DX LISTENING DIGEST 6-145, September 27, 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 SHORTWAVE AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1330: Fri 2030 WWCR 15825 Sat 0800 WRN 13865 DRM via Bulgaria Sat 1230 WRMI 9955 Sat 1430 WRMI 7385 Sat 1600 WWCR3 12160 Sun 0230 WWCR3 5070 Sun 0630 WWCR1 3215 Sun 0800 WRMI 9955 Sun 1530 WRMI 7385 Mon 0300 WBCQ 9330-CLSB Mon 0415 WBCQ 7415 [time varies] Wed 0930 WWCR1 9985 Latest edition of this schedule version, including AM, FM, satellite and webcasts with hotlinks to station sites and audio, is at: http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html For 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 [non]. R. Solh, 17700 continues to be a source of lots of nice Afghan music, when reception from UK holds up, such as Sept 27 at 1505, VG but then fading (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ANTARCTICA. Collega`s: Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel, terug zeergoed tehoren op 15476 kHz in usb, program starting at 1909 UT 26/9 with info about Argentina, and nice Spanish music. SINPO 24333 (variable) Gr (Maurits van Driessche, Belgium, dxa111, HCDX via DXLD) ** ARGENTINA. Estación argentina no identificada en 2380 kHz 0153 UT 2006/06/24 con transmisión de un partido de fútbol. Uno de los equipos parecería ser "Tiro Federal", el otro no lo logré descifrarlo. ¿Podría ser un armónico de Radio Nacional de Tucumán 1190 kHz? Señal pobre a regular con bastante fading (Moisés Knochen, Cuchilla Alta, Uruguay, Sony ICF-7600DS + hilo exterior de 15 m, condig list via DXLD) ** ARMENIA. En 9965 kHz a las 0224 UT, 2006/09/23, R. Pública de Armenia en armenio, seguido a las 0230 por el programa en español. Fuerte portadora pero modulación baja y opaca (Moisés Knochen, Cuchilla Alta, Uruguay, Sony ICF-7600DS + hilo exterior de 15 m, condig list via DXLD) ** BULGARIA. Estimados amigos: En este año en que Radio Bulgaria celebra su 70 aniversario, hemos elaborado varios programas especiales dedicados a la efeméride y que pronto saldrán al aire. El primer programa conmemorativo se transmitirá, precisamente, el próximo 7 de octubre – día sábado – después de las noticias. Los saludos personales, que muchos de Uds., nuestros oyentes, nos enviaron en casetes o por vía electrónica, se transmitirán, en dos partes, los dos sábados siguientes, 14 y 21 de octubre, siempre después de la página informativa. Se los ofreceremos asimismo, en retransmisión, en el habitual espacio Correo del Oyente, los días 17 y 21 de octubre – la primera parte –, y 24 y 28 de octubre – la segunda. Invitamos a todos a acompañarnos en la celebración en familia del 70 aniversario de los programas para el exterior de Radio Bulgaria. Cordiales saludos, Ludmila Petra Radio Bulgaria en espanol 73. (via Dino Bloise, FLORIDA, EEUU, dxldyg via DX LISYTENING DIGEST) ** CANADA. Another apparent mixup at Sackville. Sept 27 at 0529 I tuned across 6175 and heard a brief RCI IS, and then CRI in English, which was supposed to be on 6190 at 05-06, but on 6175 instead. 6175 is the Vietnam relay just ending at 0530. Not sure what was going on before 0530 but the two may have been swapped then too (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CHINA. Firedrake check, Sept 27 at 1342 found it coming in well on 10400 but by 1452 much weaker, and nothing on 13970 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) FIREDRAKE noted at 1630 UT Sept 27 on 10400 (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Firedragon [sic] QRGs now outside ham bands (how long?) Uli, The Firedragon jamming on 20 meters is still out of the ham bands right on 14600? We've had some reports to the contrary. 73, (Chuck KØBOG Skolaut, Sept 27, via Uli Bihlmayer, DXLD) Hi Chuck, I am daily checking the QRGs for the Firedragon Jammer. It was NOT on Ham Radio QRGs allocated in Region 1, but in parallel on many BC QRGs with the same music program without any time delay. See my latest monitoring from today! The Firedragon article you will find on http://www.iarums-r1.org on the left side, Regards, (Uli Bihlmayer, DJ9KR, Sept 27, DX LISTENING DIGEST) According to his monitoring last date it was on 14050 or anywhere in the 20m band was Sept 7; 08 – 27 Sept 06 0700 – 2300 14600 not in Amateur Radio Band! 13 Sept 2006 1947 // on 7355, 9355, 9905, 9355, 11700, 11785, 17330 23 Sept 2006 1410 on 10400 by Steve Lare, Holland, Michigan, USA 24 Sept 2006 1814 on 10400 26 Sept 2006 1753 on 7130, 7185, 9355, 9455, 9530, 9540, 9680 27 Sept 2006 1605 jammer heard on 9350, 9370, 9680, 9905, 9930, 10400, 11765, 11795, 12085, 13675, 13970, 14600, 15530, 17630 // means parallel transmission heard on (Ulrich Bihlmayer DJ9KR / DL0IW, ibid.) ** CONGO DR [non]. Radio Okapi, 11690 [via RSA] at 1645-1700 26 Sept in French. Tentative ID at 1652. Talk until 1657 then talk over music. Pronounced O'-ka-pee, stress on first syllable. I filtered out ute QRM, then used USB. Inaudible by 1700 (Liz Cameron, MI, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** CUBA [and non]. U.S. PUSHES ANTI-CASTRO TV, BUT IS ANYONE WATCHING? A rather uncomplimentary view of TV Martí: see http://snipurl.com/xd1p (NY Times via Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, Swprograms mailing list via DXLD) And one little item from the bottom of the story: ``Shortwave radios --- which are not sold in Cuba but are smuggled in --- can pick up Radio Canada, Radio Netherlands and the BBC, several said.`` Is that all? Yet Arnie Coro, RHC and company have the gall to extol and even engage in SW broadcasting, as long as it is going out of rather than into Cuba (Glenn Hauser, DXLD) ** ECUADOR. HCJB is STILL running its erroneous ``Albert Einstein`` ID in Spanish at 1359:30, as re-heard Sept 27 on 9745, claiming to be on 11760 to S. America, instead of the correct 11690. The preceding program seemed to be cut off in mid-word in order to transmit the misinformation automatically (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ECUADOR [and non]. Allen Graham explained that the HCJB Board is close to making a decision about the future of their transmitter site in Pifo, on the outskirts of Quito. It will need to be dismantled in the near future to make room for the new Quito airport, so HCJB needs to decide if it will be rebuilt in a smaller version elsewhere in the area, rebuilt in cooperation with some other shortwave broadcasting organization, or closed altogether. One of the options being considered is not rebuilding the Pifo site, but renting airtime from other transmitting stations to reach the Latin American audience (Jeff White, report on HFCC Athens in August, Sept NASB Newsletter via DXLD) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. Unusual to hear anything hetting WWV on 5000, but Sept 27 at 0543 music in Spanish on 5005. Can it be an LA? No! Quickly rewarded by a ``R. Nacional de Guinea Ecuatorial`` ID in passing at 0545 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** EQUATORIAL GUINEA ECUATORIAL. 2006/09/23 desde las 2125 UT, "Radio Nacional, estación de la región continental de Radio Bata", 5005 kHz, en español con buena señal. Anuncios de un congreso de un partido político (creo que del oficialismo), mucha música local y luego anuncios oficiales. Cerrando su transmisión a las 2300, donde anuncian también 102 y 98 MHz, y mencionan el reinicio de la programación para las 0555 hora local (0455 UT). A diferencia de otras veces la despedida del locutor no era grabada sino en vivo, y como siempre terminó con vivas al Presidente y "...arriba la República de Guinea Ecuatorial". La verdad Arnaldo que te entiendo cuando te sorprende escuchar una voz africana en español ;-) (Moisés Knochen, Cuchilla Alta, Uruguay, Sony ICF-7600DS + hilo exterior de 15 m, condig list via DXLD) ** EUROPE. Olá Glenn, Escuta feita em Mairiporã-SP Brasil com Receptor DEGEN DE 1102, Antena Longwire 30 m: HOLANDA 6275 24/09/06 0546-0643 UT, Radio Tower (Pirata) com música pop e Identificações em holandês e inglês, com sinal regular. Você teria alguma informação adiconal sobre esta emissora? Grato (Sérgio Dória Partamian, São Paulo - Brasil, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Sérgio, Boa captação, mas não tenho. 73, (Glenn to Sérgio via DXLD) ** GABON [and non]. ANO, 17630, with French talk Sept 27 at 1344 mixing with whooping jammer and something else producing SAH. I guess Sawt al-Amal had landed on 17630 at this time. Later at 1504, ANO was clear with French news (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GEORGIA [and non]. GEORGIA JAMMING SOUTH OSSETIAN RADIO PROGRAMS - Tskhinvali --- September 26 2006 Moscow Interfax http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/politics/28.html?id_issue=11594325 Georgian special services are jamming South Ossetian radio stations, the South Ossetian Information and Press Committee said. "Georgian special services have once again shown themselves in South Ossetian territory. This time around, they are jamming Ossetian radio stations, in particular, the Aizaeld-FM radio station," the committee told Interfax Tuesday. "According to the management of Aizaeld-FM, Georgian jamming devices are being used to purposefully jam its news and analytical programs," it said (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) ** GERMANY. Re 6-144 ´´Even YouTube has a clip showing the Voice of America towers near Munich, Germany being destroyed.´´ I was not able to find anything about this on the web, but see this article about one mast of the 1197 kHz being used for ham radio activity, posted on March 2: http://www.bavarian-contest-club.de/history/2006/196,459.html Mentions that the antenna system will be demolished ´´in the nearest future´´. So apparently it indeed disappeared sometime in the last half year and hardly anybody noticed, unlike the demolition of the Holzkirchen station. All the best, (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Sept 27, DX LISTENING DIGEST) MW 1196/1197 kHz VoA Munich 4-mast array, silent key, March 16, 2006. Bringing Down Old Radio Towers. The Piper Came Today. by/from: worddigger, Johnson Imagineering, views: 462, 5.07 min http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKPr2SE2onQ If video does not start, click ``watch again". PS. signals from there had been a companion for 56 years in my life (Wolfgang Büschel, Stuttgart, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** GIBRALTAR. 25/9 0821, 9031.0 USB, Gibilterra, English VOLMET, weather, real OM. Good (Luca Botto Fiora, Italy, playdx yg via DXLD) ** GUAM. Slow romantic ballad in unknown language, on 15275, Sept 27 at 1352. 1357 AWR, Voice of Hope ID with address including postal code 781029, pronounced in English. Looking it up in EiBi, we find: 15275 1300-1330 USA Adventist World Radio BE SAs /GUM 15275 1330-1400 We,Su USA Adventist World Radio ASS SAs /GUM 15275 1330-1400 12456 USA Adventist World Radio E SAs /GUM So this was KSDA in Assamese on a Wednesday, and would have been in English if I had tuned in the day before or after. An hour later at 1457 I noticed a hymn in unknown language with guitar accompaniment on 11885; EiBi shows this as KSDA Burmese (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ICELAND. US MILITARY SET TO QUIT ICELAND --- The US reaches agreement with Iceland on how to end its military presence in the country. http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/europe/5383922.stm (via Bill Westenhaver, DXLD) I suppose this means that AFRTS relays via Keflavik will be disappearing for good, if they haven't already. 73- (Bill Westenhaver, Sept 27, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I believe we had a story about that closing several weeks ago and the transmitter shipped off (gh, DXLD) ** INDIA. AIR, 9690, English to SE Asia not often readable here, but it was OK Sept 27 in news at 1341; fair with flutter. Then at 1410 in Indian music. Much better signal on 10330 HS relay, and with another service on 15050 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL. The good and the bad of listening to the world -- and why SW should continue, not be abandoned Shortwave radio: costs anywhere from $50 to over $2000, it's portable, you can tune the world anytime, and take it with you anywhere, with good equipment and a good listening location. Listening via the Internet: requires monthly fees from the Internet provider (it's worse in some developing countries), and it's always subject to censorship, technical problems, hackers, etc. etc. Local relays of international broadcasters: They are nice options if you are in a major world city and can hear the BBC in your area; many places have the BBC available 24 hours a day BUT it's not the case in US cities where you only get the Beeb on overnight hours or certain times of the day -- NOT for several hours in the morning or evening, like on BBC's shortwave frequencies to different parts of the world, and especially when they used to reach us (the US) with shortwave on different channels on a daily basis, until it all ended over five years ago. And you need shortwave if you are far out in the suburbs and the FM station is out of your listening reach! So, why are stations dumping on thousands of potential shortwave listeners, when the likes of Sony, Grundig, and other manufacturers continue to roll out portables and tabletops? It's all about money and new technology, not the potential audience that could be out there if shortwave were to continue like it was some five, ten years ago -- and the stations know the audiences might not always be there through an internet-dominated radio medium with the pitfalls that listeners must deal with. Shortwave radio should be part of the growing amount of media and broadcast choices, not be taken as a type of "old-fashioned" medium that lives in the past. No wonder it's still vital in those areas of the world that need it -- and China Radio International is doing the best thing possible, with lots of shortwave and other different ways (internet, local relays) to keep up to date with China and what it has to offer -- especially with the 2008 Olympics coming up (Joe Hanlon, NJ, Sept 27, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. Sirius Wields Stiletto SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO has launched a small yet powerful new receiver dubbed the STILETTO 100. The new radio - the first SIRIUS unit to allow for live portable listening - is capable of recording 100 hours of programming, has WIFI capability to allow listening via the Internet instead of satellite, and interfaces with YAHOO! MUISIC JUKEBOX to allow listeners to purchase bookmarked songs. The STILETTO 100 can also be set to record programs up to six hours in length for later playback. Users can also save up to ten hours of individual songs by pressing the "love" button, and also store and manage their own mp3/WMA files via the included MY SIRIUS STUDIO software for PCs, making the STILETTO 100 compatible with most music download and subscription services on the Internet. Other features of the MSRP $349 radio include 30 channel presets; SIRIUS REPLAY, which allows users to pause, rewind and replay 60 minutes of live radio; GAME ALERT, which prompts the listener when favorite games are being broadcast and alerts when scores change; GAME ZONE, listing all of the user's favorite teams in one virtual category; and parental controls and channel lockout. (allaccess.com via Brock Whaley, DXLD) On the heels of Mike Cooper's forwarded stories on the death of shortwave SIRIUS LAUNCHES PORTABLE SATELLITE RADIO September 26, 2006 New York Reuters http://today.reuters.com/news/articleinvesting.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=2006-09-26T185230Z_01_N26346500_RTRIDST_0_MEDIA-SIRIUS-UPDATE-1.XML Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. on Tuesday introduced its first pocket- sized portable radio that allows subscribers to listen to live broadcasts and to digital music from their personal collections. Sirius' Stiletto 100, which will compete with a similar portable line from rival XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc., will sell for about $350, Sirius said. It also has a short-range wireless Internet link that connects to Web radio, Sirius said. Sirius said its Internet radio services provide subscribers with access to all of Sirius' 64 commercial free music channels, plus shock jock Howard Stern's channels and others. XM leads Sirius in the young market for nationwide pay-radio, but Sirius's growth has been strong in the past year, powered in part by the launch of programming from shock jock Howard Stern. At the same time, XM has been stung by federal probes and concerns about its subscriber growth (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) ** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. Re Sirius and PRI, other changes, 6-144: In the way of clarification, Sirius 136 PRI, is not mentioned in these announcements. Subscribers are reminded "If you liked ..." with regard to Sirius 141 which is BBC World Service. It is, however, labeled PRI on the announcement. I'm assuming the next time I switch my Sirius unit on, BBCWS no longer will be available. The information may be found: http://www.sirius.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Sirius/Page&c=FlexContent&cid=1158082411510 The apparent mislabeling may reflect the association PRI has with BBC radio to distribute the WS in the States and the regard Sirius has for this station. BBCWS and PRI are on Sirius as of 3:20 AM 9/26 in the eastern US. I find it interesting that BBS Mundo and the WS may soon be gone from Sirius, yet Radio 1 remains (Stan Baker, Austin TX, dxldyg via DXLD) I wonder if XM offered exclusivity deals for some of the flagship PRI programs such as "This American Life" -- it's now on XMPR. John, have you checked out any of the message boards at Sirius Backstage? I've sent a note off to Customer Care as well as Media Relations; we'll see if my luck is any better. A disappointment, to be sure. I noticed that the PRI website is already altered -- with Sirius eliminated from the "Ways to Listen" to PRI programming. I also contacted them regarding the decision (Richard Cuff Allentown, PA USA, swprograms via DXLD) That would explain it some, though there had been some overlap previously between the PRI programs on XMPR and Sirius' PRI World. "This American Life" had not been exclusive to either, but other programs were depending on their origins (WGBH, WHYY, KCRW, Chicago Public Radio etc.) If XM skunked Sirius on this one, it wouldn't be the first time. Parenthetically, I wonder if the BBC News feed on Sirius is now the more or less straight news service programmed by London rather than PRI's somewhat richer mix that's been there the last two years or so. I'm unable to tell so far from checking the Sirius and BBC web sites. BBC still says that BBC Mundo is available via Sirius, which is no longer true; so they probably haven't updated that page yet. Change is inevitable in dynamic and competitive industries like this one. But the frustration lies in the paucity of advance and explanatory information. Does everything have to be treated like some state secret? If Sirius lost the contract, why not just say so? If they decided to go in a different direction, why not just explain why? (John Figliozzi, ibid.) I wonder if part of the logic is to have bad news emerge quietly --- or they felt that not enough people would care to make a noise over it (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, ibid.) This is the same behavior I have seen in the television business over the past decade. Don't make noise and maybe not many will notice and complain. When not many complain, it is self-justifying. Being honest and straightforward with your audience (the customers!) is the exception rather than the norm. The bigger and more "corporate" they get the less they do it. Information control becomes the operating principle not customer relations (Rob de Santos, ibid.) John, Did Macy's tell Gimbels? This is a competition. For SIRIUS to announce in advance what they were going to do could only help the competition at best and overload the in box with protests at worst. So they just do it and see if anybody complains or unsubscribes. My guess is that the overwhelming majority of present subscribers will hang on even if abused because they cannot switch without buying new radios or they are in long term contracts. In the case of dashboard- embedded radios installed in the car as an OEM option, that would be too hard. As the long term contracts expire and folks elect to not renew, the climbing churn rate will not be attributable to any single event but will be blamed on economic conditions, falling new vehicle purchases, declining home prices eroding the wealth effect, etc. I have been observing this DBS industry since a couple years before the first launch. I made some money on both competitors' stock back in the days when everything was speculation and glowing press releases. When the incompetence of SIRIUS management became clear to me I dumped out of that one. I chuckled the other morning as Don Imus ruminated over the fact that he was under water on his Sirius investment. Once it became clear that XM and SIRIUS were eventually going to eat each other's lunch, I also dumped out of XM at a nice profit. I believe these two companies are in a race to the bottom of the barrel because they are being driven by the same numbers game that is driving commercial terrestrial broadcasters. They have abandoned their lofty goals of provi[di]ng a diverse choice of ideas and musical formats to instead simply trying to attract the most listeners. Quality be damned. Out damned diversity! I see this as good news for the public radio stations across the country who now have less competition and anything that helps public radio is OK by me (Joe Buch, DE, ibid.) Joe's right: It is a state secret. It's competition. Unless companies believe pre-launch "buzz" creates positive advance publicity, there is no reason to do it. One of the reasons that these folks are motivated by the size of their subscriber base is that they've already signed those content deals and launched satellites. The incremental profit from each new subscriber is significant. It's just like Microsoft and software: the cost of copy #1: huge. The cost of copy #2: zero. (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, ibid.) Yeah, but that presupposes that XM (the "competition") has no knowledge of what Sirius is doing and vice-versa. Poppycock! The only people in the dark are the ones paying the bills. And while broadcasting in general may be a competitive market, satellite radio is only a duopoly. In the earlier days of cable, these kinds of eruptions were quelled by regulations that gave the consumer certain rights (price reductions, free cancellation of service in whole or in part) to the extent it could be shown that the customer relied on the provider's representations when subscribing. Today, the argument against that sort of arrangement is that providers have to have the "flexibility" to construct their service offerings to answer "competition". I'm not sure that this argument holds water -- or at least not all the water it purports to hold (John Figliozzi, ibid.) ``From what I see on both XM and PRI's web site, the line-up on XMPR remains as it was. None of the PRI programs previously carried "exclusively" on Sirius are on the XMPR schedule.`` Two of my favorites apparently gone (except for net listening): Brian Lehrer and To the Point. Lehrer (via WNYC) has the kind of intelligent, insightful, low-key and multiple-view conversation about politics and the arts just about entirely absent from U.S. media. To the Point (KCRW) did the same for international affairs. As you can tell, I still haven't come to terms with this (Figliozzi, ibid.) But the logic escapes me. Seems to me that people get more incensed over bad surprises. At least I do. :-)) If no one would care, why not say something up front. If they do, you're gonna hear from 'em anyway... and they'll be even more pissed. They have us between a rock and a hard place however. No world music, no PRI. But CBC, BBC, WRN, two NPRs and C-SPAN are still there. Until universal wi-fi kicks in, there ain't no alternative (Figliozzi, ibid.) state: PA name: Richard Cuff country: United States city: Allentown For: satellite Message: I write about international and public radio for hobbyist publications, including the North American Shortwave Association and Monitoring Times magazine. I see that PRI has been dropped from the Sirius lineup -- do you know the rationale for this decision? As a Sirius subscriber, I'm disappointed to lose access to several PRI favorites. Best regards, Richard Cuff, Editor, "Easy Listening", NASWA Journal http://www.naswa.net Received this canned response from PRI regarding their loss on Sirius. Not a surprise, but at least they acknowledged the e-mail (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA, swprograms via DXLD) Dear Richard, Thank you for your inquiry. We're sorry our programming is no longer available on Sirius. If you would like to provide feedback to Sirius regarding this change, please contact them through their website: http://www.sirius.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Sirius/CachedPage&c=Page&cid=1019257316790 There are many ways to hear PRI Programs -- in addition to broadcasts, many stations' websites stream audio; you can also get podcasts, and access audio segments online. Start in the "Ways to Listen" section on the PRI website: http://www.pri.org/ways_listen.html https://webmail.pri.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.pri.org/ways_listen.html Sincerely, (Ashley B., PRI, via Cuff, Sept 26, ibid.) Ah! The non-response response. Raised to an art form (er, uh) in today's p.r. saturated world. jaf (John Figliozzi, ibid.) That would explain it some, though there had been some overlap previously between the PRI programs on XMPR and Sirius' PRI World. "This American Life" had not been exclusive to either, but other programs were depending on their origins (WGBH, WHYY, KCRW, Chicago Public Radio etc.) If XM skunked Sirius on this one, it wouldn't be the first time. Parenthetically, I wonder if the BBC News feed on Sirius is now the more or less straight news service programmed by London rather than PRI's somewhat richer mix that's been there the last two years or so. I'm unable to tell so far from checking the Sirius and BBC web sites. BBC still says that BBC Mundo is available via Sirius, which is no longer true; so they probably haven't updated that page yet. Change is inevitable in dynamic and competitive industries like this one. But the frustration lies in the paucity of advance and explanatory information. Does everything have to be treated like some state secret? If Sirius lost the contract, why not just say so? If they decided to go in a different direction, why not just explain why? (John Figliozzi, NY, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) All their Marketing this week is to get all the subscribers to upgrade to the new "CD-Quality" Sirius Internet Feed. I guess they need other sources of revenue to pay the ridiculous amount of money they pay Howard, Martha, Cosmo, The NFL, the NBA, The NHL and now NASCAR. They don't have time to email us what they're dropping from the schedule -- -- we just turn on our receivers and watch "Updating Streams" scroll across the screen. It's amazing the amount of money they pay for content and talent while they continue to operate in the Red!! (Jim Strader, MA, swprograms via DXLD) Having said what I said about competition earlier, I don't necessarily disagree with your overall analysis here. Those of us who see value other than hard dollars in anything in this life (you name it -- radio, food, religion even) are bound to be disappointed by the actions of many of our "peers". Yeah. I'm trying to get a mental picture of the sad idiot who's subscribed to Sirius because it has Playboy Radio. There's one service that could easily be jettisoned IMHO. Two more eradicated from satellite radio by this action: "The World" and the one hour NA edition of DW's "Newslink". Yes, "The Catholic Channel" is definitely an improvement.... not (Figliozzi, ibid.) PRI Drop a Unilateral Sirius Decision? Some text has just been added to the PRI web page http://www.pri.org/ways_listen.html that leads me to believe that PRI had every intention of continuing on Sirius as well as XM. That text reads as follows: "Note: As of September 26, PRI programs will no longer be available on Sirius Satellite Radio. If you have questions and/or would like to provide feedback to Sirius, go to the contact page of the Sirius website." That translates to me, "Don't ask us (PRI). It wasn't our idea". I wrote to Sirius Customer Care and PRI feedback this morning. No acknowledgment or reply received as yet (John Figliozzi dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Re: ``When a Sirius press relations representative, Rebecca Schnall, was contacted for explanation, she not only declined the opportunity to do so but directed this reporter in future to contact customer care only -- which could not provide an explanation because they were not supplied one by management.`` Schnall is one of Sirius's second-line hacks. You should probably attempt to contact Patrick Reilly, 212-901-6646, preilly @ siriusradio.com who REALLY runs the Sirius PR department. If nothing else, at least you'll make sure he knows one of his employees is offending reporters instead of actually doing her job. As an aside, some readers may remember that this all started when I posted a message to dxld back in June, noting that Sirius had inexplicably changed how the three channels provided to Sirius by PRI (BBCWS, PRI and BBC Mundo) has suddenly had their names changed on the receiver readouts to the generic terms "News", "Talk" and "HispNews" respectively. At the time, I found the change to be rather ominous - I didn't believe that these changes had been made for no reason - but John Figliozzi sent that message to Sirius and got that reassuring "nothing's going to change" response; so I forgot about it once the end of June passed and all three channels were still there. But now two of those three channels are gone. So I guess there's a lesson here: Never presume Sirius is telling the truth; if your favorite channel name turns generic, you should expect it to be on the chopping block. But there's one bright spot: In today's channel changes, "News" was renamed "BBC News", so at least it's apparently not going anywhere. ``Parenthetically, I wonder if the BBC News feed on Sirius is now the more or less straight news service programmed by London rather than PRI's somewhat richer mix that's been there the last two years or so. I'm unable to tell so far from checking the Sirius and BBC web sites. BBC still says that BBC Mundo is available via Sirius, which is no longer true; so they probably haven't updated that page yet.`` I haven't noticed any changes in programming thus far today, the few times I've flipped past the channel (Aaron Dickey, DX LISTENING DIGEST) I thought satellite and internet broadcasting was supposed to be the replacement for shortwave broadcasting. I guess not (Bill Harms, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Aaron: Don't know if this has anything to do with BBCWS's "survival" on Sirius, but I did take the liberty of contacting the BBC at the time in June and letting them know what was going on. Probably not. The fact that Sirius has at least had the foresight to cultivate a multi-level relationship with the BBC is probably more the reason. BBC Radio One and "Premiership Live" are two examples. Of course, that begs the question as to why (1) BBC Mundo is gone and (2) it's the PRI contracted-for feed of the WS that Sirius carried and still carries. As I mentioned in an earlier post, given PRI's reaction on its web site in its brief message to Sirius subscribers, this is apparently all Sirius' doing. Motivations are guarded to say the least so it's nearly impossible to decipher the thinking that goes on behind the scenes to produce these results. That's unfortunate for a lot of reasons. For one thing, it invites one to think the worst -- that the people running Sirius really don't care about radio as a craft or art form in its own right, that it's all just a numbers game and all the lofty words about committing to new ways to use the medium is all a bunch of bull. Of course, the fact that the company is now run by the former head of Infinity doesn't offer much comfort in this regard either. I wrote a column (actually my farewell one at Monitoring Times a few months back) about my experience with the Sirius "ministry of information". Of course, I didn't use that term there. It was a gentle piece, but critical all the same. I guess you could say that I still like the service, but have definite fears that the early promise is being lost incrementally. This is not a good time for people who love radio. So much of what is best about it is being stripped away or diverted to lesser pursuits IMHO. But we press on and wait for the pendulum to start its way back (John Figliozzi, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** ISRAEL. CLOCK CHANGE / YOM KIPPUR SCHEDULE A reminder: http://reka.iba.org.il/index.asp?classto=RekaInner&entity_code=155355&lang=English "Clocks in Israel will be moved back one hour this coming Saturday night. At 2 a.m. on the night between September 30th and October 1st, clocks in Israel will be moved back one hour, to 1 a.m. " [summer: UT +3; winter: UT +2] There is no weekly schedule for the REKA / Reshet Hey broadcasts available, so as of now, I don't know what time the foreign language / shortwave broadcasts will cease for Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur starts Sunday evening, Oct 1 and ends Monday evening, Oct 2. This is the one day a year, when all of the Israel Radio networks cease to broadcast. I'm sure that by Sunday, http://reka.iba.org.il/ will have something about being off the air for Yom Kippur -- at least in regards to the English schedule. Probably more info than people are interested in, but, since I've done the research, I'll send the below out, so it would at least give people an idea of what time things should cease and return. All times Israel Standard Time.: Looking at the Reshet Alef and Reshet Bet schedules for Yom Kippur, they will be off the air from 16:05 October 1st Israel STANDARD Time, until 19:00 October 2nd Israel STANDARD time. I have no idea the exact schedule for REKA or Reshet Hey for the foreign language (non-Hebrew/non-Arabic) broadcasts. According to the Reshet Bet schedule, at 16:05 on the 1st, the announcer will annouce that (in Hebrew) 'Here ends our broadcast. We will return to broadcast, tomorrow, after Yom Kippur, at 1900.' This will follow by Hatikvah (the national anthem) and then followed by a 'library of special 'signs' ' (I can't think of the English word for an 'audio logo' - and English is my mother tongue!). I'm assuming an interval signal - or maybe their station promo spots. When I've listened from inside Israel a few years ago, the beginning of this recording is the interval signal I heard when they first went off air before Yom Kippur. I have no idea if that will be played, or if it will be played on shortwave / Internet or for how long the interval signal will be played: http://www.intervalsignals.net/files/isr-voice_of_israel_network_a_190502.ram Interestingly, according to the Reshet Bet schedule, it says that 18:15 Israel Standard Time, on Oct 2nd, they will have a 'comprehensive studio check with the supervision [?] including broadcasting (only tones).' At 18:45 IST, it says that there will be a '45% tone until 18:57. Don't be alarmed if the tone on Reshet Bet is stronger than that.' 18:57 - quiet until 18:58. 18:58 - again, Reshet Bet interval signal - or Reshet Bet promos [I'm not sure] 19:00 - news. I have no idea if the above test will include shortwave or not. I would tend to doubt it. The Kol Israel online program schedules, are the same schedules that are actually used internally -- so sometimes you see notes for the announcer or other internal things, like this test, listed in the schedule. The Reshet Gimel schedule says that on Oct 1, it will be joined with Reshet Bet from 14:00 - 16:05 IST and on Oct 2, it will be joined with Reshet Bet for 17:00-20:00 IST. 88 FM and Kol Hamusica are off the air 16:05 IST Oct, until 20:00 IST Oct 2. Reshet Alef is off from 16:05-19:00 IST. == By the way, the IBA reception page, has become a repository for Hebrew announcements regarding domestic transmitter issues / improvements. For example, right now, they are working on some FM improvements in the North and in the meantime, people may have some reception issues on certain frequencies. http://www.iba.org.il/reception/index.asp?classto=TedarimKlali&type=hodaot (Doni Rosenzweig, NY, Sept 26, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) [later:] "Clocks in Israel will be moved back one hour this coming Saturday night. At 2 a.m. [Israel Time] on the night between September 30th and October 1st, clocks in Israel will be moved back one hour, to 1 a.m." says http://reka.iba.org.il Therefore, ADD one hour to the current Kol Israel shortwave times. From Sunday evening Oct 1, until Monday evening Oct 2, all Kol Israel networks will be off the air, for Yom Kippur. I'm not sure of the exact times for the foreign language broadcasts. Reshet Bet is off the air 16:05 Israel Standard Time Oct 1 until 19:00 IST Oct 2 [1405-1700 UT]. Other domestic networks are off the air for a few more hours (Daniel Rosenzweig, NY, Sept 27, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** JAPAN [and non]. IVA TOGURI D'AQUINO OBIT http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060927/ap_on_re_us/obit_d_aquino_1 Iva Toguri D'Aquino, who was convicted and later pardoned of being World War II propagandist "Tokyo Rose," died Tuesday of natural causes, said her nephew, William Toguri. She was 90. Tokyo Rose was the name given by soldiers to a female radio broadcaster responsible for anti-American transmissions intended to demoralize soldiers fighting in the Pacific theater. D'Aquino was the only U.S. citizen identified among the potential suspects. In 1949, she became the seventh person to be convicted of treason in American history and served six years in prison. But doubts about her possible role as Tokyo Rose later surfaced and she was pardoned by President Gerald Ford in 1977. D'Aquino was born in Los Angeles on July 4, 1916, to Japanese immigrant parents. She began to use the first name Iva during her school years. D'Aquino had recently graduated from UCLA and was visiting relatives in Japan when she became trapped in the country at the beginning of World War II, according to a statement Tuesday from a Toguri family spokeswoman, Barbara Trembley. D'Aquino began working odd jobs to support herself while trying to find a way out of the country. That led to her work on a Japanese propaganda radio show manned by Allied prisoners called "Zero Hour," the statement said. Using the name "Orphan Ann," D'Aquino performed comedy skits and introduced newscasts. On April 19, 1945, D'Aquino married a Portuguese citizen of Japanese-Portuguese ancestry. The FBI and the Army conducted an extensive investigation to determine whether D'Aquino had committed crimes against the U.S. Authorities decided that the evidence then known did not merit prosecution, and she was released. A subsequent public furor convinced the Justice Department that the matter should be re-examined and D'Aquino was arrested in Yokohama in 1945 and tried. D'Aquino spent the years following her release from prison living a quiet life on Chicago's North Side. Ron Yates, dean of the College of Communications at the University of Illinois, is credited with helping win the pardon. As a reporter at the Chicago Tribune, Yates found D'Aquino's accusers who said they were pressured by prosecutors to lie (AP via Fred Waterer, ON; Brock Whaley, GA, DXLD) New York Daily News obit: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/news/nation/14963265.htm http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/wp-content/uploads/2006/09/Iva_Toguri.thumbnail.jpg (Media Network blog via DXLD) See ALSO USA [and non] ** LIBYA [non]. What`s become of V. of Africa`s two-hour English broadcast at 1400 via France on 17850? Sept 27 at 1510 I found this in Arabic instead with string music and singing, 1512 Ozma ID, mentioned Ramadan, into dramatic dialog. So has English been suspended at least for Ramadan? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** LIBYA [and non]. Sawt al-Amal: Estimados: aprovechando el fin de semana para hacer DX en Cuchilla Alta, decidí intentar unirme a la cacería que mantiene entre otros el colega José Miguel Romero para ver qué se podía escuchar por estas latitudes (y longitudes). El sábado 23 de setiembre, a partir de las 1218 UT los pude escuchar en 17690 kHz. SINPO 44444. Identificación y larga charla en árabe por locutora, seguida de otra por locutor. En el fondo muy bajo se oía una especie de sirena que apenas interfería. Posiblemente se trate de jamming. A esa hora Voice of Africa (Libia) estaba en 17670 kHz (bien) // 17660 (regular) con su programación habitual con cortos segmentos en inglés y francés seguidos por un largo tramo en árabe. A eso de las 1230 la sirena que interfería a Sawt al-Amal se oía más fuerte y simultáneamente muy bajito se oía en 17690 a Voice of Africa // 17660, habiendo desaparecido de 17670. A eso de las 1240 UT Sawt al-Amal se cambió a 17685 kHz, donde ofrecía muy buena señal sin interferencias (SINPO 55444). A las 1245 se identificó nuevamente . A las 1300 se escuchó una marcha seguida de (aparentemente) lectura del Cor`án. A las 1309 se cambió nuevamente ahora a 17695 kHz, junto a Radio Solh, clandestina para Afghanistan que transmite en Dari y Pashto en 17700 lo que le provocaba cierta interferencia. Ni rastros de la estación "afro-pop" frecuentemente mencionada como jammer. 73, (Moisés Knochen, Uruguay, Sony ICF-7600DS + hilo exterior de 15 m, condig list via DXLD) ** LUXEMBOURG. BCE built a new shortwave antenna at Junglinster, consisting of a folded dipole in front of a reflector. The dipole appears to be of the very same design than the ones used in the ALLISS antennas: http://forum.mysnip.de/read.php?8773,445756,447011,sv=1#msg- 447011 Perhaps more can be found in this document: http://www.gwebspace.de/drm/rtl.pdf (Kai Ludwig, Germany, Sept 27, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MADAGASCAR [and non]. Together with Kevin Chambers and Jeff Jaworski of NASB member KNLS, I met with HFCC Chairman Oldrich Cip regarding the possibility of establishing an FMO (Frequency Management Organization code) for World Christian Broadcasting for their new facility in Madagascar. Oldrich indicated that the frequency requirements for KNLS in Alaska will always have to go through the FCC, but an FMO for the Madagascar facility can be created quite easily at the appropriate time for those requirements. Other NASB members have similar situations (like TWR with Guam, for example). The new station in Madagascar, to be known as Madagascar World Voice, could be on the air as early as the end of 2009 (Jeff White, report on HFCC Athens in August, Sept NASB Newsletter via DXLD) ** MALAYSIA. 5964.94, Klasik Nasional FM (RTM), from Kajang; Sept 26, 1328-1348; nice Malay ballads; BoH brief talk about Islam, over Middle Eastern type music; back to ballads; heard several new IDs: ``Klasik Nasional``. Nasional FM was regularly heard here before Aug 12, when they merged with Klasik FM, to become "Klasik Nasional FM", but I have only heard ``Klasik Nasional`` IDs, without the FM. Live audio streaming is working at: http://www.rtm.net.my/ Thanks to Alan Davies for tip on the new name (Ron Howard, Monterey, CA, RX340, with T2FD antenna, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MEXICO. XEPPM apparently in the mix on 6185 Sept 27 at 0538; Vatican dominating in Latin singing and talk, with a fast SAH from something playing music on rustic instruments. Looking up the R. Educación playlist http://www.radioeducacion.edu.mx/HojaProg1.html we don`t find a match – certainly not Bach on unaccompanied `cello, but it`s screwed up with the linked days of month one day off in most cases! Times are local UT-5, of course (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** MONGOLIA. Please note the active email of Voice of Mongolia. densmaa9 @ yahoo.com This is the email id of VOM Mail editor Z. Densmaa. All the mails are accepted & replied by snail mail. Previous ID is not active (Swopan Chakroborty, Kolkata, India, Sept 27, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** OKLAHOMA [and non]. Re 6-144: OETA replies to gh`s complaint about Marie Antoinette (and Andy Warhol) last-minute rescheduling: The program did air after midnight. Due to new FCC regulations governing public television, a decision was made by counsel not to air the program during primetime because of inappropriate content and risk losing our license to operate or be fined. We are sorry for any inconvenience but hope you understand the scheduling changes (Carolyn Hassan, OETA, Sept 26, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Giving OETA the benefit of the doubt, this demonstrates a great problem in our (single) country, the U S A: PBS has no doubt already vetted the show and censored anything they deemed necessary, and then kept it on the national schedule at 8 pm CT. Each station is presumably free to air it as early as that, but each station is taking a risk by itself that it will be fined or even lose its license. From previous FCC behavior, it`s quite possible that some stations daring to do that (or even just one, as in the San Mateo case) will get hit and others doing exactly the same thing will be left alone. This is lunacy. National programming should be safe to carry across the board, or not. We know that PBS programs are already being censored to an extent never done before due to the current situation of fear and uncertainty. I taped the Antoinette show and will eventually watch it with a close eye to see how it has been obviously censored (but a lot of censorship will never be known except to those involved in doing it), and to see what in the world made this airable in Oklahoma only after midnight. God forbid a single child was awake to see it and file a complaint, or rather have some wacky parent do so to ``protect`` her and further erode our freedom of speech. Blame for this falls squarely on the far-religious-right-controlled illegitimate Bush regime (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Re 6-144, and above: Hi, Glenn! Re your comments on the OK PBS station's unscheduled shuffling of the Marie Antoinette program: That happened here in St. Louis with KETC too. Even that day's Post- Dispatch TV listing showed that program beginning at 8 PM local, but instead it was shifted an hour later to 9 PM, but with the 8 PM hour filled with a repeat of the program about sending women to Australia from Britain as transported prisoners. The odd thing, censorship-wise, is that *that* program was filled with references to prostitution, sodomy & bestiality (on the part of the women-deprived male convicts transported earlier), etc. Not all that family-friendly a substitute... But what was idiotic about the Marie Antoinette program itself was that it had pixellated censored images in it, NOT of actual photographs or video of nudity, but of *artwork*!!! It was so fuzzed up that I had no idea what was being censored, too. Something disparaging to Marie being put out by the revolutionaries, but the censorship made the whole point be lost. Why on earth they didn't just re-edit the program to omit those few seconds, I cannot imagine. Now, MY main objection to this program is something that I'm sure that you, personally, will strongly disagree with. I *hate* the way this (& some other recent PBS biographies) are interspersing foreign language commentaries with English. Instead of having the French-speaking contributors' words being replaced with English over-dubbing, they leave it in French and have subtitles. I loathe and despise this, myself. I cannot stare at the screen and read those subtitles. I miss just about all that information that is not spoken in English. I think this affects many other people -- some of my friends and compatriots have poor vision and cannot read that text. Myself, my screen is too small and the way I watch makes it hard to read that bottom line display. I'm sure that you, being a language expert AND someone who wants to promulgate greater understanding of foreign tongues, find this an admirable technique, but it irks the hell out of me. (I think it turns off some large percentage of the possible PBS audience, too.) Was the midnight showing of the program in your area censored in the images the same way as I saw it here? PS - Another item in that DXLD, re SW broadcasting Dutch phone-sex audio -- I, too, for years have wondered why some pirates didn't use such material. I'd think it would attract a bigger audience than rock music... 73, (Will Martin, MO, Sept 27, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Haven`t watched my tape of Marie yet, but fear the worst as you report. Axually, I find the mixture of voice-over translation and subtitles annoying too, as I am always doing something else and not watching the screen intently. If I know it`s coming, I try to tape- delay such shows even if I don`t need to, so I can back up and re-read if necessary. Also, the subtitles on a lot of those PBS shows are too small (originally for theater screens?), and not as large and clear as standard closed captioning. Furthermore, the OTA signal of PBS on cable here is not as sharp as it should be. OTOH, if I can`t or won`t read the subtitles, that forces me to try harder to understand the French (or whatever). 73, (Glenn to Will, via DXLD) ** OKLAHOMA. Dart: to OKC`s Channel Four Flash Point, better known as the Beavis & Butthead show. They interviewed GOP Rep. Tom Cole, the draft dodger, but failed to mention Democratic opponent Hal Spake, a true patriot. He demanded equal time and will get it (Frosty Troy, Observerscope, Oklahoma Observer Sept 25 via DXLD) Flashpoint normally airs Sundays at 1430-1500 UT on KFOR-4 (gh, Enid) ** OKLAHOMA. DXing Letters Very Interesting --- As you read the letters from listeners, you will see letters from listeners in Florida and the Great Lakes area. What is DXing and what do these letters mean? DXing is the process of listening to distant stations. In the early morning hours and at sunset radio signals tend to cling close to the surface of the earth and follow weather conditions like cold fronts and high pressure areas. These weather conditions are most severe in the spring, summer and fall. The hot weather this summer has made for some interesting distant listening. We have had listeners from several areas of the country write to tell us they have heard the KCCU signal thousands of miles way from our service area. You can actually join this organization by visiting different DXing websites. Just google Dxing to read more about this interesting listening experience. Sincerely, (Mark Norman, General Manager, KCCU, Lawton, Fall newsletter via DXLD) Nice to see DXing acknowledged tho he is apparently unaware of sporadic E, which accounts for such reception via the ionosphere, rather than surface weather. Hearing it ``thousands`` of miles away, i.e. at least 2000 miles, would be quite unusual, since no part of the conterminous US is that far from OK, and since that would entail quite rare double-hop Es (Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Viz.: Comments From Listeners Greg Myers from St. Petersburg, FL - DX Listening ``Dear KCCU, I am pleased to report reception of your station on July 1, 2006. I was quite thrilled to hear your station as 89.1 is usually blocked by a couple of Florida stations, nonetheless, your signal was good for the brief reception period… This time of year makes for some interesting listening and I was able to hear you on my car radio! I hope conditions will continue to allow for reception of more of your signal. Anyhow, keep up the great work and I’ll be listening!!`` (KCCU Fall Newsletter via DXLD) HD wonderful: see DIGITAL BROADCASTING ** PHILIPPINES [and non]. Sept 27 at 1454 I found on 11875 two stations, one slightly off-frequency to 11875.1 or so producing a het. One seemed to be in Indonesian or Malay as I heard the key word ``dalan``. One of them then had some gospel-rock sounding music, and later the language sounded tonal, maybe Vietnamese? But at 1458:30, 11875.0 went off, followed a semiminute later by 11875.1. Then to research this in various frequency listings: Taiwan is scheduled in Indonesian on 11875 at 14-15, so that fits, but the other? A guess would be R. Veritas Asia, Philippines, whose frequency control is not that great, scheduled in Urdu until 1457 on 11870; have they switched to 11875? Not per their A-06 sked at http://www.technical.rveritas-asia.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19&Itemid=41 But ahá! Only PWBR `2006` shows RVA on 11875 at 1330-1500, 250 kW to SAs in `other` language, and not on 11870 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Radio Veritas Asia from the Philippines is no longer on 11820 as listed on WRTH and Eibi, but 11805 // 9505 as heard this Tuesday 9/26 with Indonesian between 2300 and 2327 with very good signals on both frequencies. Intrigues me the fact that 11805 is at 222 and is coming as strong as 9505 that is listed at 0 (Raúl Saavedra, Costa Rica, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** PHILIPPINES. Radyo Pilipinas wrote: Join our group now! This is the newest and exciting way to connect to Radyo Pilipinas! Check out our home page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/overseas_radio Join now! You will be informed about Radyo Pilipinas' latest infos and activities. Be informed! Join now! (via H. S. Brar, GRDXC via DXLD) ** SAUDI ARABIA. Good signal in Arabic on 15380 for a few minutes until abruptly cut off at 1355* Sept 27. Per EiBi this is BSKSA Holy Qur`an service scheduled until 1400 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SAUDI ARABIA [and non]. 15435.24, One of the numerous 500 kW beasts at Riyadh has been an odd outlet in past two years. Settled today 1500-1800 UT on 15435v, Arabic Qur`an, but broadcast also TERRIBLY SCRATCHING noise like a motor saw. Another Arabic service on 15205 at same time had a very clear excellent audio. Similar buzzing noise noted on 11500 kHz, R Bulgaria in German at 1640 UT Sept 27 (Wolfgang Büschel, Germany, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** SOUTH AFRICA [and non]. Channel Africa, 17770 fair in English news at 1507 Sept 27; item about World Tourism Day. No sign of KVOH-17775; what`s up with them? CIRAF targets are C & E Af, but azimuth on this is 50 degrees, more toward Madagascar and SE Asia (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) more on KVOH: see U S A ** SOUTH CAROLINA [non]. Brother Scare via Guiana French, 17810, Sept 27 at 1506 with singing, or rather catterwauling from very low rate webstream, or poor quality recording. But when B.S. started to talk the audio was OK. This was same as on 9385 WWRB except delayed some seconds (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U K. STRIKE WARNING AS BBC ANNOUNCES NEWS JOB LOSSES By Alan Jones, PA Industrial Correspondent Union leaders tonight warned of possible industrial action at the BBC following an announcement of more than 100 job losses in its news division. Bectu (the Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematograph and Theatre Union) said it would support strikes if any of the union's members faced compulsory redundancy. The BBC said it hoped to achieve the reduction of 108 posts through voluntary measures. Luke Crawley, national officer of Bectu, said the latest job cuts were announced as it was learned that the BBC was spending more than .1 million on so-called "idents" (visual identifiers of the channel showing the programme) which are used in-between TV programmes on BBC One and Two. "With the greatest of respect to the workers who make the idents, they will not encourage people to watch television because that can only be done through making quality programmes," he said. Mr Crawley said he was pessimistic about the chances of encouraging volunteers to come forward for redundancy following hundreds of job losses at the corporation over the past 18 months. A spokeswoman for the BBC said the announcement was part of a three- year savings programme involving 422 job losses which were announced in 2005. The BBC will seek volunteers for redundancy, but could not rule out the possibility that some will be compulsory. end 261819 SEP 06MX09-26-2006 17:19UTC (via Dave Alpert, DXLD) BBC NEWS CUTS HIT EUROPE, NEW YORK John Plunkett, Wednesday September 27, 2006 3.15pm MediaGuardian.co.uk http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,,1882229,00.html BBC News is set to scale back its operations in continental Europe and New York as part of plans to axe 108 jobs. The overseas reorganisation will see the same number of bureaux but fewer foreign staff, with the loss of a number of overseas correspondents' jobs. Europe and New York are expected to bear the brunt of the changes, with the impact in the US offset by an increased presence in Washington. The BBC's Middle East operation has escaped the axe. However, a BBC spokesman said none of its overseas bureaux would shut. Television will absorb most of the cuts, with the axe also set to fall in newsgathering, radio and the corporation's online news coverage. Five jobs will go from Radio 4's news programmes, which include Today and PM, with two more posts going in political programming, which is likely to hit the BBC's coverage of party political conferences. A further six jobs will go in TV news production, including graphics and editing, with another four posts - two reporters and two production jobs - to go on BBC2's Newsnight. A total of 39 jobs are earmarked to go in TV news, with 22 in newsgathering - home to the corporation's high-profile correspondents such as John Simpson - 18 in radio and 19 in news interactive. A trawl has now begun of staff prepared to take voluntary redundancy. Trade union heads will meet with senior news management at the end of a series of month-long meetings with local department heads, which are expected to last about a month. Staff could go on strike before the end of the year if the corporation makes compulsory redundancies. The National Union of Journalists said it already has a mandate for strike action after last year's ballot in protest at corporation-wide redundancies that led to a 24-hour walkout last May. Broadcasting union Bectu criticised the cuts, saying the #1.2m spent on BBC1's new channel idents could have been used to save 30 jobs. Unlike the NUJ, Bectu would hold a new ballot of news staff before taking any further strike action. The union is on the verge of issuing ballot papers in BBC Wales in protest at three members facing compulsory redundancy as part of Mark Thompson's "Value for money" changes. The BBC wants the 108 members of BBC News staff off its payroll by March 31 next year. In most cases staff will have to be given at least four months' notice (via Dan Say, DXLD) ** U S A. I spoke with Tom Lucey of the FCC International Bureau about the famous letter from the NTIA on behalf of FEMA which threatened our use of out-of-band frequencies. Specifically, they asked the FCC to make U.S. private SW stations vacate a laundry list of frequencies and the space on 13 kHz on either side of them. The NTIA "seems to have other priorities right now" said Tom, and they are not pursuing the matter, so the FCC is not pushing it either. The FCC's policy at the moment is to go ahead authorizing use of the specified OOB frequencies by the private SW stations, but with a proviso that this privilege could be discontinued in the future if other government agencies require them (Jeff White, WRMI, report on HFCC Athens in August, Sept NASB Newsletter via DXLD) ** U S A. No sign of KVOH on 17775 Sept 27 at 1507 when I was getting South Africa clearly on 17770; at 1825 recheck, I was able to detect very weak Spanish on 17775 eclipsed by huge signal from Sackville on 17765, both beamed more or less this way, but KVOH is less than 2 megameters away, and Sackville almost 3. Maybe a matter of skip distances. By 2025 rerecheck, KVOH was strong enough to listen to, in the unlikely event one would really want to, but still much weaker than RCI. Wonder if KVOH is really powered down (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. AFN again heard with music instead of scheduled talk format, Sept 27 at 0548 on 7811-USB, ``My Boy``, 0549 jingle for ``Oldies Radio``, and then ``Locomotion``. Checked again at 1338, had music but then into Navy news capsule (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. It seems VOA`s ``Talk to America`` is more and more about ``Talk FROM America``, which of course is all VOA does the rest of the time, as Sept 27 it broadcast live a speech by acting Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about Darfur, etc. I`m still scratching my head about how this apparently brilliant woman can serve such an evil regime and be such an apologist for it. Guess it`s for being a True Believer. I wish she would devote herself more to chamber music (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. NPR story on Demos on BBG trying to oust Kenneth Tomlinson Here’s a link to the Morning Edition story voiced by David Folkenflik: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6073454 and the accompanying text: September 14, 2006 Democrats on the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which runs American broadcasting services overseas, tried Wednesday to oust the current board chair, Kenneth Tomlinson, a Republican. A party-line vote means that Tomlinson will keep his seat. Tomlinson was the subject of a recent, highly critical government inquiry. 73, (Randy Stewart Springfield MO, Sept 14, DX LISTENING DIGEST) And he did keep it. Delayed since this was sent to hotmail which I rarely check. If anyone still has a hotmail address for me please delete and do not use it! Use the yahoo address instead (gh) ** U S A. The GOP attack on Public Broadcasting never ceases. Bush has appointed Warren Bell to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting --- a rightwing National Review nutcase who says he has ``limited familiarity`` with NPR. Sure (Frosty Troy, Obserscope, Oklahoma Observer Sept 25 via DXLD) ** U S A. Here`s the FCC page about Marfa Public Radio, which is on the air on 93.5 despite not having been granted a CP, much less a license. Note especially Exhibit 7 toward the bottom of http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101134590&formid=301&fac_num=164217 which says: ``Description: CHARACTER ISSUES --- THE APPLICANT HAS RECEIVED AN INQUIRY LETTER DATED MAY 23, 2006 FROM THE COMMISSION WHICH RAISES A POTENTIAL CHARACTER ISSUE WITH RESPECT TO THIS APPLICATION AND THE PROPOSED MARFA STATION. THE APPLICANT IS REVIEWING ITS RECORDS AND INVESTIGATING THE MATTERS RAISED BY THE INQUIRY LETTER, AND WILL FILE A FURTHER AMENDMENT OF THIS APPLICATION IF SUCH ACTION IS APPROPRIATE OR REQUIRED.`` Wonder what that is about??? It`s also notable that the owners are private citizens elsewhere in the US who also have interests in commercial radio, not some non-profit local community or public radio organization. Since the frequency is not in the educational band, it could easily be converted ultimately into a commercial operation. Previous DXLD issues wherein Marfa is mentioned, likely under U S A: DX Listening Digest 6-128 August 24 DX Listening Digest 6-120 August 9 DX Listening Digest 6-099 July 7 DX Listening Digest 6-098 July 5 DX Listening Digest 6-084 June 6 DX Listening Digest 6-081 June 1 DX Listening Digest 6-080 May 28 DX Listening Digest 6-077 May 22 DX Listening Digest 6-076 May 19 DX Listening Digest 6-036 February 26 DX Listening Digest 6-030 February 13 DX Listening Digest 5-003 January 3 DX Listening Digest 4-174 November 21 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. WGN has started doing something else with its webcasts when stupid ballgames are on 720 cannot be heard. They used to run an apology loop, but now during the Extension 720 period, 0207-0400 UT Tue-Sat, I find them running ``podcasts`` (which they are not if one is listening to them on the webcast without subscribing to such podcasts), of previous E720 segments, or even other talk shows such as Nick at Night. This was still going on, introduced by the show`s producer, at almost 0300 UT Sept 27 when I wanted to hear the posted subject about Turing; maybe that eventually came on before 0400 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ** U S A. RADIO TOWER FINALLY GIVEN A HOME --- By Elise Hamner, City Editor, Tuesday, September 26, 2006 Serving the South Coast of Oregon No one guessed months ago there might be debate about building a new radio tower in Eastside for Marshfield High School's broadcast program. But there was. Residents near the Eastside boat ramp didn't want a 160- to 190-foot-tall tower near their homes. Others didn't want to look at it on the western horizon. On Thursday night, commissioners with the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay moved toward a compromise with neighbors. They opted not to allow the Coos Bay School District to build the tower near the boat ramp. They also turned down residents' requests to allow the tower on the northwesternmost point, farthest from homes, because it might be in the way commercial development. Instead, they opted to allow the district to place the tower in the center of the port's 114 acres of peninsula property, which is marshy brushland now. The tower itself would be fenced, held in place by four guy wires anchored about 120 to 150 feet from its base. . . http://www.theworldlink.com/articles/2006/09/23/news/news06092306.prt (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) Follow-up to 6-141, KMHS 1420 Yo Artie, I'm an almost 51 year old radio buff myself (actually 50). The high school had this license donated in 1996. We sold our family stations in this market the same year and I came to the school and began this radio program. In August 2007 we will have been on the air for ten years!!! We have about 200 students each trimester that use our program. I will send you a copy of our Station Profile. Thank you for your interest (Steve Walker, Pirate Radio, via Artie Bigley, DXLD) [about extending webcast past Sept 24; beware: launches automatically if working] http://www.coos-bay.k12.or.us/media/ (via Artie Bigley, DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. There is a Mexican on 640 that dominates KFI at night in southeastern Arizona. I am so shocked than 50 KW non-DA stations are no longer entitled to any protection of what was their 750 mile skywave coverage area, and that most of them don't seem to care, either. So if the FCC thinks 50 KW is just for having good metro coverage, I wonder if most metro area stations will be granted 50 KW? (George Sherman, MN, Sept 26, IRCA via DXLD) XEJUA Juarez? ** U S A. THE LARGER PICTURE ON THE GERRITSEN CONVICTION Last week we reported the breaking news that notorious radio jammer Jack Gerritsen, age 70, had been sentenced to 7 years in prison plus a $15,000 fine for doing more jamming to authorized radio signals after his last incarceration. Gerritsen is also suspected of interfering with broadcast RPU [remote pickup unit] systems in the greater Los Angeles area. Details on Mr. Gerritsen's sentencing are available at the first URL below. Basically, it boils down to this: Gerritsen's court-appointed attorney suggested a 24-month prison term, the US District Attorney recommended a 46-month sentence, but the judge decided that Gerritsen deserved seven years (84-months), plus two years supervised probation, plus a 15k fine. Congratulations to the Los Angeles FCC field office for gathering and presenting effective evidence in the Gerritsen case. If you would like to send a note of thanks to the FCC, send mail to: Catherine.Deaton @ fcc.gov and put "Jack Gerritsen" in the subject line. Job well done. http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/09/19/100/?nc=1 (CGC Communicator Sept 26 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) ** U S A [and non]. IVA TOGURI, JULY 4, 1916 - SEPTEMBER 26, 2006 The Times London September 28, 2006 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,60-2378109,00.html American citizen who was falsely accused of being the notorious Japanese propagandist 'Tokyo Rose' She was, they said, the Lord Haw-Haw of the Pacific. Born in Los Angeles of Japanese parents, she renounced America and spent the war years taunting American servicemen on the radio, assuring them that their cause was lost and that their country's defeat was inevitable. She became the most notorious traitor produced by America during the Second World War. In the eyes of the world she was the despicable "Tokyo Rose". When she was finally tracked down in occupied Japan and brought home to the US to stand trial, the furore was immense. The tabloids and the airwaves were filled with hatred for a young woman who had committed the worst of crimes - that of being publicly and flagrantly anti- American in time of war. The trial, in which the FBI and the American military, as well as the fourth estate, invested considerable time and energy, ended up with a price tag of nearly three quarters of a million dollars - a huge sum and a record for the period. When the accused was fined $10,000 and sentenced to ten years in prison, it was widely felt that too much leniency had been shown. "Tokyo Rose", described at her trial as being the nom de guerre of the 30-year-old Iva Toguri, promptly disappeared into the US prison system and, in due course, was forgotten. That was the legend. The truth, when it emerged, was very different. Indeed, it was so different that if a new trial were to be held today, those in the dock would mostly be journalists, agents and officials of the US Government. For it was a combination of these three that whipped up the story of Tokyo Rose and then pinned the blame on Iva Toguri. Her story and the one concocted by them were separated by more than culture and language and the need, in the immediate postwar period, for traitors to be seen to pay for their crimes. They were separated by politics and cynicism and, most of all, by the intense desire of an unprincipled group of American reporters to secure the scoop of a lifetime. The real story of Ikuko (Iva) Toguri did not emerge for many years. Her father, Jun Toguri, had arrived in the US from Japan in 1899. Her mother, Fumi, did not make the trip until 1913. The two were married and Iva was born (with some irony in the light of what was to transpire), on the Fourth of July, 1916. The Toguris - one among thousands of Japanese-American families in Southern California - were Methodists, and Iva was raised as a Christian. She attended schools in Calexico and San Diego, and then in Los Angeles, before enrolling as a zoology student at UCLA, from which she graduated in 1940. She was well liked and had many friends. No one at the time saw her as anything but a loyal American. Among her favourite radio shows were The Shadow and Little Orphan Annie. She also enjoyed sport. All the while, war was brewing between the US and Imperial Japan. One morning in the early summer of 1941 Iva's mother received news that her sister had fallen seriously ill in Tokyo. As her mother suffered from diabetes and could not easily travel, it fell to Iva, then 25, to make the long journey to Japan to be at her aunt's bedside. Iva Toguri did not possess a passport and there was no time to get one. Instead, she secured from the State Department an identity certificate, which, she was assured, would guarantee her readmission into the country of her birth. Certainly, her intention as she set out aboard the steamship Arabia Maru on July 5, 1941, was to pay her respects, and those of her mother, to her ailing relative and then, after a suitable time, to return to Los Angeles to pursue a career in medicine. But while she was paying her visit, on December 7, 1941, aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked the US base at Pearl Harbor, destroying many ships and initiating three years and nine months of conflict. Iva Toguri found that, like hundreds of other Japanese-Americans, she was stranded in what had suddenly become enemy territory. There was no means for her to make her way back to Los Angeles and she was forced to remain in Tokyo and somehow make a life for herself. She did not speak Japanese and she was a Christian in a Shinto society. More than that, she believed firmly in the American way of life and had no sympathy with either emperor worship or Japanese expansionism. From the point of view of the Japanese authorities, individuals such as Toguri were of some slight practical importance. They knew the enemy and they knew the enemy's language. Thus it was that Iva, while refusing to renounce her US citizenship, was encouraged to study Japanese and to adapt to the culture of her ancestors. In 1942 she was recruited as a typist by the Domei News Agency, and then, a year later, by Radio Tokyo, the propaganda arm of the Japanese state broadcasting system. Ironically, she was not taken on directly by the Japanese station bosses, but by an Australian prisoner of war, Major Charles Cousens, who had been forced by his captors to develop an English-language news and music service. Cousens, like Toguri, was no creature of the Japanese and sought to convey in his daily schedule a mixture of information and entertainment that would cause as little offence as possible to Allied soldiers while still not bringing down on his head the wrath of his superiors. There were at the time a number of English-speaking Japanese women broadcasters who specialised in playing up Japanese military victories and pouring scorn on their enemies, especially the Americans. They were chosen for their sexy-sounding voices and their presumed ability to undermine the morale of their target audience. GIs took to calling these women by the generic name, Tokyo Rose. But Iva Toguri was not one of these. Her broadcasts, scripted by Cousens, and put out under the name "Orphan Ann" were bland and almost factual. She used the money she earned to help to feed and clothe Allied prisoners, and she even managed to insert into her broadcasts subtle indicators that the war was not in fact going Japan's way. In April 1945 she married a Portuguese citizen of Portuguese-Japanese ancestry, Felipe d'Aquino. At the Japanese surrender tabloid reporters combed the country in the search for "Tokyo Rose" and eventually, through bribes, secured the name of Iva Toguri. The press, backed by various radio stations, now "revealed" that Toguri was the infamous Tokyo Rose. At first, the accusations did not seem to warrant prosecution and she was released after questioning. But a growing public furore led to her re-arrest and she was brought back to the US for trial. The FBI, under pressure from Washington, was only too glad to back the allegations, even to the extent of paying Japanese "witnesses" to perjure themselves in court. The trial was a sensation. The evidence was either scant or false. Witnesses said whatever they thought was expected of them. In the end, the only surprise was that the prisoner was not jailed for life, or even executed. After serving six years of her ten-year sentence, Tiguri, a model prisoner, was freed. She joined her father, who had settled in Chicago, and continued to work in the family import business there until well into her eighties. In 1976, after a second media campaign led by Bill Kurtis, of CBS, the news anchor Morley Safer produced an item about Iva Toguri on the mass-audience 60 Minutes show. This revealed not only the true nature of Toguri's enforced wartime occupation, but the extent of the perjury and tabloid feeding frenzy that had led to her arrest and conviction. Toguri was pardoned by President Ford as his last act on leaving office in January 1977. She went to her grave without uttering a word of criticism against those who had persecuted her. The fine she paid was never returned. Toguri's husband was never allowed to join her in the US, and they reluctantly divorced in 1980. He died in 1996. Iva Toguri, the wartime "Tokyo Rose" of legend, was born on July 4, 1916. She died on September 26, 2006, aged 90 (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) See also JAPAN [and non] ** URUGUAY. En armónico. El domingo 24 septiembre a las 0057 UT escuché Difusora Soriano, Mercedes, con música de tango e identificación en 3630 kHz (3 x 1210). Señal bastante fuerte (SINPO 45444). que yo recuerde es la primera vez que escucho esta emisora, ya que por esta zona la frecuencia está bloqueada por Radio RBC de Piriápolis. Realmente me tomó por sorpresa encontrarlos en medio de la banda de aficionados de 80 m, por momentos pensé que algún ham estaba haciendo pruebas y había conectado un tocadiscos al transmisor, hasta que escuché la ID :-) (Moisés Knochen, Cuchilla Alta, Uruguay, Sony ICF-7600DS + hilo exterior de 15 m, condig list via DXLD) ** WESTERN SAHARA [non]. Polisario Front. G'd evening all! AOE* / W. Sahara / ALGERIA / CLANDESTINE... pick the heading that suits you best, hi! The Polisario Front seemed to have again changed its programs, viz. the second broadcast of the day, at 1700-0000, today started with Arabic rather than with the one hour Castilian program, which may better suit the audience in neighbouring Spain should it be pushed to 2300-0000. Manuel Méndez in Lugo, Galicia, Spain, has just reported to me reception up there on 1550 kHz is poor while good on new 7425 (ex- 7460). Down here, 1550 kHz prevails as my favourite outlet though 7425 is putting a formidable signal too mornings / early evening after which it becomes gradually weaker & fluttery as darkness sets it, which means we here must be in the skip zone for some time. Night time reception of 7425 is even worse when I DX from Algarve's west coast. More on the Castilian program schedule after this evening's observation, i.e. if it wasn't again dropped. *) Is AOE (standing for Africa Occidental Espaõnla as Wolfgang Büschel once suggested?) an official ITU country code? And I wonder why many still refer to them as the "R. Nacional de la RASD" when we all know no such country exists, at least for time being. 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, Sept 27, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Ramadan may have prompted schedule changes, just as there have been previously on Fridays vs. other days of week. AOE is not on the HFCC abbr. key. I think that is an historical abbr., and may well be found e.g. on old postage stamps. We refer to them as RN de la RASD because that is what the station calls itself, in Spanish, does it not? If 7425 fades out so early for you, I wonder if it could be that Russian transmitter which was originally coördinated to be on at that time with VOR programming; instead of Tindouf, Algeria (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) Dear Glenn, I wasn't expecting so soon a comment! Thank you. I am fully aware people refer to the station by the name they announce, but, frankly, it's a Polisario Front operation, nothing else, and, as you well know, the country doesn't exist. 7425 doesn't fade out, it simply becomes very weak, i.e. it's always audible, but not as strong (very strong!) as when it opens transmission at 1700 or during the whole of the morning period. Ramadan. You do have a point there: maybe that's the reason, but similar changes did occur in the past, when no Castilian program was aired at all. Let me wait until 2300, hi! 73, (Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, ibid.) ** ZIMBABWE. ZIMBABWE RADIO ORGANIZATION HAILS DISMISSAL OF CRIMINAL CHARGES By Carole Gombakomba VOA News Washington 26 September 2006 http://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/Zimbabwe/2006-09-26-voa49.cfm A Zimbabwe magistrate's decision this week to dismiss charges brought against the trustees and employees of an independent radio broadcasting company has met with satisfaction on the part of senior management of the Voice of the People. The magistrate dismissed the charges Monday after government prosecutors sought a third postponement in the case, opened in December when the state raided VOP. The organization produced radio segments that were broadcast to Zimbabwe and the region by Netherlands state radio from a transmitter located in Madagascar. The Voice of the People offices were destroyed by a bomb in 2001 and Zimbabwean police confiscated its equipment in the December raid Trustee Isabella Matambanadzo told reporter Carole Gombakomba of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that despite the favorable decision, VOP needs to get its equipment back from the government in order to resume its activity. Media rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa, who represented the VOP trustees and staff in the case, said the magistrate ruled correctly, but added that authorities never should have made the arrests and brought the charges to begin with. Acting Information Minister Paul Mangwana could not be reached for comment (via Mike Terry, dxldyg via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED. 4920 kHz, 2006/09/23 2143 UTC. Estación con música clásica sin parar, mayormente piano y violín, Sonata Claro de Luna de Beethoven, etc. SINPO 35343 en sus mejores momentos, luego se fue perdiendo en el ruido a eso de las 2200. 73, (Moisés Knochen, Cuchilla Alta, Uruguay, Sony ICF-7600DS + hilo exterior de 15 m, condig list via DXLD) UNIDENTIFIED [non]. Re 6-144, DRM on 6015: Presumably Issoudun, cf. http://www.drmrx.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1494 TDP registered 6015 kHz as their own frequency for both T-Systems and VT sites (presumably TDF was no option yet at the time A06 frequencies were coordinated), but only between 0700 and 1700, so this presumed Issoudun transmission before 0700 really should not have been there (Kai Ludwig, Sept 26, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST) Hi Glenn, this is to inform you that the unID DRM station on 6015 kHz is TDF from Issoudun, France. The station is on air from 0700 to 1500 UT. On Sept. 22 also VT Communications did some tests in AM on the same frequency. 73, (Klaus Schneider, DRM DX, Germany, Sept 27, DX LISTENING DIGEST) UNIDENTIFIED. On 14740 at 1414 Sept 27, came upon weak 5-digit number groups in Russian on AM by OM. Possibly another Slavic language but rather sure it was Russian. A search of the 3737 posts so far in the UDXF yg did not get any hits on this frequency (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Since CRW cannot 'assure' to provide new information every day I always recommend to all CRW readers to read also the DXL-Digests , since Glenn Hauser somehow can provide new information every day, also about the 'Clandestines' (M. Schöch-D Sep 11, 2006 for CRW) DIGITAL BROADCASTING ++++++++++++++++++++ DTV POWER LEVELS A question about DTV power levels: "I notice browsing the database that a lot of UHF DTVs are exactly 200 kW. Is this some kind of standard for a certain class of DTVs?" Originally 200 kW was the maximum power allowable for a UHF DTV. Fearing that wouldn't be enough to replicate the coverage of the analog, stations successfully petitioned for an increase in the limit to 1000 kW. However, stations didn't automatically get that increase; they had to file for "maximization", an increase in power from that originally assigned by the FCC's software. For that petition to succeed the station had to show there would be no interference with existing analogs or authorized digitals. Often this required an expensive directional antenna, so some stations didn't bother (probably also in cases where all they wanted was to get enough signal over the headend to be guaranteed carriage on cable...) "Just how hard would it be for a DTV with less than the maximum 1000 kW to upgrade to full power in the future?" It depends. From a technical standpoint --- an increase at a VHF station might be as simple as adding power modules to an existing transmitter. It could also be as difficult as completely replacing the transmitter, antenna, feedline, and tower. For the most part it depends on how powerful the smaller interim facility was built; also, on how well the tower was built. From a regulatory standpoint --- it depends on what other DTV stations are on the same or adjacent channels. After analog stations go away, DTV upgrades that aren't possible now may become possible; also, as a lot of DTV stations are moving to new channels after transition, upgrades may become possible. "Also, considering markets where the stations have historically transmitted from widely separated transmitter sites, e.g. WOOD and WWMT... (one southeast of Grand Rapids and the other north of town) Could WZZM eventually move their DTV to the Gun Lake tower farm if they found a channel where it would fit?" Yes. The regulations are essentially the same as for analog: you must put a citygrade signal across your city-of-license, and you must not interfere with any other existing station. It might indeed be easier for digital, since the definition of a "city-grade" signal is a lot looser for DTV. A site that might be too far from the official city-of-license for analog may be close enough for digital (Doug Smith, Oct WTFDA VHF-UHF Digest via DXLD) DRM RECEIVERS ARE AVAILABLE FOR UNDER 200 EURO: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2173460,00.html For the first time, DRM receivers are available for under 200 Euro. Deutsche Welle listeners can save 10 Euro on every radio purchased. The new so-called multi-band receivers are being marketed via the T- Online-Shop. The all-purpose radios permit the reception of Deutsche Welle programs as both analogue and digital broadcasts. The revolutionary digital standard is called DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale) and can be clearly heard in stereo throughout most of Europe. DW’s digital programs offer a mix of news and information in German and English as well as classical and popular music from Germany and Europe. In addition to the Deutsche Welle, a number of other broadcasters also offer programing in digital formats (see below). The new equipment makes the reception of virtually every type of radio transmission possible: analogue and digital AM, FM, shortwave and longwave as well as the CD-quality provided by Digital Audio Broadcasting, DAB. Rebate for DW Listeners --- The Deutsche Welle is also offering its listeners a special deal on the purchase of this new technology. In cooperation with our Online-Shop provider, fans of DW will receive a 10 Euro rebate on every purchase, in the form of a coupon. Simply enter the coupon code ``welle 10`` (without quotation marks, please) when placing your on-line order. The future of radio has never been so affordable! Best regards, (via MD. AZIZUL ALAM AL-AMIN, RAJSHAHI-6100, BANGLADESH, DXLD) So is the offer valid outside Europe? Payable only in Euros? (gh, DXLD) DRM: see LUXEMBOURG; UNIDENTIFIED 6015 KCCU LAWTON HD IS WONDERFUL For as long as I can recall I have been interested in the power of radio. KCCU in Lawton has the unique distinction of being the ONLY digital radio in all of Texas and Oklahoma to multicast on two digital stereo channels located at 89.3 MHz. after hearing earlier in the year an interview with Mark Norman, General Manager of KCCU, I kept looking for the release of HD (High Definition) capable digital radios. My search was successful in December with the release by Boston Acoustics of their HD Receptor digital radio. The sound separation was unbelievable and crisp to the point of almost startling in how realistic the sound quality was produced from the unit. Then I tuned into the second HD digital channel on KCCU 89.3 and was treated to an entirely new world of high quality alternative programming available. The ability to listen to Diane Rehm, Fresh Air, Talk of the Nation programming available. And the BBC World Service at night while classical music was being played on KCCU HD Channel 1 and then the capability to listen to continue to listen to classical music on KCCU HD Channel 2 while jazz was on Channel 1 was a dream come true! And in HD Digital Quality mode. KCCU is a leader in the region for pioneering HD Digital Capability on its frequencies. KCCU needs and deserves the ongoing support of its listeners in order to continue to offer the high quality of not only the programming that we so wonderfully enjoy, but now the high quality of the sound transmission brought via HD Digital Radio that enriches even further the enjoyment of KCCU programming (Mark Ewell from Lawton, OK - Notes on HD Radio, KCCU Fall Newsletter via DXLD) NEW HD RADIO I note Sangean is introducing two new HD radios for home use. The HDR- 1 is a table radio more or less similar to the Boston Acoustics Receptor HD; the HDT-1 is a stereo tuner. The HDT-1 includes a RDS decoder with PS, PTY, RT, and CT. (the HDR-1 doesn't say anything about analog RDS but I'd be surprised if it doesn't have it) Universal Radio will apparently be carrying both radios but they haven't received FCC RF emission approval yet so they can't quote a price. Radio Magazine says MSRP on the HDT-1 will be $299. http://www.universal-radio.com/CATALOG/spcialty/0149.html http://www.universal-radio.com/CATALOG/spcialty/0111.html http://beradio.com/eyeoniboc/ibiquity_promo_radio_stations/ Given the rarity of decent new tuners for decent prices the HDT-1 may be worth keeping an eye on (Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66, http://www.w9wi.com Sept 27, WTFDA via DXLD) LOW-COST HD-R PROMOTIONAL RECEIVERS COMING, SOME AT $99 http://www.rwonline.com/dailynews/one.php?id=9769 (CGC Communicator Sept 26 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM +++++++++++++++++++++ SYNCHRONIZED TRANSMITTERS, 1939 STYLE (WBBM AND KFAB) I came across this interesting article online, from the June 1939 issue of Mechanix Illustrated: http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2006/02/28/delaying-the-broadcast/ It seems that at this time WBBM and KFAB were synchronized on 770 kHz, with the KFAB audio being fed from WBBM. The problem of the transmitter frequencies having to be identical to avoid heterodynes seems to have been easily solved, however by the time the audio arrived at KFAB it was delayed by 23 milliseconds. Thus, in the area that received both signals the audio had a "hollow" sound. Solution: delay the audio fed the WBBM transmitter by 23 ms. How to do this with 1939 technology? Use 23 feet of lead sewer pipe stuffed with fabric etc as a delay line, with a speaker at one end and a microphone at the other! Interesting reading. 73, (Deane McIntyre, VE6BPO, Sept 26, IRCA via DXLD) MSTV IS CRITICAL ON UNLICENSED DEVICES IN THE TV BANDS The Association for Maximum Service Television (MSTV) has released a study it says documents interference problems associated with unlicensed devices operating in the so-called "white spaces" in the TV bands. One of the problems in the Senate bill for TV spectrum sharing is that it would require broadcasters to identify any source of interference before complaining about it. Broadcasting & Cable magazine has more, and the MSTV report is available at the second URL: http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6374605.html http://www.mstv.org/docs/NAFrebuttal.pdf (CGC Communicator Sept 26 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) DETAILS ON "WARN" - A MODERNIZED EAS A working URL for more information on WARN, the public Warning, Alert, and Response Network recently approved by the U.S. Senate (but not yet voted into law), may be found at the first URL below. The second URL takes you to a letter from Richard Rudman with more insights and links. http://commerce.senate.gov/newsroom/printable.cfm?id=247498 http://earthsignals.com/add_CGC/Letters/EAS_WARN.htm (CGC Communicator Sept 26 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) MORE PHOTOS OF CAMOUFLAGED CELLPHONE ANTENNA TOWERS This photo set courtesy of Red Blanchard. http://tinyurl.com/zy3sp (CGC Communicator Sept 26 via Kevin Redding, ABDX via DXLD) PROPAGATION +++++++++++ The geomagnetic field ranged from quiet to major storm levels. Solar wind speed ranged from a low of about 295 km/s early on 23 September to a high of about 690 km/s late on 24 September. The period began as a recurrent coronal hole high speed stream had become geoeffective. Solar wind steadily increased to about 630 km/s by late on the 18th, while the IMF Bz remained active with fluctuations between +/- 7 nT. The field responded with unsettled to active conditions at middle latitudes with unsettled to major storm periods at high latitudes through about midday on the 19th. Thereafter through about 23/1800 UTC, the field was at mostly quiet levels as wind speed gradually decayed to the period’s low of just under 300 km/s and the IMF Bz did not vary much beyond +/- 3 nT. Late on 23 September, wind speed, density and temperature increased, all due to the occurrence of a solar sector boundary crossing and co-rotating interaction region in advance of a recurrent coronal hole high speed stream. The IMF Bz responded with fluctuations between +10 to -20 nT and as a result, the geomagnetic field became unsettled to active. Early on 24 September, wind speed had risen to a high of around 670 km/s, while the IMF Bz relaxed, not varying much beyond +/- 3 nT. The geomagnetic field responded with unsettled to active periods early in the day with high latitudes reaching active to major storm conditions. The period ended with the solar wind speed around 640 km/s. FORECAST OF SOLAR AND GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY 27 SEPTEMBER - 23 OCTOBER Solar activity is expected to be at very low to low levels. No greater than 10 MeV proton events are expected. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at high levels on 02 – 07 October and again on 15 – 23 October. The geomagnetic field is expected to be mostly quiet to unsettled for the majority of the forecast period. Recurrent coronal hole high speed wind streams are expected to rotate into geoeffective positions 01 – 02 October, 14 – 15 October, and again on 21 October. Unsettled to major storm periods are possible on 01 – 02 October while unsettled to minor storm periods are possible on 14 – 15 October and 21 October. :Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt :Issued: 2006 Sep 26 1954 UTC # Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Environment Center # Product description and SEC contact on the Web # http://www.sec.noaa.gov/wwire.html # # 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table # Issued 2006 Sep 26 # # UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest # Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index 2006 Sep 27 70 8 3 2006 Sep 28 75 10 3 2006 Sep 29 75 8 3 2006 Sep 30 75 10 3 2006 Oct 01 75 20 4 2006 Oct 02 75 10 3 2006 Oct 03 75 8 3 2006 Oct 04 75 5 2 2006 Oct 05 75 5 2 2006 Oct 06 75 5 2 2006 Oct 07 75 5 2 2006 Oct 08 75 5 2 2006 Oct 09 75 5 2 2006 Oct 10 75 5 2 2006 Oct 11 75 5 2 2006 Oct 12 75 5 2 2006 Oct 13 75 10 3 2006 Oct 14 70 15 3 2006 Oct 15 70 20 4 2006 Oct 16 70 10 3 2006 Oct 17 70 8 3 2006 Oct 18 70 5 2 2006 Oct 19 70 5 2 2006 Oct 20 70 10 3 2006 Oct 21 70 20 4 2006 Oct 22 70 10 3 2006 Oct 23 70 8 3 (http://www.sec.noaa.gov/radio via WORLD OF RADIO 1330, DXLD) ###