DX LISTENING DIGEST 6-043, March 11, 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 NEXT SW AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1307: Sun 0330 WWCR 5070 Sun 0400 WBCQ 9330-CLSB Sun 0530 WRMI 9955 Sun 0730 WWCR 3215 Mon 0400 WBCQ 9330-CLSB Mon 0500 WRMI 9955 Wed 1030 WWCR 9985 Full schedule, including AM, FM, satellite and internet, with hotlinks to station sites and audio: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html For latest updates see our Anomaly Alert page: http://www.worldofradio.com/anomaly.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 ** AFGHANISTAN. 9345, R. Peace, Bagram played lovely Afghan music. I think I heard a very quick but positive ID at 1328 UT: "Radyoe Solh, Bagram". Signal level S4-6 and overall reception only poor to fair. March 10. 73 de (Jouko Huuskonen, Turku, FINLAND, Rx: AOR 7030+, Ant: 95 m lw to E, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AFRICA. Saludos cordiales, listado del Áfricalist actualizado el 4 de Marzo. http://africa.coolfreepage.com/africalist/africalist.pdf (José Miguel Romero, Spain, March 9, dxldyg via DX LI STENING DIGEST) ** ALBANIA [and non]. GREECE/ALBANIA. ERA has two separate transmissions, ERA5, ERA3. The frequency 7450 kHz is used by ERA3, Macedonia radio station, Thessalonica at 1700-2300 UT, 323 Azimuth from AVLIS, see the Tentative Schedule A06. Sincerely yours (Ch. Charalampopoulos ERT/ERA, to Drita Cico at R Tirana-ALB, wwdxc BC-DX Mar 7 via DXLD) Drita Cico (R Tirana): Kalimera Q. Charalabopoulos & Q. Svorgias, First of all, we wish you a successful A06ERA. May I kindly ask you about the use or NOT of 7450 kHz to North America as planned in A06ERA? We intend to continue the use of 7455 to North America as in attached pre-A06ALR. Thanks in advance for your reply hopefully in due course. All the best from a rainy white Tirana, Drita Cico, ARTV-Head of Monitoring Center RADIO TIRANA Planned A-06 transmissions of R Tirana 7455 2300-0030 SHI 100 kW 310 deg daily ALBANIAN ALB ALR 7455 0145-0200 SHI 100 310 Mon-Sat ENGLISH ALB ALR 7455 0230-0300 SHI 100 310 Mon-Sat ENGLISH ALB ALR (R Tirana Mar 3) Hello Babis and Everyone, Many thanks for your reply re the use of 7450 kHz. This means that Radio Tirana can now go ahead with the use of 7455 kHz and there will not be any mutual interference. Drita will now be able to sleep at night!!! I think in the past the Macedonia station has used 7430 kHz ? Anyway, the HFCC registrations always give us DXers something to do to try to work out exactly what will happen, and we like a challenge, hi hi! (Noel R. Green-UK, wwdxc BC-DX Mar 7) Dear Drita, I would suggest to keep 6 & 7 MHz on coming seasons till 2008, and move to 7.3-7.5 & 9.3-9.5 MHz from season B08 / A09 / B09 onwards, all according of Sunspot Cycle 23 progress picture on WRTH 2006, page 68, left column (of George Jacobs) (Wolfgang Büschel, wwdxc BC-DX Mar 6 via DXLD) ** ANGUILLA. 6090, Caribbean Beacon, QSL card for a DEC 15 2004 reception (two follow-ups), sent direct to the station (not to Gene Scott's organization), signed by Doris Lussington (no title), also mentions beacon @ anguillanet.com I sent $1. This is a new verified country on shortwave, although I have previously received the exact same card for medium wave receptions on 690 and 1610 kHz (Jim Renfrew, Byron NY, NRC IDXD March 11 via DXLD) ** ANTARCTICA [non?]. I've never received any real radio DX from Antartica, but they have a nice webcast station that is worth checking out: http://www.anetstation.com/ (Dick W., ABDX via DXLD) But where is it, exactly??? ``Sub-Antarctic``, they admit. Seems to me a virtual put-on, tho with lots of links to stuff about Antarctica (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ARGENTINA. Glenn, I have heard a transmission coming from Argentina on the unusual frequency of 2540 kHz. Heard several times during February around 0100 UT, sometimes with sport programs. Strong signal. I heard it today at around 0000. First thought it could be a feeder (odd at such a low frequency), or a utility station using an available audio signal for testing. Then thought of an artifact coming from my receiver. Finally I could identify it as LS11 Radio Provincia, La Plata, Argentina, 1270 kHz. Thus I am receiving a second harmonic from their transmitter. Receiver Sony ICF-7600DS + 10-meter "long wire" antenna. Best Regards, (Moisés Knochen, Montevideo, Uruguay, March 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Moises, Very good. Wish it would reach further than the Southern Cone. There have been a few other reports of this, in DXLD 6-036, 6-015 and 5-199. Regards, (Glenn to Moisés, via DXLD) It`s the same station which has the Rosa de Tokio DX program, Sundays 16-17 UT, and webcasts; this week, apparently a new one about China, vicinity (gh) ** ARMENIA. V. of Armenia, 9965, 2010-2030 March 5, opening English announcements with IDs, sked, then news. 2020 mailbag; fair (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Unexpected changes occurred in the schedule of Armenian Radio. Now the 20-minute emission in English is aired from 2010 to 2030 hours on 4810 and 9965 kHz. During the emission the station announces different names like Radio Armenia, Voice of Armenia, Public Radio of Armenia. The QSL address is: Armenian Radio, English Service, Alek Manookyan Street 5, Yerevan 25, Armenia (Rumen Pankov, R. Bulgaria DX program March 10 via John Norfolk, dxldyg via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA. Radio Australia via Shepparton broadcasting ABC Darwin, 10000 kHz. Thanks to tip off from Jem Cullen, ARDXC member, RA heard on this frequency over WWV at 0810. A quick phone call to Nigel Holmes, and holding the phone to the radio, as he was saying it`s impossible to have this fault; he changed his mind in a flash. In under three minutes later at 0817 it was gone and on the proper frequency of 11880. 7/3/06. Anything is possible (John Wright, Australian Radio DX Club, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** AUSTRALIA. RADIO AUSTRALIA PROGRAMMING CHANGES If you read the topic earlier in the column regarding podcasting, you saw reference to a Radio Australia program called Connect Asia. This program will air on those Radio Australia frequencies that target Asia, along with the online webcast, at 2300 UT Sundays through Thursdays. The focus of the program will be the news of the day and associated issues. The longer duration increases the opportunity for a range of views to be heard and for important items to be covered in depth. The program will include a daily newspaper/website round-up, a daily financial report, along with business news and weather information. The audience will be acknowledged through regional time checks – not using UT – during the program. The second half of the program will be at a slower pace than the first and will be followed by news and then Breakfast Club, another relatively new, Asia-focused program that is a chattier magazine-style program, which runs from 2240 to 2300 and then 0000 to 0200 UT. Neither of these will air on the frequencies that are most audible in North America, as those frequencies target the Pacific region, not Asia. Meanwhile, did you notice that the live streamed audio schedule doesn’t match the shortwave schedule from 0300 to 0800 UT – the web audio doesn’t have In The Loop or Pacific Beat, as other Radio National-originated programs, including The Health Report and Life Matters will appear in the Asia stream at that time. The Commonwealth Games come to Australia in March, and this will result in changes to Radio Australia’s shortwave and webcast schedule. Opening ceremonies will air on shortwave Wednesday, March 15th at 0800. From Thursday, March 16th to Sunday, March 26th, Commonwealth Games coverage will air on shortwave from 0000 through 1100. Some of the coverage will be embedded in regular programming such as In The Loop and Pacific Beat, where studio hosts will then weave in coverage of the games; 0900 UT to 1100 UT will feature essentially continuous coverage of the games. Thankfully, unlike the BBC World Service during the summer Olympics, Radio Australia won’t shut down their web feed in its entirety. ABC Local Radio’s Melbourne service (``74 Melbourne``) will be providing a specially-programmed web-only service from 0000-1100 weekdays and 2300-1100 on weekends during the Games that will be offered in Radio Australia’s streaming audio service. There won’t be total avoidance of the Games – but only results and interviews will be available, no live commentary (Richard Cuff, Easy Listening, March NASWA Journal via DXLD) ** AUSTRALIA [non]. Germany relay, CVC International UK, March 10, 2006, 15680 1506 UT. Songs, "Chat Back" program. Program comment. CVC International does, IMO, a very good job of keeping the listener interested in the programming. Various topics, songs, etc. Yes, they are religious, but not the "down my throat" type found on other stations. For example, WEWN "we must rally all believers to fight the non believers before the end of the world" programming. Yea, right. Or, the old, pompous, egotistical male on WYFR during the 0930 UT broadcast. A younger male asks obviously stupid questions of the old, "all knowing" male. I really can't believe someone could be as stupid as the younger male, so this must be an act. Anyway, the older "all knowing" male constantly interrupts with, "Excuse me, excuse me. That is your understanding of the passage. Now [summary in my words] let me tell you the correct, meaning mine, understanding." To me, the programming of CVC International is more interesting and more effective than simply preaching (for example: Dr. Gene Scott, KJES, WEWN, WYFR). (Kraig Krist, VA, KG4LAC, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) That`s why one needs to be even more wary of CVC`s ``stealth evangelism`` tactic (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BELARUS [non]. Extra broadcasts in Belarussian: see SWEDEN ** BOLIVIA. Re New station in Santa Cruz, Bolivia [R. Logos, 6165] Hi Wayne, A few more weeks have gone by and still zero DX reports of R. Logos that I am aware of, even from Argentina. Could you update on this? Such as, are they really on the air every day reliably, or still experimental? The correct sign-on and sign-off times? Thanks, (Glenn to Wayne Borthwick, BC, via DXLD) Hi Glenn, I talked with Ray (CP6RR) a week ago, as he had returned to Santa Cruz from Colombia, and he told me Julio had done a nice job moving the ALAS sat receiver to the transmitter site while he was gone. He also said the R. Logos signal was 3 to 4 db above the other 49M station there in Santa Cruz. They were quite pleased with it. I do not have their exact transmit times yet. I forgot to query Ray on that. The other news of the station was that the replacement parts for the high efficiency 1 KW solid state transmitter were on the way so when they come they were planning to do comparison sig strength tests with the new 1 KW transmitter. Power costs are the reason they would go to the 1 KW. The 1 KW was the transmitter that originally was planned to go on air when I was there in Dec. 05. We only resurrected and changed frequency of the old tube 5 KW (the original RCN transmitter) when we experienced instability problems with the new 1 KW. That enabled us to put the station on the air during the wait for a fix for the 1 KW. Sounds like the NVIP antenna is doing its job (Wayne Borthwick, VA7GF, March 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** BRAZIL. BRAZIL PROSTITUTES GET OWN RADIO STATION SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) - Prostitutes in the Brazilian city of Salvador are starting up their own radio station. The Association of Prostitutes of Bahia state has won government permission for the project, enabling FM station Radio Zona to start broadcasting in the second half of the year, project coordinator Sandro Correia said Thursday. "We are not going to apologize for prostitution but we are going to struggle for the dignity of the profession," Correia told Reuters. The aim was not to attract women to the business. The station will feature programs about the trade but will also discuss issues such as human rights, social questions, and sexual abuse, Correia said. "The idea is that we have diverse programs that look at health issues, AIDS prevention, and racism, for example," he said. Working girls and media professionals such as Correia will staff the station and will give prostitutes training in an alternative job. Funding will come from association funds, advertising and sponsorship. Prostitution is widespread in Brazil, especially in Bahia state and other parts of the impoverished northeast. International rights organizations have criticized the country as a destination for sex tourism and child prostitution (REUTERS March 9 via Brock Whaley, DXLD) To hear it "around the world" will cost extra (Brock Whaley, DX LISTENING DIGEST) WTFK? Nota: Lo que me pregunto es cuál será la frecuencia; será acaso: 96.9 FM? (José Elías Díaz G., Venezuela, playdx yg via DXLD) Brazil prostitutes get own radio station [more versions, forum] http://www.themercury.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,18413475%255E401,00.html http://www.lucianne.com/threads2.asp?artnum=264480 http://www.sundaytimes.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,7034,18413475%255E401,00.html (via Zacharias Liangas, DXLD) Prostitutes get own radio station - Yahoo! News [same] http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060310/od_nm/brazil_prostitutes_dc (via Norman Wald W9VQ, DXLD) ** BRAZIL. R. Bandeirantes, São Paulo, 9645.07, 0145-0210+ March 4, Portuguese talk by M&W, brief music breaks. P-F; // 11924.93 weak. R. Record, São Paulo, 9504.8, 2305-2350+ March 4, Portuguese talk, ads, jingles. F-G; // 6149.94 poor, weak. [BTW, Record is pronounced something like heh-COR-jee --- gh] R. Tupi, 9564.92, 2320-2350+ March 4, Portuguese preacher, religious music. Fair; // 6059.96 poor with co-channel QRM (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CAMEROON [non]. QSL: CLANDESTINE, 11840, Radio Free Southern Cameroons (via Armavir, Russia). Received an e-mail National News Group reply, stating that "RFSC received clearly in Canada", with a statement that 'below is a recent report of reception in Canada'. Also attached was my original report. In the statement, mentioned that reports where received from Australia, Sweden, Austria. etc. They mentioned that they broadcast on the 25-meter band between 11,ooo - 12,ooo kw, from 7 PM Southern Cameroons time every Sunday. After which have been receiving daily bulletins from this clandestine group. Unfortunately, by posting your report to: radiofreesoutherncameroons @ yahoo.com results in getting on their mailing list. Reply in eight days after posting my report. I guess that this will be as good as it gets for getting a reply from this organization (Edward Kusalik, Alberta, CANADA, March 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Sundays only at 18-19 UT. So how does being well heard in Canada help the cause? (gh, DXLD) ** CANADA. New AM in Montreal (1690 kHz, 1 kW) approved by CRTC --- The CRTC has approved the application by the Concordia Student Broadcasting Corporation for a new AM station in Montreal, in the X- band, 1 kW on 1690 kHz: http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2006/db2006-58.htm They will be ND, operating from a single short (46 degree) tower located at 45? 26' 51.00" N, Latitude 73 ? 37' 57.00" W Longitude. 73, (Deane McIntyre, VE6BPO, March 10, IRCA via DXLD) from http://www.crtc.gc.ca/ENG/whatsnew/2006/mar10.htm http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2006/db2006-58.htm Concordia Student Broadcasting Corporation, Montréal, Quebec. APPROVED – New English-language community-based campus AM radio programming undertaking in Montréal, Quebec. The licence will expire 31 August 2012. (for 1690 AM in Montreal) http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2006/db2006-60.htm La radio communautaire de LaSalle, Montréal (zone Lasalle), Quebec. APPROVED – New Type B French-language community FM radio programming undertaking in Montréal, Quebec. The licence will expire 31 August 2012. (for 100.1 FM in Montreal) (via Ricky Leong, AB, DXLD) ** CHILE. Cambio de la Hora oficial -- A partir de las 0000 de Chile, los relojes se debaran atrasar en una hora, quedando de la siguente forma su conversion a UTC: CHILE 0000 = UTC 0400 (Hector Frías, Radioescuchas FEDERACHI, March 10, radioescutas via DXLD) De 12 marzo ** CHINA. Can anyone help me with ID of a station on 18160, monitored around 1000-1100 UT in what seems to be Chinese. Transmitter site, etc., appreciated (Brian Mulleady - GM0KWL, March 9, HCDX via DXLD) UNID spurious signal mixture of some 16 mb Beijing site channels. But spur formula does puzzle up the DXers community yet. (wb df5sx, ibid.) Glenn, I've tried to find something about what international broadcaster is causing QRM on 18160; but, haven't been able to wade through all internet info that may help. They were very loud (59) March 10/06 in Campbell River, BC (50N 125W) around 2330Z to 0000. When they went QRT. Programming in some Asian language --- included phone-in, up-beat music, very much commercial radio style of delivery etc. Just curious about who it is and if anybody is doing anything to get them off the Ham bands. If you have time, please send me any info, or direct me to where I can learn more. Thanks and 73 (Roy Geldart, VE7DXU, UT March 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) This is China National Radio first program // 17550. The strange thing is that at every top of the hour (0800, 0900, 1000) they dropped the audio feed for the times of news right after time signal and then came back at 5 minutes past the hour or so! 73, (Mauno Ritola, Finland, March 10, HCDX via DXLD) No China listed by EiBi on 17855, which would be the leapfrog fulcrum frequency halfway between them (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) Thanks, Glenn; Sounds like the problem-causer. Their AM signal isn't too wide; but, it's an irritant on a small, but popular band when it`s open. I didn't listen to see if they came back after the top of the clock 'cast, though. Does this mean they're intentionally using 18160, or is it some kind of a spur from the 17550 freq. Don't bother to dig into this unless you want to; I'm just curious. I'm an old BCB DXer from the early 60s. The hobby led me to a career in broadcasting. Now retired and moved across the country from NB after more than 40 years in the business. More info about me at the qrz.com look-up site. Thanks again. I know you're busy and I appreciate you taking the time to write. 73 (Roy Geldart, ibid.) ** CHINA. VOICE AND VIRTUE --- Liu Ming shares the occupational obstacles that Chinese journalists must face when they cover politically sensitive topics South China Morning Post Thursday, March 9, 2006 By Mark O'Neill Shanghai reporter Liu Ming hurries back to his office after a news conference with a state firm to file his report. He finds on his desk an instruction not to report what he heard. "The censors read Reuters and Bloomberg and decided the news was unfavourable," he said. It was a normal working day for Liu and his colleagues who receive, daily, detailed instructions on what they can and cannot write. Many subjects are taboo, including resistance to the city's redevelopment, during which 1.25 million people have been moved over the past 15 years to homes in distant suburbs and their old homes demolished. "We are not allowed to report disputes or protests related to the redevelopment," Liu said. "That is seen as bad for social stability and may interrupt preparations for the World Expo in 2010." Liu works in an information system that the communist government introduced from the Soviet Union in the 1950s. Despite the sweeping changes of the past 20 years, with 400 million people using mobile telephones and 110 million the internet, the system remains effective, and is constantly modified to continue shaping public opinion and maintain confidence in the government. . . http://asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=40538 (via Dan Say, DXLD) ** CONGO. Re 6-042: ``9610, R Congo, Brazzaville, at 1900-2045 (sign off?) UT on Feb 18, French programmes, regular with moderate to poor signals on a new schedule which is not mentioned in WRTH 2006 (Roland Schulze-D, DSWCI DX Window March 8 via DXLD)`` Total nonsense? R. Congo closes at 1655 UT (scheduled 0700-1655 UT). 9610 IBRA Radio scheduled exactly at 1900-2045 UT, via DTK Juelich, Germany, 100 kW 190 degrees, in French, Bambara, Tamajeq, Hausa, Von, Zarma, Wolof, Dyula, Songhai, Moore, Malinke, Fulfulde and Various. 73 (Wolfgang Büschel, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA. CUBANS RECEIVE US TV VIA CLANDESTINE CABLE NETS Cuba contra los canales de EE.UU. Fernando Ravsberg, BBC Mundo, La Habana Las autoridades cubanas informaron de la captura de un cubano residente en EE.UU. por "contrabando y cohecho" de equipos de antenas satelitales, en medio de una ofensiva para detectar y destruir los miles de esos artefactos que continúan funcionando de forma clandestina. . . http://news8.thdo.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/latin_america/newsid_4792000/4792918.stm (via Henrik Klemetz, dxldyg via DXLD) ** CYPRUS. RADIO IN CYPRUS, by the Wireless Waffler http://www.wirelesswaffle.co.uk/cyprus.htm [illustrated] (via March BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) Report from a visit ** DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. 2280 (2 x 1140), Radio Anacaona, San Juan de la Maguana, 0026-0050 Mar 11, Nice 2nd harmonic from this 5 kW transmitter. Good steady signal with regular canned IDs after every other song. No live DJ or announcements (David Hodgson, TN, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EGYPT. R. Cairo sent out to its mailing list, including gh and Manuel Méndez, their ``new`` Spanish program schedule for the first semester of 2006. But we already had and published this a few weeks ago. I suspect it be identical, altho I have not cross-checked every single entry. If there were specific changes, they should have pointed them out, and if not, not circulated the schedule again as ``new`` (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EGYPT. 7270, R. Cairo, 0234-0250, Mar. 6, English, "Life in Egypt" program re musician "DaRisch"(sp?) bio; wrote Egypt`s NA. ID at 0240, new program with terrible audio. Music at tune-out. Fair with varying degrees of audio quality (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R75, 200' Beverages, MLB-1, DTS-4, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GERMANY. GERMANY / "LATVIA" --- 6130, Baltic Radio Mar. 5. 1332- 1400* Initially the signal was just marginal with a variety of pop music at best. By 1348 signal reached a poor level, just managed to catch announcements in German plus the song 'Tower of Love' At 1359 caught closing announcements with English, mention of 6045, and to listen to further news...from... Then a musical selection, which was cut in mid-song. An e-mail report to Tom Taylor brought a response, that they (Baltic Radio was one) and that my report was being forwarded on to the station (Edward Kusalik, Alberta, CANADA, March 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Not sure what this has to do with Latvia. Does it originate there? Transmitter site on 6130 is certainly Germany (gh, DXLD) I wrote to Tom Taylor requesting the location of the transmittion relay, yet there was no indication back, on the location. Was rather vague about details (Edward Kusalik, ibid.) Ed, 6130 Baltic radio is from Eastern Germany, and broadcast via GERMANY - not Latvia, on DTK Juelich site. see latest schedule. 73 (Wolfgang Büschel via Edward Kusalik, ibid.) I suspect the only connexion with Latvia is that Tom Taylor publicizes such weekend broadcasts, which are mostly via Latvia on 9290 (gh, DXLD) ** GREECE. Radiofonikos Stathmos Makedonias on 9935 noted with a short news bulletin and weather report in English at 1255-1300 UT. English is heard on weekdays only; Greek weekends (Edwin Southwell, March BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) Another report we had said English was only 2 minutes long, but within that pentaminute; earlier report from the station itself, did not mention weekdays only but did say the English time varied widely over a 2+ hour period: so maybe it does still appear on weekends at some other times (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GREECE [and non]. Once again this Saturday at 1500, VOG via Delano 9775 kept on going in Greek, no English (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Katerina: It seems as though your Greeks Everywhere program on Saturdays will be on the side lines until the end of the futball season! (John Babbis, MD, via DXLD) ** GREENLAND. Today I got a very detailed QSL-letter from Kalaallit Nunaata Radioa on 3815 kHz within 49 days. Address: Kalaallit Nunaata Radioa, Vandsövej 15, Postbox 1007, DK-3900 Nuuk. v/s Ms. Ivalu Sövndahl Pedersen, communication assistant. 73, (Patrick Robic, Austria, March 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GRENADA. 535 kHz with one of the best signals (S7-S8) ever for me in the last few years giving cricket scores at 0330 UT, then apparently match itself by 0336. Much better tonight than Radio ZIZ on 555 (John Sgrulletta, Mahopac, NY, 0338 UT March 9, NRC-AM via DXLD) They've been fairly consistent here in Missouri lately, though the audio levels are too low and mushy to pull up any details. Not that they're anything like as strong as RVC on 530, but I get audio nearly every night. I posted a while back wondering if they'd upgraded their facilities (Randy Stewart, Springfield MO, ibid.) ** INTERNATIONAL WATERS. RADIO CAROLINE PICTURES FROM 1967 Former Radio Caroline staff member Sheridon K. Street has worked on board both Caroline ships during 1967. He was employed as a transmitter engineer but also presented shows for a few days as "Keith Street" when the station was short-staffed. His web site contains details of his offshore career and some fantastic photos taken on board both ships. Now Sheridon has kindly revealed the high resolution scans of his pictures which I have published on my site. Just go to http://www.offshore-radio.de or http://www.radiocaroline.de Best wishes Dr. Martin van der Ven via RadioAnoraksUk @ yahoogroups.com (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) (These are stunning colour photos from almost 40 years ago - Mike) ** IRELAND. SER On The Air Tomorrow --- Hi everybody in wonderful radioland. Sligo European Radio will be broadcasting on 9330 kHz in the 32 metre short-wave band tomorrow Sunday 12th March 2006 between 0800 and 1100 GMT. Sligo European Radio is an unlicenced radio station playing golden oldies right across Europe from its studio's in a lonely farmyard a few miles outside Sligo Town in the North-West of the Irish Republic. Reception reports are as always gratefully received and will be rewarded with a SER QSL card. Reception reports should be sent to sligoeuropeanradio @ hotmail.com and if you can make a recording of our output as an mp3 file please attach a copy of it to your reception report e-mail. To find out more about Sligo European Radio you can log on to our website at: http://www.geocities.com/sligoeuropeanradio Good luck and happy listening from all the crew at (Sligo European Radio, March 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAEL. 11590, KI in English March 11 from 2000 to 2025 UT with Weekend News Report. S/off at 2025, IS to 2030, then French. Good. 73 (Mick Delmage, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Rx: Collins HF-2050, Ant: KLM 7-30 MHz Log Periodic, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAEL. The Summer 2006 Kol Israel / Israel Radio schedule has been posted on the IBA's website at: http://www.iba.org.il/reception/index.asp?classto=Shortwaves All time listed are Israel Standard Time (NOT UTC). Israel changes to Summer Time (1 hr ahead) from March 31 to Oct 1. The IBA website says the clock changes back Sep 28, but other sources say differently. The PDF version of the schedule on that page, is still the Winter 2005-2006 schedule for the time being. I'm sure that http://www.israelradio.org will be updated soon (Doni Rosenzweig, March 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Here`s the English portion, in UT+2/UT+3 [see above]: 06:30-06:45 Australia 17600 N.America/W.Europe @13720 7530 N.America/W.Europe @11590 9345 12:30-12:45 W.Europe 15760 W.Europe 13680 20:30-20:45 N.America/W.Europe 9345 N.America/W.Europe 13675 N.America/W.Europe 11590 22:00-22:25 N.America/W.Europe 11590 N.America/W.Europe 9400 South Africa 15640 valid between 1.5.06-31.8.06 (@) (via gh, DXLD) ** JAPAN. NHK SHOULD RAISE MONEY FOR FOREIGN SERVICE BY ADS, SAYS PANEL --- Committee proposes advertising to raise funds for NHK's international service --- The Japan Times, Friday, March 10, 2006 A committee advising communications minister Heizo Takenaka has proposed that NHK be allowed to show commercials to raise money for its international broadcasting service, the panel chairman said Thursday. Currently the public broadcaster's stations are commercial-free, relying only on viewer fees to run its services. The members also proposed that NHK strengthen its international service over the Internet, said Chairman Satoru Matsubara, a professor at Toyo University in Tokyo. For that purpose, Matsubara said the panel members agreed NHK should be allowed to air commercials to raise funds... http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article-eastasia.asp?parentid=40646 (via Dan Say, DXLD) Mostly about TV, or axually R. Japan SW? (gh) ** KURDISTAN. TURKEY - KURDISH RADIO & TV BROADCASTS START BIA News Center, Erol Onderoglu, BIA (Istanbul), 1 March 2006 http://www.bianet.org/2006/03/01_eng/news75724.htm Broadcasts in languages other than Turkish will begin after a signature ceremony to be held soon. Television and radio watchdog RTUK has granted permission to Diyarbakir's "Gun TV" and "Soz TV" and Sanliurfa's "Media FM" to broadcast programs in Kurdish. The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK) has granted permission to three local media organizations in Southeastern Turkey to broadcast programs in Kurdish. RTUK and officials from the three local televisions, Diyarbakir's "Gun TV" (Day TV) and "Soz TV" (Word TV) and Sanliurfa's "Media FM" will be signing a letter of commitment in the coming days. After the signature ceremony, the televisions will be able to broadcast programs in the Kirmanchi and Zaza dialects of Kurdish. Cemal Dogan, the general manager of "Gun TV," who told bianet he met with RTUK authorities, said all their preparations were completed for Kurdish broadcasts and added they would begin broadcasts in mid-March after the signing of the letter of commitment. Two years after the regulation on broadcasts in different languages and dialects, television stations will be able to broadcast programs in languages and dialects other than Turkish, and with Turkish subtitles, for 45 minutes per day and a total of four hours per week. Radio stations will be able to broadcast such programs, together with translations, for an hour each day and a total of five hours per week. A total of 12 media organizations have applied to RTUK in the last two years for permissions to broadcast programs locally and regionally in languages other than Turkish. Four of the 12 have completed all the necessary documentation. (EO/EA/YE) (via Mike Terry, March 11, dxldyg via DXLD) And Turkey is a democracy? Can you imagine such legal restrixions on languages used in US broadcasting? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** KYRGYZSTAN. Kyrgyz Radio was reported with news in Russian and English from 0107 to 0122 hours on 4010 and 4795 kHz. The QSL address is: Kyrgyz Radio, 59 Jash Gvardiya Boulevard, Bishkek 10, Kyrgyzstan (Rumen Pankov, R. Bulgaria DX program March 10 via John Norfolk, dxldyg via DXLD) ** LATVIA. Relays on 9290 kHz: Sat 11 March Radio Six 0700-0800 UT parallel 945AM in Riga Radio Marabu 1200-1700 UT Sun 12 March Radio City 0900-1000 UT Radio 73 1300-1400 UT Good listening (Tom Taylor, March 9, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LIBYA [and non]. 9 Marzo: Saludos cordiales, mas novedades con Sawt Al-amal y sus jammer, hoy transmitiendo por la frecuencia de 17685, chequeada desde las 1244-1300, la potencia era la habitual de días pasados, señal muy fuerte; como novedad en la misma frecuencia la emisora musical, también con señal muy fuerte y atorando a Sawt Al- amal, mantiene algo de música afro-pop, pero principalmente música pop occidental muy melódica. Sin embargo a las 1300 Sawt Al-amal cambia a la frecuencia de 17690, como es habitual en los últimos días; su segunda hora de transmisión lo hace en otra frecuencia. La novedad de hoy es que a las 1307 la emisora musical también ha cambiado a la frecuencia de 17690, castigando con fuerza a Sawt Al-amal. Es la primera vez que esta emisora cambia de frecuencia buscando a Sawt Al- amal, por lo que se ve no están dispuestos a dejar que emita sin problemas. La señal de burbuja también se aprecia, pero es débil y no supone problema. En 17660 sigue con fuerza La Voz de África con su emisión musical. A las 1400 termina la emisión de Sawt Al-amal, quedando en solitario la emisora musical; también termina la emisión en 17660 (José Miguel Romero, Spain, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) The other Libyan Opposition Radio and their jammers see under http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid.html since mid January. There are endless text portions in past 30 days. There are few different signals on this 17660 ... 17690 range: - Saut Alamal - the Libyan opposition from [tentat.] Grigoriopol- Moldova site. TDP - Ludo Maes from Belgium brokered. Varying in frequency. - 17660 fixed. Idhaat al jamaheriya al O'zma from Tripoli, non-stop Arabic songs and Holy Qur`an in between. - varying, Sawt al Afrikiya, another Libyan Arabic station. - varying, two Libyan BUBBLE oscillating jammers. [Libyan stations Benghazi, Sabhah, and Sabrata used]. - varying, an UNID Afro-Cuban mx station, same strength as Africa No. One. And also Gabon assumed for this music station. Gabon stops at approx. 1200 UT on 17630, then Afro-Cuban station starts around 1210 ... 1230 UT, and lasts til 1522 ... 1532 UT sign off. But another transmitter at Moyabi Gabon starts again on 17630 kHz at 1500 UT. - 17670 fixed, 1300-1400 daily AWR Madagascar in Vietnamese (73 wolfgang, wwdxc BC-DX Mar 5 via DXLD) LIBYA [and others] Is anyone hearing Sawt Al-Amal in the 17 MHz band? I have checked for it recently and all I could hear was the following: 4th March: Libya abruptly signed on at 12h00 on 17680, and it was noted shortly after that on weaker \\ 17695. UnID Arabic station with a programme of almost entirely non-stop Arabic music was noted on 17660 between 12h00 and 14h00. The "African" station was observed battling it out with Libya on 17695 between 12h00 and 15h30*. This transmission consisted of non-stop international (European) pops until 13h00 when it changed to non-stop African music (which I would place into Western Central Africa). 5th March: Libya noted again on 17680 but \\ to weaker 17670. The "African" station this time was on 17675, and the unID Arabic station again on 17660 till sign-off at 14h00. It's all rather bizarre (Vashek Korinek, RSA, DXplorer Mar 8, via BCDX via DXLD) ** MADAGASCAR. The nominal frequency of 3215 was observed on actual 3217.15 on March 4, for both AWR and R. Feon'ny Filazantsara transmissions, i.e. from 1530 tune-in to 1656* UT. Very good signal (Vashek Korinek, RSA, DXplorer Mar 9 via BCDX via DXLD) Presumably same transmitter as on 11705 for V. of People, which also varied like that, but was supposedly fixed (gh, DXLD) See ZIMBABWE ** MEXICO. 6045.05, R. Universidad tuned in 7 Mar at 1324 to their programme of classical music. Good signal. Tnx Hans Johnson (Robert Wilkner, FL, Japan Premium via DXLD) I assume the good signal was not tnx to Hans Johnson, but the tip that it could be heard in FL (gh, DXLD) Hoy desde las 2200 UT escucho con excelente presencia a XEXQ en los 6045 kHz (SINPO de 5) incluso a las 0100 cuando estan al aire potentes emisoras en frecuencias cercanas (China, España, etc.) la presencia de XEXQ permanece sin problema. Desconozco si son las condiciones o han realizado algún ajuste en su equipo. 73's (Julián Santiago, DF, March 8, condig list via DXLD) ** MEXICO. Aniversario 64 Radio Mil --- Una de tantas hermosas piezas de los "Beatles" versaba: "when I am 64" Quizá como un número mágico, o bien como una edad cercana al retiro. Bien Radio Mil hoy cumple 64 años al aire. Me extendería mucho en hacer una pequeña semblanza de la importancia que ha tenido esta emisora en México a través de XEOY Radio Mil onda media (1000 kHz) y hacia el exterior por medio de XEOI onda corta (6010 kHz) Pero valga un reconocimiento a esta emisora que dió pie primero a "Núcleo Radio Mil" y hace unos años a "NRM Comunicaciones" uno de los grupos radiofónicos mas importantes de México. Los que hemos tenido el privilegio de colaborar de alguna manera en esta emisora nos sentimos muy contentos y muy fuertes a estos "primeros 64 años" 73's (Julián Santiago Díez de Bonilla, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Felicidades; unfortunately, R. Sweden [q.v.] still has not been persuaded to liberate 6010 for R. Mil: A-06 sked shows English on the usual timeshift an hour earlier to 0130 and 0230 on 6010 via Sackville. Presumably this will also apply to Swedish at 0100 and 0200, schedule in that language unfound as yet. Tho in past summers they have used 31m for these, but not at solar min (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO [and non]. A las 2050 inició su transmisión semanal "Radio Insurgente" en los 6000 kHz; en estos momentos se escucha una voz femenina que da noticias diversas. La escucho aquí en la Cd. de México con un SINPO máximo de 3, más claro que en otras ocasiones. 73 (Julián Santiago Díez de Bonilla, DF, 2100 UT Friday March 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) After forgetting to try for Radio Insurgente at 2100 on 6000 for many weeks I finally remembered to tune in. Imagine my surprise when Cuba (presumably) came up on the frequency at 2100 and darn near blew my ears off! Not sure what is up on 6000, seems to be a speech of some sorts. [later:] The current activity on 6000 which began at 2100 seems to be some kind of rally. Several speakers, and a lot of mentions of Puerto Rico. Perhaps something to do with the recent baseball incident in Puerto Rico? (Steve Lare, Holland, MI, 2151 UT Friday March 10, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) RHC does this from time to time, so be careful not to confuse with Insurgente (gh, DXLD) I wonder why RHC does that. Do they simply assume that there are listeners out there with their receivers always on and tuned to 6000 (or any other frequency) waiting for some words of wisdom from Fidel? (Steve Lare, ibid.) I wasn`t listening today, but these rally specials such as the one a couple of weeks ago, also on Friday, tend to pre-empt other RHC programming and appear on a good many familiar frequencies, not just 6000, whether or not they are normally on at that particular time. (Glenn, ibid.) La transmisión de "Radio Insurgente" inició a las 2050 y terminó a las 2157. No hay probabilidad de confusión con RHC puesto que la información, comentarios, y musica así como las identificaciones correspondían a "Radio Insurgente". Efectivamente RHC inició a los pocos minutos y sí hablaban del juego de Base Ball entre Cuba y Puerto Rico. Como lo comenté en esta ocasión la recepción de "Radio Insurgente" aquí en la Cd. de México fué mucho más clara que en otras ocasiones; por momentos había un ruido de fondo pero en general se escuchó bien. Terminó su emisión con lo que llaman "Himno Zapatista", Saludos, (Julián Santiago, condig list via DXLD) Very good; such details were lacking in your initial report. So how bad was the interference from RHC on 6000, or were you listening to RHC on some other frequency? (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** MEXICO [and non]. XESS-620 has been running ESPN Deportes for several months now. The formats for XESS-620 and XESDD-1030 (the FAKE Ensenada stations that are really in Tijuana) were swapped (so XESDD- 1030 and KURS-1040 no longer share a studio building - how weird was that!). Speaking of weird, XESS-1450 and XESDD-920 (the REAL Ensenada stations) continue to air their original formats (not the formats heard on 620 or 1030), as if these new stations were never built. 73, (Tim Hall, CA, March 9, IRCA via DXLD) ** NETHERLANDS. In the near future, hopefully within a few weeks, we'll be transferring the Media Network Weblog from Blogger to a new customised platform here in the Netherlands. We'll be able to offer a customised syndication service to partner sites, which can take all or selected parts of our RSS feed for displaying on their own site. For an example of how this works, see http://www.mediauk.com/radio/feeds/ We'll keep the Blogger site online for some time after the changeover, with a link to the new one. More details shortly. RADIO NETHERLANDS BACK ON GOOGLE NEWS I'm pleased to say that Google News resumed crawling our English website for new stories last Saturday, following a hiatus after our URL change. If you want to check the latest stories that we've published, go to http://news.google.com/ --- type "Radio Netherlands" into the search box, and sort the results by date. (Andy Sennitt, Media Network newsletter March 9 via DXLD) ** NORTH AMERICA. RADIO-ACTION: 101.1 FM and 6925 KHz Liberated on Seattle's Dial for LIVE SIMULCASTS of NEGATIVLAND's "ITS ALL YOUR HEAD FM" Stage Performance, March 10 & 11 [Times presumably PST = UT -8: from 0600 UT March 11, 12; 0400 Mar 13] Tonight and Saturday night!! Radio Free Cascadia returns to Seattle's dial to set your radio free on 101.1 FM with two LIVE SIMULCASTS of NEGATIVLAND's live performances of "It`s All In Your Head FM" at Consolidated Works in Seattle. RFC will also simulcast the performances on pirate shortwave at 6925 KHz! Tune in early while we warm up the frequencies with an eclectic mix of music heavy on copyright infringement, revolution, and other stuff the FCC, NAB, and RIAA wish would just go away!! March 10 and 11, 10 PM: In a rare public appearance with their first live performances in the Northwest in almost six years, Negativland brings their weekly radio show, OVER THE EDGE (now in its 24th year on Berkeley's KPFA FM), to the stages of Seattle’s Consolidated Works for the very first time, mixing music, sounds, voices, "personalities" and sound effects into a "theater of the mind," just as they do in their live radio broadcasts. The show, "It's All In Your Head FM", is a two-hour-long, esoteric look at monotheism in all its fundamental forms worldwide, and the all-important role played by the human brain in those belief systems. Dr. Oslo Norway is the founder of an all-new radio network, and his provocatively-reasoned position of god-less objectivity can actually start arguments. Why do we believe what we believe? Is monotheism now doing more harm than good? Christianity and Islam are this year’s featured religions as Negativland asks you to contemplate some rather complex ideas about our brains in "documentary collage" form. March 12, 8 PM: Presented by YoYo Recordings: Negativland will perform "Its All In Your Head FM" on the Olympia Film Society stage at the Capitol Theater in Olympia, WA. This live performance will be simulcast live by Free Radio Olympia on 98.5 FM and streamed online at http://www.frolympia.org Radio Free Cascadia email: rfci(at)riseup.net Free Radio Olympia http://www.frolympia.org 360-705-9780 Negativland http://www.negativland.com (RFCI via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Just checked the beginning March 11 at 0600 sharp on 6925, when the ID was ``Radio Free Whatever`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PARAGUAY. Cambio de hora official en Paraguay --- A las 2100 UT esta noche se cambia de -3 a -4 UT. Saludos de Levi MAÑANA SE DEBE ATRASAR 60 MINUTOS LA HORA OFICIAL A partir de mañana, la hora oficial se atrasa 60 minutos en todo el territorio de la República del Paraguay, según el Decreto 1867 del 5 de marzo de 2004, refrendado por el presidente Nicanor Duarte Frutos. La medida del Poder Ejecutivo responde a la necesidad de ajustar la hora oficial a las variaciones climáticas de otoño e invierno, que van de marzo a setiembre del corriente. Esta disposición es aplicada teniendo en cuenta la modalidad consensuada que busca un mejor aprovechamiento de la luz solar en territorio paraguayo, permitiendo así una mayor seguridad para las personas y, en especial, a las actividades escolares, principalmente en las áreas rurales, y la regulación económica en los servicios de suministros de energía eléctrica a la población en general. Este es el primer ajuste del año, y uno nuevo se realizará el tercer domingo de octubre, cuando los relojes deberán ser adelantados 60 minutos en todo el país. El cambio de hora influye directamente en el consumo de la energía eléctrica, pues el objetivo es distribuir mejor la carga de energía según la demanda de suministro eléctrico en las horas pico, que son a la mañana y al final de la tarde (ABC Color Paraguay 11 de Marzo 2006 via Levi Iversen, condig list via DXLD) 2100 UT (1800 local) is a very strange time to make the change; did you mean local midnight, 0300 UT? (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** PERU. R. Oriente, 6188.02, 1105-1120+ Mar 3, Spanish announcements, OA folk music, Spanish ballads. Canned ``Oriente`` ID; F-G. R. Victoria, 9720, 0630-0705+ March 5, Spanish religious programming with talk and short music breaks. 0639 fire & brimstone preacher, Spanish religious music. Weak; stronger on // 6019.95 R. Altura, 5014.41, 1005-1035+ March 5, Spanish talk, OA folk music, ID, ads; poor, weak (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PORTUGAL. RDPI very good on 17825 with ``A Guitarra Portuguesa e o Fado`` show before and after 1830 UT Sat March 11; only // found was weaker 21655. The latter is to SAm, and the former is a weekend only/special frequency to NAm at 1700-1900, per revised schedule in 5- 218. Actually 17825 went off at 1859*. Love that music; much better than undermodulated Spain via Costa Rica on 17850. BTW, 13m had VG signals from BBC Ascension on 21470 English, and until 1830, 21630 French (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Solar flux 72 and mid-latitude A-index 12. The mid-latitude K-index at 1800 UTC on 11 March was 3 (24 nT). No space weather storms were observed for the past 24 hours (SEC via DXLD) ** RUSSIA. Glenn, VOICE OF RUSSIA --- I know we are in the last days of the current cycle but I have noticed a possible change/addition. 7485 at 1800-1900 in Polish. Apart from slight cross channel interference from the booming V. of Greece on 7475 the signal was 34333 at best. I didn't have time to check whether 5905 is in parallel. Will do tomorrow. 73's (Dan Goldfarb, Brentwood, England, March 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ST. HELENA. Re Proposed New Transmitter On St. Helena Hi Duane, Here's what I know about the "History" of Radio St Helena. 1. It was never a "real" broadcast station. The transmitter belonged to the Maritime Radio service of St Helena for communications with ships etc. That's why it was a SSB transmission. 2. Tony Leo and others "arranged" with the owners of the transmitter to use it once a year for the broadcast. 3. That maritime transmitter was de-commissioned and taken off the air. I have no idea what happened to it after that. 73 de (Phil, KO6BB, Atchley, swl at qth.net via DXLD) Based on this information from my dear friend Phil, KO6BB I personally do not see 'any' reason to spend money to purchase new equipment to replace what never was. That is, it, the transmitter on St. Helena on the short-wave band, never was a SW station, just a once a year Special Event. Totally for fun. Now that is fine, I have no objections whatsoever to doing this, in principle. However, is this once a year for three hours worth the amount of money that will have to be invested to purchase all the necessary equipment? Keeping in mind, it is just for fun? Said equipment, for the record, is going to be far more extensive than has been so stated, by a wonderful and caring Ham, Mr. Robert Kipp of Germany. He is a fantastic guy and I hold only the deepest respect for him. Once this station is reborn, who will maintain it during the 364.26 days each year it is idle? Where will it be housed and how will said housing be paid for? I assume that Hams on the island will handle these duties on a volunteer basis. Now we all hate to see certain stations or events come to an end, as we have held them in our heads in dreams, hearts in warm fuzzy memories and decorated our Ham Shack or SWL Listening Post walls with the treasures acknowledging reception and or actual contact in the case of Amateur Radio. I have heard the St. Helena SW transmission, and after 5.5 years and the aid of Robert Kipp, managed to get my QSL card, as well as spoken with hams living on St. Helena on the ham bands. Yes, it was, and is, a thrill. Nevertheless, I must question the cost of resurrecting the transmitter and associated equipment for this one day in October event. Maybe it is worth the time, effort and expense. If enough people donate, then the value of this dream becomes obvious. It is worth it (Duane Fischer, W8DBF, ibid.) ** SOUTH AFRICA. 9660, Family Radio, Swahili broadcast via Meyerton/ SENTECH. Full data (with site) '3 Decades of Faithful Service' card with religious material in 125 days, 40 days after posting a follow-up to the California Address (Edward Kusalik, Alberta, CANADA, March 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SPAIN. RTVE TO SCRAP 4500 JOBS: El Mundo According to a report in El Mundo, based on a leaked document, Spanish public broadcaster RTVE is to announce the scrapping of 4500 jobs - about half of its current workforce. The most controversial part of the plan is the closure of Radio Nacional's Catalan service, Radio 4. The plan also calls for the closure of RTVE's television service in the Canary Islands. Most of the other cuts will affect RTVE's regional services in other parts of Spain. RTVE is heavily in debt and its audiences are declining. # posted by Andy @ 12:22 March 10 (Media Network blog via DXLD) REE not affected? Or so insignificant as not to be worth mentioning? (gh, DXLD) ** SUDAN [non]. Re 6-042, uncertainty about Sudan Radio Service A-06 announced schedule: 11805 0300-0500 47E SKN 300 kW 125 deg Mon-Fri USA MNO MER 15325 0500-0600 47E WOF 300 kW 128 deg Mon-Fri USA MNO MER 17660 1500-1800 47E WOF 250 kW 128 deg Mon-Fri USA MNO MER (Wolfgang Büschel, BCDX March 11 via DXLD) ** SWEDEN. EXTRA BROADCASTS IN BELARUSIAN http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/International/artikel.asp?nyheter=1&ProgramID=166&Artikel=813506 SR International/Radio Sweden will be covering the election in Belarus March 19 with a series of special shortwave programs in Belarusian. The broadcast on the day of the election will be extended by half an hour (to 1830-1930 UT. The extended broadcasts in Belarusian will continue until the end of April. These programs will include reports from Swedish election observers. With the switch to Daylight Savings/Summer Time on March 26, Radio Sweden’s broadcasts in Belarusian will be carried Saturdays on 5830 kHz, with repeats the following day at 1730-1800 UT. Through the end of April there will be an extra half hour every Monday on this same time and frequency, repeated again the following day. The programs can also be heard in Stockholm on Sundays at 14:30 hrs on FM 89.6 MHz. For more information: Gundula Adolfsson, head of Radio Sweden, tel: 08-784 72 76 or: Dmitri Plax, Belarusian service, tel: 08-784 11 46 (via Glenn Hauser, March 11, DXLD) But, WTFK before March 26? (gh) ** SWEDEN [and non]. Here is the Radio Sweden English shortwave broadcast schedule for the period beginning March 26, 2006 (all times UT (with azimuth degrees): to Europe, Africa and the Middle East 1230-1300 15735 (70) 1330-1400 15735 (85) 1630-1700 SAT Mondays - Friday 1730-1800 6065 (140- 240) + MW 1179 + SAT 1900-1930 MW 1179 Mondays - Saturdays 1930-2000 6065 (140- 240) 2130-2200 6065 (140- 240) 7420 (125) + MW 1179 to Asia and the Pacific 0130-0200 9435 (50) via Madagascar 1230-1300 13580 (40) 15735 (70) 1330-1400 15735 (85) 2130-2200 7420 (125) via Madagascar (to Australia) to North America 0130-0200 6010 (240) via Sackville 0230-0300 6010 (268) via Sackville 1230-1300 15240 (305) 1330-1400 15240 (272) via Sackville Source: Radio Sweden homepage (via Eric Zhou, China, March 11, dxldyg via DXLD) ** SYRIA. R. Damascus, 12085, 2008-2159* March 4. 2008 English opening with ID and sked, 2010 news, local music, 2103 news again. 2104 NA, 2105 local music, 2110 NA again, opening English and local music, 2115 English news again. Abrupt sign-off at 2159* Reception varied from fair to barely audible; // 9330 very poor, mixing with WBCQ in CLSB (Brian Alexander, Mechanicsburg PA, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TAIWAN [and non]. R Taiwan International A-06 schedule: Mandarin Days area kHz Site kW 0000-0500 daily CHN 11885 TWN 100 0000-0500 daily CHN 11640 TWN 100 0000-0400 daily CHN 15245 TWN 100 0000-0003 daily CHN 9660 TWN 100 0100-0200 daily SAm 15215 WYFR 100 0100-0200 daily SAm 11825 WYFR 100 0200-0500 daily CHN 15290 TWN 250 0400-0500 daily CHN 1008 TWN 600 0400-0500 daily SeA 15320 TWN 100 0400-0500 daily wNAm 5950 WYFR 100 0400-0500 daily CAm 9680 WYFR 100 0400-0600 daily CHN 15270 TWN 100 0500-0600 daily CAm 9495 WYFR 100 0600-1000 daily CHN 11795 TWN 100 0900-1000 daily SeA 11635 15525 11520TWN 100 0900-1000 daily NeA 11605 TWN 250 0900-1000 daily Australasia11715 TWN 250 0900-1100 daily CHN 9415 TWN 100 0900-1400 daily CHN 6150 TWN 100 0900-1500 daily CHN 6085, 1422 TWN 300 0900-1600 daily CHN 11665 TWN 300 0900-1600 daily CHN 603 TWN 1000 0900-1800 daily CHN 7185 TWN 100 0900-1800 daily CHN 1008 TWN 600 1000-1200 daily CHN 1503 TWN 600 1000-1400 daily CHN 9780 TWN 100 1100-1200 daily Australasia11715 TWN 250 1100-1500 daily CHN 11780 TWN 300 1100-1800 daily CHN 9680 TWN 100 1200-1300 daily NeA 11605 TWN 250 1200-1300 daily SeA 15465 TWN 100 1200-1800 daily CHN 1521 TWN 400 1300-1321 daily CHN 1503 TWN 600 1300-1400 daily SeA 15265 TWN 250 1300-1500 daily SeA 7445 TWN 100 1300-1800 daily CHN 1098 TWN 250 1400-1800 daily CHN 7130 TWN 100 1400-1800 daily CHN 6145 TWN 100 1600-1700 daily CHN 1503 TWN 600 1600-1800 daily CHN 7365 TWN 300 1900-2000 daily CHN 9955 TWN 250 1900-2000 daily Eu 17760 WYFR 100 2200-2400 daily CHN 11710 TWN 300 2200-2400 daily CHN 11885 TWN 100 2200-2400 daily CHN 6105 TWN 100 2200-2400 daily SeA 11635 TWN 100 2200-2400 daily eNAm 5950 WYFR 100 2200-2400 daily WNAm 15440 WYFR 100 2300-2400 daily CHN 15245 TWN 100 2300-2400 daily CHN 9660 TWN 100 2200-2400 daily CHN 6150 TWN 100 Hokkien Days Area kHz Site kW 0000-0100 daily NwAm 15440 WYFR 100 0000-0100 daily SeA 11875 TWN 100 0500-0600 daily SeA 15580 TWN 100 0500-0600 daily CHN 1008, 1422 TWN 100 1000-1100 daily SeA 11605 TWN 100 1200-1300 daily NeA 11715 TWN 100 1300-1400 daily SeA 15465 TWN 100 1300-1400 daily SeA 11635 TWN 100 2100-2200 daily eNAm 5950 WYFR 100 Cantonese Days Area kHz Site kW 0100-0200 daily SeA 15290 TWN 250 0100-0200 daily eNAm 5950 WYFR 100 0100-0200 daily wNAm 15440 WYFR 100 0200-0300 dialy SeA 15610 TWN 100 0500-0600 daily SeA 15320 TWN 100 0500-0600 daily cNAm 9680 WYFR 100 0500-0600 daily wNAm 5950 WYFR 100 1000-1100 daily SeA 15525 TWN 100 1000-1100 daily SeA 11635 TWN 100 1000-1100 daily Australasia11715 TWN 250 1000-1200 daily SeA 15270 TWN 100 1100-1300 daily CHN 1206 TWN 100 1200-1300 daily SeA 11915 TWN 250 1200-1300 daily CHN 6105 TWN 100 2200-2300 daily Eu 5745 WYFR 100 Hakka Days Area kHz Site kW 0000-0100 daily eNAm 5950 WYFR 100 0200-0300 daily wNAm 15440 WYFR 100 0300-0400 daily SeA 927 TWN 400 0300-0400 daily SeA 15610 TWN 100 1100-1200 daily CHN 15465 TWN 100 1100-1200 daily SeA 11635 TWN 100 1300-1400 daily SeA 15175 TWN 100 English Days Area kHz Site kW 0100-0200 daily NeA 15465 TWN 100 0100-0200 daily SeA 11875 TWN 250 0200-0300 daily cNAm 9680 WYFR 100 0200-0300 daily eNAm 5950 WYFR 100 0300-0400 daily SeA 15320 TWN 100 0300-0400 daily SAm 15215 WYFR 100 0300-0400 daily wNAm 5950 WYFR 100 0700-0800 daily wNAm 5950 WYFR 100 0800-0900 daily SeA 9610 TWN 250 1100-1200 daily SeA 7445 TWN 100 1100-1200 Thurs CHN 747 TWN 250 1100-1200 Thurs CHN 927 TWN 400 1200-1300 daily NeA 7130 TWN 50 1400-1500 daily SeA 15265 TWN 250 1600-1700 daily CHN, SAs 11815 TWN 100 1700-1800 daily Af 11850 Issoudun 500 1800-1900 daily London 3965 Issoudun 250 2200-2300 daily EU 9355 WYFR 100 French Days Area kHz Site kW 0700-0800 daily Eu 5745 WYFR 100 1900-2000 daily wEu 3955 Skelton 250 2000-2100 daily Eu 11665 WYFR 100 2000-2100 daily eNAm 15440 WYFR 100 2000-2100 daily Eu 9955 TWN 250 2100-2200 daily Af 7305 Issoudun 500 Spanish Days Area kHz Site kW 0200-0300 daily SAm 15215 11825 WYFR 100 0400-0500 daily CAm 11740 WRFR 100 0600-0700 daily CAm 5950 WRFR 100 2000-2100 daily Eu 5975 NAU 100 2300-2400 daily SAm 9690 11720 WYFR 100 German Days Area kHz Site kW 0600-0700 daily Eu 5745 WYFR 100 1800-1900 daily EU 9955 TWN 250 1900-2000 daily Eu 6170 Dhabayya 250 2100-2200 daily Eu 11665 WYFR 100 Russian Days Area kHz Site kW 1100-1200 daily eRUs 11985 TWN 100 1300-1400 daily wRUS 11935 TWN 250 1600-1700 daily wRUS 9760 Wertachtal125 Japanese Days Area kHz Site kW 0800-0900 daily NeA 11605 TWN 250 1100-1200 daily NeA 11605 TWN 250 1100-1200 daily NeA 7130 TWN 50 1300-1400 daily NeA 9635 TWN 250 1300-1400 daily NeA 7130 TWN 50 Vietnamese Days Area kHz Site kW 0900-1000 daily SeA 15270 TWN 100 1100-1200 daily CHN 1521 TWN 400 1300-1400 daily CHN 1206 TWN 100 2300-2400 daily SeA 9785 TWN 250 Thai Days Area kHz Site kW 0600-0700 daily SeA 15270 TWN 100 1400-1500 daily CHN 747 TWN 250 1400-1500 daily CHN 927 TWN 400 1400-1500 daily SeA 15465 11635 TWN 100 1500-1600 daily SeA 7445 TWN 100 1500-1600 daily SeA 1503 TWN 600 2200-2300 daily SeA 1503 TWN 600 2200-2400 daily SeA 7445 TWN 100 2300-2400 daily CHN 927 TWN 400 Indonesian Days Area kHz Site kW 0400-0600 daily CHN 927 TWN 100 1000-1200 daily SeA 11520 TWN 250 1200-1300 daily SeA 11550 TWN 250 1200-1300 daily CHN 927 TWN 400 1200-1300 daily SeA 11635 TWN 100 1200-1300 daily SeA 7445 TWN 100 1400-1500 daily SeA 11875 TWN 250 Code for Area and Countries Af- Africa CHN- China CAm- Central America RUS- Russia Eu- Europe TWN- Taiwan NAm- North America NEm- North East America ME- Middle East SAm- South America SAs- South Asia SeA- South East Asia RELAYED VIA: WYFR, USA; Skelton, UK; Issoudun, France; Juelich, Germany AM KEBAR [sic] AM 1210 kHz, Sacramento CA, USA Mandarin: 2000-2300, Cantonese: 2300-2400, local time DRM English stream: 9770 kHz, Friday UT 1500-1600 via Rampisham, UK (RTI, via ADDX Andreas Volk-D, wwdxc BC-DX Mar 10 via DXLD) Re an e-mail of Dietrich Hommel-D in A-DX, I have doubts that some RTI relays via European sites are updated well yet in A-06 list. Thanks Dietrich, according your investigation I've my doubts about RTI German Al Dhabbaya entry in A-06 list. 6170 kHz from UAE in summer at 2100 Local Time will result in a very poor signal in Central Europe, I guess. In the latest VT - MNO - Merlin A06 list, for example French is registered still via Skelton 6045 kHz, and German also still via Skelton-UK 6185 kHz, same like A05 registration entries in previous summer schedule. RTI French Days Area kHz Site kW 1900-2000 daily wEu 3955 Skelton 250 Spanish Days Area kHz Site kW 2000-2100 daily Eu 5975 NAU 100 German Days Area kHz Site kW 1900-2000 daily Eu 6170 Dhabayya 250 I believe the RTI frequency manager didn't update some VT-MNO frequencies yet. from VT list in A06 season: 6045 1900-2000 smtwtfs MNO Skelton 250 165 French WeEUR HR 2/2/0.5 6185 1900-2000 smtwtfs MNO Skelton 250 105 German WeEUR HR 2/1/0.5 73 (Wolfgang Büschel, March 11, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** THAILAND. 9805 kHz, Radio Thailand in English March 11 at 1920 tune in with a news program. At 1927 their stock market and business report. 1933 station ID followed by Bangkok Whereabouts and then sports news. News Hour ended at 1958. S/off announcements followed by IS and N/A. Very good (Mick Delmage, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Rx: Collins HF-2050, Ant: KLM 7-30 MHz Log Periodic, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** TURKMENISTAN. RFE/RL CORRESPONDENTS IN TURKMENISTAN ARRESTED Two Turkmenistan-based correspondents working for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's (RFE/RL) Turkmen Service were arrested on March 7, according to information confirmed by RFE/RL. In recent days, RFE/RL also has lost the ability to communicate with its entire network of correspondents inside Turkmenistan. Distraught relatives told RFE/RL that Yumadurdy Ovezov and Meret Khommadov, both from the Mary region in southeastern Turkmenistan, were separately taken away by police. Their whereabouts remain unknown. Turkmen authorities refused to speak to the families of the two men or give a reason for the action. Broadcasting Board of Governors Chairman Kenneth Y Tomlinson said the arrests are another example of the courage shown every day by journalists around the world to work with US international broadcasting services to get the truth out. "Governments may think they can prevent their own people from getting the news by targeting a few journalists, but it will never stop us from carrying out our mission," Tomlinson said. RFE/RL Acting President Jeff Trimble also deplored the arrests: "This persecution, without even a pretext of legality, is a blatant violation of media freedom and the human rights of these brave journalists. We at RFE/RL are gravely concerned about the fate of Mr Ovezov and Mr Khommadov." The Turkmen Service has been unable to contact its correspondents, who file on an irregular basis from inside the closed country, for 10 days. According to Trimble, "We are making a public appeal on behalf of our correspondents in Turkmenistan, who are guilty of nothing more than trying to do their jobs as journalists and report the news." To protect its journalists in repressive countries such as Turkmenistan, RFE/RL does not reveal precise data about their identities. Cell phones are the primary means of communication with them, but no calls have been getting through. RFE/RL has verified that telephone lines in Turkmenistan seem to be in good working order. RFE/RL's Turkmen Service is the only alternative Turkmen-language voice heard in the country, where all media are controlled by the state. RFE/RL broadcasts in Turkmen, currently at six hours a day on shortwave and mediumwave frequencies, have continued without interruption since 1953. All programming is produced in Prague. (Source: RFE/RL) # posted by Andy @ 10:24 UT March 10 (Media Network blog via DXLD) ** U S A. VOA`S MONDAY MORNING MASSACRE A few rumors wisped about during the weekend, but most VOA employees first learned about the planned cuts in a Broadcasting Board of Governors press release on the morning of Monday, February 6. It was more news than we really wanted to hear. Despite a budget increase, a shift of resources to the war on terror would result in the Voice of America dropping VOA News Now, the global English service, on October 1. (English-to-Africa and Special English would continue.) The VOA Greek, Turkish, Croatian, Georgian, and Thai services would also be eliminated. Radio in Albanian, Bosnian, Hindi, Macedonian, Russian, and Serbian would also be cut, but VOA would continue television in those languages. (See my chart [previously published].) At the Radio Netherlands Media Network website, I have already written some arguments why VOA should maintain a global English service. One thing I didn’t mention in that article is that VOA has large audiences in the small (mostly on islands) English-speaking nations of the Caribbean and the Pacific. Because their combined population is smaller than some U.S. states, these countries have not been given high priority by the BBG. But even small countries, as sovereign states, are capable of mischief, and thus should not be ignored. President Ronald Reagan certainly didn’t ignore Grenada in 1983. The Pacific islands could become bases for Chinese naval expansion. China is also increasing contacts in the Caribbean. In both regions, terrorists, pirates, and other miscreants could establish themselves. As for the other VOA languages on the chopping block, Thai is perhaps the most disconcerting. In the past several months, we have seen several news accounts of the Thai government increasing its control over independent media. The elimination of BBC’s Thai Service in December 2005 has left VOA Thai as the only Thai-language foreign broadcaster with a substantial news service. Will Radio Free Asia have to add a Thai Service to compensate for the loss of the VOA Thai Service? Turkish is also problematic. Turkey may not be a front line state in the war on terror, but it is just behind the front lines. Press freedom seems precarious at times. But Turkey is plugged in to the European television scene. And it has CNN Turk, a privately funded television news channel. For VOA Croatian and Georgian, at least those languages will still be covered by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. However, coverage of U.S. domestic is not, by definition, RFE/RL’s strong suit. Not only was the news in the BBG press release disappointing, so was its wording. The budget increase is ``targeted to the war on terror,`` as if to say U.S. international broadcasting is tied in completely with the administration’s foreign policies. International broadcasting is successful only insofar as it establishes its credibility. Credibility is established by demonstrating independence from the sponsoring government. Better wording would have been: ``This shift in U.S. international broadcasting resources reflects in increased informational needs of audiences in areas presently in crisis.`` VOA`S WEDNESDAY MORNING MASSACRE The bad news of February 6 came even as we had not yet digested the bad news of February 1: VOA dropped about 250 hours per week of shortwave transmissions. This was part of a government wide effort to compensate for the budget deficit, to help pay for the Hurricane Katrina recovery, and, again, to allow the shift of broadcasting resources to the war on terror. As is the case with such big decisions in U.S. international broadcasting, it was sprung upon us subordinates with no advance notice. Perhaps this was to keep the union and others from rallying opposition. But this also meant that frequencies – in many cases one of three shortwave frequencies per transmission – were dropped without giving the audience any advance notice. On February 1, a listener in Vietnam, or Bangladesh, or Afghanistan, may have tuned to his/her favorite frequency, only to hear nothing. And that listener hadn’t been informed what other frequencies to tune to. They may well now be former listeners. VOA Burmese lost one of three frequencies for each of its three transmissions. A May 2005 survey showed the VOA Burmese weekly audience to have increased to amazing 20 to 30 percent in major Burmese cities. The same survey indicates 71 percent of the VOA Burmese audience listens via shortwave – as opposed to the Thailand medium wave relay, or internet or satellite audio. By depriving Burmese listeners of shortwave frequencies, VOA is snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. VOA Indonesian also lost one shortwave frequency per transmission, at just about the time the Indonesian government implemented a new law prohibited the live relay of news from foreign broadcasters on Indonesian domestic radio and television stations. I hope that all this elimination of shortwave frequencies does not lead to the elimination of shortwave transmitters, or shortwave transmitting sites. Members of the BBG and other senior officials of U.S. international broadcasting should know -- I hope they know – do they know? – that shortwave is the least interdictable of the media available to international broadcasting. And it is the most capable of getting into remote areas. Reducing the global U.S. shortwave transmitting network would have negative consequences for U.S. global security (Kim Andrew Elliott, Kim’s NASWA Column, March 2006 via DXLD) ** U S A. SAVE VOA ENGLISH WEBLOG http://savevoaenglish.blogspot.com/ Shortwave and international broadcasting enthusiasts may wish to add this resource to their arsenal for influencing government leaders to avoid committing a huge blunder. Over the next week, I encourage all USA participants in these two groups to fax or write (not e-mail) their members of congress regarding the VOA (Richard Cuff, Allentown, PA USA, Swprograms mailing list, via DXLD) ** U S A. Glenn: We have fixed the distortion on the Internet audio and reduced the hum considerably. "Poco a poco," as they say here (Jeff White, WRMI, March 9, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. Re 6-042: Attn Chief Engineer Dave Frantz: Mr. Frantz, I am e-mailing to ask you take immediate corrective action to prevent further interference to the amateur radio 30-meter band wherein you are transmitting an extremely strong second harmonic of your 5050 kHz at 10100 kHz during your 0000 UTC broadcast schedule. I thank you in advance for your cooperation (Dwight Smith (FCC licensed amateur W0WOI), Jefferson, Iowa, March 9, cc to FCC, ARRL, gh], via DX LISTENING DIGEST) I have had no response from WWRB, but they were NOT on 10100 last night. Come to find out, they have something of a history of this --- and the owner, engineer, preacher is ham licensed (Bill Smith, W0WOI, March 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. STRIPPER SOCIETY RADIO Hi, Glenn! Just saw an ad in the adult-club and porn section of The Riverfront Times that struck me as odd and radio-related: It's for a site called StripperSociety.com and says: "Attention strippers working in clubs! Turn one-time customers into regular V.I.P.s at your club and increase your business! Be a part of strippersociety radio! ``Every Sunday from 7 PM to 8 PM (PST) on KLAV 1230 AM or tune in online at http://www.strippersociety.com Each week the show will feature 2-3 strippers and talk about the industry, hot topics and share revealing stories!" I have since checked and discovered that KLAV is a Las Vegas talk station; I wonder how many people here in St. Louis caught that "PST" reference and expected to hear it when tuning 1230 kHz locally? I did, just for grins, and got some rural-area conservative daytimer station with some guy ranting about the Bilderburgers and CFR, followed by a high-school sports remote. Never did catch an ID, tho. Guess you'll have to add this to "Monitoring Reminders"... :-) 73, (Will Martin, MO, March 10, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. US RADIO GIANT 'ACCEPTED PAYOLA' http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4788762.stm A US radio giant took payment from record companies in exchange for playing songs on air, New York's attorney general has said. Eliot Spitzer has taken legal action against Entercom Communications, which operates more than 105 US radio stations, in a crackdown on "payola". Mr Spitzer said the firm sold air time for $1,000 (£575) or more per song. Entercom, based in Pennsylvania, denied the accusation. A spokesman said: "We have firm policies prohibiting payola." US regulator the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began to investigate "pay-for-play" practices in the music industry - also known as payola - last year. Last July music firm Sony BMG agreed to pay $10m (£5.75m) and stop paying radio station employees to play its artists' songs. In November Warner Music Group agreed to pay $5m (£2.87m) to settle a "pay-for- play" investigation. Mr Spitzer said on Wednesday: "We have moved from the label side, those who put out the records and are forced to pay for air time, and switched to the radio conglomerates... that are extracting money." In his legal action he said he had evidence that Entercom executives discussed strategies for supplementing radio station budgets with payola cash from record companies. Mr Spitzer said one of Entercom's country music stations was given a $2,500 (£1,400) laptop computer in exchange for playing songs by artists Joe Nichols, McHayes and Liz Phair. He said payola violated New York state civil law and radio station licences, and sometimes resulted in the same song being played on air every hour. "The decisions are being made as to what to put on the airwaves based on bribes to be paid and extracted, rather than on judgments based on artistic merit," Mr Spitzer said. Entercom spokesman Adam Miller said: "Now that the attorney general has filed this civil action, we are confident that the issues will be fully and fairly resolved by the court." (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) Entercom? Owner of WWL. They need more stations like that without a music format (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. The company's [SINCLAIR] in the process of shutting down most of its News Central operations. Cincinnati and Las Vegas went off last week, and Tampa, Buffalo and Raleigh go away at the end of March (Scott Fybush, NY, March 9, WTFDA via DXLD) ** VANUATU. Radio Vanuatu is currently using the single frequency of 7260 kHz only. I can hear them here throughout their entire transmission period from 1900 to after 1100 UT, as the seasons change. 3945 kHz has been dropped. They open at 1900 (give or take a minute or two) with the National Anthem, the tune "Yellow Bird" with bird calls, opening announcementts in Bislama and then morning devotions in that lang. Morning and evening they are very strong here in Northern New Zealand (Barry Hartley, wwdxc BC-DX Mar 6 via DXLD) ** VATICAN [non]. VATICAN STATE [non, rather foreign relays] A-06 season; relays of Vatican Radio [N = DRM in English] 6020 1225-1315 42-44 PUG 250 355 260306 281006 D CH PHL VAT VAT 6205 1310-1400 49,54 TCH 500 194 030906 291006 D RUS VAT GFC 6210 1225-1300 31,32 NVS 100 78 260306 291006 D RUS VAT GFC 9800 1945-2030 7N,8N SAC 70 268 260306 291006 N EG CAN VAT RCI 11830 2157-2245 43,44 KHB 100 218 040906 291006 D RUS VAT GFC 11830 2157-2245 43,44 IRK 250 152 080506 030906 D RUS VAT GFC 11830 2157-2245 43,44 KHB 100 218 260306 070506 D RUS VAT GFC 12055 1300-1400 43,44,49,54 NVS 500 145 260306 030906 D RUS VAT GFC 12065 1430-1600 41 TAC 100 130 260306 291006 D UZB VAT GFC 12075 2300-2400 49 NVS 250 145 260306 020906 D RUS VAT GFC 12075 2300-2400 49 VLD 250 230 030906 281006 D RUS VAT GFC 13785 0000-0100 43,44 K/A 250 218 260306 291006 D RUS VAT GFC 15560 0159-0330 41 NVS 250 180 260306 291006 D RUS VAT GFC 6020 = RVA Manila relay. (wb, wwdxc BC-DX Mar 7 via DXLD) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. CLANDESTINA, 1550 kHz, Radio Nacional de la República Árabe Saharaui en español, 2345-0000 UTC, 09-03-2006, comentarios sobre mujeres luchadoras por la causa saharaui, termina la emisión a las 0000 UTC con el Himno Nacional, varias identificaciones. Emisión (vivo) en paralelo con el nuevo website: http://web.jet.es/rasd/radionacional.htm 43443 (José Bueno, Receptor: JRC NRD-535; Antena: Watson PBX-100; Lugar: Casco urbano, Córdoba - España, play dx via DXLD) ** YEMEN. 6005, YRTC, 2041-2104, Mar. 7, Arabic, Listener call-in program, continuous thru tuneout with traces of co-channel DeutschlandRadio-Germany underneath. Fair. // 9779.5. Thanks Jari Savolainen tip (Scott R. Barbour, Jr., Intervale, NH, R75, 200' Beverages, MLB-1, DTS-4, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ZIMBABWE [non]. LONG INTERVIEW WITH VOP TRUSTEE ISABELLA MATAMBANADZO AllAfrica.com carries a long and interesting interview with Isabella Matambanadzo, one of the trustees of the Voice of the People (VOP), the independent radio station that broadcasts to Zimbabwe via the Radio Netherlands Madagascar relay. The interview explains a lot of the background to the current situation, whereby VOP has been unable to make new programmes since before Christmas. One point - although it's stated that VOP is "off the air", this means no new material is being aired. In fact, Radio Netherlands continues to broadcast old VOP material at the regular time. One answer we found particularly interesting was that VOP believes it's being harrassed because the government was embarrassed when it was revealed in parliament that residents in some areas cannot receive State radio or TV, but they can receive VOP. Read the interview http://allafrica.com/stories/200603090680.html # posted by Andy @ 10:40 March 10 (Media Network blog via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 1422 kHz, MAR 3, 2304 UT - Fair; North African tribal sounding music, perhaps Yoruba, man in unID language, no sign of Germany which was strong on 1269 parallel 6190 kHz. Algeria is supposed to be off the air after 2000. Maybe Iran? Germany started fading in by 2310 before I could secure an ID (Bruce Conti, NH, NRC IDXD via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. My recent unidentified logging (DXLD 6-037) on 6005 was found to be Yemen. Thanks to the DX sleuths who identified it. I had checked for parallel frequencies but of course the one I missed was Yemen. Here is another unidentified. When I tuned in to Kol Israel on 7545 after 2000 UT and to well past 2200 on Wednesday, March 8, I noticed what sounded like an Arabic domestic station under the strong Kol Israel signal. There was lots of Middle East/North African music and presumed news on the hour. They were there again today, March 9, with much less music and a lot more talk. Kol Israel music blocks the signal but during talk on Kol Israel it is very noticeable (Bernie O'Shea, Ottawa, Ontario, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I noticed the same thing the other day on 7545. It sounded to me as though they were getting some audio in from another program source. Could be another station co-channel, though (Steve Lare, Holland, MI, USA, March 10, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LANGUAGE LESSONS ++++++++++++++++ LISTEN TO ENGLISH AROUND THE WORLD An interesting website, regardless of whether English is your first, second or third language. Click on the national flags for a range of English accents: http://www.world-english.org/listening.htm There are also links to radio stations in North America, Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam, Hong Kong --- http://www.rthk.org.hk/channel/radio3/ --- the UK and more to hear some examples. Also a range of listening comprehension exercises in audio, from National Public Radio, and Pulse of the Planet amongst others (Chris Brand, Webwatch, March BDXC-UK Communication via DXLD) CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES +++++++++++++++++++++++++ HFCC The next HFCC B-06 conference will be held most probably in Greece on an island, of course last week of August. A-07 conference is planned in U.A.E. [Dubai or Abu Dhabi] in Feb 2007 (BCDX March 11 via DXLD) SWL FEST AUDIO AND PICTURES Hi All, First I would like to say that as this was my first SWLFest. I really enjoyed myself & plan on attending again. The organisers really outdid themselves with a great lineup of speakers over a diverse array of topics in the SWL (and scanning) radio hobby. It was really nice to finally put a face to many people I have been emailing (& listening to) over the years. I had a great time & well worth the drive. I would also like to announce that I have posted an area on my website containing pages for most of the forums containing pics & audio for download. As well as several other audio files recorded off air on certain frequencies, If one were to know. There is a link on my main page at http://www.shortwavepirate.info & the direct link is found at: http://www.shortwavepirate.info/pw/Winterfest06/Winterfest06.html Thanks for the great time & hope to be back soon, (Ragnar Daneskjold, http://www.shortwavepirate.info Swlfest list via Rich Cuff, DXLD) DIGITAL BROADCASTING ++++++++++++++++++++ VOICE OF RUSSIA BROADCASTS FROM NEW DIGITAL TRANSMITTER 3 March 2006 Moscow Itar-Tass http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=3899847&PageNum=0 The Voice of Russia state Radio Broadcasting Corporation will broadcast its programs to Europe in a digital format from a new radio transmitter. The first digital radio transmitter built in Russia according to the DRM (Digital Radiobroadcast) standards was commissioned at Taldom radio broadcasting center north of Moscow on Thursday, the Voice of Russia press service told Tass. The Russian experts built the radio transmitter, using completing parts made in Germany, the source said. The new radio transmitter was built to meet the standards of a modernized broadcasting system developed by the Voice of Russia and the Russian Teleradio Broadcasting Systems. The Voice of Russia Radio founded in 1929 broadcasts to more than 160 world countries. The audiences of the Voice of Russia number more than 100 million people, speaking 32 languages (via Mike Terry, March 11, dxldyg via DXLD) WTFK? VOR is already running DRM on some other transmitter, they might have clarified (gh, DXLD) SAMPLE HD RADIO For a sample of HD radio via the 'net go to http://www.wbig.com I have nothing to do with WBIG, etc. In the Features menu item, click HD Radio. DO NOT simply click on the Listen Live menu item. Will begin with WBIG, an FM station in the Washington DC area. However, other stations are available. Main point: No account or log in necessary. To me, simply sounds like FM radio. However, nice way to hear something different on the "radio". Seems like we keep hearing the same thing "content". When will radio people understand people will listen when there is something worth hearing? 73, (Kraig Krist, KG4LAC, Manassas, VA, march 9, dxldyg via DXLD) POWERLINE COMMUNICATIONS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ FCC DIRECTS MANASSAS BPL SYSTEM TO ACT FOLLOWING HAM'S INTERFERENCE COMPLAINT --- March 9 2006 Responding to a radio amateur's interference complaint, the FCC has directed the City of Manassas, Virginia, and its BPL system operator COMTek to conduct measurements to ensure its system complies with FCC Part 15 rules. The Commission also instructed the city to "resolve any continuing harmful interference." FCC Spectrum Enforcement Division Chief Joseph P. Casey on March 7 called on the city and COMTek to follow up on a complaint filed January 19 by ARRL member Dwight Agnew, AI4II. Agnew, who frequently travels through Manassas and operates mobile, alleges harmful BPL interference along Virginia Business Route 234. . . Full story at http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/03/09/100/?nc=1 (via Mike Barraclough; Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ S350DL $100 PRICE = NO HEADPHONES? Just received my S350DL from Sieglers & Co. and it's working fine -- I have WBCQ on right now with it as I write this (an old repeat program replacing the regular Allan Weiner WorldWide, 0100 UT 3/11/06). However the package did NOT include the Grundig headphones that did come with the S350 and S350DL in the past. The box still says the headphones are included, and the Sieglers catalog entry says that the headphones come with it, so I have an e-mail in to Sieglers customer service and will see what transpires. The people at RadioIntel.com say that they heard that the lower price was achieved, at least in part, by deleting the headphones. But the factory did not mark out the relevant lines on the box and their info to dealers still said that the headphones were included, at least back when they provided the data for catalog descriptions. I just looked again at the http://www.etoncorp.com website and neither the S350 or S350DL specs say that headphones are included now, for the $100 US list in the "United States" section of the site. The S350DL in the Canadian section, at $149 Can$, DOES say that headphones are included. So we shall see if the dealers (& Eton) are obligated to provide the headphones to purchasers who bought before change was promulgated. 73, (Will Martin, MO, March 11, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Can`t say I`m too impressed with the S350 though. Drifty, a lot of pesty images (including in band), and (personal quirk) tuning is clumsy. Sound is excellent when you can get it to stay on frequency, though (Mark Taylor, WI, ibid.) VAKAREL, BULGARIA, WORLD'S TALLEST BLAW-KNOX TOWER - In 1937 at Vakarel, Bulgaria, world's tallest Böaw-Knox Tower was erected http://www.sofiaecho.com/article/notes-from-history-70-years-of-bulgarian-national-radio/id_10720/catid_29 This tower, which was in 1937 with a height of 352.9 metres world's second tallest tower may be still in use for broadcasting the program of "Radio Horizont" on 261 kHz with a power of 60 kilowatts. Pictures of this tower can be found on http://www.predavatel.com/bg/1/sof.htm#vak It is one of the four remaining Blaw-Knox Towers in Europe: other Blaw-Knox Towers in Europe are Lakihegy Tower at Budapest Lakihegy. Year of built: 1933, height: 314 metres, http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?ID=s0016171 Radio mast Lisnargarvey at Lisnargarvey, Northern Ireland, year of built: 1936, http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?ID=s0016174 and http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/lisnagarvey.asp and one radio mast of Stara Zagora transmitter http://www.predavatel.com/bg/4/sta.htm (Harald at http://www.lwca.org/mb/index.htm via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) PROPOSED TOWER CAUSING STATIC A 200-foot spire is raising the ire of a south Denver community, but officials say such structures are needed to fill in risky "dead spots" for police and firefighters. . . http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_3579093 (via Paul Armani, DXLD) COFFEE GROUND CONDUCTIVITY Coffee grounds are one of the nicest things to put in a backyard composter to make very, very good soil for gardening. They absorb and retain moisture very well. Of course, good growing soil tends to have good ground conductivity. Which is why when my wife, whose hobby is gardening, asked me to go to the IWMC [Island Waste Management Corp] free compost giveaway last year I came home with 4 tubs of black earth made from compost, each weighing as much as an R-390A in a table top rack mount case. If I had a truck, I would have dragged home a lot more. MWDXing and gardening as hobbies do have common ground, pardon the pun! Seriously folks, for those who own their own home or cottage, composting and coffee grounds is something that is not only good for the environment. My RF ground rod is sunk into a flower bed, with a plastic cap over it to keep digging hands from getting scraped. I water that flower bed well in the summer, add compost, sheep manure [packaged de- odourized stuff], peat moss etc. Flowers look great. And, DX is great, even in the summer. In fact, I really enjoy summer MW DX. Daytime groundwave DX is excellent and at night I find that summer is a good time for listening to Venezuela, Colombia etc. Good old YVKS on 750 KHz just pounds in! (Phil Rafuse, PEI, March 10, ABDX via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ TRANS-EQUATORIAL DX from Itapoá - Santa Catarina - Brazil Hi friends, The Japy DX Group made another summer DX trip devoted to Transequatorial Propagation to Itapoá Beach, State of Santa Catarina, south of Brazil. The standard call used as amateur radio station was PY2OC/PP5. The team was formed by Enos Emerick PY2ENO, Luiz Tresso PY2OC, Peter Sprengell PY5CC/PP5XX and the writer of this e-mail. TEP noted during all days of operation, some not so strong but others able to listen and make QSOs with Caribbean stations by their local repeaters on 144 MHz. Following the QSOs, all with PY2OC/PP5: 12 feb 2006 147,360 MHz - 0147 UTC - J73CI by FM Dominica rpt 59 147,110 MHZ - 0222 UTC - J73YH by FM Dominica rpt 59 16 feb 2006 146,940 MHZ - 0235 UTC - J86BG by St Lucia FM rpt 59 17 feb 2006 146,940 MHz - 0102 UTC - J68AK by St Lucia FM RPT 59 147,360 MHz - 0110 UTC - J73CI by Dominica FM RPT 59 146,940 MHz - 0120 UTC - PU5YFT by St Lucia FM RPT 59 Interesting 144,390 MHz APRS frequency that was useful for us as TEP beacon. There`s J7 activity on that freq, but we only copy FM Martinique message traffic. We also try YV5LIX beacon several times but without reception. These are the TEP time openings considering also 6 meters and FM Broadcasting Band: 2006 10 feb: 0134 ~ 0246 >>> 1 hour and 21 min 11 feb: 0026 ~ 0304 >>> 2 hours and 37 min 11 feb: 2320 ~ 12 feb 0230 (QSOs made) >>> 3 hours 13 feb: 0020 ~ 0436 >>> 4 hours and 16 min 14 feb: 0132 ~ 0245 >>> 1 hour and 12 min 15 feb: 0001 ~ 0200 >>> 1 hour and 59 min 16 feb: 0118 ~ 0348 >>> 2 hours and 30 min 16 feb: 2351 ~ 17 feb 0325 (QSOs made)>>> 3 hours and 34 min 18 feb: 0136, 0150 >>> short peaks, mobile reception On FM, very strong signal came from probably Radio St Lucia (97.3 MHz) with VOA and BBC programs and Radio Sud Est (89.3 MHz) from Martinique. From Barbados 98.1 FM was the best; even on the trip to return to our QTHs in São Paulo we heard on the highway (mobile) this station with portable receiver and telescopic antenna. By this link you can see some photos and 2 videos with TEP QSOs: http://www.radioamador.com/japy The complete log, antennas and equipment info, etc: http://www.japydx.org/itapoa/itapoa_log_full.pdf The VHF/UHF log: http://www.japydx.org/itapoa/itapoa_log_vhf.pdf The relation of Caribbean QRGs that we were QRV: http://www.japydx.org/itapoa/itapoa_freq_carib.pdf Also Utility log: http://www.japydx.org/itapoa/itapoa_log_ute.pdf Please, If you know interesting QRGs from Carib (beacons, repeaters, local chat frequencies, nodes, etc.) or know DXers and researchers interested in TEP, send us one e-mail for future skeds. 73! (Flávio Archangelo, PY2ZX, Jundiaí - São Paulo - Brazil, March 11, GG66nt WTFDA via DXLD) THE COMING SOLAR SUPERPEAK? A new computer model of solar dynamics produced by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research predicts the next solar cycle to begin a bit later than earlier believed, but to rise much higher, perhaps 30-50% higher than the current solar cycle just ending. Their model claims to predict cycles 16-23 using earlier data with 97% accuracy. I would love to see some dissenting scientific opinion, but of course in my heart I long for another cycle 19 of the 1950s, one that I missed. 50% higher would just about get us there! You can read about the new prediction model at these sites: http://www.newscientistspace.com/article.ns?id=dn8814 http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=19189 http://www.universetoday.com/am/publish/30_50_solar_cycle.html http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/261963_solar07.html http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=19190 http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/03/07/solar.storm.ap/index.html http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=105844 An article with a photo of Dr. Dikpati and members of her team is here: http://www.ucar.edu/news/releases/2006/sunspot.shtml Also check out this article from NASA, which claims that the solar minimum is already here, or at least the beginning of it: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/06mar_solarminimum.htm (ARRL Propagation March 10, via Dave Raycroft, ODXA via DXLD) NEXT SOLAR CYCLE WILL BE BIGGER Research Scientist Dr. Mausumi Dikpati predicts the next Solar Cycle 24 will be bigger than the previous Cycle 23! She says the new solar seismic data from SOHO has enabled better long term sunspot prediction than ever before. A 40 year cycle of flow effects the sun's magnetic material. For more info, click on the solar cycle prediction chart: http://hflink.com/#solarcycle (Bonnie KQ6XA, propagation mailing list via Tom Giella via Jim Moats, dxldyg via DXLD) That prediction is utter nonsense. A space weather forecast model is even more useless than for weather forecasting. NASA scientists have used the same reckless abandon in declaring that man induced global warming is occurring. It appears that cycle 24 will be the "smallest", not largest in many cycles. We are currently in a multidecadal oscillation that features ever smaller sunspot cycles. Cycle 23 was pretty dismal for DX on 15, 12 and 10 meters, compared to previous cycle peaks. Cycle 24 will be as bad or worse. Cycle 23 will bottom out sometime in 2007. If you check the solar flux numbers they are still running in the 70's. When they consistently run in the mid 60's then we are at the bottom of cycle 23 (Thomas Giella, KN4LF, Retired Meteorologist & Space Plasma Physicist, Lakeland, FL, USA, ibid.) See: The Next Solar Maximum, the Smallest in 100 Years? http://www.spacew.com/news/05Mar2005/index.php (via Giella, ibid.) ###