60 commercial-free music channels as well as others focused on sports, news and information and comedy. It also counts lifestyle guru Martha Stewart among the stars on its roster. Sirius Canada is owned by the U.S. parent alongside Standard Radio and the CBC. Last fall, Mr. Stern, known for off-colour comments that have frequently put him at loggerheads with censors, announced that he was moving from traditional radio the satellite arena as part of a $500- million (U.S.), five-year deal with Sirius (Harry van Vugt, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, DXLD) ** CHINA. 6165, CNR5 (presumed), Feb 2, at 1024 Chinese programming clearly //9410. No sign of R. Logos under CNR5. Re-checked at 1327, still in Chinese but not //9410, but did note 9410//5925//7620. Presume all this was CNR5. No sign of Fu Hsing B/Cing Corp (TAIWAN) on 9410. Thanks to Florida DX'er Chuck Bolland in DXLD 6-020 (Jan. 30, 2006), who noted unidentified Chinese station on 6165 (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, RX340, with T2FD antenna, dxldyg via DXLD) While looking for BOLIVIA ** COLOMBIA. Hasta cuando engañan --- Escuchando ayer en la noche a Radio Lider 730 AM con señal muy debil, pude escuchar que ya no ofrecen un "fabuloso premio" a los oyentes que les escriban reportando la señal, ahora estan ofreciendo un "recuerdo de la estación". Hasta cuando engañan a sus oyentes en el mundo, deberían tener un poquito de seriedad y respeto por quienes hemos escrito reportando la señal. Atte: (José Elías Díaz Gómez, Venezuela, Feb 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST) + SW 6140v José Elías: Saludos desde Suecia. Estoy de acuerdo; no es muy serio actuar de esa manera. Sugiero el envío de un mail, a la atención del Sr. Gerardo Páez, diciéndole que Radio Líder está en mora de responder siquiera a alguno de los que han reportado. Su correo, al parecer, es como sigue: radiolider@... [truncated by yg] Un abrazo (Henrik Klemetz, Sweden, condig list via DXLD) ** CUBA. RHC mixing products between 11760 and 11805 audible on both 11850, and mixed with KJES, on 11715, at 1425 Feb 3 outroing Voces de la Revolucion, i.e. Fidel (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [non]. Remaining R. Martí schedule after Feb 1 cuts: 00-03 11775G 00-04 7365G 03-07 7405G 04-05 9805G 07-13 5980D 10-12 6030D 11-14 5745G 12-14 7405G 13-24 11930G 14-1930 13820G 14-20 15330G 1930-24 13820D 20-22 9565G 22-10 6030G Note: R. Martí had been an example of always 4 SW frequencies at a time, no more, no less. Now the max is 3, and in the 05-11 period only 2. In the case of jammed services such as this, it is NOT advisable to reduce the number of frequencies. This allows the existing jammers to ``gang up`` even more so against the remaining frequencies. Furthermore, abandoning the highest daytime frequency (17670) is not advisable, since the highest frequencies are most immune to jamming -- - as long as it propagate (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [non]. Quick check around 0010 UT Feb 2 of R. República found the jamming has started on new 7205, but RR was way atop it. Bits of jamming could still be heard on ex-6010 and ex-5965. Separate service on 7160 also still heavily jammed, of course. BTW, I see in the Feb ODXA Listening In a log for this on 6135 ``via WRMI``. As we have been trying to make clear here, the 6135/5965/6010/7205/7110 broadcasts are NOT via WRMI; the only RR via WRMI are on 9955, and via RMI (as broker, via Germany site) on 7160 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Direction finding for the other Radio Republica transmissions indicates possible UK site. Could any local DXers help pin this down? (Glenn Hauser to World DX Club email group via Feb World DX Club Contact via Mike Barraclough, DXLD) 6135 is regularly a strong steady signal here in Crewkerne, Somerset just 8 miles West from Rampisham (Chris Evans, ibid.) In Letchworth Garden City is is weak, often barely audible. I emailed Mike Terry in Bournemouth who is about 30 miles to the East of Rampisham and the signal is 44444 there, just slight flutter so looks likely that the site is Rampisham (Mike Barraclough, ibid.) So this applies currently to 6135, then 7205, then 7110, 22-04 UT (gh) Después de casi dos meses "Radio República" dejó de escucharse en los 6010 kHz al menos aquí en la Cd. de México en donde causaba una muy fuerte interferencia. En estos momentos 0117 UT escucho la transmisión de Radio Mil; sin embargo persiste el jamming seguramente proveniente de Cuba. Por lo que, esperemos "Radio República" no vuelva a ocupar la frecuencia y que los cubanos quiten el "jamming". Quiero agradecer al buen amigo Jeff White quien desde diciembre estableció los contactos para resolver este problema con "Radio República". Personalmente le envié un solo correo al Sr. Orlando Gutiérrez, Jefe del "Directorio Cubano Democrático". No tuve respueta al mismo; sin embargo agradezco hayan sido sensibles a nuestras peticiones y que no vuelvan a ocupar la frecuencia 6010 kHz, la cual para la zona 10 esta asignada por la ITU y por acuerdo de la HFCC para XEOI Radio Mil. Mucho agradeceremos a los colegas diexistas nos informen si en sus respectivos lugares dec escucha ha desaparecido esta inteferencia entre las 2330 [sic] y las 0200 UT. Ojalá que otras emisoras que causan interferencia en esta frecuencia en la zona 10 tomen como ejemplo lo de Radio República. "Entre los individuos como entre las naciones el respeto al derecho ajeno es la paz" (Benito Juárez García "Benemérito de las Américas") 73's (Julián Santiago Díez de Bonilla, XEOI Radio Mil, NRM Comunicaciones, México, Feb 1, condig list via DXLD) ** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. R. Anacaona, 2279.96, 0245-0304* Jan 28, continuous local music, 0302 Spanish announcements with ID, 0303 NA; fair. Also next night, Jan 29 at 0256* (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 2 x 1140v ** EUROPE. Pirate, Mystery Radio, 6220.02, 0215-0225+ Jan 29 [Sun], techno-pop dance music, 0219 canned ID; weak (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** FINLAND. Saturday the 4th of February, like all first Saturdays of the month Scandinavian Weekend Radio will be on air with special transmissions beginning at 2200 UT Friday the 3rd to finalize at 2200 UT Saturday the 4th. Frequencies and schedule will be: 2200 Friday to 0700 Saturday on 5980, 11720 kHz. 100 watts power 0700 Saturday to 1200 Saturday on 6170, 11690 kHz. 100 watts 1200 Saturday to 1900 Saturday on 5980, 11720 kHz. 100 watts 1900 Saturday to 2200 Saturday on 5990, 11690 kHz. 100 watts. In the web site of the Station, there is a model to print for sending reception reports. To get a QSL card from the Station it must be necessary to enclose 2 IRC, 2 US $ or 2 euro. Address: SWR P.O. Box 99 FI-34801 Virrat FINLAND e-mail: info @ swradio.net Web: http://www.swradio.net/index2.htm (via Manuel Méndez, Spain, DXLD) ** FRANCE. New station: RMC Info (comm.), French to Europe, 07-11 & 12-16 on 6175 via mco = Fontbonne, France (WRTH Jan 31 Update via DXLD) ** GABON. R. Gabon, 4777, *0501-0515+ Jan 29, abrupt sign-on with French talk, 0502 local vocal music, Afro-pops. F-G (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. BERLIN NEWS -- Last night the oldest commercial station at Berlin disappeared: Hundert,6, named after its 100.6 frequency, closed down for good after quite some trouble in last year. The station went bankrupt in spring 2005 and the managing director tried to keep it running by transferring the licence to another company, secretly moving the operations to another studio location (basically just an apartment) and continuing from there without the debts of the old company, the expenses for the old headquarters (located in a really expensive office building) and most of the staff. But this did not work out; the licence had to be returned to the bankrupt Hundert,6 Medien company and the trustee of Hundert,6 Medien arranged operations from the studios of Radio Paradiso. The former Hundert,6 director continued with his own company via Zehlendorf 91.8, first as "the real Hundert,6" but finally he gave up this claim and now runs his station as Power Radio, the recycled name of his defunct 612 kHz operation at Kiel. The bankrupt Hundert,6 Medien continued broadcasting only in order to keep the frequency occupied until the launch of another station. Purpose of this practice was to gather a pay-off for handing over an established dial position. Now the time had come: Medienanstalt Berlin-Brandenburg allocated 100.6 to a common station of Motor FM and Netzeitung, with the licence becoming valid as of February 1st. And so yesterday at 17:30 CET the last live news on Hundert,6 went out with the news presenter bidding her farewell while the DJ choose (or was instructed) to not do so. Then automation kept running until at 23:59 CET (actually a minute too early) T-Systems pulled the plug and switched 100.6 to Motor FM, i.e. the feed already running on 106.8. There were some seconds of silence in between, making me wonder if it was possibly indeed still a patch-cord plug. Until now the participation of Netzeitung is limited to news headlines on the hour, marginal enough to put it simple and say that 100.6 is now used by the station shown in WRTH 2006 for the 21:00-06:00 CET slot on 106.8 (still in use for the time being, now // 100.6 of course): http://www.motor.de/radio Former Hundert,6 staff has a farewell page up where they promise to post more stuff soon: http://www.das-hundert6-team.de Speaking about overnight slots in Berlin: VOA is still on 87.9. On the other hand 104.1 is still occupied by Joy FM, and T-Systems even bothered just a few days ago to adjust the RDS which until then identified the frequency as DAB promotion which it no longer is. So I assume that VOA transmissions on 87.9 will continue until the licence expires on April 15, while NPR will not start on 104.1 while VOA is still on air. The European Commission declared the subsidies for DVB-T in Berlin as illegal (reported also outside Germany I think). Now Medienanstalt Berlin-Brandenburg decided to proceed against European Commission. Press release, so far in German only but perhaps they will later add an English version as well: http://www.mabb.de/start.cfm?content=Presse&template=pressemeldungsanzeige&id=1282 (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Feb 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. Langenberg: New transmitters for 720 and 1593 (!) Summary of the enclosed message: Westdeutscher Rundfunk ordered two 100 kW mediumwave transmitters (plus two 50 kW auxiliary transmitters) from the former Telefunken, now Transradio company. At present testing of these transmitters is under way at the Berlin workshop of Transradio while the staff of the Langenberg station provisionally moves the existing transmitter (Siemens 200 kW, installed around 1980) out of its place to make room for the new equipment. One of the new 100 kW transmitters is meant for 720, the other one for 1593. The former 1593 antenna equipment still exists at Langenberg in operational condition, so a reactivation of this frequency appears to be no big challenge. So far it is unknown who will or could use 1593 at Langenberg again. The transmitters are DRM-ready, but Westdeutscher Rundfunk staff does not dare to foretell if they will be ever used in this mode (short tests disregarded here of course). An addition re. Telefunken: The renaming into Transradio came into force as of January, and it is clear now that they were indeed forced somehow to give up the Telefunken brand (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Feb 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: [A-DX] Neue MW-Sender 720/1593kHz für den Sender Langenberg des WDR Hallo in die vorabendliche DX-Runde, ich hatte heute morgen ein sehr langes Gespräch mit einem für die Sender zuständigen Herrn beim WDR. Dabei kam unter anderem folgendes heraus: Der "alte" MW-Sender auf 720 kHz (Leistung 200 kW, gefahren mit ca. 63 kW) ist mittlerweile rund 25 Jahre alt und muß ersetzt werden. Deshalb hat der WDR offensichtlich schon vor einiger Zeit bei Telefunken Berlin neue Sender bestellt. Und zwar zwei 100 kW-Sender mit jeweils 50 kW-Reservesender. Beide Sender werden DRM-fähig sein. Ob diese Sender außer zu Testzwecken jemals dauerhaft DRM ausstrahlen werden, ist nicht zur Zeit bekannt. In Berlin läuft gerade jetzt die Abnahme beider Sender. In Langenberg wird zur Zeit ein Provisorium für die 720kHz aufgebaut, da der bisherige Platz für die neuen Sender gebraucht wird. Und jetzt wird es eigentlich erst richtig interessant: Die zweite Sendergruppe 100/50 kW wird für die immer noch für Langenberg registrierte, aber seit vielen Jahren nicht mehr genutzte Frequenz 1593 kHz aufgebaut. Bisher ist nicht bekannt, welches Programm dieser Sender ausstrahlen wird. Antennenanlage (Reuse) sowie Abstimmittel sind von früher her noch auf dem Senderbetriebsgelände vorhanden und einsatzbereit. Beide Sendergruppen sollen zu Beginn der Fußball-WM aufgebaut und einsatzfähig sein. Ich habe in den letzten Tagen diese 1593 kHz mal über längere Zeit beobachtet. Bis in den frühen Nachmittag hinein ist die QRG frei. Dann kommt Radio Cluj aus ROU durch, verschwindet allerdings nach ca. zwei Stunden wieder und kommt gegen 1600 UT mehr schlecht als recht wieder. Man darf auf die Ausbreitungsbedingungen gespannt sein. vy73 (Reinhard (aus dem Rheinland) Meier, Feb 3, ADX, via Kai Ludwig, DXLD) ** ICELAND. Had trouble placing the language heard on 13865, Feb 3 at 1429, seems a call-in discussion, hum and flutter past 1430 without a break; Swedish the closest I could come. Of course, must be ISBS as scheduled until 1440 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INDIA. In reply to a listener`s letter about AIR ceasing shortwave transmissions in the Faithfully Yours programme of January 2nd the presenters stated that shortwave transmissions would continue (Edwin Southwell, England, Feb World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** IRAN. V. of Justice, 6120, 0150-0230* Jan 28, tune-in to English broadcast with weather forecast. Political commentary, usual anti- America rhetoric. ID, 0224 news. 0225 closing announcements with mentions of website, satellite frequencies, address, e-mail address followed by lite instrumental music until sign-off. Fair but some adjacent channel splatter, best in ECSS-LSB. // 9665 very weak under unID co-channel station (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** IRAN [non]. AL-AHWAZ TV GOES ON-LINE January 30, 2006 Article originally posted at: http://www.ahwaz.org.uk/news.html Al-Ahwaz TV, an independent, grass-roots broadcaster transmitting to the Ahwazi Arab homeland, is now available on-line at http://www.ahwazmedia.tv Al-Ahwaz TV has been transmitting to the Ahwazi homeland in Iran since 2004, broadcast on the Assyrian television channel. The station and its journalists are supported by a number of Ahwazi non-governmental organisations and their supporters, including the Democratic Solidarity Party of Al-Ahwaz and the British Ahwazi Friendship Society. It promotes non-violent opposition to the Iranian regime and advocates democratic change, focussing on the Ahwazi Arabs, who are indigenous to south-west Iran. Al-Ahwaz TV seeks to hand the media back to the Ahwazis, who are oppressed, marginalised and discriminated against. Al-Ahwaz TV is not supported by any government or government-funded institution. It is run, staffed and owned by Ahwazi Arabs and run by a democratic editorial collective (British Ahwazi Friendship Society Jan 30 via CRW via DXLD) CRW`s Nick Grace also suggests that Bush`s addressing the Iranian people directly in the SOTU could signify an imminent strike against their nuclear facilities; see http://www.clandestineradio.com/crw/crw.php?id=281 (gh, DXLD) ** ISLE OF MAN. Re 6-021: "Isle of Man LW station put back to May" Or if you want to read the story for free, look in the Media Network Weblog of 10 January or DXLD 6-007 :-) (Andy Sennitt, dxldyg via DXLD) More on this story... 'LONG WAIT' RADIO STATION DELAYS CONTINUE 10 January 2006 The long-awaited longwave radio station has been delayed again. . . http://www.iomonline.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=870&ArticleID=1307976 (via Mike Terry, BDXC-UK via DXLD) ** ITALY [and non]. Re: ``Radio Maria heard with fair signal on 26000, 0240 December 31st with religious music (Mauro Giroletti, Italy, bclnews.it via DXLD)`` Heard in the UK at times; could cause interference problems to the London 26000 DRM tests (Mike Barraclough, England, Feb World DX Club Contact via DXLD) ** ITALY [non]. IRRS, 5785 via Bulgaria? 2235-2300* Jan 27, Brother Stair preaching; very weak. IRRS also on 5775 [at same time], 2235- 2300* Jan 27 English UN programming, good signal (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** JAPAN. NHK IS at an odd time, I thought, 2238 UT Feb 3 in synch on 13650 and 17810. No, leading up to a strange series of 20-minute broadcasts to SE Asia, in Chinese on 13650 and Malay on 17810 both from 2240, per EiBi and WRTH (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KUWAIT [non]. Cf 6-021: Information Radio - Commando Solo. This morning Feb 2 0655 UT I heard a station with Qur`an recitation on 9714.90 kHz USB. This could be Information Radio -Commando Solo from Kuwait reported by Arnaldo Slaen. Signal strength S3-4 and overall reception poor. 73 (Jouko Huuskonen, Turku, FINLAND, HCDX via DXLD) Hi Jouko. I was on this frequency Feb 2 at 0820. It sounds at that time the station here is Saudi Arabia with Holy Qur`an program. It is listed on 9715 0300-0900. I guess the mode is AM, a bit low of the nominal. 73 (Jari Savolainien, ibid.) ** LATVIA [and non?]. Relays on 9290 and 6130 kHz Saturday 4th February Radio Six 0700-0800 UT (parallel 945 AM Riga) Radio Joystick 0900-1000 UT Radio Casablanca 1100-1200 UT Sunday 5th February MV Baltic Radio - at 1300 UT [until?] Good Listening (Tom Taylor, Feb 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Tom, You mean all four of these are on both 9290 and 6130? 9290 is from Latvia, but where is 6130 from? (Glenn to Tom, via DXLD) ** LIBYA [non]. Just a quick post to let you know I hear Libyan Jamahiriyah Broadcast in French on 11860 at 1700 UT. I was listening to RAI Italy in French at 1530 UT, then left the radio on that frequency and was surprised to hear this one at 1700 (Gilles Letourneau, Montreal, Canada, Feb 3, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LIBYA [and non]. Let the games begin! Heard 1000 Hz test tones on 17660 January 31st prior to 1200. At 1200 I heard nothing but Arabic music, which I presume is the jamming. I also heard a station playing nothing but African music. No sign of Sowt al-Amel but found them up on 17665 where they are in the clear, albeit with a rather buzzy transmitter and some breaks in transmission (Hans Johnson, FL, Jihad DX via WDXC Contact via DXLD) See also UNIDENTIFIED ** MADAGASCAR. Noted possibly Madagascar on 5010 kHz still past 1930 UT Fri Feb 3. WRTH says their closing time is 19 UT, except SS 2100 (Jouko Huuskonen, Turku, FINLAND, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. R. Mil reaxion to Republica leaving 6010: see CUBA [non] ** NORTH AMERICA. Voice of the Islands --- This listening tip via Box 293 in Merlin. I believe this broadcast could be coming from Pelee Island just as stated by the station operator. No doubt from high atop Mt Pelee which is situated deep in the central highlands of Pelee Island. Good hunting. The next test transmissions of the Voice of the Islands will be this weekend, on Saturday, February 4th, as follows: 1430Z-1500Z [9:30-10:00 AM EST] on 13888 kHz (hopefully with decent propagation) beamed into Europe, and 1730Z-1800Z [12:30-1:00 PM EST] on 6910 kHz, omnidir, which should be good for lots of North America (Jerry Coatsworth, ON, ODXA via DXLD) ** NORTH AMERICA. USA-CANADA: FREQUENCY MEASUREMENTS ON THE EAST COAST Here are some recent observations from the other side of the continent that should complement Albert Lehr's west coast measurements. 550 549.9998v CHLN QC Trois-Rivières 01/30-06 550 550.0007 WGR NY Buffalo 01/29/06 580 580.0007 CFRA ON Ottawa 01/18/06 590 589.9991 CKRS QC Jonquière 01/31/06 640 640.0000 CFMJ ON Toronto 01/29/06 650 649.9998 WSM TN Nashville 01/29/06 660 660.0002 WFAN NY New York City 01/29/06 670 670.0000 WSCR IL Chicago 01/24/06 680 679.9991 CFTR ON Toronto 01/29/06 690 690.0014 CINF QC Montreal 01/29/06 700 700.0014 WLW OH Cincinnati 01/24/06 710 710.0000 WOR NY New York City 01/29/06 720 720.0003 WGN IL Chicago 01/24/06 730 730.0005 CKAC QC Montreal 01/29/06 740 739.9990 CHWO ON Toronto 01/24/06 750 749.9985 WSB GA Atlanta 01/24/06 760 760.0054 WJR MI Detroit 01/24/06 770 770.0023 WABC NY New York City 01/25/06 780 779.9963 WBBM IL Chicago 01/24/06 800 800.0049 CJAD QC Montréal 01/29/06 810 810.0000 WGY NY Schenectady 01/24/06 820 820.0016 CHAM ON Hamilton 01/31/06 830 830.0030 WCRN MA Worcester 01/31/06 840 840.0036 WHAS KY Louisville 01/24/06 860 859.9996 CJBC ON Toronto 01/29/06 880 880.0013 WCBS NY New York City 01/25/06 890 890.0027 WLS IL Chicago 01/25/06 930 930.0029 WBEN NY Buffalo 01/30/06 940 940.0001 CINW QC Montreal 01/29/06 960 960.0066 CFFX ON Kingston 01/29/06 990 990.0046 CKGM QC Montreal 01/29/06 1000 1000.0017 WMVP IL Chicago 01/25/06 1010 1010.0012 CFRB ON Toronto 01/29/06 1010 1010.0015 WINS NY New York City 01/30/06 1010 1010.0176 WNTK NH Newport 01/31/06 1020 1019.9995 KDKA PA Pittsburgh 01/29/06 1030 1030.0000 WBZ MA Boston 01/24/06 1050 1049.9996 CHUM ON Toronto 01/30/06 1050 1050.0000 WEPN NY New York City 01/29/06 1060 1060.0054 KYW PA Philadelphia 01/29/06 1060 1060.0002 WBIX MA Boston 01/31/06 1070 1069.9981 CBA NB Moncton 01/24/06 1070 1069.9889 CHOK ON Sarnia 01/24/06 1080 1080.0083 WTIC CT Hartford 01/24/06 1090 1080.0013 WBAL MD Baltimore 01/24/06 1100 1100.0004 WTAM OH Cleveland 01/24/06 1110 1110.0019 WBT NC Charlotte 01/24/06 1120 1120.0007 KMOX MO St Louis 01/24/06 1130 1129.9997 WBBR NY New York City 01/29/06 1140 1140.0013 WRVA VA Richmond 01/30/06 1150 1150.0004 CJRC QC Gatineau 01/18/06 1170 1170.0012 WWVA WV Wheeling 01/25/06 1180 1180.0000 WHAM NY Rochester 01/24/06 1190 1190.0000 WOWO IN Fort Wayne 01/25/06 1200 1200.0003 CFGO ON Ottawa 01/18/06 1210 1210.0000 WPHT PA Philadelphia 01/25/06 1280 1279.9982 CFMB QC Montreal 01/30/06 1310 1310.0010 CIWW ON Ottawa 01/18/06 1350 1349.9996 CKDO ON Oshawa 01/31/06 1370 1369.9992 WXXI NY Rochester 01/31/06 1380 1379.9821 CKLC ON Kingston 01/30/06 1430 1429.9989 CHKT ON Toronto 01/29/06 1500 1500.0000 WTWP DC Washington 01/24/06 1500 1499.9979 WFIF CT Milford 01/31/06 1510 1510.0000 WLAC TN Nashville 01/24/06 1510 1510.0184 WWZN MA Boston 01/29/06 1520 1520.0012 WWKB NY Buffalo 01/29/06 1530 1530.0000 WCKY OH Cincinnati 01/24/06 1540 1540.0047 CHIN ON Toronto 01/30/06 1540 1539.9888 WDCD NY Albany 01/30/06 1550 1550.0014 CBE ON Windsor 01/29/06 1560 1560.0010 WQEW NY New York City 01/29/06 1570 1570.0004 CFAV QC Laval 01/31/06 1610 1609.9994 CJWI QC Montreal 01/31/06 1610 1610.0610v CHHA ON Toronto 01/31/06 -- (Barry McLarnon, VE3JF, Ottawa, ON, via Steve Whitt, MWC via DXLD) ** OMAN. R. Sultanate of Oman, 15140, *1406-1500 Jan 28: 1400 open carrier, 1406 abrupt sign-on, just in time to catch the end of English news bulletin. 1408 ID and into techno-pop dance music; music from the movie Grease and other pop tunes. 1500 chimes and English ID, into Arabic. F-G signal but slight hum in audio. Also heard next day, Jan 29, *1400 at correct time and able to hear entire English news bulletin. 1412 into a variety of techno-pop dance music, pop music, country music. 1500 Arabic programming. Good signal (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PAKISTAN. After an interruption of a week due to transmitter failures, Radio Pakistan was received again on January 28 from 16 hours with news in English on 4790 kHz. Local Radio Freedom was heard between 1255 and 1432 hours on 5102 kHz with a program in vernaculars, and from 14 to 1420 hours in English. The station announces it is Radio of the Front for Freedom of Jammu and Kashmir and is hostile to India. Similar station from India, Radio Sedayee Kashmir, i.e. Voice of Kashmir, is hostile to Pakistan (Rumen Pankov, R. Bulgaria DX Feb 3 via John Norfolk, dxldyg via DXLD) ** PAPUA NEW GUINEA. VANDALISM SILENCES PROVINCIAL RADIO MOROBE | Excerpt from report in English by Papua New Guinea Post-Courier website on 2 February Radio Morobe has threatened to take legal action against settlers [squatters] at 10-Mile [on the outskirts of Lae, Papua New Guinea's second city] over continued vandalism of its transmitter. The shortwave service, on which Radio Morobe broadcasts to rural areas of the province, has been shut down as a result. Radio Morobe provincial director Henry Tamarus said yesterday they have had to resort to this following continued criminal attacks on the facilities. The latest incident occurred on Monday [30 January], when a 400-metre transmission cable was removed. Mr Tamarus said the criminals entered the premises by jumping over the fence and cut the cables. He said the transmission line which services the shortwave (SW) radio signal to remote parts of Morobe and PNG have been cut off. "This is not the first time such vandalism of properties has taken place and I have no choice but to take court action against the settlers, who are living illegally on NBC [National Broadcasting Corporation] land," he said. [Passage omitted] The latest damage caused to the transmitter would cost about 20,000 kina [approx 6,500 US dollars] to replace. He said radio services had been going well over the last 12 months until the recent attacks. "We don't know when the service will be back as we had to look for funds to purchase new cables," Mr Tamarus said. Source: Papua New Guinea Post-Courier website, Port Moresby, in English 2 Feb 06 (via BBCM via DXLD) WTFK? 3220 per WRTH 2006y (gh, DXLD) ** PERU. My dear friend, the DXer Alfredo Cañote, from Perú, reports about the new Peruvian station on 49 meters. He listened to the new station on 6060.8 to 6061.2 kHz. It`s Radio Sinaí, QTH: Jr Abtao 287 Cercado, Huánuco, Huánuco, Perú; Teléfono :(62) 51-6288 e-mail : radiotvsinai21 @ hotmail.com The General Manager is Rubén Matías López (Arnaldo Slaen, Argentina, HCDX via DXLD) Spanish preacher noted in Florida on 6060 January 17th onwards 1010 to 1030 fade out. Is off channel, heard between 6060.2 and 6061.2 (Hans Johnson, Jihad DX via WDXC Contact via DXLD) ** PERU. R. Unión, Lima, 6114.86, 0840-0900+ Jan 28, Spanish pops, OA music, IDs, Spanish announcements, poor-fair. R. Huancabamba, 6536.01, 0200-0220* Jan 28, continuous Spanish talk, mentions of Huancabamba. Abrupt sign-off; weak but readable (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PERU. LISTADO CORREGIDO Y ACTUALIZADO ONDA MEDIA (AM) LIMA FEBRERO 2006 --- Para su información aquí les envío esta relación de emisoras que transmiten en amplitud modulada desde la ciudad de Lima, Perú. 540 Inca - "Inca 540" 560 La Voz - "sintonízate con la mejor, La Voz 560 am" 580 OAX4M - María 600 OBZ4W - Cora "yo soy Cora" 620 Ovación "Un mundo en sintonia" 640 OAZ4K- Del Pacífico 660 La Inolvidable "tus mejores recuerdos" (paralelo a FM 93.70)ç OD 680 RPP - (solo por las noches, probablemente una repetidora de RPP en otra ciudad) 700 R-700 La Grande Satelital "la radio de tus recuerdos" 730 RPP - "RPP Noticias, te informa primero" (50 kW) (paralelo a FM 89.70) 760 Mar - "Radiomar Plus, categóricamente superior" (paralelo a FM 106.30) 780 OAX4X - Victoria "Victoria, Una radio para todos" 820 Libertad 850 OAX4A - Nacional (40 kW) (paralelo a FM 103.90) 880 Unión - (Con transmisor nuevo, más potente y con mejor calidad de sonido) "Unión, La radio" 900 La Mega (paralelo a FM 94.30) 930 Moderna - "930 en tu radio. Moderna, Radio ¡Papá!" 960 Panamericana "con todo" (paralelo a FM 101.10) 990 Latina 1010 América "en los 1010 amplitud modulada transmite América, la voz del Nuevo Mundo" 1040 OBX4O - (NUEVA) "OBX4O, 1040 amplitud modulada desde Lima capital del Perú" 1060 Éxito "Radio Éxito, la gran alternativa" 1080 La Luz 1110 OAZ4J - Antarki 1130 OAX4N - Bacan Sat "Radio Bacan Sat, tu nueva propuesta" 1160 OAX4C - 1160 "1160 te informa y te entretiene" (paralelo a FM 98.10) 1200 Cadena "Radio Cadena, tu fiel amiga" 1250 Miraflores (gran parte del dia en paralelo a AM 780 kHz) 1300 Comas 1320 La Crónica (con nueva ID) "1320 Radio La Crónica, Acompaña" 1340 La Luz (paralelo a AM 1080 kHz) 1380 Nuevo Tiempo "Nuevo Tiempo, la voz de la esperanza" 1400 Callao (retransmite eventos deportivos de algunas emisoras internacionales) "Callao Super Radio, la primera emisora del puerto" 1420 San Isidro 1440 Imperial 2 1470 CPN Radio "líder nacional haciendo noticia" (paralelo a FM 90.50) 1500 Santa Rosa 1530 Milenia (con nueva ID) 1550 OBX4P - Independencia "La primera radio del gran cono norte" (1 kW) 1590 OAZ4Z - Agricultura OD= Origen Desconocido ID= Identidad, cuña característica. Comentarios: Reaparecen Radio Milenia y Radio La Crónica, ahora con nueva programación dedicada principalmente al folklore. Se confirma la aparición de una nueva emisora en los 1040 kHz, por ahora con programación de música variada en español. Saludos (R. Suárez, Feb 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PETER I. The big inter-national DXpedition should arrive at Peter I Island around February 6, depending on weather conditions to get on the air on February 7 until February 20 on all bands and modes as 3Y0X.On its way to the island you can hear it with the call sign XR9A operating from the vessel /MM. The frequencies of 3Y0X are: on CW: 28023, 24893, 21023, 18073, 14023, 10103, 7023, 3523 and 1822.5 kHz; on SSB – 28475, 24987, 21295, 18145, 14190, 7093, 3570 and 1842.5 kHz. To obtain a QSL card, please send yours with a self-addressed envelope and one International Reply Coupon or one US dollar enclosed to the address: Bob Schenck, N2OO, QSL Manager for 3Y0X, P. O. Box 345, Tuckerton, NJ 08087-0345, USA (Dimiter Petrov, LZ1AF, R. Bulgaria DX program Feb 3 via John Norfolk, dxldyg via DXLD) ** SLOVAKIA. On the 8th of January during Listeners Tribune, Pete Miller reported that the future of Radio Slovakia International remains uncertain. The final decision remains with the radio director. There are elections to the position of radio director approaching (no date given) and a decision on RSI's fate has been delayed until results are known. On the 22nd of January Martina reported that the Culture Minister has decided for a ``minimum level of support`` for foreign broadcasting. My understanding is that while there is a provision in the Slovak constitution requiring a foreign media outlet, politicians can argue that the internet is an adequate substitute. Slovakia, one must remember, is only independent since 1993 and has always struggled to raise its profile abroad. The hosting of the US-Russian Summit in Bratislava last year was in part an attempt to raise Slovakia`s profile. Slovakia is often mistaken for Slovenia, part of the former Yugoslavia (Jonathan Murphy, Ireland, Feb World DX Club Contact via DXLD) Even more so in Slavic spelling (gh, DXLD) RADIO SLOVAKIA INTERNATIONAL ENDS ON SHORTWAVE | Text of report by Slovak radio on 2 February The management of [public service] Slovak Radio has opened talks with Radiocommunications on switching off the Radio Slovakia International signal on shortwave. Listeners will be able to tune in to this radio station via satellite or internet only. Source: Radio Slovakia, Bratislava, in Slovak 1500 gmt 2 Feb 06 (via BBCM via DXLD) ** SOMALIA. 6980, Radio Galkayo has been off due to a failed transmitter, but on January 19th a 7-person amateur radio DX-pedition team from Italy will arrive in Galkayo and they will donate a replacement shortwave transmitter and linear amplifier. Radio Hargeisa 7530 was still on the air when I was in Somalia last month (Sam Voron, Jihad DX via World DX Club Contact via DXLD) On January 17th there was a very weak carrier on 7530.04 kHz until 2001. Radio Pakistan signs off a few minutes after 1900 and Radio Tirana is on between 1945-2000. On January 20th it signed on at 1458 for their evening program; unfortunately AWR has moved to 7530 to block the frequency (Mauno Ritola, Finland, ibid.) I logged them on 22nd December at 0410 via the DX Tuner in the UK; the signal was pretty solid (Bruce Churchill, California, ibid.) ** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. I heard him [Brother Scare] mention expanding transmissions into India where he is trying to get airtime (Edwin Southwell, England, Feb WDXC Contact via DXLD) ** UKRAINE. Happened to check 5880 at 01 UT on February 1, 2006 Originally wanted R. Romania International at 01. Was not heard and thought I would check for RUI. Heard RUI in English. SIO 333. Something is causing QRM to RUI. Hope to have more time February 2nd to determine cause of QRM. Using Sony ICF-7600G receiver and built-in antenna. 73, (Kraig Krist, KG4LAC, Manassas, VA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Re: Ukraine new frequency update --- Checked RUI 5880 kHz February 2, 2006 0053 UT for QRM source. Problem is 5875, at least here in Manassas, VA. Heard what sounded like a Middle Eastern language on 5875. Both male and female announcers. Listened thru 01 UT hoping to hear ID. Only possible ID I *might* have heard was BBC around 0058 UT. Checked eibi B05 sked for 5875. Found 0030 0100 G BBC DR AFG 1314/UAE 1413/OMA 5875/CYP 7165/CYP. SIO for RUI is 433. 73, (Kraig Krist, KG4LAC, Manassas, VA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) You would not think Cyprus aiming at Afghanistan would be much of a problem over here compared to Ukraine aimed at us (gh, DXLD) I have heard 5880 this day at near 0400 via internet controlled receiver at Reston, Virginia. The signal was fair, moderate fading, no interference, but some underground noise in signal was observed. Maybe this was the transmitter's fault. ``However, the powerful VOA/Thailand relay signals from the coasts on 5890 might be a problem for some. (gh)`` Perhaps, when receiver has a weak selectivity? Or when the station has a wider sidebands, splatters. ``I hope your signal will pick up as spring approaches, but I suppose you will be looking at a higher band for A-06, won`t you? (gh)`` Yes, presumably 7440 kHz - the last season A05 frequency. Such a power back lobe of BBC at Woofferton? Nevertheless, I think, transmitter is at Woofferton (see HFCC B05): 5875 0030 0330 40E WOF 300 82 1234567 301005 260306 D G BBC MER 17448 (Alex Yegorov, RUI, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. VT Communications has purchased and is installing a new DRM transmitter for its transmission facility in Woofferton. We have also purchased a 100 watt transmitter for local coverage on the 26 MHz band in London, pilot transmissions are expected this month (The oracle, VT Communications magazine via Mike Barraclough, Feb World DX Club Contact via DXLD) see also ITALY; BULGARIA ** U S A. Re 6-021: I assume that "realigning transmission assets" is a euphemism for closing or mothballing transmitting stations. I suggest DXers check VOA transmissions carefully over the next few days to see if any sites close. The most vulnerable sites would be those that only carry VOA (i.e. don't carry any "Radio Free X" operations). A further thought: VOA's contracts with third party companies such as VT Merlin probably prevent VOA from suddenly cancelling agreed transmitter bookings in a big way mid-way through a schedule period. So it's likely that immediate cuts will be at IBB's own sites, while major cuts can be expected to relays via third parties at the end of next month. Is this such a disaster for many VOA listeners? The traditional idea that all SW transmissions to specific areas had to be on at least four frequencies (two in the optimum band, bracketed by at least one in the bands immediately above and below) is often over-kill. Put the effort into finding just one good frequency and stick to it (Chris (back in the UK) Greenway, Feb 1, dxldyg via WORLD OF RADIO 1303, DX LISTENING DIGEST) B05 schedule: USA - Voice of America (revised) [ENGLISH] Reductions in VOA shortwave operations have come into effect today, background will be covered in DX Listening Digest. Revised English schedule is below, to Europe, Middle East and North Africa 13685 and 17755 have been dropped 1100-1200, 15255 1500-1700 and 11835 cut back, was operating 1500-1700. On a quick glance the African and Afghanistan transmissions seem the same but some reductions on the Far East, South Asia and Oceania releases Frequencies in effect 1 February 2006 through 25 March 2006 English to Europe, Middle East, and North Africa 0000-0030 1593 0100-0130 1593 1100-1200 15615 1500-1600 9685 1600-1700 9685 11835 English to Africa 0300-0330 909 1530 4930 6035 6045 6080 7290 7340 9885 0330-0400 909 1530 4930 6035 6045 6080 7290 9885 0400-0430 909 1530 4930 4960 6080 7290 9575 9775 9885 0430-0500 909 4930 4960 6080 9575 9775 0500-0600 909 6035 6080 6105 7295 13710 0600-0630 909 1530 6035 6080 6105 7295 11835 11995 13710 0630-0700 1530 6080 7295 11835 1500-1600 13600 13865 17715 17895 1600-1700 909 1530 4930 15240 17715 17895 1700-1800 13710 15240 15445 1700-1830 909 4930 1800-1830 6035 11975 13710 15240 17895 1830-1900 909 4930 6035 11975 13710 15240 17895 1900-2000 909 4930 4940 6035 11975 13710 15240 15580 17895 2000-2030 909 1530 4930 4940 6035 11975 13710 15240 15580 2030-2100 909 1530 4930 6035 11975 13710 15240 15580 2030-2100 4940 2100-2200 909 1530 6035 11975 13710 15240 15580 English to Zimbabwe 1730-1800 909 4930 9830 12080 17785 English to Afghanistan 0000-0030 1296 6235 2030-2130 1296 7595 2130-2400 1296 6235 [6235 Kuwait had been replaced earlier by 7405; is it really back?] English to Far East Asia, South Asia, and Oceania 0000-0030 1575 9890 11760 15185 15290 17740 0100-0200 7200 11705 11820 1100-1130 1575 1200-1230 1170 9645 9760 11705 15665 1230-1300 9645 9760 11705 15665 1300-1400 9645 9760 11705 1400-1500 7125 9645 9760 1500-1600 7125 9645 11895 1600-1700 1170 6160 7125 9645 9760 2200-2400 15185 15290 17740 2200-2400 7120 2230-2400 1575 (Mike Barraclough, worlddxclub via DXLD) VOA Broadcast Frequency Schedule Effective through 25 March 2006 Schedule effective 1 February 2006 Notes: All times and dates are Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), same as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Frequencies are in kiloHertz (kHz). 1 MegaHertz (MHz) is equal to 1000 kHz. Conversion to meter bands: Meters=300000/frequency in kHz. e.g.: 17705 kHz --> 16.9 meters Abbreviations: All programs/frequencies are on daily unless noted otherwise. & - Monday only * - Monday through Friday = - Monday through Saturday < - Tuesday through Friday / - Tuesday and Friday only # - Tuesday through Saturday % - Tuesday through Sunday ~ - Thursday only > - Friday and Saturday @ - Saturday only $ - Saturday and Sunday " - Sunday only + - Sunday and Monday ^ - Sunday through Thursday ! - Sunday through Friday Afan Oromo 1730-1800 UTC* 9415 9860 11955 13755 15260 Albanian 0600-0630 UTC 1215 9635 1700-1730 UTC 11665 1930-2000 UTC 1458 7115 Amharic 1800-1900 UTC 9415 9860 11955 13755 15260 Azerbaijani 1830-1900 UTC 9750 9800 12025 Bangla 0130-0200 UTC 11500 15160 1600-1700 UTC 1575 7280 11500 Bosnian 2230-2300 UTC* 792 Burmese 1130-1200 UTC 1575 9325 15225 1430-1500 UTC 1575 9325 11965 2330-2400 UTC 9720 11840 Cantonese 1300-1500 UTC 1170 9705 11930 Chinese 0000-0200 UTC 7190 9545 11925 15395 17645 21580 0200-0300 UTC 11925 15395 17645 21580 0700-0900 UTC 9845 11665 11855 11965 13650 13765 15515 0900-1100 UTC 9845 9855 11665 11855 11965 13650 13765 15515 1100-1200 UTC 1170 6160 9530 9680 11665 11785 12040 1200-1300 UTC 6040 6160 9530 9680 11785 12040 1300-1400 UTC 6040 6160 7390 9680 11785 11995 12040 1400-1500 UTC 6040 6160 7390 9680 9890 11785 2200-2300 UTC 5905 6045 7140 9545 9755 9875 Creole 1230-1300 UTC* 9535 11890 15265 1730-1800 UTC 17565 21540 2200-2230 UTC 9525 9670 21540 Croatian 0530-0600 UTC 756 1458 9655 1930-2000 UTC 6050 7270 Dari 0130-0230 UTC 1296 12140 1500-1530 UTC 1296 9335 1630-1730 UTC 1296 12140 1800-1830 UTC 1296 12140 1930-2030 UTC 1296 7595 English to Europe, Middle East and North Africa 0000-0030 UTC 96.9 1593 0030-0100 UTC 96.9 0100-0130 UTC 96.9 1593 0130-1100 UTC 96.9 1100-1200 UTC 96.9 15615 1200-1500 UTC 96.9 1500-1600 UTC 96.9 9685 1600-1700 UTC 96.9 9685 11835 1700-2400 UTC 96.9 English to Africa 0300-0330 UTC 909 1530 4930 6035 6045 6080 7290 7340 9885 0330-0400 UTC 909 1530 4930 6035 6045 6080 7290 9885 0400-0430 UTC 909 1530 4930 4960 6080 7290 9575 9775 9885 0430-0500 UTC 909 4930 4960 6080 9575 9775 0500-0600 UTC 909 6035 6080 6105 7295 13710 0600-0630 UTC 909 1530 6035 6080 6105 7295 11835 11995 13710 0630-0700 UTC 1530 6080 7295 11835 1500-1600 UTC 13600 13865 17715 17895 1600-1700 UTC 909 1530 4930 15240 17715 17895 1700-1800 UTC 13710 15240 15445 1700-1830 UTC$ 909 4930 1800-1830 UTC 6035 11975 13710 15240 17895 1830-1900 UTC 909 4930 6035 11975 13710 15240 17895 1900-2000 UTC 909 4930 4940 6035 11975 13710 15240 15580 17895 2000-2030 UTC 909 1530 4930 4940 6035 11975 13710 15240 15580 2030-2100 UTC 909 1530 4930 6035 11975 13710 15240 15580 2030-2100 UTC$ 4940 2100-2200 UTC 909 1530 6035 11975 13710 15240 15580 English to Far East Asia, South Asia and Oceania 0000-0030 UTC 1575 9890 11760 15185 15290 17740 0100-0200 UTC 7200 11705 11820 1100-1130 UTC$ 1575 1200-1230 UTC 1170 9645 9760 11705 15665 1230-1300 UTC 9645 9760 11705 15665 1300-1400 UTC 9645 9760 11705 1400-1500 UTC 7125 9645 9760 1500-1600 UTC 7125 9645 11895 1600-1700 UTC* 1170 6160 7125 9645 9760 2200-2400 UTC 15185 15290 17740 2200-2400 UTC* 7120 2230-2400 UTC> 1575 English to Afghanistan 0000-0030 UTC 1296 7405 2030-2130 UTC 1296 7595 2130-2400 UTC 1296 7405 English-Special 0030-0100 UTC 1575 1593 7130 9620 9890 11805 15185 15205 15290 17740 0130-0200 UTC# 1593 7315 7405 1500-1530 UTC 6110 7175 9760 15460 1500-1530 UTC$ 1575 1530-1600 UTC 1575 6110 7175 9760 15460 1600-1700 UTC 13600 17640 1900-2000 UTC 9785 12015 2230-2300 UTC 7230 13755 2300-2330 UTC 1593 6180 7205 11655 15150 2330-2400 UTC 1593 6180 7205 11655 13640 15150 French 0530-0600 UTC* 1530 5890 7265 9480 9505 0600-0630 UTC* 5890 7265 9480 9505 1830-2000 UTC 1530 9815 11985 12080 13735 15220 17580 2000-2030 UTC 9815 11985 12080 13735 15220 2030-2100 UTC$ 9780 9815 11775 12080 15220 2100-2130 UTC* 5985 9680 9780 9815 Georgian 1530-1600 UTC 9610 12005 Hausa 0430-0500 UTC* 5955 6015 9885 0500-0530 UTC 1530 4960 5955 6015 9885 1500-1530 UTC 7135 9810 11680 1800-1830 UTC$ 1530 4940 9830 12080 17785 2030-2100 UTC* 4940 9780 9815 11775 12080 15220 Hindi 0030-0100 UTC 7135 9510 1600-1700 UTC 6060 11730 Indonesian 0000-0030 UTC 9620 11805 15205 1100-1230 UTC 7255 9725 15165 1230-1300 UTC 9725 15165 1400-1500 UTC 11985 13660 2200-2400 UTC 9620 11805 15205 Khmer 1330-1430 UTC 1575 9325 11965 2200-2230 UTC 1575 6060 7260 13640 Kinyarwanda/Kirunda 0330-0430 UTC 7340 9540 11915 1600-1630 UTC@ 11675 11965 17785 Korean 1300-1400 UTC 648 5985 7235 9385 9555 1400-1500 UTC 7235 9385 9555 2000-2030 UTC 5995 7110 7135 2030-2100 UTC 5995 7110 7135 9770 Kurdish 0500-0600 UTC 5995 7115 11855 1400-1500 UTC 1593 13740 15530 17750 1700-1800 UTC 7570 9310 9815 1900-2000 UTC 6040 9325 9690 2000-2100 UTC 1593 Lao 1230-1300 UTC 1575 7205 11930 Pashto 0030-0130 UTC 1296 12140 1430-1500 UTC 1296 9335 1530-1630 UTC 1296 9335 1730-1800 UTC 1296 12140 1830-1930 UTC 1296 7595 Persian 0300-0400 UTC 1593 7200 9435 17740 1700-1800 UTC 1593 6160 9680 12110 1800-1900 UTC 648 1593 6160 9495 9680 1900-2000 UTC 1593 6160 9680 9980 Portuguese 0430-0500 UTC 1530 9480 9675 1700-1800 UTC 1530 11775 1800-1830 UTC* 1530 7290 Russian 1400-1500 UTC 11805 11895 15130 15370 1800-2000 UTC 3980 7220 9520 9650 Serbian 0630-0645 UTC 1458 6035 2030-2100 UTC 792 9505 2200-2230 UTC* 756 9505 Shona/Ndebele/English to Z 1700-1830 UTC* 909 4930 9830 12080 17785 Spanish 0100-0200 UTC 9480 9885 11990 1100-1230 UTC 9535 11890 15265 Swahili 1630-1700 UTC 17580 17705 21480 1700-1730 UTC* 17580 17705 21480 Tibetan 0000-0100 UTC 7200 7255 9555 0400-0600 UTC 15585 17770 21570 1400-1500 UTC 7115 11885 12040 Tigrigna 1900-1930 UTC* 9415 9860 11955 13755 15260 Turkish 0430-0500 UTC* 792 7200 1130-1200 UTC* 9555 11870 1900-2000 UTC 792 7285 Ukrainian 0500-0530 UTC* 3985 6170 2100-2115 UTC 6140 6225 2115-2130 UTC* 6140 6225 Urdu 0000-0100 UTC 972 0100-0200 UTC 972 6170 9705 1400-1500 UTC 972 9510 12150 1500-1700 UTC 972 1700-1800 UTC 972 7260 11500 1800-2400 UTC 972 Uzbek 1500-1530 UTC 801 9865 11590 11780 15325 Vietnamese 1300-1330 UTC 1575 9325 9890 1500-1600 UTC 1170 5955 9325 9725 2230-2330 UTC 6060 13640 (via Kim Elliott, via Kai Ludwig, DXLD) NEW: Voice of America cuts 247 shortwave transmission hours per day. Move is due to government budget reductions and shift of U.S. international broadcasting resources to the war on terror. Effective 1 February 2006. See VOA schedule showing the frequencies that were dropped. http://www.kimandrewelliott.com/VOA_shortwave_cuts.pdf (via Mike Cooper, DXLD) But look at Albanian - compared with the schedule in WRTH06: 0600-0630 UT reduced from 3 sw frequencies to 1 1700-1730 UT reduced from 3 sw frequencies to 1 1930-2000 UT reduced from 2 sw frequencies to 1 So eight SW frequency hours reduced to three. Biblis dropped. Doesn't look good to me :-( (Andy Sennitt, Feb 1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Not much different with Croatian. However, it is apparently BBG policy to now pull the programs for the Balkans off shortwave as well. Just remember RFE Serbocroatian which delivered back in last year the swan-song for Ismaning 1197 kHz. ```Perhaps ``dead`` is a bit of an exaggeration, so far at least (gh, DXLD)``` Certainly it is an exaggeration from a global point of view. On the other hand Europe is dead as target area for VOA already for years now. Good night! (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Feb 1, DX LISTENING DIGEST) The 1400-1500 UT Russian broadcasts from Lampertheim on 17730 and 15320 are gone -- too bad, since 17730 was armchair copy here. 15370 and 15130 from Briech remain, but 15370 has co-channel QRM which sounds a lot like jamming and 15130 is covered by WYFR. So I'm adding the dismantling of VOA shortwave to my list of Things I Never Thought I'd Live to See -- along with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the conversion of Russia, which the nuns told us to pray for but no one really understood :-). 73 de (Anne Fanelli in rainy (another weirdness, in February) Elma NY, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) VoA is not so dead indeed. However, most transmissions have lost one, or sometimes two frequencies, but none have been entirely deleted. Least affected are African services with no losses at all (except for Portuguese), as well as Kurdish and Korean. Almost all IBB relay sites are involved. [R. Martí: see CUBA [non]] Compared to the previous B05 schedule, the following changes have taken place on February 1. Based on the (uncertain) assumption that all remaining frequencies have *not* been switched to other stations, no relay sites have disappeared, not even Biblis. But it would be really nice to have the old IBB technical schedule back to be sure. CANCELLED: 4930 0500-0630 USA Voice of America E SAf /BOT 5890 0430-0500 USA Voice of America P Af g 5955 0030-0100 USA Voice of America HI SAs /GRC 5955 1330-1430 USA Voice of America KH SEA /PHL 5955 1430-1500 USA Voice of America BR SEA /PHL 6015 1400-1500 USA Voice of America TB CHN /CLN 6025 2200-2300 USA Voice of America M CHN /PHL 6030 0600-0630 USA Voice of America AL SEE /D-b 6030 1230-1300 USA Voice of America LAO SEA /THA 6105 1800-2000 USA Voice of America R EEu /D-L 6110 1200-1600 USA Voice of America E SEA /PHL 6110 1300-1500 USA Voice of America E SAs /PHL 6135 2330-2400 USA Voice of America BR SEA /THA 6140 1130-1200 USA Voice of America BR SEA /THA 7105 0630-0645 USA Voice of America SR SEE /MRC 7105 1930-2000 USA Voice of America HR SEE /D-b 7115 0600-0630 USA Voice of America AL SEE /D-b 7115 0630-0645 USA Voice of America SR SEE /D-b 7115 1700-1730 USA Voice of America AL SEE /D-b 7120 0000-0100 USA Voice of America E As /PHL-x 7130 2200-0030 USA Voice of America IN SEA /THA 7150 1500-1600 USA Voice of America VN SEA /PHL 7155 2200-2230 Mo-Fr USA Voice of America SR SEE /D-b 7165 0530-0600 USA Voice of America HR SEE /D-b 7175 2030-2100 USA Voice of America SR SEE /D-b 7215 1100-1300 USA Voice of America IN SEA /PHL 7260 2230-2330 USA Voice of America VN SEA /CLN 9335 0030-0130 USA Voice of America PS AFG /CLN 9335 0130-0230 USA VoA Radio Ashna DR AFG /CLN 9480 1200-1230 USA Voice of America S LAm d 9485 1900-2000 USA Voice of America TU ME /D-j 9510 0100-0200 USA VoA Radio Aap ki Dunyaa UR SAs /THA 9535 2200-2230 USA Voice of America KH SEA /PHL 9535 2230-2330 USA Voice of America VN SEA /PHL 9565 2100-2130 Mo-Fr USA Voice of America UK EEu /THA 9565 2100-2115 SaSu USA Voice of America UK EEu /THA 9590 1900-2000 USA Voice of America TU ME /D-L 9595 1600-1700 USA Voice of America HI SAs /GRC 9605 0430-0500 Mo-Fr USA Voice of America TU ME /MRC 9605 1900-2000 USA Voice of America R EEu /D-b 9635 0530-0600 USA Voice of America HR SEE /D-b 9655 2200-2230 Mo-Fr USA Voice of America SR SEE /MRC 9705 1930-2000 USA Voice of America AL SEE /G-r 9725 0500-0530 Mo-Fr USA Voice of America UK EEu /MRC 9775 0130-0200 Tu-Sa USA Voice of America E LAm g 9780 2230-2400 USA Voice of America E FE /PHL 9785 1700-1800 USA VoA Radio Aap ki Dunyaa UR SAs /PHL 9790 1300-1500 USA Voice of America M CHN /PHL 9795 1500-1600 USA Voice of America E FE /PHL 9805 1730-1800 USA Voice of America P Af /BOT 9805 1800-1830 Mo-Fr USA Voice of America P Af /BOT 9805 2030-2100 USA Voice of America SR SEE /MRC 9825 0100-0200 USA Voice of America S CAm d 9835 0430-0500 Mo-Fr USA Voice of America TU ME /D-b 9890 2200-2400 USA Voice of America E SEA /PHL 11700 0100-0200 USA Voice of America S CAm d 11705 1400-1500 USA Voice of America E FE /PHL 11715 1200-1300 USA Voice of America E FE /PHL 11715 1200-1300 USA Voice of America E Oc /PHL 11760 1400-1500 Th-Sa USA Voice of America IN SEA /MRA 11770 1630-1730 USA VoA Radio Ashna DR AFG /THA 11770 1730-1800 USA Voice of America PS AFG /THA 11770 1800-1830 USA VoA Radio Ashna DR AFG /THA 11825 0900-1100 USA Voice of America M CHN /MRA 11835 1500-1600 USA Voice of America E ME /D-L 11855 1700-1730 USA Voice of America AL SEE /D-b 11875 0000-0100 USA Voice of America TB CHN /PHL 11875 1900-2000 USA Voice of America TU ME /MRC 11885 1800-1900 USA Voice of America R EEu /MRC 11965 1100-1300 USA Voice of America M CHN /PHL 11970 1600-1700 USA Voice of America BE SAs /PHL 12010 0700-1100 USA Voice of America M CHN /PHL 12140 1430-1500 USA Voice of America PS AFG /KWT 12140 1500-1530 USA VoA Radio Ashna DR AFG /KWT 12140 1530-1630 USA Voice of America PS AFG /KWT 13640 1900-2000 USA Voice of America E ME /MRC 13715 1200-1230 USA Voice of America S LAm g 13735 1500-1600 USA Voice of America E FE /CLN 13735 1500-1600 USA Voice of America E SEA /CLN 13740 0130-0200 Tu-Sa USA Voice of America E LAm d 13790 1530-1600 USA Voice of America GE Cau /MRC 13865 1100-1200 USA Voice of America E ME /CLN 15120 1130-1200 Mo-Fr USA Voice of America TU ME /D-L 15150 1300-1330 USA Voice of America VN SEA /PHL-x 15160 1300-1500 USA Voice of America CA FE /PHL 15210 0130-0200 USA Voice of America BE SAs /CLN 15255 1500-1700 USA Voice of America E ME /GRC 15305 2200-2400 USA Voice of America E FE /CLN 15320 1400-1500 USA Voice of America R EEu /D-L 15375 0700-0900 USA Voice of America M CHN /MRA 15385 1730-1800 USA Voice of America CR Car g 15425 1400-1500 USA Voice of America E SEA /PHL-x 15425 1400-1500 USA Voice of America E WOc /PHL-x 15445 1600-1700 USA Voice of America E EAf /THA 15540 1400-1500 USA VoA Radio Aap ki Dunyaa UR SAs /GRC 15545 1700-1730 USA Voice of America P WAf /BOT 15545 1700-1730 USA Voice of America P SAf /BOT 15665 0900-1100 USA Voice of America M CHN /MRA-s 17555 1100-1200 USA Voice of America E ME /GRC 17665 0400-0600 USA Voice of America TB CHN /KWT 17730 1400-1500 USA Voice of America R EEu /D-L 17740 0100-0200 USA Voice of America E SAs /PHL 17765 0000-0300 USA Voice of America M CHN /PHL NEW: 7285 1900-2000 USA Voice of America TU ME /? 7315 0130-0200 Tu-Sa USA Voice of America E /? FREQUENCY CHANGES [sites assumed to be the same as before]: 5955 (ex7290) 0430-0500 Mo-Fr USA Voice of America HA WAf /STP 5955 (ex7290) 0500-0530 USA Voice of America HA WAf /STP 7135(ex11825) 2000-2100 USA Voice of America K FE /THA Find the current overall shortwave schedule on http://www.eibi.de.vu/ 73, (Eike Bierwirth, 04317 Leipzig, DL, Feb 2, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) VOA continues as a satellite TV service though. That said, it would have to be the most hopeless international television broadcaster. DW, BBC, CCTV (China), ABC Asia Pacific all make VOA Television look like b-grade crap! Funny enough, I was talking Jonno's head off today saying that international satellite is now just like shortwave in the 70s & 80s - every day many new channels come on (it`s hard to keep up) - you can receive well over 1000 channels now free-to-air (digital quality) in Australia. Come on DXers, shortwave stations are closing and the funding is being transferred into international digital television and radio via satellite. Not convinced - read the WRTH this year about the future of radio and the BBC Monitoring feature. Ha ha. OK I'm just pushing my interest - I still have 2 communications receivers, and I even listened to AIR on the weekend, but if you don't install a dish soon you will be missing out on the wild early days of international television broadcasting. At the moment I am writing an article for satdirectory.com on Radio Farda - you might find this link interesting.... http://www.portaliraq.com/news/Alhurra+TV+and+Radio+Sawa+reach+71+percent+of+Iraqis__1111788.html Farda after a slow start is now kicking goals, and yep you can listen 24 hours a day in stereo CD quality in Australia on both Asiasat 2 and Intelsat 701. Cheers, (Mark Fahey, ARDXC via DXLD) This is a tragedy of epic proportions! It could only come to pass with an administration completely detached from the realities of modern radio. Radio is EASILY the most efficient and widespread medium across the intended "targets" for introducing tomorrow's possible terrorists to the hope and points of view of others --- it seems a "War on Terror" is the only answer in their heads. Sad, just plain sad. 73's (Scott in the USA, Feb 3, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Analyzing the IBB Feb 1 changes, we see a great many transmissions of VOA and RFA via Tinang, Philippines, reduced from 500 to 250 kW. R. Sawa, via Djibouti, 1431 kHz MW, is now running 300 kW in the daytime, 600 kW at night, but not on the schedule at 16-24 UT, which ought to be `prime time`. Source of the ``Arabic`` QRM on 9990 to WWCR 9985; R. Free Afghanistan, via Kuwait at 1130-1230, ex-19010 (Aaron Zawitzky, DX LISTENING DIGEST) VOICE OF AMERICA MAKES SELECTIVE SHORTWAVE CUTS Recently announced funding cuts by the USA's external broadcasting body, the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB), have affected the Voice of America (VOA) transmission schedule, effective 1 February 2006. This has meant that a significant proportion of shortwave frequencies and some broadcasts have been reduced or dropped. Some of the more extensive cuts are to broadcasts for Europe - up to half of the frequencies carrying Albanian, Croatian, Serbian and Turkish have been axed. Broadcasts in English have not escaped the cuts - these include the cessation of the daily three-hour morning broadcast at 0900 gmt. Broadcasts in English to other parts of the world, particularly sub- Saharan Africa, have faired somewhat better. They sustained only light to moderate reductions in the number of frequencies in use at any one time. The frequency choice available during the three daily broadcasts in Russian has reduced by up to a third. However, non-English broadcasts to Africa (Hausa, Swahili etc.) and those targeting the Middle-East, Iran, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe have been largely unaffected, and in some cases, have benefited from the changes. Source: BBC Monitoring research 3 Feb 06 (via DXLD) ** U S A [non]. New AFRTS outlet noted January 29th on 4156 via DX Tuner Thailand at 1720, not parallel to Guam 5765, parallel but weaker than 4319 Diego Garcia. Could not hear listed Hawaii channels, 6350 or 10320 (Hans Johnson, Jihad DX via Feb WDXC Contact via DXLD) ** U S A. 15385, KJES Vado NM; 1919-1930+, 1-Feb; Monotone English death & suffering Bible thumping; no robo-kids. ID by small child at 1929. SIO=554 (Harold Frodge, MI, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) ** U S A [non]. V. of Joy transmitter site is Samara, Russia, for 6220 Sat 14-15 (WRTH Update Jan 31 via DXLD) First we`ve seen of anything so specific; however, they put R. República 7110 etc. as Woofferton, which, see CUBA [non] and my previous comments, can`t see how that could be correct (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** U S A. QSL: National Hurricane Center Amateur Radio Station, WX4NHC. Freq: 14325 usb kHz. 20 metre band. Date 29 Aug 05. Time: 2330. Received a f/d card with personal note in 148 days for an English report of Hurricane Katrina weather broadcast, a SASE, and an applause card. Amateur Radio Station WX4NHC, c/o JULIO RIPOLL WD4R, 14855 SW 67 LANE, MIAMI, FLORIDA 33193, USA. v/s Julio Ripoll (Joe Wood, TN, MARE Tipsheet via DXLD) ** U S A. WWL EXPERIENCES Fello DXers, I hope you will indulge me a little. I am giving a speech next week to members of the local chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) about my experiences in Baton Rouge as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Public Affairs Officer for the Louisiana Recovery Field Office. I devote a couple of pages of my remarks to the work done by WWL and the United Radio Broadcasters of New Orleans, and how we worked together to help the people affected by the hurricanes. Some of you may find this extract boring and TMI, but I hope some of you find it interesting and not too far off topic. Thanks. Jim Pogue, Memphis, TN When Katrina hit New Orleans, some of its most severely affected victims were radio and TV stations. Most were simply knocked off the air with severe damage to their studios, transmitters or both. One notable exception was the 50,000-watt, clear channel blowtorch AM station in the area, WWL. WWL was able to get back on the air quickly, and with a coverage area that blankets most of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains at night and reaches almost to Memphis during the day, they were an absolute lifeline for people affected by the hurricane. They also put together a coalition of other radio stations in the area as they came on the air to form what they called the United Radio Broadcasters of New Orleans. This ad hoc network eventually included nine AM stations, nine FM stations and a short wave station in South Carolina that was heard in every part of the globe including Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. The program hosts spent much of their time accepting calls in the typical radio talk show format from listeners who were looking for lost relatives, seeking assistance, or just wanted to complain. I was able to get the secret ``hot line`` numbers however, that got me to the head of the line when I called in. I made it a practice to call in almost every morning for about the first month I was there to talk up some of the good work we were doing. I frequently explained the basic process storm victims needed to go through to get a blue roof, who qualified, who didn`t and why they didn`t, the locations of new walk-in centers for the blue roof program when they opened, information on debris pickup and how people could sort their debris to speed the cleanup, safety hazards --- and the list goes on and on. I never had a shortage of topics to discuss, and the program hosts always seemed glad to hear from me. Another way in which having an ongoing relationship with the radio station proved valuable was in rumor control --- a real problem in the aftermath of the storm. Several times I received phone calls from our field personnel saying, ``870 AM is telling people that the Corps is not going to put any more blue roofs on after Friday,`` or something similar. I could pick up the phone, dial the hot line and usually be on the air broadcasting the correct information in five minutes or less. This was a very powerful tool in the public information arena. An example of how effective this medium was in reaching the public involved a problem we were having early in the blue roof mission. The Corps was working with FEMA to set up a call center where the public could get information on where to apply for a temporary roof. We --- the Corps --- felt like we were ready to go and that the public could benefit from the service. FEMA was hesitant, however, and instead of being willing to accept a 90 percent solution, wanted everything up and running perfectly when we pulled the trigger. The effect, however, was that the public was not getting the latest and most accurate information they needed. I had the information --- a list of 30 or so locations and hours of operation --- in paper form. The public needed the information. During one of my call-ins to WWL at about 9 in the morning, I was apparently pretty worn out because anything resembling common sense simply vanished from my brain. I said on the air, ``if anyone needs information on where to apply for a blue roof, they can call me at --- and I gave out my cellphone number.`` Holy cow! My phone nearly jumped off my belt. As a matter of fact, I still occasionally get calls from people looking for information about how to get assistance. My co-workers thought I was crazy to have given out the number --- and at some point --- so did I. But in retrospect, it was the right thing to do. I was able to connect the public with the assistance they needed until the call center was up and running. It made my life even more chaotic for a few days, but I really have no regrets. One last anecdote regarding the call-ins to WWL. One morning I was waiting my turn to talk, and was listening to the caller just ahead of me speak to the program host. Suddenly, he launched into a tirade about how he knew with certainty that the Corps of Engineers had blown the levees in New Orleans to save the rich people at the expense of the poor people. He said he`d heard this on CNN and even had the name of the Corps public affairs officer in Vicksburg, by then my recently retired boss, and that he was the source of the report. The radio talk show host then said, ``Well, we have Jim Pogue on the line from the Corps of Engineers, and I`m sure he`ll be happy to respond to that. Jim ?`` My friends, I hope you are never in that pair of shoes. With thousands of listeners throughout the region listening to their radios, I was being asked a question that was completely outside my lane since another group of Corps Public Affairs personnel were handling the levee questions, and the listener had made a strong argument that seemed to indicate he knew what he was talking about. I took a quick, deep breath. I was as honest as I could be, and said I didn`t know enough about the caller`s statement to give a detailed answer. But that I could say with complete certainty that the Corps did NOT blow the levee and would never do anything like that which would intentionally endanger the lives of anyone. As for the report the listener said he heard from my former boss, I said I wasn`t aware of the interview, but that at the early stages of the disaster we were very much in a situation like a war, and that the analogy of the fog of battle applied there just as well. I said that early reports were often sketchy, incomplete and inaccurate, and that I was sure whatever he had heard fell into that category. To my surprise, the program host paused briefly, thanked me for being forthright and honest about the situation, and moved on to the topic I had called to discuss. I wonder if listeners heard my audible sigh of relief at that point? (Jim Pogue, Memphis TN, Feb 1, IRCA via DXLD) Who is also handling the URBONO QSLs ** U S A. Important QSL Information for KDZR-KKPZ DX Tests With apologies, your test coordinator has committed a major error. Please DO NOT send reception reports, MP3 files or other correspondence regarding the recent tests to the Chief Engineer's e-mail account. John is working on a dial up account, and the large files have overwhelmed him. If you previously submitted a report via E-mail and desire a QSL card please send the report again via US Mail including an audio CD of your file or a cassette tape. The correct mailing addresses are listed below: KDZR Radio Disney 3030 SW Moody St., Suite 210 Portland, OR 97201 KKPZ Radio Attn Program Manager 4700 SW Macadam Suite 102 Portland, OR 97239 My sincere apologies to both John and Mary Anne Sanford who arranged the test for the trouble this has caused (Les Rayburn, N1LF, NRC/IRCA Broadcast Test Coordinator, Feb 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** VENEZUELA. SANCIONADAS EMISORAS VENEZOLANAS La siguiente información aparece en: http://www.leyresorte.gob.ve/ FM 92.9, Imagen 88.1, Radio Rumbos, Radio Continente, Radio Popular, Radio Difusora Venezuela y Radio Sensación ubicadas en Caracas, Radio Yaracuy, del estado Yaracuy, y Radio La Pascua del estado Guárico son las emisoras sancionadas. Ocho de ellas deben ceder espacios de su programación y una, pagar una multa de 0,5% de sus ingresos brutos 24/01/2006 El Directorio de Responsabilidad Social en Radio y Televisión decidió sobre los procedimientos administrativos abiertos a nueve prestadores de servicio de radio en septiembre de 2005, motivados por incumplimiento en la difusión del porcentaje de horas de música venezolana y en el informe de difusión de obras musicales, así como por la difusión de mensajes que incitan a juegos de envite y azar y el uso de lenguaje inadecuado en el horario todo usuario. Las emisoras a las cuales se les abrió el procedimiento fueron: FM 92.9, Imagen 88.1, Radio Rumbos, Radio Continente, Radio Popular, Radio Difusora Venezuela y Radio Sensación ubicadas en Caracas, a Radio Yaracuy, situada en el estado Yaracuy, y a Radio La Pascua localizada en el estado Guárico. Las emisoras Radio Yaracuy y Radio La Pascua no entregaron el informe de difusión de obras musicales, en ambos casos se consideró como atenuante la regularización en la entrega del mismo. Por ello comenzará a aplicarse el novedoso mecanismo de cesión de espacios para difusión de mensajes culturales y educativos, previstos en la Ley, lo cual redundará en beneficio de los usuarios. Se tiene previsto difundir micros de tradiciones y música venezolana de excelente producción. En relación con la emisora 88.1, la apertura del procedimiento se motivó al incumplimiento en el porcentaje de difusión de obras musicales venezolanas; se aplicó la sanción de multa de 0,5% de sus ingresos brutos del ejercicio del año fiscal anterior; sanción prevista en la Ley, y fue considerada como circunstancia atenuante el incremento en el porcentaje de música transmitida con la utilización de diversos géneros. En cuanto al procedimiento administrativo de las emisoras Radio Rumbos, Radio Continente, Radio Popular, Radio Difusora Venezuela, y Radio Sensación, la apertura de los procedimientos fue motivada por la transmisión de mensajes que incitan a juegos de envite y azar en horario todo usuario; se consideró como circunstancia atenuante que los prestadores cesaron en la transmisión de estos mensajes violatorios a la ley, la sanción aplicada fue cesión de espacios. En el caso de la emisora 92.9 se recibieron numerosos reclamos por parte de usuarios y usuarias, que denunciaban el uso de lenguaje inadecuado en el horario Todo Usuario hecho que motivó la apertura del procedimiento, al verificarse dichas denuncias, se sancionó al prestador con la cesión de espacio. Igualmente, el Directorio de Responsabilidad Social en Radio y Televisión está evaluando varios casos denunciados por los usuarios en el mes de diciembre. Próximamente se informará sobre los restantes trece procedimientos de los veintidós abiertos en el mes de septiembre. De esta manera, el Directorio de Responsabilidad Social vela por el fiel cumplimiento de la Ley de Responsabilidad Social en Radio y Televisión, instrumento que garantiza la participación ciudadana y la construcción de un nuevo modelo comunicacional (via José Elías Díaz Gómez, Venezuela, Jan 31, Noticias DX via DXLD) ** VIETNAM. Referring to 6-019, new German service of VOV: and the current WoR: Are you sure about the 1800 transmission? English is (was?) also scheduled at this time on 7280 & 9730. Shall try to check it at 18 tonight. [Later:] Here past 18 UT, Feb 3: On 7280 kHz I hear, with Arabic behind and heavy side splatter, their English program, in // with their web cast of VoV6. Nothing heard here on 9730. Maybe because of a very strong 9725. 73, (Erik Køie in Copenhagen, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. 17660: I have this to add, but not to much help I am afraid. I listened to 17660.00 on Feb 2 from 1335 to 1429. UT. Nonstop highlife music. Very enjoyable and with SINPO 3-4 5 5 3 4 , getting better. At 1349 a very weak station under was heard with Arabic music, but disappeared after a minute or two. No jammer was heard during the whole time of listening. The station with African music just kept on playing their highlife music. Nothing that even resembles an ID was heard. At 1408 a song which included the words "indépendence" and "Cameroun" , at 1410 a song probably titled "L'Afrique, c'est mon pays". At 1429 they went off the air, without any spoken words, leaving the frequency free from any other station; the QRG is dead, whatever antenna I use. [see also LIBYA] BTW, as a very young DX-er I didn't fancy high-life music at all, even called it pejorative things like "Lumumba music". Time and life have taught me better. 73/ (Johan Berglund, Trollhättan, Sweden AOR AR7030, K9AY (now operational again), 30 meter longwire, Feb 2, HCDX via DXLD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DX-PEDITIONS ++++++++++++ MUHOS/OULU, FINLAND Full report and log from our December 7-12th 2005 DXped to Muhos/Oulu (Finland) are now online: http://www.radioascolto.org/muhos05.html 73 (Renato Bruni, Andy Lawendel, Italy, MWC via DXLD) DIGITAL BROADCASTING ++++++++++++++++++++ WRN DRM via Kostinbrod is reported to start on Monday (Feb 6), but not on full schedule. Frequencies: 0600-0800 11545, 0800-1600 15730, 1600- 1800 11535, 1800-0600 5760. http://forum.mysnip.de/read.php?8773,380954 Here is a report about DRM tests for LJB from Issoudun, connected with an ASBU meeting at Tunis, delivering telephone-like audio at 11.6 kbps: http://www.drmrx.org/forum/showthread.php?threadid=1318 This thread reveals that Christian Voice at Santiago runs a mere 11.6 kbps as well: http://www.drmrx.org/forum/showthread.php?threadid=1308 Let's conclude by taking a look at the monitoring of Wertachtal-3995: Occasionally running 14.5 kbps, more frequently 11.6 as well. Many complaints about reception problems. At such low bitrates. Just ridiculous. Good night (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Feb 3, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Re: DRM SEMINAR SET FOR LAS VEGAS One insider's view is that while the DRM proponents would like their system to be used in the U.S. instead of HD Radio on the AM band, the basic intent of the seminars is to expose NAB attendees to DRM because DRM is going to go up against Eureka and IBOC (HD Radio) in other countries. The real battleground starting to shape up is reportedly South America, and many NAB attendees represent other countries (CGC Communicator Jan 31, via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) IBOC ON FM AND AM [Re Kent Wenrich`s comments:] I'm going to step out of my DXer shoes for a minute, and speak as a radio listener. I believe that FM IBOC is here to stay. Whether we like it or not, iBiquity has found its "killer app" with multicasting. Funny that it's already being widely implemented even though it's still considered experimental by the FCC, but we all know that's no big hindrance at all. But think about it - don't you think that any broadcaster would give their left arm to be able to triple their number of channels (is there any requirement that analog & HD1 channels have to have the same programming???). Whatever the cost of IBOC, that alone will make it worthwhile for most broadcasters. To get those extra channels, they'll gladly fork over the money, and will start pushing the radios big-time (whenever they become available). As for the interference issues, yeah, sure they exist on FM, but the reality is that most listeners will not even notice, or if they do, they'll chalk it up to some other issue, and learn to live with it. On FM, the side-effects just aren't that severe. AM is a whole different story, and I hope IBOC dies a quick death. Maybe your figures are correct for FM, but I have a hard time listening to IBOC hash from KMXE for example, and believing that this is only 500w of output. Their digihash is VERY audible on 820 and 840, even at 50 miles. No way that's only 500w of energy (Brian Leyton Valley Village, CA (GMT -0800) DX-398 / RS Loop, ABDX via DXLD) I need to correct myself. The power levels I was giving were for FM ONLY. AM runs through the main transmitter so it is not lower levels like FM. TO be honest I have not implemented an AM HD station yet, but that is coming up this spring. I will have more knowledge at that time (Kent Winrich, ibid.) Kent, I don't think anyone here is saying IBOC/HD "won't work" in a technical sense, at least on FM (night operation on AM may be another story). What I am saying, however, is that it's a solution in search of an appropriate problem. The public is going to be totally indifferent to IBOC/HD until HD receivers cost no more than comparable analog receivers. Anyone who thinks the public is going to pay a 200% price differential for "multicasting" or "digital sound" is really kidding themselves, and it will ultimately be the public and their dollars --- not DXers, not SBE members, not even the NAB --- who will ultimately decide the fate of IBOC/HD. Unless you see an exponential increase in available IBOC/HD receivers and resultant sales this year, Ibiquity is going to have a big problem; manufacturers and (especially) retailers aren't going to devote capital, manufacturing capacity, and shelf space to some pipe dream. If IBOC/HD is ever going to "hit" with the public, the time is now before alternative delivery systems establish themselves too deeply among the public. (And I stick by my prediction that mobile phones are going to be a more important delivery platform for audio programming than satellite radio or even terrestrial AM/FM radio, regardless of whether IBOC/HD succeeds or not.) You are right that listeners like variety; that's the driver behind satellite radio. Even if IBOC/HD is adopted by every AM/FM station in America, it still won't offer the choice XM and Sirius offer. And that's not even considering the looming threat from cellphonecasting systems like QualComm's MediaFLO, Motorola's iRadio, etc. You are also right that DXing will change (and a lot of long-time DXing traditions will die in the process). But AM/FM broadcasting will also have to change, and I don't think IBOC/HD is going to be an adequate response to the challenges posed by the new delivery platforms rapidly coming on line. There are now approximately 10 million people paying $13 a month for radio programming via satellite; if I were giving away something for free --- namely terrestrial AM/FM radio --- and there were that many people willing to pay that much for an alternative, I'd be taking a hard look at my business and the assumptions I was operating under. I'll close by reiterating how much I appreciate your reports of your experiences with IBOC/HD. I wish I could drop by the local Circuit City, Best Buy, or even Wal-Mart and bring home a desktop/portable IBOC/HD radio today (Harry Helms W5HLH, Smithville, TX EL19 http://futureofradio.typepad.com/ ABDX via DXLD) One comment on Brian's note: I am about 75 miles from the KSL 1160 transmitter. The digihash is horrendous and wipes out everything from 1140 to 1180. If that's 500 watts, I'd hate to think what 50,000 watts of digihash would sound like (Michael Richard, Evanston WY, ibid.) Kent, wait a minute - I am confused here. The main carrier of a radio station broadcasting in Frequency Modulation can't have one portion of that modulation at one power and another portion at another power. The very definition of FM is that the power of the carrier stays exactly the same, but the frequency itself is what deviates (actually the sum of all deviations - modulation and subcarriers all riding on that carrier), which don't affect the ERP in any way. So are you saying that an FM broadcast band iBOC carrier contains the digital portion in amplitude modulation of that carrier, while the analog portion is in traditional frequency modulation? Having the HD portion being piggybacked on the carrier in amplitude modulation seems to me to be the only possible way to assign a separate power ratio to it from the frequency modulation content... unless a separate carrier on a different frequency was being used (Darwin Long, Thousand Oaks, CA, ibid.) With FM IBOC there are usually separate transmitters, and sometimes even separate antennas. So you can control just about anything you want. I should put up pictures of a HD Radio install. Basically the TYPICAL HD install utilizes the analog transmitter (no change there) and a new IBOC transmitter. Those two are combined into one antenna using a combiner box. There is a reject load that comes out of this box. The combiner keeps each transmitter from sending signal into the other. Quite an interested set up actually. Our setup even has separate audio processors so that we can process the HD lighter for better audio quality. After this weekend of HD listening in Detroit and Chicago, and then going back to analog, there is a difference. Analog does sounds more squashed whereas the HD sounds much more pleasant (Kent Winrich, Clear Channel, Milwaukee WI, ibid.) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ SBE ADVOCATES REPLACING EAS The Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE) maintains that the Emergency Alert System (EAS) is broken beyond "simple modifications or band-air approaches" and should be replaced. In part, SBE would eliminate broadcasters as an EAS origination source. (Thanks, Richard Rudman) http://tinyurl.com/8tkcm (CGC Communicator Jan 31, via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) RAMSEY ELECTRONICS TENTATIVELY FINED $25,000 The FCC has notified Ramsey Electronics, Inc. of its Apparent Liability for Forfeiture in the amount of $25,000 for marketing two models of FM broadcast transmitters, and two models of external radio frequency power amplifiers, without FCC authority to do so. This is potentially a landmark case in the pirate broadcasting arena. http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-136A1.doc (CGC Communicator Jan 31, via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) CELLULAR TOWERS MAY NOT MAKE GOOD NEIGHBORS As Cellular and PCS operators - including Nextel - continue to build out their infrastructure by installing base stations in residential neighborhoods, are some of the neighbors unwittingly being turned into "second class citizens?" Calculations indicate that residents near these towers, particularly folks using UHF-TV preamped receiving antennas pointed at or near the towers - will experience interference in the form of brute-force RF overloading. Do you know of any documented cases where overloading or other types of interference have occurred from cell towers? If so, please send to r.gonsett @ ieee.org (CGC Communicator Jan 31, via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD)- MORE ON XM AND SIRIUS INTERFERENCE TO BROADCAST FM & TV-6 AUDIO (Continuing the thread from CGC #723) "This time I personally experienced the issue [of XM interference to the FM broadcast band]. While listening to 88.1 FM and driving North on the 605 at about the intersection of the 60, I noticed that my receiver momentarily captured a signal during an XM Channel 145- ID. Granted that this is a fringe area for KKJZ, so a lot of static and multipath is present anyway, but [the XM interference is] one more reason for a listener [to tune away from KKJZ on 88.1]. The XM signal locked in almost full quieting for about 30 seconds, went away for 30 seconds, then came back for about 10 seconds." Ron Thompson, DE, KKJZ-FM, Long Beach & KUOR-FM, Redlands (CGC Communicator Jan 31, via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) IPODs SAID TO BE "REAL DX MACHINES" "Apple sells an accessory FM transmitter that is wireless for the IPOD. The signal from this little transmitter can be received for several hundred feet, suggesting it is not Part 15 compliant according to your 100 foot test. For fun, I sometimes tune my car radio to 87.9 MHz and in driving for 10 miles or so, will hear as many as a half dozen of these IPOD signals. "All in all, I found that the IPOD signals travel much farther than XM and Sirius signals, and it would not hurt if the FCC investigated the IPOD transmitters for Part 15 compliance. The IPODs are real DX machines." Paul Smith, W4KNX, Sarasota, FL (CGC Communicator Jan 31, via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) IS THE "TALKING BILLBOARD" PART 15 COMPLIANT? CGC #720 carried a story questioning the legality of a 1610 kHz "talking billboard" in San Diego since the signal could reportedly be heard 14 miles away. Now, Richard Fry comments on the story and offers some theoretical calculations suggesting that Part 15 compliant signals in the AM broadcast band should not travel very far, and certainly not 14 miles under the assumptions used in his calculations. http://earthsignals.com/add_CGC/Billboard_Part_15.htm (CGC Communicator Jan 31, via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) BALLOON-COMM TEST LAUNCH SET FOR NORTH DAKOTA Former North Dakota governor Ed Schafer is backing two companies hoping to deploy high-tech balloons this summer to blanket the sparsely-populated state with cellular telephone coverage. A test flight is scheduled within the next few weeks in which a toaster-size communications pod suspended by a $55 balloon will soar up to 20 miles above the plains. http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/01/30/D8FF53180.html (CGC Communicator Jan 31, via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) EXTENSIVE WIND DAMAGE AT McKITTRICK SUMMIT The following jpeg photograph taken January 3, 2006 illustrates the need for constructing the most rugged and robust equipment buildings on mountaintops. Even conventional metal frame construction (as was used here) cannot withstand nature's most violent winds. This photo shows why concrete block or poured-concrete construction are often preferred at communications sites, not to mention their ability to fend off vandals and thieves provided the roofs are equally robust. Photo from McKittrick Summit near Bakersfield, CA and reproduced with permission. http://earthsignals.com/add_CGC/Images/McKittrick.jpg (CGC Communicator Jan 31, via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ ARNIE CORO`S DXERS UNLIMITED`S HF PLUS LOW BAND PROPAGATION UPDATE AND FORECAST Solar activity is extremely low, with the optical sunspot count very near zero, The effective sunspot number is 20, and that`s an indicator of very low maximum useable frequencies during the local daylight hours, and of a fast drop just after sunset. Best daytime propagation will peak up to the 16 meters international broadcast band and the 18 megaHertz or 17 meters amateur band, while during the local evening hours you will be able to enjoy excellent reception on frequencies from 100 kiloHertz all the way up to 8 megaHertz, but not much higher than 10 megaHertz (Arnie Coro, RHC DXers Unlimited Jan 31 via ODXA via DXLD) ###